Tips to consider before starting:

• Make a story board - this helps you think through your stack & helps you organize all you elements.
• Save often - save different versions.
  • whenever you save, make sure you include .stk as the extension
• Make sure you have access to the HyperStudio CD-ROM.
• Make sure you think about how you will present the final product.
• Be patient and don't be in a rush.
• Be creative

System Requirements:

• System 6.0 or later
  15 MB free disk space
  2 MB RAM free
  for best results, CD-ROM drive

Once installed, you will find a folder like this on your computer's hard drive. Make sure all the contents are there.

What is HyperStudio?

HyperStudio is anything you want it to be ... it is a presentation program, a portfolio maker, a game board ... and much more. With HyperStudio you will be creating a "stack", each stack is composed of a series of "cards".

STACK METAPHOR: NOTECARDS

• A stack is a file that contains one or more cards, along with buttons, graphics, sound and other multimedia.

  All multimedia is contained within a stack EXCEPT for Quicktime movies. HyperStudio makes pointers to them

  The default stack for HyperStudio is called Home.stk

  • The Home.stk is saved with the application, that is your reference point, you can make your own home
    stack or use the one provided by HyperStudio. The home stack usually functions as a main menu.

  Choose about this stack under the objects menu to find out:

  • file size of stack
    how many cards are in the stack
    how much memory the stack occupies and what's on the machine number of colors that stack is set to use.
    

HYPERSTUDIO MENU BAR:

CARDS:

• Each individual screen within a stack is called a "card"
  each card will have a minimum of a background and at least one or more objects (text, graphics) etc.

To add new card, choose New Card in the Eduit menu (Command N) The Edit menu lets you delete, copy, cut, paste, etc.. cards like in word processing.

Ready-Made Cards: four ways to begin a new card:

• 1) Blank card
  2) Same Background: creates a card with the same background as the current card you are on
  3) Group Card: creates a card that becomes part of a group associated with the current card you are on
  4) Ready-Made card: you customized a template that then appears as an option under Ready-made card in the Edit menu.
  • to customize a card, make a one card with the template you want and then save that card in the RDYMCARD folder

Card features:

From the Objects menu, you can add many things or learn about your card and the stack.

from objects  menu, choose about this card this lets you find out:

• card id and name
  id # automatically assigned to card by HyperStudio based on initial positioning in the stack
  name is one you give to the card

• Both these features let you easily jump from card-to-card.

  Lock colors let you set a customized background color that may differ from that colors associated with a background image

  Marked card is "tagged" so that a button using the places to go action last marked card will move the user to the marked card - no matter where it is located.

  Group cards share background and group objects - once you ungroup a card, it can't join the group again.

  You can change the size of a card, choose About this Stack from the Objects menu. ALL cards are changed!

  Card Action: what happens when arriving at or leaving from a card, choose About this Stack from the Objects menu, click the card action button

Card information:

• the entire card uses: how much memory the card uses in your stack
  the background uses: how much memory the background images uses
  

GETTING STARTED:

To start a new stack, go under File and select New Stack. This dialog box will then appear.

Make sure you understand the different tools located on the File menu under Tools. Make sure to recognize the difference between browse and edit modes.

Selecting a background for you stack or card:

Under the File menu, select Import Background. Import background loads the background, sharing backgrounds cuts down file size - this can be done by using group cards.

If you select Disk file, you can choose a background which you created or one that HyperStudio has created.

Moving among your cards:

To move from card to card, use the MOVE commands located under Move on the File menu bar.

BUTTONS:

Another way to move from card to card is to create "buttons." Buttons are your hotspots on the card which are key to navigation through your stack this is why creating a storyboard is so important. It is helpful to know where the links will be before you create all your cards.

Buttons are the basic way the user assumes control of his/her movement through the stack.

There are two ways to create a button:

1) from the Tool menu, select  B  , or
2) from the Objects menu, select Add a Button

Once you selected Add a Button, a button appearance dialogue box appears with the follow features:

• Button types:
  • rounded rectangle
    rounded double rectangle
    rectangle
    drop shadow rectangle
    freehand area button
    invisible rectangle: if you want the invisible button to blink, make sure to check the "highlight" box .
    expanding area: use when you want buttons in odd shaped objects i.e. maps
    lasso area: lets you define the area of the button

  You can activate a button, simply by passing over the icon
  You can have the cursor change as you pass over the icon

Button options:

• By clicking the appropriate boxes, you have the options to:

  show name - you can give the button a name
  show icon - you can select an image to represent the icon (this will bring you to an icon folder where you can make your selection) - also, you can get to this icon folder by clicking the ICON button.
  you can modify the icon folder by adding or deleting icons from the folder

NOTE: if you clicked, "I'm an experienced user" at the beginning, you will be able to click the button, "Features ..." , this will give you information about the card and let you check one or more of five boxes: locked, group, hidden, drop off only, no click .

The second dialogue box you will encounter is:

NOTE: Consistency in button placement will help the user navigate your stack.

Once on the card, you can set an action for the button.

