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In
an effort to make your experience at Big Picture top-notch, we've
complied a page of commonly asked questions. Please review the trouble-shooting
tips prior to contacting the website administrator.
Classroom
"Login"
Q. I'm having trouble logging into my classrooms. It's
taking me to a screen that says I'm already logged in.
A.
It sounds like you may have forgotten to logout. There should be
a button that allows you to "click here" to get into the
classrooms. If that doesn't allow you into your classrooms, you'll
need to delete your cookies/clear your cache/clear your history.
This will give you a fresh start in the system.
Be
sure to logout every time you access your account (logout is at
the bottom of the blue page). If you continue to have problems accessing
the system, try re-setting your password (under "My Account").
If
you're still having trouble getting into the system, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you are
encountering
Access Classroom
Q. I signed up for a class, but can't figure out how to access the classroom
A.
If you go to the BPC homepage, click on the My Account link in the upper left. Log in if it asks you to.
Once you're logged in, in the sidebar on the right, click on the My Classes link. This will show you a list of all your classes.
Click on the Enter Classroom button next to the class you want to enter.
Can't
see the new classroom, only a supply list
Q. My class has started, but all I can see is the supply
list - none of the handouts or audio files .
A.
It sounds like your browser is caching the old content (before the
class started). First, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard,
and press the "Reload" icon in your browser (usually under the address
bar). Then, clear out any temporary files from your browser including
cache, cookies, and other. If that doesn't do it, then try rebooting
your computer after that. Lastly, try a different web browser.
If
you're using the AOL browser then you probably need to clear the
cache out. Try the instructions at http://help.channels.aol.com/kjump.adp?articleId=218737
If
you're still having trouble viewing the new classroom, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you are
encountering
How to Change Email Address
Q. My email address has changed - how do I change it in my account?
A.
If you go to the main BPC page, click on My Account at the top to log in. Once you log in,
click on My Information over in the sidebar on the right side, and you can change it in there.
Displaying the Wrong Classroom
Q. I've clicked into one classroom, but I'm seeing the
message from a totally different class. A.
If you have more than 1 classroom open at a time, you're likely
to experience some file "cross-over". Try deleting your
cookies/clearing you cache/clearing your history. In the future,
be sure you're only logged into one classroom at a time.
If
you're still having trouble viewing the correct classrooms, please
click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
and try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Can't see any images/buttons/downloads
in the classroom
Q. I can get into the classrooms, but am not able to see
any buttons, images, etc. A.
This is a firewall issue. Your firewall settings won't allow the
site to load. You'll need to reconfigure your firewalls to accept
our pop-ups, third-party cookies, skyscraper ads, animations, and
headers, and it will load the "missing" elements. Since
our site has some pretty heavy security measures built around everything
from the graphics to the PDFs, it can cause an issue with some firewall
software programs.
If
you're still having trouble viewing the classroom buttons, images,
etc., please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Emails
Q. I haven't been getting any of the weekly/daily emails.
A.
First off, check your Junk Mail folder; it's possible your email
software is sorting our emails into the folder. Also- double-check
that your email address under "My Account" is correct.
You'll want to add admin@bigpictureclasses.com and any teacher email
addresses to your contacts. These emails are always listed in the
classroom.
Second, if you signed up late for the class (the day the class started or later), it takes some time for the email lists to update. It could possibly be as late as the start of the following class week. You can get the emails inside of the classroom until the list updates properly.
Third, it's possible you unsubscribed from BPC emails. Find an
old BPC email, and click on the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom.
You'll actually receive instructions on how to resubscribe yourself
if this is the case. If you don't have an old email, please click
here to resubscribe, and follow the steps provided. PLEASE FILL
THIS FORM OUT EVEN IF IT TELLS YOU YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED!! You
may be subscribed to the main BPC mailing list, but not the one
for the class.
If you're still having trouble receiving emails, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Gallery
Q. How Do I Actually Upload Photos to the Gallery?
A.If
you go into the Gallery for your particular class, you'll see an
"add images" link in the upper right hand corner. When you click
on that, you'll be brought to an "add images" screen. Just click
on one of the "browse" buttons, locate the image on your computer,
and then click the "upload" button. Once you have uploaded the image
you can give it a title, description, and select which gallery you
would like to feature the image in. Click the "save" button and
your image should appear in the gallery.
If you have problems with the upload process,please look
here for some common issues that people have.
Q. My photos aren't posting to the Gallery when I try
to upload.
A.
It could be a number of things. Make sure your images are no larger
than 640 x 480. You can download free photo software that will allow
you to re-size your images if you're not sure how to do this. One
of the software programs other students have used with success is
Fast Stone Image Resizer (http://www.faststone.org/).
You can also re-size you images online by visiting http://www.picresize.com/.
Please try re-sizing your image, deleting the old one from the gallery
& uploading again.
NOTE:
Files must be in JPG format in order to upload properly.
Finally,
file names cannot contain any spaces or special characters. For
example:
- my project.jpg
(incorrect)
- my//project.jpg
(incorrect)
- myproject.jpg
(correct)
- my_progect.jpg
(correct)
If
you're still having trouble posting photos, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Q. How do I delete an image from my gallery?
A.
- From the BPC main page, click on the My Account link.
- Log in if necessary.
- Click on My Galleries" over on the right side.
- Click on My Images (note, you can also go to the specific class gallery if you know that).
- Find and click on the image you want to delete.
- Click on the Edit link underneath the image.
- Check the Delete Image checkbox and press the Save button at the bottom
Posting
to the Message Board
Q. How do I post to my classroom message board?
A.
To post a brand new message, you actually have to add 2 posts. The
first being a new topic, and second being your actual message. Go
to the message board for the classroom, click on the "New Topic"
button. Think of this as your message subject. Type a quick and
small sentence in here as to what your actual message will be about.
