realproducer

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Using the Real Producer

The Real Producer can be used for recording or converting real media files and for generating control panels that can be embedded into html documents for playing streaming media on the web

Operating the Real Producer

When you start the Real Producer, it will take you to a New Session screen. You can use this screen to prepare to make a real media file, either by recording one from scratch, or by converting one from another media file format. You then go to what I call the Recording and Publishing screen, where you actually start the recording and prepare the embedded player which appears in your web document and plays your real media file.

New Session

The New Session screen is used to identify the input and output parameters for the material you will record in the Recording and Publishing screen (where you start the actual recording and set up a web player for it). If you already have a real media file, then cancel the New Session and go directly to the Recording and Publishing screen.

Input Source

Output - Choose whether to output to a file or to broadcast live. Use Save As to specify the name and location of the file you are creating.

Click Media Device if you will record from a mic or capture card. Select Audio, Video, or both

Choose File if you are converting from another format to real media

When done, click OK
or Cancel to skip this screen and go directly to the Recording and Publishing screen

Recording and Publishing

This interface has two functions. On the left, you start the actual recording, whether you are recording through a microphone or simply setting in motion a file conversion. On the right, you create the player that will appear in your web document.

If you selected to input from a file, the first frame in that file will appear in the Input Source window below in preparation for conversion when you click Start
If you are recording from a mic, then the Audio Level will display a recording level meter when you click Start

Clip Information - Put here any information you want to appear in the player while the media file is being played by the consumer.	Target Audience, Audio Format, Video Quality, File Type - leave on default, or set as appropriate
Recording Controls - Click Start to begin recording and Stop to turn off the recorder. Play becomes active after recording and allows playback of what's been recorded.	Web Publishing - Create Web Page makes the player which you can embed in your own web pages. Publish and E-mail are better done through normal FTP and file attachment applications.

It is best to use the Create Web Page wizard only once, to generate the kind of player you want embedded in your web pages, and afterwards fiddle with the html code to get the web document to locate the real media file and play it. This is because the wizard is not all that clever, and tends to mismanage where your real media files are. Although it looks complicated to figure out how to work at code level, it's worth the effort, as it's less aggravating to do it this way than to try and second guess the wizard each time.

HOW TO PUT THE REAL PLAYER IN YOUR WEB PAGES
WITHOUT USING THE PRODUCER EACH TIME

First time, do this ...

Using the Real Producer, generate an html page for the kind of real media file you are working with (differs slightly from audio to video, and depending on kind of player interface you prefer).

Forever thereafter, unless you need a different kind of player, do only this ...

Go to the html source created by the producer and cut everything between <object and /object> and paste it into the html document you want the player to appear in. This code constitutes your player, and you can use it over and over again with one small change in 2 places.
In the player source code, there are two references to rpm files. Change both to the name of your ra or rm file (so if your rm file is xxx.rm, make the reference to xxx.rpm - Now create a xxx.rpm file (or whatever name) in notepad with a single line of text pointing to the location of your rm file. If the rm file is to be linked, write in the url. If the rm file is on the local server, and if it's in the same directory as the html document and rpm files, then in the rpm file, write the line 'file:xxx.rm' (no quotes) and save the file.

To recap, you have 3 files, possibly all in one directory:

an html document with player code pasted in, and with links to your rpm file indicated in two places.
an rpm file with a pointer to your rm file; e.g. either http://www.xxx.com/xxx.rma or file:xxx.rm
And the rm file itself, most conveniently in the same folder or at the indicated url

AN EXAMPLE

Here is code produced by the producer. The player generated here is for audio and video (if you anticipate using audio only, you might prefer a player without the video screen). The two items that were changed are high-lighted, and the other players require identical changes. Click here to see the player produced.

</OBJECT></P>

</OBJECT>

</center>

Click here to see the player produced.

Some caveats ...

The Real Producer you download is not backward compatible to Real Audio 5.0, so you might have to pay $30 for a backward compatible producer.
I find when I upload to a host server on the web the files: line doesn't work even if all three files are in the same folder, but the correct url in the rpm file does.
The producer likes to generate rpm file with absolute pathways for your rm files, which creates problems for developers (who think their player html is working after upload on the web without realizing the rpm file on the web is pointing to the file at the location on the developer's machine). So after using the producer to generate code for the player you want, it's best to fiddle the code after that.
Finally, to center your player, change the coding coding generated by the Producer to <center><object ... /object></center>

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For comments, suggestions, or further information on this page, contact Vance Stevens, page author and webmaster.

Using the Real Producer

Operating the Real Producer

New Session

Recording and Publishing

Last updated: July 7, 1999