CIT 3204 Multimedia Systems

Chapter 2: Multimedia Authoring/ Multimedia Development

2.1 Introduction
 Multimedia authoring is a process of assembling different types of media contents like text, audio, image,
animations and video as a single stream of information with the help of various software tools available
in the market.
 Authoring is the process of integrating and presenting media elements using software called authoring
applications specially designed for this function.

2.2 Authoring Applications / Systems

The central tool of the multimedia author is called an authoring application. Multimedia authoring applications
are software packages that allow users to present interactive information through different media. An authoring
application is software specially designed for the creation of multimedia projects. They usually allow the
integration of diverse elements such as text, audio, video, and animated graphics, as well as the distribution of
these elements in a variety of formats.

Authoring applications are used to assemble media elements, synchronize content, design the user
interface, and provide user interactivity. Authoring software, by contrast, allows a developer to focus on
the design, interactivity, and performance of the project rather than code syntax.

Authoring applications allow developers to concentrate on the appearance and functionality of their creations
by automatically generating the specific instructions a computer executes to present a multimedia product. In
effect, the computer becomes its own programmer by creating the code to implement the decisions of the
developer.

2.2.1. Authoring System

An authoring system is a program that has pre-programmed elements for the development of interactive
multimedia software titles. Authoring systems can be defined as software that allows its user to create
multimedia applications for manipulating multimedia objects. An authoring system usually includes an
authoring language, a programming language built (or extended) with functionality for representing the
tutoring system. The functionality offered by the authoring language may be programming functionality for
use by programmers or domain representation functionality for use by subject experts. There is overlap
between authoring languages with domain representation functionality and domain-specific languages.

2.3. Authoring Metaphors

An Authoring metaphor also called Authoring paradigm is the methodology by which the authoring system
accomplishes its task. Authoring metaphors help orient developers on how the software organizes media
elements, sequences events, and presents a final multimedia project. Multimedia Authoring Metaphors can
be classified/grouped as follows;

2.3.1. Card Metaphor / Page Metaphor

Authoring tools based on the card metaphor are the most intuitive and simplest to use. Media content is
organized in sequential order as pages on a book or a stack of cards. The card metaphor is most appropriate
for projects using static media, such as text or images, and for content that is normally experienced in sequence,
one screen display at a time. Playback of these applications proceeds from one screen to the next, unless the

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developer includes navigation objects such as hyperlinks, menus, or buttons to change the order of
presentation.

Cards have two layers. The background layer contains elements that are shared, such as navigation buttons
or background images. The foreground layer contains content specific to that card.

Advantages:
There are three main advantages to dividing content by layers. Development time is saved because the content
for backgrounds is created once and repeated for multiple cards. A unified, consistent design is easier to
achieve because the common background layer has the same appearance and organization each time it appears.
Finally, file sizes are minimized by the use of common background layers because media elements do not
need to be duplicated for each card.

Some examples of card or page tools are:

 Hypercard (Mac)
 Tool book (Windows)
 PowerPoint (Windows)
 Supercard (Mac)

2.3.2. Icon Metaphor/ Event driven Metaphor

Authoring tools based on the icon metaphor organize media content and interactivity on a flowline.
A flowline is a graphical representation of the relationships between the components of a multimedia
application. In authoring, icons are graphic symbols that define media (a text box, an image, sound, video) as
well as different forms of interactivity (menu choices, buttons, user responses).

The core of the paradigm is the Icon Palette, containing the possible functions/interactions of a program,
and the Flow Line, which shows the actual links between the icons. Each icon has a dialogue box with
properties and parameters that the developer specifies. Each icon is dragged onto the flowline to create the
structure of the application.

Flowlines allow developers to quickly visualize and adjust the structure of an application, making them ideal
for the organization of branching applications. This tends to be the speediest (in development time) authoring
style; it is best suited for rapid prototyping and short-development time projects. Many of these tools are also
optimized for developing Computer-Based Training (CBT).

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Some examples of icon based tools are:
 Authorware Professional (Mac/Windows)
 Icon Author (Windows)

2.3.3. Timeline Metaphor / Frames Metaphor

The timeline metaphor organizes media content and interactivity as sequences of frames much like the
frames of traditional films and animations. Time based authoring tools allow the designer to arrange
various elements and events of the multimedia project along a well defined time line. Media elements
are first imported into a library or cast window. They can then be used repeatedly in many different frames
without significantly increasing file size. Each frame can have multiple layers. Layers define the stacking
order of the media.

