Revision history: 1.0! 17/07/2006! Initial draft 1.1! 18/07/2006! Added screen shot for picture slides. 1.2! 07/09/2006! New features added: s)! Support for QuickTime VR movies. t)! Support for PDF files display inside Link Viewer u)! Display of FLP, XBK and PDF pages in resource library v)! Icon View and List View modes in resource library w)! Prevent the action when object is hidden New comments added to: m)! Universal Driver
What s new in ACTIVstudio v2.5 PE The aim of this document is to describe what new features are in release of ACTIVstudio v2.5 Professional Edition for Mac. The document is split into 3 parts: I.! NEW FUNCTIONALITY a)! Universal Binary b)! Flash placeholder c)! Multiple monitor support d)! Import of SMART board files v8/v9 e)! Improved Protractor/ruler support f)! Compass Tool g)! Video/Sound recorder h)! Export flipchart to Macromedia flash format by component i)! Shape recognition j)! Export to QuickTime Movie k)! Export to Picture Slides l)! Integration with iapps v2.5 m)! Universal Driver n)! Embedded Web Browser o)! Automatic annotation grouping p)! Start placeholder automatically q)! Sound Controller includes recorder capability r)! Print with Page Notes s)! Support for QuickTime VR movies. t)! Support for PDF files display inside Link Viewer u)! Display of FLP, XBK and PDF pages in resource library v)! Icon View and List View modes in resource library w)! Do not play action when object is hidden II.! a)! b)! MISSING OR ALTERED FUNCTIONALITY Support for Microsoft s WMF format has not been implemented Page Picker III.! CHANGE REQUESTS IMPLEMENTED
I.! a)! NEW FUNCTIONALITY Universal Binary The major enhancement to v2.5 ACTIVstudio Mac is that it s a Universal Binary application. Previous version of ACTIVstudio could only be run under emulation (Rosetta) on Mac Intel machines, v2.5 runs natively on Mac Intel and the older Mac PowerPC computers. Advantages of this are: i)! ii)! iii)! Application runs up to four times faster on Mac Intel ACTIVstudio v2.5 supports voting on Mac Intel The Mac and Universal logos can be shown on web site/dvd
b)! Flash placeholder ACTIVstudio v2.5 has the ability to embed Flash files and play them inside a flipchart. The Flash files can be annotated over the same way as any other ACTIVstudio object.
c)! Multiple monitor support ACTIVstudio v2.5 has extensive support for multiple monitors. Different windows and tools can be displayed on different monitors. A typical example of the use of multiple monitors is when a voting session is completed and the results are displayed on the secondary monitor/laptop, which cannot be seen by the pupils. The driver has also been updated so the board can be calibrated to a specific monitor. d)! Import of SMART board files v8/v9 ACTIVstudio v2.5 can import v8 and v9 files created by SMART board software. The imported files can be saved in ACTIVstudio v2 file format.
e)! Improved Protractor/ruler support The context menu support has been enhanced to include support for showing degrees and fill segments.
f)! Compass Tool!! A new compass tool has been added to the tool store. This tool allows circles to be drawn in an intuitive manner. g)video Recorder! v2.5 contains a new video recorder tool which will record a presentation made using ACTIVstudio. The tool is QuickTime based and requires no extra licensing of other technologies. The tool is highly configurable. The recording can be made either full screen or in a defined area of the screen. A wide selection of video codecs can be selected:
As well as a wide selection of audio settings:
h)! Export flipchart to Macromedia flash format by component Previous release of ACTIVstudio exported a flipchart to Flash format as an image for each flipchart page. This release exports each object on the flipchart. The result is a Flash movie that looks better at different resolutions (especially text). i)! Shape Recognition V2.5 has a new tool, which can recognize hand drawn annotations such as circles, triangles and rectangles and turn them into geometrical shapes
j)! Export to QuickTime Movie v2.5 has the ability to export a flipchart as a QuickTime movie. The frame size of the movie and the time each page is displayed can be set.
k)! Export to Picture Slides v2.5 has the ability to export a flipchart as a series of picture slides. The Picture formats supported are JPEG, TIFF, PNG and BMP
l)! Integration with iapps The Resource Library in V2.5 ACTIVstudio integrates with iphoto, itunes libraries and Movies resource folders. Photos, Movies and audio files from within the ilife resource folders are displayed in ACTIVstudio Resource Library. These resource files can be dragged from the Resource Library on to the flipchart page in the same way as Promethean resources.
