Found a (choke) easier way to get PowerPoint slides exported as 640x480 bitmaps...
Just use regedit to create a new dword value called ExportBitmapResolution here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\PowerPoint\Options (for PowerPoint 2010).
The Microsoft instructions suggest I should use "64" as the value, but I need "45" for some reason...
Anyway, after this simple tweak, when you save your slides as BMP, they come out as 640x480 in exactly the right format...
OBC forced me to give a presentation at UPEC and since didn't have anything ready, decided to try this PropBOE DVI/VGA contraption to show Ken's slides...
Worked pretty well, but unfortunately, tried to do some last minute code tweaking, which resulted in repeatedly showing slides #1 and #10 and that's all...
Still, I think that showed that it can work in a real life scenerio (just don't mess with the code right before).
I think I've fixed a bug in the driver that I noticed while demo'ing at UPEC... The screen would go blank mysteriously after some random time...
This was pretty much driving me crazy, but I think I have the solution now. Still not 100% on what the problem was though...
It only appeared after change the pins from those of Propeller Platfrom to those for PropBOE. But, not sure if that was the real problem, might be chip-chip variation.
I think the chip behaves slightly different from what the datasheet says. Anyway, a simple change seems to have made it 100% stable.
(datasheet implies I can change databus data while write signal is low and it only latches it when write goes high. But, it seems that this is not true and you must hold the data constant when you toggle the write signal)
I'm running Ken's slideshow overnight now to make sure it's 100% stable...
OBC forced me to give a presentation at UPEC and since didn't have anything ready, decided to try this PropBOE DVI/VGA contraption to show Ken's slides...
@Ray, thanks for being willing to an impromptu demonstration and showing your work on this. It's an impressive setup.
Thanks OBC. I believe the last bug has been stomped out now... The setup was showing Ken's slides for 2 days straight without stopping, so I think it's 100% stable now. Just shipped the whole setup to Ken including the PropBOE (easy come, easy go), just so there's no questions on how to put it together.
Here's the latest code version: ken3 - Archive [Date 2012.06.27 Time 19.40].zip
Comments
My projector also has an HDMI input, so I tried that out for fun... The yellow thing is a simple DVI to HDMI adapter:
Here are some more slide photos via projector (they look the same as with VGA really):
Perhaps a mix... Ken uses your setup and the class use the lower grade resolution. Shows off the props capabilities even more.
Just use regedit to create a new dword value called ExportBitmapResolution here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\PowerPoint\Options (for PowerPoint 2010).
The Microsoft instructions suggest I should use "64" as the value, but I need "45" for some reason...
Anyway, after this simple tweak, when you save your slides as BMP, they come out as 640x480 in exactly the right format...
Worked pretty well, but unfortunately, tried to do some last minute code tweaking, which resulted in repeatedly showing slides #1 and #10 and that's all...
Still, I think that showed that it can work in a real life scenerio (just don't mess with the code right before).
This was pretty much driving me crazy, but I think I have the solution now. Still not 100% on what the problem was though...
It only appeared after change the pins from those of Propeller Platfrom to those for PropBOE. But, not sure if that was the real problem, might be chip-chip variation.
I think the chip behaves slightly different from what the datasheet says. Anyway, a simple change seems to have made it 100% stable.
(datasheet implies I can change databus data while write signal is low and it only latches it when write goes high. But, it seems that this is not true and you must hold the data constant when you toggle the write signal)
I'm running Ken's slideshow overnight now to make sure it's 100% stable...
@Ray, thanks for being willing to an impromptu demonstration and showing your work on this. It's an impressive setup.
OBC
Here's the latest code version:
ken3 - Archive [Date 2012.06.27 Time 19.40].zip