Manual IC3 Designer ExtendedAuthoring R6

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Copyright 1993-2003 Scala, Inc. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication, nor any parts of this package, may be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, recorded, photocopied, stored in aretrieval system, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, manual, orotherwise, or disclosed to third parties without the prior written permission of Scala Incorporated.

TRADEMARKS

Scala, the exclamation point logo, and InfoChannel are registered trademarks of Scala, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the soleproperty of their respective companies.

The following are trademarks or registered trademarks of the companies listed, in the United States and/or other countries:

Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, DirectX, DirectDraw, DirectSound, ActiveX, ActiveMovie, Outlook, Verdana, JScript: MicrosoftCorporation

IBM, IBM-PC: International Business Machines Corporation

Intel, Pentium, Indeo: Intel Corporation

Radius, Cinepak: Radius Incorporated

Ligos: Ligos Corporation

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Type Manager, Acrobat, ATM, PostScript: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Macromedia, Flash, Flash Player logo:Macromedia Incorporated

Laserjet, HP: Hewlett-Packard Corporation

UNIX: The Open GroupTrueType, QuickTime, Macintosh:Apple Computer, Incorporated

Agfa:Agfa-Gevaert AG, Agfa Division, Bayer Corporation

The typeface name Segoe is a trademark of Agfa Monotype Corporation.

The typeface names Flash and Folio are trademarks of Bauer Types S.A.

Some parts are derived from the RSA Data Security, Inc. MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm.

JPEG file handling is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

Lexsaurus Speller Technology Copyright 1992, 1997 by Lexsaurus Software Inc. All rights reserved.

TIFF-LZW and/or GIF-LZW: Licensed under Unisys Corporation US Patent No. 4,558,302; End-User use restricted to use on only a singlepersonal computer or workstation which is not used as a server.

WARRANTIES AND DISCLAIMERS

The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any country where such provisions are inconsistent with local Law:

SCALA INCORPORATED PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION AS IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHEREXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE LIMITED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FIT-NESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer or express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore,this statement may not apply to you.

This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these

changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. Scala may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the pro-gram(s) described in this publication at any time.

It is possible that this publication may contain reference to, or information about, Scala products or services that are not announced in your coun-try. Such references or information must not be construed to mean that Scala intends to announce such Scala products or services in your country.

Requests for technical information about Scala products should be made to your Scala Authorized Distributor, Dealer or your Scala Marketing Rep-resentative.

Scala may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give youany license to these patents. Send license inquiries, in writing, to Scala Incorporated, One East Uwchlan Ave., Suite 300, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341USA.

This manual was produced by Ross Hippely, Marc Rifkin and Tracey Waldron.


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Table of Contents 3

Preface 7ICDesigner resources on the Web 7

1: Using sound 10Sound sources 10How ICDesigner manages sound 12The Sound menu 14Controlling different types of sound 15Using sound samples 17Using MIDI files 24Using audio CDs 27

Using the Mixer 37Defining several sound events 42

2: Making scripts interactive 46Getting started: creating simple buttons 47Working in the Design Buttons menu 52Button states and state events 54

Select Action options 57Other Action options 62Appearance options 65Using predefined buttons and presets 69Working with Toggle and Radio buttons 71Working with Text Entry Fields 73Editing buttons 78Creating more advanced buttons 79Using the Input menu for custom input options 82

Table of Contents


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3: Branching and using variables 88

A simple Go To branch 88Variables and expressions in the Branch menu 89Branching with the Branch menu 97Controlling script flow with branches 100Using sub-scripts 112

4: Scheduling InfoChannel Designer 3 events 116Scheduling and the Scala InfoChannel Player 116Types of scheduling 119Working in the Schedule menu 122Scheduling with more complex scripts 136How not to schedule 137

5: Printing scripts with ScalaPrint 142Understanding ScalaPrint terminology 142The ScalaPrint menu 144ScalaPrint tabbed options 145Different layouts for different pages 153

6: Publishing with InfoChannel Designer 3 156Multiple media publishing 156Publishing features 158Publishing to InfoChannel Network 160Publishing to CD-ROM 167Publishing to a file 170Publishing to Web component 172Publishing to e-mail 175Publishing to HTML slides 177Publishing to video 180Completing publication of a script 185EX installation required on playback systems 188Microsoft components 189


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7: Additional InfoChannel Designer 3 EXes 192

Launch EX 193Log EX 194TextFile EX 197Serial EX 202Billing EX 212MCI MPEG EX 215Optibase EX 222Queue EX 228Windows Scripting EX 236File I/O EX 240

8: Using the Multi-tile Editor 242How multi-tiles work 242

The Multi-tile Editor 244Working in the Multi-tile Editor 251

Appendix A: Function and variable reference 258Standard ICDesigner functions 258System variables 265

Sound function 266File I/O functions 266Sound variables 266Operators 268

Appendix B: Licensing issues 271GIF and TIFF files 271ICDesigner fonts, backgrounds and sounds 272Media not provided by Scala 273Using Scala trademarks 274Understanding the license agreement 274Third party redistributable software 275


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Appendix C: The ScalaScript language 277

What is ScalaScript? 277Why ScalaScript? 279Using ScalaScript 281Experimenting with ScalaScript 282Switching between menus and ScalaScript 285

Appendix D: Possible problems and errors 287Errors 292

Index 293


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Preface This volume of the InfoChannel Designer 3 Users Guide, ExtendedAuthoring and Publishing, covers certain authoring features of ScalaInfoChannel Designer 3 that not all script authors need, as well asICDesigners publishing capability for distributed multimediamul-timedia content that can easily be delivered when and where you wantit, whether the final destination is in another room, another city, or

another country.Note that additional documents in electronic form may be installed onyour system, accessible through Start menu shortcuts. The most up todate versions of these documents, as well as a wide variety of otherhelpful information, are available on Scalas Web site,http://www.scala.com.

ICDesigner resources on the Web

Scalas Web site, http://www.scala.com, is an important resource forICDesigner customers, dealers, and VARs. For answers to questionsyou cant find in the Users Guides, as well as downloads and addi-tional information relevant to ICDesigner users, the Scala Web site

should be your first stop.Pages you will find at the Scala Web site provide:

General product information, press releases, contact data

Technical support:

Registration

Troubleshooting FAQs Problem report submission Recommended hardware configurations


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Preface

ICDesigner resources on the Web

Downloads:

Software updates and demos Bonus art packs Sample scripts Additional documentation on EXes and ScalaScript

VAR resources:

Forum Service packs Technical support and training

Customer case studies

Third-party support links


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1: Using soundAny type of soundmusic, voices, the sound of a creaking door, amouse-button click or a big-city street cornercan be used toenhance an InfoChannel Designer 3 script.

The right sound applied at the right time not only attracts attentionbut also helps create a more vibrant viewing experience. When syn-chronized with on-screen activity such as a text wipe, page transitionor animation, sound adds life to the message you are presenting. Asimple voice-over recording can often replace pages of less dynamictext, and adding sound helps attract and maintain the interest of theaudience. Sound is another ICDesigner element that enables you tocreate a script that has the impact and appearance of a polished televi-sion production.

Sound sources

There are three basic sources for sounds that can be played by thecomputer and used in an ICDesigner script.

Samples: Sound samplesare sounds that are digitally recorded andavailable as files on your hard disk or network, or on a diskette or

CD-ROM.

The original sound is converted into a digital format that thecomputer can interpret and reproduce. This is done by takingsamples of the sound at periodic intervals. The number of samplestaken per second, that is the sampling rate, is expressed in hertz(for example 44100 Hz) or kilohertz (44.1 kHz). The higher the

sampling rate, the more closely the digitized sound resembles theoriginal. All audio compact discs (CDs), for example, have a fixed


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Sound sources

sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, but 22 kHz is typical for most multi-

media sound files where high fidelity is generally less necessary.

