overview: graphics, graphics everywhere graphics and...

Norton: Computing Fundamentals, Sixth Edition

8. Working with Application Software

8B. Graphics and Multimedia

© The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2006

OBJECTIVES ::

>> Define the terms bitmap andvector and differentiate these filetypes.

>> List some of the most commonlyused file formats for bitmap andvector images.

>> Identify four ways to load graphicfiles into a computer.

>> List five types of graphicssoftware and their uses.

>> Define the terms multimedia andinteractivity.

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Graphics andMultimedia

Overview: Graphics, Graphics Everywhere

You may not realize that many of the images you see are created on acomputer. From postage stamps to magazine illustrations, from bill-boards to television programs, all kinds of graphics are created andedited using computers and graphics software. Graphics programs—and the designers who use them—have become so polished that it is of-ten impossible to tell a photograph or hand-drawn illustration from acomputer-generated graphic.

With the computer’s capability to mimic traditional artists’ media,graphics software allows artists to do with a computer what they oncedid with brushes, pencils, and darkroom equipment. Similarly, archi-tects and engineers now do most of their design and rendering work oncomputers—although many were trained in traditional paper-baseddrafting methods. By using the computer, they produce designs and ren-derings that are highly accurate and visually pleasing.

Graphics software has advanced a great deal in a short time. In theearly 1980s, most graphics programs were limited to drawing simplegeometric outlines, usually in one color. Today, graphics software offersadvanced drawing and painting tools and almost unlimited color con-trol. You can see the products of these powerful tools everywhere youlook. Their results can be subtle or stunning, obviously artificial, oramazingly lifelike.





Understanding Graphics File Formats

Computers can create many, many kinds of graphics—from simple line drawingsto three-dimensional animations. But all graphics files fall into one of two basiccategories, known as bitmapped and vector files.

Bitmap and Vector GraphicsGraphics files are made up of either

>> A grid, called a bitmap, whose cells are filled with one or more colors, asshown in Figure 8B.1. The individual cells in the grid can all be filled withthe same color or each cell can contain a different color. The term raster issometimes used to describe bitmap images. Bitmap images also may be re-ferred to as bitmapped images. The easiest way to imagine how bitmapswork is to think of your computer’s monitor. It displays images as collectionsof individual colored pixels. Each pixel is a cell in the grid of a bitmappedimage. In fact, the individual pieces that make up a bitmapped image are of-ten called pixels.

>> A set of vectors, which are mathematical equations describing the size,shape, thickness, position, color, and fill of lines or closed graphical shapes(see Figure 8B.2).

Some types of graphics programs work with bitmaps; some work with vectors;and some can work with both. Each type of graphics file has its own advantagesand disadvantages. Whether you use a bitmap- or vector-based program dependson what you are trying to do. For example, if you want to be able to retouch aphoto, create seamless tiling textures for the Web or for 3-D surfaces, or create animage that looks like a painting, you will choose bitmap-based software (see Fig-ure 8B.3).

Vector-based software is your best choice if you want the flexibility of resizingan image without degrading its sharpness, the ability to reposition elements easilyin an image, or the ability to achieve an illustrative look as when drawing with a

pen or pencil.Strictly speaking, vectors are lines drawn from one point

to another, as shown in Figure 8B.4. Vector-based softwarecan use mathematical equations to define the thickness andcolor of a line, its pattern or fill, and other attributes. Al-though a line on the screen is still displayed as a series ofblocks (because that is how all monitors work), it is anequation to the computer. Thus, to move the line from lo-cation A to location B, the computer substitutes the coordi-nates for location A with those for location B. Thissubstitution saves the effort of calculating how to changethe characteristics of thousands of individual pixels.

File Formats and Compatibility IssuesPerhaps more than other types of computer-generated doc-uments, graphics files require users to understand and workwith different types of file formats. A file format is a stan-

dardized method of encoding data for storage. File formats are important becausethey tell the program what kind of data is contained in the file and how the datais organized.

File formats may be proprietary or universal. The structure of a proprietary fileformat is under the sole control of the software developer who invented the for-

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O N L I N ENorton

FIGURE 8B.1::

If you magnify a bitmap, you can see its

individual pixels.

