New Features

In addition to a range of smaller improvements and bug fixes the new version of Opus Creator now allows you to develop HTML5 publications for truly versatile web content which gives you the same kind of features and versatility as Flash but for devices which do not support it.

This major addition opens up a whole new area of expertise for Creator users allowing you to use Creator’s intuitive interface to create sophisticated web material easily whether it is a single web page, a whole website or a section of another webpage (usually created as a special DIV or a cell of a table).

In particular, Creator allows unparalleled ease in making non-standard fonts available for your website via the Web Font Manager.

Other improvements have been made in direct response to customer requests and feedback. Together we have ensured we have the best and most robust product possible with a range of features unsurpassed in any other single application.

Important Notes for Existing Users

There are some important things to consider when opening publications from previous versions, especially when converting to HTML5 – click the link below for further details.

important Notes for Existing Users

 

HTML5 Export

HTML5 export allows you to create material to the very latest web standard suitable for all browsers which support HTML5 including iPad, Android as well as Mac and PC. It allows more versatile and interesting websites to be designed easily.

HTML5 Export

 

Web Font Manager

Most websites are stuck with a basic set of fonts - but not when using Creator. To allow full control over the widest variety of fonts for your HTML5 material we’ve added the Web Font Manager providing you the flexibility to use any range of fonts on your website.

Using Web Fonts

 

Border Sides Settings

Apply your chosen border to selected sides of the object – great for using rounded corners at the top or bottom of an object to create tabs.

Border Properties

 

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Quick Crop tool

You can now crop oversize images simply by using the new Crop tool to select the area you want to use. Quick and simple.

Crop Tool

 

Embed Launched Document

You can now embed a launched document into your published EXE instead of distributing the file separately.

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When the Launch Action is triggered Opus will unpack the file to a temporary location and display it before deleting it again when no longer required.

This helps ensure launched documents are kept with the publication requiring them and are not readily available as separate files, ideal when distributing company confidential information.

The Additional Files button allows you to specify the file easily and also to include any associated files required by the file being launched.

Button image position

You can now set a button image to appear at specific locations – right, left, top, bottom. Used in combination with the Fixed and Centred options on the Image properties themselves this is ideal for creating custom checkboxes and radio buttons.

Button Properties

 

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Bounce Animation

A new "speed" setting for animations allows you to quickly make the animated object rebound and then settle at its destination in several different ways.

 

Bounce Transitions

We’ve also provided these bounce styles as ready-made transitions so objects can now appear on screen with a rebounding effect.

 

 

 

Improvements in Version 8

 

 

You Tube Embedding

You can now embed YouTube video in your publication (including Flash publications). You can set the video to display with or without the YouTube controls. Obviously your user requires an internet connection to view the videos when the publication is run.

You Tube Video

Resize Mode

A new resize mode allows you to rescale groups of objects easily – even the font is rescaled.

Resize Mode

Screenshot Image

Grab an image of your publication screen at any time and save it as an file. Note that Flash does not support file saving so this function will not work in Opus Flex publications - use a single instance of the Snapshot Gallery features below.

 

Snapshot Gallery

Set your publication to save snapshots of each page and then save or print a gallery of those pages. Ideal for letting pupils keep a visual record of their progress.

Save Screen Snapshot

Button Up/Down trigger

You can now trigger actions specifically when a button is up or when it is down – primarily to make it much easier to use checkbox and radio style buttons.

 

Access Master Page Objects

You can now access objects on a Master Page with actions on other pages allowing you to show, hide, enable and disable objects on Master Pages. Ideal for setting different navigation options for pages without having multiple masters. The master page objects will appear in the list of available objects when you select an action which is applied to an action.

Drag Constrain

Constrain dragged objects to the frame which contains them. Ideal for creating sliders or simply controlling the extent of dragged objects.

Drop Alignment

Dropped objects can now be set to align on top of each other or alongside so multiple dropped objects can still be seen.

Replace Dropped Object

This setting means that if there is already an object in the drop zone it will be replaced when a new object is dropped onto the zone. The replaced object will return to its original location.

 

Other Recent Improvements

Tween Animation

Our most exciting new feature is the tween animation object. This means you can now create tween animations simply by setting a start and end to an animation. Creator will then create the frames in between. You set an object’s position, colour, rotation and transforms at two or more keyframes and Creator generates a smooth animation between.

A new timeline interface is provided to let you tweak the position of keyframes and control the length of the animation. You can have multiple objects in a tween frame and even nest tweens inside other tweens or the whole tween frame can be animated as well.

Tween Object - Overview

Shape Tweening

The tween function also includes support for shape tweening meaning you can morph the shape of an object by editing its nodes at each of its keyframes to create fluid and sophisticated animation.

