1. Exploring the World of Multimedia
Chapter 1
Exploring the World of Multimedia

2. What is multimedia?
Multimedia is the integration of text, still and moving images, and sound by means of computer technology.

3. Words in Multimedia
Words can be:
Written
Spoken
Sung

4. Images in Multimedia Images can be: Drawings Charts Diagrams Paintings
Photographs
Buttons
Animation or video

5. Sound in Multimedia Sound, also called audio, can be:
Voice-over or narration
Sound effects
Music

6. Video in Multimedia
Video can be:
Live
Recorded

7. Multimedia Productions
What are the types of multimedia productions?
Presentations
Tutorials
Games
Simulations
Web pages

8. What are presentations?
Presentations are sequences of slides, also called pages or screens, that usually incorporate text, sound, graphics, and animation.

9. Presentations Used by: Businesses to present information
Teachers or students in classrooms

10. What are tutorials?
Tutorials are computer-based instructions that teach skills or procedures.

11. Tutorials Can be used by: Businesses to train their employees
Schools and colleges to teach or review subject matter

12. What are simulations?
Simulations are computer-based models of real-life situations.

13. Simulations
Can be used for:
Training
Entertaining
Informing

14. Games
Can be used for:
Entertaining
Training

15. Web Pages Can be used for: Entertainment Information Training
Reference
Research

16. The Development of Multimedia
Graphics
drawing  painting  photography  digital photography
Audio
speech  music  recording sound and music  broadcasting
Movies and Television
film  video  digital video

17. Computer Technology
Computers have become smaller, cheaper, and more powerful.
Desktop computers
Laptop computers
Personal digital assistants (PDAs)

18. The Value of Multimedia in Society
Multimedia has become a valuable resource for education, business, and leisure and recreation.

19. Uses of Multimedia Education Business Leisure and Recreation
To learn in new and stimulating ways
Business
To share resources, deliver information, train employees, and advertise goods and services
Leisure and Recreation
To play video games, surf the Internet, and plan leisure time

20. The Internet and Multimedia
Chapter 2
The Internet and Multimedia

21. How the Internet Developed
The Internet developed from a research project started by the U.S. Defense Department in 1958.
Three inventions that spread the use of the Internet were:
The personal computer (early 1980s)
The World Wide Web (1989)
The browser (1991)

22. Connecting to the Internet
In order to connect to the Internet you must have:
A modem: allows your computer to send and receive signals though telephone lines
An Internet service provider (ISP): required for all home connections
Browser software: might need plug-in programs to retrieve some types of media applications

23. Navigating the Web
In order to work with multimedia on the Internet, you must understand:
The browser screen and its standard elements
URL addresses and the information they contain

24. Standard Browser Elements
Additional links
Navigation buttons
Menu bar
Web address or URL
Sidebar
Main display area
Hyperlinks

25. URL Elements

26. Searching the Web Use search engines to find the right Web page:
Create search queries that include keywords.
Use Boolean search strategies to narrow your search.
Use the right search engine to conduct faster, more efficient searches.

27. Communicating on the Internet
There are several ways to communicate on the Internet:
Sent to a specific address. Can have attachments.
File transfer protocol (FTP): Often used to transfer large files from one computer to another.
Chat rooms: “Virtual” rooms where you can exchange typed messages with others who are in the room.
Instant messaging: Allows you to communicate in real time with one person.

