Introduction To Multimedia
Introduction To Multimedia
MULTIMEDIA TOOLS
AND APPLICATIONS
Julius Azasoo
Multimedia Tools and Applications
Foreword
The African Virtual University (AVU) is proud to participate in increasing access to education in
African countries through the production of quality learning materials. We are also proud to
contribute to global knowledge as our Open Educational Resources are mostly accessed from
outside the African continent.
This module was developed as part of a diploma and degree program in Applied Computer
Science, in collaboration with 18 African partner institutions from 16 countries. A total of 156
modules were developed or translated to ensure availability in English, French and Portuguese.
These modules have also been made available as open education resources (OER) on oer.avu.
org.
On behalf of the African Virtual University and our patron, our partner institutions, the African
Development Bank, I invite you to use this module in your institution, for your own education,
to share it as widely as possible and to participate actively in the AVU communities of practice
of your interest. We are committed to be on the frontline of developing and sharing Open
Educational Resources.
The African Virtual University (AVU) is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established
by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and
training through the innovative use of information communication technologies. A Charter,
establishing the AVU as an Intergovernmental Organization, has been signed so far by
nineteen (19) African Governments - Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania,
Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Ghana, Republic of Guinea, Burkina Faso,
Niger, South Sudan, Sudan, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia and Cape Verde.
The following institutions participated in the Applied Computer Science Program: (1) Université
d’Abomey Calavi in Benin; (2) Université de Ougagadougou in Burkina Faso; (3) Université
Lumière de Bujumbura in Burundi; (4) Université de Douala in Cameroon; (5) Université de
Nouakchott in Mauritania; (6) Université Gaston Berger in Senegal; (7) Université des Sciences,
des Techniques et Technologies de Bamako in Mali (8) Ghana Institute of Management and
Public Administration; (9) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana; (10)
Kenyatta University in Kenya; (11) Egerton University in Kenya; (12) Addis Ababa University in
Ethiopia (13) University of Rwanda; (14) University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania; (15) Universite
Abdou Moumouni de Niamey in Niger; (16) Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal; (17)
Universidade Pedagógica in Mozambique; and (18) The University of the Gambia in The
Gambia.
Bakary Diallo
The Rector
2
Production Credits
Author
Julius Azasoo
Peer Reviewer
Dessalegn Mequanint
Module Coordinator
Victor Odumuyiwa
Instructional Designers
Elizabeth Mbasu
Benta Ochola
Diana Tuel
Media Team
Sidney McGregor Michal Abigael Koyier
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Copyright Notice
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Supported By
4
Table of Contents
Foreword 2
Production Credits 3
Copyright Notice 4
Supported By 4
Course Overview 10
Units 11
Assessment 11
Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Unit Introduction 14
Unit Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Unit Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Unit Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Conclusion 19
Self-check 1.1 19
Conclusion 21
Self-check 1.2 22
Multimedia terminology 23
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
services 23
Reference Model 23
Conclusion 24
Self-check 1.3 24
Multimedia application 25
Conclusion 27
Evaluation 27
Unit Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Evaluation 28
Unit Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Unit Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Conclusion 32
authoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Conclusion 33
Conclusion 34
6
Tools of Authorship: Definition and Examples 35
Conclusion 37
Unit Assessment 37
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Unit Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Unit Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Multimedia project 41
Project Identification 41
Project Team 42
Conclusion 45
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Conclusion 48
Case Study. 48
Unit Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Unit Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Key features 51
Conclusion 53
Conclusion 55
Unit Assessment 56
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Evaluation 59
Unit Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Compression Fundamentals 61
Conclusion 66
Self-check 5.1 66
Image Formats 67
Conclusion 67
Audio 68
Psychoacoustics 68
Conclusion 70
Digital video 70
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Conclusion 71
Unit Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Course Overview
Welcome to Multimedia tools and applications
The explosion of the Internet has increased the demand of multimedia content. The multimedia
applications become constituent parts of the activities on the Internet. Multimedia are media
that use various forms of information contents and information processing to communicate
concepts or ideas aimed at informing or entertaining the user (eg, text, audio , graphics,
animation, video, interactivity). The term also refers to digital technologies that are used to
create, manipulate, store and search information .
Prerequisites
Materials
• Multimedia Laboratory/Hardware
• Internet access
• Tools and software for multimedia content development
• Online resources
Course Goals
This course aims to equipping students with the knowledge and skills to carry out technical
and design activities relating to planning projects and multimedia applications systems, with
a view to creating solutions to information and communications. In this context, the concepts
of Multimedia will be addressed, the benefits of Multimedia applications, types Multimedia
applications, development stages in Multimedia projects, Multimedia tools as well as
compression and encoding technologies.
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Course Overview
Units
Unit 0: Introduction and Requirements
This unit introduces the course and discusses the requirements needed to achieve the
objectives of this course. It also presents the modules pre-assessment.
This unit introduces the students to the concepts of multimedia and examines the elements of
multimedia. It concludes by enumerating some multimedia development applications.
This unit explores the categories of multimedia authoring tools and describes the hypermedia
authoring with emphasis on Internet as a hypermedia authoring tool.
In this unit, the steps involved in multimedia project management is explored with the aim of
equipping the student to create multimedia project.
The various screen models for multimedia presentations are examined here.
The categories of multimedia users are presented here. The unit compares the various
categories of multimedia users.
Unit 6 : Compression and encoding techniques and methods for multimedia information
Compression techniques in audio, image, animation and video were explored. The operating
principles of methods and compression standard for multimedia information is presented here.
Assessment
Formative assessments, used to check learner progress, are included in each unit.
Summative assessments, such as final tests and assignments, are provided at the end of each
module and cover knowledge and skills from the entire module.
Summative assessments are administered at the discretion of the institution offering the course.
The suggested assessment plan is as follows:
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Schedule
Unit Activities
4. Multimedia applications
5. Assessment
5. Assessment
5. Assessment
4. Assessment
4. Assessment
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Course Overview
c. Audio
d. Video
5. Assessment
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Turning again to the dictionary, interactivity is defined as the process by which two people or
things work together to influencing each other. When we refer to the media on the computer
they are often described as the situations in which the concept of interaction appears. To give
the user an active role and to control the way information is received is key. This way you can
control the transfer of information and regulate its flow according to our abilities, interests,
requirements and availability.
In effect the ability to combine the various media into multimedia information, allows us to
communicate more information than we would have using the individual elements of the
multimedia. The Multimedia Tools and Applications module focuses on the introduction and
discussion of multimedia concepts associated multimedia technologies and their applications
for efficient utilization of content authoring tools in order to maximize its use in organizations.
Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this unit you should be able to:
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Unit 0. Introduction and Requirements
Key Terms
Interactivity: characteristic of multimedia systems that allows
users to control how and when the information is presented
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Unit 1: Fundamentals of
Multimedia
Unit Objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
Unit Introduction
In this unit, content include the introduction of the media, the types of multimedia information,
multimedia systems and the creation of media content. The Multimedia designates a
technological area that has been progressing very quickly. The development of systems
and interactive multimedia applications that take advantage of the media is essential to the
integration of technologies to communicate effectively in the context of the current Information
Society. The main objective of this book is to present a reasoned introduction, clear, accessible,
comprehensive and integrated concepts, methodologies and latest technologies that support
the development of multimedia applications and interactive hypermedia and multimedia
projects. The text presents a fluid method, the basics, including elementary concepts,
techniques and the most current illustrations.
Currently, new media information is emerging on the latest technologies, formats, tools and
multimedia applications for the Web and mobile devices. Interactive multimedia applications
such as games and game consoles, e-learning, e-books and e-zines, kiosks, augmented reality,
computer vision, interactive multi touch exteriors; interactive digital TV and 3D TV, mobile
applications on smartphones and tablets, optical media CD, DVD, Blu-ray and holographic.
Languages and scripting for the development of Web applications like AJAX, HTML 5, XML,
JavaScript, and CSS 3; Web 2.0 (social), Web 3.0 (semantic) and multimedia clouds. Methods
and hypermedia authoring tools like Flash and multimedia content such as photos, graphics,
digital audio and video.
“All communication technologies are undergoing a junction metamorphosis that can only be
understood fully if they are addressed in an integrated way,” Nicholas Negroponte, 1979.
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Contextualization concept
• Media Market
• Multimedia Product
• Multimedia Application
• Media Service
• Multimedia Technology
• Multimedia Platform
• Multimedia Card
• Media Storage Device
• Media Network
Key Terms
Mass media - Identifies the various intermediaries
between producers and the information consumers
(EUA 1923); It includes media such as (radio, television,
press)
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
According to Nuno Ribeiro (2004), Fluckiger (1995), Multimedia means the combination,
controlled by computer, text, graphics, images, video, audio, animation, and any other means
by which the information can be represented, stored, transmitted and processed in digital
form, in which there is at least one type of cold media (text, graphics or pictures) and a type of
dynamic media (Video, Audio or Animation).
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
We can consequently conclude that the concept of multimedia met four stages / different
times.
Conclusion
The Activity “Multimedia Fundamentals”, contains the introduction to Multimedia, its context
and Interactive Technologies, reference to new technologies, new content authoring tools and
multimedia applications and new areas of use of multimedia technologies.
Self-check 1.1
Based on the above, come up with a new definition of multimedia
What types of media is associated with the file extensions .txt, .rtf, .avi, .png, .bmp, and .au?
That application is performed by the Windows operating system, when you click a PDF
document. How do you change this setting?
Search the Internet for information about the media type applications: vnd.ms-PowerPoint and
video / mpeg. Does it fit into our definition of multimedia?
Types of Media
The systems and multimedia applications combine the following types of medium.
1. Text
2. Graphics
6. Audio (sound)
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
• Plain Text - plain text generated by text editors; does not allow different fonts or
styles; only the characters;
• Rich Text - enriched text produced by word processors; They have different fonts,
colors, styles, etc. (Used in newspapers, magazines);
• HyperText - text with links to other documents.
• graphics - vector data (points, lines, circles, squares, etc.); Used in logos, icons,
etc.
• Images - are bitmaps; maps are given by a certain width and height in points
(resolution).
All these media represented in digital form, are distinguished from each other by
interpretation given their binary digits, since it varies depending on the nature of the
presentation.
scanning
It is produced directly on the computer using designated technical animation rendering. E.g. is
computer animation movie (Shrek, Nemo, Ice Age, etc.).
Synthesizing
Digital animation
• the digital animation sequences differs from the digital video especially for its
representation.
• in the digital animation is no information on the displacement or deformation of
graphic objects.
• the digital video is only in bitmap image sequences.
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Digital Audio
Analogy between the media used in multimedia documents and corresponding in conventional
documents
• Captured- imminent from the real world (images, video and audio).
• Synthesized-prepared by a computer (text, graphics, animation).
• Static time-independent - (discrete or ditinct), involves only the spatial dimension.
• Dynamic - continuous playback (continuous or temporal), the time part of its
semantics, media static, discrete or space.
• only they have the spatial and not temporal; time is not part of its semantics.
• time-independent information elements.
• may vary as regards its dimension in the space, for example the size.
Media dynamic.
Conclusion
In this subunit, types of Multimedia Information was examined, enumerated the various types
of media and according to their respective timeline. Your rating, depending on the nature and
origin, with concrete examples was one of the concerns of this activity.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Self-check 1.2
Produce a plain text and a rich text document
With Paint create a rectangle, a circle and a triangle in the same document
What types of media is associated with the file extension .txt, .rtf, .avi, .png, .bmp, and .au
That application is performed by the Windows operating system when you click a PDF
document. How is the settings changed?
Search the Internet for information about the media type application / vnd.ms-PowerPoint and
video / mpeg. Does it fit into our definition of multimedia?
Hypermedia application
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Multimedia terminology
Media Market - set of sectors in which it negotiates multimedia products or services
Multimedia product - commercial packages that supports a multimedia application (e.g. Flash,
multimedia authoring package).
Multimedia application - program that controls the user information presentation using
multimedia services (e.g. multimedia game, is a multimedia application that controls graphics,
sound, image, video ... and that allows the user to interact with the application).
Multimedia service - refers to a function or set of functions that support the provision of a
service to the end user through the multimedia application; (In the case of game services to
locate and provide access to information).
Multimedia Technology – refers to a set of specific technology areas that support the
development of multimedia services. (E.g. audio compression techniques, video and images).
Multimedia Card - hardware that performs multimedia functions; (E.g. video capture card that
converts analog video to digital video).
Multimedia storage devices - digital storage devices that suit the multimedia data; (E.g. DVD-
ROM, CD-ROM, etc.).
Reference Model
The technological areas of multimedia systems are:
Applications and Multimedia Content - higher level (closer to the user); It includes content
creation and user interaction with applications.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Conclusion
In Activity 3: We learnt about Multimedia Systems Features addressing to the Multimedia
Systems in all its aspects. The multimedia’s terminologies, classification of multimedia systems
and technologies for multimedia reference model were described and explained, using the
examples of multimedia content.
Self-check 1.3
What do we mean by a multimedia system and state the two technologies that create the
conditions for the success of these systems.
Mention what characterizes a local multimedia application and what tools you need to develop
such an application.
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
There are many multimedia applications that are evolving. It has internet technologies
like streaming media and podcasting programs that incorporate numerous potential
trajectories. The World Wide Web shows that there is a vast area for technologies that support
interpersonal connectivity and business services. The base technology to provide sophisticated
media consumers is that it ripens quickly. The available multimedia services are very varied.
These can be SMS, MMS, streaming media, podcasting, audio, video, video calls.
Hypermedia (hypertext + multimedia) is a concept for the presentation, access, structure and
multimedia documentation storage. It is an application of the concept of hypertext multimedia
documents. Hypertext is text with links. Hypertext documents are not strictly sequential. It
can contain links, i.e., references to other parts of the same document or other documents.
