Lin Evans

Hi Barry, Excellent throughout! Very smooth and a great promotional for PTE and informational for the public! Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, I agree. It always seemed logical to me that when "smooth" or any of the other non-linear functions were selected except "custom" then the keypoints "should" be separated automatically. This would greatly reduce the time necessary to achieve the desired goal. With multiple keypoints and multiple slides it becomes very time-consuming to first do everything in linear then go back, change the PZR to smooth then go in and manually separate each keypoint. The same utility could be achieved in terms of versatility by having "custom" act like it does now. Then if the user wanted smooth between keypoints one two and three they could "separate" then if they wanted accelerate between three and four and "slow" between four and file they could "customize" it within the framework of "Custom" rather than having to do this for each keypoint pair when all that is desired is to have "smooth," etc., for the entire slide. Best regards, Lin

Hi Peter, JPG files may be saved as progressive or not. Progressive scans line one, two, three, etc., and when a progressive jpg loads, especially if it's a large file being viewed on an appropriate browser, you will see the file build from the top down. If not progressive, some browsers wait until the entire file is loaded then display all simultaneously while other browsers display alternate pixels (looks fuzzy) until all are loaded and rather suddenly all becomes clear. Some web designers like progressive because the viewer at least sees "something" happening and knows that the file selected for viewing is actually loading. With some of the older browsers nothing happened at all until the entire file was downloaded from the source to the host computer. On a very large file this means that one "might" assume that they didn't properly select the file and either go away discouraged or click repeatedly on the source which can also cause issues. On the issue of interpolation - there are myriad interpolation algorithms and some work much better than others depending on the final disposition of the file. What looks good on screen is not necessarily what looks good in print. Also the size you intend to display or print will often determine which interpolation algorithm works best. Photoshop only uses a few (depending on your version of Photoshop) but other programs including Irfanview have a larger selection. Bicubic tends to soften images as they are enlarged. Attempts have been made to counter this with Bicubic Sharper. As images are downsampled they also often loose sharpness as pixels are removed. Lanczos, Pyramid, Various iterations of Bicubic, Genuine Fractals, Spline, etc., are all unique in certain ways. Really good interpolation is akin more to a "black art" than to science because there are so many variables it's nearly impossible to know what will work best in every case. For example - I use variously Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sigma, Pentax, Sony, Fuji, Panasonic and a number of other digital camera systems. When I'm enlarging for prints I use nearly all the above interpolation algorithms plus a half-dozen others depending on the nature of the files, number of artifacts, presence or absence of an AA filter, etc. There simply is no one single "right" way to do it. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jim, There is much more functionality in the new version. You can also use the "Customize This Slide" to access individual slide features such as "loop this slide" which can also serve to prevent automatic advance until you use either the mouse or keyboard controls to advance or go backward. You can set the Navigation Bar to a number of functions and it's not difficult to even program a blank slide to pop up at the end or beginning having a menu to go to any particular slide. It's really easy to do this and has been discussed on the forum in much detail. If you have questions, just ask and someone will be glad to help you program about any type event you wish to have in your slideshow. Also download and read the User's Guide (actually there are two of them) either the official or unofficial versions both available via the help menu in PTE. You may want to also look at some of the slideshows designed to either demonstrate some of these features or which actually use more advanced techniques for manual slideshows such as the one BJC did recently here: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7826 There are also other mapping techniques which can add some interest to manual shows which need to depict routes, etc. such as here: http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/demos/tocimarron.zip Even thought these shows are "automated" they could and can be easily made completely manual with just a few keystrokes. The pause control will stop a slide mid-transition and hold it as long as you wish. Lin

Hi Mary, Actually, you "should" be able to drag and drop images into a slideshow with PTE from any folder or folders with Explore. You can't do this from the timeline view, but from the Classic or horizontal or vertical view you can simply change to another folder at any time and drag and drop images to either the slide list or the objects list. Those images will then be displayed on the timeline view. Perhaps I misunderstand what it is that you can't get the program to do? What you see on the left side in the Main screen Classic view is actually the Explore tree so that whateve you chose in terms of a folder content then appears on the PTE side. You don't actually have another instance of Explore open - can't do that or drag and drop from other programs simultaneously open in a separate window, but you should be able to add any images from any folder on any drives or storage devices availble on your computer to your slideshow. Best regards, Lin

