Welcome to SongShow Plus 7! Experience the Worship Presentation Evolution!

What's new for Version 5

Version 5.0

• Songs
  • Song specific display properties: Each song now (potentially) can have its own display properties which will supercede the global display properties.  To specify the display properties for a song, select the song in the song list, then select the menu command Songs > Edit Song.  The General page contains the field for specifying the display properties.  Some database modules do not support this feature.  
  • Collections: Version 5 provides support for collections which can be used to associate songs with a particular publication.  Support for this is dependant upon the song database module and is not supported by the SongSelect modules.  It is supported by the Worship Software module.
  • Song Numbers: You can now specify a song number for a song which typically will be associated with its song number in the printed publication.  Song Numbers can be displayed along with the Reference information of a song.  Support for this is dependant upon the song database module and is not supported by the SongSelect modules.
  • Search Filter: You can now have the option to apply or not-apply a search filter without removing the filter options.  In previous versions, doing this required all filter options to be removed.  You can now also view the filter while still moving between All Songs, Alphabetic, Key, and Text searches.
  • Activity Log option: In previous versions, any time a song was displayed, a record was made of its copy activity for CCLI purposes.  This was done even if the song was not actually being used in a service.  There was no option to turn this off.  This has changed with version 5.  By default, no recording of copy activity is made unless you explicitly turn the option on yourself.  This is done through the menu command Activity > Start Logging CCLI Copy Activity.
  • Italicizing the chorus:  You can now choose to italicize the chorus, bridge, and ending of songs while leaving the verses non-italicized.
  • Maximum lines per slide: You can now specify the maximum number of lines that will be displayed at a time for a song.  You can set this value in the Display Properties window at Song Layout > Lyrics > Display words.
• Slide Shows
  • Sermon Note Builder:  Now included is a wizard that steps you through the process of building a quick sermon note outline.  This can be invoked from the Slide Shows list in SongShow Plus or from within Slide Show Builder.
  • Announcement Builder:  Also included is a wizard that steps you through the process of building a announcement slide show.  This can be invoked from the Slide Shows list in SongShow Plus or from within Slide Show Builder.
  • Options for additional builders: Additional builders may be available at a future date.
  • Rearranging objects: You can now easily rearrange objects on a slide simply by dragging and dropping in the objects list, which is the list located at the lower left-hand corner of the Slide Show Builder window.  In version 4, rearranging objects required the use of Send to Back or Bring to Front.
  • Runable/Auto Run: You can now specify a slide show that is runable, but doesn't automatically run when displayed.  In version 4, all runable slide shows automatically ran when displayed.
  • Shortcuts for justification: The shortcut keys used for setting the justification of text now matches that of MS Office, which is Ctrl-L, Ctrl-E, and Ctrl-R.
  • Slide Templates: The support for slide templates has been enhanced to now provide access to third-party libraries such as Creative Interludes.
  • Merging Slide Shows: You can now merge two slide shows together.  This function is accessible from the menu command File > Merge in Slide Show Builder.
  • Printing: The capability to print slide shows is now provided.  Slide shows can be printed from the Slide Show Builder or directly from the Slide Shows list in SongShow Plus.
  • Importing files: The process for importing slide show files has been improved with an import wizard that steps you through the process of selecting and importing files.  The wizard checks for existing files and gives you a options for handling these.  As before, you can copy or link files, but you now have an additional option which is to move files from their source location into the SongShow Plus directory.
  • Importing folders: You can now import an entire folder of images including subfolders.  This is done through an import folder wizard which steps you through the process of selecting the folder and the methods to use.  You can choose between copying or moving a folder.
  • Other import methods: The import mechanism used by version 5 is now modular which means that addition import methods can be provided through add-on modules.
  • More Naviation Options: When a slide show is displayed or cued, you can now directly go to a particular slide, starting with the first step (as in version 4) or go to a particular slide starting with the last step, essentially displaying the entire slide.  This can be handy if you have a slide show that contains animations, but you need to quickly display the entire slide without stepping through the animations.
• Scripture
  • Showing a scripture source: You can choose to have the source of a scripture text displayed along with its reference (King James Version, New International Version, etc.).  You can also choose to have the source displayed using its acronym (KJV, NIV, etc.), but is dependant upon support from the scripture module itself.
• Videos
  • Importing files: The process for importing video files has been improved with an import wizard that steps you through the process of selecting and importing files.  The wizard checks for existing files and gives you a options for handling these.  As before, you can copy or link files, but you now have an additional option which is to move files from their source location into the SongShow Plus directory.
  • Importing folders: You can now import an entire folder of images including subfolders.  This is done through an import folder wizard which steps you through the process of selecting the folder and the methods to use.  You can choose between copying or moving a folder.