FIGURE 8B.2::

This vector is defined as a line stretching

between two endpoints, rather than as a

set of pixels.

FIGURE 8B.3::

Working with a digitized photograph in

Paint Shop Pro, a popular bitmap-based

graphics program.

For more information on graphic

files and formats, visit

http://www.mhhe.com/peternorton.





mat. Universal file formats are based on openly published specifications and arecommonly used by many different programs and operating systems. For example,Adobe Photoshop, by default, saves images in its proprietary PSD format, but italso can save files in several universal formats, such as TIF, GIF, JPEG, PICT, andTGA. Word processing programs can read and save files in specific formats suchas DOC or RTF, or TXT.

Nearly all bitmap-based graphics programs can use any of the file formatslisted in Table 8B.1. For this reason, these formats are said to be compatible withsuch programs. For example, most bitmap-based programs can open, read, andsave a file in GIF format and convert it to a different bitmap format, such as TIF.

Most vector-based programs create and save files in a proprietary file format.These formats are either incompatible with (cannot be used by) other programs,or they are not totally supportedby other programs. The problemwith incompatibility led develop-ers to create universal file for-mats for vector-based programs.Only a handful of common fileformats, such as DXF (Data Ex-change Format) and IGES (InitialGraphics Exchange Specifica-tion) exist for vector graphics.

Working with Application Software 325

Line � (80,60)(81,61)(82,61)(83,62)(84,63)(85,64)(86,64)(87,65)

Line � (80,60), (320,240)

(318,239)(319,239)(320,240)

FIGURE 8B.4 ::

To the monitor, a line is just a long list of

individual pixels. With vector-based

software, the CPU can represent the

same line using just the endpoints.

TABLE 8B.1

Standard Formats for Bitmap Graphics

Format DescriptionBMP (BitMaP) A graphics format native to Microsoft Windows, BMP is widely used on PCs for icons and

wallpaper. Some Macintosh programs also can read BMP files. The BMP file format supports up to24-bit depth color, or over 16 million different colors.

PICT (PICTure) This is the native format defined by Apple for use on Macintosh computers. It is widelyused on Macs but is not usually used on PCs.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) TIFF is a bitmap format defined in 1986 by Microsoft and Aldus (nowpart of Adobe) and widely used on both Macs and PCs. This format is usually the best to use whenexchanging bitmap files that will be printed or edited further.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) JPEG is often abbreviated as JPG (pronounced JAY-peg). Thisbitmap format is common on the World Wide Web and is often used for photos and other high-resolution (24-bit or millions of colors) images that will be viewed on screen.

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) Like JPEG images, GIF images are often found on World Wide Webpages. Unlike JPEG images, GIF images can contain only 256 or fewer unique colors.

EMF (Windows Enhanced Metafile) This format was originally developed for the Microsoft Office suite ofapplications. It uses the Windows built-in graphics device interface, or GDI, to create images thatcan be scaled to display at the highest-possible resolution on any device selected—screen orprinter. This technology creates something of a hybrid between the vector graphics and bitmaptypes, since EMF bitmaps can be resized without any loss of quality.





Getting Images into Your Computer

Nearly all graphics programs let you create images from scratch by building linesand shapes into complex graphics. But artists and designers do not always startfrom scratch; they often begin with an existing image and then edit or enhance itby using graphics software. There are several ways to load images into a com-puter for editing, but the most common methods are

>> Scanners. An image scanner is like a photocopy machine, but instead ofcopying an image onto paper, it transfers the image directly into the com-puter (see Figure 8B.5). A scanned image is usually a bitmap file, but soft-ware tools are available for translating images into vector format.

>> Digital Cameras. A digital cam-era stores digitized images fortransfer into a computer. The re-sulting file is generally a bitmap.

>> Digital Video Cameras. A digitalvideo camera captures and storesfull-motion video on small tapesor optical discs. You can copythe content onto a computer forediting or transfer to anotherstorage medium, such as DVD.

