TUTORIAL 3

QUESTION

     Discuss the different between bitmap and vector graphics. Describe 5 different graphic elements you might use in a project, for example, the background, buttons, icons, or text. Would you use a vector tool or a bitmap tool for each element? Why?

      

     Difference Between Raster and Vector Graphics

1. Raster or Bitmap images are resolution dependent. because of this its not possible to increase or decrease their size without sacrificing on image quality.

When the size of a bitmap or raster image is reduced, some pixels must be thrown away. Thus loosing some of the image’s data. When you increase its size, some new pixels must be created based on the color values of the surrounding pixels, which is not accurate thus affecting the quality of image.

Vector based images are not dependent on resolution. The size of vector image can be increased or decreased to any proportion without affecting the image’s quality. Fonts are a type of vector objects.

2. Raster or bitmap images are always rectangular in shape. If you see a bitmap image with any other shape then it just means that the rest of the pixels have same color as the image’s background color. Vector images, however, can have any shape. For example, see the image here. The vector bitmap and the vector circle seems to be the same on a white background. However, on any other color, the difference is obvious as the bitmap circle’s white pixels are visible, thus proving its rectangular shape.

3. Unlike bitmap/raster image, Vecor images can’t be used for realistic images. This is because vector images are made up of solid color areas and mathematical gradients, so they can’t be used to show continuous tones of a colors in a natural photograph.

You must have noticed that most of the vector images have a cartoon like appearance. The reason behind it is the same, vector graphics can’t display continuous variation in color. However, the vector graphics technology is advancing pretty fast, and in near future we may be able to get a bitmap like appearance in vector graphic.

All scanned images and images taken from a digital cameras are raster or bitmap images. Vector images are basically created using software like Adobe Illustrator. Its impossible to capture/scan an image and convert it into a vector format without using a specialized conversion software. However, its very easy to convert a vector image to a raster image. This process is called rasterizing.

Hope this article explains the difference between the vector and raster/bitmap graphics clearly. If you still have any questions or if you have something to add, then please use the comment form below.

5 Elements Graphic

     Designing Button Graphics

 Button graphics appear inside buttons--most often in toolbar buttons.
 Such graphics identify the action, setting, mode, or other function represented by the button.
 For instance, clicking the button might carry out an action (creating a new file) or set a state
 (boldfaced text).

 The two standard sizes for button graphics are 16 x 16 pixels and 24 x 24 pixels.
 Either size (but not both at the same time) can be used in toolbars or tool palettes,
 depending on the amount of space available.

 If you include both text and graphics in a button, the size of the button will exceed 16 x 16 or 24 x 24 pixels. If the button size is an issue, consider using tool tips instead.

Do not include text as part of your button graphics (GIF files). Use button text instead. Keep the button text in a resource bundle to facilitate localization.

Note, however, that toolbar buttons can display text instead of graphics, particularly if your usability testing establishes that the action, state, or mode represented by the button graphic is difficult for users to comprehend. Tool tips for toolbar buttons can help clarify the meaning of a button.

ll>When designing your button graphics, clearly show the action, state, or mode that the button initiates.

ll>Keep the drawing style symbolic; too much detail can make it more difficult for users to understand
what a button does.

ll>Use a flush 3D border to indicate that a button is clickable.

ll>Draw a clear, dark border without anti-aliasing or other exterior detail (except the flush 3D highlight)
around the outside of a button graphic.

Designing Symbols

ll>Symbols include any small graphic (typically 48 x 48 pixels or smaller) that stands for a
state or a concept but has no directly associated action or object. Symbols might appear
within dialog boxes, system status alert boxes, and event logs. Saturated colors might be
 useful for status or warning symbols.

ll>The examples in the following figure show the graphic from an Info alert box and a
caution symbol superimposed on a folder icon to indicate a hypothetical state. The style for
 symbols is not as narrowly defined as that for icons and button graphics. The examples in
the following figure use a flush or etched effect for interior detail but not for the border of the graphic.

Figure 41 Symbols

   Working With Available Colors

      ll>The number of colors available on a system is determined by the bit depth which is the number of bits of information used to represent a single pixel on the monitor. The lowest number of bits used for modern desktop color monitors is usually 8 bits (256 colors); 16 bits provide for thousands of colors (65,536, to be exact); and 24 bits, common on newer systems, provide for millions of colors (16,777,216). The specific colors available on a system are determined by the way in which the target platform allocates colors. Available colors might differ from application to application.

     ll>Designers sometimes use predefined color palettes when producing images. For example, some web designers work within a set of 216 "web-safe" colors. These colors reproduce in many web browsers without dithering (as long as the system is capable of displaying at least 256 colors). Dithering occurs when a system or application attempts to simulate an unavailable color by using a pattern of two or more colors or shades from the system palette. 

