Accordent PresenterPRO v. 6.
Important Notice This User’s Manual is delivered subject to the following conditions and restrictions: • This documentation contains proprietary information belonging to Accordent Technologies, Inc. (“Accordent”). Such information is hereby supplied solely for the purpose of assisting explicitly authorized users in the proper operation of Accordent software.
Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCING ACCORDENT PRESENTERPRO, V.6.1 ................................... 2 1.1 Introducing Accordent PresenterPRO...................................................................... 2 2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................... 3 2.1 System Requirements for Accordent PresenterPRO................................................ 3 3. INSTALLATION & REGISTRATION .....................................................
.12.2 Enabling An Individual Stream ................................................................................ 38 4.12.3 In-Band & Out-of-Band Synchronization ................................................................. 38 4.12.4 Selecting In Band & Configuring the PE-Controller ................................................ 39 4.12.5 Initiating the PE-Controller Service ......................................................................... 47 4.12.
6.1 Pre-Launch Preparation ......................................................................................... 84 6.2 In-Band & Out-Of-Band Preparation..................................................................... 84 6.2.1 6.2.2 6.2.3 6.2.4 Out-of-Band ................................................................................................................ 84 Setting Encoding Time Offsets ...................................................................................
1 1. Introducing Accordent PresenterPRO, v.6.1 1.1 Introducing Accordent PresenterPRO Accordent PresenterPRO v6.1 is an enterprise-grade, software-based authoring tool that enables organizations to create professional, multimedia presentations around live or on demand streaming media.
2 2. System Requirements 2.1 System Requirements for Accordent PresenterPRO In order to successfully operate Accordent PresenterPRO, the following system requirements must be met.
3 3. Installation & Registration 3.1 Installation & Registration Overview Accordent PresenterPRO, the PE-Controller and the Accordent PowerPoint AddIn are included together on the same installation disc or electronic link. As soon as the installation disc is inserted or the download link is clicked, a prompt will ask which application(s) should be installed.
6. As soon as Accordent PresenterPRO is installed, the Successful Installation screen will appear. Click Finish. Once Accordent PresenterPRO has been installed, the “Presentation Wizard,” “Presentation Manager” and the “Archive Wizard” can each be launched from the Accordent PresenterPRO menu. To access the Accordent PresenterPRO menu, first click the desktop Start menu. Next, click Programs/Accordent/ Accordent PresenterPRO (See Figure 3-1). Fig.
and port to register Accordent PresenterPRO. To access the Proxy Settings, click Proxy Settings (See Figure 3-4). Fig. 3-4 The Proxy Settings fields will appear (See Figure 3-5). Fig.
Fig. 3-7 If the HTTP proxy server will not be using Port 8080, enter the desired port in the “Port” field (See Figure 3-8). Fig. 3-8 After completing the fields on the “Registration” page, click Register and the Accordent PresenterPRO menu will appear (See Figure 3-9). Fig. 3-9 3.3 Installing the PE-Controller Important: The PE-Controller should be installed on the encoder machine, which may be different from the workstation on which Accordent PresenterPRO is installed.
1. Insert the Accordent PresenterPRO installation disc into the CD-ROM drive. Open the “My Computer” folder & double-click the CD-ROM drive icon. If you are installing Accordent PresenterPRO via electronic link, click Open on the File Download screen and, after the application has been downloaded, use the following instructions: 2. When the Welcome screen appears, click Next. 3.
Fig. 3-11 3.4 Installing the Accordent PowerPoint Add-In Important: The Accordent PowerPoint Add-In should be installed on a different computer than the machine on which Accordent PresenterPRO is installed as the Add-In is designed to enable a remote machine to synchronize slides without having Accordent PresenterPRO installed. 1. Insert the Accordent PresenterPRO installation disc into the CD-ROM drive. Open the “My Computer” folder & double-click the CD-ROM drive icon.
In PowerPoint, highlight the Tools drop-down menu and select Add-Ins. The Add-Ins menu will appear (See Figure 3-12). Fig. 3-12 Important: Macro security must be set to medium or low or the Accordent PowerPoint Add-In will not install. In the Add-Ins screen select Accordentv6.0 and click Close. Next, highlight the Tools drop-down menu and select Add-Ins Options. The Accordent PowerPoint Add-Ins Registration screen will appear (See Figure 3-13). Fig.
4 4. Using The Presentation Wizard 4.1 Presentation Wizard Overview The Presentation Wizard is used to prepare a presentation and to configure the presentation for live or on demand distribution.
Fig. 4-1 Displayed at the bottom of the Presentation Wizard is step-by-step guide to the tasks that should be completed (See Figure 4-2). Fig. 4-2 Once a step is completed, the next step can be accessed by clicking Next on the bottom-right of the Presentation Wizard. 4.3 Project Info Page The “Project Info” page is used to create a local project directory in which presentation assets will be stored prior to merging the presentation with live or on demand streaming media.
4.3.1 Creating A Project Directory To create a project directory, either: • Enter a directory name in the “Project Directory” field (proceed to Section 4.3.2 - Selecting A Publishing Point - below) or • Browse for a project directory by clicking Browse (See Figure 4-3). Fig. 4-3 Note: If the project directory did not formerly exist, Accordent PresenterPRO will automatically create it. Use the “Browse” window to locate the directory (See Figure 4-4). Fig.