>> Clip Art. The term clip art origi-nated with large books filledwith professionally created

drawings and graphics thatcould be clipped from thepages and glued to a paperlayout. Today, clip art pro-vides an easy way to enhancedigital documents. Many soft-ware programs (especiallyword processors) featurebuilt-in collections of clip art,and collections are also avail-able on CD-ROM and the In-ternet (see Figure 8B.6). Clipart can be in either bitmap orvector format.

Graphics SoftwareCreating a digital image or manipulating an existing image can involve a complexarray of processes. Since even the most sophisticated graphics program cannotperform all the operations that may be required for some types of graphics, de-signers frequently use more than one of the five major categories of graphics soft-ware to achieve their goals, including

>> Paint programs.

>> Photo-editing programs.

>> Draw programs.

>> Computer-aided design (CAD) programs.

>> 3-D modeling and animation programs.

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FIGURE 8B.6::

The clip art collection from Microsoft

Word 2003.

FIGURE 8B.5::

Scanning an image into a computer for

editing.





Of the five, the first two are bitmap-based paint programs; the rest are vector-based draw programs (although 3-D programs commonly work with vectors orbitmaps).

Paint ProgramsPaint programs are bitmap-based graphics programs. You already may be famil-iar with a paint program, like Windows Paint. Paint programs range from thevery simple (with only a handful of tools) to the very complex, with tools thathave names such as paintbrush, pen, chalk, watercolors, airbrush, crayon, anderaser. Because paint programs keep track of each and every pixel placed on ascreen, they also can perform tasks that are impossible with traditional artists’tools—for example, erasing a single pixel or changing every pixel in an imagefrom one color to another color.

Paint programs provide thetools for creating some spec-tacular effects. More sophisti-cated paint programs canmake brush strokes that ap-pear thick or thin, soft orhard, drippy or neat, opaqueor transparent. Some pro-grams allow you to changemedia with a mouse click,turning your paintbrush intochalk or a crayon or givingyour smooth “canvas” a tex-ture such as rice paper or an eggshell (see Figure 8B.7).

Draw ProgramsDraw programs are vector-based graphics programs that are well suited for workwhen accuracy and flexibility are as important as coloring and special effects. Yousee the output of draw programs in everything from cereal box designs to televi-sion show credits.

Simply by clicking and dragging in a draw program, you can change a shapeinto a different shape, move it, or copy it (see Figure 8B.8). Paint programs don’tprovide this flexibility because they do not recognize lines, shapes, and fills asunique objects.

Draw programs are sometimes referred to as object-oriented programs becauseeach item drawn—whether it is a line, square, rectangle, or circle—is treated as aseparate and distinct object from all the others. (Some designers and draw pro-grams use the term entity rather than object, but the concept is the same.) All ob-jects created in draw programs consist of an outline and a fill. The fill can benothing at all, a solid color, a vector pattern, a photo, or something else. For ex-ample, when you draw a square with a draw program, the computer remembersyour drawing as a square of a fixed size at a specific location, which may or maynot be filled—not as a bunch of pixels in the shape of a square.

Photo-Editing ProgramsWhen scanners made it easy to transfer photographs to the computer at high res-olution, a new class of software was needed to manipulate these images on thescreen. Cousins to paint programs, photo-editing programs now take the place ofa photographer’s darkroom for many tasks. Because photo-editing programs (likepaint programs) edit images at the pixel level, they can control precisely how a


FIGURE 8B.7 ::

Watercolors and textures are a few of the

effects available in sophisticated paint

programs.

FIGURE 8B.8 ::

Changing a circle into an oval by

dragging, in a draw program.

For more information on all types

of graphics software, visit


NortonO N L I N E





picture will look. They also are used to edit nonphotographic images and to cre-ate images from scratch.

Photo-editing programsare used most often forsimple jobs such as sharp-ening focus, adjusting con-trast, or removing flawsfrom digitized images. InFigure 8B.9, for example,software is being used tohide a scratch in a scannedphoto. But photo-editingprograms are also used tomodify photographs inways far beyond the scopeof a traditional darkroom,as shown in Figure 8B.10.