Hi John, Though this kind of thing "can" be done, it's problematical - here's one reason: Let's say at some later date, perhaps a year from now, you decide to change a show and perhaps add some new images or remove some. If you have moved or deleted any of the files then PTE will not be able to find the necessary images and proceed. Here's a second reason. The larger the database of images from which you choose your files in separate folders and locations, the greater the probability of there being duplicate file names, especially if you do not manually rename your images. Diital acquisition devices (cameras, video cameras, etc.) can only go so far in naming files without repeating filenames. If there are duplicate file names located in different folders then PTE "can" and will use them to create your slideshow, HOWEVER, you can't then make an automated zipped file containing all necessary materials to later re-create your show. The zip creation "requires" unique file names so you may very well end up with major issues down the road if you do not either group your photos in a single folder or use the zip feature in PTE to do it for you. Even though PTE can and will create a sideshow using duplicate file names as long as they are found in different folders, you may not be able to ever rework this show in the future depending on what happens to the files over time. It's definitely something to think about before you start down this path. Best regards, Lin

Thanks Jean-Pierre, It's fun to sometimes just play with the possibilities isn't it? Igor, Aleksey,Sergey and the other developers have done such a great job with PTE it's fun to explore the many facets of this great tool! Best regards, Lin

Many have already seen this but in different shows - now combined. This is not designed as a serious slideshow but rather a demonstration of some techniques for 3D simulation which Photoshop and PTE have made possible. OOB demos use techniques of light, shadow, perspective and images partially out of a frame to simulate three dimensional reality with two dimensional objects. In addition I have added some old solar system animation simulations as one would see from an imaginary position above our Solar System looking down on the Sun, and planets. Various features of PTE allow subtle things such as solar flare, storms, star movement, planet rotation, etc., of course all greatly accelerated from reality. Finally, a horizontal rotation of the Earth with orbiting moon done via PTE from over 460 photos and over 1200 keyframes. Obviously not something everyone is even interested in but showing some of the possibilities with PTE for animations which actually "can" be done and which "can't" be done with drop in video clips - not unless one has a movie camera and can shoot from space - LOL. I'm constantly amazed at just what "is" possible with PTE! It's fun to explore the limits and try new ways of simulating reality - at least it is for me. So if interested, a 33 meg zipped executable. Turn down your sound a bit - the music is loud.... http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/demos/3d.zip Best regards, Lin

Hi Marian, Does your DVD burner support "both" DVD-R and DVD+R? Many of the older DVD burners didn't. How do you know about the "quality" if you don't know whether they are DVD+R or DVD-R? There are numerous reasons why a DVD might not burn. It could be as simple as "thinking" you are using a DVD when in fact you have a CD instead. It could be that your burner doesn't support the DVD's you are using (DVD+R, DVD-R, etc.). The "cost" of a DVD has little to do with media quality. You may pay more because of the coating for printing but still not have quality media. I can't say this "is" or "is not" the issue but these are variables which are all possible. I have multiple DVD burners (about 10 of them) on seven different systems as well as multiple external burners made variously by HP, Sony, Plextor, Gateway (probably someone's OEM) and Dell (likewise). All of them work perfectly with Video Builder both on DVD+R and DVD-R as well as with rewritable DVD+R (4X) media. My point is that there is a strong probability that the problem is either the media or the burner or an incompatible combination. My burners range from new to three years in age. The first thing I would do is get a few of known type such as DVD-R and DVD+R. You don't need to buy the "fastest" media available because much of the speed is actually wasted. For example there is media available at 18X but no burners which actually work all that well at even 16x. Personally I would never try to burn at more than 8x for "guaranteed" reliability. Buy some 4X DVD rewritable media to play with and until you have things working correctly so you don't waste money on coasters. Best regards, Lin

I wish there were a switch to have it "both" ways. when the timing is in minutes/seconds it makes it difficult to pick a point in your show in the timeline then duplicate that precise point for a keyframe in Objects and Animations. With the time in milliseconds, you can simply subtract the vaues to the left, add a keypoint to match the value on the timeline and have it precisely in the same place. With minutes and seconds it requires converting seconds and portions of seconds to milliseconds to achieve. I see utility in both methods but we do loose some ease of precision with the new way. Best regards, Lin

Here's proof for you - you can't always trust your eyes or brain. Even though the lines match perfectly and stay that way on the separate objects - it "seems" to rotate backward. In reality, it doesn't. http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/rotatetest.zip Best regards, Lin

LOL - the answer is "yes" it's "seeing things". This is a very common issue with our eyes, brains, etc. The rotation absolutely stops but our "perception" is that it reverses. In reality is does not reverse at all but stops exactly as programmed. If you really want to test it, take the image into your graphics editor and temporarily place a line on it for reference then as previously suggested mark a corresponding place on your monitor when you see the rotation end. They will stay aligned even though you would "swear" it was reversing at the end of the animation. Best regards, Lin

Not necessarily. This doesn't happen with "all ATI Graphics Cards". I have variously the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, two systems using integrated Intel Graphics chipsets, one system using an Nvidia 8600GT OC and one using an Nvidia 8800GT card. All work perfectly with PTE shows. If you want to post your show or provide a link, etc., I will be glad to let you know how it performs on my ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. Best regards, Lin