  • Other import methods: The import mechanism used by version 5 is now modular which means that addition import methods can be provided through add-on modules.  Potential add-on modules include ones will provide access to on-line video databases, etc.
  • More video formats: Version 5 now adjust to new formats that are installed and supported by Windows Media Player.  (Not all formats all supported.)
• Graphics
  • Importing files: The process for importing graphics files has been improved with an import wizard that steps you through the process of selecting and importing files.  The wizard checks for existing files and gives you a options for handling these.  As before, you can copy or link files, but you now have an additional option which is to move files from their source location into the SongShow Plus directory.
  • Importing folders: You can now import an entire folder of images including subfolders.  This is done through an import folder wizard which steps you through the process of selecting the folder and the methods to use.  You can choose between copying or moving a folder.
  • Other import methods: The import mechanism used by version 5 is now modular which means that addition import methods can be provided through add-on modules.  Potential add-on modules include ones will provide access to on-line clipart databases, ones that provide access to a custom photo CD, etc.
  • Image creation and acquisition: With version 5, image creation and acquistition functions are now modular which means that custom modules can be provided for the creation or acquisition of images.  The stock modules let you load an image from a file, the clipboard, or a TWAIN device.  These can can be accessed from most places in the SongShow Plus applications that require the selection of an image.
  • Converting image file types:  You can now convert an image file from one type to another in the Images list by using the creating an image from another image file.  The menu command for this is Images > Create Image From >  File.  In addition to converting a file from one type to another, you can also change its dimensions, which can be used to improve performance by matching the image dimensions to the screen dimensions.
  • Save image options: When saving an image to a file, you now have options for how the image is saved, based on the image type.  These options can include compression method, ratio, etc.
  • Expandable image support: The methods used to load and save images in version 5 has been modularized which means that additional add-on modules may be available in the future that will provide access to additional image types. 
  • Creating blank images: You can now create a blank image of any image type supported (those where an image writer has been provided through a module) directly from the Image list window.  When creating a blank image, you get to name the image file and determine its dimensions.  Prior to version 5, creating image files from the Images list wasn't too user friendly because there usually are no template files for images.
  • Specifying a program item background image: You can now easily specify a background image for a program item simply by selecting the Set Program Item Background Image menu command from the Image list popup menu.  This will set the selected image in the Images list to be the background image of the selected program item in the program window.
  • Loading images in Slide Show Builder: You can now load an image into a slide using any of the installed image acquisition modules.  By default, this adds the capability to directly load an image from the clipboard into an existing image object.  In the previous version, you would have had to delete the object then add new object using the clipboard.
  • Improved stretching and shrinking: The algorithms used to stretch and shrink images have been improved.  Actually, you now have the choice to between emphasizing speed or emphasizing quality.  In previous versions, images were stretched and shrunk using an algorithm that emphasized speed.  However, if you have a need for a higher quality picture, and can afford that added processing required,  you now have this option.  To make this selection, in SongShow Plus, use the menu command: Tools > Preferences then click tab Image Stretch Quality.
• Programs
  • Simplified verse sequencing: You can now more easily build a sequence to a song simply by expanding the song in the Songs list, then clicking the blue plus for each of the parts in the order you want them displayed.  Doing this will automatically add the sequence information to the program -- no need to open a popup window.  You can also drag and drop to rearrange a sequence right from within the Program List.
  • Non-sequenced parts shown: When a song is expanded in the Program List, it will show not only its sequenced parts, but also any parts that are not included in the sequence.
  • Sequencing a slide show: You can now specify a sequence for a slide show, just as you would a song.  This lets you select just certain parts of a slide show and even rearrange how the slides will be shown.  Like with songs, you can add sequence items simply by expanding a slide show in the slide show list and adding each slide to the program in the order they should be shown.  You can also drag and drop slides within the Program List, and also as with songs, any slides that are not included in the sequence are also shown in the Program List.
  • Program step pointer: There is now a separate pointer in the Program List which indicates which step you are on in the program.  This is independent of the list's cursor position.  In previous versions, the cursor specified the step of the program which created problems when attempting to move around within the program list when a slide show was running, and also was a problem because by moving the cursor, it would not be clear where you were in the program.
