think(box)

OK, how did we miss Beta #13??? No one lives on the 13th floor at Wnsoft!

Greetings Igor, Regarding the long filename sorting update: It now works correctly! I used these 44 character filenames: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 001.jpg 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 002.jpg 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 003.jpg and these 65 character filenames: 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 0001.jpg 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 0002.jpg 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 0003.jpg And I tried both forward and reverse NAME sort. By using a date sort instead of name sort, I was able to confirm that it wasn't just accidentally correct. For the date sort the file names sorted out of order. This indicates that the name sort is just fine. Excellent! Now we can have long, descriptive names and a correct sorting in PTE, as in Windows. Gee, I only asked for extending the sort from previous 32 maximum to a new 64 maximum. Igor has given us a match to Windows' maximum - beyond 64 characters! A note to forum members who want to put files on CD-ROM: Limit your filespecs to 64 characters maximum. Even though Igor has made PTE sort correctly as Windows does beyond 64 characters in length, CD files have 64 character maximum CD format limitations.

CAPTIONING SPECIFICATION for Screen tab Goals 1. Only add features when compared to v4.01 (fullscreen taskbar caption control was lost in v4.10 beta #11) 2. Keep it straightforward and SIMPLE 3. NOVICE FRIENDLY - show developer must not be confused nor have to ask caption questions in forum 4. EXCLUSIVE caption control by SHOW DEVELOPER ONLY, in all three windowed and fullscreen modes 5. Satisfy as many PTE users' needs as is reasonably possible 6. Use Microsoft "Windows app" common function only where it makes sense 7. Fully specify PTE function since topic contributors are so picky (me too) and confusion wastes our time This is a specification This is a complete specification of proposed PTE and P2E function, covering everything that Igor as well as show developers need to know. PTE GRAPHICAL DESIGN for Screen tab captions as changed from v4.01 appearance: In PTE Project Options, Screen tab, provide ONE text box with NO graying EVER. It is ALWAYS ACTIVE and in use. This box has the descriptive title "Caption of show". The text in this box is entered by the SHOW DEVELOPER ONLY (no DEFAULT entries). PTE either RESTORES previous text when a .PTE project file is opened, or CLEARS text under certain DEFAULT conditions described below. The "Caption of show" text is used in ALL THREE SHOW MODES - windowed, windowed without border, and fullscreen. Text box "Caption of show" is placed ABOVE the Fullscreen mode and Windowed mode radio buttons, since it is global to them. CAPTIONING FUNCTIONALITY DEFAULTS 1. "Caption of show" text box is CLEARED and made BLANK for the following cases, causing DEFAULT captioning to be used upon show "Create": PTE startup - when there is no previous show to automatically open In File menu, "New" (project) is selected NOTE - New "project name" is NEVER USED in "Caption of show". Only user text or the showname is used 2. PTE NEVER puts DEFAULT show name in the "Caption of show" text box. Only text entered by P2E show developer appears in the text box. This facilitates differentiation between a default show name and a developer-entered show name, even if IDENTICAL. 3. IF the "Caption of show" text box is BLANK, as in ZERO characters, not even <space>: The "Create" file NAME is determined (without .EXE). This name (with .EXE) is customarily stored in the .PTE tag, opt_exefn= Then, for any command that creates a .EXE showfile, the "Create" file NAME is used for: Windowed mode show with border, title bar caption Windowed mode show with border, task bar caption Windowed mode show without border, task bar caption Fullscreen mode show without border, task bar caption Note - The name of .EXE file from hard drive is IGNORED and not used in P2E show captioning when show is started. PTE's "Create" file name that was used to CREATE a show is the ONLY default NAME ever used for captions. I.e. when user renames the .EXE file in Windows Explorer the show developer's caption will still be displayed, NOT the (renamed) disk file name. See goal number 4. CAPTIONS ENTERED BY SHOW DEVELOPER 1. Text ENTERED MANUALLY in text box "Caption of show" is used for captions as shown below, and is stored in .PTE file under the following tag as was used for v4.01 "Caption of window", opt_scr_caption= 2. Text is RESTORED in text box "Caption of show" when an existing .PTE project file is opened, using value from tag described in item 1. 3. Text is RESTORED in text box "Caption of show" when an existing .PTE show template is opened, using value from tag described in item 1. 4. For items 1 to 3, the text in "Caption of show" box is used for captions as in default operation: Windowed mode show with border, title bar caption Windowed mode show with border, task bar caption Windowed mode show without border, task bar caption Fullscreen mode show without border, task bar caption

Thanks everyone for the input and support. I will write a description of this feature in a new topic that incorporates everyones' input for a best compromise. It is fairly close to my 2nd preference and to Harold's summary, although not the same. Hopefully that will put this baby to bed.

