Submission Time and Venue

Hi all, Group 3 and Group 4 students,
This is to inform you that I will be available to collect your submission during your tutorial hours:

11-1pm at Lab2006 (21 Dec, Thurs)
4-6pm at Lab2006 (21 Dec, Thurs)..for all groups (I guess most of you will submit at this time).

ALSO, I would like you to submit your PRINT DOCUMENTATION of your project, which includes the following: 1. Final Proposal, 2. Final Flowchat, 3. Final Storyboard, 4. Final sketches (if any), 5. Old documents (if any).

Good luck, and I hope all will submit ON TIME. Thanks.

Submission Format for MCP1013

For your final submission, you are required to submit the following items:

1) Of course your CD-ROM, with proper label, and proper file management. Remember to provide source file.
2) Documentation of your production in A4 format (Proposal final version, flowchart with individual role stated, storyboard, sketches, and final interfaces). Post these documentations in your blog.
3) Update your blog by stating the activities conducted, the making of this interactive production, the tools used for this production, individuals' contribution in the group project, etc.
4) Read the submission rules in MCP1013 Course Online.

Pls be informed. Remember to backup your files.

Common Mistake

Just finished reviewing Assignment 1. Some common mistakes or "not so good techniques" found in students' works are as follows:

1) Did not use fading / blending / tweening tools or techniques in Director, but use of cell or frame by frame animation to get those kind of effects, end up your cast library has lots of images in sequences. This has resulted a big file size for your Director movie.
If the kind of effect that you want is able to be achieved by using fading behavior or blending approach, then use these approaches. SEPARATE the background image with the graphic element (such as the kite, the little boy/charactor, the arrow, etc), so that you can apply effect on the graphics elements.

2) Suitable sounds should be added in your entry movie. A movie without sound or bg music is handicap, and not nice to view.

3) At the end of each movie, should have put a script to hold the last scene. Remember: go to the frame, or put a button to replay.

4) Broken link - font not found, avi / mov not found, Flash Xtra not found -- these kind of technical error should be avoided. Check your movie before you submit your final project. By right, font media can be inserted, pls use "true type" font so that is is well supported in Director and window environment. Also, if you have used avi or mov digital movie, pls provide the movie at the appropriate folder. If you have used Flash file, make sure the Xtra plugin for Flash is inserted into your movie.

5) oh, DO NOT create your movie dimension in 320X240 (pixel), you have very good graphics but the stage size is only 320 X 240. The ideal is 800X600. 1024 X 768 is accepted too.

6) Again, i know many of you can create very good graphics, either through camera or illustration program. If your create your director movie dimension is 640 X 480, but most of your images (imported to your cast window)are 1024X768, I would think that you are wasting the resources, creating a big size director movie, but the stage is just 640X480. What is recommended is to decide on the stage size, and whatever images (media files) need to be created to suit the stage dimension. (Exceptional case: if you need to create a ZOOM in ZOOM out program, then you need to consider that your image is good enough.. such as to maintain its big dimension in order to see the details when ZOOM in).

That's all for now.

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Print Submission

There are a few groups DID NOT submit their print documents to tutor. I don't have their PRINT document for my collection, and more importantly for me to assess your works. Usually, I require a set of document with "Proposal + Flowchart + Storyboard + Sketches (if any) to be submitted to me. See the guidelines provided in http://10.108.37.1/mcp1013/lessons.htm , See Week3_1. Of course, this part of assessment will contribute to your process marks (or documentation marks) of your final project.

One more thing, also keep your blog UPDATED by posting these documents and also provide your group updates in your blog.

About Flowchart

I am not sure whether my briefing on Flowcharting is clear to students. I am putting a slide to guide them on Flowcharting and Storyboarding. Here is the link: http://10.108.37.1/mcp1013/productions/flowchart%20and%20storyboard.ppt

I have mentioned that the appropriate use of FLOWCHART SYMBOL is important, for example, the common mistake done by students are the DIAMOND symbol and the also the PROCESS symbol. For the DIAMOND symbol, that is the decision icon, it must contain 3 flowlines, 1 branch in and two branch out with a label Yes and No. The text in the DIAMOND symbol usually is written in Question format. For example: To QUIT? By having a simple symbol and labels as described above, your users are able to undertand that in fact the program need the user to make a decision, whether to quit or not to quit. If user chooses to quit, the a process of quiting can be drawn (in rectangle shape), otherwise the flowline can flow to MAIN MENU (in rectangle shape).

Talking about the process symbol, it need to be in rectangle shape, NOT ROUNDED rectangle. Some ROUNDED rectangles look like oval shape, so I strongly recommend rectangle rather than rounded rectangle shape.

Also, the flowline can actually flow to anywhere you want. Hence, you do not need to draw again the main menu process at the bottom of your flowchat. The flowline can flow to to TOP, to reach main menu. Otherwise, you can use CONNECTOR symbol (circle) to indicate that the flowline will be connected to A or B or etc.

I hope all are clear on FLOWCHARTING as it is a useful tool or approach to indicate the FLOW of everything.

Start blogging - all about classes, teaching and learning.

Class info:
Trimester II (Short trimester, trimester 32) Session 2006/2007
MCP1013 Group 3 and Group 4, about 70 students.

Description of the course:
Final project on Multimedia Authoring, authoring tool is Macromedia Director.