Lin Evans

As many of you may already know, Panos Efstathiadis is a veritable genius with Photoshop. Panos creates some of the finest Photoshop actions around. Recently, to celebrate his second year of being in business, he has created a dynamite new Photoshop action for CS, CS2 and CS3 which creates a photo-realistic watch with adjustable hands and an associated action which allows the user to place their own photograph on the face of the watch. This action was just referenced by Scott Kelby in his blog. Scott is the editor and publisher of Photoshop User Magazine, Layers magazine (the how-to magazine for everything Adobe®) and President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). At any rate, this great pair of actions is available free to commemorate Panos' second year anniversary of producing dynamite Photoshop actions. Panos emailed me a couple days ago and inquired about the feasibility of using PicturesToExe to animate the watch. I thought that was a great idea and created a template and tutorial which I will link to directly. The animation uses the unique parent/child object relationship as well as the off-center rotation feature of PTE to animate the watch hands real-time. That is two minutes of animation of the watch is two minutes of real time with the minute hand progressing forward two minutes and the second hand ticking off each second. To make it flexible I made it animate for one minute then designed it to duplicate the original slide for the second minute and as many more minutes as the user desires. To duplicate it one only need copy and paste the original file in the Main slide list then change the rotation of the minute hand six degrees forward and the hour hand one degree forward for each new slide to maintain accuracy. The placement of the hands is such as to allow as much unimpeded access for adding your own image to the face as possible. Of course the tutorial shows how to reposition the hour and minute hand to any time desired. The sweep second hand required 120 keypoints per slide and doesn't need to be altered but will function perfectly as slides are duplicated. Because of the parent/child relationship, it's very easy to resize, zoom, reposition, etc., the watch anywhere on the screen and since all files have been converted to transparent background PNG's it will work with any background, etc. Here's the links. First to Pano's site where you can download the actions. Be sure to get the proper one. There is one for Photoshop CS2 and CS3 and a different one for CS. First a zipped small executable to see the animation and underneath a link to a five minute real sample: http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/panoswatchexe.zip http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/panoswatch4.zip Then link to Panos' site: http://www.panosfx.com/index.php?option=co...view&id=194 Next my template: http://www.lin-evans.net/tutorial/panoswatch.zip Then my PDF tuorial: http://www.lin-evans.net/tutorial/watchtutorial.pdf Finally a 28 meg avi tutorial if you have the bandwidth: http://www.lin-evans.net/tutorial/panoswatch.avi Note: right click on the above link and "save target as" to save the AVI rather than have it try to load real time: Lin

Hi Zyderco, There are several ways you can do this with PTE 5.0. The first would be to use a Navigation Bar, the second would be to use the spacebar, PgUp, PgDn or even use a remote control such as with PowerPoint slides. Finally, you can use a pop-up menu which will let you jump to any slide. This method requires you to either create your own pop-up or perhaps use one I created and made available. Let's start with the first two methods. From the Main screen click on the "Project Options Button" then click on the "Advanced" tab. Put a check beside "Permit control of show using keyboard". Put a check beside "Show Navigation Bar". Click on "Customize Navigation Bar" and from the menu choose the options you wish to appear on the navigation bar. The options are pretty self-explanatory. Once you have the navigation bar operational you can pause, go forward, go backward, print a slide, etc. If you want the ability to jump to any slide from any other slide and you don't have a tremendous number of slides (25 or less) then you can use my methodl. http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/menu.zip Inside the zipped file you will find a keyboard PTE file. What you do is on each slide you place a button object in the layer underneath your image. Make the button very large, say half the image size an put it perhaps on the upper half. Set the main image in properties to "transparent to click" Set the menu which I linked to as the last slide in your show and give it a reasonably long display time such as 4 minutes. Make each object button which is on the layer behind your main slide call this slide. This slide is programmed to call the slide number represented by the number on the button. So when running the slide show and you want to jump to a particular slide, just left click your mouse on the upper part of the slide and this will call the menu. Click on the menu for the slide of your choice. We will have a complete documentation available for PicturesToExe Version 5.0 in about a week. Right now you may want to download and read the temporary Objects and Animations document which along with the main screen and video builder portions will comprise the major portion of the document. Here's a link to get you started with about 41 pages of PDF documentation including the navigation bar, etc. http://www.lin-evans.net/tutorial/ObjectsAnimation.pdf Let me know if you get in trouble.... Lin

