Lin Evans

Hi Robert, Sometimes one feels like the "owl" but lately I fully understand the "mouse's" perspective - LOL. I will think on that possibility, maybe for the ornamental "spinner" which may me amenable to template creation and perhaps a modification of some sort for some of the other effects. The problem with these types of things are that they require the creation of disc shaped PNG's and this is pretty much subject dependent so though it would be easy enough to template the "effect," the raw material would be more difficult to automate. Perhaps I can talk Panos into creating a Photoshop/Elements action to at least semi-automate the creation of a PNG circular cut-out with a border of some time and minimal user intervention with standardized size which would make it much easier to template. Yes, the DVD labels were actually my "inspiration" for this latest "doodling"..... There can be some interesting effects by using a circular perspective such as you were going for in your "Turkey Football" show with the filter vignetting. As you mused, the degree of subtlety is always a consideration. Sometimes you need to hit the audience in the head with a concept and sometimes, depending on the audience, it can be quite subliminal I think. Best regards, Lin

Thanks, I loved the music too, but just "doodling" with the images for fun. Sometimes I get stuck in first gear and seem to spin my wheels on a concept - LOL. Best regards, Lin

Hey, that would have been cool! LOL... Lin

Sometimes - nothing to do with the end of year at hand and rampant aimlessness and stress creates a psychosis afflicting reason and sanity. This is mine ..... LOL - No rhyme, no reason but good music..... Madness.... Lin http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/madness.zip (17 meg)

What scared the bejesus out of my pit dog??? http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/WHAT!.zip Lin

Hi Steve, Betas, as you know, are for ferreting out bugs - use cautiously for production work until all known issues are resolved, especially when current beta is at 13 and you are seeing issues with relatively early beta. Many of us absolutely prefer superb quality executable shows, but the market demands online content such as Vimeo and Youtube. To keep up with market demands and continue to sell product it's necessary for the developers to serve both camps. As you know, without sales there can be no development and improvement so...... Best regards, Lin

Hi Bill, Well done! Beautiful and uncrowded scenic views and I love the friendly parrot! It looks like you had a great holiday there! Best regards, Lin

With Christmas coming and our first decent snow at home this year, a little Colorado Snow.... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/coloradosnow.zip (about 8 meg) Extended Version with variations on Carol of the Bells - about 27 meg.... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sampl...loradosnow2.zip Lin

Hi Gary, Fun show! Looks like you've mastered the "on the beat" slide display. It gives a good subliminal "feel" to the show without an "in your face" feeling. Good job! Best regards, Lin

Hi Steve, Don't you get a view like this when on the timeline? If not, click on "View" at the top of your screen, then click on "File Panel as thumbnails". If this doesn't correct it then could you do a screen capture and show us what you are seeing? Lin

Hi Igor, Where do we find choices for upload to Youtube (or are there any)? I just tested and it only uploaded a low quality video with no choice for high quality visible. I thought that the changes would allow uploading a higher quality MP4 so that viewers would have a choice on Youtube?? Best regards, Lin

Suggestion, Buy some rewritable DVD's so you don't make "coasters" until you get it sorted out.... Lin

For those interested in American Indian culture - a little slideshow of some of my images taken at the 8 Northern Pueblo arts and crafts show in 2003 held at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly called San Juan Pueble but changed in 2005 to it's pre-Spanish name) near Espanola, NM (Santa Fe area). This is a Tewa Indian pueblo but all eight northern pueblo tribes gather every year to show their arts and crafts, native costumes, dances, etc. The interesting thing to me as an Anthropologist is the juxtaposition of old and new, cultural and traditional with modern and historical influences. The color and pagentry are infections and all spectators present would sit in the 100 degree F plus temperature and boiling sun to watch the dances and demonstrations. Interesting also are the facial expressions of some of the dancers - almost trance-like at times. Hope you enjoy it - about 7 meg or so download: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sampl...juanpuetlos.zip Lin

Hi Ron, In the old way, we created a menu with icons, images or links which when clicked on would run another program or slideshow. With 4.x this worked very well, but with 5.x the problem arose that between leaving the called program the desktop would flash before returning to the calling menu. Also there were problems if the menu had animation and the called slideshow had animation where one or the other would be very jerky. To get around this we had to turn of hardware acceleration on one or the other which was less that satisfactory for animation. Also sometimes we had to go to the last slide of the called program and put in a "run" program to get back to the menu. Then, if someone closed out the "called from the menu" running program prematurely, the whole thing often crashed. With the new system there is no more issue with seeing the desktop between the menu and called program, whenever the called program is terminated whether at the end or mid-show, the menu returns and you no longer need to worry about turning off the hardware acceleration on either the menu or called program nor do you need to insert the "run after this slide" command to get back to the menu, etc. Best regards, Lin

Hi Bob, Beautiful scenes and photography. I quite agree - nothing yet rivals a good executable, though the HD, when played as MP4 with a resident system and not over a broadbeam converted to Flash, is getting closer. I suspect on a number of the photos that a filter (polarizer?) or possibly sunshade with wrong position was responsible for the corner vignetting on wide angle frames? Otherwise a superb show revealing the beauty of the Utah mountains and truly God's country. Best regards, Lin

