Lin Evans

Back in late 1995, I purchased my first dSLR, a Kodak DCS 460 built on a Nikon frame with a six megapixel CCD sensor, a soldered-in battery, removable AA filter, weighed a ton and cost me a bit over $30,000 USD without a lens. It was actually a "good" investment, because it paid for itself in less than a year and I sold it for nearly what I paid for it a year later. By 2000, I bought the first "Canon" dSLR introduced, for about $3600, which was the EOS D30. This was a 3.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, a "tiny" LCD and some very advanced (for the time) features. One of the features I think "should" still be available was an access port on the bottom where one could simply put a coin in the slot, turn the "button" about 10 degrees and gain access to the auxiliary battery which kept the memory alive for menu choices and kept the date and time of day active. Interestingly, today I charged up a battery from my Canon 40D and placed it in my D30, switched it on for the first time in 12 years and the time and date and all menu choices were there and up to date. Amazing to me that this old battery was still providing sufficient power to keep these settings. I inserted a one gigabyte CF type ! card (the camera accepts CF Type I or Type II cards), pressed the button to release the internal flash and took the image below, an oil painting by a close friend.: Today, one can purchase a Nikon 24 megapixel dSLR "with" a nice zoom lens for $550.00 USD. The new cameras have relatively "huge" LCD's, can take beautiful still images or high definition video, shoot and focus in near darkness and cost less than 1/55th of what it cost for much less capability 18 years ago.... The times they are a changing..... Best regards, Lin

Hi David, I really don't know whether using the undocumented features will or will not affect the ability to open and create exe file with later versions. I agree with you that it "probably" wouldn't be an issue except that the actual exe created probably would not be identical to the one created with the original version because the feature would not be recognized. I only offered it as a "possible" explanation for a failure, but I certainly can't say because I haven't tried to do that. I think I still have 7.0 on my system so I could try it and see what happens and get back.... I really have no other explanation for a failure of a later version to open and create and exe with an older PTE file. Best regards, Lin

Hi Barry, Unfortunately I'm running it on XP so can't use the latest versions. When I've run into that situation, the only solution has been to exit from Lightroom entirely and reopen. I suspect it's a memory leak issue. Best regards, Lin

Hi Ron, I think it's the other way around. A "newer" project created with PTE will not open with an older version. All "older" PTE projects "should" open with newer versions. The software is backward compatible. If you have an older PTE project (dot PTE file) - just open it with a newer version of pte and output as an exe file. It "should" work just fine. The only possible exception I can think of is if you may have used an undocumented feature such as the conversion from color to sepia or to B&W. Later versions of PTE did not have that feature as far as I know, so may have problems running slides handled that way. Otherwise older pte files can be opened normally with later versions of PTE and EXE files "should" be able to be created. If you have one which won't work, send the PTE file to Igor for analysis. Best regards, Lin

Hi Bert, Thanks for the feedback.. PTE makes it much easier to do than competitive products for sure... Best regards, Lin

This is an experiment in the effectiveness of the web for tutorial use. I have had several questions about "realism" in PTE animation scenes and this is in response to those. This is not a "tutorial," but rather a "how it was done" explanation of what is at least the minimum requirements to get realism in an animation. This animation is titled "Waltzing" from the title song, Waltzing's For Dreamers by Richard Thompson. The scene is a room with windows and a fireplace. The purpose was to get a realistic fire complete with synchronized sound and reflections in the fireplace. Minor other changes were made to the room. I just want to know if this is a viable way to describe the basics of creating such a scene with PTE: Any comments for improvement or change are welcome: As indicated in the web page - click on image to see video of original after reading information. I realize that the text size and color along with background color could have been better chosen - it was a really "quick" and dirty experiment. My Link to web presentation Best regards, Lin

HI Mike, I doubt that there is any way to convert from video to PDF in any sensible way. I use the video format because many find it more convenient to actually see the keystrokes being performed rather than read from a written form. If I created them in a written format they might be easy for English speakers to follow, but many of our forum users are not English native speakers and perhaps find the video's easier to learn from. The other issue I have is that I would not be able to quickly produce them if I had to create them in the written format. I'm set up for video presentations, but what I can do in a half hour with video would take me perhaps a day to do in writing and the time I have to devote to them is limited. Best regards, Lin

