Lin Evans

Most excellent job! You've been busy with this one.... Best regards, Lin

Yes, the "violence" has definitely escalated on games, but these clips remind me very much of what I was doing (second combat tour in Vietnam) 40 years ago - not good memories and I wish the game people could concentrate more on other aspects rather than war. The 3d effect seems to be accomplished via shadows and independent movement on simultaneous layer display and may eventually be possible with PTE. Actually, Igor has simulated some of the forward movement through clouds in one of his earlier examples. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, Yes, that's how I've been doing it in applicable cases but it would be nice, especially when dealing with multiple objects, to have the process automated. Perhaps one day when hardware and drivers make that feasible it will be implemented. I'm sure Igor has been working toward that end (making the non-linear zooms possible) and I was really only "thinking" out loud - LOL. It occurred to me that it might be possible to change the frame rate during a during a small percentage of the start and stop zoom positions on the timeline which would, in effect, give this "soft" landing and "takeoff". However, after more careful consideration this approach may not be possible since PTE is already creating intermediate zoom images at or near maximum possible hardware frame rates. The solution then would probably lie in changing the actual portion of the timeline devoted to start and stop with constant frame rates. Best regards, Lin

Hi Tom, Thanks for the links and information. It's amazing how far the video technology has come to date. Some of the newer players do indeed make it interesting and questionable about future directions. Of course storage capacity considerations will probably eventually dictate HD and BluRay type solutions at least in the near term. Having been involved via my wife's occupation in the storage industry for many years, I get some insider "insights" into the direction this is going. The future is very bright with terabytes of storage on small holographic media coming quite soon so even BluRay and HD are quite likely just transient intermediary solutions. I've found that the present solution used for video with PTE beta's is actually quite good with smooth translations for page curl and other previously "difficult" transitions. The future will be very good for this (PTE) software. On another note there is much dissension in the ranks of the "competition" with the realization that with myriad "bells and whistles" also comes myriad "bugs and issues" which are really bogging down development and distribution presently. Igor's approach has proven to be the superior path and PTE just keeps getting better and better while the competition struggles to maintain. My suggestions are definitely future looking and not intended in any way to impede the completion and release of version 5 - just suggestions for refinement if and when they can be implemented. Even as it is now in beta 8, PTE produces a superior product indeed and it's a pleasure to work with. We are all, I'm sure, eagerly awaiting beta 9 which will give us all most of those features we have eagerly awaited. Best regards, Lin

Hi Keith, First, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear that these thoughts concern "future" versions of PTE and are not intended as distractions to impede the progress and release of version 5. I have done any number of Photoshop manipulations in a my animations actually since the first beta release including gaussian blur and multiple images used to simulate bringing an object into focus but this is not really my point. We must also realize that not everyone who will eventually purchase and use PTE has Photoshop or other image rendering software skills nor the inclination to do this in cases where applicable. The time factor for complex animations precludes doing this on a regular basis. Here is a small sample from a slideshow I made long ago with a very early beta of this: http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/focusme.zip My suggestion in the relevant sense is to actually "avoid" seeing a change in focus - this would defeat the purpose. The intent is to not see aliasing artifacts created by intermediate zoom resolutions (pixel counts) on small, sharp objects during the zoom, yet have the object in good focus at the end when zoom is completed. The amount of blur applied initially in the present iteration is a programming choice and necessitates a compromise between image quality and artifact visibility. Having a selection of blur amounts from which to choose will greatly expedite the creation of superior effects without having to resort to treating each object in an experimental fashion in Photoshop, etc. It's precisely this "experimentation" which my suggestion is intended to avoid. The same is true for achieving a non-linear acceleration or deceleration effect to achieve a smooth start and stop. I can do it with multiple and carefully timed keypoints, but not everyone who will eventually use the PZR effects with PTE will become highly skilled with this technique nor should they have to in order to achieve a smooth and natural appearing stop and start to their zooms. As I said, these were suggestions for future consideration not intended as impediments to current development. Best regards, Lin

