The 4 videos and info below show you how to use the composer, eevo’s tool for creating interactions between your assets. The first video lays out some of the basics of the composer, the second shows you how to use the preview editor, the third how to edit video interactions, and the forth how to edit audio interactions.
Basics of The Composer
This video should give you a good understanding of the some of basics of the composer. You can also read the following to refresh yourself.
Terminology used to discuss parts of the composer
Composer: eevo’s online tool for creating interactions in your 360 video and spatial or non spatial audio content.
Canvas: The area in the composer in which nodes can be created and connected.
Minimap: A navigation method which allows you to drag across a virtual representation of the canvas.
Video Tray: The location where you can upload and store video 360 video files.
Audio Tray: The location where you can upload and store audio files.
Saving: Saving the current version of what you have created on the canvas.
Staging: Making your current version of what you have created on the canvas accessible to an authenticated eevo application.
Node: A containment structure for one video file, along with a timeline.
Timeline: the location where you can add exit flags and audio below each node.
Exit flag: the location on a timeline where one node can transition to another node based on time and hotspots.
Hotspot: The location within a 360 video that starts an interaction with either another node or an audio file.
Audio: The location on a timeline where one audio file exists and can start playing based on time and hotspots.
Preview editor: A tool for seeing where your hotspots and audio files are being placed.
Editing a Node
Every node in a project can be edited by double clicking the thumbnail area of the individual node. Once the node's menu opens, you'll have the option to change 5 things.
1. Node Name. The first box on the top left in the node's menu. This is where you can type a new name for your node. This is helpful for later when you're looking at data and want to know which node is which.
2. Show Reticle. This adds a reticle for a viewer to see when in the individual node. Adding a reticle will add a white dot into the scene directly into the center of where the viewer's device is pointing. It can help them figure out where they are focusing so they can select hotspots.
3. Volume. This controls the volume of the audio uploaded with the 360 video file selected in the node, not the volume of any audio on the node's timeline.
4. Preview Image. This will allow you to select the thumbnail that shows up for the node on the canvas.
5. Select an Asset. This is where you can choose the 360 video that will fill the node.
The Preview Editor
The preview editor allows you to control all of the interactions you create for both video and audio in one place. Check out the following video to learn how to start using it.
Preview Editor Summary:
When you’ve added a node to the canvas, and have created either an exit flag or audio on the timeline, you can start using the preview editor to adjust the details of that item. The preview editor shows you all the assets on your timeline and lets you edit them in one place.
Opening The Preview Editor:
- Control or right clicking a node timeline and pressing open preview editor.
- Double clicking the thumbnail section of a node, then pressing open preview editor.
- Control or right clicking a node thumbnail and selecting open preview editor.
Navigating the preview editor:
Drag around the 360 video using your mouse.
Time Range:
The Editor has a Time Range at its bottom, this will show you all the exit flags or audio that exist during that selected time in the node. This way you can see how multiple hotspots and audio files are placed in the scene and how they will playback for users. You can drag the handles at the end of the time range to change what’s viewable.
Preview Editor Menu:
The Preview Editor has a menu at the top left where you can select the exit flag or audio you’re working on. When you select a choice from the top drop down menu, the submenu below it will adapt. Whether you have created a exit flag or audio, you’ll be presented with the option to adjust a few things:
Start time: The time in your content when a exit flag or audio file either begins playing, or becomes accessible to play by a user.
Time Based: Time based is the first option for an exit flag or audio. Selecting this option will make your exit flag or audio start for a user. If it’s an exit flag, it will transfer to the next node, if it’s audio, it will begin to play.
Hotspot: A hotspot is the location in the scene where a viewer of your content will need to look to load a new node or audio file.
Advanced Hotspot: Extra layers of interactions for an audio hotspot, such as audio playing when a viewer looks at a location, but not when they look away.
Hotspot Navigation:
When you’ve selected a hotspot or advanced hotspot in the preview editor, the menu below it will change, revealing options for adjusting its location. The hotspot will also appear on your 360 video in a starting location. To adjust the location, you’ll need to move the hotspot in 3 directions, on the X, Y, and Z axis. To do this, you can:
- Manually edit the numbers on the left hand menu until you find the correct location, along with use height and width to finely tune the hotspots location.
- Drag the hotspot across your content using the blue red and green arrows to adjust it on the X, Y, and Z axis. The red arrow controls the X axis, the green the Y axis, and blue the Z axis. To control 2 axis’s at once, you can click into the box / zone created between two axis, and drag. The turquoise box controls the Z and Y, the red box controls the Z and X, and the yellow box controls the X and Y.
