Tripod Mounting Plates

Hey everyone,

Before break Nadine mentioned at the desk that we have had a couple issues with the mounting plates that come on all of the video and photo tripods getting mixed up. Something to keep in mind when checking our tripod kits out and back in is to make sure that the number on the plates is the same as the kit that it is with. Another thing to keep an eye out for... Recently we had a student return a camera kit with the tripod mounting plate still attached to the camera. The mounting plate needs to be returned with the tripod kit, which in this case they still had checked out.

Hope everyone enjoys their break!

How Focus Works

B&H Photo Video is the store where we purchase most of our equipment here at the Center, but they also have some great resources (reviews, video, how-to, articles) on their Explora site.  I subscribe to their weekly email newsletter that features the new stuff written for Explora. This week the article on How Focus Works was really interesting, and applies to any digital camera (still/video/smartphone, etc.)  Worth a skim if the topic is interesting to you.

Hi everyone!
Recently I was working on a website and I was having a difficult time figuring out a color scheme and then someone showed me Adobe Kuler. It's a website that helps you to see different colors next to each other. It allows you to arrange analogous, monochromatic, triad, complementary, compound, shades, and custom palettes. This website is especially helpful for people using HTML or CSS because it provides the hex numbers for each color. You could use it for simpler projects just to see how colors react next to each other as well.

CD's getting stuck in Macs

Last week, I was helping a patron to read a CD. When he tried himself, both PC and Mac didn't recognize the CD. We tried a PC again and it worked fine this time, but he wanted to see if it could work on a Mac because that's what he had at home.

That's where the trouble began.

After inserting the CD and waiting 5 mins, the Mac didn't recognize it. So we tried to eject it. Emphasis on "tried". The CD was stuck regardless of how hard and fast I pressed the eject button. Since the computer didn't recognize it, the option to click on eject in the File tab was unavailable. We could hear it trying to push the CD out when we hit the button on the keyboard but for some reason it couldn't. Searching on Google, we tried various solutions.

Things that didn't work:
- Restarting the computer while holding down the eject button
- Restarting the computer while holding down the eject button and the option button
- Opening up iTunes to hit eject (CD wasn't recognized so option was faded out as well)
- Petting the back of the Mac and begging it to eject it

What did work, thankfully, was using terminal on the Mac. Terminal is the equivalent to the command prompt on a PC where you type in commands manually without using the graphical interface. After opening terminal, I typed in this command "drutil tray eject", the computer responded well and tried pushing it out longer than the other times. So I repeatedly hit the up then enter button to repeat the command. Slowly but surely the Mac was pushing the CD out a little more each time. Finally it pushed it out enough I could use my fingers to pull it out.

If there are any other options or solutions people have found, please let me know! I'm more of a PC person and any more info on Macs would be appreciated.

Adobe Prelude

Hi everyone,

As spring break is nearing, I'm sure everyone is working hard on their student worker projects! I decided to do a video this semester on the Hi-8 transfer kit, going into it I had never actually tried the transfer kit before so this whole project was just a bundle of new experiences. My first thought was to import the videos from the transfer kit into iMovie. WRONG. With a lot of help from many different workers, I found that Adobe Premiere worked best for importing videos fast and easy! Also, if you're importing videos from a video camera you might notice that Premiere doesn't accept the .CIT file type that was uploaded from the camera. Eve came to the rescue showing me how to use Adobe Prelude to convert my clips to .MTS! All you have to do is drag all of your clips in and go to File>Ingest and that's it!

Have a great spring break!

Library Hours

With the start of Spring Break, it's good to be aware of changes to the hours at the library and at the desk.  Both the desk and the library are closed on Saturday and Sunday this weekend (March 28 and 29) and next Saturday, April 4.  For Monday-Friday of Spring Break, the library and SMDC will be open from 8am-5pm.  Regular hours resume on Sunday, April 5.  It's important to know changes to the typical hours in order to answer questions patrons may ask.  For anyone working today, all items are due back by 4:29pm.  

As a refresher of regular hours, the library is normally open from 8am-2am Monday-Thursday, 8am-10pm on Friday, 9am-10pm on Saturday, and 11am-2am on Sunday.  Our desk is open from 8am-12am Monday-Thursday, 8am-8pm on Friday, 9am-8pm on Saturday, and 11am-12am on Sunday.  It's easy to forget these hours when we aren't working during closing shifts, but we need to keep them in mind when patrons ask about reserving studios or due dates for items they check out. Three-day loan items are always due back half an hour before the desk closes, and studios close an hour before the desk closes. The library hours can always be found on the library homepage by clicking the clock underneath the DELCAT search bar.