In addition to the sampling rate, the quality of a sound samplealso depends on the sampling precision. This is expressed in bits,and reflects the level of accuracy used to measure the changes inamplitudethe up and down fluctuationsof the originalsound. An 8-bit sample stores the sounds amplitude as one of 256different values, whereas a 16-bit sample is much more precise

because it can choose from 65,536 values. The most commontypes of sound-sample file on the PC are wave files with the file-type extension .WAV and .MP3 files that use MPEG techniquesfor extreme compression.

MIDI files:A MIDI file is the digital equivalent of a musicalscore, representing the notes, rests, orchestration and dynamics.

The score is created electronically using, alone or in various com-binations, a computer, a hardware device or software programcalled a sequencer, and an electronic keyboard or other controller.MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is the standard thatdefines the way in which these devices are physically connectedand the way in which they communicate with one another. MIDI

0

255

soundamplitude

and

samplevalue(8-bit)

time

sampled sound wave

samples


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How ICDesigner manages sound

also defines the standard for the format of the files that contain

the score. These files have the file-type extension .MID.Because the score is electronically recorded and reproduced,MIDI files are extremely accurate. The musical parameters thatMIDI files can store include pitch, timing, volume, velocity (theforce with which notes are struck), and instrument-specific perfor-mance nuances such as the use of the pedal on a piano, or vibratoon a guitar.

ICDesigner includes a MIDI player or conductor that reads thescore and sends the notes to a MIDI sound module. This can be apart of the sound card installed in your PC or an external devicesuch as an electronic instrument connected by MIDI cables.

Audio compact discs: Most CD-ROM drives also enable you toaccess and play tracks on standard audio CDs. If your CD-ROM

drive has this capability, ICDesigner can use it. This means thatyou can coordinate activities in a script with high-fidelity music.


The Mixer in ICDesigner enables you to combine sounds from each ofthese as stereo sources, plus two others.

You can globally adjust the volume of one source relative to each ofthe others, and you can set all sounds currently playing to new volumelevels, which can take effect immediately or over time. The Mixer also

Mixer Mixer

MasterVolume Pan

Left audio

Right audio

output

output

Volume

Master

Pan

CD audio

MIDI

Samples

Microphone

Line input


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lets you control the volume of a microphone and a stereo line-level

external device such as a VCR or tape recorder. You may want to dothis, for example, to simultaneously fade out music in the backgroundof the script and increase the volume of a microphone in preparationfor a speech.

Sound optionsThe Sound options available to you depend on the type of sound you

are working with. The ability to take full advantage of the opportuni-ties they offer depends on the equipment, especially the sound card (ifany), installed in the PC used to run your script.

For example, most CD-ROM drives enable you to play an audio CDeven if you do not have a sound card installed. Without a sound card,however, you cannot use the Mixer to mix the sound with othersources and, even then, this capability varies from card to card. Or, if

the sound card is monophonic and not able to produce stereophonicsound, the Pan (balance) controls can be adjusted but have no effect.

Escaping hardware limitationsAlthough ICDesigner cannot overcome all of the limitations imposedby your equipment, there are many technical details it handles auto-matically that would pose insurmountable problems in most other

multimedia applications.

For example, ICDesigners sound technology eliminates many worriesinvolving sample playback on typical sound hardware. Most soundcards can play only one sample file at a time, and cannot play soundsthat use sample rates different from the ones it supports. ICDesignersaudio processing software lets you play several samples at once, and

even can perform real-time sample rate conversion if your sound fileswere sampled at different rates. Similarly, sample precision is handledautomatically.

So if you have an 8-bit sound card, you can still use 16-bit sound sam-ple files, or play an 8-bit sample on a 16-bit card. Even use 11-kHz,22-kHz, and 44.1-kHz files in the same script, at the same time.


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The Sound menu

Although there can be some reduction in sound quality, in many cases

the difference is unnoticeable.In general, you do not need to worry about the technical aspects ofsound; ICDesigner takes care of them automatically whenever possi-ble. Once you have configured your sound card in Microsoft Win-dows so that it works properly outside ICDesigner, furtheradjustments should not be needed.

The Sound menu

You see the Sound menu when you click on a button in the Soundcol-umn corresponding to an element in the List menu or a page in theMain menu. The Sound menu is also accessible from the Design But-tons menu, when specifying a sound for a button state transition.

In the Sound menu, there are four available panels let you select whichtype of sound event you want to work with: Sample,MIDI, CD, or

Mixer.

Each type of event has a list of commands, and each command in turnmay have its own set of options and parameters that you use to define

the details of the sound event.The Command: pop-up in the upper left corner of each panel deter-mines which options you see. Clicking on the Command: pop-upshows you the list of possible commands associated with that type ofsound. When you choose a command, the pop-up shows the name ofthe command, and the set of applicable controls for that command, ifany, appears in the panel.

Command: pop-up


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Controlling different types of sound

When the Soundbutton in the List menu or Main menu is blank, it

means that no sound of any type is currently applied to the element orpage. When you click on a blankSoundbutton for the first time dur-ing an ICDesigner working session, you see the Sound menu shown inthe preceding illustration. Otherwise, you see the panel for the type ofsound you worked with most recently for that event.

When the Soundbutton is not blank, it means that a sound event isalready applied to the element in the List menu or page in the Main

menu. The text on the button specifies each sound event that is cur-rently applied; that is, the type of sound and the command defined.

In the page row shown below, for example, the Soundbutton indicatesthat when the script reaches page 2 a sound sample is scheduled toplay. (You might need to adjust the width of the Soundcolumn to seeall the information about the sound events. See the section Customiz-ing columns on page 53 in chapter 2 of the Basic Authoring guide.)

When you click on aSoundbutton containing text, you see the Soundmenu and the panel for that type of sound event.

If at any time the command you see is not the one you want to workwith:

1. Click the tab for the panel of the type of sound event you want toapply.

2. Choose the desired command from the Command: pop-up.

The commands available for each type of sound event are discussed inthe following section.


Defining a sound event in your ICDesigner script inserts an instruc-tion that is similar to a cue in the script of a stage play. In the theaterscript, a cue may direct the actors to move to stage left or the techni-
http://ba-02.pdf/http://ba-02.pdf/


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cian to dim the lights. In your ICDesigner script, the sound event may

initiate a special sound effect or adjust the volume of a musical trackthat is already playing.

In both cases, the cue indicates exactly when and where an actionshould occur, and it specifies the result that must be achieved regard-less of any other previous or on-going activity. And, in both cases, theeffect of the cue may be brief or long lasting.

Each type of soundSample, MIDI, CDhas a set of possibleevents, each of which has its own panel, as does the Mixer. You accessthe set by clicking on the panel tab corresponding to the type of soundevent you want to work with, and then choose the exact type of eventfrom the Command: pop-up list.

You can only specify one command for each type of sound in a singlesound event, but you can specify commands for more than one sound

type in one sound event. For example, you could put both a MIDIcommand and a Mixer command in the same event.

The events available for each type of sound are summarized in the fol-lowing table.

Sample MIDI CD Mixer

None None None None

Play Play Play Volume

Wait Wait Play MSF Pan

Stop Stop Sync

Volume Pause Wait

Pan Resume Stop

Volume Pause

Pan ResumeEject

Read Contents

Next

Previous

Volume

Pan


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The name of the command is shown on the pop-up, and that name

also appears on a button in the Soundcolumn that uses such an event.Noneis used to remove a sound event for the particular sound type.When the pop-up reads None, no sound event of that type is appliedto the current element or page.

The controls for each event include settings that define the event, aswell as options that make it possible to coordinate sound events withother script events.

In the table, notice that several sound events are common to the differ-ent sound types. Many of the options in the panels that define thesecommon sound events are the same, regardless of the type of soundassociated with the panel. The settings have the same effect and thecontrols work the same way.

As a result, the discussion that follows begins by defining each of the

sound events and controls associated with the Samplepanel and, there-after, discusses only the things that are different for each of the othertypes of sound.

Click on Previewat any time to test the sounds and settings you defineand to hear how well they fit into the events already applied to the cur-rent page.

