Multimedia Authoring Packages

1. Multimedia Authoring Packages Chapter 10 BITM 1113 SISTEM MULTIMEDIA

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

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

4. Authoring versus programming • 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 • 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 non-programmers

5. The components of an authoring tool • 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

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

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

8. CDROM-Based Authoring Tools • Examples : • Macromedia Director, Hypercard, Adobe Authorware, Asymetrix Toolbook • 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 • Instructional Applications include: • CBI/CBT/CAI, simulations, games, microworlds, tutorials, individualized instruction, self-contained interactive modules    

9. Web-Based Authoring Tools • Examples include: • Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia DreamWeaver, Claris Homepage, Adobe PageMill, Homesite • Attributes include: • Utilized with Internet and Web-based technologies • Require a steep learning curve in order to take full advantage of their features • WYSIWYG • 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

10. Web-Based Course Management Tools • 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

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

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

13. Web-Based Course Management Tools • Examples include: • WebCt, Blackboard, TopClass, Virtual-U, Lotus LearningSpace, WebMentor, Convene, Embanet, Real Education, eCollege.com, Symposium, Softarc’s FirstClass, Serf, Eduprise.com • Also known as: • Courseware products • Online educational delivery applications • Online Course Delivery Software Products • Web-based training product

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

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

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

17. Types of authoring system The score model • 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

18. Types of authoring system The score model: Scores and Timelines 0 seconds 5 seconds 10 seconds 15 seconds Track 1 Background music Track 2 Animation Track 3 Voice over (narration) Track 4 Video • 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 • 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

19. Types of authoring system Scripting language based models • Scripting languages are cut-down versions of complete programming languages • They tend to have less features and are therefore easier to learn • 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

20. Types of authoring system Object-oriented models • In an object-oriented model, everything that can be put in an application is considered an object • Every object has: • 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 • Objects are self contained and can be reused in later projects

21. 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 • Programming tools give the developer access to much more functionality than authoring tools but require much more effort (and money!)

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

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

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

25. Authoring tool

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

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

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

29. Macromedia Director (Obsolete)http://www.macromedia.com/software/director/productinfo/ • Director is a package with many features • Sound and audio editing • Bitmap and vector graphics editing • Asset management • 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 • Director has its own programming language called Lingo which can be used to add new functionality • Director is one of the most widely used PC tools

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

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

32. Introduction to Use Director • Director uses the metaphor of a Movie. • Movies are made of a series of individual frames. • 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.

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

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

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

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

37. Tracks Timeline Tweening Macromedia Flash screenshot

38. Adobe Flash

39. Flash • Vector graphics • Designed for the web - tiny files • Key frame animation • Action scripts for events • True Streaming • Sound, .wav or mp3

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

41. 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 FreeHand

42. 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

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

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

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

46. Summary • Today we have looked at the two types of tools that can be used to create multimedia applications: • Authoring tools • Programming tools • 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

47. BITM 1113 SISTEM MULTIMEDIA MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING Choosing An Authoring Package

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

49. 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.

50. User Interface User 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. 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. Author What kind of interface will you be comfortable using? Will you be confident writing lots of code, or is more graphical interface more suitable? 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.