28. Multimedia and Society
Chapter 3
Multimedia and Society

29. Multimedia in Business
Businesses use multimedia to sell products and services to consumers all over the globe.

30. What is e-commerce?
E-commerce is business transactions conducted over the Internet. These transactions are:
Business-to-Business transactions (B2B)
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
Customer service
Advertising

31. Multimedia in the Workplace
Corporations use multimedia and the Internet for:
Employee training
Working away from the office
Teleconferences
Company networks

32. Multimedia in Our Lives
Multimedia has added a new dimension to publishing, news, and entertainment. It is used for:
Online news
Webzines
Online books
Music distribution
Interactive games
Social interaction

33. Multimedia in Education
Multimedia and the Internet have provided new ways of teaching and learning, such as:
Distance learning for virtual classrooms or online schools
Computer-based training (CBT) that allows people to learn at their own pace

34. Multimedia in Health Care
Multimedia computer technology has created exciting developments in health care. It is used for:
Telemedicine: Physicians can diagnose and monitor patients at remote locations
Medical training: Physicians, nurses, medical researchers, and technicians can get information or use simulations as part of their training
Information: Medical information is available to the public through the Internet and CD-ROMs

35. Hardware and Multimedia
Chapter 4
Hardware and Multimedia
Hardware and Multimedia

36. Personal Computers (PCs)
PCs are computers that can be:
Used by individuals at home, work, or school
Desktop models or portable laptop models
Connected to a server in a network
Title: Personal Computers (PCs)
PCs are computers that can be:
Used by individuals at home, work, or school
Desktop models or portable laptop models
Connected to a server in a network

37. What are operating systems?
Operating systems enable computers to run software and perform basic tasks.
Title: PC Operating Systems
One of the principal differences among computers is the operating system.
Operating systems enable computers to run software and perform basic tasks.
Most personal computers use Windows or Macintosh (MacOS) operating systems.
Windows and MacOS operating systems are not compatible.

38. PC Operating Systems
One of the principal differences among computers is the operating system.
Most personal computers use Windows or Macintosh (Mac OS) operating systems.
Windows and Mac OS operating systems are not compatible.

39. What is input?
Input is any information put into a computer.

40. Input Devices Common input devices are: Keyboards and keypads
Mice, trackballs, and touchpads
Microphones, digital recorders, synthesizers, and musical keyboards
Digital still cameras, digital camcorders, and Webcams
Graphics tablets and scanners
Game controllers

41. Output Devices
Output is any information that a computer produces. Common output devices are:
CRT or LCD monitors
Touch screens, plasma displays, LED displays, and projectors
Ink-jet or laser printers
Speakers

42. Storage Devices Hard drives, which are built in the computer
Digital storage devices allow you to save your work. Common storage devices are:
Hard drives, which are built in the computer
Removable storage disks
CDs
DVDs
floppy disks
Zip disks
memory cards

43. Processing Components
Processing includes all the calculations and other operations a computer performs. It depends on:
Microprocessors, or chips
A central processing unit (CPU)
Random-access memory (RAM)

44. Computer Networks
In order to exchange files and share resources, computers:
Require special input and output devices
Must be part of a network, such as:
The Internet
Local area networks (LANs)
Wide area networks (WANs)

45. Connecting to Networks
Computers can be linked to the Internet or a network through:
A dial-up or broadband connection using a modem
A network interface card (NIC)
A router

46. Chapter 5
Operating Systems

47. The Operating System
When working with multimedia, the operating system is perhaps the most important, the most complex, and the least visible software that your computer uses.

48. The Four Layers of a Computer
Your computer is a system of four interdependent layers:
Hardware
BIOS
Operating System
Application Software

49. What do the four layers do?
Hardware activates the BIOS
BIOS (basic input/output system) starts the operating system
Operating System loads drivers, networking services, and application software into the computer’s RAM
Application Software allows you to create your multimedia project

50. What are programming languages?
Programming languages provide instructions to operating systems.

51. Types of Programming Languages
Machine language: the only language a computer’s CPU can read
Assembly language: a programming language that the CPU can quickly encode to machine language
Low-level programming language: Programming languages that computers can interpret quickly but are not like human language

52. More Programming Languages
High-level programming languages:
Are programming languages that resemble human language
Need compilers to convert high-level languages to machine language
Examples: C++, Java, Visual Basic

53. Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Microsoft Windows
Created in 1985
The most used PC operating system
Runs a huge number of applications
Apple Mac OS
Derived from the first PCs to use GUI
Preferred by many designers and multimedia producers
Applications are often not compatible with Windows