  • Step point identifiers: The Program List now identifies, within a program list, each item that contains a program step point.  For songs with sequences, this is each of the sequence steps.  For a song without a sequence, this will be the first item of the song but not any of the song parts.  For slide shows, this will be each slide.  Step points are identified by either a small square or a small circle.  A small circle indicates that a default sequence is in use.  A small square indicates that a sequence has been specified within the program itself.
  • Expand/Collapse:In version 5, when you added any item to a program, all expanded items in the program would collapse.  This is no longer the case.  Also, in version 5, an expandable item was identified by a filled circle.  An item that had been expanded was identified by an unfilled circle.  This has been changed to use closed folder and open folder icons.
  • Importing programs:  You can now import pre-built programs for external sources.  This is modular and depends on what modules are installed.  The Worship Software add-on module, for instance, lets you import a worship plan into a SongShow Plus program.  This is accessible from the Files > Import Program From menu.
• Control Window
  • Sequence steps and substeps: The Object Toolbar has been expanded to show the progress through a displayed object.  The information provided is the current sequence step, the total number of sequence steps, and if application the current substep and total number of substeps.  Substeps are used when a song is displayed by anything other than verse-by-verse, or if a slide has multiple objects to animate.
  • Navigation Buttons: In version 4, the following buttons, , were used for Previous Item, Next Item, Previous Step, and Next Step, respectively.  There was an inconsistency in the use of the later two buttons, however.  At times, Next Step would refer to the next step in a program.  At other times, it would refer to the next step in the displayed object, even if it wasn't in a program.  In version 5 these buttons have been changed to only work on the program, so clicking the Next Step button will now always take you to the next step in the program.  Two additional buttons have been added to version 5.  They are:  These buttons can be used to take you to the previous step or to the next step, of the displayed object.  If you click next step, and there are no further steps in the object (like if you are at the end of a song sequence) then you will be taken to the next step in the program.
  • Auto Cue button:  There is now an Auto Cue toggle button located on the main tool bar.  It is :..
  • Cue indicator: There is now a cue indicator showing when an object is cued.  This is displayed right below the object identifier.
  • Object Inspector:  The Object Preview window has been renamed to the Object Inspector.
  • Monitor Window:  The Display Monitor/Preview Window has been renamed to the Monitor Window.  Also, this window now can show either the current display, the next displayed (if cued) or both simultaneously.
• Fills
  • Access to all image acquirers:  When using the Image or Texture fills, you can now load an image from any installed image acquisition source.  By default, this lets you load an image from a file, the clipboard, or a TWAIN device.
• Effects
  • New effects: The following have been added to the stock effects: Blur, Contrast, Fade, Grayscale, Sharpen.
  • Brightness effect changed: The algorithm used to brighten and darken pictures has been changed.  If you are using the Brightness effect to brighten or darken an image, you will probably notice the change.  To get the same look as the old Brightness effect, use the new Fade effect which now uses the algorithm that was used by Brightness.
• Preferences and Settings
  • Preloading modules:  In version 4 all add-on modules were loaded at the time SongShow Plus starts.  In version 5, most modules do not load until they are needed.  This is to reduce the amount of resources allocated at runtime.  However, this method can cause a slight delay in operation when a module is loaded, and may not be desirable if it affects performance.  Because of this, you can choose to preload any of the add-on modules at the the time SongShow Plus starts. 
  • Double Click option:  In previous versions, double clicking on the display screen using the mouse or the next/previous buttons (+/-) would cause the active program to jump to the next or previous item in the program (rather than the next or previous step which occurs with a single click).  This function has one drawback to it in that even when single clicking, there is a slight delay while the application waits to determine if there is a second click.  This delay time is the same as the delay period set in the Windows control panel.  If you prefer, you can disable the double click option which eliminates the delay when single clicking.  If disabled, you can still jump to the next or previous item by holding the Ctrl key down while single clicking.  By default, double clicking is disabled in version 5.
  • Hiding the display window: In previous versions, a problem occurs when running a third-party slide show, like one from PowerPoint.  The problem is that when the third-party slide show is running, you cannot go to SongShow Plus and do anything because doing so will cause the SongShow Plus display screen to hide the third-party slide show.  You now have the option to hide the SongShow Plus display window when running a third-party slide show.  If you select this option, care will need to be taken to ensure that underlying desktop is of an appropriate color and without icons or other clutter.
  • Mouse cursor option:  In previous versions, the mouse cursor on the display window would appear only when the mouse cursor is moved and disappear shortly after.  In version 5 you now have the choice between that behavior, and also never visible, and always visible.
  • Font Smoothing:  The Font Smoothing options has been moved from the Display menu to the Preferences window.
• Other Changes
  • Workstation messages:  If you are using an installation in workstation mode, you can now click on the workstation message that is superimposed over the display.  By doing so, it will jump to another part of the display.