Transitions can be applied to a sequence of frames to fade items in or out of the viewing area. The timeline
controls the presentation of events and interactivity. As the playhead moves across the timeline, individual
frames appear on the screen. The rate of playback, in frames per second (fps), can be regulated, and navigation
menus or buttons can be placed in a frame to alter the flow of the playhead on the timeline.

The timeline metaphor is especially appropriate for dynamic media, such as video and sound, which change
over time. Timeline applications, such as Director (Macromedia) and Flash, are powerful authoring tools that
allow developers to precisely synchronize the elements of animation sequences based on fractions of seconds.
They are also more difficult to learn and are usually chosen only when animation or video is the dominant
element in a multimedia project.
Some example of Time based tools are:
 Macromedia's Director
 Macromedia Flash

2.3.4. Cast/Score/Scripting:
The Cast/Score/Scripting paradigm uses a music score as its primary authoring metaphor; the synchronous
elements are shown in various horizontal tracks with simultaneity shown via the vertical columns. The true
power of this metaphor lies in the ability to script the behavior of each of the cast members.
 Time is shown horizontally; like a spreadsheet: rows, or tracks, represent instantiations of characters
in a multimedia production.

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  Multimedia elements are drawn from a cast of characters, and scripts are basically event‐ procedures
or procedures that are triggered by timer events.

The most popular member of this paradigm is Director, which is used in the creation of many commercial
applications. These programs are best suited for animation-intensive or synchronized media applications; they
are easily extensible to handle other functions (such as hypertext) via XOBJs, XCMDs, and DLLs.

2.3.5. Scripting Language:

The Scripting paradigm is the authoring method closest in form to traditional programming. The paradigm is
that of a programming language, which specifies (by filename) multimedia elements, sequencing, hotspots,
synchronization, etc. A powerful, object-oriented scripting language is usually the centerpiece of such a
system; in-program editing of elements (still graphics, video, audio, etc.) tends to be minimal or non-existent.
Scripting languages do vary; check out how much the language is object-based or object-oriented. The
scripting paradigm tends to be longer in development time (it takes longer to code an individual interaction),
but generally more powerful interactivity is possible. Since most Scripting languages are interpreted, instead
of compiled, the runtime speed gains over other authoring methods are minimal.

2.3.6. Hierarchical Object/ Object Oriented

The Hierarchical Object paradigm uses an object metaphor (like OOP) which is visually represented by
embedded objects and iconic properties. Although the learning curve is non-trivial, the visual representation
of objects can make very complicated constructions possible.

Object oriented authoring tools support environment based on object. Each object has the following two
characteristics:
1. State or Attributes - The state or attributes refers to the built in characteristics of an object. For
example, a color T.V has the following attributes:
o Color receiver
o Volume control
o Picture control
o 128 channels
o Remote control unit
2. Behavior or Operations - The behavior or operations of an object refers to its action. For example,
a T.V can behave in any of the following manner at a given point of time:
o Switched on
o Switched off
o Displays picture and sound from
 A TV cable connection
 A TV transmitter
 A DVD
 A VCR
Examples include;
o mTropolis (Mac/Windows)
o Apple Media Tool (Mac/Windows)
o Media Forge (Windows)

2.3.7. Hypermedia Linkage:

The Hypermedia Linkage paradigm is similar to the Frame paradigm in that it shows conceptual links between
elements; however, it lacks the Frame paradigm's visual linkage metaphor.

2.3.8. Tagging:

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The Tagging paradigm uses tags in text files (for instance, SGML/HTML, SMIL (Synchronised Media
Integration Language), VRML, 3DML and WinHelp) to link pages, provide interactivity and integrate
multimedia elements.

2.4. Multimedia Authoring Tools

These are the tools which provide the capability for creating a complete multimedia presentation, including
interactive user control, are called authoring tools/programs. Multimedia authoring tools give an integrated
environment for joining together the different elements of a multimedia production. It gives the framework
for organizing and editing the components of a multimedia project. It enables the developer to create
interactive presentation by combining text, audio, video, graphics and animation.

