# Software for slideshows in .exe format - Any suggestions?



## Hillsilly (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi, I need to package a slide show in .exe format. Does anyone have a suggestion for software to use? A quick search brings up ProShow Gold and Picturestoexe. Any recommendations? Is there anything else to consider?


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 11, 2014)

Personally if someone showed up and wanted to run an executable on my computer, they'd be shown the door. That said if your clients are ok with the idea go for it, but I'd make sure first. 

Jim


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## candyman (Aug 11, 2014)

Hillsilly said:


> Hi, I need to package a slide show in .exe format. Does anyone have a suggestion for software to use? A quick search brings up ProShow Gold and Picturestoexe. Any recommendations? Is there anything else to consider?




Ever thought about Microsoft Powerpoint....  
You can setup as a slideshow with timer-transition between different photos.
End, there is a lot to add from text to animation to slidetransitions


Most people do not have a problem to with a presentation installed onto their PC


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## Orangutan (Aug 11, 2014)

I'm not aware of any, but there are other options. What is the specific need for EXE?

Other options:

* export as a Flash presentation and show it in a browser
* export it as a movie file
* see if there's a way to get OpenOffice/LibreOffice to run from a USB stick (i.e. without install)
* compose it as a series of HTML pages stored locally and chain them using JavaScript


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## mstawick (Aug 11, 2014)

ProShow is nice, but tends to crash (when preparing slideshow). Also if you create too big slideshow (too many photos / too large files), you won't be able to open your presentation project file. Maybe they fixed some of these bugs, I haven't used it for past year.


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 11, 2014)

If you can bring a device, an Android tablet and an MHL cable may be used to connect to their display; that gives you a means of delivering original-format data without having to transfer any of it to their assets.

Jim


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## tolusina (Aug 11, 2014)

Orangutan said:


> .....
> * see if there's a way to get OpenOffice/LibreOffice to run from a USB stick (i.e. without install)....


That is pretty easily done using Portable Apps, though I think it's a Windows only thing.

There's a suite of apps with hundreds of others than can be added, or install just the basic app, add apps to build your own custom suite.

Here's the list of Graphics and Pictures Apps, many can easily do slideshows.

IrfanView is a long and well established image editor suitable for minor tweaks, culling, slide shows and more. While it is available as a Portable Apps App, it's also fine as a standalone .exe though it's best when its plugins are included. 
I've run it from thumb drives, CDs, I think I even ran it from floppy (less plugins, they wouldn't fit). Whenever I present a disk of images, I include a copy of IrfanView in case the recipient's PC has only the really bare bones Windows Picture Viewer (whatever that thing is called).

With a bit of clever, IrfanView could be set to autorun when an optical disk is loaded.


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## Hillsilly (Aug 12, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions. A few things to check out.



Jim Saunders said:


> Personally if someone showed up and wanted to run an executable on my computer, they'd be shown the door.



I find it strange, too. But it is a compulsory component of a competition I'm entering - "Final output must be as an executable file (.EXE) and burnt to CD/DVD."

The reason that I'm asking for some suggestions is that I downloaded a training video from one of the programs (also in .exe format and I assumed produced on their software). My antivirus software started flashing red lights about a trojan virus. Hmmm.


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## Jim Saunders (Aug 12, 2014)

Hillsilly said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. A few things to check out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Huh. I honestly never considered the angle that they might _want_ it that way. Judging by your experience with their content, they live dangerously. :-\

Jim


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## goddi (Aug 13, 2014)

Hillsilly said:


> Hi, I need to package a slide show in .exe format. Does anyone have a suggestion for software to use? A quick search brings up ProShow Gold and Picturestoexe. Any recommendations? Is there anything else to consider?


=====================
Greetings,
I have never used ProShow Gold. But, I have been using PicturesToExe (PTE) for many years. The exe quality is outstanding. If someone is paranoid about exe's, there are other outputs such as MP4 (also great quality), or to DVDs, and others. But I don't know of any problems anyone has reported on the PTE Forum with viruses affecting exe's created with PTE. Speaking of the PTE Forum, it is very active and helpful when you have questions. You can also communicate with the creator of PTE with suggestions and problems. They are very responsive, and always improving the program. Don't even think of using Powerpoint, if you want to be creative and productive. You really can not go wrong with PTE. Nothing else to consider. My 2 cents.
Gary


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## Lin Evans (Aug 13, 2014)

Hi Jim,

My suggestion is to use PicturesToExe by Wnsoft, Ltd.

PicturesToExe is by far the most popular audio visual software for AV competitions worldwide. It is extremely powerful and can not only create executable code for both Windows and MacIntosh, but can also create video in AVI or MP4 h.264 in a wide variety of high resolution formats including 60 frame per second and even 4K. It can output the correct formats for tablets, smart phones and directly upload to social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, etc.

It's worth a bit of discussion about executable code here. Obviously computer users are concerned about the possibility of malware being introduced to their systems by executable code. It's a legitimate concern. Keep in mind, however that all your application software is delivered in executable format, that's a necessity. How then does one produce executable code which is safe and which can be used in complete confidence? The answer is that the code is digitally signed. PicturesToExe can output executable code which is digitally signed and therefore absolutely safe. The executable kernel is separated from the data and two files which are simply placed in the same folder together comprise the digitally signed exe file plus the data file. For your own purpose the software can also put the entire show into a single file which is not digitally signed - the choice is yours. The unsigned version is also very safe and has rigorous safeguards built-in.

