PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.5 Beta 15

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Eric

I appreciate that, but it hardly helps here in a beta version of PTE 6.5

Why not, I thought we were discussing the new sound facility.

Yachtsman1

[Barry Beckham]

Sorry I don't see the relavance to Audacity, I was suggesting an idea, which I did not know already existed.

[davegee]

Was he suggesting that Igor might implement the same facility in PTE?

DG

[Barry Beckham]

I am not sure to be honest, I have been putting together a presentation and using the beta version for the entire thing including the soundtrack. I just can't play with software, I need a practical project to get my head around it

I am sure this will all come out in the wash too, but I did find I needed to do a bit of maths at the end to make it all come together.

I am using two tracks, cutting the first back short and crossfading that over 15 seconds to the second track. I found that when I wanted to cut off and fade out track 2 I could not use the overall length of the slide show for that purpose.

I had to take the first tracks adjusted length of 3:22 and cut off and fade out the second track after 1:20 seconds or thereabouts, taking into account the time lost in the crossfade. The length of the final show is around 4:42, hope that all makes sense. I am sure all will be well when this is all on the timeline.

I would like to be able to put silence at the end of a track though. I don't like the abrupt way some slide shows end and feel you just need a second or two on the blank before the it jumps back to wherever it was launched from, but then I am a fussy bugger.

[Igor]

Peter,

However, the Project Options...Comments feature for setting text comments using the "Insert template" option does not seem to be working.

Thanks, it will be fixed in Beta 2.

There seems to be a bug in the code that processes the memorization of the expand/collapse state of the Object tree.

We can't reproduce this problem yet. But I've added it to the bug list.

Eric,

1) When we add a text object in a project created with the V6.0.4, the sound track will be duplicated.

Thanks. Will be fixed in Beta 2.

2) The exe obtained from a project using masks run less fluid than the same exe compiled with the 6.0.4 (noted by Jean-Cyprien). It seems that it occurs with some PC

I confirm this bug. We're investigating this issue now.

3) Somebody obtains a crash of the PC when the sound track begins with an offset.

We sent you personal message for additional info.

[Igor]

Could you please send me all files from GIF folder including subfolders?

I think the the program crashes on particular GIF file, and I need these files to reproduce this problem.

Thanks in advance!

[jfa]

Barry

......but I did find I needed to do a bit of maths at the end to make it all come together.

I too am finding this a little cumbersome but when Igor has it represented visually on the time-line and adjustable there I am sure it will all be more practical. Looking forward to beta2 or 3 or 4.

[Igor]

AbdolReza,

Thanks, I see both problems. We'll try fix it in Beta 2 or Beta 3.

[Igor]

PicturesToExe Deluxe 6.5 Beta 2 is available

Download link:

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/picturestoexe-beta.zip (7 MB)

Changes in this beta:

* Fixed bugs of previous beta version:

> Each call of Undo/Redo action duplicated tracks of music in Project options.

> PicturesToExe crashed with an error message "29.97 is not a valid floating point value".

> Slideshow in executable file crashed on a slide with specific text objects.

> "Insert template" function in Comments tab of Project options didn't work.

> Crashing of PicturesToExe on some broken Animated GIF image files.

* Fixed bug of versions 6.0.x-6.5 Beta 1 with a wrong view of text objects in some combination of parameters in executable slideshow. For example two text objects with same words but different letter case: "TEXT" and "text".

+ Updated language files.

Jean-Cyprien,

In this beta we didn't solve the issue with performance on heavy slides with masks. Please wait for Beta 3.

[thedom]

* Fixed bug of versions 6.0.x-6.5 Beta 1 with a wrong view of text objects in some combination of parameters in executable slideshow. For example two text objects with same words but different letter case: "TEXT" and "text".

As I said in an other post, I confirm the bug is now fixed.

Thanks!

[Jean-Cyprien]

Thank you, Igor. I can wait ! The most important thing is that you're aware of the problem, and looking for a solution. Thanks for fixing the bugs.

[baumettes]

Thank you, Igor and Dmitry, for having solved quickly the problems I've submitted.

Regards

Eric

[Picsel]

Thanks Igor, congratulations for huge work on this new v6.5 release.

I would like to point out some other improvements already discussed on this forum which could ease the use of sound features

1) I really would appreciate if there was an indication on the waveform/synchronization timeline when sound/comment are added to a slide which is still not the case with this new release. The minimum should be a bar indicating there is another sound mixed, the best should be a second dedicated sound track.

