This document describes a canvas-based presentation tool called LandScape that is being developed using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and JavaScript. It discusses the advantages of a canvas-based paradigm over traditional slide-based presentations. LandScape will allow creating and dynamically controlling presentations on an SVG canvas using tools like Inkscape, Raphael.js and Batik. The goal is to create an open, multi-platform tool that is more flexible than slideware but with a lighter feature set than commercial products.

1. Canvas Based Presentation
Using SVG and Javascript
Zeroth Review
01-12-2011
S.Srikrishnan , V.Vishal Gautham
Final Year, CSE „B‟
Guided by
R. S. Milton, Ph.D.

2. Presentation Paradigms
• Information is organized into slides.
• Each slide typically consists of a
list of bulleted points.
• Eg., Microsoft PowerPoint,
OpenOffice Impress etc.,
Slide
Based
• The material to be presented is laid
out in a large canvas without any
page (slide) boundaries.
• View can change orientation to suit
the information to be presented.
Canvas
Based

3. Why not the Slide Based Paradigm?
• Features can be
complicated to use.
• Tendency to skip slides
– leads to distract the
audience.
• Single pre-set path.
• Presence of content
creator is not critical
during the presentation.

4. Edward Tufte’s Views
• Slide-ware reduces the
analytical quality of
presentations.
• Bullets are just raw facts
listed point-wise.
• Abuse of graphical
technique.
• Suggests the use of web
browser as a
presentation tool.
He is noted for his writings
on information design and as a
pioneer in the field of data
visualization.
Edward Tufte

5. Why Canvas Based Paradigm?
• Reflects the
presenter‟s flow of
thought process.
• Emphasis more on
the central idea.
• Audience
concentrate better
• Animations and other
rich form of
multimedia
• Presentation never
seems monotonous
• Tweaked to the
level of detail the
presenter wants to
express
Flexibility Attractive
FlowFocus

6. Prezi – A Canvas Presentation Tool
• Canvas based presentation
software developed using
Flash™.
• Ideas explored on a
virtual canvas.
• Zooming in and out of
presentation media (ZUI).
• Text, images, videos can
be grouped together as
frames.

7. LandScape – Our Canvas
Presentation Tool
SVG
• Animates the presentation
elements.
• Open standard
• Supported by modern browsers.
JavaScript
• Programmatically manipulate the
components of the presentation.

8. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
• Language for describing two-
dimensional graphics in XML.
• Three types of graphic objects
– Vector graphic shapes
– Images
– Text
• Objects can be grouped, styled,
transformed and composited
“Vector graphics is more flexible
than raster graphics”
Web
Browsers
Inkscape
Batik Squiggle
Applications
SVG Viewers

9. Inkscape – An SVG Editor
• Allows drag and drop
creation of SVG.
• Full fledged editor with
advanced image
processing support.
• Animation toolbox
allows individual
elements to be
animated.
• JessyInk extension to
Inkscape allows the
creation of basic
canvas presentations

10. Features and Drawbacks of
JessyInk
(a) Create both slide-
based as well as canvas-
based presentations.
(b) Light-weight
extension to Inkscape
(a) Limited set of
features with respect to
animation, transition
effects etc.,
(b) Poor performance in
most browsers.
(c) Not suitable for the
common man to create.

11. LandScape User Interface
Creating/
Editing the
presentation
Raphaël.js
Raphaël is a small JavaScript
library that should simplify
your work with vector
graphics on the web
Apache Batik
Java-based toolkit for applications
or applets that want to use images
in the SVG format for various
purposes, such as display,
generation or manipulation
Plugin for Inkscape
Integrating a plugin
using Python

12. Features
Features
Dynamic
control of
Presentation
Pan, zoom
and rotate
Motion
path for
transitions
Exporting
Exporting
as SVG
Export as
PDF
Text
outline as
notes for
presenter
Importing
multiple
media
formats
Templates
Multi-
Platform
support

13. Scope and Goal
• Will be used to create attractive
canvas based presentations.
• Requires some level of expertise
to create content.
• May not have all features of
commercially available software.
• Useful for teacher to create lecture
slides.
• Presentation not too dependent on
features of the viewer.
• Browser requirements are quite
nominal.
• Integration of JavaScript layer
over SVG.

14. References
[1] Edward R. Tufte, “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information”,
Second Edition, Graphics Press LLC, 2001.
[2] W3C Recommendations, “Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1”
(Second Edition)
http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/
[3] Raphael.js, a cross-browser JavaScript library for drawing vector
graphics on websites
http://www.raphaeljs.com
[4] Apache Batik, Java classes for manipulating SVG
http://xmlgraphics.apache.org/batik/javadoc/
[5] Prezi, a cloud based SaaS presentation software
http://www.prezi.com
[6] Taymjong Bah, “Inkscape guide to a vector drawing program”,
Third Edition, Prentice Hall