Hi Xaver, Functionally, none that I'm aware of. Aesthetically, it may be more pleasing to some and has some added features. Best regards, Lin

You may also want to look at Kantaris - a sort of "upgraded" VLC Media Player based on similar code.... Here: http://www.kantaris.org/ Best regards, Lin

Hi Malckey, As said, PicturesToExe doesn't come with any pre-created picture Frames, but you can use any PNG picture frame you choose or create with Photoshop, etc. Once you have a frame or series of frames created you can use them with any image just by placing them as the top image on the objects list. In the event that you are not familiar with PNG frames, they are easily created in Photoshop, PaintShop Pro, Elements, Pix Builder Studio or other image manipulation software. They consist of the frame itself whether decorative or plain with the center portion being made transparent so that whatever lies on the layer beneath shows through this transparency "window". By linking (easily done) the image to the frame as a "child" object, any manipulation such as zoom or sizing, etc., which is applied to the parent frame also applies to the image within so it's very easy to make beautiful shows using your images within the frame. here's a link to a quick Vimeo sample of one way such a concept could be used. Obviously, this isn't oriented toward a wedding photo but you can get the idea: Best regards, Lin http://vimeo.com/2353706

Google has received permission to post millions of images from the now defunct Life Magazine. Amazing images from even as early as the 1860's, etc. Well worth visiting. Click on the thumbnail then on the larger image for full resolution (as published) images. Some were never published....... Lin http://images.google.com/hosted/life

It's a typo on my reply, the dimensions are 1024x683... Best regards, Lin

The reason for scanning to 1024x683 is that this is the correct aspect ratio for a 24mmx36mm transparency or film strip. By using the correct aspect ratio no distortion is introduced. Yes, there will be a black band at top and bottom and cropping the sides in unavoidable "if" you decide to not have a border and background and you are displaying the images on a monitor with 4:3 aspect ratio and using fit to slide. On the other hand if you display them on a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio device there will be other issues such as no border on top and bottom but large border on each side. With a projector, it depends on the aspect ratio just as with a monitor. The "proper" way to scan would be at the aspect ratio of the film or transparency. Then you can decide how to crop or whether to crop. To avoid cropping create a mask and border (frame) with a 1024x683 cut-out in your choice of background color and texture and having a large enough outside size to fit the screen or display device. This way all the image will be displayed without cropping. Digital cameras have various aspect ratios. In the early days, fixed lens type digicams had an aspect ratio which worked out to equate to 1024x768 primarily because inkjet printers were commonly used to print on paper cut to 8.5x11 inches which worked out nicely to make an 8x10 print. On the other hand dSLR cameras (digital single lens reflex) kept the same aspect ratio as film so that to print the entire image without a border required 8x12 inch paper. Since 8x12 inch paper, frames, etc., were not commonly available, some dSLR cameras offer a choice of aspect ratios for the capture, but their "sensors" still have the aspect ratio equaling 1024x683, etc. (fixed typo of 1024x682) Also today, many dSLR's as well as digicams offer a variety of capture aspect ratios including 16:9. Best regards, Lin

Hey Bart, Bob, Thanks! LOL - Bob, I have exactly the same feeling. I was in high school when the earlier of these were brand, spanking new. Of course in those days I couldn't afford "new" so I started with a Green '50 Chevy complete with Power Glide, Visor, lowered (torched coil springs). Needless to say it wasn't exactly a "chick magnet" - HA! Over the years my taste improved but that old '50 Chevy still elicits fond memories. It cost me $150 and I probably spent $300 tricking it out. I graduated from a 2 year Technical Trade school (4 hours a night, three nights a week) while I was still going to high school during the day time, then got a pretty good job repairing Television and Stereo equipment after school. By the time I graduated from High School I had bought a shiny new '60 Austin Healey Sprite (the bug-eyed one) and added a Judson supercharger, Seabring suspension and other goodies. After I graduated I gave it to my steady girl friend to drive to school because the company I was working for let me drive my service truck home every night. She was really excited and looked great behind the wheel of that little Sprite! Those were great days! Lin

Hi Pedro, Very nice! If you re-compile it with Beta 8 and turn mipmapping on it will virtually eliminate the sparkle during the zoom. Best regards, Lin

Truthfully, PTE is not very amenable to creating a realistic fire animation. This would not be easy at all to animate realistically for various technical reasons using PTE, but if you want to output to a video and include PTE images, etc., you could use a product like ParticleIllusion to create the fire then use a Video mixer to mix PTE video output with ParticleIllusion output for the final presentation. I think you can get by with the basic ParticleIllusion SE (about $99) but worth it if you plan to do much of this. If you can't purchase the program perhaps you can check around and someone who use this program may be able to create the fire effect for you. Here's a link: http://www.wondertouch.com/ Best regards, Lin

Hi Umberto, Read this:.......... Ian, Den, QUOTE the "wait for key press to advance" is not yet functional in the beta It will work in the next Beta 9. QUOTE Also, I can't figure out how to return to the menu after the launched slideshow exits. On my test the menu has also quit. Say we have Menu.pte and Slideshow.pte projects. In Slideshow.pte go to Project options | "More" tab and choose "Run slideshow" command, type "Menu.exe" . And important thing - choose "Run on any exit (including pressing of Esc key)" option.