Multimedia Authoring Packages Chapter 10 BITM 1113 SISTEM

Multimedia Authoring Packages Chapter 10 BITM 1113 SISTEM MULTIMEDIA 1

In this session… n The difference between authoring and programming n The components of an authoring tool n Types of authoring system – Examples of PC products n Programming systems 2

Authoring: Putting it all together n Single file that structures the media n Interactivity n Deliver via Web or CD-Rom or both n Professional design 3

Authoring versus programming n Authoring tools are what we call high level tools – A lot of the technical details of how things are done is hidden from the developer. The developer can concentrate on the functionality instead of how to make the hardware work – Can be used by nonprogrammers n Programming tools are low level tools – They provide access to the low level hardware features for those who want to get the most out of the computer – Are used by programmers or software engineers 4

The components of an authoring tool n Most authoring systems provide facilities for: – Loading and saving media assets (graphics, sounds, videos, text, etc. ) – Creating or editing audio and graphic images – Page or slide building (layering multimedia data to create a single page) – Animation / transition effects – Specifying the sequence of the application – Adding interactive controls for navigation and actions at run-time – Creation of CD-ROM or web-based distributions 5

Classes of Authoring Tools n CDROM-Based Authoring Tools – multimedia-based authoring tools – Internet or Web-enabled (have Internet ‘play’ capabilities) n Web-Based Authoring Tools – WWW publishing tools – mostly used by developers n Web-Based Course Management Tools – Internet/Web integrated applications 6

The Paradigm Shift in Authoring Tools CDROM-based authoring tools n n n n Internal linking Closed system (bounded) Tool-based interface Interactive media Stable content Computer-Based Instruction Focus on content delivery Stand-alone instruction Internet Enabled Authoring Tools Web-based authoring tools – – – – External linking Open system (unbounded) Browser interface Active/collaborative media Dynamic content Web-Based Instruction Focus on communication Networked instruction 7

CDROM-Based Authoring Tools n Examples : – Macromedia Director, Hypercard, Adobe Authorware, Asymetrix Toolbook n Attributes include: – Utilized with CDROM and videodisc technologies – Not originally designed to take advantage of the inherent and unique features of the Web – Require a steep learning curve in order to take full advantage of their features n Instructional Applications include: – CBI/CBT/CAI, simulations, games, microworlds, tutorials, individualized instruction, self-contained interactive modules 8

Web-Based Authoring Tools n Examples include: – Microsoft Front. Page, Macromedia Dream. Weaver, Claris Homepage, Adobe Page. Mill, Homesite n Attributes include: – Utilized with Internet and Web-based technologies – Require a steep learning curve in order to take full advantage of their features – WYSIWYG n Instructional applications include: – Personal and institutional Web pages, Web publishing, organization of Web-based resources, structured Web sites to support WBI, complex animations and interactions when used with high level scripting languages 9

Web-Based Course Management Tools n Designed with educators in mind: – Include instructor tools, learner tools and administrator tools: • supporting a multiple user-base, multiple tasks – Include features and components that allow instructors and learners to: • modify content, contribute resources and engage in dialogue resulting in flexible and active information structures • more flexible and user-friendly 10

Web-Based Course Management Tools n Integrate: – multimedia presentation tools – collaborative and conferencing tools – communication tools – self-assessment tools – note-taking tools – management tools – Authoring/publishing tools 11

Web-Based Course Management Tools n Instructional applications include: q q q q Distance education programs Web-Based Instruction Knowledge networks Asynchronous & synchronous learning environments Distributed learning environments Communities of Practice Learning Communities 12

Web-Based Course Management Tools n Examples include: – Web. Ct, Blackboard, Top. Class, Virtual-U, Lotus Learning. Space, Web. Mentor, Convene, Embanet, Real Education, e. College. com, Symposium, Softarc’s First. Class, Serf, Eduprise. com – Also known as: • • Courseware products Online educational delivery applications Online Course Delivery Software Products Web-based training product 13

Types of authoring system There are numerous development models that can be used for multimedia applications n Authoring systems generally fall into one or more of the following categories: n – – – n Slide, card or frame based Icon based The score model Object-oriented models Scripting language based Some systems combine or more of these to create more sophisticated tools 14

Types of Slide, card or frame authoring system based Each part of the application is self-contained in a single page n Each page is created separately and then integrated into the final application n A page may contain hyperlinks to other pages to provide navigation or pages may be sequentially viewed n There may be global parameters that can be set to affect the entire application n – e. g. background colour, default font, etc. 15

Types of Icon-based authoring system Authoring Each part is represented an icon (symbolic picture) n Each icon does a specific task, e. g. plays a sound n Icons are then linked together to form complete applications n Can easily visualise the structure and navigation of the final application n A screenshot of Macromedia Authorware 16

