We will demonstrate a variety of applications common to today's multimedia producer. Some packages are shareware; others will be the same packages found in a successful multimedia studio. A multimedia authoring package, Multimedia Fusion from Clickteam, is included in the textbook but if you do not desire to use this one, I strongly suggest you obtain an authoring package in the first few weeks, especially if you have access to a computer off-campus. THIS IS NOT REQUIRED, but you'll get more out of the course if you do...
Macromedia builds the industry-standard tools for producing multimedia, both stand-alone and Web-based. The current editions of the standard tools for interactive multimedia authoring are Authorware 5.1 and Director 8.0; creeping up on them very quickly is a tool for online multimedia, Flash 5.
- Director and Authorware used to be available in $99-$150 academic
versions but these, alas,are no longer available. The current academic pricing
is a large break off of the retail but is still expensive. These products
are available from a variety of sources; here are two that I have had good
dealings with in the past.
- Technology Resource Center, West Dundee, IL / (800) 517-2320 http://www.shoptrc.com/
- Educational Resources, Elgin, IL / (800)860-7004 Ext. 3213 / http://www.edresources.com/
-
The Macromedia
Web Design Studio is a good value; this product, which includes Dreamweaver,
Flash, Fireworks, and FreeHand, has a suggested retail price of only
$199 and some vendors sell it for less. (Normally over $500 even at an educational
price...). Even if you just want Flash, I suggest you buy all of this; you
won't be sorry.
- Local Vendors
- Technology Resource Center, West Dundee, IL / (800) 517-2320
/ (847) 426-9898
Web Design Studio $189.00
http://www.gotrc.com/academicstoremacromedia.htm - Educational Resources, Elgin, IL / (800) 860-7004 Ext. 3213
Web Design Studio $195.95 http://www.edresources.com/B2B/IWCatProductPage_B2B.process
?Merchant_Id=2&Section_Id=&pcount=&Product_Id=18369
- Technology Resource Center, West Dundee, IL / (800) 517-2320
/ (847) 426-9898
- Other Vendors:
- Academic Superstore / 1-800-817-2347
Web Design Studio $184.95
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/mfg_pages/macromedia.html - http://sdc.shockwave.com/buy/reseller_edu.html
- Academic Superstore / 1-800-817-2347
- Local Vendors
Freeware/Shareware Multimedia Authoring Tools:
- Multimedia Builder (MMB) at http://www.mediachance.com/
- Tribeworks iShell at http://www.tribeworks.com
- Everest Authoring System from Intersystem Concepts, Inc. at http://www.insystem.com/everest.htm .
- Formula Graphics 97 from FormulaGraphics at http://www.formulagraphics.com/
- Metacard at http://www.metacard.com/
- IBM HotMedia Java applet generator http://www-3.ibm.com/software/ad/hotmedia/
- HM-Card from Dr. Nick Scherbakov, Technical University of Graz at http://coronet.iicm.edu/HM_Tools/hmcard15/hmcard.htm.
$$$$$: Other packages that must be purchased include:
- Knowledge Adventure Hyperstudio 4 ($112.95 academic price) (demo version available) http://www.hyperstudio.com/
- Scala InfoChannel Designer™ $989 MSRP or at the lower end, Scala iplay studio™ Downloadable Version ($59 USD) ; Full CD and Manual ($79 USD); http://www.scala.com/
- GMEDIA GLPRO, Commercial Edition - US$ 949; Personal Edition - US$ 99; Personal Edition - DOWNLOAD ONLY US$ 59; http://www.gmedia.com/glpro/
- NeoBook® Professional for Windows 95/98/NT $199.95 (demo version available) http://www.neosoftware.com/nbw.html
- Clearsand MediaForge $495.00 (30 day free trial) http://www.clearsand.com/webpages/prod/mf/index.htm
Information on authoring tools:
-
About.com> Computing/Technology > Graphics Software > Multimedia
Authoring Software for PC
http://graphicssoft.about.com/compute/graphicssoft/cs/multimediaauthpc/
index.htm?rnk=r1&terms=multimedia+authoring -
About.com > Computing/Technology > Desktop Video > Multimedia
Authoring
http://desktopvideo.about.com/compute/desktopvideo/cs/authoring/
index.htm?rnk=r2&terms=multimedia+authoring -
Multimedia Authoring Systems FAQ
http://www.tiac.net/users/jasiglar/MMASFAQ.HTML -
Multimedia Authoring Tools and Resources from the University of Newcastle
upon Tyne
http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/resources/cal/mmedia.htm -
Yahoo > Business and Economy > Business to Business > Computers
> Multimedia > Software > Authoring Tools
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/
Computers/Multimedia/Software/Authoring_Tools/ -
Google Web Directory > Computers > Multimedia > Authoring
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Multimedia/Authoring/
Some of these titles can be downloaded from the net; here are some shareware and freeware titles that we have selected as being particularly good values:
- Metafile Companion (Windows Metafile editor) from Companion Software
at http://www.companionsoftware.com/Products
/MetafileCompanion/EvalCopyDownload.html. - PaintShop Pro (bitmap graphic creation and manipulation) from JASC, Inc at http://www.jasc.com/.
- GIF Construction Set from Alchemy Mindworks at http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/alchemy.html (animated GIF creation).
- Shout (Interactive 3D graphics) at http://www.shout3d.com/
- Sash Weblications from IBM (Java application environment) at http://sash.alphaworks.ibm.com/
- SWiSH (Shareware Macromedia Flash movie creation tool) http://www.swishzone.com/
- Clipart can be found in abundance from The Clip Art Connection at http://www.clipartconnection.com/. Free fonts and clipart can also be found at Mediabuilder at http://www.mediabuilder.com/.
- You might need WinZip to handle .zip files...
- Other software download sources:
- NewMedia Magazine downloads at http://newmedia.com/nm-supt-downloads.asp (requires registration)
- Jumbo.com's Multimedia Tools at http://www.jumbo.com/mm/at/
- Tucows has multimedia, web authoring, and audio tools for Windows (http://tbcnet.tucows.com/), and the Mac (at http://mac-chi.tucows.webusenet.com/).
- The Ziff-Davis Net Software Library Graphics and Multimedia page at http://www.zdnet.com/swlib/graphics.html
- Download.com Multimedia & Design page at http://www.download.com/PC/FrontDoor/
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