9.0-CSC441-Multimedia-Authoring.pdf

MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING TOOLS AND SOFTWARE Compiled by: Ts. Dr. Rashidah Mokhtar CSC441: Multimedia Technology & Applications TOPIC OUTLINE Introduction to Multimedia Authoring Tools Types of Authoring Tools Cross platform 2 INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING TOOLS 3 INTRODUCTION TO MULTIM...

MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING TOOLS AND SOFTWARE Compiled by: Ts. Dr. Rashidah Mokhtar CSC441: Multimedia Technology & Applications TOPIC OUTLINE Introduction to Multimedia Authoring Tools Types of Authoring Tools Cross platform 2 INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING TOOLS 3 INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING TOOLS • Multimedia authoring tools provide the framework for organizing and editing the elements of a multimedia project. • Authoring software provides an integrated environment for combining the content and functions of a project. • It enables the developer to create, edit, and import data. AUTHORING SYSTEM IN MULTIMEDIA • In multimedia authoring systems, multimedia elements and events are often regarded as objects. • Objects exist in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. • Each object is assigned properties and modifiers. • On receiving messages, objects perform tasks depending on the properties and modifiers. FEATURES OF AUTHORING TOOLS 1. Editing and organizing features. 2. Programming features. 3. Interactivity features. 4. Performance tuning and playback features. 5. Delivery, cross-platform, and Internet playability features. 1. EDITING AND ORGANIZING FEATURES Authoring systems include editing tools to create, edit, and convert multimedia elements such as animation and video clips. The organization, design, and production process for multimedia involves storyboarding and flowcharting. Visual flowcharting or overview facility illustrates project structure at a macro level. 2. PROGRAMMING FEATURES Authoring tools offer ‘very high level language’ (VHLL) or interpreted scripting environment. Visual authoring tools such as Authorware and IconAuthor are suitable for slide shows and presentations. Visual programming with icons or objects is the simplest and easiest authoring process. 3. INTERACTIVITY FEATURES • Interactivity gives the end user control over the content and flow of information in a project. • Simple branching is the ability to go to another section of the multimedia production. • Conditional branching is an activity based on the results of IF-THEN decisions or events. • Structured language supports complex programming logic, subroutines, event tracking, and message passing among objects and elements. End user control Simple branching Conditional branching Structured language 4. PERFORMANCE TUNING AND PLAYBACK FEATURES Achieving synchronization is difficult, considering that performance of the different computers used for multimedia development and delivery varies. Authoring system should facilitate precise timing of events. It should enable developers to build a part of a project and then test it immediately. 5. DELIVERY, CROSS-PLATFORM, AND INTERNET PLAYABILITY FEATURES Delivering the project may require building a run-time version of the project, using the multimedia authoring software. Run-time version or standalone allows a project to play back without the complete authoring software and all its tools and editors. It is important to use tools that facilitate easy transfer across platforms. Authoring systems provide a means for converting their output to be delivered within the context of HTML or DHTML. TYPES OF AUTHORING TOOLS ICON BASED, TIME BASED 12 3 Types TYPES OF AUTHORING TOOL: Card- and pagebased authoring tools Icon- and objectbased authoring tools Time-based authoring tools CARD- AND PAGE-BASED AUTHORING TOOLS – Elements are arranged like pages of a book or cards in a stack. – These tools contain media objects such as buttons, text fields, and graphic objects. – Runtime Revolution and ToolBook are examples of page-based systems. OBJECTS AND LAYERS – Characteristics of objects are defined by properties. – Objects may contain scripts that specify a related action. – One or more intermediate files are usually required for handling script actions and routines. – Cards or pages can contain multiple layers. ICON AND OBJECT-BASED AUTHORING TOOLS – Icon-based and object-based tools provide a visual programming approach to organizing and presenting multimedia. – Multimedia elements and interaction cues are organized as objects in a flowchart. – Flowcharts can be built by dragging appropriate icons from a library, and then adding the content. TIME-BASED AUTHORING TOOLS – Time-based tools are best suited for messages with a beginning and an end. – Adobe’s Flash and Director are time-based development environments. EXAMPLE OF TIME-BASED AUTHORING TOOLS –Adobe Flash • Flash is used for delivering rich multimedia content to the Web. • It allows the creation of simple static HTML pages with the Flash Player plug-in. –Adobe Director • A multimedia database, “Cast,” contains still images, sound files, text, shapes, scripts, movies, and other Director files. • Score is a sequencer for displaying, animating, and playing Cast members. • Lingo is an object-oriented scripting language that enables interactivity and programmed control. OBJECTS – Authoring tools generally treat multimedia elements as objects. – Objects exist in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. – Each object is assigned properties and modifiers. – On receiving messages, objects perform tasks depending on the properties and modifiers. CROSS PLATFORM 20 CROSS-PLATFORM AUTHORING NOTES • Macintosh and Windows computers use different schemes to manage text and colors. • While using text fields, ensure that the text displays correctly on both platforms. • Outline and shadow styles on text should be avoided on Macintosh since they are not currently supported in Windows. SOFTWARE 22 TEXT EDITING AND WORD PROCESSING TOOLS – Word processors such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect are powerful applications that include spell checkers, table formatters, thesauruses, and prebuilt templates for letters, résumés, purchase orders, and other common documents. – OpenOffice is a free, downloadable word processing program. OCR SOFTWARE – Converts bitmapped characters into electronically recognizable ASCII text. – Makes use of probability and expert system algorithms. – Is very accurate and saves time and effort. PAINTING AND DRAWING • Painting tools allow you to create and modify bitmap images. – PhotoShop, Fireworks, and Painter are examples. – Bitmapped images provide the greatest choice and power for rendering fine detail and effects. • Drawing tools allow you to create and modify vector graphics. – CorelDraw, Illustrator, and Canvas are examples. – Vector graphics are used by Adobe Flash to reduce download time and scaling problems with web graphics. – Many authoring systems can only import bitmap graphics. PANTING AND DRAWING • Painting and drawing software features include: – An intuitive graphical user interface – Scalable dimensions – Multiple undo capability – Scalable text font support – Support for third-party special effect plug-ins – Layering capability – Painting features such as smoothing coarse-edged objects into the background with anti-aliasing. IMAGE EDITING TOOLS • Image-editing tools – Are specialized and powerful tools for enhancing and retouching existing bitmapped images. – Many painting and drawing programs also serve as image editors. – Features include conversion of image-data types and file formats, masking features, employment of virtual memory scheme, etc. – Support third-party plug-ins. SOUND EDITING TOOLS • Sound-editing tools – Enables the user to see music as a waveform as well as hear sound. – This is done by drawing a representation of sound in fine increments. ANIMATION AND VIDEO EDITING TOOLS • Animation, video, and digital movie tools – Animation is a sequence of bitmapped graphic scenes or frames, rapidly played back. – Animations can be made within some authoring systems by moving objects or sprites to simulate motion. – Moviemaking tools take advantage of QuickTime and AVI formats to create, edit, and present digitized motion video segments. OTHERS • Helpful accessories – Screen-capture software enables the user to move bitmapped images by placing them on the clipboard. – Format converters are useful for projects where the source material originates on different platforms. REFERENCES 31 Multimedia Making It Work, Tay Vaughan, 2014, 9th Edition, McGraw Hill. “ T H E B E S T WAY TO G E T S TA RT E D I S TO Q U I T TA L K I NG A N D B E G I N D O I N G.” – WA LT D I S N E Y Thank you