Have a nice Spring Break!

Hello everyone!

For anyone who's restarting a computer, a pop-up keeps coming up on numerous screens notifying you that the clock does not match the KeyServer, etc. I remember an IT guy coming to visit to look at as it seems to be a recurring problem, but I'm not sure if the problem is resolved as of yet. I asked Nico about the status of this problem and he said that SMDC is not sure if the problem will be fixed this semester or not. For now, you should be able to just close the box by clicking ok to accept the right time. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon, but just keep in mind that this box may come up when restarting! 

Happy Spring Break!

Shannon

Warning about the laptops!

Hello Everyone,


    Our laptops are getting old and they are freezing up. Some of the problems I personally encountered: the display automatically turning on and off, the weak battery power and worst, it freezes. After the laptop freezes, if Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn't do the job you will have to restart it. That means, if you did not save your work (like myself) you will lose it. I think we should start warning our patrons about these issues until we get new laptops atleast.

On that note, have a fantastic spring break!!

Advanced Camera Settings

For the few patrons who ask about video cameras that can shoot in a higher frame rate the advanced camera kit is the only option available that is capable of a true 60p instead of 60i. However the settings on the advanced camera kit can be very confusing to most people, patrons and staff alike, in this guide I will cover the most common setups that are used.

Most settings found in Rec/Media SET unless otherwise noted.

1. High Frame rate filming 
1. Set the switch on the rear of the camera from AUTO to MAN
2. Make sure that HD Quality is selected
3. Set Frame Rate to 60p (not 60i, got to have them progressive frames not interlaced)
4. Set shutter rate to a minimum of 60. (The higher the shutter rate the less motion blur will be present in the footage.)
1. To access the shutter rate tap on the Aperture Science capacitive electrical grid interface (touchscreen) and press the S (third option from the top).
2. Increasing shutter rate decreases the amount of light that is able to reach the sensor, so to counter this you will need to adjust the aperture to be larger to allow more light in. This is done by setting the switch on the front left of the camera to iris and then rotating the Aperture Science hollow ring manual control via applied rotational force mechanism (rotary ring thingy on the front of the camera).
2. Standard HD Recording
1. Depending on the lighting in the filming area either Auto or Manual can be used.
1. AUTO is best used if the object that you are filming is moving through varying amounts of light without a transition being used in post.
2. MAN is best used when the lighting is either constant or transitions are planned between different shots.
2. Set the Frame Rate to 24p or 60p 
1. 24p is what most movies are shot at with the benefits of the file size being smaller.
2. 60p is much smoother than 24p which allows for less motion blur, however the file size can get quite large.
3. Set the shutter rate to a minimum of 60. (See number 4 in High Frame rate filming for changing the shutter rate) 

Audio set up and configuration will be covered next time. Good luck with the advanced camera and have a great spring break!

Inserting a YouTube video into PowerPoint

Hi everybody! 

A student today came up to the desk asking for help to embed a YouTube video into her PowerPoint. This is possible and depending on which PowerPoint version you are using, step by step directions can be found here. However, a simpler alternative to insert a video into a presentation is to download the YouTube video and insert it as a .mp4 file rather than embedding the video. 

The website KeepVid.com can be used to download YouTube videos to .mp4 file formats and your preferred quality. Simply paste the url link of the desired video to begin downloading the file to your computer. Once the download is finished, open PowerPoint, click the insert tab, and then Movie/Video depending on if you're using a Mac or PC. From here you can browse your computer and select the downloaded YouTube file, which will then be added to your presentation slide!

Paper and Printing

This week I had a student tell us that she needed a poster printed. Upon further discussion with her, I soon realized that she was asking for a specific paper size and weight that we do not carry. This student said she was in a Art of Social Change class and was looking for A3 Matte paper.
A3 Matte paper is 11x17in pre-cut sturdy weight paper, a specification that is commonly required in art courses here at UD. It requires a special type of printer that we do not have here at the SMDC.

If you should come across a student looking for these specific requirements, be sure to send them to the Mac Lab on the 2nd floor of Recitation Hall. The staff there will be able to assist them.

