Comix Games/Comix Games.iso/hh/readme.txt

Text File | 1996-04-16 | 9.4 KB | 231 lines

Magic Theatre Haunted House Demo Help Document

Introduction
Haunted House 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, Haunted House 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
dozens of additional animations 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
Haunted House Demo requires a PC running Windows 3.1 or
95.  To use its sound capablilities, the PC should have
a MPC compatible 16 bit sound card, speakers, and
microphone.  Haunted House Demo requires a minimum of 4
Megabytes of memory and a 640 x 480, 256 SVGA video display,
and approximately 4 free Megabytes of space on your hard
disk.  With narration, your Haunted House movie productions
require approximately 600K of hard disk space per minute.

Create a Movie
The moment you start Haunted House and the demo movie has stopped, you are ready to make a
movie.

Libraries
The Libraries in this Haunted House Demo are limited to three
in each category.  The actual product's libraries contain more than
500 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 "House"
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 "Cat"
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 moving object into your movie from the
"Objects Library" by clicking the "Axe" 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
"Skull" 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 "Horn" 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 "Hand Print" 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 Haunted House 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 Haunted House 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, Haunted House plays back the movie you have
created.  Haunted House assumes you are going to record
sound for approximately 30 seconds. When you have finished,
click the "Microphone" icon again.  Haunted House 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 Haunted House click on the "Goodnight" icon and
confirm.  This is the button with the man sleeping on it.

Haunted House Demo is a very limited version of actual
product.  In the actual product, you have over 500 items in
the Libraries.  You can save and replay an unlimited number
of movies.  It also includes 23 Movie Starters which you can
continue, giving them any ending.