54. PDA Operating Systems The most popular PDA operating systems are:
Palm OS
Windows CE
iOS for iDevices

55. Network Operating Systems
Network operating systems are designed to allow many users to share files and resources.

56. Types of Network OS Network operating systems include:
UNIX: designed to work with many kinds of computers
Linux: a version of UNIX distributed for free
Mac OS X: for networks by Apple
Windows NT: Microsoft’s network OS
Apache: Web server software distributed for free

57. Software and Multimedia
Chapter 6
Software and Multimedia

58. Programs Used in Multimedia
Developing a multimedia production requires an array of software to create, edit, and combine text, sounds, and images.

59. Elements of Multimedia
Different software is used to create the various elements of multimedia. These elements are:
Text
Graphics and animation
Sound or audio
Video

60. Programs for Managing Text
Text can be created with many programs.
Multimedia developers use word processing software to include text in their projects and to create documents about their projects.
Full-featured word processors have text formatting capabilities which set the appearance of the text.

61. Desktop Publishing Programs
Desktop publishing programs are sometimes called page layout programs.
They are better at handling the placement of graphics and processing very large documents.

62. Programs for Graphics
Graphics software is used for creating, editing, manipulating, and storing graphics.
Graphics software is also known as image management software.
It works with still and animated drawings, as well as photographs.

63. Programs for Sound or Video
Most operating systems have the capability of playing sound or video files.
Audio or sound software is used to create or edit music or sound files.
Video software is used to edit video files.

64. Creating a Multimedia Production
Different kinds of software are used to combine the elements to create a multimedia production.
***NEED NEW IMAGE FILE*** DP
Embedded sound file
Imported graphic file

65. Web Design Software
Web pages are written in a markup language such as HTML or XML.
Web design programs allow you to create Web pages without learning markup languages.
Many current word processing and desktop publishing programs let you convert their files to HTML for use in Web pages.
Web browsers are needed to view and use the Web pages on the Internet.

66. Multimedia Presentations
Presentations are sequences of slides that usually incorporate text, sound, graphics, and animation.

67. Multimedia Authoring Software
Authoring programs link graphics, text, and other objects. They are used to create:
Interactive tutorials
Simulations
Games

68. Planning and Managing Projects
There is also software for planning and managing multimedia projects.
Spreadsheet software is used to develop cost estimates, budgets, and reports.
Database software is used to control and retrieve information used in projects.
Project management software is used to coordinate the work of people and tasks to ensure that projects are completed on time.

69. Multimedia Software Suites
A software suite is a group of programs from the same company sold in a single package.

70. Utility Software for Multimedia
Multimedia developers often need software for specific tasks. These tasks might include:
Screen captures
File compression
File conversion
Virus protection
Optical character recognition (OCR)

71. Chapter 7
Text

72. Text in Multimedia Text is used in multimedia projects in many ways:
Web pages
Video
Computer-based training
Presentations

73. More Uses for Text in Multimedia
Text is also used in multimedia projects in these ways.
Games rely on text for rules, “chat,” character descriptions, dialog, background story, and many more elements.
Educational games rely on text for content, directions, feedback, and information.
Kiosks use text to display information, directions, and descriptions.

74. Formatting Text
Formatting text controls the way the text looks. You can choose:
Fonts
Text sizes and colors
Text alignment
Text spacing: line spacing or spacing between individual characters
Advanced formatting: outlining, shadow, superscript, subscript, watermarks, embossing, engraving, or animation
Text wraps

75. Font Technologies
Understanding font technologies can be important when creating multimedia projects. The most popular font technologies are:
Scalable fonts: Postscript, TrueType, and OpenType
Bitmap fonts which are not scalable but provide more control over the appearance of text.

76. Guidelines for Using Fonts
Avoid using many varying font styles in the same project.
When possible, use fonts that come with both Windows and Mac OS.
Use bitmap fonts on critical areas such as buttons, titles, or headlines.