2) Project Options/ Musix tab/ "D'ont interrupt sound comment when next slide appears", in fact this choice should be given when sound is added with a slide, I think it would be better if the check box was associated with the "music parameters" window which pops up when we want add sound/comment to a slide, otherwise people which are working on their slideshow forget to come back on Project Options.

Best regards

[Igor]

AbdolReza,

I'm sorry, but we had to remove MIDI support, as I wrote a year ago:

- Impossible to support MIDI in video output (YouTube/Vimeo, DVD, MP4 H.264, AVI;

- We can't use audio editing for MIDI.

- No waveforms.

- All other audio formats (MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV) have unified code, but MIDI required separate code which complicated audio development.

- Different quality of MIDI playback on different PC. Unpredictable result.

Probably better to convert MIDI file into MP3?

[goddi]

AbdolReza,

I'm sorry, but we had to remove MIDI support, as I wrote a year ago:

- Impossible to support MIDI in video output (YouTube/Vimeo, DVD, MP4 H.264, AVI;

- We can't use audio editing for MIDI.

- No waveforms.

- All other audio formats (MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV) have unified code, but MIDI required separate code which complicated audio development.

- Different quality of MIDI playback on different PC. Unpredictable result.

Probably better to convert MIDI file into MP3?

===================

Igor,

Speaking of sound, are you going to fix the problem with WAV files causing a problem in the "Create"/"Executable File for Mac" output? Or has this already been addressed? I don't have a Mac handy so I can't do a test.

Thanks... Gary

[JEB]

Thank you Igor for this latest advance.

I'm most impressed with what I have seen and understood so far.

Perhaps some of the Forum members would care to comment on some of the points below.

I do recognise that this is still early in the beta process so some of my comments may be superseded in time. My understanding is that the objective is not to provide all the functionality of a product like Audacity but simply to make synchronization of audio and image simpler than it is at present. Human nature however makes most of us greedy for more than we're offered and I'm no exception.

Am I to understand that some sort of graphical interface will be provided at some stage during the beta process? That would be wonderful, though I must say that I am beginning to get the hang of things working in the timeline mode.

The ability to move an audio file up or down a list of files within a track as is possible in 6.0 would be most helpful. Perhaps this has not yet been included in this early beta but is planned for later.

Will it ever be possible to vary the volume of a track over a number of different time intervals? (not sure of the terminology but perhaps this is what is referred to as an “envelope”).

Somebody has indicated that they would like the ability to add silence at the end of a track. I think this could be done by simply entering a pre recorded “silence” track at the end of the sequence.

Regards to all.

John

[xahu34]

... Will it ever be possible to vary the volume of a track over a number of different time intervals? (not sure of the terminology but perhaps this is what is referred to as an “envelope”) ...

This feature has been asked for several times, e.g. see here! Without this feature I would consider the new audio functions rather useless, not to forget a graphical interface/representation.

Regards,

Xaver

[xahu34]

...

1) I really would appreciate if there was an indication on the waveform/synchronization timeline when sound/comment are added to a slide which is still not the case with this new release. The minimum should be a bar indicating there is another sound mixed, the best should be a second dedicated sound track.

2) Project Options/ Musix tab/ "D'ont interrupt sound comment when next slide appears", in fact this choice should be given when sound is added with a slide, I think it would be better if the check box was associated with the "music parameters" window which pops up when we want add sound/comment to a slide, otherwise people which are working on their slideshow forget to come back on Project Options.

...

I think that in future versions, PTE should get rid of background music and sound comments etc. There should be only one type of sound objects to be placed on parallel tracks in the main window, as depicted here.

Regards,

Xaver

[fh1805]

Igor,

With regards to the problem I've got with the Object Tree expand/collapse function...

I've been away on holiday for several days and have just picked up your posts, e-mail and messages and also those from Dmitry. I'll get myself caught up over the next day or two and then get back on to this problem and sort out some diagnostics for you. My current suspicion is that the problem occurs only on projects that have been created under an earlier version of PTE. When I have tried to build a new project with a similar structure then I, too, cannot re-create the problem!

regards,

Peter

[aplman]

I think that in future versions, PTE should get rid of background music and sound comments etc. There should be only one type of sound objects to be placed on parallel tracks in the main window, as depicted here.