2.4.1. Classification and Examples

Multimedia Authoring Tools can be grouped/classified based on the metaphors used;

1). Card or Page based authoring tools: In these authoring systems, elements are organized as pages of a
book or a stack of cards. In the book or stack there are thousand of pages or cards available. These tools are
best used when the bulk of your content consists of elements that can be viewed individually, for example the
pages of a book or file cards in card file. Every page of the book may contain many media elements like
sounds, videos and animations.
One page may have a hyperlink to another page that comes at a much later stage and by clicking on the same
you might have effectively skipped several pages in between. Some examples of card or page tools are:
a) Hypercard (Mac)
b) Tool book (Windows)
c) PowerPoint (Windows)
d) Supercard (Mac)

Advantages
Following are the advantages of card based authoring tools.
a) Easy to understand.
b) One screen is equal to 1card or 1page.
c) Easy to use as these tools provide template.
d) Short development time.

Disadvantages
Following are the disadvantages of card based authoring tools.
a) Some run only on one platform.
b) Tools not as powerful as equivalent stand alones.

2). Icon based or Event driven authoring tools

Icon-based tools give a visual programming approach to organizing and presenting multimedia. Some
examples of icon based tools are:
a) Authorware Professional (Mac/Windows)
b) Icon Author (Windows)
Authorware is a mature, well-supported authoring product that has an easy learning curve for
computer science students because it is based on the idea of flowcharts (the so-called iconic/flow-
control metaphor). It allows hyperlinks to link text, digital movies, graphics, and sound. It also
provides compatibility between files produced in PC and Mac versions. Shockwave Authorware
applications can incorporate Shockwave files, including Director movies, Flash animations, and audio.

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 c) Quest: Quest, which uses a type of flowcharting metaphor, is similar to Authorware in many ways.
However, the flowchart nodes can encapsulate information in a more abstract way (called "frames")
than simply subroutine levels. As a result, connections between icons are more conceptual and do not
always represent flow of control in the program.

Advantages:
Following are the advantages of icon/event based authoring tools.
a) Clear Structure.
b) Easy editing and updating
Disadvantages:
Following are the disadvantages of icon/event based authoring tools.
a) Difficult to learn.
b) Expensive.
3). Time based authoring tools
Time based authoring tools allow the designer to arrange various elements and events of the multimedia
project along a well defined time line. By time line, we simply mean the passage of time.

Some example of Time based tools are:

d) Macromedia's Director
Director uses a movie metaphor to create interactive presentations. This powerful program includes a
built-in scripting language, Lingo, that allows creation of complex interactive movies.2. The "cast" of
characters in Director includes bitmapped sprites, scripts, music, sounds, and palettes. Director can
read many bitmapped file formats. The program itself allows a good deal of interactivity, and Lingo,
with its own debugger, allows more control, including control over external devices, such as VCRs
and videodisc players. Director also has web authoring features available, for creation of fully
interactive Shockwave movies playable over the web.
e) Macromedia Flash
Allows users to create interactive movies by using the score metaphor - a timeline arranged in parallel
event sequences, much like a musical score consisting of musical notes. Elements in the movie are
called symbols in Flash. Symbols are added to a central repository, called a library, and can be added
to the movie's timeline. Once the symbols are present at a specific time, they appear on the Stage,
which represents what the movie looks like at a certain time, and can be manipulated and moved by
the tools built into Flash. Finished Flash movies are commonly used to show movies or games on the
web.
f) Dreamweaver: Dreamweaver is quite a popular Macromedia product (Dreamweaver MX is the
current version) for building multimedia-enabled web sites as well as Internet applications in HTML,
XML, and other formats. It provides visual layout tools and code-editing capability for file types such
as JavaScript, Active Server Pages, PHP, and XML. The product is integrated with other Macromedia
products such as Flash MX and Fireworks MX.

Advantages
Following are the advantages of time based authoring tools.
a) Good for creating animation.
b) Branching, user control, interactivity facilities.
Disadvantages
Following are the disadvantages of time based authoring tools.
a) Expensive
b) Large file size
c) Steep learning curve to understand various features.

