1
Create a new project. Index
- When the application starts the ‘Start box’ is displayed
- Click ‘New project’.
- Write a name for your project.
- Select destination (Default is "Documents/MMProjects".
- Click the ‘OK’ button.
- Select window style and size. The styles are:
- Normal window.
- With a frame If the project is
smaller as the screen the background will be covered with a
colored frame).
- Full screen.
·
Select
the size of the project. A safe is 1024x768 which can be displayed at all modern
CFT and LCD screens. Other sizes can be selected too according to your
hardware. Select optional size o ruse custom. Then you can select the size by
dragging the border of the window with the mouse...
- Click OK.
- The screen changes according to your choices and the you see the
first page in the project:
- A project can contain an unlimited number of pages.
- You can change page using the default ‘page change arrows’:
or
by pressing "Page Up" or ”Page Down" on the keyboard.
New pages will be added automatically as you go forward, so it is very
easy to make a digital ‘book’ where the pages are following each other. (But you can also add links and jump between the
pages and make your project more interactive. Click
here to read more ).
- In the bottom left corner you can change the name of the page:
- There
is also a "Test button".
There are 2 modes in the program.
- Design mode where you can edit your project.
When
the test button is visible you are in ‘design mode’.
- Test mode where you can try your project.
- Press
the test button or F6 to switch between test
mode and design mode.
- Click on
to display the toolbars
- "Mini" shows the basic features to create a
project with images, text and sound,
and where the pages are following each other just like in a book.
- Using "Maxi” you can benefit of all the features
of Mediamixer.
- Click
to maximize or minimize the toolbar.'
- Click
to Minimize or Maximize Mediamixer.
When minimized the toolbar will still be visible.
- Click
to
get context dependent help.
Click the help button and then click a button in the toolbar.
- Close Mediamixer
Unlike most other applications Mediamixer saves all changes
automatically as you work.
So actually you don’t have to save when you close the project. - This way there is no risk to
loose your work, if you computer suddenly freezes, or somebody switches
off the electricity.
- If you want to save several
versions of you project you can save a copy, before it is edited.
Click ‘Files/Save as’ in the toolbar.
2
Add objects. Index
3
Arranging objects. Index
- In Mediamixer you have several
features to make it easy to arrange objects.
- Before
the images are added:
- Click "Setting/Scale images to fit page” in the menu
of the image browser.
All new images will then be scaled to fit the page and
centered.
You can also access this feature in the picture dialog box. Select the
“Arrange tab” and click ”Scale new to fit page”.
Set the size of the margin.
- Click ”Settings/Add with fixed size”.
Using this feature, all new images will be scaled to a certain width or
height.
- After the
images are added:
- Objects can be moved and scaled using the mouse.
- Objects can be moved and scaled using the keyboard.
- Use ”Shift + Arrows” to change the size.
- Use ”Ctrl + Arrows” to move.
The objects will be moved or scaled 1, 10 or 30 pixels. (Use F3
to change the value).
- Center an object. (Ctrl+Shift+C).
- Stretch an object to fit the whole page (Ctrl+Shift+S).
- Scale an image or an animation to the” original size”. (Ctrl+Shift+N).
- Scale an image to the page with margin (Ctrl+Shift+T).
- Right click an object to bring it to the front
or to the back. 
(Images, animations and hotspots cannot be in front of text boxes,
buttons or videos.
- Align objects to each other.
Click 
in the main toolbar
(Ctrl
+ J) to make the alignment box appear:
Select the objects which should be aligned by:
- (Ctrl+A): Select all.
- Press ”Shift” and select several object with the mouse.
- Press the left mouse button and drag a rectangle around the
objects, and release the mouse button.
- Then click the relevant button in the box:
4
The image browser. Index
- Click
in the
toolbar to make the browser window appear (Ctrl+B)
- Then click ‘Open directory’ and select a directory containing image
files or gif – animations.
Select a file in the directory and click ’Open’ and the ‘thumbnails’
are generated.
The size of the thumbnails can be changed (Settings).
- You can "drag" an image from the browser and
"drop" it on the page or on a button.
If
"Alt" is pressed, you can drag an
image from the browser
and drop it on an existing image object.
This way an image can be changed without changing the assigned
programming.
- Add an image as background: Right click the
’thumbnail’ and select ’Add as background’
- A
menu item: "Settings":
1. "Scale image to fit
page”.
The image will be scaled to fit the page and centered.
2. "Fixed image
size".
The image will be scaled to a certain height or width (in pixels).
- The "Photo chip"
feature can be used, to ease the routines when transferring images from a
digital camera to the computer. When transferred, the images
will be displayed in the browser, ready
to use in your project. Read more in
chapter 22.
- "The magnifier" can be used to enlarge thumbnails
one by one. Move the mouse into a thumbnail and it will be displayed in
the magnifier.
Gif – animation will be animated in the magnifier.
- The
menu item: "Collections" let you create your own
collections of images, backgrounds, animations, and symbols.
You can add an image to a collection by right click on a thumbnail and
click ‘Add to collection’.
- Main Menu item: "Settings/Quick redraw". (Settings in the
main menu )
When this option is selected thumbnails will be generated faster, if the
directory has been browsed before.
