Digital Workshop

Is it possible to create / control a page transitions using a script?
I coundn't find it in the help section but maybe one of knows more then the help.


Kind Regards,

Ad

Good question, my dear fellow ...

Well I really want to see a well thought out script attached in navigation buttons to control transitions like page flips. I've seen on the internet a well thought out script, which allowed the user to drag the tab page as an actual item to anywhere he wanted. It is an effect of incredible result because the page is very soft just like a real page. Well I'd like to know if this is possible in the opus, as it is in flash!

In the case of simulating the pages of a flip book, for example. In Opus, it flips the page called page curl (I like Page curl 135). The effect is great when it goes ahead in the pages of the publication, but to return to previous pages, the effect is not convincing ... after the effect had to work backwards to the previous page from above the current one.

Is there any way to make that move in reverse, so that the final impression is that of the previous page be superimposed on current page??

There is the question, directed to the genius of the script, such as Sandyn, Osni, lar_123, mackavi and others here in the forum.
Let's wait for some work of these brilliant minds about this problem...

Ad,
What are your constraints? eg, Flex, Web, Full
What kinds of content?

Are you familiar with low-level addressing? You could I suppose manipulate graphics blocks, but outside of standard opusscript scope. Not something I care to tackle. Also I'm not convinced of the merit of certain effects, my opinion and taste of course.

Thank you for your attention and for his constant presence on the topics, Lar...

Currently, my goals are full publications to run directly on the pc user.
Still do not know the capabilities of Opus for web pages, but I believe this is also a promising land to be explored, both in online courses or web sites.

Like I was saying, some of the strangest transitions is the fact that you can not combine a reverse effect on the visual pages when the user interacts with them, returning in the publication. On some topics, for example, more than one screen of text in large letters may be necessary, or in a quiz where the user can move forward and backward on the issues ...

We need also a way of controlling these transitions through opusscript to the developer of multimedia software provides the user greater interaction with objects and pages. Tell me a little more about low-level addressing ... I understand the basics of object-oriented programming that exists in opusscript, I learned from sandyn, with you and Osni ... but does not know how to create advanced complex functions.

Once more.. thanks!

Nilson,
I have to agree with you if I think you are saying that when turning a page (as it looks in a paper book) back to previous page, you want to see 'reveals' of the previous page and not a mirror-image of the page you are leaving.

It is best to ask DW to invent this.
There are two scenarios: a single Page viewed as in most Opus pubs, ...and 'an opened Book' type where two pages are shown.

But back to the question.
I think you maybe can do this... in a half-complicated way. Let me think about this and come back to it (as I am on my way out right now).

Cheers.

( DW.... please feel free to delete this post if inappropriate )

Maybe I am not 'naming' it correctly.
The Opus transitions can be found in files in the Program Files path. If you look at them in a developer's editor, or perhaps Notepad, you can see (but probably not comprehend) blocks of data that define what the PC's graphic-handling components do with the currently displayed object -- to create the transition effects. I certainly do not know how those could be expanded upon.

I thought the concept might be simple (and it really is sort of simple), but hard to explain. So I just mocked-up a demo pub.

How it works:
* navigation from current Page to another Page -- triggers saving an image of the page to disk. (You need IrfanView exe installed for this to work dynamically. As a 'manual workaround', you can have Opus Editor export and save each Page as an Image file -- but then you need to modify the scripts to load the correct 'previous Page' image into Frame_for_Curl object. )
* there is a Frame_for_Curl on the Master Page, same size as the Page. It is initially Hidden. This Frame_for_Curl has a Transition set in Properties (using Page Curl 60 I think). There are script functions that will load an image of the current Page (from disk) into this Frame later.
* When on the second Page and navigating to Previous Page, scripts are executed which ~simultaneously Show Frame_for_Curl using its Page_Curl transition, and navigate to Previous Page (with a momentary timing delay built in).

You will note that the 'Special Previous' and 'Special Forward' buttons are placed on the Master Page along with the Script Object 6 which has the needed functions. So theoretically, new Pages can be added as long as they use the Master Page. (I have not tried adding pages, but am confident it will work)

For those who download the demo file attached, there is not much explanation there... simply navigate Frwd and Prev and observe the effects.

Final note: As noted above, for this to work... IrfanView image viewing application must be installed.
Thanks to Ronny Dackus for his recent Post suggesting this as a solution for saving images at runtime.
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3578&hilit=irfanview

If you just want to save clipboard graphics easily and are running Vista+ or have .net 2.0 installed - there is a function in our toolbox DLL to play with.

Mack

Hey Mack,
Good idea. That would make it (this approach) easy to ship off to clients and not have to dictate what they install on their systems.

Do you have any input to this discussion on 'Page Curl'? The effects.
I am not sure what makes good sense here.
It seems to me that the see-thru sheet actually thwarts a realistic effect. (although it is nice digital-world effect). Maybe if there were an Opaque flip-page with two-sides?


