Lin Evans

If you didn't get sound, then you have an issue with sound set-up on all three systems. The sound is recognized by the vast majority of present systems it's been tried on (hundreds now) and only those which have not had midi enabled have had issues. It's both "your" video card and the card of any "other" user which matter. All PC's in the near future will have decent video or they will be unable to run the new Windows Vista operating system so it will soon become a moot point. So all Windows based PC's sold in a year or so will be able to play high resolution video type slide shows with Ken Burns effects. Some of the older equipment can't do it without upgrades. Progress is a simple fact of life with technology. If you have a system which only runs DOS and doesn't have sufficient resources to run Windows they you either must upgrade or run DOS. If you have a system which has limited resources for video then you can't run 3D games or high resolution video with multi-layer slideshows. This is why the release version of PTE will have both engines. Don't give slideshows with Ken Burns effects to your friends who have systems with limited resources - instead use the older engine which will play on nearly all video equipment. It's a very simple choice. If you want smooth pan and zoom effects with mult-layer effects you need sufficient hardware resources to run it. Other slideshow programs which use software rendering for Ken Burns effects can't produce the smooth pans and zooms with high resolution images - in fact few, if any, can produce smooth pans and zooms with any hardware. I have some of the most powerful hardware available with huge RAM (4 gigabytes), state-of-art video (ATI Radeon 9800 PRO), 800Mhz front side buss, 3.2 Ghz Pentium 4 processor, etc., and I get jerky pans and zooms on panoramas with nearly all programs having Ken Burns effects except PicturesToExe which works flawlessly. This is the way of the future. Other slideshow software manufacturers are scrambling right now to try to implement hardware rendering like Wnsoft has done with P2E. So the bottom line is that we must build slideshows for the level of sophistication of our viewers. If you suspect that they have low resolution systems with limited resources, then create a low resolution DVD or executable slideshow without Ken Burns Effects for them. If they have upgraded hardware then give them all the great quality which the program can produce. Use the two puzzle files as a test to determine whether or not the user's equipment can run a high resolution slideshow. Include them with a menu on your CD along with both a high and low resolution slideshow- they are quite small in terms of storage. If the user can see and hear both and even the large RAM model runs reasonably smoothly, then they can be assured that their hardware is up to the task of delivering superior results from a P2E slideshow with multi-layers and PZR effects. If not, then suggest they run the low resolution version. As I mentioned earlier, soon this will all be a moot point because all systems sold after Vista is standardized will have hardware capable of supporting high resolution video and 3D games. Best regards, Lin

Hi John, Yes, the final sizes should be different and the large RAM version has the words "Ta Dah" underneath while the small RAM version has the word "Ta Da" in the center. They were intentionally made to appear differently so you can easily determine which puzzle program is being used without checking the file names. The sound for both is a midi file which may explain why you are having problems hearing it, however the large RAM vesion will tell you about your video card's capabilities. If the movement of some or all of the pieces is jerky, then you know that your video card may present issues with some shows which have very large RAM reqirements. The small RAM version usually runs fine on most any video card with at least 64 meg RAM. You may want to check your Sounds and Audio Devices via the Control Panel to see what you have set for Midi sound defaults. Not being able to hear either means there is likely a setting which is incorrect. If you could not see the image at all with the large RAM "puzzle.exe" then I would suspect your video card was not up to the task, but since you can see it you "should" be able to see any slideshow created with the beta versions of PTE. The fact that you can't hear the Midi sound is almost sure to be a setting issue. Best regards, Lin

Right now the only way I know is to inform P2E by locating the files (or see below)- in version 5 (see it in the beta) there is a provision to create a zipped file which contains all the jpg's, etc., and p2e template so you could easily re-create the information in any folder in the future. The way it works in the present release is that the pte file contains all the links to the files in terms of folder paths, etc. So you can always use a text editor to see where the folders were previously located and put them back in that location, or you could modify the pte file by substituting the new locations. It's always tricky to do this but if you keep careful track of where they are located you should be able to tweak the pte file with a text editor in the ASCII mode. Be sure to make a backup of the pte file before embarking on this so if you screw it up you can always start over. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dennis, Which version of P2E are you working with? I'm assuming the release 4.48 because the comments feaure is not yet turned on for the beta. If so, I'm not able to reproduce this problem. Could you possibly make screen captues of your Customize Slide Comments Tab and Project Options Comments Tabs so we can try to duplicate the problem? Best regards, Lin

Hi Peter, There is a very simple test - follow the link below and download these two puzzle files. If the low resolution one "puzzlesmallRAM.exe" plays fine and the other causes a black screen, you can pretty well be assured that you need a different video card. Check to see which iteration of DirectX you have installed also by clicking on RUN then enter dxdiag and press O.K. - Here's the thread with the links to the high and low RAM puzzle.... http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4604 Lin

Hi Jim, Beautiful presentation - both aesthetically and from an educational perspective as well. Great photos and very nice narration too. I liked the use of the map in the beginning to give the viewer a feel for the areas visited! Best regards, Lin

