An Overview of Multimedia

Defining a Multimedia
Multimedia is defined as a computer-based, interactive experience that
incorporates text, graphics, sound, animation, video, and virtual reality.
Multimedia Elements include text, graphics, sound, video, animation, and virtual
reality.
A fundamental feature of multimedia is interactivity-that is, the ability of the user
to interact with an application. Multimedia allows the content to be presented in a
nonlinear way, which allows the user to be active rather than passive.
Fundamental to the development and delivery of multimedia is a computer system
capable of incorporating multimedia elements such as sound and animation. A
typical computer playback system should be capable of delivering multimedia.
Today most computer systems are equipped with the hardware and software
needed to deliver multimedia. The typical configuration includes CD-ROM or DVD
drives, audio cards, video cards, speakers, and sufficient processing power to
deliver multimedia. Most computer playback systems include an Internet
connection, a browser, and a modem that allows the user to access multimedia
applications from the Web.
Multimedia applications is a broad term that covers all uses of multimedia.
Examples of multimedia include an online college course web site that uses 3-D
animation to explain how earthquakes occur or an e-commerce Web site that shows
video clip demonstrations of its products.
Multimedia Titles refer to specific products, including CD-ROM based games and
educational CDs.
Exploring Multimedia on the Web
The Internet is a vast communications system linking computers around the world.
First developed several decades ago by the U.S. government and research
institutions, the Internet became widely popular after the development of
browsers. A browser is a visual interface that interprets Web documents and allows
for the display of graphics. Browsers, such as Internet Explorer, enable graphics,
sound, movies and animation to be delivered to the user. The development of
browsers helped spawn the World Wide Web, which supports delivery of multimedia,
and provides for hyper linking of content over the Internet.
The fastest-growing area for multimedia delivery is online, including delivery via
telecommunications and the Internet.
One of the most compelling features of the Web is its immediacy. Events such as
rock concerts, ball games, and conference keynote speeches can be Webcast-that
is broadcast, in real time over the Web.
Animations, as simple as rotating text or a sophisticated as 3-D settings, are an
exciting part of multimedia on the Web. They have proved useful for attracting
attention and creating virtual learning environments. Animations can be created
using simple HTML tags, animation software such as Macromedia Flash, or
programming languages such as Virtual Reality Modeling Language. The coding
language for the Web documents is called Hypertext Markup Language
(HTML). Multimedia developers know that as long as their programs are written
using HTML, the user should be able to run the application on the Web.
HTML allows Web page developers to include hyperlinks, which consist of text or
graphics that are coded to jump to another location. Hyperlinks give users the
ability to navigate from place in a document or across documents.
Studying the Growth of Multimedia
Multimedia seems to be everywhere. There are entertainment sites on the Web,
childrens computer games, training materials with video clips, and educational
material such as books, which has both CD-ROM and Web site with multimedia
applications.
Factors Contributing to the Growth of Multimedia
1. The number of households that own multimedia computer playback systems.
2. Growth in the use of multimedia technologies used on the Web.

