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Magic Theatre Demo Help Document

Magic Theatre brings the tradition of story telling into the computer age by enabling even young children to make their own animated movies.  Developed in conjunction with educators, artists and children, Magic Theatre allows the fluid blending of illustration, animation, narration and music. Children develop their artistic skills, speech, improvisation and sense of drama.  Most importantly, they are able to tell their own stories.  This Magic Theatre Demo is limited in its content.  The actual product contains dozenzs of additional animation's and library elements, and it comes with a microphone to record narrations. It also allows you to easily save the movies you create.  Still, this demo will give you a sense of the power of this product.

System Requirements

Magic Theatre Demo requires a PC running Windows 3.1 or higher.  To use its sound capabilities, the PC should have a Sound Blaster compatible sound card, speakers, and microphone.  Magic Theatre Demo requires a minimum of 4 Megabytes of memory and a 640 x 480, 256 SVGA video display, and approximately 3 free Megabytes of space on your hard disk.  With narration, your Magic Theatre movie productions require approximately 600K of hard disk space per minute.  Without narration, movie productions require 5K of hard disk space per scene.

Create a Movie

The moment you start Magic Theatre you are ready to make a movie.

Libraries

The Libraries in this Magic Theatre Demo are limited to four in each category.  The actual product's libraries contain up to 80 items.

Scenery Library

The "Scenery Library" lets you create a still background for your movies.  You can place scenery into your production from the "Scenery Library" by clicking on the "Mountain" icon.  The screen will then fill with a whole collection of scenery.  To choose an image simply click on it.  Scenery movement is not recorded.  The pictures are just dropped in at the place where you click the mouse.

Animation Library

To include an animation in your movie click on the "Fish" icon.  To choose one of the animations simply click on it.  To insert the animation press the LEFT mouse button, keeping it depressed as you move it across the screen.  Let go of the button when you do not want the animation to move anymore.  If you do not want the animation to move, just click it into place without moving the mouse around.

Objects Library

You can place a geometrical shape into your movie from the "Objects Library" by clicking the "Hot Air Balloon" icon.  To choose an object, simply click on it.  To insert an object press the Left mouse button, keeping it depressed as you move it across the screen.  Let go of the object when you do not want it to move anymore.

Trace Library

Trace lets you place pictures into your product which you can then trace over with the "Paint Point."  You can place a trace picture from the "Trace Library" by clicking on the "Star" icon.  To choose an image simply click on it.  Click to place the trace image on the screen.  Next, trace the image with a "Paint Point."  Once you have finished you can play the scene by pressing the "Play" button.

Music Library

If you want to add music to your movie you can do this from the "Music Library."  Click on the "Guitar" icon to see the selection of music available to you.  To hear the music, press a pictogram with the Right button on the mouse.  You will hear the music as long as you keep that button depressed.  To select a tune click its picture with the Left mouse button.  Your scene will now play the selected music, as long as you have the "Sound Effects" button (the Music Note icon) depressed.  Each scene can have a different tune attached to it.

Magic Brushes Library

Magic brushes enable you to quickly add to your movie visual effects that need to be repeated such as grass, water, fire, clouds, etc.  Click on the "Magic Wand" icon.  Choose the image you want by clicking it with the Left mouse button.  The "Paint Point" will change to reflect the magic brush you have chosen.  You can now paint with this magic brush by keeping the Left mouse button depressed and moving the mouse.  Every stroke will be recorded in your movie.

Drawing Tools

You can draw with the mouse when the Left button is depressed - this controls the "Paint Point" that you see on your screen.  As you are drawing, Magic Theatre is recording every stroke you make.

Line Color

Select the color you want by clicking one of the colors on the palette on the left side of your screen. The color of the "Paint Point" changes accordingly, so you always know what color you have selected, even before you draw.

Line Thickness

Select the line thickness by clicking on the appropriate upright bar on the "Line Thickness" icon. The 'Paint Point" and the icon reflect the line thickness you have selected.

