Videos for review

[Clinton Blackmore]

Here's my 2-minute video on the ultrasonic sensor.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEoS7vR1rw

As we lack a name and logo, I just used what I was working with before. I suspect that we will just use a still frame instead of any sort of animation, for the greatest ease of use with different screencast editing tools.

I'd love some feedback.  Is this sort of what people here have in mind?

I had considered adding an overlay to show the etymology of "ultrasonic sensor".  Something like:

ultra = beyond

sonic = sound waves

ultrasonic = sound waves beyond human hearing

but it is just a little wordy.

Also, I think most videos will not use special graphics or simulations; I certainly wouldn't expect it.

Cheers,

Clinton

[Graeme]

Very nice Clinton.
Your video skills are much geater than mine!
I refer to a lot of YouTube videos in DrGraeme.net, and your video is
the best explanation of the ultrasonic sensor I've come across so far.
Is this video going to be around for a while?
I would love to include a link to it from my website.
Nice work!
Graeme.

On Aug 9, 8:11 am, Clinton Blackmore <clinton.blackm...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Clinton Blackmore]

Thank you, Graeme.

I'd prefer to not make the video public until after it has a proper logo of some sort for the mindstorms academy, at which point, yes, I'd be delighted if you'd link to it.

Cheers,

Clinton

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[James Floyd Kelly]

Nice!  What software did you use to embed the smaller video of the LCD?

--

[Clinton Blackmore]

I recorded my screencast using ScreenFlow 2 on the Mac.  For this video, I recorded the robot using a webcam, and simultaneously recorded the desktop.  On the desktop, I was running the NXT-screen displaying application from NeXT Tool.  (Windows users should be able to use Bricxcc).  Then I was able to identify the area from the desktop that was important to the video, crop it and resize it, and overlay it on the (resised) video from the webcam.

There is one very important caveat to this approach: it doesn't work for showing off how to program step-by-step, as the screen tool requires a connection to the NXT, and can't get it when NXT-G is connected to the NXT.  [It is possible to start your program, then connect with the NXT screen utility, and then record what is going on, but it does not flow at all nicely for a normal video showing step-by-step how to program the NXT.] 

This leaves trying to take a video of the NXT screen (and it is hard to get a legible picture), or de-emphasising its importance, and showing what is going on with sound or motion.

Hope that helps.

Clinton

[Luke Taylor aka. Webstorms]

Clinton, I love the movie. I've been reading through the content of
this forum, that has grown over the last few days. I've taking a lot
of this into consideration and been thinking about general chapters of
our project. I'll share all what I've got to say as soon as I got my
movie finished on the same topic; the Ultrasonic sensor, just another
approach, with the all suggestions in mind. :)

Regards Luke

PS: Just a suggestion: Should we maybe move onto a video based
interface like skype, for discussing some topics? We could set dates
and times and topics that need to be discussed. (Should be efficient
and fast!).

[Clinton Blackmore]

Hi Luke.

On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 2:50 PM, Luke Taylor aka. Webstorms <webs...@gmail.com> wrote:

Clinton, I love the movie. I've been reading through the content of
this forum, that has grown over the last few days. I've taking a lot
of this into consideration and been thinking about general chapters of
our project. I'll share all what I've got to say as soon as I got my
movie finished on the same topic; the Ultrasonic sensor, just another
approach, with the all suggestions in mind. :)

Great.  I'd love to see other approaches.  I think there is great value in approaching topics in different ways -- and linking between them.  (I also think there is great value in getting a large number of topics covered fast!)

 

Regards Luke

PS: Just a suggestion: Should we maybe move onto a video based
interface like skype, for discussing some topics? We could set dates
and times and topics that need to be discussed. (Should be efficient
and fast!).

Are you hoping that we'd all get together and video chat?  I think it would be a quick way to discuss a number of things, but I must admit I foresee logistical issues, especially as we are spread out around the world.  (Chatting with a group of two or three might be easier, but then it makes it harder for everyone to have a say).

Cheers,

Clinton

[James Floyd Kelly]

I think having multiple videos on the same subject is absolutely great... I don't think it will ever hurt to have multiple narrators covering the same topic.  That said, we should try and develop a good library of opening/basic videos first before we attempt to cover duplicate ground IMO.

I'm working on my Display video today and tomorrow... cross my fingers for tomorrow completion... but I'm only covering the basics of text entry (other two options in their own videos). I'm sure we'll each have our own style, but that's never a bad thing IMO.

Jim

[Damien Kee]

Clinton, looks great!

