Multimedia System

Chapter 1 : Introduction

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Dagnachew M.
The term “multimedia”

Derived from the word “Multi” and “Media”

Multi = Plural, more than 1, many
Media = Medium of communication(Transmission channel)
Example: painting is a medium for conveying what
we observe
Medium of multimedia - mobile device, portable
storage device and web.
Multimedia is the development, integration , and
delivery of any combination of text, graphic, sound,
animation, and video through electronic or digital
processing device.

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Multimedia is Multidisciplinary

Graphics, HCI, visualization, computer vision, data

compression, graph theory, networking, database
systems --- all have important contributions to make in
multimedia at the present time.

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 Multimedia elements and Classification of media types

Time/Space
nature

Continuous(Dynamic
) Sound Video Animation
or time-based media

Discrete(static) Photo Text Graphics

or space-based
media
Origin
4 Captured media Synthesized media
from real world by computer
 TEXT

Text is the basic element of multimedia. It involves the use of text

types, sizes, colours and background colour.
In a multimedia application, other media or screen can be linked
through the use of text. This is what you call Hypertext.
To produce an effective multimedia program there are three
things that need to be considered. They are:
The position of the text on the screen.
Length of the message
And legibility of the text.

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 GRAPHIC
Graphics make the multimedia application attractive. They help to
illustrate ideas through still pictures.
There are two types of graphics used: bitmaps (paint graphics) and
vector (draw graphics).
Bitmaps images are real images that can be captured from devices
such as cameras or scanners.
Vector graphics are drawn on the computer and only require a
small amount of memory.

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 AUDIO
A multimedia application may require the use of speech, music
and sound effects. These are called audio or the sound element.
There are two basic types of audio or sound: analog and digital
audio.
Analog audio refers to the original sound signal. Digital audio
refers to the digital sampling of the actual sound. The sound used
in multimedia is digital audio.

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 VIDEO

Video provides a powerful impact in a multimedia program. In

multimedia applications, the digital video is gaining popularity
because of the following reasons:

 video clips can be edited easily

 the digital video files can be stored like any other files in the
computer and
the quality of the video can still be maintained
 the video files can be transferred within a computer network it
allows non-
linear editing in any part of the video

However, these digital video files are large in size. Transferring these
files can take a long time especially when using the Internet.

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 ANIMATION

Animation is a process of making a static image look like it is

moving. In multimedia, digital animation is used. Digital animation
can be categorized into two broad area: 2D (2 Dimension) and 3D
(3 Dimension) animations.

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 Importance of Multimedia
There are a number of fields where multimedia could be of
use. Examples are:-
Business
Sales / Marketing presentation , Trade show production,
Staff training application, Company Kiosk
Education
Courseware / Simulations, E-Learning / Distance Learning,
Information Searching
Entertainment
Games (Leisure / Educational), Movies
 Home
Television, Satellite TV,
SMS services (chats, voting, reality TV)
Public Places
Information Kiosk, Smart Cards, Security

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Application area of Multimedia
 Multimedia involves multiple modalities of text, audio, images, drawings, animation,
and video.
Examples of how these modalities are put to use:
Digital video editing and production systems.
Electronic newspapers/magazines.
World Wide Web.
On-line reference works: e.g. encyclopedias, games, etc.
Home shopping.
Interactive TV.
Multimedia courseware.
Video conferencing.
Video-on-demand.
Interactive movies.
Games
Virtual reality
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 History of Multimedia
Newspaper: perhaps the first mass communication medium, uses text,
graphics, and images.
Motion pictures: conceived of in 1830's in order to observe motion too
rapid for perception by the human eye.
Wireless radio transmission: Guglielmo Marconi, at Pontecchio, Italy,
in 1895.
Television: the new medium for the 20th century, established video as a
commonly available medium and has since changed the world of mass
communications.
The connection between computers and ideas about multimedia
covers what is actually only a short period:
o 1945 - Vannevar Bush wrote a landmark article describing what amounts to
a hypermedia system called Memex.
o 1960 - Ted Nelson coined the term hypertext and hypermedia.
o 1989: Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web
12 o 2000 - WWW size was estimated at over 1 billion pages.
 Types of Multimedia
1) Linear multimedia
 Non-Interactive multimedia
2) Non-Linear multimedia:
 Interactive multimedia, Hyperactive multimedia(Hypermedia)
Linear
 A Multimedia Project is identified as Linear when:
It is not interactive
User have no control over the content that is being showed to them.
the users just sit and watch as if it is a movie and television.
Your only control is to press the “play” and the “stop” buttons.
 Example: movie, A non-interactive lecture / demo show
Non-Linear
A Multimedia Project is identified as Non-Linear when:
It is interactive
when the end-user is allowed to control what and when the elements are
delivered.
Users are given navigational control
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Example:Games,Courseware,Interactive CD
 Hypermedia and Multimedia
hypertext system: meant to be read nonlinearly, by following links
that point to other parts of the document, or to other documents
HyperMedia: not constrained to be text-based, can include other
media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially the continuous media -
sound and video.
o The World Wide Web (WWW) - the best example of a hypermedia
application.
This contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may include
non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia.
Multimedia is the combination of text, audio, graphics, images,
video, and animation that is delivered to people by computers or
others electronic or digitally manipulated means.
Multimedia system: the generation, manipulation, storage,
presentation, and communication of multimedia information.
(Capture(input) , storage, communications network, computer
system and display devices).
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 Hyper Text, Hypermedia
 A hypertext system: meant to be read nonlinearly, by following
links that point to other parts of the document, or to other
documents

