PTE Made Easy tutorials - Continuously Updated

[Lin Evans]

Hi George,

Sorry for the confusion, everything is right here on the forum right above. Look for "22 a" and click on the link right below. There are no templates on my learntomakeslideshows site.

Go to the first page here on this thread and you will find the link.

Best regards,

LIn

Hi Lin,

I must be blind but I cannot find templates at you domain http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net.

Will you kindly point me in the right direction.

Regards,

George Holloway

[gh6539]

Thanks Lin,

Found and downloaded.

Onward and Upward,

George

[AlanS]

Hi Folks,

I've decided to create a series of AVI tutorials which I call "PTE for Smarties". A very popular series of books for computer users called variously "Windows for Dummies", etc. were written to help beginners learn to use Windows and other software.

Well, I don't think there are any "dummies" using PTE. The fact that you have chosen PTE already demonstrates your intelligence so I elected to call this series of beginning and intermediate tutorials "PTE for Smarties" !!

I've created the first few of a continuing series on the elements of Pan, Zoom and Rotate. After all, the primary reason users want to use version 5 of PTE is for the Ken Burns effects of pan, zoom and rotate and this first AVI will jump-start your understanding. It's not intended to be a thorough and complete guide to PZR because later installments will get into esoteric uses of these functions, but this will get the beginner started and the continuing series will eventually make a PTE "expert" out of the beginner.

I chose the AVI format rather than Flash or more compressed modes because it's compatible with nearly every PC without the need to load additional software or drivers. I will continue to add links to this post as time goes on. Necessarily AVI files are larger but hopefully will be worth your time.

A note of caution for all who create PNG objects and expect their slideshows to be shown on computers which "MAY" have different resolution from the one you created the slideshow on. NEVER use "original size" for your objects unless your entire slideshow uses "original" size. In other words "DO NOT MIX" original and fit to slide objects in the same slideshow.

Yes, it's "much" easier to properly position your png overlays when you are creating your slideshow and use the "original size" for your objects, BUT when the slideshow is played on computers with different screen resolutions these objects will "not" fit properly and not properly overlay the original portion of the screen which it is designed to mask. So, remember to never mix "original" and "fit to slide" or "cover slide" in your objects. Keep them consistent.

Note: if for any reason you can't see the video it could be that your system doesn't have the necessary video codec. I used Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V2. If you don't have this one you can download it from here thanks to Ken Cox

http://www.divx-dige...mpeg4codec.html

If this doesn't work for you I suggest using the Freeware VLC Media Player which should solve any problems. Here's the link for it:

http://www.download....4-10267151.html

Index to Tutorials

1. PZR for Smarties:

2. Intermediate Rotate:

3. Esoteric (advanced) Rotate:

4. Uber Rotation Possibilities:

5. Basics of Non-Linear Motion.

6. Basics of Superzoom

7. Basics of Hyperlink

8. Basic Map Route Creation

9. Button Normal, Hover, Pressed

10. Xara Xtreme 4 Photo Frame Extrusion and Reflection

11. Sound and PTE (2 AVI Tutorials)

12. Waterfall Simulation Tutorial with PNG file to simulate falling water

13. PDF Masking Tutorial

14. Creating the Panos Watch with PTE Animation

15. Basic Text Tutorial

16. 3D Transform Demo and Tutorial

17. 3D "Z" Position Demo and Tutorial

18. 3D Cube Creation and Rotation

19. Christmas Snow Cube Tutorial with Template

20. PhotoScape Crop Tool Tutorial

21. Photoscape Splitter and Combine Tool Tutorial

22. Animate any image with snow in under 60 seconds!

22 (a) Snow template

23. Snow Build Up Over Time Tutorials and Components

24. New Animation Feature in 6.5

25. Audio Envelope

This index will be continually updated as new AVI tutorials are added.

Most tutorials are followed with downloadable examples.

1. PZR for Smarties:

Pan/Zoom/Rotate Link (about 64 meg)

2. Intermediate Rotate:

Intermediate Rotate Link (about 38 meg)

3. Esoteric (advanced) Rotate:

Esoteric Rotate Link (about 37 meg)

Demo of esoteric rotation:

Demo Esoteric Rotation Link (about 8 meg)

4. Uber Rotation Possibilities:

Uber Rotation Possibilities Link (about 38 meg)

Demo of Uber Rotate with Helicopter

Demo Uber Rotate Link (about 8 meg)

Note: the above is an older AVI I made in response to Jean Pierre's (JPD) suggestion on how to rotate a helicopter rotor blade horizontally for a simulation which one of our forum members was creating. JPD explained it but being a French native speaker some were not completely clear so I created a brief tutorial to show his method which works very well. When you see the AVI remember that the rectangles will be made invisible via the 100% control of opacity. In the demo animation I created you can see how this works in practice.

