There are three main authoring tools: There are three main authoring tools

There are three main authoring tools:

• There are three main authoring tools:

• Card or page based tools

• Icon-based or event driven tools

• Time-based and presentation tools

Good if the project consists of elements that can be viewed individually

• Good if the project consists of elements that can be viewed individually

• Media elements grouped onto screens like pages in a book

• Pages contain buttons, text fields, graphic objects, backgrounds

• Buttons may contain scripts to perform specific functions or go to a specific page. If a user selects the wrong answer to a question, a script will direct him to a prior page for review.

• HyperCard, ToolBook

Programming done visually, without scripting

• Programming done visually, without scripting

• AuthorWare

Best used when message has a beginning, middle & end

• Best used when message has a beginning, middle & end

• Uses “movie” metaphor

• Macromedia Director (See example)

Each MM project will have its own structure and purpose thus requires different features and functions such as:

• Each MM project will have its own structure and purpose thus requires different features and functions such as:

• Editing tools
• Organizing tools
• Programming tools

Editing features

• Editing features

• MM elements are created, edited, and converted to standard format using special editors

• sound editor,
• text editor,
• image editor,
• ….

Designing the interactive & navigation flow of the MM project requires a lot of programming thus

• Designing the interactive & navigation flow of the MM project requires a lot of programming thus

• needs flowcharting & storyboarding illustrating the structure of the MM project at the macro level

MM authoring systems offer one or more of the following:

• MM authoring systems offer one or more of the following:

• Visual programming with icons & objects. This is the simplest & easiest
• Programming with a scripting language for navigation and interacting with the end user
• Programming with traditional languages for direct access to the computer’s Operating system (in windows using DLLs)
• Document development tool for providing online help using indexing, hyperlink and searching mechanisms

Interactivity feature

• Interactivity feature

• Authoring systems should provide one or more levels of interactivity:

• Simple branching offers the ability to other sections via activities such as: mouse over, mouse click, mouse leave
• Conditional branching if-then else
• Complex branching using structured programming features such as subroutines, event tracking, and message passing

Performance tuning feature. For example

• Performance tuning feature. For example

• In many cases one needs to synchronize events such as animation with sound.

• This is difficult because performance varies from platform to another.

• Authoring system must allow precise timing events and controlling presentation speed

Playback feature

• Playback feature

• Playback of the presentation or parts of it during development for testing purposes

• Delivery features

• Most of the times you need to distribute the product as a run time version that does not require the authoring system.

• This will prevent the user from altering the project content.

Macintosh machine is the most widely used authoring system, however

• Macintosh machine is the most widely used authoring system, however

• most people use Window operating systems. It is important to develop on one machine and run on another

• If Cross-Platform Is used it must support color and font….

• Internet playability

• The Web is an important delivery medium, thus it is important to be able to output to the Web using Plug-ins or embedding scripts