Multimedia IT441

Aseel..

CH 6

Challenges of computer images include:

– Large file size

– Slow downloads and processing
– Inferior quality from original
– File format compatibility
– Images display differently on various monitors and printers.

Key elements of traditional print graphics:

Image type:
• Contone image (grayscale images)
– Composed of continuously varying shades of color.
• Line art
– Combinations of lines to create images.
– Uses only two colors.

Process of reproducing images:

• Linescreen (lines per inch)
– Designates the size of the dots and quality of resulting image.
– 150 lpi better quality than 85 lpi.
• Halftones
– Form image by clustering the ink dots.
– Tight cluster of black and white dots create dark gray.
– Loose clusters create lighter tones of gray.
• CMYK color
– Cyan, magenta, yellow, and a key color usually black.
– Small dots of color combinations can reproduce many different colors.

Color Reproduction:
• Color images on printed surface are formed using subtractive process.
• Color images on computer monitor use additive process.
• Graphic artists convert from RGB(additive) color models to CMYK model if image is
printed.
2-D COMPUTER GRAPHICS
1. Bitmapped graphics
2. Vector Drawn Graphics

• Bitmapped graphics
– Created as a pattern of discrete elements.
– Each element is a pixel or "picture element."
– Pixels are small squares.
– More bits = more color possibilities

• Categories of bitmapped images are:

1. Line art (Produced using two colors usually black and white).
Advantages:
– Clear.
– Small file size.
2. Grayscale (Produced using shades of gray).
Advantages:
– Excellent representation of black and white photos.
– Smaller files size than full color.
– Lower printing costs than color.

3. Color (Produced with patterns of colored pixels).

– Photo-realistic color requires 24-bit color.
Two methods to create color on a computer:
1. Color Lookup Table
2. Specify varying amounts of Red, Green, Blue.

• Bitmapped Image quality depends on:

1. Spatial resolution = density of pixels per inch.
• Higher spatial resolution Captures more detail.
– Pixels are smaller and closely packed.
– Produces sharper, more accurate images.
 • Lower spatial resolution Captures less detail.
– Pixels are larger.
– Images appear fuzzy.

– Monitor is measured in ppi (pixels per inch).

– Print is measured as dpi (dots per inch).

2. Color resolution = number of colors each pixel can display.

– Low color resolution may cause quantization and color banding.

• Vector Drawn Graphics

– Vector: a line with length, curvature, and direction.
– Vector graphics: images created from mathematically defined shapes.
– Draw programs: software used to create vector graphics.
– Main advantages:
o Images can be enlarged without distortion
o Small file size.

ADVANTAGES
BITMAPPED IMAGES VECTOR IMAGES

• Represent complex contones. • Smooth scaling and reshaping.

• Full-featured photo editing. • Ease of editing objects in layers.
• Wide range of artistic effects. • Low file size.
• Precise editing. • Device-independent.

DISADVANTAGES
BITMAPPED IMAGES VECTOR IMAGES

• Large file sizes. • Inaccurate, incomplete representation

• Loss of precise shapes when scaled or of complex contone images.
rotated. • No photo-editing capability.
• Device-dependent. • Limited artistic control.
 3-D GRAPHICS

• Four interconnected steps in creating 3-D images:

– Modeling
– Surface definition
– Scene composition
– Rendering

• Two major approaches to modeling:

– Combine cubes, cones, cylinders.
– Use a modeler to create shapes directly.

• Four modeling techniques:

– Polygon modeling
– Spline modeling
– Metaball modeling
– Formula modeling.

GUIDELINES FOR USING GRAPHICS IN MULTIMEDIA:

1. Identify purpose of the graphic.

2. Choose best format for each image.
3. Match graphic design to purpose.
4. Locate graphics
5. Preserve image quality.
6. Economize.
7. Organize and store graphics files for later use.
CH 9

Animation:
Rapidly displayed sequence of individual, still images.

Early animating devices:

❖ Thaumatrope
❖ Zoetrope.

Flipbook technique
Still images showing a different stage of motion are created on each page.

Animation basics used in flipbook:

– Quality of motion is based on rate of display.
– Speed is based on differences between images.
– Onionskinning: a technique used to draw new image based on the previous image.
– Registration: physically aligns images with one another.