Thanks Roger! P2E has made it possible for the photographer to do many things in terms of presentations and do them better than the competition, I think. Best regards, Lin

The first thing I would do is to dump all other programs running in the background through the task manager including any anti-virus programs and see if you still have the same problem. Next I would have a check done to determine if there is a possibility of some bad RAM. Some programs are bad about not releasing RAM back to the system after they run - I've actually had software which would, over time, pull down 2 gigabytes of RAM and cause crashes. The fact that the problem may be intermittant may have to do with which PTE programs you run first and how much RAM they require. If the system is low on user memory because of memory leak from badly behaved software or because of defective RAM chips, then it could explain why the program might hang rather than return to the menu which is actually the process of opening another executable file. Best regards, Lin

It's indeed a very nice player - I'm still trying to get the equalization to work, but other than probably something I'm doing wrong it's a very sophisticated player. The echo and reverb work perfectly and the interface, though a bit confusing to me at first, seems very intuitive once you understand the process for loading and playing selections. You certainly can't beat the price! LOL Thanks for the info and link!! Best regards, Lin

It works for me, but since there are only a couple transitions available now probably you might want to set something on the order of six seconds on the fade in (6000) to see it work. The defaut of 1.5 seconds (1500) is hardly long enough to realize that a transition is actually occuring. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, This may be the one on the coin you are looking for - fourth thread down on this link: http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....l=morgan+dollar Lin

Hi Igor, I will try to find out which video card my friend has in each machine and which DirectX version. We tried to run a couple slideshows and on the one machine the sound had "clicking" on a regular basis and the video response was very slow so you could see almost a half second frame change. On the second none of my slideshow executables would load at all. He lives about 30 miles away but I will try to find out what's going on and perhaps we can get it corrected. I suspect it may be due to the version of DirectX. He is an engineer and uses both systems for only Autocad and earlier slideshows with 4.x run fine on both machines. Best regards, Lin

Hi Sheila, I'm a bit unclear. Are you having the same problem with the same error message on both the laptop and desktop, or only on the desktop? Windows 2000 is quirky and I've seen some cases where it won't play an executable file from P2E so there may be some as yet undiagnosed incompatibility but it definitely "should" run on Windows XP without issues. I have a friend who has Windows 2000 on two different computers. On one the slideshows from 5.0 beta 3 run but there is "clicking" in the sound and even though he has a decent video card, the performance is not up to par. On his other Windows 2000 machine the executables won't even load. Unfortunately there are not too many of us who have Windows 2000 so it's difficult to get good data, but there may be some incompatibilities between Windows 2000 and P2E Beta. Lin

Hi John, I think the particular transition you saw was an old Billy goat with a zoom in centered on his eye, then a transition to the following slide of his baby which began with a zoom in on the eye followed by a zoom out. I spent one day photographing a mountain goat family at 14,268 feet - there were twin kids, mom and pop and I thought it might be nice to "see" the child through the eye of the adult - just playing a bit with some "Hollywood" effects - LOL. I wish I could tone down the birds a bit, but they are recorded on the same tracks with the music and I can't separate them. Yes - the James Taylor authored piece "Fire and Rain" has a camp fire crackling and popping in the background - I could envision John Denver and friends sitting around a fire in the mountains above Aspen - wish I had taken some shots years ago when I met him in the Canadian Rockies - it would have made some nice footage to add to the show. Sure - help yourself - I suspect it will project nicely at 1024x768.... Best regards, Lin

Hi Ron, Thanks! It was a fun one to put together. Best regards, Lin LOL - you haven't met our Colorado Ice Frogs? HA! Best regards, Lin

Hi Ken, I would like to slow it down, but it would have meant way more work than I have time for to get the sequencing and music correct again - LOL. Maybe some day I'll get a chance to re create the entire show and drop off a couple slides or add some to get the timing correct for a slower display of the text scroll. Best regards, Lin

Hi folks, This is a long one - about 132 megabytes on the download and a running time of a bit over 27 minutes.... Selected wildlife and nature photos from my 2005 work in Colorado. The show includes Elk in rut (fighting), Elk in snow, Mule Deer in deep powder, Coyotes, Pika (tiny Rock Rabbits), Rocky Mountain Big Horn ram, Rocky Mountain Goats at over 14,000 feet elevation, Chipmunk, Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel, Marmot, Wood Duck, Canadian Geese, Bald Eagle, Clark's Nutcracker, Magpie, Wood Duck, Stellar's Jay, American Bison (buffalo), Pronghorn Antelope, and lots of beautiful Colorado mountain scenery. http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/colorado.zip Best regards, Lin

Sorry, didn't work. After four hours of download via dial-up, the file was corrupted so I guess I'll have to give up until my broadband IP has reparired the problems. Best regards, Lin O.K., all fixed now - finally! Here's the link to the updated vger2.exe file with more legible text... http://www.lin-evans.net/p2e/vger3.zip Lin