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4). Object-Oriented authoring tools:
Object oriented authoring tools support environment based on object. Each object has the following two
characteristics:
a) State or Attributes - The state or attributes refers to the built in characteristics of an object. For
example, a color T.V has the following attributes:
 Color receiver
 Volume control
 Picture control
 128 channels
 Remote control unit
b) Behavior or Operations - The behavior or operations of an object refers to its action. For example, a
T.V can behave in any of the following manner at a given point of time:
 Switched on
 Switched off
 Displays picture and sound from
 A TV cable connection
 A TV transmitter
 A DVD
 A VCR
Some examples of the object oriented tools are:
o mTropolis (Mac/Windows)
o Apple Media Tool (Mac/Windows)
o Media Forge (Windows)

2.4.1. Features of Authoring Tools

Key features of multimedia authoring tools includes;
1) Editing features: Most authoring environment and packages exhibit capabilities to create edit and
transform different kinds of media that they support.
2) Organizing features: The organization, design and production process for multimedia involves
storyboarding and flowcharting
3) Programming features: Authoring tools that offer a very high level language or interpreted scripting
environment for navigation control and for enabling user inputs –
4) Interactive features: Interactivity empowers the end users of your project by letting them control the
content and flow of information.
5) Hypertext- Hypertext capabilities can be used to link graphics, some animation and other text. The
help system of window is an example of hypertext. Such systems are very useful when a large
amount of textual information is to be represented or referenced.
6) Branching (Simple & Conditional)- Offers the ability to go to another section of the multimedia
production.
7) Visual programming with icons or objects- It is simplest and easiest authoring process. For example,
if you want to play a sound then just clicks on its icon.
8) Performance tuning features: Complex multimedia projects require extra synchronization of events.
9) Playback features: Your authoring system should let you build a segment or part of your project and
then quickly test it as if the user were actually using it.
10) Delivery features: Delivering your project may require building a run-time version of the project
using the multimedia authoring software
 Run-time Player for Distribution
11) Cross-Platform features: It is also increasingly important to use tools that make transfer across
platforms easy.
12) Internet Playability: Due to the Web has become a significant delivery medium for multimedia,
authoring systems typically provide a means to convert their output so that it can be delivered within
the context of HTML or DHTML, either with special plug-in or embedding Java, JavaScript or other
code structures in the HTML document.

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 13) Document Development tools: Some authoring tools offers direct importing of pre-formatted text, to
index facilities, to use complex text search mechanism and to use hypertext linking tools.
14) Supporting CD-ROM or Laser Disc Sources: This software allows over all control of CD-drives and
Laser disc to integrate audio, video and computer files. CD-ROM drives, video and laserdisc sources
are directly controlled by authoring programs.
15) Supporting Video for Windows: Authoring software has the ability to support more multimedia
elements like video for windows.

2.5. The Authoring Process

Multimedia authoring involves a series of interrelated tasks.
1) Design the application.
2) Import or create and edit various media elements
3) Integrate and Synchronize media.
4) Establish navigation structure
5) Programming user interactions.
6) Add database support.
7) Preview, test and debug the applications
8) Finally prepare / publish the end product

Just as authoring applications differ in terms of their basic metaphors, they also vary in their capabilities to
perform these essential tasks.

2.5.1. Application Design

Authoring software may include a number of features to support the design process. Presentation programs,
such as PowerPoint, usually provide an outline view in which authors can organize the basic structure of a
presentation. More complex multimedia projects often make use of storyboards. A storyboard is a series of
sketches of screens used to guide the development process. Storyboards include layouts of screen elements
such as media and navigation controls as well as directions to guide the work of animators, programmers, and
other members of the development team.

Technical Design Issues

Technical parameters that affect the design and delivery of multimedia applications include
1) Computer platform
2) Video format and resolution
3) Memory and disk space
4) Delivery methods

Authoring applications with good support for design can speed the development process because it is usually
easier to build an application from a design created in the same program.

2.5.2. Importing Content

Multimedia content is frequently created in media-specific applications such as paint or draw programs that
use their own (“proprietary”) file formats. Media content can also be purchased in a variety of formats from
clip library sources. To make use of these different forms of media, authoring applications can usually import
several different file formats. Not all formats are supported by all authoring applications, however. For
example, images in .psd (Photoshop) format or sounds saved as MIDI files may not be directly supported by
the authoring application. Such files can usually be converted to supported formats such as TIFF for .psd files
or QuickTime for MIDI, but this adds another step to the development process.

