The walk-through approach to authoring multimedia documents
15 Oct 1994-pp 173-180
TL;DR: This paper describes a novel approach to authoring multimedia documents based on the walk-through paradigm that greatly simplifies the authoring process by hiding the use of composition constructs and eliminating the turn-around time from the editing and testing parts of the development cycle.
Abstract: This paper describes a novel approach to authoring multimedia documents based on the walk-through paradigm. Using this approach, multimedia authoring tasks can be performed in the context of the multimedia presentation under construction. It greatly simplifies the authoring process by hiding the use of composition constructs and eliminating the turn-around time from the editing and testing parts of the development cycle. End user multimedia authoring and fast prototyping can therefore be realized.
Citations
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Patent•
29 Mar 2001
TL;DR: An authoring tool has a graphical user interface enabling interactive authoring of a multimedia presentation including temporal and non-temporal media as discussed by the authors, which can be viewed interactively under the control of the author during the authoring process without encoding the audio and video data into a streaming media data file.
Abstract: An authoring tool has a graphical user interface enabling interactive authoring of a multimedia presentation including temporal and nontemporal media. The graphical user interface enables specification of the temporal and spatial relationships among the media and playback of the presentation with the specified temporal and spatial relationships. The spatial and temporal relationships among the media may be changed independently of each other. The presentation may be viewed interactively under the control of the author during the authoring process without encoding the audio and video data into a streaming media data file for combination with the other media, simulating behavior of a browser that would receive a streaming media data file. The multimedia presentation may include elements that initiate playback of the presentation from a specified point in time. After authoring of the presentation is completed, the authoring tool assists in encoding and transferring the presentation for distribution. Information about the distribution format and location may be stored as user-defined profiles. Communication with the distribution location may be tested and presentation and the distribution information may be audited prior to encoding and transfer to reduce errors. A presentation is encoded according to the defined temporal and spatial relationships and the distribution format and location information to produce and encoded presentation. The encoded presentation and any supporting media data are transferred to the distribution location, such as a server. A streaming media server may be used for streaming media, whereas other data may be stored on a conventional data server. Accounts may be provided for a streaming media server for authors to publish their presentations. The authoring tool may be associated with a service that uses the streaming media server. Such streaming media servers also may be a source of stock footage for use by authors.
198 citations
Patent•
29 Mar 1999
TL;DR: In this paper, an editing system and delivery system synchronizes the transmission of interactive elements with a video signal, such that the interactive components may supplement information provided in the video signal at predefined periods.
Abstract: An editing system and delivery system synchronizes the transmission of interactive elements with a video signal, such that the interactive components may supplement information provided in the video signal at predefined periods. The interactive elements are transmitted in relation to the video such that the interactive elements will arrive in time to display the components concurrently with a portion of the video presentation. The interactive elements may be transmitted within a video signal to a viewer. The viewer is configured to display the interactive elements in response to a signal from the delivery system. An editing system is disclosed that may define a programming track for interactive elements that may be associated with one or more audio and video tracks. The editing system schedules transmission and appearance of the elements. A graphical user interface of the editing system may display a time in a presentation timeline when the interactive elements appear and the duration which the interactive elements are displayed. Graphical user interface representations of the interactive elements are translated into commands including file transfer instructions to be executed on a playback system. The playback system may transmit information element data within a video signal to a viewer.
144 citations
Patent•
18 Apr 2002
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a system for the creation of interactive content and time-based media, where enhanced content may be represented by enhancement files that include data defining enhancements, including an identifier of the enhancement within the enhancement file, and a reference to a file defining enhanced content associated with the enhancement.
Abstract: Creation of a program with interactive content and time-based media would be improved by having several people working simultaneously on both the interactive content and the time-based media. The range of types of data that can be associated with the time-based media also can include a variety of types of content that enhance the time-based media, including data that is opaque to the editing system. To support editing of such programs, enhanced content may be edited into a program as either a clip or a locator, according to a user's selection. The components that represent enhanced content also may be edited in the same way as components that represent time-based media. Enhanced content may be represented by enhancement files that include data defining enhancements. An enhancement includes an identifier of the enhancement within the enhancement file, and a reference to a file defining enhanced content associated with the enhancement. Such enhancement files may be imported into a bin of an editing system to create components that describe the enhanced content referenced by the enhancements. The enhanced content may be modified using native applications for the enhanced content during editing of the program. The components describing the enhanced content in the editing system can be updated using identifiers of the enhanced content that are stored by the components. Enhanced content also may be automatically synchronized with time-based media.
111 citations
01 Feb 1997
TL;DR: How the system has worked with users in an iterative design process and how studies of the work of these users have informed key design issues are reviewed.
Abstract: MAD (Movie Authoring and Design) is a novel design and authoring system that facilitates the process of creating dynamic visual presentations such as motion pictures and lecture-demonstrations. MAD supports the process by enhancing the author's ability to structure and modify a presentation and to visualize the ultimate result. It does this by allowing both top-down design and bottom-up creation with a hierarchical multimedia document representation; by supporting the flexible inclusion and combination of words, images, sounds, and video sequences; and by providing realtime playback of the best approximation to the ultimate presentation that can be produced at any stage of the design process.
