CO32004 MDM Unit 8 Multimedia Authoring. CO32004 MDMUnit 9© Napier University 2005 Learning...

CO32004 MDM Unit 8

Multimedia Authoring

CO32004 MDM Unit 9 © Napier University 2005

Learning Outcomes

After this lecture and the supporting reading, you should be able to Differentiate between authoring tools and programming

languages Identify opportunities to use programming techniques within

solutions built with authoring tools Select tools, and test and archive strategies, appropriate to

the required solution. Use a structured approach to learning a new authoring tool

required for a new project Manage the risks of using new tools or new versions of tools

This in turn helps you demonstrate in your coursework that you can author multimedia applications in an efficient manner apply programming techniques to multimedia implementation


Accompanying reading

England Finney Chapters 11,12,13SampleDocs

ScunnerProReview.doc consultantreportscunner.doc FairScunnered.doc Scunner Known Limitation and Bugs.doc

http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/logged_in/mgeller_dirmx200

4.html http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/director/3d_animation.html


Multimedia Reaches Maturity?

England & Finney have no chapter on Authoring Tools? In fact much of their book 2 looks at the various

tools used throughout the process – Book 2 Ch.9 (Integration) covers much of this area

But the hard fact remains that tools are now so intuitive, so easy to use, that they are no longer a specialism?

Does your experience with Director bear this out? Discuss!


Multimedia Authoring

Authoring tools provide an integrated environment for binding together the different elements of a multimedia production.

Multimedia presentations can be created using:

Simple presentation packages such as PowerPoint

Powerful RAD tools such as Delphi, .Net, JBuilder;

True Authoring Environments, which lie somewhere in between in terms of technical complexity.


Two tensions

Costs: UK/US Salaries are undoubtedly better for Java

programmers than Director authors, but much programming is done in low cost-base countries

Authoring productivity is greater, development cycle can be shorter and less prone to bugs

Functionality/Control “With code, you know where you stand” (if you

know code!) With code, you’re not limited to the inbuilt

functionality or what it affords (if you have the time!)


Market Position

The most expensive tool is not the market leader But neither is the cheapest Cheap tools help you get a company off the ground but

have poor workflow and productivity, and/or constrain you to pre-determined solutions (templates, wizards)

Expensive tools immediately distinguish you in the marketplace (pay to play!), have incredible productivity and functionality, but may have a long learning curve and/or require advanced hardware platforms

Get what you pay for: £50, £300, <£1000, £2k, £10k+


Overview

A good authoring tool should be able to: integrate text, graphics, video, and audio to create a

single multimedia presentation control with precision interactivity by the use of

menus, buttons, hotspots, hot objects etc. publish as a presentation or a self-running

executable; on diskette, CD/DVD, Intranet, WWW Be extended through the use of pre-built or

externally supplied components/plug-ins/Xtras etc Let you create highly efficient, integrated workflow


Design Metaphor

The suitability of an authoring environment for creating a specific solution depends on its metaphor/paradigm. Most based around one of the following designs. Note that E&F ignore two categories.

Card and Page Based Tools (Other categories support this now)

Icon Based Tools Time Based Tools Object-Oriented Tools (Other categories support this now) Tagging (Mark-Up) Tools

Each type of tool competes in the marketplace against other types; mimic each other’s functionality; leapfrog


Card and Page Based Tools

In these, authoring systems elements are organised as pages of a book or a stack of cards.

The authoring system lets you link these pages or cards into organised sequences.

You can jump, on command, to any page you wish in a structured navigation pattern.

These hypertext tools, based on implementation of a few of Ted Nelson’s ideas, were the forerunners to modern multimedia


Card and Page Based Tools

Examples include:- HyperCard (Macintosh) SuperCard (Macintosh) ToolBook (Windows) Visual BASIC (Windows)

Best suited to applications where the bulk of the content consists of elements that can be viewed individually.


Icon Based Authoring Tools

In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and interaction cues (or events) are organised as objects in a structural framework.

Icon-based, event-driven tools simplify the organisation of a project and typically display flow diagrams of activities along branching paths.

Examples include:- Authorware Professional (Macintosh and Windows) IconAuthor (Windows) (now defunct) Rational Unified Process (some aspects of it)


Icon Based Authoring Tools

Suited to a wide range of applications and offer a high level of support when developing packages with complex navigation structures, best when the user:

Is unsure about requirements

Wants to maintain future versions themselves

Wants to create generic, reusable components

Wants highly interactive environments, rather than interactive front ends to essentially linear animations

Mainly used for educational/training software


Authorware


Time Based Authoring Tools

In these authoring systems elements are organised along a time line with resolutions as high as 1/30th second or even more.

