Lin Evans
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Posts posted by Lin Evans
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For some time we have been searching for ways to play PicturesToExe files over the web and have variously tried Flash SWF, Flash FVL, etc., with the reasoning being having cross-platform compatibility. Recently it's come to my attention that most of the later MacIntosh OS systems will play AVI files which have been encoded with MicroSoft MPG 4 codecs.
This brought up the natural question of why not just play the AVI file directly? AVI has much better quality than Flash and the file sizes are usually much smaller. The later Windows Media Players will recognize a link to an AVI file on your website and automatically play the AVI in what seems to me to be sort of a "streaming" effect.
In light of this, I thought I would post a link to a test AVI created with PicturesToExe which was used with Riva Producer to create a Flash FLV file. But instead of a link to the Riva html which calls the Riva player, I just linked below to the AVI file itself. On all our systems (PC) Windows Media Player automatically recognizes that the web link is to a playable AVI and plays it. We don't have a MacIntosh to test it with, but would appreciate any of you with PC's and reasonably fast broadband giving it a try and reporting back on the video/audio quality experienced.
http://www.lin-evans.net/trevor/rivatest_vid.avi
Best regards,
Lin
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Lin
after Jeff had brought the subject up i had got the Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2
at
http://www.free-codecs.com/ACE_Mega_CoDecS_Pack_download.htm
after i had searched of all of ms codecs links
from what i have read it is an old codec that has since been updated -- same was not on my system at the time
but it does the job -- i had a 4.5 gb avi file that one son in law had made that would not run until the Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2
was installed
thks
ken
thks
LOL - great resource! If you can't find a codec in that collection you probably don't need it - HA!
Best regards,
Lin
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Just a little to add to what Ken said. Zipping doesn't reduce the file size very much in most cases (with a P2E executable). The problem is that emailing a large file depends a great deal on your email provider as well as that of the person you plan to send it to.
If you have a web site, you can zip the file and post a link to it. This way the receipient can choose when and if to download it. A very large email can really mess up someone's day, especially if it takes a long time to download.
Lin
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Hi Ken,
You can download most if not all Microft codecs here:
http://www.wmplugins.com/ItemList.aspx?typeid=8
Lin
Jeff
I am running xp home sp2 c/w all updates
For this test I have a fairly large show - picts from the web - that i have set up and run with ver 4.5 to make sure
everything works -- i cannot do custom sync so it is set auto sync with full control -- ordinary fades -- the exe is 62
mb -runs +- 20 mins - been saving it for ver 5.
I read your entry about the codecs
http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3992
and i had never looked at the list before so i went looking
I could not find your Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2 in the list
I found WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 9
ran it -- it created an avi 2.4 gb in 45 mins -- nothing would run it
then tried
MS VIDEO 1
4.194 gb in 54 mins -- nothing would run it
errors - needed different codecs
went to MS
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...ecdownload.aspx
got pkg for xp and installed
still no go
also got
Codec Installation Package for Windows Media Player 6.4
but did not install -- as 6.4 is on my system
so
then i picked from avail codecs in the p2e drop down list - attached screenshot
FFVFW MPEG-4
ran it and it created an avi in 30.4 mins that would run
non interlaced 348 mb
but as in some instances in the past i get a screen chunk viewer - attached screenshot - when i run it with wmp 10 or
windvd viewer
so i made another interlaced but got same error
tried to do a DIVX 6 CODEC -- was 1/2 way thru and it crashed - stackoverflow
then i ran xvid mpeg 4 codec -- default settings -- interlaced
it made an avi in 30.44 mins 354 mb file that plays but chunk screen error again
I burned the 2 ffvfw mpeg 4 avi's as well as one avi that i had ran thru WinAvi to convert to a mpeg -2 -- this gets
rid of the chunk error when played on wmp 10
i used nero 6.6 to burn with default settings with menu - show set to return to menu at competion of show -- as per
Hawk's discovery of this trick
ran the shows on the dvd / tv with perfect transitions and music runs as it does on the exe
Since this was composed Jeff has contacted me off list with his spreadsheet and he is of the opinion that the codecs available in the p2e dropdown list are computor specific and after seeing his spreadsheet list of codecs, am of the same opinion
Igor, any comments here?
oh and BTW the av's that would not run have been disposed of - space on my video drive is getting tight
ken
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This may have already been covered but just in case - One of the reasons that ProShow Gold DVD's look better than most AVI conversions is that there is a provision for adjusting what PhotoDex calls "saturation" before the creation of the AVI. This is necessary because the brightness levels are different on the television than on a computer monitor. If the gamma/saturation/brightness are not corrected before burning a DVD then colors look wrong. Light greens turn yellowish, images can look washed out, etc.
I was just wondering if it were possible to add a feature which allowed the user to designate a percentage of change in saturation prior to creating the AVI?
