Instructions for graphic objects, bitmaps, and textMovie files, which typically have a .MMM filename extension, contain all the information necessary to present movie animation and sound sequences. These files use a RIFF-based format called the Multimedia Movie File (RMMP) format. Movies created on the Macintosh using MacroMind Director can be converted to RMMP format using the Microsoft Movie Convertor utility. The Multimedia Authoring Guide describes how to use this utility. For more information on the RMMP format, see the Programmer's Reference.
The Movie Player uses cast-based animation, also known as object animation. In cast-based animation, each object involved in the presentation is an individual element with its own movement pattern, color, size, shape, and speed. These presentation objects are called cast members and can be graphics, sounds, text, and palettes. Collectively, the group of cast members for a movie is called the cast.
The term frame refers to a segment of time in a movie. A movie is divided into a series of frames; the first frame in the movie is frame number 1. Each frame has a list of specifications defining the behavior of any cast members used at that point in the presentation. Movie files store frames not as complete pictures, but as a series of instructions defining the behavior of cast members, the display duration of the frame, and transitions, or special ways to move from frame to frame. Some frames contain subframes; subframes are mostly used with special transition effects in which cast members are drawn incrementally to the stage window.
The cast is controlled by a movie score. You might think of the score as a grid in which columns represent frames and rows represent instructions that define the appearance and behavior of a movie at the given frame. Not all cast members
included in a movie file are necessarily involved in the presentation; cast members must be referenced in the score to play a part in the animation. The rows in the score are called channels and include the following:
Instructions for graphic objects, bitmaps, and text
A tempo channel defining the amount of time each frame is displayed
A palette channel defining the color table for the frame
A transition channel defining how the previous frame is replaced by the current frame
A sound channel referencing audio cast members for each frame
A script channel referencing textual script commands to be executed after each frame is displayed
For more information on cast-based animation, see the MacroMind Director documentation.