Multimedia Authoring Tools

Jon Ivins

DMU

Essence of Multimedia…

Combination and integration of different media elements for presentation via a unified interface and manipulated via a single application by the user.

Different elements may be vector graphics, bitmapped images, sound, animation, video, text

textvideo

animation

sound

bitmapped graphics

Create, capture, edit

vector graphicsIntegration and sequencing into a presentation

Interactive presentation to end user

Approaches to providing a well integrated combination of media

1. Define a format that can accommodate different media types and view via dedicated browser (Netscape, IE)

Format may be HTML or XML, browser knows how to present marked-up documents

Basically text with other embedded media elements

Approaches to providing a well integrated combination of media

2. Define an architecture (e.g Quicktime) that can

contain different media types provide an API which contains rich set of

functions to manipulate media – these can be incorporated into any application

Quicktime movies, for example, can be viewed using a Quicktime Player (like

a browser) can be embedded within any program using

the API

Approaches to providing a well integrated combination of media

3. Deliver a multimedia presentation in ‘stand-alone’ form

Director, for example provides the means of authoring a presentation of creating a runnable application

(‘projector’) which can be run independently of the authoring environment

Objects

Most modern software uses object-oriented technology

Objects have: pre-defined properties pre-defined behaviors are either a sub-set or a super-set

of other objects inherit properties and behaviors

from the super-set

Commercial Packages Astound Authorware Mediaview ToolBook Director

There is no one package that is suitable for all development work

Metaphors Each is based on a metaphor Astound - Slide show Authorware - Flowcharts Mediaview - Hypertext ToolBook - Book Director - Movie

Communicating Models

Norman’s 3 models

Design Model model that a designer has of the system

as a whole, a conceptual model of the system to be built

User’s Model mental model the user has of the system

System Image the physical external representation of

the system what everyone who interacts with the

system sees, hears or feels

UserModel

DesignModel

Design Model, User Model and System Image

Designer User

System and Documentation

SystemImage

Styles in Word….

Marking up a document in Word using styles is a very powerful feature… why?

Not utilised by many Word users… why?

Poor conceptual model of what styles are and how they can be used is communicated by Word’s ‘system image’

Metaphors

widely used in everyday language - for example we use a war metaphor to describe the process of argument

can be used to structure a user's mental model to facilitate ease of initial learning

verbal metaphors use existing knowledge of familiar domains to provide explanations of unfamiliar artefacts in the form of written or spoken instructions. e.g a filing cabinet to explain file storage in a computer

many terms in computing rely on common-use metaphors e.g menus, forms, windows

ToolBook Produced by Asymetrix Conceptually easy to understand Has a library of basic behaviors i.e.

mouse_click, transitions, etc Has its own programming language

OpenScript Easy to learn OpenScript Will import a variety of different

types of media

ToolBook Easy to modify initial design Flexible, many layers on each page Very good for CBT applications,

marking and assessment Interpreted Not suitable for fast games Can be exported as HTML but not

very web-friendly

See image ‘toolbook1.gif’

Director Produced by Macromedia Conceptually harder to understand -

prior planning is a must Has a library of basic behaviors i.e.

mouse_click, transitions, etc Has its own programming language

Lingo Easy (ish) to learn Lingo Will import a variety of different types of

media

Director Not easy to modify initial design Interactions and events can be

synchronized Not suited for CBT applications,

marking and assessment Not suited for applications with a

large amount of text Very web-friendly - supports

streaming etc

See image ‘director1.gif’

Conclusions All authoring tools have their

strengths and weaknesses There is no one best authoring tool ToolBook is ideal for “book”

applications Director is ideal for web / movie

applications Both will produce CD-ROMs