Remember, however, that even though the Command: pop-up mightindicate that no sound of a particular type is applied (None), a soundmay be playing as the result of events on a previous page. When youclick on Previewin the Sound menu, you hear only the sounds appliedspecifically to the current page. Use the Previewbutton in the List orMain menu to see and hear what actually happens with pages sur-rounding the one you are working with.

Using sound samples

Sample Play commandThis command enables you to select a sample file and access the com-mand panel for sampled sounds.


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1. In the Samplepanel, choose Playon the Command: pop-up. You

see the Command:Playpanel, which looks like this:

2. Click on the File: button to open the File dialog.

You can listen to any of the sounds using the Previewicon in theFile dialog toolbar. (When you preview sounds in the File dialog,the ICDesigner screen or window goes blank while the soundplays. Click the mouse to end the preview and see the File dialog

again.)3. When you find the sound you want, double-click on the name of

the file or click on OK.

On the File: button, you now see the name of the file you selected.To define the details of the Playevent, adjust the settings in thepanel as necessary to play the sound sample you selected. You can

define the settings in any order and at any time. Each control inthe panel and its purpose, possible settings and ultimate effect inthe script, are described below.

Loopsdefines the number of times the sample is played before the nextpage in the script is displayed or the sample is stopped. You can specifya number between one (1) and ninety-nine (99) or an infinite repeatsetting ().

The infinite repeat setting is useful when you dont know exactly whenthe event should stop. In an interactive script, for example, you oftenwant music to continue playing in the background until someonepresses an on-screen button.

Use the Loopsvalue control to define the number of plays you want. Ifthe setting is, the sample doesnt stop until the next time a sample


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Stop command is encountered in the script or it is otherwise inter-

rupted. The default setting is 1.Volumecontrols the loudness of the sound. Adjust the volume bydragging the slider to the position you want on the volume control.The sound gets progressively louder as the slider moves from left toright.

The intensity and quality of the sound that is heard at the minimum

and maximum settings is determined by the sound card. There is nor-mally no audible sound at the lowest setting, but from some cards youmight hear low-level noise when the sound is amplified by your audiosystem or computer speakers.

To ensure the highest sound quality from the card, it is common tofirst set the volume in the Playpanel to the maximum level and adjustthe volume of the external amplifier as necessary to produce the loud-

est sound needed. Then go back to the Playpanels of the individualsounds and set the Volumesliders to the desired levels.

The volume setting is at the maximum level by default.

Fade In Timeallows you to gradually increase the volume of the soundfrom zero to the level set on the Volumecontrol.

The setting ranges from zero (0) to ninety-nine (99) seconds. When

the setting is zero, the sound sample starts to play immediately at theloudness level defined by the Volumecontrol.

Use the Fade In Timevalue control to make the adjustment. Thedefault time is zero and there is no fade-in period.

If you have a stereophonic (stereo) sound card and amplification sys-tem, the Pan control changes the balance of the sound going to the left

and right channels, moving the position the sound appears to be com-ing from. When the slider is in the center position, the same amountof sound is produced by each speaker. If the speakers are positionedequally to the left and right of the listening audience, the sound isheard as though it is coming from a position in the middle.


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Dragging the Pan slider to the left or right of the center increases the

amount of sound coming from one speaker as it decreases the amountcoming from the other. When the slider is at the far left of the control,for example, no sound comes from the right speaker.

Changing the Pan setting of the sound can be very effective when thesound is coordinated with the position of an element on the screen.

Unless you specifically change the setting, ICDesigner assumes the

sound should be balanced and the Pan slider is in the center position.If you have a monophonic (mono) card or system, adjusting the Pancontrol has no effect.

Wait?instructs ICDesigner to wait until this sound event is finishedbefore proceeding to the next event in the script. When Wait?is on(), nothing new happens in the script until the sound event is com-pleted.

This overrides any pause setting. For example, if the sound sample youare using is 15 seconds long and a pause setting applied to the elementor page is 10 seconds, the sample will be allowed to finish before thescript continues to the next page.

IfWait?is off, after the sound starts, other scriptevents occur according to schedule. The sound can

continue in the background as the script progressesuntil it stops naturally, stops because it has completedthe number of repetitions you defined in the Loopssetting, or stops because you define a sample Stopcommand later in the script.

The Wait? button is available in several Sound menupanels for Sample, MIDI, CD, and the Mixer. By default, is off; that

is, the script can continue although the sound events may still be tak-ing place. LeavingWait?off for one or more events can let you haveseveral sound events going on in the script at the same time. For exam-ple, music from a CD may be playing in the background when a but-ton pops up on the screen with a sampled sound as it appears.

ICDesigner Note

When Loopsis infinite, the

Wait option works like this: ifWait?is on, the sound contin-

ues until the page advances

from interactive input. IfWait?

is off, the page advances

when all remaining elements

on the page have completed.


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Sample Wait command

Like the Wait?button, the sample Waitcommand causes script execu-tion to stop and wait for the completion of a sound sample event. Thedifference is that the Wait?button is an additional option for the cur-rentsound sample event (which may be to play a sample, or fade it out,etc.). The sample Waitcommand stands on its own, and causes thescript to wait for aprecedingsound sample to finish playing. It ensuresthat the current element or page continues to be displayed until any

sound samples are done.In other words, you use the Wait?button only when you want thescript to pause and wait for this sound event. Use the Waitcommandwhen for an earlier sound event you needed the script to continueyou left its Wait?button offand now at a later point you need thescript to wait for that sound event to finish. For example, you mightneed to ensure that narration which accompanies the on-screen activ-

ity for several pages is finished before the script proceeds to the nextexplanation or series of events.

The Waitcommand has no parameters, so its command panel isblank.

Coordinating several sound eventsICDesigner lets you play as many sample files at a time as you want. If

there are several continuing sound samples in the script, the sampleWaitcommand waits for all samples to complete before the script con-tinues.

When you need to ensure that several events continuing over severalpages must all be finished before the script continues, a useful optionis to group pages in the Main menu. When you apply the Playsoundevent to the group, you must also ensure that the Wait?button in thecommand panel is on (). For details about grouping pages, seeGrouping pages on page 72 in chapter 2 of the Basic Authoringguide.
http://ba-02.pdf/http://ba-02.pdf/


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Sample Stop command

This sound event stops all sound samples currently playing. The Sam-plepanel for the command looks like this:

The function of the Fade Out Timecontrol and the time range avail-able is the same as the Fade In Timecontrol in the Playcommandpanel. In this case, however, the time specifies the number of secondsthat ICDesigner should use to reduce (rather than increase) the vol-

ume of all the samples currently in effect.The volume levels of the samples may vary when a sample Stop soundevent begins, but they are all reduced to zero, no sound, during thetime allowed. For example, when the Fade Out Timeis 3, all soundsamples diminish in loudness until, after three seconds, no sample canbe heard.

The default fade-out time is 0 sampled sound stops immediately.Wait?is available only when a non-zero fade-out time is specified.

When Wait?is on () the script will not continue to the next activityuntil the all samples have completely faded out.

The Wait?setting has priority over a pause setting. For example, if theFade Out Timeis 10 seconds and the pause setting applied to the ele-

ment or page is 5 seconds, the full 10-second fade completes beforethe script continues.


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Sample Volume command

This events command panel looks like this:

To set the loudness for all currently playing sound samples, drag theVolumeslider to the position you want.

The default Volumesetting is 255, the maximum level. If you dontchange it, any samples playing at a lower level will increase in intensitywhen this command executes.

Fade Timespecifies the number of seconds that ICDesigner shouldtake to adjust the volumes of the samples currently playing so that theymatch the level you set in the Volumecontrol. The sound will gradu-ally fade up or down to the level set byVolume.

The function of the Fade Timecontrol and the value range available isthe same as the Fade In Timecontrol in the Playcommand panel. Bydefault, the Fade Time is zero and the volume levels are adjustedimmediately.

The Wait?button is available only with a non-zero Fade Time. WhenWait?is on () and a Fade Time is specified, the script will not con-tinue to the next activity until the fade completes. When Wait?is off,some of the samples may not reach the established volume level until

later in the script. By default, Wait?is off.

