Lin Evans

Hi Jeff, Thanks! And do look at JPD's version of this as well, especially if you want to avoid the text on the back of the unrolling scroll. To simplify the explanation of what he did to avoid this, it's done by breaking the text into segments which are linked to a "parent" so that their action is simultaneous, but by breaking it into short paragraphs two important things are accomplished. First it will not bog down a 32 meg video environment and secondly the timing of their introduction is such that the unrolling with no text on the back of the scroll has happened just prior to the appearance of the text on the front which is sequentially introduced as the scroll unrolls. By doing this with a couple other slight of hand tricks he avoids the issues of trying to reproduce the back as a secondary overlay while still giving a perfect illusion of the unroll sans text on the back. It works very well but might be a bit austere for a novice to either understand or try to duplicate with other text, etc. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dave, Just to avoid confusion. The term "template" is actually being used two ways on the forum here. First, as explained above for creating a stand-alone compendium of the files, image and relationships so you can later easily reconstruct a slideshow on any system having PTE installed, but there is another meaning which could result in confusion if one didn't know the context under which the term was being used. Members also create specific effects and animations which can be shared with other PTE users but unique in that it's possible to substitute the variables (images, text, etc.) specific to your own purposes and enjoy the animations, etc., seen on the original slideshow. For example. Suppose you wanted to see JPD's (Jean-Pierre's) or the Dom's photo album but with your own pictures and as a component of your own slideshow? Then you download and use the "template" provided by the original publisher but substitute your own images (variables) by renaming your images to the same name as those used by the creator of the template. Then when you play your slideshow you get the animations, etc., of the demo but with your own pictures, etc. A recent example of this was the Snow Globe template I posted. You simply use my PTE file but substitute your own framed image inside the PanosFX snowglobe via the Panos Photoshop action (obtained free by registering on the PanosFX site) for my panostest.jpg image by either removing my image from the folder and replacing it with your own image (also named pansotest.jpg) or overwriting the original with your own. The when you create your executable, AVI or DVD your image appears inside the Snow Globe with animated snow falling. So this is yet another meaning and use of the term "template" as used here on the forum.... Best regards, Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, Thanks very much, and also for the very clear table and explanation! That works very, very well and on older graphics cards as well so it's good to know that it can be accomplished. You've put much work into this - and I thank you. The very clever way of keeping the shadows with text scrolling into them at top and bottom is a much better solution I think than my partial transparency method and the removal of text from the back during the unrolling of the scroll is a much more realistic effect. I would invite all who are interested in this effect to download JPD's PTE and examine the results which are greatly improved over my original. The text scrolls seamlessly into and from the shadows of the roll and the back or the unrolling scroll shows no vestiges of text bleed through. This is a very professional result! Best regards, Lin

Hi John, There's one on Yahoo as well, but this one is a dedicated PSG and PSP Enthusiast forum with lots of nice people: http://itsmygallery.com/ProShow/ Best regards, Lin

Hey Al, No particular reason, just a fade to a screen for a few seconds before returning to the desktop. The roll-up works well too but needs to be a bit later to match the end of the music. When it works again (maybe with beta 9) I like the last slide to remain on the screen rather than go back to the desktop icons automatically - normally with ending scripts, etc., but just happened to have a convenient white jpg to fade into. Best regards, Lin

Hi John, It's the nature of betas to introduce only a few features into the new code at a time to facilitate testing and debugging. The beta development has been progressing for some time now with each new beta having more and more functionality. The next beta (beta 9) will have "most" of the full functionality of the release version of 5.0 but we must be patient. The vast majority of software developers do not allow the general public access to to the beta versions and we are all very thankful that Igor and his team allow us all that privilege so we have the opportunity to learn to use the myriad new features. There are many, many, thousands of lines of code in the program which require great skill and patience to put together so everything works smoothly. If you want to see what happens when you release a product before it's ready for prime time, go over to the Proshow forum and see the many complaints and problems (over 300 "fixes" since the release of version 3.0 a scant few months ago). Have patience, the full functionality of version 4.48 plus a host of new powerful features await us with the release of version 5. Best regards, Lin

That would work, or just the way I did it for JPD by dividing the long png into "byte" size pieces - LOL. I just divided into two parts which cut the size down sufficiently to let it work fine on the older video card. Yes, the size could be adjusted to make it more distinct on larger displays (I'm using 1024x768). With my display it looks fine but I'm sure on higher resolution monitors it could use a few more pixels. Just an idea for those who would like to use it to play with. I wish there were a "custom" option for the backs of the screen for the roll/unroll transition then I could use a texture match for the parchment and masking jpgs on either side to perfectly fit the contours of the yellow parchment so the text didn't show through, but then it would also be nice to be able to manually control the roll/unroll so as to stop the action at any point or roll the top down while the bottom was rolling up - LOL Too many "wants" - and better to let Igor work on getting out the next beta I think. Best regards, Lin