Version 5.1

• Slide Shows
  • Photo Show Builder:  Now included is a wizard that steps you through the process of building a picture slide show.  This can be invoked from the Slide Shows pane in SongShow Plus or from within Slide Show Builder.
  • Direct third-party control:  SongShow Plus now has the capability to provide more direct control over third-party presentation software, such as PowerPoint.  Prior to version 5.1, third-party presentation software was played simply by making a shell command to Windows to open the third-party player.  The capability has not been introduced to provie more direct control, depending on the ProModule installed.  At the time of this release, a PowerPoint Support ProModule is available that, when installed, will provide a better way to run PowerPoint from within SongShow Plus.
  • Resizable preview images:  The size of the preview images shown in the Object Inspector for slide shows is now selectable, large, medium, and small.   
  • Link to image:  You now have the option, when placing images in a slide show, to link to the image file rather than load the image into the slide show file itself.  This offers two advantages: 1) the slide show file will be significantly smaller, and 2) if you change a source image, any place its used in a slide show, the change will be automatically shown.  One disadvantage, however, is that this option may reduce performance.  Also, don't use this option if you plan on moving the slide show file from one machine to another.  You can select this option on an individual image basis using Edit > Link to image file in the slide show builder.  You can also specify the default option you would like to use by going to Tools > Preferences > Images.  
• Programs
  • Cursor follow option: You now have the option to have the program pane cursor follow the current program step.  This will cause the Object inspector to update automatically when stepping through a program.  Turning this option on will cause SongShow Plus to behave as it did in version 4.  This can be set in Tools > Preferences > Program Pane.  By default, this option will be turned off.
  • Hiding non-sequenced parts: You now have the option to hide non-sequenced parts in the program pane.  By default, the option to view non-sequenced parts will be turned on.  Turning this option off will make it so that, when a song is expanded, only the selected verses will be shown in the list.  Turning this option off will cause SongShow Plus to behave as it did in version 4.
  • Peripheral Control: If you used SongShow Plus version 4, you may have noticed something call Peripheral Device Control.  This feature was discussed but never fully implemented.  With version 5.1, this feature has been reworked and there is presently at least one ProModule that implements this capability (the LiveVideo ProModule).  With Peripheral Control, you can specify a set of commands that will executed when a single program item is displayed and then another set of commands that will be executed when you leave the displayed item.  You can also add a set of commands to a program as a single program item.  Please note that Peripheral Control is not the same as the SmartChurch device control which is a separate (but integrated) product from Fowler Productions.
• Display Properties
  • Load background image:  Prior to version 5.1, the background image property always referred to an image file and would load the image data when needed from that file.  With verseion 5.1, you now have the option to load the image data directly into the display properties.  This means that, once loaded, it is not necessary to have the source file available on the local hard drive.  You can now build a completely self-contained slide show that makes no use of external image files.  This also means that you can load background images directly from the clipboard, a TWAIN device, or any other image import module you have installed.  
  • Clipboard support:  Full clipboard support is now provided for all display and slide object properties.  This makes it easy to take the display settings for one slide, text object, or program item, and copy them to another.  The the global Display Properties window, you can choose to copy and paste all property sections, or just selected sections.
• Preferences and Settings
  • Peripheral Device Options:  If you will be using a device through Peripheral Control support, you may find that its desierable to load the peripheral device modules when SongShow Plus starts up.  Up can specify which modules to load from Tools > Preferences > Peripheral Devices.
• Other Changes
  • Inspector:  The Object Inspector has been renamed to simply "Inspector." 