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2.5.3. Creating and Editing Content
Media-specific applications have powerful tools optimized for the tasks each performs. The development
process would be very inefficient, however, if every element of a multimedia application had to be created
and edited in different, specialized applications. For this reason, all authoring applications include some media
creation and editing capability. For example, all applications have tools to enter text either as a graphic or in
editable text form. Text content is often easier to create and edit within the authoring application when the
supporting media are visible on screen. Adjustments to font size, color, and style are also easier to make within
the authoring environment.

2.5.4. Media Integration, Synchronization, and Playback

Once the content is developed, authoring software is used to integrate and synchronize various media elements
and determine the order in which they are played for a user. Techniques for media integration vary with
authoring metaphor. Media may be placed on a card surface, represented as an icon and dragged to a flowline,
or selected from a library or cast window and placed on a timeline. The position and order of objects may be
determined by placement in layers.

Synchronization is critical for dynamic media. Sounds, animations, and transitions must be timed to present a
coordinated and unified flow of information. Authoring tools approach synchronization in various ways.
Objects can be held on screen for specific times (20 seconds) or paused on screen until another event occurs
such as the end of a sound segment. In these cases, timing properties are assigned to the objects themselves.
More complex synchronization is done on timelines. Media objects are placed on the timeline to play for a
specified number of frames. In similar fashion, an animation can be synchronized to a sound track by placing
each on a different layer of a common sequence of frames.

An animation with a high frame rate created on a fast processor may slow to a crawl on less capable systems
or not play at all. To ensure adequate performance on different systems, authoring applications optimized for
dynamic media often have options to synchronize media automatically. Timing controls can be applied to
various media components or the final project may be defined with parameters to drop out images to keep up
with sound playback.

2.5.5. Establishing Navigation Structure

Authoring tools are also used to determine the order in which content is presented to the user, which is known
as playback. Playback is determined by navigation structure. There are four basic navigation structures: linear,
hierarchical, networked, and conditional.
1) Linear or sequential: The simplest form of navigation. Screens are viewed one after the other, much like
the pages of a book. Linear navigation is appropriate whenever information is best presented as an
unvarying sequence, such as a recipe for baking a cake. Some authoring applications, such as PowerPoint,
are particularly well suited to linear navigation. While other navigational structures can be created in
PowerPoint, the normal flow of information is from one slide to the next as a user clicks a mouse.
2) Hierarchical. Navigation starts at the top with the most general topic and filters down to more specific
options. Authoring software is used to structure menu options or create other forms of hierarchical
navigation such as image maps. An image map is a graphic with “hot spots” where a user can click to
navigate to a particular topic. For example, a state tourist map might include the counties as hotspots.
Clicking on a particular county leads to a description of tourist attractions in that region.
3) Networked is the third common navigational structure. A networked structure allows users to explore
more freely by replacing sequences or hierarchies with a variety of user options. One common form of a
networked structure is the hyperlink. Hyperlinks are connections between two data items, for instance,
between the title of a painting and a photo of the painting. A single website may be organized in a

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 hierarchical structure of web pages by the author, but the hyperlinks within each page can send the user
on a “web” of exploration with no prescribed path.

Navigation structures may be conditional. Access to information is contingent on the user’s responses or
progress in the application.

Navigation structures.

Navigation control is an important consideration for developers. It governs how the content is structured and
controls the playback sequence. Multimedia developers plan navigation structures as part of the design process
and they choose authoring applications based in part on how well they support navigation.

2.5.6. Programming
All authoring applications can create basic navigation structures as well as other simple interactions, such as
playing a sound or video. Applications such as PowerPoint use a series of dialogue boxes to specify the actions
of screen buttons, add hyperlinked terms, and create simple forms of animation. These simple interactions are
adequate for basic multimedia presentations but more complex projects require more flexibility and control.
Programming in authoring applications is either script or icon based.
1) A script is a series of commands specifying the properties or behavior of a specific element in a
multimedia application. A button script may cause the button to change appearance or produce the
sound of a click when a mouse button is depressed. Scripts are a form of high-level programming
language because they use English-like phrasing to write commands. Script commands
are interpreted; that is, they are translated to machine language and executed one at a time. This makes
it easier for developers to test and debug their scripts. Scripting languages add functionality to a
multimedia project. The developer can program scripts to control animations, play video, launch
external applications, and control interactivity. The possibilities are limitless.
2) Icon programming is a type of visual programming. Icons are arranged in the application window
and the developer defines the parameters for the specific icon’s use. For example, a sound icon will
require parameters to define the sound’s name and the length of time it should play. The advantage of
icon programming is that it does not require knowledge of programming rules. The developer only
needs to know how to define the parameters of each icon to best control the application. Authorware
offers extensive control of application development using the icon programming approach.

