Upgrading Information

DVD PixPlay
v2.0 Enhancements

For information on upgrading, please see our upgrade page.

v2.0 Top Ten New Features

1. New export option to output the project in its original format (videos, images, music, etc) for playback on a PC

2. Added 133 new transition effects

3. Optimized the MPEG generation library giving much better output quality

4. New Create Project wizard guides users through all the initial steps of creating a slideshow file

5. New AVI output options: DivX 5, XviD, Cinepak, Intel Indeo Video R3.2, Microsoft Video 1, RLE and uncompressed

6. New option to automatically stretch your slideshow display to match the length of the background music

7. Now offers thirty templates when creating title pages (e.g. birthday or christmas styles)

8. New option to fade in at the start of the slideshow and/or fade out at the end

9. The timing of slideshow previews now closely matches that of the final result

10. Added native support for Raw digital image files from Cameras (Canon, Casio, Fuji, Kodak, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, etc.)

Complete Change List

Added: Can now quickly add a caption to each image by specifying it under the image preview

Added: Many improvements to the UI including XP style controls throughout

Added: Can now paste images directly from the clipboard

Added: Can now lock text objects to the center of title pages

Added: Can now drag music files into DVD PixPlay (either in main window or background music dialog)

Added: Now image caption settings are specified in the main window and can be previewed

Added: Start up dialog with access to common functions

Changed: Help file is now in (CHM) HTML format

Added: Gradient background options for title pages

Added: Preview window in transition settings dialog

Added: Sorting of items as they are added

Added: Can now specify background music that is played after video files complete (if there are images remaining)

Added: Navigation buttons when showing an image full screen

Added: Underline option to text addition

Changed: Handling of temp image saving when creating a CD

Changed: Now saves temporary images in JPEG format to lower disk space requirements

Added: Now remembers if you always output to file

Added: Now remembers the folders that you save video files to

Added: Can now specify that filenames should be displayed rather than frame numbers

Fixed: Turning off file extensions does not take effect until the display is refreshed

Added: Now much faster at encoding images that have filenames overlaid

Added: Much faster loading and saving of title page files

Fixed: Sometimes text added to title pages will wrap even if it was not designed that way

Changed: Transitions use the maximum number of frames available

Removed: Option to specify the number of transition frames per second

Added: Now remembers your default music selection

Added: Now remembers your default transition selection

Added: Now warns you when loading a project if any of the background music files cannot be located

Added: Now uses checkboxes for selection of items in the Add Images dialog

Fixed: If use send to back in the title page designer object may still be drawn in front of other objects

Changed: Improvements to the VCD test function

Fixed: When try to burn a second identical CD using Back/Next it may re-perform the MPEG creation

Added: Now monitors that a minimum level of disk space is left on your system drive

Fixed: If click Edit or Add Text while a file is loading it may not edit the correct file

Changed: Layout of Help menu

Removed: Support and Web Site dialogs (in favor of menu links)

Added: Extra logging for transition frame errors

Added: Estimate of final project size is now much more accurate regardless of VCD type

Fixed: May estimate time of slideshow incorrectly if it contains video files

Changed: Show Registration Prompt from first running

Changed: Various improvements to the Registration Prompt dialog

Added: Can now cut, copy and paste items in the page editing dialog

Fixed: On some systems get a line insertion error when printing

Added: Now when outputting filenames during CD creation it never puts the filename in the margin area

Added: Multimedia header reading is cached even when creating a CD for faster processing

Removed: Option to continue display of last frame until music completes (superceded by new stretching function)

Fixed: Display time in Create CD dialog not correct for video files

Changed: Reduced default automatic cropping to max of 5% of each edge

Added: Now the e-mail support link in the help menu also forwards the log

Added: Tip advising how to use the soundtrack of a video in a mixed slideshow

Added: Function to move all videos to the start of the slideshow

Added: Can now resize the image display panel

Added: Can now hide the slideshow settings panel

Changed: Now usage tips are only shown once per session

Added: New option to further improve the accuracy of the preview timing

Fixed: Frame index of thumbnails may not update when reorder items in the slideshow

