C.D. Portfolio

Artemis · Feb 7, 2005

I was just curious of how you could make a portfolio in a cd...

Id rather have something that I design, but has an AutoRun feature, and also works in dvd players...you know? something that like does all the work for people so the lazy corporations dont have to fumble around clumsy folders, but just stick it in their computer/dvd drive, and it starts itself up....
Perhaps something like a power point presentation? what do you guys think I could do? any free programs?

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

Digital Matt · Feb 7, 2005

Irfanview is free, and has a slide show feature. I think making a cd autorun is as simple as creating a file called autorun.inf in the root of the cd and putting the file you want to run. Look at the autorun.inf file on a cd you have already, to check the syntax.

I'm not sure how to get Irfanview to start a slideshow automatically though.

Scurra · Feb 7, 2005

macromedia director is a handy tool for stuff like that arty... but can be pricey.

Artemis · Feb 7, 2005

You say can be

I like the idea of infraview...and maybe if the proggy starts up I could get it to say *Click here to start*

kimbie05 · Feb 7, 2005

artemis...

that's a good question.. something i've always wondered too, especially because i am constantly having to show my portfolio. it is a pain to go through folders. almost all the time though, i show it TO THEM, that way i can present it in the way i want, and i know exactly which folder to go to.

i'm gonna keep my eye on this thread. i'd like to know, too.

loopy · Feb 8, 2005

Flash is great for using presentations, check out http://www.macromedia.com for more details. Although it is a bit more pricey.

I did a search and found this program ArcSoft, this will help you create DVD slideshows.

Here is an article on creating an autorun cd. http://www.ezau.com/latest/articles/autorun.shtml

If you want any further info, search for "autorun tutorials"

Good luck.

Hertz van Rental · Feb 8, 2005

Loopy has it. The Artists and Photographers I know all use Flash.
Do not - under any circumstances - use Powerpoint.

Rob · Feb 8, 2005

Flash is the way most professionals do it - it's multi-platform and WYSIWYG which is very important for marketing and photography for obvious reasons. You can also include the software which will automatically install if the recipient doesn't have it already.

One idea I've seen which is fantastic - credit card sized and shaped CD business cards. It's a square(ish) CD about the size of a credit card which seems to work fine in all drawer players. They are used quite a bit at IT trade shows, and you can get a reasonable amount on them - about 100Mb I think.

photong · Feb 8, 2005

Hertz van Rental said:
Do not - under any circumstances - use Powerpoint.

Why not?

SLOShooter · Feb 8, 2005

You can get a 30-Day free trail of Flash, however if your going to be making something that is going to, in turn, make you money, they might want you to purchase the software. Flash is pretty spendo too.

Also, if your going to use flash and high quality pictures, know that flash works mainly with jpegs and there are alot of compresion issues that you will have to work around. It's doable but it either takes product familiarity or lots of tinkering.

I think the card sized CD's are fabulous for portfolios BTW. I've seen them used many times and they're super cool. People will usually pop them in they're drives just to see if they actually play which is the biggest hurdle anyone faces when trying to get a portfolio out.

Digital Matt · Feb 8, 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hertz van Rental
Do not - under any circumstances - use Powerpoint.

Why not?

Flash plays on any system with the flash plugin. It's just alot easier and more widely accepted cross platform wise. The only problems you might encounter with jpg compression in flash is when producing for the web when size is an issue. There is no issue with size when making cd. You can easily select the jpg quality of your flash movie, and have nice quality photos.

Artemis · Feb 8, 2005

I like the idea of this...

Now...Im thinking have a flash Credit card sized c.d....how much are they? where can I get them.

As for flash, I may have a copy my family bought lying around...but Ive tried to use it before and its hard

chroix · Feb 8, 2005

In Flash you can make a standalone player for Macs and/or PCs. To make the autorun DVD feature work however you will need Director.

A website works cross platform and you dont have to worry about all the software etc...I've made CD portfolios with the site stored on them locally. Flash is cool but to really make it work well takes a lot of work and time spent learning.

Artemis · Feb 8, 2005

chroix said:
In Flash you can make a standalone player for Macs and/or PCs. To make the autorun DVD feature work however you will need Director.

A website works cross platform and you dont have to worry about all the software etc...I've made CD portfolios with the site stored on them locally. Flash is cool but to really make it work well takes a lot of work and time spent learning.

Maybe you can help me make one myself....do you charge?

rangefinder · Feb 8, 2005

I use www.flipalbum.com. The application is burned to the CD. So your customer just has to plug and play. I also do wedding albums with this. Neat software. Been using it for about 18 months and it is very well received by my younger customers.