~~NOTOC~~ {{ :apps:parole.png?nolink|}} ====== Parole - Usage ====== * **[[#Main Parole Window|Main Parole Window]]** * **[[#Using the Control Bar|Using the Control Bar]]** * **[[#Playlist Pane|Playlist Pane]]** * **[[#Playlist Actions|Playlist Actions]]** * **[[#Using the Menus|Using the Menus]]** * **[[#Play Media|Play Media]]** * **[[#Playback|Playback]]** * **[[#DVD|DVD]]** * **[[#Audio|Audio]]** * **[[#Video|Video]]** * **[[#Tools|Tools]]** * **[[#Help|Help]]** * **[[#Keyboard Shortcuts|Keyboard Shortcuts]]** ---- ===== Main Parole Window ===== When you first open Parole, you are presented with the window shown in the example below:\\ The three main parts of the window are highlighted in the example:
{{:apps:parole:intro-main-window.png?600|Parole Main Window}}
- [[:apps:parole:usage?#using_the_menus|The menu bar]] * The menu bar has options to control all aspects of Parole including: opening and playback of media files, adjusting the Parole display and configuring preferences and plugins. - The main playback window * This is where video files are played and where effects can be shown while listening to audio files. - [[:apps:parole:usage?#using_the_control_bar|The control bar]] * Used to control playback, adjust volume, toggle fullscreen mode and toggle the display of the playlist pane. ===== Using the Control Bar ===== The control bar contains several items to control both the playback of media as well as the Parole display modes.
{{:apps:parole:intro-control-bar.png?600|Parole Control Bar}}
* The **Previous Track** and **Next Track** buttons allow you to jump to the previous and next files in the playlist. These buttons are only active when there are multiple files in the playlist. * The **Play/Pause** button is a toggle. Repeated clicks will start, pause and restart the play of a media file. It is only active when there are files in the playlist. You can also use the spacebar to play/pause. * The **Playback Slider** allows you to quickly fast forward and rewind through the currently playing selection by dragging the control button with the mouse. You can also click anywhere along the slider bar with the mouse to immediately jump to that point in the playback. The number to the left of the slider shows the elapsed time as a selection is playing. The number on the right indicates the total length of the active selection in the playlist. * Clicking the **Volume** button brings up a slider that allows you to adjust the volume. * Clicking the **Fullscreen** button switches Parole into fullscreen mode. Clicking it again when in fullscreen mode will return to windowed mode. The playlist pane is not visible when in fullscreen mode * The **Show/Hide Playlist** button is another toggle which is used to display or hide the playlist pane which appears to the right of the main Parole window. The Control Bar is set to autohide any time a media selection is playing. You can unhide it temporarily by moving the mouse anywhere inside of the main Parole window. Another way to control some playback functions and the Parole display is by right-clicking anywhere inside the main playback window. This will pop up the menu shown in Figure 3 below.
{{:apps:parole:right-click-menu.png?600|Parole Right-Click Context Menu}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ===== The Playlist Pane ===== When you first open Parole, only the main window is visible, as shown in the Figure 1 above. If you're going to be playing more than one selection in a Parole session, you will probably want to see those selections in a playlist. There are three ways to open the playlist pane: click {gui>Playback>Show Playlist} from the menu, click the {key>Show/Hide Playlist} icon on the playback control bar (Figure 2) or press the {key>F9} shortcut key. There are several buttons at the bottom of the playlist pane to help you manage your media selections. Refer to Figure 3 below for a description of the button functions. With the playlist open, you can also hover your mouse over the buttons to see those same descriptions. The horizontal resize bar can be used to widen the playlist pane so that you can see longer filenames. To widen, position the mouse over the dots in the center of the vertical separator bar until the double-headed arrow appears, click and drag to the left.
{{:apps:parole:parole-menu-playlist-pane.png?500|Parole Playlist Pane}}
Switching to fullscreen mode temporarily hides the playlist pane. When you leave fullscreen mode, the playlist will be visible again. [[|Back to Top]] ---- ===== Playlist Actions ===== The buttons at the bottom of the playlist pane allow you to manage your selections and control playback sequence. ? Add to playlist ! Brings up an **Open Media Files** window to select files. You can select multiple files and click the {key>Open} button to add them all at once or you can drag and drop single items from the **Open Media Files** dialog to the playlist. ? Remove selected media ! Highlight one or more entries and click this button to remove the selected items from the playlist. ? Clear playlist ! Removes all items in the playlist at once. ? Repeat and Shuffle ! These modes can be enabled separately or together. When both are enabled, the entire playlist will play through in random order and upon completion, will be shuffled and begin playing again in a different order. When clicked, the background of these buttons turns dark gray to make it easier to see when these modes are in effect. See Figure 4 below. ? Move Up and Move Down ! Clicking these buttons will move a selected playlist entry up or down in the list one row per click.