Hi Mario, Could you give some more information - version of PTE being used, hardware, video card, etc. These all impact on image quality and size of image best for your purpose. Lin

Hi Mike, It sounds much like you may have too many keypoints which might split time into uneven intervals and thus affect the rotational speed incrementally. Essentially, PTE uses linear motion as a default so the way you would normally achieve this effect would be as follows: Set one keypoint beyond the start (the defalt start keypoint for the object) at the place on the timeline where you wish both the zoom and rotation to cease. Activate or "select" this keypoint by clicking on it so that it becomes blue rather than grey, zoom the object (image) to the desired dimensions then with the keypoint still selected change the rotation from zero to the desired degree positive or negative depending on the direction and number of rotations you want. This will give you a linear response between the starting keypoint and the ending keypoint. Any intermediary keypoints will just confuse the issue for a simple effect like this. Best regards, Lin

Hi Colin, I'm assuming by "title" you mean the file names? PTE has several ways of allowing you to see the files and/or images. At the top of your opening screen find the menu items "File, Project, Slide, View and Help." Click on "view". You may then choose "classical view" which shows only the file names and folders in a Windows "tree" view, or you may choose Horizontal or Vertical which shows the thumbnails of the images themselves. To the right and under this line of menu items you will see a "slider" which varies the number of images in the view when you choose Horizontal or Vertical view. Beside this slider and to the right as you look there is a large "T". Click on the "T" to either show the slide names or omit them. Best regards, Lin

Hi Paul, I downloaded your image and took a good look at it in Photoshop. The noise is there in the image - it could be being masked by settings in your Nikon software but I believe it's the result of oversharpening in the converter. It actually looks identical in Photoshop, Irfanview and PicturesToExe at full original size. What I would do is check carefully the converter settings and don't apply too much sharpness. The "black pepper" appearance in the light areas can be ameliorated or almost removed with Neat Image or Noise Ninja, but on the flowers themselves, especially in the certer parts the effects of oversharpening are quite apparent. The conversion software is not creating halo effects of sharpening too miuch but what is is doing is creating a very strange artifact pattern. My guess is that the software is filtering this when you look at it, but when you take the original tiff file into Photoshop or Irfanview to view it, it's quite evident. The solution will be to do another conversion from the RAW and check the settings carefully, especially sharpening. It's possible to clean it up in post process, but better not to create the problem in the conversion. You can rest assured, however, that it's not PTE which is creating the problem. Best regards, Lin

Hi Paul, If you would post a link to one of the images which appear very noisy in PTE I will be glad to test it for you and see if there is something unique about the image causing this problem. It's not a problem I've ever seen before and I can not think of any reason why PTE should treat the image any differently than other programs. PowerPoint isn't useful to compare because it resizes the images in terms of file size and definitely softens them which would ameliorate noise but Nikon Capture, IrfanView, PhotoShop, etc., return pretty much what is in the image as does PTE. The quickest way to determine what is going on is to post a link to one of the originals at full original size and some of us can test it quickly and perhaps get to the bottom of your problem. Best regards, Lin

Yes, because transitions are full screen operators so if you were to put more than one image on the screen and wanted to use a transition to bring the second or third or fourth image into view, you would need to time it's appearance via the timeline to coincide with the timing of the transition via opacity. Actually, to do what you have in mind the easiest way I can imagine is as follows: Let's assume you want four total images to appear. Place the first on the objects list and make the other three children of the first. This way when you get them sized and positioned, changing image # one's position or size will correspondingly change the position or size of the other three without affecting their relative spacings. You can apply opacity differences to any of the children so they can be easily made to fade in or out, rotate, etc, independently of the parent but still maintain their respective individuality. See the sample linked: http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/sampleex.zip and the PTE file for this: http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/sample.zip Lin

