Illuminatus Opus Tutorial

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Step-by-step multimedia creation

Illuminatus Opus is one of the easiest ways to get started in the world of multimedia. Linda Bruce walks you through some of its features.

First-time users may be overwhelmed by what this powerful multimedia authoring package has to offer. This step-by-step tutorial will show you just how easy Opus is to use. At the end of the walkthrough, you will know how to set up pages and introduce actions, as well as design flashy text, image and audios.

Before you start the tutorials, ensure the Wizard button on the main Opus toolbar (the icon with a pointed cap and wand) is switched off -- we want to explore the program, not the shortcuts offered by the wizards.

If at any time you do something wrong or want to go back and try again, you can undo previous actions by selecting Undo from the Edit menu.

If Illuminatus Opus is not already installed from the CD, click here to install.

Starting a new publication

1. Click the New Publication button (the book icon ) on the main toolbar. Alternatively, you can select File --> New --> Publication. (If a wizard screen pops up, click cancel, switch off the Wizard button and click the New Publication button again.)

Opus creates the first chapter and first page. The book is called Untitled1, the chapter is Chapter 1 and the first page is Page 1. On the left-hand side is the Organiser window; note the familiar hierarchical tree view as in Windows Explorer.

2. First, change the publication's name (currently called Untitled1) by right-clicking on it and renaming it My First Publication.

3. Now double-click on Page 1 in the Organiser window. Page 1 appears ready for editing (figure 1). The page will not be visible for you to start editing unless you are running in a high-resolution mode.

figure 1

The dot grid helps you draw and position your objects while editing, but will not appear in your publication.

Changing the background colour

1. To change the default white background, double-click the white area of the page to bring up the Properties dialog box. The box has two sets of tabbed items: Properties/Actions on the left and General/Background/Image/Border/Variables/Transition on the right.

2. Select the Background tab if it's not already selected.

3. Choose Use Background, click the second arrow pointing downward and select a colour.

4. Click OK. (In our example, figure 2, the page is light blue.)

figure 2

Adding a gradation effect

1. To add a slightly fancier effect -- gradation -- click on the first arrow under Use Background. You'll see three columns by five rows of different effects.

2. Choose the option in the first row of the second column, and click OK. You should see the new effect on the editing screen (figure 3).

figure 3

Inserting an object

1. It's time to insert our first object -- a headline. Click on the text icon on the toolbar that appears between the Organiser and Editing windows, and move the cursor onto the page. It will change from a standard pointer to the letter A with a crosshair.

2. Position the centre of the crosshair over the first dot on the grid in the top left-hand corner.

3. Left-click the mouse button and drag to the right to create a text object. Release the mouse button when you are about eight dots from the edge of the window. Don't worry about the size and shape -- these can be changed later.

You'll see a flashing cursor in the top left-hand corner of the text box. Notice how the Organiser window displays 'Text 1' underneath Page 1.

4. Type in a headline (try 'PC User Rocks!' if you can't think of one), and it will appear in the top left-hand corner of the text box.

5. To change its colour and size, click and drag the mouse over the phrase to highlight it as you would in a word processor, then right-click and select Font, Colour and Size (in our example, we selected red, bold, 36).

If the text is too big for the text object, click the resizing handle on the bottom right and drag it further toward the edge of the window. Your text object should now stretch across the top of the page.

6. To preview how it looks, click the Preview Page button on the top toolbar or press F5 on your keyboard. (If preview does not seem to operate, this can be remedied by ensuring your card has the latest drivers.)

7. Click Esc to return to the Workspace.

Introducing an action

1. Now let's introduce an action by right-clicking on the text box and selecting Edit Actions (or pressing Ctrl-E).

2. In the Triggers section, double-click 'Left-Mouse Click'. This moves you to the Mouse Click box.

3. Click back to Actions.

4. Click on the Animation tab at the bottom of the Actions screen and click Rotate. A Rotate dialog box appears with a choice of many options.

5. Change the angle from 0° to 720°, accept all other settings and click OK. You will return to the editing screen as if nothing has changed.

6. Click the Preview button.

7. In Preview mode, left-click the mouse on your headline and you'll see it rotate twice. Pretty cool, huh?

Experiment with other effects. For example, you can have several triggers for the same object, each with a different action. You could choose to have an action for the right-mouse click, such as bounce.

Drawing a button

Inserting an Exit button on the page means you don't have to hit the Esc key to get out of Preview mode.

1. Click the Button tool on the toolbar. When you move the cursor onto the page, it will change to a button drawing tool with a crosshair.

You can draw a button, as well as resize and move it, in the same way you did a text object.

2. Draw a button underneath the last word of your headline. When you release the mouse button, Opus brings up the Actions dialog box for Button 1 so you can set the button's action.

The Triggers section tells the button what to respond to -- leave it as the default left-click of the mouse button.

3. Click on the Actions tab and double-click Exit. You'll return to the editing screen with the cursor on the button ready for you to name it.

4. Type 'Exit' (figure 4).

figure 4

5. Preview the page and try the button.

6. Save your page as My First Publication.imp.

7. You'll be asked whether you want to consolidate your resources. Click Yes and accept the defaults.

Animation on a path

To make an object follow a specified path:

1.Open My First Publication.imp.

2. Create a new page by clicking on the Page button.

3. Drag the Goldfish Vector from the Component Gallery to the new page and release it.

It will be too large for the page (figure 5), so resize it by clicking on the resizing handles (figure 6).

figure 5

figure 6

4. Now let's set a path for the fish. Click on the Animation Path tool to bring up seven path options, and choose the free drawing option (second from the left). The cursor will change to a pencil.

5. Draw a figure eight, or any other shape, for the fish's path.

6. Click Yes when asked if you want to close the polygon. A path with vector points will appear.

7. To make the fish move, click on the Animation Wizard button on the top toolbar.

8. You will be requested to choose the object you want animated. Select the goldfish and click Next.

9. You will be asked to accept the path; click Next.

Continue to click Next on each successive screen until the Animation wizard indicates it is complete.

10. Click on the Preview button. The fish should now follow the path you specified.

11. Click Esc to return to the Workspace.

Adding sounds to objects

1. Create a button using the Button icon as you did in the previous tutorial, 'Drawing a button'. But instead of assigning it an exit function, make it go to Page 1.

2. Click Go to Page, double-click Page 1 and click OK.

3. Type the headline you used on the button. Notice how the button expands to fit the text if necessary (figure 7).

figure 7

4. Try it out in Preview mode. The button should take you back to Page 1.

5. Click Exit on Page 1.

6. Save your work again.

7. Let's add sound to the headline button by bringing up Edit Actions and adding a second trigger, using the right-mouse button.

8. This time, choose the Audio/Video tab and click Play Sound.

9. Insert a WAV or MIDI sound clip and click OK (figure 8).

figure 8

10. Click Preview and test the right-mouse button to listen to the sound file you've chosen.

11. Left-click the button to return to Page 1 and then click Exit.

12. Save your work, and choose Yes when prompted to 'consolidate your resources'. The sound file is now copied to a subfolder.

You'll need to include this folder if you want to send your publication to someone else who uses Opus. The full commercial version of the program lets you embed the sound file into a single self-running executable file that you can distribute to anyone without having to run it on Opus.

Stay tuned for more Opus tutorials on topics such as designing storyboards in future issues of PC User.