Chapter 3: Creating a Streaming Media Presentation

This chapter gives you step-by-step instructions on how to use RealProducer Pro to create streaming media presentations from video and audio files. You will learn everything from starting a new project, editing a presentation, generating RealMedia files, adding a layout, to publishing to a Web page.

The RealProducer Pro Main Window

Before you begin to create a streaming media file, let's briefly tour the different components of the RealProducer Pro main window.

The RealProducer Pro Main Window

Input and Output Viewers

At the top of the main window are two screens where you view the video. The left screen is the Input Viewer where the video source file is shown. The right screen is the Output Viewer where you see the RealVideo file as it is generated.

The Media Controls underneath the Input Viewer help you move around within the media file. You can also navigate by using keyboard arrow keys.

Timeline

The timeline is a graphical representation of the input file. You can move the slider to any frame and mark the start and end of your presentation with the Mark In and Mark Out buttons. The current frame and time position are also shown here.

Event Buttons

The Event Buttons let you add events that are synchronized to a location in your RealMedia file. For more information on events, see "Step 5: Add Captions and URL Events".

Media Source List

This list shows you the current media sources associated with the project. Here, you can add, delete, and select sources that you want to work with. Also located here are buttons that you can use to choose compression settings, choose a layout, or generate, preview, and publish the presentation.

Overview of Steps

Because there are many steps involved in creating RealMedia with RealProducer Pro, the rest of this chapter is divided into sections that guide you through each step. Select a link to go directly to that step.

Step 1: Start a Project

Step 2: Edit the Media Source

Step 3: Add Information About the Presentation

Step 4: Choose a Compression Setting

Step 5: Add Captions and URL Events

Step 6: Choose a Presentation Layout

Step 7: Check the Presentation's Properties

Step 8: Generate and Play the Presentation

Step 1: Start a Project

The first step in creating a RealMedia presentation is starting a project. A project contains a number of media files that are ready to be converted into RealMedia files. For this section, we will assume that you are creating a new project.

The following procedure shows you how to add source media files to a new project.

To start a new project:

1. Choose New Project from the File menu. Or, when starting RealProducer Pro for the first time, click Create a New Project.

   A new project opens with no files listed in the Media Source list.

2. In the RealProducer Pro main window, click the Add Media button.

   The Add Media File dialog box opens.

3. Navigate to a media file and select it. (To select several files, press CTRL and click each one. To select a range of files, press SHIFT and click the first and last file in the range).

4. Click Open.

   The sources that you selected are listed in the Media Source section of the RealProducer Pro main window. If you are converting a video file, the first frame of the video appears in the Input Viewer.

Step 2: Edit the Media Source

If you want to generate only part of the input media source, you can indicate the beginning and end points of the clip that will be converted by RealProducer Pro. This step is optional, but it can be useful to cut superfluous portions from either the beginning or the end of the input media source.

To edit the input media source:

1. Select a file from the Media Source list.

2. Drag the Timeline slider until you find the point where you want the output clip to begin. You can also use the control buttons to play the media source to the desired point.

3. Click the Mark In button.

4. Drag the slider to the point where you want the output clip to end.

5. Click the Mark Out button.

6. If you want to undo your work, choose Marks>Reset Marks from the Edit menu.

Step 3: Add Information About the Presentation

Before you create the output file, RealProducer Pro allows you to change various properties for the generated output .rm file. You can give the presentation a title, add the author's name to it, and specify the copyright date and owner. All of this information will show in the RealPlayer when your presentation is played.

It is recommended that you add a title, an author, and any copyright information that will label your output file. If you do not specify any of these properties, RealProducer Pro will leave them blank as a default. You can change the defaults in the Preferences dialog box. See "Changing File Generation Defaults" for more information.

To add information about the output file:

1. In the RealProducer Pro main window, select a media source.

2. Type in the title of your presentation in the Title field.

3. Type the Author name and the Copyright owner in the respective fields.

Step 4: Choose a Compression Setting

A compression setting allows you to quickly specify how a media file is to be compressed during generation. A number of settings are included with RealProducer Pro that are specifically designed to work for audiences that connect at specific bit rate targets, such as Dial-up modems or high bit rate ISDN connections. Some settings are designed to work for multiple audiences using SureStream technology. See "SureStream or Single Rate?" for more information.

You can add your own compression setting, or edit an existing setting. See "Adjusting Compression Settings" to learn more about compression settings and their components.

To choose a compression setting for your media file:

1. In the RealProducer Pro main window, select a media source.

2. Click the Compression button.

   A pop-up menu opens, listing the available settings. If none are available, the pop-up menu is not displayed.