Not possible. What you do is place each slide in the slide list not in the "objects" list. Then each slide can have its own transition. You have separate timelines for each object in the "Objects List" and can create your own trnsitions such as fading an object out with opacity, opening a slide via a specialized jpg, etc., at different times, but this really doesn't make a lot of sense. If you can explain what it is you are trying to do perhaps it will be possible to help you find an approach which will work. It's possible to do some very impressive things with different layers, but layers are not designed as "separators" between slides rather as a way to pass objects in front of or behind other objects (PNG) or have multiple objects in animation simultaneously each with it's own set of animations, even combine slides via opacity differences. At least one show has been created using over 500 layers with each in simultaneous animation, but why would you want to try to use layers as a means of changing slides?? Lin

Thanks Gogs, It's fun playing with this program (PTE) as well as with Photoshop and always a interesting to try to come up with new and different ways in which it might be eventually used for serious presentations. Best regards, Lin

Jeff is being modest, actually let me shed a bit more light on the issue of manuals and documentation. First let me say that there are two types of learners in respect to understanding software - visual learners who need to see something done and verbal learners who learn best by reading and having written references to use while they work with software. Jeff was for many years an engineering consultant supervising written technical documentation. I'm a former published college professor who also owned and operated a successful software development company for many years, so I think its fair to say that between us we have many, many years experience writing technical documentation for all levels of learners. What we and others are putting together will permit the unsophisticated and beginning user of PicturesToExe to learn the program from the ground up. Nothing will be assumed about the level of understanding of the audience, and the documentation is liberally endowed with full sized screen captures of relevant and important areas. There will be a detailed glossary, an index and specialized "how-to" addenda which I'm certain will please and perhaps teach even experienced and sophisticated users a few new tricks. We assume nothing as far as the level of reader experience. Even someone who knows nothing of presentation slideshow software will be able to make animated slideshows with nothing more that what we publish. For those needing audio visual help, Barry has excellent CD's and DVD's available for a very modest price and I encourage anyone who needs or wants this type of learning aid to take advantage of his many valuable lessons. But just so there is no misunderstanding, what Jeff and I and others who have volunteered to contribute will produce and make freely available will be done professionally and at a level which will suit everyone. This will be a continuing effort with numerous specialized publications for each interest area of PicturesToExe. There will be links to a library of AV tutorials as well which will supplement the PDF format documentation, so don't feel that you are being shortchanged because you are getting this free. We consider this effort as a part of PicturesToExe to be freely given to the community of users. Best regards, Lin

