Slates Project

Program work with playlist in the table.

The table have the structure:

Each record of the table is one element. Element can be simple or compound. Compound element is the set of simple elements. To use only one table for everything next approach was used: TAG and PARENT fields.

Each compound element must have the TAG <> ””. And his simple element will have the PARENT = TAG of compound element.

For example: the compound element with current date and text “Pioneer Valley Lodge” have the TAG = “SLATE2”. It consist of 7 elements with PARENT = “SLATE2”. To see them next steps are needed:

1. Select the record with TAG = “SLATE2”
2. Click on button “more…” and you'll see the set of 7 elements with PARENT = “SLATE2”
3. To back to the main playlist click button ”←”

“DrawOrder” (TIMEIN) – playlist ordered by this value. In current example tens are used. “10” – first record, “20” – second. This way very useful. You can add new element to the start of list fill out “5” into it “DrawOrder”.

“Duration” (DURATION) – the duration to play this element in movie, in seconds. At fact the program work with milliseconds rather then seconds. So if milliseconds needed this parameter can be changed so. To drop the element from the final movie – set it duration into “0”.

“Position” (PLACE) – the position “X, Y” (example: “5, 50”) in the window. Default value: “0, 0”. Used for TEXT, PICTURE, VIDEO, and FLASH. For future using the source code can take width and height from this field too. So, the full notation can be: “X, Y, Width, Height”. Width & Height can be used for pictures.

“Location” (FNAME) – the name of file for PICTURE, FLASH, VIDEO, and FLASH; the text string for TEXT. For special predefined types it also can have another value.

“Type” (OTYPE) – the type of element. Can be any value (no limits in the datagrid). Now used next: TEXT, PICTURE, FLASH, VIDEO, BLOCK. The special editor change its tabs based on the type of element.

“Title” (TAG) – an identificator of element. Needed to be filled for compound elements. Can used as variable. For example, if TAG = “DATE” for element with OTYPE = “TEXT” – the program will replace text value by current date value in format “September 28, 2008”. Now the program knows next tags: “WEEKDAY”, “DATE”, “TIME”. This set can be expanded.

“Parameters” (PARAMS) – set of values divided by semicolon (”;”). Now used only for TEXT elements (font, size, styles, and hexadecimal color). Use symbol “|” for compount styles for example: “bold|italic” (“arial,24,bold|italic,$FF”).

“Parent” (PARENT) – the TAG of parent object. Filled for the parts of compound element. Must be empty in other cases.

“Transition” (TRANS) – consist of type of transition (0 – alpha blend, 1 – radius rotation, 2 – circle animation, …) and the duration of the transition in ms. Default value: “0, 500”.

The main window divided into 3 parts: preview area, data grid with the table, the editor for elements.

By default in preview area are displayed all elements except of “VIDEO” and “FLASH” (can be changed by “ctrl+I”).

Datagrid have all rights to edit the data records in playlist.

Simple editor used the editing for common parameters of elements.

To play the slates as one big movie click on “Play” (then “Stop” to stop) – the set of slates plays in TIMEIN + DURATION order with transitions between records.