Overview

Songview software provides an easy to use and flexible platform for the preparation and display of worship songs. It also displays bible texts, slideshows, notices, PowerPoint presentations, multimedia and web pages
On starting the software, the user is presented with a window with menus and toolbar and song tree, playlist and pre-view windows.

Song Display

An existing song file can be opened using the Open button or menu or by double clicking a Songview file (.ohp extension). The tree window displays a folder for each song with slides. The first song in the file is shown in the pre-view window.

Up to two additional song files can be loaded using the Load File... command from the Items menu. The files are shown in additional song tree tabs and the song titles are added to the Titles tab. The songs can be added to the playlist and searched in the normal way; they cannot be edited except for individual slides using the right click menu on the preview windows. The files can be closed using the Unload File command from the Items menu.

Song file compilation and editing is accessed by selecting the Edit Button. Songs can also be added from SongSelect.

Background and song appearance is setup using the Theme Manager.

A status bar at the bottom of the window gives details of the song and slide selected. Clicking the Show button will start the presentation using the slide selected. The presentation will be displayed automatically on a secondary display (usually a projector) if one exists, otherwise it is displayed on the primary monitor.

The song can be selected from the tree or songlist windows. It is displayed in the preview window without changing the displayed song. The desired slide can then be shown by selecting it with the mouse.

The songs displayed in the Songlist window can be filtered using song tags. If more than one song file is in use the titles displayed are only from the file containing the song tag.

Selecting the Stop button ends the display; the Blank button blanks and un-blanks the projector screen and the Backg button toggles the display to the background colour or picture.

Playlist

A playlist is also available for the selection of songs and other programme items.

It is populated by dragging songs from the tree window or song list window into the playlist (or by using the right mouse button menu) or from a right click on a song search result. PowerPoint, video files, images and pdf files can also be dragged directly into the Playlist or added using the right click Add to Playlist menu. Image folders can also be dragged to the Playlist to generate a slideshow of all images in the folder.
Two playlists can be stored using the Save down arrow 1 and 2 buttons and recalled using the Open down arrow 1 and 2 buttons. The playlist can also be saved to file and recalled using the Save... and Open... buttons.  The Clear button clears the current list and the Del Item button deletes the currently selected item. Songs are selected during presentation by clicking the required song in the playlist. Songs can be moved within the list by dragging with the mouse. Audio, video, image, video loop backgrounds and coloured backgrounds, movable separators and Playlist timers can be added to the Playlist from a right click menu. The height of the playlist can be varied using the slider separator above it. Stored playlists can contain songs from files that are not open or loaded so long as the original file location is unchanged.

Search

A search facility is available if the song number is not known. Type in a word or phrase from the song, song title or credits into the search box. After 4 characters have been entered the list box opens with all the songs containing that word or phrase. The more letters/ words that are added the narrower the search. Clicking the song title in the list box will display the song in the preview window. Right clicking the title will add the song to the playlist. Hovering over the list items displays the song words. Unless punctuation is included in the search text it is ignored during the search. Typing a * followed by up to ten words will find all the songs containing those words in the verses regardless of order.

Bible verses

Selecting the Bible tab allows you to setup and display bible texts. The texts cam be added to the playlist. A choice of bibles is available and can be shown as parallel texts if desired. The number of verses per slide is configurable.

Background and appearance is setup using the Theme Manager.

Slideshows

Slideshows can be setup that either show all the pictures in a folder, pages in a PDF file or the slides can be made up individually using background colours or pictures with overlaid text boxes and framed pictures. Slides can be changed manually or automatically. This option is useful for generating quick notices and display items.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint files can be loaded and displayed seamlessly with song and other files. Previews are shown and an automatic slide change facility is provided where a loop display is required.

Multimedia

Multimedia items such as video clips and audio can also be added to the presentation and used as backgrounds for song and bible texts using the playlist item background feature.

Internet

Internet web pages can also be added to the presentation. This can include YouTube clips.