Yah, I can live with beta #11 as long as I don't mind reverting to v4.10 beta #10 for most of my shows. (Not) I need taskbar caption control for full-screen show, and this has been removed in beta #11. It's not just a gee-whiz need. I use the known caption to control the show along with other applications. Controlled and known taskbar captions are critical to correct function. Did you know that when you go through PTE's setup.exe to install an older PTE version, that it requires a restart of Windoze, while for installing a newer PTE version it does not require restart? (W98SE)

Thank you Harold - You are suggesting similarly to my second preference, described in this post: Bill's 2nd best preference - one caption box with flexible functionality Here are some comments by your item number: 1. Yes, but two caption box scheme is best, most universal provision 2. The default is presently not the way you describe in beta #10 (nor #11) (needs work) 3. Yes 4. In beta #10 caption is also used in windowed show taskbar caption 5. This is partially there in beta #11, and FYI .EXE caption is also used in windowed show taskbar caption Also, File-->New should clear the "Caption of window" box FYI, Harold (& Igor) My first preference is: Bill's 1st preference - two caption boxes for full control First or second preference would be great!

Another thing to be sure about, Marlis: In Project Options, Comments tab, you should uncheck the box "Set comments for all slides as:" If you leave that box checked then your hand-entered comments will be replaced with algorithmic comments selected below that checkbox, as you've been finding, unfortunately. Be sure to save the .PTE file after unchecking the box. Also, you can get the settings the way you want and save them as a template (in the file menu) to make settings easier, even multiple template settings. Note that slides are saved too in templates, so clear the slide list before saving a template unless you want those slides always in the template.

Hey Al and Stu - I think it is safe to say that when it comes to modifying features, no one wants to lose anything they have already. The Caption of windows & taskbar responses show that greatest flexibility beyond that already provided will be most agreeable. I hope Igor can do the two-caption box approach, since the show developer has 100% control and 100% flexibiliity always. That should be most agreeable because any captioning that could be made before, can still be done. And more.

Mannybr2003 - Here is how to determine which PTE version to use. Most likely you want the newest, PTE v4.10 beta #11. I'm freshly familiar with this because of Doug's time lapse work in another thread, where in PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier the sort wasn't working the way Doug expected, since it was based upon "Creation" date/time. Doug's time-lapse pictures will sort correctly by either "Modified" date/time or as Dana has just requested, the "Photo taken on" date/time from image file EXIF data. Dana is asking that the latter sort be added to the methods in PTE. I will describe only "Created" date/time sort (v4.10 beta #10 and earlier) and "Modified" date/time sort (v4.10 beta #11) in this discussion. In PTE v4.10 beta #11, Igor has now given us a "Modified" date/time sorting function that matches Microsoft's, as you would see in Windows Explorer. It's likely that most users will prefer Microsoft's date/time sorting method over what PTE did formerly. Here is how the "created" and "modified" date/times work: Imagine a time lapse experiment, where you take pictures every hour for five hours, with your camera auto-naming the picture files as 1PM.jpg --- 2PM.jpg --- 3PM.jpg --- 4PM.jpg --- 5PM.jpg --- as taken, in time sequence. Since it can take two seconds for your camera equipment to write out each JPEG file, already the creation and modified date/times do not match. The creation date/time is set when a file is actually first opened in a folder -OR- when it is copied to a folder. The modified date/time is set when the camera finishes writing the JPEG file into the folder, two seconds later than creation date/time for each picture file in this example. At this point you could sort by either creation or modified date/time and get the same, correct answer. I'll show just the hour:minutes:second and leave out the year, month and day number, as well as AM/PM of time values in this example: --- File ---- Created --- Modified 1PM.jpg -- 01:00:00 -- 01:00:02 2PM.jpg -- 02:00:00 -- 02:00:02 3PM.jpg -- 03:00:00 -- 03:00:02 4PM.jpg -- 04:00:00 -- 04:00:02 5PM.jpg -- 05:00:00 -- 05:00:02 Sort by ---- Sort by Created --- Modified 1PM.jpg -- 1PM.jpg 2PM.jpg -- 2PM.jpg 3PM.jpg -- 3PM.jpg 4PM.jpg -- 4PM.jpg 5PM.jpg -- 5PM.jpg If you move these picture files into another folder there is no change to their creation and modified dates. But if you copy them, the creation date is set to when the files were copied, while the modified date is unchanged. Suppose you select all files and copy them into another folder at exactly 6:30PM. If you make your P2E show from the new folder, the new dates are: --- File ---- Created --- Modified 1PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 01:00:02 2PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 02:00:02 3PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 03:00:02 4PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 04:00:02 5PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 05:00:02 Sort by --- Sort by Created -- Modified ??????? -- 1PM.jpg ??????? -- 2PM.jpg ??????? -- 3PM.jpg ??????? -- 4PM.jpg ??????? -- 5PM.jpg The creation date sort may not match the modified sort since every file has the same created time value. You may be surprised with a strange sort order result, especially if you copied the files in groups, randomly. PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier will actually sort by when you copied the photos, and not when they were shot. PTE v4.10 beta #11 will sort by when the photos were shot, or when they were last edited in a photo tool. In summary, PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier: Sort was performed by "Created" date, leading to surprise sort results PTE v4.10 beta #11: Sort is performed by "Modified" date, leading to predictable sort results So you should be all set, Mannbr2003. I should note that Dana has requested a useful additional sort option, to use EXIF data date. This is placed in the photo file by your camera when you shoot the photo. As long as all photo processing tools that you use preserve the EXIF data you will always get a correct sort, even if you edit the photos out-of-order vs. the date shot. EXIF data doesn't always exist in photo files, and some tools remove it from photo files during editing. In spite of this I will join Dana in requesting this additional sort feature, Igor.

