There are several simple Menu utilities which are available from the Pictures to Exe “Cottage” site. This is a web site created by PTE Forum member Bill Hines at http://www.beechbrook.com. Here you may upload or download digital AVs to view and share, and also obtain simple utility programs, which can be very helpful, and all free. Files are zipped and file sizes given so you can judge if you feel it is too large for your computer system to cope with the download.
The Menu utility available on this site is quite simple to use and is a 509 KB zipped file called Window Menu Utility.
Last year I demonstrated a very simple way to create a small introductory Pictures to Exe Digital AV, which could be used as a Menu to open the rest of your digital AVs for a show or Festival. After promising to write detailed notes for the attenders, I eventually sat down and typed them up carefully.

Open Pictures to Exe and select file new. Name your new project e.g. intro-menu. You will need to import a black slide and also need a second image slide you can use as a background and add text. (See 1 on screen image) So tshi second slide should not be too ‘fussy’ so you can clearly view the buttons.
You may decide to pick your own image or create an abstract picture, using Photoshop. Make sure it is the correct size, either 800 x 600pixels or 1024 x 768pixels (and well under 200kb). After you have added your two images to the PTE slide list (see 2 on screen image), select the second slide and open project option (see 3 on screen image)

 

Now the main menu features can be added on the second main menu slide. When it is highlighted click on object editor.
This opens up a large view of your image. Although it is shown at 1024 x 768 I go to top preview in box & go to 800 x 600. This just makes it easier to see what you are doing in this preview mode. You can add four things to your images.

The first top left button will add buttons. When you click this it will drop buttons but always in the top left corner. Use your cursor to position them where you would like them on the screen. They can be spaced out or grouped together in a line or whatever shape you wish. You can pull a rectangular selection over them and group (click top right) them to move them together into position.
You may prefer to create a background image in Photoshop or other software, which already show buttons on the screen (so we see all kinds of effects. drop shadow, etc)
When you right click on a button its properties box opens up allowing you to resize the button, put a caption on it e.g. name of sequence you wish it to open or other programme to demonstrate etc. You are able to change the font, make the background transparent e.g. if you want to use your previously created Photoshop background with its button images.
The important part is the action of the mouse click. I hope you remembered to set the PTE to show... always show mouse cursor earlier!
There is a long list of mouse click options here but the one you need to select here for this page, as a menu for an evening's show would be...Run application or open file.
When this is highlighted, you have an enter program name box. This allows you to find the program you wish to link to this button on your hard drive and clicking the menu button will open it.
When attenders bring along digital AVs to show at our RPS Wessex DAVEs (Digital AV Events) I ask them to send me a copy on CD in advance if possible. This enables me to check it will run on my laptop and also to create the link for the menu page to run. Everything runs much smoother and it avoids the searching and double/ multiple clicks ( six clicks is my record) that I used to do to open DAVs in the early days.

There are also several other options in the Object Editor.
“A underlined” will add a hyperlink so you can go directly to a web site.
Note PTE is not only for creating digital AV but can be used for screen savers or by professional photographers who wish to show proofs of their work. So this can be useful in certain circumstances.
The third button allows you to add text to the screen on your slide. You can use this option even when you have syncronized your images to the music.

Please note however if you tick the synchronize the slides to music option and then add buttons, which you have selected to do something. At present you will find the buttons are not active in your saved PTE file.
Igor is working on this and ideally we would like the buttons to be active on the last slide of a D AV so we can daisy chain several sequences in an evening or a competition.The fourth button in the Object Editor gives you the ability to import an image. More later on that subject. When you are satisfied with your choices, click OK.

Your image can then be viewed and tested before being saved. Save the raw project first, so the next time you want to give a show, your menu is set and you can return to the object editor and just change the button labels and the new programs you wish them to open. Lastly save as a PTE slideshow, named to help you remember the venue, date or group you showed it to.
This sequence will remain open in the background while the other PTE AVs open and run. When you click escape to close the second digital AV or the other sequence finishes and closes, the menu screen will pop back up. Remember you must set the main window to...when show ends keep last slide in show on screen.

You could if you wish, add a few more introductory images and a small piece of music but you should not tick synchronize slideshow to music duration. However to create a very quick small simple reliable menu, just use the two slide option.Maureen Albright ARPS
July 2003

to be updated soon