Fill

You can fill any enclosed drawing area of the same color by placing the "Paint Point" in that area and clicking the Right mouse button.  The area will then fill to the boundaries with the color you have selected.  You can change the color of the whole screen before you have done any drawing by filling the blank screen in the same way - click the Right mouse button.  If your boundary has a gap the fill will spill until there is a line to stop it.  This is a fairly common occurrence, but can be easily undone.  Press the "Undo" button  (the Thumbs Down icon), close the gap in the boundary where the leak occurred and redo your fill.

Undo

You can undo the last thing you did by clicking on the "Thumbs Down" icon.

Normal Painting Text

When you start, you will be in the normal "Paint Point" which enables you to draw with the movements of the mouse.  To put text anywhere on the screen, place the "Paint Point" where you  want it and just the type.

Note:  The color of the text is determined by the color of the "Paint Point" selected

Note:  Be careful not to move the mouse when typing, as this will reposition the next letter.

Note:  The text always prints below the "Paint Point."

Straight Lines

If you want to draw straight lines, click the "Straight Lines" icon and select the line thickness.

Ovals

The "Ovals" icon lets you draw ovals and circles.  The sizing of these is recorded in your movie, creating interesting effects.

Rectangles

The "Rectangles" icon lets you draw rectangles and squares.  The sizing of these is recorded in your movie creating interesting effects.

Paint Tools

"Paint Tools" let you paint in different styles.  The tools create rainbow effects, bubbles and sprays.  The best way to learn is to play and experiment.  You can change the color of any of the tools shown in black by clicking the "Line Colors" icon.  The other tools have their own predetermined colors and therefore you cannot change them.

Sound Effects

Click on the "Wave" button on the lower left corner of the screen for sound effects. When the sound effects button is depressed, you will hear sounds associated with painting and other Magic Theatre functions.  These sounds will also be heard when you play back your movie.

Music Effects

You can add music to a movie scene from the music library.  To play back music in the scene, click the "Music Note" so that the buttons are shown.

No Audio Effects

To play your movie with no music or sound effects, click the "Zero" icon so that the buttons are shown.  This setting will play your narration without music or sound effects.

Record Sound

In the actual Magic Theatre product, you are provided with a free microphone.  If you have a microphone already, you can include your own narration in this demo version by clicking on the red "Microphone" icon at the bottom of the screen.  As you record, Magic Theatre plays back the movie you have created.  Magic Theatre assumes you are going to record sound for approximately 30 seconds. When you have finished, click the "Microphone" icon again.  Magic Theatre will automatically adjust the length of your art and animation so it is synchronized with the length of your sound recording.

Play Entire Movie

To play an entire movie from the beginning, with all its scenes, click the "Play Through" button at the bottom of your screen.  This button has three arrows pointing to the right.

Play Movie

While you are creating a movie, scene by scene, the "Play Movie" button is also useful.  Click on the 'Play Movie" button which is the single arrow icon pointing to the right.

Stop

This button will stop your movie playing and "freeze" the picture.  It is the icon with the square in the center of it.

Sound

If the speaker is on as indicated by the button, you will hear the sound effects, music, and narration that you included in your movie.

Mute

If the speaker is off as indicated by the button, your Magic Theatre movie plays back in silence.

Trash

Although this demo version does not allow you to save any of  your movies, you can discard the movie you are presently working on by clicking on the "Trash" button which is the icon with the trash can on it.

Exit

To exit Magic Theatre click on the "Goodnight" icon and confirm.  This is the button with the man sleeping on it.

Magic Theatre Demo is a very limited version of actual product.  In the actual product, you have up to 80 items in each Library.  You can save and replay an unlimited number of movies.  You are provided with a microphone so that you can record your own narrations for your movies.  There are helpful sound files in the actual product which tell you what each icon can do.