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[make an image] [make a sound file] [make a script]

Writing a Script for the Display Wall
 

    This page explains how to write a script file for the Display Wall. Scripts are used to make presentations. A script allows for the timed display of images and sounds on the display wall. The script tells the computers what to show and how long to show it. It can also perform fades from one image to another.  The commands and their usage are explained within the template script (see below).

     

    1. once you've finished making your files (images and/or sounds) you need to go to the display wall room in order to make a script
    2. decide which files you will be using in the script, place these files in a directory on the displaywall server
      1. files will need to be transferred from one's account to the local display wall computers. this can be done with either ws_ftp or by mounting the drive in Windows
      2. most files will be placed in the class directory (cs495) in a folder with your name
    3. script files can be made by downloading a simple script and following the directions it contains
      1. right-click on the link below (script.mms)
      2. select "Save this link as..."
      3. save the file as text
      4. the link: script.mms
    4. edit the sample script
      1. open the script file in a text editor (typically, the Microsoft Visual J++ program is used to edit script files, it's a better text editor than notepad or other Windows-standard editors, the J++ program can be found on the main display wall computer [ when opening the script file in this program, be sure to "show all files" in order to see text files in the open file window])
      2. read the comments and make adjustments accordingly
      3. when finished, save the script to the  \DisplayWall\bin directory with a new title that ends in ".mms"
    5. now find the DOS prompt, or command line terminal window
      1. go to the the \DisplayWall\bin directory
      2. at the command line enter the following commands:
        1. qv (this quits the viewer application, if it isn't already running the command will do nothing)
        2. stv (this restarts the viewer application)
        3. mmshell -s <script name>.mms (this executes the script file and begins loading the files)


    the script should play
     

 

last edited 04/28/2008