Hi Adri, Beautiful old world architecture and very nice presentation. Perhaps you could tell us a bit about Gent for those who have language barriers? Best regards, Lin

I've been thinking about things which could be future improvements and the first is something we visited long ago in early betas but with a possible new twist. Igor mentioned that the release version might have a way to "soften" small images which are zoomed to minimize the "sparkle" or "twinkle" effects from aliasing in the resize. Right now we have the box to check for "blur" which helps but doesn't always go quite far enough and could be possibly improved by having incremental 'steps" to increase the strength of the blur. What I would like to see is an "optional" feature which would blur the object "during" the zoom but return it to full original sharpness as soon as the zoom finished. So the best of both worlds. A box to check which would initiate blur in various increments then an option to return to the original sharpness immediately when the zoom finishes. The second feature is something we already expect in the release - a non-linear zoom so that starts and stops are smoother. It seems that one way to achieve this would be to automatically apply a slow down on the beginning and especially on the end of a zoom so that perhaps within the last percent or two of a zoom in or the first percent or two of a zoom out would have a number of very fine increments rather than an entire percent of zoom. The "perspective" zoom and normal zoom we have now is smooth and very nice, but the start and stop are quite "perceptible". If there were a way to change the rate of zoom at the very end or start to much finer increments (more frames each with finer zoom percents), it seems to me that this might suffice to make a "soft" landing and take-off?? Just my thoughts.... Lin

Just a couple links for those interested in Fiore Fimo Polymer Clay art. Jon Anserson is perhaps the world's most celebrated artist working in this venue. Jon came from the SW United States (Arizona) and now lives and creates his work in Bali. His techniques have been developed over the years and he does things which are absolutely amazing with this medi. These are a couple links to more information: http://www.wynbrier.com/Catagories/John_An...derson_FIMO.htm http://www.artforwildlife.com/artists/Anderson/JonA.html Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, A number of our clients use 3840x2400 resolution monitors (9.2 megapixel IBM and Viewsonic) and we downsample our original captue resolutions to not exceed that for their slideshows. None of the images in my slideshow are zoomed beyond the original capture at 100% even on the extreme closeups. Our original captures are made with various digital instruments which range from over 22 megapixels down to 14 megapixels so all are downsampled using a combination of different interpolation algorithms including Genuine Fractals, Qimage, and sometimes Photoshop etc., with Pyramid, Lanczos, and some other custom rips. Prints for these are variously from A0 to A3 sizes. I suspected that this might not run on the compromised graphics envitonments. One of the closeup images may be causing the problem because I left it at the original 5120x3840 capture size. Best regards, Lin

Hi Ken, Thanks much for the feedback and good catch on the typo. I use a wireless keyboard which is prone to dropping characters. When I type the text into the PNG transparency it's difficult to see the characters and this isn't the first time I've missed one - LOL. I've corrected it and reposted to the link. Great suggestion on the Jon Anderson art - I'll get some links and edit the original post. It's difficult for many to realize what goes into making these tiny art pieces until they have some background. Even if the designs were painted they would be incredible but to know that there is absolutely no paint on any of them and that the intricate and tiny designs were constructed entirely of polymer clay staggers the imagination when one realizes that they must be examined under extreme magnification to even "see" the detail! Best regards, Lin

Hi Ron, Thanks very much and I'm glad that the sequences played properly. It's difficult to know exactly what to expect when using high resolution photographs and how they will perform on various systems. I keep the file size down as much as possible without too much compromise in appearance and on my own different systems it plays well but I always worry about how it will respond on the limited graphics environments. Of course in a couple years it will be mostly academic since Vista will eventually replace the majority of today's operating systems and it does have much more stringent requirements for video processing power. Still, in many parts of the world there are many who will use older systems. It's like walking a tightrope at times when making a decision about what to include or not. Fortunately, most of our clients (art galleries) both in the U.S. and abroad have upgraded equipment and our serious professional shows are done for them using photographs of their own inventory. I have no choice in these cases but to use our highest resolution photos, but deciding where to draw the line for the general population is always troublesome. It's mostly trial and error and the nice thing about the forum is the feedback from those not only with the most modern and powerful graphics environments but also from those with less than optimal equipment. Best regards, Lin

