Metaphors

 Just as Desktop Publishing Software expedites the production process of page design by providing a mediam where you can design the page , import components, assemble the page , proof the publication and keep it an electronic file, so too authoring software allows you to perform similar functions with text , audio, digitized video, live video, graphics, animation and other resources. Multimedia authoring has for basic functions: :

1. Importing : Using Multimedia authoring tool, you can design, edit, paint, draw, develop charts, capture sounds, program mathematical operations and enter text.
2. Integrating : Multimedia authoring tools enable you to sequence, time link, script, provide feedback, keep databases of user responses and call other applications and resources into the multimedia application.
3. delivering : Multimedia authoring tools also provide for the development of self running application

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 to help you understand the differences between the various authoring tools one must find out on what metaphor is the authoring tool based?

the authoring process encompasses many different tasks, usually require an environment of tools to accomplish.All multimedia tools are based on a metaphor that conveys how the program organizes elements, sequences, events and delivers the multimedia application . Various authoring software products take different approaches to the organization of the environment and the way that applications are structured - this is called the metaphor of authoring. Multimedia applications can be into four basic categories :

The slide show Metaphor

the book metaphor/ page metaphor

The Windowing Metaphor

The Icon Metaphor

The Network Metaphor

The porpose of Outhoring software is to simplify the inherently complex task of creating an interactive Multimedia application. This is usually accomplished by providing an author interface that conveys a simple metaphor than the resulting application itself will have. The metaphor helps the author to think about what he is doing