Authoring packages are designed for use by professionals in creating stand-alone multimedia applications. They have a more flexible and interactive human computer interface than a presentation package. As well as organising all the different multimedia elements, the authoring package will allow the user to navigate their way through the application using a series of “hotspots” and conditional branches. There are two main types of authoring packages, Scripting packages and Icon-based packages.

Scripting Packages

Scripting is another kind of programming language. A multimedia authoring package which allows scripting is normally more powerful than an authoring package which does not. The more commands the scripting language provides, the greater the flexibility of the package, but the more complex it will be to learn.

Authoring packages which allow scripting like Macromedia Director, Asymetrix Toolbook and HyperStudio, can be used at more than one level. At the simplest level, tools and icons can be used to arrange the multimedia elements on the screen, whereas at the most complex level, scripts like computer programs must be written to carry out the necessary interaction.

Macromedia Director is rapidly becoming the industry standard for professional development of multimedia applications. It provides precise control over the timing of all events, and detailed control over the amount of interaction between the user and the application. By using the Lingo scripting language, you almost have as much flexibility as you would using a high level language. Here is a simple example of a Lingo script:

on enterFrame
global gnumbercorrect
pause
put “Total correct =” & gnumbercorrect into field “totalCorrect”
end

A Director application is created from four parts:

• the cast: is a database of all the multimedia elements e.g. text, graphics and sounds

• the score: controls the timing of when all the elements will appear and disappear

• the stage: shows how the final screens will look including buttons for interactivity

• the lingo scripts: provide flexibility, interactivity and control of external devices.

The flexibility that Director offers comes at a price. The full package costs approx. £700.00 and you will need to spend a long time learning how to use all its features.

Macromedia Flash can also be thought of as a multimedia authoring and scripting package as it has a built in language, Actionscript, that can attach code to a button - a "hotspot" on the screen - so that something happens when the button is pressed.

Answer the following questions in your jotters.

1. What is the advantage of specialised multimedia authoring packages over presentation software?
2. Describe three uses of a multimedia presentation.
3. From the Internet, find the price, features and system requirements of Macromedia Director.