Selecting CD and/or File Server only will simplify the presentation creation process and remove several steps from the Presentation Wizard - specifically the “Streaming Info” and “Publishing Info” pages that must be completed when publishing a presentation to the Web. Note: If it is uncertain whether a presentation will be published to the Web and/or a CD/File Server, it is advisable to select the Web and CD field. Once the publishing destination has been selected, click Next.
Fig.
• The ability to include a custom chat solution Interactive • • • The ability to include polling The ability to include trivia The ability to include facts Registration • • The ability to include a custom registration page that can be password and ID protected The ability to include a registration page that will log attendees Advanced Features • The ability to add e.g. download PowerPoint presentation 4.4.
Each time an interface is highlighted, a description of the interface will appear in the “Interface Description” field and the title of the selected interface will appear in the “Interface Currently Selected” field (See Figure 4-10). Fig. 4-10 To select a different interface, simply click on a different interface in the “Interface Template” window. 4.4.2 Completing The “General” Screen When the “Interface Options” page is opened, the “General” screen will be the first screen displayed (See Figure 4-11).
Titles and Sub-Titles Once an interface has been selected, the user may have the option of including a browser title (See Figure 4-12) Fig. 4-12 and up to three titles within the user interface (See Figure 4-13), as indicated by whether some or all of those fields are active. Fig. 4-13 Note: Not every interface is configured to display titles. If titles are desired, be certain to choose an interface type that includes a space for titles.
If desired, enter the name of the speaker in the speaker field (See Figure 4-16). Fig. 4-16 If desired, enter the date and time or click Get Current (See Figure 4-17). Fig. 4-17 Logos & URLs The interface can be further customized with branded logos - displayed in a designated location in the Interface - and URL links. To include a logo image, enter the logo URL in the “Logo Image URL” field (See Figure 4-18). Fig.
Chaptering & Closed Captioning Accordent PresenterPRO includes chaptering and indexing features that enable the content author to automatically create chapters based on prescribed criteria, such as each published slide, or to manually create chapters based on unique criteria, such as a change in subject matter or speaker. Accordent PresenterPRO also enables the presenter to include closed captioning functionality using RealNetworks’ RealText or SAMI files.
4.5.1 Importing Slides & PDFs To access the Slide Import screen, click Slides on the Interface Options page (See Figure 4-22). Fig. 4-22 To import Microsoft PowerPoint slides or PDFs into Accordent PresenterPRO, either enter the PowerPoint or PDF file location in the “File Location” field or click Add File to search for the file (See Figure 4-23). Fig. 4-23 Note: Accordent PresenterPRO will automatically size the images to fit within the interface that is selected using the Presentation Wizard.
Fig. 4-25 The “Browse” window will appear to locate the desired Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF file. Highlight the PowerPoint or PDF file and click Open. A box will appear to allow you to browse through the whole PowerPoint or PDF document in order to choose the single slide or page you would like to import. After you have found the slide or page you would like to add, click Add Slide (See Figure 4.26). Fig.
Fig. 4-28 4.5.2 Converting Slides to JPG or GIF The “JPG” and “GIF” fields on the “Slide Import” screen enable the presenter to select whether the Microsoft PowerPoint slides will be converted into .jpg or .gif format (See Figure 4-29). JPG is the preferred format for image intensive slides, while GIF is the preferred format for text intensive slides. Fig. 4-29 After selecting a conversion format, use the Image Compression Quality feature to specify the slide conversion quality (See Figure 4-30).
Fig. 4-31 Note: When naming slides, keep in mind that the titles will be visible to the end user if “Display Slide Titles” is enabled. To display slide titles to the audience, check the “Display Slide Titles” field (See Figure 4-32). Fig. 4-32 4.5.4 Display Slide Notes PowerPoint allows a content creator to include notes with each PowerPoint Slide. To display slide notes to the presentation audience, check Display Slide Notes (See Figure 4-33). Fig.
the audience will be returned to the current slide each time a new slide is displayed by the presenter. To enable “Slide Navigation,” check Slide Navigation (See Figure 4-35). Fig. 4-35 4.6 Q&A Screen Accordent PresenterPRO includes Q&A functionality that enables audience members to submit questions to the presenter.
Note: This section discusses only how to include moderated Q&A in the presentation and how to provide a moderator password to access submitted questions. For additional information on the management of moderated Q&A during a presentation, please see Section 5.6. To include moderated Q&A feature, select “Moderated” (See Figure 4-38). Fig. 4-38 Enter a password in the “Access Password” field (See Figure 4-39).
Use the drop-down menu to select a language for chat (See Figure 4-42). Fig. 4-42 4.7.2 Use Custom Chat Solution The “Use Custom Chat Solution” function enables the presenter to use an internal or third-party chat solution within an Accordent PresenterPRO presentation. To use a custom chat solution, enter the Server URL (See Figure 4-43). Fig. 4-43 4.
Fig. 4-45 (2) Mandatory registration that requires an audience member to provide a user ID (See Figure 4-46). Fig. 4-46 (3) Mandatory registration that requires an audience member to provide a User ID and Login Password (See Figure 4-47). Fig. 4-47 If you have selected Mandatory registration, User ID and/or Password fields will need to completed either individually or by group (e.g. importing an Excel spreadsheet containing the IDs and Passwords).
