Copyright: NETpresenter ® 1995 NetPresenter B.V.ushnaq


Contents
NETpresenter Contents

Welcome to NETpresenter. This document describes how to use the NETpresenter system to distribute and display information on your network. It does not include information on creating a presentation. You can find information on creating and editing presentations in the editor help document.

Click on the underlined text to see a specific topic.

Introduction

Distributing a Presentation

Network Issues

Using the Screen Saver

Technical Support

Index


Introduction

What is NETpresenter?

NETpresenter is an automated system for distributing information on a local area network. It consists of two parts: the NETpresenter editor for creating presentations and the NETpresenter screen saver for playing presentations.

The editor is used to create slideshow presentations that can include text, graphics, multicolor gradients, transitions, and sound. The administrator of these presentations will typically place a presentation on a shared network drive so it is available to other computers on the network.

The screen saver part of the NETpresenter system will automatically download the presentation from the network drive to the local hard drive and play the slideshow whenever the screen saver starts. As changes are made to the presentation, the screen saver will download the updated files to the local machine.

Important Features

•	Uses existing equipment

NETpresenter works on any computer that uses the Windows operating system. This means that you do not have to buy additional hardware to create a complete system for distributing information slideshows. You just install the screen saver on each computer.

•	Does not require input from the user

Once NETpresenter is correctly configured and a valid presentation file is selected, the system does not require additional attention from the user. It automatically keeps track of revisions to a presentation and downloads new files when necessary. The user does not even have to click on an icon because the presentations appear as a screen saver.

•	Minimal demands on the network

NETpresenter is designed to minimize demands on network bandwidth. By downloading the entire presentation to the local hard drive, displaying a presentation does not require constant access to files on the server. New information is downloaded only when it is updated. The user can optimize network activity even further by adjusting how often the screen saver checks the server for new information. Also, presentations can include background gradients that are generated within NETpresenter itself. A background is stored as a single line within the channel script and does not require the transfer and storage of potentially large bitmap files.

•	Visual impact

Information is presented in an eye-catching and attractive manner. It is more likely to be noticed than information that is buried in a memo, newsletter, or a paper posted on a bulletin board. Also, displaying visually attractive presentations throughout an organization's offices can help create an atmosphere of prestige and distinction.

•	Easy to use

The NETpresenter editor has an easy-to-use interface for designing slides and organizing presentations. Unlike many presentation programs, the user does not have to open and close numerous dialogs in order to change a few settings. The user enters information into property sheets on the left half of the editor window and NETpresenter instantly updates the slide. Even novices can create attractive presentations within minutes.

Typical Uses

NETpresenter is suitable for many types of information and many types of organizations. For instance, a corporation can use NETpresenter to distribute important information to its employees. This information will automatically appear on the employee's computer whenever the screen saver is triggered. Here are some examples of things you might find in a corporate slideshow:

•	Important notices

•	Employee guidelines

•	Morale boosters

•	Employee promotions, birthdays, retirements, etc.

•	Classified advertising

•	Corporate atmosphere

•	Product Information

•	Schedules and Calendars


Distributing a Presentation

Follow these steps to distribute a presentation on the server:

•	Use the NETpresenter editor to create a presentation.

The NETpresenter editor has an easy-to-use interface for creating and editing presentations. These presentations are called "channels." You can create a channel with one or more slides. The slides consist of objects, gradients, and images, and each slide can trigger sound, music, or video files.

•	If the channel is not already on the network server, copy it to the server.

You must place the channel file at a location that is accessible by other computers on the network. From the editor, you can use the "Copy" menu item to copy the presentation to the network drive as well as any image, sound, or video files that are used in the presentation. It is imporant that all of the image, sound, or video files are located on the same drive partition as the channel file. The screen saver will not be able to locate these files if they are not on the same drive. Use of the "Copy" menu item ensures that all of the necessary files are located on the same partition.

•	Install the NETpresenter screen saver on each computer that you want to use the presentation.

The screen saver is capable of both downloading and displaying channels. You can install it on a computer on the network with the installation disk. This is the only software or hardware that you need to install in order to enable the system.