Hi Manfred, There are a couple or more "roadmap" demos - one done by the Dom and one which I did and perhaps others. Essentially they are all done in an identical fashion. First you scan the map or copy the jpg image of the map you want to use. This jpg becomes the bottom layer or bottom "object" on the obects list. Next you open Photoshop or other software which has the ability to create PNG files. You then click on File, New, set transparent as the file type and make the file size equal to the dimensions of the JPG of the map. Next you open the map jpg do a "select-all" then "edit" "copy". This puts your map image on the clipboard. Next close the jpg file of the map. The transparency will still be open and look like a checkerboard. This checkerboard appearance means you have a transparent layer. Next you do an "edit" "paste" which will paste the jpg image of the map over the transparency. Then you choose the "eraser" tool and a brush size which approximates the width of the road or roads you wish to demonstrate travel on. You take this brush and follow the path you wish to highlight on your map and as you brush over the road it will disappear and that portion will be replaced with the checkerboard pattern. What you have done is "cut" a transparent path in the map. When you are finished you save the map as a PNG file. Next you open PTE and put the JPG of the map on the slide list then open Objects and Animations. Next add the PNG map then select the PNG file and do CTRL PgUP to put it on the top layer. The image will now look just like the JPG map because the JPG map "road" is showing through the transparet "hole" along the route. You have just overlaid the transparent route map over the jpg map and because the road is cut out on the transparency, the underlying printed road on the jpg map shows through and it appears identical to the jpg map. No one would know that there are really two maps, one on top of the other. The only portion of the jpg map which actually shows is that part which is revealed by the "cut-out" portion of the PNG map lying above. Next you create a car, a boat, a motorcycle, airplane or whatever PNG object you choose to travel along the path. This is created in the same way you created the PNG map. You make a transparent image in Photoshop, copy-paste the object and use the eraser tool to remove everything except what you want to show the "crop" the object to the smallest rectangle containing the object and save as a PNG. To indicate travel along the path, any object which has color and small size can be used. I used a colored rectangle which you can automatically create with the "rectangle" feature of PTE or just make a small colored rectangle in photoshop. Again, a small PNG object works fine as would a small jpg object. The essence is that "any" object which you place on a layer "between" the jpg map and the png map will show through the cutout area. So you simply move the object along the road visually by dragging it and using keypoints whenever you want it to stop and start. That's really all there is to the basic roadmap animation. You can embelish it by making duplicates of bridges, etc., and placing these above the real features so you can make objects pass beneath, etc., but the important thing to understand is how the essence of this animation works. Just imagine having two identical maps. you cut out the road with an Xacto knife and when you lay the one with the cutout on top of the one which has not been altered it appears just like there is no cut-out, but there really is. So if you were to slide a piece of colored paper between the two maps and move it along the path of the road, what you would see is that colored piece of paper showing the exact path taken by the cut-out. This is what you are essentially doing electronically. Best regards, Lin

Hi Mario, Did you download the PDF file from the link I gave you? There are 41 pages on Objects and Animations explaining every question you have just brought up. The PDF documentation takes you through each and every button, link and feature and explains in detail what they do, how they are used and how to use them. Lin

Hi Mario, We are only a couple weeks from having a comprehensie English version of complete PTE documentation, When finished, it will be indexed, have a glossary as well as addenda covering specific area. Right now there is a French version already completed. http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7090 Eventually there will be complete help available on the web but you must understand that version 5 was just completed. It was not possible to have comprehensive documentation until the product was finished and the betas have been free for all to use and learn with for over a year now. For the Objects and Animations including Project Options and a treatise on understanding keypoints you can download a temporary PDF which should help you understand the majority of the basics of how to use version 5. If you are patient, in a couple weeks the completed documentation will be widely available for download in PDF format where you may print your own version. Having a printed version available for purchase wouldn't be very effective because like all good software it's always in a state of constant improvement so updates to the PDF document will be a continuing process with the latest version always available. For past versions to 4.8 Al Robins has had complete documentation available for several years. Here's the link to what I have which will be added to the main section soon. http://www.lin-evans.net/tutorial/ObjectsAnimation.pdf Lin ote name='Mario' date='Aug 2 2007, 03:07 AM' post='44407'] Without the tutorials contributed by the experienced members here this program would not be worth buying, at least for me. You people supplying help and tutorials for us newbies are doing a wonderful job for a program that apparently is capable of doing so much. Is there a book on the market I can buy? Too my great surprise, hitting the help button on the program 'Ver5 Deluxe' only directs me to this website. Has any version of PTE had help actually in the help section? What a dissapointment! Many tutorials (but not all) I eventually find are not comprehensive in that many times they assume knowledge of other areas of PTE to accomplish the task at hand. As I said earlier, thank god for you guys suppliyng tutorials. I think the makers of PTE should concentrate less on updating the program and consider more the need for a structured help section within the program or at least a manual for purchase. Sorry, I need to let off steam and what better place than with my friends. P.s I saw somewhere CD's for sale, are they structured and worth buying? Unfortunately, I'm one of those that learn more by seeing not by reading. Wishing you all well, Mario

Hi Jeff, I've added a few more on the same theme - both out and into frame.... Finished now.. Lin

