Lin Evans

Hi Eric, You must first create a transparent layer, copy and paste the moon image on this then erase the parts you don't want to show and save the file as a PNG. Rather than learn now, why don't you post a link to the image of the moon and I'll quickly do it for you then you can practice with the original and learn the process? If you like, just use this one: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/eric/ericmoon.png Best regards, Lin

Hi, I'm a bit confused. Don't you already have access to the pan, zoom and rotate tools when the 3D box is open? Are you saying you would like this duplicated inside the 3D Parameter box? Best regards, Lin

Hi Ron, It "sounds" like perhaps PTE and Camtasia are fighting for the use of Direct X. That is you have two programs each trying to use the video exclusively, or perhaps Camtasia is trying to have exclusivity. Why don't you try opening PTE first and minimizing it, then load Camtasia and see if there is any difference? Best regards, Lin

Hi Folks, With the season being upon us, at least in those parts of the world where it's presently winter (sorry Australia!) I thought it might be nice to provide a way to very quickly and efficiently animate your winter scenes with snow. To this end, I have made several tutorials including the latest one which shows you how to copy and paste one of my snow animations from the Christmas Snow Cube Template and use this with any image. It takes less than 60 seconds to animate any image you choose with a nice snowfall by using this method. The animation runs 60 seconds and you can, of course, duplicate the same slide indefinitely and run the animation as long as desired. Just download the tutorial here: #22 http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7901&st=0#entry49109 You can also download the zipped PTE Christmas Snow Cube tutorial and template at the same location, or from the "Templates" section of the forum under my name. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jeff, O.K. http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7901&st=0#entry49109 Tutorials #20 and #21

Hi Tom, Good to hear! Thanks! The template and first tutorial are ready - link above on the original post which has been edited to add links to the template and tutorial and two other versions with sound. Best regards, Lin

Just a few words and a suggestion that if you frequently animate or create special effects, you may seriously want to look at this free, incredible utility. For instance. If you have a need to split images and perhaps recombine them you can always do it the hard way with Photoshop (assuming you have the requisite skills), or you can do it the easy way with PhotoScape. There are really too many features to even begin to explain, but let me expand on the above. To make my cube faces, I need square images. To make perfect facets for the Rubik's Cube effect or for the nine facet "look" which I like for some of my other effects (such as the Christmas Snow Cube) I simply place my square crop from PhotoShop in PhotoScape, use the handy dandy splitter and instantly split the file into nine perfect, equal sized segments. Then to make the little mini-cube facets I use the PhotoScape "Combine" tool to put them quickly together with a plethora of possibilities. One actually has to see this tool in action to understand how truly useful it is. Later, I intend to make a mini-tutorial on how to create the square faces for my Christmas Snow Cube and show how to use both Photoshop and Photoscape to quickly achieve the desired effect. I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to use my Christmas Snow Cube template download and install PhotoScape from the link below. You won't be sorry! http://photoscape.en.softonic.com/ Best regards, Lin

Christmas Snowcube Template: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/snowcubetutorial/christmascubeptetemplate.zip http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/xmas/snowcubetutorial/snowcubeavitutorial.zip Lin

O.K. For you who have considerable understanding of PTE animation - just go to the link (tutorials) under PTE Made Easy, PTE for Smarties section (FAQ and Tutorials) and you can download the template. Create 800x800 pixel (square) images for the six sides, name them side1.jpg through side6.jpg. Unzip the template into its own folder and copy your own cube sides overwriting the placeholder files and run the PTE file, create an exe, modify the movement, size, etc., as desired. For those less familiar, download and look at the AVI tutorial (same link). Essentially, there is a master controller frame for motion. A child frame for size and each side of the cube (side1.jpg, etc.) has an attached mask with the snow animation. Delete this for any side you don't want snow animation on (don't delete them all). To replace, just copy one of those you have left and make it a child under the side1.jpg, side2.jpg, etc. Use the master controller frame to control motion of your cube. You can change the center of this frame to get non-linear motion, etc. Use the size frame to control the size of the cube (with keyframes, of course). Remove the "smooth & custom" motion before changing size or adjusting motion. Put it back if you like, or not. A link to the Tutorials section is provided on the original post above for convenience.... Best regards, Lin

Hi Jim, Just interplay with the snow, but actually it wouldn't be that difficult to animate their tongues somewhat. Watch this one - the first time through just watch the little Pika's ear..... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/captive.zip Best regards, Lin

Hi Kieron, Thanks much, I'm glad that the tutorials were helpful! I have added another slide to the demo animation showing the possibilities of a 3D effect in the snow through the "window" scene. This is achieved via the "pan Z" feature. Best regards, Lin

Hi Mary, Thanks! I replaced one side of the cube with a "through the window" snow scene to show one of the possibilities. It's on the same link. Tom, if you get a chance to download again and check on the MacIntosh I would appreciate knowing if this works O.K. on the Mac. thanks, Lin

Hey Tom, No problem - Actually, it's not that difficult when the "animation" lives as a separate entity via masking - probably no one else thought it was all that important - LOL. I'm talking to Panos about a template for this so thought some folks might find it interesting. I'll get to work this week and have a template and tutorial posted as soon as I can. Best regards, Lin

Hi Gary, What you have learned is that you can't just burn an MP4 to a DVD because DVD format is not HD. There is another step required. To do what you want to do you must have some specialized software. There are several software packages which will burn an HD (MP4 h.264) to "standard" DVD format. I can't tell you all of them, but I do know that the Pinnacle Studio 12 software does this. You will need to ask Pinnacle "which" of their packages (ultimate, standard, etc.) will do this or whether all will. I believe some version of Nero also does this. Also, Roxio (Toast) seems to have some software to do this. Here's a link: My link What they do is format your "Standard" 4.7 gigabyte DVD media to BluRay format and use your PTE MP4 h.264 file to create a BluRay output on this standard media. Then to play this you need to use the BluRay player you have purchased. Here's a link to Pinnacle: http://www.pinnacles.../Studio+Family/ Best regards, Lin