Lin
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I have had this program for quite some time and I have yet to get a really sharp video from it. I downloaded a program called Proshow Gold and I am using their 15 day trial version. It is very easy to use but the thing that really bothers me is that when I create a video with PictureToExe, the video comes out very soft and not sharp at all. Now when I create the very same video seconds later with the very same files in Proshow Gold, the video comes out very sharp. Am I doing something wrong? It is not that my images are not sharp, because if they were not sharp they would come out dull in both programs. As I am making the video in PictureTo Exe it looks very sharp as I am working with it in the program. It is not till I burn it with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 till it becomes very soft and really looks of very poor quality. Any help would be greatly appreciated if you can tell me where you feel that I may be having a problem.
There are numberous reasons why this may be. First, ProShow Gold has provisions for optimizing the DVD burn and I'm not familiar with Ulead's ability to do this or not. One of the issues is that the brightness levels for DVD need to be about 13% lower than for the computer. So any AVI file which looks great on the computer will be somewhat washed out on a television unles the gamma is corrected before the burn. Second, there are a variety of "options" which can greatly affect DVD quality. These option can be set with "most" DVD burn software, but if you just use the "defaults" you are likely to end up with less than an optimal solution.
Please go to the following link and read it carefully - even print it out - because you need to be aware of the things which affect the quality of the the final product. PicturesToExe produces a stellar AVI file but to maintain that quality for DVD distribution you definitely need to set the proper parameters. This link will give you lots of information which can help you produce the best quality DVD possible assuming that the software used to actually burn the DVD has provisions for doing this. After reading the information in this link you will have a much better handle on how to get the best performance from your DVD burning software.
http://www.signvideo.com/d-athr_pt1.htm
Also read this:
http://www.svconline.com/mag/avinstall_gam...look/index.html
Best regards,
Lin
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Hi Lin ... did you ever find X-Show? If not then I might be able to help you with that.
Mike in Maine
videomike@juno.com if you want to contact me directly.
Hey Mike,
I didn't. The company in NY which was advertising it is either out of business and still collecting money for products they can't deliver or they are just another web rip-off.
As suspected, I had to dispute the charges on my credit card. Their main telephone number has been disconnected and no longer in service and their alternate number returns a "mailbox full" message. They don't answer their emails so I'm guessing they are gonzo... It could be that it's an honest mistake, that they simply didn't bother to take down their site and that the automated web processing is just continuing to submit charges (how convenient is that - LOL) but I'm guessing that some people will just pay their credit card bill and get nothing for their efforts except a lesson about web purchases - HA!
Best regards,
Lin
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I thought I saw it on this forum but a search did not turn up what I was looking for. I am using WinAmp to listen to some nice slow Jazz and was wanting to capture that and have tried Audiocity but does not work.
Can anyone suggest how to record that music?
Thanks,
Essentially you need software to intercept the sound at the sound card. There are severa programs out there which do this but this is the one I use:
Lin
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Hello Lin - -that site is what I would refer to as a 'cob-web' site. DVD X-show is onlybeing sold where is is still in stock - it is not being produced any more since the company declared bankruptcy about 3 years ago.
If anyone did come forward then they should be hired as the applicaition really was excellent and absolutely worth further developing.
If you can still buy the application then get it while you can!
Mike in Maine
Hi Mike,
I'm starting to believe that the company which I provided the link for is also out of business or a scam. I tried to purchase the software (X-Show) via the web and after taking my credit card number an error was returned saying "No Serial Number Could be Found for This Product" - please contact the "webmaster"... I called the number at the top right of their screen and it had been disconnected and no longer in service. I checked their "contact" number and called it and received a "mailbox full" message. I emailed them and received no reply as of yet. I contacted my credit card company and they had received the order for $39 so I suspect after the five day wait period I'll have to dispute the charges but a big CAUTION to anyone else about this company and the link below for reference.....
http://www.nycsoftware.com/DVDxCopy/products.htm
Best regards,
Lin
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I have tried that but it’s not possible in Win XP to rename the extension.
I will try the flash program and see what I can do with it.
Thanks all, for the information.
Hj
As Ken says, just ignore warnings for XP - there's no reason at all why you can't rename the executable files by dropping the extension.
Lin
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Hello I'm new with this nice progra.
Is it possible to start the presentation linked from a web site like with streaming media?
Normally when you load an exe file in a browser it will be stopped by any virus scanner.
I have noticed that emails sent with an exe file will be kicked out by most email scanners even when the files are zipped. Is there a way to ad it a mail or sent it without being refused by mail clients or virus scanners?
As Ken says, you need to convert a P2E AVI output to FLV flash to "stream" it - I too use Riva Producer Lite for that purpose.