In every directory that has been browsed, a directory called 'MMix_Thumbs'
containing the thumbnails will be created.
5
About images. Index
- When
an image is added to your project, the image file will be copied
to the project directory.
If you have changed an image in Mediamixer, you have
always the option to add the original image once again.
- Mediamixer the most basic editing features:
- Mirror
- Lighten or darken.
- Crop
With the left mouse button pressed drag a rectangle around the
area you wish to crop.
You can scale the rectangle by dragging the borders.
You can move the rectangle with the mouse.
When scaled and placed as you wish, double-click the center of the
rectangle.
- Copy area
With
the left mouse button pressed drag a rectangle around the area
you wish to copy.
You can scale the rectangle by dragging the borders.
You can move the rectangle with the mouse.
When scaled and placed as you wish, double-click the center of the
rectangle.
- Copy area to button.
Press Ctrl+Shift and click inside the rectangle. Still pressing
Ctrl+Shift click the button.
- Flood fills an area of an image.
Select a color or pick it up with the pipette.
Only pixels with the exact same color will be changed.
- Open an image in an external image editor directly from Mediamixer.
Click 
to edit your image using MS Paint (The default MS
Windows Image editor).
Click "Open" to use your favorite image editor.
Click 'Settings/Editors' in the main toolbar to select your favorite
image editor.
- Click
to resize
one or several image files. Read more about
resizing in chapter 6.
Split. 
An image can be cut into smaller pieces.
- Select transparent color.
Click 
and then select the color in the image, which
should to be transparent.
- Click
(in the
image dialog box) to change the image file without deleting the object.
This can be useful if you want to replace an image after it has been
programmed.
- You can add a colored frame or drop shadow to your image.
Click the tab sheet 'Miscellaneous.
Select color and width and click 'Add'.
- Insert
an image as background.
Click 'Insert as background'’ in the local menu’ (right click).
- Show
recording buttons below an image. Read more in
chapter13.
- Read
more in chapter 3.
6
Resize. Index
- When images are used ion the screen, the image files are usually larger
than necessary
- When you have added an image to
a Mediamixer project, you can see the original size, if you right click
and click “Set original size”
Press 
or
Ctrl+Z to “undo”
- With Mediamixer you can
automatically resize the image files.
There are 3 ways to do it:
- One by one.
”Right click” and click ”Resize selected images”. (Or click in the
”image-dialog box”.
- All the images in the project at the same time.
Click in
the toolbar.
Click “Start” in the “resize-dialog box”
-
When a project is packed.
At this time only images in the package will be resized. The
"original project" will be unchanged.
7
Gif – images &
animations. Index
- A file with the ’gif’ suffix can be an image or an animation.
- Click
in the toolbar to
add a ‘gif’ to the page or use the image browser (Ctrl+B).
- Gif
files can be dragged directly from Windows Explorer.
- Double-click on the gif-image/animation to open the Gif dialog or
right click for local menu.
- Gif files can be edited in most image editors, but animations
will usually be converted to an image if the editor isn’t designed for
animations"
Select your favorite editor. (Click ’Settings / Editors’).
- You can convert a gif image to a standard bitmap image.
8
About textboxes Index
· Several features can be used with text boxes:
- You
can add "hyperlinks"
- They
can be "text receivers"
- You
can define a "correct text ""
- You
can use "Synthetic speech"
- They
can be shown in a "Popup window"
- Double-click
on a text box to make the text dialog box appear.
The text can be formatted just like in common text editor.
- If you want to move the textbox while the text dialog is visible,
you must click on
.
- Hyperlinks.
One ore several words can be formatted as hyperlinks.
Hyperlinks are interactive parts of the text as known from the Internet.
Hyperlinks can be programmed just like objects. Read
about programming in chapter 14.
Create a hyperlink.
1. Add a text box and write
your text.
(It can be edited later on, but there is a risk that the hyperlinks can be
corrupted
2.
Highlight
the part of the text you want to make a hyperlink.
3. Click 
and the hyperlink is created, and ready to be programmed.
Highlight
it and click 
in
the text dialog box.
- Text receiver.
- A text box can become a text receiver.
Meaning that words from other text boxes (text senders) can be
copied to the text receiver by a single or double click (An
option).
- Text boxes are as default text senders.
Buttons
can be used as text senders too (an option).
- Only one text box at the same time can be a 'text receiver'.
Using the feature “Text receiver on show”, several text boxes can
be text receivers, one at the time.
This feature will often be used together with the “correct text” feature.
(Look below).
- Correct text.
With
this feature you can define a ”correct text”, and get actions executed, if
the text written in the text box is correct or wrong.
This way exercises can be created for educational purpose.
- First you must define the ”correct text”:
Write the text in the box and click the ”define” button
- Then assign actions on correct
and wrong answer. 
You can:
Show an object.
Hide
an object.
Change
page.
Play
a sound
Start
a timeline.
- You can select if the actions should be executed manually or
automatically.
Though you can only use "Automatically” on wrong if
the correct answer is one single letter or one single word and it is clicked
to the text box using the text receiver feature.
- When
using
or 
a certain text can be send on correct answer.
- Text-To-Speech.
- With
this feature, textboxes can be readout.
