Table of Contents

Project Options

Main Tab

General

The “Main” tab is shown below :

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Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio of Images

The aspect ratio of images from current cameras are normally:

Aspect Ratio of Monitors

The Aspect Ratio of the Project

Typically, this chosen to suit the Aspect Ratio of either:

Matching these choices is a sometimes daunting task for the beginner. If you want the ease of inputting your camera's images into a show without cropping, then an Aspect Ratio for the Project is chosen to suit the camera. This might result in the Show having “black bars” at the sides or top and bottom of the Monitor or TV.

If you want your show to “Fill the Screen” on your monitor or TV then the Aspect Ratio must be chosen to suit. This might result in the Camera's Images not filling the width of the Project or being cropped at the top and bottom of the screen.

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The example above shows the full screen view (left to right) of:

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The example above shows the full screen view (top to bottom) of:

Which choice to make?

For the beginner, a starting point would be to make the Project Aspect Ratio the same as the Camera's Aspect Ratio. Images can then be dropped into a project without modification and immediately published as an EXE without further adjustments. As the user gets more proficient then choosing an Aspect Ratio to suit the output device (Monitor/TV) might be more appealing.

Audio Tab

Adding Audio Files:

In Project Options / Audio Tab

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The following example shows a typical simple layout for the Project Options / Audio Tab:

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The Audio File in Track 2 can be seen to have the following properties:

The PLAY Button will play the 32 second audio file in the highlighted Audio File for testing purposes

The Original duration of the file is 3m 54.396s

The Audio File in Track 2 is linked to slide 2 and if slide two is re-positioned the Audio File will also be moved by the same amount in the Timeline (separate track).

(N.B. When an Audio Clip is initially linked to a slide its position may be adjusted manually using the “Offset” control - or dragged in the Timeline).

The Audio File is Offset by 2s with respect to the beginning of Slide 2 to which it is linked

The Start Time of the Audio File in Track 2 is 5.5s from the beginning of the original Audio File

The Duration of the audio file has been trimmed to 32.396s

A Fade In of 1.5s has been applied to the Audio File in Track 2

A Fade Out of 7.5s has been applied to the Audio File in Track 2

The total Soundtrack Duration is calculated as 3m 5.356s

All Tracks in the project will be converted to an MP3 at a Bit Rate of 256Kbps when an EXE file is created.(Not available in the Essentials Edition).

Renaming Tracks

A Track can be renamed and/or designated to be a “Track for Audio Comments”

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Convert tracks to MP3 for EXE

When this option is turned on, PicturesToExe automatically converts all audio tracks to a single MP3 audio for the EXE show. The Bit Rate of the converted file can be adjusted from 64 to 320Kbps. High values are better quality.

This option is useful if you work with audio clips in WAV format or adjust the duration of clips using the Envelope Function. See Envelope. For maximum efficiency when using this feature the use of WAV files is advisable, though not essential.

This option will optimize the size of the EXE file.

MP3 Recommendations

When preparing MP3 Audio files for use in PicturesToExe the following is recommended:

Adding/Extracting the Audio of a Video Clip to an Audio Track

The Audio of a Video Clip can be added to an Audio Track and the Envelope can then be applied to it. Add the Video Clip by dragging into the Slide Line and then, in Objects and Animation/Properties Tab, Mute the Audio of the Video Clip.

To add the Audio of the Video Clip to a Track go to Project Options / Audio Tab and Add a Track and then Add Audio File. In the bottom right corner of the browser change the “Audio Files” drop-down type to “Video Files” and navigate to your Video Clips Folder. Select your Video Clip and click on OPEN. Click OK in Project Options to see the Audio of the Video Clip in its Track. The envelope of the Audio of the Video Clip can then be adjusted as required.

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Adding Audio or Voice Comments

Audio Clips and/or Voice Comments can be added to a Slide using the “Add Audio or Voice” Tool or by clicking on the “Microphone” icon in the Project Options/Audio Tab.

