Thread: Please... MORE software download help!!!

Okay, you know I am technically challenged here... Daughter's teacher found this free software for her and I have NO clue how to download this. I emailed the creator and he has not written back!!!

How does one download and install this stuff???
Of course if someone has a link to another FREE kinetic Type software, PLEASE let me know!! She wants to use the kinetic type with the slide show for her speech. Thanks all!!

Main page about the Kinetic Type software
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/

files page
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/files/

This directory:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/files/11-26-02/

Has three files:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/f ... T_Test.zip
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/f ... inetic.zip
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/dist/f ... ic_doc.zip

okay, so I got that far before I posted this... hehehe

I just extract them all into one folder?

Originally Posted by rockzmom

okay, so I got that far before I posted this... hehehe

I just extract them all into one folder?

I don't even know what this software do.

okay, I extracted them, but I can't make the darn thing RUN!

Ahhh.. sorry here http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/

here is a sample of what you can do with it!
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/kt/video/fightclub2.mov

It looks like a library. That is, it is not for end users but for programmers.

Originally Posted by Полуношник

It looks like a library. That is, it is not for end users but for programmers.

I somewhat doubt that's all to it as I can see the file KT_Test.zip contains KT_Test.form and a sequence of compiled classes related to it - KT_Test$1.class .. KT_Test$8.class (and a bunch of **Demo.class files as well). And the source code KT_Test.java does contain 'main' member, so potentially it should be run with something like 'java KT_Test'.

Having said that, I have a feeling that code uses some external packages like this 'kinetic' and probably some more to run the Swing and stuff. Unfortunately, I'm not a Java guy (anymore), so I can't just pull a complete answer off my sleeve. Perhaps, installing the full latest JDK would just sort those issues by itself.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by Полуношник

It looks like a library. That is, it is not for end users but for programmers.

I somewhat doubt that's all to it as I can see the file KT_Test.zip contains KT_Test.form and a sequence of compiled classes related to it - KT_Test$1.class .. KT_Test$8.class (and a bunch of **Demo.class files as well). And the source code KT_Test.java does contain 'main' member, so potentially it should be run with something like 'java KT_Test'.

KT_Test is an example. It demonstrates to software developers how they can use the library. Probably it will open a window with some moving text.

so are you all saying in basic "English" that this stuff is useless to me?

Yes, it's just a development library, not a program you can use. What effect does your daughter want to achieve, and what program does she already use?

Robin

Originally Posted by bitpicker

Yes, it's just a development library, not a program you can use. What effect does your daughter want to achieve, and what program does she already use?

Robin

Well that stinks as it says to download the "sample application"...

Okay she wants to be able to do this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejweI0EQpX8
"kinetic typography" she has access to an "Apple" at school but the teacher said they don't have a software that will do this sort of thing and sent this link to me. I really don't want to spend lots of money for a program just for a one time use for her speech. We have regular old PC at home.

Well, I don't know any presentation software which will do exactly that, though on a fast computer any presentation made with PowerPoint or Impress could look a little like that. But you might want to check out www.prezi.com, that is an online presentation generator which may not move the type but it moves the focus (best look at it, there are lots of sample presentations to watch) so the effect might seem similar. It's also easy to use.

Robin

Originally Posted by bitpicker

Well, I don't know any presentation software which will do exactly that, though on a fast computer any presentation made with PowerPoint or Impress could look a little like that. But you might want to check out http://www.prezi.com, that is an online presentation generator which may not move the type but it moves the focus (best look at it, there are lots of sample presentations to watch) so the effect might seem similar. It's also easy to use.

Robin

ROBIN !! This program looks like it might be the answer! They even have Student version!! It looks like you can add sound as well! Have you used sound in one? Can you share one you have created?

Isn't the software free to use anyway?

I have only dabbled a little with prezi, it doesn't work well for me. I rarely do presentations, and the one I do every now and then, on computer security, I constantly edit and update in Open Office Impress. Prezi to me is style over substance, and I need the more structured approach of a normal presentation software to gather my thoughts.

Robin

Okay, next problem.. to add sound... I want to add a MP3 to the presentation that we are creating in Prezi. Prezi does not come with an option to automatically let you add sound (people have already complained about this on their forums).

Here are their instructions for adding sound:

Supported format is FLV flash video, or SWF flash file. Convert your sound file into an FLV for play on focus. Convert your sound to SWF for continuous playback.
To create an FLV video of a sound, place an icon of a speaker for example, and create the video with your sound.
If you choose SWF as a file format, don't forget to include some graphics in your SWF file, to let you select it in the editor. You can hide it behind any element later, or just drag out of view, if you don't want to show it.

I can do the FLV and can convert to SWF no problem... the problem is the "include some graphic in your SWF" part! I don't know how to do that and in the forum area they suggest Macromedia and that it has a 30 free trial period. I search for that program and only find Adobe. Searched further to learn that Adobe now owns that program and when I go to their download site, they have 9 different Flash programs!

PLEASE... does anyone know which program I need to use to add a stupid graphic to a MP3 file? One that is not too hard to use and that I can then convert into an SWF??

Thank you

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/

In the Windows world, one program often mentioned favourably for editing videos is virtual dub. As far as I know it doesn't export to Flash, but maybe it's something you can do before the FLV / SWF conversion. Also, if you google for "create flash online free" you'll find a lot of online services where you might be able to create an appropriate Flash file.

Robin

Okay, so we are using the Prezi software and it is looking very nice. The big problem now is that we have soooooo many photos in the file it is now a monster of a file.

I know there MUST be a way to reduce the file size of photos without losing the quality of them but I just can't think of one. The concern here is that the speech is in an auditorium so we want to be very careful that we not lose image quality.

So my tech friends... help me out once again... how can I make these photo files smaller before I upload them into Prezi??? She is using like 50-100 photos!! The average size is 2-4mb for each and the dpi is 72

remember, I need those step-by-step directions

thanks!!!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I know there MUST be a way to reduce the file size of photos without losing the quality of them but I just can't think of one.

If they are not compressed already, the obvious thing to do seems to try to convert them into a lossless compressed format. I remember only one of these -- PNG. I'm sure there are others, but I'm out of my depth here.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I know there MUST be a way to reduce the file size of photos without losing the quality of them but I just can't think of one. The concern here is that the speech is in an auditorium so we want to be very careful that we not lose image quality.

So my tech friends... help me out once again... how can I make these photo files smaller before I upload them into Prezi??? She is using like 50-100 photos!! The average size is 2-4mb for each and the dpi is 72

Most photos are stored in JPG files. This type already includes compression with some quality loss. The level of quality loss can be selected manually. Even very small quality loss (almost invisible for a viewer) can lead to remarkable file size reduction. Using quality level of 90% can be a good option.

One more point to consider is what type of displaying equipment for the presentation will be used (a multimedia projector). The main parameter for the projector is its resolution. To be more precise its number of pixels per X and per Y. For most projectors these numbers do not exceed the value of 1000. For more expensive projectors it can be 2000 and for super expensive up to 4000. So if the projector has only 1000 pixels per screen it is no use to use photos with bigger number of pixels in size. In this case you can reduce the number of pixels (and in this way the size) of your photos keeping the quality level as high as you need.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

remember, I need those step-by-step directions

I can provide such instructions for example for ACDSee or you can give us the clue what kind of software for graphics you have on your PC.