What I drummed-up is a workaround at best.

We did a feasibility assessment and built a prototype for a client about three years ago that simulated a page turning effect whereby you could see fronts / backs and other pages as you would on a real book but the complexity of doing this for a full blown publication was not worth the investment.

I don't want to call Opus' page curl effect amateurish, as on the whole it's on par with other systems out their and certain not an easy effect to produce BUT the problem is that in recent years the bar has been raised with the introduction of flash based simulations that are simply outstanding. You feel like licking your finger and gently flicking the page over they are that realistic. If my content was static and a client really want such an effect, I'd probably offer a publication with an SWF and only pursue it in Opus if some level of interaction was necessary.

That said, I really rather not use additional ActiveX's as I find them limiting. From a wish list perspective, I'm not sure if its practical or possible for DW to develop page transitions that do this. They'd have to have some kind of snap shot facility that was superimposed on to the page object. However, I wonder if a new object could be developed, like we have the tweens; multi-frames & QVR that was specifically designed to replicate this behaviour but could be controlled by Opus script and actions. The potential of being able to create Interaktiv realistic books, catalogues, etc (especially if it worked for Plexus / Flex) would be worth that upgrade.

If I only had pennies for my thoughts...


Mack

Mack, thanks for your comments.

Lar, thanks for spending your time in solving my problem. As you said, I still do not have the necessary expertise to develop complex functions, so once again, thanks for the script.

In a moment, I have only a question. I like irfanview, is an excellent image viewer and always use it. But not all end users of my publication may have irfanview on PC. Does the script works with mspaint standard windows? I will change the script and see what can happen.

I will be implementing the script in my publication and see how the result is ...

Thanks, guys!

When Ronny Dackus first offered IrfanView possibilities, I thought 'great!'... and then had the same question. 'Can we find something that the User already has on his system?'.

I had done an internet search and found that mspaint.exe only supports one or two command line switches. Not what we would need here.

Further searching, there are some Windows 'components' that one could tap into. Including the SnippingTool (Vista or higher). However, probably needs to be done in 'C' or .NET or VB... and compiled?

You should consider Mackavi's Interactiv toolkits... DLL that he has developed. Probably a slick solution.

(Don't forget you can build a collection of screenshots manually, in advance, and simply point each Page 'n' to the image file for Page 'n-1'.)

Lar, I implemented the script and getting interesting results, but they were not perfect because the transition from the back page was not as expected compared with the same transition in advance of the pages. The image on the previous page is loaded, the effect is overlaid, but when I load the page, it comes as no was recorded. That's because my quizz always returns the page in its initial state, after showing the various objects that can be hidden or not, as experienced user interaction.

Necessary to analyze a solution with more calm, but I believe that when this is impracticable, due to my urgency to complete this project. This page curl transition 135, as I told you it works well in advance, but in conflict with the transition from script when the user returns to the previous page. I consider the page curl of the transitions most beautiful opus, but that does not have an efficient implementation in the case to move forward and back page, as I noted, just because of the lack of an effect "reverse".

There is an even more serious problem. No there is a version of irfanview in 64 bits. Then the line of the script to call the program changes to program files (x86) in Seven 64. So if the user has on his pc a 64-bit system, it becomes necessary to direct the customer to install the program on a different default folder, for not to take that risk.

So let me again thanks you for your cooperation and interest, effectively presenting a solution to my problem.

Okay. That is easy to make a change.

Simply use a Page 'On Show' trigger and make a new function to take the screenshot and save it to disk before the User changes anything. You will have to remove those lines of code from the current function.

(but if what you want is 'static' state anyway... just do this part before publishing).

If you still want dynamic images.... and 64-bit OS possibility covered --- again look into Mack's DLL.

I do not know what you have set up already. But I think you can sort that out. You may have to remove the normal way of doing Curl 135, and create a Frame_for_Forward. So you have 2 Frames. One to show when going Reverse, and one to show when going Forward. Of course the Frame_for_Forward will need to have the Image of the Page 'n' that it is on. Use your Curl 135 there.

I hope it helps. But I am skeptical that the effect is good enough. Some additional work using Fade() and SetToLayer() might just help give the effect some depth. The idea is: four Frames. Only two needed for going Forward, and only two used for going Previous. You need to do something like this so that you can set-up whether Page Curl transition is on the 'Show' or on the 'Hide'. (there is also a bit of 'logic' to be worked out: creating a SWITCH & CASE (Opus v7 & higher) based on 'case' of going Forward/Backward... maybe use a pub variable here). BTW, if use four Frames, only need two images.

Lar, It's good to know I can count on their knowledge whenever necessary! Congratulations on your good will and interest in helping! Thanks for the tips and for your excellent assistance!