CHALLENGES OF TRADITIONAL ANIMATION:

1. Number of images to create.
Methods to generate images include:
– Shooting on twos cuts number of images in half.
– Cycle of images can be reused to extend repetitive motion.
– Holds produce sequence of identical drawings to extend a particular state or
action.
2. Artistic strategies to create realistic world require.
– Awareness of how things move in the world.
– Ease-in and ease-out address the physics of motion.
– Overshooting a resting point addresses kinetic energy of motion.
– Different components of objects move independently of one another
(overlapping motion).
 – Exaggerate motion for dramatic effect using:
– Variations in speed
– Stretch and squash.

Traditional Techniques (Strategies) for achieving motion:

– Paper cut-outs
– Clay figurines
– Puppets
– Natural objects photographed, reposed and re-photographed.

CEL ANIMATION:

o Perfected and made popular by Disney studios.

o Cel: drawings of individual frames made on sheets of celluloid.
o Technique that directly influenced development of digital animation.

Advantages:
– Artists saved drawing time.
– Gave precise control over elements.
– Encouraged division of labor and promoted high artistic standards.

Steps of Producing Cel Animation:

– Storyboard: sequence of drawings that sketch out content of major scenes in
the production.
– Pencil test: series of simple sketches that are photographed and projected to
test the design of the animated sequences.
– Scratch track: draft of animation’s audio track.
– Leica reel: working draft of the complete animation.

Specialized equipment used in production process:

– Specialized paints to convey proper hue.
– Specialized camera and lighting to capture cels.

DIGITAL ANIMATION:
 Two forms of digital animation:
1. 2-D evolved from traditional animation techniques.
2. 3-D exploited capabilities unique to the computer.

2-D ANIMATION
– Produced by mimicking basic traditional techniques such as:
▪ Flipbook technique
▪ Cutout animation technique
▪ Rotoscoping
▪ Cel animation.

Elements of Flash organization.

– Timeline: horizontal row of frames.
– Frames: have multiple layers in columns.
– Keyframes: define major changes in a frame.
– Tweens: frames created automatically by software.
– Onionskinning: assists in drawing changes from one frame to the next.

ANIMATION SOFTWARE:
1. Frame-by-frame animation: each frame is manually drawn to reflect motion
sequence.
– Gives detailed control of each motion.
– Time consuming process.
2. Tween animation: computer generates in-between frames based on two
designated key frames.

Tools for support animation process:

– Image-editing tools
– Alignment tools and grids to control placement
– Text tools
– Basic sound control
– Strategies to support interactivity.

3-D ANIMATION
• Elements of 3-D animation set in motion include:
 – Objects
– Sounds
– Cameras
– Lights.
3-D animation techniques:
1. Motion capture
– Also called performance animation.
– Technique of recording motion of actual objects and mapping these
motions to a computer.
– Have sensors to track the motion of various body parts as they create
the action sequences.
– Used to capture complex natural motions that are difficult to create.

2. Kinematics
– Kinematics is study of motion of bodies or systems of bodies.
– Inverse and forward

3. Animating with physics

– Software can automatically generate motions based on properties of
object and laws of physics.

COMPLETING THE ANIMATION

• Rendering creates the final animation frames by applying:
– The modeling
– Surface definition
– Scene composition.

• RENDERING OPTIONS
1. Pre-render
– Requires enormous processing resources and time for animated
movies.
2. Render in real time
– Computer produces animation immediately.
– Used in video games and highly interactive 3-D animations.
ANIMATION TIPS & GUIDELINES:
– Prepare for a learning curve.
– Design for delivery.
– Consider clip animation to reduce costs.
– Consult the tradition in developing motion.
 CH 10

METHODS (APPROCHES) TO INTEGRATE MEDIA:

• Programming
– Languages specify how the media is presented and user interactions carried out.
– Requires command of the language.
– Is time consuming.
• Authoring
– Applications specially designed to integrate and present media elements.
– Developers can concentrate on design, interactivity, and functionality of the project.

AUTHORING APPLICATIONS:
• Software designed for creation of multimedia projects.
• Authoring applications have a preview mode to test the assembled project during development.
• Applications are used to:
– Assemble media elements
– Synchronize content
– Design user interface
– Provide user interactivity.

