Multimedia Authoring

Multimedia Authoring - Introduction

• A multimedia production needs to be interactive.
• Several tools are used for developing interactive multimedia.
These are:
1. authoring systems
2. authoring languages
3. generic languages (e.g. C, C++, JAVA)

• The term authoring results from the fact that the person
creating the learning material on the computer is often called
the author.
Authoring systems
• Authoring systems are generally menu-driven systems
intended to be easy to use by the multimedia developer.
• They do not require the trainer to get involved with program
code.
• Such systems Endeavour to provide a complete, comprehensive
authoring Environment where whatever multimedia developer
wishes to do is either selected from a menu or entered into the
computer in a straightforward, well-prompted way.
Authoring languages
• Authoring languages are specially designed programming
languages, and have some distinct advantages over generic
languages.
• They have been created specifically for the
training/educational field, and as such provide appropriate
commands and structures to cater for the types of
presentation and interaction involved in CBT..
Multimedia Systems - Multimedia Development Tools
• A multimedia development environment is the glue that
combines different media elements-images, sounds, text and
animation into a coherent project that the user can explore.
• Although programs such as Photoshop and Infinite-D enable
the user to create bit-mapped graphics or three-dimensional
illustrations, they do not allow adding buttons or data fields.
• This really limits the productions created by the user, and that is why
he will nearly always want to have access to some kind of
development environment such as HyperCard, Director, Author ware
etc.
Multimedia Systems
Presentation tools Categories
• The format types are also represented by the file extension.
• The presentation tools available for multimedia development
can be divided into three categories.
1. Slide Presentation Environments
2. Interactive Presentation Environments
3. Authoring, Environments
Scripting

• Programs such as HyperCard, Director etc. add another

element to be multimedia developer's scripting.
• Scripting really means programming, because you write
"scripts" using a programming language that the development
environment understands.
• The scripts or programs perform various functions such as
importing a text file or sorting a list of words.
Scripting
• With scripting it is possible to create very complex
interactions between the user and the presentation.
• For example, by clicking, a single button, the user might
inquire about a subject and then find all the information
available on that subject in the presentation.
The authoring, environments
• The authoring, environments can be used to create slide
presentation or simple interactive presentations,
• but what sets them apart from the other classes of programs
is the ability to write scripts and create complex interfaces.
Authoring System

• Authoring Software is the main production tool for

multimedia.
• An Authoring System is a program which has pre-
programmed elements for the development of interactive
multimedia software titles.
Authoring System
Authoring systems vary widely in orientation, capabilities, and learning
capabilities of the user.

• Most of the authoring systems require some basic knowledge of

heuristic thinking and algorithm design.

• Authoring actually is just a speed-up form of programming; although

you need not know the intricacies of a programming language, or an
API, but you do need to understand how programs work.
Features Of Authoring Software
The main features of authoring software are:
1. Integrated Multimedia Elements
2. Script language programs
3. Icon based programs
4. DLLs for extending features
5. Supporting CD-ROM or laser disc sources
6. Supporting Video for Windows
7. Hypertext
8. Cross-Platform Capability
9. Runtime Player for Distribution.
Integrating Multimedia Elements

• It is essential for authoring software to support a wide area of format

with different media elements.

• The authoring software must be supported by add-on boards and

peripheral devices to play multimedia.

• The final feature of authoring is to build interactivity.

QuickTime (MOV).

• It is essential for authoring software to support a wide area of format

with different media elements.
• The authoring software must be supported by add-on boards and
peripheral devices to play multimedia.
• The final feature of authoring is to build interactivity.
• Authoring programs provide developers with a greater degree of control over
each multimedia element than presentation programs.
• Authoring programs are geared towards education and training applications as
well as business presentations.
Script Language Programs

• Authoring Software offers the ability to write scripts for software to

build features that are not supported by the software itself.
• Script language programs create multimedia presentations from a series
of programming style commands linked together in a word processing
typescript.
Script Language Programs

• The Scripting languages are closest in form to traditional

programming.

• The scripting language specifies (by filename) multimedia elements,

sequencing, hotspots, synchronization, etc.

• A powerful, object-oriented scripting language is presently available

with many authoring systems.
 Script Language Programs
• In such languages the program editing of elements (still graphics,
video, audio, etc.) tends to be minimal or non-existent.
• The scripting takes longer time in development (it takes longer to code
an individual interaction), but generally allow more powerful
interactivity.
• Since most Scripting languages are interpreted, instead of compiled,
the runtime speed gains over other authoring methods are minimal.
• However, it supports a better and more complex media interactivity.
Icon-based Programs

Although a multimedia project is a big task; makers of authoring software try

to make it easy by using Graphical Icons as the control features of the
authoring package program.

The main features of Icon based programs are:

1. Icon-based programs are easier to learn than scripting programs:
2. Editing individual elements in a presentation requires only clicking on its
icon
Icon-based Programs

• Icon-based authoring programs are object oriented development

programs where individual multimedia elements are represented by
icons rather than script commands.
• This tends to be the fastest (in development time) authoring style.
Such programs are best suited for rapid prototyping and short-
development time projects.
• Many of these tools are also optimized for developing Computer-
Based Training (CBT).
• The core of such programs are the Icon Palette, containing the possible
functions/interactions of a program, and the Flow Line, which shows
the actual links between the icons.
• These programs tend to be the slowest at runtime, because each
interaction carries with it all of its possible permutations.
• However, the higher end packages, such as Author ware or Icon
Author, are extremely powerful and suffer least from runtime speed
problems
DLLs for Extending Features
• Advanced authoring programs can call on special features included in
the windows Dynamic Linking Libraries (DLLs).
• Many add-on boards and peripheral devices include specialized DLLs
upon installation.