77. More Tips for Using Fonts
Use fancy or whimsical fonts sparingly for special effects or emphasis.
Keep paragraphs and line lengths short.
Use bold, italic, and underlining options sparingly for emphasis.

78. More Guidelines for Using Fonts
Avoid using text in all uppercase letters.
Use font, style options, size, and color consistently.
Provide adequate contrast between text and background when choosing colors.
Always check spelling and grammar.

79. Formatting for Screen Display
Apply these guidelines to multimedia applications for display rather than to printed documents.
Test your presentation on monitors in several sizes.
Avoid patterned backgrounds.
Use small amounts of text on each screen display.
Text for a presentation that will be viewed by a large group of people must be visible from the back of the room.
For interactive displays, use consistent placement of hypertext links.

80. Graphics and Animation
Chapter 8
Graphics and Animation

81. Graphics in Multimedia
Graphics are an element that virtually all multimedia applications include.

82. What is a graphic? A graphic can be a: Chart Drawing Painting
Photograph
Logo
Navigation button
Diagram

83. What do graphics look like?
Graphics can be:
Black and White
Grayscale
Color
Still
Animated

84. What do graphics do? Graphics can:
Illustrate or demonstrate procedures
Clarify data
Convey ideas
Tell stories
Add visual appeal

85. Computer Graphics Technology
Images created or edited on computers are either:
Bitmapped graphics
Vector graphics

86. What are bitmapped graphics?
Bitmapped graphics, also known as raster graphics, consist of grids of tiny dots called pixels. Each pixel is assigned a color.
Can be a continuous-tone image, such as a photograph
Bitmap graphic editors are called paint programs
Enlarging a bitmap graphic may cause the image to lose crispness and clarity

87. What are vector graphics?
Vector graphics use mathematical formulas to define lines, curves, and other attributes.
Generally much smaller than raster graphic files
Vector graphic editors are called draw programs
Do not lose clarity as you enlarge them.
Appear as bitmaps on computer monitors because computer monitors consist of pixels

88. Graphics Quality
Two factors that determine graphics quality are resolution and color depth.
Resolution is the number of pixels per inch.
Color depth refers to the number of distinct colors an image can contain. It can range from 2-bit (black and white) to 24-bit (16.7 million colors).

89. Graphic File Formats
A computer can save and interpret graphic images in a variety of formats. Some of the most common are:
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
TIFF (Tagged Information File Format)
PIC (PICTure)
BMP (bitmap)
TGA (Targa)
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

90. Editing Graphics
Graphics editors have features for changing the sizes of images as well as their colors and other attributes. These include:
Dithering
Cropping
Anti-aliasing
Resizing

91. What is animation?
Animation is when images achieve the illusion of motion.

92. Animation in Multimedia
Some common uses of animation include:
An animated navigation button that changes when the cursor passes over it (rollover)
Tutorials using animated graphics for demonstration
Web site advertisements that are animated to attract attention
Computer games using animation to simulate action

93. Chapter 9
Audio

94. Audio in Multimedia
In a multimedia production, sound and music are crucial in helping to establish moods and create environments.

95. Audio on PCs
Many types of sounds are accessible with a PC. They include:
Music
Sound effects
Spoken narration
Video soundtracks
Real-time telephone conversations
Operating system alerts and prompts

96. Digital Audio Recording
Digital recording devices capture sound by sampling the sound waves.

97. Digital Audio Quality
The quality and size of digital audio depends on:
The sampling rate
The sample size
The number of channels
The time span of the recording

98. What is streaming audio?
Streaming audio plays as it reaches your PC, making it unnecessary to wait until the entire file is downloaded to the computer.