  

     ll>Outside web browsers, available colors are not so predictable. Individual platforms have different standard colors or deal with palettes in a dynamic way. The web-safe colors might dither when running in a standalone application, or even in an applet within a browser that usually does not dither these colors. Since the colors available to a Java application can differ each time it is run, especially across platforms, you cannot always avoid dithering in your images.

Identify and understand the way that your target platforms handle colors at different bit depths. To achieve your desired effect, test your graphics on all target platforms at depths less than 16 bits.

  Choosing Graphic File Formats

    ll>You can use two graphic file formats for images on the Java platform: GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and JPEG (named after its developers, the Joint Photographic Experts Group).GIF is the common format for application graphics in the Java look and feel. GIF files tend to be smaller on disk and in memory than JPEG files. Each GIF image is limited to 256 colors, or 8 bits of color information per pixel. A GIF file includes a list (or palette) of the colors (256 or fewer) used in the image. The number of colors in the palette and the complexity of the image are two factors that affect the size of the graphic file. 

    ll>On 8-bit systems, some of the colors specified in a GIF file will be unavailable if they are not part of the system's current color palette. These unavailable colors will be dithered by the system. On 16-bit and 24-bit systems, more colors are available and different sets of colors can be used in different GIF files. Each GIF image, however, is still restricted to a set of 256 colors.
   ll>PEG graphics are generally better suited for photographs than for the more symbolic style of icons, button graphics, and corporate type and logos. JPEG graphics use a compression algorithm that yields varying image quality depending on the compression setting, whereas GIF graphics use lossless compression that preserves the appearance of the original 8-bit image.

     Designing Graphics in the Java Look and Feel Style

Application graphics that you design fall into three broad categories:

•  Icons, which represent objects that users can select, open, or drag
•  Button graphics, which identify actions, settings, and tools (modes of the application)
•  Symbols, which are used for general identification and labeling (for instance, as indicators of conditions or states)

Table  6 Examples of Application Graphics

Graphic Type	Examples	Basic 3D Style	Pre-Dithered
Icons
Button graphics
Symbols

ll>Use the GIF file format for iconic and symbolic graphics. It usually results in a smaller file size 
than the JPEG format and uses loss-less compression.

ll>Put all application graphics in resource bundles.
ll>Where possible, use globally understood icons, button graphics, and symbols. Where none exist,
create them with input from international sources. If you can't create a single symbol that
works in all cultures, define appropriate graphics for different locales (but try to minimize this task).

ll> Vector masking is one of many useful features in Fireworks, but the program's greatest strength comes from its demolition of the traditional line between vector and bitmapped graphics. Having both kinds of tools available in one program is convenient, but being able to combine and harmonize them in new and unexpected ways opens a lot of creative doors. Fireworks allows you to change the way you design with old familiar and comfortable tools.

QUESTION 2

          You are designer given the task of creating a website for a new division of your company. Start by defining the characteristics of the customers of the company and the kind of image the company wishes to present to its customers. Then specify a colour palette to be used for the design of the site. Defend your colour choices by discussing the associations people have with the colours and how they relate to your customers and the company’s images.

       ANSWER
      As a designer for creating a website for a new division of my company, I will created based on fast food restaurant company. As we know that fast food restaurant is coming out of majority there will be kids, teenagers mostly. The concept that I will create must be full of color that means is can attract them with the up to date design there suppose to be teenagers interest.

      

      Whether you are designing a clean corporate website or a grunge portfolio site, color is going to play a major role in how the design is perceived by the audience. That’s why it’s important to get the colors right upfront. There are plenty of tools out there made especially for this, but like anything else some are better than others. Here are 10 color tools that I think are exceptionally useful.

ColoRotate

As well as being a useful way to choose colors, ColoRotate looks cool and is actually fun to use. Instead of using two dimensional viewers, it presents color palettes to you in 3d and in real time.

Kuler

Kuler is a community driven web app that lets your browse color palettes created by others. You can also create your own by using the color wheel, harmony rules, and color sliders.

Color Scheme Designer

Color Scheme Designer has been around for a while, but was just recently updated with a brand new interface and a new color scheme generating engine.

COLOURlovers

COLOURlovers provides more than just a way to find color palettes. It is also a place to network with other people to discuss color related topics, and read interesting articles about all things color.

Copaso

Copaso is COLOURlovers palette generating tool. It’s rich feature set allows you to save colors to a scratch pad, extract colors from a photo, and publish a palette for thousands of other people to see.

Color Blender

Color Blender let’s you select a preferred color and then it generates a six color blend based on that color. From there you can tweak each individual color.

Toucan

Toucan allows you to select up to 20 colors for each palette either by using color association or from an uploaded image.

