Lessons on how to Draw your own pictures.
Lesson One
Lesson Two

How does Loraine create storybooks?

Main Screen

The program Loraine uses to create my stories, is STORYMAKER+. It is a wonderful program and user friendly. It does take a little time to learn how to use Storymaker+ and the programs tools, as with any program you've never used before, you have to take the time to learn.

You can print out the HELP files that come with Storymaker+. I found them to be VERY helpful in creating our storybooks. Remember... the HELP files are there in case you need them. Take the time to read them, they give you step by step instructions.

When Storymaker's Main Screen comes up, there are different buttons to click on. Loraine usually goes to the SCENERY EDITOR FIRST. This is where she sets the scene of my story page. There you can draw trees, grass, the sky... what, you can't draw? Keep trying... drawing over and over again is the best way to learn.

Next we'll go to my favorite area of the Storymaker+ program the SHAPE EDITOR. That's where I get to do all kinds of nifty stuff! That's where I MOVE ...get down and booggiiee wooggiiee... [[Billy you are suppose to be teaching here not playing around]]

Shape Editor

Okay, back to the "how to"... When the black screen comes up, you can see 3 smaller drawing areas, these are called "cells." Click on FILE, then go to the Kids LIBRARY, and click on one of the items listed. This will give you an idea how the SHAPE EDITOR works.

Loraine draws a picture in the first cell. Then she uses the tools located at the top of the page (Yes, there's more tools than the ones located at the bottom of the screen.) and copy the first picture to the 2nd cell. Then she makes a few changes in the picture.

Now you give it a try, it's really cool! Draw a simple face... round face, dots for eyes, line for a mouth. After you've done that, copy it to the 2nd cell. Now change the mouth... or eyes... or add a nose. There, you just created your first animation! Don't forget to save it. You can create your own library... you can even give the library your very own name.

If you want an object without animation, just draw in the first cell and delete the other 2 cells. Drawing can be really fun. If you need a little bit of help, go back up to the top of this page, and click on the Drawing Lessons. Drawing on the computer is different than drawing on paper... it takes time to learn. Don't give up... keep trying... keep learning.

Book Editor

In the lower left hand corner, I remember it as the "button that imports my scenery pictures from the SCENERY EDITOR. Click on this to load your scenery picture. The button, right above it imports the pictures you drew in the SHAPE EDITOR. (Your animations!) Click on that button and place the picture where you want it on the page. With a click of your computer mouse, your pictures is in place. If you don't like where the picture is, click on the MOVE button to move the picture to another location. If you want to change the color, use the recolor tool. The more you use Storymaker+, the more you will learn about the programs tools and what you can do with them.

Click on the, I call it "let the animation begin" button. "my ta-da area", the area Loraine moves me around, teaches me how to do the twist... the area where I can strut my stuff... I can jump up really high... the too cool... the turn me on and let me rock... [[Billy...]] Okay, back to teaching. It's the button over on the bottom, top row, right side of your screen, click on it to bring up the animation work screen. Here you make your animation move, add text, sound, and music (even MIDI music) to your animation. Click on the animation button. You will see arrows, left, right, up, down and stay, these are what make your animation go. For your face animation, click on the stay, unless you want to make your face go all over the screen... then click on the arrows... silly you!

No story is complete with out the "story!" You can add text, which the computer will read for you. This is the caption button. There's even several caption designs to choose from. Type in the words of your story.

Are you ready to read your story's first page? Click on the "testing button." It's located near the "?" help button. Doesn't your animation look grand! Keep playing with the animation screen and test the different ways you can animate your pictures. The more you play with Storymaker+, the more you will learn how to create the storybook pages. Then you can share them with your friends... and say "I did that!"

One step further...

The voices are created with another program... GOLDWAVE. It's pretty simple to use. You just talk into the microphone... and listen to yourself over your computer! It's neat! You should hear Loraine when she practices her different voices... sometimes it's really silly. For Storymaker+, you have to create and save your sound files (.VOC) in 8000 speed. That's why other programs don't record so well for Storymaker+.

I made Loraine change my voice, when she used her own voice, it made me sound to much like a "girl" ...oooo! She does this by changing the sound's pitch. The default is C, she changes it to D. If she forgets, I sneak in and change it for her... Once you've played around with the GoldWave program, you will see what the different tools are used for. Once your voices (and sound effects) are done, save them as a .VOC file - 8000 speed, to Storymaker's SOUND file. The next time you pop up the animation screen and click on the sound button, you will see your .VOC file listed there for you to use in your story.

There is so much you can do with Storymaker+, import pictures you've drawn in other art programs, add your own photos, export the pictures you created in Storymaker+ to other programs to print them out (those are for your friends who don't have computers, or for yourself, if you're using your schools computer and don't have a computer at home.) There's scripts to add, to make your animation do more than one thing when you click on it... this program is filled with little extras to make your storybook masterpiece!

Loraine even makes up animated Birthday cards, and sometimes even animated letters! ...and she even let's me play in them! When she gives them to her family and friends... they really get a giant grin!

Using the animation you create in Storymaker+ to use for your WebPage...