What is MegaZine3?
Magazine3 is a complete package (framework) that supports you to present all kind of multimedia data in an animated, book-like "3D" format. It is easy to use and titles/books can be realized with and for WIndows and MAC computers. You do not need special knowledges: no programming, no worries about formats and video decoders, no special HTML or CSS configurations.
MegaZine3 is developed in ActionScript3, a powerful programming language from Adobe, specialized to work with FLASH (if viewed in a browser as Online title) and AIR (if used locally on the desktop/ Pad computer/ smartphone).
The only "tool" needed to build the title/book is an editor. The definition/configuration of the book is done in writing down the structure and elements like images or videos of the book. This configuration makes use of standard technologies (like tagging: don't worry about this). The configurations files are standard XML files (you do not need to know what that is neither).
More details are available in the Wiki and other tutorials like Basic Overview.
Requirements
To "develop", i.e. build a title/book you need
- Computer to edit XML/text files: Windows, Unix or OSx based desktops or laptops.
- Internet connection to download the MZ3 software, and optionally to upload the "book" to your server
For test and presentation of the finished MegaZine3 title:
- System supporting FLASH in a browser or stand allone; alternatively Adobe AIR
- Optional: a server (XAMP, Apache or IIS) to host the book
Where to start?
We offer different tutorials that are focused on specific needs and often present similar topics in a different way. Every tutorial should be "complete", i.e. possible to understand even without reading other tutorials first. Another benefit of presenting similar topics in different ways is that it will accelerate the learning process.
We plan several tutorials over the next weeks, and some already exist. Examples/ideas for tutorials and topices are:
Introduction, tools, photo book (editor based), photo book with MZ3 tool, pdf conversion (manually), pdf conversion with MZ3 tool, real life projects/examples, MegaZine3 on mobile devices, paramters, GUI modification (ASUL), plugins, projector files, scripting, development, ...
If you want to start immediately, here some suggestions:
- Tools, since you will need at least some of the tools. To achieve first results fast and without the need to learn and know many details about MegaZine3 concepts, see the tutorial about the MZ3 Tool
- MZ3 Tool creates MegaZine3 books/titles fast and almost automatically; with minimal effort and without any knowledge of XML, plugins, ASUL, ActionScript3 and alike.
- Introduction, if you want to understand the MegaZine3 concept
- Demo packages, which you will find on our Download page. There are 4 of them. Showing how to create books with individual content (images in this case) and how to convert PDF files. Both as CD/Offline/Flashplayer as well as server/Online/browser version. Those come with a tutorial, and a short video, that explains the use. Additional the following tutorials will be of help:
MZ3 Tool, notepad++, swftools
The old demo package, which was too big and complex is no longer available.
New tutorials focused on details about the use will fllow week by week. - Photo book, if you want to start immediately and are interested to learn the basic concept of MegaZine3. The photo book will be created with an editor, and both MAC and Windows are supported.