5. Basics of Non-Linear Motion (how to set non-linear motion - about 44 meg)

Basics of Non-Linear Motion Link

Demo of Non-Linear Motion (less than 1 meg zipped executable) Note: press ESC to end show...

Demo of Non-Linear Motion Link

6. Basics of Superzoom (how to effect smooth continuing zoom between images - about 60 meg)

Basics of Superzoom Link

Demo of Superzoom technique (about 37 meg zipped executable)

This demo shows a zoom from about 28mm to 2000mm focal length using multiple frames with multiple lenses. Notice the original "prowler" size image inserted inside the "O" of the word Prowler at the end.

Demo of Superzoom Link

7. Basics of Hyperlink (about 74 meg)

This tutorial shows you how to first create and save a small PNG file consisting of a red rectangle with a transparent center using PixBuilder or Photoshop, etc., then how to use it in a PTE show to hyperlink to different detail images from eacMy linkh place the rectangle is placed, The demo zipped executable following shows the completed PTE file.

Basics of Hyperlink Link

Demo of Hyperlink: (about 6 meg)

Demo of Hyperlink Link

8. Basic Map Route Creation (about 69 meg)

Basic Map Route Creation Link

Example file: (about 8 meg)

Example of Map Route Creation Link

9. Link Below to Buttons Tutorial

Buttons: Normal - Hover - Pressed

Link Below to Zipped AVI for download:

Click Here to Download (about 10 meg)

10. Link Below to Xara Xtreme 4 3D Frame Template and AVI Tutorial

Template Link Click Here

Xara Reflection Frame Template Use Demo AVI

11. Links Below to Sound Tutorials (about 45 Download Each)

Sound AVI Tutorial Link One

Sound AVI Tutorial Link Two

12. Link Below to Waterfall Animation Tutorial (about 69 meg)

Also contains PNG file you can use to simulate falling water....

Link to Waterfall Simulation Tutorial - Click Here

13. Link to Mask Tutorial PDF (this will be updated when I better understand all areas of masking)

http://www.learntoma...asktutorial.zip

14. Links to Watch Tutorials and Files which will allow the PTE user to Animate the Panos Photoshop Watch

Link (AVI Tutorial)

Link (PTE Template)

Link (PDF Tutorial)

Link (example of different watch faces and ways to use in PTE)

15. Basic Text Tutorial:

http://www.learntoma...exttutorial.zip

16. 3D Transform Demo and Tutorial:

http://www.learntoma...3Dtrandform.zip

17. 3D "Z" Position Demo and Tutorial

http://www.learntoma...3dzposition.zip

18. 3D Cube Creation and Rotation

http://www.learntoma...ubecreation.zip

3D Tutorial PTE File

http://www.learntoma...rialptefile.zip

19. 3D Christmas Snow Cube AVI Tutorial and Template

http://www.learntoma...avitutorial.zip

http://www.learntoma...ptetemplate.zip

20. Photoscape Crop Tool Tutorial

PhotoScape Crop tool tutorial link

21. Photoscape Splitter and Combine Tool Tutorial

Photoscape Splitter & Combine Tool Tutorial Link

22. Animate Any Image With Snow In 60 Seconds or Less Tutorial:

Link to Snow Animation Tutorial

22. (a) Snow Template

Link to Snow Template

23. Snow Buildup Over Time Tutorials - Suggested for Intermediate/Advanced Users of Photoshop:

Link to Part One of Two (about 110 meg download)

Link to Part Two of Two (about 90 meg download)

Link to Snowglobe Components For Snow Buildup

24. New Animation Feature In 6.5

Link to AVI Tutorial on New Animation Feature in 6.5 (about 17 meg)

25. Audio Envelope in PTE 6.5 Beta 10

Link to Audio Envelope Tutorial Note - At beginning I discuss 3 seconds when I'm actually talking about 30 seconds. Age related - LOL

Lin

[AlanS]

Hi Lin

Your demo of the new Audio Envelope was very interesting.

At present I use Audacity to mix tracks for a slide show.

Will Audio Envelope allow the use of multi tracks or is the basic mix still required in Audacity with further adjustment done in Audio Envelope.

Regards

AlanS

[davegee]

Hi Alan,

You can use multiple tracks and apply "envelopes" individually and independantly to each track.

Not only that but if you read Igor's reply in another thread you will shortly be able to see the multiple tracks in the timeline.

DG

[thefreemans]

Lin - brillian tutorials etc. but download avi of snow cube tutorial and new animation and animate your image come with sound and no pictures -= bit difficult to follow - all the other I have downloaded are sound and vision - what am I doing wrong?

