Table of Contents | Electrifier Overview

What is Electrifier Pro? | Understanding the Interface | Understanding Authoring | Understanding types of Content | Understanding Export| Understanding Actor Placement



Understanding Authoring

Familiarity with the various forms of computer computer animation--time-based animation and frame-based animation--is important when designing a fast yet compelling web site. The difference between time-based animation and frame-based animation such as animated GIFs is similar to the distinction between vector graphics and bitmap graphics.

Frame-based animations must be built using a sequence of still frames played over a period of time to simulate movement. Imagine drawing many pictures of a bud opening up into a flower and playing them in rapid succession. Since each frame of the animation must be described by a different set of data, large file sizes are common with frame-based animation.

By contrast, time-based animation is built using a set of instructions, which tell the viewer's computer how to render the image's movements. Imagine drawing the petals of a rose with vector graphics, and then telling them to rotate and go in prespective to make the flower bloom, by giving a set of instructions that your computer could process and carry out. Since time-based animations are simply a set of instructions, file sizes are only slightly larger than the original still graphic. Animating a graphic with time-based effects can add less than 1K to its file size.

Authoring with Effects and Actions

Creating time-based animations in Electrifier Pro is more efficient for the designer. Rather than building many frames which are both time-consuming to create and difficult to edit, you can build your animation by dragging Electrifier's straightforward and powerful effects onto your actors. With dozens of effects and the ability to combine them, sophisticated animations are just a few clicks away.

And if you want to add interactivity to your multimedia, the Electrifier advantage becomes even clearer. Where other applications require you to learn a programming language in order to make an object in an animation respond to a simple mouse click, Electrifier lets you script interactivity for your actors with the same drag-and-drop simplicity with which you build your animations.

Viewing media with Effects and Actions

Viewing time-based animations created with Electrifier Pro is also more efficient for the viewer. Rather than downloading a large sequence of graphics in order to play an animation, they only have to download a single graphic, and the instructions to animate it. And time-based animations animate smoothly on all machines, instead of being too fast on some machines and too slow on others.

Since adding interactivity is so simple with Electrifier Pro, users also benefit from interactive multimedia, allowing them to control the online experience.


What is Electrifier Pro? | Understanding the Interface | Understanding Authoring | Understanding types of Content | Understanding Export| Understanding Actor Placement

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