This one was fun to make. It may be a bit heavy on graphic cards and probably will not run smoothly unless you have a more powerful graphics system because of the size of the photos. Much of the art is very tiny and to see the detail I needed high quality jpgs of pretty large pixel dimensions. Throw in a couple Snow Globe animations and it pushes the envelope a bit. About 36 meg zipped executable: http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/fineart.zip Best regards, Lin

The issue is that you can't have the Earth rotate on it's horizontal axis as you would see it from the equator without multiple frames or a movie clip. You can easily rotate the Earth as seen from the poles, but having the moon circle the Earth as seen from an equatorial view won't work because you need multiple views of the earth as you would see from space. What I've done is rotate the moon around the Earth in a more or less horizontal path with the earth moon always facing in the same direction. The first way is a very easy way with the moon beginning at a point and ending up at the same position. As it moves across the Earth it increases in size as if it were coming closer to you. It pauses at the point where it reaches the apparent apex of its arc then continues behind the Earth getting smaller until it dissapears behind Earth and eventually reappears, etc. This is an "easy" but not too "realistic" simulation. http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/earthmoon1.zip The second way uses JPD's elipse with two rectangles and is much more complicated. Two issues must be resolved. First the orbit itself which must either be done by tiral and error or by math. I did a quick and dirty trial and error to get a more or less horizontal view. The second issue is the need to have the moon pass behind the Earth as well as between the viewer and the Earth. To do this I used two Earth png files. One is at zero opacity at all times the moon passes between the viewer and the Earth then at 100% opacity to hide the moon as it passes behind the Earth. The third issue is that when treated as a child of the second rectangle the Moon will want to rotate so there are frequent "corrections" requiring keypoints to keep it from its normal rotation and preserve the appearance. This is a much more "realstic" appearing simulation but also much more difficult to do right. I didn't really "do it right" but you can get the idea. http://www.lin-evans.net/pte/earthmoon2.zip Best regards, Lin

That's a very easy effect to create unless you want to add slight rotation of the moon on its axis to simulate keeping the same side toward the Earth. If you are doing it with close-ups then you perhaps need to take this into consideration, but otherwise you have a pretty easy job of simply changing the size of the moon as it goes away and as it comes toward you. Give me a few moments and I'll try to make this effect for you to see. Lin

Below are links to my Panos Snow Globe Flash 8 tutorial, PDF tutorial, the PTE template and answers to questions explaining how you can easily put your own images inside the Panos Snow Globe and have animated snow falling to use this with your own slideshows or as a stand-alone screen saver, etc. You will need to be able to read a Flash 8.swf file to see the AV tutorial: A Flash 8 or Flash 9 player. Generally the latest version of IrfanView and IrfanView plugins will play Flash 8.swf file just fine. But in case you have problems just go to the Macromedia (Adobe) site and download and install the Flash 9 player. It takes only about 10 seconds or less. Here are the links first to IrfanView then to the Macromedia site to download the Flash 9 player. http://www.irfanview.com To download and install IrfanView (free for non commercial use) http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/do...=ShockwaveFlash Flash 9 player download from Macromedia Below are the links to my Flash 8 tutorial. This tutorial will explain how to use the Panos Snow Globe action as well as how to use PTE to create your own snow globe. http://www.lin-evans.net/panosfx/snowglobetutorial.zip Flash 8 SWF Tutorial http://www.lin-evans.net/panosfx/snowglobepdf.zip PDF tutorial http://www.lin-evans.net/panosfx/panosfiles.zip My Snow Globe PTE template Of course you will need Photoshop or Photoshop elements and you need the Panos FX Snow Globe Action which you get access to after registering on the PanosFX site (free), http://www.panosfx.com/ Link to the PanosFX site Once you run the Panos Snow Globe Action, create and flatten the jpg file as instructed in the video or PDF tutorial, you simply name your jpg file "panostest.jpg" then copy this file to the folder you have placed my template in overwriting the existing panostest.jpg file. Then open the panostest.pte file in PicturesToExe, save it or modify it as you see fit. It's incredibly easy and I think you will like the results. Email me or post any questions you may have on this forum Lin

