TUTORIAL

It's time to make your first presentation! Remember to refer to the other Performer help pages if you need help with the terminology or features used here.

Performer Pictures and Effects Tutorial

1) When you first start Performer, the Presentation Bar will be blank. If you've placed any objects in the Presentation Bar since you began your Performer session, click New to clear them.

2) Next click the Pictures button to choose some images for your presentation. As the Pictures button initially points to the Gizmos pictures folder, the Folder Browser will fill with image thumbnails. Try clicking on a couple of them. As you click each image, it will glow and its name will be displayed in the Path Bar above the Folder Browser.

3) Insert AnimalButterflies.jpg and AnimalHippo.jpg by dragging them to the Presentation Bar with the left mouse button, where Performer will create a slightly enlarged copy of the image. Now insert AnimalMallardDuck.jpg and AnimalKangaroo.jpg by double-clicking each image. Note that double-clicked images add themselves to the presentation in the order in which you double-click them.

4) You should now have four images in the Presentation Bar (Butterflies, Hippo, Duck, and Kangaroo). Let's change the order of the last two images: Using the left mouse button, drag Kangaroo so that the image touches the space between Hippo and Duck. Release the mouse button. Performer will place Kangaroo before Duck, and Duck will move back one space. The four images should now be in the following order: Butterflies, Hippo, Kangaroo, Duck.

5) If you look at the Show Box, you'll notice the default show icon has appeared there - this is the first component of a show by which that show will be identified.

6) Click the default show icon in the Show Box. The icon will glow to show it has been selected. Now click the Options button to alter the current show's configuration.

7) Set both the Master Volume and Overall Balance levels to the middle and select the Repeat Show Until Esc Key button to make your show repeat indefinitely once you begin playing it.

8) Next click one of the nine colored buttons at the bottom of the show configuration panel to set the background color for pictures that do not display full-screen.

9) Now you need to configure the pictures themselves. Click the first picture in the Presentation Bar (Butterflies) and click the Options button. You will be confronted by a screen offering information pertaining to the Butterflies picture.

10) Be sure the Duration is set at 1.0, as this means the picture will remain visible for one second before Performer displays the next object. To change the duration, simply drag the cursor over the number and type the desired number in an x.x fashion.

11) Click the Next button at the top of the screen to display the options screen for the next picture in the show (Hippo). Repeat step 10 for Hippo. Click the Next button to display Kangaroo, the next picture.

12) Repeat step 10 for Kangaroo and move on to Duck, the final picture.

13) Set the Duration to 3.0 and click the Accept Changes button. You will be returned to the main Folder Browser screen.

14) Click the Effects button. The Folder Browser will fill with the various transitional effects you may use in a show. As you will see, the insertion and configuration of effects is handled much like those of images.

15) Drag the Fade effect (Fade.PST) to the black line between Butterflies and Hippo. The effect will be inserted in the show between the two pictures. Once the effect has appeared in the Presentation Bar, click the effect to select it and click the Options button to configure it. Make sure the Fade speed is set to Medium and click the Accept Changes button to return to the main Performer screen.

16) Drag the next effect (Slide1InT.PST) to the black line between Hippo and Kangaroo. In its Options screen, make sure it is set to play in its normal order (ensure Play in Reverse isn't checked). Click Accept Changes to return to the main Performer screen.

17) Add Flash.PST between Kangaroo and Duck. Make sure it's set to play in its standard order and click Accept Changes to return to the main Performer screen.

18) Add Slide1nL.PST to the end of the show. Since this show is looped, this effect will play between the final image and the first as the show repeats itself. Make sure this effect is set to play in its normal order.

19) You now have a basic Performer presentation! Hit the Play button to play the show normally from the first frame. The show will loop until you hit the Esc key.

20) Before you do anything else, you should save your show to your hard disk. Click Save, which will open the Folder Browser to the default Gizmos show directory, where you may save your show.


Now that you are a Performer Initiate, you are ready to become a Performer Master by adding sound and music to your show.

Performer Sound Tutorial

1) If you just completed Part I of the Performer Tutorial, you should already have your show in the Presentation Bar. If not, click Shows and look for your show in the Folder Browser. Once you find your show, you may open it by double-clicking the show icon.

2) Notice that each show panel in the Presentation Bar has a small rectangular box beneath it. These boxes will light up when a sound has been assigned to the show components, and it is these boxes that you click to configure sound options.

3) Click Sounds. This will set the Folder Browser to the default Gizmos sound folder on your hard drive. To insert sounds into your show, you only have to drag them onto the component you wish to link them to.

4) Drag AnimalCow.wav to the Butterflies picture. The rectangular button beneath the Butterflies picture will light up to show that Butterflies now has a sound attached.

5) Click the sound-indicator box below Butterflies. After the box glows to show that it has been selected, click Options to set the options for AnimalCow.wav.

6) Now make sure the Volume and Balance settings are around their middle levels.

