Barry Beckham

Richhaas You will find that Ulead Movie Factory 2 was mentioned because that version was available when the tutorials where written or recorded. Software moves on pretty fast and we have quickly reached Ulead Movie factory version 4. The interface looks a little different, but it is essentially the same software and I find it writes DVD's OK. I am sure someone will have experience of something different, but generally most software that moves forward improves and if you are in need of Ulead Movie factory now I guess you will not be able to get version 2 anymore. You do need to be aware that the resulting DVD show will not be quite as sharp and crisp as your PC version Barry

When you add a button in the object editor to run an action or another PTE show some care must be taken over the link. By right clicking the button, the link that is put into the action is OK if the show remains on your computer, but maybe not if you write it all to CD. For example when you browse for the link to put into the button it may look something like this: "c:/my computer/slide shows/title of show.exe" Lest assume you have now written your slide show to a CD and the slide show is within a folder called slide shows, the link should look like this:- "slide shows/title of show.exe" The C:/my computer is now not required and will stop the link working. Its important also to leave in the "" marks for the link to run correctly. The solution is easy, just highlight what you don't want and edit it out, but it can lead to errors if you are not careful. The other option is not to place any files in folders I guess, but that is not always practical, well not for me anyway. Barry

Igor I like using PTE as the buttons and navigation for my tutorial CD's so would like to see the resolution issue addressed so that no matter what resolution PC views the show, the buttons and objects stay in place. I would also like to see the ability to create a hot spot so I could create unique buttons in Photoshop and apply a hotspot to them to run a program, open and image etc. Barry

Thanks Al, it never occurred to me to look in the view menu. I have always been familiar with what used to be in old view options and was always happy with the standard view myself so never paid that a visit Fancy igor putting a setting like that in the view menu. Many thanks Barry

Can you boffins help please. I am using PTE 4.42 and the customize sync palette to program a slide show. I have all the images prepared, but along the way I often find the need to go back into Photoshop to manipulate or add an image. When I come back to PTE and select the image to be included and use the light box to position it, a funny thing happens. When I go back into the customize sync palette all the images in the show have been placed along the time line. I then either have to delete them all or start the programming again. Now generlly I know my way around PTE, but this is peeing me off. Can anyone point me in the right direction please. It is definately caused when a new slide is saved from Photoshop and added to the slide list and sorted via the light box into position. Barry B Since posting this I have tried everything to prevent this happening. It is definately caused when you bring in another image to add to a partly created show. It makes PTE almost unusable for me.

Fuzzy I don't agree that all copyright free music sucks, I agree that some of it while technically OK lacks that charm we look for. I have some music on the link below, that I think is great and it is copyright free to everything apart from a TV broadcast. I also have samples you can download to sample a few tracks of each album. Barry http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/royaltyfreemusic.htm

Ronnie I suppose it is one of those things that I know I cannot stop so I don't fret too much about the situation. I been to clubs who have bought a complerte set of my CD's for members use. I have often thought if that was entirely right and if so the price should reflect the fact that perhaps hundreds of people may have access to it. In an ideal world I would love there to be a way to lock my CD once it is written so no copies could be made. Perhaps if I could find that solution I could retire earlier and then make more tutorials. Having said all that I do think many amateurs get far too wrapped up in this issue. Barry

Hello Well, there are no grey areas in this music copyright area and you will hear lots of views about it. You can get a licence for use on non commercial slide shows and that used to be through the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers. Try HERE for the IAC The other option is to purchase copyright free CD's like those HERE Barry

I am not entirely sure if I can find the diplomatic words to say what came into my mind as I read this thread, so I will just say it. Many of the slide shows I have seen will not be stolen by anyone because they are not good enough, who on earth would want to steal a slide show and for what purpose? Perhaps it is me being naive, but I don't concern myself with these worries. If it were possible to stop a CD being copied, wouldn't Adobe us it and all the other software manufacturers that gets copied regulalry. Barry

Its all CD's and it was botting fine until recently I will check the links Barry

Some web hosts, (mine included) send out automatic searches overnight and remove automatically any exe files. My provider started doing this just this week after a year of my site being with them. Suddenly all my avi demos disappeared along with any exe file not zipped. You would think they would send an email first to allow you time to adjust all the links. Zipping seems to be the only way, but such an easy get around I wonder why all the fuss. Barry

