Just looking for some tips on getting the quickest load times I can with showit. I know how I am if a site takes too long I skip it and move on. What settings does everybody use? Do you presize files to make them smaller? Any tips are appreciated. I'm working on my website and have a showit on the main page. Take a look if you like and see if you think it takes too long. Site is still a work in progress and I have a few different slide show programs on it for testing until I decide which to go with. WULF... Photography

Thanks,
Jeff

I like what you have Jeff. Maybe play with the custom timing of the images... Would be so much more powerful if you had images change with the beat just a bit... I feel some stay too long. I dont think the load time is long for me, about 5 seconds, reasonable.

And if you decide to do that, then at the end of the song, either ask to replay or display the tumbnail gallery... IMO of course.

Cheers.

- Jeff

I'd strongly suggest using a preload image. the 2.5pro version even lets you preload teh 1st image if you want to. As long as it isn't a black page I think you're fine.


oh and just a random FYI, if you change the text color to that of the background, the simpleviewer text will be invisible, although so will all other text in the app

I know it's a little hard to tell but the pictures are actually set to the beat of the music. I just really stretched them out because I didn't want too many on the main page but I didn't want them recycling too fast either. It was set to load first before starting and I changed that. Maybe I can add a few more pics to the show and speed them up a little. Thanks. I just recently did another wedding so I'll probably add a few favorites from that to the main page also.




I'll give the preload a try. Thanks. I never thought about making the text the same color as the background. I'll have to play around with that also. Simpleviewer may not stick around anyways. I like autoviewer more. I think it has more impact. I'm still experimenting with my new crazy site.

Thanks for the tips.

Loaded a little slowly for me....maybe 12 to 15 secs!

I agree about a pre-load image...perhaps include a message on the image that the site is loading, it's 'worth the wait' etc. That definately makes people more patient...they KNOW something is happening, and seeing that first pic is a 'teaser'...so make it a really good one. ha ha ha ha

One way to speed up the load time is by further compressing the music. Being piano only it wouldn't suffer too much with a little lower quality. THAT can dramatically speed up load time. What bitrate is your music compressed to now?

When I'm compressing my mp3's I keep experimenting with lower and lower bitrates....have a listen and decide on just how low I can go! Better the music sound a tiny bit 'tinny' than have someone leave before seeing your photographs.


BTW I use Audacity to compress MP3's....it's FREE!!! Can't beat that!


Annie

I dropped the bit rate down some already but can bring it down further probably. I'm just figuring out Audacity. I've also updated the slide show. I made it so it shows two pictures and switches from side to side. The first one is only about 65k so should speed up load time a little. I'd use a preload but I don't like how it handles it. If you use the first pic from the show it fades out kind of when the show starts. Would be nice if it stayed solid when the show started.

If I use a different slide it will pop up for a sec every time it loops and doesn't look very smooth since the rest is preloaded and just goes away real quick. I'd like more control of the preload picture feature. Length it stays up and whether or not it shows up when the show repeats.

If anyone else wants to look feel free. WULF... Photography

Thanks for all the feedback.