AUTHORING METAPHORS:
• Authoring applications are grouped around three metaphors:
1. Card (Appropriate for static media)
Media is organized in sequential order on a cards or slides.
Cards have two layers:
• Background layer contains shared elements.
• Foreground layer contains content specific to that card or slide.

2. Icon
• Icons define media and forms of interactivity.
• Icons are placed on a flowline to create the application structure.
3. Timeline
• Organizes media as sequence of frames.
• Appropriate for dynamic media.
 • Popular timeline-based applications include Director and Flash.
• Used when animation or video is central to the application.
Tools for creating and editing media content:

– Text adjustments.
– Paint tools.
– Sound adjustment.
– Animation changes.

Basic navigation structures include:

– Linear or sequential
– Hierarchical
– Networked
– Conditional.

PROGRAMMING:
• Provides more flexibility and control for projects with extensive interactivity, custom features.
• Two programming methods:
1. Script: series of commands specifying properties or behavior of an element in the
project.
2. Icon: dialog boxes allow the developer to specify parameters for icon's use.
• Does not require programming knowledge but does limit commands to icon
parameters.

Database:
• Collection of related files that readily accessible.
• Authorware and Director applications offer an interface to a database.

Project delivery:
Two approaches to publishing or delivery:
1. Remote delivery
Store the application and data on a server for access through a network.
2. Local installation
Application is installed and maintained on user’s device.

Advantages
 Remote delivery Local installation

• Content revisions are managed by server • Not require connection to a network.

database. • Developer can incorporate larger data files
• Wide market access. within the application.
• Developer can track users.

Disadvantages

Remote delivery Local installation

• Bandwidth restrictions. • Platform dependency.

• Browser applications are not compatible • Version control and updates are user
with all devices or applications. dependent.
• Inability to track user.

Guidelines to select an authoring application:

– Consider the subject.
– Consider the media.
– Consider delivery.
– Consider maintenance.

Definitions:

Authoring process: Series of interrelated tasks from project design to delivery.

Flowline: Graphical representation of the relationships between components of the
application.
Storyboard: Series of screen sketches to guide development process.
 CH 11

Multimedia development requires:

1. Team: members provide specialized knowledge of media creation.
2. Development Plan: defines the set of tasks and procedures needed for successful
project development.

Development is both:
– Interactive: team members share expertise and ideas during the development cycle.
– Iterative: revisions result from development feedback.

Team of experts is important for project:

– They produce high quality media.
– They contribute to the development of ideas in the project cycle.

TEAM Skills and Functions

MEMBERS
1. Responsible for delivering the product with promised
Project manager features, on time, and on budget.
2. Oversees the business aspects.
3. Must be organized, focused, and task oriented.
Project designer Responsible for overall structure of content, the look,
feel, and functionality of user interface.
Content expert Has detailed understanding of the topic.

Writers 1. Create original text for the project.

2. Provide written requirements of the project.
3. Technical writing skills.
 Media Specialists:

• Responsible for preparation of individual elements in a multimedia application.

Media Skills and Functions

speciali
sts
Graphics specialist Artists skilled in design principles and digital technology.

Sound specialist 1. Trained in traditional sound production and has

knowledge of a sound studio.
2. Familiar with digital tools for creating and editing sounds.
Video specialist Have knowledge of film techniques and digital
(Videographers) video production and editing.

Animation artist 1. Understands the principles of composition and color and

can produce drawings.
2. Understands the elements of motion and can envision
action sequences.
3. Knows computer animation programs and techniques.
Programmer Responsible for computer code and provides the product's
functionality.

Acquisitions Specialist 1. Knowledgeable about sources for copyright-protected

content and process of securing permissions.
2. Establishes agreements to protect the creative work of the
project developers.
 Stages (task) of development plan:

– Definition
• Identify project goal or purpose. (What should the application accomplish?)
• Identify the audience. (Who are the intended users?)
• Identify role of multimedia in this project.

– Design
• Create an incomplete working model of the project called prototype.
• Functions of prototype:
1. Refine the definition of the product
2. Test proposed features
3. Guide further work of team members.

• Interface design.
• User interface design features:
1. Intuitive.
2. Consistent.
3. Predictable and reliable.

– Production
• Includes quality assurance testing with bug reports and corrective measures.
• Alpha version: includes most media elements but also many "bugs."
• Beta version: includes all media but still has a few bugs.
• Gold master: complete, bug-free application.