If you are not running Windows XP,
you must download Microsoft’s Speech Engine:
- http://www.microsoft.com/speech/download/SDK51/
- Microsoft’s
Speech Engine supports only US - English, Japanese
and Simplified Chinese, but several other text-to-speech
applications are supported too.
You could try:
- You
can click on a single word in a textbox,
or on the speech button 
and
get the whole text readout.
- Speech
bubbles and labels can be readout too.
- Right
click on the textbox or label to activate Text-To-Speech.
- Choose
Text-To-Speech settings in the main menu (Miscellaneous).
- Show a text box in a popup window
Using
this feature, a text box can be shown in a popup window.
You can use this feature to make a menu to the project.
Add a text box and create hyperlinks and assign page changes to the pages
of the project. It can be done like this:
- Add a text box.
- Double-click to make the text dialog box appear.
- Write you text and create the hyperlinks. (As above).
- Click the "Popup" tab in the text dialog box.
- Select "Show as popup ".
- Select if the window should be hidden on page change.
- Press F6 to test.
- Images and animations can also be shown in a popup window
Single Linde
Display (SLD) Index
With
this function the text in a textbox can be displayed line by line.
The lines changes automatically with a time delay or the lines can be changed
manually.
- Add a textbox and write your
text as usually.
When using SLD, this textbox will only be visible in edit mode:
- Double-click the textbox and
select display settings and select ’Use single line display’.
And the first line of the textbox will be shown in the single line
display.
- The SLD-display can be placed
as you wish. Drag it by the top bar.
- Text format can be changed.
- The background color
can be.
- In edit mode the lines can only
be changed by the arrows:
When not in edit mode they can be changed manually or automatically with a
time delay as an option
The width of the display can be changed by the up/down button. 
Though if the display panel is to narrow for the text, it will be resized
automatically
Both the length of the lines and the text format have an influence on the
display width.
- The height is changed
automatically.
- A sound can be assigned to each
line.
The sound can be recorded directly 
or added from file 
.
The sound has to be assigned line by line.
Every time a sound has been added the next line will be shown.
When not in edit mode the sound will be played when the line is displayed.
As an option you can select a time delay for one to ten seconds.
This is useful, if the feature is used in reading education.
Click on 
for
additional options.
The upper 3 menu items are also available for the users of the final
project.
- Menu item: "Allow multiple
lines":
- If this option is selected: If
a line is too wide for the display, the line will be shown as multiple
lines.
- If this option is not selected:
If a line is too wide for the display, the width of the display will be
increased.
·
About multiple lines.
Lines, which are too wide for the display panel, will be parted randomly
between words.
If you want to control where the line is parted,
you can add one or several ’*’
Check if the display panel is wide enough for the sub-line.
If
you want to hide the default toolbar with navigation buttons and options, you
can use buttons or other objects as navigation or option buttons. (These
buttons are not active in design mode).
Define an object as a navigation button this way:
Select the object and click on 
and select the
function you want to assign to the object:
9
About video Index
- Supported video formats are: avi, wmv or mpg/mpeg.
- Other formats, like
"MP4" or "Mov" must be converted.
There are several converters available.
Try to make a search on 
using
the words: "Video, convert, software".
Visit www.zamzar.com to make an
online conversion.
- Right click for options and
functions.
- Define a starting point. (The
video will start playing at this point.)
Play the video and find the frame which should be the first and then click
Define starting point). This point will be marked with red.
In additions you can add one ore several bookmarks. Bookmarks will be
marked with small blue rectangles.
When a bookmark is clicked the video player jumps to the selected frame.
- Double-click to display the
video in full screen mode.
- You can play a video with an external video player at start it from
Mediamixer using the ”link feature".
- An example: A video in the "Mov" or "MP4" -format,
are not directly supported by Mediamixer.
- They are usually played by Quicktime Media player
- To start them from Mediamixer, Quicktime must be installed.
- When you create a distribution package, you will get a message, if
the project needs Quicktime.
You will get an option to include Quicktime in the
project package.
- (Quicktime can be downloaded as a free version from www.apple.com. )
- When the project is installed on other computers, Quicktime will
be installed if not available.
10 Page background Index
- Double-click at the page background or click
in the
toolbar, to display the “Page dialog box”.
- The background styles are:
- One color.
- 2 - colors (gradient)
- A background image (Wallpaper).
- Click the image icon an select an image
file or :
- "Right click/Insert as background” on an image that
has already been added or:
- Use the browser. "Right click” on one of the
”thumbnails”.
- The
feature ”Copy screen and insert as background” can be used, if you
have designed a page and you want the same look on other pages.
- If you click "Save as
default” other pages in the project will have the same look, if they
haven’t been given a certain design.
You can give a page the “default” look by clicking ”Change to default”.
- Click the ”Arrows tab” to
change the color or size of the arrows.
- Hide the arrows: Right click on the arrows or the
page background.
- ”Page change effects”.
There are 47 different effects.
You can use a random effect or select your favorite.
11 Mouse and keyboard Index
The keyboard
- Click
in the toolbar to access keyboard settings
- As default you can change page
by pressing "Page Up" or "Page Down" on the keyboard.
It can be changes to left and right arrow.