Version 5.2

• Video
  • Plug-in support:  Video support is now a plug-in for SongShow Plus.  Because of this, additional formats can be supported through ProModules.  A Shockwave Flash ProModule is being made available with the release of SongShow Plus 5.2. 
  • Auto Loop: You can now specify that a video automatically loops when it is placed in a program.
• Audio
  • Audio Mixer Toolbar:  The audio mixer has been changed.  It is no longer a popup window but is now a toolbar that is docked within the control window.  The mixer toolbar lets you change the volume levels and mute for the wave, synthesizer, CD, and line-in inputs as well as the master output.  You can also mute each of these lines.  The mixer now also is fully integrated with the system mixer.  One thing that is not, however, implemented at this time is the balance control.
  • Audio Level Settings: You can now specify the audio level settings for slide show program items as well as video program items.  The controls for this setting has been moved from the Video Playback Settings window to its own Audio Level Settings window.  You and specifically override the settings for the wave, synthesizer, CD, line-in and master volumes.
• Display Properties
  • Easier Access:  The Display Property Window has been modified so that you can now easily move between all of the display properties for a program or slide show.   
  • Improved Text Outlining:  The text outlining option has been improved and now supports font smoothing.  
• Inspector
  • Display / Add:  You can now display song, slide shows, etc. straight from the Inspector panel and add them to a program.  This provides another way of cueing items before displaying them.  
• Other
  • Multimedia Keyboard Support:  If you are using a multimedia keyboard, you can now use the Play/Pause, Stop, Prev Track, and Next Track buttons to control videos, slide shows, and programs within SongShow Plus.

Version 5.3

• Songs
  • Import Capability:  You can now install additional import capabilities to SongShow Plus, besides the default Clipboard Capture Utility that comes with the basic installation.  Through ProModules, you can now more easily import song text from the CCLI SongSelect Lyrics Service and PowerPoint.  Additional import sources will be added in the future.
• Images
  • One-step Import:  A new one-step file import utility has been added for images.  This import method is similar to the import method provided in SongShow Plus prior to version 5.
• Display Properties
  • Blackout Image: You can not specify an image to use for the blackout screen.  Prior to version 5.3, to use an image, you would have had to build a blackout slide using the blackout slide show.  Any image file can be used (those supported by SongShow Plus), however, a new folder has been added to the Images folder, called Blackout.  Images stored in this folder are easily accessible by a pull down list in the Display Properites window.
• Other
  • Package To Go Utility:  With this new utility, you can now package up all songs and external files associated with a Program, save them to a removable media, and load them onto a different machine.  This is useful if you build Programs and Slide Shows on a remote machine that does not have direct network access to your primary projection machine.  The Package To Go utility is also available for slide shows.  
    
    This utility works by calling up the Backup / Restore Utility and preselecting for you all songs and files used by a program or slide show.  The process to then save and load a package is the same as performing a backup or restore.

