Adobe Director 11 Tutorials
Video / Importing Digital Video Formats
Visitors to VTC.com will be able to view all introductory videos for each training course.
Free Trial Members will gain access to first three chapters for each training course.
Full Access Members have full access to VTC.com�s entire library of video tutorials.
Learn More
Subtitles of the Movie (Adobe Director 11 / Video / Importing Digital Video Formats)
Let me now review the very important technique of importing digital video formats into your Director files. The important thing to remember is that when you import Windows Media, DVD content files, AVI files, QuickTime files or RealMedia files, the cast members that you create always remain linked to the original external file. So in this case, I have all these video files in different formats imported into my Cast Window. You'll notice that there's a little icon in the lower right-hand corner. In the top right corner of that icon has a folded-down image there representing a folded piece of paper as if you've made a little note to yourself and folded it over. That indicates that these files are all linked to the original files that are located on my hard drive. Now, this is also the case even if you import using the Standard Import method, which for all other types of media files that you're working with in Director will import the entire file to the Cast Window, incorporating it into the Director file itself so you don't have to worry about it anymore. But this is not the case with imported video. Again, even if you use the Standard Import versus the link to external file, it treats it as a external file. Notice that if I bring in this lecture as a Standard Import, let's go ahead and add that lecture. And in the bottom pane, click on Import. Director gives me an option. In this case, since it's an AVI file, to import it as a QuickTime, Windows Media or AVI file. I'm going to choose the last option. Click OK. There's a duplicate of it up there, but notice that this is also has the little folded icon right there; a little bit hard to see, but it's there. That indicates that this is in fact a linked asset. The key here is that you'll need to keep track of this video file and make sure that it is located in the same folder as your Director file in order for it to play back successfully. So let me go ahead and repeat that for emphasis. When you distribute a Director movie, you must always include all digital video files along with the movie. This is the number one mistake that most of my clients and students make when working with Director files since they often want to use video is that they leave the video behind or they move the video into a different location and then when the Director file plays back, it goes searching for that video, is unable to find it and then will open up a dialog asking you where it is. Now, as I mentioned in a previous movie, Director imports a wide range of video formats, however Windows Media playback is not supported on the Mac in Director. Also Director converts an AVI video to QuickTime when it does play on the Mac. Now, as mentioned previously, QuickTime must be installed on a computer in order to author or play back a movie that contains a QuickTime digital video file. This is going to be a little bit tricky for those users who are playing back your projects on the Windows Operating System as most windows systems do not have QuickTime pre-installed on them. So you'll need to remind them before playback that they will need to go to the Apple website and download the free QuickTime digital player. RealPlayer 10.5 must be installed on the computer to author or playback a movie that contains RealMedia digital video. Now, for security reasons, Shockwave Player links to media on a local disk only. If it's in a folder named DSW Media. More on this later. To test movies in a browser locally before uploading them to Internet server, place the movie, linked cast and linked media in folders within a DSW media folder and use relative links to refer to them. The Copy Linked and Dependent Files option in the Publish Settings dialog box ensures that the linked media are automatically placed in the relative location during publishing. Access this from the File, Publish Settings option. That brings up the Publish Settings dialog. Click on the Files tab and right here, checked by default, is Copy Linked and Dependent Files. If you disable this option, you'll need to copy the linked files to the same folder as a Projector or in a folder inside the project folder. Now, if you've disabled the Copy Linked and Dependent Audio Files option, you'll want to copy the linked files to the same folder as the Projector or in a folder inside the Projector folder. To make this files accessible from your server, use file and folder names that do not have spaces or capital letters and that have recognized file extensions such as dcr or .GIF. So the process of importing a video file is very straightforward. Choose File, Import from the Main Menu. You'll notice that the files of type as a drop-down or you can search for just AVI files like this one here. And then add that file to the file list down below. You also have a drop-down menu for other types of video files such as QuickTime. There are my two QuickTime files. So let's add both of those. I'm holding down the CONTROL Key to select them. Add both of those to my list. I also have windows Media option. So let's add that one to the list. Once you've finished adding the various video file formats to the file list down here, click on the Import button for AVI files. Director will ask you whether you want to choose QuickTime, Windows Media or AVI. You want to choose either QuickTime or AVI and then Director will go through the process of importing those files, placing them in the next available slot in the Cast Window. Now, I should point out that importing DVD content will follow a different process than the other digital video formats. I'll be reviewing that process a little bit later. Now, your QuickTime files, what will happen with those is Director will import the video as a QuickTime Asset Extra, which provides additional playback options. For more information about this, check out the Director Help and search under the title Setting QuickTime Digital Video Cast Member Properties. Let me now move on to the next movie and demonstrate the various techniques for controlling digital video in the Director Score.
Tutorial Information
| Course: | Adobe Director 11 |
| Author: | James Gonzalez |
| SKU: | 33901 |
| ISBN: | 1-934743-84-4 |
| Release Date: | 2008-07-31 |
| Duration: | 9.5 hrs / 107 lessons |
| Work Files: |
Yes |
| Captions: | No |
| Compatibility: |
Vista/XP/2000, OS X, Linux QuickTime 7, Flash 8 |
VTC Sign up & Benefits
- Unlimited Access
- 81,350 Video Tutorials (14,200 free)
- Video Available as Flash or QuickTime
- Over 715 Courses
- $30 for One Month Access
- Multi-User Discounts Available
