MediaLinker is a utility for creating MediaLinks. MediaLinks are special files that HyperStudio can "open", just as though it were the actual clip-art or text file. However, in this case, the actual data is stored at an Internet site!
IMPORTANT: Please note that MediaLinker is a utility specifically for those people who wish to create their own custom MediaLink files. It is NOT necessary to use MediaLinker in the normal course of using HyperStudio or the MediaLink files.
If you do wish to use the MediaLinker, please remember that Internet is not always a stable or predictable environment, and that even under the best conditions, you may experience unexpected interruptions while trying to create your links, or even in just trying to open and access folders at different sites. The best advice is to just remember that you're now on the Frontier, and some inconveniences are to be expected.
While you're exploring Internet, a few tips will help:
* Just because you get an error the first time you try to open a site or folder, doesn't mean the location is actually unavailable. The access lines might be busy, or there may have been an miscommuniation between your computer and the remote site. Try opening the folder again, and you may also have better success at a different time of day, depending on how busy the site is.
* There are many different "levels" of software in your computer that all have to work together for either the MediaLinker or HyperStudio (or any other Internet software for that matter) to work properly. If you don't seem to be able to open a folder or file, and have tried a few times, you may also want to try just disconnecting from Internet, and reconnecting to try the access again. A system restart may even be required in some cases.
* HyperStudio text items can hold a total of 32,000 characters. If you try to open text files that are larger than 32k, the remainder of the text will be omitted from your final text object.
How to Use MediaLinker:
Make sure you have an IP connection (MacTCP + SLIP, PPP or network gateway). MediaLinker expects the "Bookmarks" folder to be in the same folder as the application.
When you first launch MediaLinker it will ask you if you want to create or select folders to put the images and references in. It's best to create new folders (MediaLinker will do this for you).
The first thing that you should do is visit the preferences dialog and enter your Internet email address for the IP account you are using. MediaLinker uses this to "open doors" at the FTP sites. Things may still work if you don't do this, but some sites require it, and you'll probably see the Server Err message eventually if you don't.
MediaLinker can actually work like Anarchie. You can use it to download many different file types.
You create MediaLink files by selecting a file from the directory list (you can double-click) The file will be retrieved and, if it's a GIF or jpg file, it will be displayed in a preview window. The preview window shows the URL across the top. Click in the text box to enter whatever comments you would like to be displayed with the thumbnail graphic when your file is accessed from within HyperStudio, and choose Save As from the File menu to save your new Media Link.
Each time a MediaLink is generated, the actual image is downloaded. You can delete these or use them in HyperStudio as you wish.
You can drag and drop MediaLink and bookmark files onto the MediaLinker application and it will open them up.
The Open MediaLink menu item allows you to open MediaLink files to edit the text comment after they've been created.
You can make a bookmark for the directory by using the "Make Bookmark" choice in the Location menu.
You can the list of all the files and folders in a given window to a text file using the Save File List menu choice in the Locations menu.
You can edit a bookmark by using the Edit Bookmark menu choice. If you change the location information, remember to choose Save to keep the changes. Changed bookmarks will be displayed the next time you run MediaLinker.
You can open up to 5 directory windows at a time.
Multiple bookmarks can be opened for editing at one time also.
We hope you'll enjoy exploring with MediaLinker! If you do discover any bugs or problems please contact us at RWagnerInc@aol.com.