Sample Pan commandThis sound event lets you apply the same Pan setting to all sound sam-ples currently playing. This shifts the current samples apparent loca-tion between the left and right speakers. This event has no effect on asystem whose sound card is monophonic rather than stereo.


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Using MIDI files

The Pan command panel looks like this:

To adjust the balance so that it is the same for all sound samples cur-rently playing, drag the Pan slider left or right until the sound is in theposition you want.

You can continue to work in the Sound menu and define sound eventsof other types for the current element or page, or youcan click on the Soundbutton in the List menu or

Main menu and define sound events for a differentelement or page.

Using MIDI files

If your sound card is able to play MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital

Interface) files, it should be set up correctly in Windows before youbegin. If you have external MIDI equipment, it also needs to be set upproperly beforehand.

When a MIDI file is playing, the MIDI equipment is dedicated toplaying that file. This means that you can control only one MIDI filein the script at a time. Remember that when one file starts playing, anyother MIDI file that is currently playing is stopped.

MIDI Play commandThis event lets you select a MIDI file and adjust the controls thatdetermine how it should be played.

Remember

You can define only one Samplesound event per element or page.


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Using MIDI files

With two exceptions, the MIDI Playcommand panel is the same as

the sample Playcommand panel (page 17). The steps to access thepanel are also the same:

1. Click on theMIDItab, then choose Playfrom the Command:pop-up to display the MIDI Playcommand panel. The Soundmenu looks like this:

2. Click on the File: button and, from the File dialog, select the

MIDI file you want to use.3. Double-click on the name of the file or click on OK. You see the

Sound menu and, on the File: button, you now see the name ofthe MIDI file you selected.

Tempo adjusts the speed at which the MIDI file is played. It isexpressed in beats per minute (BPM) and the setting you see when youbegin to work in the command panel is determined by the file youselected.

ChangingTempo plays the file slower or faster than the original com-position in much the same way that a conductor changes the pace atwhich an orchestra plays a score. Changing the Tempo does not affectthe pitch or quality of the sound that is heard.

Use the Tempo value control to increase or decrease the setting. ICDe-signer enables you to define a setting in a range from 40 to 300 BPM.

A tempo of 100 to 120 BPM is typical and 180 is very fast for mostMIDI sequences. You should rely on your own sense of rhythm andfeeling to adjust the tempo so that the music fits the mood of the pro-duction.


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The other settings in this command panel work the same as those in

the sample Playpanel. For details about how you use these controls,see the discussion of the sample Playsound event beginning onpage 17.

MIDI Pause commandThis event temporarily stops the MIDI file that is playing. It is used incombination with the MIDI Resumeevent, which continues playing

the file from the point at which the MIDI Pauseevent placed it onhold.

The MIDI Pausecommand panel looks like this:

The Fade Out Timecontrol and the Wait?button have the same func-tions and settings in this MIDI command panel as

similar controls in the sample Stop command panel. Apaused MIDI file, however, is placed on hold and canbe used later in the script without having to retrieve itfrom the File dialog and go through the process ofredefining it in the Playcommand panel.

For details about these controls, see the discussionabout sample Stop on page 22.

MIDI Resume commandThis event continues a MIDI file that was placed on hold by theMIDI Pausecommand. The file begins to play at the point where itwas paused.

To avoid confusionIf you do not intend to

define a Resume sound

event to complete a Pause

event applied to a MIDI file

in the script, we recom-

mend that you use MIDI

Stop instead.


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The MIDI Resumecommand panel looks like this:

The functions and settings of each of the controls are the same as sim-ilar controls in the sample Playcommand panel. For details aboutthese controls and how to use them, see the discussion about the sam-ple Playsound event, beginning on page 17.

Other MIDI events

The MIDI Wait, Stop, Volume, and Pan command panels have thesame options and settings as the corresponding Sample commandpanels. For details about the purpose of any of these MIDI events seethe discussion for the related Sample sound event:

Wait? page 21

Stop page 22

Volume page 23

Pan page 23

Using audio CDs

An audio compact disc (CD) is normally played on a portable or homestereo CD player. However, most modern CD-ROM drives are alsoable to play audio CDs. To incorporate sounds from a CD into yourICDesigner script, the CD-ROM drive installed in the PC must beable to play a standard audio CD. The documentation for the driveshould tell you whether it has this capability.


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Multi-unit CD-ROM drives

Normally, a PC has only one CD-ROM drive, and only one track onan audio CD can be played at a time. If there are additional drivesinstalled, however, or if the drive can accept more than one disc at atime, ICDesigner can use all of them.

ICDesigner detects the drive(s) when you start an ICDesigner workingsession and you can access tracks and/or files on CDs or CD-ROMsfrom each drive available. In this case, in each of the CD commandpanels aCD Unitcontrol is added, which enables you to choose theCD drive or disc number that should be used to generate the CDsound event.

New CD!All the CD command panels have the New CD!button. If you workwith more than one CD while editing, you should clickNew CD!afteryou change a CD in the CD-ROM drive. This updates the table ofcontents for the CD that ICDesigner maintains in its memory so thattimes and track numbers can be displayed correctly. This button doesnot cause a script event. The CD Read Contentscommand (describedon page 36) is the script equivalent.

CD Play commandThis sound event enables you to select a track on an audio CD anddefine the details of the command that plays the track in your ICDe-signer script.

The CD Playcommand panel looks like this:


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Track In specifies the number of the track on the CD that should start

when the element or page you are defining is encountered in thescript.

The contents of a CD is divided into units called tracks, which are log-ical breaks in the sequence of the CD. Although a CD may have onlyone very long track, it is more common that each song, or each move-ment in a symphony, or each sound effectanything that has a recog-nizable beginningis a separate track. To identify tracks in the

sequence of the CD, each track has a number.All audio CDs have an internal table of contents that references eachtrack by its number and specifies the length of time it takes to play.Most CDs also include a listing of the contents as part of the coverinformation.

Use this listing to determine the number of the track you want to play.

Use the Track In value control to pick a track number. The upperlimit depends on the number of tracks available on the CD.

The default for Track In is track 1.

Track Outspecifies the number of the last track you want to play.

When the Track Outsetting is higher than the Track In setting, ICDe-signer plays both tracks and all tracks between them. When the Track

In and Outsettings are the same, ICDesigner plays only the track theyspecify.

Use the Track Outvalue control to pick the final track to play. ICDe-signer initially sets Track Outto match your Track In setting.

Other settingsThe functions and settings of the remaining controls in this panel are

the same as similar controls used in the sample Playcommand panel.For example, Loopsspecifies the number of times the CD track


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repeats. For details about these controls see the discussion for the sam-

ple Playsound event and, in particular:Loops page 18

Volume page 19

Fade In Time page 19

Pan page 19

Wait? page 20

CD Play MSF commandUnlike the CD Playsound event, which allows you to play only com-plete tracks, Play MSF lets you use specific portions of one or moretracks.

The CD Play MSFcommand panel looks like this:

Time In specifies the exact point on the CD and track where you wantthe sound to start playing. The time is expressed in minutes, secondsand frames (MSF); for example:

The CD booklet or insert references each track by number and name.It also usually specifies the length of each track in minutes and sec-onds; for example 3:45 means that the track is three minutes and 45seconds from beginning to end.

minutes seconds frames


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The CD also has an internal table of contents, which you cant see,

that monitors the length more accurately. These measurements arebased on the beginning of the CD, not the track itself, and are definedin terms of minutes, seconds and frames, where a frame is a unit oftime equal to 1/75 of a second. (This is part of the CD standard and isnot defined by ICDesigner. Note that CD audio frames are not relatedto video or animation frames.)

ICDesigner has access to this internal table of contents and enables

you to take advantage of the more accurate timing measurementswhen it is essential that an action in the script is precisely coordinatedwith the CD sound.