I noticed that you had "sync music to slides" checked which led me to change your MP3 to a single shorter one. With the MP3 included I tried both checking and unchecking "sync music" and there was no difference. It seems that the music is always synced so that slide one which had a 20 second display time appears to pick up the time from exactly half my mp3 then make the transition to slide two. I tried saving and re-opening the file and no change. It appears to be stuck in the "sync music to slides" mode. The long, silent MP3 was probably throwing you a curve because it will probably make the transition at the 2.5 minute mark. By the way, the lady in the upper right balcony is either taking your picture or watching you though binoculars - LOL.. Best regards, Lin

Hi Jan and welcome to the forums! Just so I'm clear - are you dragging the slides to what is labeled the "Slide List"? You want to put them in the slide list rather than somewhere else. I may be interpreting what you mean incorrectly but what you can do instead of drag a file just to be certain it's going to the right place is simply double click on a single file at a time and repeat your test. As mentioned previously also be sure you add a second keypoint in the Objects and Animations screen to iniate any animations you may make. All animations happen between keypoints so there must be a start and ending point. For example, if you want to zoom in on an image then place a keypoint where you want this zoom to begin and another where you want it to end. In the case where you want it to start at the beginning of the slides appearance you just leave the initial keypoint and place another where you want the zoom to end. Then click on the second keypoint, zoom the picture and the animation will begin immediately and take place over the time on the timeline between the keypoints. If you choose to have a transparency change then remember that it will start at the timeline of the first keypoint and continue until the next keypoint which gives the amount of change. So, for example, if you want an image to change in opacity from 100% to 50% but you don't want this to begin immediately then you need an intermediate keypoint with the opacity also set to 100% to keep the image from immediately beginning to fade. The fade would then begin at the second keypoint and happen between the second and third, etc. This goes for any animation. If you want the image to remain as it is at the start until a certain period, then simply duplicate the first keypiont and drag it on the timeline to the point where you wish the animation to begin. Best regards, Lin

It "should" work fine, but click on this link and install the Flash 9 player (it only takes seconds) and try Irfanview again. http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/do...=ShockwaveFlash Best regards, Lin

Hi Max, Yes, but there is more. What is done to the parent affects the child, but the child can do things independent from the parent which have no effect on the parent. For example, a couple weeks ago one of our posters (tomuk) wanted to see a helicopter fly across the screen but as viewed from the side with the rotor blade rotating in more or less a horizontal fashion. If you take an image of a helicopter, separate the rotor blade from it and create the rotor blade as a PNG file then you have the ability to rotate the rotor blade. The problem is that rotation is as if you were looking from the side at a hampster or mouse running in a cage. So the rotation on the helicopter blade would be as if the helicopter were diving at the ground with the nose pointed straight down and the rotor blades rotating in the foreground. The problem was how to make these rotor blades look like they were rotating in a horizontal fashion! So one of our forum members, Jean-Pierre used the parant child and rectangle together to achieve this end. The way it works is that the blurred rotor blades made into a png file became the grand child of a rectangle which had it's own child rectangle. So the child rectangle was rotated inside the parent rectangle about 52 degrees then the parent rectangle was zoomed but only on one axis (XY axis) so that it distorted the child rectangle and made the circular rotor blade (which itself was a child of the child rectangle or a grandchild of the original rectangle) become alongated and flattened in appearance much as you would see with a helicopter flying in a horizontal path across your field of vision. Then the rotor blade was rotated within this child rectangle which forced it to maintain the distorted shape caused by the non-linear distortion of the parent rectangle. The end effect was that the blurred rotor blade behaved as desired and the effect was of a helicopter flying across the screen with its rotor looking very much like reality. Now the above is probably difficult to follow but I created an AV Flash 8 tutorial to show exactly how this works. If you click on the link below and download the Flash 8 tutorial you will see very quickly how the "grandchild" is controled via the child and parent. Of course the rectangles are made invisible by setting their opacity to zero. Here's the link. Take a few minutes and I think all will become clear and you may see myriad ways to eventually use the power of the object child concept. http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/rotorblade.zip Unzip the above and play the Flash 8 swf file. If you don't have a Flash 8 player, download and install the current freeware version of Irfanview and also install the Irfanview plugins and you will be able to see the tutorial. http://www.irfanview.com Best regards, Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, I wrote to Igor a few days ago asking him when he gets the time to perhaps look into a "Transparency" filter which would work much as a rectangle. For exampe, the "gates" transition allows a moving transparency curtain to conceal the present image and reveal the image on the next slide, What if we had a rectangle which performed much the same operation except it could be adjusted for size and could be stopped or started and moved back and forth which would effectively perform exactly this effect. It could then be used to reveal an in-focus image beneath and out of focus image, it could be used with masks to "spotlight" changes which would appear almost as "x-ray" vision - LOL? Best regards, Lni

