Hypercompendia

…a block, a dot; something that, with a single keystroke, will act as a hyperlink at the end of lexia text to move to the next logical lexia without the need for “next” or “basic links” or as I have been doing, using the last word of the space. I’m thinking of going back and using an arrow (–>) which is a common sign for moving forward in both hypertext and IF, but it would be really neat to have something with a ‘heavier’ weight, particularly when using colored text and backgrounds.

There’s likely something available in the library of symbols in either Pages or Word, but as I’ve found out with the ene (or Spanish nyah-sound of Señora) they do not compute in the export of Storyspace into the html templates.

So I’m looking for a blob of color, fairly large, like a drop of blood that leaves a trail to follow to the murderer.

Great news this morning from Writer Response Theory on the nearing completion of Storytron. In an interview with Chris Crawford, Mark gives us a closer look at the process of developing this innovative software and offers hope that the project will soon be available beyond the beta testing.

I’ve played a bit with Storytron a couple years ago and found it to be complex but thorough in giving the author the ability to produce characters and situations that a reader can truly interact with in story.

Congratulations to Chris, thanks to Mark, and we’re all looking forward to joining this adventure.

Just caught a Crystal Lite commercial that mixed real actors–models wearing bright colored silky swirling dresses–with digital graphics. Beautifully done; as the models spun around, their dresses, in slow motion, turned liquid and splattered out in drops and sprays. A strand of pearls popped off and blew away like balloons. Nice stuff.

With the new developments in software abilities come the opportunities for the talented and creative to not only fill the needs in advertising, movies, video games, but also offers to take the medium to far beyond the reach of the mere human ability.

Just found that Mark Marino at Writer Response Theory got to play with the moviemaking facilities at xtranormal a couple days before me. Here’s his video as well as his thoughts on the program.

Steve Ersinghaus has been working on a poem in Tinderbox and has added stretchtext features using jQuery within the boxes. Read about the process he’s been willing to share.

I’ve been looking to get back into animation and the folks at Xtranormal have a real fun and easy way to dabble a bit. Here’s my first attempt:

If you can’t get it to work here, try going here to the site.

It’s a real easy, simple yet fun way to introduce yourself to animation before getting involved in Alice or Panda or Flash.

Well, I’m down to three slides and my Buster Brown rendition.

Actually no, I haven’t had the heart to cut out any of my pretty slides yet.  I spent all day so far changing fonts and colors. I know I hafta, and that you folk lucky enough to be at the Pittsburgh Hypertext 08 Workshops will be seeing the highly squished condensed version.  What can I say?  I’ve developed a hypertext mind and wandered off the the main trail as every good hypertexter should.  Here then, for perhaps the last time, is the full show: