Adding Audio

You can add audio to your Website. In this online tutorial, I show you how to create an online presentation with a voice and a music track. You'll use RealPlayer to broadcast your presentation, which you will create using RealSlideshow.

The Image Properties Dialog Box

The Image Properties dialog box consists of four tabs: Info, Edit, Transition, and Text and Audio Captions. 

You can open the Image Properties by using any of the following methods:

• The menu: Choose Image Properties from the Edit menu.
• The Voice Box: Click on the word "Voice" at the left of the RealSlideshow window.
• Double-click: Point to the image and double-click.
• Right-click: Right-click on the image and choose Image Properties from the context menu

The Info Tab

The Info tab provides you with basic information about the image, as described in the following table.

File Name	Name of the image file
Image Width	Width of the image in pixels
Image Height	Height of the image in pixels
Original Size	Size of the image before any adjustments were made using the RealSlideshow Compression feature
Compressed Size	Size of the image after adjustments using the RealSlideshow compression feature
Download Time	Amount of time it takes for the image to download
Begin Time	Time at which the image displays on the screen
Duration	Amount of time the image stays on the screen

The Edit Tab

Each slideshow image stays on the screen until the image that comes after it has completely downloaded. If you have two images, image 1 must stay on the screen until image 2 downloads. You can reduce the amount of time it takes an image to download by adjusting the image size and/or quality. Smaller files and lower-quality files download faster. You use the Edit tab to adjust image size and quality.
 

Transition Tab

You use the Transition tab to specify how RealSlideshow moves from one image to the next. You can choose from the following nine options: 

1. Fade from Previous Image
2. Wipe from Right to Left
3. Wipe from Left to Right
4. Wipe from Bottom to Top
5. Wipe from Top to Bottom
6. Push from Right to Left
7. Push from Left to Right
8. Push from Bottom to Top
9. Push from Top to Bottom

Text and Audio Captions Tab

You use the Text and Audio Captions tab to record the narration for your RealSlideshow. Click on Start Recording and talk into your microphone. When you finish, click on Stop Recording. You will be prompted to save your file. 

If you have a pre-recorded .wav or .mp3 file you want to use for your narration, click on Browse to locate the file. You can listen to any audio file that displays in the Select an Audio File field. Click on Play to play to an audio file. Click on Stop to stop playing an audio file.

The Download Bar and the Timeline Bar

The Download bar shows how long an image will stay on the screen. The handle on the image frame indicates the amount of time it will take the image to download. The minimum amount of time an image must stay on the screen is the length of its narration or the amount of time it takes the next image to download, whichever is longer. You can increase or decrease the amount of time an image stays on the screen by placing your pointer on the black line that separates images (a double-headed arrow will appear), and dragging.

The Timeline bar is a ruler used to measure time. You can increase or decrease how the Timeline bar increments by pressing the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons.

Re-creating the Classic Car RealSlideshow - Step 2

In this exercise you will learn how to adjust image quality, select a transition type and add narration to your presentation. Click here for a copy of the dialog you will use.

Image 1

1. Double-click on the first image to open the Image Properties Dialog box.
2. Select the Edit tab.
3. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time. Remember, each image must stay on the screen until the image that follows it downloads.
4. Select the Transition tab.
5. Set the Type to Fade From Previous Image.
6. Set the Duration to 1.0. The duration is the amount of time it takes the image transition to occur.
7. Click on Play to preview the transition.
8. Click on Stop to end the preview.
9. Select the Text and Audio Captions tab.
10. Record the audio for Frame 1. Refer to the dialog provided. Click on Start Recording to begin your narration. Speak into your microphone. Click on Stop Recording to end your narration. You will be prompted to save your file. After you have saved your file, click on Play to listen to your narration.
11. Click on the Next Image button.

1. Select the Edit tab.
2. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time.
3. Select the Transition tab.
4. Set the Type to Push from Left to Right.
5. Set the Duration to 1.0.
6. Click on Play to preview the transition.
7. Click on Stop to end the preview.
8. Select the Text and Audio Captions tab.
9. Record the audio for Frame 2.
10. Click on the Next Image button.

1. Select the Edit tab.
2. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time.
3. Select the Transition tab.
4. Set the Type to Wipe from Right to Left.
5. Set the Duration to 1.0.
6. Click on Play to preview the transition.
7. Click on Stop to end the preview.
8. Select the Text and Audio Captions tab.
9. Record the audio for Frame 3.
10. Click on the Next Image button

1. Select the Edit tab.
2. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time.
3. Select the Transition tab.
4. Set the Type to Wipe from Top to Bottom.
5. Set the Duration to 1.0.
6. Click on Play to preview the transition.
7. Click on Stop to end the preview.
8. Select the Text and Audio Captions tab.
9. Record the audio for Frame 4.
10. Click on the Next Image button

1. Select the Edit tab.
2. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time.
3. Select the Transition tab.
4. Set the Type to Push from Bottom to Top.
5. Set the Duration to 1.0.
6. Click on Play to preview the transition.
7. Click on Stop to end the preview.
8. Select the Text and Audio Captions tab.
9. Record the audio for Frame 5.
10. Click on the Next Image button

1. Select the Edit tab.
2. Adjust the image quality until you are satisfied with both the quality of the image and the download time.
3. Select the Transition tab.
4. Set the Type to Fade From Previous Image.
5. Set the Duration to 1.0.
6. Click on Play to preview the transition.
7. Click on Stop to end the preview.
8. Select the Text and Audio Caption tab.
9. Record the audio for Frame 6.
10. Close the Image Properties dialog box.

1. To generate your RealSlideshow, press Generate in the RealSlideshow window. The Choose a Place to Save Your Generated File dialog box will appear.
2. Locate the folder in which you want to store the file. Enter a filename. The file will be given a .smil extension.
3. Click on Save to generate the file.
4. After the file has been generated, press Play in the RealSlideshow window. After you view the slideshow, close RealPlayer.

Note: You might want your narration to last the entire time the image is being displayed. If so, adjust the speed at which you speak so the audio is at least as long as the amount of time it takes for the next image to download.