To import a list of previously created IDs and passwords, click Import List (See Figure 4-49). Note: Lists typically are imported from a standard Excel spreadsheet. Fig. 4-49 To edit a registration list, click Edit (See Figure 4-50). Fig. 4-50 To delete a registrant or registrants, click Delete (See Figure 4-51). Fig. 4-51 4.
Fig. 4-52 The “Advanced” screen contains the Name, Value and Description fields (See Figure 4-53). Fig. 4-53 The “Name” and “Description” fields are determined by the person that has designed the interface. The “Value” field is dynamic and is used to customize the advanced feature(s) in the interface. Example: The name field might contain “HR PowerPoint” and the description field might contain “PowerPoint download for New Hires.
Fig. 4-55 4.11 Publishing Information The “Publishing Information” page enables the presenter to select the webdirectory (or directories) that will be accessed by the presentation audience. This page also enables the presenter to select the FTP information that will be used to publish the Interface Graphics, Slides, URLs and the Interface and Synchronization HTML to a web-directory (See Figure 4-56). Fig.
While Accordent PresenterPRO defaults to a single publishing point (See Figure 4-57), multiple publishing points can be accessed by selecting the “Multiple Publishing Points” field (See Figure 4-58). Fig. 4-57 Fig. 4-58 The following sections describe the process for completing the publishing fields. These instructions apply whether one publishing point or multiple publishing points are being used. 4.11.
Fig. 4-61 The FTP and SFTP fields should be completed as follows: In the “FTP/SFTP Server IP” field, enter the IP address for the FTP/SFTP Server that will be used to publish the presentation (See Figure 4-62). Fig. 4-62 “User” Field: Enter the User ID for the FTP Server (See Figure 4-63). Fig. 4-63 “Password” Field: Enter the password for the FTP Server (See Figure 4-64) Fig.
Fig. 4-66 4.11.3 Completing The UNC Fields If UNC is selected, it is necessary to create a UNC upload path by entering the UNC path in the Upload Path field (See Figure 4-67). Fig. 4-67 Note: UNC names consist of three parts: a server name, a share name and an optional file path that are combined using backslashes as follows: \\server\share\file_path 4.11.
Fig. 4-69 The advanced settings fields will appear (See Figure 4-70). Fig. 4-70 On the Advanced Settings screen, it is first necessary to specify either a Passive or Active FTP connection type (See Figure 4-71). Fig. 4-71 Note: The Connect Type will default to the Passive field. Once the an FTP connection has been selected, Firewall Support fields can be used to designate a proxy server that will be used to FTP through the firewall (See Figure 4-72). Fig.
“Firewall Type” Fields: To select a firewall type, use the Firewall Type drop-down menu and highlight the desired firewall type. “Firewall Host” Field: The “Firewall Host” field is used to specify the IP address for the firewall. “Firewall Port” Field: The “Firewall Port” field is used to specify the port address for the firewall. “Firewall Logon Name” Field: The Firewall Logon Name is used to input the user logon.
the synchronization of the presentation will be delivered “In-Band” or “Out-ofBand.” Note: While this Chapter is focused on the Presentation Wizard, discussion of the Media Information Page and In-Band distribution will include discussion of the PE-Controller, which is a separate application that resides on the encoder and must be configured prior to using In-Band synchronization. 4.12.
For each desired media format and bandwidth speed, enter the Stream URL and HTTP Base URL in the “Stream URL” and “HTTP Base URL” fields, respectively (See Figure 4-75). Fig. 4-75 Repeat this step for each desired media platform. 4.12.2 Enabling An Individual Stream After completing the Stream URL and HTTP Base URL fields, select Enable (See Figure 4-76). Fig.
during delivery to enhance scalability and to leverage a greater range of video and audio sources, including phone bridges and closed circuit television. The primary benefits of using out-of-band synchronization include: • Distribution of non-streaming content can be staggered so that the web-server is not delivering content (e.g. PowerPoint slides) to the entire audience at the exact same moment.
Main Screen: The “Main” screen is used to set presenter and administrator passwords and, if necessary, to view an error log. Click Passwords & Settings (See Figure 4-78). Fig. 4-78 The PE-Controller Configuration window will appear (See Figure 4-79). Fig. 4-79 The PE-Controller Configuration screen is used to enable Accordent PresenterPRO to configure and control the encoders remotely.
Account did not provide the user rights required to run the PE-Controller as a service (See Section 4.12.5). If a custom account is being used, it is necessary to complete the “User Name” and “Password” fields (See Figure 4-82). Fig. 4-82 After completing the PE-Controller Configuration fields, click OK. At this stage, the PE-Controller will run as an application, which means that it will have to be launched and started each time the machine is re-booted. As discussed in Section 4.12.
Windows Media Screen The Windows Media screen is used to see which Windows Media streams have been enabled in Accordent PresenterPRO. When one or more streams is enabled in Accordent PresenterPRO, it will be highlighted (See Figure 4-85). Fig. 4-85 To view the stream, click View Stream (See Figure 4-86). Fig. 4-86 The Windows Media screen is also used to manage existing encoding profiles and to create new profiles. To access the profile management screens, click Manage Profiles (See Figure 487). Fig.
