by Jim Kieran
Choosing the right tool for a project, is not as easy as it seems. I will not say that one product is superior to all the others, that is simply untrue. Although certain programs are better suited for certain areas. I will not discuss which programs can do what, simply because by the time you read this that tool may have been upgraded and the proposed problem rendered obsolete. I will instead, focus on how to find the tool that you need to make your project.
Form the point a view of someone who has never worked with multimedia before, all the choices can seem confusing. They may fall for the idea that since these programs are competitors they all must do the same thing. Or worse they may be talked into spending thousands of dollars on a program, (or extra supporting programs) that are not really suited for their needs.
The first thing to do is look at what your objectives are. Common sense will tell you that what you envisioned your project to be like and what it ends up being like can be two totally different things. I have worked on projects where the goal was never really defined (A more common mistake than you'd expect), and I can tell you this mistake will cost you time and money. The frustration this creates can be truly devastating to a project. Sometimes to the point of ruining a project. Good storyboards are essential to making sure a project gets off the ground. Remember although storyboards are a good foundation to multimedia projects, they are rarely set in stone. A writer that can either adapt or change the storyboard to meet unexpected situations, is a very good asset.
Ask yourself, what are your needs? What platform do you want to use? (Windows 3.1, 9x, NT, Mac, UNIX) Do you want it to run on the web? Play movies? Have sound? Do you want to use scrolling screens? Will it be graphic intensive? Will you need to communicate with other programs? Read student data files? Will the subject matter need regular updating? Is it fast paced like a video game or user driven like a CBT. What kind of interactivity do you want? Do you want it to interact with other software or hardware?
Once you have decided exactly what you would like, now it's time for reality. What resources do you have? You may decide Toolbook is the perfect choice for you, however that doesn't mean to much if all your multimedia specialists only know how to use Director. Learning a new tool can be fun, but it also is challenging. Mistakes will be made. Often deadlines just won't permit this. My first big project, using Director was a demo that we did in 3 weeks. Although I had limited use with the tool before, it had one small problem...it didn't work very well. The demo looked great and everyone loved it at first. But if it was a slow computer or there was not enough memory the demo would lock up the computer. (Something that never happens on Windows) Despite the fact that I pointed this out long before we were stuck with that method of programming, I was overruled. I washed by hands of the 2.0 version of the demo which still didn't work. My point is, make sure your people aren't hindered by learning cures.
Money and time are also very valuable commodes. If this is the first time you are creating multimedia or you are using a new tool, plan extra time for learning curves and unexpected situations. If possible try to make your deadline as flexible as possible. You will need to plan extra time for testing. It's always better to deliver a working product with extra time to spare, rather than one doesn't work at all.
First look at the product's website. This will give you an overview of what the product is suppose to do. Two places to start are Macromedia, and Asymetrix. Of course they are trying to sell you a product so you can't always get accurate information. You can search the help pages but that requires that you know the right questions to ask. Once you have identified some possible tools, you might want to get on product chat lines and talk to the people who actually use this product. Are they happy with it? Do they think the program does what it says it does? Are there any shortcomings that it has? If you want to put your program on line, are there any plug ins or special equipment needed? Is it a dell?... Oh wait that's another topic.
Once you have identified the tool you wish to use. You may want to look at the different versions. Most people will say use the latest and greatest, and most times I would agree. However if you are using two or more authoring tools, are they compatible? Sometimes Tool A is designed to bring up tool B. But tool B has been upgraded while tool A hasn't. So you must use an older version of tool B, because tool A does work well with new tool B features. This is rare but definitely worth a check before investing in 2 or 3 authoring tools.
Often the choice of tools (For that matter, much of the design) is not made by the "expert" The choice may be made because the tool was use for another project, or worse "I got a good deal." In this situation you have my sympathy. But all is not lost. Just by doing a search for the tool on the net, you can usually find good resources. (Like this page) Help pages as we all know are only so helpful. Even though the product manufactures mirror the help files on their web site, they usually have additional articles that can help you get around any potential bugs.
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