Types of The score model authoring system n n n This model has an analogy with a musical score Instead of musical instruments playing notes we have multimedia objects (sounds, images, video, text, etc. ) that do something at specific points (times) in the score There is usually some way to animate the objects (e. g. rotation, scaling, colour changes, etc. ) between each transition (i. e. when they start and when they finish) Each multimedia object lives in a track A score has one or more tracks 17

Types of The score model: authoring system Scores and Timelines n Timelines are a useful way of representing multimedia data during the course of a presentation or application – Time is represented along the x-axis – Tracks are represented along the y-axis n The developer can move objects left and right to change the order of the information and can lengthen or shorten the bars to change their duration 0 seconds Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 5 seconds 10 seconds 15 seconds Background music Animation Voice over (narration) Video 18

Types of Scripting language authoring system based models n Scripting languages are cut-down versions of complete programming languages – They tend to have less features and are therefore easier to learn n Scripting models allow the developer to write small scripts (programs) which can be associated with a multimedia object – e. g. you may write a script to make a graphic image move across the screen or to make a window pop up when an item is clicked 19

Types of Object-oriented authoring system models In an object-oriented model, everything that can be put in an application is considered an object n Every object has: n – State - A description of its unique properties • e. g. a graphic image’s state would describe its size, colour depth, author’s name, etc. – Behaviour - The things that the object can do • e. g. a video can be played, stopped or rewound Icon and score-based models usually have object -oriented features also n Objects are self contained and can be reused in later projects n 20

Multimedia programming tools Programming tools differ from authoring tools in that they tend to be much lower level and require the developer to have more knowledge of the underlying hardware and programming language n Programming tools give the developer access to much more functionality than authoring tools but require much more effort (and money!) n 21

Basic Tools vs Packages n HTML – Embed graphics / sound / video – <embed src= …. > – Lack of structure n Powerpoint – Easy but cheesy Quicktime n Flash n Director / Shockwave n Plug-ins n – VRML – Music plug-ins 22

Common issues n Compression n Streaming n Good Interactivity needs programming n Ease of use for the user n Audience acceptability 23

Choosing a Right Authoring Tool n Who will be the users? n What is the project's purpose? n What is the delivery platform? n What is the limit of the budget? n What multimedia elements will be presented? n What authoring tools are available? 24

AUTHORING TOOL 25

Power. Point n n n n Easy and popular Exports to HTML Import bitmaps Can play movies Can embed hyperlinks Poor on Interactivity Accepts wav files 26

Microsoft Power. Point http: //www. microsoft. com/office/powerpoint/ n Power. Point is: – a “business graphics” package – a slide-based multimedia tool Supports vector graphics, bitmapped images, sound, video and hyperlinks n Supports many slide transitions and animations (see right) n Developers can script objects to make them display at specific times or events n – The events are represented by a limited number of presets and cannot be altered 27

Quick. Time Container for time based-media n Digital video or animations with sound n Not just video Flash, Midi n Mature n 28

Macromedia Director (Obsolete) http: //www. macromedia. com/software/director/productinfo/ n Director is a package with many features – Sound audio editing – Bitmap and vector graphics editing – Asset management n Uses a metaphor of cast, stage and score – The Cast are the media assets – The Stage is the screen or individual page – The Score is the sequence of events n Director has its own programming language called Lingo which can be used to add new functionality n Director is one of the most widely used PC tools 29

Adobe Director (Latest) Mature – CDROM, Web, Kiosk n Bitmap graphics n Complex Scripting- Lingo n Shockwave for the web n Cross-platform & Media 30

Director - Theatrical Metaphor n n n Stage - Main Window Cast - Media Score -Timeline of frames Lingo on events programming Shockwave - web 31

Introduction to Use Director n Director uses the metaphor of a Movie. – Movies are made of a series of individual frames. n The Stage is the area where the movie plays. – The objects on the Stage are called Sprites. – Sprite 1 is put at the back of the Stage. – Each subsequent sprite sits on top of the last. 32

Introduction to Use Director n The Cast is everything that you want to create your movie. – Director has its own Paint, Text and Vector Shape Windows for creating cast members. n The Score is where you edit your movie. – There is a playback head which pass through each individual frame across the schedule. 33

Introduction to Director n Lingo is the script language to enhance the interactivity. n Interactions and events can be synchronised. n It is not easy to modify initial design. 34

Real. Slideshow http: //www. realnetworks. com/products/slidesho wplus/info. html Real. Slideshow combines bitmapped images with digital audio (e. g. sound effects, narration and music) to create multimedia slideshows for the Web n Is based on a timeline model but uses a drag and drop method for easy content sequencing n Real. Slideshow has no content creation tools other than audio capture, (e. g. microphone or CD) 35