•	On each computer, use the screen saver configuration dialog to select the channel file.

Use the standard Windows control panel to change the settings of the screen saver. The most important setting is the path to the presentation channel. This field is labeled "Channel." Click on the "Browse" button to open a standard Windows file dialog that you can use to locate and select the channel on the network drive.


Network Issues

•	Take into account slow machines on your network.

If your network includes slower machines, try not to use computationally demanding visual effects. If the NETpresenter screen saver decides an effect will take too long, it will display the slide without an effect. For instance, reveal and flow effects require a lot of rendering and may be omitted on slower machines.

•	Do not edit a presentation that you are downloading to your computer.

If you are downloading a presentation from a remote drive, do not try to edit the presentation on your machine. You can do so, but your NETpresenter screen saver will probably replace it the next time the original presentation is updated on the remote drive.

•	Do not use the screen saver on a computer that acts as a server for other computers on the network.

A screen saver can consume significant processor time. If other computers are frequently accessing a particular computer, you can degrade network performance by having running a screen saver running on this computer.

•	Make sure that the multimedia files are located on the same drive as the channel.

The screen saver can locate files that are on the same drive as the channel. However, if your channel uses files located on another drive, the screen saver will not be able to locate them. You can use the "Move" command to copy the channel and associated files to the network server. This will mean that all files are in a location that the screen saver can find.

•	Do not use fonts that are not available on some of the computers on your network.

NETpresenter does not currently transfer fonts between computers on a network. A presentation might appear different on a computer that does not possess a font used within the presentation.

•	Use caution when granting access to network presentations.

NETpresenter is designed to distribute information automatically to a lot of users. Someone could abuse this capability by modifying a network presentation to contain information that you do not want distributed. For instance, a disgruntled employee could take revenge on a company by creating a presentation with malicious or embarrasing information. Depending on your requirements, you may want to consider restricting access to the channel file so only authorized users can modify it.

•	Use NETpresenter to create information stations.

You may want to have NETpresenter continuously running on a few computers within your organization. This will allow you to distribute information to employees and customers who do not routinely use a computer. Computers used for this purpose will not require attention after you set them up because the screen saver can download fresh information as it continues to play a presentation. Also, you will probably want to remove the keyboard and mouse to prevent someone from inadvertantly turning off the screen saver.


Screen Saver

The screen saver plays presentations created by this program. To learn more about using the screen saver, click on the underlined text. This information is duplicated in the help document of the screen saver itself.

How to install and use the screen saver

Selecting a channel and a path to local storage

Setting how often the screen saver checks for updates

Customizing the screen saver


Installation
Starting the Screen Saver

The screen saver is a standard Windows screen saver module.  To designate it as your screen saver, you select it like any other Windows screen saver. Because you are reading this document, you have probably already discovered how to select a screen saver in Windows. In case you have not, here are instructions. The location of the screen saver settings is slightly different for Windows 95 and previous versions of Windows.

Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups

From the main program group, click on the control panel icon. When it appears, click on the Desktop icon. In the center section of the window is a combo box. Select "NETpresenter" from the list. Click on the "Setup" button to configure the player.

Windows 95

From the Start menu, select the Control Panel item of the Settings menu. When the control panel appears,  click on the Display icon and the Display Properties window will appear. Click on the Screen Saver tab to switch to the Screen Saver property sheet. Choose NETpresenter in the combo box to select it as the current screen saver. Click on the Settings button to view the NETpresenter Configuration dialog.


Selecting Paths
Selecting a Channel

Overview

The screen saver reads channel files. These files have a <.chn> suffix and contain a script that defines the presentation. When you install the screen saver, it is configured to play an introductory presentation that is installed on your hard drive. You will want to select another channel that was created with the editor and will likely be located on a network drive.

Using the configuration dialog, you can locate the channel that you  want the screen saver to use. If this channel is located on a remote drive, you can specify a local directory where the screen saver will copy the channel file and the accompanying graphics and sound files.

Selecting a Channel

The field that is labeled "Channel" contains the file path to the channel file.  You can type the path into the field or you can click on the <Browse> button to display a dialog for browsing and selecting a channel file.

