The principles of interactive authoring

BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Interactive Media 11/12 - Principles of Interactive Authoring

Authoring software, also known as authorware is software that allows users to write hypertext or multimedia applications and make a final application by merely linking together objects such as text, images or a song. This can be done by defining the objects purpose and how it relates to other objects and by sequencing them in the appropriate order, authors using authoring tools can produce incredibly useful and good looking applications with more ease than using programming software would.

            When it comes to differentiating authoring and programming software, no clear distinction is immediately visible. However when looked at authoring software is much easier to use, especially for less technically advanced users. They require less technical knowledge to master and are used exclusively for applications that present a mixture of textual, graphical and audio data whereas programming software can be used to program mechanical devices and change and create existing software and hardware.

            The key difference between authoring software and programming languages like ‘C’ is authoring involves the assembly and bringing together of Multimedia with possibly high level graphical interface design and some high level scripting.

 

When it comes to ‘high level’ and ‘low level’ software those who are new to the terminology will think that high level means that you must be ‘highly advanced’ in programming to use it. It actually refers to how ‘close’ the software is to the actual computer and hardware in the sense that the lowest language is binary which is all 1s and 0s. Right above binary coding is Assembly coding, both of which can only be used by the most advanced users as they are so complicated, the next level is C, the coding language that most people can actually read and is the most used by programmers, as well as the language Java. Authoring software in this sense is rather high and could be described as ‘basic’.

This brings attention to GLBasic:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It is authoring software used to create games, databases and anything that does not require an extensive library and can get quite complicated at times but it is still good software for beginners as key words and commands are already recognised in the code and there are easy to use ways of writing out code that is easy to master. It is essentially an easy version of the coding language ‘C’. Obviously GLBasic is limited as to what it can do as it is high level software.

 

 

There is a lot of authoring software to choose, from the most basic and easiest to use to software that takes a little longer to master:

·         Powerpoint

·         Prezi

·         Director

·         Snap!Empower

·         edgeLib

·         Flash

·         GLBasic

 

Powerpoint and Prezi are by far the easiest to learn and master. They are both used for presentations, Prezi being the newest way of doing so with interesting animations and a newer feel with the way it zooms in and out and twists and turns that looks complex but in fact is quite easy to make. With both Powerpoint and word you can easily drag and drop, copy and paste any and all images into your work. Prezi has the ability to zoom in and out of the pallet that contains the artwork and text with many animations to choose from that are already part of the program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A prezi presentation zoomed out to reveal more information and artwork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same Prezi presentation zoomed out further ready to zoom in on key points in the presentation to then be discussed by the person presenting it to the audience.

 

Powerpoint works in a similar manner for the same purpose but instead of working as one big image it works in slides to either cut to or animate through the different slides containing different information and images like a controlled slideshow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can create complex presentations with Powerpoint and even create complex point and click games through extensive authoring and editing with skill.

This kind of authoring is used by people who want to demonstrate and present their ideas or creations to others and allows users to easily put their minds onto a canvas for others to explore.

 

Moving onto more complex authoring software is Adobe Director and Snap!Empower. Adobe director is and expensive piece of software that allows authors to create and publish interactive games and eLearning courses for the web, iOS devices, Mac and Windows desktops, DVDs, and CDs. With Adobe director users can integrate virtually any major file format, including FLV, swf and native 3D content. This requires some skill to use but through using the software users can master it and create good applications.

In comparison to authoring software such as Director and Flash, Snap!Empower is extremely basic, easy to use and prides itself in the fact absolutely no experience in flash or design is needed to use it. There are hundreds of pre-set designs, images and flash animations available for users to simply drag and drop into the design area, which can then be altered and customized using simple tools. This is very high level authoring software.

 

           

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 Snap!Empower may be seen as being too basic. More advanced users who have the knowledge to actually make their own animations may want it to look more unique or they may want their own animation and designs rather than using pre-sets. This can be done with more advanced authoring software and programming.

           

            However easy to use authoring software is, it will always work the same as other authoring software with different purposes. There are those for presentation, creating applications and games or creating websites. They all share the same idea of having code made in the C language being pre set into the software for easy to use coding and editing. Almost all authoring software is created with C. Advanced users with more technological experience and skill in the C language can create the same content authors can with the authoring software.

            Authoring is done with the use of interactive buttons, scores, timelines, slideshows and animations whereas C is used to create from scratch. It also involves the assembly and bringing together of Multimedia with possibly high-level graphical interface design and some high level scripting. Flash is most known for the use of buttons and animations. Many games are created with Flash because of its capabilities to make animations and game mechanics with bone tools, buttons, prompts and in built shapes and a timeline, which makes for a much faster and easier way of creating than programming.

 

            When it comes to choosing authoring or programming it comes down to how experienced the user is. Authoring can severely limit authors to how much they can really do. With lower authoring software such as GLBasic or Flash they can create their own games and go quite advanced but authoring has proven to be far more limited than programming. Programming, especially in C and Java, is much lower meaning it has far less boundaries than authoring software with pre-sets and limits on what the authoring software was designed to allow authors to create.

 

            Less experienced users will use authoring software over programming as there are guides and tutorials on how to use the software built in and code will often complete itself and problems will be shown and somewhat explained to the authors as they work. Authoring takes some getting used to but overall it gets work done much quicker and easier compared to programming.