Hi John, I was not happy with the text either and re-worked the opening credits (I didn't change the text on the last image). The file is uploading right now, but will take about four hours. My broadband is not working correctly and corrupts the files on upload or download and I'm forced to use the dial-up connect. The 35 megabyte file is moving at "snail-speed" of 2.4 kbps, but at least it's not being distroyed packet by packet - LOL. Perhaps in another three or four hours it will be uploaded and I'll place a link to the new zipped executable. I think you'll find the text much easier to read on the opening credit though I didn't change the timing since it would affect the entire show if I did. Being easier to read should make it also easier to read quickly. Best regards, Lin

To see just the individual slide you are working with from the Objects and Animations screen, click on the icon between "Preview" and "Project Options" rather than using the Preview. Preview will always start from the beginning of the show but the icon between preview and project options will start with the transition to the individual slide then play the slide you are on and continue from that position. Sound will be in the proper sync for that position. Yes, there are a number of features not yet implemented in beta. I'm not certain what you mean by "mini-viewer" window? Do you mean from the Timeline for music sync window? You should see the PZR from either Preview or from the icon between Preview and Project Options but at least right now only the changes in slides are shown from the music sync Timeline view. Whether it will be feasible to see the actual animations from here is still an open question. Best regards, Lin

I can tell you how I deal with this. Whenever I have such an issue, I save the slideshow and close P2E. I then make necessary changes to the file and copy the altered file to the folder where I'm working from but using the identical name as the old file, then reopen p2e and all timings, etc., are preserved just as they were. If I decide to change an image or substitute an image in a particular position, I usually change to file name of the image to be substituted to the name of the image which will be removed and do the file swap with P2E closed. The issue is that file information in the .pte file is maintained by file name not by position in the slide list. There may be an option to keep the same timings, etc., in terms of position, but I don't think there is because the pt2 file is regenerated whenever you save your work and since the information for a given image is saved and associated with that image name in the .pte template, I find it easier, especially with a long slideshow containing many images if I just substitute names. I rarely assign timings or effects until after I have finalized the order of the slides. It's not a simple thing to go back and re-set everything in a length show with many slides so I usually name my slides for a show by number such as 01.jpg, 02,jpg, etc. I use IrfanView to batch process and this makes it very easy to rename if I decide to change positions, etc., without messing up the file associated timings, animations, etc. Best regards, Lin

Hi Beth, I should have been more explicit. The large IP hosts have 24/7 live technical support (iPower, for example) and there is rarely, if ever down time with maintenance (I've never had this problem with iPower). However, there are all types and sizes of internet providers so it's incumbent upon the subscriber to carefully check out the potential company they plan to have host their site because smaller IP hosts may indeed have limited hours for live technical support or not have live support at all and, as you say, may be out of service just when you need them while they run maintenance. Best regards, Lin

Hi Al, Yes, it's difficult to keep up with all the changes in the global ISP market. Storage is much less expensive today than only a year ago so many companies compete on that basis and it's absolutely true that one's needs versus the features and benefits offered must be considered. For personal purposes and uploading a few hundred images on a website even 1 gigabyte of storage is a lot and for some professional purposes 10 gigabytes is way too little - LOL. For some time I had my own server which was very convenient but rather expensive. At that time my ISP was only about 15 miles from my office so I could do my own on-site server maintenance when necessary and my ISP was very cooperative, but when I cut back my operations and tried to retire (fat chance!) I ended up needing more storage and bandwidth than my contract provided for and the penalty costs were becoming prohibitive so I went looking for the best deals around. At that time there were several Canadian based (at least their offices were in Canada) companies which were just getting started and who offered very competitive rates and excellent services. That's when I signed on with iPower. I renewed my 3 year subscription a few days ago and were quite surprised to find that they no longer had any Canadian offices and that their servers were now in California and offices and support were in Arizona. As you say, it's become a global thing these days. My wife was recently working remote in Colorado for a California based software corporation who had their servers and ISP in Texas. They pay $5000 per month and thought it was a fantastic deal. When I checked into what they actually had in terms of storage, servers, maintenance agreements and features I found that they could duplicate it for about $200 per month! It's amazing how many of these ISP's can hijack corporations for thousands of dollars and how little knowledge there is in many corporations, even those with reasonably savvy IT professionals about true costs. I guess it's almost a full-time job just trying to stay informed these days..... Best regards, Lin

Hi Al, iPower had their offices in Canada when I signed on with them several years ago, but their servers are located in California and their central offices are now in Arizona so they are not really a Canadian company per-se. I get 10 gigabytes of storage, 250 gigabytes per month of bandwidth for downloads, domain registration is included and this costs me a total of $214 for three years of all the above which is pretty hard to beat. Real time toll-free telephone technical support, SSL / CGI / PHP / MySQL - E-Commerce Enabled all included. It's really hard to beat their combination of services and prices. Best regards, Lin

That's a cool effect Luc !, You may also want to change the order for the two curtains so that they fall behind the main stage. That way the security curtain (at the top) doesn't show through when you go to 70% opacity. Just move them each back so they appear above the stage in the objects order. Best regards, Lin