Excel template for PSG Presentation

Post your tips & tricks here for creating slide shows with ProShow Gold. This could include suggestions for style and content in addition to working with the software itself
bluphoto

Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby bluphoto » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:17 am

I discvered a week or so ago that the *.psh file created by PSG is simlay a text file which tells proshow what files to import, what timings to use, what transitions to use where etc.

As such I disected one of these psh files into pieces and put the pieces into an Excel workbook. With some massaging of the text segments through excels built in Visual Basic I managed to get Excel to search for all JPGs in any particular folder, and also read data either from within the spreadsheet or from another external txt file, and automatically enter this information into the "proshow text segments" before recreating a text file and saving it as type "psh". This file can then be opened in Proshow, with the whole slideshow pre-configured (apart from the music for now, but I'm working on that bit).

So my particular Excel spreadsheet has been configured just how I want it, ie to display an image, then comments (from the external file), then the image again, over and over, for each image.

If anyone wants it to play with, let me know. Effectively, it allows me to have a "template" for Gold.

Cheers,
Guy

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby mikemullett » Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:16 am

Hi Guy

Vernon Robinson, one of out Forum "Gurus" created this utility to read a proshow (psh) file and extract data.

Have a look at this thread http://www.proshowenthusiasts.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8118

Mike
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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby im42n8 » Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:43 am

Guy,

There've been numerous discussions on the editing and manipulation of the PSH file, for a variety of reasons. Some of us had been working with this file in other applications and manipulating it manually for some time before Vernon put together a VBA macro to automate the task (and to do his part to donate something of value to the forum members). (some of us don't know visual basic!).

The files for GOLD or Producer are straight text files and have similar structures. While PSP can import files built in GOLD, the files Producer creates can't be used in GOLD unless care is taken to to use only what GOLD understands (even then you may have to go into the file and manually change or delete a few things before GOLD will import it -- not quite sure on that last point since I've not used gold in a long while).

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby Barbara_K » Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:55 pm

Guy,

Your experiment sounds interesting and seems like it could be very useful. It sounds like a totally different thing than the utility created by Vernon Robinson which is useful for creating a list of files used.

I am somewhat illiterate when it comes to Excel but I hope someone with more knowledge will take you up on your offer to experiment with this concept. It definitely sounds like it has great possibilities.

Barbara

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby marmart » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:04 am

Hi Guy!

I would love to play with your excel file (sounds kinda funny huh?). I think also that it sounds like it achieves
something different than Vernon's file. Wow, it has some great possibilities I think.... have you discovered anything else - good or bad since you first posted?

Do you want to email the file?? My email icon is below my name to the right.

Thanks!

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby mikemullett » Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:43 am

Hi Again Guy,

Experimented with the "Brady Bunch" show - 1566 rows in Excel. Changed some of the parameters with disastrous results but changed the jpg's in Excel, resaved, and lo and behold it worked 8). Saved it with another name of course from Excel so as not to destroy the original file.

Also opened it in Word - 28 pages!

This is a small file, goodness knows how much code would be listed on a full show.
The problem I have found with "playing" is that I don't know the limits of the parameters. I have been assuming 1 is ON and 0 is OFF, but it's fun experimenting. :)
As other posters have said - totally different from Vernon's utility.

Mike
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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby BarbaraC » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:13 am

Isn't it quicker and easier to create a complete show in Gold and then use it as a pseudo-template where pictures and soundtrack are exchanged through the selection process? Why go through the intermediate step of creating an Excel file? Or am I missing the goal in all this?

Barbara
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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby cherub » Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:23 am

Hi Guy,
This sounds very, very interesting.
Do I understand correctly that this excel file helps you change the pictures automatically? And record the transition between slides?

From what you wrote, Barbara has a point: I don't know which is faster: Replace the pictures from Proshow or type the 10-12 digits names of the pictures in Excel.

I would like to see this file very much. I sent you a pm with my email address.

bluphoto

Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby bluphoto » Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:02 am

I certainly didn't expect such a positive response!

Okay, give me a short time and I'll upload it to the web, and post a link for you guys to download and start playing.

Remember that this is quite specific to my own "format" of slideshow, although without too much more effort it could quite easily be made far more "universal".

My problem is that as a new user, I'm not yet fluent with what is actually possible directly in Proshow, so I wrote this workbook to get around some of the limitations that were bothering me in particular.

By all means have a play, but I'll also keep playing when I get time. Hopefully together we can come up with a solution which suits 90% of our needs.

I'd suggest that we continue to use this thread (I'll "watch" it if I can work out how) for suggestions and improvements. Almost anything can be done in Excel VBA if you set your mind to it! Just don't ask it to make the coffee!

