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Tutorial

General.

Zoomorama is made of two different parts. On one hand, the application Zoomcreator®, which you download and install on your computer and on the other hand, the Zoomorama site.
The Zoomcreator® application: this is the program which enables you to create, handle and publish your albums online.
The Zoomorama site: this is where you can visit your zoomoramas, manage your account, read about new features, etc...

From these two parts, comes a question which you will certainly ask: why download an application?
Because we think it is easier for you to handle everything on your computer, without endlessly downloading and uploading. You just have to upload your album, once finished.

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Create a free Zoomorama account

On the homepage, click on “Sign up” (top right corner of the screen). A new window appears, asking you for a username, an e-mail address, a password, confirmation of this password and requesting you to enter the code displayed (make sure you use the correct uppercase/lowercase when entering it). This code is only there to check that it is really a person and not an automatic program (a robot or bot) who is signing up (and not to make things complicated for you).

Attention: you can change your password (for example if you forget it) or your email address but the username cannot be modified. So please think carefully before choosing it.

Once you have filled in the details to your satisfaction, click on the button “Submit”. An email containing an activation link will be sent to you. Click on this link to activate your free account.

Remember to check you spam/junk mail box in case you do not receive our message.

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ow to download and install the Zoomcreator® application?

Simply go to www.zoomorama.com. On the website homepage, a download area appears on the left corner. Click on “Free download” to start downloading. Once finished, double-click on the installation icon and follow the procedure.

You can now start the Zoomcreator® application and create your first album!

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Create a new album

Click on the button “Create a new album” in the Zoomcreator® user interface to open the album creation window.

You can give a name to your album as well as select the destination directory where you wish to save your albums.

You then choose the format that suits you for your album.

Once you are satisfied with your choice, click on Finish to go to the layout interface.

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Import your photos in an album

Click on the icon “Add a media” on the left border of the page.

The window displayed will allow you to go and get your photos or videos that are stored on your computer. Select the pictures you wish to put in your album.

Once you are satisfied with your choice, click on “Open” to insert your pictures on the layout interface and to start their conversion to the Zoomorama proprietary format (.zif). Note that you can start manipulating them before the end of the conversion.

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Import YouTube videos

Click on the icon “Add pictures” on the left border of the page.

You have to copy the code appearing on the page of the YouTube video into the empty field.


If you copied the code correctly, the “OK” button should activate.

If it’s not the case, copy the code again and make sure you have entered it completely. After the operation has been validated, the video window will appear. You can then handle the video like any other image.

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Import your own videos

The principle is the same as inserting photos, you just have to click on “Video files” and insert your videos.

EThey can be handled in the same way as photos. Just express yourself!

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Layout of my zoomorama albums

This is the core of this application. This is where you will be able to give free rein to your imagination.
First, you must distinguish between two main layout modes, the “grid” mode and the “free” mode.

The “grid” mode is the default mode. It automatically distributes your media between rows and columns as evenly as possible, while keeping all the images at the same size. It gives a very conventional result, which is similar to a classic photo gallery.
The second mode is called "free". You can position your media, change their size, their orientation, their depth…. just do whatever you like!

You will notice two buttons “Zoom” and “Edit” on the right side of the screen. The Zoom mode is the viewing mode of your work.
The “Edit” mode allows you to edit your zoomorama by selecting images, moving them, adding text, etc...
Note that you can also switch between modes by pressing the space bar.
Here are the options available in both modes:

Aligning menu:

As the name reveals, this menu allows you to select several photos and align them on the right, on the left, at the bottom or at the top.


Rearranging menu:

This menu is used to manage overlapping between your pictures. Foreground, background, you can overlap several photos by selecting in which order they will overlap.



Orientation tools:

Both icons are used to position your photos in the correct way. If it is possible to position manually the photos in the right direction, it is also easier to directly position your photos at 90° to switch to landscape or portrait format depending on the direction of the photo.



Borders:

It is very simple to add a bit of color around your photos. Select one or several media you wish to enhance and click on the Border icon. The window displayed allows you to choose the shading and the thickness of your frame.

You do not need to submit the operation to see the result, modifications are processed in real time. Keep testing till you get the most satisfying result, then submit your work.

Zoomorama background:

You can also change the background color of your Zoomorama. There again, click on the Background icon (the small paint bucket) to display the color palette window.

Select the one you like and which will enhance your photos and submit it when the result suits your taste.

P.S.: If you choose an apple green background color with bright pink borders, we do not assume any responsibility for the way your zoomorama will be welcomed by your contacts!

Add a caption:

To add a caption, simply click on the “T” icon on the left of the screen.

A dotted field and a dialog box are displayed. Enter your text in the dialog box, choose your font and its size.

Once you are satisfied with your choice, click on OK: the text now appears in the dotted field on the Zoomorama interface.

In the same way as a picture, you can handle this field as you like and change its size, its shape etc. Your inspiration is the only limit!

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Insert an Internet link in a zoomorama

Click on the button “Add a caption”. You will find an icon in the shape of a chain on the right side of the menu bar. Click on this icon, a white area will be displayed. Then copy your link address and submit.

The name of your link will then appear on the screen. You can modify its shape and its direction like a normal caption.

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Share your Zoomorama album

Your Zoomorama album is now finished. It is now time to send it to our servers so that you can share it with your family and friends or the whole world. Click on the button “Send my album”.

The first time you upload the album, a window will be displayed requesting the username and the password of your Zoomorama account.

Once you have identified yourself, you can define a number of settings for your zoomorama: the name that will be displayed on the site, a short description, whether you want the album pictures to be downloaded by third persons and whether you wish that your album is visible to anybody on the Zoomorama site (public - setting activated by default) or only to recipients you have chosen (private).

Once you filled in these fields, you just need to check the corresponding box to accept the General Terms of Use and click on the button “Start downloading”. A new window will then appear. It shows the web address (URL) of your album (so that your friends can see your zoomorama) and the progression bar for the transfer of your zoomorama on our servers.

You can suspend the current upload using the Pause button and resume it later.

There are several ways of sharing an album. The first way consists in sending an email. Copy the Web address (URL) of your zoomorama in your email and add a comment for your friends. They just have to click on the link to see your album (and congratulate you about the quality of your pictures, of course!) You can also use the Send button to directly open a message with your zoomorama address. You just need to type your recipients’ addresses and to send the message.

Inserting your album in a Web page (forum, blog, and personal site) is another possibility. Go to the next section to get more details.

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Insert a zoomorama album in a Web page

To insert an album in a Web page, go to the download management page in the Zoomcreator® application from the tools menu. Once this window is displayed, you can see two buttons under the URL of your album: “Send per email” and “Insert in a Web page”. This is the second button which interests us here.

When you click on it, a new window is displayed. It contains a code in HTML language which will enable you to insert your zoomorama in any Web page. Copy and paste this code in your Web page to display your album. The first scene will be directly visible, you can zoom over it, change scene, switch to full screen, etc...

Congratulations, you have inserted your first zoomorama in a Web page!

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Modify a Zoomorama album

In the Zoomcreator® application, click on “Open an existing album” A window appears, showing all your albums (whether they have been uploaded or not). Open the album you want to modify. Carry out your modifications and once you are happy with the result, upload your zoomorama again. Don’t be afraid, only the modifications will be uploaded.

This way, you can slowly enhance an album without spending too much time in front of your computer, waiting for the download to finish. And even if you create an album larger than the 100 MB limit for uploading, it will still be easy to access it.

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