Just wondered if anyone would be interested in a template and tutorial for this? If so I'll do one, if not that's O.K. too. It would be controllable in terms of size, placement, rotation, etc., and could have snow on one or two or all six sides. The snow could be constrained to an area of the cube (as in through window demo) or cover the whole thing as in the rest of the sample. http://www.learntoma...tmascubemac.zip (MacIntosh) no sound http://www.learntoma...stmascubepc.zip (Windows) no sound http://www.learntoma...ubemacsound.zip (Mac w/upbeat jingle bells) http://www.learntoma...cubepcsound.zip (Windows w/upbeat jingle bells) Small - 4.7 meg (without sound) Medium - 8.8 meg (with music) Lin 11/30/09 Template and elementary AVI Tutorial ready here - # 19 in list: 12/01/09 Tutorials on using PhotoScape to crop a square image of your choice of pixel dimensions and how to split and combine for cube face here - tutorials #20 and 21: http://www.picturest...st=0#entry49109

Hi Gary, Why don't you consider the Sony Play Station 3? Several members use it to play HD MP4/h.264 - Ask Dominic (theDom), I think he has one. Here's info on MP4 2.264 http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/h264/ Lin

Hi Guys, Thanks! LOL - I've added a "twist" - download it again and let me know what you think! http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycatpc.zip (Windows) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycatmac.zip (MacIntosh) Best regards, Lin

Hi TJR, The actuality is that we have never had an instance (to the knowledge of anyone on this forum) in over seven years of a corrupted PTE file distributing a virus, trojan or other malware. The assumption that video files are exempt from virus or trojan (or any file for that matter) is erroneous. For a dedicated hacker, corrupting a video file is as easy as corrupting an executable file. There is a totally irrational fear, partly created by Microsoft, that executable files are somehow more "dangerous" and subject to malware than other formats. PTE uses internal file security on executable creations which prevent or at least strongly "protect" the executable code created from intrusion by hackers. This is done in the same way that Microsoft and other major players do it to prevent their own executable code from being corrupted. All application software is driven by executable code. There is far less likelihood that a PTE file will become corrupted and hacked for circulation than that you will receive malware through your email with Outlook, etc. In the end, it's the responsibility of the user to test incoming files to minimize the probability of infection. I think that seven years of successful use of PTE's executable code without a single report of a virus or infection of any kind speaks very highly for not only the integrity of the PTE executable with it's own protection, but for the common sense of users. In short, I believe that the fears of PTE files being corrupted are irrational and certainly not substantiated by any verifiable evidence. Best regards, Lin

Just a little fun with "kitty" - inspiration from JPD's creations.... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycatpc.zip (about 6 meg) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/alleycatmac.zip (about 6 meg) Lin

Hi Jimmy, MultiExtractor will extract jpg images from old PTE files, and new ones which do not have the "View" "Advanced Options" "Crypt Images/Music against extracting from EXE file" checked. If this is checked, MultiExtractor is useless. If any of the files in PTE old or new are PNG, MultiExtractor will not extract them. If you only have one slideshow you are trying to recover, I have high resolution devices and can recover them for you up to nine megapixel resolution if you post a link to the executable. What I'm trying to convey is that you would be wasting your money on MultiExtractor if you believe it will help you extract images in the future from PTE shows which have been protected against extraction. Just email me and give me a link to your exe file and I will recover the original images for you if it's only one or two shows. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jimmy, Are you trying to recover only lost images from some disaster hard drive crash contained in old executable PTE files, or do you want to recover image from current PTE files? "IF" you are trying to recover images from older PTE files then a utility like MultiExtractor will work for jpg format. If you intend to try to recover images from current PTE files which have been protected (there is a choice in the menu) you will be out of luck because MultiExtractor will "Not" work on these protected executable files. If your intent is to try to recover images from other peoples slideshows made with current PTE software, you're not going to be able to get more than screen dumps because the files are easily protected from theft by the show's creator with very sophisticated encryption algorithms which defeat reverse engineering tools like MultiExtractor. MultiExtractor can't even recover PNG files from unencrypted older PTE executables made before protection was available. Best regards, Lin

LOL - Last Year.... http://www.learntoma...istmassanta.zip Lin

Thought maybe with the season upon us that folks might get creative with new features and create some interesting scenes. This is my silly contribution - just playing... about 18 meg. Lin http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/xfileschristmaspc.zip http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/xfileschristmasmac.zip Lin

Hi, I'm sorry, I guess I'm a bit "thick" today, but I still don't understand what it is you want to do. The site you linked creates "interactive DVD's." Is it the animations you see in their promo slideshow that your want to create? Is it an interactive DVD? If you could explain in detail verbally what it is that you want to do, maybe I can answer your question. PTE will not automatically change your color images to black & white or sepia. You might find that possibility with Proshow Producer from Photodex at: http://www.photodex.com Best regards, Lin

Hi Jerry, I know of no way to automate this but to do what your client wants is very easy. First you need to create duplicates of all photos which you want to apply this effect to and desaturate them in Photoshop or other photo editing software. Next you need to duplicate the black and white photos and apply a gaussian blur to one copy of each. You then place them in PTE in the slide sequence of color, black and white sharp, black and white with gaussian blur and simply use a fade transition between. Below is a quick zipped sample using one images. You could play with the timings to get desired effect. There is a black jpg inserted at end of last slide to fade blurred pix to black http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/fadetobwblur.zip (zipped exe) http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/fadetobwblurpte.zip (zipped PTE file) Best regards, Lin