What software would you recomend to use to create a interactive portfolio to be burned on cd/dvd? I would prefer a powerful package with high flexibility… Dont want it to look like a Powerpoint slideshow…
My Best Regards
Daniel
the obvious choices are flash, dreamweaver, director.
best bet for compatability I would say would be flash so it could be seen by anyone with a flash web browser.
as well, i would recommend keeping as simple as usual. a non-interactive, PDF on a CD/DVD can be just as effective (or more) than a poorley exectured interactive file that is slow to load, hard to use and places interactivity over content. Unless there is a special reason why it needs to be interactive (ie. video, etc.) or you are a UI pro (which I guess you are not if you are asking the question), I’d stick to a normal PDF which everyone can use.
R
PDF 3d. Use the trial (30 days) to make some great PDF’s that can be opened just fine in Adobe 7 (the current version).
You may also want to look into eDrawings if you’re using CAD data.
There are various standalone viewer formats that you could use.
~ eDrawings
~ Viewpoint Media
~ Flash
~ PDF 3d
~ Strata (Live 3d)
I really recommend the 3d PDF’s though. PDF is such a universal format that you can’t go wrong.
just dont forget most people wont have the most current version. depending on who your audience is, i would guess most businesses may have acrobat 4 or 5.
R
If they are using a 3 or 4 year old Acrobat, then odds are they aren’t gonna have the newest flash player either 
For ease of use… just include the acrobat 7 install on your disk or provide a link if using the internet 
you can save a file compatible with previous versions of acrobat from acrobat or distiller.
You should be safe with version 5. You could include an install link/file, but i highly doubt anyone would bother taking the time/risk of installing software just to view a portfolio. more likely they would just move on to the next candidate.
In this way, i also find very ofgten sometimes that good old paper porftolios are best. Not only do you not have any chance of technical issues or compatibility, but they can more easily be looked at by several people at the same time, photocopied, and tend to hang around more “on the desk” to help an employer remember you.
As an employer, I know I’ve recieved lots of CD/PDF portfolios and if i like them, i’d print them out to add to a candidates file. save one step and print it for them!
R
you can save a file compatible with previous versions of acrobat from acrobat or distiller.
You should be safe with version 5. You could include an install link/file, but i highly doubt anyone would bother taking the time/risk of installing software just to view a portfolio. more likely they would just move on to the next candidate.
In this way, i also find very ofgten sometimes that good old paper porftolios are best. Not only do you not have any chance of technical issues or compatibility, but they can more easily be looked at by several people at the same time, photocopied, and tend to hang around more “on the desk” to help an employer remember you.
As an employer, I know I’ve recieved lots of CD/PDF portfolios and if i like them, i’d print them out to add to a candidates file. save one step and print it for them!
R
I guess I’m of a new wave of potential employess who don’t do flat designs anymore 
Kinda takes away from the modelling aspect, I think.
Of course this is entirely dependant on if you are a 2D artist or a 3D artist. Being 2D means you could use any form of PDF you felt compelled to. A 3D artist who wants to show off true modeling ability or complexity would need something better (in my opinion). I don’t know what the original poster does in terms of medium, so that would be my deciding factor.
If the employer doesn’t want to look at a portfolio because it’s a new (or for that matter current and not necessarily exotic) technology , perhaps the prospective employee should move onto a firm with the will and ability to stay with the times
I could imagine based on your example, that in some cases an interactive portfolio would be well suited (like showing a 3d animation, or if you did motion graphics).
For most however, I’ll still stick to my opinion that its overkill.
the fact of the matter is, for most HR and design managers, looking at a portfolio should be minimized in time investment. Its not a matter of not keeping up with technology so much, as not spending too much time to check out a potential employee’s stuff.
If you consider that only 1 candidate will get the job, and an employer may look at 100’s of portfolios, i think you could see why spending 15 mintues, installing software, etc. on unsucessful or inexperienced candidate’s interactive portfolios could be not so good.
As I’ve said before, from a my perspective, recieving lots of portfolios weekly, there is nothing worse than a bad UI or overly complicated/slow portfolio. I’ve been forwarded links to designer’s portfolio many times, only to give up after waiting 2 mintues for a bloated flash interface to load. Maybe they were fantastic portfolios and great designers, but I’ll never know.
hope you get the point. My teacher once told me a great lesson in this respect- KISS. Keep it Simple, Stupid. 
R