Hi Dom, A year away from PTE hasn't caused you to lose your "touch" LOL Great demo and neat effects! Best regards, Lin

Hi Bert, Not necessarily, although when using mp3's of unknown background, I generally run mine through Audacity to normalize them just as a matter of practice. In the past we have a number of examples of cases where there was absolutely "no sound" which was caused by only "one" particular mp3 with an issue. Best regards, Lin

Hi Peter, It may or may not have anything to do with bitrate - the important thing is for it to "work" and exporting unknowns from a known often solves myriad issues. The one with the higher bitrate is more likely the one which has been "tinkered" with the most - hence my suggestion to take it into Audacity and export it at defaults. Best regards, Lin

Hi Bert, Take the one with 320 kbps into Audacity and export it with the default, change the name and replace the one in your show with it. Export the MacIntosh native exe again as a zip file and I'll "bet" that it will all be fine... Best regards, Lin

Hi Frank, I would be inclined to change my antivirus software to perhaps Microsoft's Security Essentials which actually is very good but doesn't get in your way... Best regards, Lin

Whatever was causing the problem the first time you tried to upload manually may have been causing the same problem when you tried to upload via PTE. What I would do is to make a very small video - maybe just a couple slides and a very small video clip and try to upload that via PTE. If that works you can delete it from Facebook and assume that the problem was not with PTE. There really have not been any upload issues with Facebook discussed, so my first guess would be that it may just be a web issue. If a very small test video doesn't upload then we can look further. Best regards, Lin

You didn't mention the "size" of the project as a video. Facebook has a limit of 20 minutes and 1024 megabytes for video. Does your video exceed a gigabyte in size? If you are within these limits, try uploading it manually and see if that works.... Best regards, Lin

Hi Jim, Thanks! Excellent and informative! The narration was concise and the overall experience was rather like being there! It's very helpful for anyone planning an African trip to understand the differences in topography, photo opportunities, accommodations, means of travel, etc., in the various locations. Very well presented. Best regards, Lin

Hi John, You would have had a good laugh at my pronunciation of places in the U.K. on my first visit! It's always difficult because even "correct" pronunciations are often violated at local levels on a frequent basis. Here in Colorado, Spanish words for even the names of major cities are often wrong by tradition. For example, the town of Pueblo, Colorado (Pueblo being a Spanish word and correctly pronounced Pweb Lo) is "never" pronounced that way by people who live there. The local pronunciation is "Pee ebb lo" and if you pronounce it the "correct" way, people there immediately know: You're not from around here, are you??? LOL Best regards, Lin

Hi John, I enjoyed your presentation very much! Having grown up about nine miles from Los Angeles, it brought back many happy memories. Other than the pronunciation of a couple words and some low resolution images which began the presentation I could find nothing to complain about!! Nice job. Elysian Park is pronounced ( L LEE Shun) and check the origin of early settlers were from Sonora (Sone Aura) and Sinaloa (Seen ahh Low ahh) Mexico... Thanks for a great presentation, Best regards, Lin

Actually, the PZR hasn't changed - but I "should" have suggested you look at the further tutorials on "non-linear" motion. I believe they start with #5 where I discuss the requirements for separating, gluing, etc. Here's a link to my entire collection of tutorials - browse through the subjects written in red and I think maybe some of them might be helpful. Click on the "tutorials" link to get to the collection: My link Best regards, Lin

Good one Jim!! Thanks!!! It's great to see how the big commercial operations work. I have friends in Vermont who still do it the old ways. When I was visiting them in 2010 I cut a cord of wood for their "sugar shack" to help with the process. They usually produce about 25 gallons of great tasting maple syrup each year and tap their trees by hand and collect in buckets. It's all boiled down in their wood fired evaporator and their 10 acres of maple trees have been producing for about 30 years now... Best regards, Lin