Added: More efficient debug logging when building slideshows

Changed: Now all work files are put in folders with the name of the project

Removed: brassplate.png clip art image

Added: Many internal improvements

Changed: Doesn't warn about being a video only project if images and videos are added at the same time

Changed: Doesn't warn about being a video only project if images added after the video files

Fixed: May change the position and size of the text box created

Fixed: Videos in slideshow would cause the time display to be slightly incorrect

Changed: Disable the status controls for CD writing while not writing a CD

Added: Now detects when images with text have been removed (even though the title page remains)

Changed: Some toolbar glyphs

Added: Now shows the length of background music in the create CD dialog

Added: Now remembers the font you used when editing each title page and offers it next time you edit it

Changed: Double-clicking in the title page editor now displays the Background Properties

Added: Display quality of thumbnails for title frames and images with text is now much better

Added: New shortcut Ctrl+Shift+T to remove the text from an image

Added: Can now use wildcards, %FILENAME% and %FILEDATE% when specifying the captions for images

Added: Improved the display of output project size

Added: Can now navigate when in full screen mode or viewer using the space key

Added: Manual navigation option for image slideshows

Fixed: Sometimes did not warn you if you were saving to a video file and chose a name of a file that already exists

Added: Default file/folder name when saving projects to file/folder is always unique

Changed: Offer the MPEG save option as default rather than Cue

Added: Now displays ellipses for very long filenames

Added: Now image selection dialog displays Title pages too

Added: Many more pop-up usage tips

Added: Now much quicker to specify a custom display time for images as the spin control is not disabled by default

Changed: Now when display a slideshow (preview or on a CD) the cursor is hidden

Added: New Xequte style key format

Removed: Superfluous Full-screen function

DVD PixPlay v1.* Enhancements

1.	New export option to output the project in its original format (videos, images, music, etc) for playback on a PC
2.	Added 133 new transition effects
3.	Optimized the MPEG generation library giving much better output quality
4.	New Create Project wizard guides users through all the initial steps of creating a slideshow file
5.	New AVI output options: DivX 5, XviD, Cinepak, Intel Indeo Video R3.2, Microsoft Video 1, RLE and uncompressed
6.	New option to automatically stretch your slideshow display to match the length of the background music
7.	Now offers thirty templates when creating title pages (e.g. birthday or christmas styles)
8.	New option to fade in at the start of the slideshow and/or fade out at the end
9.	The timing of slideshow previews now closely matches that of the final result
10.	Added native support for Raw digital image files from Cameras (Canon, Casio, Fuji, Kodak, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, etc.)

