Barry Beckham

Igor Are you able to say what beta version we are likely to see the video convertor you have mentioned. I havn't done a great deal of work with video to this point as I would rather wait and use the video convertor you will include with PTE.

I have produced a short tutorial meant for an up and coming seminar. At the seminar I will deliver the information live, but here its recorded of course. So, for anyone interested, you will find it at the link below. http://www.mediafire...mats%20PTE7.zip I also produce a regular Newsletter to all the purchasers of our tutorials or music and I have kept this exclusive to that group, but for those interested you will find it at the link below. It does contain a free video that this month relates to PTE, hence my decision to post it here for those interested. Or for those who just like a whinge a bit http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/newsletter/may2011/may2011.pdf

DG I am not saying your wrong here, or looking for an argument, just putting forward a view based on my own knowledge. If a new user can produce a slide show quickly and easily, they may get hooked, but if not, they may float away. If you teach, then you must know there is a huge difference in abilities and knowledge within individuals. Its why many use PSG I hate to say. They seem to find that easier to get started with.

DG I mean that we have to think of the wider user. Is fine for us who know the software almost as well as Igor to find work arounds and ways to do things and I accept it is a fine line a developer has to walk. However, the new user of PTE will not start with a template and instantly know how to set it up. So, defaults need to be set for the majority of users, not the few enthusiasts.

But that assumes everyone knows what you know and they don't.

Igor. Yes, I am aware of the three clicks, but that is 3 clicks more than in previous versions. Surely a default setting is the one used by most people, most of the time and unless members say different, I would suggest that the navigation bar will be used very rarely, so by default it should be off. I am only going by the many shows we see posted on this forum and Beachbrook over the years and trying to recall how many times the navigation bar was used. As I said, very rarely. Peter I have only just downloaded beta 8 having been away for a while and the navigation bar appears for me. Try a file > new and I think you will find its there.

My appologies Igor, but that navigation bar showing up at the bottom of the screen every time I hit the preview button is driving me nuts. It draws the attention and I find I miss what I was looking for. Am I the only one who can see no point in this being switched on as a default? Who uses it in the making of a slide show and how? Surely those few who want it can turn it on. I just find it an irritant, but then I am easily irritated perhaps

Dave It sounds like your computer screen may be much larger than the slide show your making at 1024*768 and the images are being expanded upwards. See the screen grab and try ticking the box that says Fixed size of Slide. I think that may do it. That little box ensures the slide show is played at the size you made it on all size monitors.

Argonaut I may not have made myself clear with what I said. That it needs to be simple for the new user to throw in some images and have them fit their 1280*1024 screen and also their friends 1920*1080 screen too. Perhaps the use of 1280*1024 and 1920*1080 was too broad to use as an example. I think you need to accept that not all users are keen photographers who care much about cropping. Think of it this way. PTE can now handle images straight from most cameras (in size I mean, not raw) and as long as we don't expect the image to dance all over the screen a great slide show can be made. The user is encouraged to do this because now we can sharpen on the fly and deal with any moire effect with the smoother option. Most cameras produce a 3:2 format and most people now seem to be using 16:9 or 16:10 format screens. You cannot drop an image straight from your camera into a slide show and have it fill a 16:9 and 16:10 screen. This is where a global cover screen option may be good. Not for you or me who understands the complexities of slide shows, but for those who don't yet, but still would want to get a slide show made quickly, and for those who don't care much about AR, resolution or cropping. What prevents more users from taking up AV is they fear the learning curve of the new software, but find a way to allow them to throw together a slide show in minutes and they will take the plunge. Once they see how much fun it is, then they may explore the complexities a little further. Its getting them to take that first plunge is what my suggestion was all about.

Thank you

I think I would rather just leave Igor to pick out, what he thinks is relavent from the ideas and thoughts put forward. The ones he thinks are important and practical from a programmers point of view too. I am not sure a poll will help, you will never get a concensus of opinion on any forum. I think Igor can make a choice from those ideas offered. If the intention is for PTE to pick up the users AR automatically then its not that important.

