Tech Tips
- The quickest way to get a project started with Producer is to use the "New Presentation Wizard" (in the "File" menu) to choose a template, input presentation information and import your media.
- You will probably find it easiest to create a PowerPoint presentation containing all the text you would like to use before you begin working on your Producer project. You can always edit the text from Producer later on.
- You can use the "Normalize Audio" command in the "Tools" menu to quickly match the volumes of your audio tracks. This is particularly useful when you are combining audio from multiple sources.
- Different templates are suitable for different combinations of media. Make sure that the layout you choose will adequately support your needs.
- You can add dynamic changes to the page layout during your presentation by going to the "Media" tab near the top of the window, clicking on "Presentation Templates" (under "Project files"), and then dragging one of the templates from the right panel to the "template" layer of the timeline at the bottom of the screen.
- Microsoft has included a number of wizards to help simplify frequent tasks. They are located in the upper right corner of your toolbar (just under the menubar, near the top of the window).
- Capture Wizard: Import video, audio, and stills directly into Producer.
- Synchronize Wizard: Easily synchronize the order and timing of your media.
- Publish Wizard: Export your finished project to a variety of locations.
- Advanced: You can customize your Producer templates by using web-standard CSS code.
- The easiest way to create a new template is by copying an old one and modifying it.
- Producer's templates can be found in your "Program Files" directory, as "Microsoft Producer\1033\Templates\"
- Make a copy of the folder containing the template that is most like the template you want to create, then you can safely modify the CSS code and graphics in the copied directory and rename it whatever you want.
- Webmonkey has a great CSS tutorial, available online for free.