ColorMunki

ColorMunki gives you the ability to search colors from built in libraries and using keywords.

Color Wizard

With Color Wizard you can submit a base color and it generates color schemes based on your color’s complementary color, split complementary colors, analogous colors and other variations.

Color Explorer

Color Explorer is a fairly new color palette generating tool, but boasts a well organized set of features.

TUTORIAL 2

Question 1

Discuss the differences among multimedia, interactive multimedia, hypertext, and hypermedia.

Answer

Multimedia may be broadly divided into two categories

ll> Linear
ll> Non-linear (Interactive)

Linear Multimedia
Linear active content progresses without any navigational control for the viewer such as a cinema presentation. Non-interactive form of multimedia in which a project starts at a beginning and runs through to the end. Conventional "television" is essentially "linear multimedia" (although switching channels could be said to involve interactivity). However, there is no ability for the end user to control when elements are to be delivered. Some multimedia projects are like television in that they present material in a linear fashion from beginning to end.
Linear multimedia can be distinguished from non-linear multimedia because it has literally no interactivity of any kind. It lacks any extra features that a user can take advantage of, such as the ability to choose different options, click on icons, control the flow of the media, or change the pace at which the media is displayed.
The main reason to use linear multimedia over the more interactive and fun non-linear types of multimedia is to aid in teaching or training. Linear multimedia works exceedingly well for providing information to large groups of people such as at training sessions, seminars, workplace meetings, or study groups.

Non Linear Multimedia
In Non Linear Multimedia the end user is given navigational control to wander through multimedia content at will. The user can control what is seen and when it will be seen.Non-linear content offers user interactivity to control progress as used with a computer game or used in self-paced computer based training.

Interactive Multimedia
ll> In interactive multimedia, the user or operator is able to interact with the computer directly. (Eg: computer games, interactive websites, multimedia presentations or interactive Cd's etc..)
ll> the ability to jump around
ll> interactive presentation organized as menus and content
pages that allow the end user to make decision about where to proceed.
ll> provide the user with choices like menu list, and buttons , hyperlink and many.

Hypertext
Hypertext is an innovation to the paradigms of computing user interfaces that attempts to overcome the limitations of written text. Hypertext, instead of remaining static like traditional text, will dynamically "branch or perform on request" (Nelson 1970). Thus hypertext makes possible the organization of material in ways that partially overcome the linearity inherent in written text. The prefix hyper- (Modern Greek term for over or beyond) signifies the overcoming of such constraints. The most frequently discussed form of hypertext document contains automated cross-references to other documents called hyperlinks. Selecting a hyperlink causes the computer to load and display the linked document.

Documents referenced by hypertext can themselves be static (prepared and stored in advance) or dynamically generated (in response to user input). Therefore a well-constructed system using hypertext can encompass, incorporate or supersede other conventions of user-interface paradigms, such as menus and command lines, and can be used to access both static collections of cross-referenced documents and interactive applications. The documents and applications can be local or can come from anywhere with the assistance of a computer network like the Internet. The most famous implementation of hypertext is the World Wide Web.
The term "hypertext" is often used where the term hypermedia might seem appropriate; the two have always been synonymous but "hypertext" is grammatically simpler.

Hypermedia
There is a term created by Ted Nelson, and used in his 1965 article Complex information processing: a file structure for the complex, the changing and the indeterminate. It is used as a logical extension of the term hypertext, in which graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks intertwine to create a generally non-linear medium of information. This contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may be used to describe non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia. Hypermedia should not be confused with hypergraphics or super-writing which is not a related subject.

The World Wide Web is a classic example of hypermedia, whereas a non-interactive cinema presentation is an example of standard multimedia due to the absence of hyperlinks.
The first hypermedia system was the Aspen Movie Map, while the first truly universal hypermedia was Hypercard. Most modern hypermedia is delivered via electronic pages from a variety of systems. Audio hypermedia is emerging with voice command devices and voice browsing. 

Question 2

Your boss wants you to create a hypermedia system for web visitors to find technical support information about your company. What are some of the implications in creating this system? Should you hand-build the links or use an automatic indexing system?Why?

Answer
Hypermedia is used as a logical extension of the term hypertext in which graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks intertwine to create a generally non-linear medium of information. This contrasts with the broader term multimedia, which may be used to describe non-interactive linear presentations as well as hypermedia. Hypermedia includes use of sound, video, image and text.

This helps the user to know about the product of the company. The user can view and test the product so for as view of the product is concerned. However the hypermedia restricts the speed of web and it also enhances the time taken for opening of the site. So for as the use of hand build indexing system and automatic indexing is concerned, it is the glue that holds the content together.It is the layer of order which makes data base product, robust, and responsive, thus best ever to serve the needs of organization. However without automatic indexing, one may find the precise bit of data that will ignite a new market.

