PicturesToExe v4.10 beta #11 is released

Igor · August 5, 2003

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/apr_beta.zip (1.3 Mb)

What's new in this beta:

* Fixed old bug with "Add arranged time points" if length of music more than 42 minutes.

* Fixed old bug with sorting by date in the file panel.

* Fixed several other minor bugs.

+ Improved welcome screen of PicturesToExe.

+ Various improvements.

p.s. I hope that it's a release candidate and we'll able to announce final release soon.

alrobin · August 5, 2003

Igor,

You are amazing! The new betas are coming faster than we can test them! :wub:

think(box) · August 5, 2003

Thank you Igor!

I have tested the captioning function change in beta #11. There is some good, some bad:

Windowed show:

Caption is what you enter in "Caption of window" text box
Default is blank, or no window caption and no taskbar caption
PTE never uses the .EXE file name for either window or taskbar caption, including if "Caption of window" is blank,
with the exception that you may manually enter a caption matching intended .EXE name

Full-Screen show:

(There is no window caption in this borderless type of show)
The taskbar caption is the .EXE file name from the present hard drive or CD file
It doesn't matter what name you gave the .EXE when you created the show,
if you have renamed the .EXE file then that is the taskbar caption
Also, a useful "back door" was closed. If you temporarily switch to windowed show mode and enter a "Caption of window" name for taskbar caption, and then switch back to full-screen mode, the previous and present functions are:

Prior to PTE beta #11 function for Full-Screen show:

The caption was grayed but not cleared
The created show taskbar caption matched the grayed name (the "back door" function)

New PTE beta #11 function for Full-Screen show:

The caption is grayed but not cleared (against wish list)
The created show taskbar caption no longer matches the grayed name, and
it goes back to .EXE file name (against wish list if there is to be only one caption box)

This PTE version takes away unconditional developer control of taskbar caption in full-screen shows. If Igor won't compromise on this by at least restoring the "back door", then it is worth keeping PTE v4.10 beta #10 available for full-screen showmaking with taskbar caption control. This is complicated and is certainly not preferable.

FYI, the caption thread converged on these functional preferences:

Uhh, we all have to go with whatever Igor decides to implement, Al.... By "go" I'll take it that you mean "agree".

The beta #11 function most closely matches Al's definition, except that windowed shows never display .EXE name unless it is entered manually in the "Caption of window" box. This only partially matches common Windows behavior for the same reason (but it is closer), and this can be a minor problem for a novice who doesn't know about the "Caption of window" text box.

It's all in your hands, Igor. Thank you for your efforts!

alrobin · August 5, 2003

Bill,

I don't think Igor changed any captioning features in Beta 11 - the default is still the "project" name. :wub:

Edit:

Except for the default case, you're right, he did make some minor changes.

If I leave everything alone, and accept the default "project name", I notice that the default caption is not blank, but the same as the project name.

The most significant inconsistency now, IMHO, as you pointed out, is that when one specifies "no caption", the windowed taskbar caption is blank (this I find counter-intuitive), but the full-screen taskbar caption is the same as the .exe filename, a situation I would rarely notice.

nobeefstu · August 5, 2003

Al,

The behavior of the Full Screen Mode " Caption of Window" name is acting exacltly as I suspected and feared it would do.

It does not require any entries, wont accept any entries, and therefore it does not need to Show any entries. This is due to the fact it goes by the created exe filename when complied/ produced. It is more or less auto-naming the caption to whatever the compiled exe name is currently. But the biggest problem (and what I feared most ) with this auto-name feature ... anybody can change the window caption name now ... You and your Users ! Have you tried renaming your compiled exe lately to see what its current window caption is ??

Window Mode is still working as previous versions ... I like this behavior ... Its still programable and contollable to whatever the display we desire. So far anyway :wub:

Im really not so worried about the Full Screen Mode behavior and what it displays... its the Windowed Mode I use quite often for multi -tutorial uses ... and would like (more like need ) to retain control of name displayed so a User can not interfere.

Oh well ...

alrobin · August 5, 2003

Im really not so worried about the Full Screen Mode behavior and what it displays... its the Windowed Mode I use quite often for multi -tutorial uses ... and would like (more like need ) to retain control of name displayed so a User can not interfere.