Computer-Aided Design ProgramsComputer-aided design (CAD), also called computer-aided drafting or computer-aided drawing, is the computerized version of the hand-drafting process that usedto be done with a pencil and ruler on a drafting table (see Figure 8A.11). CAD is

used extensively in technical fields such asarchitecture and in mechanical, electrical,and industrial engineering. CAD softwarealso is used in other design disciplines,such as textile and clothing design andproduct and package design.

Vector-based CAD drawings are usu-ally the basis for the actual building ormanufacturing process of houses, enginegears, or electrical systems, for example.

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White lines come from scratches onthe original film.

Using the airbrush tool, the artist canblend them into the background.

FIGURE 8B.9::

Repairing a scratched image with an

airbrush tool.

FIGURE 8B.10::

This image demonstrates how a photo-

manipulation program can be used to

combine two photos together to create a

striking effect.

FIGURE 8B.11::

Construction documents—commonly

known as blueprints—are commonly

created in CAD programs and used as

the basis for buildings, engineering

projects, and countless manufactured

products.





To satisfy the rigorous requirements of manufacturing, CAD programs provide ahigh degree of precision. If you want to draw a line that is 12.396754 inches longor a circle with a radius of 0.90746 centimeter, a CAD program can fulfill yourneeds. In fact, CAD programs are so precise, they can produce designs accurate tothe micrometer—or one-millionth of a meter.

3-D and Animation SoftwareYou are constantly exposed to elaborate 3-D imaging in movies, television, andprint. Many of these images are now created with a special type of graphics soft-ware, called 3-D modeling software. Fast workstations or PCs coupled with 3-Dmodeling programs can lend realism to even the most fantastic subjects.

Digital 3-D objects can bemodified to any shape usingelectronic tools much like thoseused in woodworking. For ex-ample, holes can be drilled intocomputer-based 3-D objects,and corners can be made roundor square by selecting the appro-priate menu item. Three-dimen-sional objects also can be givenrealistic textures and patterns(see Figure 8B.12), or they canbe animated or made to flythrough space.

An outgrowth of the 3-D explosion is computer-based animation. Since thecreation of filmmaking, animation was possible only through a painstakingprocess of hand-drawing a series of images (called cells), as shown in Figure8B.13, and then filming them one by one. Each filmed image is called a frame.When the film is played back at high speed (usually around 30 frames per secondfor high-quality animation), the images blur together to create the illusion of mo-tion on the screen. The process of manually creating a short animation—even justa few seconds’ worth—can take weeks of labor.

Computer-generated imaging (CGI) has changed the world of animation inmany ways. Although computer animation works on the same principles as tradi-tional animation (a sequence of still images displayed in rapid succession), com-puter animators now have highly sophisticated tools that take the drudgery out ofthe animation process and allow them to create animation more quickly than ever.Computer animators also have the advantage of being able to display their anima-tion on the computer screen or output them to CD-ROM, videotape, or film.

An added bonus of computer animation is the ability to animate three-dimen-sional characters and create photorealistic scenes. (The computer-generated imagelooks so realistic that it could be mistaken for a photograph of a real-life object.)These capabilities make computer-generated characters difficult to distinguishfrom real ones. Some examples are the character Gollum in The Lord of the


FIGURE 8B.12 ::

A three-dimensional gear, created in a

3-D modeling program.

FIGURE 8B.13 ::

Images from a traditional, manually

drawn animation. Although computers

speed up the animation process

tremendously, they still work on the same

idea: generate hundreds or thousands of

individual frames and then display them

in rapid succession to create the illusion

of motion.





Rings: The Two Towers and theeerie landscapes of The Matrixseries of movies. Using comput-ers and special animation soft-ware, artists and designers cancreate many types of animation,from simple perspective changesto complex full-motion scenesthat incorporate animated char-acters with real-life actors andsound (see Figure 8B.14).

Multimedia BasicsFor much of history, information was presented via a single, unique medium. Amedium is simply a way of sharing information. Sound, such as the human voice,is one type of medium; for centuries before written language came into wide-spread use, speech was the primary way of sharing knowledge (see Figure 8B.15).People also told stories (and left a record of their lives) through drawings andpaintings.

