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HyperCard was the first commonly available authoring package, distributed free with Macintosh machines for a number of years with the aim of allowing users to customise their Graphical User Interface and freely link and incorporate image, text, animation, and sound using a reasonably sophisticated but very simple (generating modifiable code by selecting menu items) programming language (Hypertalk). Unfortunately HyperCard did not handle colour (it is still remarkably clumsy with colour images) and was rapidly overtaken by the likes of Director, Supercard and Toolbook. However it is still an immensely powerful authoring tool with direct access to the Mac OS, it also defined the card based authoring system.
Macromedia Director has grown from a black and white animation tool for the Mac Plus to one of the most powerful and flexible authoring tools around. Its also cross platform which makes it the perfect choice for prototyping and CD ROM authoring. It now allows distribution of interactive movies over the WWW through a sophisticated compressor projector called Shockwave.
The learning curve is steep, but well worth conquering. Its flexibility and timebased media sensibility makes it the perfect tool for 'non linear', 'non logical' 'media types'. The Score provides a 'cell animation' metaphor for controlling sprites taken from a database of images, sounds, video, text called the Cast. The programming language, Lingo, provides a flexible and powerful programming environment, with Object Oriented capabilities which allow the designer to circumvent the linear limitations of the Score.
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Looks suprisingly like Eisenstiens storyboards.... |
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Authorware offers a 'directory' based metaphor for handling the placement of assets (images, text, sounds, animations, video, and even Director movies) on the screen. Individual icons can be placed in a vertical time line with a horizontal directory allowing branching and interactions. Directories can be placed in a hierarchy, one inside another, allowing the user to build up layered projects. The author can control variables and functions, although most of the programming flexibility of Lingo in Director is replaced by menu options and selections. Authorware evolved as a courseware authoring tool, and has an established following in academic and commercial environments where interactive multimedia courseware is required. Its hierachical structure tneds to lend itself to those of a more logical mind.
To see the HTML source code for this page view source ('Document Source' under the View menu in Netscape) from your browser's menu bar above. This page was constructed using Claris HomePage, a piece of software that does for Web Authoring what PageMaker did for Desk Top Publishing way back in the Eighties. There are an increasing number of HTML editors (PageMill, Front Page, etc) some offer WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get), or near WYSIWIG, capabilities (WYSIWIG HTML is a bit of a contratiction as much of the appearance of a page is defined by options made by the end user (fonts, screen size, etc) (this drives traditional designers mad as they feel they are loosing control!)), others provide menus of tags and HTML code which can be dropped in the right required place. Hardcore HTML designers will probably always prefer to 'code' from scratch, but most of us have better things to do with our time. The advent of these packages allows designers to 'author' directly and tinker with the HTML when needed.
HTML is an evolving language which does mean that many of these Applications will require frequent updates to stay in tune with the design potential of additions, such as Java, Active X, etc. There is also a danger that the democratisation of technical process will produce the plethora of 'bad design' that followed the advent DTP. With HTML bad design can have a more significant impact, people can choose not to buy a paper publication, whereas the distribution of HTML documents takes time and band width. The massive rate of growth of the World Wide Web is already significantly reducing speed and access of the wireways.