• They can be called on for special functions that may not be available
in the authoring software program.

• Specialized programming languages such as C++ allow users to create

their own DLLs for enhanced functions.
Supporting CD-ROM or Laser Disc Sources

• Storing arrays of audio and video on hardware is often not practical to

get the quality and speed as might be desired.
• Authoring software allows full control of CD-drives to integrate audio,
video and computer files.
• Authoring programs support direct control of CD-ROM drives, video
sources. This is provided through the MCI command language.
Supporting CD-ROM or Laser Disc Sources

• Multimedia presentations that depend on large amounts of sound or

video clips require excessive amounts of hard disk space.
• The presentation system can be configured by having a CD-ROM
drive as the sound source and a laserdisc or DVD player as a video
source.
• Both the pieces of hardware are controlled by the authoring software
in a seamless manner.
Supporting Video for Windows

• Video stored on hard disk is sometimes the right media for your
project.
• Authoring software has the capability to support most multimedia
elements like video for windows.
• The latest version of Author ware Professional from Macromedia
permits the loading of video clips from video for windows and
animation clips from Autodesk.
Hypertext

• Words can be made into buttons that will take you to cross-reference
in a program.
• Hypertext capabilities can be used to link graphics, some animation
and of course other text.
• Hypertext programming interfaces allows users to select individual
Hot Words ' on a screen, which are then linked to additional pages and
layers of text. The help system of windows is an example of hypertext.
Hypertext
• Hypertext systems are useful when presenting and referencing large
amounts of textual information.
• Some hypertext authoring programs provide graphical links for
animation, sound and video as well as text.
Cross-Platform Capability

• Authoring software can even package a multimedia project to play on

other computer types with appropriate planning.
• This works successfully to broaden your potential audience.
• An important consideration with authoring programs is their capability to
be altered for presentations on Macintosh or other hardware platforms.
• Some authoring programs are available on several platforms and provide
tools for transforming and converting files and programs from one to the
other.
Cross-Platform Capability

• Care should be taken when considering cross-platform development

because of significant performance differences in hardware peripherals
and devices.
Run-time Player for Distribution
• Run-time software is often included in authoring software to explain the
distribution of your final product by packaging playback software with your
content.

• Advanced authoring programs provide specialized packaging and run-time

distribution for use with devices such as CD-ROMs.

• Care must be taken when using run-time players for advanced authoring systems
that all specialized DLLs, run-time modules for other programs and non-system
fonts used in the presentation are packaged together when the final product is
distributed.
AUTHORING TOOLS
• Authoring can be described as creating highly interactive applications in
which the information can flow in both the directions i.e., from
application to user and from user to application.

• Multimedia authoring tools has helped in creating higher-quality audio

and video applications with very little expertise.

• Authoring does not require a team of programmers, Instructors, corporate

communications, and content specialists with no previous programming
experience should be able to learn and use the authoring environment.
Types of Authoring Programs

At large, authoring programs could be grouped into the following two

distinct types:
1. Those that relied entirely on point and click, and
2. Those that required simple scripting.
 Authoring Tools

Multimedia authoring tools can be evaluated by performing certain tests, which

include the creation of
1. non-interactive multimedia,
2. computer-based training (CBT) applications,
3. catalog creation
4. even authoring for the World Wide Web.
• The advantage of using object-oriented programming has been inculcated in the
authoring products like Everest Authoring System offers object instancing, while
Media Verse and Oracle Media Objects allows to add new methods and events to
existing objects.
Some Important Authoring Tools:

Some few important authoring tools include

• Author ware
• Everest Authoring System
• Icon Author
• ImageQ
• Macromedia Director
Author ware
• Macromedia's Author ware is a dependable industrial-strength environment that
allows multiple people to contribute to an application.
• Artists can load a library with media, programmers can provide templates for
complex interactions, and interface designers can put everything together.
• And one non-programming designer can even do the entire job alone.
• Some icons in Author ware can manipulate media on the screen. They can display
and erase graphics, move or animate objects, play.
• AVI and Quick Time digital movies as well as WAV sound files, and access
videodisk and videotape players.
Everest Authoring System
• Everest Authoring System 1.5 is best suited for the developers of CBT
applications who seek a powerful but easy-to-use windows-based
authoring environment.
• As far as CBT environments go, Everest (a Windows 3.1 application
that also plays back on Windows 95) features strong multimedia
support, enough object orientation to improve the productivity over
competing products, and great technical support.
Icon Author
• Icon Author, an authoring tool requires the use of an icon-based flowchart
for building an application.
• It still maintains a strict separation between an application's structure and
the actual content and still ships with a number of ancillary programs that
help to edit and manage content.
ImageQ
• ImageQ is another multimedia authoring software package.

• Although, it is a windows 3.1 application but it can also play back on

windows 95, create slide show presentations well and provides a way to
distribute them easily.

• It lacks the intuitive programming language and strong interface

necessary for truly productive multimedia applications development.
Macromedia Director

Macromedia Director 4.04 is better suited to multimedia presentations and

kiosk applications than CBT or interactive catalogs that require more
database work.
This product offers a lot including ;
1. central scoring component that provides precise timing control
2. cross-platform compatibility
3. Strong yet intuitive animation features
4. And as extensive architecture to add functionality.