Exporting to AVI format

The AVI file format is commonly used to display movies and animation.

Any PC user running Windows 95 and above should be able to view a movie exported to AVI format, if they have the same codec that was used to export the movie.

However, files exported to AVI format will normally be larger than the same movie exported to Flash, EXE or WMV format.

Be aware that the codec used to export the AVI file has a large impact on how it will appear when played back on another computer. Because choosing the best codec can require some technical knowledge as well as some testing, exporting to a Flash, WMV or EXE file would normally be the best option. The AVI export function is primarily included for use when:

• The user who needs to see your movie has a non-Windows computer that does not have Flash installed, cannot play back WMV files and cannot run the standalone EXE exports.

• You need to edit the movie using a third party application that works with AVI files.

The time taken to export and the eventual file size is largely dependent on four things:

1. The length and complexity of the movie.

2. The codec used.

3. The sound format and compression used (if the movie contains sound).

4. The frame rate of the movie - the higher the frame rate, the smoother the movie but the larger the exported file.

For more information on codecs and recommendations on how to select one, see About AVI Codecs.

For more information on sound export options, see Sound export options.

How to export a movie to AVI format:

1. On the Player main menu, select File and Export to AVI.
   or
   On the File toolbar, click the AVI Export button:

2. Select the frame rate for the export file. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the playback but the larger the exported file. BB TestAssistant gives you the option of selecting full frame rate, which gives the smoothest playback and the largest exported file, or 1/2 and 1/4 frame rate which reduce the frame rate to give a smaller, but less smooth, AVI file.

3. If required, change the sound export options. See Sound export options for details.

4. if required, set the Scaling values to reduce the movie dimensions.

5. If required, use the Autoscroll feature to trim the movie in size but have it automatically scroll to keep the mouse cursor within the movie frame during playback. See Autoscrolling exported movies for details.

6. Click Export

7. Provide a file name for the new AVI movie file and click Save to save the movie to that name.

8. Select a codec to use for the compression. See About AVI codecs for more information.