AUTHORING TOOL CONCEPT (Lesson 26)

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.
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.

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
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.

EXTENSION : CRITERIA IN EVALUATING AN AUTHORING TOOL
 It should be easy to use; thus non-programmers do not have to learn a programming language in order to develop multimedia courseware.
  •  It should have ready-made templates, including popular buttons or signs and navigation tools.
  •  It offers compatibility with the World Wide Web.
  •  It has on-line help and learning aids.