Multimedia Specification Design and Production 2013 / Semester 2 / week 5 Lecturer: Dr. Nikos Gazepidis

2 Learning outcomes XML - Extensible Markup Language SGML - Standard Generalized Markup Language SMIL - Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language SMIL 2.0 Modules Multimedia & XML

3 Reading List: 1.Extensible Markup Language 2.Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language 3.Synchronized Multimedia 3.Synchronized Multimedia Activity Statement Multimedia & XML

4 What is XML? Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a simple, very flexible text format derived from Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). designed especially for Web documents It allows designers to create their own customized tags extensible - not fixed format like HTML XML is a metalanguage - a language for describing other languages  IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Sun all agree: XML is the key to e-Business  XML enables business application sharing, direct transactions and other business applications via electronic data interchange (EDI) documents

5 Multimedia & XML SGML a system for organizing and tagging elements of a document. SGML was developed and standardized by the International Organization for Standards (ISO) in SGML itself does not specify any particular formatting; rather, it specifies the rules for tagging elements. These tags can then be interpreted to format elements in different ways.

6 Multimedia & XML Structured Data In a large variety of domains: Electronic Documents Web Mining Information Retrieval BioInformatics Computer Vision

7 Multimedia & XML SMIL - XML based language for multimedia The most advanced way to integrate different information formats in XML is SMIL Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language. SMIL is designed to combine text, graphics, video and audio in real-time, to schedule, synchronize, their presentation. SMIL allows to specify what is presented, where, when and how. SMIL documents are XML 1.0 documents. SMIL uses its own DTD-file, which describes its elements and attributes for them. Basic layout is consistent with the visual rendering model defined in CSS2 (Cascading Style Sheets, level 2).

8 Multimedia & XML SMIL - XML based language for multimedia

9 Multimedia & XML When should we use SMIL? SMIL XML is a potential replacement for presentations typically produced by using one of the many rapid elearning development tools. If you find yourself copying and pasting layouts, content, templates, etc. from one presentation to the next. Typical rapid elearning development tools that SMIL can replace are: Adobe Captivate Adobe Presenter (converts Microsoft PowerPoint to Flash*) Articulate Raptivity Rapid Intake etc.

10 Multimedia & XML SMIL - short history Dec 1995 SMIL designing started Nov 1997 First public release of SMIL Nov 1999 Release of SMIL Boston (SMIL 2.0) Jan 2000 Internet Explorer 5.5 player preview, which supports selected SMIL 2.0 components June 2001 W3C Proposed Recommendation of the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) 2.0 specification June 2001 GRiNS, a new version of the SMIL-2 player with full support for the W3C SMIL 2.0 Proposed Recommendation

11 Multimedia & XML Players Currently only one browser which supports fully SMIL GRiNS/SMIL 2.0 Player (Oratrix). For example Microsoft IE 5.5 support only some selected components of SMIL 2.0, Microsoft's own version of SMIL is called HTML+TIME. RealNetworks RealPlayer with better/full support for SMIL 2.0 is expecting to be available end of September. For SMIL 3.0 there are available multiple players and editors.

12 Multimedia & XML SMIL 2.0 modules SMIL 2.0 consist currently of following functional modules: The Animation Modules The Content Control Modules The Layout Modules The Linking Modules The Media Object Modules The Metainformation Module The Structure Module The Transition Effects Module The Timing and Synchronization Module The Time Manipulations Module Currently only GRiNS/SMIL 2.0 Player by Oratrix supports all these modules.

13 Multimedia & XML Animation modules The purpose of Animation Module is to enable controlling different media objects in one time line. Module also includes several methods for creating special effects to different multimedia components. Animation module consists of BasicAnimation and SplineAnimation modules. DIV animation DIV animation

14 Multimedia & XML Content control Content Control Modules consists of four separate modules. These modules allow to make different content choices based on runtime variables. Somos interdependientes (Espanol) Ns somos interdependentes (Portuguese) Wir sprechen (Deutsch) We are interdependent (English) None of the above Somos interdependientes (Espanol) Ns somos interdependentes (Portuguese) Wir sprechen (Deutsch) We are interdependent (English) None of the above

15 Multimedia & XML Layout modules The Layout Modules consist of one primary BasicLayout module and three additional modules: AudioLayout, MultiWindowLayout, and HierarchicalLayout modules. Layout modules allows to position different media elements and control the audio volume.

16 Multimedia & XML Linking modules 1.The linking modules define attributes and elements for hyperlinks. 2.By the hyperlinks it is possible to interact with multimedia applications. 3.Linking Modules consist of LinkingAttributes, BasicLinking and ObjectLinking Modules.

17 Multimedia & XML Media Object Modules One of the important modules. It defines supported media types: Continuous Media is audio file, video file or other media for which there is a measurable and well-understood duration. For example, a five second audio clip is continuous media. Discrete Media consist of text files, pictures and other media types, which are not time related. JPEG image is generally considered discrete media, because there's nothing in the file indicating how long the JPEG should be displayed. Intrinsic Duration - the duration of a referenced item without any explicit timing markup.

18 Multimedia & XML Media Object Modules also define different media object elements for SMIL browsers 1.Animation 2.Audio 3.Img 4.Text 5.textstream 6.video 7.ref - Generic media reference

19 Multimedia & XML Media Object Modules: MediaClipping And MediaClipMarkers Modules MediaClipping module enables to control the media objects in timeline. It contains two attributes, clipBegin and clipEnd, which specifies the start and endpoints of the media. MediaClipMarkers module is used to define time points in a media object, not clock values. Play using clipBegin Stop Play using clipBegin Stop

20 Multimedia & XML The Metainformation Module The purpose of metainformation module is to make the data better understandable for browsers. Using Metainformation Module is voluntary, but recommended. The Structure Module The Structure module provides the base elements for structuring SMIL content like, and. Transition Effects Module The Transition Effects Module makes it possible to make transtitions like fades and wipes in presentations.

21 Multimedia & XML Timing and Synchronization Module The most important module in SMIL. Defines tools and methods to synchronize presentation over time. SMIL supports tree different timing methods: element plays after previous has ended, one after one. is similar to, but this element doesn't specify any order. elements allow parallel media presentation, many elements played in same time.

22 Multimedia & XML The Time Manipulations Module Advanced time manipulation elements like REVERSE and SPEED All media types don't support all these methods - for example MPEG 1 video format

23 Multimedia & XML SMIL 3.0 in the future SMIL is an efficient language for synchronizing and timing different kind of media objects. It has hard competitors which have their own version of synchronizing multimedia (e.g. Flash and RealAudio). It needs support from big browser companies like Microsoft and Netscape to succeed. SMIL has although good chances to become more popular - its simplicity (only text-editor needed for making presentations) and XML-origin allows much better compatability compared to its competitors.