Mediator (software)
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| MatchWare Mediator | |
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| Developed by | MatchWare |
| Latest release | 9.120 / March 2008 |
| OS | 2000, XP, Vista |
| Genre | Multimedia authoring |
| License | Commercial |
| Website | matchware.com |
Mediator is a multimedia authoring tool for Windows, developed and distributed by MatchWare. The program was designed to create multilayered interactive CD/DVD applications, dynamic websites and Flash presentations. Mediator foregoes the extreme technological prowess, found in other authoring tools, for usability and an intuitive environment that can be used by novices and professionals alike.
The software is available in English, German, French and Danish, and requires Windows 2000 or newer.
Contents |
[edit] Features
Whether the user is designing a CD presentation, a website or a Flash animation, the work flow and basic principles of the program are the same. All available actions and events, such as “Go to page” or “Animate object”, are represented as simple building blocks which the user can drag and drop wherever they are needed. More complex programming tasks, such as if-then-else statements or variable control, can also be used this way to create advanced presentations, which in turn shifts the focus of the development from the technical aspect to the design and functionality of the presentation. The application contains many features such as a scripting engine, document variables, 3D transitions, multi-user editing, ActiveX integration, ODBC functionality, HTML editor objects, SCORM compatibility, independent event timelines etc., all of which can be used this way.
At any point in the development, clicking a button will take the user into test-mode, which will display the current project exactly as it will appear (and function) when exported. The export itself can be done in two ways: Quick, which uses default settings, and Advanced, which will let the user tweak the details of the export – Flash file frame rate, application and distribution settings, whether or not to include DirectX and so on.
[edit] Document types
This is a short presentation of the three document types available in Mediator. A project can be converted from one type to another at any point, but as certain objects are not available in some export types, it is advisable to create a new project using a document type that corresponds to the intended distribution mode.
[edit] Standard
This document type is intended for interactive CD-presentations and applications, and is the most powerful document type of the three. All of Mediators' most advanced features, such as ActiveX, 3D transitions and scripting, are available, as are all visual effects. The finished project can be exported to a self-contained presentation or a Windows install package for CD/DVD distribution, as well as a screensaver.
[edit] Flash
This document type is for Flash-based presentations and websites. All objects that cannot be used in the Flash framework are disabled, and some are changed slightly to adapt to the format - the video object, for example, will now only accept FLV files. SCORM-support is enabled, which allows the user to create self-contained LMS packages. Due to the flexibility of the Flash format, most visual effects are available as well.
[edit] HTML
This document type is for dynamic websites and turns Mediator into a true WYSIWYG HTML design tool. Like the Flash mode, all advanced objects and features that are not feasible in the intended export type, such as database integration and file manipulation, are disabled, but the HTML object makes up for this by allowing custom code, including serverside-scripts such as PHP or ASP, to be executed within an iframe. Many visual effects are still available, as they will be rendered to PNG images when exported, and the SCORM system is enabled.
The project can be exported to a website, which will require a relatively new browser (anything from Internet Explorer 6 or Firefox 1) as well as JavaScript to view properly. An XML sitemap is exported automatically to improve indexing on compatible search engines.