2.5.7. Add Database Support

Multimedia projects may require access to a database. A database is a collection of related files that are
readily accessible. Multimedia tutorials might require a database to record the student’s name and performance
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on various lesson segments. The questions are retrieved from one database file and the answers are recorded
to another database file. If the student returns at a later time to complete the lesson, the application will load
the previous responses and append additional responses to the database file based on the student’s name and/or
password.

2.5.8. Previewing, Testing, and Debugging

Previewing, testing, and debugging are important components in the development of more complex
multimedia projects. The elements of a project are often assembled in a development mode, such as a
PowerPoint outline view, a Flash timeline, or an Authorware flowline. These approaches improve the
efficiency of multimedia creation but they do not present screen content as it will appear in the final
product. Preview controls allow developers to view the application as it will appear to the user. A common
technique is to provide a player controller similar to a VCR pad, with play, rewind, and stop as common
buttons. Activating the player allows the developer to preview screen layouts and test navigation and other
user interactions.

Applications that directly support programming also generally include debugging capability. A debugger is a
utility that tracks the execution of program code to assist developers in locating coding errors.

2.5.9. Project Delivery

To deliver a product to users, developers must publish their applications in a form that will play outside the
authoring environment. There are two main delivery options for distributing a multimedia application.
1) Remote Installation/ Delivery: Store the application and data remotely on a server that is accessed from
a network connection. Most often these applications are delivered through a browser on the World Wide
Web.
Advantages.
 A major benefit is the ability to easily and frequently revise content.
 Wide market access: with the appropriate computing device and network connection virtually anyone
in any corner of the world can use the application.
 make it possible for the developer to track users and determine patterns of usage.
Limitation
 Bandwidth restrictions depending on the user’s location or network service.
 Relying on remote delivery of a GPS application for accurate road maps could be a problem if the
online service is interrupted or reduced to a crawl.
 Browser applications are not uniformly compatible with all computing devices or multimedia
applications.
2) Local Installation/Delivery: where it is accessed from the user’s secondary storage device.
Advantages
 Use of the product does not require constant connection to a network, thus eliminating the challenges
of bandwidth and reliable network access.
 Delivery method also gives the developer the flexibility to incorporate larger data files within the
application.
Limitations
 Platform dependency. This may restrict the portability of the application to other devices, such as
between a PC and a Mac or an iPad and a Kindle.
 If the application is not dependent on the Web, it is difficult to make certain that the user has the latest
version, thus placing the product’s integrity in the hands of the user, who may or may not update it in
a timely manner.

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  The developer of an application for local delivery will have limited ability to track user demographics
and patterns of use. This can be a significant disadvantage when considering revisions or additions to
the application.

2.6. Choosing an Authoring Tool /Application

No single authoring tool is suitable for all multimedia projects. Multimedia developers select authoring
applications by matching the requirements of specific projects to the features available in a given authoring
product. The following guidelines identify some of the major considerations in this process.
1) Consider the subject. Is the content mainly static (not changing over time, such as photos or text) or
dynamic (sound, animation, video)? Card-based applications will be easier to use and very effective for
most static content. Dynamic media may require timeline-based applications.
Will the content require specialized features? If so, these should be directly matched to capabilities of the
authoring application. For instance:
a) Capturing, storing, and retrieving user responses.
b) Extensive hyperlinks.
c) External database support.
2) Consider the media. Are the file formats of the graphics, audio, animations, and video for the project
directly supported in the authoring application? If not, can they be readily converted?
3) Consider delivery. Where will the application be used?
a) Desktop applications are often delivered on CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs with high storage
capacities. This permits ready delivery of large, media-rich projects developed in applications
such as Director.
b) Network delivery often requires applications optimized for small file sizes, such as Flash.
4) Consider maintenance.
a) Is the application widely used and supported? If so, expertise is more likely to be available for
future revision.
b) Will the project require frequent updates? If so, choose an application that simplifies this process.
c) Some applications store individual media once, referencing each with an alias for repeated use.
Changing an element such as a logo may mean simply replacing one graphic with a new one—all
the references to that one image are automatically updated.
d) Some applications can import external files at the time of playback. Updating the application may
be as easy as replacing one of the files. This is particularly useful in projects that rely on timely
data such as catalogs or advertisements.