- Notice!! As default you can only change page using the keyboard in
test mode, if the standard page change arrows are visible.
You can always use the keyboard in design mode.
- If a sound assigned to the page is playing, while you press a key
or click an arrow to change page, the page change will not be executed. You must wait
until the sound has stopped.
- Every time you have changed page using the keyboard (or switch),
you must release the button to change page again.
The mouse
- Click
in the toolbar to access mouse settings.
You can select the look of the cursor when ’active’.
The cursor is active, when it enters an object with
programmed "On Mouse Click - actions".
It can be displayed as a default ‘hand point’ or a big red
arrow.
- Other
settings.
- The mouse can be ‘blocked’ for some time after it has been
clicked.
- "Only execute mouse click if the mouse button is held for
some time’.
1000 is equal to one second.
- This
can be useful when you are using a "Touch screen".
12 The page list. Index
- Click on
(or F9) to open the page list.
- Select "Show thumbnails" to display thumbnails of the pages.
Thumbnails of pages in older projects must be updated. This happens when the page is visited.
You can also use the menu item "Options/update all thumbnails".
- In then page list you can:
- Navigate between pages in the project.
(Click
on a page name or thumbnail in the list )
- Move a page. Drag the page with the mouse
and drop it where you want.
- Delete a page. Click on the page
and press "Delete" or “right click/delete”.
- Rename the pages as: Page1, Page2, Page3……..
- Save a page for future use, in other projects
(Pages/Save page").
- Insert a saved page. (Click on "Pages/Insert saved page"
to open the "saved pages - window" and then double-click at the
page you want to insert.
The
inserted page should have the same size as the current project.
You can read the size of the page and the project at the bottom of the
window.
- About "Import and export of pages":
The pages are saved in a subdirectory to
the installations directory of Mediamixer.
Click "Files/Open saved page directory" to open this
directory.
Pages can be copied to a floppy disk or CD.
With “Get page from file” you can insert a page from a floppy disk
or CD.
13 Sound recordings and
sound files. Index
- You can add sound from a file or record it directly into the
project.
The sound can be played:
1. On page change.
2. When an object is
clicked.
3. When the mouse enters an
object.
4. When the mouse leaves an
object.
5. On "Correct or wrong
text" in a textbox.
6. In “memory games”.
- To record a page sound click
in the toolbar.
- Record the sound in the sound
recorder and click on the "Save" button.
- Press F6 to test.
- If no sound is played you can check if:
- The speakers are on.
- Microphone is plugged in correctly.
- The sound settings are correct.
Select “Settings/Playback volume” or “Settings/Recording
volume” to change the settings of the sound card.
- Besides page change, sound can be
played on other events too. (Mouse click, Mouse Leave, Mouse
Enter.) This can be recorded through the Programming Control Panel.
Read about programming in chapter 14.
Another way to use the sound recorder:
- Click on the menu
item: "Unlock sound recorder". The sound recorder is changed:
In the string list below the recording buttons, you can select which
event should start a sound.
Notice that the string list changes if you select the page or an object,
or if the page contains a memory game.
The
sound is saved automatically when it is recorded.
This way of using the sound recorder, is very fast to work with and makes
it easy to record several sounds.
- To insert a page
sound from file click in the toolbar.
Click "Browse directory" and
select a sound file in "Windows Explorer"
(wav or mp3);
- Icons
are generated for every sound in the directory.
- Select
a sound in the browser and click "Add the sound" (or
double click).
- Sound files can be dragged directly from the Windows Explorer.
If the file is dropped on the page it will be played at page change.
If it is dropped on an object, it will be played when the object is
clicked.
- To add a sound to an object you must open the programming control
panel (F8).
- Select the object.
- Click on of the buttons below the sound icon depending
if the sound is going to be played:
- On mouse click.
- On mouse enter
- On mouse leave.
- Click the “Record button” or the “Get sound from file
button” in the dialog box.
Now take a look on the programming control panel.
A speaker icon is displayed to illustrate, that a
sound is added to this button
- Sound buttons.
Usually
you can only add sound, when you are in design mode.
By adding sound buttons, users of the project can record
sound even the packed project
- Right
click on an image or a button and click “Show sound button at object”
- You
will now see a “recording button” and a “delete sound button”.
- Click the recording button and it starts to flash.
While flashing you are recording.
- Click again to stop the recording.
- If you want to record again you must the recorded sound.
- NB!! Click the object
to make the sound buttons appear.
Background
sound
- Click "Other features" in the programming dialog.
- If
a sound is added as a background sound, it will not be
stopped by a page change or by other sounds.
- (However
it will be suspended if another background sound is started).
You can start a background sound on each page.
- Find
or record the sound.
- Select
if you want the sound to loop.
- As
an option you can decrease the background sound
volume, while other sounds are played.
14 Programming. Index
By programming project can become
interactive.
There are 2 basic words to understand: 'Events' and 'Actions'.
- 'Events' are what starts the 'actions'. The basic events
are:
- On Mouse Click (When the mouse click on an object)
- On Mouse Leave or On Mouse Enter (When the mouse leaves or enter
an object)
- On Page Show (When the page changes)
- Other events are
- On "correct text".
