diff --git a/README b/README
index db5044a..e7c43a2 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ make sure you have the required software installed.
 
 On an ubuntu jaunty or karmic system, I required the following packages:
 
-$ sudo apt-get install tk8.5-dev  libfreetype6-dev mesa-common-dev python-opengl libglu1-mesa-dev python-pmw python-pygame python-yaml python-dev libglew1.5-dev
+$ sudo apt-get install tk8.5-dev  libfreetype6-dev mesa-common-dev python-opengl libglu1-mesa-dev python-pmw python-pygame python-yaml python-dev libglew1.5-dev inkscape
 
 Then go into the source directory
 
diff --git a/README.movies b/README.movies
index e483d8a..9329080 100644
--- a/README.movies
+++ b/README.movies
@@ -3,14 +3,51 @@ The pygame movie player is used, which is based on SDL/SMPEG.  It is
 no where near as flexible a player as mplayer, for example.  It plays
 MPEG-1 video, and MPEG-2 audio ... and even then it is rather fussy.
 
+Script
+*******************
+
+in ${SLITHY_SRC_DIR}/utils there is a to_pygame_movie.py script 
+for converting xvidcap 
+
+Notes:
+1) xvidcap->settings->XDamage disabled for OpenGL capture
+
+2) ${SLITHY_SRC_DIR}/utils/to_pygame_movie.py test-0000.mpg
+-> generates "pygame_test-0000.mpeg_30fps.avi"
+
+
+Manual
+*******************
+
 In short, encode mpegs for this module as the following example:
 
-mencoder something_completely.flv -vf scale=320:240 -of mpeg -mpegopts \
-format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 \
-  -o test.mpg -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac twolame \
--twolameopts br=160 \
+mencoder something_completely.flv -vf scale=320:240 -of mpeg -mpegopts format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 \
+  -o test.mpg -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac twolame -twolameopts br=160 \
+  -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=1152:keyint=15:mbd=2
+
+mencoder rtf_cut.avi -vf scale=400:300 -of mpeg -mpegopts format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 \
+  -o rtf_cut_pygame.mpg -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac copy \
   -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=1152:keyint=15:mbd=2
 
+mencoder -really-quiet -lavdopts threads=4 "dv3d_waxholm_labels.mpeg" -ovc raw -nosound -vf scale,format=i420,harddup  -ofps 30 -of rawvideo -o - | x264 --crf 18 --partitions none --me dia --merange 4 --mvrange 64 --subme 0 --no-chroma-me --aq-mode 0 --threads auto --no-cabac --no-deblock --no-psnr --no-ssim --progress --fps 30 --output "dv3d_30fps.avi" - 1380x758
+
+mencoder  dv3d_30fps.avi -vf scale=640:480 -of mpeg -mpegopts format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 \
+  -o dv3d.mpg -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac copy \
+  -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=1152:keyint=15:mbd=2
+
+
+804x824
+
+mencoder -really-quiet -lavdopts threads=4 "waxholm_cortex.mpeg" -ovc raw -nosound -vf scale,format=i420,harddup  -ofps 30 -of rawvideo -o - | x264 --crf 18 --partitions none --me dia --merange 4 --mvrange 64 --subme 0 --no-chroma-me --aq-mode 0 --threads auto --no-cabac --no-deblock  --fps 30 --output "waxholm_cortex_30fps.avi" - 804x824
+
+mencoder  waxholm_cortex_30fps.avi -vf scale=640:480 -of mpeg -mpegopts format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 \
+  -o pygame_waxholm_cortex_30fps.avi -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac copy \
+  -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=1152:keyint=15:mbd=2
+
+
+
+
+
 For cutting:
 
 Mencoder docs:
diff --git a/slithy/slidereader.py b/slithy/slidereader.py
index d984ed0..f0883ca 100644
--- a/slithy/slidereader.py
+++ b/slithy/slidereader.py
@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ def load_slide_content(content):
 
 def gen_ppm_name(cache_dir,filename,slide):
         return os.path.join(cache_dir,filename+'_-%.2d.ppm' % slide)
+
+def gen_err_ppm_name(cache_dir,filename,slide):
+        return os.path.join(cache_dir,filename+'_-%.1d.ppm' % slide)
     
 
 def setup_cachedir(path):
@@ -227,6 +230,16 @@ def pdf2ppm_cache(filename,slides):
             final_cmd = cmd % (slide,slide)
             print final_cmd
             os.system(final_cmd)
+            # fix problem with slides <10 coming out with 1 instead of 01 for slide # in filename 
+            if not os.path.exists(target_file):
+                print "Caught - pdf2ppm bad slide filename numbering"
+                err_target_file = gen_err_ppm_name(cache_dir,pdf_name,slide)
+                os.rename(err_target_file, target_file)
+
+            if not os.path.exists(target_file):
+                raise RuntimeError, "problem getting expected slide file on pdf conversion"
+                
+                
 
         img = diaimage.get_image(target_file)
         print 'target_file: ', img
diff --git a/utils/to_pygame_movie.py b/utils/to_pygame_movie.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..704365c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/to_pygame_movie.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+# to_pygame_movie.sh movie_name
+
+#sudo apt-get install python-kaa-metadata
+
+import kaa.metadata
+import os
+import sys
+
+
+try:
+  filename = sys.argv[1]
+except IndexError:
+  print "usage: to_pygame_movie.py infile"
+  sys.exit(1)
+
+info = kaa.metadata.parse(filename)
+
+d = {'f':filename}
+d['w'] = info.header['hdrl']['avih']['dwWidth']
+d['h'] = info.header['hdrl']['avih']['dwHeight']
+d['out_w'] = 640
+d['out_h'] = 480
+
+# convert to 30fps
+s = "mencoder -really-quiet -lavdopts threads=4 %(f)s -ovc raw -nosound -vf scale,format=i420,harddup  -ofps 30 -of rawvideo -o - | x264 --crf 18 --partitions none --me dia --merange 4 --mvrange 64 --subme 0 --no-chroma-me --aq-mode 0 --threads auto --no-cabac --no-deblock  --fps 30 --output %(f)s_30fps.avi - %(w)dx%(h)d" % d
+
+err = os.system(s)
+
+if err!=0:
+  print "Step 0 failed. aborting."
+
+# encode for pygame
+
+s = "mencoder  %(f)s_30fps.avi -vf scale=%(out_w)d:%(out_h)d -of mpeg -mpegopts format=mpeg1:tsaf:muxrate=2000 -o pygame_%(f)s_30fps.avi -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100 -oac copy -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video:vbitrate=1152:keyint=15:mbd=2" % d
+
+err = os.system(s)
+
+if err!=0:
+  print "Step 0 failed. aborting."
+else:
+  print "Success -> pygame_%s_30fps.avi" % (filename)
+