The best way how to learn Multimedia Builder is to open sample file in the Samples directory and then Run the project [Project menu]
To open Object properties double click on the object on the screen or in the Object List.
To see Selections, Hidden Objects, GHroups etc.. open the Selection View on the botom of the Object List.
You can Paste bitmap in Clipboard directly from any graphic editor to the Multimedia Builder with Paste Bitmap (Ctrl+B) [Edit menu]
To select more objects hold Shift and click on the object or click on empty area and draw rectangle arround the objects.
Group two or more objects with Ctrl+G. You can select and group objects by the name in Group manager [Arrange menu]
Use arrows to refine position of object, selection of objects or group.
You can access properties of any objects in the group without ungrouping them. Just open Properties of the group and double click on the desired object in the list.
Objects can perform many actions like External Commands and Page Actions, Actions between other objects and Sound actions.
If you are using font which your customers may not have, the best way is to 'Convert to bitmap' [Object menu]
From External Commands and Page Actions of an object you can launch all standard files like Help files (hlp), Video files (avi), WordPad documents and much more...
You can remove effects anytime with Restore Original. You can remove effects even after you save and load the project.
Multimedia Builder allows you to use different shape of the window, not only standard rectangular. Build-in tracer helps you to create shape from a image.
Multimedia Builder has the ability to play more than one sound at the time. You can play a background music and on the same time Sound actions. If customers system doesn't have DirectSound, MM Builder will use standard sound output.
You can play video at any speed. You can also create buttons wich allow the user to play video 2 times faster or slower.
If user hold button attached to "Video Skip FW" and "Video Skip BW" actions certain time, the video plays faster and faster forward or backward.
On the toolbar is icon Wizard. It helps you to create some more complicated objects and actions: You can insert Next and Previous button, Create Glow on Mouse move to the Bitmap or Text object or Create Video Control buttons for Video object.
Video and Sound are external files. You have to specify path relative to the player using <SrcDir> and <SrcDrive>. You can do it for all objects at the end using "Path Replace" from Project menu.
To optimize the performance try to put as much graphics as you can into the backgound. Select all pasive graphic objects and use 'Combine, Objects with background' from Arrange menu.
If your multimedia will be viewed on 256 colors you have to optimize the images. In Directory Palette is image PALETTE.BMP. In your graphic editor you can extract the color table from PALETTE.BMP and dither all images using this color table.
To Hide/Show Object or Group select the object and press Space or select the object in the Object list and click Right Mouse Button.
You can add an object into the existing group using Add to Group command. You have to select the object, hold down SHIFT and Select the Group and then apply Add to Group.
You can remove an object from group without ungrouping with Remove from Group command.