3. Programs that allow audio and video to be delivered over the Web.
4. A dramatic decrease in price also contributed to the widespread distribution
of multimedia CD-ROM titles.
5. Marketing by computer companies was another for the growth in multimedia
applications.
6. Adding value to an existing product is another reason for the growth of
multimedia.
Examining Educational Applications
Various ways exist to classify multimedia titles. They can be classified by market
(such as home, business, government, and school), or by user (such as child, adult,
teacher, and student), or by other categories (such as education, entertainment,
and reference).
A goal of the educator is to facilitate learning so as to help the student gain a body
of knowledge, acquire specific skills, and function successfully in society. A major
challenge to any educator is the diversity of ways in which students learn. Some
people learn better through association, others by experimentation; some respond
to visual stimulation, others to sound. Multimedia can accommodate a variety of
learning styles. Multimedia, with its hyper linking capabilities, can present the
content in a way that allows the learner to jump from idea to idea in just such a
nonlinear way. Because multimedia applications are user controlled, students can
proceed at their own pace and focus on those areas that are most interesting or
helpful to them. Online courses and online enhancements to the traditional courses
are rapidly growing part of higher education. With the use of multimedia, students
can easily access pertinent information in shorter timeframes. Edutainment, as the
name suggests, is the combination of education and entertainment.
Examining Entertainment Applications
Game developers were pioneers in the use of multimedia. From large-style arcade
video games to hand-held Nintendo Game boys, the focus in this area has been on
action and graphics. The developer of multimedia games needs to attract, engage,
captivate, and challenge the user. Such developers have shifted the emphasis from
pure action to action plus story-telling; from games to entertainment; and from the
physical 9hand-eye coordination) to the mental (solving the mystery, overcoming
evil, outwitting the opponent). Multimedia incorporates all of the elements-fast
action, vivid colors, 3-D animations, and elaborate sound effects-that are essential
to entertainment. It can also be used to provide rewards, recognition, and a sense of
accomplishment components that are popular features in entertainment titles.
Examining Business Applications
Business and organizations have embraced the use of multimedia in marketing,
training, and presentations. All of these areas share one thing-the need to
communicate. For the marketer, the goal is to inform and to persuade the potential
buyer as a way to sell a product, service, or idea. For the corporate trainer, the goal
is to maintain a well-informed and productive work force. For the presenter, the goal
is to inform and perhaps to motivate the audience. Using multimedia can help
businesses and organizations achieve these goals.
Understanding Multimedia Computer Playback Systems
When studying computer systems with multimedia capabilities, it is useful to draw a
distinction between those systems used for development and those used for
playback. Development systems need to be fastest and most powerful, and they
should have the largest storage capacity that a company or individual can afford.
The development process is people-intensive- and peoples time costs money. The
better tools developers have, the more quickly they can work. On the other hand,
the type of computer system used for playback is related to the installed marketthat is, the computers in use.
Components of a Multimedia Computer Playback System

1. Processor- the type of processor determines, among other things, how quickly
data is processed and transferred.
2. Two basic types of memory: temporary (RAM) random access memory and
permanent.
3. Computers hard drive is used to permanently store program instructions that
are needed each time the program is run.
4. The monitor is critical to playback system because it provides the primary
communication with the user. Standards have established regarding screen
resolution and number of colors. Screen resolution is measured in terms of
number of dots, called pixels (picture elements) displayed on the monitor.
Pixels are the smallest units that a monitor can display.
5. To display graphics, a computer must have a video graphics card. The video
graphics card and its memory capacity determine the number of pixels
presented on screen.
6. Sound is an important element in a multimedia title. To incorporate sound,
the computer needs an audio card and speakers.
Understanding Multimedia Computer Development Systems
Developers realize that to produce commercial-quality titles that will keep up with
the competition in terms of high-end graphics sound, and video, they must invest in
the best-quality equipment they can afford. Not only does high-end equipment
provide the necessary development quality, but it also holds down production costs
by reducing the time programmers, graphic artists, animators, and others spend in
creating their part of the title.
Components of a Multimedia Computer Development System
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Processor
Memory
Video capture card
Monitors
Scanners
External storage devices
Digital camera
Microphone
Multimedia Elements

Using Text in Multimedia Applications

Text is perhaps the easiest of all multimedia elements to manipulate. Most computer
users have experience with word processing and are therefore familiar with the
processes of entering and editing text and working with fonts and font sizes.
Some Considerations and Guidelines to keep in mind when working with text:
1. Be concise. Reading volumes of text on a computer screen is difficult and
tiring. Moreover, it may not be the best way to communicate an idea,
concept, or even a fact. From a design stand-point, text should fill less than
half of the screen.
2. Use appropriate fonts. Text can be boring unless you enliven it by selecting
fonts (which are analogous to typefaces in a print environment) and type
sizes that are appropriate for the audience. Fonts help focus attention on
certain text on the screen, enhance readability, set a tone, and project an
image. Fonts can be characterized as serif, sans serif and decorative.
Serif is a line or curve extension from the end of a letter. Serif fonts are best
used for body text.
Sans Serif the French word sans means without, so a sans serif font is
one with-out extensions. Sans serif fonts are used for titles.
Decorative fonts such as script type, are more stylish and formal. They are
best used for emphasis.
3. Make the text readable. Perhaps the overriding concern with text is
readability.

