Authorware System :Components

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Authorware SystemComponents Windows
Dr. Man-Gon Park Division of IT Comm. Colombo
Plan Staff College
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. INTERFACE COMPONENTS
3. WINDOW TYPES
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1. INTRODUCTION
Would you.?
? Macromedias Authorware is a software
development tool for creating interactive
multimedia applications. ? It is primarily
designed to facilitate the creation of
computer-based training programs. ? Combining
an icon-based approach to programming, a highly
integrated interface, and a powerful scripting
language..
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2. INTERFACE COMPONENTS
? The Authorware interface follows many of the
standard Microsoft Windows conventions and
functionality. The Windows Control Bar, Menu Bar
and Tool Bar are all examples of this. 2.1 The
Windows Control Bar ? The Windows Control Bar
features standard Windows functionality. To view
the Control Bar, click on the Authorware 4.0
icon that appears next to the word Authorware.
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2.2 The menu Bar ? The Menu Bar offers a series
of drop-down menus filled with the features that
give the multimedia developer control and
Authorware its poser and flexibility. Many of
these menus have standard functionality.
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2.3 The Toolbar ? The Toolbar features
shortcut buttons that make doing common tasks in
Authorware easier and faster. ? You should
recognize the icons for opening files, copy,
paste, cut and the text editing icons, including
bolding, italicizing, and underlining. The icons
that are new include the Control Panel, the run
icon, functions, and variables.
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New Creates a new Authoware file. In
Windows, the extention will be .a4w.

Open Opens an existing file.
Save All Saves all open files-the Authoware
piece plus libraries.
Import Import text and graphics, sound, movies
directly into display or interaction icons.
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Undo Removes the effects of the last operation
or command.
Cut Removes the selected object and places it on
the Clipboard.
Copy Makes a copy of the selected object on
the Clipboard.
Paste Pastes the object stored on the
Clipboard at the insertion point.
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Find Displays the Find/Replace dialog box.
Styles boxes Changes the font characteristics to
predetermined settings
called styles.
Bold/Italic/Underline Changes the selected texts
to the
bold/italic/underlines styles.
Restart Run the piece from the
beginning of the flowline.
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Control Panel Displays the Authoware Control
Panel. Functions Displays the Functions dialog
box so you can choose a built-in
function. Variables Displays the Variables
dialog box. Help Activates Authoware help
facility.
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2.4 Increasing the Viewing Area ? Sometimes
every pixel of the viewing window is needed while
authoring. You can remove the toolbar from the
interface by deselecting Toolbar from the View
menu (CtrlShiftT). This option toggles the
Toolbar on and off.
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3. WINDOW TYPES
? There are two types of windows (1)
Design Windows, which contain flowlines, and
(2) Presentation windows, where images can be
imported, objects can be drawn and text can be
entered. ? Using the toolbar, a collection of
text and draw tools, you can easily modify the
Presentation window contents. Ancillary windows,
called palettes, may also be opened. For example,
along the left side of the screen will be the
icon palette. Other palettes can be optionally
displayed.
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3.1 The Design Window ? The design window is
where the programming is done. The flowline is
within the Design window, but well usually refer
to them both as the flowlines.
The paste hand indicates the insertion point for
the next new icons
ltThe Authorware Design Window with Some Icons on
the Flowlinegt
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3.2 The Flowline ? The flowline in Authorware
provides an area in which to arrange icons to
create a project, or piece. ? The physical
length of the flowline is bounded by the size for
its design window It never is displayed with
scroll bars. ? To add to a flowline that is at
its maximum length, group icons into map icons.
These combine one or more icons into an aggregate
called a map. ? The icons are executed
sequentially beginning with the first icon and
ending with the last. Linearity can be altered if
Authorware encounters an interaction, decision,
or framework icon. Pieces that run without
interactivity are called linear pieces.
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3.3 The Tool Palette ? The Authorware Tool
Palette provides all the building blocks for
creating projects. They control what the user
sees and hears. They determine how they interact
with a project and how they are managed while
interacting with the application. ? Each icon
represents a different type of content. For
example, a display icon is used to present text
and graphics, while a movie icon can show these
Windows digital movie types QuickTime for
Windows (MOV), Microsoft Audio Video Interleaved
(AVI) files, Director movies (DIR, DXR), Autodesk
FLC, FLI and CEL animation files, BMP movies, and
MPEG movies.
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Display Nevigate
Calculation Video
Motion Framework Map
Start flag Erase
Decision Movie Stop
flag Wait
Interaction Sound Colors

lt The Authorware Tool Palettegt
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