Chapter 14 - Working with Groups

Grouping Media

Regions and Clips can be played back in parallel or sequential order with the possibility for advanced timing of events and user interaction.

Media can even be played in sequential order but in parallel with the content of other Regions. This type of sophisticated synchronized playback is what makes the use of Fluition so advantageous. Fluition accomplishes this advanced functionality by allowing the grouping of both Clips and Regions. There are two types of groups, sequential and parallel. Sequential groups play their content one after the other with the next item starting at the end of the previous. A Parallel group plays simultaneously with the two starting at the same time and then playing to the end of each.

If an object in the presentation is not assigned a group, then that object will not be included in the SMIL code. Fluition relies on groups to determine how a clip should be played and how Regions relate to each other for playback.

In the Options Window, there is an option for Optimizing Displayed Groups. This option applies to opening SMIL presentations and how the sequencing groups will be displayed once the presentation is open. When the groups are not optimized, a new group will be created for each use of a playback sequencing tag. Optimized Groups will only display one of each group that is used to sequence the playback of the presentation.

For most presentations created with Fluition, Regions are placed in a parallel group so that all Regions will play at the same time. Media Clips are placed in a sequential group so that if multiple clips are placed in a Region they will play one after the other.

The Groups Window is opened using the icon on the Tools Palette or choosing Show Groups from View menu.

To add or delete groups in the Groups Window use the Add and Delete buttons. To assign a "Parallel" or "Sequential" tag to a group use the "--" sequential and "||" parallel buttons at the right of the Groups Window.

The Extra Code field in the Groups field is used for adding extra code to the group tag in the SMIL code. This is an advanced Grouping feature not normally used in presentations. Different Players may allow for the use of specialized code within the SMIL file code. Fluition gives access to adding extra code directly within the Group tags without the need for going to the SMIL Code Window and altering your SMIL code.