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MashCast Tools

The following features are accessible by clicking on the Tools Icon at the top of the application.

These menu items should all be active when the Studio tab is enabled, and can be divided into four categories:

  1. A/V Broadcast
  2. Notebook Tabs
  3. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Communications
  4. Studio Tools

Capture

The A/V Broadcast components, Capture, Gallery and Broadcast, are useful for capturing, storing, and transmitting video. Gallery and Broadcast are also useful for storing and posting files to the portal.

Talking Picture  

The Talking Picture tool is a powerful tool for bringing your animations to life. With just a few mouse-clicks, Talking Picture gives you the ability to create a “mouth" that will automatically lip sync to an audio track.

           

To create a character that is capable of "talking":

  • Right-click on an image on the stage.
  • Select Talking Picture.
  • Click on the “Lips” button.
  • Draw the mouth by left-clicking around its perimeter. If you need to start over, you can hit the “Reset” button at any time.

    •  

    • Right-click or double-click to complete the shape.
    • Move the cursor down to and left-click to specify how wide the mouth will open when it talks.
    • Click on the Play button repeatedly to cycle through the mouth positions one by one.
    • Type a name for the new character in the Title Field at the bottom of the Talking Picture window.
    • Click on the “Save” button.

          or “Send to Stage”
    as desired.

     

         

    1. You have now created a Character. To make him talk, you’ll need to record some speech and assign the character to follow the speech track. To do this, record a voice on any open track (See Recording Audio), or drag a speech track from the Media Manager onto an open track.
    2. Right-click on the Character and choose “Select Audio Track” from the context menu.
    3. Select the track you’ve designated for your character’s voice, and click “OK”.

    Play the show from the beginning of the track and, voila! The character’s lips should move in sync with the voice on the audio track to which it is assigned.

    Scissors  

    The Scissor tool can function either as a way to cut something out (i.e. remove a background), or as a way to remove a foreground element so that the background can be preserved.

    To use the Scissors tool to “cut out” an object:

    • Right-click on an image on the stage and select “Scissors” from the context menu. Make sure the tool is in “Cut Out Foreground” mode. If it is not, click on the Scissor tool so that it looks like the image above.
    • Left-click on points along the edge of the portion of the image you wish to keep.
    • Double-click or right-click the last point in the selection in order to remove the background.
    • Click on the “Add to Database” [ADD TO DATABASE IMAGE] or “Add to Stage” .

     

    To use the Scissors tool to remove a foreground element, leaving the background:

    1. Click on the Scissor Button to change the mode of the tool.
    2. Click along the perimeter of the foreground element, as in the first example.
    3. Double-click or right-click on the last point in the selection in order to remove the foreground element.
    4. Click on the “Add to Database”or “Add to Stage” .

     

    The Scissors tool is also accessible in the Talking Picture window, by clicking on the “Scissors” button.

     
    Text Tool

    Animating text is an easy way to get a message across in a way that captures attention.

    Select “Add Text…” from the Tools Menu, or right-click on the stage, or any asset on the stage, in order to select “Add Text…” Doing so will bring up the Add Text dialog:

    Standard text editing options, Font, Size, Bold, Italic, and Font Color are available at the top of the dialog. Click “OK” to place the text on the stage. Right-Click on any text object and select “Edit Text…” in order to edit an existing text object.

     

    Preview

    The Preview window allows you to view and/or play an asset, without having to drag it to the stage. 

    Previewing an asset can be accomplished by right-clicking on it and selecting “Preview” from the context menu. This capability is available from the Media Manager or the Stage.

    It is also possible to preview an asset by selecting it and then choosing “Preview” from the Tools menu.

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