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FAQ
What's the difference between ActiveSlide and Javanti?
The former name of our software was Javanti. On 2004-01-22 it was renamed to ActiveSlide.
What is an element?
In Javanti you can place elements on a virtual board. Elements can be very simple such as text labels, images or buttons. However there are also more dynamically elements for video, audio and interactive tests. You can choose an element in the element panel and place it afterwards on the virtual board. On the board you can move it around, resize and rotate it (if applicable). Also you can individually set the appearance and the behaviour of an element in the object inspector.
In general elements can be considered as micro programs that run on a slide. Some of these programs are very simple - a text element is static and doesn't interact with the users. But elements can also become very powerfull. For example there are simulation elements that show physical experiments. There are also application elements that allow you to put word processor, spreadsheet or database functions on one of your slides. The number of available elements is growing constantly, because we have a very open policy for third party element developers. For developers it is very easy to create new elements or integrate their existing programs into Javanti. You as a user profit from this open policy because a lot of those elements are open source (of course all Javanti core elements are open source!).
What is the TAP board?
In Javanti your are working with a virtual board do create and display your slides. We named it TAP board. TAP is a shortcut for Teach and Present. The original project name of Javanit was TAP, we renamed it to jtap and finally came up with the name Javanti (which we liked best).
Why is there an object inspector?
The object shows all public properties of a selected board element. If you click on an element on the board you select it. All its properties are editable in the object inspector. By changing the properties you define the appearance and the behaviour of an element. For example by changing the color properties red, green, blue you can set the color of the element. By defining one of the element's action scripts (which are also properties of the element) you can define what happens if an event occurs inside the element. For example you can define what happens if someone clicks at the element.
In the object inspector all properties are grouped within property groups. To select a group you click at the group name. Afterwards you can change the properties. Depending on the property type there are different ways to edit the properties. Colors can be set in a color dialog, file names can be choosen in a file dialog and numerical values can be set by a slider.
How to use animated GIFs?
At the moment the standard image element does not support animated Gifs. However you can use another element to display animated Gifs. In the plugin element bar choose the image element (eye icon) and place it on the board. This element is not as powerfull as the standard image element (you cannot resize or rotate it), however it displays animated gifs without any problems!
Can I turn off the full screen mode?
Yes. Choose the menu command Show->Full Screen to turn full screen mode of. Choose Show->Normal Screen to turn it on.
What is Autowalk?
If Autowalk is turned on at presentation time you can go forward/backwards using the RETURN and BACKSPACE keys. To turn Autowalk on/off choose the menu action Playhead->Auto Walk On/Off
Why are there different running modes for the playhead?
The playhead can
- automatically run forward
- remain at a certain frame position
- automaticall run backwards
Usually in a presentation you want to change the shown slides manually. That is you want to click on a button or press a key to see the next/previous slide. This is the default case if you want to present content slides.
However for animation effects it is sometimes usefull to automatically exchange the slides very fast: In this case the Javanti slides work like a film roll in a cinema. Because the content is exchanged so rapidly a constant movement of objects is seen by your eyes. For frame animation or keyframe animation an automatically exchange of the slides is need. Therefore the playhead can move automatically forward or backwards.
You can change the run direction manually in the control panel. At runtime you can also change the run direction using the setRunDirection action. This allows you to switch between animation and normal presentation mode in the same Javanti project.
What do I see on the screen?
On the screen you see the content of all slides that are under the current playhead position. Since slides are transparent you can have as many slide layers in the timeline as you want. Of each layer only the slide under the playhead is displayed. If you click on an element on the board (the screen) the hand symbol in the timeline shows to which slide the element belongs.
Where can I see which elements are on the selected slide?
After you selected a slide in the timeline all elements of that slide are listes in the Elements Browser. To select an element of the slide you can either click on of the elements in that list or directly click at the element on the board.
Where can I see to which slide the selected element belongs?
In the timeline there is a hand symbol inside the slide the selected element belongs to.
Where can I change the position, size, color etc. of my elements?
Select the element you want to manipulate. The position and size can be directly manipulated on the board. To change the position drag the selected element on the board. To change the size drag one of the boxes that surround the selected element. All other properties of the element can be set in the object inspector.
Is there a player version of Javanti?