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>>

At some point in the lives of many adults, someone older andin a position of supposed wisdom will ask, “Why rent anapartment when you can own a house?” While responsive an-swers to the question are usually forthcoming, the fact re-mains that the question is fundamentally rhetorical. Theperson speaking isn’t seriously inquiring about anything;they’re simply waiting for an opportunity to provide theiryoung listener with a viewpoint. The question rings in themind with that “used car salesman on television” intonation:But wait! There’s more! But the question has taken on realmeaning, thanks to the development of broadband technolo-gies that stand ready to turn the future into the past.

In the past, for almost all companies, owning a com-puter was simply out of the question. You’ve heard the his-tory: Computers filled whole buildings, needed their ownsupport staff, and so forth. What you may not know is thatmost, if not all, of the private companies that did purchasecomputers before the evolution of the PC leveraged thetremendous purchase and support cost by providing time-sharing computer services to other companies. For example,a small chain of grocery stores might have had no need fora computer of its own, but computational power would re-ally help with weekly inventory, monthly financial reports,and so on. The store chain would rent time on a mainframecomputer, during which time its inventories and so forthwould be run. This time-sharing scheme was so successful,

it wasn’t uncommon for a main-frame owner to not be the primary user of the computer.

All this changed with the development of the PC and, intime, the cheap availability of tremendous computing poweron the desktop. (Based strictly on the number of instruc-tions a computer can perform in one second, modern desk-top PCs are well in excess of 7,000 times faster thanmainframe computers from the 1980s. Relative to work ac-complished, PCs are considerably faster still.) You’ve seenelsewhere in this chapter how application software, run ona local PC, changed the face of computing and the wholeworld. However, there are drawbacks to running programsand processing data in this way. Of the many problems wecould talk about, the greatest has almost always been thenature of personal computers themselves. Programs anddata stored on a PC are just that: on a PC. Simple sharing offiles used to be anything but simple, and an entire genre ofsoftware used to exist to make it possible. Digital collabo-ration was simply out of the question.

Eventually, local area networks and Microsoft Windowsmade moving and sharing files simple, and collaboration be-came possible through special multi-user versions of appli-cation software. With all of this data being sharedsuccessfully across high-speed networks, one of the remain-ing major drawbacks to companywide computing (oftencalled “enterprise” computing) was the cost of installing all

Why Own When You Can Rent?

FIGURE 8B.14::

Computer-generated animation is often

so lifelike that it is hard to distinguish

from the real thing.

For more information on

multimedia, visit


O N L I N ENorton





The creation of written languagegave people yet another medium for ex-pressing their thoughts. Today, peoplecommonly use speech, sounds, music,text, graphics, animation, and video toconvey information. These are all dif-ferent types of media (the term media isthe plural of medium), and each hastraditionally been used to present cer-tain types of information.

Long ago, people discovered thatmessages are more effective (that is, theaudience understands and remembersthem more easily) when they are pre-sented through a combination of differ-ent media. This combination is what ismeant by the term multimedia—using more than one type of medium at the sametime.

The computer has taken multimedia to a high level by enabling us to use manydifferent media simultaneously. A printed encyclopedia, for example, is basically


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the necessary applications on each desktop. In order foremployees all over the world to work together on a project,each employee needed the creator application for the pro-ject. Even if a particular user only worked with a particularprogram twice a year, the company had to purchase a full-cost user license for the product. A possible solution to thisrather central concern may be a new twist on the old idea oftime-shared computing: application service providers, orASPs. As the name implies, ASPs are for application softwarewhat ISPs are for the Internet itself.

ASPs provide access to an application over a networkconnection to a central application server. On an as-neededbasis, application components are downloaded to userworkstations. Companies can subscribe to specific applica-tions and, in most cases, pay fees based on actual employeeusage. In principle, access to an application through an ASP

program should be dramatically less expensive than pur-chasing a full user license for each employee who has occa-sional need for the software. Additionally, companiesreceive customer and technical support from the ASP, notfrom the application manufacturer and not through thecostly maintenance of in-house technical support staff.Since the customer company doesn’t own the applicationsoftware—the ASP does—the direct cost of software up-dates is included in the subscription fees, and the indirectupdate costs, such as unproductive downtimes and theaforementioned technical support staff, are borne by theASP as part of its own costs of doing business. The mostsignificant difference between time-sharing and ASP use, ofcourse, is that all of the actual computing—except in thecase of database servers—is done on the user’s desktop.This means that online applications run much the same asdo locally installed ones. Applications need not be installedon every PC, so many desktop units need only minimal in-ternal storage. The ASP business model is a new idea for the21st century, but its basis lies in time-tested efficient useof resources—money, time, bandwidth, and people.