2.7. Multimedia Project Development

Development process is both interactive and Iterative. Consists of the following stages/phases
1) Definition: The definition stage specifies what the product is to be
a) preliminary proposal,
b) storyboard, and
c) Functional specification.
2) Design: The objective of the design phase is the creation of an incomplete working model of the product
called a prototype
3) Production
2.8. Roles in Multimedia Development Project
Among the essential members of a multimedia team are
1) Project manager: The project manager oversees the business aspects of multimedia development. The
work of the project manager includes:
a) Contract negotiations with the client
b) Hiring and evaluation of team members

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 c) Creating and monitoring a production schedule
d) Budgeting
e) Monitoring client review and approval
f) Coordinating testing and revision
g) Ensuring product delivery
h) Overseeing product documentation and the archiving of project materials
2) Project designer: The project designer is responsible for the overall structure of the product’s content and
for the look, feel, and functionality of the user interface. The work of the project designer includes:
a) Organizing information by topic and structuring content
b) Establishing the look and feel of the product (formal, playful, etc.)
c) Determining the metaphor for the user interface
d) Creating the navigational structure
e) Supervising the work of media specialists and writers
3) Content Experts: The work of the content expert includes:
a) Identifying facts, theories, procedures, processes, or other information to be presented
b) Ensuring the accuracy of all product content
c) Assisting in product testing and revision
d) Identifying other specialized content experts as required
4) Writers: Writers may be called on to produce various documents:
a) A product proposal for a potential client
b) A detailed product specification
c) Scripts for dialogue and action to guide animators, actors, or programmers
d) Bug and testing reports
e) Release notes and manuals
f) Help screens
5) Media Specialist – Graphics, Sound, Animation & Video
6) Programmers
7) Acquisitions Specialists: The acquisitions specialist typically will manage all aspects of permissions for a
project:
a) Research availability and costs of copyright permissions for projected content
b) Complete copyright agreements for selected content
c) Maintain documentation of copyright permissions
d) Write copyright agreements between team members and the developer
e) Write copyright agreements between the client and the developer

2.9. Multimedia Programming vs Multimedia Authoring

It should be noted that a distinction should be made between Programming and Authoring.
 Authoring involves the assembly and bringing together of Multimedia with possibly high level
graphical interface design and some high level scripting.
 Programming involves low level assembly and construction and control of Multimedia and involves
real languages like C and Java.

Review Questions
1. What is an authoring application?
2. What is the benefit of an authoring application over programming languages to develop a project?
3. What is a metaphor?
4. What is the purpose of authoring metaphors?
5. What are the three common authoring metaphors for project development?

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6. What are the two layers on a card?
7. What are the benefits of using a background layer in the card metaphor?
8. How does the icon metaphor organize media content?
9. What type of media content is most appropriate for a timeline metaphor?
10. What is a storyboard? What is its function in the authoring process?
11. Identify and explain the four basic navigation structures.
12. What is an image map and how is it used to create a navigation structure?
13. What navigational structure would make use of hyperlinks?
14. How do scripting languages add functionality to a multimedia project?
15. What is a debugger?

Discussion Questions
1) What is the most appropriate authoring metaphor to develop an application that displays the motion of the
planets? Explain your choice.
2) What is the most appropriate authoring metaphor for developing an interactive tutorial on safe driving?
Explain your choice.
3) List the main components of the timeline metaphor and identify the purpose of each.
4) Identify the interrelated tasks in multimedia authoring and evaluate either PowerPoint or Flash in terms
of its ability to complete these tasks.
5) What are the two main delivery options for distributing a multimedia application? What are the advantages
or disadvantages of each?
6) As the project manager for a multimedia presentation on student campus life at your college, identify the
four criteria for selecting an authoring application and explain how each criterion will apply to that project.

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