Unit-1

Definition of Multimedia
● Multimedia is a representation of information in an attractive and interactive
manner with the use of a combination of text, audio, video, graphics and
animation.
● In other words we can say that Multimedia is a computerized method of
presenting information combining textual data, audio, visuals (video), graphics
and animations. For examples: E-Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Video Conferencing,
and Multimedia Message Service (MMS).
● Multimedia as name suggests is the combination of Multi and Media that is many
types of media (hardware/software) used for communication of information.
 Components of Multimedia
Following are the common components of multimedia:

● Text- All multimedia productions contain some amount of text. The text can have
various types of fonts and sizes to suit the profession presentation of the
multimedia software.

● Graphics- Graphics make the multimedia application attractive. In many cases

people do not like reading large amount of textual matter on the screen.
Therefore, graphics are used more often than text to explain a concept, present
background information etc. There are two types of Graphics:
○ Bitmap images- Bitmap images are real images that can be
captured from devices such as digital cameras or scanners.
Generally bitmap images are not editable. Bitmap images
require a large amount of memory.
 ○ Vector Graphics- Vector graphics are drawn on the
computer and only require a small amount of memory. These
graphics are editable.
● Audio- A multimedia application may require the use of speech, music and
sound effects. These are called audio or sound element of
multimedia.Speech is also a perfect way for teaching. Audio are of analog
and digital types. Analog audio or sound refers to the original sound signal.
Computer stores the sound in digital form. Therefore, the sound used in
multimedia application is digital audio.
● Video- The term video refers to the moving picture, accompanied by
sound such as a picture in television. Video element of multimedia
application gives a lot of information in small duration of time. Digital video
is useful in multimedia application for showing real life objects. Video have
highest performance demand on the computer memory and on the
bandwidth if placed on the internet. Digital video files can be stored like
any other files in the computer and the quality of the video can still be
maintained. The digital video files can be transferred within a computer
network. The digital video clips can be edited easily.
● Animation- Animation is a process of making a static image look like it is
moving. An animation is just a continuous series of still images that are
displayed in a sequence. The animation can be used effectively for
attracting attention. Animation also makes a presentation light and
attractive. Animation is very popular in multimedia application

Applications of Multimedia
Following are the common areas of applications of multimedia.

● Multimedia in Business- Multimedia can be used in many applications in

a business. The multimedia technology along with communication
technology has opened the door for information of global wok groups.
 Today the team members may be working anywhere and can work for
various companies. Thus the work place will become global. The
multimedia network should support the following facilities:
○ Voice Mail
○ Electronic Mail
○ Multimedia based FAX
○ Office Needs
○ Employee Training
○ Sales and Other types of Group Presentation
○ Records Management
● Multimedia in Marketing and Advertising- By using multimedia
marketing of new products can be greatly enhanced. Multimedia boost
communication on an affordable cost opened the way for the marketing
and advertising personnel. Presentation that have flying banners, video
transitions, animations, and sound effects are some of the elements used
in composing a multimedia based advertisement to appeal to the
consumer in a way never used before and promote the sale of the
products.
● Multimedia in Entertainment- By using multimedia marketing of new
products can be greatly enhanced. Multimedia boost communication on an
affordable cost opened the way for the marketing and advertising
personnel. Presentation that have flying banners, video transitions,
animations, and sound effects are some of the elements used in
composing a multimedia based advertisement to appeal to the consumer
in a way never used before and promote the sale of the products.
● Multimedia in Education- Many computer games with focus on education
are now available. Consider an example of an educational game which
plays various rhymes for kids. The child can paint the pictures, increase
reduce size of various objects etc apart from just playing the
rhymes.Several other multimedia packages are available in the market
which provide a lot of detailed information and playing capabilities to kids.
● Multimedia in Bank- Bank is another public place where multimedia is
finding more and more application in recent times. People go to bank to
open saving/current accounts, deposit funds, withdraw money, know
various financial schemes of the bank, obtain loans etc. Every bank has a
lot of information which it wants to impart to in customers. For this purpose,
it can use multimedia in many ways. Bank also displays information about
its various schemes on a PC monitor placed in the rest area for customers.
Today on-line and internet banking have become very popular. These use
multimedia extensively. Multimedia is thus helping banks give service to
their customers and also in educating them about banks attractive finance
schemes.
● Multimedia in Hospital- Multimedia best use in hospitals is for real time
monitoring of conditions of patients in critical illness or accident. The
conditions are displayed continuously on a computer screen and can alert
the doctor/nurse on duty if any changes are observed on the screen.
Multimedia makes it possible to consult a surgeon or an expert who can
watch an ongoing surgery line on his PC monitor and give online advice at
any crucial juncture.
In hospitals multimedia can also be used to diagnose an illness with
CD-ROMs/ Cassettes/ DVDs full of multimedia based information about
various diseases and their treatment.Some hospitals extensively use
multimedia presentations in training their junior staff of doctors and nurses.
Multimedia displays are now extensively used during critical surgeries.
● Multimedia Pedagogues- Pedagogues are useful teaching aids only if
they stimulate and motivate the students. The audio-visual support to a
pedagogue can actually help in doing so. A multimedia tutor can provide
multiple numbers of challenges to the student to stimulate his interest in a
topic. The instruction provided by pedagogue have moved beyond
providing only button level control to intelligent simulations, dynamic
creation of links, composition and collaboration and system testing of the
user interactions.
 ● Communication Technology and Multimedia Services- The advancement

