5.

5 Adding Text to a Multimedia Application

An authoring program is the software used to integrate individual media (text, sound,
graphics, video, animations) and build the user interface (menus. hyperlinks, video
controllers, etc.). Authoring applications such as Director, Authorware, or PowerPoint
provide several ways for developers to incorporate text. These include direct entry, copy
and paste, and file importing.

Direct Entry of Text

In direct entry, the developer simply types the desired text in the authoring program.
Editable text is generally typed into an area defined for this purpose, a text box or text
field. Text boxes or fields may have different popenies depending upon the authoring
program and the purpose of the application being developed Some may be intended
simply to display text information to the user. Others provide areas for users to enter
information d their ovm such as responses to questions or search queries. Graphics text is
often simply typed onto any area of the screen and then positioned or further manipulated
by rotating, stretching, filling with color and so on, like any other graphic

Copy and Paste

Copy and pasta, allows developers to select text from another source, copy it to the corns
puter's "clipboard", and paste it directly into their project Copy and paste is an essential,
time-saving tool for the multirnedia developer that is used not only for text, but also for
all media

File import

Finally, text can be entered by file import. In this case the text to be incorporated already
exists as o file, having been previously typed. scanners, or converted from speech. The
authoring application will typically provide a dialogue box in which the developer selects
the file to be innported. File import is particularly useful for larger amounts of text since
it Is much faster than re entering text and more direct than copy and paste.

File import

Finally, text can be entered by file import. In this case the text to be incorporated already
exists as o file, having been previously typed. scanners, or converted from speech. The
authoring application will typically provide a dialogue box in which the developer selects
the file to be imported. File import is particularly useful for larger amounts of text since it
is much faster than re-entering text and more direct than copy and paste.

Scanning and OCR

Developers open need to incorporate text that exists only in its traditional format, the
printed page. Scanning and optical character recognition ICCR) produce a computer text
file from pnnteo sources.

Scanning text for use in multimedia applications is a three-stage process. First, the text 15
scanned using one of several different types ot devices (hand scanner, flatbed scanner,
etc.) In this process light and photoreceptors are used to produce, in effect, a picture of
the page. Like the graphics text described above, the scan only records the shapes that
make up the text and not the identity of the individual characters.

In the second stage, specialized software is used to identify the characters repress sensed
by the scanned shapes. This is called optical character recognition, or OCR. The accuracy
of OCR varies because, with so many different typefaces available, significantly diffrent
shapes may represent a particular letter, number, or symbol. In addition, imperfections on
the printed page complicate accurate character recognition. OCR progrants have
continually improved and the best among them correctly identify a high pencentage of
characters. Some mistakes are nearly inevitable, however. This leads to the final str go of
the process, proofing the text file produced by OCR.

Proofing is usually expedited by first using a spell checker on the text file. Characters that
have been misidentified (a 't' for an 'i,' for instance) will often show up as sparing errors
Spell-checkers will not catch all errors, however. Scanned files should always be
carefully proofread.

5.6 Guidelines for the Use of Text

Theeffective use of text in multimedia applications is governed by the principles of good

writing in general. Readers appreciate carefully crafted words whether they find them

on screen or on paper. Conversely. poor word choices, spelling mistakes, and grammar
errors rapidly undermine user confidence in the content of a multimedia application.

Multimedia also raises writing challenges and opportunities of its own. Some of the more
important of these are addressed in the following guidelines

1. Be selective. Use ten where it conveys information more effectively than other media:
.To present facts and abstract concepts
.To label unfamiliar icons
.To solicit or respond to user input

2. Be brief. Reading large amounts of text on a computer screen soon tires the
user.

· Eliminate unnecessary words.

. Choose words carefully. Strive for pneclsion and economy.

· Break text into short, logical segments.

· Use bullets.

3. Make text readable.

· Preserve open space. Don't crowd the screen with too much text.

. Test fonts for legibility.

· Use anti-aliased text for a cleaner, more professional appearanrance.