TUTORIAL 1

Question 1

Briefly discuss the history and future of multimedia. How might multimedia be used to improve the lives of its users? How might it influence users in negative ways? What might be use its short comings?

Answer

The history of multimedia a very large scope and from beginning the multimedia term is created in July 1966. According to Wikipedia source, ‘multimedia’ is a media which combine the text, audio, images, animation, video, and interactivity content forms. First of all, the multimedia tools are evolved gradually which start from text, audio, telecommunication devices, video, animation, etc. Due to innovation and creativity of scientists and the development of software, with the computer support, more hi-tech devices and tools of multimedia is created and delivered to users.

The future of multimedia, actually very important to the many scope especially education, communication, marketing & business, entertainment, etc. Latest, many multimedia tools and application are involved when organising the events or activities such as workshop, during ceremony, any functions, talk etc. Flash animation presentation is used to smooth the talk, multimedia light is used to make people in concert have high spirit, graphic illustration is used to help students more understanding about one particular subject, etc. Therefore, multimedia are significant impact in the future.

Multimedia can improve the lives of users in its applications. The most significant one is improving the lifestyle today. Users can know the latest news that happening around the world without travelling. Moreover, it brings more entertainment to the user. Let take an example of mobile phone. In the past, users only use it to call other people. Currently, mobile phone is like ‘PAT’, Personal Assistant Tool. Many multimedia applications are invented as part of functions of mobile phone. Users can play online games, listening songs or RTM, watching movie or MTV, surfing internet, 3G call, capture photos, read image catalogues, record something, etc. Besides that, some hi-tech mobile phones even provide GPRS MAP (GM) that help users not get lost when travelling or driving at new places. Users can know the location through the graphic simulation on the GM.

However, multimedia might influence users in negative ways. The gadget or other relating with multimedia methods usually are very convenient and easy to use, people may use the multimedia invention and technology in the wrong ways. The most significant is the privacy of the user may be violated. Some users like to use mobile phone or digital camera to record the incident and publish it to other sources which actually is violating human being right.

Talking about its shortcomings, multimedia creations that often misused by certain parties in order to earn a quick profit. there are those who do not sell pure multimedia. This cause losses to customers. Such things should not happen. in addition there is also abuse "sms" service where there is the use of this channel to things that are not good.

We can conclude that multimedia is very important at the present time. we as consumers have to use it through the proper channels. avoid misuse of this facility. hope that the next young generation will produce more things beneficial to all.

Question 2

You are marketing director for a small telecommunications company. You are considering using multimedia to market your company’s product. Put together an outline detailing the benefits and drawbacks of using a CD-ROM presentation, a multimedia web site, or a television advertisement.

 Answer

 Advantages

 ll>Television permits you to reach large numbers of people on anational or regional level in a short period of time

 ll>Independent stations and cable offer new opportunities topinpoint local audiences

 ll>Television being an image-building and visual medium, it offersthe ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion.

 Disadvantages

 ll>Message is temporary, and may require multiple exposure forthe ad to rise above the clutter

 ll>Ads on network affiliates are concentrated in local newsbroadcasts and station breaks

 ll>Preferred ad times are often sold out far in advance

 ll>Limited length of exposure, as most ads are only thirty secondslong or less, which limits the amount of information you cancommunicate

 ll>Relatively expensive in terms of creative, production and airtime costs

Question 3

Multimedia is shifting from being localized (contained an a CD-ROM) to being distributed (available on the world wide web). What are some of the implication of this? Who will have access to the presentation? How will keep it secure? How will you distribute it?

Answer

Using this method more the company can have widespread market that allow to capture more customer from all around the world online  advertising which is much cheap r than advertising on TV and other media .Cost and serious problems which come of  packaging ,distributing , production of CD ,marketing ,expanding the market , location and copyright and it will be eliminated. 

In this way company will has more flexibility ,quick customer response,control over its products. Companies which are shifted to distribution putting up the software on their official website and then provide password for that .It means,customer must purchase the password to access to the program.

PROFILE

This is my short profile about me.

Name

ll> Nadia Nadhirah Nazri

ID Number

ll> 1091105362

Faculty

ll> Faculty of Management (FOM)

Course

ll> Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Finance with Multimedia

Hobby

ll> Surfing internet, travelling, outdoor activities

DEFINITION OF MULTIMEDIA

As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc.

For example, a presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a "multimedia presentation." Educational software that involves animations, sound, and text is called "multimedia software." CDs and DVDs are often considered to be "multimedia formats" since they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of disk space.

Due to the advancements in computer speeds and storage space, multimedia is commonplace today. Therefore, the term doesn't produce the same excitement is once did. This also means it is not as overused as it was back in the late '90s. Thank goodness.