The Time In setting is directly linked to the Track In setting. Chang-ingTrack In automatically updates the Time In setting to reflect thebeginning of the new track relative to the beginning of the CD. If, asyou adjust the Time In setting, the value is not within the time frameof the track defined for Track In, the track number is automaticallyupdated to correspond with the time you specify.

On the following timeline, for example, if you change the Track Insetting to 2, then the Time In setting is 02:10.00, unless you choose tochange it. If you define aTime In that is earlier than the time bordersof track 2for example 01:50.50ICDesigner changes the Track In

setting to track 1.

To refine the timing, use the value controls to edit the minutes, sec-

onds and/or frames accordingly. Use the Previewbutton to test the set-ting in combination with other activities defined for the element orpage.

Unless you specifically change the Time In setting, ICDesigner usesthe starting time of the track number in the Track In setting.

track 1 track 2 track 3

00:00.00 02:10.00 05:30.45


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Time Outspecifies the exact point on the CD where you want the

sound to stop.The Time Outand Track Outsettings are related to one another in thesame way as the In settings described above. Changes in one settingcan affect the other and, together, they define precisely where the CDstops playing.

Although the Track Outsetting may be the same as Track In, TimeOutmust be later than Time In. Unless you specifically change the set-ting, the end of the Track Outtrack is used by default.

When the number ofTrack Outis higher than the Track In, ICDe-signer plays only the specified portions of the in and out tracks butplays any tracks in between in their entirety.

To experiment with the Time Outsetting, use the Previewbutton totest the result.

The functions and settings of the remaining controls in this panel arethe same as similar controls in the CD Playand sample Playpanels.For details about these controls, see the discussion for the sample Playsound event.

Loops page 18

Volume page 19Fade In Time page 19

Pan page 19

Wait? page 20

CD Sync command

This option helps ensure that the activities associated with an elementor page are synchronized with a CD sound that is already playing.


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The CD Synccommand panel looks like this:

The Synccommand is similar to the Waitcommand. In essence, ithalts the progress of the script until a certain point. The difference isthat the Waitcommand waits for a previously started event to finish.The Synccommand waits for a previously started CD to reach a partic-ular time setting you specify, and only then allows the script to con-tinue.

Rather than the script determining the CD activity, as it does, forexample, in the Play MSFevent, the CD actually controls the script inaSyncevent; the script cannot continue until the CD reaches a certainpoint. This is useful, and often necessary, to ensure, for instance, thatan animation starts at precisely the right time relative to a CD track orthat a caption is coordinated with music for a video.

Sync Timespecifies the time code on the CD that determines when thescript runs the page you are working with.

The time is expressed in minutes, seconds and frames (MSF), just as itis in the Time In and Time Outsettings in the Play MSFcommand.Unless you specify a time, the setting is 00:00.00. If the Relative toTracksetting is off (not marked with a), this Sync Timemeans thatthe script does not run the page until the CD begins again with track 1

or a new CD is inserted. If the Relative to Tracksetting is on (), thepage is not run until the current track is repeated from the beginning.

Use the value controls in the Sync Timebutton to set the sync point.In order to set the time precisely, you must experiment with the set-ting and refine it until the on-screen activity is synchronized with thesound as accurately as possible. Use the Previewbutton in the Sound


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menu and in the List or Main menus to see and hear how the setting

fits into the scheme of the current page and surrounding pages in thescript.

To begin testing from a reasonable reference point on the CD, youcan use the information on the cover as a guide to the sequence andduration of each track. If there is a CD player with an elapsed timedisplay available, you can use that to identify the time within one sec-ond. To determine a more specific starting point, you may find it use-

ful to check the Time In and/or Time Outsettings in the most recentPlay MSFcommand (if any), or, from the Command: pop-up, tempo-rarily choose Play MSFto check the time frames and preview the partof the track you are interested in. You can do the final fine-tuningfrom the CD Synccommand panel.

When the script encounters the Synccommand before the CD reachesthe specified time, the script waits at that point. When the sync timeon the CD arrives, the script continues. If other events delay the script,however, and it reaches the Synccommand after the CD has passed thesync time, the script just continues normally.

This could happen, for example, if a preceding event took more timethan you had thought when you calculated the sync timeyou mighthave reduced the speed of a wipe, making it take longer to complete.

An element or page associated with the Syncevent isnt lost or over-looked; in this case it just does not appear when you planned. Toavoid such difficulties, always preview the script in its entirety and beaware of other events that may affect the timing and coordination.

Relative to Track?enables you to choose whether the time you set forSync Timeis relative to the beginning of the CD or relative to thebeginning of the track that is currently playing.

When Relative to Track?is on (), the Sync Timeis measured from thebeginning of the current track.

When Relative to Track?is off, the Sync Timeis measured from thebeginning of the CD.


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Click on the button to switch the setting on or off as necessary. By

default the button is off and the timing is measured from the begin-ning of the CD.

CD Eject commandIf the CD compartment on the CD-ROM drive has a motorizedopening mechanism, this sound event automatically opens the com-partment and releases the CD. Otherwise, the command has no effect.

The Ejectcommand can be especially useful in an ICDesigner produc-tion that requires a change in CDs. Combined with a visual cue on thescreen page, it provides a clear and unmistakable signal that a new CDmust be inserted.

When you click on CDand choose Ejecton the Command: pop-up,the Sound menu looks like this:

Fade Out Timespecifies the number of seconds ICDesigner should useto gradually reduce the volume of the track currently playing to zero(no sound) before ejecting the CD.

The function of the Fade Out Timecontrol and the settings availableare the same as the Fade Outcontrol in the sample Stop commandpanel (page 22). For example, the settings range from zero (0) to

ninety-nine (99) seconds, and a setting of zero means that the CD isejected immediately when the Eject event is encountered in the script.Zero is the default setting.

As in the Stop command panel, the Wait?button is available onlywhen the Fade Out Timeis greater than zero.


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CD Read Contents command

This event reads the CDs table of contents into ICDesigners mem-ory. This is necessary, for example, after an Ejectcom-mand prompts the user to insert a new CD. The ReadContentscommand updates the table of contents thatICDesigner uses for CD events. This ensures thatICDesigner knows how many tracks are on the discand what their timing is. The Playand Play MSF

events could not locate the proper points on the CDotherwise.

The Read Contentshas no parameters, so its command panel is blank.

Depending on the script, you may find it useful to insert a specialevent page in the List menu or Main menu to define this event.

CD Next, Previous eventsThe CD Nextand Previousevents select the next or previous track onthe current CD, relative to the current track.

Other CD eventsThe CD Wait, Stop, Pause, Resume, Volume, and Pan command panelshave the same options and settings as the corresponding Sample com-

mand panels. For details about the purpose of any of these events, seethe discussion of the related Sample sound event or, in the case ofPauseand Resume, the related MIDI event:

Wait? page 21

Stop page 22

Pause page 26

Resume page 26

Volume page 23

Pan page 23

ICDesigner Reminder

If your script uses more

than one CD, you should

always use a Read Con-

tentsevent to update

ICDesigner after a new CD

is inserted.


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1: Using sound

Using the Mixer

Using the Mixer

The ICDesigner Mixer enables you to mix sound sources of any typeand adjust their volumes or pan settings in relationship to oneanother. This includes external sound sources such as a microphone ortape recorder, as well as the three primary sound sources discussed inthis chapter: sound samples, MIDI files and CD tracks.

Mixer settings affect all sound events currently playing or in effect for

each sound source. This means that the mixer overrides any settingsthat were defined individually, such as the volume level in aPlayevent. Sound events you define for the element or page you are cur-rently working on are also affected by the Mixer settings.

Mixer versus Windows sound settingsThe ICDesigner Mixer duplicates the basic functions of the Windows

Sound System Mixer. (The Sample source in ICDesigner correspondsto the Windows Wave source.) When you enter ICDesigner, theprogram copies all Windows sound settings and saves them. Whenyou exit ICDesigner, the saved settings are restored. This way, runningICDesigner does not permanently alter your preferred sound settings.