Selecting a Local Path

The field that is labeled "Local Storage" contains a path to a location that is usually on your hard drive. When the screen saver discovers new information, it will download the necessary files and store them at this location. You can type the path into the field or you can click on the "Browse" button to display a dialog for selecting a drive and directory for downloading files.

If the local path is on the same drive as the channel path, the screen saver will not move the files but will play the channel file from its original location. This means you can create and play scripts on a single machine without the screen saver unnecessarily moving files around on your hard drive. It also means that if the channel file is on a network drive and if the local storage path is set to the same drive, the screen saver will play the presentation directly from the network drive. This is not advised because it will increase network activity but it might be useful in some unusual cases.


Setting Updates
Selecting Update Options

Overview

The screen saver periodically checks to see if a channel has been recently updated. If there is new information, the screen saver will download the new files and begin playing the updated presentation. There are two ways you can control how often the screen saver checks the server to see if there is updated information:

On Screen Saver Startup

If this check box is selected, the screen saver will check the server for new information each time the screen saver starts running. Use this option with care. If there are lots of computers on your network, each computer that is using the screen saver will check the channel file for new information. It takes very little network time to check the server for new information but it should be avoided if the presentation is rarely updated.

On Time

If this check box is selected, the screen saver will check the server after a set amount of time has elapsed. You can set the time interval by selecting the number of hours and minutes. Select a long interval if the information is updated infrequently; select a short interval if the channel is updated more frequently. For instance, you might want to select 24 hours for an employee information channel that is updated once a day.

When the screen saver starts, the screen saver will first check the current time and see how much time has elapsed since the last time it checked the channel for new information. If enough time has elapsed, it will check the channel for new information on startup even if the "On Screen Saver Startup" option is not selected. As the presentation continues to play, the screen saver will keep track of the time and will periodically check the server for new information according to the time setting. This means the screen saver can play continuously and download new information unattended. This makes it suitable for use as simple networked kiosk.


Customizing
Customizing the Player

The screen saver has several options for customizing the player for an individual machine. These options are independent of the presentation and are entirely controlled from the configuration dialog.

Show Time

If this option is checked, the screen saver will display a clock at the bottom right corner of the screen. You can choose the time format from the list box that is located just below the check box controlling this option.

Don't Use or Download Multimedia Files

If your system does not include a sound card, it is not necessary to download multimedia files to your system. If this is the case, select this option to save network bandwidth and reduce the amount of storage the presentation consumes on your hard drive.

Don't Use or Download Image Files

There are only rare occasions where this option should be used. If a computer is very slow or if it has very little storage space, you might want to omit bitmap graphics from a presentation. However, if the bitmaps contain important information, the user will never see it.

Don't Scale Image to the Display

On machines with extremely large resolutions and moderately fast CPU's, it might increase the speed of the presentation to turn off display scaling. If this option is selected, the screen saver will render the 640 x 480 slide in the middle of a black screen. It will be the same presentation but the screen saver will not have to draw as many pixels and will consequently take less time to render the slide.

Personal Message

If you enter text into the personal message field, the screen saver will display the text beneath the slideshow. Use this option to personalize your computer or to leave messages and notices to other people. You should note that this option is not really consistent with the original (but almost forgotten) purpose of screen savers of preventing burn-in to your monitor.  If you never change the message, the same text will appear at the bottom of the screen for long periods of time.


Technical Support

Technical Support is available from:

NETPRESENTER  B.V.

    Adsteeg 10
    NL-6191 PX Beek(L)
    The Netherlands

    PHONE:  + 31(0)464 370 886
    FAX:        +31(0)464 360 188

    Email:   netpresenter@eureka.nl
    WWW   www.eureka.nl/netpresenter

    In the United States, contact:

    Netpresenter
    P.O. Box 555
    Lightfoot, VA  23090

    PHONE: (804) 220-3111
    FAX:  (804) 220-2411
    Email:  cindy@eureka.nl


Index

C

Contents

Customizing

D

Distributing a Presentation

I

Index

Installation

Installing

Introduction

N

Network Issues

S

Screen Saver

Selecting Paths

Setting Updates

T

Technical Support