Stu,

I'm a bit confused here on just how you would change the caption for a "windowed" show.

My two examples tested gave both the window and the taskbar the caption I entered in Project Options, and this did not change when I changed the name of the show.

nobeefstu · August 5, 2003

Al,

As I mentioned , the Windowed Mode caption display still works like the previous versions of PTE. Whatever entries you make into the .pte file for a Windowed Mode show ... are still totally controllable by the us (the creators). Therefore the User has no input or controll of the caption name here (as before and what I like).

Its only in the FullScreen Mode there is no longer control of the caption name... or a better way to put it... lost control. Here anybody can alter the display name caption by renaming the compiled exe.

alrobin · August 6, 2003

Its only in the FullScreen Mode there is no longer control of the caption name... or a better way to put it... lost control. Here anybody can alter the display name caption by renaming the compiled exe.

Stu,

I'm still confused as to what your point is here and why this is a problem. I thought you weren't worried about the behaviour of the "full-screen" mode as you just said most of your shows are in windowed mode, anyway ?? Maybe I'm still missing something.

I would think your (and my) users would rather see the "exe" file name in the odd case where they had to go looking for the taskbar on a "full-screen" show, as this is the only name they would be familiar with, not having already seen the "window caption" (by definition). They wouldn't know what the "window caption" is unless you had told them somewhere else so wouldn't know what to look for.

It would be interesting to know the viewpoints of some of the other members, and how often they or their customers have occasion to look for the taskbar on a full-screen show. :wub:

Am I still the only one missing the point here? (it's happened before! )

nobeefstu · August 6, 2003

Al,

Sorry if I may not have explained my points better.

The only problem I can possible have is in the near future ... is if the Windowed Mode caption name fails to respond to my entries like the Full Screen Mode has just been updated to do.

As it stands, I have lost control of the Caption naming options of the Full Screen Mode to the price of progress.

I still have total control of the other 50% ... which is Windowed Mode ... which I hope not to lose also.

mannybr2003 · August 6, 2003

Could someone please suggest to me which version I should use?

My day to day use of P2E is making slides of images which I digitized from old vhs/vhs-c/dvd's. I desire to have the images displayed according to the time in "seconds" they were made, in such a way that I could make a sequential animation smoothly. (Example: image1 was created hr:8 m:1 s:00, then image2 was created hr:8 m:1 s:3 ,etc and the images have to be displayed in sequence: image1 first, then image2, etc.) I use about 500 images per slideshow, and about 10 or more mp3s and midis. What do you think is the best version to work for my projects, nice guys? :wub:

alrobin · August 6, 2003

The only problem I can possible have is in the near future ... is if the Windowed Mode caption name fails to respond to my entries like the Full Screen Mode has just been updated to do.

Stu,

I share your concern wholeheartedly about the "window" caption in "windowed mode" - that is and should be sacrosanct, and changeable only by the creator. No problem!

But the "taskbar" caption??? - as the guy on the chain-gang said, "Give me a break!" :wub:

Besides, I find a blank taskbar caption (in the case where the creator has blanked out the "window caption") just not acceptable from a design point of view, and two caption boxes, as Bill has requested, too complex, particularly for novice users.

Maybe you could explain to me why this taskbar thing is so important, and then I'll go to bed and leave you guys alone. (still haven't heard from anybody else on this, so it can't be too important an issue ).

nobeefstu · August 6, 2003

Al,

:wub: .... the taskbar thing was not important to me till the new changes. I think it was just fine in the previous versions. I was happy !

I dont like blank entries displayed either ... as I would ( or use to be able to make entries) make names for Full Screen captions if I needed to. It was the back door approach ... but at least it was possible

The thing I hate about most auto-naming setting/features in programs ... is the lack of control over them. In most cases it takes more time to undo preset auto features when you want to customize your project. I admit auto features greatly help the new and novice user initially ... but what happens when they begin to learn something and now want to customize ?

Time for me to go to bed too !

Danabw · August 6, 2003

Repeating this from the other beta thread so it doesn't get lost....

Drat - I spoke too soon, and didn't think about what I was saying. :-) A common problem for me in the evening hours...