Sequential, organised, graphic frames are played back at a speed you can set.

Other elements, such as audio events, are triggered at a given time or location in the sequence of events.


Time Based Authoring Tools

Examples include:- Macromedia Director (Macintosh and Windows) Macromedia Flash (Macintosh and Windows)

Suited to applications when

You have a message with a beginning and an end or where a high degree of synchronisation is required,

Interaction is essentially navigation to different locations


Director


Object-Oriented Tools

In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and events become objects that live in a hierarchical classification of parent and child relationships – eg Ferrari is a type of car.

Messages passed among these objects order them to do things, according to the properties or modifiers assigned to them. These may be inherited attributes (or specific) – Ferraris can do everything generic cars can (and more)

particularly useful for

games with many components each with “personalities”

simulating real-life situations, events, and their constituent objects

Examples: Jbuilder, c#/.Net but increasingly also Flash, Director, Authorware etc


Lingo


Mark-Up Tools: Tagging

The Tagging metaphor uses tags in text files (i.e. HTML) to link pages, and integrate multimedia elements.

This metaphor is the basis of the World Wide Web. Though limited this environment can be extended by the use of suitable multimedia tags.

Examples of tagging tool systems include:- HTML VRML XML SMIL


Web Development Tools

Applications such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage allow you create web pages without learning the underlying HTML.

However familiarity with HTML allows you to tweak when required to resolve additional design issues that the tool doesn’t address.


Dreamweaver


The Right Tool for the Job

editing featuresorganising featuresprogramming

featuresinteractivity

featuresperformance

tuning features

playback featuresdelivery featurescross-platform

features ease of learningpersonal

preference


Programming Basics

You should become familiar with the following: Variables Functions Handlers Branching e.g. if-then-else Repetition e.g repeat-while Logic Operators e.g. not, or, and


Effective Programming Techniques

Elegant programming (Simplicity)Make the code robust (Simplicity)Make the code understandable (Simplicity)Make the Code Maintainable (Simplicity)Use the Same Script in Similar ObjectsReduce or Automate Repetitive Tasks


In the next few weeks…

We will look at case studies of development processes, with an emphasis on the impact a tool has on a given project, in particular on using tools other than Director

Archaeoquest was successful written in Authorware in 30 programmer days (and around 10 graphic designer days) featured a networked expert system that uses generic and

situated information to direct users on a tour of local destinations

“Petrochemical CBT” was not “Scunner” was a problematic tool (bad workmen…!)


OO Examples in Director 3D tutorial (© Macromedia)

on exitFrame me member("Orb").model(1).rotate(0,5,0) go to the frameend Here, when the variable exitFrame is TRUE (that is, when the flow of the programme is to exit

the frame in which this script is stored), carry out the following: rotate the first model, in the cast-member entitled “Orb”, by 5 degrees in the y-co-ordinate. Then go back to the start of this frame.

on mouseUp me myTexture = member("Orb").newTexture("red square",

#fromCastmember, member("Red Square")) member("Orb").model(1).shader.texture = myTextureend Here, myTexture is a variable created in member, with the ability to store the details

of a texture for a cast member. This is filled with the texture already created in a cast member entitled “Red Square”


Procedural Example from within Authorware (v4 c1997)

repeat with x := 2 to k temp:=GetNumber(x,CandidateStages) if temp>100 then

VisitLength := GetNumber(2, Replace("*:", "", GetLine(Times, temp-100)))

Trace("Location: "^temp^"Visit Length: "^VisitLength)

if TransportMode=4|=6 then Get the capacity of the car park and compare it against the planned

visitors at both the start and end of the visit Capacity := GetNumber (1,GetLine(GetLine(SiteMobility, temp-99),5,5,comma))

… end if …end if …

End repeat


GetLine(GetLine())?!!!

The interior GetLine, gets the nth line from a plain text file.

The exterior GetLine, uses a comma separator within the line to get the 5th comma-separated element

temp^"Visit Length: “ The ^ character used for concatenation

of a variable (temp) with a string of text


Follow-up

Lingo AuthorisedDirector Help Director Developers CentreLook at example in local directoriesTalk to fellow classmatesPractice, Create and Reflect


Directed Study

Visit the web-sites of different tools and investigate their strengths and weakness.

If possible obtain demo versions and try them out.

Read reviews of authoring tools in the trade press

CO32004 MDM Unit 8 Multimedia Authoring. CO32004 MDMUnit 9© Napier University 2005 Learning...

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