While you can work directly in Scalar immediately, you may want to map out your design in advance. This could be an outline of the content but could also include what media will be added where, what tags will be used, what are the paths, and other decisions. In addition, how you name your pages and media can make it easier to find them within Scalar.

As an example, you can "group" pages and media together by using the same word, number, or phrase in the Description field. When you search that term, you can filter your results to only the Pages in that section. When you have added and linked all of your content, you can change those Descriptions for public view.

The non-linear structure allows readers to choose different paths and interact with the content in different ways.

Think of Scalar as a structural sketchpad. It's not just a publishing tool... Walk through your content in a way that's structured according to its form.

While media is a particularly important part of Scalar, it can also be a tricky element to navigate. Scalar suggests that you keep in mind a few questions as you decide the role media will play in the message of your book.

"What do I have?" 

Consider the source of your media as well as the description you will use to describe the media. This includes thinking about the metadata you will want to use in conjunction with the metadata that Scalar already supplies.

"How will I use it?" 

Develop a plan that will help you decide how each media element will be used in your book. Or, at least decide where the media should be placed in your book to best serve your message. consider the ways in which your media will be supplemented or how it will be connected to other media in your book.

"Where will I use it?"

 Develop a plan that will help you decide how each media element will be used in your book. At least decide where the media will be placed in your book to best serve your message. Consider the ways in which your media will be supplemental and/or how it will be connected to other media in your book.

"Where do I put it?"

Having a plan about media location will be an important step in creating a comprehensive structure for your Scalar book. Creating a general page layout before you begin adding media will help you to determine the ways in which your readers will be interacting with each media element as they navigate each page of your book. Things to consider include: file sizes, if you will have downloadable or streaming data, the number of media players you will have on each page, and what annotations (possible metadata) you intend to attach to the media.

"What formats should I use?"

• Images - GIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF
• Audio - MPEG-3, WAV, AIFF, and, OGG
• Video - MPEG-4, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, M4V, QuickTime, WebM, 3GPP, FLV, and OGG
• Documents -  HTML, PDF, and PlainText

 (For a more detailed layout of media compatibility in each browser check out the "What Formats Should I Use?" section in the Scalar User's Guide.)

**Note: A best practice when working with media is to test its functionality in each browser. This will eliminate the possibility that your users could receive an error message when trying to access the media in your book.