Many non-art students taking an art course for the first time may not be aware of the complicated aspects of printing, so it's good to know how to best assist these students.

Tips for improving customer service skills

Hi everyone,

This week at the Center, I noted a few situations when good customer service skills played an important role in assisting users. It is not uncommon for the user to be feeling stressed when seeking help from the desk. In order to deescalate the users stress level (or sometimes sheer panic) and keep your cool, here are a few tips to provide users with the best customer service experience possible:

Smile! This is a no brainer, smiling provides a more positive environment for everyone. (See image below)

Communicate clearly. While you want to be thorough in finding out sufficient background information on the issue, try to be as concise as possible when communicating with the user. Technology may be confusing to some people so it is vital to relay the information clearly. Important points may get lost in a long-winded explanation, try to get at the problem in the most efficient way possible. (It will also save you time!)

Be attentive. But don't hover. It is important to pay attention to users surrounding the desk keeping an eye on people who look confused or in need of assistance. Sometimes people don't directly come to the desk for help, instead they try to solve it themselves. By looking at facial expressions and body language, you can often tell if someone needs your help.

Provide alternatives. There is probably more than one solution. Keep an open mind as you are assisting a user, if one proposed solution does not work there may be another. If you are completely stumped, ask another student assistant or employee for help! 

Be willing to learn. Every problem is a new opportunity to learn something about the Center! Its okay to not know the answer to something, you can use that experience to find out more about it by looking up the answer or asking your peers.

Just a warning for iMovie 10 users here in the center

So for those of you working with iMovie 10 on our center computers down here, there is an important detail you need to know when you are done working here. Our Macs run on Mac OS X 10.9.5 or Mavericks. The newest version of Mac OS X is Yosemite. Now, if you work on an iMovie project here and then take that project and open it up on a Mac running Yosemite, you're going to have a bad time.

You see, when you open it up on Yosemite and then try and open it back up on a Maverick machine (one of our computers) it will not allow you. The program will say that your project has projects or events that were created with a newer version of iMovie. So you will be forced to work on a Mac that has Yosemite from now on. If you are willing to do this then by all means go ahead. However, if you do not have a Yosemite mac at your disposal then I would advise you to only work on one of our machines, or another Maverick Mac.

To find out what version of Mac OS X you have just follow these steps:

1. Click on the apple logo in the upper left corner
2. Choose "About This Mac"
3. Look at the number that is displayed under "Mac OS X"
1. It should say "Version X.X.X"
4. Look at the following table to determine your version:

• 10.0 - Cheetah
• 10.1 - Puma
• 10.2 - Jaguar
• 10.3 - Panther
• 10.4 - Tiger
• 10.5 - Leopard
• 10.6 - Snow Leopard
• 10.7 - Lion
• 10.8 - Mountain Lion
• 10.9 - Mavericks
• 10.10 - Yosemite

Photoshop Alternatives for Simple Photo Editing

        A lot of us here use Adobe Photoshop to edit photos, but not everyone is extremely well versed in the software. If you just need to make the photo a little brighter or change the contrast some, then sometimes Photoshop can make it a little bit too complicated. Is there an easy solution for those of us who want to edit their pictures but don't how to use Photoshop to do it?

       There is, it's called Google Picasa. It's easy to use software that has built in organizing and editing features. All of the editing features boil down to clicking and / or using a slider bar to adjust intensity levels. It even includes filters so you can make all those photos you took look like they should be on Instagram. Below are some examples of what the program looks like.

This is the basic layout where you can view and select photos for editing

This is the photo viewing and editing screen

        It has some really great features too, like setting a photo as your desktop background with one
click. I really like this feature because sometimes when programs do this they leave an annoying black ring around the edge to compensate for the photo not being a specific size. Picasa doesn't do that, it zooms in on the photo some so that the black border dissapears. It also has an autoscan feature, so it finds and organizes all your photos for you without you doing anything, or if you don't want that you can tell it to scan only specific folders. In addition to this you can back up all of your photos online using Google's photo storage service. Even more features are included, like screen savers, etc. But to find out about all of them you'll just have to download it.

        All of this is free by the way, and very easy to get. You only need to download it here and install it and then, you can go to town editing all your photos! Enjoy!