Hi Ron, Which converter are you using - which camera (RAW format?). Perhaps it's a 16 bit/8 bit thing. Take the converted file into Photoshop or Irfanview and save as JPG rather than using Windows and try. Best regards, Lin

Hi Peter, LOL - if I ever get R2D2 working! Actually, I've added a few more slides now - just an in process example. best regards, Lin

Hi Gilbert, Could you elaborate on what you mean by "split image work"? If understood, it might help determine exactly what you are trying to do. Best regards, Lin

Thans John and all, Hopefully we will have it finished soon and it more usable format. Best guess a couple weeks if things go well, sooner if we're lucky. Best regards, Lin

Hi Igor, Thank YOU for such a fantastic program! We are glad to help others learn to use this incredible tool. In a couple weeks or so it should be finished and then perhaps we can find some volunteers to translate. Best regards, Lin

In proofing my Objects and Animations documentation, Jeff noticed that I had failed to address the "animations" tab which covers some fairly important things. About eight pages have been added and the link updated to reflect this. Now a total of 41 pages for now. Lin

Hi Ken, LOL - the sight is working again and I'm having fun and resting up before doing more tutorials. I've added another couple images to the 3D fun and posted on the same link so it's a work in progress.... Best regards, Lin

Hi Ted, I'm glad it's been helpful. You may want to download it once again since I have made a couple additions and clarifications. Specifically, I've clarified and elaborated a bit on the differences between "Transparent To Selection" (in the Common tab) and "Ignore Objects Not Selected" (under the "Tools" button). I've also explained the meaning of "Hide selection on Pan/Zoom/Rotate". You can see a separate posting in the Tutorials section on the first issue. The problem with posting a work in process is that additions and corrections are not necessarily completed, but I do believe it's essentially finished now. Of course the merging, indexing, etc., when Jeff finishes will make the whole much more useful than my present posting. Best regards, Lin

In the process of writing the documentation for Objects and Animations, I realized that I did not understand the difference between the feature "Transparent to Selection" (found under the Common tab in the O&A screen) and the "Ignore Objects Not Selected" (found when clicking the Tools button). They seemed to do the same identical thing - that is when actuated, you could simply select an object in the Objects list and when you clicked on the bounding green rectangle in the "View" held down the left mouse button, you could drag and resize and position the selected object. When you clicked inside you could then "move" the selected object regardless of which layer it resided on. Whether you used "transparent to selection" or "ignore objects not selected" the result was the same. So I just assumed they were different ways of doing the same thing, but I wanted to be clear so I asked Igor to explain whether there was any differences. The answer is a very important yes - there is a difference! The "Tools" under the "tool" button ONLY affect the Editor - they have absolutely no effect in the slideshow produced. On the other hand, "Transparent to Selection" works in both the editor AND the slideshow produced. Then what does this mean to your sideshow? Let's take a practical example. We all know we can assign "action attributes" to buttons or text, etc. So what if we created a button, made it pretty large, placed it in the upper right hand corner of the screen then set it's "action" to exit. If we then went to the preview and clicked on the button it would cause the preview of the slideshow to cease and would perform an "exit" back to the O&A editor. If we were to create an executable slideshow, then left clicking our mouse on this button would cause the slideshow to cease and perform an "exit". But what if we simply changed the button to the layer "beneath" the main screen so that it was invisible then tried clicking on the upper right part of the screen where we know the button is "hiding"? It would do nothing because the screen was effectively "hiding" the button so that the mouse click had zero effect. Now, set the main screen's attribute to "transparent to selection" and click in the upper right hand corner. What happens now? What happens is that setting a check-mark beside the main screen on the "common tab" makes the screen "transparent to selection" so that now the program can "see" the button lying on the layer beneath the screen and when we click in the upper right hand corner, the slideshow would exit! So the difference is, that "transparent to selection" works both in the Editor AND on the slideshow while "Ignore Objects Not Selected" works only in the Editor. This major difference opens up many new possibilities for those who want to program interesting possibilities into their executable slideshows. Lin