Dataton WATCHOUT User's Guide

A large image spanning multiple
display areas.
A smaller image with transparent
background.
All images must be produced at the proper scale to begin with, as WATCH-
OUT does not provide any scaling functions. For large background images that
are to cover several display areas, you don’t need to do anything in particular,
except to ensure that the image size is appropriate for the total area to be
covered by the image.
Smaller images can be superimposed on larger backgrounds or each other. All
images – large and small – can be made to fade in and out. In addition, small
images can be dynamically positioned, allowing them to move along a line or
path.
Although large background images often cover entire display surfaces as a
rectangle, smaller images frequently have a non-rectangular outline. For
example, you may want to make an arrow that can be moved around to point
out details on an object, as shown to the left. This can be accomplished by
means of transparent areas in the image; defining the shape of image areas or
their degree of transparency. See “Transparency” on page 61.
Text is handled in the same way as small images, and must be created and
rendered in an image editing application (eg, Adobe Illustrator). Static text can
of course be added to a background beforehand. Dynamic text, to be superimposed
on backgrounds or animated, must be saved as individual media
files. Again, the use of a transparent background ensures that the text appears
smooth on top of other images.
See “Still Images” on page 59 for more details.
56 Chapter 5: Planning