7) Make sure the Wait Before Playing option is unchecked. This will make the sound play the instant the picture appears.

8) Click the Advanced Controls button to ensure your Windows audio settings are configured to an audible level.

9) Make sure your speakers are plugged in and turned on, then click the Play Test Sound button. You will hear the default test sound to confirm your sound card, speakers and master settings are all working.

10) Click Accept Changes to return to the main Performer screen.

11) Drag AnimalDog.wav to the Hippo picture. The sound indicator below the Hippo picture will light up to indicate Hippo now has a sound attached. Click the sound indicator box followed by Options.

12) Again, make sure the Volume and Balance levels are around their middle settings and that the Wait Before Playing box is unchecked.

13) Since you've already checked the Windows system sound settings, you don't need to press the Advanced Controls button again. If one sound in a Performer session plays well, your system sound settings are fine, though you may need to adjust the settings of the individual sounds.

14) Click Play to listen to AnimalDog.wav and adjust the volume and balance settings as necessary.

15) Click Accept Changes to return to the main Performer screen.

16) Now drag AnimalHorse.wav to Kangaroo and repeat steps 11 through 14 above for AnimalHorse.wav.

17) Drag Bugle.wav to Duck and repeat steps 11 through 14 above for Bugle.wav.

18) Optional: If you have a microphone, you might want to record your own sound for Duck. To do so, simply click Record on the Sound Properties page and speak, sing, play music or run household appliances near your microphone. When you feel you have captured the appropriate ambience, simply click the Stop button. Performer will automatically attach your new sonic creation to the picture.

For testing purposes you should probably stick to the Normal Quality sound setting.

19) You may also attach sounds to effects if you wish, though this requires more observance of timing: Effects tend not to stay onscreen very long.

20) You may attach music to Performer components in the same way you attach sound effects. Although the music is in the same format as the sounds (.wav), the default Performer music directory can be reached by clicking the Music button on the main screen. For convenience it's probably best to keep your music and sound effects separate.

21) You now have a Performer presentation complete with a mooing butterfly, a barking hippopotamus, a whinnying kangaroo and a duck that bugles. And that's OK, because Performer is meant to give you total creative control over your projects. The only limits here are those imposed by one's imagination.

22) You should now click Save to save all changes to your show on your hard disk.


Performer Packaging Tutorial

Now that you know how to create fantastic Performer shows, you'll probably want to start putting your shows in places where other people can see them. Unfortunately, Performer shows tend to be rather large files, so shrinking them before you try to transfer them anywhere is a good idea. The miniaturization process is known as Packaging. If you're now intrigued and want to know more about Packaging, you're in luck, because this section of the tutorial deals with that very topic.

For more information regarding the Packaging features and options, you should refer to the Packaging home page.

1) To Package your show, you need to open the intended show (assuming it isn't already open) so that its first frame appears in the Show Box. Once you have done so, you should select the frame in the Show Box and click the Options button.

2) On the Show Options screen, you will see an innocent-looking button titled Create Package. Though it looks rather innocuous (and also resembles several of the other buttons on the page) Create Package is your key to new Performer worlds.

3) While it's pretty, Create Package unfortunately doesn't do anything until you click it. It's recommended you do that very thing immediately.

4) You should now be faced with a screen offering you the Packaging options.

5) Select Medium for the picture compression level. This will shrink the size of the images in the show when the show is compressed, making the overall size of the show smaller.

6) Select Medium for the audio compression level. This will shrink the size of the sound files in the show when it is compressed.

7) In this case, we'll assume anyone you're sending the show to already has the Included Show Content and Player Files, so you don't need to include them.

8) Click Save Package. Performer will prompt you for a location on which to save your show, then will automatically package your show and save it to the indicated place in .exe format (a compressed show is a self-extracting executable).

9) After the compression has finished, check the Compressed Size to see how effective the compression was and check the Estimated Transfer Times box to see how long it would take to transfer the package over the Internet at your modem's speed.

10) You could at this point adjust the JPEG compression and re-compress the show to try for a smaller size. As we're merely testing here, you don't need to perform any such adjustments.

11) Click E-Mail Package. Your show is again compressed. This time, though, your default e-mail client is launched and a new message started with the newly compressed show as an attachment. Unless you've attached a show that you actually want to send to someone, you should now close your e-mail program.

12) Click Exit to return to the main Performer screen.


Congratulations! You are now fully certified in the use of Gizmos Performer. With a little practice you'll be able to make a new show in the blink of an eye.

One final word: Don't be afraid to experiment! The combinations of sounds, pictures and transitions are virtually limitless, so this is the chance to let your creativity run wild. Since everything can be undone, and since starting and saving shows is easy, you don't need to fear ruining your work while attempting daring new innovations.


Other Performer Help Topics

General Directions

Packaging Shows

Shows

Effects

Pictures

Music

Sounds

Sound Properties

Error Messages

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