Regards,

Xaver

I cannot agree with this notion at all. It is very useful to have sound comments tied to a particular slide, independent of any changes of duration of earlier slides. It is also useful to have background music that flows continuously, without being tied to particular slides. Please, let us keep both, both are very necessary.

Background music is exactly that ... background. Voice commentary obviously relates to the content shown by particular slides.

I can quite happily make use of both features without ever using the timeline. So please keep what we have, and improve on it. Please don't throw out some nice features just because certain users do not need them!

Ken T. (aplman)

[Picsel]

I think that in future versions, PTE should get rid of background music and sound comments etc. There should be only one type of sound objects to be placed on parallel tracks in the main window, as depicted here.

Regards,

Xaver

Xaver,

I understand your point and I would support your position. One graphical interface should be the best solution but I have understood that v6.5 was not ready for that and I hope that my two suggestions could be taken into account in future beta releases to come.

Coming back to your suggestion of graphical sound editor with several sound tracks, I think that Igor will have to face a big challenge.

Either PTE remains in the slideshows market and in most cases we only need one background sound track and another one for sound effects/comments slide by slide, either it competes with video movie makers by introducing mix of pictures and videosequences and in this case we will need several sound tracks as live, sound effects, background music, comments,etc.... Igor will have to take into account that this market segment (video movie makers) is already covered by several wellknown softwares as Studio (Pinnacle), Vegas (Sony), Premiere (Adobe), etc.. Is PTE capable to compete on this market at a short term?

Regards,

Daniel

[Barry Beckham]

Not being a Mac user I thought I would pass on this comment received today. I have copied it here becuase the two shows he mentions are the ones that were made with the new beta version using PTE sound, Botanical Artistry was not.

Hello friends at Beckham Digitall, I was formerly a PC user but late last year changed over to all Mac and have written you several times before about your great work! Both during our PC time and then when going to Mac. I just downloaded both "Perfect Exposure" and "Everlasting Home" and both played perfectly except the audio in both is missing and thought you would appreciate the feedback about the audio problems. I immediately downloaded and played "Botanical Artistry" for a test and it played perfectly both video and audio.

My system is a MacPro Quad 2.93 6GB Ram and is a late 2009 model. Thank you

[Lmoreels]

Not being a Mac user I thought I would pass on this comment received today. I have copied it here becuase the two shows he mentions are the ones that were made with the new beta version using PTE sound, Botanical Artistry was not.

Hello friends at Beckham Digitall, I was formerly a PC user but late last year changed over to all Mac and have written you several times before about your great work! Both during our PC time and then when going to Mac. I just downloaded both "Perfect Exposure" and "Everlasting Home" and both played perfectly except the audio in both is missing and thought you would appreciate the feedback about the audio problems. I immediately downloaded and played "Botanical Artistry" for a test and it played perfectly both video and audio.

My system is a MacPro Quad 2.93 6GB Ram and is a late 2009 model. Thank you

As I posted before, the last 2 show for MAC have no sound.(iMAC 4 GB ram, 256 mB ATI video)

All former shows play with sound. Something to do with PTE ?

Luc M

[Igor]

Thanks, Peter! We'll try again reproduce that issue with the tree of objects. Also we've sent you email.

Regarding audio editing.

We don't hurry with reworking of the timeline. We really faced to a number of problems and we need more time to find optimal solutions.

No audio in slideshows for Mac.

Please try latest version 6.5 Beta 2 and let me know about result.

[Ed Overstreet]

Either PTE remains in the slideshows market and in most cases we only need one background sound track and another one for sound effects/comments slide by slide, either it competes with video movie makers by introducing mix of pictures and videosequences and in this case we will need several sound tracks as live, sound effects, background music, comments,etc.... Igor will have to take into account that this market segment (video movie makers) is already covered by several wellknown softwares as Studio (Pinnacle), Vegas (Sony), Premiere (Adobe), etc.. Is PTE capable to compete on this market at a short term?

Regards,

Daniel

Pro Show Gold and Producer both support mixing of pictures and videosequences, and do it very well, as I am discovering. Also multiple sound sources. PTE is being left in the dust on this front, even in the "slide show" market.

BTW both Photodex products have waveforms in their "Effects" windows, the equivalent of the O&A window. Something I asked for in PTE a year and half ago, others were asking for two and a half years ago (it comes up in a December 2007 post I found in a search on this forum), and something we still don't have in PTE.

"I'm only saying" ...