4. Fonts are measured in point sizes.

Use
Point Size
Headings
14-48
Subheadings
half the heading size, with a minimum that is not
smaller
than the text block
Text Block
10-12
5. Consider using font formats and font colors. There common font
formats are bold, italic, and underline. These formats are often use for
emphasis in print materials.
6. Use restraint and be consistent. While it may be tempting and certainly
easy to use a variety of fonts, sizes, and styles, it is most important to
exercise restraint. Avoid too many font sizes and styles on one screen. In
addition, try to maintain consistency.
Using Graphics in Multimedia Applications
Using a muse and a desktop metaphor on our computers, we use graphical
images such as icons, drop-down menus, folders, and windows. We are
accustomed to interacting with graphical images on the screen, and in fact we
now expect to see them. Visualization can be an important part of the
communication process, and graphical images can be used to add emphasis,
direct attention, illustrate concepts, and provide a background for the content.
Just as graphical images are important in our day-to-day encounters with
computers, graphics-such as illustrations and photographs- are integral to
multimedia titles. Two types of graphics are used in multimedia titles: draw-type
and bitmap.
Draw-type graphics (also called vector graphics) represent an image as
geometric shape made up of straight lines, ovals, and arcs. When you draw a
line, a set of instructions is written to describe its size, position, and shape. If
more than one line is drawn, it has a precise relationship to other parts.
Advantages
1. The ability to resize and rotate a graphic without distortion,
2. Smaller file size
Disadvantages
1. The more complex the graphic, is the larger the file size and the longer it
takes to appear on the screen.
2. Draw type graphics cannot be displayed in photo quality.
Bitmap graphic represents the graphic image as an array of dots, called pixels.
The screen is made up of grid, and each part of the grid is a pixel. Color
information, called color depth, is recorded for each pixel. Unlike a draw-type
graphic, which keeps the same relationship (relative position and relative size)
among its parts when its size or placement is changed, a bitmap graphic
becomes distorted under those same circumstances.
Understanding graphic image file sizes
Graphic image file sizes can become unproductively large depending on the
complexity of the images and the way the images are developed. The
multimedia designer must balance the need for quality images with the need to
keep file sizes small. An understanding of graphic image file sizes can help the
developer reduce the time it takes to download images and display them on the
computer screen.
Screen resolutions- are measured in horizontal and vertical pixels with 640x
480 being the lowest standard. The larger the pixel count and the smaller the
pixel diameter are the higher the image resolution. A screen resolution of 1024 x
768 will display a much better-quality image than a screen resolution of 640 x
480.
Image size it is determined by the number of pixels making up the image. The
screen resolution and the image size determine how much of the screen is
occupied by the image.

Color depth each pixel can display from one color to millions of colors. The
number of color is determined by information associated with the pixel. Various
numbers of colors can be associated with each pixel, depending on the number
of bits specified (8-bit for 256 colors, 16-bit for 65,000 colors, and 24-bit for 16.7
million colors). The range of colors available for pixels is called color depth.
File size-the file size of a bitmap graphic is related to the image size and color
depth. It can be estimated using the formula:
Image size in pixels x color depth in bits/8
You divide by 8 because the file size is measured in bytes and there are 8 bits
per byte.
File Formats. Graphic images can be saved in a variety of file formats. The
more popular file formats include TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), BMP
(Bitmap), PCX (Windows Paint), and PICT(Macintosh picture format), which are
the standard file formats for multimedia development; JPEG(Joint Photographer
Experts Group, GIF (Graphics Interchange File Format), and PNG (Portable
Network Graphics), are the standard file formats for the World Wide Web. The file
formats determines how the file will be displayed.