Note: While the Manage Profiles feature enables the management of profiles through the Encoder Controller, the primary reason it is included is that scripts must be enabled for a profile for that profile to be accessible later in Accordent PresenterPRO. This requirement only applies to Windows Media. The “Manage Profiles” screen will appear (See Figure 4-88). Fig.
After selecting Script, either make additional edits if desired or return to the PEController. RealProducer Screen The RealProducer Screen is used to view which RealMedia streams have been enabled in the Presentation Wizard and to configure the inputs for each of the enabled streams. Note: It is not necessary to enable scripts for RealMedia. To access the “Helix Producer” screen, click Real Media (See Figure 4-92). Fig.
The encoder will appear (See Figure 4-94). To view your input select the Live Preview check box. Fig. 4-94 To configure an input, click Stream (See Figure 4-95) Fig. 4-95 The input device configuration screen will appear (See Figure 4-96). Fig.
Relay Screen The PE-Controller Relay screen is used to relay instructions to one or more additional PE-controllers. Once the Relay feature is configured, the Presentation Wizard can be used to send instructions to multiple encoders performing different functions. Click Relay (See Figure 4-97).
Fig. 4-100 The Add and Edit screens contain four fields that should be completed as follows: Base URL: The Base URL is the location of the web server that will be distributing the web content being called by the encoder receiving relayed instructions. Replace URL: The Replace URL is the location of the web server that the origin encoder is using but that is being replaced by the Base URL so that the second encoder can receive different web content. Address: The IP Address of the relayed encoder.
Fig. 4-102 On the PE-Controller Properties window, use the Start-Up type drop-down menu to select whether the PE-Controller will start automatically whenever the encoding machine is on, or manually. After selecting a Startup type, click Start to start the PE-Controller or OK to save the PE-Controller Properties settings. Next return to the Streaming Media Info page in Accordent PresenterPRO to configure Accordent PresenterPRO to communicate with the PE-Controller (See Section 4.12.6, below). 4.12.
These fields should be completed as follows: Address Field: Enter the address of the encoder. The default “loop back” address is typically “127.0.0.1”. Port Field: Enter the Port that the encoder is using. The port number can be found in the PE Controller Configuration window (See Figure 4-105). Fig. 4-105 Password Field: Enter the password that was entered in the PE-Controller to access the encoder.
Fig. 4-109 (RN) Fig. 4-110 (MS) Fig. 4-111 (MS) Fig. 4-112 (MS) The Microsoft and RealNetworks encoders should be completed in the same way that they would if Accordent PresenterPRO was not being used with one exception: Script commands must be enabled for Microsoft. The in-band encoding fields should be repeated for each stream for which in-band synchronization will be used.
Closed Caption on the General interface screen in the Presentation Wizard (See Figure 4-113). Fig. 4-113 To include closed captioning, click Real Media on the Streaming Info page (See Figure 4-114). Fig. 4-114 At the bottom of the RealNetworks screen are the “Closed Captioning” fields (See Figure 4-115). Fig. 4-115 In the “Closed Captioning” section, first click Enable (See Figure 4-116). Fig. 4-116 Then enter the closed captioning stream URL link in the “Stream URL Link” field (See Figure 4-117). Fig.
Beneath the Enable and Stream URL fields are the Address, Port, Password and Admin Password fields, which should be completed as follows: Address Field: Enter the address of the encoder. The default “loop back” address is typically “127.0.0.1”. Port Field: Enter the Port that the encoder is using. The port number can be found in the PE Controller Configuration window. Password Field: Enter the password that was entered in the PE-Controller to access the encoder.
Enable: Highlight the “Enable” field to enable the closed captioning encoder to be started and stopped using Accordent PresenterPRO. Address: Enter the address of the encoder. The default “loop back” address is typically “127.0.0.1”. Port: Enter the Port that the encoder is using. Password Field: Enter the password that was entered in the PE-Controller to access the encoder. Video Source: Use the “Video Source” drop down menu to select the device that will be used to create the closed captioning content.
Fig. 4-123 Click the Start Encoder Test button. You will have one of two pop-up boxes appear. If you get the message saying Encoder Started then you have proper communication with the encoder (See figure 4-124). If you receive a message saying Check Encoder Settings, then you are not communicating properly with your encoder (See figure 4-125). Fig. 4-124 Fig. 4-125 When finished, click on Stop Encoder Test (See figure 4-126). Fig. 4-126 4.12.
Once out-of-band distribution is selected (by default), the content author has the option of customizing the Interface Update Interval. This feature is used to prescribe the frequency with which the audience interface checks the web-server for new, non-streaming content. The default update interval setting is five seconds, which means the average client interface will get an event within 2 ½ seconds of that event being “pushed.
Fig. 4-130 Enabling the auxiliary media function will produce two results. First, it will enable a link to be generated to a presentation utilizing the auxiliary media. e.g. the phone bridge presentation link. To generate a link to the auxiliary media, enter the link in the “HTTP Base URL” field (See Figure 4-131). Fig. 4-131 Second, it will generate an “auxiliary” field in the “Encoding Time Offset” window.