However, while ICDesigner is running, it is possible for the Windowssound settings to be changed by working in the Mixer or playing a

script that contains Mixer events. Because this can be undesirable forother applications that might depend on the Windows sound settings,the Mixer has the capability to disable any of its controls, so that theydo not override the corresponding Windows settings.


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Using the Mixer

Mixer Volume command

This sound event enables you to set volume levels for one or moresound sources and automatically apply the setting to all current soundevents related to the source. The command panel looks like this:

The three internal sound sources (Sample, MIDI, and CD) have theirown volume controls. When a mixer Volumeevent occurs, the previ-ous volume settings for sounds for any of these sources whose sliders

are enabled are replaced by the mixer Volumesettings. This means thatif you do not want the volume of a particular source to change, youmust be sure that its volume slider is disabled. See the following sec-tion, Enabling and disabling Mixer sliders, for more information.

There are also sliders for two external sources. Linecontrols the vol-ume to the line input connector on a sound card and, thus, to anysource such as a VCR or tape recorder that may use this connector.

Microphonecontrols the volume of a microphone using a MIC inputconnector on the sound card. (If your sound card does not have Lineor MIC input connectors, these controls have no effect.)

By default, theMicrophoneand Linecontrols are set to 0 (no sound),theMasteris set to 75%, and the other controls are set to the maxi-mum level. If you have made different volume settings for individual

sources, just applying the default settings can affect the volume ofthose sources.

Enabling and disabling Mixer slidersThe sliders in theMixerpanel are unique in that they can be enabledand disabled. By default, all sliders are enabled, as indicated by the to the right of each slider name.

Master volume slider

(all sources shown enabled)


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When sliders are enabled they have an effect on the playing script, and

also on the corresponding sound sources controlled by the WindowsSound System Mixer. Thus any other applications that use soundthrough Windows can have these parameters altered by editingchanges in theMixerpanel.

When sliders are disabled, indicated by the absence of a by the nameand the grayed appearance of the slider knob and numerical value,they have no effect, either on ICDesigner scripts or on outside applica-

tions.Enable and disable sliders by clicking on the slider name or on the beside it.

You should leave enabled only the sliders for those sound sources youintend to affect with a given Mixer command, so that settings made in

Windows and used by other applications are not unnecessarily dis-

turbed.Tips on adjusting volume levelsSome things to remember when you are adjusting the sound levels inyour script:

For each sound source there are threecontrols within ICDesignerthat can affect the final volume of the source:

1. the Volumeslider for the individual source (for example, in asample Playevent)

2. the setting for that source in the mixer Volumepanel (forexample, the Sampleslider)this setting overrides anyVolumesettings made previously to the individual source

3. theMastervolume slider in the mixer Volumepanel

When you apply a mixer Volumeevent, you affect the volumes ofall sound sources whose sliders are enabled. Also, adjusting thevolume control for a source adjusts the volume on all sound eventsof that type that are currently active. These two factors can pro-duce changes in the volume of sources you did not intend to affectwith the event.


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Be sure to consider all sources and all the current volume settings

and changes you have made in the script when making a new vol-ume setting. Disable the sliders of any sound source you do notneed to affect with a Mixer event.

TheMastervolume control adjusts the loudness of all sound sourcessimultaneously. Doing so, however, retains the relative levels set by theindividual Sample,MIDI, CD, Line, andMicrophonevolume controls.

Although the effect of the individual source volume settings cannot beseen on the mixer Volumecommand panel, they can be heard. Notethat the Sampleslider overrides the individual volume settings for allthe samples currently playingthey all are given the same new vol-ume. If they originally had different volumes in relation to oneanother, those will be lost when a mixer Samplevolume event occurs.Use Previewas necessary to test the settings; be sure that you preview

enough of the script that all concurrent sound events are included.Fade Timespecifies the number of seconds that ICDesigner shouldtake to adjust the volumes of the sources to the levels you set.

For any source, if the volume of an event that is currently playing isdifferent from the new setting, the sound will fade up or down to thenew level.

The function of the Fade Timecontrol and the settings available arethe same as the Fade controls in any other command panel. Bydefault, the Fade Time is zero and the volume levels are adjustedimmediately.

As in other Volumecommand panels, the Wait?button is not availableunless the Fade Time is greater than zero. The function of the button

Caution!

Setting the Mastervolume control to maximum may

damage a listeners hearing or cause damage to

equipment that is connected directly to the speaker

output on the sound card.


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is also the same as elsewhere. In particular, see the discussion about the

sample Volumesound event on page 23 for more information aboutthe Fade Timecontrol.

Mixer Pan commandThis event enables you to apply a pan setting to all current soundevents from any source exceptMicrophone. The command panel lookslike this.

The controls in this panel adjust the direction that sounds seem to becoming from. They have the same global effect as the controls in themixer Volumecommand panel. TheMasterPan control works like the

MasterVolume control, simultaneously adjustingPan settings whilemaintaining the relative settings among the individual sources.

The individual source controls work the same way as Pan controls in

other sound events such as sample Play. The default setting for all thePan sliders is centered.

Refer to these other discussions, if necessary, as you work in the mixerPan command panel. In particular, see the sample Pan sound event(page 23) for more information.

As with the sliders for the mixer Volume command, the Pan sliders

can be turned on and off to allow you to control which sources areaffected, and whether the event overrides sound settings external toICDesigner. See Enabling and disabling Mixer sliders on page 38 formore information.


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Defining several sound events


Unlike other special effects that you specify in the List or Main menus,such as a wipe or pause, several sound events can be specified at once.

You can repeat these steps and apply several types of sound to the sameelement or page before clicking on another button in the Soundcol-umn to schedule the next sound event(s) in the script. Also, soundevents are not confined to a single page; they can play while the otherscript events happen. You may want to do this, for example, to use a

CD track as background music for several pages.

This means that many sound events may be happening in the scriptsimultaneously. You can combine sounds as necessary for maximumimpact. Here are a few general guidelines:

On the Soundbutton for each page in the Main menu or each ele-ment in the List menu, you can define, at most, one sound event

of each typeSample, MIDI, CDand manipulate the Mixer.For example, you can start both an audio CD track and a soundsample when you bring a clip onto the page, but you cannot applytwo sound samples to the same clip.

A script may include any number of sound samples and severalcan be used concurrently. For example, a sound sample scheduledto start on one page may still be playing when another samplestarts on another page.

Only one MIDI file at a time can be playing in the script. Unlikea sound sample, a MIDI file that is playing stops if you startanother.

When a CD-ROM drive is playing an audio CD, only one trackon the CD can be accessed at a time. If you have more than one

CD-ROM drive, however, ICDesigner adjusts the command pan-els accordingly and enables you to use a CD (or CD-ROM) fromeach available drive.


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Staying aware of your sound events

As you work in the Sound menu, the text on the button in the Soundcolumn is constantly updated to reflect the sound event you are cur-rently defining and any others already applied to the element or page.

It is not possible, however, to look at the Soundbutton to determine ifany sounds are playing at that point in the script. Even if the Soundbutton for one page or element is blank, a sound event you started ear-lier with the Wait?button off may still be playing. This means that

you must be aware of the sounds you are using in the script and theirplaying lengths. In most cases, it will be obvious when the effect of asound is not what you intended.

Adding sound to several pages or events in a rowWhen you have defined all the sound events you want to apply to oneelement or page, you can click on another Soundbutton in the List

menu or Main menu and continue working in the Sound menu. Aswith the Wipe and Timing menus, this confirms the settings you have

just defined without requiring you to close the Sound menu eachtime. Clicking on Cancelin the Sound menu resets or cancels only thelast sound event you worked with.

When you have defined all the sound events you want, click on Close

to close the Sound menu. Click on Previewin the List or Main menusto test the effect of the sound events you have defined in the totalscheme of the page or script. You can open the Sound menu and workin it at any time to refine the settings as necessary.


