9/11/2006 9:16:50 AM

We have been using SSP in our services  for the last 4 months or so (making me a newbie)  About a month ago, we started using SSP to diplay Scripture.  I ran into one major problem, and 2 minor problems with the SSP Scripture Display facilities, that we solved using the SSP Song Display facilities.

The biggest problem is illustrated below.  We use the Online Bible, NIV version.  At the beginning of many chapeters, there is introductory material, that in not usually considered part of verse 1, but is included in verse 1.  Online bible treates it differently by putting it in italics.  SSP Scripture Display simply treats it as part of verse 1, with no distinguishing features, not even the italics shown below.

1 ¶ For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

The other problems were: 

1)  We wanted to display the entire scripture range on each screen of a multi verse passage.  If we were displaying Psalms 6:5-22,  we wanted that reference on each slide, as we went through the verses, while showing the  individual verse numbers in the text.  Using SSP Scripture Display places the reference for only the verses on the screen at any moment.

2)  We found it somewhat tedious to split up the verses of a multi-verse range into screen size chunks, that maintained a nice font size.  Too  many mouse clicks to get the verses to group as we wanted, while trying to maintain font size.


Our solution is the treat the scripture as an SSP Song:  
a)  We open Online Bible  .... and display and copy the scripture range to the clipboard. 
b)  We then create a new SSP "Song" and paste the scripture into Verse 1 of the song. 
c)  We "name the song" with the scripture range, so it is easy to recognize in the Program list. 
d)  We put the scripture reference into the "Reference" box for the song. 
e)  We have setup a display settings template named "FBC Scripture as Song", to fine tune our display, and to display the scripture reference on the slide, at our desired location. 

Part d) and e) solves small problem number 1, displaying the entire scripture range on each slide.  Because the individual verse numbers come along as part the the scripture we pasted from Online Bible, we also have the individual verse numbers displayed.

f)  We put the new "scripture song" into a collection called "FBC Scripture".  For now, we are keeping them, but at some point we'll probably delete them, and we want them to be easy to find.

g)  We then edit "verse 1" of the "song" to break out the introductory text from the scripture's verse 1 (if necessary), into a separate line. We usually put in an extra blank line to make it stand out even more, since we won't be able to italicize it using "Song" features.  If we didn't want to display the intro text, we would simply delete it.

This solves our big problem, dealing with the introductory text.  It is no longer included in verse 1 of the scripture, and stands out nicely.


h)  We then use whichever SSP Song "verse splitting" technique we like to split the scripture range into separate screens.  Sometimes 2 lines per slide works, sometimes 3 lines per slide works.  Sometimes we use page breaks in the slide to control the subdivision.  We use whatever looks best. 

This solves small problem number 2, giving us easier control over the subdivision of the verses onto screens.  Playing with the song song splitting features seems less tedious than using the built-in scripture subdivision tool.

All this took a while to describe but it actually happens very quickly.  We think we spend less time
"fiddling" with the scriptures to make them display nicely.

Using this method, we can't instantly put  scripture on the screen, but that is not something we would generallly want to do anyway.  We are Baptist after all, and we follow the printed program.

Is anyone else concerned with the problems I described?  Or is it just me?
Let me know what you think.

Ron

9/11/2006 10:14:15 AM

That makes sense. We use SlideShowBuilder when we need to do responsive readings, because we use italic for the pastor's part and bold for the congregations, and different colors, also. The other advanage that SSB brings to the table is the ability to insert scripture text and references directly from whatever SSP scripture sources you have.

But being able to have the flexibility to use the Songs lines per screen is very appealing.

As for splitting a reading into "screen sized chunks," once you have entered a range of verses in a program, you can right click and edit the scripture reference (or something like that). That will allow you to set the starting verse and ending verse for each screen. I've found this very useful for longer readings.

But using the Song database is yet another good idea. I've created songs for the LORD's Prayer and our church covenant, which has worked very well.

9/11/2006 10:33:35 AM

Joel,

Thanks for the repy!

I haven't used SSB for scripture. I'll have to try it and compare to what we are doing now. What I want is the best combination of "Quick, Easy and nice looking"

Regarding your comment:
"As for splitting a reading into "screen sized chunks," once you have entered a range of verses in a program, you can right click and edit the scripture reference (or something like that). That will allow you to set the starting verse and ending verse for each screen. I've found this very useful for longer readings"

That is the facility I find very tedious, and here's why. Let's say I have a long scripture on 10 screens, and I have already split them up using the edit scripture based splitter. I then decide that the fonts are too small because (for example) the second slide has one too many verses on it, while all other slides have about the right amount of text. What I have to do is move 1 verse from the offending slide .... to the next slide. Then I have to do the same for all remaining slides to keep them from getting too much text.