I agree with Jim, we should probably focus on breadth first and then double-ups will add to it all.

I'm a little behind on my video.  I'm in Rural Queensland at the moment running workshops and the internet is significantly limited.  Hope to have it finished by Sunday when I'm back home.

cheers

damo

[Dave Parker]

Hi Folks,

I wanted to give you all an update on my status for this project. I
have been pretty quiet with any real results, but I have been thinking
and planning.

Although I have not made a real sample video yet, here is a test video
I made to test the software I am trying, to test the video resolution
and sound levels on my headset mic. I am just playing with the
software to test the audio and video, see how it looks at 360p in a
window and 720p full screen, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL_zLsfzB0Y
This was made using the (trial version of) Camtasia Studio, which is a
fairly full-featured screen capture and video editing program for
Windows. This is the same software that Khan Academy now uses (he
initially used a cheaper one). This software costs $300 (gulp), but
makes high quality videos, and has some nice features, including a
very convenient interface to upload directly to YouTube at 720p with
minimal fuss. After capturing, you can do all your editing inside the
app, including zooming in and out, alternating with PowerPoint
sequences, etc. I haven't bought it yet, but am pretty sure I will.
In fact, my trial just expired, so I guess that is next, unless
somebody jumps in with a good reason not to.

At this point I am planning to do a whole series of videos on NXT-G.
Although I have been slow to get started, I think once I get started
and get on a roll, the videos will come pretty quickly (time
permitting). I think I will start out at the Intermediate level
(introducing loops, switches, and sequences, but no wires yet) then
maybe do some more advanced videos (e.g. data wires and such, and a
video version of my My Block tutorial), then at some point back up and
do some beginner videos.

So if any of you are planning some NXT-G videos and want to perhaps
start out at the beginner level (e.g. up to a single sequence of
action and wait blocks, with videos on each block and what they do at
the beginner [non-wired] level), that would be an awesome complement.
Hardware/physical conceptual stuff like Clinton's Ultrasonic sensor
video would also be a great complement. Of course, you all should do
whatever you want, but I'm just putting that out there.

As I have been planning this in my head, I realize more and more how
the whole sequence of videos is pretty inter-dependent, so I see large
parts of it as a sequence of videos that you are pretty much expected
to watch in sequence if you are new to that level. This is sort of
similar to Khan Academy, where you should watch large parts of it in
sequence if you are learning for the first time, but watching for
review can be ad hoc. The bad news is that this makes it hard to
collaborate directly within a topic/level. Maybe if we each end up
concentrating on different areas, it would work out better.

I am struggling a bit with coming up with a video naming/numbering
scheme that I like, so that both users and me can try to keep the
sequence/tree straight if approaching it directly from YouTube and not
from the road map (as I'm sure a lot of users will given the way
YouTube works). I want a scheme that can be planned in advance but
also added to in the middle later when I discover missing things or
things needing clarification. For example, "L1. Introducing Loops",
"L2. Loop by Count", "L2A. Loop by Count part 2", whatever. Or maybe
just a big outline like 1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1.

I am still contemplating branding and such. I do plan to put links to
my videos on my web site at nxtprograms.com, along with a road map to
using them, so it makes sense for me to throw in a "nxtprograms.com"
branding and back link somewhere in each video. But I would also very
much the videos to be on robotvideoacademy.com, probably with the same
or similar road map. If it ends up meshing in a great way with other
videos from you guys, then maybe we work on a shared road map. I
guess we have to cross that bridge when we get there, depending on who
creates what. So at this point I am not sure if my videos will be
branded as "Robot Video Academy" at the beginning and "by
nxtprograms.com" at the end, or what. There are several
possibilities, and it gets significantly more complex if you try to
envision a shared virtual road map by multiple authors. Let me know
if you have any opinions on what is right here.

I would be happy to link to any videos from others on topics that I
don't cover (or haven't covered yet) from my website as well. I will
respect the wishes of you all regarding whether that would be direct
video links (e.g. an integrated road map), a link out to
robotvideoacademy.com, a link to your own website's road map, or
what. We can discuss that as necessary.

Any thoughts, please let me know!

-- Dave

[James Floyd Kelly]

Is Camtasia our only option?  Seems to me that Damien recommended something (free?) but I can't locate that in the stream of emails right now...

I like the video, Dave... just not sure if I can justify the $300 for the full software...