- On "Score"
- 'Actions' are what happens when an event occurs:
- An object is hidden.
- A sound is played.
- A timeline is started and more.
You can read a list of possible 'actions' below.
- Start adding the object you want to make interactive.
- Click
in
the toolbar (or F8) to make the programming control panel appear.
- Actions can be:
1. Show
an object.
2. Hide
an object.
§ You can add an effect by
clicking 
on the
relevant button in the control panel.
Notice!! If you want several objects to be hidden or shown at the same time it
can cause trouble if you assign effects.
The objects will not be shown or hidden at the same time, but one by one after
the objects effect is done.
3.
Change
Page.
Change to the page you want to go to.
You can add an effect to the page change. 
.
There are 47 different effects.
4. Record
sound or add a sound from file
5. 
Add links to
applications, websites, documents or other Mediamixer projects.
6. 
Close the project.
7. Start a timeline. (First you must create the
timeline)
8.
Start
a video (First you must add the video to the page).
- An
example: Look at the picture of the control panel above.
You can see that we are adding interactivity to a button (Read the caption
of the window).
- When the button is clicked a textbox is shown and a video is
started.
- When the mouse enters the button, sound is played.
- All the buttons with ‘0’ as caption have no 'actions'
assigned.
- A practically example of how to make a button interactive:
When the button is clicked we want to play a sound and when the sound
stops we want to change page.
- Add the button to the page.
- Open the programming control panel (Press F8)
- Click on the button to select it.
- At the left of the control panel you see the possible events (On
Mouse Click, On Mouse Enter or On Mouse Leave).
We want to use the ‘On Mouse Click’ – event’.
- First we will program the page (When the page changes).
- Click the button just below the page change icon.
- In the page change dialog box we select the page to go to.
- Then we will to add the sound.
- Click the button just below the sound icon .
- Select to record a sound or get it from file.
- Now we are done. Press F6 for testing.
- Add interactivity to a
hyperlink in a text box in a similar way. Be sure to select the hyperlink
and not the text box.
- You can also ad actions to
a page change.
This means that the actions will be executed when the page is
shown.
Click at the page background to select it, and then add
actions as above.
- If you want to remove an action
from an object or the page, just select the object and click the relevant
buttons in the control panel.
- Create a
"Roll Over" by using 2 images (or other objects).
It can be done automatically:
- Add 2 images to the page. It works best if they are the same size.
- Select both and right click on one of them.
Click the menu item: ‘Create Roll Over effect of 2 objects’.
- Press F6 to test it.
Let the mouse move into the image. Let the mouse leave the image.
- You can copy 'actions' from one object to another.
- Select ‘Other features’ in the programming control panel.
- Select the ’source object’
- Click the button ’Copy 'actions'.
- Select the ‘destination object’.
15 How to program a page
change. Index
Page change to a page in another project.
With this feature multible projects can be joined.
The page change from on project to another will be very smooth, you all projects shares the same screen settings.
This feature replaces the link feature.
- Select "Page change to a another project".
- Select one of the menu items and find the project.
- Select the page you want.
16 Drag & drop. Index
- With
the drag & drop event actions can executed when an object is
dragged with the mouse and dropped on another object.
- If
it is dropped on a wrong object it jumps back to its previous
position.
- Click
(F8)
and click "drag & drop"
- Select the "drag object".
- Click
and then select the "drop object".
- Then
select the actions.
- The option: "Lock on drop". The object will be locked
when it is dropped on the correct object.
- The option: "Center on drop". The object will be
centered on the "drop object".
17 Link. Index
- Open documents, applications, web pages or other Mediamixer
projects.
- A link can be executed on page change or "On Mouse
Click.
- Click to open the programming control panel. (or F8).
- An example: Add a button to your project.
- Select the button and the button below the link icon in the
programming control panel. This window will appear:
- Linking to a web page:
Click
the lower button and write the web address.
- An internet shortcut can be dragged directly from the Windows
Explorer and dropped on an object.
- Link to a document (Video, sound, text or any file).
- Click "Find document button"
and
select document in the Windows Explorer.
You will get the question:
"Start the document from current position??”
- “No” is recommended. The
document then be a part of the project, and integrated in
the distribution package.
- Select yes or no.
- Link to an application.
- Click "Find document button" and
select the executable file in the Windows Explorer.
- You will get the question:
”Start the application from the
current position??
"Yes" is recommended.
Applications are almost always dependent on other files!
- Select yes or no.
- Link to a packed Mediamixer project.
- To link to a Mediamixer project, it must be packed.
- Then find the project file in the Windows Explorer and click open.
The project file is yellow 
. You can find
in the directory containing the package in the subdirectory “Data”
”Start the project from the
current position?
“No” is recommended. The packed project will then
be a part of the project, and integrated in the
distribution package.
- Select yes or no.
- Click
the icon to close the
dialog box.
- Press
F6 to test.
·
Whit
this feature you can play all the music files in a directory directly from
Mediamixer.
- In the projects directory you will find the subdirectory: ”lyde”.
- Create a subdirectory.
You could call it: ”MyMusic”.
- Copy your sound files to this directory.
- Click the ”Write path” button and write: play: MyMusic. .
