Vision

There is a tendency towards storing data digitally more and more (meaning in coding of 0 and 1). The different kinds of data are:

• structured, alphanumeric data;
• text, simple and formatted;
• pictures and diagrams (graphics), made up of graphical elements such as circles, lines and text);
• still images;
• sound, music and speech, possibly of a hi-fi-stereo quality;
• moving images (video), consisting of images and pictures.

 

4.3.1 Towards Realistic Documents

The information technology that integrates all forms of data is called multimedia. Multimedia places the emphasis on documents consisting of different kinds of data. A simple example is that of a text document containing pictures, video films and spoken text. Word processors such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect already have this option. The software to create and process multimedia documents for various areas of application is developing strongly.

A complex multimedia document is made up of various data objects, such as text, pictures, images and films. The user has the possibility to interactively decide how he consults the objects contained in the document. With multimedia, we can for example construct an electronic encyclopaedia, which not only contains texts and pictures, but also films that show the working of things or the show how an historic event took place. Moving images can also have the nature of an interactive game. A game is constructed of objects representing for example people, 'creatures', things, buildings and landscapes. The user is presented a reality in which he in fact participates. The user's behaviour influences the behaviour of the objects in the game. When interactive documents such as this are combined with the right user interfaces, a 'virtual reality' is possible, in which the user's senses experience the reality presented to him as the only reality there is.

Multimedia has several possibilities for applications for knowledge transfer and the supply of information. It is also highly suitable for entertainment, for example in interactive and realistic computer games. What is essential for this, is that people are capable of using multimedia to create and store documents on the computer that are of an extremely high level. In multimedia documents data can be stored that can support the user at the level of knowledge, experience and insight. The data in documents are presented to the users on work stations in a clear and understandable way. The users can determine interactively how they deal with the contents. As a result of the continuing development of interfaces and software, documents offer increasingly realistic representations of existing or virtual realities. Eventually, the user will no longer experience documents as documents, but as realities in which he participates.

4.3.2 Synthesis Of Imaginary Reality

With the computer, the user can create and pick the contents of multimedia documents and thus create imaginary realities. A simple example of this is the montage and editing of digital films and images and the sound to go with them. Both the contents of the individual images and their order in the film are completely adaptable. For the montage, recorded films and photographs, self-made pictures and backgrounds are used. For sound people use recorded sound (music, speech, samples) and self-made sounds. Musical instruments such as synthesisers can be attached to the computer for the input of sound.

A possibility that goes even further is that of synthesis of images and sound. The computer calculates images and sounds and gives them a life-like nature. To create the image, the computer is fed data on for example the shape of things or living creatures, their movements, their colour and their outward material. The computer can then calculate and simulate their behaviour. The computer also calculates backgrounds, perspective, light and the right colour for certain times of the day. Sound synthesis follows the same principle. The computer is fed the basic features of the sounds of musical instruments, animals and talking people. It can then calculate the sound an object makes with certain behaviour. Present-day television advertisements show the often absurd things that are possible with the montage and synthesis of images and sound. Another good example is film like 'Jurassic Park', in which the computer has calculated and drawn life-like dinosaurs and their behaviour.

4.3.3 Applications Of Multimedia

Electronic Publishing
Users of PCs, both at home and at work, have more and more software at their disposal to make splendid documents and presentations containing text, pictures, images and sound. The result can be printed on a laser printer as a paper document, or converted to slides for a presentation. Interactive multimedia documents to be used on the computer are electronically published on CD-ROM. Another form of electronic publishing is via networks such as the Internet.

Communication of companies and institutions
Companies can offer their customers brochures catalogues, presentations, information and advertisements electronically, as interactive multimedia documents. Customers can retrieve these data on special electronic information desks or work stations at the company's sales outlets, or via the network, on their own home computers.

Training and education
Multimedia documents can be stored in databases together with all kinds of references and possibilities for retrieval. Such hypermedia databases are ideally suited for educational purposes. A user who looks into a certain subject is not only presented text, but also pictures and fragments of film. He can follow on references to other subjects and thus navigate through the knowledge. Documents can have the nature of an encyclopaedia or of a specific training course.
Interactive multimedia documents that realistically calculate and display reality, support the user's learning process by simulating reality in such a way that the user experiences it as real. Simulation can be applied to train all kinds of situations. The best-known example is the flight simulator. Flight simulators are the most sophisticated form of virtual reality we have at present. With the flight simulator, a pilot has the sensation of flying a real aeroplane.

Service documentation
Companies apply multimedia to create service documents. Aircraft builders, for example, store the maintenance manuals for their aircraft on CD-ROM. Airline companies now receive new versions of manuals on CD-ROM on a regular basis, instead of being given a great paper mountain containing updates. The next phase will be that companies provide their customers with interactive, electronic maintenance manuals of their products via data communication. Such a multimedia manual will not only provide texts and pictures, but also short instruction films that show the mechanic how certain repairs and maintenance tasks should be done.

Design and simulation
More and more often, companies use multimedia documents to design their products and production processes. Computer Aided Design (CAD) supports the designing of industrial products and processes. Application developers also use development tools to design data models and programmes. With the addition of video, process simulation becomes possible. Simulation software supports the designing and redesigning of processes. The design of a building can be stored in such a way that the client is not only able to judge the outside and the lay-out, but also to 'walk' through the building by means of the computer. This way, he gets an impression of what the building will look like inside.
Electronic designs are stored and managed in Product Data Management Systems. These promote knowledge transfer between designers and allow for the re-use of components from previous designs in new designs.

From paper organisation to computer based organisation
Electronic documents will more and more replace paper documents. For clerical organisations that work with documents and files a great deal, this means that they can switch from working manually on paper, to working on the computer with electronic documents. The technology that focuses on replacing paper documents with electronic ones is that of Document Management Systems. This technology places the emphasis on archiving electronic documents and keeping them accessible. A second area of attention is the support of business processes with electronic documents. Image Processing has an important initial role in this. The user converts paper documents into images by means of a scanner. He files and retrieves the images electronically. A next phase is the introduction of multimedia-based electronic documents, such as electronic catalogues, application forms, customer files of work files that support clerical processes.

4.3.4 Summary

The developments around multimedia will continue for some time. This has to do with the development of other branches of information technology. Multimedia primarily depends on the further development of user interfaces. Multimedia also requires a different approach to designing and building software. The object-oriented development method seems to be the most appropriate. Database storage and management of multimedia documents and methods to navigate through these documents are still in full development. This involves new challenges in the field of database technology and knowledge technology.