of high computing abilities, communication ways and relevant standards

has started the beginning of an era where you will be provided with

multimedia facilities at home. These services may include:

○ Basic Television Services

○ Interactive entertainment

○ Digital Audio

○ Video on demand

○ Home shopping

○ Financial Transactions

○ Interactive multiplayer or single player games

○ Digital multimedia libraries

○ E-Newspapers, e-magazines

Difference between Hypertext and Hypermedia :

1. Hypertext :
● Hypertext is a cross referencing tool which connects the links to other text
using hyperlinks.
● Hypertext is non-linear and multi sequential and it is different from our
normal text. By the help of hypertext one organized way is achieved to
present information.
● This makes the user to move from one part of the information to another
part of the information which is in same page or any other page.
● It makes the documentation simple by providing a way of easy accessible
to the end user.
● Example of Hypertext is that GeeksForGeeks is a computer science
portal, when we read one article it uses hypertext to link other pages and
 when we click on that hypertext it takes to us to that page so that we can
gather more information related to the topic.
2. Hypermedia :
● Hypermedia is the extension of Hypertext which includes multiple forms of
media such as text, graphics, audio or video etc rather than only text
based like hypertext.
● It provides a facility to connect the web pages to create a network with
multimedia elements with a simple click for a better multimedia experience.
● Hypermedia allows links to be integrate in multimedia elements like images
and videos and when we click on that it takes us to that page.
● Example of hypermedia is that when we use e-commerce site say flipkart
and when we click on any product it takes us to the specific product page
which belongs to that. So here the link is embedded to the image.
Difference between Hypertext and Hypermedia :

S.No HYPERTEXT HYPERMEDIA

Hypertext refers to the system Hypermedia refers to connecting

01. of managing the information hypertext with other media such as
related to the plain text. graphics, sounds, animations.

It involves graphics, image, video, audio

02. Hypertext involves only text.
etc.

It is enhanced version of hypertext here

Here only text becomes the part
03. along with text other multimedia also
of link.
becomes the part of link.
 Hypertext is the part of
Hypermedia is the superior entity which
04. hypermedia means it comes
is the advanced version of hypertext.
under hypermedia.

It allows the user to navigate It includes multimedia to improve the

05.
through text in a non linear way. multimedia experience.

It simply allows users to move

It extends the ability of hypertext and
from one document to another
06. allows user to click text or any other
with a single click on the
multimedia to move one to another page.
hypertext or goto links.