Igor Re:- beta 6 I seem to be the champion of the newer usr of PTE. Personally the AR placed on the Main tab is OK for me, but what about those who don't know or care what their AR is. Doesn't the Virtual size of silde settings need to be with the AR? Unless you do plan to pick up the screen resolution automatically in a later beta.

Thanks for all the feedback, I think I have the answer loud and clear

Thanks for the replies, I sort of guessed that we had now left 1024*768 behind, but wasn't sure. Now I have to see if there is any benefit from increasing the video size. One thing I do like is AVI's its like watching the actual screen, the quality is so good, but the file sizes are through the roof.

Igor I had an email today from someone who has a problem with a product key I sold him. The issue is VideoBuilder, being out of the 2 year free upgrade period. When I go to www.wnsoft.com to find the link he needs to purchase the upgrade, I find no references to upgrading the VideoBuilder product key. It didn't seem right for me to have to click the buy now button for PTE before finding a link for the deluxe version, I didn't want PTE, so it took ages for me to find what I was looking for. I wanted the Video Builder upgrade key, not PTE. Shouldn't the attached page have a third option for those who just wish a quick route to upgrade the VideoBuilder part of their product key

Colin, thats OK and I don't but I made a tutorial today and listened to it for the breaths and I have come to the conclusion that its just my talking style. I tried various places for the mike, but it doesn't alter things at all. I can be more aware of it while recording, but its not easy to change your natural speaking voice and record a tutorial while thinking about the technical aspects all at the same time Those that don't like my style will not become customers, I will have to live with that I think, not much esle I can do. You can edit some out, but not all. My wife tells me I breath heavy when concentrating and thats what your doing when recording stuff like this.

Colin Your quite right if members can say what they use I will be able to make a judgement. Its the PC screens I am most interested in, nothing worse than a menu where part is lost off to the edge.

I need a concensus of opinion on the above format. I think it is time I thought about recording my videos in 16:9 format and that will mean producing the menus system too, but anyone runing a screen resolution less than the one I choose will not see things displayed correctly. So the question is this, if I chose to use 1280*720 How many formum members are currently using a monitor at a resolution below this size. I think forum members will be fairly typical of who I aim my tutorials at, so your feedback on this will be appreciated.

Trailertrash I hadn't planned on anything longer, as I said I need an intro and a slide show to last just 10 minutes for a coming days seminar on PTE and I now have that. I rarely record things like this for a seminar day, preferring to just prepare the images and talk live, after all, the rest of the day isn't scripted so I have to get through that. I may still do the intro live, but having produced that little sequence it also helps me to keep the content straight in my mind. I may go into more detail later in the year when PTE 7 comes out as I will then start to re-record all my PTE disks and I find I am using PTE more and more for introductions and also a lot of the content too. I think that the better option may be to do what I already do on my disks which people do seem to like. That is to break down the complexities of AV into sections keeping each one as short as possible. You can just imagine expanding that "What is AV" to include choices of images and music in more detail and you could be at 20 minutes before you know it.

Dear Annon. Well, thank you for your comments, I never thought of myself as a steam train photographer and didn't think I did enough of them to warrant the term beautiful, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth I say. Sharp intakes of breath, now that is interesting and now you point it out I can hear it myself, but its not easy to edit out, not between sentances as it just makes the flow wrong. One of the problems I have had fed back to me is that some laptop users said the sound volume needed to be higher. Some laptops do have weak volumes, I have one myself, so I increased the volume a little. Then, it will pick up every little sound, even the creak of my chair. I will investigate doing something about that, even if its to move the mike up a bit away from the lips. Grammar, never been my strong point, but then those attending the days seminar are not there for an English course, so I will let that one go this time. You have actually proved a great point as well. That when we put together anything creative there is a mist that comes down over our senses and stops us for seeing what others see. (or hear as the case may be) It stops us from ending our show at 5 minutes and we end up with a 14 minute one. Its the same mist that prevents us from knowing when to stop a Photoshop manipulation when it was good and we continue on until its, well less than good. Its the same mist that tells us we can put a poor image in our slide show, but if we move it around a lot, we hope people won't notice the crap picture and marvel at the animation skills. Its why honest feedback is essential, but even when we get it and I have accepted yours is genuine, it can easily be written in a way that makes you wonder if it isn't just another pop. Trailertrash Where are all the other forum members? Come on, you know the answer to that already. They are keeping their head down, because if the senior members of this forum are all singing the praises of a slide show or a demo, the last thing they will do is to write that they don't agree.