It would be difficult to not see the text through the parchment because the unrolling is done via the transition Unroll From Top set to a 5% radius and 3 second duration. This works "because" of the black background. The "background" is also unrolling but it's invisible because it's black. The only simple way to make the text disappear during the unrolling would be to make the "back" of the unroll a solid color, but then the whole screen would be this color during the transition and it would spoil the effect. The only other ways I know to make the text disappear would be to either make the entire text set to zero transparency for the period of the unroll (you would not see it on the face side either) then turn it back on or fade it in with opacity change over the unroll time or to try to mask that portion of the scroll with a portion of yet a third scroll.png. Actually, I think better to leave it as is rather than try to get too fancy with perfection because then it would get too difficult for most users to follow the logic and use it in their own presentations. It "could be done with two black jpg's used to mask the right and left side of the scroll perfectly then a parchment color match for the color used on a colored "back" rather than natural, but I'll leave that to someone else who wants to tinker because it presents all kinds of issues in perfectly matching the uneven contour of the side of the parchment and matching the color for the back. Only if we had a "custom" feature for the backs on the roll/unroll transaction including texture would this really be worth the additional effort I think. Ideally one would not want to see the text on the "back" of the roll but I'll just pretend that the ink bleeds through - LOL. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jeff, You have to play the "preview" to see it unroll because: The scroll unrolling is done with the transition "Curling of Page - Unroll from the Top" set with a 5% radius. . The time is set for 3 seconds. Check the transition in Customize Slide. It works because the background is black so you can't see anything other than the scroll itself unrolling even though the black background is also doing the same. Also you must leave the "back" natural rather than change the color. By the way, the link is now updated so that the scroll2.png has semi-transparency under the shadow. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jeff, Sure, here's the PTE: http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/scrollpte.zip It actually a very simple one. Go to the PanosFX site and register then download his free Scroll action for Photoshop to create the scroll.png (or just use the one I created then placed in the pte). I copied the oriiginal then pasted on a transparent layer and erased the center portion. Next open in PTE and place the original with the duplicated scroll on top layer. Create text as a PNG in Photoshop and animate to suit by placing the text between the two scroll png files. Use black rectangles to mask the text on top and bottom so it doesn't appear after leaving the scroll. To make it perfect - as JPD suggested, it would be better to make that portion of the scroll with shadows under the top and bottom facing the scroll surface semi-transparent. This could be done in Photoshop by carefully masking off only those shadows then using about a 20% opacty on a very large brush and clicking once over the whole scroll area. This would result in those masked shadow areas only being semi-transparent so that when the text scrolls out of or into this area it too would be naturally shadowed before disappearing. The pte I just posted has the shadow area totally transparent, but I'll re-do it later today as I have explained and re-post but this will get you started. For JPD I added a quick jpg frame before the scroll begins to unroll then I divided the long png text into two segments and made the second one a child of the first. This lowered the file dimensions to accomodate a 32 meg graphics card and the frame at the begining of his version "jump" starts his card which for some reason doesn't like an immediate large animation with png movement. The unrolling of the scroll was done easily by changing the radius on a scroll-down from the top from the default to value 5. Best regards, Lin Hi JPD, Excellent idea! Later today I'll make that shadow area semi-transparent and re-post it. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, Please try this one if you have time. I've added a quick jpg to the front and broken the large PNG scroll file into two segments. http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/jpg.zip Best regards, Lin

How about like this?? http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/scroll.zip Lin

LOL - I wish! Lin Hi John, That seems logical, so done... Best regards, Lin Hey Dom, Yes - on the roll direction, but unfortunately too much text to just open to the full amount but that would work fine in some cases. Thanks! Lin

Hi Gilio, Beautiful images, blends and sequencing - works very well the the music too! Best regards, Lin

Hi Ken, Try it again (the download). I've made a couple minor changes which might be nice for an eventual template. Best regards, Lin

That's definitely the problem because the text PNG is 2491 x 4944 at 300 ppi. A work-around then would be to create several smaller text files and run them sequentially rather than one large scrolling text block. Something we can keep in mind for future text generation with PNG. I assume that several smaller PNG files would work much better. That would also be true for snow animations or other animations which have lengthy sustained scroll actions. Best regards, Lin

Hi JPD, It begins with PNG text scroll so probably too much for the 32 meg graphic environment but to have an opening screen in front destroys the aesthetic of a scroll as an opening segment for a show. There are two PNG files of about 480K plus a 3.4 meg PNG text file. The two PNG files are both loaded immediately along with the scrolling text file. The only way I know to make the text file smaller would be to loose a good deal of text resolution by enlarging a smaller text file. Actually the original is enlarged to about 150%. I put a jpg in front, try this one and perhaps it will load? http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/jpd.zip Hopefully, with the release of beta 9 we may see some way to avoid this issue for systems which lock up. Best regards, Lin

