10/29/2010 10:16:09 AM

Presently, SongShow Plus lets you register third-party file types in the Slide Show panel. This capability has been in place since version 3.  It's purpose is to let you use other third-party presentation-type files (other than PowerPoint which is already supported). The mechanism is fairly crude. Presentation of the file takes place by simply executing a Windows Shell command. At that point, SSP looses all control of the presented file. SSP also cannot control where the file is actually presented (i.e, which monitor, embedded monitor, etc). For these reasons, and a few others, I question its value.

Is anyone using this feature? If so, please let us know what third-party files you are presenting. This feature is scheduled to be removed.

10/29/2010 6:24:00 PM

Is this feature related to the "User Tools" menu which is found under "Utilities"?
Because I find that to be useful. And I would be all over it if you could have one of them execute when you display a item.

10/29/2010 10:44:52 PM

1. No its not, and 2. I'm both baffled and intrriqued by what you are suggesting.

10/29/2010 11:07:50 PM

For DVD playback, because of the many issues with me being in a country that has PAL, and being region 4 etc, I have a small application I made, that when executed it starts playing of the DVD that's cued, and after 2 seconds (to account for Spin up time) make it the focused application.
Or if there's a specific thing that needs to be done, I'll just write up a small script/ single purpose application to do what I want.

10/30/2010 10:53:45 AM

I didn't know about the feature, so I haven't used it.

However, at Conference this year, one of the agencies did their presentation in Prezi. Is this something like what we could launch?

10/30/2010 9:29:09 PM

However, at Conference this year, one of the agencies did their presentation in Prezi. Is this something like what we could launch?

If the file can be presented by right-clicking on it in Windows Explorer and then playing using something like a Play, Run, or Open menu command, then SongShow Plus can be configured include it in the slide show database panel and then fire it when the Present button is pressed. This is, up until the October 2010 Edition, where this feature is all but removed.

10/30/2010 11:11:17 PM

No. This was packaged with a Prezi.exe file, which you clicked and found the files it was packaged for. It's a specialized SWF file.

10/30/2010 11:26:55 PM

Lucas, you've got my mind going on something here. Perhaps we should add the capability for SSP to fire off script files like JavaScript or PowerShell. If those could be included in a program list or an improv panel, it would open up a whole new world for those some users.

10/30/2010 11:32:44 PM

That would be awesome! (I often do this don't I?)

10/30/2010 11:34:00 PM

I think it would be better for it to execute whatever file is selected using the default program within the OS. That way, if you were crafty you could execute a batch file, a custom app.

11/16/2010 8:50:57 AM

Doug and Lucas:
Are you suggesting that SSP from a Program Item or an improv panel could run scripts or even other programs?

I'm really thinking about SSP controlling (selecting pre-defined presets) a lighting panel thru a MIDI or serial interface(i read about this over at CMN but didn't fully understand it) or even when presenting a video could change the video switch to the computer input automatically. Something like this could open up a lot of things that currently need to be run separately (and maybe by another person)

this sounds very interesting....

11/18/2010 3:22:30 AM

SSP does not have this functionality as of now. However, I did suggest it above. Bear in mind, how I suggested it, you would have to manually create a application (no biggie for me) to do what you want.

11/18/2010 8:33:26 AM

I have never used it. I only get PPT presentation. There was another product that produced self contained presentations (exported) in a ".exe" format; but I haven't seen one of those in years. And when I did get one, I just ran it from windows.