week 7-sarah,samuel,daniel

An authoring tool is a tool used write hypertext or multimedia applications to link different elements of multimedia together in order to create a final multimedia project or product. It is necessary in multimedia to organize and edit the elements of a multimedia project, in designing multimedia interactivity and interface, assembling multimedia elements into a single cohesive project, and presenting a project on screen.

Card or Page-based authoring tools arranges and organizes its elements as either pages of a book or as a stack of cards. These pages are linked to form organized sequences. The system is object-oriented. These objects are graphic, buttons, text fields, pages, and cards. They each have properties that are able to enhance the functionality of an application.

Icon authoring tools provides visual approach in developing multimedia applications. The user can build structures and flow charts of data by dragging the suitable icon from the pre-set “library” of authoring tools. This type of authoring tool is convenient as the user is able to develop multimedia applications without having to learn the usual programming language. Therefore it is useful in computer-based training and software assistance.

Time-based authoring tools use a visual timeline for sequencing your multimedia elements often in a multimedia presentation. It displays layers of various media elements or events alongside the scale in precise timing as precise as one second.

Object-oriented authoring systems provides an object-oriented environment whereby the objects such as images, animations, videos; texts and sounds are assigned properties. These properties respond to external events, send messages to one another while inheriting behaviour from each other.

week 7- kalai, dinesh, kokila

Authoring tools used different metaphors for sequencing and organising multimedia elements and events. On this basis they can be classified into five categories:

· card- and page-based tools

· Icon-based tools

· Time-based tools

· object-oriented tools

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 to in a structured navigation pattern. Card- and page-based systems allow you to play audio, video and animations.

Some examples of card- and page-based systems include:

· HyperCard (Macintosh)

· SuperCard (Macintosh)

· ToolBook (Windows)

· Visual BASIC (Windows)

Card- and page-based systems are 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. CO32004 Multimedia Development Methods Unit 8: Multimedia Authoring Version c Page 2 ©2001 Napier University Icon based, event driven tools simplify the organisation of a project and typically display flow diagrams of activities along branching paths.

Some examples of icon-based systems include:

· Authorware Professional (Windows)

· IconAuthor (Windows)

Icon-based, event-driven systems are suited to a wide range of applications and offer a

high level of support when developing packages with complex navigation structures.

Time-based authoring tools

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

Some examples of time-based systems include:

· Macromedia Director (Macintosh and Windows)

· Macromedia Flash (Macintosh and Windows)

Time Based systems are best suited to applications which have a message with a beginning and an end. Some of the more powerful time based systems allow the program to jump or branch to a specific location, thereby offering interactivity and navigational control.

Object-0riented tools

In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and events become objects that live in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. Messages passed among these objects order them to do things according to the properties or modifiers assigned to them. Object-oriented tools are particularly useful for games that contain many components with many ‘personalities’ and for simulating real-life situations, events, and their constituent objects.

Some examples of object-oriented systems include:

· mTropolis (Macintosh/Windows)

· QuarkImmedia (Macintosh/Windows)

JAVA is also an object-oriented programming environment.

Increasingly Lingo, the scripting language used in Director is taking an object-oriented

approach.

week 7- adriel, amanda, nicole

Card or page-based authoring tools are basically the objects used in a multimedia projects like buttons, text fields, graphic objects, backgrounds, pages or cards, and even the project itself. With this tool, users are guided by objects as they each contain its own programming script that is usually descrptive of that very object. Once clicked upon by users, they are then guided and led to an event like a page that is relative to the object clicked upon. These events are usually in an order that is actually in a hierarchy. This then can be liken to when you read a book or go through a deck of cards.

One example of the usage of such a tool would be an assessment test for students. A question for example is given in the test and students are given a question that asks them to sort something in order. Students then will have to use objects and place them in the order they believe is the right answer. When they have done that, they can then move on to the next page to answer the next question.

Icon authoring tools are icon based event-tools which provides visual interaction and are organized in objects in a structural framework or process.

The tool simplifies the organization diagram and display a workflow of activities along branching points. These icons includes graphic images, sound and programming computations.

The time-based authoring tools is part of the authoring tools system and this tool is very time oriented as the elements and contents are organized along a stream of time line. This time line used come along with resolutions as high as 1/30th second.

Examples of this tool includes Macromedia Flash. The time based authoring tool allows contents along tracks that stretch across individual frames to be controlled by user; making it easier to run concurrent media.

The other authoring tool is the Object-Oriented authoring tools. This tool is very object focused as in elements and contents are organized in a hierarchical and orderly manner in the form of parent and children relationships.

This system or toll provides an environment where all subjects, elements, categories, images, etc are classified as properties and objects. An example of this tool would be Quark mTropolis. This tool is an exception from most authoring tools because there are no time lines or stack of cards to form a core authoring paradigm.

week 7- sim pin, alvin, canaan

Therre are many multimedia authoring tools on the market and these are constantly being improved and upgraded to ensure that is the latest version. Those multimedia authoring tools are included card or page-based authoring tools, icon authoring tools, time-based authoring tools and Object-Oriented authoring tools.

Card or page-baseed tools arrange elements like the pages of a book or a stack of cards. The objects which are included in card or page-based authoring tools are the buttons, text fields, graphic objects, backgrounds, page or cards, and project itself. Each object may contain programming script which is activated when an event related to that object occurs. This type of multimedia authoring tool becomes the most useful if the content of the publication can be viewed seperately as if in a card index file. It allows the user to place the pages or cards into prganised sequences which simplify the navigation routines.

Icon-based tools was a multimedia element which can show or create icon for visual programming to presenting multimedia on the stage. This function can allow user to using icon by dragging from internet or library to built structure or flowchart of tasks. After the structure has been created, it is possible to add the content such as text, graphics, animations, audio and video clips. This system also can used for button include menu choices, graphic image, title image, sound and computation.

Time-based tools use a visual timeline for for sequencing the events of multimedia presentation, often displaying layers of various media elements or events alongside the scale in increments. As a result, it is the most suitable when the publication has a linear message with a specified beginning and end. Besides, this type of multimedia authoring tool allows programming which enables the user to jump to different locations in the sequence.

Object-Oriented Tools consider the multimedia elements as objects and arrange them in a hierachical order. It is a multimedia element and events become objects that live in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. The function of this tools is that allow the user to have control over abstractions of the low level aspects of the resulting Web content such as the timelines, waveforms, vector-based graphic editors. These multimedia authoring tools are particularly suited for programming games which contain many components.

week 7 assessment

Write a one-page essay about the card or page-based authoring tools, icon authoring tools, time-based authoring tools and Object-Oriented authoring tools.