{{:apps:parole:repeat-shuffle-disabled.png|Repeat and Shuffle Button Disabled}}
{{:apps:parole:repeat-shuffle-enabled.png|Repeat and Shuffle Button Enabled}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ===== Using the Menus ===== ==== Play Media ==== To play local media files, choose {gui>Media>Open}, or alternatively press the {key>Ctrl+O} keys. This will bring up the //Open Media Files// dialog, which will allow you to navigate to the directory containing the media file.
Open... Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-open-media.png?600|Media -> Open Menu Selection}}
To play network or internet media files, choose {gui>Media>Open Location...}, or alternatively press the {key>Ctrl+L} keys. This will bring up the //Open Network Location// dialog, which will allow you to enter its path and the full name of the URI in the case of a network media file, or its hyperlink URL in the case of a internet media file. Parole needs additional plugins, like **text/html decoder**, to play internet media files
Open Location... Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-open-location.png?600|Media -> Open Location...Menu Selection}}
The {gui>Media>Open Recent} option will display a list of the recent media files played by parole, allowing a more convenient method of playing media files previously played.
Open Recent... Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-open-recent.png?600|Media -> Open Recent... Menu Selection}}
The list of the recent media files played by Parole can be cleaned just by clicking {gui>Media>Open Recent>Clear recent items...}. Choose {gui>Media>Save Playlist...} if you want to save a customized list of media files that you want to see or hear later, as a playlist. This will bring up the //Save Playlist as..// dialog, which will allow you to define the playlist name and its location.
Save Playlist... Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-save-playlist.png?600|Media -> Save Playlist... Menu Selection}}
For example, you can create a playlist that includes several tracks from multiple CDs, a link to a radio station and a video clip. The functionality available in {gui>Media>Play Disc} will allow a more convenient method of playing DVDs. After inserting a DVD in your CD/DVD drive, just select it to enter the DVD menu, allowing you to have access to specific titles and chapters, special features, and change the audio and/or subtitles language.
Play Disk Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-play-disc.png?600|Media -> Play Disk Menu Selection}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== Playback ==== To activate the repetition of an item being played, or all items in the playlist, choose {gui>Playback>Repeat}.
Repeat Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-repeat.png?600|Playback -> Repeat Menu Selection}}
The repeat option will not repeat only one item if various items are selected, it will play all the items in the playlist once, and then play them again. The {gui>Playback>Shuffle} option will enable or disable the shuffle mode.
Shuffle Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-shuffle.png?600|Playback -> Shuffle Menu Selection}}
With the shuffle mode activated, the items in a playlist or tracks from a CD/DVD are played randomly. To show or hide the playlist pane, to the right of the main Parole window, choose {gui>Playback>Show Playlist}, or alternatively press the {key>F9} key.
Show Playlist Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-show-playlist.png?600|Show Playlist}}
The playlist pane contains several buttons at the bottom to help you manage your media selections. For information about advanced configuration of playlists, refer to the [[:apps:parole:preferences#playlist|Playlist Settings]] section of the [[:apps:parole:preferences|Preferences page]]. [[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== DVD ==== Whenever you start playing a DVD, a new menu item appears on the menu bar. This DVD menu item allows you to select several options which are specific to this medium.
{{:apps:parole:dvd-chapters.png?600|DVD Menu Dropdown Menu}}
Some or all of these options may not be applicable to the DVD you are playing. It depends on whether the DVD was authored with that type of content. Each option is explained in more detail below. ? DVD Menu ! If the DVD has a main or title menu, clicking this option suspends playback and displays that menu. You can then select an item from the menu to play that choice, or you can click **DVD Menu** again and playback will resume where you left off previously. ! If the DVD has no menus, this option will restart playback from the beginning. ? Title Menu ! This option differs slightly from **DVD menu**. It will also display the DVD's main menu if one exists but your only option is then to select an item from that menu. ! If the DVD has no **Title Menu**, this option will restart playback from the beginning. ? Audio Menu ! Displays a selection of audio tracks to choose from. For example, some DVDs have multiple audio tracks in different languages. ? Angle menu ! Allows you to choose different camera angles. ? Chapters ! Brings up a sub-menu of chapter numbers if they are available on the DVD. Select a chapter and playback will jump to that point. ! When you play a DVD containing chapters, those chapters' numbers will appear in the playlist pane if it is visible. However, you must use the **DVD** menu item to switch to those chapters. You can't switch to them by clicking on them in the playlist. Also, the buttons at the bottom of the playlist are all disabled during DVD playback. [[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== Audio ==== The {gui>Audio>Volume Up} option will raise the volume of Parole's output audio.