Stat week and other matters

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

-Benjamin Disraeli, 1st earl of Baconsfield and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1874-1880)

           Often when I have looked in the mirror, I have marked my receding hairline as an indicator that I am the modern day reincarnation of the conservative former prime minister (and 1st earl of Baconsfield, which is a fantastic place to have a picnic, by the way).  However, it is not simply for the marked deficiency of hair that we share; I also find his attitude towards statistics quite congenial, and it is that most ignoble of mathematics that we will discuss here, dear friends. 

            You may have wondered why we do stat week once a month, and there is a very simple reason; we are monitoring the traffic at the desk so we can see when it is the busiest, slowest, etc. etc. This allows the Center to better schedule staff and student workers alike; this explains why I am the lone student worker here, late on a Friday shift, without the companionship of my peers. 

Being without the companionship of my peers 

is likely the reason I have been so productive today.

              In addition, dear colleagues, remember that each line you mark on the stat sheet is a justification for your own presence, your rai·son d'ê·tre, whatever that means. Without those marks, the administrators of this facility would most reasonably conclude that you, dear colleague, are a waste of resources and a blight upon this work environment. And we wouldn't want that, now would we? 

              So chin up dear friends and mark those sucka's down like your job depends on it...because it does. 

PS. Diana and Mike both accused me of marking down questions using very large marks that occupied half the given space. While I will neither confess my guilt or protest my innocence in this situation, I will say that in the future all Multimedia Student Assistants should make sure to use small marks. No Dinosaur claw lookin' chicken scratch, if you please. 

iMovie Glitches and Why They're the Thing That's Slowly Chipping Away at My Sanity and Self-Worth

I'm going to try and keep this one as impartial as I can, but as anyone who's had a shift with me can tell you, my interactions with iMovie frequently distress me.  In some weird perversion of fate, I'm becoming experienced with iMovie, despite my common and, quite honestly, glowing recommendations of Premiere Pro.  Everyone please use Premiere Pro.  Please.  It's important to me.  I know it looks complicated but so did your first bicycle, with all those spokes, gears, and pedals.  Please use Premiere, so that I can finally take my training wheels off.

A surprisingly accurate, if somewhat Dutch, analogy for the superiority of Premiere Pro.  If iMovie is walking, then Premiere is riding a bike downhill forever.  Please use Premiere

We'll start where any story that I ever put on this blog starts; a patron walks up to the desk and I thought I could help them.  You'd think that eventually I'd stop being so cocky, but so is hubris, so into Studio 3 I went.  The basic issue was the inability to capture directly to iMovie.

The first thing I did was ask them to show me.  So they did.  Then I tried it myself.  I thought I fixed it when I unchecked the "Hide Imported" box, but that turned out to be a short-lived triumph because as far as I can tell all that box controls is whether or not you want there to be a little white and blue box at the top right of your screen while you use your camera.  I'm sure there's more use for it, but for the life of me I don't know what it is.  No, the problem was deeper than that.

Just keep digging, Dillon.  The answer's down there somewhere.

Next, as any good Multimedia Student Employee does, I checked iMovie's preferences.  If you've never interacted with iMovie 10's preferences, I'll give you an exhaustive list of everything you could possibly want to sort through while you're there:

"Apply Slow Motion?"

Painfully tedious to sort through it I know.  Also this is all sarcasm.  Because as much as I like slow motion and would like to be able to use it, when I think "Program Preferences," I'm thinking audio preferences, media inputs, and exporting options, not whether or not I want to have iMovie automatically slow down my sick wheelie from when I was at the dope skate park.

You wish you were this tan and radical.

Having square one taken out from under me, I moved on to square two.  Rapid clicking and muttering.

When that (inconceivably) didn't work, I hopped my scotch over to square three, my always faithful fallback.  Adding a weird amount of steps to what should be a super simple operation, like when I helped that guy rebuild the folder hierarchy from Audacity, when I used too many words to describe a camera archive, or any time I'm in Studio 6.

If you're not confused when I'm done helping you, then I haven't really done my job.

I tried capturing in Premiere Pro and it ended up working.  It also saved the videos to the patron's hard drive as a Quicktime video.  Which I knew iMovie would be able to read, as long as it could find it on the hard drive.  If you're following me, what I recommended to the student is to capture all their videos in Premiere, saving them as a QuickTime file when the capture was done, then to import them into iMovie and do all their editing that way.  I also recommended not having both programs running at the same time, because everything would probably catch on fire.  So too many steps, and too much possibility for accidental arson.