Windows: You can start Javanti manually in a player mode. Open a shell (DOS Prompt) and change to the directory where Javanti is installed. Manually start Javanti:
javanti1_8_7 runtime fileName
Replace fileName by the file you want to start automatically (file path must be given relative to the current folder).
Linux: Just start Javanti with two additional parameters:
java -classpath ... Javanti runtime fileName
Replace fileName by the file you want to start automatically (file path must be given relative to the current folder).
Where should I save images used in Javanti?
Before you integrate images into a Javanti presentation you should save the presentation in an empty folder. All images you integrate later should be put into that folder or into subfolders. Javanti stores the file pathes relative to the location of the Javanti presentation. If you have all in one folder, you make sure that no file is missing if you move the presentation to another computer. In one of the next version there will be a new feature in Javanti which allows you to bundle all external file source into one single archive without caring where the files are on your system.
Can I turn off the magnet lines?
Yes. Choose menu command Show->Hide Grids or click on the icon .
What can I learn from the release number?
Our version number policy:
Pos 1: Indicates Software Generation
Pos 2: Indicates there have been a lot new Features since last release
Pos 3: Indicates bug-fixes and minor new features. Even version numbers indicate a stable version, odd version numbers are used for beta releases
Can I integrate my own Java programs into Javanti?
Yes. There are only a few interfaces or classes you have to implement. We made the integration of existing Java programs as easy as possible. As a Java expert but newbie to Javanti you should manage to integrate your software within one working day. Checkout this plugin documentation!
Can I script Javanti?
Yes. A full script language is integrated. Javanti offers you to write scripts in Tcl. You can define scripts for element events (mouseOver, mouseClick,...) and slide events (entering, showing or exiting a slide).
Where can I find a good documentation of Tcl?
Check out the Tcl web site: http://www.tcl.tk
What is Tcl?
Tcl is a shortcut for Tool Command Language. This language has a huge pool of successfull users around the world. We decided to integrate Tcl in our software, because the language is very easy to learn. We extended the Tcl language with some new powerfull multimedia commands that let you animate, navigate and control Javanti presentations.
What can I undo/redo?
At the moment undo/redo is only available for property changes. If you want to undo a property change choose Edit->Undo.
Can I use my own text editor for scripting?
No, not at the moment.
How can I avoid to accidently edit elements of certain (e.g.background) layers?
You can lock a layer. If a layer is locked you can still see its elements however you cannot activate or manipulate them. To lock a layer choose in the timeline the lock symbol for the layer you want to lock.
How do I start/stop a Javanti course?
Press F3 or choose the menu action Playhead->Run or Playhead->Stop. You can also press the run/stop button in the control panel.
Can I save the current state of a Javanti course at its runtime?
Yes, you can save the current state using the save action. The course can be stored in a new Javanti file. To continue a presentation at the same point you can open the new Javanti file at the next time.
What is the difference betwenn runtime and edittime?
At edittime you define the presentation. You can manipulate all elements on a slide. You define the appearance and behaviour of the presentation. If you change to runtime the presentation starts running. All settings you have done at edittime will be applied now. All action scripts you have defined will be executed only at runtime. At runtime you can also use the AutoWalk function to automatically move forward/backward with the RETURN and BACKSPACE keys.
Who is responsible for all the bugs?
Christian.
Does Javanti run on all platforms?
It runs on all platforms where a Java Virtual Machine is available for. That includes Windows, Linux, Unix and MacOS X.
What do I need to run Javanti?
You need the Java Virtual Machine, version 1.3.x or higher. You can download it from http://www.javasoft.com
Mac and Linux users usually have a running Java Virtual Machine on their system. To check the version you have installed, please enter in your console:
java -version
For Windows users there is an install version of Javanti available that includes the Java Virtual Machine. If you use this install version you don't have to care about anything - all you need is installed automatically.
When can I define font styles?
Use the advanced text element. Only this element supports formated text. The label and editor elements to not support formated text at the moment.
What is a time step in Javanti?
In Javanti time steps are used to progress a presentation. If the playhead runs automatically forward/backward it will go on each time a time step has past. Time steps are also used for animation actions to define how long an animation should last. If you use keyframe animation the duration of frames defines how many time steps will pass until the next keyframe is reached. The duration of time steps depends on the speed of your system. The default duration of a time step is 1/10 second.
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