Authoring Interactive Multimedia

Transcription

1 Authoring Interactive Multimedia ^ F^ AP PROFESSIONAL A Division of Barcourt Brace & Company Boston San Diego New York London Sydney Tokyo Toronto

2 Contents Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii 1 Introduction 1 Multimedia 2 Computer Networking and Multimedia 3 Interactivity 4 Authoring 5 L'ses of Multimedia Computing 8 Business Pfesentations 8 Training or Education Applications 9 Information Delivery Applications 10 Sales or Merchandising Applications 12 Multimedia with Productivity Applications 12 Teleconferencing 13 Standards 14 S um mar)' 16 2 The Authoring Process 17 Why Authoring Software is Necessary 17 Steps of Authoring 18 Concept 18 Design 19 Collecting Content Material 21 Assembly 23 Tcsting 24 Distribution 25 Choosing an Authoring Environment 25 Tvpes of Authoring Software 26 Command Style 26 Object Style 27 Authoring Interface Types 27 Text-Based Authoring Interface 28 Graphica! Authoring Interface 28 Authoring Options 29 Summary 30 v

3 vi Authoring Interactive Multimedia 3 Plotforms and Operafing Systems 31 Hardware Platforms 31 CPL 32 RISC and CISC 33 Pentium 33 RAM 33 MassSioragc. 34 Video Display 35 Audio 39 Motion Video Capabilily 40 System Bus 41 I,oral Bus 42 PCMCIA 43 MuUimcdia Hardware Requirements 44 Operating Systems 46 Clioites 46 DOS 47 Windows 47 OS/2 48 Windows NT 48 Opcrating System Features 49 Miiliilaskiiig 49 Multimedia Scrric.es MCI 50 Interprocess Communieation M DDL 51 OLE 52 The Ultimedia Tools Series 52 The Multimedia PC 55 Summary 56 4 Author Interfaces 57 Authoring Tasks 57 Top-Level Interfaces 58 The Slide Show Metaphor PowerPoint 60 The Book Metaphor ToolBook 66 The Windowing Metaphor Visual Basic 68 The Timeline Metaphor Action! 70 The Network Metaphor MEDIAscripl 71 The Icon Metaphor TconAuthor 74 Summary 75 5 Authoring Languages 77 Whal. is a 1 anguage? 77 Language Levels 78 High4 J evcl Languages 78 General Programming Languages 80 Multimedia Authoring Languages 82 Objects 82 Authoring Language Examples 84

4 Contents vii I anguage Example (tyensaipl 85 Language Example MCI 86 Language Example Visual liatic 88 Language Example NUiDIAscnpl 89 Authoring Language Standards 92 Surnmary 93 6 Still Images 95 The N um bc rs for Vide o D is pl ay 95 Selecting Video Display Hardware 9(i Image Authoring Considerations 98 Image Sclcc.t.ion 98 Positioning 99 Gropping 99 Scaling 100 Transitions 100 Holding 100 Transparency 101 Image Compression 102 Loss) and Lossless 103 Compression and Decoinpression Software 104 Dedicated Hardware for Compression and. Decomprrssion 101 Creating Bitmapped Images 104 Capturingfrom Analog Video 105 Digital Stills from Photographs 106 Image Scanners 107 Software for Image Caprure 108 Image Processing Tools 110 Image Format Conversion Tools 113 Surnmary Graphics and Text 117 Skills Required for Graphics 117 Coordinate Systems 118 Primitives 119 Attributes 119 Croups and Layers 119 Order oldrawing 120 Colors 121 Using Clip Art 121 Draw Tools 124 PaintTool Microsoft Windows l'ainlimtsh 125 Draw Tool Microgralx Whidowslhaw 126 Draw Module Microsoft l'owtrl'o/rit 126 Draw Module Asymetrix MuÜimedki Tooll'iook 127 Draw Module Network Technology MFDIAscript OS/2 127 «Draw Tool CmvlDRAW 129 Text.Objecto 130