SELF-CHECK ::Circle the correct answer for each question.

1. The individual pieces that make up a bitmapped image are often called .

a. vectors b. pixels c. graphics

2. A tells a program what kind of data is contained in a file and how thedata is organized.

a. file format b. utility c. document

3. A program’s drawings are often used as the basis for constructiondocuments.

a. paint b. CAD c. draw





pages of text and pictures. In a multimedia version, however, the encyclopedia’spictures can move, a narrator’s recorded voice can provide the text, and the usercan move around at will by clicking hypertext links and using navigational tools.By combining different types of media to present the message, the encyclopedia’sdeveloper improves the chances that users will understand and remember theinformation.

Of course, the same point canbe made about television pro-gramming because it uses variousmedia at the same time. Com-puter technologies, however, en-able PC-based multimediaproducts to go one step further.Because the computer can acceptand respond to input from theuser, it can host interactive multi-media events, involving the userunlike any book, movie, or televi-sion program.

Interactivity has been definedin many ways, but in the realm ofmultimedia, the term means thatthe user and program respond toone another: the program contin-

332 Chapter 8

FIGURE 8B.15::

Speech is the most basic and universal

medium for communicating thoughts and

ideas. After centuries of practice, people

find speech a natural and effective way

to communicate.

>>

No two workdays are alike for Corby Simpson, senior pro-grammer at Toronto-based creativePOST Inc., a post-pro-duction facility offering creative solutions for broadcasttelevision and interactive media that has worked withclients such as The Discovery Channel and General Motors.

Simpson may start the day programming a CD-ROM filledwith video content and then switch to designing a CD-ROMlabel for distribution, authoring a DVD, or developing con-tent for use on a personal digital assistant (PDA) later inthe day.

When he’s not handling one of those projects, he’s up-dating his skills and learning about new technologies.

“Keeping up with the new trends can be a full-time jobin itself,” says Simpson, who completed a three-year mediaarts program and a one-year interactive multimedia post-graduate program at Sheridan College.

For Simpson, the multimedia field is most enjoyable forthe creative outlet it provides. “It’s one of the only indus-tries where you can invent things with no cost attached tothem, just time,” says Simpson. “You can also invent otherpeople’s ideas, and if they’re successful, you get a piece ofthat pie too.”

Sometimes, the creative aspect also can pose challengesfor Simpson, who recently was under pressure to learn howto change the way 50,000 lines of computer code worked.“The application was our own invention, so we couldn’t out-source it,” says Simpson. “Under normal conditions some-body would go to school for three years to learn what wedid in less than a month.” Simpson sees opportunities inthe multimedia field as growing, thanks to an increase inWeb-based applications and wireless development.

Careers in multimedia are as varied and as numerous asmultimedia products, with the workload typically shared bya team, helmed by a creative director who is responsible fordeveloping and refining the overall design process fromstart to finish. The creative director is also responsible forintegrating that design process into the developmentalprocess of the company. The team members of a multimediaproject usually include some or all of the following:

>> Art Director Directs the creation of all art for the project.

>> Technical Lead Ensures that the technological process ofa project works and that it accommodates all projectcomponents and media.

Careers in Multimedia





ually provides the user with a range ofchoices that the user selects to directthe flow of the program. This level ofinteractivity is the primary differencebetween computer-based multimediaprograms and other kinds of multime-dia events. Most television programs,for example, require the viewer onlyto sit and observe. Computers, how-ever, make it possible to create interac-tive media, which enable people torespond to—and even control—whatthey see and hear. By using the PC tocontrol the program, the user canmake choices, move freely from onepart of the content to another, and insome cases customize the content tosuit a specific purpose.

