Multimedia Authoring Tools

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 combine text, graphics, audio, video, and animation into an interactive presentation/ project.

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Multimedia Authoring Tools

• 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.

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Features of Authoring Tools

• Basic features includes:

– Editing and organizing features.

– Programming features.

– Interactivity features.

– Performance tuning and playback features.

– Delivery, cross-platform, and Internet playability features.

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Types of Authoring Tools

• Card- and page-based tools.

• Icon-based, event-driven tools.

• Time-based tools.

• Web Page Authoring tools.

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Card & Page - Based Tools

• This tool provide a simple and easily understood metaphor for organizing multimedia elements.

• It contains media objects such as buttons, text fields, and graphic objects.

• It provides a facility for linking objects to pages or cards.

• Software: Hypercard – linked cards ToolBook – each page is a screen

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Card & Page - Based Tools

• Advantages:– Easy to understand metaphor– 1 screen = 1 card = 1 page– Easy to use• Provide template• Short development time

• Disadvantages:– Some run only on one platform– Tools not as powerful as equiv. stand-alones

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Card & Page - Based Tools

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Icon Based – Event Driven Tool

• Icons or objects based authoring tool is the simplest and easiest authoring process.

• Simple branching is the ability to go to another section of the multimedia production.

• Multimedia elements and interaction cues are organized as objects in a flowchart.

• Flowchart can be built by dragging appropriate icons from a library, and then adding the content.

• Software: Authorware and IconAuthor.

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Icon Based – Event Driven Tool

• Advantages:• Clear structure.• Easy editing and updating.

• Disadvantages: – Difficult to learn.– Expensive.

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Time-Based Tools

• This tools are best suited for messages with a beginning and an end.

• Some time-based tools facilitate navigation and interactive control.

• Software: Adobe’s Director and Flash.

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Time-Based Tools

Macromedia 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.

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Time-Based Tools

• Advantages:– Good for creating animation– Branching, user control, interactivity

• Disadvantages:– Expensive– Steep learning curve for advanced features

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Time-Based Tools

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Time-Based Tools

• Macromedia 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.

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Time-Based Tools

• Advantages:– Easy to put animated and interactive movies.– Interactive menus.

• Disadvantages:– Increase in file size. – Music and sound files embedded in Flash movies

increase file sizes and increases the download time.

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Web Page Authoring Tools

• Allows users of all skill levels to create Web pages.• Some application software programs include Web

page authoring programs.• Adobe Dreamweaver allow to create web pages

without learning the underlying HTML. • Software: Adobe Dreamweaver, Front page

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Web Page Authoring Tools

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