DO NOT PUT YOUR ENTIRE MESSAGE IN THIS BOX. Writing a small and
quick topic sentence will make it much easier to see in the message
board list.
Once
you've put in a small subject line, press the "add" button.
This will then add your new topic to the message board. Now that
the topic is listed, you can actually type the question or comment
you had. Go back to the message board (you should be there already),
click on your message in the list, and then click on the "New
Post" button. Write what you want, and press the "Add"
button when you're done, and this will add your message to your
topic.
If
you're still having trouble posting messages, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
PDFs
Q. I can't open or view the PDF's in the classroom.
A.
Are you using the latest version of Acrobat Reader (Version 7.0)?
This can be downloaded for FREE at www.adobe.com.
Once you've installed the software, you'll need to reboot your computer
before the software will function properly.
I've
downloaded the latest version of Acrobat, and still am having problems
viewing the files. What next?
Instead of clicking on the link, put your mouse over the link and
"Right" click. A menu should pop out to the side. Select
"Save Target As" and select your desktop (or anywhere
else on your hard drive). Once the file has downloaded, open up
the Acrobat program & find the file on your hard drive.
Tried
that, still doesn't work. What next?
See if you can open any PDF files. To test this, try clicking on
the this link: http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/images/stories/magazines/simple_scrapbooks/MarApr2009/LFEA_JF09.pdf
Can
you view this PDF, and just not Big Picture PDF's? Please click
the link below.
Can't
view anything? You'll want to re-install Acrobat Reader. Try
removing the old version first by Uninstalling, then downloading
& installing the new version.
If
you get an error message from Adobe Acrobat saying The file
is damaged and could not be opened, or Expected a
dict. object, or your browser hangs and the PDF does not
open, OR you get a gray/blank screen when you click on a PDF:
In
Adobe Acrobat disable the fast view, and Display PDF in browser
options.
1. Close your browser.
2. Open Adobe Reader.
3. Go to the Edit menu and select Preferences
4. In the left column select Internet
5. Uncheck Allow fast web view
6. Uncheck Display PDF in browser
7. Click OK, and try again
The
PDFs will display in a separate window rather than in your browser
window.
If
you're still having trouble viewing the PDF files, please click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Audio
Files
Q. I can't listen to the audio.
A.
We created our audio section with 3 different options. The first
is streaming audio, which uses your computer's existing media player.
Just turn your speakers up, and this should play right from your
browser. In the event that you can't hear the streaming file, you
can download the audio file. Files will come through as "ZIP"
documents, which will need to be uncompressed before you can listen
to them. You can download free
software to unzip files. Audio transcripts are also included
for all of the classrooms.
If
you're still having trouble listening to the audio files, please
click
here. Be sure to mention that you have tried the above suggestions
& try to be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Slide
Show Presentations
Q. I'm having problems viewing the slide show in the classroom.
A.
You'll want to make sure you have the latest version of Flash
installed to view the presentation.
If
the slide show is slow to load, or hangs up during the presentation,
we recommend pausing the slide show and allowing the presentation
to load. The presentation includes a full set of navigation buttons
at the bottom of the screen, including the ability to pause, play,
skip forward and back, adjust the volume levels and mute.
The
slide show also includes a progress bar that let's you know what
slide you are currently viewing, how long the slide is, and how
far along you are in viewing the current slide.
Note
that these are slides, not movies, so it may look as though you're
stuck on the title screen, but you're really not. Just look at the
progress bar, and you can see what's happening.
Q. Can I download the slide show and save it to my computer?
A.
The slide shows require a browser to function properly, and
therefore can not be saved on to your computer. If you have concerns
about viewing the activity after class has finished, no need to
worry. The classroom will remain open for awhile after class has
finished, and you can always request an access pass if you need
to view the files after class has closed.
Video
Files
Q: How long does it take to download a video?
A:
That depends on the file size, and your connection speed. Here's
a comparison chart to give you an idea of what to expect:
| Connection
Speed |
File
Size |
Download
Time |
| Dial-Up
(28.8 Modem) |
100
MB |
08:05:27 |
| Dial-Up
(56K Modem) |
100
MB |
04:09:39 |
| DSL |
100
MB |
00:13:39 |
| Cable |
100
MB |
00:09:03 |
For
more information on download times, click
here.
Q.
I'm having problems playing the video in the classroom / the
video plays but I only get the audio.
A.
Download and install the latest version of Quicktime from http://www.apple.com/quicktime.
Before you install it, make sure you quit your web browser so any
updated plugins can get installed as well. If you're still having
problems with the video after that, then save it to your computer
instead. In order to do this, instead of clicking on the video in
the classroom to play it, right-click on the video, choose "save
target as" (or something similar) and save it to your hard
drive. Double-click on the video you just saved on your computer,
and it should open up and play using Quicktime Player.
Q:
When I play the video, the audio skips at times, or it seems
to hang up.
A.
Try pausing the video and allowing it to load prior to viewing.
This will ensure smoother playback.
ZIP
Files
Q. I just downloaded a "zip" file from the classroom.
What is it, and how do I open it?
A.
The ZIP file format is used for data compression. A ZIP file
contains one or more files that have been compressed to reduce their
file size. To open the file and access the materials (videos, audios,
templates, etc), you will need to "unzip" the file. You
can download free
software to unzip files, however most computers have the ability
to unzip the files without any additional software installation.
If
you're having trouble unzipping files, please click
here. Please be as specific as possible about the problems you're
encountering.
Other
If your having any other trouble with the site, please contact our
website administrator.
Big Picture Scrapbooking, Inc
PO Box 279
Greenacres, WA 99016-0279
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