The links are pointers are between documents which contain all the necessary information
to access the target document. A hypermedia document is composed of interconnected
parts that can be any combination of text, graphics, images, sound and moving images. A
hypermedia document must also describe the timing relationships between the various parties.
The documents are not necessarily stored on the local system. When a link is activated, the
document can come from other external system that can be anywhere in the world. Most
interactive multimedia titles are distributed on CD-ROM or CD-I using hypermedia techniques
to create an internal logical structure with sufficient flexibility to provide good interactivity and
most of the multimedia documents available on servers and accessible via the network, use
hypermedia structures.
Multimedia application
First of all, it is important to distinguish between Multimedia Applications and Use Areas of
Multimedia Technologies.
For Antonio Manuel Dias (2010), Multimedia application can be understood as an application
or software which controls the representation of various types of media content, or the software
that performs the combination and reproduction of various media types. Examples: interactive
games, virtual reality applications, e-books, training applications and education.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
The multimedia applications should include more than mere composition of an arbitrary set of
medium. They must comply with the following:
A multimedia application is not necessarily multimodal because it can involve only one
direction. An application to submit text, images and digital video fits the definition of
multimedia, but is not multimodal (only stimulates vision). A multimedia application that
presents text, image and audio is also multimodal because it stimulates two senses: sight and
hearing.
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Unit 1: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Conclusion
When we speak of Multimedia Applications, it refers to a communication directed to the
specific objectives of each situation and must be created in a personalized and interactive
manner, creating a unique experience for each user, whether an internal or external customer
and has always feel involved and motivated. For example the interactive games are a great
tool in motivating teams or product development. The Multimedia Applications are part of
our lives, on your computer, on your smartphone or tablet, thus, it is one of the best ways to
communicate.
Evaluation
The Media can be used when there is information to be transmitted. The use of multimedia
facilitates the transmission of information and improves the retention of information for the end
user. This communication approach based on technology, is currently across the Various sectors
of society, namely:
In this unit, the student learnt the multimedia fundamentals, concepts, types of media, systems
and multimedia applications without forgetting the challenges of this important area which is
currently one of the technological areas that you have monetized in terms of market / value.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Unit Assessment
Check your understanding!
Evaluation
Heading Marks
4. Chapman, Nigel and Chapman, Jeny - Digital Multimedia. 1st Edition New
York: While, 2000. ISBN: 0-471-98386-1 (Chapter 1).
[1] Multimedia and Interactive Technologies, 5th Edition Updated and Enhanced Available
from:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232683588_Multimedia_e_Tecnologias_
Interactivas_5_Edicao_Atualizada_e_Aumentada [Accessed Feb 23, 2016].
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Unit 2: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Unit 2: Fundamentals of
Multimedia
Unit Objectives
Unit Introduction
Today, with the advent of information and communication technologies within contemporary
society, information has an importance, an important factor and increasingly indispensable for
social and cultural development, making them increasingly ubiquitous in our daily lives.
These technologies (understood also by tools), each with a particular purpose, are increasingly
being used within the targeted schools and environments to education and transfer of
knowledge. Professionals increasingly trained to use these tools appear momentarily every
day, allowing for interactive use to teach and learn with more ease and relaxation. These tools
use different media to enrich the entire material, and educational support quality students and
teachers, who have a new way of teaching, bypassing the traditional linear method that was
widely used until the end of the last century. The development of multimedia applications is
a software process that is generally referred to as authoring. Multimedia authoring tools are
programs (software) that enable users to develop interactive multimedia programs. This unit
contains the study of the tools used for authoring multimedia programs.
The development of multimedia applications requires two types of software: programs for the
creation of various types of content (systems and content authoring tools) and programs for
their integration (multimedia authoring tool).
2. Presentation.
3. Interaction as a user.
The representation of information in digital form has thus an important role in the realization of
multimedia systems.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
• An image
• Sound
• Text.
• Digital signals are less sensitive to noise transmission than analog signals.
• The signal regeneration process is much simpler.
• Both the detection and correction of transmission errors can be eliminated more
easily.
• The encoding or encryption which ensures the confidentiality of information
exchange is lowered.
Digital signals
Sequences values encoded in binary format, depending on the time or the space resulting
from the conversion of an analog signal. Has> signal quality and <storage cost and processing
time discrete values (batch).
these signals correspond to physical measurements that vary with time and / or space functions
being represented by the following types:
Analog signals
Corresponding to a physical value which varies continuously in time and / or space. They are
continuous functions and defined in any instant.
Scanning
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Unit 2: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Disadvantages
Interactivity
The machines that allow the user to make a request or select an option and logically respond
to this action by providing information or other services are called interactive. In essence,
interactivity understands the various ways in which it allows the human being is related to the
information, and this relationship mediated by computer.
1. Passive mode
linear presentations where the nature and sequence of information follows a predefined
schedule; User can stop, or make small local adjustments (brightness, saturation, volume, etc.).
2. Interactive mode
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Conclusion
Digital representation or binary information is the most important feature of the multimedia
system. It is the aspect that allows you to use the computer as a symbolic processor, as the
dynamic and static media are represented digitally in order to be combined in a multimedia
application. Thus, it is necessary to understand how the represented information, to
understand the operation of a multimedia system or application. These systems process the
information about the type of software that operates.
Self-check 2.1
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of scanning the media?
Name two advantages and one disadvantage of scanning, the underlying digital media
systems increasingly used across the board.
• Content Authoring Systems - programs that let you create and edit the various
individual average; They are specialized in handling the particular characteristics
of the various media.
• Authoring Multimedia Systems - programs that allow you to perform the
integration and combination of various media, arranging them in space and time,
creating a multimedia presentation;
Phases of Multimedia Authoring
2. Conception and Design: itemize media types to use, how to combine and
navigation options that are relevant. produces is an application script.
3. Production: create content through the content authoring tools and using
the script created in the previous phase.
4. Testing: If correct errors and verify whether the objectives for the applications
have been achieved, if it works in the target platforms and meets user
requirements.
5. Distribution
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Unit 2: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Conclusion
The purpose of this activity lies primarily in passing a clear idea that talk of authoring and
multimedia projects is talking about the same thing, however, involving different authoring
systems. Multimedia project phases will be developed in a specific unit, taking into account
its importance in the development of applications and multimedia products. One of the basic
procedures of an audit system development process relates to the identification of assessment
criteria to apply. These parameters will also be developed on a stand-alone unit.
Some of the challenges in the design of a multimedia application including video relate to the
enormous wealth of this type of information has a spatio-temporal dimension - for example,
the perception of its content and the links and / or video in relation to where and when the
links are active, among other things. In the context of a multimedia application for e-learning,
with the following characteristics: a) Identify three aspects of perception of links that must be
safeguarded. b) sample two ways to increase this perception in each of the three aspects. Refer
briefly the advantages of each.
