PACKAGING SHOWS
Gizmos allows you to bundle your shows for easy shipping across the Internet. One rate for all time zones, guaranteed!
What is Packaging?
In a nutshell, packaging allows you to bundle complete Performer shows in one file for easy transport across the Internet or between computers. Even if your target audiences don't have Performer, you may, with a couple of clicks of the mouse, make it possible for them to easily view your shows. This makes a Performer show a full-featured communication medium similar to a music CD or a videotape: creating the media requires some specific tools, but distributing and viewing the objects once they exist requires only some basic, common equipment.
Called compression, the bundling process collects all components of a show (sound, image files, effects) into a single self-extracting executable (.exe) file. This means that the recipient of a compressed show only needs to open the file as they would any other program (double-click the file, right-click the file and select Open, etc.), and relax as Performer plays the show normally.
Options
Picture Compression: Since the size of a Performer show is the sum of the sizes of its parts, large images mean your show will have greater storage requirements and longer Internet transfer times. Compressing a show's pictures when you create the packaged show is the best way to reduce the overall size of the show. Note that compression may also reduce image quality-choosing higher compression yields smaller files with lower quality, while lower compression gives larger files with better quality.
Audio Compression: Select a level of compression for the show's music and sound. The higher the compression, the smaller audio files will be, but the lower their quality.
Include Performer Player: Selecting this option will bundle the Performer player with any shows you compress. The Performer player will allow users who don't own Gizmos to play (but not create) Performer shows. You should definitely include the player files if you are in doubt as to whether the intended recipient of your show has Gizmos. Obviously, the inclusion of the player files will increase the size of the show executable.
You only have to send the Performer player files to any person once. Once the player files have been installed on their computer, the files do not need to be included with the successive presentations you send them.
Include Used Gizmos Content: Like the Include Player Files feature, this option allows people who do not own Gizmos to be able to play your shows. If a show uses any images, sounds or effects that are included with the Performer program (as opposed to user-created objects), selecting this option will bundle the Performer components used in the show with the show package.
Number of Files: The total number of files included in a show package.
Estimated Compressed Size: The total size, in kilobytes, of the show with the compression options you have selected.
Send Time at 56K Baud: The numbers here indicate the estimated time, in minutes, required to transfer the show over the Internet at 56K.
E-Mail Package: Compresses the currently selected show, calls your default Windows e-mail client and automatically starts a new message with the currently compressed show as an attachment. By default, Netscape Mail or Microsoft Outlook Express will not be recognized by Packager's E-Mail Package option. To make Performer recognize these programs, you should do the following:
1) For Netscape Mail:
a) Start the Netscape Mail program
b) Select the Edit menu
c) Select the Preferences menu
d) Expand the Mail and Groups tree
e) Select MailServer
f) Click the More Options button in the lower right.
g) Select the Use Netscape Messenger from MAPI-based applications checkbox
2) For Microsoft Outlook Express:
a) Start the Microsoft Outlook Express program.
b) Select the Tools menu.
c) Select the Options menu item.
d) Under the General tab, select the Make Outlook Express my default Simple MAPI client.
Netscape Mail and Microsoft Outlook Express should now work properly with Performer's packaging feature.
Save Package: Compresses the currently selected show and saves it to disk. By default, a compressed show will share the name of the original uncompressed file but will have an .exe extension.
Close: Returns you to the Performer main screen.
Packaging Notes
Sound (.wav) files are often responsible for most of the disk space consumed by every show. While silent presentations aren't nearly as fun as those accompanied by music or narration, they generally allow for much faster Internet transfers.
Since compressed shows can be saved as standard .exe files, they may be posted on the Web, burned onto CDs, stored on removable storage disks, sent across a LAN or manipulated in any way you could transfer a standard file. They can thus be used for presentations, telecommuting, product demos, or other business-related purposes in addition to connecting with family and friends.
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