How to use "Variants" in the latest FM 6.3.1?

[stantastic]

The latest version of FotoMagico 6.3.1 uses a new “Variants” option that can be assigned within Chapters.

The on-line Help site states " * You can create a slideshow with multiple playback variants within a single document – e.g. a full length presentation, and a short trailer version. The chapter options popover contains checkboxes that lets you specify whether the chapter plays in variants “A”, “B”, and “C”. By default all are checked. Uncheck some of them if you do not want this chapter to play in the respective playback variant."

Has anyone figured out how to implement this yet? Clicking on each checkbox is obviously a simple task, but HOW does each variant affect the playback of the slideshow? How does the user control which variant is to be displayed? For example, I created a simple 8-frame slideshow and assigned the first 2 slides as Chapter 1 with Variant A, the next 2 slides as Chapter 2 with Variant B, the next 2 slides as Chapter 3 with Variant A again, and the last 2 slides as Chapter 4 with Variant B again. When the show runs, should the first 2 slides (Variant A) display, then skip over the next 2 slides (Variant B), and then show the 3rd and 4th slides (back to Variant A)? Also, I would the user force the Variant B slides to run once the show is started, and skip over the first two (and 3rd and 4th) slides assigned Variant A.

I don’t think the current help file regarding this new feature explains what is needed to get this to work.

[Londinense]

I wasn’t aware of that. I do have one slideshow that I made two separate versions of but that was sometime back.
I won’t be getting a licence again for FM6 for a few months since I have no slideshows planned until I venture out on another photography trip, but I would certainly be interested in taking a look at this new feature.

[cmue]

I tried your example. It works as expected for me.

1. Play Preview:
   Select Variant and then play
   

   

2. Play Fullscreen:
   Start Playscreen, select Variant and then play.
   

   

3. Share:
   

   

Unfortunately, I can’t post an explanatory video here.
Nevertheless, I hope that this made it clearer.

[stantastic]

Aha! And THERE IT IS!! Thanks for finding it !

I’m in the habit of always using the large Right-Arrow playback button just below the stage to play projects. I rarely go up to the Play menu at the top of the screen.

There is a Play button with a drop-down menu in FM 5.x.x which allowed for Full-screen playback, along with various Share options, and I believe there was a goal of trying to simplify the user interface in FM 6. But perhaps now that there is this new Variants option, a drop-down menu for the Play button could be added back so that the Play menu at the top, and the Play button at the bottom, are more in sync.