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Click on “Add Audio File” to browse for the required Audio File and clicking on “Open” adds the file to an empty track. It can then be positioned and its envelope adjusted as required.

Click on “Record Voice Comment” to see the following:

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Click on Parameters to make adjustments to the File Type etc

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When finished you can return “Back to Recording”.

Click on “Record” to start the recording and “Stop” when finished. The Voice Comment is added to an empty track.

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It is also possible to record the Voice Comment in “real time” while the Mini-Player is running or in the Audio Tab of Project Options.

Also see The Timeline View

Control Tab

The “Control” tab with its 4 sections is shown below :

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Show Settings

Keyboard

The “Keyboard” section:

For many shows, it is likely that a user would leave these two options un-selected.

Mouse

The second section deals with mouse actions. These settings are independent of the “Keyboard” settings.

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Various alternative actions are available. Most of these should be self-explanatory. The “mouse wheel for rewinding” allows the show to be re-wound when in the play mode.

The last section controls operation of the “Navigation Bar”.If “Show Navigation Bar” is selected, an additional dialog box shown below opens when the “Customize” button is clicked and a navigation bar opens on screen during playback. This enables the user to perform various operations as specified in the customize dialog box. Note that the show needs to be set to “wait for keypress…” or individual slides set to “wait for keypress to show next slide”, if a manually operated slide show is required.

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Transitions Tab

The “Transitions” tab is shown below with one of the various types of transitions selected to show the range of controls which can be applied to each transition. The range of parameters which can be controlled varies with the type of transition selected. The default transition is “Dissolve”. At the top righthand side is a viewer which shows the effect of the transition selected.

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See also:

Custom Transitions

Screen Tab

The “Screen” tab with its 3 sections is shown below :

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Mode

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Unsharp Mask

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Watermark

This enables the user to add a watermark to all images. If the option is selected, a dialog box as shown below will open and enable a watermark file to be chosen and the size and location on each image determined.

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Defaults Tab

This Tab is not available in the Essentials Edition.

The “Defaults” tab with its 2 sections is shown below :

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Text comments for new slides

This provides a facility to insert text into slides and control the text formatting. The normal practice is to click on the “Insert template” button and choose the text required to be inserted. The code for this text will then appear in the box below the “Customize font” button. Additional text items can be added if required. When all the text items have been added, clicking the “Customize font” button will reveal the dialog box shown below and the added text can be formatted as required. A comment is required regarding the point in time at which this setting is applied. If applied BEFORE any slide have been added to the Slide list, then the text additions will apply to all slide subsequently added. If however this setting is selected AFTER slides have been added, then the “Apply to all slides” button must be clicked to ensure that the change is applied to all the currently added slides. Note also that if the user wishes to remove the added text, it is necessary to go into the dialog box, deleted the text and then click the “Apply to all slides” button to remove the text from all added slides.

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Main image for new slides

The “Cover Slide” tick box added to Project Options from Version 8.0.17 onwards

Advanced Tab

This Tab is not available in the Essentials Edition.

The “Advanced tab with its 3 sections is shown below :

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Protection of Slideshow

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Advanced Options

Custom Window:

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Please go to Objects and Animation Properties Tab Display a Custom Window


Run Application or Slideshow on Exit

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Assign icon for executable file

This allows the user to select an icon from those stored on their computer or from an icon which has been created. The chosen icon will be associated with any exe file created from Pictures To Exe;

Synchronize soundtrack and slides

It is recommended that this option is ALWAYS selected. If not, when playing a show from part the way through, the associated audio tracks will start from the beginning whereas the slides will start from the chosen position;

Pause when slideshow becomes inactive

if selected, the slideshow will pause in its execution if the focus is moved to another application which is running.

The second section “Protection of slideshow”, provides 4 setting options. The intended function of these options is to assist users who wish to use PicturesToExe for commercial purposes.

Run application or slideshow on exit

The final section “Run application or slideshow on exit” provides a feature to enable a subsequent application to run on completion of a show. This feature can be used to chain a number of shows together into a single continuous process.