	Added: Can now quickly add a caption to each image by specifying it under the image preview
	Added: Many improvements to the UI including XP style controls throughout
	Added: Can now paste images directly from the clipboard
	Added: Can now lock text objects to the center of title pages
	Added: Can now drag music files into DVD PixPlay (either in main window or background music dialog)
	Added: Now image caption settings are specified in the main window and can be previewed
	Added: Start up dialog with access to common functions
	Changed: Help file is now in (CHM) HTML format
	Added: Gradient background options for title pages
	Added: Preview window in transition settings dialog
	Added: Sorting of items as they are added
	Added: Can now specify background music that is played after video files complete (if there are images remaining)
	Added: Navigation buttons when showing an image full screen
	Added: Underline option to text addition
	Changed: Handling of temp image saving when creating a CD
	Changed: Now saves temporary images in JPEG format to lower disk space requirements
	Added: Now remembers if you always output to file
	Added: Now remembers the folders that you save video files to
	Added: Can now specify that filenames should be displayed rather than frame numbers
	Fixed: Turning off file extensions does not take effect until the display is refreshed
	Added: Now much faster at encoding images that have filenames overlaid
	Added: Much faster loading and saving of title page files
	Fixed: Sometimes text added to title pages will wrap even if it was not designed that way
	Changed: Transitions use the maximum number of frames available
	Removed: Option to specify the number of transition frames per second
	Added: Now remembers your default music selection
	Added: Now remembers your default transition selection
	Added: Now warns you when loading a project if any of the background music files cannot be located
	Added: Now uses checkboxes for selection of items in the Add Images dialog
	Fixed: If use send to back in the title page designer object may still be drawn in front of other objects
	Changed: Improvements to the VCD test function
	Fixed: When try to burn a second identical CD using Back/Next it may re-perform the MPEG creation
	Added: Now monitors that a minimum level of disk space is left on your system drive
	Fixed: If click Edit or Add Text while a file is loading it may not edit the correct file
	Changed: Layout of Help menu
	Removed: Support and Web Site dialogs (in favor of menu links)
	Added: Extra logging for transition frame errors
	Added: Estimate of final project size is now much more accurate regardless of VCD type
	Fixed: May estimate time of slideshow incorrectly if it contains video files
	Changed: Show Registration Prompt from first running
	Changed: Various improvements to the Registration Prompt dialog
	Added: Can now cut, copy and paste items in the page editing dialog
	Fixed: On some systems get a line insertion error when printing
	Added: Now when outputting filenames during CD creation it never puts the filename in the margin area
	Added: Multimedia header reading is cached even when creating a CD for faster processing
	Removed: Option to continue display of last frame until music completes (superceded by new stretching function)
	Fixed: Display time in Create CD dialog not correct for video files
	Changed: Reduced default automatic cropping to max of 5% of each edge
	Added: Now the e-mail support link in the help menu also forwards the log
	Added: Tip advising how to use the soundtrack of a video in a mixed slideshow
	Added: Function to move all videos to the start of the slideshow
	Added: Can now resize the image display panel
	Added: Can now hide the slideshow settings panel
	Changed: Now usage tips are only shown once per session
	Added: New option to further improve the accuracy of the preview timing
	Fixed: Frame index of thumbnails may not update when reorder items in the slideshow
	Added: More efficient debug logging when building slideshows
	Changed: Now all work files are put in folders with the name of the project
	Removed: brassplate.png clip art image
	Added: Many internal improvements
	Changed: Doesn't warn about being a video only project if images and videos are added at the same time
	Changed: Doesn't warn about being a video only project if images added after the video files
	Fixed: May change the position and size of the text box created
	Fixed: Videos in slideshow would cause the time display to be slightly incorrect
	Changed: Disable the status controls for CD writing while not writing a CD
	Added: Now detects when images with text have been removed (even though the title page remains)
	Changed: Some toolbar glyphs
	Added: Now shows the length of background music in the create CD dialog
	Added: Now remembers the font you used when editing each title page and offers it next time you edit it
	Changed: Double-clicking in the title page editor now displays the Background Properties
	Added: Display quality of thumbnails for title frames and images with text is now much better
	Added: New shortcut Ctrl+Shift+T to remove the text from an image
	Added: Can now use wildcards, %FILENAME% and %FILEDATE% when specifying the captions for images
	Added: Improved the display of output project size
	Added: Can now navigate when in full screen mode or viewer using the space key
	Added: Manual navigation option for image slideshows
	Fixed: Sometimes did not warn you if you were saving to a video file and chose a name of a file that already exists
	Added: Default file/folder name when saving projects to file/folder is always unique
	Changed: Offer the MPEG save option as default rather than Cue
	Added: Now displays ellipses for very long filenames
	Added: Now image selection dialog displays Title pages too
	Added: Many more pop-up usage tips
	Added: Now much quicker to specify a custom display time for images as the spin control is not disabled by default
	Changed: Now when display a slideshow (preview or on a CD) the cursor is hidden
	Added: New Xequte style key format
	Removed: Superfluous Full-screen function