AUTHORING TOOLS

INTRODUCTION OF AUTHORING TOOLS

DEFINITION OF AUTHORING TOOLS

In multimedia, authoring tools is a program that helps the author (user/programmer) write hypertext or
multimedia application. It is also known as Author ware. Authoring tools usually enable a user to
create a final application merely linking together. Objects such as paragraph of text, illustration (or)
song can be embedded in a web page with the help of authoring tools. Multimedia authoring tools
provide the frame work for organizing and editing the elements of multimedia projects. Authoring tools
are used f or designing interactivity and the user interface, for presenting the project on screen, and for
assembling diverse multimedia elements into a single cohesive product.

Authoring software provides an integrated element for combining the content and the functions of the
project. It enables the developer to combine text, graphics, audio, video and animation into an
interactive presentation. Authoring system includes editing tools to create, edit and convert multimedia
elements such as animation and video clips. The process for multimedia involves story boarding and
flow chart development. Visual flow chart (or) over viewing facility illustrates project structure at a
macro level. In macro media flash, flash is used for delivering rich multimedia content to the web. It
allows the creation simple; static HTML pages with the flash player Plug-in.

FOUR MAIN PERSPECTIVES IN AUTHORING TOOLS

Four main perspectives in multimedia authoring tools:

Tool (any software package that could authors multimedia product)

Product (the result of combining all multimedia components)

Developer (designers, programmers, and multimedia authors)

End user (customer or viewer)

TYPE OF AUTHORING TOOLS

Each multimedia project undertakes will have its own underlying structure and purpose and will require
different features and functions.
There are three types of authoring tools, which are divided by the style in which the multimedia
presentation is created:

1) Card- or page-based tools

Card-based or page-based tools are authoring systems, wherein the elements are organized as
pages of a book or a stack of cards. These tools provide a simple and easily understood metaphor for
organizing multimedia elements. It contains media objects such as button, text fields and graphic
objects. These tools are best used when the bulk of the content consists of elements that can be
viewed individually, like the pages of a book or cards in a card file. The authoring system lets the
user link these pages or cards into organized sequences. The user can jump, on command, to any
page you wish in the structured navigation pattern. It allows the user to play sound elements and
launch animations and digital video. Card-based and page-based systems typically provide two
separate layers on each card; a background layer that can be shared among many cards, and a
foreground layer that is specific to a single card.

Advantages:

Easy to understand the metaphor

1 screen = 1 card = 1 page

Easy to use – provide template and short development time

Disadvantages:

Some run only one platform

Tools not powerful as equiv. standalone

Software example: Hypercard – linked card

ToolBook – each page is a screen
 2) Icon-based and object-based tools

Icon-based and object-based authoring tools are multimedia elements and interactions cues (events) are
organized as object ts in a structural framework or process. Icon- or object-based, event-driven tools
simplify the organization of user’s project and typically display flow diagrams of activities along
branching paths. In complicate structures, this charting is particularly useful during development. Icon-
based, event-driven tools provide a visual programming approach to organizing and presenting
multimedia. Flowchart can be built by dragging appropriate icons from a library, and then adding the
content. With icon-based authoring tools, non-technical multimedia authors can build sophisticated
application without scripting. In Authorware from Adobe, by placing icon on a flow line, you can quickly
sequence activities, including decisions and user interactions.

Advantages:

Clear structure

Easy editing and updating

Disadvantages:

Difficult to learn

Expensive

Software example: Authorware

 3) Time-based tools

In these authoring systems, elements and events are organized along a timeline, with resolutions as
high or higher than 1/30 second. Time based tools are best suited when for a message with a
beginning and an end. Sequentially organized graphic frames are played back at a speed that the
user can set. Time Based Authoring Programs use a movie metaphor. Like a movie on videotape, the
user start the multimedia title and it plays until some action causes it to pause or stop. Other
elements are triggered back at a given time or location in the sequence of events. The more
powerful time based tools let the user program jumps to any location in a sequence, thereby adding
navigation and interactive control. Some time-based tools facilitate navigation and interaction
control.

Advantages:

Good for creating animation

Branching user control, activity

Disadvantages:

Expensive

Steep learning curve for advanced features

Music and sound files embedded in Flash movies increases the file size and increases the download
time.

Very expensive

Software: Adobe’s Director

Adobe Flash
FEATURES OF AUTHORING TOOLS
The user or programmer must be prepared to choose the tool that best fits to get the job done.
Authoring tools are constantly improved by their makers by adding new features and increase
performance with upgrade development cycles of six month to a year. Thus, it is important for the user
or programmer to study the product reviews before deciding in the best one that fit their needs.

