COVERDISC AUDIO & VIDEO ▲

Foto2avi

●Create videos from photos ●Supports audio, video and images

●Produce Flash animations easily ●Uncomplicated interface

Since Windows Me, Microsoft’s operating

system has included Windows Movie

Maker – a straightforward piece of

software that makes it easy to create

videos. Foto2avi is a good alternative to

Movie Maker for cash-strapped directors,

with a number of features that make it

preferable to its Windows rival.

The program supports audio, video

and, as the name suggests, image files.

Data can be added to the current

project by dragging items from the Input

▲To watch Flash videos offline, you’ll need a standalone player like GeoVid

▲

The Preview window lets you check your video before saving it as an .avi, .flv, or .mpg file

box on the left to the Output boxes on

the right – it couldn’t be simpler. Once

added to the production, each individual

sound, clip or picture can be

manipulated in numerous ways.

Subtitles can be added, elegant

transitions can be inserted between two

items, and there are dozens of

animation effects to choose from –

making images or movies zoom and

rotate looks especially impressive.

All the commands are laid out in an

uncomplicated tab format, so even the

Foto2avi offers dozens of transition and animation effects, which can all be tweaked ▲

complete beginner shouldn’t get lost.

Adding music or sounds is also an easy

process. Once the chosen track has been

added to the Output box, it’s possible to

define the precise point of the animation

when the audio begins to play.

Foto2avi is very easy to use and has an

ample selection of features under its belt.

Whether you’re producing a video for a

file-sharing site like YouTube or just want

to make some fun family compilations,

this application is more than capable.

Location \audio and video\foto2avi_setup_16.exe System 98/Me/XP/2000/Vista Licence Freeware Contact www.trustfm.net

InstantStorm

●Create high quality screensavers ●Import Flash videos

●Customise screensaver settings ●Install saver as an .exe file

InstantStorm easily creates custom

screensavers from Flash movie files in

the SWF format. The generated .exe file,

once installed, is added to the normal

Windows Display Properties dialog,

alongside the default screensavers.

If this is your first time using this

type of tool, we recommend trying the

New Project Wizard, which does most of

the work for you. If you prefer, you can

use the wizard as a starting point then

edit the screensaver in more detail later.

▲InstantStorm has a few options that help you use Flash SWF files as screensavers in Windows

▲The installation process, shown when users install your screensaver, is customisable

www.pc-utilities.co.uk issue 90 50 ▲

It’s not just the screensaver’s settings

that can be tweaked – extras can be

edited too, such as the installation menus

for the screensaver, the .exe file’s icon,

and the screen’s resolution. However, the

Settings Dialog Designer is a little buggy,

so is best avoided. A customised readme

file can be added to the installation

process. There are also options to include

an uninstall shortcut in the Start menu, or

to add password protection if your

screensaver contains private information

or is only suitable for adults.

Once installed, your screensaver will appear in the Display Properties dialog ▲

To check your project before you save

it, there’s a set of preview options.

These enable you to view the finished

screensaver and also the finished

installation process, if you’ve taken the

time to edit that section.

It’s not currently possible to splice

together more than one video file to

create a longer screensaver. However,

InstantStorm converts .swf files well,

and is worth using if you are sick of the

default screensavers in Windows.

Location \audio and video\ InstantStormSetup-1.5.0.0.exe System 98/Me/XP/NT/2000/2003/Vista Licence Freeware Contact www.instantstorm.com