Hi Mike, Jean-Pierre's cube demo shows all six sides of a cube. This can't be done by simply rotating a cube but must be done with some pretty fancy animation techniques. Essentially you are simulating 3D with 2D objects. It's not simple and perhaps no "templates" presently are available for this animation; at least if there are I'm not aware of any. If you just want to have such a demo on the web, there are numerous Java applets which can do this available. It's "much" easier to do in this way than with PTE. If you do a search on the web for "rotating cube" you will find numerous examples which which you can simply plug in your images and create the effect. Here is the PTE file JPD posted showing his method for creating this effect: http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/Biblio-cube-1.zip Lin

Or just highlight slide in the Main Slide list and press Ctrl W to preview slide in full screen. From Timeline view use right mouse click... Best regards, Lin

Hi Barry, I suspect this is just the "omission" of "delete point" and "delete slide" features and will be corrected Best regards, Lin

Download and read the Users Guide from either the "help" feature in PTE or from the forum at "Tutorials and Articles"... You can't use the PTE codec unless you are planning to immediately burn your creation to a DVD. The PTE codec is a "template" for telling the rendering engine which slides, transitions, timings, etc., to use and when you click on "Finish" it is deleted automatically. Use one of the other codecs which you can choose from the drop-down list. If you don't have a common codec installed (such as DivX or Windows MPEG 4, etc.) you can download and install from one of the free web codec sources such as ACE Megapack. Which codecs are available on your individual system depends largely on various software you may have installed. Codecs are "compress/decompress" algorithms which allow the compression and playback of multimedia data. If you read the list of available codecs and report back here, someone can suggest a suitable choice to make your AVI file. Best regards, Lin

Hi Patrick, A grim but poignant reminder of what we must never forget. Tell Paul, "well done". Best regards, Lin

Yes, of course. There are numerous ways you can accomplish this. First decide if you want a background for the text to scroll on. If yes, then create or choose either a blank jpg image in the color of your choice or an image (jpg) which you want the text to scroll on. Next add that blank or image slide as the first or last slide in the slide list and use the normal "Text" tool (click on the "A" at the top of your Objects and Animations page) to create the desired text and manipulate the text just as you would any other object. If you want a black background you can add any jpg as the first or last slide (depending on whether you want to scroll the text at the beginning or end or both) then simply delete that slide from the "Objects" list. This will leave a black blank page on which you can scroll text. Another way is to create custom text then either save as a PNG from within the program or do the whole thing in Photoshop, etc. Use this PNG text as an object and scroll it wherever you wish. Read the free tutorials in the Tutorials and Articles section (PTE Made Easy), download and read the 130 page User Guide from the same section or available via the "Help" section from PTE. Lin

Hi Robert, No doubt he was a true genius with carving. It would be very interesting to try and program a PTE show to follow one of his Mobius carvings but it would require having pictures from several angles including both sides. I'll see if I can find some detail images.... Lin

Hi Mike, No need to download until beta 5.5 is released. There will be some very nice changes and improvements as Igor has told us in his several messages. It will be a full working beta so usable for creating shows immediately and will include some nifty new features having to do with live views for the timeline, etc. It also has the hardware rendering for DVD's as found in the several upgrade releases for 5.1. Because of the significant amount of work which has gone into this new beta there will be no 5.2 but a jump to 5.5. My mistake in above the version should have said 5.12 rather than 5.2 - I will correct it... Best regards, Lin

Hi Barb, In addition to Ken's suggestion you may want to download the latest release version of PTE which is version 5.12. Because of the magnitude of changes there will not be a version 5.3 but instead the next version soon to go to public beta testing will be version 5.5. One of the many improvements is with the Video Builder portion of PTE which is the specific part which makes PTE Deluxe. If you haven't yet purchased PTE's Deluxe let me explain a bit about what it does. PTE Deluxe lets you author DVD's directly without the need for creating an independent AVI file and using other software. Like the main PTE program, Video Builder uses hardware rendering to render your files up to 400% faster than ordinary programs. This vastly speeds up the process of DVD creation depending on your individual computer's hardware. Also Video Builder gives you the option of creating a stand-alone MPEG II version of your slideshow. Video Builder lets you create custom menus with beautiful backgrounds from included templates or allows you to use your own images for the menu template. You can control text fonts, drop shadows, text placement, etc., in very sophisticated ways. In my experience it's truly a joy to use Video Builder to author DVD's because it makes it fun rather than work! You won't regret upgrading to the Deluxe version!

Hi Tom, LOL - only $1.00? Cool effect - keep them coming! Best regards, Lin

Hi Barry, LOL - look carefully for muddy footprints! Best regards, Lin

Hi Xaver, Ahhhh - now I have to dry my monitor! Shame!! LOL... Best regards, Lin