Creating a Parallel Node

To create a new parallel node using the toolset (that’s the tool menu on the top right corner of the tree), click on the fork icon in the toolset, and a new parallel node will appear on your tree.

You can also convert multiple existing nodes in the tree into a single parallel node. Select the nodes in question (one to four nodes), right-click and select ‘Turn into Parallel Node’. The nodes will break away from the tree and a new parallel node will appear. Your new parallel node will contain all the original nodes selected.

 

Adding Video

There are several different places where you can add the uploaded video assets into the channels:

  • Parallel Node Settings Panel – choose a video asset from the drop down menu or drag and drop video assets from the library.
  • Node Editor – drag and drop video assets from the library into the video monitor.
  • Tree area – drag and drop video assets from the library into the channel nodes on your tree.

The length of the parallel node will be equal to the length of its shortest channel, so make sure you use video assets of the same length in all your channels. To help you keep track of which channels might be cut off when playing the parallel node, a red warning icon will be placed next to the video length if it exceeds the length of the node.

Screen Shot 2015-07-24 at 8.03.01 PM

If you’re adding a parallel node to an older project – we’re sorry, but the backward compatibility is limited to videos uploaded after May 1st 2014, so you will be asked to re-upload your video assets.

 

Adding and Removing Channels

Each parallel node can contain between two to four parallel channels.

To add a new channel:

  • Click the ‘+’ icon on the parallel node; or
  • Select ‘Add parallel channel’ in the settings panel.

To delete a channel:

  • In the tree area select ‘Delete’ in the right-click menu; or
  • Select a channel and use the delete keyboard shortcut; or
  • In the settings panel, when hovering over the video monitor, click on the ‘X’.

 

Setting Up a Default Channel

The default channel is the channel that starts playing when the parallel node is reached. It is marked by the channel number appearing in a dark blue (blue: default, white: not default). To select a default channel, click on the number button in the settings panel.

 

Editing a Parallel Node

Screen Shot 2015-07-24 at 8.02.16 PM
Editing a parallel node is a little different than what you’re accustomed to in Eko Studio. You’re still editing the style and appearance of the node elements, but when it comes to buttons’ actions, instead of controlling the connections between the node and its children, you’re editing the switching between different channels.

When adding a switch button to your parallel node, select ‘Switch Channel’ in the Action tab and select the a channel from the drop-down list.

You can either set the button to switch to a specific channel in the parallel node or choose a next/previous button. Note that the button will appear throughout the entire parallel node.

When editing you can view how the node elements look in each one of your parallel channels inside the node editor. Simply switch between the channels using the toggle button in the bottom of the video monitor.

Connecting the Parallel Node to the Tree

Parent nodes – any node in the tree can connect to a parallel node.

Child nodes – each parallel channel can have one child node only.

To connect a channel to a node, draw a connection between the channel node ‘+’  button and its child.  Because only one default connection can exist, there is no choice button and the connection happens in auto-selection.

Note that if a channel isn’t connected to a child node (or looped back to the beginning of the node) it will lead to the end screen.