PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #1

[Igor]

PicturesToExe v4.20 beta #1

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1.4 MB)

(Alternate download link on Bart & Cindy's Web Community: http://community.barcin.net/forums/dload.php )

Let me introduce *first* beta version which is far away from all features which are scheduled for final release. Currently added new features look near to be fully done. And another (new effects, new nav. bar) are hidden yet, because they are not ready to be shown. Also I continue work further on many small new features you've suggested earlier. Please wait a little bit more.

What's new in v4.20 beta #1:

+ AVI video output feature. Now you can produce your presentations as AVI video file and then (using special software) burn DVD-Video, VCD, or SVCD disc. (Please read chapter in the help concerning work with video output.)

+ Improved synchronized mode of presentation. Now you can fully control presentation in this mode; go to any slide; use Navigation bar; Pause feature. To activate this mode set checked "Permit the control ("Project options | Main tab).

+ Vastly improved MIDI playback on old PCs (Pentium 150 - 400 Mhz).

+ "Customize Synchronization" window. New improvements:

> Added auto scrolling when you move transition point outside of visible part of time-line;

+ It's possible to adjust thickness of smoothline in the personal settings of a slide. (E.g. you can set 40 pixels of smootline for 1st slide and 80 pixels for 2nd slide.)

+ Added customizable shadow for picture objects (Visual editor | "Properties" window of an object).

+ Improved Print function (in presentations). Picture or slide fits on full page now.

+ Various small improvements.

- Removed "Use smoothing" option, because smoothing is always turned on now when if it's necessary to fit large picture on the screen.

[alrobin]

Thanks so much, Igor! You have been very busy! I look forward to trying out all the new features. It's so nice to have a software producer who listens to his customers!!

[Guest Techman1]

Igor,

Thank you as always for continuing to enhance this already wonderful product. I'm anxious to test out the new AVI feature along with the other additions you've made.

Will provide feedback after testing some. Thanks again!

Fred

[JRR]

Igor:

You continue to amaze me

Looking forward to trying out the improvements.

Thanks !!!!

[cici]

Igor,

I’ve just finished a big show about my region and was going to burn a few CD to send to some authorities. In my heart I was regretting that I hadn’t the possibility to burn DVD and was hoping to have it soon when I went to FORUM and…. I couldn’t receive a more beautiful gift!

Igor, you were on the top because of all the features PTE has; adding to them this last one, you are now flying to the stars.

Big congratulations and best wishes for PTE’s future, and many, many thanks.

[ADB]

Wow!

Loaded up one of my old shows tried the create AVI button and in less than a minute I had an AVI file of the presentation that plays perfectly in Windows Media Player - Amazing!

BUT

When I try and load this AVI into several AVI to DVD converters they report they do not recognize the AVI format, they seem to be able to pick up the audio but not the video? This seems strange since the AVI will play in Windows Media Player.

Any body else having similiar problem?

[Igor]

I have to say that AVI video output couldn't be possible without great help of many people! Especially Sergey Malyshev, my friend and programmer, who wrote a half of this code.

To ADB

Please let me know your version of Windows and exact name (and also versions) of these MPEG2 convertors.

We recommend to use Ulead DVD MovieFactory which has simple interface and works great.

Also Michel recommends to use TMpegEnc (encoding into MPEG2) + Nero Burning Rom (writing a disc).

[LCraker]

All Right ........ IGOR !!!!

[Ed Overstreet]

Boy am I impressed with your and your colleagues Igor! I bought PTE just a couple of weeks ago, and about a week ago sent an email suggesting that customizable smoothing for individual slides would be nice, and here it is already! If only all software developers were as responsive, efficient and economical as you guys are! Keep up the great work, I'm looking forward to producing lots of AV shows with this. I ran a demonstration for the AV group of my photo club Monday night, comparing identical short shows on a 1024x768-pixel canvas in your software and another program that we've been using, with the same images, music, effects, and timings, and people were stunned by how much smoother the transitions are in PTE especially the wipe effects -- not to mention the great synchronization timeline . I think you'll be getting some new customers from Ottawa soon if you haven't already.