· Match fonts to backgrounds:

· Choose font/background colors carefully—for instance red on black is much harder to

read than yellow on black.

· Avoid small fonts on textured backgrounds—the texture will obscure letter shapes.

· Adjust tracing and leading when changing line length.

· Limit the number of fonts. Too many fonts ("ransom note typography") will
distract the user.

4. Be consistent.

. Maintain a tone to match the purpose of the application: professional, formal

casual or humorous.

· Use the same fonts for each of the major categories of text page headings
menus, body-text, buttons etc. Font consistency helps to orient users.

. Vary font size to reflect the relative importance of information;

. Use a grid to consistently locate different types of text (headings, body text,
navigation aids, text entry boxes).

5. Be careful.

. Proofread. Spelling and grammatical erros quickly underrnine your credibility.

· Avoid plagiarism. Identify and credit your text sources

· Check for font availability on playback systems.

· Check for font compatibility on cross-platfornn applications.

6. Be respectful.

· Avoid stereotype and disparaging usages that Is racist or sexist languages.

· Use humor with care. What is funny to one person may be offensive to another,

· Lmit the use of animated text and "word art". These can easlly become distractions
shihting the user's focus away from the meaning or message of the text.

7. Combine text with other media. Use sound graphics video or animation to
reinforce, explain or extend the text message. For instance:

· Spoken word pronunciation . Animation of s physical process (cell-division, nuclear

fission)

8. Moth text interactive. Much of the power of multimedia derives from interactiv
ity. Try to engage users with ten.

· Solicit user input

· Use hyperlinks to tie words to related information

· Use mouse-overs:

.to display definitions of unfamiliar terms

. to pose a question
. to make a comment

5.7 Summary

Often considered the leastglamorous of the various media, text is nonetheless an

important element in many multimedia applications. Text is ohen the most efficient
communication medium and it is essential for the presentation of abstract ideas and
theories. Well-crahed words can also be powerfully engaging and provocative.

Multimedla text is built on a long standing text tradition and on the powerful erJiting
tools of computengenerated text. but it has also made its own contributions to the
expanding uses of the written word. These include many dynamic elements. Multimedia
text can be animated, morphed, linked to any other medium, and automatically generated
from speech. Like all written communication, multimedia text should be clears
grammatically confect, and delivered in a style appropriate to its audience.
Text is effectively combined with other media through a variety of resources includlng
RTML and XHTML for web pages, PDF files for consistent delivery of highly formatted
multimedia documents, and a wide range of authoring programs. Scanning and file
Import complement direct entry techniques to expedite the Inclusion of text in rnulffme

Review Quesffons

1. What are the maln text propert es derived frc nn the print indust^ly7
2. What are the turo main font technologies?
3, identify an odvanuge and disadvantage for each of the two main font technologies.
4. What is the process of 'anti aliasing7 s.
5.What is a benefit of graphics text7
6. What is one limitation of graphics text?
7. What is the rosin d st Art ion between ASCII and RTF text lilac
8. When should a person save a file created in Word as an RIF flk7
9. What is hypertext?
10. What is one benef t and one limitation of OCR text input?
11. What are two advantages of PDF files7
12. What is the problem of installed hunts'? How can multimedia developers ret this
problem?
13. What are twoadvantag^ff of XHTML7
14. Identify and define the two principal uses of combining text and speech.
15. What are four methods to add text into a multimedia authoring application?

Discussion Questions

1. The characteristics of typography have their origins in the manual print industry.
Identify and explain three features Or typography that began in the print trade.

2. When should you consider using graphics text in a muhirnedia applications Why7

3. locate and print the first page of your campus webslte. Circle two exannples oi graphks
text and highlight two examples of editable text. i xplain why these spe ciflc text
elements were presented as graphics or editable text.

4. As the text editor of a multimedia tutorial, explain why you will only accr pt file
formats that are ,rti,

5. As the text editor d a multimedia book why will you convert your final chapters to a
.pdl format7

6. Provide three guidelines you would follow to create the text based content in A
PowerPoint multimedia Wosi^i to announce your campus events.