You need a mixture of both encouragement and honest feedback, but if you try to do this, you run a great risk of causing offense. Typing a response is not like talking to somebody in person. You cannot get across your body language or sincerity in a forum thread and they are important parts of any human contact. Members should assume the best intentions with any comments made, not start off assuming the comments are meant to be hurtful or insulting. Then, as in all advice, we can take it or leave it. That is the authors ultimate choice. I have done a fair amount of judging and I always want to start with the positive aspects of any image or slide show, then move on towards what was not so good. Where that all falls down is where you are struggling at the start to find anything positive to say at all . What happens then is most good folk say nothing. Anyone brave enough to stick their head above the trench, risks getting it knocked off by the gang. If you want honest feedback, I have come to believe that it has to be annonymous. In the creating slide show section there is a pinned idea that at the time, I went into print to say I was't too happy with. Looking back at it with recent experiences in mind, perhaps I was wrong and the way described by ADB is the only way honest feedback can be given on a forum. It does seem that some people can turn being offended into an art form.

Ah, sorry about that. I just wanted something to fill 5 minutes so I had to make something that was short and to the point, but included what I wanted to say. I have 10 minutes and wanted to set the scene with that short slide show and then show a 5 minute sequence. They just about do that perfectly. I am trying to make sure I stay on time during a days seminar, so we cover all the topics I have listed we would cover.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/a9923fh00zhjw9g/Opening%20Address.zip

Igor I can appreciate that there are some issues to overcome, but as usual you must pick those you think are worth running with from all the suggestions. Ironically its the consumer that demands the complexity and options in modern software and the same consumer who then has difficulty with all those options. I wouldn't like to lose any options that are already there, even ones I don't use, but I do know where people get stuck. I will look forward to beta 6 Good luck with whatever you decide, the older user will have a moan about any change, but we will get over it.

Igor 1. The one thing that I think prevents people using certain software is that software is so packed with options, its the options that create the difficulties. The newer user, cannot see the woods for the trees. For example, try to imagine your looking at PTE for the first time and open up the project options. The newer user can be forgiven for thinking another year of their life is about to slip away as they set about learning some new complicated software. All those tabs, packed with options and most of them we rarely use. How does the newer user know which ones are essential to get a slide show made and which are not. Perhaps there should be a basic project options that is so slimmed down that it only contains essential options for a basic slide show to be made. Make it a simple flow chart style with next buttons for each stage. The remaining options would go in an advanced section. Here are my views on the Project Options. The Main Tab - There is nothing on the Main Tab that you need to make a basic show, that can be moved to the advanced section. The Control Tab – There is nothing we need here either, it can go to the advanced section. The Music Tab – We need this, but it could be simplified perhaps. The Screen Tab – All you need here is the virtual size of the slide option, but if PTE set this from the default screen aspect ratio, it wouldn't be needed either. The Effects Tab – Dare I say you could get rid of that too. Just set a standard fade at 3 seconds. The Comments Tab – Nothing needed here, so that can go to the advanced options The More Section – Don't think I have ever used it, so it could go into the advanced section. Enthusiasts will soon find the options they want, they are not the people who you need to attract. 2. Having copies of the images in one folder is pretty essential to our workflow in PTE. Many people find this a huge hurdle. There is one person in a thread now who did not appreciate that he could not go back and remake an exe file. That is a very common mistake and its where I start with my tutorials. If the newer user gets this part right, many pitfalls are avoided. I recall using Dreamweaver software some time ago and it would pick up that you had selected a picture outside the file group and it would remind you that it would cause problems later. Then it would ask if you wanted it copied into the folder now. It was a huge benefit. Could PTE not do something like that. 3. Converting Music from a domestic CD. Forum members all know how easy this is, but again many people struggle with this. Is it not possible to be able to select a track from a music CD and have PTE ask if we want an Mp3 created and placed in the project folder.