I'm very popular at camp-outs.

Turns out that the real solution is to hit record on the actual camera, because iMovie 10 needs a timecode to capture from cameras.  I found that out because I sent an email detailing my epic journey and fifteen seconds later Nico came out from the back and told me.

Super CSS Lesson 2: WebKit, Part 2

Hello again, Nate "Treatoftheweek" Tlaseca here. Today I have another CSS lesson for you guys involving some more fun WebKit functions that will help make your website stand apart from others. Let's get started!

WebKit Filters

The filter property will allow us to alter a page element's appearance with effects such as blur, color alteration, fade, and so on. This can be useful for styling all images on a page or creating unique image and link hovers. But be aware: this WebKit function is relatively new, so not all browsers support it.

The Code

To get started, set up a basic HTML page with a div tag in the body and a style tag in the head:

<html>
<head>
<style>
</style>
</head>
<body>
  <div>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Next, we're going to insert an image link within the div we created, like so:

<html>
<head>
<style>
</style>
</head>
<body>
  <div>
    <a class="gray"><img src="http://www.pixeljoint.com/files/icons/full/mercenary_2.png" /></a>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

You can use any image url you want for the img src. Also, I gave the link tag a class of "gray" so that we can easily identify it later when we're applying styles.

Styling the Image

For this demonstration, I'm going to use the -webkit-filter: grayscale property on the image so that when my mouse is not hovering over the link, it appears as a grayscale image, but when my mouse moves over the image, it transitions in to a full color image. There are two parts to this code: one for the static image, and one for when I hover over it. This is what the first part of the code to be inserted within the style tag will look like:

.gray {

  -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);

  -webkit-transition: all 0.5s ease;

}

And here is the second part for when the mouse is hovering over the image link:

.gray:hover {

  -webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);

}

So the the image will change from 100% grayscale to 0% grayscale. I also added the -webkit-transition function in the first segment so that there is a smooth transition from grayscale to color.

The Code in Action

When we view the code all together, it should look like this:

<html>
<head>
<style>

  .gray {

    -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);

    -webkit-transition: all 0.5s ease;

  }

  .gray:hover {

    -webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);

  }
</style>

</head>
<body>
  <div>
    <a class="gray"><img src="http://www.pixeljoint.com/files/icons/full/mercenary_2.png" /></a>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Below is the outcome:

Pretty neat, right? You can read more about the filter property here. Play around with the different filters you can apply to get a sense of what you can do with this property. I'll be back next month with another coding lesson. Thanks for reading!

Remember Tape-Based Video Cameras!

We have been out of memory-based video cameras much of today including class cameras and this will happen more as we hit the peak of the semester.  Other options include DSLRs, GoPros and we also have four taped-based video cameras!  They are in the same cabinet as the memory-based ones, right side, bottom drawer.  Though many people will not want them, they do work fine (when we first opened several years ago, these were our main types of cameras).

Here are some reminders about them:

• They are digital!  They just need a digital tape, which we sell for $5.00 (or $10.00 for an HD tape, though the HD tape is not required).  The tapes record up to 60 min. at regular speed.
• The three HV40 cameras can record in HD; the Canon ZR930 does not.
• They require a firewire connection to transfer video to a computer.  So people can use them down here but many newer laptops do not have this.  (The USB cable/port with some of them only work to transfer still photos, the memory card does not record video.)
• Also our decks in studios 1-4 can be used to capture from the tape.

ScreenFlow Help

Hello everyone,

For my student advertisement project I am doing a tutorial of software that requires me to capture video directly from my monitor. I have decided to use ScreenFlow (available in Studios 3, 4 and 5) to accomplish this.

I had little knowledge of ScreenFlow so went to their company Telestream's webpage for more information. Here, I found the user manual, a PDF tutorial, as well as a list of keyboard shortcuts helpful in navigating through ScreenFlow.

The user manual  is a lengthy guide covering everything from installing the software, to recording; from editing to publishing and everything in between.

The tutorial is a much more concise and basic walk through for beginners just cracking the surface of the software. It also includes a troubleshooting section for common problems and solutions.

The list of keyboard shortcuts  I have not tried yet because the only version of this PDF is for the latest version (We have version 3, the current is 5). I am going to test out some of these shortcuts in Studio 4 today, as I imagine that most of them were functional in version 3.