The Clip Information screen contains the following fields: • Title • Author • Copyrights • Description • Keywords Enter the desired information in one or more of the Clip Information fields and click Next. The “Distribute Content” page will appear (See Figure 4-134). Fig. 4-134 4.13 Distribute Content Page The “Distribute Content” page is used to upload a presentation to the project directories once all of the previous Presentation Wizard steps have been completed.
Fig. 4-136 4.14 Using Configuration Files The Presentation Wizard enables users to save configuration files, which are files that contain all of the information input into the Presentation Wizard by the presenter or a third party in advance of a presentation. Configuration files make it easy to prepare the presentation on behalf of a presenter that may not have access to certain information, including passwords, server and encoder locations. 4.14.
Enter the name of the configuration file in the “File Name” field and click Save. 4.14.2 Accessing a Configuration File If Presentation Wizard information has previously been saved in a configuration file, the configuration file can be accessed by highlighting the File drop-down menu in the Presentation Wizard and select Open Config File (See Figure 4-139). Fig. 4-139 The “Open File” window will appear (See Figure 4-140). Fig.
5 5. Introduction To And Using The Presentation Manager 5.1 Presentation Manager Overview The Accordent PresenterPRO Presentation Manager is used to preview and publish synchronized content, including slides, URLs and interactive content, with live and on demand streaming media. The Presentation Manager also is used to manage moderated Q&A and review which audience members have registered for and logged into the presentation.
5.1.2 URL Preview & Publish To the right of the “Slide” tab is the “URL” tab that displays the “URL Preview & Publish” screen (See Figure 5-2). Fig. 5-2 The “URL & Files Preview & Publish” screen is used to select, preview and publish URLs and files during a presentation. Among other options, this screen enables the developer to choose a different target frame within the interface or publish as a separate pop-up window. 5.1.
The “Interactive Preview & Publish” screen is used to draft, preview and publish interactive content during a presentation. Among other options, this screen enables the developer to display polling questions, trivia and facts. All answers submitted to interactive questions are tabulated in real time and the results can be displayed to or hidden from the audience at the presenter’s option. 5.1.
The “Q&A” screen is used to review questions submitted to the presenter using the moderated Q&A feature of Accordent PresenterPRO. Moderated Q&A will organize submitted questions and enables the presenter to answer them directly or at a later time. 5.1.6 Registration To the right of the “Q&A” tab is the “Registration” tab that displays the “Registration” screen (See Figure 5-6). Fig. 5-6 The “Registration” screen is used to preview which audience members have registered for the presentation.
Fig. 5-8 Note: Launching or stopping an event does not control the streaming portion of the event; rather, it launches the user-interface and, once published, the nonstreaming content that will be synchronized with the video. 5.1.8 Starting A Practice Run Accordent PresenterPRO includes a “Practice Run” option that enables a presenter to practice with the content and test the encoders without publishing live to the Internet. Click Start A Practice Run (See Figure 5-9). Fig. 5-9 5.
Fig. 5-11 To navigate the thumbnail slides, use the scrollbar on the right-hand side of the “Slide Selector” window. The right and left arrows also can be used to navigate the thumbnails. 5.2.1 Slide Preview To navigate the thumbnail slides, use the scrollbar on the right-hand side of the “Slide Selector” window. The right and left arrows also can be used to navigate the thumbnails. Fig. 5-12 Note: The slide that is displayed in the “Preview Slide” window is the slide that is queued up to be displayed.
Once a slide is displayed, the displayed slide will appear in the “Audience Slide” window (See Figure 5-14). Fig. 5-14 5.2.3 Slide Auto-Publish In addition to enabling the presenter to preview and manually display Microsoft PowerPoint slides, the Presentation Manager also enables the presenter to publish the slide by highlighting the slide in the “Slide Selector” window. To initiate the Auto-Publish function, check Auto Slide Display in the “Settings” drop-down menu (See Figure 5-15). Fig.
Fig. 5-16 The Import Slides window will appear (See Figure 5-17). Fig. 5-17 The Import Slides window is used to import one or more slide presentations into Presentation Manager. To add slides, click Add and use the Browse window to locate the desired PowerPoint slide deck(s) (See Figure 5-18). Fig. 5-18 Note: The Delete and Clear List buttons can be used to delete a single PowerPoint slide deck or an entire list of slide decks, respectively.
• The slides can overwrite the slides already imported into the Presentation Manager. Fig. 5-19 Example: A slide deck has been imported and appended to a slide presentation already in Accordent PresenterPRO. The first set of slides ends at Slide 3 and the newly imported presentation commences at Slide 4. To import a slide deck and have it appended to the end of previously imported slides, select Append Slides, then click Import (See Figure 5-20).
Fig. 5-21 A selected URL will be displayed in the “URL Options” fields (See Figure 5-22). Fig. 5-22 5.3.1 Preparing URLs URLs can be prepared either prior to or during a presentation. To prepare a URL, enter the URL in the “URL Selected” window. The URL can be published from the URL window by clicking Push URL or the URL can be added to the “URL Selector” window and displayed later. To add a URL to the “URL Selector” window, type the URL in the URL window and click Add to List (See Figure 5-23).
