Cline Library
About the Library

Multimedia Computer Workstations

Two multimedia computer workstations (one funded by a grant from the NAU Parents' Association) are available in Cline Library Media Services for NAU students, faculty and staff to accomplish the following tasks:

• Create, edit and manipulate digital images.
• Scan and edit documents and images.
• Capture and edit audio.
• Capture and edit video.
• Burn CDs and DVDs.

The computer workstation is a networked Dell Optiplex GX280 Windows XP computer with 19 in. Flat Panel Monitor, 2 gigabytes of RAM, and two SATA hard drives. It offers:

• Matrox RT.X100 video capture card (used for video capture)
• Creative Labs sound card (used for audio capture)
• Plextor PX-712A DVD/CD Combo Drive (used for DVD/CD burning)
• Epson Perfection 3590 Scanner with document feeder (used for scanning)
• Adobe Photoshop (used for image editing)
• Adobe Premiere (used for video editing)
• Adobe Audition (used for audio editing)
• Optical Character Recognition [OCR] (used for document scanning)

The computer workstation is accompanied by tutorials and other user documentation.

Please see basic tips below or contact a Library staff member for further assistance.

Saving Work | Scanning | Optical Character Recognition (OCR) | Digital Imaging | Audio Editing | Video Editing | CD Burning | DVD Burning

Saving Your Work

You should temporarily save your work on the D: Drive space on the PC hard drive for fastest results. Since files on the hard drive are erased with each reboot (at least daily), you need to save your work elsewhere before ending your session on the PC. Depending on the size of the files created through your work, you can save to any of the following places:

• Your student dana, or staff/faculty jan, account, designated as either the Z:\ or W:\ drive and made available using mapdrive, located on the desktop of the Multimedia PC.
• Your USB Flashdrive plugged into the Multimedia PC; depends on the capacity of your flashdrive.
• Your USB hard drive plugged into the Multimedia PC; depends on the capacity of your hard drive.
• Your writeable compact disc; 650Mb capacity.
• Your writeable DVD; 4.7Gb capacity.
• Your floppy disk; 1.44Mb capacity.

Remember to save your work in one of the places identified above before logging off the PC.

Scanning

Programs used in scanning:

• Abbyy Fine Reader Sprint
• Photoshop

What you should know about scanning:

• In EPSON Scan settings, Office mode or Professional mode must be used to select between Document Table and Automatic Document Feeder
• You can scan black-and-white or color pictures on the flatbed (Document Table) scanner
• You can scan multi-page documents using the automatic document feeder (ADF)
• Photos are best imported into Photoshop
• Text documents are best scanned using Microsoft Document Imaging
• Settings: Black/White, Grayscale, Color, Resolution
• Each program can save a variety of file types
• In any scanning program, you must choose between Document Table and ADF before performing scan

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Program used for OCR:

• Abbyy Fine Reader Sprint

What you should know about OCR:

• To scan a multi-page document, use the document feeder: choose "Use automatic document feeder" from the Scanner settings
• You must select "Show scanner driver dialog before scanning" to select between "Document Table" and "ADF" (Automatic Document Feeder)
• OCR is the process of converting a digitized image into a text file
• Higher resolution scans make it easier for the program to recognize text

Digital Imaging

Programs used in digital imaging:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe ImageReady

What you should know about digital imaging:

• You can scan pictures directly into Adobe Photoshop
• You can import image files into Adobe Photoshop
• You can create new image files using Adobe Photoshop
• Photoshop can save a variety of file types
• Adobe Photoshop and Adobe ImageReady allow users to create, edit and manipulate images.

Audio Editing

Program used for audio editing:

• Adobe Audition

What you should know about audio editing:

• You can record audio from an external device into Adobe Audition
• You can import audio files into Adobe Audition
• Adobe Audition works closely with Adobe Premiere to combine its powerful audio editing tools with the powerful video editing of Adobe Premiere
• Adobe Audition can save a variety of file types
• Adobe Audition is a powerful audio editing program that allows users to create complex audio projects
• Audio is captured through the Sound Blaster audio box

Video Editing

Programs used in video editing:

• Adobe Premiere
• Pinnacle Studio

What you should know about video editing:

• You can record video from an external device into Adobe Premiere or Pinnacle Studio
• You can import video files into either program
• Digital video is captured into Adobe Premiere through a connection to the Matrox RT.X100 capture card
• Analog video can be captured using Adobe Premiere or VirtualDub
• Adobe Premiere offers a wide array of effects, a program for creating titles and credits and multi-track audio editing
• Adobe Premiere can save a variety of file types
• Adobe Premiere is a high-end video editing software package with professional quality video output

CD Burning

Program used for CD burning:

• Easy CD & DVD Creator

What you should know about burning CDs:

• You can burn a music CD with .wav files to be able to play on any CD player
• You must choose "data CD" to save data files rather than music files
• CD burning is easy with Easy CD Creator's drag-and-drop approach
• You must provide your own blank CD-Rs (available for purchase at the Copy Center on the second floor)
• You should make sure the files you intend to burn to CD fall under the space allotment of the blank CD (700Mb for 80 min., 650Mb for 74 min.)

DVD Burning

Programs used for DVD burning:

• Adobe Encore
• Easy CD & DVD Creator

What you should know about burning DVDs:

• You can burn videos you've created to DVD either directly from Adobe Premiere or by importing the video into Adobe Encore
• You can burn DVDs from other DVDs
• You must provide your own blank DVD+Rs (available for purchase at the Copy Center on the second floor)
• The DVD burner will not burn double-sided DVDs
• You should make sure the files you intend to burn to DVD fall under the space allotment of the blank DVD (4.7Gb for single-layer DVDs)

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This page last modified April 3, 2007