Click on "customize slide" then click on the "effect" tab. Click in the little square beside "use customized settings for this slide" then click on the little square beside "use own transition effect" then choose among the many different transitions available. Each slide can have its own transition which you can adjust for time duration just as you can adjust the display time for each slide. On the beta version 5 you can have pan, zoom, rotate, scroll, complete transparency control, parent/child relationships (an extremely powerful feature), control multiple objects on unlimited layers, internal DVD authorint, etc., etc. Much more powerful than Proshow Gold (I have used Proshow Gold since before it was originally released as well as PicturesToExe). Yes you can do everything you asked about in the trial. The only limitation is the number of slides. Perhaps someone in N Ireland from the forum can contact you and help......?? Lin

If you tell us where you live we might be able to find someone in your area who has PicturesToExe and who may be able to help you personally. There are two versions of PicturesToExe, the released version 4.48 and the soon to be released version 5.0 which is presently available in beta 8 format. The next beta version will be released any day now (beta 9). You have many transitions (the way it changes per slide) available in both versions. The soon to be released version 5.0 has also the ability to use motion effect such as Pan, Zoom, Rotate, Scroll. You can use mp3 music and wav music with either version with complete control over synchrronization possible. You can also add voice over on each slide, etc. There is no restriction on which folders, etc., you use. At the top left of your screen right underneath where you see File - Project - Slide - View - Help you will find small Icons representing the drive devices on your computer such as A, B, C, D, E, etc. If there are more than seven devices or drives including CD/DVD etc., there will be a tiny arrow icon. Click on this arrow and you will find the rest of the devices. Choose the device which has your folders then click on it and you can see the list of files and folders on this device. There are two "views" of these folders/files available. To the immediate right of the device icons is another icon which looks like two pages of paper. Click on this icon and the view will change from a conventional Tree format to a folder format. Click again and it will change back. Use the scroll bar to find your folder containing your pictures then click on the folder to see what is inside. Again, if you will tell us which city and country you live in perhaps we can find someone in your area who can help you personally. Best regards, Lin

Thanks! Yes, it's actually already done but I'm waiting for Panos to get some time to post it on his site. He's been buried in work deadlines but has the files and even a Flash AV tutorial. Best regards, Lin

Ahhh to be young and energetic and in France too! Best wishes for a great day and many more to come. Lin

Hi Jean-Pierre, Try it again - I put a couple small jpg title frames in front Best regards, Lin Thanks - but all the credit really goes to Panos - he has a great action for both these effects. I just threw in a little snow effect. He is going to post the swf file and tutorial (Flash AV and PDF) on his site when he gets a chance (he's been really tied up at work lately with a major deadline). He really has some incredible Photoshop actions which work very well in conjunction with PTE. Best regards, Lin Hi Ray, Thanks but the credit really goes to Panos for his incredible Photoshop actions. His Photoshop skills are absolutely amazing to me. Best regards, Lin