Command Markers

fausseplanete wrote on 8/18/2009, 2:33 PM
Making yet another lecture video with synchronized PowerPoint slides, but this time asked to make it self-contained (no special app needed) with synchronized appearance of slide images. Of course can use split-screen, but is there a better way?

Is there a way of using Command Markers to bring up still images in a web browser? I tried it just now (on a file://localhost... URL to a .jpg image that I had already opened once directly in a browser so I could copy/paste it) but it didn't work (the browser didn't open, and if I opened one myself, no image appeared in it). As per Vegas's Help documentation, I ensured that in Windows Media Player the relevant (in fact all) all security>scripting options were enabled, but to no avail. Any ideas what else may need attention or how to diagnose?

One thing I did note was not to use .png files when the browser is IE6 (as my "non bleeding edge" client is constrained to use), as it brings up the "Security Bar". So I tried again with .jpg files, but still no joy. Muchas experimento.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 8/18/2009, 2:38 PM
Is this all going to be shown on one display? If so, why not include the images of the slides in the video? That way you don't have to deal with any other programs at all.
fausseplanete wrote on 8/18/2009, 2:55 PM
That's the "split screen" I mentioned. My current draft uses 1024x320 as a narrow "strip" across the screen, showing the presenter in about the right juxtaposition to the slide images as he was to the real projection screen. Still have to confirm whether or not it's OK to assume that screen width (will ask them tomorrow). Not exactly standard, but WMP plays it OK, reporting it (in Properties) as 16:5 aspect ratio. Encoded with Quality VBR at 25fps it comes out at 220MB for a 1hr 48min performance, not too bad.

The idea of having synchronized still images external to the video is to minimise the bandwidth while letting people see the small details clearly. Maybe later could embed the video and stills as separate areas of the same webpage? Just exploring what is possible with Command Markers.

I found a product called PresenterSoft MediaEasy which does a great job though it requires one to synchronize the slides manually within itself. So I wonder if Vegas plus some "template" webpage can be made to do much the same thing.
Chienworks wrote on 8/18/2009, 2:58 PM
Now this is sounding more like an appropriate task for Flash.
fausseplanete wrote on 8/18/2009, 3:17 PM
Aha you're the second person to tell me that today!