99. Audio File Formats
An audio file’s format determines what files a PC can open and play, and how much space the file occupies on a disk. File formats include:
MP3
WAV
MIDI

100. MP3 Format
MP3 is a standard format for music files sent over the Internet. MP3s:
Use one of three MPEG standards for audio compression
Can compress an audio file to about one-twelfth of the space it occupies on a CD with no significant loss of sound quality

101. WAV Format
WAV is a standard for sound files on Windows and Macintosh PCs. WAVs:
Do not compress audio as much as MP3s
Are generally used for sound effects and other small files

102. MIDI Format
MIDI is a method and format for recording music from synthesizers and other electronic instruments. MIDIs:
Are created with a computer that has a sequencer
Do not contain actual musical notes
Do not contain sound waves or use sampling
Are small and load quickly on a Web site

103. Audio Software for the PC
Most new PCs come with some software and hardware for recording and managing audio files.
Audio editing software allows you to edit audio files and convert them from one format to another.
MIDI software includes programs for recording, storing, replaying, and editing MIDI files.
Composition software allows you to create sheet music for many voices or instruments.

104. Audio Hardware Devices
Audio hardware devices for the PC may include:
Audio or sound cards
Speakers
Microphones for voice input
MIDI input devices
CD/DVD burners

105. Chapter 10
Video

106. Video in Multimedia
Visual motion helps to convey realism and movement

107. Uses of Video in Multimedia
Video enhances common applications of multimedia.
Video simulations show procedures and interactions that would be dangerous to perform in actuality
Games use video to simulate flight, car racing, and other action
Web sites and CD-ROMs use videos as reference material
Videoconferences enable participants to see each other and witness demonstrations

108. Video Quality Video quality depends on:
The resolution and clarity of individual video frames.
The frame rate or speed at which video frames appear. Frame rate is measured in frames per second (FPS).

109. What is streaming video?
Streaming video refers to a technique for transferring data so that the browser starts displaying the data before the entire file has been transmitted.

110. Video File Format A video file’s format determines:
Which programs can open and play it.
How much space it occupies on a disk.
How fast it travels over an Internet connection.

111. Common File Formats The most commonly used video file formats are:
MOV (movie), also known as QuickTime
WMV (Windows media video)
AVI (audio video interleave)
MPEG compresses audio and video

112. Video Software
There are programs for playing video and audio, as well as editing and distributing video.
A number of video players are available on the Internet for free or at nominal cost.
Video editing software allows you to edit video.

113. Video Hardware Video hardware includes:
Camcorders, digital or analog, for recording live action
Webcams, to include live, streaming video in a Web site
Capture cards for converting analog video to digital format
Video tuners to enable a PC to receive and save television signals

114. Multimedia Project Team Roles
Chapter 11
Multimedia Project Team Roles

115. Team Efforts
Creating large multimedia applications requires the concerted efforts of many people over time.

116. Project Phases
Many large-scale multimedia projects follow the system development life cycle (SDLC).

117. The Project Team
The makeup of a project team depends on the nature of the project and its budget and schedule. On small teams, members often fill more than one role.

118. Project Team Roles Project teams may include: Client Representative
Project Manager
Producer
User Interface Designer
Programmer
Systems Architect
Graphic Artist
Writer and Editor
Audio and Video Specialists
Quality Assurance Analyst
Webmaster

119. Client Representative
The organization or person who pays for the application and publishes it

120. Project Manager
Responsible for ensuring that the team meets its deadlines and stays within its budget

121. Producer
Responsible for planning and coordinating the development of all the different media in an application

122. User Interface Designer (UID)
Responsible for planning all the aspects of an application that affect a user’s ability to understand and navigate it

123. Programmer
Uses programming languages to develop the underlying code that enables an application to run on computers

124. Systems Architect
Responsible for the overall technical design of an application, including:
The hardware and operating system it will run on
How its components will work together
The programming languages and other tools that will be used to develop the application

125. Graphic Artist
Creates original graphics for the application, working closely with the UID, photographers, and any others who contribute to the application’s visual content