Volume Up Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-volume-up.png?600|Audio -> Volume Up Menu Selection}}
The {gui>Audio>Volume Down} option will lower the volume of Parole's output audio.
Volume Down Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-volume-donw.png?600|Audio -> Volume Down Menu Selection}}
You can also adjust Parole's output audio by clicking the volume button in the control bar. This will bring up a slider that allows you to adjust the volume. The {gui>Audio>Mute} option will mute, or unmute if previously muted, the volume of Parole's output audio.
Mute Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-mute.png?600|Audio -> Mute Menu Selection}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== Video ==== The {gui>Video>Fullscreen} option, or alternatively the {key>F11} key, will switch Parole to full screen mode. To return from full screen mode, press the {key>Esc} key.
Fullscreen Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-fullscreen.png?600|Video -> Fullscreen Menu Selection}}
By switching to full screen mode, the player controls might appear for a short period of time. To restore the checks after they disappeared, move the mouse or press any key. The {gui>Video>Aspect Ratio} option will allow to define the proportional relationship between the width and the height with which you intend to reproduce your videos. Below, is a brief explanation of the six possible choices available. ^ Option ^ Definition ^ |None|No image adjustment is made| |Auto|The image is adjusted automatically to present the video with the most suitable size.| |Square|The image will be adjusted to present the video in a square format.| |4:3 (TV)|The image will be adjusted to present the video in the standard television format.| |16:9 (Widescreen)|The image will be adjusted to present the video in the international standard format of HDTV, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television PALplus.| |20:9 (DVB)|The image will be adjusted to present the video in the Digital Video Broadcasting format, which is similar to the widescreen cinema standard.|
Aspect Ratio Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-aspect-ratio.png?600|Video -> Aspect Ratio Menu Selection}}
The option {gui>Video>Subtitles} will not only enable, or disable, the subtitles and captions of a video but also allows to choose the language in which they will be displayed, by selecting the correspondent language file.
Subtitles Menu Selection"> {{:apps:parole:parole-menu-subtitles.png?600|Video -> Subtitles Menu Selection}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== Tools ==== There are two selections under the {gui>Tools} menu which can be used to configure Parole and extend its functionality.
{{:apps:parole:parole-menu-tools.png?600|Tools Dropdown Menu}}
For information about using plugins, refer to the [[:apps:parole:plugins|the Plugins page]].\\ The [[:apps:parole:preferences|Preferences page]] explains how to configure Parole to your liking. [[|Back to Top]] ---- ==== Help ==== In the unlikely (we hope) event that you find a problem with Parole, use the {gui>Report a Bug} option on this menu to help the developers resolve the problem. Before reporting the bug, be sure to check the online documentation, which you can open using the {gui>Contents} option or hitting F1 on your keyboard. Use the {gui>About} option to find which version of Parole you are running. When you click on {gui>About}, you will also see a link to the Parole website where you can find the latest information about Parole.
{{:apps:parole:parole-menu-help.png?600|Help Dropdown Menu}}
[[|Back to Top]] ---- ===== Keyboard Shortcuts ===== Several keyboard shortcuts are available in Parole to make navigation quicker and easier. They are listed below, grouped by function: ** Playback ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **p** | Play/Pause | | **Spacebar** | Play/Pause | | **Right arrow** | Seek ahead 10 secs | | **Left arrow** | Seek back 10 secs | | **Ctrl-Right arrow** | Seek ahead 60 secs | | **Ctrl-Left arrow** | Seek back 60 secs | | **Page Up** | Seek ahead 10 mins | | **Page Down** | Seek back 10 mins | ** Menu Items ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **Ctrl-M** | Show/Hide menu bar | | **Alt-M** | Media | | **Alt-P** | Playback | | **Alt-D** | DVD (only when DVD inserted) | | **Alt-A** | Audio | | **Alt-V** | Video | | **Alt-T** | Tools | | **Alt-H** | Help | ** Media ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **Ctrl-O** | Open | | **Ctrl-L** | Open Location | | **Ctrl-Q** | Quit | ** Playlist ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **F9** | Show/Hide Playlist | | **Del** | Remove selected item from playlist | | **Up arrow** | Move up to next item in playlist | | **Down arrow** | Move down to next item in playlist | ** Volume ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **+** | Volume Up | | **-** | Volume Down | | **0** | Mute | ** Display ** ^ Keys ^ Action ^ | **F11** | Fullscreen/Leave Fullscreen | | **f** | Fullscreen/Leave Fullscreen | | **Esc** | Leave Fullscreen | [[|Back to Top]] ---- [[:apps:parole:start:|Return to parole Main Documentation Page]]