Just thought folks might like to have a look at another of the PanosFX fine actions animated through PTE. http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/scroll.zip (about 5.4 meg) Best regards, Lin

There's actually an easier way but Ray's method will work. Just do as he suggests and find the first file in the slide list which you don't want then hold down the shift key and find the last file and click the mouse. This will "select" that entire group of files. Then simply click and hold down the left mouse key and drag the entire group to the left off the slide list and let go of the mouse key. That's all there is to it. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, I think I misinterpreted what you wanted to do. I was assuming you wanted to only rotate the reels with the projector at the approximate 45 degree angle as in the second image. I think JPD has correctly assumed that it's the projector you wish to rotate? Or perhaps have the reels turning while the projector is rotated? In any event, as JPD says you will need three images to do this plus the separate PNG files for the reels. That's going to be a very tricky (difficult) animation but probably very nice once you accomplish it. The calculations for the projector work very much as with the reels in that the appearance would begin with the "flat" 180 degree view then for each degree of rotation of the projector increase in apparent view by the percentage per degree until you reach the final rotated point. So you would want to measure the final width across the top and calculate it in the same manner in that when the projector is rotated 90 degrees (so you would be looking at the back) the "width" across the top would appear 100 percent. So at 45 degrees it would be half of it's full width in appearance. You can probably best experiment first with a simple rectangle and rotate it over time to 90 degrees with the X axis and perhaps check the numbers at 45 degrees manually with the slider to get some idea of what to enter as values. Best regards, Lin

Assume you begin at 180 degrees to the viewer and the diameter on screen of the tape reels equals 4 inches (you would need to actually measure the diameter) and further assume that the reel was a two dimensional disk (actually it's 3 dimentional). While rotating the projector through 90 degrees the appearance of the reels goes from 4 inches to zero so at 45 degrees the apparent diameter measured over the shortest distance would equal 2 inches and at 90 degrees it would be zero. So for each degree of rotation of the projector from 180 degrees relative to the observer you would loose .044 inches (90/4=.044). So if you determine how many degrees you want to rotate the projector and the initial diameter of the reel, you can determine the apparent diameter (distortion) at the shortest measurement by dividing 90 (degrees) by the diameter then multiply this by the number of degrees you rotate the projector relative to the observer. The actual simulation you have looks fine to me. As far as the rotation, I think just confine the rectangle size and determine the RPM (revolution speed) you want via the rotation feature on the PNG and it should look perfectly natural. Best regards, Lin

Hi Forester, Are you using mp3? If not, convert the format to mp3 and it should work fine. The fact that it works when you remove the sound files means that something about the sound file is causing the difficulty. I've seen this happen in a few cases when a user tries to use unsupported sound types and this is very likely the problem. With the release version you will be able to use wav or mp3 sound (perhaps others) to have two or more channels so you can have individual sound for each slide as well as background sound for the entire show, but the present beta version only supports background sound for the entire slideshow rather than individual sounds for each slide. The features which will eventually be resident in the release version are being added a few at a time to facilitate development and debugging. The next release (beta 9) will be a major one and will have most of the features which will be present in the release version of 5.0. If you continue to have problems after converting to mp3, please post the PTE files (use the Zip feature) and we can probably discover the problem quickly and resolve it for you. Bests regards, Lin

Hi Mike, The text functions have not yet been enabled in the beta, but coming very, very soon. To do text right now create your text as a PNG file using your image editor (Photoshop, etc.) and animate as any other object. Music works best as mp3 so most of us convert our other formats to mp3. When the sound functions are fully enabled you will have separate tracks available and full synchronization via time line as in version 4.48 (wav, mp3) so you can do voice-overs per image, etc. Right now if you need this feature you can combine multiple sound tracks into a single track with freeware audio tools such as Audacity. Best regards, Lin

Hey Ray, The freeware (for non-commercial use) IrfanView has a batch rename feature in which you can choose the characters and numbers, etc. http://www.irfanview.com Lin

Hi Dom, If you mean a CD being played on a computer, the answer is yes, you can do this by simply placing the executable code for the programs to be called on the root with no folders. In fact if you place all code on the root then the program will have no problems finding and executing. I used to play movies from within my PTE slideshows by embedding Irfanview code which seamlessly opened and played a movie when called from a PTE created menu. Of course the same could have been accomplished without the menu. I assume this is what you meant rather than using the CD played on a television, etc., as a DVD might be used. Best regards, Lin