3.01F Publishing Animated Videos 3.01 Develop Computer Animations

Factors that influence the delivery and distributions of computer animations

Factors that influence the delivery or distribution of computer animations: User’s connection speed or bandwidth Streaming capabilities, which involve connection speed and file size Compression Playback rate

Bandwidth The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given amount of time.

Streaming A technique for producing and transmitting audio and video files so they can start playing as soon as a PC begins receiving them, rather than waiting for the complete file to download first.

The streaming process Suppose an animation plays at 5 frames per second, so each frame plays for .2 seconds. If the first frame takes .3 seconds to download, it can’t start playing until after that time has elapsed. There is always an initial delay while the first frame is downloaded.

The streaming process (Continued) Frame 1 starts playing while Frame 2 is downloaded. If Frame 2 is not fully downloaded before Frame 1 ends, the movie pauses until Frame 2 finishes downloading. While Frame 2 is playing, Frame 3 is downloading. By the time Frame 2 finishes playing, Frame 3 has finished downloading and Frame 4 has started downloading.

Streaming rate The rate in frames per second (FPS) at which vides can be downloaded to a computer.

Playback rate The rate in frames per second at which movies play.

Bandwidth and streaming rate The bandwidth or connection speed varies depending on a computer’s network connection or modem. It is important to anticipate medium users will view the animation and the network connections they may have. The streaming rate depends on two factors: the connection speed and the content of movies.

Playback and streaming rate In animation files, be aware of the bandwidth and the size of individual frames because their effect on playback. Pauses in the playing of the movie will occur if the playback speed of the first frame exceeds the download speed of the second frame.

Analyzing videos files for potential problems The goal of analysis is to identify potential problems while downloading and playing a movie. If the entire movie will be downloaded before it is played, analysis can help determine what parts of the movie are taking the most time to download. If the movie will be delivered through a streaming connection, analysis should help reduce or control the pauses during download and playback.

Optimizing video files Optimize the file to improve the performance of the movie. The purpose of optimizing is to reduce the file size of videos, make it download faster, and run it more smoothly during playback.

Optimizing video files (Continued) Optimizing animation usually involves fine-tuning compression settings. Optimize anytime or when you publish. For example –optimize the sounds in the Library by compressing to MP3.

Methods for publishing animated videos

The Publishing Stage

Publishing videos Once videos have been analyzed and optimized to perform best in the intended medium, the next step is to publish. Four ways to publish or distribute computer animations: As part of a Web page In a standard graphic format (JPG, PNG, GIF) As an executable file, which bundles both the animation and the program to play in a single file. As a QuickTime movie.

Publishing videos (Continued) All four formats can be delivered over the Internet or on a CD-ROM. When a graphic or an executable is distributed over the Internet, the entire file must be downloaded before the animation can play. For animations distributed as part of a Web page or a QuickTime movie, you don’t have to wait for the entire file to download before you start playing it.

Delivery formats for publishing animated videos

Delivery formats GIF images JPEG PNG Plug-in QuickTime Standalone Player

GIF Graphics Interchange Format. A format for storing images without loss of quality that allows both static and animated image sequences, but is limited to 256 colors. Files in this format use the .gif extension. GIF files are popular for the use on the Web. They are used for cartoons, logos, graphics with transparent areas, and animations.

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group. An image compression method that trades off between compression and image quality. Files in this format use the .jpg extension. This format is used for photographs and other high-color images. It supports millions of colors and can be compressed. It does not support transparency.

PNG Portable Network Graphic. This format is often used for graphics on the Web. It can support up to 32-bit color as well as effects such as transparency. It is an alternative to the GIF format that also does not lose image quality, but isn’t restricted to 256 colors. It is the native file format for Macromedia’s Fireworks MX graphics program.

Plug-in A hardware or software application that adds a specific feature to a computer.

QuickTime A cross-platform multimedia format that works on both Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. QuickTime format is also referred to as MOV. It is one of the two most common formats along with Audio video interactive (AVI).

Standalone Player A separate program that can play computer animations.

Review Publishing Animated Videos Factors that influence the delivery and distribution of computer animations: Bandwidth Streaming Streaming rate Playback rate Optimizing videos

Review (Continued) Methods for publishing animated videos Web page Graphic format Executable file Quick time movie

Review (Continued) Delivery formats for publishing animated videos GIF images JPEG images PNG Plug-in QuickTime Standalone player