In the context of developing a multimedia project, what stage of Authorship Multimedia details
the types of media to be used?
Some of the challenges in the design of a multimedia application including video relate to the
enormous wealth of this type of information has a spatio-temporal dimension - for example,
the perception of its content and the links and / or video in relation to where and when the
links are active, among other things. In the context of a multimedia application for e-learning,
with the following characteristics:
b) sample two ways to increase this perception in each of the three aspects. Refer briefly the
advantages of each.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Microsoft Word
Adobe Premiere
Sound Forge
Autodesk 3D Studio
Conclusion
The content authoring tools enable the creation of media product. These are in metaphors
such as stages and books, where it has a stage where there actions or pages where the
information is located.
Self-check 2.3
Explain the concept of content and tool authoring tool. Give three examples and a short
description of each.
What characterizes and distinguishes the content authoring tools? Give two examples and a
brief description of each.
Closed Applications - Closed applications are typically used to create material such as sound
editors, music, images and animation. They are easy to understand tools for presenting
graphical interface easy to learn, allowing the developers get it high productivity quickly.
Programming Languages - These tools are based on programming languages, where the
application elements are built and modified using specially written for each software product.
Programming languages give the developer more flexibility in the creation, but it requires a
thorough training, a better understanding of the underlying theory, programming techniques
and programming environment used.
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Unit 2: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Linear titles authoring tools allow presentations with hand advances such as those used in
lectures, or with automatic advances determining the sequential time, as in exhibitions. Among
the most used are the Microsoft PowerPoint, guided by slides and Exchange Acrobat, Adobe,
driven by online documents.
The hypermedia title authoring tools to add multimedia material integration features non-linear
navigation features, characteristic of hypertext. Hypertext provides the user through the text of
non-sequentially, following the path that suits you and not what is indicated. Among the most
used are the Director3 Macromedia.
Authoring Style: Can be interactive or scheduled, ie, the tool uses a visual language where
the programmer creates the title by drawing its components interactively, or textual where the
programmer creates the title writing instruction in a program to set formatting and navigation
product.
Operation Mode: Run mode or Edit mode. The authoring tools typically have a version
for editing titles, which is used by the programmer in the creation and maintenance of the
securities, and a version for reading the titles, which is used by the end user. Thus, the ideal is
that the authoring tool has both versions because the version for reading is key to facilitating
the distribution of the legal title to which all users can view it.
Data exchange capacity: It is very important that the authoring tool supports major formats and
types of media on the market and allow the import of these formats to be added to the title.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
These tools have their construction-based drawing tools and form, using a simple programming
language. Some examples are the Toolbook4 of Asymetrix and Visual Basic5, Microsoft.
2.2. Multimedia Applications authored: The multimedia application authoring is based on the
development of software products. These applications have interactive graphical interfaces,
real-time and its construction is necessary software engineering techniques
3. Sites of Authorship (sites): In an overview, the authorship of sites, or sites as they are widely
known, has tied to it hypertext (interactive text), graphics (images) and multimedia (audio and
video). It is divided into Sites Authored Dynamic and Static.
closed Tools: easy to use (user friendly) and used for the production and editing material, e.g.
Microsoft Word.
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Unit 2: Fundamentals of Multimedia
Conclusion
Currently, some tools have multimedia programming options for use internally in the
construction of products. The lines separating the type of multimedia tool are very thin. The
definition may depend on the context and objectives.
The building multimedia products with use in programming languages is a complex task
and requires advanced programming skills as well as the operating environment where the
multimedia product runs, that is, operating system, networking, etc. However, the construction
of sophisticated multimedia products can also be made with authoring tools called that
offer an intermediate solution between the closed applications and programming languages
because they allow direct manipulation of menus, toolboxes controls and even offer resources
programming in the form of scripting languages. An advantage of this type of tool is that even
allows integration with modules (.dll, .jar) built with other programming languages.
Self-check 2.4
Explain the concept of multimedia and tool authoring tool. Give three examples and a short
description of each.
What characterizes and distinguishes the multimedia authoring tools? Give two examples and a
brief description of each.
Summary
This unit describes the Multimedia Authoring in society, highlighting its importance in various
media and professional areas such as aid organizations and for various purposes. Through
examples of each tool discussed, describes the multimedia and multimedia authoring tools
have become an ally of organizations, making communication between customers, suppliers,
teachers, students, and other players of interactivity.
Unit Assessment
Check your understanding!
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Evaluation
Heading Marks
Readings and other features of this unit are in Readings and Other Travel
Resources list.
4. Chapman, Nigel and Chapman, Jeny - Digital Multimedia. 1st Edition New
York: While, 2000. ISBN: 0-471-98386-1 (Chapter 2).
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
Unit Introduction
To develop multimedia applications is necessary in order to define a set of criteria to ensure
that the applications comply with the objectives outlined. This unit introduces you to the life
cycle of a multimedia application.
“A project is a non-repetitive work, planned and carried out according to specifications made in
accordance with certain technical specifications, and cost objectives, investments and certain,
cost objectives, pre-defined investment and deadlines. A project can also be explained as a
pre-defined period. It also defines a project as a considerable amount of work and complexity,
which is held with the participation of various departments of a company and possibly with the
collaboration of the 3rd company and eventually with third party collaboration” Brown Boveri.
The start of the project is to identify and formalize the recognition of the need for the project
and the respective allocation of resources. Organizations exist to generate revenue or to serve
the public. To remain competitive, organizations must evaluate its competition and customers,
systematically looking for new forms of business and more efficient processes to act in order to
be preferred by customers. [1] It is usually said that the projects are started due to 6 different
types of needs:
1. Market Need - When for example a producer of dairy products is aware that there is a
growing demand for products with low fat and low salt. He looks to his offering of such
products and can decide to start a project to expand its product portfolio with these
characteristics, or may be considered to have the products necessary to meet this market
segment, but needs to adapt production lines to the potential increase in demand.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
2. Business Need - When for example following the results of a survey on customer satisfaction
senses organization that needs to reformulate its customer service center in order to reduce
the waiting time and reduce to 5% withdrawal in contact attempts.
4. Technological progress - technological changes, for example the growing success of PDAs,
will lead the business development of software to change the profile of knowledge and its
products. In the case of the Portuguese banking system, the success of PDA’s and Smartphones
has led all banks to develop banking specific internet applications for these platforms.
5. Legal requirement - Changes in legal requirements are becoming more frequent and in
certain highly regulated activity sectors represent a large share of ongoing projects. The
adequacy of billing processes and accounting to European standards or issues related to
food quality requirements and consumer information are examples of areas where legal
requirements have evolved rapidly.
6. Social Need - The last question referred by PMI to initiate a project is related to the
emergence of social needs. For example the danger of an outbreak of influenza associated
with a more aggressive than usual viruses led European governments to prepare a massive
vaccination plan.
The projects are the ideal vehicle to convert new ideas into concrete actions, so the product life
cycle and project are intertwined.
What is a project?