[RayPar]

Igor,

Great job with the AVI . It looks very sharp. Can you give us an option so that we can process the avi file at a later time? Right now, after you create the AVI file you are asked to go to Ulead DVD Creator. If I push finish before doing that the avi file gets erased. Why not just leave the avi file behind so that we can use another software to convert it into varius formats? Also, I don't understand why you have different options for the avi file (Custome, VCD, SVCD, DVD)? Do you actually format the AVI stream differntly based on those choices?

Thanks,

Ray

[Guest Techman1]

Ray,

I agree that it would be better if the file was saved (or we are given the option of saving now). As a work around currently, you can go to where the file is created and make a copy prior to pressing the FINISH button. That way you have your file and can burn it later as required.

If you create your file using the Custom AVI Video file it saves the file for you and the Finish button option doesn't come up. You may not want to use this option, but it is another choice.

Good luck!

Fred

[RayPar]

Thanks Fred. I actually tried copying the file prior to pressing the finish button as you suggesteg; however after the original file gets erased the copy file for some reason plays only the audio. I don't understand exactly why this is. I can only guess that the avi file still depends on some routines within the PTE and once you close it it is unable to play the video. Perhaps the video codec? Maybe Igor can shed some light on this.

Ray

[LumenLux]

Ray, my brief experience has yielded similar situations. I tried to pin down the behavior but did not come up with the solution. It may be a matter of what we do or perhaps don't have already on our machines. Igor will either solve it or perhaps point out that I am not using the system correctly. Or maybe someone else has come up with the answer. I was trying to just test the avi before trying to burn an SVCD. If you burn a true DVD with your (video deprived) avi, does the DVD have only the sound?

[Danabw]

Hey, Ray, howzit?

The AVI file does depend on PTE being open. That's why Igor set it up the way he did. Using his own codec saved him (and us) licensing $ and likely space as well.

Have you pulled an AVI into any Pinnacle products yet? My computer is down during a remodel, so I can't play w/this feature - one I've been dying for forever!! :-(

Dana

[LumenLux]

So Dana, if a user burns any svcd, dvd, etc. with the finish button not yet pressed, the burning process takes the capability of the open PTE with it onto the DVD?

If the above is true, would it not also be possible for the avi itself to contain the necessary capability. As you have pointed out, that might have drawbacks, but such an option would allow us to more readily assess the avi before committing it to the permanent medium?

[Igor]

After many discussions, we've choosed the next way of work with AVI video output feature.

It requires keep started PTE while you use AVI file and burn video disc.

Of course, we could suggest you to use any available AVI codec on the market (e.g. DIVX - $39), but it requires to download and install this large codec, pay for it, long wait of encoding of AVI file, and finally losses in quality, especially of picture. Microsoft doesn't support MPEG4 format anymore. We've tried their ASF format (in using Media Player 9 and special utility ASF in AVI), but it had terrible quality and large size. (However, if you prefer, you are able download any possible video codec and use it with "Create custom AVI file" option. Which gives fully stand-alone AVI video file, but with much losses in quality).

Also we couldn't write all frames uncompressed. In this case 60 minutes of presentation could take 60 GB of disc space!

Of course, probably we could create own video codec with compression, but it's a long and arduous toil for many months and not guaranteed result.

We prefered way when PTE renders frames on-the-fly it takes small disc space and gives NO losses in quality of picture. Also sound written as PCM audio stream without any compression, too.

[Adda]

It works very vell will NeroVisionExpress.

Great qualitiy!!

WoW - congraulations!!!

Thank you very much, Igor.

Andreas

[Michel]

I think that this work (output AVI) is really great. A friend (administrator of french fanaphot forum with me) tested now also the SVCD.

His first impression is excellent and he also used a video projector (with the SVCD) at a distance of 3.20 m:

the results are very, very good !

We think which should be thanked Igor and its TEAM, to have keeped the quality of the image and the sound.

[RNB]

This Video option is great.

