Version: 3.1.3
Description
"fishTop" provides a simple interface for running many other programs as required.
Usually these will be differrent programs for different media.
So, it can run "PowerPoint" to display ".pps" files. And other programs for other file types.
Each one activated by a single click.
Note: fishTop does not copy any media files. It references them, in place.
Using fishTop
- Playing/projecting one of a pre-defined list of media files during a service.
This is the easiest.
Using the Main screen, click on the button showing the name of the file, and it happens.
- Setting-up the pre-defined list of media files.
This is only a little more difficult.
Using the Select screen, navigate to the folder(s) containing the required media files and select them.
Then arrange the list of files into the order that is required when the list is shown as buttons on the Main screen.
- Setting-up fishTop to be able to process the required media types.
This is the most difficult step, but it usually only needs to be done once for each media type.
There are 2 ways of doing this:
- Using the Options screen, define an "Executable for Extension" command to be used for media files with a specified extension.
This is fishTop's first preference, and the recommended method.
- Configure the application as the default application for the media type.
fishTop uses this method if no command has been defined for the file's extension.
- First time configuration.
Configure "Primary path" in the Options screen. This defines the folder that contains collections of media files.
A more detailed explanation of the "Primary path" option can be found on the Options screen help page.
To navigate to the Options screen on Windows, right-click on the main screen, then click on the "Options" button.
- Media applications.
For any media file, fishTop needs an application capable of playing/projecting the file, to be installed and suitably configured.
To project slides, PowerPoint might be installed and configured to display slide shows on the projector monitor.
To project video files, Zoom player might be installed and configured to play in full screen, without any splash screen, on the projector moniotor, and then close itself.
On Windows, support for ".pps" and ".ppsx" files is configured by default.
Body of screen
This contains a list of items that can be displayed or played. Each item is a button that can be clicked to activate the item.
If there are more than 12 items, the list will scroll to access the other items.
If an item begins with "[M]", it refers to Multiple files, clicking this item will activate the other referenced file(s) as well as the one displayed. Useful for projecting the words of a hymn, and playing a music file for the hymn, at the same time.
Right click
To keep this production interface simple, the setup/configuration screens are hidden, but activated with a right-click of the mouse.