Regretfully I must end the relationship.

Good Night Mirja and thanks for your replay!

I can understand your language problems.

The same to me - I live in germany.

I am 75 and in scool a have learnd russia!

Look forward for tomorrow!

Peter

@robert-mcmurray

I did not write my questions here. . I use always write to right to all companie,s support and ask if i have difficulties. Because  many years ago when i started and i were a member communities noone answer me - never. I wrote also to Photodex and they answered me. With all respect why I cannot ask company,s support, I could not know how many ask the same thing ...if it is so so they only make a copy of first answer. If this or some else company do not want have questions. do not give support, so they can write it..

It is up to a company how they will give support . I have no idea how they work... Mirja

Posted by: @mirja

@robert-mcmurray

I did not write my questions here. . I use always write to right to all companie,s support and ask if i have difficulties. Because  many years ago when i started and i were a member communities noone answer me - never. I wrote also to Photodex and they answered me. With all respect why I cannot ask company,s support, I could not know how many ask the same thing ...if it is so so they only make a copy of first answer. If this or some else company do not want have questions. do not give support, so they can write it..

It is up to a company how they will give support . I have no idea how they work... Mirja

@mirja

You are absolutely doing the right thing going directly to the company for answers, it seems to be the best way at this time. 
I belong to a few different forums and they can be very helpful in solving problems as someone usually has seen or had the same problem. Maybe in 6 months or so that will be the case here. 
Bob

@douglas

If you buy a new car do you keep the old one?

Slightly different I know  but the principal is the same.

If I am told that existing shows, styles, transitions etc will work on the new programme then why on earth would I not at least try and use them on that programme. If I then find that there are problems using them as required then I will tell Photopia of the issue.

I have hundreds of shows and I have no idea how many styles/transitions etc which I use for other new shows. If I am working on two or three shows at a time, which is often the case, then I do not particularly want to be doing so on different programmes if i can possibly help it.

I am not trying to get Photopia work as Proshow. I am trying to get the new programme to work as it should, in fact at some points just work at all. Many of the issues have not been when importing or using proshow created stuff but when trying to create a new show entirely in Photopia.

From importing certain types of image file (fixed now), video file, audio file without issues through to the most basic of thing i.e. using the wizard to create show. These are issues which have nothing whatsoever to do with knowledge of the programme but rather indicative of the programme not being tested thoroughly before release.

Jennifer moving to photopia. Hmmm could it be that there is money in it for her? That was low I know but she has said herself she does not use the programme in the same way as most of us. In that she produces content (transitions, styles etc) for others to buy for use and not potentially complex shows. She was one of the beta testers so she is bound to know the programme better. Hence the reason for the videos. Good for her. If it works and she can continue her business of producing content  and training videos for others then great.

It does not work properly for me. That is all I am saying. It does not work properly from the most basic things of importing files through to their promised compatibility and stability.

Posted by: @douglas

Start from scratch with the new programme. Get used to the new workflow. Start creating new projects in the new programme. Do not try and make Director/Creator work as ProShow/Gold. They are different beasts.

That was not "chastising", that was patronising. I have enough experience and knowledge of software of all types to know what I am doing thanks Douglas.

Back to a programme that works for me for now.

Cheers

Andy

So much of the discussions on this forum could have been averted with some written documentation. 

Bob,

totaly agree!!!

Photopia Marketing ....

@andyw @Peter Lang       I lost all i wrote to you. I didn't notice that the laptop went with battery.

The contact had loosened without me noticing. I write later again.

It is good to discuss although one has different opinions.

Though I'm not sure I have anything important to add- I'm an amateur. Wish you a beautiful day   Mirja

Mirja,
A beautiful day to you as well!
peter

@andyw @Peter Lang  - Good afternoon , One of you wonder what computer i have. Asus gaming - wrong for me and very heavy but works very well

Intel(R)Core(TM) i7-4720HQ CPU@2..60GHz2.59GHz....Ram : 16GB System: 64 Win 10.Videocard:VIDIA GE FORCE GTX 970M, Desktop is 32 GB. No Photopia installed

I have met same problem like here with ON 1, Topaz Studio, Luminar.  ON1  one year - last year ?- send for uppdates one after  anothers- perhaps 5 . and told every bug they had fixed every time. I only remember some crashes on MAC( This year ON1 had 2 free Beta test to all people..Very good )Topaz Studio had exact same discussion as here ." They realesed too early,, this is still Beta version". One said that the Studio had crashed his  computer. There were many bugs and people had big dificulties to get it work.. Same with Luminar.When it realesed to Windows it had not same funktions as Mac. Many bugs and difficulties to use. We got uppdates.Same words: "Realesed too early and beta version". These companies has fixed bugs with time - no shadow over them. I had problem with Luminar.  Not at all with Studio, but i got afraid after reading that Studio had crased one computer.This person did not wanted take help from Topaz. So it made me a little split on the truth.

I am not an expert on programming, I do not know if the companies release the programs too soon 
or errors are due to our different computers.

I agree with @Douglas about Jennifer.