5 viii Authoring Interactive Multimedia Fonts 131 TextStyles 133 Text Effects 133 Summary Audio and Video 135 The Numcrical Challenge of Digital Video 135 Video Com pression 136 MPEG 137 Software-Only Video 137 Microsoft. Video for Windows 138 Color Paleltes for Video 140 Digital Audio 141 Audio DataRequireraents 141 Capturing Audio and Video 143 Audio Captine Software 143 Video Gapturc 144 Software fbr Video Captine 146» Al/'WMwrz/tf Video Capture Tools 147 Video Editing Software Microsoft YidKdii 148 Video Editing Software TouchVision's D/Vision Pro 149 Summarv Animation 155 Whal Is Animation? 155 Advantages/Disadvantages of Animation 156 Creating Animation with a Computer 157 Animation along a Path 157 Animated Gels 158 Backgrounds D Animation 159 Tweening and Morphing 16Ü Animation Tool Animation Works Interactive 160 Animation Tool Animator Pro 162 Displaying Animation 166 Animation Player Addlmfmä! Player 168 Summary Animation Player Autodesk Animation 10 Integrating Objects from Other Applications 171 Mul ti tas ki n g E n.vironrn e n ts 171 Cl ien t/server Architectures 173 OLE 173 Using OLE with Multimedia Objects 175

6 Contents ix Enabling with DDE 178 Enabling Example 180 Summaiy Choosing Authoring Tools 183 The Process of Selection 184 What Kinds of Applications? 184 Who is the Author? 186 Media Sources 187 Gcncraüng the Profile 187 Operaüng System 190 Authoring Melaphors 190 Interactivity Features 191 Text Objects 192 Chart Objects 193 Graphic Objects 193 Animation Objects 194 Image Objects 195 Audio Objects 195 Molion Video Objects 196 Variables and Main 197 Student Management 197» Authoring Language 197 Media Management 198 Window Authoring 199 üatabase Features 199 Inlerprocess Communication 200 Hard Copy Outpul. 200 Distribution Features 201 The Authoring Tool Sclcclor Application 201 Evaluating Actual Sottware 205 Stimmarv Using Your Authoring Tools 207 Opcrating System Compatibility 207 Data Compatibility 208 Ultiuiedia Tools Series Compatibility 210 Data File Compatibility in the Ultimedia Tools Series 211 Author Interface Unii'ormity 212 Typical Scenarios for Use 213 Audio 213 Text 215 Bitmappecl Images 215 Vector Graphics 215 Motion Video 215 Animation 216 A Typical Environment 216 Summary Authoring Linear Presentations 219 Enhancing Your Presentation 222

7 x Authoring Interactive Multimedia AddingTiansitions 223 I'cxr Builds 225 Adding Sound lo a Präsentation 226 Adding Animalion or Video 227 Summary Authoring for Training or Education 229 What's Different about Training? 229 Training Application Architecture 230 ATeaching Unit 231 Authoring Tools Cor Training 232 Teaching Unit Examplcs 233 Summary Authoring for Information Delivery 237 What's Diffcrent About Information Delivery? 237 Information Delivery Architcctures 239 I Iypertext 210 Authoring Tools for Information Delivery 241 Authoring Menüs 242 Summary Trends in Multimedia Authoring 247 Television 247 Multimedia Piatfonus 248 The Consumcr Market lor Multimedia 249 Audio 2:51 Video 251 Mass Sloragc 252 Integrated Circuits 253 Displays 253 Digital Networks 254 Teleconferencing 255 Multimedia Authoring Tools 255 Standards 255 Summary 256

8 Contents xi Appendix A: The CD-ROM 257 Appendix B: The Authoring Tools Selector Program 261 Appendix C: Sources of Hardware and Software 269 Glossary 273 Bibliography 291 Index 293