When implementing sounds and videos in help topics, I try to follow one basic rule:
"Let the user inflict the sound or movie on themselves."
If someone does not want to hear a sound or see a video, let the user activate it on their own. You can achieve this easily by creating additional topics and adding the sound and movie files to those topics, then activate the media from a popup link.
For example, if you have a sound card on your computer, and you click this link, PLAY FUNNY SOUND, the sound appears in a popup window displaying some basic text, and more important, you keep the sound separate from the content of the topic. One limitation in WebHelp, is the sound plays only once; if you click the link again, the popup appears, but the sound does not play. The topic would have to be refreshed to hear it again. In HTML Help, the sound plays each time the link is clicked.
Another used for popup topics is to display movies and audio visual files (.AVI). HTML-based help does not contain a play bar (unlike WinHelp) for controlling videos. If a movie is added to a topic, it begins playing immediately. In the example below, the movie opens by activating the video through a popup window. When the video finishes, the user can click again to close the popup window. As with sounds, you cannot replay the video without refreshing the page.
Display movie in popup window.
If you must add a playbar to a video, you can open the video using an HTML Help Shortcut control. If you click the following link, the video opens in your default media player (probably Windows Media Player), complete with a playbar for total control. You can click the Shortcut button as many times as you like to play and replay the video.
Just remember, WebHelp systems must store the Video in the Baggage folder,
and the link must be modified with the correct URL (../../blank.avi) depending
on where you store the file.
That's it for this month's tip.
Kind Regards,
Rob Magrino
Certified XxxxXxxx Instructor