There are several project settings. “A design can be defined as a sequence of activities or
events having defined start and end driven by persons who are intended to achieve a certain
goal within cost parameters, time, resources and quality.”
“A project is a finite activity whose goal is to deliver a single product. Something has finite
order, i.e. a project does not last forever and must deliver a unique product. “Frederico
Azevedo Spider
“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken with the goal of creating a product or a specific
service” Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), PMI
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
Multimedia project
Multimedia products are common in education and education system these days. An
application or program and based on the media always has a variety of sources of information
(media type information) for its operation. There are sufficient settings for multimedia and
multimedia education because it is very difficult to find consensus among various theorists.
Schwier and Misanchuk (1993) provide a definition compatible with a project that focuses on
the process and not the hardware, that as a requirement for the operation of the program. It
can be understood as a set of activities that allow you to plan, design, produce and test an
interactive multimedia application.
Project Identification
Project’s goal
S - Specific (Specific)
M - Measurable (Measurable)
A - Attainable (Achievable)
R - Realistic (Realistic)
T - Time-related
The projects can be classified in different ways for different purposes: By area of activity;
dimension; risk, etc. There are, however, two attributes that warrant particular relevance.
A number of aspects should be taken into consideration when carrying out a project with
resources to multimedia technologies. This is to ensure the success and implementation of the
project, positively taking advantage of multimedia resources.
Integrate the different user media such as text with graphics and sound (synchronization).
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Test early, test often and take into account the project reviewers (test).
Finally, check the project one last time (recapitulate and learn!).
Success factors Multimedia projects (The Standish Group, “Extreme CHAOS” (2001))
Project Team
• the project team includes the project manager and the group of individuals acting
together in the project work execution to achieve its goals.
• This team is composed of people from different groups (different units of the
organization) and knowledge or specific skills for project execution.
Will they share many characteristics? (What are these?) Were they varied widely? Describe a
typical user (describe two, if your audience has extremes).
• Previous experience
with other software, with other hardware, over the network as part of the training class.
• Special markets:
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
International considerations (and for Which countries) disability Audiences (and for Which
disabilities).
How much space do you have to work with? (High-density disk? hard disk? what size?
time developers, graphic designers, sound composers, other money machines and equipment.
What is the specific purpose of your Project Given the subject matter’s scope, size, space
limitations, and your development resources of time, people and money? Be detailed and
explicit.
• To the user, will the project be identifiable as SuperCard? Will the Project’s bear a
resemblance to the Macintosh interface? Will it simulate another kind of software
for training purposes? Will it have a completely unique look?
• Is there an overall real-world metaphor that describes the project? List the things
your Project can do.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
look at that list; is there some real-world object that can also do those things? (Examples: Slide
projector, movie, and television with channels, supermarket, and bank).
In any project, the documentation is always very important. This serves as a record for future
projects. There are two types of (main) documentation:
• Project documentation
• User Documentation
The project documentation applies to all information on the development of the project,
including costs, risks, project management process groups and all other requirements,
functional and non-functional. Some important information that should be included in the user
documentation is presented below.
The documentation is quite critical to the end-user multimedia content. In developing the
documentation of multimedia applications, the following information must be accurate:
This information can be provided to the user in the Read Me file format, which is a read-
only document and very specific and contained in the application itself. The alternative is to
develop a printed User’s Guide with information for the user or link to the User Guide page.
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
Conclusion
This activity make a literature review on the various project management approaches, and the
identification feature of the projects and its most important aspects. The nature, the focus is on
multimedia projects. When developing a multimedia project, its authors and managers should
look for a set of elements - critical, aiming to reach the end and project success.
Self-check 3.1
Justify your choice, featuring the resulting product or service and the nature of the work
required
• Initial Process
• Process Planning
• Running Processes
• Monitoring and Process Control
• Closing Process (includes acceptance processes)
Sessions of brainstorming, sorting ideas and topics, schedule tasks, skills and resource
planning, cost estimation. It is produced by the project plan.
Planning the necessary skills (writing, graphic, music publishing, video production and
animation); plan tasks and estimate the time (PERT and Gantt charts); prepare budget; plan
creative graphics and navigation method and structure for the application; create a prototype.
Determine clearly “what story you want to tell.”
2. Design
application design, detailing navigation schemes, content and compositions. Produce the
script of the application and a prototype. Create script that clearly defines:
2.1. Design of multimedia structure - navigation scheme): create navigation map that
illustrates the links between each page (linear structure, hierarchical, non-linear and composed
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
2.2. Design of the multimedia application screens - with the contents to be displayed
and its format and quality: create storyboards detailing each content to use, its location and
the interactive elements that facilitate navigation and attributes of each content such as setting,
format, etc.
2.3. User interface design - which results from the combination of content and interactive
elements that implement the navigation scheme: simple and accessible interfaces, based on
known user elements.
1. Command Line
2. Menus
3. Natural Language
5. Form filling
Production
3.1. Alpha Cycle - Full implementation of the application script, starting authoring of content
and the application.
3.2. Beta cycle - Process all necessary changes in functionality, content and user interface and
final version of the application script.
Priorities of errors:
2. Bug Dark
3. Correction Difficulty
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
3. Compatibility Test
In fact there is no dichotomy agile versus structured methods. What exists is a range of
methods ranging from the more structured, such as PMBOK, to the more nimble, like SCRUM.
Instead of an alternative, agile methods are another tool available to project managers who
know how to use them, and that is very useful if used in the right projects with the right project
team and clients and / or organizations are open to such use. [2]
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Conclusion
This activity treated the wrapped outlines of multimedia project management. According
to IPM - PMBOX, processes and phases they entail and above the skills and knowledge
that all projects holds, should be uniform. But the management of Multimedia Projects has
peculiarities in relation to other projects related to the area of Information Technology. For
example, the technical design and distribution assume important roles for the multi-media
products as par excellence, interactive content.
Self-check 3.2
From the list of the phases of the project, what is the process / priority face group?
Choose a design development phase of your choice. Summarize it, using the examples of
multimedia applications.
Summary
In the previous unit we went through the entire multimedia authoring, i.e., the multimedia
application development process, specifying and combining contents, creating links between
contents, involving software contents and multimedia authoring systems. But the development
of these applications and other multimedia-oriented initiatives should be based on good
computer / multimedia projects development practices. Hence, the need to look into, how
to identify a project, which is a media project, its phases that constitute it (goal setting, script
production, content creation and its necessary integration, detection and error correction
and, finally, their distribution), the most relevant aspects to be taken into account and the
multimedia project development guide and, not least, the project team.
In short, in this unit, the student learns to plan a project of a multimedia application, identify
the type of responsibilities allocated to each working group to implement an interactive
multimedia design, allowing the application and integration of various elements of multimedia
matrix already studied (text, video, audio, animation, graphics and image).
Case Study.
Go to this link: https://brasil.pmi.org/brazil/KnowledgeCenter/~/
1 - Enter the main objective of the SMART way Project (Specific Measurable, Attainable,
Realistic, and Time-Related).
