There are two basic kinds of computer animations: cast-based animation and frame animation. Frame animation is created by designing a separate frame for each screen view, much like a film strip or video. Cast-based animation is created by individually designing all of the moving objects, assigning to each object its own character traits (such as position pattern, size, and ink), and then forming a complete picture frame composed of the individual objects. Both types of animations are played by flipping through the frames in quick succession.
MacroMind Director is a tool for creating cast-based animations, providing a number of features to support the authoring process. The end result is referred to as movie. Each frame can contain multiple unique cast members that can change position and appearance independently in each subsequent frame. Cast members can be graphics, sounds, text, and palettes. Collectively, the group of cast members for a movie is called the cast. The script that controls the cast members is called the score. The score is a grid that controls the appearance and behavior of the movie at each frame. Cast members must be referenced in the score to play a part in the animation.
When you play a Director movie, the individual cast members appear to move within a stage window. You can examine these cast members from Director in the Cast window.
Building Director animations is direct and efficient, but still requires time and creativity. The following procedure outlines the basic process.
·To create a movie file for the Windows environment:
1.Create a movie for MacroMind Director on the Macintosh.
2.Once you have something you want to try on the PC, convert the file to Movie Player format by using the Microsoft Movie Convertor utility as described later in this chapter.
3.Run the movie file on the Multimedia PC, noting any problems with appearance that need to be fixed. Remember to test on a variety of machines to catch problems in performance and synchronization.
4.Go back to the Macintosh and integrate these changes.
5.Repeat steps 2 through 4 until the movie runs acceptably on the PC.