Version 5.5

• Display Properties
  • Motion Background: Video and Visualizations: You can now have looping video, live video, or a visualization as part of the background.  Motion backgrounds can be used with anything displayable including songs, scriptures, slide shows, and videos.  Motion Background video support is provided by the Enhanced Video ProModule.  Visualizations are provided through additional ProModules.  With visualizations, you can specify various options to determine how they look.  Motion background is placed on top of other background elements and can be limited to the margins setting.  Motion backgrounds can be used with and continue running through transitions.
  • 3D Transitions: 3D transitions are now available through additional ProModules.
  • Shadow Intensity: You can now specify the intensity of shadows.  The semi-transparent option has been replaced by the intensity setting.
  • Shadow Blur: You can now blur shadows to give them a softer effect.
  • Multithreaded Transitions: Unlike previous versions, now when a transition is in progress, you don't have to wait until it is finished before proceeding with another task.  A transition can also be aborted by clicking the next-step button or key.
• Control Window
  • Practice Mode:  If you are using a single monitor system, you can now put SongShow Plus into "practice mode", which will embed the Display Window on the control panel.  This lets you see how songs, slides shows, etc., will look on the display without requiring you to flip back and forth between the control window and the display window.  This also eliminates the nagging workstation message.  Practice Mode is good for use in an office or home or for evaluation purposes.  The Practice Mode window can emulate 4:3 and 16:9 displays.  You can specify practice mode from the Tools > Utilities control panel.
  • Improved Cue support:  You can now cue an separate item (song, slide show, video, etc.) without disrupting the current item being displayed (unlike previous versions).  The media toolbar has been enhanced to support both the displayed item and the cued item.  You can cue up any part of an item even while another slide show or video is playing.
  • Preview Panel:  The Preview Panel has been enhanced.  There are now up to three possible preview windows you can view: Cued Item, Next Slide, and Display.  The Next Slide window is used to show the next slide in a slide show or song sequence.  The Cued Item window is used to show the next cued item (which unlike previous versions, is now different than the next slide).  Each of these windows can be turned on or off.  You can also now arrange them horizontally, vertically, or stacked.  They no longer overlap as in previous versions.
  • Toolbar Re-arrangement:  Toolbars have been re-arrange some to make them easier to use by moving them closer to where they are likely to be used.  The database list buttons have been placed in the Database Panel.  The program control buttons have been placed in the Program Panel.  Additional buttons have been added to make it easier to show and the four control window panels.  A Print Program button has also been added.
  • Media Toolbar Option: You can now hide the media toolbar if you want the additional screen space.
  • Alerts:  Alerts have been moved to the bottom of the Control Window.  The Alerts button no longer beeps, but it does still flash. 
  • Drag 'n Drop ¹: You can now drag and drop files from Windows Explorer on to the file panels in the control window (images, videos, and slide shows).
  • Clear Display ⁴: Added a new toolbar button that is used to "clear" the display.  This removes foreground text and images but leaves the background in place.
• Programs
  • Full-text view:  You can now view the full text of songs, scriptures and slide shows inside the program panel.  This is an option that can be turned on or off.  Turning it of returns to the view method of previous versions.
  • Scripture text shown:  When in non-full-text view, scripture text is now shown in the program panel, making it easier to follow.
  • Auto-cue:  Auto-cue functions a little differently than in previous versions.  When an item is displayed in a program, the next item is now immediately cued up ready to go, even if the item displayed is a slide show or video.  In previous versions, auto-cue simply cued the next step in the program.  This change was made to let auto-cue work more closely with the enhanced cueing capabilities of version 5.5.  You can, of course, still step through a program using the next step buttons and keys.  
  • Program Step ³: The program step is now preserved if you go out and display something from a database panel.  Returning to the program will now continue where you left off, even if it was in the middle of a slide with bullet points.
• Video
  • Enhanced performance:  Video playback has been enhanced through use of DirectShow. 
  • Integrated video:  For certain video formats, video can now be integrated with the SongShow Plus display.  These videos can included in a transition. However, by default on low end systems a windowed video player is used for better performance.
  • Video Device support:  You can now directly display video from various video sources like cameras, VCR/DVD units, tuner cards, etc.  Any OS supported video devices can be used and can be connected through IEEE 1394 ports (a.k.a. Firewire, iLink), USB, and internal capture cards.  Input from a video device can also be used as a motion background.*
  • Position format change ²:  The position of a video files is now presented in a HH:MM:SS:FF format rather than frame number format.
  • Alpha channel support ³:  You can now play videos that contain alpha channel information.  These videos will blend into what ever background you have selected.