See if this doesn't do what you want.... My link Here is the procedure: set all three to smooth. Click on the down arrow beside "linear" then click on "smooth" Do this for all three "Pan, Zoom and Rotate." Click on the down arrow beside "Smooth" and then click on "Setting Up." Click on "Separate Here" and the designation will change to "Glue Here." Click on "O.K." Do this for pan, zoom and rotate. Save your work and try Preview and everything "should" work as you expect. Best regards, Lin

Two possibilities: Either you did not go into Custom and Glue all keyframes after doing the perspective zoom or you have some slight rotate or pan which did not get keframes glued. The essence is that whenever you do a pan or a zoom or a rotate, it's just good insurance to set the same values on the other two actions. There is no penalty for doing this and it is excellent practice. So you made a perspective zoom and you notice that the action has changed to custom... This means that somewhere you have a non-linear action set between keyframes. If you click on the Custom tab down arrow and then click on each place where it says "separate here" you will resolve the issue. Again - here is the link to the tutorial on PZR which is good to review. Scroll down to the first tutorial #1 and download and watch.... My link I would review this - if you can't resolve the issue, please make a zip backup of your project and post a link. I'll sort it out for you and explain where the problem is. Best regards, Lin

Just to clarify what Xaver has suggested. If you simply click on any keyframe and then in the Animations Tab of the Objects and Animations screen where "any" action is not "Linear" - click on the little down arrow and simply change the action to "Linear." All keyframes will be automatically separated and returned to Linear motion. There is no need to separate individual keyframes. Best regards, Lin

It sounds as if perhaps you have something other than "linear" set for your initial PZR's. In order to get it right, you must do all your programming in Linear mode then make your changes to smooth, accelerate, etc., "after" all the keyframes and position or size or rotate values have been made. If you have made keyframes then changed to a non-linear mode, you simply need to select a keyframe and change back to "linear" then make your keyframe changes and once again set the non-linear mode desired. So the procedure is highlight keyframe one and create a new keyframe. Drag the second keyframe to the position where you want the zoom or pan to stop. Make sure your second keyframe is highlighted and "drag" the image to the new size and/or position. Create a third keyframe drag the keyframe to the timeline position where you want the pan or zoom change to end then being certain your third keyframe is highlighted, drag the image to the new PZR position. All of this should be done in "Linear" mode. Once this is done, highlight any of the keyframes and set the PZR (do all of them regardless if only one has changed) to your new choice of non-linear movement. If you want to "hold" a position for a period of time, you will need a fourth keyframe. In other words actions on keyframes are continuous and to hold a position such as a zoom, pan or rotate value, you need a minimum of an additional keyframe with identical value in terms of zoom, pan or rotate as the preceding one. Probably a good idea for you to review PZR by going to the Tutorials section and checking out some of the tutorials on how this works. Best regards, Lin

Hi Romit, There is no way to manually change an executable show. What you "could" do is make multiple executable shows with different slide show times then call them from a menu as desired, but you can't change the display time of an existing executable show. The executable file is created by code within the .PTE (dot pte) file which gives the computer instructions on how to assemble the executable file. Once assembled, the exe file is no longer changeable. To make it different, a new PTE file would have to be available and the show compiled into a different exe file. So you will never be able to modify an "existing" exe file; only create a new one and that can't be done without the PicturesToExe software. So users watching an exe file or even a video file for that matter, can't control the timing per slide because it's not a "real time" preview such as available within the PTE software. When you change a parameter then "Preview" you are creating a new temporary exe file on the fly, but that requires the parent software, PTE to do. Best regards, Lin

Hi Lynneo, I can't answer the question about not being able to burn a DVD - Windows 8 can be problematic. Some have had excellent results while others have had problems. Perhaps someone else on the forum can help here? As for not being able to see an AVI or MP4 on your Mac - please try to output instead a native MacIntosh executable file. Do it by choosing the "create in zip" option. See if that works for you. Also try running other MP4's on your Mac and see what happens. For an AVI not to play "could" be that you are missing a codec necessary. MP4's are usually compatible with most every computer so that is unusual. Hopefully, we will be able to find a solution for you. Best regards, Lin