m)! Universal Driver The ACTIVboard/ACTIVhub driver version 2.3 is Universal Binary and can be used with Intel and PowerPC Macs. V2.3 b78 has the added functionality: i)! Voting is supported on IntelMacs ii)! Improved behavior when pluging/unpluging ACTIVboard via USB iii)! Calibration appears on the main screen (e.g. the one with the menu bar) when used with multiple monitors. iv)! Both the ACTIVhub and ACTIVboard can be used at the same time. v)! Improved Bluetooth support vi)! Improved driver reliability n)! Embedded Web Browser A new web browser tool has been added to the tool store. This web browser defaults to Promethean home web page http://www.prometheanworld.com. Pictures and text can be dragged from the web browser directly to the flipchart page. o)! Automatic annotation grouping An option has been added to Preferences, Flipchart Objects pane that allows objects within a fixed proximity to each other to be automatically grouped together. (N.B. this functionality is not available in U.S due to patent restrictions). p)! Start placeholder automatically When movies and flash files are embedded into a flipchart page an extra option has been added that allows the movie to automatically start on entering the flipchart page.
q)! Sound Controller includes recorder capability The sound controller tool has been enhanced to include the ability to record sound as well as play it back.
r)! Print with Page Notes V2.5 includes the option to print pages notes separately or as part of the flipchart. s)! Support for QuickTime VR movies 2.5 version has support for QuickTime VR movie playback either within Link Viewer or inside Placeholder. Interaction is supported rotation and zoom as well as annotation using ACTIVstudio drawing tools.
t)! Support for PDF files display inside Link Viewer 2.5 version displays PDF files in the Link Viewer. For this you need to double-click a PDF file in resource library or use Open document or file action. Link Viewer provides support for changing the PDF display mode, scale, fit using contextual menu
u)! Display of FLP, XBK and PDF pages in resource library Resource Library now can show FLP, Smart flipcharts and PDF files in the tree browser - if you select one of these types - its pages will be displayed in the resource viewer
v)! Icon View and List View modes in Resource Library Icon View and List View buttons were added to the Resource Library. Different display modes can be selected to display resources in the resource preview tray (this becomes especially useful when browsing in itunes or iphoto libraries which may include thousands of music or picture titles)
w)! Prevent the action when object is hidden You can specify that the action applied to an object does not work when the object is hidden (for example by another object placed in front of it). Select the checkbox to prevent the action working when the object that it is applied to cannot be seen.
II.! a)! MISSING OR ALTERED FUNCTIONALITY Support for Microsoft s WMF format has not been implemented. This is very difficult to do on Mac OS X platform. b)! Page Picker. This has not been implemented in ACTIVstudio v2.5. It has been postponed until v3.0 However the Page Organizer functionality has been expanded so that pages displayed can be dragged into the resource library and flipchart pages displayed in the resource library can be dragged onto the Page Organizer.
III.! CHANGE REQUESTS IMPLEMENTED #! Description 2! Resource library 3! Automatic Annotation Grouping 4! Smart Notebook Converter 7! Editing page notes 9! Clock Pause Button 12! Primary 2 Page Transitions 19! Desktop Annotations 36! Desktop Flipchart Background 38! Disable right mouse button in AS2 39! Desktop Flipchart Undo 49! Video Placeholder in PE maintenance release 50! Web browser button 53! Page w & h properties exposed in PE (in position frame) 55! Support for Published Flipcharts in PE / SE and AP2 56! Text tool/hr Tool combination 57! ACTIVity.exe and flipcharts 58! Flipchart Summary - Teaching Subject 63! Search History 64! Line Sizing 66! Splash Screen 68! A new Flipchart Menu option: "Import" 69! ACTIVote Right Click Menu 71! Hardware Not Found Watermark 72! Annotating Over the Revealer 74! Total Number of Open Flipcharts Allowed 79! Changes to vote and slate images within programs 81! Video Placeholder is now Placeholder 82! New menu when right clicking flipchart/screen recorder tool 84! PDF Viewer Support 87! Fraction Creator 89! Page Turn Actions 95! Insert Page Before / After Current Page 98! Tab Highlighting in Properties and Actions 99! Shift + Arrow 101! Keyboard shortcuts 102! Flipchart object movement via Shift and Ctrl keys 107! Sex' --> 'Gender' 110! Applying an Action to a Group 116! Saving Desktop Flipchart
117! Highlighter Tool in Desktop Overlay Mode 122! Reset All Settings' 123! Embedded Flash Placeholder 124! New Sound Recorder Settings 125! Prevent Action when object is hidden 128! extra settings in print page notes 129! Wording on High Quality Video Setting 130! Multiple Monitor Settings 136! Mirror and Flip added to ACTIVprimary 2.5 142! Tickertape Controller 144! New Default Layout File 146! Specifying Default background color for text object editor 148! Default Transparency for Images 149! On screen Keyboard Default Setting 157! Clarifying 'Enable Actions' status 158! Recording Platform Specifics in Flipchart Page Data