SlideShow objects

SlideShow objects

In addition to the commands that are provided directly by the programming language, you have access to the objects of SlideShow (otherwise the whole would indeed be rather pointless). Objects in SlideShow/Stages are the images, texts, videos, etc. - everything from which a project may be composed.

Available SlideShow objects

• IPicture - Image
• IText - Texts
• ISound - Sound
• IVideo - Video/Movie
• IParticle - Particles
• IChapter - Chapter
• ICollage - Static Collage
• ITransformation - Flexi-Collage
• IPath - Animated path / Route animation
• IShader - Pixelshader effects, that are executed on the GPU
• IBlackboxContainer - Chapter objects that serve as containers for effect contents

For each object there is a Create method, for example, so:

var pic: IPicture;
pic := CreatePicture;
var text: IText;
text := CreateText;

More general objects

• ISlideShowObject - SlideShow object - Base for all objects.
• ICanvas - Canvas object/surface for drawing or pixel access to images
• IMoveable, IPanable - Access to movement path and panning

Developer objects

The following objects are available in the toolbox only if the developer mode is enabled:

• Blackbox
• Blackbox, horizontal
• Blackbox, vertical
• Transparent chapter
• Geometric shape
• Shader
• "Running line"

These objects do not have a proper user interface and rely on control by script or have controlling effect themselves. Some objects will only work in a very specific context. The developers objects are now described in more detail:

Blackbox

A Blackbox behaves like a Flexi-Collage, but without transition and without background color. What remains is the ability to assign a movement path and a camera pan. All objects contained in a black box inherit that path and pan, as is the case with Flexi-Collages.

Blackboxes is usually used as containers for any other objects. A script attached to the black box, then manipulates the content in any manner. Mostly the script also includes a user interface to provide the user with various parameters.

In the script, the Blackbox object is simply a ISlideShowObject, the implements the interfaces IMoveable and IPanable.

Blackbox, horizontal

As for just "Blackbox" the Timeline doesn't allow to create multiple tracks in this object. Additionally, distances between the objects are not allowed. This object is used as a container for images within "Intelligent templates". Here the user should not be allowed to put any complex structures, as they could not be included in the templates.

Blackbox, vertical

As for just "Blackbox" all the inserted objects are stretched to the length of the vertical black box and each appears on a separate track.

Transparent chapter (IBlackboxContainer)

A "Transparent chapter" is not an object with function within the presentation, but serves as an auxiliary element for the user interface, i.e., to label the tracks. It is to be adapted for use within a Blackbox object. Outside of it the operation is undefined. A "Transparent chapter" always has at least the duration of its parent element, but can be even greater. Otherwise, it behaves like a normal Chapter, i.e., it supports any number of tracks and distances between the objects. From the scripting point of view, the object is a IBlackboxContainer.

The "Dynamic mask" serves as an application example:

This effect consists of a Blackbox, that a script has been attached to, and two transparent sections. The two "Transparent chapters" simply provide the space for the two different functions (Contents and Mask). The script looks into the two "Transparent chapters" and does "something" with them.

Geometric shape

This object has no function. It was originally intended to represent triangles or other shapes. For this purpose, the Shader object can be used.

Shader (IShader)

Pixel shaders can be executed using the Shader object. A shader object is always created and configured by a script and is therefore never seen in the Timeline. To work it needs at least the file name of a Pixel shader (HLSL).

"Running line"