MediaForge is a mature authoring system for building Multimedia applications, both stand alone and internet based. Internet based applications can run embedded inside of a web page using the MediaForge Mirage technologies or outside of a browser with Mirage assisted (Adagio) downloading. The MediaForge Mirage technologies are basically an ActiveX control (XMIRAGE.OCX), a Netscape Plugin (NPMIRAGE.DLL), an inherent MediaForge Object (COM based), and MediaBasic extensions (NON-COM based).
MediaForge is a true developers authoring tool. It comes with MediaBasic, an integrated scripting language and includes inherent features for scripting in other languages besides MediaBasic, such as Visual C++ or JavaScript. Even without scripting, impressive applications are possible.
 Figure 1 (MediaForge Development Stage with Objects) MediaForge has a full featured WYSIWYG game quality stage manager for designing great GUIs (graphical user interfaces). Objects such as images, buttons and text are windowless objects that reside inside the game like stage manager. They can have paths, z-orders, even alpha-channel masks and anti-alias smoothing for quickly producing the very highest quality interfaces possible. Each object can be assigned transitions and other effects using the MediaForge Object Builders. See figure 1 for a glimpse at the Stage Manager with objects being adjusted. See figure 2 for a glimpse at an Object Builder used to define objects. See figure 3 for a glimpse at the Work Bench for managing and organizing backgrounds, scenes and objects.
Because multimedia authoring tools have traditionally been complicated and have often required a background in programming languages and techniques, many non-programmers have been reluctant to plunge into the murky waters of multimedia authoring. Game-like multi-threaded user interfaces are especially very difficult to program in standard languages. Furthermore, many of the well known authoring tools have been limited in functionality, difficult to use, and restricted to outdated authoring metaphors such as timelines. MediaForge is a tool for both non-programmers as well as very experienced programmers. This is possible because of the background/scene and object oriented nature of the core technology. For non-programmers, there is a large assortment of visual tools available. For programmer, there are open architecture hooks everywhere in the system for access by MediaBasic or any other language.
MediaForge is an event-driven, object-based authoring tool that is designed around a simple metaphor in which scenes and backgrounds are related through hierarchical parent-child links. Nearly everything you need to do in your Project can be done with the various multimedia objects available on the MediaForge object palette. Simply drop the required objects onto the stage or into a scene or background and then assign properties using the Object Builder, which is activated by double clicking on the object. Position and size the object on the stage using the mouse and keyboard, and then assign z-order and optional path nodes using the Stage Designer (figure 4). The MediaForge authoring metaphor will do much of the object handling automatically when transitioning between scenes. This adds a level of power and flexibility not found in most authoring software packages, object oriented or otherwise. MediaForge is Truly Different The original goal of Object Oriented programming was to help adapt software to real world environments. MediaForge implements Objects within Scenes and Backgrounds instead of traditional windows "dialog boxes" or Visual Basic like "forms." This was done to make it possible to transition or pan between views instead of just replacing one group of objects with another.
If you try to simulate a simple room, then a "form" of stationary objects will work alright. As the room gets more complex and as the objects start to move around, the "form" approach will get more difficult to justify. But the real problem is not with the complexity of the room, but rather the transition or panning from one room to another. And of course, the real world is not just a bunch of rooms, but rather all kinds of scenes that change gradually through semi-stationary backgrounds.
Even this analysis is an over simplification but certainly more accurate than a world of "forms." A form has no control over the sequence and timing of objects as they come into existence. Using unlimited background stacking with automatic scene transitions, has turned out to be a very good approach and a valuable tool for MediaForge multimedia developers. The background and scene protocol, stage manager and object based authoring makes MediaForge the right choice for building high quality multimedia applications.
Dialog boxes and forms used in standard programming languages such as C++ or Visual Basic, and even time-line based authoring environments such as Macromedia work great at first, but as the Multimedia projects get more complicated or life like, each of the these approaches starts to break down, as shown in the diagram below.   Figure 2 (Object Builder) 
Figure 3 (MediaForge Workbench) 
Figure 4 (Stage Designer) If this is to be your first venture into multimedia authoring, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to assemble a dazzling MediaForge multimedia project. If you are a power user, you will appreciate MediaForge's native 32-bit, multithreaded engine and the ability to enhance your multimedia authoring environment with our MediaBasic scripting language or any other language of your choice. MediaForge Objects
It is common knowledge that objects consist of Methods, Properties and Events and MediaForge Objects are no different. Methods are what you use to tell MediaForge objects what to do, such as "Play", "Show" or "Hide." Properties are essentially definitions or characteristics of the objects. MediaForge has Object Builders for making it very easy to define the properties of any object. For example, a property of an Image Object is its File Name, such as picture.jpg. The Object Builder makes it easy to visually assign an image to an image object along with all of its other properties including alpha-blending and transitions. Finally, Objects have events that notify the project that something (some event) has occurred. A good example of an event in a Button Object, for example, is when someone presses or clicks on the Button. The MediaForge Object Builders have an Events Tab for telling the project what to do when an event "fires." For example, if someone presses a button designed to be the Exit button, then the project can be directed to halt.
Besides the standard Object Properties, Objects are extendable with XML. One of the properties available in all MediaForge objects is an XML String. The Object Builders provide a way to initialize the XML String and the XML string is available at runtime for query or modification using the QuickXML facilities built right into MediaForge.
The Compiled Product:
Once you have created a multimedia project, proper distributing of your product is critical. Because MediaForge is an interpretive system, it has all kinds of advantages over traditional application development tools when it comes to delivery of the final product. Distribution of redundant code can be eliminated, backward compatibility is easier, projects can be broken up into completely replaceable modules, fix once and it is fixed everywhere, smaller downloads and so on. But there could be a distribution problem if the MediaForge runtimes in your project interfere with other MediaForge products distributed by other MediaForge developers.