Interactive media are effective (and successful) because they provide this give-and-take with the user. You will find this level of interactivity in practically anypopular multimedia product, whether the program is a video game, a digital refer-ence tool, an electronic test bank, or a shopping site on the Web (see Figure 8B.16).


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>> Interface Designer Directs the development of the userinterface for a product, which includes not only whatusers see but also what they hear and touch.

>> Instructional Designer Designs the instructional systemfor the product, which determines how material istaught, if the product is educational.

>> Visual Designer Creates the various art forms, usuallywithin a specialized area.

>> Interactive Scriptwriter Weaves the project’s contentamong various media and forms of interactivity.

>> Animator Uses 2-D and 3-D software to create animationand effects.

>> Sound Producer As a manager, creative artist, and pro-grammer, a sound producer designs and produces all theaudio in a product.

>> Videographer Creates the video footage that interfaceswith the interactive technology of the product.

>> Programmer/Software Designer Designs and creates theunderlying software that runs a multimedia program andcarries out the user’s commands.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job opportuni-ties for multimedia professionals are expected to grow asfast as average for all occupations through the year 2010.Median annual earnings of salaried multimedia artists andanimators were $41,130 in 2000, with the middle 50 per-cent earning between $30,700 and $54,040.

FIGURE 8B.16 ::

Because they provide the user with

different types of content and options for

navigating and displaying that content,

computer-based games and references

are highly interactive.





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334 Chapter 8

Key Terms ::

3-D modeling software, 329bitmap, 324BMP, 325clip art, 326compatible, 325computer-aided design (CAD), 328computer-generated imaging

(CGI), 329draw program, 327

DXF, 325EMF, 325file format, 324frame, 329GIF, 325IGES, 325incompatible, 325interactive, 332interactivity, 332

JPEG, 325multimedia, 331paint program, 327photo-editing program, 327photorealistic, 329PICT, 325raster, 324TIFF, 325vector, 324

Key Term Quiz ::

Complete each statement by writing one of the terms listed under Key Terms in each blank.

1. The term is sometimes used to describe bitmap images.

2. A(n) is a standardized method of encoding data for storage.

3. If a program can use a specific file format, the two are said to be .

4. The bitmap file format is often used for photos and other high-resolution images that will be viewed onscreen.

5. The and file formats are two of the common file formats used for vector graphics.

6. programs keep track of each and every pixel on the screen.

7. programs are cousins to paint programs and now take the place of a photographer’s darkroom for manytasks.

8. High-quality animation is usually played at a speed of 30 per second.

9. The term refers to the use of more than one medium at a time to present information.

10. If a multimedia program can accept and respond to input from the user, it is said to be .






Multiple Choice ::

Circle the word or phrase that best completes each statement.

1. A(n) image is defined as a grid whose cells are filled with color.

a. bitmap b. vector c. printed d. interactive

2. A image consists of mathematical equations describing the size, shape, thickness, position, color, andfill of lines or closed graphical shapes.

a. raster b. large c. vector d. complex

3. Graphics can be proprietary or universal.

a. images b. file formats c. bitmaps d. programs

4. A can convert a printed image into digital format.

a. photocopier b. digital camera c. scanner d. computer

5. The graphics file format was defined for use on Macintosh computers.

a. JPEG b. TIFF c. IGES d. PICT

6. If a program and a file format cannot work together, they are said to be .

a. incompatible b. compatible c. universal d. proprietary

7. You can use a paint program to change every _____ in an image from one color to another color.

a. frame b. pixel c. CAD d. format

8. is the computerized version of the hand-drafting process.

a. Multimedia b. Interactivity c. CAD d. Painting

9. The term media is the plural form of .

a. medium b. multimedia c. multimedium d. multimediocre

10. Although television is an example of multimedia, it is not .

a. plural b. interactive c. active d. passive







Review Questions ::

In your own words, briefly answer the following questions.