Shape Tweening

Pause/Resume Audio

You can now set an action to pause an audio file or to pause all audio on the page. There is a corresponding Restart Audio action.

the Pause Audio action

the Resume Audio action

Blur Effect

Apply a blur to an object with control of horizontal and vertical strength and quality.

Blur Effect

Blur Transition

You can now create a range of stylish checkboxes and radio buttons quickly and simply by applying a new range of special borders to the default/mouseover/mousedown states of buttons.

Enable/Disable multiple objects

The enable and disable actions now use a multiselect checkbox list so that you can select a variety of objects to enable or disable with a single action.

Initially Disabled

Objects can now be set to start up in their disabled mode.

Play/Stop Multiframes

You can now program a trigger to play or stop a multiframe.

Introducing the Multiframe Actions

Quick Publish

Publishes uses the settings and location you used last and therefore avoids going through the Publish Wizard when you do not need to change any of the settings. Saves significant amounts of time when testing your publication.

 

Quick Publish and Test

Quickly publishes in the same way as Quick Publish and then immediately tests the publication as though you clicked the Test button at the end of the Publish Wizard.

Reverse Score

You can now reverse a mark which has already been registered with the inbuilt Creator scoring variables making it much easier for a student to revise a question they have already taken.

Reverse Score

Drag Select Zoom

You can now zoom into a specific area of your page by dragging a selection rectangle around an area. Click and drag the zoom tool to create a selection bounding box around the area and Creator will zoom in to the appropriate magnification level (up to the maximum zoom level of 1600%).

QuickBuild Rename

When adding numbers to objects renamed using QuickBuild you can set reverse object order.

QuickBuild Insert Placeholder text

Designers familiar with the need to illustrate blocks of text without having the final text available will love this quick build option which allows you to quickly fill a text box with faux latin in the time-honoured fashion of Lorem ipsum dolor.

Insert Placeholder Text

Vista Program Data Variable

System Variable support for Vista Program Data Directory. You can now specify file locations for launch file action to the Vista Program Data Directory using a dedicated system variable.

Preset and System Variables

Direct Flash Player support

Creator now uses the Adobe Flash player directly to replay Flash movies. Keeps your Flash playback capability up to date and there’s no need for Quicktime.

FLV support

Creator now supports FLV both in Flash output and other publication types.

Border Line Styles

The Creator line styles can now be used as borders for objects.

Report Encryption

The files created by the report action can now be encrypted so the results can be used for student test reports and remain secure.

Windows Theme Support

Buttons can now use the Windows theme allowing use of Vista style buttons automatically.

Uncompressed Player

The Publish Settings now include the option to use an uncompressed Creator player when publishing. This will increase the size of small publications quite noticeably but it allows you to use high quality icons for your output and to apply third party security settings.

 

 

Movie Resizing and Scale to Fit

Flex will now use the Chapter Properties to set whether the resulting Flash movie will be scaled to fit the window or a fixed size as it did with previous versions.

Right Mouse Triggers

You don’t even get this in Flash itself! Many training simulations use right mouse triggers but Flash commandeers them Flex gives you that crucial functionality back (subject to browser support).

Blend, Blur & Flare Effects

Flex publications can now use the Flare and Blend effects available in standard Creator publications, as well as the new Blur effect.

Line Styles and Caps

Flex publications can now use the custom line styles and the end caps available in standard Creator publications, including their use as border styles.

Print Action

You can now set Flash actions to print the current page and/or objects on it.

Extended Variable support

We’ve extended and improved the support for Creator System variables in Flex publications including Page Title and Publication Title.

Multiframe Support

Multiframes can now be used in Flash output

Version Targetting

Flex now allows you to publish to specific versions of Flash. Target up to v10 including Lite versions for mobile platforms.

Support for Flash Type

A huge improvement in the way text displayed in Flash files is now provided via support for FlashType with a new optional setting on the text dialog.

Improved Text Control

The new kerning functions and other text improvements are also now supported in Flash output. Combined with FlashType support the text output is our best ever.

Text Output Type

You can now specify individual pieces of text as static or dynamic to ensure text containing variables is updateable.

Direct Flash Player support

Creator now uses the Adobe Flash player directly to replay Flash movies. Keeps your Flash playback capability up to date and there’s no need for Quicktime.

FLV support

Creator now supports FLV both in Flash output and other publication types.

Shared Object support

The new Flash Shared Object can be access and used using an Actionscript template allowing much greater communication between the Flash movie and other applications or functions on the site.

Password Masking

The option to mask text input for the input of passwords is now supported in Flex publications