Overview and Start up Instructions for Students
Scalar Info and Orientation for
History 396C - "History of 'Black Music'"
Hertzman, SP '14
Adapted from John Randolph's Scalar for Historians handouts.
What Is Scalar?
Scalar is an online authoring tool, that allows you to create digital presentations (books, articles, projects) that combine text, media, annotations, tags and hyperlinks in a compelling and thoughtful way.
Designed by the Alliance for Networking Visual Culture and currently hosted by USC, Scalar is one of the first authoring environments designed by scholars for producing 'born digital' scholarship. Scalar requires no advanced technical knowledge to use, and its interface resembles that of common blogging platforms such as WordPress. But unlike most blogs—which follow a strict top-down, newest to oldest order—Scalar both allows and asks authors to make choices about the order in which information is presented. As an author, you can create linear sequences called 'paths' that direct readers to pages in sequence. In addition, Scalar offers numerous tagging and annotating tools that allow both authors and readers to move among categories of objects (web pages, media files, comments, annotations) at will.
Designed by the Alliance for Networking Visual Culture and currently hosted by USC, Scalar is one of the first authoring environments designed by scholars for producing 'born digital' scholarship. Scalar requires no advanced technical knowledge to use, and its interface resembles that of common blogging platforms such as WordPress. But unlike most blogs—which follow a strict top-down, newest to oldest order—Scalar both allows and asks authors to make choices about the order in which information is presented. As an author, you can create linear sequences called 'paths' that direct readers to pages in sequence. In addition, Scalar offers numerous tagging and annotating tools that allow both authors and readers to move among categories of objects (web pages, media files, comments, annotations) at will.
First In-Class Exercise - Jan. 27
Objectives:
1) Create a Scalar "book"
2) Learn how to import media
3) Learn how to annotate media
1) Create a Scalar Project (aka "book")
The first thing to do to get started in Scalar is to sign up for an account. This will allow you to create new projects in Scalar that for now will be hosted on a server at USC. The basic unit of composition in Scalar is called a 'book.' When you establish an account in Scalar, it will offer you an opportunity to create a book (by asking you for a title). Here's how to do it:
1. Go to the Index page.
2. Click the "Dashboard" link in the upper-right corner.
3. Click the "My account" tab.
4. At the bottom of the page where it says "Create new book," enter the title of your book (you can change it later), and click "Create." You should see a message in green at the top of the screen letting you know that the new book has been created.
4. At the bottom of the page where it says "Create new book," enter the title of your book (you can change it later), and click "Create." You should see a message in green at the top of the screen letting you know that the new book has been created.
5. Click the title of the book where it appears under "Your books" to go to the home page of your new book.
At this point, you should be able to select your book in your Dashboard as the book you would like to work with (or, if you have multiple books, you should be able to specify which book you wish to work with).
Now let's set our privacy and user settings for the course. Later, you can come back to Dashboard to adjust the book's look ("Theme" under "Book Properties") and other settings.
1. While still in Dashboard, click the 'Book Properties' tab.
2. Scroll down until you see "Public/Private." For both boxes ("Make URL public?" & "Display in Scalar indexes?"), click "No." (We may change this later.)
3. Now click the "Book users" tab at the top of the page.
4. At the bottom of the screen, click "Add a user."
5. In the search box, type my full name: Marc Adam Hertzman
OK, now that we have set up our first book, let's learn how to import and annotate media, both of which will be crucial skills this semester.
2) Importing Media into Scalar
One of Scalar's main attractions is its robust tools for incorporating and annotating
media (video, audio, pictures) within online presentations. Yet that is not its only advantage.
Scalar, by design, asks its users to think about how media is archived and curated, and also about
the conditions and licenses under which it is being used. It does so by locating the media not
within the page itself, but as a separate object. In many cases, this media is not stored within
Scalar or its servers, but is called from another address (that of the original owner or source,
quite often).
media (video, audio, pictures) within online presentations. Yet that is not its only advantage.
