standalone multimedia software

[arzoo400]

would anyone know what software is used to create those stand- alone pc based multimedia-interactive software.

Something similar to educational software-- which are executable, on cd rom then runs on your pc with multimedia (animation or movie bits) and you can interact by pressing choices, etc.

or are they a combination of software? would anyone know which ones.

Thanks.

[Waldo2k2]

i think you need to get a better grip on the definition of software, software is software, software with fancy buttons and stuff is written the same was as dos programs, it just depends on the code you put in.

>>stand alone

all software is stand alone (besides needing an OS to run on)

>>cd rom

still a normal program, on the cdrom there is a small .inf file that tells the computer to run the executable when it reads the cd. Multimedia is still just programming, if it's an executable it was done in c/c++.

Could you clarify more on what you need to know, your post is sort of jumbled.

[arzoo400]

sorry i wasnt clear, but what I was trying to figure out was what software or combination of software would be needed to put multimedia interactivity into your application.

like are there multimedia packages (similar to flash, etc) that allow you to make executables like that?

or do you have to do it like gamers do and code it part by part with c++ and add 3dmax etc.

sorry to be kind of unclear, because I'm just starting to look into the subject so I dont have too much knowledge on it.

Thanks.

[Waldo2k2]

you'd have to use c++ (you could use just flash, it has enough power to do most of the things you may need, actionscript is pretty powerful) you'd have to do it the way gamers do, but it's still not that complicated. I suggest you learn a little more about programming before diving into a program like this.

It sounds like you already have an executable (one you didn't write i'm guessing) and you want to add something to it, well, that won't happen. Executables can't be changed in that way. You'd have to get the source files (seperate from the executable) then change and compile them.

[arzoo400]

Thanks.

Nope. no executable yet. just planning at this point and figuring out all the parts I would need. Am mostly a vb programmer and know it can be done that way but since the software will be used by other people I dont want to use vb coz, it is a lot slower and heavy on resources. to add to that, lots of files to be installed with it that bothers win/system.

i want it to be executable so there wont be hassles to have other commercial products available before users can run the software, which is bothersome.

thanks again.

[usman999_1]

I would like to add little bit. U can do an exe of a Flash Annimation and then u dont even need a Flash Player to run that exe and its not heavy on resources provided u dont over do it visual effects i mean. Secodly u can do everything with VC what you can do with VB or FLASH yes its lot hard but its more satisfying.
& a little piece of advice ;) its more interesting to do some annimated stuff or do some real useful application u can skip a lot of things and still be able to make one :) (I did something like that my first App and i still think was not easy for a beginner who dont know much C++ just little bit of FORTRAN/C from my EE courses. It was a GUI using png images making buttons of them responding to different mouse events plus RAS Dialing stuff and that application is being used by A LOT of users everyday). So from my very short exp in Programming i think its better if you start from C++ then goto MFC or VC or whatever it will be a lot easy & satisfying. So try to do small programs in C++ no of lines shouldnt be ur concern now rather the concept why & whats happening in ur program. Step through your
code in DEBUG Mode.

A Good Book for C++ i would like to recommend, i have read that myself.
C++ Primer, Third Edition. Authors, Stanley B. Lippman and Josée Lajoie.

Hope you wont mind that little piece of advice ;).

HTH,
Regards,
Usman.

[Ajay Parmar]

arzoo you can use macromedia Director 8 or Flash 5 to create standalone multimedia software.

It is called CD Authoring software. you can create a software like e-book or multimedia story book or cartoon films like software.