RobertAlbright

Hello Lin Why not eliminate the optional tick box altogether? All unused audio (WAV or mp3) is then trimmed by default.

Thanks Dave. I was aware of the trim option but if the trim isn't applied I think bb's point is still valid. On the second point you rather imply that creating the .exe automatically converts the higher resolution options, say WAV, to MP3. I didn't think this was the case and it may not be what you meant. The important difference between 1. and 2. is that in 2. by default the .exe file excludes material not used in the project whereas in 1. the video by default leaves the material in unless it has been trimmed in the converter. This increases the size of the file unnecessarily. I think bb's point. is that 1. and 2. should be consistent in the way that they are applied to the project.

I hope we don't lose sight of Barry's suggestion earlier in this strand that 'The exe file doesn't need all that surplus added. We have it all at our disposal in our project file, so why in the exe where it just produces larger files sizes and therefore problems. Trimming off what is not used, music and Video should be default'. I agree that when the producer converts to .exe, all surplus material should be excluded. I'm amazed at the jpeg files being discussed here. Mine are usually between 1Mb and 2Mb at 1920x1080 px. I don't believe that there would be any discernible difference in image quality by having bigger files than this when using a Full HD projector. In the RPS International Festival 2014 images were projected on a 16 feet x 9 feet screen and looked superb at this kind of size. Most festivals don't even use a Full HD projector. Obviously looking at images on smaller screens and monitors than 16 feet makes even less difference.

Project Options_Defaults_Customize font for text comments. A huge range of options is now available. I assume these are what's called OpenType Fonts.

No problem, Eric. I find pseudo names equally confusing. Lin has been exploring ideas on how to make PTE more attractive to a wider audience. I don't think there's any reason why there couldn't be versions of PTE aimed at different markets. Personally I'm very happy with what we have but the market for our kind of work is too small to justify major investment in further developments. Hence the need to find options which might appeal to a broader, younger client base.

Peter, It would require the interface of PTE to be redesigned to demonstrate it. The interface would have buttons which are customised by the client. For example, if I frequently use a music edit tool I would right left click in the music edit space. Then right click. Right click always creates a button. I can then either name the button 'Music Edit' by typing in it or simply drag a scissors symbol onto the button. I then drag the music edit symbol onto the interface screen. Whenever I want to cut my music I simply drag the scissors onto the music timeline and snip. This system would apply to all tools. I can create whatever tools I want. It works in the way that all young people now work on their mobile phones, click, drag and drop.

Taking all this into account I have turned on my iPhone. It has a screen with all the sites and functions which I am most likely to use. I tap the function and it leads me to where I want to go. I wan to open my blank PTE screen and populate it with every function I am likely to need. I am 25 and I'm in a hurry. I don't want to go to Project-Project Options or learn how to find and then use any of the other menus. I want to click and go. So on my home screen is Video, Music, preferred Animation Effects and much else. I just click and call up whatever I want from the internet and drag it into place. I don't need a huge screen to judge the quality. I want instant functionality. My iPhone has 16 functions on the home screen. I want this and more on my PTE homescreen. I have no time to read manuals and join forums. I want to add to the homescreen the particularl functions that attract me. I want quick and I want easy. Simple

I think we're all experiencing these problems, whether it be Australia, US, UK or elsewhere. The apathy to try AV has grown among still photographers - maybe it is something to do with not having learnt the basics of manually controlled exposure, differential focus and so on or simply the ever widening claims of alternative and quicker to learn attractions. Lin is probably right about the future market being in video and animation. Whilst the former interests me (so long as I can achieve it with my single camera), the latter doesn't interest me at all. Where does that leave us with PTE? On the one hand there are commercial imperatives, on the other the interest range of narrative AV producers. Up till now the two have advanced hand in hand; there is a risk that they will diverge before long. That would be a sad day but increasingly likely as the general attraction of narrative AV falls away. My advice is to continuously strive to make PTE simpler and more intuitive to use. Established producers may struggle to grasp this but anyone who has led a room-full of complete AV beginners in a camera club will know how hard it is for stills photographers to grasp the ideas which we take for granted. Avoid making the product more and more complex, simplify, simplify, simplify to the point where a completer beginner can make an attractive AV in 1/2 hour.

Excellent news. Even though I work at 1920x1080px my latest AV is 330MB so even more effective compression will be welcomed, especially by those with less modern or powerful computers. Also great to hear about the 64 bit and Mac versions (not that I use Mac but I know plenty who do).

If it could only be one of these options it would be Displaying of keyframes for several objects on separate tracks. Some time ago I remember suggesting different colours for each keyframe but separate tracks is a better solution.

Thanks very much. Sorry to have been a nuisance. Robert

Hello Igor It is interesting that the 4 arrow button is familiar to users who work with software video players or with online video players (YouTube). If the majority of PTE customers fall into this category there is no problem. It is intuitive for them. However the 4 arrow button is not familiar to me and possibly to many stills photographers. Is it possible when the mouse is pointed at the 4 arrow symbol for a text to show 'fullscreen preview from any timeline position' ? This would make the interface in PTE much easier for new customers. You already have this facility in 'start a new project', open a new project' 'choose a drive or folder' etc.

I think this is missing the point. The user interface should be intuitive. Commonly used features should not require the customer to study the Manual in this way. Experienced users will (me excepted) not find it hard to operate the system but more importantly, potential new customers will get frustrated and try another product if they cannot quickly find how to perform a common and essential function. 5 different ways of performing a task are no help if you cannot find one of them quickly. The comparison I would make is with camera manufacturers who are increasingly going back to putting the key dials on the top plate of their products rather than expecting the user to use menu functions. And it's obvious what function they perform: A-aperture etc.

Thanks Barry and Dave. I had set up Settings-preferences but I'd missed the box 'Preview from Current Position'. As you say, it would be much better as default on. Surely nearly every AV producer must use this function on a regular basis?

Hello everyone PTE version 8.0 has greatly enhanced our ability to manage the sound elements of projects. However I am stuck on something which was simple in previous versions, giving the options of 'the loaf of bread' or right click and 'Start Preview from the current slide' Where is this option now please?