2 - Analyze the benefits and the risks assumed by VW Mexico as “winner” pain project.
3 - Who is (a) responsible for the success of the project and what kind of change is achieved
with the project?
According to [3] PMBOK (PMI), project management can be structured according to five
process groups (Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring and Control; Clasp). Analyze the
critical point of view, each of this process within the project developed by VW Mexico.
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Unit 3: Design and Development of Multimedia Projects / Project Documentation
Evaluation
Heading Marks
1. Chapman, Nigel and Chapman, Jeny - Digital Multimedia. 1st Edition New
York: While, 2000. ISBN: 0-471-98386-1 (Chapter 2).
[2] http://pm2all.blogspot.co.ke/search?q=metodologias+de+gest%C3%A3o+de+projetos
accessed on 25 February 2016.
[3] The Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide is a set of practices in project
management organized by the PMI Institute and is considered the basis of knowledge of
project management for professionals.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Unit Introduction
This unit is aimed at a professional character of preparation, allowing students know the various
approaches related to multimedia authorship.
The multimedia authoring templates determine the starting point for organizing the contents. It
is possible to focus on the development around the space layout, using the hypermedia model,
or from the temporal organization of the contents, using in this case, the model based on the
synchronization.
There are two distinct models for the composition of media content, namely:
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Unit 4: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Key features
draws on traditional models based on Paper (books, magazines), focusing the organization of
content on a two-dimensional space-based (2D).
Can be structured so as to allow navigation hyperlinks (these multimedia applications are called
hypermedia e.g. WWW);
The use of scripts allows you to temporal organization. It is possible that the author develop
small programs that trigger actions such as the passage of a certain time, the end of a video
stream, etc.
4.1.1. Paradigm based on pages and scripting languages: development of screens or cards
that have predefined interactive behaviors and use scripting languages to add other types of
interactivity that are not defined (Toolbox Instructor / HyperCard); suitable for sequential or
websites presentations.
Express screens and interactivity through icons (representing actions and content compositions)
and icons of interconnection diagrams (representing the flow of information);
• As soon as the project structure is set passes to the addition of content (text,
images, audio, etc.), enables refine the application by editing and modifying its
logical structure as well as changing the properties of each icon.
• Accelerate application development so more oriented towards rapid prototyping
and to develop smaller projects.
• Its disadvantage is that the application execution is slower as each interaction
brings with it all possible permutations.
• Centralizes the authoring process in the development of screens (cards) that have
pre-defined interactive behaviors and use script language to add interactivity.
• Suitable for applications involving intensive navigation by an information space
and hypermedia applications or websites;
• The content and interactive elements are arranged in p. books or a pile of
cargoes. It is therefore more suitable for applications in which the content is
presented in a sequence.
• The drawback is imposed by the page’s structure.
• Allows you to define buttons or icons to jump to any page of a sequence (through
scripts that combine a set of behaviors whenever the user interacts).
• Examples: Macromedia Author ware, HyperCard, Tool book Instructor
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
4.1.2. Paradigm based on icons and flow control: Express screens and interactivity through
icons that represent actions and content compositions and icons of interconnection diagrams
for the presentation flow control (Macromedia Author ware, Icon Author, Quest).
4.1.3. Paradigm based on languages marks for hypermedia: is based on insertion of tags in text
files (HTML).
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Unit 4: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Conclusion
As the paradigms is associated with the model based on screens, it is clear that these tend
to accelerate the development of multimedia applications. All of these paradigms (paradigm
of hierarchical objects, Paradigm based on languages marks for hypermedia, Paradigm
icon-based and flow control and paradigm based on pages and scripting languages) are
inspired by the traditional medium paper-based, focusing the organization content in a space
infrastructure. The screens are content containers. For medium-sized dynamic, you can add
interactive elements (buttons, icons). The screens may be combined so as to allow navigation
by using the link mechanism (hypermedia systems).
Self-check 4.1
Consider the model authoring screen / page. What characterizes this model?
Consider the model authoring screen / page. In this model, which characterizes the paradigms
iconic authoring / flow control mark and languages for hypermedia? Take an example of a tool
each.
Main features:
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
2.1 Paradigm cast / score / scripting: it is based on the metaphor of producing a film in which
actors have (cast, multimedia content) and a script (score) that is organized along a timeline.
2.2 Paradigm based on brands languages: it is based on the creation of text files with tag (tags)
to synchronize the media along a timeline; using the SMIL language, which is an international
standard, is an XML document.
Paradigm based on Brand Language for the Time Synchronization - SMIL is defined as a type
of XML document:
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Unit 4: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Conclusion
Regarding the models and paradigms for Multimedia Authoring, those beam in sync content
inspired by the model used in the production of films, taking the time as a fundamental
principle for the organization of content. They make the content composition based on time.
Several elements arranged along a timeline, with a sequence similar to a slide show, allowing:
add transitions, combine contents in parallel, synchronizing elements and add interactivity
using scripts.
Self-check 4.2
Consider the temporal synchronization of authorship model. What characterizes this model?
Consider the temporal synchronization of authorship model. In this model, which features the
authoring paradigms cast / score / scripting languages and marks for time synchronization?
Take an example of a tool each.
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Summary
The Associated paradigm of the model based on the synchronization of content / time and the
paradigm Associated with screen-based model allows the definition of spatial compositions
and time but in different perspectives and support levels are distinguished only by the principle
of leaving for the organization content:
• Model based on eras of the spatial layout and lack the temporal organization that
is compensated by the use of scripts;
• Model-based synchronization temporally part of the temporal arrangement of
content and lack the spatial organization which must be added by the author.
Both paradigms allow you to add interactivity scripts. A number of variants which define
different paradigms or metaphors (authoring paradigms) for each model paradigms of
authorship, designates the specific method or approach provided by a given multimedia
authoring tool for the combination and arrangement of media content) .
Unit Assessment
Check your understanding!
Questions
<Seq>
<Switch>
</ Switch>
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Unit 4: Paradigms and Models of authorships
<Excl id = “videos”>
begin = “btn_b.activeEvent”>
</ Video>
</ Excl>
</ Par>
</ Seq>
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
<Par>
<Seq>
<Img src = “img2.jpg” region = “to” begin = “2s” dur = “5s” />
<Seq>
</ Video>
<Switch>
</ Switch>
</ Par>
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Unit 4: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Evaluation
Heading Marks
1. Chapman, Nigel and Chapman, Jeny - Digital Multimedia. 1st Edition New
York: While, 2000. ISBN: 0-471-98386-1 (Chapter 2).
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
• Understand the digital representation of the image, audio and video formats
• List the Modes and Compression Categories
• Use the Data Compression Techniques
• Explain the Techniques of Entropy Coding
• Explain the Technique of suppressing repetitive sequences
Unit Introduction
The coding and representation of multimedia information technology is a growing area.