Igor - what I would love in a future version (assuming it's too late for this release) is the ability to sort by date picture taken (info that is stored in the EXIF data of images from cameras). Win XP allows sorting on date picture taken (it calls it "Picture Taken On" in the sort choices list).

That is more useful than the creation date, as if I happen to unload memory cards out of order, sorting by the creation date or sorting by name can not put the pictures back in the correct order for my shows.

So Igor - can you read the picture taken on date from exif and sort on that?

Dana

think(box) · August 6, 2003

Mannybr2003 - Here is how to determine which PTE version to use. Most likely you want the newest, PTE v4.10 beta #11. I'm freshly familiar with this because of Doug's time lapse work in another thread, where in PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier the sort wasn't working the way Doug expected, since it was based upon "Creation" date/time.

Doug's time-lapse pictures will sort correctly by either "Modified" date/time or as Dana has just requested, the "Photo taken on" date/time from image file EXIF data. Dana is asking that the latter sort be added to the methods in PTE. I will describe only "Created" date/time sort (v4.10 beta #10 and earlier) and "Modified" date/time sort (v4.10 beta #11) in this discussion.

In PTE v4.10 beta #11, Igor has now given us a "Modified" date/time sorting function that matches Microsoft's, as you would see in Windows Explorer. It's likely that most users will prefer Microsoft's date/time sorting method over what PTE did formerly. Here is how the "created" and "modified" date/times work:

Imagine a time lapse experiment, where you take pictures every hour for five hours, with your camera auto-naming the picture files as 1PM.jpg --- 2PM.jpg --- 3PM.jpg --- 4PM.jpg --- 5PM.jpg --- as taken, in time sequence.

Since it can take two seconds for your camera equipment to write out each JPEG file, already the creation and modified date/times do not match. The creation date/time is set when a file is actually first opened in a folder -OR- when it is copied to a folder. The modified date/time is set when the camera finishes writing the JPEG file into the folder, two seconds later than creation date/time for each picture file in this example.

At this point you could sort by either creation or modified date/time and get the same, correct answer. I'll show just the hour:minutes:second and leave out the year, month and day number, as well as AM/PM of time values in this example:

--- File ---- Created --- Modified

1PM.jpg -- 01:00:00 -- 01:00:02

2PM.jpg -- 02:00:00 -- 02:00:02

3PM.jpg -- 03:00:00 -- 03:00:02

4PM.jpg -- 04:00:00 -- 04:00:02

5PM.jpg -- 05:00:00 -- 05:00:02

Sort by ---- Sort by

Created --- Modified

1PM.jpg -- 1PM.jpg

2PM.jpg -- 2PM.jpg

3PM.jpg -- 3PM.jpg

4PM.jpg -- 4PM.jpg

5PM.jpg -- 5PM.jpg

If you move these picture files into another folder there is no change to their creation and modified dates.

But if you copy them, the creation date is set to when the files were copied, while the modified date is unchanged. Suppose you select all files and copy them into another folder at exactly 6:30PM. If you make your P2E show from the new folder, the new dates are:

--- File ---- Created --- Modified

1PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 01:00:02

2PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 02:00:02

3PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 03:00:02

4PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 04:00:02

5PM.jpg -- 06:30:00 -- 05:00:02

Sort by --- Sort by

Created -- Modified

??????? -- 1PM.jpg

??????? -- 2PM.jpg

??????? -- 3PM.jpg

??????? -- 4PM.jpg

??????? -- 5PM.jpg

The creation date sort may not match the modified sort since every file has the same created time value. You may be surprised with a strange sort order result, especially if you copied the files in groups, randomly. PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier will actually sort by when you copied the photos, and not when they were shot. PTE v4.10 beta #11 will sort by when the photos were shot, or when they were last edited in a photo tool.

In summary,

PTE v4.10 beta #10 and earlier: Sort was performed by "Created" date, leading to surprise sort results

PTE v4.10 beta #11: Sort is performed by "Modified" date, leading to predictable sort results

So you should be all set, Mannbr2003.

I should note that Dana has requested a useful additional sort option, to use EXIF data date. This is placed in the photo file by your camera when you shoot the photo. As long as all photo processing tools that you use preserve the EXIF data you will always get a correct sort, even if you edit the photos out-of-order vs. the date shot.

