Installation went smoothly, with no file overwrites, no writes to system directories and a document showing the structure of the installed software. HotMedia uses a simple, two-pane workshop with choices on the left and room for content on the right. You can also check a box to start with a thumbnail image from its own file. You can add background audio by checking another box and browsing files. Add and delete are simply to bring in files or toss them out.
Options can be quite sophisticated, though most are easy to understand.
If you've been waiting for something that plays WRL files on the Web with points and clicks and no plug-ins, it's here. HotMedia's handy panorama tool came with a preassembled 360-degree shot of a gallerylike interior that panned smoothly, though there was some distracting pixelation in a metal bar that ringed most of the interior. We found that playing with settings eased pixelation greatly in our files. But panorama's add button might lead you to believe you're putting together a long string of images when, in fact, it merely replaces the image you last added. An IBM spokesperson reminded us the program doesn't edit content and suggested using Apple QuickTime to stitch eight or ten images together for a 360-degree whirl.