It didn't work at first, until I turned off my memory manager and rebooted my machine. Tried it again and it worked perfectly. I tried several different .avi codecs including : divx3, Mpeg4, Indeo 263, among others. I finally made an .avi with "full frames uncompressed" (which made a 262mb file for a 32 sec. .avi). I then used Bbmpeg (aka avi2mpg2), to convert that file into a 2.21mb mpeg1 file. They all played perfectly.

I am amazed. I think I have found new life in video presentations.

Bbmpeg is a free program but it's made for win9x and NT. You also need to have directshow installed. It also offers to burn mpeg2, VCD, SVCD, DVD. I haven't tried any of these options because I haven't had a need for them...... Yet.

http://members.cox.net/beyeler/bbmpeg.html

I am doing my presentation with win95, pentium1 MMX, 224mb ram.

Thanks Igor,

Good Work.

[ccmanz]

I was just playing with the Custom AVI and I changed the FPS to 29.7

I got an error telling me that it was not a valid value. But I was unable

to cancel out of it. I had to use the Alt Ctrl and Del keys to end the Program.

I have not tried making a DVD.

Also,

I like the new "Permit the control of Show" for shows that are sync.

I think this will be a much used option.

cc

[ronwil]

So many threads are working on this that it is a job to know where to post my comments. However, first I must add my congratulations to Igor and his associates for their latest developments of PTE and to say how pleased I am for those who are able to make use of the DVD facility.

I have successfully created an AVI file and played it back on Windows Media Player, but that is as far as I have gone. My writer is a Philips DVD+RW 200 Series and I could burn a DVD using Roxio Easy CD Creator 6 software, but as far as I am aware any DVD+R created would not be compatible with my Philips DVD634 Video Player. Am I right in this please?

Ron [uK]

[DustyDesert]

There's a "+" and "-" feature that is needed to play the burned DVD on most players. This is what the sales guy was telling me when I was shopping for a DVD burner recently. The burners that had both were quite a bit more. That might not be much help and I'm sure someone will have more information for you shortly.

~Cindy

[Igor]

What's about another new features of v4.20 beta?

[alrobin]

Igor,

This is like asking "what do you want for Christmas?"

My list would be:

1. Scalable (proportional) objects. Also an indication on the slide list as to which images contain objects.

2. Light ("dark") table so an external program for this isn't required. This should also be linked to the music player so that one can visualize the show in thumbnail format and still hear the background music for making appropriate rearrangements. (i.e. the slide could be highlighted when it is "on", as the music plays.)

3. Ability to view PTE parameters in a table format in order to make global changes to timing, change image folder names, etc.

4. Smoother dissolves for large images, especially from black to light images (i.e. finer "granularity" or more steps in the fade process for long dissolves.)

5. Tighter transitions - should be able to put transitions "back-to-back" instead of having to leave 1/2 sec between each one.

6. Edited: Lastly, please fix these three known bugs:

(i) don't allow "Project Options" to reset customized comments unless the maker wants them reset.

(ii)allow recognition of a sound file on the "Sound" line at the bottom of the main window (under the slide list) if it is in the same directory as the project files. It works in this manner everywhere else except for this particular input.

(iii)problem in Win XP (pointed out recently by JRR): if you add the name of an external file to be opened by an object button, but the file does not exist yet, the pc seizes up, and nothing except an off-button or pulling the power supply cord will shake it loose.

Thanks, Santa! And, I really have been good - well, most of the time, anyway!

As for the other features you have already added, they are great! Just what we needed. Edit: Maybe more customization of the navigation bar would be useful, or else a choice in nav bar design (so it is less obvious on the image).

Also, for use during the running of synched shows, the ability to skip ahead or back 5 or 10 slides instead of only one would be useful and would add a "fast-forward or reverse" capability. These buttons could be programmable by the maker to choose the number of increments (5, 10, etc.) these jumps should be.

[ronwil]

Thanks to an e-mail exchange with Michel I have created an SVCD on CD-R of my latest AV which plays back on my TV via my DVD player with excellent results. Used the latest upgrade of PTE (Version 4.20 beta#2), and Easy CD Creator. The DVD+ or - ceases to be a factor.

With the other new features in PTE 4.20 all are great assets making the production AV sequences most enjoyable. Thank you

Ron [uK]