Thanks and if anyone has more information about ScreenFlow or knowledge of the keyboard shortcuts please comment!

Overdue Fines

Recently, I have heard a lot of questions about how much is charged when an item is overdue. It all depends on the item! We now have a handy sign at the front desk with the information:

If the item is "Library Use Only," there is a $1.00 per HOUR fine. This includes very common items such as headphones or chargers.

If the item is "3-Day Loan," there is a $15.00 per DAY fine. This includes things such as tripods, video and still cameras, projectors, or VGA cables.

The laptop is a special circumstance. Since it is a 4-hour line, the fine is per hour, but due to its expense, the fine is the same as a 3-Day loan. Therefore, it is $15.00 per HOUR.

If an item is missing a part upon return, there is no standard replacement charge for the piece. It depends on the item.

Hopefully this will help clarify some common questions you might have!

No Sound on Windows Movie Maker

Hey guys.

So this problem didn't happen with my patron, it technically happened with Jason's, but I was there and he wrote two blog posts already this month... so here we are!

The patron came to the desk with MTS video files and no sound. She did not import the files from the camera, simply dragging them onto her computer, and was at a loss on what to do.

Jason thought the problem might be importing -- but after completing that task, there was still no sound.

He eventually imported the videos to iMovie and that did the trick.

But while this was occurring, Nadine and I were trying to Google other ways to fix the problem. We stumbled on a video about no sound in Media Player or Movie Maker on Windows 8. Apparently this is a common problem for this particular operating system!

The guy in the video explained his method to getting sound.
    1. Right click on the Start Menu
    2. Click 'Computer Management'
    3. Select 'Service and Applications'
    4. Click on 'Services'
    5. Scroll down and select 'Windows Audio'
    6. Finally, click 'Start the Service'

Because Jason masterfully rectified the situation, we didn't get to try this solution so we're not completely sure it would work. But if a patron comes in with this problem, give it a try and see!

Have a great rest of the week!

-Nicole

ReflecMedia Screen

Happy Monday!

And speaking of grievances, if you've ever had to put up or take down the green screen you know just how much of a struggle and pain in the butt it is (not unlike waking up on Monday mornings). So if a student asks to use the green screen, suggest the ReflecMedia screen instead.

The ChromaFlex screen is simpler in set up because you just pop it out of the bag, unfold it, and lean it against the wall or chair in the studios. The kit comes with two sets of LiteRings that attaches to the camera lens; one set reflects blue light and the other green which the student can choose based off the color of their clothing.

Green LiteRing: Don't look directly at the light; may cause hypnotization and you'll be forever enslaved by the Glow Lord.

The ReflecMedia kit is for in Library-use only and does not need to be checked out. When the user is done, grab each end of the screen and fold it in a figure eight motion. There are directions in the bag as well.

ReflecMedia Screen: the green screen's better but lesser known, little brother. 

Changing the Sound Output in Sibelius 7.5

    Hello again everyone! I hope you are all having a beautiful time in this so-much-better-than-last-week weather.

    Tuesday marked an interesting day for me as I was trying to assist a patron in getting sound to come through the speakers located in studio three. For some reason it was only coming out of the computer's actual speakers, and as any of us would suspect, I thought it was because the program this patron was using had its sound set to go through the wrong output. In the long run, I was right, but man oh man was it a long run.

    To give you guys some background the program this particular patron was using was Sibelius 7.5, a program I had never heard of before. It is, according to its website, "The fastest, smartest, easiest way to write and share music"...

    As long as you don't have to change any outputs, but that's besides the point.

    So I'm trying to find where I can reset the audio output, going to the program's preferences (the system preferences were fine, a YouTube video played back through the correct speakers. I'd also checked the cart to see if it was set to computer, all those little things), which brought up a nice long list, none of which were the outputs. There was a tab called "playback" but that had nothing to do with anything speaker related.

    That is when I left the studio and Googled what to do, which brought me to this page on Sibelius' actual website. I brought this information to the patron and still couldn't figure it out. Why? Because the information on this page is for versions below what we have on our computers (7.5). There is no "playback devices" under the tab play, at least, not one prominently marked. They have consolidated it into a small button (seen below).

I found this picture on this page on Sibelius' own website, again, after much digging (if you click the drop down arrow for step 3 and then right click on (Where?) and tell it to open in a new tab, there it is, the majestic unicorn of Sibelius buttons) as well as after I had already helped the patron.

