Zionworx

We use OpenOffice.org at church as it's free open source software, rather than paying for Microsoft Office. What would be really good is to have the PowerPoint functionality for OpenOffice.org's presentation program. Is this possible in a future version?

Nick

Open office has a powerpoint-like component called Impress. There is no dual display support in Impress (although it's likely to come soon for Linux). Once Impress supports multiple displays I'm sure Christian would consider it (although to be honest the Open source software to cover most of Zionworx existing functionality is already available through LDS - the Lyrc Display system). What we really need is a group to take these existing components and weave them together. Forming a cross platform standard for song management through a quality Opensource Database like MySQL. Then organisations like Zionworx could author the front end/ user interface components allowing us to do song words from any system irrespective of whether it is a MAC a M$ery or a Linux PC.

But the chances of that happening are remote since nobody has the vision to make it happen (we must use microsft-itus reigns). Our best bet maybe the Asian churches since their governments are embrasing open source and Linux. How's your mandarin?

Keep praying.

Diceman

Now that Open Office is at version 2.4 it supports multiple monitors. Here's what the Help file for Impress says:

Multiple Monitors
By default the primary monitor is used for slide show mode. If the current desktop is displayed on more than one monitor, you can select which monitor to use for full screen slide show mode. If the current desktop spans only one monitor, or if the multi monitor feature is not supported on the current system, you cannot select another monitor.

Presentation Monitor
Select a monitor to use for full screen slide show mode.
If the system allows to span a window over all available monitors, you can also select "All monitors". In this case the presentation spans over all available monitors.

Dennis Pepler

I am an avid user of Open Source Software (OSS) and so try assist cross collaboration between various projects. One way is watching queries and requests in other projects regarding OSS and then tracking the progress to see if it can or has been resolved.

With "Extensions" being facilitated in OpenOffice and thus Impress it has possibly opened a door for easier implementation of Impress into ZionWorx.

The extension "Sun Presenter Console" http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/presenter-screen (albeit only for OOo3) is one of them I believe will be the key for us.

The related "Presenter Screen" project page http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Presenter_Screen has added some pretty helpful documentation as well that describes ...
... how it is implemented (http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Presenter_Screen/Implementation)
... how to develop new UI (http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Presenter_Screen/How_To_Add_a_New_UI_Control)

It may be that the UI can be embedded and added as a TAB in ZW (Activated or deactivated as is the one for PowerPoint) and then you can run OOo Impress from the same ZionWorx interface.

Hope it is helpful.

Alistair

As a relatively new user of Zionworx, I have tried combining it with Impress presentations and now have reached a set up which is pretty straightforward to use. This became possible when Zionworx was updated to allow it to be minimised. I am using Open Office 2.4.1.
To project Zionworx our computer graphics display needs to be set in "Extended Mode". At first I used Impress in "Cloned Mode" (The projector screen showing the same as the computer display). But changing from one mode to the other during a service was quite slow.
Now I set the computer in Extended Mode throughout. I changed the computer display background to a plain, fairly dark, colour. For most services we need two Impress presentations. When the computer is switched on I load each presentation (separately) and minimise them. Zionworx is loaded, the service list opened and the first song selected. It is then minimised.
When an Impress presentation is maximised the computer shows the usual display, but the projector projects the background colour only. When "slide show" is selected the first slide appears on the projector screen. Pressing the space bar puts up the next slide but the computer display does not change. As there is no indication on the computer of change, it is important for the operator to be able to see the projection screen. At the end of the slides Esc is pressed and the Impress presentation can be minimised. Zionworx can be maximised and go quickly into the song.
It is most important to press Esc before minimising Impress, if it isn't, the last projected slide remains on the screen. (To get rid of it, maximise the Presentation, click "windows" at the top of the screen. In the drop down box the name of the presentation is shown twice, one with a bullet. Highlight the one without the bullet and press Ctr+W.) It follows that an Impress presentation cannot be restarted, after minimisation, except from the beginning, unlike Zionworx. To resume from part way through I mute the projector, select slide show, and press the space bar enough times to bring up the next one required, but I have to know exactly how many as the computer display doesn't change. The alternative is to set it up as two separate presentations.

I hope this may be of interest.

I've just started trying to work through this ... things have moved on a bit since this thread opened ... so is there any hope of including support for Impress in future editions of Zionworx?