Hypertext attracts to the user to

Hypermedia attracts the user more than
move around the document as
07. the hypertext as it gives more flexibility of
well as to move from one page
movement.
of document to another.

It provides a less user

It provides a better user experience to
08. experience to the users than the
the users than the hypertext.
hypermedia.

Example is reading an article on Example is reading an article in on

geeksforgeeks and clicking on geeksforgeeks and in article side one
09. any text moving to another page android course image coming and when
showing information on that we click on that image it takes us to the
topic. course related page of android.
 Multimedia Authoring Tools

Definition
● 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.

● 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.

Features of Authoring Tools

1. Editing Features-

○ Most authoring environment and packages exhibit capabilities to create

edit and transform different kinds of media that they support.

○ For example, Macromedia Flash comes bundled with its own sound

editor. This eliminates the need for buying dedicated software to edit

sound data.

○ So authoring systems include editing tools to create, edit and convert

multimedia components such as animation and video clips.

2. Organizing Features- The process of organization, design and production

of multimedia involve navigation diagrams or storyboarding and

flowcharting. Some of the authoring tools provide a system of visual

flowcharting or overview facility to showcase your project's structure at a

 macro level. Navigation diagrams help to organize a project. Many

web-authoring programs like Dreamweaver include tools that create

helpful diagrams and links among the pages of a website.

3. 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.

4. Programming with a scripting language- Authoring software offers the

ability to write scripts for software to build features that are not

supported by the software itself. With script you can perform

computational tasks - sense user input and respond, character creation,

animation, launching other application and to control external multimedia

devices.

5. Playback Features- When you are developing multimedia project, you

will continousally assembling elements and testing to see how the

assembly looks and performs. Therefore authoring system should have

playback facility.

6. 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.

7. Supporting Video for Windows- Videos are the right media for your

project which are stored on the hard disk. Authoring software has the

ability to support more multimedia elements like video for windows.

8. 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.

9. Cross-Platform Capability- Some authoring programs are available on

several platforms and provide tools for transforming and converting files

and programs from one to the other.

10.Run-time Player for Distribution- Run time software is often included in

authoring software to explain the distribution of your final product by

packaging playback software with content. Some advanced authoring

programs provide special packaging and run-time distribution for use with

devices such as CD-ROM.

Authoring Tools Classification

TYPES OF AUTHORING TOOLS
There are 4 types of authoring tools and they are as follows:
1. Card and page based tools
2. Icon based- event driven tools
3. Time based tools
4. Object-Based tools

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.
 ● we can jump from page to page because all pages can be interrelated. In the

authoring system you can organize pages or cards in the sequences manner.

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:

● Hypercard (Mac)

● Tool book (Windows)

● PowerPoint (Windows)

● Supercard (Mac)

Advantages

Following are the advantages of card based authoring tools.

● Easy to understand.

● One screen is equal to 1card or 1page.

● Easy to use as these tools provide template.

● Short development time.

Disadvantages

Following are the disadvantages of card based authoring tools.

● Some run only on one platform.

● 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.

● First you build a structure or flowchart of events, tasks and decisions by

dragging appropriate icons from a library.

● Each icon does a specific task, for example- plays a sound, open an image etc.

The flowchart graphically displays the project's logic.

● When the structure is built you can add your content text, graphics, animation,

video movies and sounds.

● A nontechnical multimedia author can also build sophisticated applications

without scripting using icon based authoring tools. Some examples of icon

based tools are:

● Authorware Professional (Mac/Windows)

● Icon Author (Windows)

Advantages:

Following are the advantages of icon/event based authoring tools.

● Clear Structure.

● Easy editing and updating

Disadvantages:

Following are the disadvantages of icon/event based authoring tools.

● Difficult to learn.

● Expensive.
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.

● As the time advances from starting point of the project, the events begin to

occur, one after another.

● The events may include media files playback as well as transition from one

portion of the project to another.

