After creating my video, I was required to distribute it with other people, the easiest way to do this was to use YouTube. As I have never used YouTube to upload a video before, I was required to make an account and activate it. After the signing up was completed, I have uploaded the video from my hard drive, giving it a title, which will be used to help the audience find it when it is typed up onto the search bar of YouTube. I have used the website http://www.webvideozone.com/public/308.cfm to help me independently find out about how to upload the website correctly so no mistakes will occur. After uploading, it has taken several minutes to be processed.
In class, we have started to create the video that will give a tutorial on how my game works, this was done firstly by opening up my Start Screen of my project. I then had to use a program called HyperCam to help record my project, as I have used HyperCam, it has cause a huge amount of lag on the screen making it difficult to work with. Our teacher then introduced the Smart Recorder program which has enabled me to record the project in the screen without any lag issues, although the program was simple to use, I did not know how to select the window I wanted to record so it does not record my whole screen, this was solved by me using the internet to search for help, I have found the website http://smarttech.com/recorder/ to help me understand how to do this. After the recording was complete, I had to place annotations onto it by using the Windows Movie Maker, this was my first time using it which required the teacher to explain the tools to use, to improve my further understanding I have used the website http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx to help me how to add annotations.
As I have completed my project, I have spoken to my target audience which has played my game and has found it very fun and enjoyable, although he did find the games to be easy and not challenging. The user guide I had to make was needed to be smaller than an A4 page, preferably a size smaller than a DVD box. As my game is intended to be place on a CD-Rom, I will create the User Guide by using Microsoft Word. I had then created the user guide by using a Microsoft Publisher template at the size of a CD, this was new to me as I have never used a template in Publisher before, so I have used http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/FX100649121033.aspx to help me understand the use of templates.
In order for me to record the sound, I was required to go to a recording studio so that the recording would be done in a quiet environment making the sound being recorded clear. I had used a microphone and headphones to help me do this. After the recording was complete, the files were transferred over to the computer which I then used a program called Audacity to help me, Audacity was a program offered by the school which limited my choices of programs, this required me to go to the internet to do research in order to learn how to use Audacity, I have found the website http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/faq which has given me the basics of using Audacity and how I can edit my sound using the Selection tool. I was then able to convert it to either WAV or a MP3 file, I have preferred to keep it as WAV as my original file was WAV as well.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
When creating my template, the area in the center was left for my screen to be placed on top once it was complete, after testing the screen, I have found the animation to not stay inside the screen, this was because the center is not hollow. I also needed to rearrange the order on Macromedia Flash so that the main screen will be behind the template but as the center was not hollow, the main screen would not been seen, as a result, I will need to use Adobe Photoshop to help me remove the center of the screen making it hollow, I have used the website http://www.astahost.com/info.php/photoshop-tutorial-cutting-out-psd_t12610.html which explains the use of the "Delete" button on the keyboard, this can be utilised with the magic wand tool after selecting the part I did not want and remove it by pressing delete.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
For my previous screens, I have learned how to link them together thanks to the help function as well as my teacher as she has given us a tutorial lesson. But in order to link the template to the login screen which is a new screen, we will require a new code as the login screen will not fit into the template. I have then done research over the inter net and found the website http://www.adobe.com/support/flash/action_scripts/actionscript_dictionary/actionscript_dictionary424.html, which explains the use of the code " loadMovieNum( " url ", level [ , variables ])", I have then tested this code in my project combined with "on (press)" and other codes so that it would work. In the end, I have successfully made this code work.