After fiddling with all the slides, I then can preview them, to see if I like the results. If I don't like it, then I go back to the editor and fiddle somemore.

I find the Song facilities to be much quicker, while also solving the real problem of Introductory Text.

I'll try the SSB route and give my opinion.

Ron

9/11/2006 10:55:39 AM

I'm betting that you'll find using SSB very tedious as well, because to twiddle, you have to delete text off of one screen and insert it into the next, and so on. Unless you clone the slide and delete the end of the passage from one slide and the beginning of the passage from the next.

I find it tedious. The only reason I do it that way is to format the leader and congregation parts differently.

I don't find editing the scripture display that tedious, but to each his own. I generally select the range of verses and click the "insert entire passage, a verse at a time". Then I go in and combine shorter verses together, but leave longer verses alone. I rarely put more than 3 verses on the screen at a time.

9/11/2006 11:22:38 AM

Looks like I've revealed a little too much about myself. I'm still waiting on God to give me patience .... and I sure wish He'd hurry up. : )

Ron

9/11/2006 11:27:30 AM

Hey, if you found a way that works for you, that's great. And it's great of you share.

One of the things I like about SSP are the variety of ways that things can get done. You've found one that I hadn't thought of.

9/11/2006 1:40:46 PM

Joel,

There is a wish list item called "Mixed Fonts in Songs" that would make your Responsive Reading slides very easy,if it existed. I noticed that you have participated in that discussion. You input has made me think about this a bit and I've come up with an interesting alternative "Wish" that I want to bounce off of you and others before I submit it.

The wish would be to: Expand the "scripting language" embedded in the song text.


I use the word EXPAND because there is already a one-symbol script language built-in .... the line break symbol.
What if they gave us an "italics" symbol to start and stop italics, and a bold symbol to start and stop bold text. We could embed those start and stop symbols in the song (or scripture, or responsive reading) text at will.

A very small number of "scripting" symbols such as Italics, bold, underline, size, and color, would take care of lots of needs.
If we only had Italics and Bold, and nothing else, that would be really handy. Just 2 more little symbols used in the song text, in attition to the line break symbol.

Of course, to carry this idea to the limit, song text could be written in HTML, if SSP would provide an HTML interpreter for song text (i think this goes a bit too far).

I think a few scripting commands (like the line break character) would be easier for SSP programmers to implement into the current program, than adding a user interface to support interactive, freeform text variations. They only have to allow and interpret a few more symbols. This might be something we could get quickly, if enough people jumped on it.

What do you think of this wish as a quickly implemented substitute for "Mixed fonts in songs"?


Ron

9/11/2006 1:54:43 PM

PS.... I used a few scripting commands in my last post to do bold, italics and underline.

Ron

9/11/2006 2:03:41 PM

I think that would make a lot of sense. I'm not sure how else they would implement something like that.

Of course, I build my first web pages with a text editor. And many folks in forums would be used to that kind of in stream formatting.

9/12/2006 7:59:38 AM

You've been creative using the song database for scripture, but I, too, would probably have used SSB, just because that is what I would use tho not any better than your technique, except for this one feature: Using slides, you can insert verses on slide, create a text box containing the references as a range of verses, and copy that text box to each slide. I also like the idea of keeping songs separate, though.

I assume you know about specifying Verse with Chapter, Each Selected Verse, and All Selected Verses, even though no one mentioned it.

As an aside, it is my understanding that what you call "there is introductory material, that in not usually considered part of verse" in some verses in the Psalms (does Song of Sol and Eccle do that also?) are, in fact, in the original-language texts that we have, which is why they are included within the verse numbering scheme and not outside of it.

9/12/2006 8:08:13 AM

Yes, it's a good idea and I'll bet using html tags is something they'll consider, but isn't related to this wish the idea of positioning text into columns, and applying colors? Doing so with html might be a little much for many users.

9/12/2006 11:20:46 AM

9/14/2006 7:26:27 AM

True - that was only my way of expressing someone's stated rationale for the wish, which is to assist with clarifying men-women parts or echo text, often shown in columns.