The best way I know of to be certain that a zipped file containing an executable slideshow gets through the email scanners is to rename it to something else. So a file such as "myslideshow.exe" could be renamed to "myslideshow" (with no extension). Then when zipped the email scanner which looks for the .exe extension ignores it. Send instructions for the recipient to simply rename the file adding the .exe extension before trying to run it.
Lin
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Not a Trick Question
Has anyone on the Forum got a simple answer to this problem ?
I am printing Images on to Photo-Cards to fit into CD-Jewel Cases as 'inlays or inserts' ~
The front image being a Title Photograph and when the case is opened the rear image is
a Menu List with Instructions as to how to use the CD etc,etc.
The insert Card is cut precisely to 120 x 120mm and of course the 2 Photo-Images must
agree with those dimensions to fit on to the Photo-Cards to give 'borderless' registration.
The CD Printing Programs are very "fuzzy" about this and often simply ignore this task.
My question is ? -- What Pixels x Pixels correspond to 120 x 120mm so that after
printing, the Images sizes are precisely 120 x 120mm (±1mm)
No its not a 'trick question' ~ Try for yourself to print out a precision 120 x 120mm Image
then measure it, and you will see for yourself the problem !!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Brian.Conflow.
Brian,
That's 1181 x 1181 pixels....
Lin
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I am already using Audacity, have edited all the spare ends of the three piece programme that I have edited into one piece. Gilbert
So is it Audacity which says the combined mp3 is shorter than the time P2E calculates for it? How about the actual running time in p2e? Does the sound quit before the images finish or do they synchronize properly?
If you place the mp3 into a different slideshow with all defaults enabled and choose auto sync to music does is play for the proper time and does the last slide end with the sound?
Trying it in a different show could thow some light on the issue. If it works exactly the same then I would suspect there is still some hidden code in the MP3 which "should" be seen as a flat "tail" on the end of the visual in Audacity (assuming there is no dead space in the beginning). Otherwise I'm perplexed because I've always found P2E to register exactly the same time for my MP3's as Audacity. Strange indeed....
Lin
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Hi Gilbert,
I suspect that there is some "dead time" either at the front or back of your song. If you download the freeware "Audacity" program and import your mp3 into it you can see visually what's actually there. You can also trim the leading or trailing edges of dead time and fine tune it to your liking.
Here's a link for Audacity in case you don't have it:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Lin
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Hi Igor,
Words such a "Incredible, breathtaking, magnificent and Fantastic" are insufficient to describe the beauty presented in this slideshow. Congratulations on a thoroughly enchanting view of worlds we never knew existed!
Best regards,
Lin
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"Light of the Far Worlds"
Part 1. Infinity
Part 2. Orion
My slide-show created in PicturesToExe v4.46
http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/Light_of_the_Far_Worlds.zip (27 MB)
Hi Igor,
Words like "breathtaking, fantastic, unbelievable" are insufficient to describe this beautifully orchestrated and presented slideshow. Congratulations on not only your most excellent presentation but also on you choice of images showing worlds we never knew existed!
Best regards,
Lin
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How can I retrieve the Jpgs from their slide show?
I've heard of it being done....and need to do it now?
Thanks
Craig
Craig, you do it with screen capture utilities. One of the best by one of our P2E users - go here:
http://www.thailandphotoalbum.com/
Lin
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You're right. It will be fixed in v5.00
Reading between the lines :-) This means 5.0 is getting very, very close because Igor is always extremely quick to correct minor bugs. I'm getting ready to - C E L E B R A T E -
Lin
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Hi Lin
I am aware that AnyDVD bypasses copy protection on DVDs but I am reasonably sure that DRM is introduced by Windows Media Player during the encoding process, regardless of the source. This is the reason I personaly use Audiograbber and the Lame encoder, apart from the superior results there is no DRM encoded within the file.
regards
Geoff
Hi Geoff,
It doesn't actually "bypass" copy protection, but simply renders ALL DVD and all AUDIO CD copies void of encription. Read the entire information on the AnyDVD site. You really don't need Windows Media Player at all. Anything Windows Media Player can do can be done with alternatives which have no such limitations. Programs such as Audio Grabber and Audio MP3 Recorder which intercept signals from the audio card directly are one way of avoiding these issues, but not necessarily the easiest or best.
Best regards,
Lin
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Thank you very much for your information. You have confirmed my worst suspicions. I have since downloaded a copy of Audiograbber as suggested elsewhere and am now comoing to grips with it. Thanks again for your comments. Gilbert
Thanks for your comments. I have now downloaded a copy of Audiograbber as you suggest ans am now finding out how to use it. Any comments you can offer here would be most welcome. I assume I cannot use the Lame encoder I downloaded for Audacity as it will probably be in the wrong place. Gilbert
You may want to save yourself lots of work and simply purchase AnyDVD. It's inexpensive, and like P2E all future upgrades are free and it's updated very frequently. It simply sets in the background as a driver and removes all these "issues" so that when you convert to MP3's there are no problems, period.
