WERABE UNIVERSITY

Institute of Technology
Department of Information Technology
Chapter 2: Multimedia Authoring and Tools
What is Authoring System?
Authoring is the process of creating multimedia applications.
An authoring system is a program which has pre-programmed elements for the development of interactive
multimedia presentations.
Authoring tools provide an integrated environment for binding together the different elements of a
Multimedia production.
Multimedia Authoring Tools provide tools for making a complete multimedia presentation where users
usually have a lot of interactive controls.
Multimedia presentations can be created using:
 simple presentation packages such as PowerPoint
 powerful RAD tools such as Delphi, .Net, JBuilder;
Authoring systems vary widely in:
 Orientation
 Capabilities, and
 Learning curve: how easy it is to learn how to use the application
Why should you use an authoring system?
 Can speed up programming i.e. content development and delivery
 Time gains i.e. accelerated prototyping
 The content creation (graphics, text, video, audio, animation) is not affected by choice of authoring
system.
Characteristics of Authoring Tools
A good authoring tool should be able to:
 integrate text, graphics, video, and audio to create a single multimedia presentation
 control interactivity by the use of menus, buttons, hotspots, hot objects
 publish as a presentation or a self-running executable; on CD/DVD, Intranet, WWW.

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  Be extended through the use of pre-built or externally supplied components, plug-ins
 let you create highly efficient, integrated workflow
 Have a large user base.
Multimedia Authoring Paradigms
The authoring paradigm, or authoring metaphor, is the methodology by which the authoring system
accomplishes its task.
There are various paradigms:
1. Scripting Language
2. Icon-Based Control Authoring Tool
3. Card and Page Based Authoring Tool
4. Time Based Authoring Tool
5. Tagging Tools
1. Scripting Language
 Closes in form to traditional programming. The paradigm is that of a programming language, which
specifies:
o multimedia elements,
o sequencing of media elements,
o hotspots (e.g links to other pages),
o synchronization, etc.
 Usually use a powerful, object-oriented scripting language
 Multimedia elements and events become objects that live in a hierarchical order
 In-program editing of elements (still graphics, video, audio, etc.) tends to be minimal or non-
existent.
 Most authoring tools provide visually programmable interface in addition to scripting language.
 media handling can vary widely
Examples
 The Apple’s HyperTalk for HyperCard,
 Asymetrix’s OpenScript for ToolBook and
 Lingo scripting language for Macromedia Director
 ActionScript for Macromedia Flash
2. Iconic/Flow Control Tools
In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and interaction cues (or events) are organized as objects
in a structural framework.

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  Provides visual programming approach to organizing and presenting multimedia
 The core of the paradigm is the icon palette. You build a structure and flowchart of events, tasks,
and decisions by dragging appropriate icons from icon palette library. These icons are used to
represent and include menu choice, graphic images, sounds, computations, video, etc.
 The flow chart graphically depict the project logic
 Tends to be the speediest in development time. Because of this, they are best suited for rapid
prototyping and short-development time projects.
 These tools are useful for storyboarding because you can change the sequence of objects, restructure
interaction, add objects, by dragging and dropping icons.
Examples:
 Authorware
 IconAuthor

3. Card and page Based Tools

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  They are best suited for applications where the bulk of the content consist of elements that can be
viewed individually.
 Extensible via XCMDs (External Command) and DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries).
 All objects (including individual graphic elements) to be scripted;
 Many entertainment applications are prototyped in a card/scripting system prior to compiled-
language coding.
 Each object may contain programming script that is activated when an event occurs.
Examples:
 Hypercard (Macintosh)
 SuperCard(Macintosh)
 ToolBook (Windows), etc.
4. Time Based Authoring Tools
In these authoring systems elements are organized along a time line with resolutions as high as 1/30th
second.
Sequentially organized graphic frames are played back at a speed set by developer. Other elements, such
as audio events, can be triggered at a given time or location in the sequence of events.
 Are the most popular multimedia authoring tool
 They are best suited for applications that have a message with beginning and end, animation
intensive pages, or synchronized media application.
Examples:
 Macromedia Director
 Macromedia Flash
A. Macromedia Director
Director is a powerful and complex multimedia authoring tool which has broad set of features to create
multimedia presentation, animation, and interactive application. You can assemble and sequence the
elements of project using cast and score. Three important things that Micro Director uses to arrange and
synchronize media elements:
Cast
Cast is multimedia database containing any media type that is to be included in the project. It imports wide
range of data type and multimedia element formats directly into the cast. You can also create elements
from scratch and add to cast. To include multimedia elements in cast into the stages, you drag and drop the
media on the stage.