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2: Making scripts interactiveA script that is interactivecan accept input from the user. Buttonsandfieldsare the key to the world of interactivity in InfoChannelDesigner 3. A button or a field is an element in your script that pro-vides for interactivity. These elements give the viewer control over thedirection of the production. By using the mouse (or another type ofinput device, like a touch screen) to select buttons, and the keyboard

to enter data into fields, the viewer can make choices about how thescript should proceed.

A button can trigger almost any kind of event in ICDesigner: jumpingto a new page, playing a sound, wiping in an element, even makingcalculations with variables. This makes it possible for you to createflexible, powerful scripts that can adapt themselves to respond to awide variety of audiences. Your interactive button, then, could be any-

thing from a cat illustration that meows when clicked, to a catalog ofproduct photos and text that a potential customer can browse forinformation, to a quiz that asks and answers questions differently forevery user, and displays their scores at the end.

A text entry field can accept typed input just like any e-commerceWeb page. It puts what the viewer typeda name, a product code, apasswordinto an ICD variable, which can then be manipulated,

stored, and transmitted.

Buttons are created and edited in the Design Buttons menu, whereyou work with unique button features:

Go to other locations in the script

Link sounds to buttons

Specify hotkeys for buttons

Set variables based on button activity

Use custom mouse pointers


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Getting started: creating simple buttons

Independently set options for various button states:

Normalnormal appearance, sound, variablesHighlightspecial appearance, sound, variables, custom mousepointer image

Selectspecial appearance, sound, variables, custom mousepointer image, Go To

Text Entry Fields are created through theAdddrop-down, anddefined in the Design Text Entry Field menu.

Although buttons and fields have special features, they are elementsthat can be manipulated just like other elementsusing wipes, cutand paste, and the other ICDesigner menus. You have all the ElementDesign options open to you to make the element look the way youwant.

ICDesigner gives you great freedom to design your own buttons, butyou dont have to do so. The Buttons menu also gives you the optionof choosing from a selection of predefined buttons and button back-drops supplied by Scala, which have matched images for the variousstates.

This chapter introduces you to the Buttons and Text Entry Field

menus, and walks you through the process of creating these interactiveelements. It also discusses the Inputmenu, where you can set variousoptions related to mouse input, keyboard input, and pointer images.


To use a button, you generally need a script consisting of at least a few

screen pages. Once you have some pages in your script, you can beginmaking it interactive.

The following examples, Creating a text button (below) and Creat-ing a predefined button (on page 51) show you how to create simplebuttons and illustrate how the use of buttons can change the normalscript sequence when you set aGo To.


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The examples are intended to show you the basics, but there is muchmore that you can do when creating buttons. You are encouraged toexperiment with ICDesigners interactive capabilities and use yourimagination to create productions that get your audience involved inthe multimedia experience.

Creating a text buttonA button in ICDesigner can be almost any element, so text can also be

a button, even when there is no separate button image associated withit. The following example shows you how to make text into buttons.

1. Create four new pages by loading the four backgrounds providedin the ScalaArt:\ClipArt\GuideExamples folder. For the sake ofthis example, choose look for page 1; clock for page 2; hour-glass for page 3; and idea for page 4.

2. Go to the Design Textmenu for the first page, choose a largefont, then type Clock, Hourglass, and Eureka!, each on itsown line.

3. Click the Buttonsicon. You see the Design Buttons menu, whichlooks like this to start with:


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You make an element a button by choosing a kind of button from the

Type:pop-up while the element is selected.

4. Select all three elements at once, then choose Push Button fromthe Type: pop-up. You will probably see a dialog asking if youwant to change the timing of the page to Wait Forever. ClickYesin this dialog.

5. Select the3-statebutton. This makes each word into a three-statepush button.

6. Press F12 or click the middle indicator in the title bar to changethe buttons visual state from Normal to Highlight.

7. Go to the DesignTextmenu and clickShadow. This gives each

word a shadow when highlighted.8. Press F12 again, to change to the Select state.

9. Turn on Shadow, and also change the Frontcolor. The buttonswill have a shadow and a new color when selected.


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10. Return to the Buttons menu and go to the Select Action panel.Select Clock by itself.

11. ChooseAction: Go to Next Page.

The Select state is where a button actually does its work. Usually,this means jumping to another location in the script. You choosethe destination for a button with theAction: pop-up on the Select

Action panel. The Go to Event, Go to Next Page, and Go to PreviousPageoptions let you specify that execution flow should branch toanother page when the button is selected. TheAction: pop-up isdescribed in more detail on page 58 in this chapter.

The Level: selector also visible on theAction panel when Go toEventis chosen displays the level of the script where the destina-tion is. If your script doesnt have any groups, as in this example,your only choices are and .

The Go To: selector indicates which page or event you want thescript to advance to.

12. Select Hourglass and chooseAction: Go to Event. Set the Go to:selector to page 3, and finally select Eureka! and set its Go To: topage 4.

13. Select Previewto see the buttons in the three button states; move

the mouse pointer over the buttons and click on them to see thehighlight and select states. (The preview cannot, however, showthe effects ofGo To: settings. To see how buttons change scriptexecution, you must run the script.)

14. ClicktheMain icon to exit to the Main menu.

Now run your new script and click on the interactive text buttons you

have created to see how they affect the flow of the script. See if you canfigure out what needs to be done to return to page 1 after your buttonsbranch to the other pages.

You have now created three simple interactive text buttons. You canfollow the same basic procedure to create buttons that start with clipsinstead of text. There are a number of ways to do this in ICDesigner,


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but one of the simplest is to use ICDesigners predefined buttons, as inthe following example.

Using a predefined button1. Create four different pages by loading four different backgrounds

from the GuideExamples folder. Choose Paper for page 1;BlueBG for page 2; YellowBG for page 3; and RedBG for page 4.

2. Go to the Textmenu for the first page, and type blue, yellow

and red, each on its own line.3. Go to the Buttons menu by choosing the Buttonsicon.

4. Click theAddicon, which opens the File dialog, where you canchoose button (.btn) files from the GuideExamples folder.

5. Choose the Blue1 button. After you choose the button, youreturn to the Buttons menu, and you see the round button. Thebutton is automatically created as a three-state Push button.

6. Place it next to the blue text, which will serve as a label.

7. Follow the same procedure to add the Yellow1 and Red1 but-tons.

You see three round buttons, each having a label ofblue,yellow, or red.

The buttons appear in their Normalstates.Predefined buttons, like the one in this example, have matched imagesfor these various buttons states, so you dont have to load, create orposition separate imagery for each state.

8. Choose one of the three buttons you just created, then press F12to see how the button looks in its highlighted state.

9. Press F12 again to see how the button looks in its selected state.10. Select the blue button and click the Select Action tab.

11. ChooseAction: Go to Eventand set the Go To: selector to page 2.(You could also useAction: Go to Next Pagefor this one button.)


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Working in the Design Buttons menu

12. Select the yellow button, chooseAction: Go to Event, and set theGo To: selector to page 3.

13. Select the red button, chooseAction: Go to Event, and set theGo To: selector to page 4.

14. You can clickPreviewto see how the buttons appear in the differ-ent states.

15. ClickCloseto exit the Buttons menu.

16. Run the script and try out the buttons.

You have now learned how to create two types of buttonstext andpredefined. The remainder of this chapter talks about working in theButtons menu and creating more advanced buttons.

Working in the Design Buttons menuThe Design Buttons menu can be accessed from the Main menuDesign drop-down, pressing F5, or by clicking the Buttonstoolbar iconfrom any other Design menu. When you enter the Buttons menu, yousee the Typepanel, which gives you several options for button type.

Button typesThe button Type: pop-up controls whether an element is a button, andif so what type of button it is. The possibilities are:

Push Button

Push buttons are the most common and versatile type of button.They are typically used for branching to another page of thescript, or accepting some kind of response from the viewer. A

Push button can have one, two, or three visual states.

Toggle Button

A Toggle button is used to switch a logical variable between itstwo possible values, on and off. This makes it easy for a script toaccept and respond to Yes/No kinds of input from the viewer.

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The button itself can have either two or four visual states. Unlike aPush button, a Toggle button remains in its selected state afterbeing clicked so that its value is obvious.