● The speed at which these transitions occur can also be accurately controlled.

● These tools are best to use for those projects, wherein the information flow can

be directed from beginning to end much like the movies. Some example of Time

based tools are:

● Macromedia's Director

● Macromedia Flash

Advantages

Following are the advantages of time based authoring tools.

● Good for creating animation.

● Branching, user control, interactivity facilities.

Disadvantages

Following are the disadvantages of time based authoring tools.

● Expensive
 ● Large file size

● Steep learning curve to understand various features.

Object-Oriented authoring tools:

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:
○ Color receiver

○ Volume control

○ Picture control

○ 128 channels

○ 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:
○ Switched on

○ Switched off

○ Displays picture and sound from

■ A TV cable connection

■ A TV transmitter

■ A DVD

■ A VCR

■ In these systems, multimedia elements events are often treated as

objects that live in a hierarchical order of parent and child
relationships.
 ■ These objects use messages passed among them to do things
according to the properties assigned to them.
■ For example, a video object will likely have a duration property i.e
how long the video plays and a source property that is the location
of the video file. This video object will likely accept commands
from the system such as play and stop.

Some examples of the object oriented tools are:

○ mTropolis (Mac/Windows)

○ Apple Media Tool (Mac/Windows)

○ Media Forge (Windows)

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

What Does Virtual Reality Modeling Language

(VRML) Mean?
● Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is an open-standard
programming language created to design three-dimensional (3-D) and
Web-based models, textures and illusion.
● VRML is used to illustrate 3-D objects, buildings, landscapes or other
items requiring 3-D structure and is very similar to Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML). VRML also uses textual representation to define 3-D
illusion presentation methods.
● VRML is also known as Virtual Reality Markup Language.
● VRML is a popular open standard tool for developing 3-D animations,
illusions, characters and most full-scale graphical Web application
representations.
● VRML uses text to define 3-D credentials, i.e., 3-D item coordinates
and geometric values are specified and transformed into the original
illusion or image.
● VRML was an open standard that provided easy adaptability and thus
was used primarily for education and experimentation.
 ● VRML was used to design virtual Web-accessible worlds but did not
easily integrate with HTML, which led to the eventual X3D
replacement.

VRML Specifics

● A VRML file is simply a text file with a .wrl extension. VRML97 must include the line

#VRML V 2.0 UTF8 in the first line of the file.

● The first line of a VRML file tells the VRML client what version of VRML to use.

VRML nodes are case sensitive and are usually built hierarchically.

● All nodes begin with "{" and end with "}." and most can contain nodes inside nodes.

Special nodes, called group nodes, can cluster multiple nodes. The keyword children

followed by "["begins the list of children nodes, which ends with "]". A "Transform"

node is an example of a group node.

To create a simple box in VRML

Shape {

Geometry Box{} }

A quick VRML history

● VRML can be traced back almost four years now to the middle of 1994. A web
conference in Europe raised the first issues of a 3D web standard. Tim
Berners-Lee coined the term VRML as an acronym to parallel HTML. At the end of
the conference a www-vrml mailing list was created to collect ideas and
information on the topic
● VRML 1.0 was created some months after the mailing list was started. This was
very fast considering that the specification was put together over e-mail
communication. The Inventor graphical file format from Silicon Graphics was
 chosen to facilitate implementation over many platforms.(Gavin Bell) The only
problem was that the animation capabilities of the Inventory file format were not
included, so VRML worlds were still.
● VRML 1.1 added little animation and audio to the VRML 1 specification in late
1995, but this was not enough. Upon the completion of VRML 1.1, work on VRML
2 started and was completed with some major overhauls in 1997.

HTML VRML

It is a markup language. It is a modeling language.

It creates 2D documents. It creates 3D worlds.
HTML is not case-sensitive. VRML is case-sensitive.
All HTML versions are backward compatible No backward compatibility among
VRML versions.
It uses markup tags. It does not use markup tags.
Files have .htm or .html extensions. Files have .wrl extension.