Authoring tool is a program that helps you write multimedia applications. Authoring tools usually enable you to create a final application by linking together objects such as a paragraph of text, graphic or a video.By sequencing them in an appropriate order, authoring tools can produce attractive and useful multimedia applications.
Multimedia applications can be classified into three concepts, which are
- time frame,
- icon
- and card.
TIME FRAME CONCEPT
With time frame concept authoring tools, the multimedia elements or events are presented and organised along a time line.This type of tool helps users coordinate when each multimedia element (text, graphics, audio, video or animation) plays.
In time frame concept authoring tools, a timeline consists of layers which span several frames.
For example a simple presentation could contain three layers; layer one could contain a picture of a blue sky, layer two could contain a picture of a mountain and layer three a picture of a mountain climber.
If each of the layers span 10 frames and the user presses the "play" button, then the presentation will show a picture containing all of the elements in the layers e.g. blue sky, a mountain and a mountain climber.
If layer one however only spans 5 frames from the beginning, then the blue sky would only show for 5 frames and then disappear for the remaining 5.
Examples of authoring tools using the time frame concept are Flash and Director. These two software can support multi platform.
ICON CONCEPT
The icon concept in authoring tools provides the multimedia developer with a visual programming approach to sequencing events in the multimedia application.
In this concept, elements and events are organised in a structural framework.
With icon authoring tools, users can present visually a logical flow of events by dragging icons from an icon menu.
The icon can represent graphics, audio files, animation, text, movies, and other elements should be played in a logical flow or flow chart.
These entire icon concept authoring tools use "drag and drop" to pick up and place icons on the presentation page.
These icons represent:
- events such as mouse clicks, key press
- actions to be performed after an event e.g. a transition, a sound
- routines to perform loops, conditional branches
A presentation is built by inserting one object after another e.g. a simple application could contain just three icons: picture, sound icon and text icon.
When we click on the Restart button, the presentation starts.
Several multimedia authoring tools which use this icon concept are Authorware and IconAuthor. These two software can support multi platforms.
CARD CONCEPT
The card concept in authoring tools are based on the idea of card stacks containing graphics, audio, video, text and animation.
Elements and events in card concept authoring tools are organised as pages in a book or a stack of cards.
When card concept authoring tools starts, a blank page is displayed. Certain objects can be inserted e.g. text, pictures and buttons.
By inserting objects into several pages, a multimedia "book'' is eventually created.
The developer can create transitions between pages and on the objects themselves. Zoom text in and out, causing a picture to flow onto the page.
Examples of the card concept in Authoring Tools are ToolBook, HyperCard and SuperCard.
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