Basic Projectors:

filename.exe - a Projector (yes, it is an application file, an executable file)

A Projector:

• is a self-running Director file that does not require Director to run

• is not editable, so keep copies of your original .dir and .cst files!
  If the projector has a problem in it, you have to throw out projector, fix the editable versions of your files and resave them, then use them to create new projector, and test it again...

• if made on Mac, runs only on Mac. If made on PC, runs only on PC. Therefore, for cross-platform CDs to work, you need both a Mac and a PC projector.
  Even within Macs and PCs, it can sometimes be somewhat platform specific (meaning, in Director MX there is a choice to make between a MacOSX projector and a Classic MacOS (9 and lower) projector; and in Windows Director 8, for instance, it gives you a choice between a 3.1 compatible projector and one for later Windows versions).

Basic Steps to making a Basic Projector movie:

1. make sure you are finished your director movie(s)/casts, then save them
   
   
2. check through the cast member types of each movie, and add the appropriate Xtras to each Director movie for the cast members and other things that it uses that will be influenced by Xtras
   See the Basic Xtras: section below for how to do this!
   
   
3. In Director, choose File > Create Projector
   
   
4. In the Create Projector window, find your movie(s) in the left window, hilight one, and select the ADD button to add it to the list of what's going to be in the projector in the right window.
   Continue ADDing movies/casts until all desired files are in the right hand list.
   
   
5. Make sure the movie that is supposed to play first is at the top of the list. If it is not, you can select it and then move it up or down with the MOVE UP and MOVE DOWN buttons on the bottom right of the Create Projector window.
   
   
6. Choose the OPTIONS button.
   
   
7. in the Projector Options window that opens, go through and adjust settings accordingly:
   
   
   • Play Every Movie
     - not necessary, unless you are adding multiple movies into the projector AND none of the movies have Lingo in them to navigate between the movies

   • Animate in Background
     - if not checked, and if your Projector is not full screen, the movie will stop still if the user clicks away from the stage, and it will start up again if the user clicks back
     - often it is good to have this checked

   • Full Screen:
     - if checked, will hide any part of the screen not covered by the stage using the stage colour

   • Show Title Bar:
     - if checked, will put a title bar across the top of your stage

   • Stage Size:
     - should usually be Use Movie Settings, not Match First Movie

   • Center:
     - if checked, will center the projector stage on the screen at any resolution large enough to display the entire stage

   • Reset Monitor to Match Movie's Colour Depth:
     - please DO NOT check!

8. click OK in the Projector Options window
   
   
9. choose Create in the Create Projector window
   
   
10. Director will ask you to choose a name and where to save your projector file. The filename extension for projectors is .exe
    
    
11. Once you have saved the Projector, test it by quitting Director and then running the projector.

Basic Xtras:

Also, network lingo, cursor lingo, FileIO lingo (saving text in an external text file), and some other scripting also requires certain Xtras in order to work properly in a Projector.

Modify > Movie > Xtras

1. the window that opens lists all the Xtras Director has currently put into your .dir movie

2. click Add button to open the window to let you add more Xtras to your movie

3. Select an Xtra in the list that says something about, for example, animated gifs (if you have gif or animated gif cast members)

4. click OK

5. the Xtra you choose to add should show up in the original list of Xtras in the .dir movie

6. Repeat steps 2-5 until all Xtras that say something about animated gifs have been added

7. Once you have what you feel is a complete list of needed Xtras, select each Xtra one by one, and make sure there is a check beside Include in Projector

8. ...it may also be beneficial to select each Xtra one by one, and put a check beside Download If Needed (which may require Director to go online and download something).

9. Once you have done that for each Xtra in the list, click OK in the Xtras window

10. Now save the movie!

11. (Re)-Create the Projector - this copy of it should contain required Xtras and be ok, BUT you can't be absolutely sure until you test it all the way through on a few computers!

Quick List of Some Additional Considerations:

• Reference books - big reference books like Director 8 Demystified have more information about professional projector distribution and preparation

• Multiple movies:
  
  1. the "add everything approach" - a simple Projector
     
  2. the "add the first movie and protect the others" approach
     
  3. the "stub file" approach (plus PC/Mac projector file re-use for efficiency)

• Xtras
  
  • make sure to add the appropriate Xtras into movies before making Projectors
    
    
  • if you are NOT creating a simple Projector with all files (multiple movies and casts) added into it like number 1 in Multiple Movies immediately above, but you ARE doing number 2 or 3 above, then put all possible Xtras for all movies/casts in the project into the first movie (the one that is being made into the Projector)
    
    
  • reference - there are tips on slightly more advanced useage in reference books, or you can look into entire books on the subject if you wish
    
    
  • mac/pc - there are slight differences in names/functions of Xtras, so be prepared for some differences when making a projector on the other platform