Macromedia Flash (Obsolete) http: //www. macromedia. com/software/flash/productinfo/ Flash is a tool for creating animated vector graphics and multimedia n It uses a timeline and object-oriented model n Has a very useful feature called tweening which can be used to create animations n – You specify a start and end point and Flash calculates all the in-between frames of the animation n Flash is a popular format on websites 36

Macromedia Flash screenshot Tracks Timeline Tweening 37

Adobe Flash 38

Flash n n n Vector graphics Designed for the web - tiny files Key frame animation Action scripts for events True Streaming Sound, . wav or mp 3 39

Flash - Terms n n n Stage Media Elements are Instances on the stage Library of symbols Timeline Actionscripts to trigger events 40

Shockwave (Now known as Adobe Shockwave) Shockwave is a plug-in from Macromedia which allows web delivery of their multimedia presentations There are different versions of Shockwave for use with Director, Authorware, and Free. Hand 41

Shockwave A Director movies which is to be viewed through a browser using the Shockwave plug-in has to be saved as a Shockwave movie The Director movie is compressed and made ready for the web 42

Beginners tips for authoring Best to use templates or libraries found in tutorials or from the web n Find something similar n Small segments rather than one large movie n Keep the file-size down n 43

What to choose? Power. Point simplicity n Flash best for interfaces, slideshow - streaming n Director good for programs and simulations n 44

Links to further help n Essential Flash sites – www. shockwave. com – www. ultrashock. com n Director sites – www. macromedia. com/director/ n Quicktime n www. terran. com n www. apple. com/quicktime/ 45

Summary n Today we have looked at the two types of tools that can be used to create multimedia applications: – Authoring tools – Programming tools n Each has their own set of pros and cons: – Authoring tools are generally quicker to learn and can be used by non-programmers but may have limited flexibility – Programming tools are more difficult to use and require good programming knowledge but can be much more flexible 46

BITM 1113 SISTEM MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING Choosing An Authoring Package 47

Contents • Your Requirements • User Interface • Design Requirements • Media Requirements • Other Information 48

Your Requirements The Developer Before looking at the authoring packages, look at the resources, skills and experience that will be available to you. If you will not be purchasing new hardware, write down the specification of the machine you will be developing on. All the packages will give a recommended hardware specification and you will be able to match this with your list. Be very clear about your objectives in generating the application. For example, if you are creating a tutorial, you will require an assessment section, do you want to store the results? Do you want to restrict the student to a fixed path through the application or allow hypertext links so that they can browse through in their own way? The Audience Who are your target audience? Do they have had any experience of using computers before? If cross platform delivery is important, find out what features may be affected by the conversion. For example, some fonts may not be available on all platforms. 49

User Interface Author User What kind of interface will you be comfortable using? Will you be confident writing lots of code, or is more graphical interface more suitable? The user interface will depend to a large extent on you, regardless of the system you choose, but some packages lend themselves more to one type of interface (e. g. card or page based) than another. Almost all packages come with some kind of scripting language, but the extent to which you will need to use them will vary from package to package and depending on the type of application you wish to create. If the users are presented with a consistent interface, particularly one he/she is already familiar with, such as a standard Windows interface, the reduced cognitive load will mean they will be able to concentrate on the subject matter. 50

Design Requirements A great deal of thought need to go into the design of any application. How will the user progress through the application Some methods are: Menus Page turning (next/previous buttons) Contents/index list General search facilities Hypertext Simulations 51

Assessment If you require some form of assessment, what form will the questions take? For example: n n n True/false Multiple choice Single word answer Free text answers Multiple response Simulations If you need to create simulations the authoring package you choose should at least: n Be strongly interactive n Have a facility for defining variables n Be able to perform conditional branching based on variables or n calculations. 52

Media Requirements There a number of things that apply to all media. Firstly, what format is your data currently stored in? If the authoring package does not support the format your data is currently in you will have to convert it. Information may be lost in converting to an acceptable format. Text If you are using only a few paragraphs of text at a time, limited text facilities in the authoring package may be acceptable. 53

However, if you have large bodies of text to incorporate, there are number of features you may require. n Import - Can the package import several formats of text files ? n Editing - What kind of word processing features does the package text editor provide. n Display - How are large amounts of text displayed, for example, will the package automatically provide scroll bars where necessary, or do you have to ensure text is always visible. 54

