Contained within the Layout of any presentation are Regions. Regions are areas that contain media clips that can be layered and sequenced for playback in an almost unlimited array of possibilities. Using the graphical layout capabilities of Fluition, it is possible to assemble dynamic presentation layouts in a very short period of time.
You can create a new Region by drawing the border of the Region using the Draw Region Tool. When the Draw Region Tool is selected, Regions are drawn onto the main presentation in much the same way as most common drawing programs. By dragging the mouse across an area of the presentation window, a new Region will be created with dimensions and axis points based on the starting and ending point of the dragging of the mouse.
When a Region is selected the Region border will be a bright green color to distinguish it from other elements within the presentation. Once another Region has been selected, the first Region will have a shaded gray outline to frame the border of the Region. The green and gray borders are only visible within the Fluition layout environment. The borders do not appear within the actual presentation.
Region attributes are listed in the Regions window in table form. Once a Region has been created, any of its attributes can be modified using a variety of easy to access functions.
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Once a region has been drawn using the Region Draw Tool, that region and the corresponding values are automatically added to the Regions window. Region locations and sizes can be precisely modified within the Regions window. The Color of the Region can also be chosen to either compliment the color of the presentation or the color of the clip that will be added to that Region.The Layer can also be defined as well as the Fit attribute and the Group in which the Region will be contained. |
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Regions are generally placed in a Parallel Group so that all Regions play simultaneously. Different Regions can also be placed in a Sequential group to have different Regions appear one after the other.
Note: When any value is changed in the Regions Window, you must click the Apply button (or press Enter on your keyboard) to have those changes made to your presentation.
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Using the Region Select tool from the Tools Palette, Regions can be selected and modified. Clicking on a Region selects that Region and displays its attributes in the Regions window. When a Region is selected, four small selection indicators highlight it. These boxes are placed at the corners of the Region and indicate the position of the Region borders. Dragging the selection indicators with the Region Select tool will modify the size of the Region. A Region can also be moved to another location in your presentation by using the Region Select tool. To move a Region, click on your Region with the Region Select tool and drag the Region to your desired location. |
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Regions can also be moved using the arrow keys on your keyboard. After you have selected your Region the arrow keys will move your Region one (1) pixel at a time. Holding the Shift key and using the arrow keys will cause your Region to be moved five (5) pixels at a time.
Region attributes can also be modified by changing the values in the fields of the Regions window and clicking the Apply button.
Regions can be selected using the Region Select Tool or by choosing the Region in the Regions window.
Before clicking the Add button in the Clip Library to add a media clip to your Region, you can select the Region (Region will be highlighted) and your media clip will automatically be placed in the chosen Region.
The ID of the Region is the name that is used for identifying and associating clips with that Region. Media is assigned to Regions based on their ID for playback in the sequence. The Region ID will be displayed in the Region field in the Clip Library when you add a media clip to that Region. The Region ID may be changed in order to more easily identify your Regions, (i.e. "video" Region or "slide" Region).
The Left attribute of a Region indicates the number of pixels from the left edge of the presentation the Region is located.
The Top attribute of a Region indicates the number of pixels from the top edge of the presentation the Region is located.
The Width of the Region is measured in pixels and can be changed in the width field of the Regions Window and clicking Apply.
The Height of the Region is measured in pixels and can be changed in the height field of the Regions Window and clicking Apply.
The Layer attribute refers to the layer (or z-order) of the Region within the presentation. This number represents a stacking order for the Region allowing for layering of Regions.
The Background Color of a Region can be any one of the different available colors and is selected using the pop-up menu in the Regions Window or the pop-up menu in the Tools Window.
The fit attribute describes how the media will conform to the physical size of the Region in comparison to the media placed inside the Region.
1. Fill - the media will stretch to the size of the Region
2. Hidden - if the media being added to the Region is larger than the Region, the image will be rendered starting at the top left corner of the media and will not show any of the image falling outside the Region.
3. Meet - the media added to the region is scaled, preserving the aspect ratio, in conjunction with the Region with remaining Region height or width being filled by the Region color.
4. Slice - the aspect ratio of the media clip is maintained to fill the Region. Any of the Clip (height or width) falling outside the Region will not be shown.
5. Scroll - scroll bars will be added to the region to allow the user to scroll through the information contained in that Region.
Note: Some Players will read the various Tag attributes differently. Be sure your Player of choice supports SMIL before attempting to use the different Tag attributes. (For more information, see the Chapter on Players)
It is recommended in most cases to give your Regions the same dimensions (height and width) as the media file you will add to that Region and use the Fill tag.