Multimedia applications combine content belonging to types of digital information
heterogeneous nature (also known as media types), including text, vector graphics, bitmap
images, digital video, digital audio and animation (Ribeiro, 2004 ). In recent years, encode
format and representation of these types of media information have evolved in terms of
techniques which use to allow the respective use in multimedia applications. Many of these
formats have also given rise to international standards.
When considering the use of multimedia information types it is necessary to consider the
storage resources and / or bandwidth that will be consumed, since both are treated finite and
limited resources. Thus, the use of medium types such as audio and video requires, first, that
the information is compressed, and, on the other, which is preserved as much as possible
the quality of the original information, that is, causing the information that is lost during the
compression process is one that is irrelevant of the human user’s point of view (Ribeiro & Torres,
2009).
To better understand the need for multimedia information compression methods examine the
following examples.
Consider first the amount of data contained in a bitmap image corresponding to a video frame
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
2004). For example, to store an image with a resolution of 768 × 576 pixels
(VGA) and a color depth of 24 bits per pixel (RGB coding with 8 bits per component) need
about 1,296 Kbytes, i.e. 1,265 Mbytes since:
If we consider that each of these images is effectively a frame of a digital video sequence PAL,
you can determine the bandwidth required to transmit a continuous stream of these video
frames at 25 FPS on a network as and 253.125 Mbit / s, already what:
If we consider the storage requirements for this digital video sequence full PAL, for example a
DVD-ROM (capacity 4,377 Gigabytes), you can determine that an optical disc would store only
141.65 second from this video sequence (approximately 2 minutes), since:
Thus, using a magnetic hard drive, and assuming that this digital video sequence corresponds
to a movie with 90 minutes, you can determine which would need 166 Gigabytes of disk
storage space to store this movie because:
These calculations can easily be repeated to determine the storage and bandwidth consumed
by other types of media. For example, if we consider the scanning of a photograph of 35 mm
color via a scanner with an average resolution of 2000 × 2000, this corresponds to retain only
4 million of the 20 million pixels constituting the original analog photography. This scan results
in generation of a file of approximately 10 Mbytes. Clearly, if scanning resolution is increased,
any 35mm photography can easily take 50 Mbytes of storage space. This is true, for example,
in medical applications used in a hospital where there is a need to store and available for
consultation tens of millions of X-ray scanning (Fluckiger, 1995).
From the above, it is clear the need to reduce the amount of data involved in digital audio
playback, bitmap images or digital video. In this context, information compression allows:
It is therefore possible to conclude that the compression is presented as the only available
way to achieve store, provide and transmit large amounts of multimedia data required by, for
example, to allow manipulating and displaying digital video on a PC.
Compression Fundamentals
• compression
• When only eliminate the redundancy of a signal
• No loss of information
• Lossless compression
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
• Can be used for any signal, but are generally used in text or binary files
Compression:
Data compression refers to a process by which converts an input stream of data (original data
stream) into another data stream containing compressed data occupying less storage space. In
this context, a data stream may be either a file as a memory buffer. When decompressing the
stream of compressed data, yields an output data stream, which is decompressed and may or
may not be identical to the data contained in the original data stream as it is a compression
technique lossless or losses, as discussed below. Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of
a generic compression scheme. The compression schemes can also be designated by
compression techniques.
The compression ratio is a quantity which can be obtained in various ways (Salomon, 2004).
In terms of the compression ratio which provides the compression ratio is a quantity which can
be obtained in various ways (Salomon, 2004). However, the most common form of compression
ratio obtained by dividing the storage space occupied by the original data stream through the
space consumed by the compressed data stream or codes (Bhaskaran & Konstantinides, 1997):
Being “Input B” the number of bits corresponding to the original data stream (before
compression), and “output B” the number of bits corresponding to the compressed data
stream
(Code), it can be seen that the greater the value of the compression ratio, the shorter the
length of the data stream compressed, that is, the lower the storage space consumed by the
data flow tablets, or the smaller the width bandwidth required for transmission on a computer
network.
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Examples:
These techniques are used for compression of textual data and numbers or compression
programs / applications, of course, should not undergo any change due to the compression
process.
However, it should be noted that in lossy compression, the fact that the decompressed
information is different from the original information does not necessarily imply that the
perception of the user is different. This essential aspect of the lossy compression techniques
will be detailed later and is associated with the particular characteristics of the human senses.
Independence of lossless
features compression
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It is important to note that one should not confuse the use of the term “coding” in the context
of compression with encryption performed as a stage of the scanning process (Ribeiro, 2004).
Similarly, it is important to note that the techniques of entropy and source encoding are not
mutually exclusive. This means that the formats and audio coding standards, image and video
generally use combinations of techniques of the two categories in order to obtain the highest
compression rate or ratio possible, which is the main goal of any compression technique.
In other words, the compression techniques based on entropy treat all data as bit sequences,
without trying to optimize the compression through the knowledge of the type of information
that is compressing. Therefore, we say that the compression techniques based on entropy
ignore the semantics of information to compress.
In addition, all entropy coding techniques always provide a lossless compression mode.
For example, consider the substitution of a series of successive 10 bytes, each with the value
zero (0), by a special character followed by the number 10, yielding for example <! 10>. This
is a typical example of an entropy encoding technique, since when performing this type of
operation are not make any assumption as to the significance of this set of successive zeros.
The entropy coding techniques can be further divided into three main types:
The technique of suppression of repetitive sequences is the first type of methods that will
analyze, since it is one of the simplest compression techniques and the oldest in Computer
Science. This technique is based on producing fixed length codes and operates in two steps:
This method can take one of two possible forms, which will be discussed below:
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
In this way, the method of suppression of repetitive sequences assumes that only a character
(byte) is predetermined and is frequently repeated. This character can be zero in numeric data
or space in textual data. Consequently, a series of n spaces or zeros successive will be replaced
by a special character (or character designated by flag meth) immediately followed by the
number of occurrences (n) of that character.
For example, consider the following string of numeric characters wherein each character (in this
case, each digit) is encoded with one byte: 7420000000000005. using the technique of zero
suppression, and setting the status flag as “!” it is possible to obtain the following compressed
sequence: 742 125, since there is a sequence of 12 consecutive zeros in the original data
stream.
In the context of this example it is pertinent to make two observations. Firstly it is noted that
the number 12 following the flag should be coded with a byte, so as to avoid confusion with
the character 5 below. Secondly, noting that broke of a sequence of 16 bytes and there was
obtained a compressed sequence with a length of 6 bytes, it is possible to determine the
compression ratio obtained as follows:
This means that could compress 2.66 units of the original information data stream into a single
information unit in the compressed data stream.
The algorithm RLE technique is to substitute a series of n characters “c” row by own character
“c” preceded by a special character (a flag or escape character) which, in turn, is followed
by the number n of character instances repeated (Fluckiger, 1995). This set of 3 characters
replacing the repeated sequence is designated by token, and is as follows: <n> <c>.