Radio Button

A Radio button is similar to a toggle button, but it works with anykind of variable, so it can assign any type of value (text, numeric,or logical). Like a Toggle button, it has either two or four visualstates, and remains in its selected state after being clicked.

Changing a buttons typeIt is possible to change a button from one type to another. Just selectthe button and then choose the new type from the Type: pop-up.

When you do this, you see a confirmation dialog telling you that but-ton attributes unique to that button type will be lost in the conversion.

Turning a button back into a normal elementFor any element selected while in the Buttons menu that is not a but-ton, the Type: pop-up shows None. If you need to turn a button backinto a normal element, select it and then choose Type: None. A warn-ing dialog indicates that you will lose any button attributes you mayhave already defined if you do this.

Button basicsIn ICDesigner, there are many ways to create a button. You can startwith ordinary text, or a clip or graphic object, and turn them into but-tons. You can start with predefined button files supplied by Scala, andadd text or imagery as labels. And you can build buttons using yourown text along with predefined files from Scala in various combina-tions, or by modifying buttons that you have previously created andexported.

Face and backdropButtons you make in ICDesigner have two possible components foreach state: backdrop and face. The face (text, for example) is generallyused to identify the button. The backdrop is an area underneath theface that helps make the face visible against background imagery andemphasizes it or makes it look more presentable.

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Button states and state events

Buttons with a backdrop image and no visible face, or with a face andno visible backdrop, are possible and may be useful. Keep in mind,however, that the face must be a single element only. You are alwaysfree to label your buttons with additional plain text or clips that arenext to or on top of a button. If you do so, however, you will thenhave to move and adjust those items separately whenever you edit thebutton, and they will not change when the button changes state.

Button states and state eventsDifferent types of buttons have different state options. Push buttonscan have one, two, or three visual states. Toggle and Radio buttonscan have either two or four visual states.

When you have selected a type of button that has multiple visualstates, a series of buttons appears on the menu showing the choice of

number of states for that button. Click one of the choices to establishthe number of states for the button you are creating.

Choosing and keeping track of button statesWhen you create a multi-state button, or select an existing multi-statebutton, a row of three or four identical buttons appears in the title barof the Design menus, just to the right of the menu name. Each button

has a button icon on it, and represents a particular state of the cur-rently selected button. You see these indicators in the title bar of anyDesign menu whenever a Push, Toggle, or Radio button is selected.

At least one of these title bar indicators is always selected, indicatingthe current state of the selected button. If you have defined a Pushbutton with fewer than three states, or a Toggle or Radio button with

fewer than four states, the title bar indicator(s) for the unused state(s)are disabled.

More than one state of the selected button(s) may be current at a giventime, so that you can apply the same styles and attributes to severalstates at once. Select multiple button states to affect them all with the



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same attributes by Ctrl-clicking as many title bar state indicators asdesired.

To cycle through the states of the currently selected button, use theF12 shortcut. Or you can click the title bar indicators to switchdirectly to a particular state. To remind yourself of which state a titlebar indicator represents, hold the mouse pointer over that indicator.The Tool Tip that appears identifies which state it represents, as illus-trated here. Both F12 and the title bar indicators are available in anyDesign menu.

Most of the options in theAppearanceandAction panels can beapplied independently to each of a buttons states.

Push button statesA Push button with one state has a single appearance. It can respondto being selected, but the button itself cannot give any visible responseto the mouse passing over it or clicking on it the way a button withmultiple states can.

2-state Push button indicators

Normal state (selected)

Highlight state (not available)

Select state (not selected)

4-state Toggle or Radio button indicators

2-state Toggle or Radio button indicators

Normal Off state

Highlight Off state

Normal On state

Highlight On state



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A two-state Push button can have a different appearance for its Nor-mal (idle) state and its Select state (when it is clicked by the mouse).

A Push button with three states can have separate appearances forNormal, Highlight (mouse pointer touching it but not clicked, orhighlighted by using arrow keys) and Select (clicked-on) states.

If you do not make changes to the button for its Highlight state, thebutton keeps its normal imagery when the mouse pointer is over it.Using the Highlight state is valuable in most interactive productions as

a way of letting viewers know where buttons are, so they know whenthey can click or press Enter () to choose a button.

During playback, a button displays the Select state when it is chosenby clicking on the mouse, when the viewer presses Enter () while thebutton is highlighted, or when the viewer touches the button on thescreen if using a touch screen. Using different imagery for the Select

state helps confirm for the viewer that his or her choice has beennoticed and accepted.

You can also create hotkeysto select buttons. See page 61, Creatinghotkeys.

Toggle and Radio button statesThe states possible for Toggle and Radio buttons are somewhat differ-

ent from those of Push buttons. These button types are always ineither an Off or On state. Additionally, for a four-state button, boththe Off and On states can have a Highlight state as well as a Normalstate.

A two-state Toggle or Radio button can be either Off (typicallyappearing like a Push button in the Normal state) or On (typicallyappearing like a Push button in the Select state). It does not respondto the mouse pointer until clicked on.

A four-state Toggle or Radio button works the same way, but both theOff and the On positions also have a Highlight state to indicate whenthe pointer is over the button.



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Select Action options

When a Toggle or Radio button is clicked on, the button changesstate, but unlike a Push button, it remains in the changed state afterthe mouse button has been released. A Toggle button switches from itscurrent state to the opposite state whenever it is clicked. Clicking aRadio button, however, can only switch it from its Off to its On state.Clicking a Radio button in its On state does not switch it back to Off.For this reason, several Radio buttons are typically used together to letthe user make choices.

See page 71 for information on using Toggle and Radio buttons.


There are two panels in the Buttons menu for controlling the actionsthat can happen when using the action-oriented button types (Push,Toggle, and Radio buttons): the Select Action panel and the Other

Action panel.

Actions on button selectionThe Select Action panel is for specifying the primary purpose for anaction-oriented button. In particular, it lets you choose what happenswhen the button is put into the Select or On state. (This occurs whenthe button is clicked on, or the viewer presses Enter () or a defined

hotkey while the button is highlighted.) Most often, the action is abranching type of operation, moving to another event or page withinthe script. However, other types of action are also possible.



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TheAction: pop-up on the Select Action panel has the followingoptions:

None Go to Event Go to Next Page Go to Previous Page Return to Bookmark Exit from Script

Show WWW Page

Using Go to actionsThe three Go to actions allow you to make script execution move tosome other location in the script, from which execution continues.The new location can be another page or another event on a page.This lets the response to a button be almost any series of scriptable

events. You can return to the original button location after a buttonGo to by setting abookmark.

The Go to Event actionGo to Eventis the most flexible button branching action. Conse-quently it requires you to specify both the destination itself and thelevel of the script where the destination exists. You see the controls forthese on the panel when you chooseAction: Go to Event.

Use Level: to choose the level of the script where the destination is.Use the selector to cycle through the levels. If the destination is in thesame group you are in, you can leave the selector as is. If your scripthas no groups, the only choices are and . Onlylevels at or above the current level are accessible.



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Use the Go To: selector to choose the page or event that you want thescript to advance to when a button is selected. In most cases, theGo To will be set to a page. Use the selector to choose a page number.

A thumbnail of the destination page is shown in the box to the right ofthe button. Note that if you just want to advance to the immediatelyfollowing or preceding page in the script, it is simpler to use the Go toNext Pageor Go to Previous Pageactions.

Setting a Go To to an event on the current page is also possible: set the

Level: selector to , then use the Go To: selector to cyclethrough events on the page. Setting a Go To to events is used inadvanced productions, and is covered in chapter 3.

Leave Bookmark?allows you to return from a series of events afterbranching with aGo to Event. Click on Leave Bookmark?to turn it on(). Then, at the end of the buttons series ofGo to events, insert aspecial event. On this special event, open the Branch menu and select

the Go To panel. ChooseAction: Return to Bookmark. When executed,this returns the

Documents

Manual IC3 Designer ExtendedAuthoring R6