Once Slide Preview is clicked, the URL and web page will be displayed in the “URL Preview” window (Fig 5-25). To add URLs to the URL Selector window, navigate the web page to access new URLs and click Add to List. Fig. 5-25 Added URLs will be displayed in the URL Selector window in the order they were added. 5.3.2 Saving & Opening A URL List URLs added to the URL Selector can be saved and the file containing the URLs can be accessed for a future presentation.
Fig. 5-27 Once “Open URL List” is clicked, the “File Open” window will appear. Locate the desired URL List, then click Open (See Figure 5-28). Fig. 5-28 Once “Open” is clicked, the URL List will appear in the URL Selector window in the Presentation Manager. 5.3.3 Targeting URLs By default, a URL will be displayed in the same interface location in which PowerPoint slides are displayed.
Fig. 5-29 To target a URL to a different region of the interface, use the “Target” drop down menu and select the desired interface location (See Figure 5-30). The available target options will be determined by how the interface was defined and all available target areas will be listed in the drop-down menu. Fig. 5-30 Note: Each URL can be targeted to a unique frame. 5.3.4 Publishing URLs The first step in publishing a URL is ensuring that the desired URL is displayed in the “URL” field (See Figure 5-31).
Once a URL is displayed in the “URL” field, the presenter can choose whether the URL will target the slide window, a pop up window or another region of the interface. Once the desired options have been selected, the URL can be displayed by clicking Push Content to Audience (See Figure 5-33). Fig. 5-33 As soon as a URL is displayed, the Event List will show that a URL has been published and the time that the URL was published (See Figure 5-34). Fig. 5-34 5.
5.4.1 Selecting An Interactive Content Type The first step in creating interactive content is to select the type of content that will be displayed. Use the Type drop-down menu and select an interactive content type (See Figure 5-35). Fig. 5-35 Once an interactive content type has been selected, the interactive content can be assigned a title that will be displayed with the content in the presentation interface (See Figure 5-36). Fig. 5-36 Note: Including the title with the interactive content is optional.
Fig. 5-39 Survey To complete a survey, type the survey question in the Question field and type up to six choices in the Answers field. Fig. 5-40 Trivia To complete a trivia question, enter the question in the Question field and enter the answer in the Answer field. Fig. 5-41 Image To publish an image to the Content window, enter the image URL in the Image Source URL field. To make the Image linkable, enter the image link in the Image Link URL field. 5.4.
Fig. 5-44 Once the interactive content has been entered, the user has the option of • displaying the interactive content immediately or • adding the interactive content to a list of content that will be displayed at a later time. 5.4.3 Adding & Deleting Interactive Content To add interactive content to an interactive content list, click Add to List (See Figure 5-45). Fig. 5-45 The interactive content label, title (if added), and content will appear in the Interactive List window (See Figure 5-46). Fig.
5.4.4 Saving & Opening An Interactive Content List Interactive content added to the Interactive List window can be saved and the file containing this content can be accessed for a future presentation. To save an Interactive List, click Save List (See Figure 5-48). Fig. 5-48 Once “Save List” is clicked, the list will automatically be saved to the local project folder. To open a saved Interactive List, click Open List on the Presentation Manager (See Figure 5-49). Fig.
5.4.5 Publishing Interactive Content Interactive content can be published in two ways depending upon whether the interactive content was created in advance or is being created during the presentation and published immediately. • To publish interactive content that was created in advance, highlight the interactive content in the Interactive List window and click Push Interactive Content (See Figure 5-51).
Fig. 5-54 5.5 Creating & Editing Chapters The Chapters page is used to create presentation sections that are displayed in the interface and enable an audience member to jump to a specific point in a presentation that has been published on demand or to a CD ROM. In addition to enabling a presenter to manually create custom chapters, the Chapters page can be used to automatically create chapters for each displayed slide, displayed URL or displayed interactive question (See Figure 5-55). Fig.
(i.e. slides, URLs and interactive questions) can be used individually or in conjunction (See Figure 5-56). Fig. 5-56 Note: Chapters created using displayed slides can use either the slide title or slide number. 5.5.2 Creating Custom Chapters In addition to automatic chaptering, the Chapters page also enables the presenter to create chapters manually based on specific criteria, such as a change in speakers, a time interval or a change in subject matter.
and forward them to the presenter’s screen in the Presentation Manager or to a separate web location being reviewed by the presenter.
If the registration feature is being used in conjunction with Moderated Q&A, additional information about the person that submitted the question can be accessed by double-clicking on the submitted question (See Figure 5-63). Fig. 5-63 Once a question has been reviewed, that question can be filtered and, if appropriate, forwarded to the presenter.
Fig. 5-68 Example: In Figure 5-68, the first question has been forwarded to the presenter and the Send to Presenter button has been grayed out. 5.7 Using the Registration Page The Registration page enables the presenter to preview which audience members have logged into the presentation.
6 6. Preparing To Launch A Presentation 6.1 Pre-Launch Preparation Before streaming a live presentation, the Presenter may want to open both the Accordent PresenterPRO Presentation Manager and the interface that will be viewed by the audience. By opening the interface, the developer will be able to monitor the identical presentation that the end user is viewing.
streaming video that is being produced, encoded and distributed in a live environment. Tip: To determine the appropriate encoding time offset, stream sample audio/video through the same encoders that will be used during the presentation to measure the delay each format experiences between initiating and viewing a streamed video feed. 6.2.2 Setting Encoding Time Offsets The default setting for the Encoding Time Offsets is zero seconds.