[Dave Parker]

There are several inexpensive and free options for screen capture, and
certainly no need to standardize. After trying Camtasia I liked the
integrated and convenient approach that it offered, for stuff that is
mostly screen capture. If I make over 100 videos, and if it saves me
30 min of time on each due to less futzing, that is worth it to me.

(At least that is the theory of "productivity software", which I spent
most of my career working on, but which has been largely killed off as
an industry nowadays, replaced by buggy ad-driven crap -- sniff).

-- Dave

[Clinton Blackmore]

On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 2:21 PM, Dave Parker <bl...@nxtprograms.com> wrote:

There are several inexpensive and free options for screen capture, and
certainly no need to standardize.  

I agree.  I haven't tried a lot of different programs, but there are a lot of options.  (As I'm primarily using a Mac, I don't plan to use Camtasia).  By no means do we expect people to pay $300 to get started helping out!  But, if it is the tool a person likes for the job, more power to them!

As for the branding question, or a logo on the intro vs on the extro, I've had a couple of thoughts on that.

1.  I'd like to be able to finish up a video with a challenge, and have that stay on screen when the video ends.

Here's an example sequence of videos.

Video 1.  Build the ferris wheel.  Shows a simple ferris wheel, links to building instructions, and shows it being built quickly.  At the end, it says, "Challenge: Make the wheel turn by itself".  The video stops at this point, because most students would not bother to pause a video and just keep watching; this way they have to actively click "next video" to go on, and may try the challenge out for themselves.

Video 2.  Make the wheel move.  I'll certainly do a video on doing this with Enchanting, and I could do a parallel video sequence with NXT-G.  At the end "Challenge: Make the wheel start and stop turning when the user pushes a button".

And so on.

2.  If these videos serve as, shall we say, official documentation for Enchanting (or official videos for nxtprograms, etc), it may make sense to brand them that way, using official logos, for example.  However, I have a contrary desire to make things look visually consistent (and it is worth noting that the official logos for LEGO and Mindstorms are out of bounds).

What do you think of a intro 'slide' that looks something like:

ROBOT VIDEO 

ACADEMY

Video title here

Instructor: your name here   

optional link or two of your choice

Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike

?

One more topic, to supplement Dave's question about naming videos:

The videos in Khan Academy are all organized in YouTube playlists.  The first few playlists are called "Algebra", "Algebra I Worked Examples", "Arithmetic", "Banking and Money".  It seems to be structured in a very linear fashion -- go from one video in a list, to the next, to the next.  How you go from the Algebra videos to a worked example is not clear to me. 

[I should mention that while I've looked at, read about, have a grasp on what the Khan Academy site does, I haven't actually used it for learning things.]

If we organize things by playlists, what might we use (especially given that the site may expand beyond NXT videos), and how do we allow people to jump from one to another that doesn't follow it directly.

Cheers,

Clinton

[Clinton Blackmore]

On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 1:10 PM, Dave Parker <bl...@nxtprograms.com> wrote:

Hi Folks,

... 

 

I am struggling a bit with coming up with a video naming/numbering
scheme that I like, so that both users and me can try to keep the
sequence/tree straight if approaching it directly from YouTube and not
from the road map (as I'm sure a lot of users will given the way
YouTube works).  I want a scheme that can be planned in advance but
also added to in the middle later when I discover missing things or
things needing clarification.  For example, "L1. Introducing Loops",
"L2. Loop by Count", "L2A. Loop by Count part 2", whatever.  Or maybe
just a big outline like 1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1.

Dave,

I do believe you can rename your YouTube videos after you post them.  Would that make things clear enough (and hopefully not be too much work)?

Alternatively, I believe you can add a link on top of a youtube video.  Woud a 'next' and 'previous' link over the end of the video (or perhaps multiple 'next' and 'previous' links, if a video is on multiple pathways) solve the problem?

Clinton

[Dave Parker]

> I do believe you can rename your YouTube videos after you post them.  Would
> that make things clear enough (and hopefully not be too much work)?

Well, I don't want to get in a situation where I have to rename a
bunch of videos after inserting one, if for example I included a video
number in the title, not only because it's a pain, but it also
confuses existing references to them. So I would need to be able to
insert videos without renumbering. Numbering is not required, of
course, and I am leaning toward not doing it, but it could make
referring to other videos easier.

> Alternatively, I believe you can add a link on top of a youtube video.  Woud
> a 'next' and 'previous' link over the end of the video (or perhaps multiple
> 'next' and 'previous' links, if a video is on multiple pathways) solve the
> problem?

Yes, I expect to use that, but hopefully not so much to make it a pain
to set up and maintain.

-- Dave