Thank you Igor! I have tested the captioning function change in beta #11. There is some good, some bad: Windowed show: Caption is what you enter in "Caption of window" text box Default is blank, or no window caption and no taskbar caption PTE never uses the .EXE file name for either window or taskbar caption, including if "Caption of window" is blank, with the exception that you may manually enter a caption matching intended .EXE name Full-Screen show: (There is no window caption in this borderless type of show) The taskbar caption is the .EXE file name from the present hard drive or CD file It doesn't matter what name you gave the .EXE when you created the show, if you have renamed the .EXE file then that is the taskbar caption Also, a useful "back door" was closed. If you temporarily switch to windowed show mode and enter a "Caption of window" name for taskbar caption, and then switch back to full-screen mode, the previous and present functions are: Prior to PTE beta #11 function for Full-Screen show: The caption was grayed but not cleared The created show taskbar caption matched the grayed name (the "back door" function) New PTE beta #11 function for Full-Screen show: The caption is grayed but not cleared (against wish list) The created show taskbar caption no longer matches the grayed name, and it goes back to .EXE file name (against wish list if there is to be only one caption box) This PTE version takes away unconditional developer control of taskbar caption in full-screen shows. If Igor won't compromise on this by at least restoring the "back door", then it is worth keeping PTE v4.10 beta #10 available for full-screen showmaking with taskbar caption control. This is complicated and is certainly not preferable. FYI, the caption thread converged on these functional preferences: Bill's 1st preference - two caption boxes for full control, Bill's 2nd best preference - one caption box with flexible functionality, and Al's preference (noting that Al says "Myself, I'll go with whatever Igor decides to implement.") Uhh, we all have to go with whatever Igor decides to implement, Al.... By "go" I'll take it that you mean "agree". The beta #11 function most closely matches Al's definition, except that windowed shows never display .EXE name unless it is entered manually in the "Caption of window" box. This only partially matches common Windows behavior for the same reason (but it is closer), and this can be a minor problem for a novice who doesn't know about the "Caption of window" text box. It's all in your hands, Igor. Thank you for your efforts!

That's an interesting creation date scenario Dana. I see why it does what you want. When you modify a photo the creation date holds still while the modified date advances to time of modification. The only way Igor could accomodate is to provide both types of date sort. Post a new topic if you want to be sure he reads it. It's too easy to miss a note in long reply threads. But maybe not. If there is any reply thread that Igor should be reading in full, it is this current beta thread.

It's even later at Wnsoft. It's Tuesday morning right now in Wnsoft's time zone. Inna Malkova, who handles support requests, may have taken a day off. We can't fault her for that. Or email may have never arrived for some reason. You may get a new key sooner if you send email again, sending to both Support@wnsoft.com and Igor@wnsoft.com Igor is very busy and has probably missed this message thread. But he greatly values a good customer service relationship as evidenced throughout this forum. I am sure that he will be very sorry about the delay and send your key personally, as soon as he finds out about the problem. Sorry that you had the delay. Best of luck for a speedy response.