- If you write play: MyMusic /s this jukebox will be
displayed, when the link is activated:
- Press
F6 to test.
18 Point. Index
·
Using
the "On score" - event action can be executed when a certain score is
reached.
·
"Score”
is a non visual counting of certain events, which are executed by the user of
the project.
·
Use the feature to create exercises and games.
·
There are
2 independent ways to collect points.
o
Locally on
the page.
o
When
visiting certain pages.
·
Points
scored
locally on the pages are reset to zero at page change
·
An
example:
In this exercise the words should be dragged and dropped on the colored boxes.
The words are added as text labels. The boxes are small images.
Set up the drag & drop events as described in chapter 16.
Then the "On Score - event" is set up.
The points can only be collected locally on the page.
(Only use the upper part of the dialog box).
·
How
to do it:
·
Select the word "blue" with the mouse. Click the "DragDrop" - checkbox
in the dialog box.
·
Select the word "red" with the mouse. Click the "DragDrop" - checkbox
in the dialog box.
·
Select the word "green" with the mouse. Click the "DragDrop" - checkbox
in the dialog box.
·
This
way 3 points can be scored so the value of the "execute
on" - counter should be set to 3.
·
Then
you just need to assign the action, when the score of 3 is reached.
·
Press
F6 to test.
·
Other events which can be used to collect points locally
on a page are:
o
On
Mouse Click, On Mouse Enter and On Mouse Leave.
o
On "correct
text" in a textbox.
Collecting points
when visiting certain pages.
·
On
Score event is completely independent of the locally collected points.
(Only use the lower part of
the dialog box).
·
Click
the "Include visits on this page" - checkbox on every page
where a point can be collected.
·
Set
the value of the "execute on" - counter.
·
Assign
the actions which should be executed, when the selected score is reached.
Add a display the score.
A visible counter can be added...
Click at "Add counter".
A button with the caption of "#" will be added.
This button can be handled as a regular button object.
The caption can be changed, but must contain a ’#’, where you want the score to
be put in.
Just like: ”Your have scored # points”.
19 Timelines. Index
- Using timelines several actions can be executed according to each
other.
-
Click in
the toolbar to open the timeline-dialog. (shortcut
Ctrl+T
)
- Click
in the
menu to create a timeline.
- Now you can add events.
Timeline events can execute: (from left in the
toolbar)
1. Showing
an object on the page.
2. Hiding
an object on the page.
§
Add an effect when the object is shown or hidden.
The execution of other actions
will be delayed while the effect is shown.
If a timeline event occurs while an
effect is shown out, you will see an exclamation mark in the events icon. 
An exclamation mark can also indicate, that the object
which should be hidden or shown, has been deleted.
3. Changing page.
4. Starting a
video on the page.
5. 
Playing
a recorded sound.
§ If
a sound is started while another sound is played, the first sound will be
interrupted.
The indication of that is hatching the part of the sound which will not be
played: 
All actions are interrupted on page change
or if the project is closed .
§ This
will be indicated by a blue cross 
6. 
Playing
a sound from file.
7. Closing
the project.
8. Starting
a timeline.
A timeline can start another timeline or itself
(a loop).
If several timelines are executed at the same time, they might influence
on each other.
(Read paragraph 2 and 5 above).
- When events are added, they occur as icons on the timeline.
- On the left hand side of the timeline dialog you can se a list of
added timeline events.
When an item is clicked, the related event in the timeline is marked.
- Events can be moved in several ways.
- Using the mouse (Drag and drop it vertically and horizontally).
- By clicking the display:
(The number indicates
when the event is executed (in seconds).
- Using the keyboard. (Ctrl + right or left arrow.
- Menu item: 'Settings / Play sound at cursor'
If activated, the sound is played exactly from where it is clicked.
This way you can synchronize other events very accurately to the
sound.
- Click
to test the timeline.
- Notice: Timelines are not started automatically. It can
be done several ways:
· Using menu item:
'Settings/Start timeline automatically on Page
Change'.
· It can be started by
clicking an object, 'Correct text' and so on.
20 How to distribute the
project. Index
- When
a Mediamixer project is packed, it can be displayed on a PC, without
the need of Mediamixer.
- Click
to create the distribution
package (Shift+Ctrl+P).
- As
default a "Viewer" is included in the package.
- The
image files can be resized to reduce the size of the package.
Read more about resizing in chapter 6.
The
project can be compressed to one single file. This is useful if you
want to attach small projects to an email.
The
project can be attached to an email. - Attention!!
Projects
can be very large especially if it contains sound and video. The upload
and download time can be very long when using a slow Internet connection.
The
package is as default copied to the directory “Mediamixer packages” desktop.
Look out for the suitcase icon.
The package can be copied to a USB flash pen, CD or DVD.
Install on this computer. The
project will be packed and installed on the same computer.
This is very fast because only a few files are changed...
- Other settings:
- Insert a welcome image. It will be displayed when
the project starts.
- Choose an icon for the project.
- Select if the project should be in front of other
applications. This is useful, if several projects are joined to a
union.
- Hide welcome window.
- Hide the toolbar in the packed project.
- Give your project a title.
- Assign a password to your project. You can also assign a trial
period.
The
password must be written the first time the project is opened on a
computer.
