S OFTWARE AND M ULTIMEDIA Chapter 6 Created by S. Cox

O BJECTIVES Classify multimedia application software Describe software needed to create elements of a multimedia production Identify the software used to make different kinds of multimedia Describe the software needed to manage and plan projects Understand the utility software used by multimedia developers Identify image management procedures Describe the most popular software products used for each purpose Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia software

P ROGRAMS U SED IN M ULTIMEDIA Developing a multimedia production requires an array of software to create, edit, and combine text, sounds, and images.

S OFTWARE TO C REATE M ULTIMEDIA E LEMENTS Multimedia is made up of several elements – Text Graphics and animation Audio Video Not every multimedia project incorporates all of these elements, but all use at least two

T EXT E DITING S OFTWARE Multimedia developers use word processing (allows you to create edit and print documents) software to include text in their projects and to create documents about their projects. Full-featured word processors have text formatting capabilities which set the appearance of the text…Fonts and Point Sizes Font – a consistent design or look for al alphabet, numerals, punctuation marks, and other symbols Point Size – tells the height of a font

T EXT E DITING S OFTWARE Full-featured word processing programs also allow you to: Search (and replace, if needed) for a word or phrase Check spelling and grammar Use characters from other languages and symbols that do not appear on the keyboard Locate synonyms Create tables, charts, and drawings Insert other files (pictures and sounds) Create simple Web pages

T EXT E DITING S OFTWARE Full-featured word processing continued: Page layout and envelope printing Come with templates (a reusable pattern for creating similar documents) Cut and Paste – delete text from one part of a document and insert it in another position or into a different document (the original is moved) Copy – copy text from one part of a document to another part or into a different document (the original stays)

T EXT E DITING S OFTWARE Desktop publishing software – similar to word processing programs, but have more features for controlling the way text appears on pages…also called page layout programs They are better at handling the placement of graphics and processing very large documents. Leading – lets you control the spacing between the lines of text Kerning – the spacing between a specific pair of letters or numbers Used to publish manuals, reports, and other large documents that once required the services of printing companies

G RAPHICS S OFTWARE Graphics software is used for creating, editing, manipulating, and storing graphics…also known as image management software. It works with still and animated drawings, as well as photographs. Features include: Resizing – increasing or decreasing the original size Rotating – changing the angle at which an image is displayed Cropping – cutting out unwanted parts Change colors, add shadows, and other adjustments

A UDIO S OFTWARE Most versions of Windows and Mac computers come with applications for playing music and sound files, but you may want to edit a file Could use SoundEdit to eliminate or repeat some sections of a music file or use Finale from Coda to capture the notes from the instruments and add them to a score you can print

V IDEO S OFTWARE Again, most versions of Windows and Mac computers come with applications for playing videos, but may need other software to edit a video

S OFTWARE TO C REATE M ULTIMEDIA P RODUCTIONS Different kinds of software are used to combine the elements to create a multimedia production. Embedded sound fileImported graphic file

W EB D ESIGN S OFTWARE Web pages are written in a markup language such as HTML or XML. Web design programs allow you to create Web pages without learning markup languages. Many current word processing and desktop publishing programs let you convert their files to HTML for use in Web pages. Web browsers are needed to view and use the Web pages on the Internet.

P RESENTATION S OFTWARE Presentations are sequences of slides that usually incorporate text, sound, graphics, and animation.

A UTHORING S OFTWARE Authoring programs link graphics, text, and other objects. They are used to create: Interactive tutorials Simulations Games

S OFTWARE FOR P LANNING AND M ANAGING M ULTIMEDIA P ROJECTS Spreadsheet software - uses mathematical arithmetic formulas to calculate numbers arranged in tables…used to develop cost estimates, budgets, and reports. Database software - sets of related information organized so that a computer can retrieve specific data. Databases are not multimedia tools, but many multimedia e- commerce web sites are linked to databases

S OFTWARE FOR P LANNING AND M ANAGING M ULTIMEDIA P ROJECTS CONTINUED Project management software is used to coordinate the work of people and tasks to ensure that projects are completed on time. Software suites is a group of programs from the same company sold in a single package.

U TILITY S OFTWARE A Utility program is a small program designed for one specific task like capturing screen shots or help complete image management tasks (converting text and images or compressing files)

U TILITY S OFTWARE CONTINUED Screen captures – images of computer screen displays File compression – method of saving files in a compressed or smaller format so that the file requires less disk space and transmission time File conversion – from Word to PDF Virus protection – also called antivirus software Optical character recognition (OCR) – used in conjunction with a scanner