1. Name the two primary categories of graphics files.

2. List four popular methods you can use to get images into a computer.

3. Where does the term clip art come from?

4. List six common file formats used for bitmap images.

5. Identify one difference between GIF-format images and JPEG-format images.

6. Name five key types of graphics software.

7. Define the term multimedia.

8. What is interactivity, in the context of multimedia?

9. What is special about a photorealistic image?

10. What are photo-editing programs most commonly used for?

Lesson Labs ::

Complete the following exercises as directed by your instructor.

1. If your computer came with Windows installed, it may have one or more graphics programs such as Windows Paint,Microsoft Image Composer, or some other program installed. Check your Programs menu for programs that might beused for graphics. If the product’s name does not make its use clear, ask your instructor for help. List the graphicsprograms installed on your system.

2. Launch Windows Paint and draw a picture. Windows Paint is a basic bitmap-based paint program that is almostalways installed with Windows. To launch the program, click the Start button, open the Programs menu, point toAccessories, and click Paint. Experiment with the program’s drawing tools to create a simple image. Print and savethe image, if your instructor approves, then close Paint.

3. If your school’s computer lab or library has multimedia products on CD-ROM, check one out and use it. What type ofapplication did you select? Determine what types of media it uses. What sorts of navigational tools does it provide?How easy is the product to use? Does it serve its purpose? Write a one-page report on the product and summarize itsstrengths and flaws.

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Chapter LabsComplete the following exercises using a computer in your classroom, lab, orhome.

1. Find some fonts. The Internet is a good place to find and acquire fonts. Somefonts can be downloaded from various Web sites at no cost. Other fonts can bepurchased over the Web. Visit the following Web sites and study the availablefonts, but do not download any fonts without your instructor’s permission.

Microsoft Typography. http://www.microsoft.com/typography/default.asp.(You won’t actually find fonts here, but you will find a tremendousamount of information about fonts and links to non-Microsoft sites wherefonts can be downloaded.)

CNet. http://www.cnet.com. Use the Search tool to search on the term“fonts.”

ZDNet. http://www.zdnet.com. Use the Search tool to search on the term“fonts.”

2. Check out some audio/video players. Several audio and video players areavailable for use on the PC, and each provides a unique set of features in ad-dition to supporting various multimedia file types. Visit these Web sites forinformation on a few players, but do not download any software withoutyour instructor’s permission:

Real Networks, Inc. For information about the RealOne Player, visithttp://www.real.com.

Microsoft. For information about Windows Media Player, visithttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia.

Apple Computer, Inc. For information on the QuickTime player, visithttp://www.quicktime.com.

Discussion QuestionsAs directed by your instructor, discuss the following questions in class or ingroups.

1. Do you think that using a spell checker and a grammar checker for all your fi-nal documents is a sufficient substitute for proofreading? Explain why.

2. Suppose that you were asked to give a presentation on a subject you under-stand well. To support your presentation, you must prepare a 20-minute slideshow using presentation software. Describe the slide presentation you wouldcreate. How many slides would you use? How would you organize them?What types of content would you use in each? What features of the presenta-tion program would you use to enhance the presentation?


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Research and ReportUsing your own choice of resources (such as the Internet, books, magazines, andnewspaper articles), research and write a short paper discussing one of the fol-lowing topics:

>> The ways spreadsheet programs are used in business.

>> Basic design principles you should follow when creating a slide show.

>> Copyright protection as it applies to graphics.

When you are finished, proofread and print your paper, and give it to yourinstructor.

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ETHICAL ISSUES

Software programs have made traditional tools such astypewriters and film obsolete. But like any powerfultool, they can be used and abused. With this thoughtin mind, discuss the following questions in class.

1. Word processors make it easy to create documents.They also make it easy to copy documents createdby others. Copying other people’s work is a growingconcern because more people are downloading oth-ers’ creations from the Internet and disks and thenusing the documents as their own. Would you use

this tactic, say, to create a term paper for school?Do you think it is legally or morally right? Why orwhy not?

2. Magazines commonly retouch photographs beforeprinting them, especially on covers. In some cases,editors make the subjects look very different fromwhat they look like in reality, and not always forthe better. Should this type of retouching be regu-lated, or do you see it as a harmless practice? Sup-port your position.

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