• Slide Shows
  • Slide show preview:  You can now preview a slide show from within the slide show builder!
  • Image Rotation:  You can now rotate images in 90° increments.
  • Edit window resizes:  The slide edit area will now grow and shrink based on the slide of the main window. Exception: This feature is not implemented for Windows 98 systems.
  • Shadow properties: The shadow properties can now be set globally for an entire slide show.  Also, a few quirks in how shadows used to work have been corrected.
  • Bullets, Tabs, & Indents: Various fixes and improvements have been made regarding the use of these in slide shows.
  • Partially occluded animated items: In prior versions, an animated object was always rendered over all static objects, even if it was placed below static objects in the slide show builder. this is no longer the case in version 5.5.
  • Multithreaded Animations: Unlike previous versions, now when an animation is in progress, you don't have to wait until it is finished before proceeding with another task.  An animation can also be aborted by clicking the next-step button or key.
  • Drag 'n Drop ¹: In the PhotoShow Builder, you can now drag and drop image files from Windows Explorer on to the image arranger panel.
  • Paste Files ¹: In the PhotoShow Builder, you can now paste files that have been copied to the clipboard from Windows Explorer into the image arranger panel.
  • Paste Images ¹: In the PhotoShow Builder, you can now paste image files directly into the image arranger panel.
  • Rotate Image ¹: In the PhotoShow Builder, you can now rotate images within the arranger panel.
  • Shrink-to-Fit Option ³: Shrink-to-Fit can now be disabled for text boxes in the slide show builder.
  • Display Aspect Ratio ³: The slide show builders now check the monitor settings and will adjust the edit and preview windows accordingly.  This means that if you are using 16:9 aspect ratio for your display, the edit and preview windows will also be in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
  • Default Black Background ³: By default now, the PhotoShow Builder will use a black background rather than the default background.
• Scriptures
  • Scripture text:  The scripture panel has been enhanced to display the text of each verse in a list making it easier to find a particular passage of scripture.
• Other Changes/Enhancements
  • DirectX 9 :  SongShow Plus will now use DirectX 9 if it is installed and if the installed hardware supports the necessary features of DirectX used by SongShow Plus.  This improves the performance of transitions and animations.  SongShow Plus can still be used without DirectX 9, however in this situation, performance will be less optimal and some features will not be available.  You can specify using DirectX or not through the Monitor Options control panel.  You can also specify to synchronize with the Vertical Retrace of the system (to avoid tearing) and to even specify a target FPS (Frame Per Second).  It is recommended to choose 30 FPS or less.
  • Media Extensions ²: Through Media Extensions, additional media types that are not presently implemented in SongShow PLus can be supported through ProModule plugins.
  • File/Folder Copy methods: These have been improved with better pop-up windows and now one-step or step-by-step options for both folder and file copying.³
  • Display Position :  The position of the display window is no longer specified by screen coordinates but now through a percentage of the display monitor size.  This was done to support the new practice mode.
  • Squeeze transition: This transition has been modified to enhance the squeeze effect.
  • Roll transition: This transition has been given an improved look.
  • Older Transitions :  The older transition ProModules (Christmas Transitions and Football Transitions) are presently not compatible with version 5.5.
  • When a program is loaded, and files are missing, the user will be prompted to relocated the files.  This was a features that was removed in a previous version.  It has now been reimplemented.
  • The Show Alerts menu item has been moved to the Tools menu.
  • The Show Toolbar Hints, Show Verse Preview Hints, and Show Flash Tips menu items have been moved to the Preferences window accessible from the Tools menu.
  • The Zoom animation has been changed so that the name matches the effect.  Zoom Out now zooms out and Zoom In now zooms in.  In previous versions, these were reversed.
  • The setup program now sets the necessary permissions on the required registry keys for all users to access SongShow Plus.
  • The Backup / Restore Utility now preserves the folder path of the previous backup made.³
  • By default, the Mute display button now always fades to black.  This can be changed in Tools > Preferences > Mute / Clear Display.⁴
  • The numeric keypad buttons '/' and '*' now toggle mute (fade to black) and clear (show background only).  This can be changed back to the pre-5.5 behavior through Tools > Preferences > Mute / Clear Display.⁴

*Note: Use of video devices in SongShow Plus 5.5 is not compatible with the older Live Video ProModule.  You can still use the Live Video ProModule as long as you do not use any of the new video device features in version 5.5.  Also, please understand that the new video device features are not intended to replace the use of actual video switchers, which do a much better job of switching live camera sources. 

¹These features were implemented in Release 2.
²These features were implemented in Release 3.
³These features were implemented in Release 4.
⁴These features were implemented in Release 5.

Enhancements and changes introduced in version 4.