Help

What is Magic Studio™?

Magic Studio™ is a library of ready-to-use learning resources that can be customised for individual needs.

It enables you to:

• Browse a library of online assets and resources
• Build and share great interactive content
• Upload and licence your personal media to use in interactives
• Work within your existing learning platform or VLE

Show me the 'Take the Tour' Video

What IT or ICT skills do I need?

Magic Studio™ has been designed to be very easy to use - you do not need any specific IT/ICT skills to use it. There are help tips and videos throughout the site to help you build interactives.

How can I access Magic Studio™?

Most users will access Magic Studio™ Pro directly through their learning platform or VLE. In some cases users will have a specific URL (web address).

A public version for any individual to use is available at http://www.magicstudio.com/

It's an online product - all you need is a broadband connection and a computer with a compatible browser and Flash™ Player (see 'What are the system requirements?')

How do I register as a new user?

Magic Studio™ Pro subscriptions are purchased by schools. Once a subscription has been purchased we will work with the school to make sure all new users are advised of their sign in details.

Users of the public version can sign up at http://www.magicstudio.com/

What are the system requirements?

In order to use Magic Studio™ you will need Flash Player 8 or above or above installed on your machine, along with a broadband connection.

We recommend that you use Internet Explorer 7, or Firefox 2 or above as your internet browser. The site is also compatible with other standards compliant browsers such as:

• We recommend you use Firefox 1.1 or above
• Internet Explorer 6 (or above) on Windows
• Safari 1.3 (or above) on Mac OS X or Windows

The site requires that your browser has JavaScript enabled.

Supported File Types

• Images: JPG or PNG, both less than 4000px wide
• Video: FLV, WMV, MP4, AVI and MOV
• Audio: MP3

All files must be less than 64MB in size.

What sort of resources are available?

Within Magic Studio™ you will find audio, video and image resources from a variety of museums, publishers and users. These can be combined to create one of four different types of interactive: Featurettes, Image Explorers, Timelines and Drag 'n' Drop activities.

How do I find resources?

There are three areas where you will find resources:

• Your Dashboard – all content you have uploaded or selected from the Library
• The Library – all content available from our content partners and shared by other users
• Content Channels – each channel can be browsed and searched for content from that provider.

You can use filters and search boxes to narrow down your search.

Show me the 'Finding Resources' video

I've found something interesting - now what do I do?

If you find something you want to use from the library or a content channel, you can add it to your dashboard by using 'Add to My Selections'.

Resources can be used either as they are or as part of a 'bundle' or an interactive. You can create a bundle of assets to use as part of an interactive later.

What if I only want to see resources that I've created?

In 'Your Dashboard', make sure only the 'My Content' box is checked to see resources you have made or uploaded.

Image Explorers, Featurettes, Timelines, Drag 'n' Drops - what are they?

These are the four different types of interactive learning resources. There's more information about each one on the Home Page, along with links to examples.

What do the hotspot tools do?

The hotspot tools allow you to highlight an area of an image to which you want to add other content - e.g. commentary, another image or video. In the case of Drag 'n' Drop activities you can add a text or graphic label.

How do I change the size and shape of a hotspot?

You can move a hotspot by clicking and dragging it to where you want it to be.

You can change the shape of a hotspot by clicking on on of the handles and moving it to where you want it to be.

Show me the 'Reshaping Hotspots' video

How do I add or change the content of a hotspot?

To edit what is attached to a hotspot, click on the hotspot, then click on 'Edit'. You can then add or change the title, text or media associated with it.

Show me the 'Add/Edit Content for Hotspots' video

How do I give my interactive resource a title?

You can add a name (similar to a filename) or a title (which appears on the interactive) under the 'Settings' tab when creating your interactive. Depending on the type of interactive you will also be able to add other information under 'Settings', such as an introduction to your interactive.

What are 'Settings'?

Under Settings you can change the name and title of a resource. The name is how it is displayed with Magic Studio, the title is the actual title shown in the interactive. Often they are the same. You can also add an introductory message for your interactive resource. Additionally some tools have other settings:

Drag 'n' Drop: add a completion message when the user completes the activity

Timeline: choose different scales and choose whether or not to display the event date in the interactive.

Can I use my own photos, videos and audio files?

Absolutely! Magic Studio™ lets you use your own personal media to create interactive resources. For more details, see 'Uploading Content'.

How can I see what my interactive will look like?

When building your interactive you can check how it will look by clicking on the 'Preview' button.

I'm halfway through making an interactive but I need to go do something else - how do I save my resource and return to it later?

Hit the 'Save & Close' button on the main build page (top right corner). This will save the resource, but will keep it private. You can find it in 'Your Dashboard' later.

Okay, I'm done with this interactive resource. What do I do now?

When you have finished an interactive you can keep it private or share it with other users. Click on 'Share' to make it public, where you can add further details to make it easier for others to find it. You can also use tags to make it easier to find, or put it in a bundle.

How do I share my resources?

Each resource you upload, build or customize can be shared – click on 'Share' on the main page of your resource. You'll then be able to add some more information to make it easier for others to find and use it. Adding tags will also help others to find it.

Show me the 'Sharing Resources' video

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons licensing allows authors and content owners to license the work they create to allow varying usage by others. Each resource you upload or build can be licensed so that if shared, your work can only be used as you want it to.

Find out more about Creative Commons

I've found a resource created by someone else that I want to use, but I need to make a few tweaks. How do I do that?

If the creator of the resource has given permission, you can make a new version by clicking on the 'Copy' button and then editing it as usual.

What if I don't want anyone to see my resources?

You only share your resources if you want to - everything you upload or create remains private until you share it.

I've shared a resource by accident. How do I make it private again?