- Click the Start button to execute the packing procedure.
21 Printing. Index
- You can print a page or the whole project.
- NB!! There are some limitations.
- A page will always be printed with the paper in “landscape”
direction.
- Text boxes containing individually formatted text will only printed
using one single text format (type, color and size).
- If a text label or speech bubble have been cropped or scaled, it
will not be printed as expected.
22 Import images from a
digital camera. Index
- This feature can ease the routines when using a digital camera.
- First time you use this feature you have to set it up.
Settings:
- Create
a profile (”Profiles/Create new profile”).
- Select
destination directory.
- Insert
the flash card in the card reader or connect the camera to the computer.
- Click
"browse" and find the flash card using
Windows Explorer.
- Double
click one of the image files.
- Multiple
profiles can be created for several users and/or cameras.
Copy
images:
- Insert
the flash card in the card reader or connect the camera to the computer.
- Select
your profile.
- The
images will be saved in a subdirectory of the destination directory.
This subdirectory will be named by the date if you don’t
choose another name.
- Select
if the flash card should be erased.
- Click
'start'.
- The
images will be copied, and displayed in the image browser ready for use.
23 Scanning. Index
- As
a substitute for mouse and keyboard, projects can be controlled by the
scan feature.
The functionality of this feature is a flashing frame around
a clickable object.
- The frame will flash a number
of times and then move to the next object.
While the frame is at the object,
it can be activated by using a switch connected
to the computer.
The switch must be connected as a substitute for the "down
arrow" (This can be changed to another key).
- There are 2 ways to integrate scanning:
- Free scanning
- Scanning in ”rows and columns”.
- Free scanning (Freestyle)
- With
"free scanning" all objects in the project (including page
change arrows) can be “scan – objects”.
- You
can decide the order of the movement from object
to object.
- An example:
- Create your project as you
like.
- Now select the object
which should be used as scan objects.
Open the “free scanning” – dialog box. Click 
in the main toolbar.
Click on “Select objects”.
Select the objects with the mouse.
The scanner will move to the objects in the same order as you select them.
You can change the order by clicking the arrow buttons to the right of the
scanning dialog box.
- To remove an object, click the
”unselect objects” – button and then select the objects you want
to remove.
- Add sound. The sound will be
played when the scan-frame moves to an object.
Click the “sound” - button
Select an object with the mouse, or select it in the list.
Record the sound or get sound from file.
- Menu item: ”Settings”. The options are:
- Change how many times the frame flash at each object.
- Change the speed.
- Change the color and size of the frame.
- Select manual or automatic scanning.
Default
is auto scanning
On manual scanning you need 2 switches
- One to move the frame (Connected as "Up arrow" on the
keyboard).
- The other to click (Connected as "Down arrow" on the
keyboard).
(Other keys can be selected)
- Stop on inactivity. The scanner will stop flashing, if the user
doesn’t press the switch for a specified number of rounds.
I will start again automatically, when a switch is pressed.
- Scanning in ”rows and cols”.
This feature will set up a "button
board" with a number of rows and columns.
This is done very easily.
- You can use 3 kinds of scanning:
- ”Left to right” scanning. The scan frame will move
from left to right in the rows.
- Circle scanning. The scan frame will only move in edge of the scan –
field. The object in the center of the field won’t be used, and can be
deleted.
- Row scanning. The frame covers the whole row at the time.
When a row has been selected, it starts scanning inside the row.
- To
use the scanner you can connect one or two switches (as in free scanning).
You have the same settings available.
- All kinds of objects can be
used as scan objects (except videos), but usually buttons the best choice.
- An example:
- Add
a button to the page and adjust color and size.
This button will be template for the other objects.
- Click
in the main toolbar.
- Select
the number of rows and columns you want.
- As
default the objects will be locked to the page.
If they are moved, the scanner won’t work properly.
- Click
the
button.
- Click
”Settings” to add scanning.
- Click ”Sound” to add sound.
The sound will be played when the scan-frame moves to an object.
- The
buttons can be programmed just like other objects and
you can add images or text.
A
few tips to ease your work.
- If you want to
add images to a button, it is easy to use the image browser (Click or
Ctrl+B).
- Drag
an image from the browser to the button...
- Programming a page change is usually done after the pages are created.
- It
can be done the other way round.
- Add a button (or another object.
- Press and hold "Ctrl" + "Alt". Notice the
cursor will change.
- Click on the button.
- An edit box will appear. Write a name for the new page and click
“OK”.
The page now changes to a new empty page.
- To go back press and hold "Ctrl" +
"Alt", and click on the background of the page.
- You can always
follow a page change (on mouse click) in design mode, by using
"Ctrl" + "Alt" as explained above.
24 Eye control. Index
- Mediamixer supports MyTobii Eye Control from www.Tobii.com
Projects created by Mediamixer can be controlled with your eyes, if the projects are created within some guidelines:
- The projects screen size should be 1024x768, which is the resolution the Tobii eye control equipment uses.
- Buttons and other clickable objects should be rather large (at least 2 x 2 cm on the screen), because it is difficult to focus on smaller objects.
- Several clickable objects should not be placed upon each other if they are visible at the same time.