Graphics There are more than 100 common graphics format, some are open standards and some proprietary. There are strong advantage to storing your data in open, standards formats, but if the package does not handle the format you are using you will need to use another application to convert it. If you will be using a lot of images, try and see a demonstration of the system, particularly how it handles displaying two or more pictures at the same time. How the application handle palettes is very important. How are images stored, are they stored as separate files, or internally in one main application file? External files will be easier to update and edit, but risk being accidentally deleted or separated from the main application. 55

Video and Animation Many packages will provide some sort of animation editor. To produce more complex animations or video, external programs will be needed. If you need to play video, will the authoring language play video, and in what format? Will your application interface with additional hardware to allow you to play full screen video? For example, are drivers for videodisc players provided, and how well will the application interface with them. 56

Sound files are stored in a number of different formats. What formats can the application import? Will you be able to play part of a sound file, or only the whole file? Can you control the playback volume? If a sound editor is provided what features does it have? 57

Other Information Cost and Distribution The basic cost of the authoring package will be easy to obtain, but what exactly it cover? What documentation is included in the cost? Is a separate run-time license required? Are separate license is required if the package is run over a network? If it is bought as an educational package, what will the situation be if you wish to market any applications you produce using it? How will a finished application be distributed, e. g. Is it possible to generate a single executable file, or will several files need to be distributed. 58

Support It is worthwhile trying to assess the current level of support for the package. An application with a large user base is likely to be around longer, and there will be more resources, such as mailing lists and user groups to help you. What level of technical support does your supplier provide? Do they have a local representative here, and do they provide training courses? 59

BITM 1113 SISTEM MULTIMEDIA The Process of Multimedia Authoring 60

The Process of Multimedia Authoring PLANNING PRODUCTION DESIGN DEVELOPMENT TESTING 61

PLANNING Planning is the effort responsible for building a model of success for your title. Business Model Making your case: why will this be a success? Schedule How to plan Resources you will need Media Plan Setting out decisions for what’s possible Focus Group Getting some real perspective 62

PRODUCTION Production is the effort responsible for building the material--the assets--of your multimedia title. This includes everything from screenwriting to shooting video to tweaking Illustrator beziers and so on. In this section, I concentrate on assets once they get into the computer. Assets Descriptions of all of the formats used in multimedia: Graphics, Video, Audio, Text; and what situations they're best suited for. Capture Notes on capturing external media into your computer. 63

PRODUCTION Conversion There's a difference between the form of assets that you edit and the final version that ships. Here's how to convert from one to the other. Compression A review of many techniques for compressing the various forms of assets to make them smaller, and the effects on asset quality. Management Some experience with several production cycles; help with planning and scheduling. 64

DESIGN Design is the effort responsible for creating a detailed blueprint for your multimedia title. The successful design of your multimedia title relies on many factors. The design document is an essential tool for developing and organizing the elements of design. The following sections discuss the philosophy behind these elements and techniques for using them. Conceptual Overview Distilling your vision into a communicable idea. Storyboard Taking lessons from cinema: growing the simple vision into a coherent journey. 65

DESIGN Layout Taking lessons from publishing: controlling your environment with hidden organization. Interface Design What does interactivity mean? Make it natural to use your title. Information Design What is the crux of your biscuit? Make it meaningful to use your title. 66

DEVELOPMENT Development is the effort responsible for assembling all of your title's assets under program control. We used call this part of building software "Programming. " But the duties of the developer, while still burdened heavily by actual programming, are now increased to include decisions that affect media planning, interface design and even traditional artist-only domains such as screenwriting. The reason for these additional responsibilities is primarily that of performance: responsiveness to the user and smoothness of delivery. In order to ensure this, highly technical issues often impact the very design of the title, dictating items such as graphic color depth, video compression format and data rate, animation style. . . even rough editing of voice-over narrative. 67

DEVELOPMENT In this section, we look into the programming core of title development Using Adobe Director and its programming language Lingo. Foundations of Lingo A very succinct yet thorough overview of Lingo's most basic and important concepts. Techniques: Mechanisms and Algorithms Methods for building some of the more complex elements you need. Button rollovers (many different approaches), compass spinners, sliders, panners, audio track synchronizers, and more. Enhancing Performance Techniques of memory management, and how they impact the title's design. More notes on sensible asset design. 68

DEVELOPMENT Architectural Issues & Guidelines Tips for organizing your code so it stays manageable as it grows. Globals, constants, symbols, lists, functions and the like. Understanding media and hardware How the physics of CD-ROMs and the Internet affect your title. Quirks of local peripherals and SCSI chains. Correcting for cross-platform differences in display intensity (gamma). 69

TESTING Testing is the effort which ensures your title will be accepted by the public. The Test Plan the test procedures you will use. Functional Testing Techniques for making sure everything works. Compatibility Testing your title on a wide variety of platforms. Regression Testing Keeping up with new releases. 70