I'm beginning to think we can draw blood from a stone with how much life we can breathe into this feature definition And - a visual artist who wants to be famous may as well start a Las Vegas-style Bambi paintball business in today's world. Talk about being famous over nothing (really worse and less than nothing - they've proven this to be possible). Or maybe they can have a moment of brilliance and do something really good for the world that is widely recognized, like inventing the smiley was for Harvey Ball. He made 45 bucks in currency and billions in lifted spirits. Regretfully he passed away recently at age 79. Click here to read the (happy) story of Harvey Ball's life ------- Al, I think "two caption boxes with novice defaults made by PTE" scheme is the most simple. Here's how: PTE can use "Create" .EXE name for both captions by default. Simple. PTE can update both "Caption of window" and "Caption of taskbar" with new .EXE name (if any) from PTE user, and only when existing captions match old .EXE name. Automatic and just right for newbies. Simple. And advanced users can handle this "novice" feature. Advanced PTE users who want a blank window caption with .EXE name in taskbar caption can just clear the PTE "Caption of window" text box and insert a <space> to always override that novice default. Advanced users can handle this. Simple. Even more simple: Igor could provide an "Enable" checkbox for this caption. Advanced PTE users who want a blank taskbar caption can just clear the PTE "Caption of taskbar" text box and insert a <space> to always override that novice default. Advanced users can handle this. Simple. Even more simple: Igor could provide an "Enable" checkbox for this caption. Advanced PTE users who want a totally different taskbar show name caption vs. "Create" .EXE file name (I do) can just enter it in the "Caption of taskbar" text box. Simple. Advanced PTE users who want one "not matching .EXE" window caption and another "not matching .EXE" taskbar caption can just enter the two names. Entering a name will override the PTE default. Simple. If Igor implements the scheme with "Caption of window" only, yet always uses the .EXE name as taskbar caption, then that is complex. For a taskbar caption that must not match the .EXE name we would have to create show, and then Windoze-rename the .EXE to the name we should have been able to use without messing up the show name caption in taskbar. All that to put the caption "Slide Show" in the taskbar. Complex. And others who want a blank taskbar caption can't do it at all under the one-caption scheme. They would have to name a show with <space> characters. Windows will not allow the first or only character in a file name to be a <space> character. Complex. And not agreeable to all, e.g. Stu, as he said in his post. We are following KISS and KIF (keep it flexible for varied needs) if we have both caption boxes with novice defaults to match the "Create" .EXE name.

Another sorting problem: This one is probably a choice by Igor in writing PTE. I have encountered incorrect file name sorts in PTE when I have long, descriptive photo names followed by a series number incremented in Photoshop batch output naming. Only the last 1 to 3 characters in the long file name are different (a 1 to 3 digit number). I just tested to see what the PTE limit is and here is the finding: PTE is sorting to ISO-9660 file system names. They have lengths of 32 characters max. If the first 32 characters in name are all the same, then name sorting fails to work in PTE. Windows uses Joliet, Microsoft's more user friendly file system with name lengths of 64 characters. Igor, can you switch to Joliet sort lengths in the file name field and match Windows without any all-Windows compatibility issue? I do not know whether every version of Windows from 95 though 2000 supports Joliet, but I suspect they all do by now. It may not matter what a given OS supports since PTE sorts the names it gets. And for those at any time in the past confused by Romeo and Joliet file systems. (I never could figure out when that emoticon would fit, until now). I looked it up. Romeo is obsolete, but Joliet is timeless. Sounds sexist to me. Here is Roxio's modern version of Romeo and Joliet:

Hey Al, I thought Igor's post said he *did* fix it to the modified date in beta #11 and it works great on his pictures back to 1993. The modified date is really the creation date as dates are assigned to files! Did you post so close to Igor's that you were describing the second admin1 reply back in time? And Doug said he has a date and timestamp string in filename that he wants to appear as a comment in slide so the viewer knows the time of photograph, yet it looks like he didn't use year-month-date-hours-minutes-seconds format, which would sort correctly. I'm sure Doug prefers the file naming he has, or at least it is too much trouble to restructure names(?) Regardless of that, a correct date sort makes his time lapse photos display in correct order. He has *not* modified his pictures such that the file modified date (creation date in fact) would be out of order. Doug - it looks like you are all set as soon as beta #11 is released!

I have gone full circle back to understanding that you really have "date" sorting needs. Depending upon your time-lapse interval some photos may have same "modified" time, to the second. Sorting can be a problem if not by finer time increments. Regardless of that, the malfunction stands. And Al may be able to help with testing sort correctness on his Excel Adjustor so that you can crank out the show. You may want to take advantage of Al's offer. I did an edit operation once that would work for your situation. I made a text file list with file names in desired order using a tool that could do it correctly, and then ran a "remember how I do this" macro repeat that went down the list of file names, inserting their names in .PTE file by the thousands (in just seconds). Best of luck!

