Digital Media Lab
Forbes digital media lab
The Forbes digital media lab features two iMacs (3.06 Ghz Intel core 2 duo processors) with video editing programs, a keyboard for sound production, a scanner, a green screen, a large flat screen tv and conference table. The College office also has video cameras that Forbes students can check out for 72 hours. Please see the sections below for policies and procedures concerning use of the lab and equipment.
Lab iMacs include the following applications:
Final Cut Pro (video editing), Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks), Mpegstreamclip (converts video clips to different formats), Yade (video file extractor), Vlc (audio-video player), Divx (also a video converter), Handbrake (for ripping DVDs, Traverso (audio recorder & editor),SimpleSynth (digital synthesizer), Max/MSP Runtime (interactive media interface).
Support & Tutorials: General Mac support and computer cluster login issues should be addressed to OIT support. The College Office provides access to online video tutorials for the major applications listed above. Please contact the College Office for instructions on accessing online tutorials. The University's New Media Center provides support and assistance in using many of the applications used in our lab. You may contact the New Media Center for advice and assistance concerning media lab applications.
Machines in the lab also include applications from the standard suite of applications found on computer cluster machines around campus which you may find useful in working with digitial media, including: QuickTime, TextWrangler, Fetch, RealPlayer Basic, StuffIt Expander, Flip4Mac WMV Player, GarageBand, iDVD, iMovie HD, iPhoto, iTunes, iWeb, Flash Player, Shockwave Player.
Policies and Procedures
Use of the Forbes Digital Media Lab is limited to Forbes residents, affiliates, staff, and faculty fellows who are doing work associated with the academic mission of Princeton University. University undergraduates affiliated with other residential colleges may use the lab, but priority is given to Forbes residents. Any other use of the lab requires permission, granted in writing, from the Forbes College Office. All equipment in the lab must remain in the lab and cannot be removed without the express permission of the College Office.
Access
During regular office hours (m-f 9-5) access to the lab will be provided by the College Office Staff. Keys can be checked out from the College Office during regular office hours for use at night and during weekends. Lab keys should be returned to the College Office the next business day. Failure to return a lab key in a timely manner may result in suspension of borrowing privileges, and/or a fee charged for rekeying the lock. The lab should be left locked except when the College Office is open.
Drop in Hours
The lab will be open for drop-in hours during the regular academic term on Fridays 6-8 pm, hosted by members of the Forbes Residential Computing Consultant staff. Please feel free to stop by to use the equipment, ask for assistance with a media project, or to learn more about the lab. If an RCC staff member is not in the lab during these hours they will have a table in the Forbes Dining Hall (directly upstairs) to be more accessible for general computing questions. You can stop by the dining hall during drop in hours and speak with a Forbes RCC for questions or assistance.
Software Policy
All software installed on lab computers is licensed for use on lab workstations only. This software may not be copied to disk or otherwise transferred and installed to personal computers. Software may not be installed by users (either by downloading or from external media). If you would like to use a particular software package that is not available on a lab machine, please ask the Forbes College Office. We will consult with media services and, within budgetary constrains, will seek to fulfill your requests. Installation of peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing programs such as KaZaA, Utorrent or Morpheus is expressly forbidden.
Printing
Color printing in the lab for personal projects is limited to a maximum of 15 pages, per user, per term. The charge for additional printing is 25 cents per page. The color laser printer is not to be used for black and white printing that can be completed in the nearby computer clusters.
Personal Items, files, and Equipment Left in Lab
The College Office cannot assume responsibility for personal items or equipment left behind or stored in the lab. All files should be backed up to personal storage space/device. Users are advised that if they choose to store personal equipment or files in the lab, they do so at their own risk.
Preserving Fair Access
In order to ensure fair access, we reserve the right to limit use of any specific machine to two hours per day per person. Users must erase their project files from lab hard drives promptly when their work is completed. Files left on the desktop will removed immediately. We reserve the right to erase user files left on lab hard drives without prior notice if they interfere with the operation of our equipment or ability of other users to complete projects.
Cameras and Equipment (green screen, keyboard, etc.)
Digital video cameras and other equipment can be borrowed from the Forbes College Office for a period of 72 hours. Priority is given to Forbes College residents. Cameras must be signed in and signed out by the user. All items should be returned in the same condition as when received. The College Office will bill users for replacement cost of broken, lost, or damaged parts and failure to return items.