[Bf-education] Xical and Good News for BF Education!

[Rui Campos]

Hi Josh,


Flash itself doesn't allow direct video integration, its not a Xical
specific problem, its a flash specific one.
Yet you can encode any video with Macromedia Flash MX and MX 2004, if
you have linux you have a tool called avi2swf that does the same for
you, I have already used it for some tests.
I think this can easially be bypassed.

On the XML file being susceptible to errors, you have a point there, the
only way is to create an xsl to validate the xml file. I guess this
should have been created from the start.

Yet, if you can find a better alternative that can be as interactive as
Xical, it will be another option. If it is also Open Source, the better.


Great news indeed that you got fundings.


Best Regards,

	Rui Campos


On Thu, 2005-03-10 at 11:15 -0600, jseaver at smm.org wrote:
> Rui and all,
> I know that it's been suggested Xical as a (perhaps not THE) 
> delivery platform. I downloaded yesterday and tried it out.
> 
> Perhaps I didn't look into it too closely, but it seems like there
> is no video integration other than having to encode video in the 
> Flash specific flv format. Am I incorrect?
> 
> The other thing I found (and is known by the developers) with Xical 
> is that it's VERY sensitive and 
> unforgiving about xml errors ( that is, one small mistake and you 
> have NO presentation) , which I found very frustrating and I'm sure 
> others would too.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great start for web based 
> presentations, I just wonder if others have tried it and are 
> confident it will fit our needs.
> 
> BTW, I have just learned that our department at the science 
> museum has just been funded (a small amount, around $40k USD) 
> for year long pilot for a new game making program in which we 
> will use Blender as one of the three tools to make games. We will 
> be creating a website with tutorials for the students and teachers, 
> so this is a great oportunity (since we have funding) to help the BF 
> make and test some introductory 3D tutorials. 
> 
> Josh
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Bf-education mailing list
> Bf-education at blender.org
> http://projects.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-education
>