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Score
This is where the elements in the cast are arranged. It is sequence for displaying, animating, and playing
cast members. Score is made of frames and frames contain cast member. You can set frame rate per second.
Lingo
Lingo is a full-featured object oriented scripting language used in Director.
 It enables interactivity and programmed control of elements
 It enables to control external sound and video devices
 It also enables you to control operations of internet such as sending mail, reading documents,
images, and building web pages.
B. Macromedia Flash
 Uses a scripting language called ActionScript which gives greater capability to
 control the movie.
 Flash is commonly used to create animations, advertisements, to design web-page elements, to add
video to web pages, and more recently, to develop Rich Internet Applications. Rich Internet
Applications (RIA) are web applications that have features and functionality of traditional desktop
applications. RIA's uses a client side technology which can execute instructions on the client's
computer (no need to send every data to the server).
Flash uses:
 Library: a place where objects that are to be re-used are stored.
 Timeline: used to organize and control a movie content over time.
 Layer: helps to organize contents. Timeline is divided into layers.
 ActionScript: enables ineractivity and control of movies

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 5. Tagging Tools
Tags in text files (e.g. HTML) to:
 link to pages,
 provide interactivity, and
 Integrate multimedia elements.
 Most of them are displayed in web browsers using plug-ins or the browser itself can understand them.
 This metaphor is the basis of WWW

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 It is limited but can be extended by the use of suitable multimedia tags
Selecting Authoring Tools
The multimedia project you are developing has its own underlying structure and purpose.
When selecting tools for your project you need to consider that purpose.
Some of the features that you have to take into consideration when selecting authoring tools are:
1) Editing Feature: editing feature for multimedia data especially image and text are often included in
authoring tools. The more editors in your authoring system, the less specialized editing tools you need. The
editors that come with authoring tools offer only subset of features found in dedicated in editing tool. If
you need more capability, still you have to go to dedicated editing tools (e.g. sound editing tools for sound
editing).
2) Organizing feature: the organization of media in your project involves navigation diagrams, or flow
charts, etc. Some authoring tools provide a visual flowcharting facility. Such features help you for
organizing the project.
e.g. Icon Author, and AuthorWare use flowcharting and navigation diagram method to organize media.
3) Programming feature: there are different types of programming approach:
i)Visual programming: this is programming using cues, icons, and objects. It is done using drag and drop.
To include sound in your project, drag and drop it in stage.
Advantage: the simplest and easiest authoring process.
It is particularly useful for slide show and presentation.
ii) Programming with scripting language: Some authoring tool provide very high level scripting language
and interpreted scripting environment. This helps for navigation control and enabling user input.
iii) Programming with traditional language such as Basic or C. Some authoring tools provide traditional
programming tools like program written in C. We can call these programs to authoring tools. Some
authoring tools allow to call DLL (Dynamic Link Library).
4) Interactivity feature: interactivity offers to the end user of the project to control the content and flow
of information. Some of interactivity levels:
i) Simple branching: enables the user to go to any location in the presentation using key press, mouse click,
etc.
ii) Conditional branching: branching based on if-then decisions
iii) Structured branching: support complex programming logic such as nested if-then subroutines.
5) Performance-tuning features: accomplishing synchronization of multimedia is sometimes difficult
because performance varies with different computers. In such cases you need to use authoring tools own
scripting language to specify time and sequence on system.

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6) Playback feature: easy testing of the project. Testing enables you to debug the system and find out how
the user interacts with it.
 Not waste time in assembling and testing the project.
7) Delivery feature: delivering your project needs building run-time version of the project using authoring
tools. Why run time version (executable format):
 It does not require the full authoring software to play
 It does not allow users to access or change the content, structure, and programming of the project.
 Distribute run-time version
8) Cross platform feature: multimedia projects should be compatible with different platform like
Macintosh, Windows, etc. This enables the designer to use any platform to design the project or deliver it
to any platform.
9) Internet playability: web is significant delivery medium for multimedia. Authoring tools typically
provide facility so that output can be delivered in HTML or DHTMLformat.
10) Ease of learning: is it easy to learn? The designer should not waste much time learning how to use it.
Is it easy to use?