EXIF data doesn't always exist in photo files, and some tools remove it from photo files during editing. In spite of this I will join Dana in requesting this additional sort feature, Igor.

think(box) · August 6, 2003

Hey Al and Stu - I think it is safe to say that when it comes to modifying features, no one wants to lose anything they have already. The Caption of windows & taskbar responses show that greatest flexibility beyond that already provided will be most agreeable. I hope Igor can do the two-caption box approach, since the show developer has 100% control and 100% flexibiliity always. That should be most agreeable because any captioning that could be made before, can still be done. And more.

Ken Cox · August 6, 2003

I got lost in these threads as well -- which beta did we lose the change project name feature ???

I use it quite often as i am a "windowed" maker :wub:

ken

alrobin · August 6, 2003

Ken,

It's still there. Just has a different use in the program.

Now it's main use is to start things off (i.e. by suggesting a default file name which, if nothing is changed, will be used for the "caption", the default "save as" name, and the default "exe" name, all of which can now be changed following "normal windows procedures". :wub:

For instance, once you save the .pte file under a new name you no longer are prompted by the initial or revised "project name" when you go to save your file next time, or to create a slide show.

The Window caption still remains as the default or revised project name until you change it separately.

alrobin · August 6, 2003

Could someone please suggest to me which version I should use?
.....................snip...............................
What do you think is the best version to work for my projects, nice guys?

Mannybr2003,

What do you mean "nice guys"? :wub:

Seriously, though, are your times embedded in the file name? If so, you can email me your .pte file if you like (no images or music - just the one file), and I will have a look at what I can do with the sorting in Adjustor (just in case Igor isn't able to sort on EXIF data as requested). My email address is in my "profile".

Ken Cox · August 6, 2003

I'am totally confused with all these beta's -- just checked the help features for ver 4.10 beta 10 and 11 and the help feature works but has no contents

works fine on 4.10 beta #4

I think i am missing something -- Al will say i am in the dark :wub: -- but what task bar are we discussing - -the windows task bar at the bottom of the screen??? same has never shown in full screen mode -- one of the reasons i wont make a show full screen -- the last time the task bar is mentioned in the help file was in version 2.0.

ken

alrobin · August 6, 2003

-- Al will say i am in the dark .............snip............

Dark Ages! :wub:

Ken, the Help menu works in beta 11, the only one you really need to concern yourself with, except for historical (hysterical?) reference.

Re the caption, at first it was used interchangeably for both the windowed mode window caption and the taskbar caption (one or two members would like to see the same caption for both.)

However, I prefer to address each separately, as they need not be the same. A windows caption is a windows caption, and a taskbar caption is a taskbar caption. You can see the taskbar caption in full-screen mode if you press "Alt-Tab" while the show is running.

Ken Cox · August 6, 2003

well it does not work in the download i have

help function works but there are no answers

in ver 4.10 beta 10 and 11

works fine on 4.10 beta #4

You can see the taskbar caption in full-screen mode if you press "Alt-Tab" while the show is running

I was aware of that

sounds like we are beginning to nit pick

thank you

k

ecps · August 6, 2003

I too am getting totally bewildered. In 4.01 clicking on the word 'Project' on the bar on the top of the screen would open a drop down box from which could be selected 'Change project name ...'. That is not present in 4.10 beta#11. If this option is still around, where is it?

Eddie.

alrobin · August 6, 2003

Eddie,

Now when you change the file name, you automatically change the "Project Name". You no longer need a separate control to change it.

A while back Igor indicated he was doing away with "Project Name". It's still called that, but no longer functions in the same way as before (i.e. as a separate "project name"). Now are you any less confused?

Ken Cox · August 6, 2003

Eddie, see Al's answer to my question on the previous page 1 -- btw

i have asked Igor where it went as well off forum

ken

jimlarkey · August 6, 2003

I haven't really followed this thread completely, so cut me some slack if this has been suggested before. Why can PTE be programmed to emulate other software that models projects?

There are tons of other apps such as spreadsheets, scheduling proggies and the like that build projects. Can't PTE's filename/projectname replicate those in other apps?

I've always found PTE's project name awkward, but have tolerated it. Let's hope we can arrive at a consensus.

Cheers,

Jim

PicturesToExe v4.10 beta #11 is released

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