Now that you can use the preview editor to edit connected videos, add hotspots, and move those hotspots. The next step is fine tuning the interactions between your nodes or with your audio files. Check out the next section Advanced Options to learn more.
Advanced Options For Exit Flags
When you’ve connected two nodes using exit flags, you can edit the settings for that connection.
Opening the advanced option menu:
- When in the preview editor, look at the left hand menu to find Advanced Options at bottom left.
- When on the main composer page, control or right click an exit flag or audio, and select edit.
Advanced Options Menu:
Start Time: The time in your content when a exit flag or audio file either begins playing, or becomes accessible to play by a user.
Name: Allows you to change the name of your exit flag so you can track it in your project and data
Next Node: The name of the node the exit flag is currently connected to. This is the next 360 video that will load. You can select the node the exit flag is currently on in order to have the node self loop.
Start Time In Next Node: The time that your next node will begin to play when you leave the first.
Start Time In Next Node, Now: Allows the viewer to enter a new node at the exact same time they left the first one, great for interactive concerts.
Trigger Type: The type of interaction a viewer will complete to load your exit flag, whether time based, or hotspot based.
Lifespan: The amount of time a hotspot will be available on the timeline for a viewer to look at and load.
Charge Time: The amount of time a viewer will need to look at a hotspot to load the next node.
Visual Cue: An expanding blue circle in the scene for the viewer that shows them they are loading a hotspot. Hotspots are invisible in the scene otherwise.
Next will be editing the Advance Options for Audio.
Advance Options for Audio
When you have audio on the timeline of a node, you can begin to edit that audio.
Opening the advanced option menu:
- When in the preview editor, look at the left hand menu to find Advanced Options at bottom left.
- When on the main composer page, control or right click an exit flag or audio, and select edit.
Advanced Options menu:
Start Time: The time in your content when a exit flag or audio file either begins playing, or becomes accessible to play by a user.
Name: Allows you to change the name of your Audio so you can track it in your project and data
Audio Type: The desired playback for your audio file. Whether Standard, Point, Ambisonic B-Format, or EPP. To be covered in the next section.
Volume: The percent volume this audio file should play back at.
Select An Asset: Choose what audio file you have uploaded that you want to play. Once selected, you can pick between any versions you have previously uploaded.
Duration: The amount of time you want your audio file to play in the scene.
Audio Transition: How you want your audio file to come into and leave the scene using fade in and out.
Trigger Type: The type of interaction a viewer will complete to load your Audio, whether time based, hotspot, or advanced hotspot.
Charge Time: The amount of time a viewer will need to look at a hotspot to load the next node.
Visual Cue: An expanding blue circle in the scene for the viewer that shows them they are loading a hotspot. Hotspots are invisible in the scene otherwise.
Advanced Hotspot: A hotspot with extra options for interactions including Volume Only, Stop on Gaze Out, and Times Triggerable.
Volume Only: Adds the option on playback where an audio file will only be heard by a viewer while they actively look at that hotspot. When they look away, the content continues, but can’t be heard until they look back.
Stop on Gaze Out: Adds the option on playback where an audio file will only be heard by a viewer while they actively look at that hotspot. When they look away from the hotspot, the content restarts, and will start playing from the beginning when the look back.
Times Triggerable: The amount of times a viewer can look at a hotspot and have it play the audio file. 0 in this case represents infinite.
That covers how to edit Advanced Options for Audio.
Check out the next section Audio Types to to learn more.
Audio Types
When you select an audio type, you’ll have the option for Standard, EPP, Ambisonoics, and Point. Each of these will play back your uploaded audio differently.
Standard: results in 2D audio with no positional effects.
Point: creates positional audio that is played at a point in 3D space (values are in meters, 1 = 1 meter).
You can use the point audio option to easily add spatial audio to your content even if you only have mono and stereo audio tracks. It's placed the same way as hotspots on the X,Y, and Z axis.
EPP (Equal Power Panning): places audio within a 360° of the user. The rotation is in counterclockwise position. i.e. 90° = to the left.
Ambisonics B-Format: this option allows you to add any audio recorded using the Ambisonics B-Format, which is a full sphere surround sound technique. eevo only accepts 1st order ambisonics and the system expects ACN channel ordering and SN3D normalization.
That's all for this article. Check out the next article, Publishing and Analytics.
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