3. Select a compression setting.

   The new setting is listed in the Compression section of the Media Source list. The output file name will change reflecting your selection.

Step 5: Add Captions and URL Events

You can add various kinds of interactive effects to your media file's timeline, and synchronize them to specific points. These effects happen at a specified moment during playback and are part of the final presentation. You can instruct the presentation to display a caption, open another Web page (URL), or give the user a clickable image map at a particular point.

If you add a caption or URL event, make sure you use the correct layout template. See the next step, "Step 6: Choose a Presentation Layout" for more information.

Adding a Caption

A caption is text that is synchronized with a specific point in the media file. Captions appear as RealText in a designated part of the final presentation layout. Captions can be used to sub-title a video clip, to show song lyrics, or to add other comments.

To add a caption to your media file:

1. Drag the slider along the Timeline (or use the Media Control buttons) until you find the point where you want the caption to occur.

2. Click the Add Caption button.

   The Caption dialog box opens.

   

3. In the Caption Text field, type in the text you want displayed.

4. If your text will be a hyperlink to a Web page, select URL Link and type in the full URL of the Web page. For example:
   http://www.real.com/devzone/index.html

5. Choose the Text Properties tab.

6. Select the attributes for your text: Typeface, Point Size, style (Bold/Italic/Underline), Foreground Color and Background Color.

7. Select Clear Previous if you want to wipe out any previous captions before this one appears. If unselected, the previous caption will scroll to make room for the new caption.

8. Select Center if you want to center the text.

9. Choose a number of breaks.

10. Click OK to return to the main window.

11. The caption is designated by a yellow mark on the Timeline.

Adding a URL Event

During your presentation, another Web page can be opened in the user's browser at a specified point during playback. This technique can be useful for soliciting user feedback or showing Web pages that are highlighted in your media file.

To add a URL event to your media file:

1. Drag the slider along the Timeline (or use the Control buttons) until you find the point where you want the caption to occur.

2. Click the Add Event button.

   The URL Event dialog box opens.

   

3. Select the type of URL event that you want to add:

   Launch URL-simply opens the default Web browser to the designated Web page

   Clickable image-when the video clip is clicked by the user, the Web browser opens

   Clear clickable image-clears the last clickable image set

4. Type the full URL that will automatically open. Use the following format (specifying the filename is optional):

   
   http://domain-name/filename.htm
   

   For example:

   
   http://www.real.com/index.htm
   

   	Note
   	You can use an absolute or relative path to the file. An absolute path includes the http:// protocol, the domain name, any directories, and the filename

5. If you want the event to appear in an HTML frame in your presentation, add the frame's name in the Display in Frame field. The page will open in a new browser window if your presentation uses a stand-alone player.

6. Click OK to return to the main window.

7. The caption is designated by a pink mark on the Timeline.

Editing and Deleting Captions and URL Events

You can edit or delete any caption or URL event. You can also align them to a specific point in the input file and to new events. For example, you can add a URL event and have it occur at the same time as a new caption.

To edit, delete, or align your additions:

1. Right-click on one of the additions you made (caption or URL event).

2. Select one of the following options from the pop-up menu:

   • To change properties for the event, select Edit. The dialog box for that event opens and you can change its information.

   • To remove the event, select Delete. Your addition is deleted.

   • To align new events, select Snap Slider. The frame slider snaps to that location. You can now add a complimentary caption or URL event at that location.

     	Note
     	Only one caption and one URL event can take place at any point along the Timeline.

Step 6: Choose a Presentation Layout

Once you have set up the input media source and prepared it for production, you need to decide on the layout of the final presentation. A presentation layout consists of a SMIL template and an optional Web Page template. You combine the output media file-and any captions or URL events you have added-with other layout elements to create a streaming media presentation. Then, you can create a Web page that contains your new presentation.

RealProducer Pro includes a number of different SMIL and Web Page templates to suit most needs. Which SMIL template and Web Page templates you choose depend on whether you are converting a video file or an audio file.

You also can add new templates, edit existing templates, or delete templates. For more information on working with templates, see "Creating Custom Templates".

To choose a layout for your streaming media presentation:

1. Select a media source and click the Layout button.

   The Presentation Layout dialog box opens to the Player Stage page.

   

2. Select a SMIL template from the list. Use the comments below the selections and the sample image to help you decide on the correct template.

3. Choose a background color for the presentation.

4. Set the different attributes of the caption window if your template includes a caption:

   • Window Style-how the text appears in the screen

   • Background-the background color of the caption area

   • Link Color-the color of any links

   • Underline Links-if selected, any links will be underlined

To choose a layout for your Web page:

1. In the Presentation Layout dialog box, choose the Web Page tab.

   

2. Select a Web Page template from the list. Use the sample image to help you decide on a template.

   	Tip
   	If you don't want to create a Web page, simply deselect the Generate Web Page option and close the dialog box. A SMIL presentation will still be created.

