Page 165 - DCAP104_EXPOSURE_TO_COMPUTER_DISCPLINES

Exposure to Computer Disciplines

Notes What is Authoring?
It is the whole process of developing a multimedia package. It usually describes the integration
of all the multimedia data into a single coherent entity, i.e. the package itself.
All the components of the package must work in tandem with each other and have a sort of flow
and synchronism.

The methods adopted for authoring purposes can be grouped as:
1. FRAME or Multimedia PAGE based

2. ICON type

Success Story of Apple Computer’s QuickTime
Software:

ne of Apple Computer’s most brilliant innovations is the continuing development
of QuickTime. QuickTime began as a set of system extensions to Macintosh System
O7 to allow users to play digitized video in a small window on the screen. Today
QuickTime is a comprehensive multimedia tool for storing video, animations, and sound in
a variety of formats. It is also a cross-platform tool, meaning that QuickTime movies can be
viewed and heard using computers running Mac OS, Windows, or even UNIX.
MoviePlayer can be used to convert audio from compact discs into QuickTime movies that
can be used in multimedia presentations. MoviePlayer can be used to add sound and text
tracks to digital video. Using a video recorder, Apple’s free Video Player software, and a Mac
equipped with video input, you could record a movie demonstrating instrumental techniques
and then use MoviePlayer to add a voiceover narrative. You could also add a descriptive
voice narrative to a QuickTime MIDI movie containing a full performance of a complex work.
QuickTime comes with several software CODECs (compressor/decompressor) to reduce
file size while retaining quality. For music, the QDesign Music Compressor is excellent.
For speech, try the QualComm PureVoice Compressor is a good choice. For video, the
Sorenson compressor does an impressive job of reducing file size for the visual portion of
the video. When used in combination with the QDesign or QualComm audio compressors,
file size can be made manageable for transmission over the internet. A “Fast Start” feature
is also available to allow the movie to begin playing while still downloading to the user’s
computer. The next version of QuickTime, version 4.0 currently in Beta testing, allows for
streaming live content as well.
QuickTime movies can be loaded onto any web server and included in web pages by using
the appropriate EMBED code.
<EMBED SRC=”doodle16.mov” AUTOPLAY=FALSE WIDTH=150 HEIGHT=24>

For more detailed and advanced editing of video and audio, of course, you might purchase
professional software like Adobe Premiere and MacroMedia SoundEdit 16. Using free and
shareware software available from Apple and others, however, you can create multimedia
presentations to inspire and educate your students.
Contd...

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