- Do not use "drag &drop" or "Mouse in &out". This is not supported by Tobii.
- Make sure that all pages in the project can be reached by clicking objects or the page change arrows.
- Make it possible to close the project by adding one or several "stop buttons".
- When a project is shown as a distribution package, it will as default display a ”start box”. This should be avoided when using eye control.
- The Memory feature is supported by Tobii.
- The Text-To-Speech button can be controlled by Tobii:
- Eye control is not active in Mediamixer, but when the projects are packed and displayed by the viewer, Tobii Eye control can be used.
25 Picture boards. Index
- The intention of this
feature is to make it easy to use pictures for communication.
This is useful if you, as a family-member, a teacher or caretakers, are
involved with a person with mental disabilities, and when daily use of
images is necessary to support communication and to give structure of
the daily life.
An example:
We want to create a project, to support a mentally disabled child.
First of all we will add images and symbols that are relevant for the
child. It can be symbols for all the activities the child participates in
during a week. Pictograms can be imported from “Boardmaker” and other
applications. Just copy and paste them (Ctrl+V)
Click "Special features/Pick images" to open the Picture
board panel.
- To create a “Picture board” of
the day, the child selects images in the project which are
relevant for the day (with help from an adult,)
- Click on the images in the
project you want this certain day.
- The selected images will
be displayed as “thumbnails” in a panel.
- Double-click on a thumbnail to remove it.
- · When the images
have been selected, they can be transferred to a
page. ( click "Show selected
images on a page").
- The page changes and you can arrange the images.
- They can be arranged automatically if you click “Arrange” in the
menu.
- You can change the size.
- Click
or
Ctrl + P to print.
- You
can save the page ( ”Arrange /Save the
page").
If not saved, the page will be deleted when closing the project.
- Click "Go back" to return to the last page where you
selected images.
26 Memory. Index
- Use this feature to create memory games and exercises, where 2
cards should be matched.
Color, text, and images can be added to the cards.
In addition you can add sound, and creating a game where an
image should be matched with a sound.
- As an option you can play
with open cards, meaning that all cards are visible from the start.
Create exercises for educational purposes with text and images...
- It is very quick and easy to set up a game. Here is an example:
- Add
a button to the page and adjust color and size.
- Open
"Special features/Create “match game". (Ctrl+H).
- Select
the numbers of rows and columns.
- Select
the button and click “Create” in the dialog box.
The cards will now be created.
- The
cards which belong together are placed side by side (1A-1B, 2A-2B...).
- Now
you can add images.
It is easy to use the image browser ( or Ctrl+B).
- Drag an image
from the browser and to a button.
- Change the back
of the cards. Click the “Background” tab in the dialog box.
- Press
F6 to test the game. The cards will be mixed automatically.
·
- Go
to the “Reward” tab in the dialog box to assign actions,
which are executed when the user has solved the game.
- In
addition you can add a sound which is played when 2
cards are picked, one sound for ”correct” and one for ”wrong.
- Click
the menu item: "Settings/Blend card options" and select
how you want the cards to be blended.
If you select " Blend A + B", all the “A –
cards” will be blended mutual, and all the “B – cards” will be blended
mutual.
This is useful when the "A-cards" and "B-cards" not
are equally sized.
An example: If the "A-cards" are rectangles,
because they contain a sentence, while the ”B – cards” are square because
they contain images.
- You can click the menu item:
"Settings/Play with open cards” and let all the cards be
visible from the start.
- Click
the menu item “Assign same match value” to give several cards the same
match – value.
- An example: Select 3 pairs (1A + 1B, 2A + 2B, 3A + 3B)
and then click ” Assign same match value”.
All the cards will now get the “match value”: 1A or 1B.
This way any 1A – card can be matched with any 1B - card.
Here is an example how to use this feature:
We want to create a game for training initial letters.
- Any
“S” matches "Snake" or "Spider"
27 Puzzle Index
- Add
an image and place it as you want. Be sure to there is space around it.
Select it and click the menu item: "Special features/Puzzle".
- Split
the image in horizontal and vertical parts using the mouse.
- Options:
- Draw border.
- Visible targets.
- Click
on OK and the puzzle is created:
- Using
the point feature you can execute actions when the puzzle is solved.
28 Crossword Index
- Open special features/Cross word puzzle.
- Select field size and click "Create'.
There are now inserted the number of fields there are room for
- While the Cross Word Dialog is still open, start creating your cross word puzzle:
- Select a field and write a letter.
- Select another field and write the next letter and so on.
- Afterwards images can be added.
This is done as usually on buttons..
They can be copied (Right click/Paste image from clipboard), dragged and dropped from the image browser og from file.
- Once the cross word is all done click on "Programme".
This removes all the fields which are not in use and places the letters in a pile.
They can be manually arranged as desired.
- The crossword can be done in 2 ways:
Using "drag&drop" og "Match", where you first choose a letter oan then a field or vice versa.
You can add a function button that can switch between these two options.
- Click on:
to perform an action when the crossword is solved.
- Program the actions you want.
The value: "Execute at" is normally set automatically, and must match the number of letters in the crossword.
29 Toolbars Index
to lock the object or 
to
unlock.
(Ctrl+V).
and
pasted 