Thanks Al. MS sure does provide a useless display for Excel tasks in the taskbar. They are inconsistent too, since they sometimes put the filename first (I have a taskbar button caption in front of me right now that says Test.PTE - Wordpad) and sometimes they put it last, as with Excel. I have figured out how to override Microsoft's text for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express window and taskbar captions. I change them to poke fun at Microsoft. Perhaps this can be done for Excel too, except with filename first of course. Another small step. We can't change the behemoth, the Dark Side, but we can often work around their less intelligent moves. So it looks like we agree more than it first appeared. The "Create" .EXE name and Author's title are best choices for taskbar caption, with the same flexibility for a window caption. The two caption choice looks like the best. We certainly put large effort into small things sometimes, but the intentions are good and the payoff happens countless times over a period of years. We only know about someone's reaction when we were unsuccessful. Success is taken for granted in millions of ways, billions of times in today's world. Those relatively few who create the success can feel contented when they know it's working. It could be worse. Classical composers had to die before the masses would appreciate their efforts. Not that there is any comparison here

Al, I have a new idea that incorporates your input: A way to change PTE to provide for everyone's needs without compromise to anyone's needs - except for Igor, who has to spend time coding. It comes down to a question for the forum members and to Igor. Should PTE be modified for independent entries as follows?: Caption of Window (text box provided) Caption of Taskbar (text box provided) I do not like doing this because there is no forced match between window title and taskbar captions. A person viewing the windowed show could be confused without a match, and Windows isn't supposed to work this way. But I agree to some extent with "so what", as long as defaults best fit the novice user expectations. Your suggestion to have the "Create show" .EXE file name always listed in the taskbar is also not for everyone. But the above solution, combined with defaults that make sense to novice users, is in fact a most universal and flexible solution. And it meets your needs, as far as I can tell. If Igor is willing to implement it, and Windows supports this, then maybe we can have it all. If Igor won't (or can't) use two captions, then maybe he can provide a checkbox that says "Set taskbar caption to created .EXE name" How does this sound?

deja vu!

If I understand correctly, you are using a long filename with date string at the end of it, in the filename. If this is correct then you have exactly the same long filename PTE sort problem that I had. So you should be sorting by filename, not date, in PTE. And this doesn't work correctly. Igor, we need help!

Harry, Irfanview can easily do the resizing. Just go into File menu, "Batch conversion/rename", click the checkbox "Use advanced options", click the button "Set advanced options" and fill out what you want for sizes. There is another alternative that is even easier to use than Irfanview for batch resizing: Click for Fookes software main page, then click "Easy Thumbnails" link and download it Easy Thumbnails is freeware and is almost exactly what you need, with very little extras. It is SUPER easy to figure out how to batch resize all of your photos!

I'll give you my guess while awaiting Oleg's answer (I noticed it too). I would say you that you assemble each slide in the photo editing tool (usually Photoshop for Oleg's works) with whatever superimposition you want. You make pictures with changing internal photo overlaps. When you make the show in PTE, it is simply a dissolve or other effect from one slide to the next. Who knows - Oleg may have found an easier way

I have found this too, but never posted about it. Thanks for reminding me Doug. I can add that for long filenames when the PTE sort is by filename, PTE seems to ignore beyond a certain number of filename characters in the sort. It is something like 16 characters, as I vaguely recall. I had a show with many pictures that had an increasing number at end of a long, but legal, base filename. PTE's limited sorting string cost me some time regenerating my source file names (using Bulk Rename Utility) to make my P2E show. There were far too many slides to fix the sort limitation by moving them around in the PTE GUI "Slide List" window. I hope this one can be fixed. This really looks more like a bug than a limitation. I expect that Doug can't as easily modify large numbers of file dates as I could modify file names with the freeware utilities I've found.

Thanks, dilemmania - that may finally explain Comcast's unusable file dilemma that Bob (Lumenlux) described in the topic opener. But regarding this statement: Could you please explain what you mean by "same host" in the Comcast problem context, that downloaded .exes and .zips are not openable?

Stu, your point leads to a clarification of my note: The .EXE name used to set "Caption of window" should be the .EXE name used when the show "Create" function was performed in PTE! I never said that Igor should have P2E shows display the (possibly renamed) current .EXE file name when show is displayed. You have control. Addition after original posting: By the way, I strongly agree about "control". The novice user gets the comfort of default Windows behavior. The more advanced user can get things to go their way. The proposed scheme works this way.