[Lin Evans]

Hi,

It sounds like perhaps you do not have the available codec to play the AVI correctly. If you download this freeware player, I think you will be able to see any of them correctly.

http://majorgeeks.co...ayer_d5719.html

The Kantaris Media Player has all necessary codecs pre-installed.

You might also try just adding the downloaded AVI to a PTE show via the "add video" and see if that works for you.

Best regards,

Lin

Lin - brillian tutorials etc. but download avi of snow cube tutorial and new animation and animate your image come with sound and no pictures -= bit difficult to follow - all the other I have downloaded are sound and vision - what am I doing wrong?

[xahu34]

Lin,

Normally I do not make use of too many technical effects in my productions, but only recently, it was great fun to apply (a modified version of) your snow template. Thank you for sharing it

Regards,

Xaver

[Lin Evans]

Hi Xaver,

Thanks for trying it, I'm glad it could be useful. Sometimes these things can be fun to play with. Being retired, I have lots of free time these days to experiment and it keeps me out of trouble - LOL.

Best regards,

Lin

Lin,

Normally I do not make use of too many technical effects in my productions, but only recently, it was great fun to apply (a modified version of) your snow template. Thank you for sharing it

Regards,

Xaver

[Mike Reed]

Hi Lin

Is it possible to save any of your tutorials inPDF format. I have found a supplier who will print and bind PDF manuals. I find it easier to read from paper but so few suppliers these days offer their manuals in a printed form.

[Ken Cox]

Ronnie West has many pdf tutorials

ken

[Lin Evans]

HI Mike,

I doubt that there is any way to convert from video to PDF in any sensible way.

I use the video format because many find it more convenient to actually see the keystrokes being performed rather than read from a written form. If I created them in a written format they might be easy for English speakers to follow, but many of our forum users are not English native speakers and perhaps find the video's easier to learn from.

The other issue I have is that I would not be able to quickly produce them if I had to create them in the written format. I'm set up for video presentations, but what I can do in a half hour with video would take me perhaps a day to do in writing and the time I have to devote to them is limited.

Best regards,

Lin

[danmassefrance]

Hi Lin !

In the first place, I wanted to thank you for your fantastic tutorials !

Of course, I used them to create the water ripple effect in "Secret Colorado". One of the members of the "Objectif Diaporama" forum asked me the link to your tutorials - but there is no way I could connect...

I used the link http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/lakeeffects/waterreflecttutorial.zip

Is there anything wrong with it ? Is there any other address I could get the tutorial from ?

Thanks !

Dan

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dan,

Actually, that link seems to work fine right now - perhaps the server was down when you tried it. I will duplicate it on another server and when it's uploaded I'll put the link below on this reply...

http://www.lin-evans.org/pte8/waterreflecttutorial.zip

Best regards,

Lin

[danmassefrance]

Thanks Lin. It works - but it takes quite a while for the connection.

Do you have a link for the second tutorial on the same subject ? Actually, that's the one I used.

Thanks again !

Dan

[Lin Evans]

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/7901-pte-made-easy-tutorials-continuously-updated/

#43 or #47 or both on link above which is page 1 of this thread. Scroll down to get to actual links when you click link above:

Best regards,

Lin

[Almark]

Thank you Lin for all of these. I downloaded them all and will have a look trhough them over the next few days.  I suspect i will have to take lots of notes!

[Ken Cox]

some background info on Ken Burns

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns

 

his name was just mentioned on PBS here in the colonies re an upcoming movie of his

 

Ken

[jak101]

I tried to download, but Webroot blocked it as having a OUA, Tuguu.  

[Ken Cox]

16:36 est

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns

link works

do a search on Wikipedia for ken burns bio

 

ken

[Lin Evans]

Tutorials on increasing realism in Snow Globes and how to use PTE for Out-Of-Bounds photos added November 2017..

Lin

[Lin Evans]

Tutorials on increasing realism in Snow Globes and how to use PTE for Out-Of-Bounds photos added November 2017..

Lin

New tutorial on how to use video as background added 10/10/18

[Lin Evans]

Tutorial on elements of masking added ...

Lin

[Lin Evans]

Tutorial on elements of masking added ...

Lin

[Wanderlust]

Hi all,

yes, I am aware this is a very old thread, but it seems to be the only lead to what I am after. I am hoping to create an animated water ripple effect on some of my images; however, the links in this thread no longer work. Number 47 [Adding Water Ripple To Complex Image Procedure (an overview)] in the list seems to be what I am after and wondering if it is still applicable to PTE in its current configuration and if anyone may have a copy available? If not, is anybody able to point me in the right direction? Or probably the most important question "Is it worth the effort?"