She would never make  videos for Photopia if she did not believe it had potential. 

I have Adobes programs, but use only PS with many plugins ,AE with 2 plugins,AI and DN.I have not often problems 
and if i have they help me.
Twice they have been inside my computer to fix.
I want to use many video effects on slideshows..Many i have bought some i make on AE.
I am non-commercial hobbyist 

I understand your frustration when the program doesn't work and you don't get the help you need. It takes a lot of your powers..

I firmly believe that bugs in Photopia will be resolved.I have subscribed anually.

This program must have been beta tested and worked for them.
It is pity there is no manual as some of you has written. I learn from Jennifers videos on Vimeo.
Best wishes  Mirja.

@mirja

Hi Mirja, Thanks for the response and details. This will probably be my last visit here for a while so I will try and respond to your points.

Firstly, just so you know. My background was IT, as a technician initially then onto IT and project management. In my time doing that I have been involved in the development/planning/installation and maintenance of systems ranging from PDP11's in the 70's through to banking networks in the 90/2000's. So systems and software are not new to me. I have also been involved from the user side in beta testing and development of programmes. I am NOT a coder though. Just an old techie geek.

I think I still have a copy of MSDos and windows 1.0 somewhere, buried in the garage along with original copies of Photoshop from about 1990, so I have been "into" computers for a while.

On the graphics side, I was a keen amateur snapper from way back in the past. About 25 years ago I went " semi- pro" and full time about 12 years ago now. The Slideshow production was an add on for me as people were looking at ways to display their images at parties etc. It has become a decent part of my income in the last few years.  I have been using slideshow products for a number of years and first used Photodex stuff in 2006 (Proshow Gold). I am by no means a newcomer to graphics programmes and would class myself a professional user on some and a skilled amateur on others. I know my way around and can usually figure out a new programme pretty quickly.

You mention Topaz, Luminar etc. I know that Luminar and ON1 released versions of their software as betas. They specifically said they were beta releases and asked for feedback from users. There have been other companies that have done similar things. That to me is absolutely fine. If you are specifically told a version is a beta version then you expect there to be a bug or two, and you can make a choice whether to use it or not as a Beta release. As far as I recall when this has happened the software has been distributed as a free version under just that understanding.

If Photopia had done that then I would not have an issue at all. However... they have not done that. In my opinion they have released their software, charging full price, too early.

Photopia make some bold statements which I am afraid they cannot follow through on at the moment. Photopia was born out of Photodex. They know what they are doing from a codeing point of view, I have no doubt about that. But I am afraid on the business side they have tried to run before they are properly able to walk. I know they spent time testing this software but either they did not have enough diversity amongst their testers or, well I don't really know what the "or" is there. There is so much diversity amongst users and how they use and what they require from the programme that I think possibly this is what Photopia did not factor in. Although with some of the very basic bugs I have come across I think there were larger issues with their testing.

Now Jennifer, I am sure she does see potential in Photopia, believe it or not so do I. However (as per her own words) she was hired by photopia to create the styles and transitions and create tutorials, she also had a similar relationship with Photodex. So her involvement and promotion is not just as an interested bystander/user. There is nothing wrong with that and I do not have an issue with her whatsoever, I have bought her stuff in the past.  She has said herself that she "probably" does not use the programmes in the same was as other users though in that she does not produce full slideshows commercially.

When using these Photopia progammes "in anger" for large and potentially complicated shows they quite simply do not work as they should.

I spent 4 hours today (last day of trial) doing some very basic stuff (titles, animation etc) with just two slides and I encountered issues which were at best a little frustrating and at worst locked up the programme.

I have no doubt that if Photopia take notice of even half of what people have been saying then they will improve the usability and stability of their programme and I will certainly keep a close eye on what is happening with it with a view to possibly moving over in the future.

At the moment though I will be sticking to Proshow for my slideshows.

Good luck to you with your endeavours

Over and out  for now.

AndyW.

Mirja,

Just a p.s. They have just pushed out another update which (I have not checked yet) says there are fixes for some of the issues I (and others) passed over to them.

There is hope yet??

@andyw Thank you very much.So well written comment. I feel happy after reading it. Good to learn know your background. You can really this with programs. I agree with you  this should have been beta release, at least longer trial period. If you have been working with your background 4 hours  without result.so many others will do so ,too. Worst case people burn themselves out. and it is very seriously.That can happen with big difficulties without a person can solve them or get help when she /he asks. 

Very heartwarming that you and me can talk to each other even though we have completely different backgrounds,opinions in the beginning. and language.

I hope you stay here and Photopia will fix bugs !

Wish you all the best   Mirja

@andyw I saw it and i cannot get uppdate.This really irony of fate. When i try to install uppdate so program close. I try later again.

@andyw

Andy igot the update and installed it on creator.

They fixed some of the bugs.

I investet 10 Dollar for a monthly subscription so I can follow the development

Would be nice you would do the same and stay here!!

Your expirienz is needet!

regards

peter

@peter-lang  @andyw

Or create a new email for another test run.  😎