>>Exercise: "Response & Feedback"

Take a visual artwork you have created in the past and import it into Director. Add interactivity with audio feedback in response to mouse movement and events. (You can use "beep" or import your own audio.)

Your first activity will require minimal scripting and will take advantage of creating interactivity with the score window in Director. Select two images you have created in the past to use in this activity.

Step by Step through Art Activity 1 in Director 7:

1. Import cast

• Go to "File" on the top menu and select "Import."
• Select and import two image files (.pct on Mac or .bmp on PC)
  
• Note that your images will now appear in the "Cast Window" in Director which can be turned on or off from "Window" in the top menu.

2. Make sprites in the score window with your cast members.

• Click and drag the first cast member from the Cast window to the Score window. Place it in Channel 1, Frame 1.
• Click and drag the 2nd cast member to the Score window. Place it in Channel 1, Frame 30.
  
• Rewind and Play your movie from the 'Toolbar" control buttons at the top. It will flash by quickly in the "Stage Window" and you will see white space as it runs through the score in a sequential manner. Note the movement of the red "Playback Head" through the score. You can control the location of the Playback Head by clicking and dragging it.
• Stop the movie by hitting the stop button on the "ToolBar".

3. Loop your frames so the playback head stays on an image until it is told to go somewhere else.

• Place a Marker at the beginning of the first image by clicking in the Marker Channel at the top of the score window (the channel with arrows in it) in Frame 1. Name your Marker Picture 1.
• Place a Marker at the beginning of the second image by clicking in the Marker Channel in Frame 30. Name your marker Picture 2.
• Go to "Window" at the top menu and select "Library Palette."
• Select "Navigation" instead of "Internet".
• Click and drag the "Go loop" behavior to the script channel in the score window. Place it at frame 29 (or at the end of sprite 1).
• Click and drag another "Go loop" behavior and place it at the end of sprite 2.
• Rewind and play your movie with the tool bar buttons to check that the playback head loops in the first image.

4. Make invisible buttons.

• From "Window" on the top menu open up the "Tool Palette".
• Make the background color swatch the exact same color as the foreground swatch on the Tool Pallette. (If the foreground is black, make the background black too.)
• Select the filled (dark) square tool on top left of the Tool Palette.
• Draw a square on the Stage.
• While your square is still selected, (it should be highlighted in the score window), select "Background Transparent" from the ink palette options in the Score Window (at the top left area where the default says "Copy"). Now your button should be invisible.

5. Make your "button" do something.

• Double click on your button sprite in the score window to open up it's "Cast Member Properties".

• Click on the "Script" button.

• In between "On MouseUp" and "end" type in "beep" When the user clicks on the area of the button, Director will play your computer's built in beep sound. ("beep" is often used to test whether parts of a lingo script are functioning properly.)

• In a line after beep, type in "go to 30" When the use clicks on the area of this button the playback head will move to frame 30 (where your next image is).

• Play back your movie to check that everything is working.

• Repeat the last two steps to add interactivity to your second image sprite. Make sure your button sprites are positioned in their proper places in the score in relation to the image sprites.