User Interface and Multimedia

1. User Interface and Multimedia

2. Agenda • Using Artwork as MovieClips • Using and Controlling Sound Multimedia Authoring B.Sc. Multimedia Computing

3. Multimedia Authoring B.Sc. Multimedia Computing

4. Flash Interface Showing Scenario and Related Library Assets Multimedia Authoring B.Sc. Multimedia Computing

5. Audio Sound Characteristics • Audio samples in specific format • Resolution (bits), sample rate (hertz), mono or stereo • More bits, higher sample rate and stereo is best • Compact Disc ‘Red Book Audio’ is = 44100 samples/s × 16 bit / sample × 2 channels • Balance between sound quality and file size • Low quality sound easily identified by listener - as compared with low quality visuals - e.g video - viewer more forgiving of lower quality visuals than sound

6. Popular Sound Formats • Sound formats include .wav, .aif, .mp3, • .wav - (Waveform Audio Format) • Lossless uncompressed format best for retaining ‘first generation’ high quality audio sound libraries.

7. Acquiring, Editing and Creating Sound • Websites see e.g www.pacdv.com • Get sound from genre specific or tribute sites • Purchase CD library material (BBC sound archives) • Create you own with audio software • Usually need to edit and compress to use in multimedia scenario

8. Sound with ActionScript 3.0 • Supports sound for audio with the Sound class SoundChannel class and SoundTransform class • Embedded audio and external audio • Embedded audio includes many of the popular formats .wav, .aif • External audio must be in the .mp3 format • The Sound class provides the facilitates for loading and playing audio. • An audio instance may be modified by accessing properties via the SoundTransform class to modify left and right volume levels and pause playback. Supports up to 32 simultaneous channels

9. Sound with ActionScript 3.0 // set up buttons button1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLibrarySound); button2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playExternalSound); // load external sound so it is ready var soundTwo:Sound = new Sound(); var externalSoundFile:URLRequest = new URLRequest("PlayingSounds.mp3"); soundTwo.load(externalSoundFile); // function to play the library sound function playLibrarySound(event:Event) { var soundOne:SoundOne = new SoundOne(); var channel:SoundChannel = soundOne.play(); } // function to play the external sound function playExternalSound(event:Event) { soundTwo.play(); }

10. Adjusting Sound Volume // load external sound file into a sound object var aSound:Sound = new Sound(new URLRequest(song.mp3)); // create a sound channel based on the loaded sound var soundChannelOne:SoundChannel = aSound.play(); //create a sound channel transform (adjuster) var channelOneControl:SoundTransform = new SoundTransform(); // use the transform to adjust volume level channelOneControl.volume = .5 // (0-1); // assign this adjustment to the sound channel associated with song.mp3 soundChannelOne.soundTransform = channelOneControl; What a Mission!

11. Techniques for Managing Sound in Games • Load audio into an array and play random sounds for events to add variety • Implement the notion of spatialized sound by increasing / decreasing the volume as objects change their proximity to each other

12. Declaring Sound Objects and Loading External Sounds (.mp3) // create five sound variables var soundOne:Sound = new Sound(); var soundTwo:Sound = new Sound(); var soundThree:Sound = new Sound(); var soundFour:Sound = new Sound(); var soundFive:Sound = new Sound(); // create variables for the external audio files var externalSoundFile1:URLRequest = new URLRequest("./mp3/prime_two_thrown.mp3"); var externalSoundFile2:URLRequest = new URLRequest("./mp3/prime_three_thrown.mp3"); var externalSoundFile3:URLRequest = new URLRequest("./mp3/prime_five_thrown.mp3"); var externalSoundFile4:URLRequest = new URLRequest("./mp3/prime_seven_thrown.mp3"); var externalSoundFile5:URLRequest = new URLRequest("./mp3/prime_eleven_thrown.mp3"); //load the external audio into the sound variables soundOne.load(externalSoundFile1); soundTwo.load(externalSoundFile2); soundThree.load(externalSoundFile3); soundFour.load(externalSoundFile4); soundFive.load(externalSoundFile5);

13. var soundOn:Boolean = false // disable sound by default // add event listener to interface CheckBox component soundCheckBox.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, switchSound) // function to toggle sound on or off depending on current state of CheckBox function switchSound(Event:MouseEvent){ if (!soundOn){ soundOn = true } else { soundOn = false } };

14. if (soundOn){ // if the sound is enabled process this clause switch (diceThrow) { case 2:soundOne.play(); winAmount = 2 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 3:soundTwo.play(); winAmount = 3 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 5:soundThree.play(); winAmount = 5 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 7:soundFour.play(); winAmount = 7 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 11: soundFive.play(); winAmount = 11 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; default: trace("No Score"); } }

15. // sound not enabled so process else clause else { switch (diceThrow) { case 2:winAmount = 2 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 3:winAmount = 3 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 5:winAmount = 5 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 7:winAmount = 7 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; case 11:winAmount = 11 * stake; trace('You have won ' + winAmount); break; default: trace("No Score"); } }

16. Sound Editors • SoundForge http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/ • (PC only) the best • Steinberg Wavelab http://www.steinberg.net/ • lines up with Soundforge • Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ • cross platform open source • new release (beta) now available • Excellent support for wide range of audio formats and encoding into .mp3 ( need lame encoder)