Fig. 6-3 Note: Encoding time offsets can be altered prior to or during a live presentation. Once the desired offsets have been entered, click Apply to apply the time offset and to keep the “Time Offset” window open or OK to apply the time offset and to return to the Presentation Manager. 6.2.3 Auxiliary Media Time Offset Accordent PresenterPRO enables a presentation to be synchronized with nonstreaming media, including phone bridges and closed circuit television.
6.3 Testing Presentation Settings Prior to launching a presentation, the Project Information screen can be used to confirm and test a variety of presentation settings, including: • • • • • The webcast link that the audience will click to launch the presentation An auxiliary link, if one has been created The link to access moderated Q&A, if it is being created The password for the moderated Q&A The streaming media streams.
7 7. Using The Accordent PowerPoint Add-In 7.1 Using The Accordent PowerPoint Add-In Accordent PresenterPRO includes an Accordent PowerPoint Add-In that enables a presenter to synchronize PowerPoint slides from a remote computer. By communicating directly with Accordent PresenterPRO, a computer with only PowerPoint and the Accordent PowerPoint Add-In installed, can be used to create slide synchronization files that become part of a synchronized, streaming presentation.
Fig. 7-2 The Accordent PowerPoint Add-In will appear (See Figure 7-3). Fig. 7-3 In the “PresenterPRO Manager IP” and “Port” fields, enter the IP address and Port number that will be used to link to Accordent PresenterPRO (See Figure 7-4). Fig. 7-4 To initiate a PowerPoint presentation that will work in tandem with Accordent PresenterPRO, click Start (See Figure 7-5).
Fig. 7-5 To stop using the Accordent PowerPoint Add-In during a presentation, click Stop (See Figure 7-6). Fig.
8 8. Launching A Presentation 8.1 Launching A Presentation To launch a presentation, click Start on the right hand side of the Presentation Manager (See Figure 8-1). Fig. 8-1 Clicking “Start” will automatically connect the Presentation Manager to the FTP server designated in the Presentation Wizard. A proper connection to the FTP server will be indicated by a green light at the bottom-left of the Presentation Manager (See Figure 8-2).
8.2 Controlling Presentation Events As discussed in Chapter 5, slides can be displayed in any order during the presentation by either double-clicking the desired slide or using the right/left arrow keys on the keyboard. Similarly, URLs and interactive content can be displayed by selecting the desired URL/Interactive content and clicking Push URL or Push Interactive.
A prompt will ask if you want to open the Archive Wizard. Click Yes (See Figure 8-7). Fig.
9 9. Archiving A Presentation 9.1 Archive Wizard Overview • • The Archive Wizard is used to edit the synchronization of PowerPoint slides and URLs before posting a presentation on demand or publishing the presentation to a CD. The Archive Wizard is also used to bind together the streaming and nonstreaming media that comprise the presentation.
If using the Accordent PresenterPRO Start Menu to launch the Archive Wizard, an “Open” window will appear after clicking OK (See Figure 9-2). Fig. 9-2 Note: Accordent PresenterPRO will automatically default to the most recent presentation managed in the Presentation Manager. To open a previously created presentation for editing and/or posting for on demand use, enter the file location in the “File Name” field and click Open (See Figure 9-3). Fig.
9.3.1 Editing Publish Times On the left-hand side of the “Event Details” page is the “Event List” window that lists every slide and URL that was published during the presentation, as well as the time at which it was published. Fig. 9-5 To modify the publish time of non-streaming content (e.g. slides and URLs), first highlight the event in the “Event List” window. The publish time/type of content will be displayed in the “Time” and “Type” fields respectively (See Figure 9-6). Fig.
The “New Event Information” fields will appear (See Figure 9-9). Fig. 9-9 In the “Time” field, enter the time at which the new content will be published. Once a time is entered, use the “Type” drop-down menu to select “Slide,” or “URL”, depending on the type of content that will be added. Depending on the type of content selected, either the “Slide” drop-down menu or a “URL” field will be displayed (See Figures 9-10 & 9-11). Fig. 9-10 Fig.
The new Slide or URL will appear in the “Event List” window. If the nonstreaming content is not listed in chronological order after the edit, click Re-Sort (See Figure 9-15). Fig. 9-15 If no more edits are desired, click Next (See Figure 9-16). Fig. 9-16 9.3.3 Deleting Non-Streaming Content To delete a slide or URL, highlight the non-streaming media that will be deleted in the “Event List” window.
Repeat these steps to delete additional non-streaming content. If no more edits are desired, click Next (See Figure 9-19). Fig. 9-19 9.3.4 Using The Event Time Shift To Edit Events During the video editing process, content may be added to or deleted from the beginning of video. e.g. an introduction or streaming ad may be included. Adding or deleting content will have the effect of skewing the synchronization of nonstreaming content by a uniform length of time.
In the “Enter Time Shift Amount” field, enter the amount of time that nonstreaming content should be shifted (See Figure 9-22). Fig. 9-22 Once a length of time has been entered, highlight either the “Forward Shift” or “Backward Shift” field (See Figure 9-23). • If video content has been deleted from the beginning of the video, a forward shift should be used. • If video content has been added to the beginning of the video, a backward shift should be used. Fig.