Analyzing the mode of operation described, it can be concluded that this method should
not be used in cases where a character appears only twice repeated since rise to a longer
sequence than the original sequence. Likewise, their use to replace three successive strings
would not bring any advantage. Thus, it can be concluded that the replacement must be
performed only if the number of successive occurrences of a character is equal to or greater
than four.
The shape of the RLE method that has just been described is the simplest form and is used
only for textual content. However, there are other variations of this method can be found, for
example, recommended in literature (Nelson and Gailly, 1995; Salomon, 2004; Li & Drew, 2004).
To illustrate the operation of the RLE technique, consider the following string:
ABCCCCCCABCABC. However, the RLE method replaces redundant data streams by tokens,
whereby using RLE encoding can compress the repetitive sequence “C” using a specific flag
such as the character “!”.
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Multimedia Tools and Applications
Thus, the compressed form of the original string could take the following expression: AB
6CABCABC!.
Conclusion
This activity summarizes the need of resorting to compression techniques to represent
information related to types of non-structured medium such as digital audio, digital video and
bitmap image. Then it introduced into the generic format for digital information compression
schemes and defined the concept compression ratio. Then featured are two compression
modes: with and without loss and can be applied by the compression technique. It also
addresses are several types of entropy coding techniques.
Self-check 5.1
Consider the following string of numeric characters wherein each character (in this case, each
digit) is encoded with one byte: 7420000000000005. Using the technique of zero suppression,
obtain the compressed sequence.
Consider the following string: ABCCCCCCABCABC using RLE encoding, determine the
compressed form of the original string. Determine the achieved compression ratio of the
previous chain.
The resources required to store and transmit images are immense, which makes it attractive
to image compression. The image compression is based on removing redundant information
existing in images. There are two image compression categories:
There are three types of redundancy in images that are exploited by compression mechanisms:
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Image Formats
Information contained in image formats:
Standard JPEG
Lately there has been widespread effort to improve the development of new compression
schemes based transform coding, vector quantization, wavelet and fratais.
Conclusion
However, recent advances in lossy compression techniques include various methods such as
discrete cosine transform (DCT), quantization vector wavelet transform, neural networks, and
fractal coding and other techniques for transformed.
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Self-check 5.2
Explain how does the data interlacing in standard JPEG, referring to the data unit notions and
minimum coding unit.
JPEG standard supports two modes of compression: lossless and lossy. Indicate, and
characterize briefly compression methods which are defined in the standard for each of these
modes.
Indicate, justifying the requirements that governed the development of standard JPEG
The medium comprising a multimedia application necessarily exist in digital format. To obtain a
digital representation of the associated information to the media, it is necessary to digitization.
The digitization of information is defined as the process by which it becomes an analog signal
to a digital signal.
Audio
Disturbance occurs in air pressure and reaches the human auditory system.
Psychoacoustics
Physiological study of hearing helps with understanding how sounds reach the ear and are
processed by the ear and the brain to give the listener useful information about the world
around them.
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
The human ear was sounds whenever the frequency of these sounds are located from 20 cycles
per second, i.e., 20Hz. The frequency of a sound is a physical measure of a disturbance that
makes the human being evoke a certain tone. The frequency band (frequency range) to human
hearing ranges from 20Hz to about 20kHz.
[1] Until the emergence of audio compression, information (data) high-quality digital audio
consumed a ridiculous amount of disk space.
Consider this example: you want to copy your favorite song to your computer. How do you
want the quality is like that of a CD, you must save it in the 44.1 kHz, stereo (2-channel) with 16
bits per sample.
44,100 Hz means that you have 44,100 values (samples) per second coming from your sound
card (or your input device). Multiply that by 2 since we want to stereo (2-channel). Multiply
again by 2 (bytes) since you will have 2 bytes per sample (which means 16 bits) .Then, the
music will: samples bytes s 44,100 -------- X 2 X 2 channels ----- X - 60 --- s sample min
equivalent to about 10 MBytes of space used on your hard disk per minute of audio stored. If
you want to download it from the Internet, say for a connection to modem 56Kb / s (actual
44.000 Kb / s), will take about 10 million bytes x 8 bits / byte / (44000 bits / s) / (60 s / min) ~
30 minutes.
There are two basic parameters to control the quality and bit rate (bit rate) of a digital signal:
Do not start from assumptions about the shape of the input signal and can be applied
effectively to both the voice type audio and high-fidelity audio. The compression is obtained
through two sequential processes:
This approach reduces the number of samples required for a given length of audio,
permanently reducing the size of the corresponding audio file.
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MPEG-1 Audio;
MPEG-2 Audio
MPEG-4
Conclusion
The activity begins with an analysis of psychoacoustics, which focuses on the interaction
between physical stimuli and the human nervous system, introducing and characterizing
the frequency band of concepts and intensity of human hearing. There are a number of
advantages associated with the digital audio representation. The discussion focused on generic
audio compression and high-fidelity, developing an individualized analysis of the specific
compression techniques used in audio coding parts of international standards MPEG-1, Dolby
AC-3, MPEG-2 MPEG-4.
The first digital video formats representing information without any compression. Even though
great advantages afforded:
Analog video
Digital video
• YUV components
• TV Issue
• Compression is more efficient
• Digital video versions are “scaled” and offset the YUV system - called YCbCr
(CCIR-601) - 8 bits for each component in the intervals
• C - [16, 240]
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
Compression
Reduction of spatial redundancy (image) allows you to reduce the size of frames and image
compression (lossy encoding). When reducing the temporal redundancy, permits: two
consecutive frames (in scenes with little motion) are not significantly different; using predictive
encoding; use of motion detectors.
MPEG-1 (1991)
1,2 to 1.5Mbps
Quality VHS
MPEG-2
TV and HDTV
MPEG-4
Conclusion
In this activity was an introduction to digital video and digital video compression fundamentals,
enumerating the reduction techniques of temporal redundancy of a video sequence. It
presented the digital video concepts, its main parameters such as spatial resolution, frames
rate and aspect ratio. It was introducing the YCrCb color model and formats / codex used by
most digital videos.
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Summary
The first unit of this module addresses the types of multimedia information. In this fifth and
final unit, we analyze first the importance and motivation for the compression of the types of
unstructured multimedia information, methods and techniques applied. However, compression
is used to reduce the amount of information to be transmitted or to reduce the bandwidth
required for data transmission.
This unit is divided into four activities, and at first we discuss the multimedia compression
fundamentals. Then we study the bitmap images - compression techniques associated and its
main formats. In the third activity, digital audio, made a brief introduction to the motivations
and the importance of coding and have listed the algorithms associated with the compression
methods of this multimedia information, this, without forgetting to list your formats / codecs.
Unit Assessment
Check your understanding!
Evaluation
Heading Marks
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Unit 5: Paradigms and Models of authorships
1. Chapman, Nigel and Chapman, Jeny - Digital Multimedia. 1st Edition New
York: While, 2000. ISBN: 0-471-98386-1 (Chapter 2).
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