Multimedia, Web Authoring and More

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Multimedia, Web Authoring and More

• Lecture 11

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Overview

• Software applications formerly exclusive to
  mainframe computers, are now available for
  microcomputers.
• A whole new generation of specialized
  applications now makes it possible to perform
  advanced tasks at home previously used only in
  professional environments.

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Overview

• Advanced applications
• Graphics
• Audio and video
• Multimedia
• Web authoring
• Artificial intelligence
• Virtual reality
• Knowledge-based (expert) systems
• Robotics

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Specialized applications

• These programs are widely used in nearly every
  profession.
• For end users it is important to be aware of
  these specialized applications and to understand
  how they are used.

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GRAPHICS

• Desktop publishing,
• image editors,
• illustration programs

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Desktop Publishing

• Mixing text and graphics to create publications
  of professional quality (brochures, newsletters,
  newspapers, textbooks)
• Focus on page design and layout
• Popular programs
• Adobe PageMaker
• Corel Ventura
• QuarkXPress

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Desktop Publishing

• Software package that integrates text, graphics,
  and images created by other softwares. It allows
  users precise control over page layout as well as
  a wide selection of different fonts and design
  elements.
• Current word processing packages offer many DTP
  functions

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Layout design (structure)
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Add Text
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Imported text without any formatting
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Font Choices
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Be consistent. Make sure it is easy to read.
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Enhancing Text
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Adapting Graphics
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Wrong shape
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It looks distorted
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The right shape
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Reversing - looks better
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The Finished Product
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Page produced by Desktop Publishing Software
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Image Editors

• Create and modify bitmaps
• Correct or change colors
• Add special effects
• Popular programs
• Adobe PhotoShop
• Corel Photo
• Macromedia xRes
• Adobe Photoshop Elements for home users

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Adobe PhotoShop
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Bitmap images (raster images)

• Use thousands of dots or pixels to represent
  images.
• Each dot has a specific
• Location
• Color
• Shade
• File names that end with .bmp, .jpg, .gif and
  .tif are bitmap files.

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Bitmap images

• Bmp files are widely used to capture photographic
  and other realistic images with no compression in
  MS Windows environment.
• Tiff files are used for printed documents.
  Similar to bmp in structure, but
  platform-independent and can be compressed
  without data loss.
• Jpeg and gif files are widely used for Web page
  images. Both of them have compression with data
  loss. Be careful SIZE lt-gt QUALITY
• Jpeg photographic, realistic images
• Gif drawings

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Bitmap images

• The resolution of the image (expressed in dots
  per inch, or dpi) is the same as the display.
• The images are resolution-dependent re-sizing
  them produces a 'jaggy' effect

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Bitmap images

• Original size
• Double size
• Four times
• enlargement

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Bitmap images

• Any geometric shapes are converted into (and
  saved as) a collection of pixels.
• Image files store the value of the various
  pixels they can become very large files
• More 'advanced' bitmapped programs images are
  treated as digital photographs
• This can include filtering, colour manipulation,
  and special effects

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Special effects...
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Illustration Programs

• Vector is another common type of graphic file.
• They use geometric shapes or objects to represent
  images (lines and curves)
• These objects can be defined by mathematical
  equations, can be rapidly and easily resized,
  colored, textured, etc.

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Illustration Programs

• File names that end with .ai, .cdr, .drw, .dxf
  are vector files.
• Vector files are NOT good for capturing
  photo-realistic images.
• But one can expand or resize them WITHOUT jagged
  edges.

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Illustration Programs

• Used by artists (creating line art), animators
  (creating animated feature films), engineers
  (creating 3-D models).
• Create virtual world (see later on)
• Popular programs
• Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Macromedia
  FreeHand, Micrografx Designer

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Image Galleries

• These are libraries of electronic images.
• Two basic types
• Stock photographs (from professional models to
  landscapes)
• Clip art (graphic illustrations)
• Numerous Web image galleries
• http//www.freestockphotos.com/

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Graphics Suites

• Bundling of separate but complementary graphics
  programs
• Cost savings
• Popular suites like
• CorelDraw (5 individual programs large library
  of clip art, media clips, fonts)

