Workshop: Scalar
Introduction
Scalar provides the ability to create multimodal content in an engaging and non-linear matter. Created by the Alliance for Networking Visual Culture at USC, Scalar allows users to create flexible “books” resembling hyperlinked websites. In Scalar, everything is a page. Users navigate these pages through a series of “paths” defined by the creator(s) of the book.
Registration
For this tutorial, you will need to create an account for Scalar. We have already added you as users to our shared “book.”
1. Go to http://scalar.usc.edu/
2. Choose “Sign In.”
3. At the bottom of the sign in page, there will be a link to “Register an account”
4. During registration, you will need to use a “registration key” that allows you access to our shared scalar project. Our key is: ######
5. You will also need to use your real name for the purposes of this class.
When you login, you will reach the “Index” screen. This shows you any existing books that you are an author or editor of on the left side. You should see a link to our shared class book.
In Scalar, we need to import media before we can include it on pages. As a result, it is better to import any media that we know we are going to use before we upload it. To import media, we need to click the icon showing a down arrow pointing towards the bottom of a square.
We now need to choose where we have uploaded our media. There will be three separate ways that you can import media:
1. Affiliated Partner Archives-These are links from common online archives, such as the Internet Archive. These archives are “stable” and have taken steps to assure their materials will be available in the long run.
2. Other archives-These allow you to import media from common online media sources. Although you may be more familiar with these websites, they are often less stable than the “affiliated partner archives.”
3. Files and URLs-This link provides you the ability to upload media from your local drive. Please note, each file must be less than 2MB. Consequently, you will likely not use this feature.
Once you decide which archive to use, you will get to an import page where you can search the name of the media file. You can search by keyword, but it is usually easier to just type in the link. Click the checkbox next to the media and hit “Import.”
After you import the media file, you will need to enter metadata about your upload. The website will automatically attempt to fill in information, but you should double check it. When you are sure that the information you entered is correct, click “Continue.”
Adding a page
Pages serve as the backbone of Scalar, but you should create your page in some other software and copy and paste into Scalar. Do not use Scalar to draft essays.
To add a page, we need to click the plus button at the top of the screen. You will be greeted with a familiar WYSIWYG interface. Enter a “title” and “description” for your page.
Now that we have our page setup, we can copy and paste the information we want into it. To enter media, click the icon with a play button.
At the bottom, we can determine the layout of our page. Descriptions of the layouts can be viewed when you select them from the drop down menu, but a more thorough analysis is available here: http://scalar.usc.edu/works/guide2/selecting-a-pages-default-view
Getting Additional Help
Scalar provides a thorough documentation online if you need additional help. It is available here: http://scalar.usc.edu/works/guide2/index