Button actions:

• What you'd like to happen when someone clicks on a button i.e. play a sound: if selected, you will be presented with a Tape Deck window, you can use an existing sound or record a new one play a movie or video: Quicktime format (see page 15 for details)

  You can also set a NBA="New Button Action". NBA are more popular actions for HyperStudio. You can select from a list: Examples of NBA include:

  • button runner, hideshow nba, play animation, automatic timer - will click something if user doesn't click something in a certain amount of time
    good for time tests, etc.. also good for setting series of automated action

  If you want to add a NBA, the following dialogue box should appear in which you select your NBA.
  

Note: You can also use Hyperlogo to script action for you buttons. See the manual for more information.

Testing Function:

One of the actions you can select is the Testing Function. If you choose this, you need to set some parameters for testing:

HyperStudio can be used for testing by setting buttons to be either correct, incorrect, ask the user name or have no testing function - if you choose correct or incorrect, the stack is automatically considered a testing stack - it will scan the stack to see what buttons were pressed and then write a text file in the same directory as the stack. File is HS.Test results.

GRAPHICS:

HyperStudio permits you to add graphics. Graphics include: background, clip art, paint tools & graphic objects.

• graphic objects retain their own identity whereas clip art become part of the background.
  supported file types: .pict, .tiff, .eps, .jpeg, .pcx, .bmp, .gif, .macpaint

You can get file from:

• 1) disk
  or if video digitizing capabilities ...
  2) Video, if you can freeze frame from camcorder
  3) QuickTake camera

NOTE: Special effects are done on graphics in the background, NOT on graphic objects.

If you select from disk, you can use your own image or clip art. HyperStudio comes with its own clip art. The following dialogue box lets you select what clip art you want. You MUST use the marquee or lasso tools to select the image you want.

Graphic objects:

Floating objects in the foreground, use the edit tool (g in a rectangle) to edit object - copy, delete, etc..

• HideShow NBA : try this out - special effect
  SlideShow NBA: lets you select a directory/ folder with images and you can:
  • continuously display files
    leave last picture on exit
    show filename on pictures
    time delay
    directory to show
    

TEXT:

• There are two methods for displaying text: Text Objects (TO) and the Text Tool (TT).
  • TO: is an independent object that cam be moved or edited at any time this is what you want to use with lengthy text, you can set the appearance & attributes via a dialogue box (scroll bar, read only, draw frame, etc..)
    You can export text as an ASCII file - export text from the file menu
    TT: paints the text on the screen and it becomes a permanent part of the background.

  Some cool effects for text ...

  • Progressive Disclosure Effect
    Cookie Cutter Effect

  You can also have ...

  • HyperLinks
    Ghostwriter NBA
    Blabber Mouth NBA - you need Speech Manager installed
    

SOUND:

When inserting sound, you will get the tape dialog box:

NOTE: sound stored in: "the stack" - embeds the sound into the stack
sound stored in: "a separate file" makes it a separate file, that can't be shared within a stack

You can either use your own sound or sound the has been pre-recorded by HyperStudio.

Using sound resources from the Internet:

• HyperStudio creates a MediaLink file and then you can access a sound from the Internet, provided there is an open network connection. QuickTime (QT) Movie : can play MIDI files without video

  Need: QT 2.0 or higher, Apple Multimedia Tuner, QT Musical Instrument extension, and SimplePlayer (or other QT player application). In SimplePlayer, save MIDI file as QT MOOV.

  Supports: .AIFF, .WAV, Apple IIGS Sounds, MOD sounds also MIDI, if in QT format.

  You can play sound from a CD-ROM by calling up a Tuner box (control panel).
  

ANIMATION:

• Path based: you select the path for the clip art to move
  Cel based: building animation from a series of stills.
  • get a series of still in different angles - when ready, you'll get an animation dialog box and can make choices:
    • Play
      Repeat Count - '1' to play once, 'O' to play continuously
      Try It
      Position
      Show 1st Frame
      Erase when done
      Get another animation
      

QT MOVIES:

• - Choose "Play a Movie or Video" under "things to do" in the Action Window.
  - With a digitizing card, you can make your own movies - you can't edit them.
  - See pg. 88 for how to Play Movie in irregular shapes.
  

INTERNET

• - MacWebPage NBA allows access to WWW
  - MediaLinker program
  • allows you to save links which can then be accessed, if an open network connection.
    requires system 7.0 or higher, 1 MB Memory, & connection to the Internet
    doesn't support serial dialup
    

HYPERSTUDIO PLAYER: is a run-time version of HyperStudio - it only allows read-only. This is what you give people to view your stack who do not own HyperStudio. It is "free-ware". It is located in the directory called "MYSTACKS" .

HOW TO LOCK A STACK:

• 1) From the finder, highlight stack icon, set Get Info from the File menu and check the box labeled "lock"

  OR

  2)Press the Command and 'H' keys, this hides the menu bar

  OR

  3) Use the HyperStudio Lock function ... from the Edit menu, choose Preferences, check "lock stack"
  

REMEMBER: Have fun. Be creative. Be Patient. AND when in doubt, check the manual!