Fig. 9-25 On the left-hand side of the “Chapter List” screen is a list of all of the chapters that were created during the presentation. This list can be modified by editing existing chapters, adding chapters or deleting chapters. 9.4.1 Editing Chapter Times & Titles To edit a chapter, highlight the chapter in the chapter list and enter the new time and/or title in the “Time” and “Title” fields, respectively, and click Update (See Figure 9-26). Fig.
9.4.2 Using Chapter Event Time Shift To Edit Chapters In addition to adding an deleting slides, the Archive Wizard also enables a content author to apply an event time shift – either a forwards or backwards shift to the chapters. To access the chapter event shift feature, click Chapter Time Shift (See Figure 9-29). Fig. 9-29 The “Chapter Time Shift” fields will appear. In the “Enter Time Shift Amount” field, enter the amount of time that non-streaming content should be shifted (See Figure 9-30). Fig.
Fig. 9-32 Once all edits have been completed, click Next (See Figure 9-33 Fig. 9-33 The Media Locations page will appear (See Figure 9-34). Fig. 9-34 9.5 Inputting Media Locations The “Media Locations” page is used to publish the streaming media that has been encoded for Microsoft and Real platforms. To choose a media type, highlight the appropriate tab at the top of the “Media Locations” page (See Figure 9-35).
Fig. 9-35 Enter the location of the local media file in the “High Bandwidth,” “Med Bandwidth” and/or “Low Bandwidth” fields (See Figure 9-36). Fig. 9-36 To search for a local media file, click Browse and use the browse window to locate and open the local media file (See Figure 9-37). Fig. 9-37 Once the location of the local media file has been selected for a format and connection speed, enter a new file name for the archived media (See Figure 9-38) and repeat for each desired format and connection speed.
9.5.1 Cropping A Presentation Before a presentation is posted on demand, the presenter may want to delete a portion of the content at the beginning or end of the presentation (e.g. the speaker was not yet ready, the first few minutes were used to test the encoder, etc.
Fig. 9-42 9.6 Creating & Publishing Archived Media The Create and Publish Media page is used to embed the synchronization events in the new media file(s) and to prepare the completed presentations for on demand distribution or publication to a CD ROM or file server. 9.6.1 Publication to CD or File Server Select the “CD or File Server” field (See Figure 9-43). Fig.
and the audience will be able to view the presentation without an Internet connection. Fig. 9-44 If the presentation is to be published to a CD or file server only, click Next (See Figure 9-45). Otherwise, continue to Creating & Publishing For On Demand Use (See Section 9.6.2, below). Fig. 9-45 9.6.2 Creating & Publishing Media For On Demand Use In addition to publishing to a CD and file server, the Archive Wizard also can be used to prepare a presentation for on demand viewing.
Fig. 9-47 If you have chosen to upload the presentation for on demand viewing, complete the upload information for the specific streaming and web content that has been incorporated into the presentation. 9.6.3 Streaming Media Upload Information Your archived presentation will be created using RealNetworks and/or Microsoft streaming media files. The upload fields for either media format are identical and the instructions provided below should be used regardless of the format(s) used.
Optional URL parameters can be applied to the links by entering those parameters in the “Optional URL Parameters” field (See Figure 9-50). Fig. 9-50 After completing the URL fields, next select either FTP or UNC depending on how the streaming media content will be transferred to the streaming server(s) (See Figure 9-51). Fig. 9-51 FTP/SFTP Transfer Information After selecting FTP/SFTP, the “FTP/SFTP Settings” fields will appear (See Figure 9-52, next page). Fig.
Fig. 9-54 “Password” Field: Enter the password for the FTP Server (See Figure 9-55). Fig. 9-55 “Sub Directory” Field: The “Sub Directory” field gives the developer the option of putting a presentation in a FTP directory by entering the directory in the “Sub Directory” field (See Figure 9-56). Fig. 9-56 “Port” Field: The Port field enables the presenter to transfer data through a port. The default setting for the “Port” field is 21.
After completing the “Media Upload” screen(s), click the “Web Content” tab. The “Web Content” screen will appear (See Figure 9-59). Fig. 9-59 9.6.4 Completing the Web Content Page • • • The Web Content page is used to: Automatically modify the streaming media links that are posted to the web server to link to the archived on demand media files Automatically upload the presentation detail files to the web server Upload an archived RealNetworks closed caption file (.rt) to the web server.
Fig. 9-62 If you would like to assign a new name to the archived RealText closed caption file, enter the new name in the “New CC File Name” field (See Figure 9-63). Fig. 9-63 To upload an archived SAMI closed caption file, enter the file location in the “Windows SAMI” field (See Figure 9-64). Fig. 9-64 If you would like to assign a new name to the archived SAMI closed caption file, enter the new name in the “New SAMI File Name” field (See Figure 9-65). Fig.
9.7 Distributing A Presentation The final step in the presentation creation process is the binding of the media assets into a presentation and the publishing of the presentation to the project directory, a file server, and/or a streaming server. To merge and distribute the presentation, click Distribute (See Figure 9-65). Fig. 9-65 Once Accordent PresenterPRO has completed distributing the content, preview buttons will appear at the base of the Archive Wizard (See Figure 9-66). Fig.
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