Scalar, by design, asks its users to think about how media is archived and curated, and also about
the conditions and licenses under which it is being used. It does so by locating the media not
within the page itself, but as a separate object. In many cases, this media is not stored within
Scalar or its servers, but is called from another address (that of the original owner or source,
quite often).
1. Go to the drop-down button labeled “Main menu” on the left side of the screen.
2. Select 'Import.'
3. Click ‘Other Archives.’ (As we explore Scalar throughout the semester, you’ll see that there are
other options here.)
other options here.)
4. Click ‘YouTube.’
5. Type the artist, song, or album you would like to find in the search box.
6. After locating the video that you want, click the box next to it and then click the “Import selected media” button at the bottom of the page.
7. Close the “Import successful” box.
8. Return to your book’s home page by clicking on the house icon on the left side of the screen.
9. Still on the left side of the screen, click “Load the full index.”
10. You should see “1 media.” Click on that and then on “1 video.” Click on that and then on the title below it. This should take you to the page that will allow you to edit and annotate the video.
(For a more detailed discussion of importing media into Scalar, see the User's Guide: http://scalar.usc.edu/works/guide/working-with-media.)
Now it's time to annotate the video that we just imported.
3) Annotating Media in Scalar - Method 1
1. We have already navigated to the media page where we can edit and annotate the video.
2. At the bottom of the page, you will see an 'Edit Annotations' button. Click that.
3. Doing so opens an interface that has your video up top; a +/- window for adding or selecting annotations, at left; and an editing window at right.
4. To add your first annotation, click the “+” button.
5. Now start your video. When you get to the part where you would like your annotation to appear, click the 'Set' button on the left side of the right panel; when you get to the part where you would like the annotation to end, click the 'Set' button on the right. It will set the reel time to the positions you indicate.
6. You can give this annotation a title as well as content in the separate text boxes given.
7. Because they are individual pages, annotations can also be edited separately (once created). Search them in the index, and hit 'Edit' in the footer. You can set start and end times manually there.
For those having trouble annotating media using this method, try the following alternative:
4) Annotating Media in Scalar - Method 2
1. For this method, after importing the media (i.e., the YouTube clip), you will need to view the clip and note down on a piece of paper the time that you want your annotation to begin and end.
2. Once you have done that, from anywhere in your Scalar book click the “New” button at the bottom of the
screen. This will open a “What you see is what you get” editing page.
screen. This will open a “What you see is what you get” editing page.
3. Enter a title (eg., “First Annotation”) into the box provided.
4. Now enter the text that you want to appear in the pop-up window into the large text box with “Visual” and “HTML” tabs at the top of it.
5. Now scroll down to the “Relationships” list and click the blue hyper-text in the line that reads “To make this page an annotation, specify media that it annotates”.
6. A new screen will appear that allows you to search and select the media file. Once you have located your media file, click the box to the left of it and click “Add Selected.”
7. The title of the media file should now appear under the “To make this page an annotation. . .” line along with “Start seconds” and “End seconds” boxes. Enter the appropriate values and then click save at the bottom of the page.
Final Considerations
We will continue to work closely to master this technology and create our projects. As we proceed, it’s worth keeping a few things in mind:
Indexes: Scalar has two kinds of “indexes,” which can get kind of confusing. There is the larger, site index—accessed through the “Index” link on the upper right corner of the screen when you’re inside your book—that allows you to browse other people’s works and the individual book index—accessed through the smaller hyper-link, also labeled “index” on the left side of the screen directly under the house icon. You’ll use this one to navigate your own work.
Curation vs. Annotation: In Scalar and for the purposes of this class, we’ll often refer to two principal actions: curation and annotation. Annotation refers to short comments that you can attach to a media file.
Curation is the larger essay or reflection at the core of your projects.
Property: As we explore and develop our abilities on Scalar we will need to pay close attention to complex questions of property and ownership—Scalar allows us to share and comment on artistic works that also often function as a source of income for the creator and/or his/her/their heirs. Accordingly, we will think hard about what it means to import, annotate, and curate someone’s work and then potentially share our own work about that work.
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