You can make a resource private again by clicking on the 'Share' button and removing it from the areas you have shared it with.

How do I delete resources?

You can permanently remove a resource you have added by clicking on the 'Delete' button displayed alongside the resource. If a resource is being used by another resource, you will not be able to delete it.

How do I publish, or embed, interactives into other web pages?

Interactives that can be published, or embedded, into other pages will have an 'Embed' option. You will see the embed option, along with other options such as edit, copy, delete above the interactive in the main view page of the interactive (the one you see after clicking it on it from your dashboard or the library).

All you need to do is click on 'Embed' and then copy and paste the HTML code provided to the HTML of the page where you want the interactive to appear.

Show me the 'Embedding Interactives' video

What sort of files can I upload?

• Images: JPG or PNG, both less than 4000px wide
• Video: FLV, WMV, MP4, AVI and MOV
• Audio: MP3

All files must be less than 64MB in size.

How do I upload content?

To add your own material, click on the 'Upload New Content' button from the main widget, or after clicking on 'Get More Content' when creating an interactive. You can then upload files direct from your computer. You will be asked to add a few details and whether the resource will be available to other users or not - the choice is yours.

Show me the 'Upload New Content' video

How do I upload multiple files with metadata?

When uploading multiple files in one go, you may want to add some metadata, such as name, description copyright and tags at the same time. You can do this by creating a .csv file and uploading it at the same time. You can download a template for this.

Show me the 'Uploading Multiple Content' video

If I upload my own files, are they private?

All content that you create or upload is private to you until you decide to share it.

What are tags?

Tags are keywords that are attached to a resource to make it easier to find. You can add subject or key stage tags, or your own keywords. Searching looks at tags as well as the name and description of an object.

How do I tag my resources?

Click on 'Edit Tags' displayed in the 'Tags' box alongside the interactive. Separate each tag with a space - e.g. map flag Europe - or use quotation marks to join words together - e.g. 'map of Europe'. You can use the drop down menu to add key stages and subjects.

Show me the 'Tagging' video

What is a bundle?

A bundle is a group of resources centred around a specific theme. Bundles appear in search results as a single item so they are easy to find and explore.

How do I make a bundle?

When viewing a resource you can add it to an existing bundle or create a new one. You can also create bundles from 'Your Dashboard'.

Show me the 'Bundles' video

Where will my bundles appear?

Bundles appear in search results as if they were single resources. When you click on a bundle you will be given a list of its contents. You can then explore each individual resource.

How do I delete a bundle?

Bundles can be deleted in the same way as any other resource. Deleting a bundle does not delete any of the individual resources.

How do I change my details?

You can change your email address, password and nick name (the name which appears on screen by your interactives) by clicking on the 'Your Profile' button in the widget.

I've forgotten my sign in details!

If you have forgotten your sign in details, click on 'Forgot your password?' on the first landing page. You will then need to confirm your email address to which details of how to reset your password will be sent. The email address you use must be the same as when you registered.

Will you sell my email address?

We will never sell or give your details to any third party without your express permission. At this time we do not share any details of our customers with any other organisation.

How do I choose which licence to apply?

Magic Studio is based on the idea that assets (images, audio, video, interactives, etc.) can be shared, used and re-used by others for educational, non-commercial purposes. For this to work effectively, it's important that we (and you!) get the licencing right. It's not difficult - you just need to decide who gets to re-use the work and under what terms.

So, don't be afraid - there's not too much that go wrong if you are the creator and the rights holder, or if the creator and rights holder has made their material available for re-use. In a worse-case scenario, we have a 'take down policy' where we agree to immediately remove material when an infringement takes place.

We have a step-by-step licencing model with lots of guidance ... please make full use of it by clicking on the 'help' at each stage.

How do I licence work I have created?

You should select this option if you created this work and own the rights to it. If you didn't create it, please choose one of the other options to respect the creator and rights holder - you will still be given options for licencing it for re-use.

As the creator of this work, you can decide whether or not to licence it for re-use by others. If you choose not to licence it for re-use, you will be asserting your copyright in the work and it will appear © 'yourname' All Rights Reserved. No-one will be able to re-use the work even if you share it with them.

If you do want to licence it for re-use, you have a number of licence options.

The 'Magic Studio Licence - Educational Use Only' licence means that other users can make use of the work in Magic Studio for educational, non-commercial purposes only. Users cannot make money from your work and are not entitled to re-use it outside of the terms and conditions of Magic Studio.

Creative Commons is a licencing model that you can only use if you are the creator of the work or if the creator of the work already made it available under a CC licence (and you are respecting their choice of licence). Use the check boxes to make your choice and the appropriate licence will appear automatically. If you want any clarification, click on the licence link and it will take you to the relevant licence page on the Creative Commons website.

How do I licence work someone else has created?

If you are making material available that has been created by someone else, it's your responsibility to make sure that you can licence it for re-use. You must include the details of the creator and rights holder before you apply the appropriate licence.

You have a number of options for applying a re-use licence. The 'Magic Studio Licence - Educational Use Only' licence means that other users can make use of the work in Magic Studio for educational, non-commercial purposes only. Users cannot make money from your work and should not re-use it outside of Magic Studio.

If someone else created the work, you may only use a Creative Commons (CC) licence if the creator of the work already made it available under a CC licence (and you are respecting their choice of licence). Use the check boxes to choose the appropriate licence. If you want any clarification, click on the licence link and it will take you to the relevant licence page on the Creative Commons website.

How do I use work for which there are no known copyright restrictions?

You should only use this option if you are confident that there are no known copyright restrictions in the work. This might be because the copyright has expired or if the work has already been placed in the public domain by its creator. If you have more details, use the box provided e.g. Public Domain.