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Multimedia Software Engineering
An Introduction


Prof. David Bernstein
James Madison University

Computer Science Department
bernstdh@jmu.edu

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Etymology
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  • "multi" is from the Latin word multus which means "numerous"
  • "media" is the plural of the Latin word medium which means "center"
Common Uses of the Words "Medium" and "Media"
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  • Physics:
    • A substance through which something is transmitted (e.g., sound is transmitted through the air)
  • Biology:
    • The substance in which an organism lives (e.g., agar in a Petri dish)
  • Chemistry:
    • A filtering substance (e.g., filter paper)
Common Uses of the Words "Medium" and "Media" (cont.)
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  • Mass Communication:
    • A means of mass communication (e.g., newspaper, radio, television)
  • Data Storage:
    • A device/object on which data are stored (e.g., a disk)
  • Art:
    • A specific kind of technique (e.g., lithography)
    • The materials used in a technique (e.g., oil paints)
    • A solvent (e.g., paint thinner)
Common Uses of the Words "Medium" and "Media" (cont.)
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  • What These Uses Have in Common:
    • The word "medium" seems to be used in the sense of the words "intermediary" or "means"
  • The Resulting Definition of "Multimedia":
    • Involving multiple methods, means or intermediaries
The Conventional Approach
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    In the popular press, it is common to talk about the the following types of content (or media):

    • Text
    • Graphics
    • Images
    • Animation
    • Video
    • Sound
    • Music
    • Audio
Shortcomings of the Conventional Approach
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  • Sense-Specific?
    • Images and sounds are each associated with a particular sense (sight and sound, respectively) but text can be either seen or heard
  • Different Levels of Abstraction:
    • The term "image" is a type (i.e., a sign that represents a set) and a particular image is a token (i.e., a sign that represents by way of its place in time and space)
    • The term "text" refers to a type and a particular piece of text, for example the word "dog", is also a type (we don't have a token until we can point to a particular instance of the word "dog")
  • Distinctions are Unclear:
    • What is the difference between an image and a graphic?
    • Is video only visual or can it have an auditory component?
  • Some Distinctions are Ignored:
    • Recorded music, musical scores, recorded voice, and generated speech are very different from each other but are often grouped together as sounds/audio
Important Characteristics of Content
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  • Sense Used to Perceive:
    • Visual
    • Auditory
  • Temporal Nature:
    • Static
    • Dynamic
  • Representation:
    • Sampled
    • Described
Creating a Better Definition
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  • A medium is a means of representing, storing, transmitting, or presenting information that is perceived using a particular sense.
  • Media is the plural form of the noun "medium".
  • Multimedia is the adjectival form of the noun "media".
What is Multimedia Software Engineering?
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  • Software Design (Fox, 2005):
    • Software product design is the process of specifying software product features, capabilities and interfaces to satisfy client needs and desires.
    • Software engineering design is the process of specifying programs and sub-systems, and their constituent parts and workings, to meet software product specifications.
  • Multimedia Software Engineering Design:
    • Characterizing content based on whether it is auditory or visual, static or dynamic, and sampled or described
    • Designing software components that encapsulate different kinds of content.
Not Of Interest: Detailed Design for Individual Media
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  • Storage:
    • Compression Algorithms
    • File Formats
  • Transmission:
    • Bandwith Requirements
    • Latency Issues
  • Presentation:
    • Drawing and Filling Algorithms
    • Acoustics
    • Signal Processing
    • Output Devices
    • Antialiasing
Not Of Interest: Product Design
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  • Product Design:
    • Software Product Design (e.g., user interface design issues)
    • Multimedia Product Design (e.g., usability issues)
  • Multimedia Product Development:
    • Content Development (e.g., art, music, scripts)
    • Delivery Media (e.g., CD/DVD Production)
There's Always More to Learn
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