After you have navigated to this button and clicked it, you have to click on the button Audio Engine Options at the bottom left of the window.

^Right there                                        

And you'll finally find something familiar, a box that allows you to change the outputs!

    So there it is fellow workers, a record of how to change the audio output in Sibelius 7.5, hope it helps! Also, if your interest is piqued by the program itself, I found this old post about Sibelius on our very own blog. Happy perusing!

Note About the Portable Power Kits

Hello everyone! As you may or may not know (you'd know if you read my blog post last week), we have some new portable power kits. These are like portable charging stations you can borrow for 4 hours at a time to charge laptops, phones, ipods and such. So as far as returning these kits make sure they go through the electronic checklist. The kit should contain:

• 1x Portable Power Pack
• 1x Micro-USB cable
• 1x Lightning bolt cable

We must also remember that since this essentially just a large battery, they need to be charged upon check-in. There are 2 plugs on the left side of the battery rack that look like PC laptop charging cables. These cables can be plugged into the sides of the power pack to charge. To tell if the pack needs to be charged, simply plug it in and you should see 4 blue lights appear next to the On/Off button. If any of these lights are empty or blinking, then the power kit is not at full charge. Once the kit is done charging pack the kit back up and put it in the draw that also has the PC and Mac charging cables, on the left hand side of the desk.

Installing custom fonts on Windows

Hey everybody,

A few patrons have come to the desk recently asking for some help installing a custom font package onto whichever Windows computer they are using. So normally this wouldn't be a big deal, except for the fact that Windows 7 gives a a rather ineffective error message when you try to do the install on one of our machines.

Exhibit A: The suspect error message; Don't believe its lies...

As you can see, Windows returns an error message saying that the custom font you are trying to install is not a valid font. That being said, the font is actually a valid font, so what gives?

The solution is simple, if someone asks to install a custom font on one of our machines then you need to go to that person's machine and install the font using the administrator account. Windows 7 doesn't allow users to install custom fonts if they aren't logged into an admin account, which is probably a good thing. 

The problem is that instead of displaying a message that says "You need to be an admin," you get a message that almost makes it seem like there is something wrong with your custom font. So if anyone isn't happy with the 1,210,314 fonts that seem to already be installed, now you know how to install more for them!

Apogee MiC!!

Hello everyone!!


     Whenever you are recommending a microphone kit to the patrons don't forget about our trendy new trinket, the Apogee MiC.

  Apogee kit comes with a microphone, tripod, and 3 different cables.  The cool feature: it can connect directly into your iPhone/iPad (old versions and the new version) and to your camera. I definitely recommend checking it out!!

For more information, please read: http://www.recordingmag.com/productreviews/2014/05/88.html

Thank you!

Hi fellow Student Workers,

I have recently learned how to make GIFs and I think it’s a really fun way to add some flare to blog posts or websites. There are a couple ways to make GIFs but I’m going to walk you through the process on Photoshop.

1. Have an idea (Honestly the hardest part of the process)
2. Layout what your finished product should look like in one document. It's like making a flip book. Make sure all of the animated pieces are in separate layers.

3) Create a new folder on the Desktop

4) Save each step of the animation as a different JPEG (TIFFS work too). Make sure to save the JPEGs in sequential numerical order. Example)

5) Go to “Open As” under Files and choose your folder. Select your last image in the animation and then check the “Image Sequence” box and open.

6) This will pop up. This is how you control the speed of your gif. Fps stands for “Frames   Per Second” The smaller the number the faster the GIF. I set mine for 3fps.

7) Once the file is open, This will pop up on the bottom of the workspace. Press space to see your GIF playthrough. This is what your GIF will look like.

 8) Now go to File and choose “Save for Web”

9) In “Save for Web” change the looping to forever and hit Save.

10) And now you have a GIF!

11) Show your friends and bask in their admiration.

Hi guys
So recently I learned of a way to download fonts for free rather than purchasing font packs. Fonts.com has a program where you can email the company from your student email (once you make an account with fonts.com) and they will waive the fees for you. Font packages are extremely expensive, so I think this is a really great resource for anyone that is interested in obtaining new fonts on their computer. I know different programs have different/not updated fonts, so this is a good way to access all of the fonts you need or want.