M ULTIMEDIA A UTHORING TOOLS

M ULTIMEDIA A UTHORING 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.

M ULTIMEDIA A UTHORING 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.

F EATURES OF A UTHORING TOOLS

Basic features includes:

Editing and organizing features. Programming features. Interactivity features. Performance tuning and playback features. Delivery, cross-platform, and Internet playability features.

T YPES OF A UTHORING TOOLS

Card- and page-based tools. Icon-based, event-driven tools.

Time-based tools.
Web Page Authoring tools.

C ARD & PAGE - B ASED 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

C ARD & PAGE - B ASED 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

C ARD & PAGE - B ASED TOOLS

I CON B ASED E VENT D RIVEN 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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I CON B ASED E VENT D RIVEN TOOL

Advantages:

Clear structure. Easy editing and updating.

Disadvantages:

Difficult to learn. Expensive.

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T IME -B ASED TOOLS

This tools are best suited for messages with a beginning and an end. Some time-based tools facilitate navigation and interactive control. Software: Adobes Director and Flash.

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T IME -B ASED 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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T IME -B ASED TOOLS

Advantages:

Good for creating

animation

Branching, user control,

interactivity

Disadvantages:

Expensive Steep learning curve for advanced features

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T IME -B ASED TOOLS

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T IME -B ASED 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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T IME -B ASED 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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W EB PAGE A UTHORING 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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W EB PAGE A UTHORING TOOLS