Back soon with the link.

bluphoto

Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby bluphoto » Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:28 am

Okay, I've uploaded the zip file to http://www.guycarnegie.com/proshow3.zip.

The first few cells tell you what you have to do.

Basically, what I did was this...

1. Made a "three-slide" presentation using PSG3.5 and saved it.
2. Opened the psh file and cut it into four parts (Header, Slide1, Slide2, Slide3)
3. Paste the text from each section into a corresponding worksheet (you can see these worksheets but don't edit them as all your edits will carry through to the finished show)
The above three steps formed my "template".
4. Make a Excel VB routine that will browse for a folder, and return all "jpg" in that folder. Populate the list into Sheet#1.
5. Manipulate that list to derive details from the filename (Specifically my jpg's have got a "submitter code" built into the filename). Populate sheet#1 with these estra details.
6. Prompt for a "proshow" folder to be created: This will copy all the jpg's from the original folder but rename them to "tidy up" the formatting of the names. You don't need to use this - just say "no" when asked.
7. Allow the user to enter comments beside each filename. Those comments are then formatted to fit into a Proshow comment style, rather than an extra-long single line which doesn't fit on the screen. I've hard coded this "width" to around 35 characters, but of course that could be changed.
8. Count up all the jpg's and write the header to a text file where the "cell count" is three times the number of jpgs (ie three slides per image - first image only, second comments only, third image with submitter and score) - again three is hard coded but could be changed.
9. take the first image name and copy it into the first of the three remaining worksheets I mentioned in (2) above.
10 take the corresponding comment and copy it into second sheet
11 take the image name, submitter name and score and copy it into the third sheet
12 take the sheets generated in (9), (10) & (11) and write them to the text file mentioned in (8)
13 go back to (9) using the next row of information (for the second jpg image) until the data particular to each on of the images has been written to the text file.
14 finalize the text file using the filename with the current date and time in it, with a psh extension.
15 open explorer so you can easily find the file... job done

If you choose NOT to create a proshow folder, then you'll just have to navigate to the image folder when you open proshow to locate the images. If you choose to create a proshow folder then all the images and psh file will be together so you won't have to navigate around.

The only problem you might come across is if your files are not named like mine.

I'll give you a clue - my images are all named something like "014 Guys image.jpg" wheer "014" is my memberID.

All the member ID's are on "sheet6" I think. Of course this functionality could be stripped out, but that's what I used it for.

So have a play, and let me know if you want me to make any changes. I'm kind of pushed for time as I'm busy at work and home right now, but I'll try to get to any requests asap.

thanks
Guy

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby cherub » Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:59 am

The only problem you might come across is if your files are not named like mine.
I'll give you a clue - my images are all named something like "014 Guys image.jpg" wheer "014" is my memberID.
All the member ID's are on "sheet6" I think. Of course this functionality could be stripped out, but that's what I used it for.


Major problem!
If you go for the system used by image editors/viewers, it would be a huge improvement.
That is something like Image##1 ; or Picture##1

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby mikemullett » Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:59 am

Guy

Okay, I've uploaded the zip file to http://www.guycarnegie.com/proshow3.zip.


Great explanation but my security settings will not let me download the file however much I tweak them :?

Mike
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bluphoto

Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby bluphoto » Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:08 am

Not such a major problem really. There's no such thing in VBA - everything can be fixed. Even not being able to open images wouldn't be a major problem to a person programming the code - of course it might be to someone trying to use it without working with the code - which is why I uploaded it for you guys in the first place. It's not going to be right for you as is. That would have been a heck of a coincidence!

Remember that this number is not the "image number", it's the membership number of the person who has submitted the image. It can be relatively easily changed to image_001, or for that matter no number at all, if need be, by modifying the VB code in the excel workbook.

I'll have a try to do this tomorrow, but by all means continue playing.

Can't understand the not being able to download part though! Works fine here. I'll try to find somewhere else to upload - does this forum accept attachments?
Last edited by bluphoto on Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby cherub » Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:10 am

Great explanation but my security settings will not let me download the file however much I tweak them :?
Mike

Yes, there is a security problem, probably because of the macro. Use Firefox !
Also, in Excel, the security level must be lowered (Medium is enough) to allow the macro to open.

bluphoto

Re: Excel template for PSG Presentation

Postby bluphoto » Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:15 am

I thought zipping it might get around that. I guess I could put a different extension on it so IE doesn't recognize it as an Excel file - you'd just have to change it back at that end.

try this... www.guycarnegie.com/proshow3a.zip ... I named the file proshow3.xls123 - you just have to rename it removing the 123 from the end.

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