126. Writer and Editor Writers specialize in content or documentation.
Editors review the work of all writers.

127. Videographer and Audio Specialist
May record sounds, integrate existing files into the application, edit recordings for clarity, and convert files to different formats

128. Quality Assurance Analyst
A specialist whose job involves testing the application and reporting problems to be corrected

129. Webmaster
Responsible for keeping a Web site up-to-date and running smoothly, and for helping visitors who have questions about the site

130. Anatomy of a Multimedia Project
Chapter 12
Anatomy of a Multimedia Project

131. Defining a Project
Several steps are required to define a multimedia project. They are:
Meeting with the client to determine the project’s budget and deadline
Determining the project’s overall purpose and specific objectives
Defining the audience who will use or view the application
Determining how the application will be delivered
Determining the technical and content requirements

132. Project Design Phase
After the team has analyzed the application’s objectives, audience, and requirements, the project enters the design phase.

133. What is a project plan?
A project plan generally specifies the project’s scope, its personnel and other resource requirements, its schedule, and its budget.

134. Defining Project Scope
The team sets priorities and collaborates about:
The application’s content
The application’s size
The hardware and software it will involve

135. Defining the Project Schedule
With input from the team, the project manager draws up a schedule for developing the application.

136. Designing the User Interface
The user interface designer creates a navigation map. Navigation schemes can be:
Linear
Hierarchical
Nonlinear
Composite

137. Developing an Application
Once the project plan is approved, the team begins creating the application. This includes:
Written content
Audio and visual content
Documentation
Production
Testing

138. Creating Application Content
This includes:
Creating the text for the application
Locating, creating, and editing the audio and visual components of the application
Creating instructions for using the application

139. Producing the Application
Following the user interface design, text, sounds, and images are incorporated into pages or screen displays

140. Testing the Application
The application is tested to ensure that the sections work together correctly.
Alpha testing involves testing sections as the producer finishes.
When all sections are complete, the entire application is tested.
A large application may also be beta tested.

141. Multimedia Web Site Design
Chapter 13
Multimedia Web Site Design

142. Building an Effective Web Site
Creating a Web site is easy, but creating one that is useful and attractive takes knowledge, practice, and skill.

143. Web Site Organization
The organization of the Web site is important. The site’s home page:
May be the only page on a site
Often introduces the Web site’s theme and provides links to the site’s other pages

144. Web Site Files
Each web page is a file stored on a Web server, and has a unique URL which:
Distinguishes it from the millions of other Web pages on the Internet
Enables browsers to find it

145. Web Programming
The files for a Web site are created with programming languages:
Most Web programming uses HTML or other markup languages
Web design software lets you create a page, and the software then generates the HTML code

146. Web Site Goals
The most important consideration in the design of any Web site is the objective of the site. These goals reflect the goals of the site’s publisher.

147. Business Site Objectives
A business site might have these goals:
Publicizing products or services and providing a way to purchase them
Publicizing job openings and providing a way of applying for them
Providing financial information for investors
Giving contact information for offices or stores
Providing other information about the business

148. Noncommercial Site Objectives
Organizations and individuals develop Web sites for a variety of purposes:
Schools and colleges provide distance learning and other information.
Professional and trade organizations publish announcements and other information.
Public interest groups offer information or organize volunteer efforts.

149. Design Considerations
Once you have determined the objective of the site, you must consider its design:
It must be designed to appeal to its target audience.
Text and graphic hyperlinks must be well-designed.
Layout, color, text formatting, graphics, videos, and special effects provide the visual design.
It must be designed to view well in all browsers.

150. Web Page Design Guidelines
Meet the objectives you have set for the site.
Use short amounts of text. Group sets of text on one page.
Be careful with text color and background color.
Be sure content is accurate and spelling is correct.

151. Web Page Design Guidelines (continued)
Graphics and special effects should add interest, not distract.
Navigation should be friendly, consistent, and useful.
Name sources for information on the site if necessary for copyright.
Colors, text formatting, navigation, and layout should be consistent throughout the site.