 HyperMedia: not constrained to be text-based, can include other

media, e.g., graphics, images, and especially the continuous media
| sound and video.
 World Wide Web (WWW) --- the best example

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 World Wide Web
The W3C has listed the following goals for the W W W:
Universal access of web resources (by everyone every-where).
Effectiveness of navigating available information.
Responsible use of posted material.

W W W and Multimedia computing

Solved cross-platform compatibility problem
Supported distribution of media beyond the capacity of CD-
ROM storage.
Allowed instant distribution and inexpensive media creation

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 Digital Multimedia characteristics
A Multimedia System is characterized by the processing,
storage, generation, manipulation and rendition of Multimedia
information.
A Multimedia system has four basic characteristics
Multimedia systems must be computer controlled.
 User is able to view, hear, & see
Multimedia systems are integrated.
 At least one discrete and one continuous media combined
The information they handle must be represented digitally.
 Consists of various form of media; Created, stored, processed, & transmitted
digitally
The interface to the final presentation of media is usually
interactive.
 User is able to navigate, interact, create and communicate

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 Overview of Multimedia Software Tools

 software tools available for carrying out tasks in multimedia

are:
Digital Audio
Eg. Adobe Audition
Graphics and Image Editing
Eg. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Video Editing
Eg. Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro
Animation
Eg. Maya, RenderMan

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 Multimedia System

Chapter 2 : Multimedia Authoring and Tools

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 Multimedia Authoring and Tools

 Multimedia authoring: creation

of multimedia
productions, sometimes called "movies" or
"presentations".
Multimedia production requires creative, technical,
organizing, and business ability.
 Use to merge multimedia elements (text, audio, graphic,
animation, video) into a project.
 that provide the capability for creating a complete multimedia
presentation, including interactive user control, are called
authoring programs
 Multimedia developers produce multimedia titles using authoring
tools. Multimedia projects, when published, are multimedia
titles.
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Some Useful Editing and Authoring Tools
 Some popular authoring tools include the following:
o Macromedia authorware
o Macromedia Director
o Macromedia Flash
o Microsoft Power Point
o Adobe Premiere
Macromedia Flash: allows users to create interactive movies by
using the score metaphor, i.e., a timeline arranged in parallel event
sequences.
Macromedia Director: uses a movie metaphor to create interactive
presentations. It is very powerful and includes a built in scripting
language, Lingo, that allows creation of complex interactive
movies.
Authorware: a mature, well-supported authoring product based on

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the Iconic/Flow-control metaphor.
 Multimedia Authoring Paradigms
 The authoring paradigm, or authoring metaphor, is the
methodology by which the authoring system accomplishes its task.
 is a set of user interface visuals, actions and procedures that exploit
specific knowledge that users already have of other domains. The
purpose of the interface metaphor is to give the user instantaneous
knowledge about how to interact with the user interface.
 There are various paradigms, including:
1-Scripting Language Metaphor: use a special language to enable
interactivity(button, mouse, etc), and to allow conditionals, jumps,
loops, functions etc. Eg. OpenScript in Toolbook
2-Slide Show Metaphor: A linear presentation by default, although
tools exist to perform jumps in slide shows.eg. Microsoft Power Point
3-Hierarchical Metaphor: User‐controllable elements are organized
into a tree structure. Often used in menu-driven applications

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4-Iconic/Flow‐control Metaphor: Graphical icons are
available in a toolbox, and authoring proceeds by
creating a flow chart with icons attached (Fig. ): Eg.
Authorware by Macromedia

5 - Frames Metaphor: Like Iconic/Flow‐control

Metaphor but uses C language as the programming
language; however links between icons are more
conceptual, rather than representing the actual flow of
the program

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6- Page/Card/Scripting Metaphor: Uses a simple index‐card
structure —easy route to producing applications that use hypertext
or hypermedia; used in schools. Eg. SuperCard, HyperCard by
Apple

7 – Time/Cast/Score/Scripting Metaphor : with cast members , music scores, and

scripting language; many synchronous horizontal “tracks” simultaneously shown in
vertical columns. Eg. Director by Macromedia(Uses Lingo = scripting language)

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