Lin Evans

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

About "any" presentation slideshow software will display images in color, black and white and sepia. Presentation slideshow software displays what you feed it. If the original is black and white then that's what you get. If it's sepia then that's what you get. If it's color then that's what you get. If you are looking for presentation slideshow software which will change your color capture to black and white or sepia, then PicturesToExe is not that software. The developers believe that manipulating color is a job for image processing software like Photoshop, not a task for presentation slideshow software. PTE Deluxe allows you to create DVD's to display on a television set in either PAL or NTSC format. If you could explain what you mean by "automate the process with many stills" perhaps I can comment. I'm not certain what you want to do. You load the images into PTE, decide how long you want to display each image, decide which transitions you want to use, apply animation effects if desired and create your Windows or MacIntosh executable , AVI, MPEG, MP4 or burn a DVD, etc. Best regards, Lin

Hi Justin, Talented young ladies! Well presented. I think the rather abrupt ending could be ameliorated by fading the last few bars in Audacity - maybe the last six seconds with a fade out of the last image to match. Very nice! Best regards, Lin

Just a new kid on the block. ATI's latest offering (at $600.00 U.S.D.) is currently king of the high performance graphics cards. Read conclusions here: http://www.techspot.com/review/221-ati-radeon-hd-5970/page17.html Lin

Hi Glenys, No doubt you will be able to do any of the shows I have posted. It just takes a bit of time and using the features until you are familiar with them. Small steps and soon you will have it mastered. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, Very nice use of the effects - not obtrusive in any way! Best regards, Lin

You don't need to remove 5.6 to install and use 6.0 - just install it and you will have two icons; one for 5.6 and one for 6.0 Best regards, Lin

Hi Guys, Thanks - and thanks to Sherry (my hand model - LOL)... Lin

http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/magicmac.zip http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/magicpc.zip About 18 meg - nothing special - just a PTE Promotional... Lin

Hi Michel, I agree with you that PTE needs sound improvements including fade in/fade out, etc. On the other hand, you are way off base that "all the other diaporamas software" have this kind of sound management. In fact, very "few" have this kind of sound management. The really expensive software such as Wings Platinum has, and others such as Proshow Producer, Memories OnTV Pro and a few others have more control than PTE, but they are a long way from being really "good" at sound management (I use them and can verify this), but the vast "majority" of presentation slideshow software (not video editing software) actually have less versatility than PTE has now, which isn't much. Hopefully, we will have more control over sound in the next version but PTE shouldn't try to become a "sound editor" in my opinion. I believe that fade-in/fade-out, volume control, the ability to add sound at any point on any slide, along with a visual indication on the two tracks would be nice, but in my opinion the developers should resist trying to make this product into a sound editor. Best regards, Lin

Hey guys, LOL - just can't get away from these "critters," they follow me around everywhere I go! Ken, it might be that it's pushing the video card a bit. One of the problems with mixing masks and big PNG's I suspect. Tom, I had to think about it for a while, but it is possible to animate sides of the cube. I suspect if one animated all six it might be a bit too much for most video cards. Peter, my shoes are worn out and since I can't afford the cobbler, I have to do it myself - LOL. Yep, you were right, it's a mule deer doe. Bill, thanks! Yes, hopefully we will have that video clip drop in before too long and it will exponentially increase the fun we can have with animation. Best regards, Lin

Hi Colin, You'll have to create the text in Photoshop CS4 Extended using their 3D features. Once you have the text then export it as a PNG and you can then animate it in PTE. Best regards, Lin

http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/snowglobe/critterchristmasmoonshadowpc.zip http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/snowglobe/critterchristmasmoonshadowmac.zip About 12 meg... Lin

Just messing around again: About 2.4 meg http://www.learntoma...snowcubemac.zip http://www.learntoma.../snowcubepc.zip Lin

Hi Ian, PTE, the main program has a lifetime free upgrade. VideoBuilder has a two year upgrade cycle. Best regards, Lin