Additions in Version 9.5
Embed Images
You can now embed your images directly into your HTML5 publication using 64-bit encoding. This will help protect your copyright material but will increase the size of the HTML and the time it takes to download.
The option is provided in the HTML5 Publish Settings.
Disable Right Click
This option allows you to disable the right click on yout HTML5 publication which again will help discourage people from copying your copyright material.
Again, the option is provided in the HTML5 Publish Settings as Disable Right Clcik.
Javascript Action
The Programming tab now allows you to run a Javascript action in any HTML5 publication. Simply type the javascript you want to run in the edit box provided.
HTML Object
You can embed HTML into your Opus HTML5 publication by creating an HTML object (on the Browser tool flyout) and then typing or pasting your HTML code into the edit box provided.
This allows you to embed other HTML elements. Any such HTML will be displayed in the DIV which Opus creates for the HTML object you created and you must therefore ensure the frame is the correct size for whatever you are going to display using the HTML.
HTML Header
Information can be added to the HTML header for HTML5 publications via the Publish Settings.
SWF Support in HTML5
You can embed Flash SWF files in HTML5 publications
Questions Update
We have updated, extended and improved the Question templates, including the addition of customer feedback temaptates and more quiz-style pages.
Resources Update
We have updated a number of resources and components.
Improvements in Version 9
HTML5 Export
HTML5 export allows you to create material to the very latest web standard suitable for all borwsers which support HTML5 including iPad, Android as well as Mac and PC.
Web Font Manager
Most websites are stuck with a basic set of fonts but not when using Opus. 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.
Android Packager
Allows you to package up your HTML5 content into an Android app for distribution to Android users without the need for a browser. (Note this is a distribution mechanism for HTML5 material which does not require a browser - it is not an Android Publish option and does not create a native Android app).
Border Sides Settings
Now apply your chosen border to one or more sides of the object – great for using rounded corners at the top or bottom of an object to create tabs.
Quick Crop tool
You can now crop oversize images simply by using the new Crop tool to select the area you want to use and the object will be filled with that part of the image.
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.
Embed Launched Document
You can now embed a launched document into your published EXE instead of distributing the file separately.
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.
Radio Buttons & Checkboxes
Three designs of radio buttons and three designs of checkboxes are now provided on the Button Tool toolbar flyout.
Radio Button Scope
The scope of radio button groups is now global to allow radio buttons to be grouped even when on different frames or pages (including Master pages). This does mean we recommend that radio groups on different pages should now have different indexes or they may interfere with previous or subsequent group settings. If you only visit the page once it isn’t important.
However, this is particularly important for questions where you wish to allow the user to go back to questions already answered.
Radio buttons are now automatically connected to the relevant variables RADIO_GROUP_1_ID etc so you will also need to reset those variables if restarting a quiz (or use the Reset All Variables).
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 transistions 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.
Resize Mode
A new resize mode allows you to rescale groups of objects easily – even the font is rescaled.
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.
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.
Improvements in Version 7
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. Opus Pro will then create the frames in between. You set an object’s position, colour, rotation and transforms at two or more keyframes and Opus Pro 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.
Node Tweening
The tween function also includes support for node 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.
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.
Blur Effect
Apply a blur to an object with control of horizontal and vertical strength and quality.
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.
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 Opus Pro scoring variables making it much easier for a student to revise a question they have already taken.
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 Opus Pro 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.
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.
Direct Flash Player support
Opus Pro 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
Opus Pro now supports FLV both in Flash output and other publication types.
Border Line Styles
The Opus Pro 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 Opus Pro 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.