| possibilities: |
| global |
: |
developing tool for creating cross platform (=mac/pc) multimedia content for internet (shockwave) or cdrom (stand alone projectors). |
| specific |
: |
possibilities range from a simple animation (15 minutes of work) to a complex computer program (months of work).
to give a rough idea: it is possible to control a robot camera with director and save the camera pictures as a quicktime movie on your harddisk, or to create a computer virus. these things cannot be done in flash. |
| differences |
: |
flash: vector based animation, mainly targeted for internet, high security (no access to hard disk), heavy compression, small browser plugin (500 kb), works best for faster computers (800 mhz or higher), the smaller the file - the better.
director: bitmap based animation, greater media support, extensible, targeted mainly for cdrom.
-- for cdrom projects: access to all computer system hardware and software resources (file system, midi connection, 3d renderer, usb and serial ports, activex, ftp, ...), file compession is not preferred, works very well for not-so-fast computers (200 mhz).
-- for internet: rather large webbrowser shockwave plugin needed (2 mb), usually bigger shockwave files.
(see macromedia technote) |
|
| examples: |
| simple |
: |
make animation, kiosk (entrance sae), photoplay pay & play café consoles (games > game.zone > revenge), corporate presentation, tutorial, screen saver, 3d flythrough. |
| advanced |
: |
3d games, control robot cam , interactive animation, t-shirt sales , museum (turning the pages) or a museum kiosk (like Nemo in Amsterdam, where most of the standalone computers of the exhibition show a director movie), multi user games (internet). |
| other |
: |
http://www.2kgames.com/stronghold2/ minigame adventure
http://www.ciconline.org/elections/ election game
http://www.gorillaz.com/ the pop band that makes 3d animations in director
http://www.lfoundation.org/ art |
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| history: |
| the first version of the program was called "macromind director" (1988, mac only), the company name was also macromind. later, they changed that to macromedia, some time after they bought authorware (e-learning software). director was ported to windows and macromedia released more applications, like flash, fireworks, dreamweaver and cold fusion. summer 2005 macromedia was bought by adobe. |
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