Computer boffins This is not really a PTE problem, but I am sure there some knowledgable people out there who has the answer to this. I have a friend whose CD rom drive has suddenly stopped booting. It still runs OK and all programs can be called up manually in Explorer, but it will not read the CD automatically when placed in the drive. We have tried all the usual in devide manager and all the settings say it is enabled and working properly, can anyone throw any light on a solution for me please. Is there a setting somewhere that tells a CD rom to self boot or not Thanks in advance Barry

Igor That way of cropping an image direct to the size and resolution works the best for images for a PTE slide show. If you intend PixBuilder to be the natural partner to PTE, perhaps you may also like to consider some way of automatically saving the files, once they are cropped. The sort of thing that would be useful is for the user to be able to set up a PTE project folder from within PixBuilder. Maybe assign an Function key to automatically save the image to that project folder. The idea is that images can be gathered from various places, cropped and then saved with one key stroke to the project folder. This makes preparing images for a slide show quick and easy. Barry

Igor In Photoshop and Elements, you can select the crop tool and from the crop tool options at the top of the screen pre-select any size. eg. You can select 1024px for the width, 768px for the height and also select 72ppi. As you click and drag the crop tool it stops at the correct size, hit enter and your image size is a perfect 1024*768 @ 72ppi. The real plus of this pre-set crop tool is that if the image is high resolution enough, you can crop a landscape from a vertical, I do it all the time. Barry

Igor Unless I missed it, the only thing that would be a great inclusion would be the ability to decide on the size of the image prior to cropping. As far as I can see the crop has to remain in register. I like to crop to 1024*768, is that possible? I know I am asking a lot for a smal program, but what else would you ever need. Barry

Igor This sounds like something I need to include in my tutorial CD's, look forward to seeing your beta copy. Will you be selling the graphics editor with PTE as a package? I think that would sell really well as a download and on CD. Barry Beckham

Well.......................... To keep me watching to the end a slide show needs good quality music along with good quality and interesting pictures. Thats all I need. I don't need some deep meaning or story, but if there is one and the other qualities are there, great. This doesn't have any of the qualities I look for. However, remembering the story of the kings new clothes it would probably win gold medals. Judges would be worried tthat hey missed the meaning or point of it all and not wishing to admit that to anyone would say. Isn't it great isn't it grand etc etc. Barry B

Ronniebootwest If a Camera club has 30 users of Photoshop, you may find 5 if you are lucky who bought it. Often none of them have. I suppose that could be an argument for keeping the prices up, then again they could come up with a consumer version of Photoshop, for £50. They do and its called Elements 3 I recall paying the price of Photoshop for just an enlarger, let alone all the other junk needed. Its worth every penny BB

Looks like I might be doing a Demo in a club in Brisbane Australia in Jan 2006. Not far away really Barry B

Bharkins Just jump on a Virgin 747 and you will be here in no time Barry B

Jazz Once you have created your pictures 1024*768 and at 72ppi, they will project perfectly at any size your projector can throw. I did a demonstration recently in Ely Cambridge shire and showed a number of my slide shows made at 1024*768 on a cimema screen. They looked great. On screen these size files will look no different to those which created your 220 meg file and it will only be a fraction of the size and will run perfectly Barry Beckham

We are running a dedicated AV workshop based around PicturesToExe and Photoshop at the Maltings, in Ely Cambridgeshire on the 25th September 2005. This is an all day event that should enable many techniques and topics top be covered. We have booked the Kempen Room and will limit the attendance to 40 people maximum. Full details can be found HERE Other lectures around the country can be found HERE Barry Beckham

We are running a dedicated AV workshop based around PicturesToExe and Photoshop at the Maltings, in Ely Cambridgeshire on the 25th September 2005. This is an all day event that should enable many techniques and topics top be covered. We have booked the Kempen Room and will limit the attendance to 40 people maximum. Full details can be found HERE Other lectures around the country can be found HERE Barry Beckham

Wedford Forgive me but is it possible to set a certain number of slides in a "loop"? So that if played continually, fast enough, would give the appearance of animation Yes, its called video or DVD Barry

I hope Igor doesn't mind me using this forum to advertise a full day digital lecture that I and David Rowley will be doing in Cardiff on the 27th November. It will be based on Photoshop, but will have a very healthy slug of PicturesToExe in it too. Full details can be found HERE Barry Beckham