PicturesToExe has capabilities not found in other AV software - even extremely expensive software. It can be used very easily to create a beautiful self-running show with complete control over audio using envelope technology including voice-over linked to an individual slide if you wish. You can have unlimited audio tracks. Keyframing, keypoint for audio, parent/child hierarchical constructs, 3D XYZ axis manipulations, user created transitions and styles, sophisticated masking, etc., etc. There is a very good reason that PicturesToExe received the Dobson Henry Medal from the Royal Photographic Society in 2010 for the contribution to audio visual art. It's simply the best product of its type available at any price. From total manual control to totally automated, the product is superb in my experience. I have used nearly every slideshow presentation software available and this one is my "pick of the litter." For fun I recently created a rotating, zooming icosahedron with three thousand six hundred and twenty individual simultaneously active video displays entirely with PicturesToExe. I post on YouTube under the pseudonym Icejasper. Obviously, most users don't use the product for this extreme, but the power is there if you need it. A free trial is available - give it a look, you won't be disappointed.


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## daveg (Aug 13, 2014)

PicturesToExe is now the "Industry Standard" for AV Competitions. To calm those who don't like EXE files you can output as "Safe Executable for Internet" with a digitally signed Player.

As the previous poster says there is more than adequate access to a bunch of experienced users at the PicturesToExe Forum and direct access to the developers if required.

Examples: http://www.wnsoft.com/picturestoexe/slideshows/

User's Shows: http://www.slideshowclub.com/files/category/1-slideshows/

Online Help: http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/main

DG


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## RustyTheGeek (Aug 13, 2014)

mstawick said:


> ProShow is nice, but tends to crash (when preparing slideshow). Also if you create too big slideshow (too many photos / too large files), you won't be able to open your presentation project file. Maybe they fixed some of these bugs, I haven't used it for past year.



I use ProShow about 3 or 4 times a year for rather large (200+) slideshows and I haven't had the issues you mention about locking up, etc in years. It is a newer version though. That said, I don't consider myself a slideshow master regardless of how many shows I've done and I agree with the previous posts, ProShow and P2E are excellent. I gave up on all the others that I tried or used before such as PowerPoint.

Keep in mind however, most software I've ever used that is media or photo related tends to be flaky and unstable by nature. (This includes all Adobe, Powerpoint, etc.) They are all very sensitive to memory issues, etc. Having a clean stable OS with no driver problems, plenty of RAM and frequent reboots tends to help. This includes macs. I actually had more 'spinning pinwheels' when I had my mac years ago than I have now with Windows 7 on an i7.


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## RustyTheGeek (Aug 13, 2014)

Jim Saunders said:


> Personally if someone showed up and wanted to run an executable on my computer, they'd be shown the door. That said if your clients are ok with the idea go for it, but I'd make sure first.
> 
> Jim



Please understand that the exe in this case is just a package. It's not installing software, it simply launches the slideshow. I understand your point however and running executables from outside should always be a red flag action.

FWIW, an exe is how I run my slideshows as well. I create the exe in the best quality format, copy to the desktop of the presentation computer from a usb stick and I run it from the internal drive of the presentation computer (NOT from the USB stick). If you create a playable DVD, the pictures are converted and lose a lot of resolution. Yuck!


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## GmwDarkroom (Aug 13, 2014)

Adobe Captivate will do what you're after.

If you're a bit more tech savvy, you can turn a Flash into an executable using Adobe Air. However I suspect that if that were an option, you'd already know the answer as Air is a bit more like programming.


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## RustyTheGeek (Aug 13, 2014)

FYI - *Hillsilly* has touched on a topic I've been meaning to pose for quite a while so I started a similar thread asking about Software, Tips and where to get MUSIC which is always my biggest challenge.

Hopefully the replies to both this thread and the one I just started will help the OP and everyone else.


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## bbdigital (Aug 14, 2014)

If you're a photographer first and foremost then you should try PicturesToExe. I have tried Proshow gold in the past, but it does not handle animation anywhere near as good as PicturesToExe.

If you're a photographer, then quality presentation is going to be the most vital part of your slide show software. Take a look at a few of my shows made with PicturesToExe and see what you think. There are a number of pages at the link below. Choose page 4 or 5 which are the latest.

As for showing someone the door for sending an exe file, well? That seems way way over the top because PTE has been around years and there has NEVER been one reported case of a PTE slide show carrying a virus. Just zip the file and send. Slide show enthusiasts don't seem to have any problems, so I don't see why anyone here should either.

Try here http://www.beckhamdigital.com.au/store/pc/Slide-Shows-c70.htm

I have been using this software for many years, more than I care to remember and here is another thought. A recent AV competition attracted 42 entries, 34 of them made with PTE software. People voting with their feet I think


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## Hillsilly (Sep 9, 2014)

Thanks - it was good to see a lot of positive comments about PicturesToExe (and ".exe" software in general). 

bbdigital - I love your site and slideshows. If I get more into this, I'm sure I'll pick up some of your templates.

In case anyone is curious about how this went, I spent a few weeks playing with various software. I really liked ProShow Gold, but the was a major problem - I couldn't get the EXE files to generate with good image quality. I suspect that it had something to do with my video card (despite being a new computer with a fast processor and lots of RAM, I use a a lower end video card).

I ended up buying PicturetoEXE. It works very well and does exactly what I needed it to do. In comparison to ProShowGold, it has less fancy transitions, backgrounds, templates etc built in (but you can create your own - and there seems to be a community sharing these). It is pretty simple to pick up the basics. And I've had some fun creating my own keyframes and animations. All up, it is a good program.

In relation to the transitions, while ProShow Gold does have fancier inbuilt options, my thinking is that judges are more interested in the quality of my images than seeing computer graphics generated from software. Anyway, we'll see how we go.


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