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Audio and Video

• Video editing software reorganize, add effects
  (captions, sound, narration), etc to your own
  movies.
• Apples iMovie Windows Movie Maker
• Audio editing software create and edit audio
  clips add audio effects.
• SonicFoundrys ACID Music, Syntrillium Softwares
  Cool Edit

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Multimedia

• Integration of a variety of media (video, music,
  voice, graphics and text) into one presentation
  (such as video games)
• User participation, or interactivity, is an
  essential and unique capability
• Branching out from an entertainment vehicle into
  business, education and the home

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Multimedia

• Multimedia integrates all kinds of information.
• Pages are linked by buttons.
• Story boards show logic, flow and structure.
• Authoring programs create presentations.

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Multimedia

• Links and buttons - presentation usually a series
  of linked pages
• Buttons - for navigating from one page to another

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Storyboards

• Used in project preplanning
• Record logic, flow and structure
• Specify content, style, design and links

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Storyboards
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Multimedia Authoring Programs

• Macromedia Director
• Authorware
• Toolbook

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A Multimedia Presentation
Multimedia presentation
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Web Authoring

• Creating Web sites is called Web authoring.
• Graphical maps present overall site design.
• Web authoring programs support design and HTML
  coding.
• A Web site is an interactive multimedia form of
  communication.

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Web Site Design

• Determining overall content to be communicated
• Overall theme broken into component parts
• Site design often graphically depicted, with
  lines indicating links
• Incorporating various multimedia elements

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HTML Code
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Common Web Page Editors

• Microsoft FrontPage
• Adobe PageMill
• Corel WebSite Builder

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Microsoft FrontPage
Web page
Graphical site map
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Virtual Reality

• The simulation of alternate physical realities
  and experiences
• Special interactive sensory equipment (such as
  headgear and gloves)
• Specially written software

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Virtual Reality

• Virtual reality creates simulated environments.
• VRML is a programming language to produce virtual
  reality applications.
• Virtual reality authoring programs are used to
  create applications.

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Virtual Reality

• VRML
• Virtual reality programming language
• Used to create 3-D animated scenes
• Viewed with VRML capable browsers
• Virtual Reality Authoring Programs
• Have migrated from high-cost versions on
  workstations to affordable PC - based packages
• Popular editions - Cosmo Worlds, Platinum
  VRCreator and V-Realm Builder

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Virtual Reality

• Applications
• Numerous and will grow exponentially over time
• Viewing molecular structure
• Flight simulators
• Surgical training
• Spaceship repair
• Nuclear disaster cleanup

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Artificial Intelligence

• Artificial intelligence attempts to simulate
  human thought processes and actions.
• Two areas are robotics and knowledge-based
  (expert) systems.

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Artificial Intelligence

• Computers traditional strength is in structured
  problem solving, humans, unstructured
• Attempts to mimic human thought processes and
  actions
• Reasoning
• Learning from past actions
• Simulation of vision and touch

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Knowledge-Based (Expert) Systems

• Capture the knowledge of a human expert
• Provide advice to decision makers
• Systems use knowledge bases, which combine facts,
  rules and user input
• Respond to user interaction
• Fuzzy logic allows users to respond in more
  natural, human like ways

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Knowledge-Based (Expert) Systems

• Some areas of use
• Medicine
• Geology
• Chemistry
• Military science
• Photography

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Knowledge-Based (Expert) Systems

• Some examples
• Oil Spill Advisor
• Bird Species Identification
• Midwives Assistant
• Grain Marketing Advisor

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Knowledge-Based System
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Robotics

• Robots
• Computer controlled machines mimicking human
  motor activity
• Reprogrammable for numerous tasks
• Often used for dangerous, repetitive tasks

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3 types of Robots

• Industrial - assembly line factory work, e.g.
  painting, polishing, cutting, welding
• Perception systems - use video cameras or
  pressure sensors to inspect, sort or place parts
• Mobile robots - transport supplies, equipment and
  mail

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Sonys AIBO robotic dog

• Social can respond to your voice
• Autonomous behavior is based on its own
  decisions, moods and memory
• Smart can learn from you and develop a unique
  personality
• Emotional expressing its feelings through
  lifelike body language
• Communicative using wireless technology, you can
  connect it to your PC, handheld, etc
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