The solution was to integrate a complete packaging and installation system directly into the MediaForge authoring tool. Here is how it works. The Project Collector has "built-in" collection, compilation, compression, encryption, signing, and installation technologies. Once you have finished your product you just decide what your target(s) is. For example will you be making your product available as an internet application for access from the web, or will you be using it as part of a Web page. You might want to distribute your product on a CD or even make it available as a screen saver.
You might even want to use MediaForge as a complete Digital Rights Management tool for "Wrapping" media in a secure and interesting package that is a marketing, delivery and e-commerce solution all in one. MediaForge has the core technologies for producing great wrapped files that can be distributed anywhere including Peer-To-Peer networks. And with MediaForge Wrapped content, everyone wins: artists, producers, sponsors and consumers. See figure 5. 
Figure 5 (Wrapped Music In Action) MediaForge Highlights: - Object based, event driven Authoring Tool
- Small, fast and well tested Runtimes (tens of millions distributed)
- Mature proven technology
- Alpha channels and blending for building great User Interfaces
- High quality game engine for visual object management
- Automatic multi-threading
- Fully COM enabled open architecture
- MediaBasic scripting language included
- XML integration
- Best of Comdex
- Used for years to build world class applications
Multimedia application categories you can create with MediaForge: - Multimedia Web Pages
- Online Learning Applications
- Multimedia Catalogues
- Interactive Games
- Corporate Presentations
- Surveys
- Internet/Intranet Multimedia applications
- Interactive Multimedia Tutorials
- Demos
- Kiosks
- Professional CD ROM Titles
- Screen Savers and Dynamic Wallpapers
- Media Wrapping promotions and e-commerce
- Digital Rights Management Solutions
- Media Players
- Visualization Experiences
- Photo Uploading
- Media DRM solutions
Below is a summary listing of many of the key features and capabilities found in MediaForge: - Flexible Authoring Metaphor for managing backgrounds, scenes and objects
- Object Based with Visual Object Builders
- Easy handling of Event Driven Actions
- Native 32-bit Multithreaded engine
- Integrated game engine for building high quality graphical user interfaces
- Object Animations
- Object Paths (lines and splines)
- Z-Order Rendering, Z-Orders can change at runtime.
- Reusable Objects Library for holding common user defined objects
- 3D Animation via built in Direct Draw support
- Visual Authoring and Layout with a built in Stage Manager
- XML Web Service Communications
- Windowless movies (Use AVI Files as sprites)
- Immediate Incremental Object Testing
- Sequential or non-sequential Project Testing
- Visual Basic compatible scripting language (MediaBasic)
- 3rd Party Extensions (Script in any language including C++)
- Global Variables
- Multi-channel Sounds (Open, Specific, Exclusive)
- 3D Sound Paths (Volume, Panning, Doppler)
- Choice of Waveform (preferred), Direct Sound or MCI Audio Playback
- Native Waveform MP3 player
- Automatic Visual Object Scaling
- Drag-n-Drop
- Project Standby preloaded objects
- 30 Generic Multimedia Palette Objects
- 6 Dynamic "Quick" processing objects
- Quick XML Object (rapid XML parsing and creating)
- Quick Encryption Object (encryption facilities)
- Quick Digest Hashing Object (hash facilities)
- Quick Metadata Object (managing files extended information)
- Quick Registry Object (managing the registry)
- Quick Zip Object (managing zip files)
- Project Collector and Compiler
- Easy to Learn, sample projects posted online
- Enjoyable to Use
- Easy to Extend
- Easy to Integrate
- Increases Productivity
- Decreases Development Time
- Accommodates all authoring skill levels
- Hundreds of MediaBasic Multimedia Extensions
- Powerful MediaForge COM Object for scripting in any language such as JavaScript or C++.
- Alpha-blending
- Alpha-channels
- Alpha-channel transitions
- Sizable Stage (Objects move and/or size automatically when the user sizes the project)
- Build non-rectangular projects of any shape
- Advanced project compression.
Specifications: - Runtimes: 1.6M (Tens of millions already in use)
- Development: 8M
- Minimum Hardware: 486, Hard Drive, 16 bit graphics card
- Operating Systems: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP
Supported Media Types & Technologies: - Text - Text Object (any font, smoothing, guarantee to fit), RTF
- Images - JPG (with companion alpha-channel, better than PNG alpha channels), BMP, TIFF, WMF, TGA, GIF, EMF
- Audio - WAV, MP3, MIDI, CD Audio, DirectSound, WaveForm, MCI
- Video - MCI compliant overlay boards and video player
- MediaPlayer - compatible with all Microsoft Media Player supported files
- Sprites – Import wizard, all directional (frames change based on direction)
- Buttons – Specify images and alpha channels for all states
- Hotspots – Any shape
- DataEntry – Wide selection of masks
- Timers – Threaded timers (not ugly timer callbacks that affect the entire system)
- ActiveX – Powerful generic ActiveX object for using any ActiveX control
- Audio Visualization – Microsoft MediaPlayer compatible visualizations support
- DLLs – Plug any DLL into your project
- Launch – Launch and control external applications
- Primitive Graphics – Alpha Blended Rectangle, Triangle, Circle, Polygon (any number of sides)
- Alpha Blending – Available with all non-window objects such as buttons, images and text
- Alpha Channels – Available with images and buttons regardless of the image type
- Alpha Channels Transitions – Use Adobe PhotoShop to design alpha channel transitions as standard gif animations and then just import them into a MediaForge Sprite object
- Custom Objects – Rendered in MediaBasic, or other languages
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MediaForge