MAD represents a paradigm shift from traditional methods of authoring and producing motion pictures. Its development therefore requires in-depth observation of a variety of users working on a variety of filmmaking projects. After describing the key concepts underlying MAD and the current, second-generation prototype software, we describe a number of interesting applications of MAD. In doing so, we review how we have worked with users in an iterative design process and how studies of the work of these users have informed key design issues.
75 citations
Patent•
22 Dec 2004TL;DR: The review and approval system of the present invention as discussed by the authors advantageously provides computer implemented access for a reviewer to digital content for the purpose of reviewing and approving the digital content, and is capable of communication with an editing system, and automatically informing an editor of the reviewer's comments.
Abstract: The review and Approval system of the present invention advantageously provides computer implemented access for a reviewer to digital content for the purpose of reviewing and approving the digital content. The system is capable of communication with an editing system, and automatically informing an editor of the reviewer's comments.
72 citations
References
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TL;DR: A formal definition of the Trellis model of hypertext is presented and an authoring and browsing prototype called αTrellis that is based on the model is described, which is a generalization of existing directed graph-based forms ofhypertext.
Abstract: We present a formal definition of the Trellis model of hypertext and describe an authoring and browsing prototype called aTrellis that is based on the model. The Trellis model not only represents the relationships that tie individual pieces of information together into a document (i.e., the adjacencies), but specifies the browsing semantics to be associated with the hypertext as well (i.e., the manner in which the information is to be visited and presented). The model is based on Petri nets, and is a generalization of existing directed graph-based forms of hypertext. The Petri net basis permits more powerful specification of what is to be displayed when a hypertext is browsed and permits application of previously developed Petri net analysis techniques to verify properties of the hypertext. A number of useful hypertext constructs, easily described in the Trellis model, are presented. These include the synchronization of simultaneous traversals of separate paths through a hypertext, the incorporation of access controls into a hypertext (i.e., specifying nodes that can be proven to be accessible only to certain classes of browsers), and construction of multiple specialized (tailored) versions from a single hypertext.
325 citations
PARC1
TL;DR: This paper constructs a framework for understanding path mechanisms for hypertext and explores the basic issues surrounding them, and describes the Scripted Documents system, which has been developed to test the potential of one powerful path mechanism.
Abstract: The concept of a path, or ordered traversal of some links in a hypertext, has been a part of the hypertext notion from its early formation. Although paths can help to solve two major problems with hypertext systems, namely user disorientation and high cognitive overhead for users, their value has not been recognized. Paths can also provide the backbone for computations over a hypertext, an important issue for the future of hypertext. This paper constructs a framework for understanding path mechanisms for hypertext and explores the basic issues surrounding them. Given this framework, it reviews path mechanisms that have been provided by other hypertext systems. Finally, it describes the Scripted Documents system, which has been developed to test the potential of one powerful path mechanism.
220 citations
PARC1
TL;DR: This paper constructs a framework for understanding automatic temporal formatters and explores the basic issues surrounding them, and describes the Firefly multimedia document system, which has been developed to test the potential of automatic temporal formatting.
Abstract: A traditional static document has a spatial layout that indicates where objects in the document appear. Because multimedia documents incorporate time, they also require a temporal layout, or schedule, that indicates when events in the document occur. This paper argues that multimedia document systems should provide mechanisms for automatically producing temporal layouts for documents. The major advantage of this approach is that it makes it easier for authors to create and modify multimedia documents.
This paper constructs a framework for understanding automatic temporal formatters and explores the basic issues surrounding them. It also describes the Firefly multimedia document system, which has been developed to test the potential of automatic temporal formatting.
158 citations
01 Sep 1993
TL;DR: The advantages of a structured approach to authoring multimedia are discussed, and the facilities in the CMIF authoring environment for supporting this approach are described.
Abstract: We present the user interface to the CMIF authoring environment for constructing and playing multimedia presentations. The CMIF authoring environment supports a rich hypermedia document model allowing structure-based composition of multimedia presentations and the specification of synchronization constraints between constituent media items. An author constructs a multimedia presentation in terms of its structure and additional synchronization constraints, from which the CMIF player derives the precise timing information for the presentation. We discuss the advantages of a structured approach to authoring multimedia, and describe the facilities in the CMIF authoring environment for supporting this approach. The authoring environment presents three main views of a multimedia presentation: the hierarchy view is used for manipulating and viewing a presentation’s hierarchical structure; the channel view is used for managing logical resources and specifying and viewing precise timing constraints; and the player for playing the presentation. We present the authoring environment in terms of a short example: constructing a walking tour of Amsterdam. CR Subject Classification (1991): [[TO BE PROVIDED]]
143 citations
01 Jul 1989
TL;DR: Close attention is paid to user interface aspects, and Metamouse helps the user by predicting and performing actions, thus reducing the tedium of repetitive graphical editing tasks.
Abstract: Metamouse is a device enabling the user of a drawing program to specify graphical procedures by supplying example execution traces. The user manipulates objects directly on the screen, creating graphical tools where necessary to help make constraints explicit; the system records the sequence of actions and induces a procedure. Generalization is used both to identify the key features of individual program steps, disregarding coincidental events; and to connect the steps into a program graph, creating loops and conditional branches as appropriate. Metamouse operates within a 2D click-and-drag drafting package, and incorporates a strong model of the relative importance of different types of graphical constraint. Close attention is paid to user interface aspects, and Metamouse helps the user by predicting and performing actions, thus reducing the tedium of repetitive graphical editing tasks.
105 citations