Best regards,
Lin
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I had another try at this effect. The idea was to have the moon setting and disappearing behind mountains.
To get the movement to be reasonably reallistically slow, I created the individual frames, 180 of them!, 1 pixel appart.
As the "moon" started to be masked by the mountains I carefully erased away the appropriate part behind a mask.
When I played the sequence it worked fine, EXCEPT, a faint glow of the moon's disk could be seen through the mountains.
I thought,at first, I'd been inatentive in using the erasor. But, on examining the individual frames, the bit of the moon you were not supposed to see, had been correctly obliterated.
Anyone any idea what might have caused this effect?
John
PS Lin, I didn't think your zoom was "rough" at all. You're far too modest.
Hi John,
Perhaps you may want to try and use only every fifth frame which would make a five rather than one pixel jump (still should be plenty smooth). I suspect that the persistence of the phosphors on your monitor may hold the image beyond the "moon set" phase. You quite probably wouldn't see this effect on an LCD monitor. Just as an experiment - turn off your monitor manually in a completely dark room and measure the time it takes to completely extinguish the last vestige of image. Some phosphors have greater persistence (length of glow) than others. This hides the "interlace" on television monitors where the actual horizontal sweep at 15,750 hz draws every other of 525 lines (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) then retraces to fill in the even lines (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.). The persistence of the phosphors retains the image between sweeps.
By cutting down the actual number of frames to about every five pixels, there will be fewer frames and the persistence issue "may" be greatly ameliorated or solved.
Best regards,
Lin
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Hi Isabel,
It "can" be done, but I would certainly wait for version 5 beta which should be ready pretty soon according to Igor.
To do it in the current version requires lots of work in PhotoShop or other imaging software. Essentially the process involves creating multiple frames with slightly different views. For a zoom it means making frames with about a 10-30 pixel difference (depending on how smoothly you want the effect to be) and placing these frames in sequence while using a "no effect" transition and a time of about zero seconds and 1 ms between frames. The more frames with smaller increments the smoother it looks.
Some of us have used PhotoShop actions to speed up the process of creating multiple frames with slightly smaller or larger dimensions which are then cropped back to the desired file dimensions. It's time consuming and certainly not even remotely as efficient as will be the next version of P2E.
Below is a link to a VERY crude example I just did. I used a 50 pixel differentiation between slides - way too big a jump and I got tired near the end and jumped a couple hundred pixels on the last three frames, but you get the idea. Unless it's absolutely necessary, definitely don't waste your time but rather wait for version 5 which is due any time now in beta....
http://www.lin-evans.net/zoomsample.exe
Best regards,
Lin
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That's very odd, since I've never had problems with any registration key for any other program before.
There are many different ways of delivery of a registration key and many different type approaches. I've never had problems in the past either, but a very close friend whom I suggested purchase P2E had exactly the same issue and couldn't get an uncorrupted key via email.
Once P2E management was made aware, they zipped the key and delivered it successfully, but my friend's email was stripping the key attachment and with some tries was simply deleting the email. The problem stems around the newer software being used by email servers to protect against virus, worm, trojan, etc., threats. As consumers we are unaware of what goes on at the server level of our ISP's and they frequently make changes which "should" be invisible to use but which are not always as benign as we would like.
I suspect that eventually this will all be worked out with different systems being devised for delivery of the key. But rest assured that you are not the only person experiencing difficulty.
Best regards,
Lin
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I actually sent FOUR e-mails to this address, surprised at no response because in the past response has been very prompt.
I'll try again.
I think that you are not receiving the answers from Igor - apparently they have been sending you emails but you are not receiving them.
This may sound strange but it's not unusual. Some types of file attachments (the registration Key in this case) can cause your ISP's email server to automatically eliminate emails having these attachments which the server side software misdiagnose as threats.
Best regards,
Lin
Question on Web Play of Slideshow
in General Discussion
Posted
Thanks for checking this Ken - I suspect that the AVI may be the best way to display a P2E slideshow over the web right now - at least when there are no Ken Burns Effects.
Best regards,
Lin
I suspect what's happening is that the show is being downloaded to a temp folder in Windows then played from there rather than streaming. That's one of the problems when you try to run your own shows - you are never certain from where they are actually being called. The fact that on second click it plays immediately is almost certainly an indication that it's being stored locally just as any jpgs or tiffs you open with an image editor. After a while they get "flushed" from the cache, but Windows is saving them in a temp folder and looks there before runing them from the source or downloading them again.
Thanks for testing this for me.
Best regards,
Lin