There are nine basic features of multimedia authoring tools include:

1) Editing features

The element of multimedia such as images, animation, text, digital audio and MIDI music and
video clips – need to be created, edited and converted to standard file formats, using the
specialized application that provide these capabilities. Editing tools for these elements,
particularly text and still images are often included in your authoring system.

2) Organizing features

The organization, design and production process for multimedia involves storyboarding and
flowcharting. Some authoring tools provide a visual flowcharting system or overview facility for
illustrating your project’s structure at a macro level. Storyboards or navigation diagrams too can
help organize a project. Because designing the interactivity and navigation flow of you project
often requires a great deal of planning and programming effort, your story board should
describe not just graphics of each screen but the interactive elements as well. Features that help
organize your material, such as those provided by Super Edit, Authorware, IconAuthor and other
authoring systems, are a plus.

3) Programming features

Multimedia authoring tools offer one or more of the following approaches include:

Visual programming with cues, icons and objects

Visual programming with icons or objects is the simplest and easiest authoring process. If the
user want to play sound or put the picture in the project, it can be by drag the element’s icon
into playlist or drag it away to delete it.

Programming with a scripting language

Authoring tools that offer a very high level language (VHLL) or interpreted scripting environment for
navigation control and for enabling user inputs or goal-oriented programming language – such as
Macromedia Director, Macromedia Flash, HyperCard, MetaCard and ToolBook are more powerful. Once
the user learn a scripting language, they able to learn other scripting language relatively quickly as the
principle are the same, regardless of the command syntax and keywords used. The more commands
and functions provided in the scripting language, the more powerful the authoring system.

Programming with traditional language, such as Basic or C

As with traditional programming tools, look for an authoring package with good debugging facilities,
robust text editing and online syntax reference. Other scripting augmentation facilities are advantages
as well. In complex project, the user may need to program custom extensions of the scripting language
for direct access to the computer’s operating system.

Document development tools

A powerful document reference and delivery system is a key component of some projects. Some
authoring tools offer direct importing of preformatted text, including facilities, complex text search
mechanisms and hyper linkage tools. These authoring systems are useful for development of CD-ROM
information products online documentation products, online documentation and help systems and
sophisticated multimedia enhanced publications.

With scrip, the user can perform computational tasks; sense and respond to user input; create
character, icon and motion animation; launch other application; and control external multimedia
devices.

4) Interactivity features

Interactivity empowers the end users of the project by letting them control the content and flow of
information. Authoring tools should provide one or more levels of interactivity:
 Simple branching, which offers the ability to go to another section of the multimedia production (via
an activity such as a keypress, mouse click, or expiration of a timer)

Conditional branching, which supports a go-to based on the result of IF-THEN decision or events.

A structured language that supports complex programming logic, such as nested IF-THENs,
subroutines, event tracking and message passing among objects and elements

5) Performance Tuning features

Complex multimedia projects require extra synchronization of events. Accomplishing

synchronization is difficult because performance varies widely among the different computers used for
multimedia development and delivery. Some authoring tools allow you to lock a production’s playback
speed to specified computer platform, but other provides no ability what so ever to control
performance on various systems.

6) Delivery features

Delivering the project may require building a run-time version of the project using the multimedia
authoring software. A run-time or standalone allows the project to play back without requiring the full
authoring software and all its tools and editors. Often, the run-time version does not allow users to
access or change the content, structure, and programming of the project. If the user want to distribute
the project widely, they should distribute it in the run-time version and ensure the authored project can
be easily distributed.

7) Playback features

When the user developing multimedia project, they will continually assembling elements and testing
to see how the assembly looks and performs. The authoring system should let the user build a
segment or part of the project and then quickly test it as if the user were actually using it.

8) Cross-Platform features

It is also increasingly important to use tools that make transfer across platforms easy. For many
developers, the Macintosh remains the multimedia authoring platform of choice, but 80% of that
developer’s target market may be Windows platforms. If the user develops on a Macintosh, they
need to look for tools that provide a compatible authoring system for Windows or offer a run-time
player for the other platform.
 9) 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.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, authoring tools are specialized software packages that are used to create interactive
products with graphical user interfaces. They are designed to simplify the task of creating the interface,
and although this limits the type of products one can create with them, they are perfect for creating
interactive multimedia. Multimedia authoring tools basic function are to create and edit a product and
used as presentation scheme for delivering product. Although the development metaphors adopted by
different authoring tools vary widely, the task accomplished by each is essentially the same: provide a
simple way to construct an interactive interface and programming tools to give the interface more
complex tasks.