3. If a template that you selected has a text field associated with it, click on the Set Template Text Fields button.

4. Enter the necessary text and click OK.

5. Choose a Player Layout:

   • Stand alone-your Web page contains a link to the presentation

   • Embedded-the presentation and RealPlayer controls are located inside your Web page

6. If you chose an Embedded layout, choose how many controls will appear:

   • Simple-only Play and Stop buttons are included

   • All-every RealPlayer button is included

   • None-no buttons are included

7. You can also choose to automatically start playing the media file when the Web page is opened.

8. Click OK to return to the RealProducer Pro main window.

Step 7: Check the Presentation's Properties

Before you generate the final presentation, you should make sure that the properties of the media source and the soon-to-be-created output file are satisfactory.

The Properties - Media Info dialog box

Input Properties

You can use the Properties dialog box to view the current properties of the input media source.

To view input source properties:

1. In the RealProducer Pro main window, select a media source.

2. Choose Properties from the Presentation menu.

   The Properties dialog box opens to the Media Info page. In the Media Clip section of this dialog box, your selected media source file is listed plus the following information:

   Duration-the full time of the input media source

   Video Compression-the type of compression used to create the video file

   Frame Rate-rate used to create the video file

   Colors-depth of color format

   Width and Height-dimensions of the video file (in pixels)

   Audio Format-format used to create the audio

   Channels-number of channels used during audio recording (2 denotes stereo)

3. Click OK to return to the RealProducer Pro main window.

Output Properties

You also use the Properties dialog box to set the name of the generated output .rm file. RealProducer Pro defaults the output file as the name of the media source with a suffix determined by the type of compression used. See "Changing File Generation Defaults" for more information. The output file must have a .rm extension. By default, it will be generated in the same folder as the input file.

To designate a name for the output file:

1. In the RealProducer Pro main window, select a media source.

2. Choose Properties from the Presentation menu.

   The Properties dialog box opens to the Media Info page. All current information about the source file and the output file is listed here.

3. In the Media Output Clip section, type a new File Name and select a new location by clicking Browse and selecting a new directory.

   	Tip
   	The name of an output file can be quickly changed by clicking on a highlighted filename in the media source list.

4. Click Save to return to the Properties dialog box.

5. Click OK to return to the RealProducer Pro main window.

Using the Analyzer

RealProducer Pro's analyzer function notes the compression setting you have selected and flags cases where you stand a better chance of achieving your intended results by improving the quality of the input media source file, or by selecting a different compression setting.

If the media source file is flagged, you will see either a yellow icon or a red icon to the left of the media file in the Input list. If the media source file is OK for generation, a green icon appears.

To use the analyzer:

1. In the RealProducer Pro main window, select a media source.

2. You can choose Properties from the Presentation menu, or simply click on the analyzer icon next to the media source.

   The Properties dialog box opens to the Media Info page. The analyzer's recommendations are listed at the bottom of this page.

   	Note
   	You can still generate a media file if the source is flagged, but the results will generally be improved if you follow the recommendations.

Step 8: Generate and Play the Presentation

Once you have finished all the above steps, you can create and view the streaming media presentation associated with an input media file.

Generating the Output

The following table describes the types of files created during the generation process.

To generate a single presentation:

1. Select a media file in the Media Source list.

2. Click the Generate button.

To generate several presentations:

1. Press CTRL and select each media file in the Media Source list.

2. Click the Generate button.

To generate all presentations for a project:

1. Choose Select All from the Edit menu.

2. Click the Generate button.

As RealProducer Pro creates the .rm file, you see a preview in the Output Viewer. The timeline moves as the clip generates. To stop generation at any time, click the Stop Generating button.

No sound plays during .rm file creation. This is normal. In addition, the file may appear to run slowly while it is being created. This is also normal and merely represents the time RealProducer Pro takes to encode each frame. This is not indicative of how the media file will play back.

Playing the Presentation

The final presentation can be viewed using RealPlayer G2. If you also created a Web page, you must have a current version of either Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer (or other compatible browser) installed. Viewing an embedded presentation that includes RealText or other SMIL components with a 5.0 version of the Player will result in a stretched RealVideo image.

To view your work:

• Click the Preview button to see your final presentation and the Web page that is created.

Copyright © 1998 RealNetworks
For information on RealNetworks' technical support, click here.
This file last updated on 02/02/99 at 17:55:21.