Desktop Overlay - Doesn't work!

[jacobitejake]

Hi

Apologies if this has already been mentioned but I've just been customising my toolbar and I added the 'desktop overlay' button to find that it doesn't work, it's a shame as this would allow me to highlight objects on my desktop in a much better way as it would be truly transparent unlike in 'desktop annotation' mode where the highlighter is somewhat milky and it is not clear what is underneath. Will this button be fixed on the next update as I'd prefer to remove the 'desktop annotate' option all together as it is simpler to use as a transparent overlay that can be turned on and off rather than a strange flipchart that is created that holds the annotations... even I sometimes get confused with that and I've been a user for many years... I much prefer the virtual acetate option that you can just turn on or off... simple is best in my opinion...

Kinest regards

Jake

[LisaD]

What on the desktop are you trying to annotate on? Would it work better if you put that image into a flipchart?

Lisa

[jacobitejake]

Hi Lisa

That's certainly the easy way to get around anotating over other applications but if you don't want to keep taking pictures and dropping them into a flipchart page, then desktop overlay is a nice way to keep things clean... you could always then take a snap shot of the annotation on the overlay if you then decided to keep it. This also provides you with the opportunity to select just the bits that matter. I take it then that the button is in fact broke?

Kind regards

Jake

[LisaD]

I'm not saying it's broken. I just have rarely used it myself especially if what I need to annotate over is something like a word doc or a pdf. I put those in a flipchart so I can take advantage of other features other than just annotating. Now something like a website could be another story which would likely be disadvantageous to put into a flipchart (unless it's just text and graphics.)

Lisa

[jacobitejake]

Hi Lisa

Would you mind just adding the 'desktop overlay' button to your toolbar and see if it works for you? thanks

Kind regards

Jake

[LisaD]

Well, well, well.

I didn't even know there was a tool called Desktop Overlay. I saw it way down in the list of tools and have added it to my toolbar.

So there are:


Desktop Tools: Good for voting over other applications or using the camera tool.
Desktop Annotate: Allows you to annotate on the desktop or other applications but doesn't capture anything but the annotations themselves.
Desktop Overlay: Not sure exactly what that is. I click on it and nothing happens that I could see. I can't find anything in the help files either.


Do others have ideas? I guess that's why I typically try to put my content IN the flipchart!

Lisa

[kylee.moose]

Lisa,

I'm thinking that the Desktop Overlay is not working properly. I've noticed that every time I click on the icon, it will add a page to my flipchart. I don't think that is what it is supposed to do!

Kylee Moose
GA Teaching and Learning Consultant
Promethean, Inc.

[jacobitejake]

Hi Kylee

If it's supposed to do what it did in Activstudio then you would expect it to drop you out to the desktop and place a virtual acetate over it. If they do get it to work soon it's well worth having a play with it as you'll notice that the highlighter works much better in the overlay mode...and without creating the sometimes confusing desktop flipchart.

Kind regards

Jake

[saha]

The desktop annotate and desktop overlay tool has the same exact icon.
So perhaps they were designed to do the same thing?
When I add desktop overlay to my toolbar it does not do anything when I click on it.

[Louise Chew]

I'll get this raised.
There is a way to add a desktop overlay to your page
right click & choose set background
select desktop overlay & apply
this will make that single page in your flipchart on overlay of the current desktop

[jacobitejake]

Hi Louise

This does seem to create the overlay mode, i.e. without the 'desktop flipchart' being created, however, it's function is exactly the same as the desktop annotion mode as you can still access through the acetate and the highlighter is still 'cloudy'. In the good ole days, Activstudio's overlay mode did not allow you to click through to icons etc and it was a true acetate in that respect... the best bit I liked about it was the highlighter was much clearer and appeared as truly transparent ink, unlike the cloudy version you get in desktop annotation mode. If you still have a copy of studio, it may be worth you installing it just so you can see what I mean...

Kind regards

Jake