"Method and device for simplifying the production of multimedia".

Abstract: Method for simplifying the production of multimedia, during the production of which, in a first stage, a scenario is developed whereby the content of the multimedia production is determined in a descriptive manner, whereby, in a second stage, the components of the multimedia are produced, after which, in a third stage, the produced components are integrated into the final production, characterized in that it contains a method for working out a scenario and with which this scenario is specified in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them and with which, from the thus specified scenario, data are automatically extracted to initialize the production and integration steps by making use of a first type of intelligent processes, also called 'agents', which automatically and autonomously check the scenario for certain design rules.

Description: The present invention concerns a method for simplifying the production of multimedia, during the production of which, in a first stage, a scenario is developed whereby the content of the multimedia production is determined in a descriptive manner, whereby, in a second stage, the components of the multimedia are produced, after which, in a third stage, the produced components are integrated into the final production. 'Multimedia' are understood here in a broad sense, so that 2D as well as 3D productions, either or not interactive, are meant by it. When producing multimedia, see for example WO 94/28480 (Gregory) or WO 97/46957 (Sampson), the above-mentioned steps have been carried out manually and intuitively until now in an electronically isolated manner in relation to one another. The information of these different steps is stored and treated in different manners. Once the scenario has been developed, all the information is translated again in information which is easy to understand for a production environment. Thus, time and information are lost. The invention aims a method for simplifying the production of multimedia which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages and which allows for such a production in a simpler and faster way. This aim is reached according to the invention in that it contains a method for working out a scenario, and with which this scenario is specified in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them, and with which, from the thus specified scenario, data are automatically extracted to initialize the production and integration steps by making use of a first type of intelligent processes, also called 'agents', which automatically and autonomously check the scenario for certain design rules. Preferably, it also contains a method for producing multimedia components on the basis of the elaborated scenario, with which by means of a second type of intelligent processes, all the available information is filtered, and what is required for the further progress of the production step is selected. With the information obtained by the second type of processes, the different scenario objects can be extended with characteristics or attributes which determine how a scenario object will manifest itself in the final production and how this scenario object will be realized. It may contain a method for producing multimedia components on the basis of the elaborated scenario with which, if not all necessary data can be derived from the scenario, this information must be completed in an interactive manner by means of one or several 'guides', also called 'assistants' or 'wizards'. The above-mentioned guides may among others consist of one or several of the following: an avatar guide, an object manipulation guide, an interactive assembly guide, a guide for visualizing changing object statuses, a guide for simulating physical forces, an annotation guide and a guide for visualizing environments. According to a preferred embodiment, the obtained scenario objects can be stored together with their attributes in a multimedia database with distributed data access characteristics. This database may possibly be linked to one or several existing document management systems. The invention also concerns a device which is particularly suitable for applying the above-mentioned method. Consequently, the invention also concerns a device for simplifying the production of multimedia containing scenario development means for specifying the different parts of the multimedia environment, preferably in a heterarchic form, and which is characterized in that the scenario development means contain means for specifying the scenario in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them, and means for automatically and autonomously checking the scenario for specific design rules. The means to specify the scenario may contain means to link a description to each of the components of the media environment and means to indicate in every description to which aspect each fragment thereof is related. Preferably, the device contains production means for producing the necessary multimedia components, which production means contain means to filter all available information and to select what is required for the further progress of the production, and which contain a number of guides. The production means may contain at least one or several guides from the above-mentioned group of guides. The production means may contain means for the import of both existing and newly designed media components. They may also contain management means for managing them towards the users and towards the designers. Preferably, the device contains integration means to place the media components produced by the production means in the media environment, which integration means may contain means for exporting the media components which have been integrated into a product towards the outside. The device may contain a database with distributed data access, which may possibly be linked to one or several document management systems so as to be able to quickly trace a specific document. In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiment of a method and device for simplifying the production of multimedia are described as an example only without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawing which represents a block diagram of a device according to the invention. The drawing represents a device for the production of multimedia which mainly consists of three modules which form scenario development means 1 for specifying the different parts of the multimedia environment, production means 2 for producing the necessary multimedia components and integration means 3 respectively for placing the media components produced by the production means 2 in the media environment. The scenario development means 1 contain means 4 to specify the scenario in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them, and means 5 to automatically and autonomously check the scenario for specific design rules. Every scenario object describes a specific part of the multimedia production into greater or lesser detail. A scenario object and its relations with other scenario objects may be specified by means of a text, a drawing or any other medium whatsoever. The means 4 for specifying the scenario, also called 'story designer', contain means to link a description to each of the components of the media environment and means to indicate in every description to what aspect every fragment thereof is related. These means 4 contain selection means, a simple text editor and a sketch window. They may contain a small interactive environment themselves in which the hierarchical structure of the components can be visualized as a 3D image. The means 4 are connected to a multimedia database 6 with distributed data access. The first method according to the invention used for producing multimedia makes it possible to specify the scenario with the scenario development means 1 in the form of scenario objects, as well as the relations between them, and to automatically extract data from the thus specified scenario to initiate the production and integration steps. To this end, this method makes use of a first type of intelligent processes, also called 'agents', which automatically and autonomously check the scenario for specific design rules. The scenarist specifies the different components of the multimedia production one by one into greater or lesser detail, for example the virtual environment, and links an interactive object, a component or an avatar, to every component, for example a scene, as well as its relations with other scenario objects, a description which consists of a text, a drawing or another medium. By means of the above-mentioned selection means, it is possible to indicate in the descriptive text and/or drawing onto which aspect every fragment of this text and drawing relates: the form, the produced sound, the autonomous or the interactive behavior. By indicating this, it is possible to semi-automatically recognize in a later stage, during the production step, which author can and may work on what component of the production, and it is possible to automatically generate a report for these authors in which all the relevant information of the scenario is summarized. The scenarist may hereby work in a heterarchic manner. He may start with a general description of the scenario and then specify the different components one by one in greater detail, but he may also start with specifying the smaller components first to then combine them into larger parts. For example, in a 3D environment, the scenarist will first produce a scenario object in which he gives a short description of the virtual environment as a whole, after which he can describe certain components of the virtual environment in detail in subsequent scenario objects. These scenario objects may be ordinary environmental objects or avatar objects. The relations which are established between the components and which are simultaneously described with these components can be visualized, just as these components, in the 3D image (3D graph) which forms the basis of the interface with the scenario development means 1 and the production means 2. The thus described scenario objects, as well as the relations between them, for example component aggregate relations or interactive relations between the objects, are stored in the database 6 from where the scenarist can also extract stored information. The means 5 to automatically and autonomously check the scenario for specific design rules contain intelligent processes or what are called 'agents' with which the above-mentioned checking is done automatically and autonomously. Said design rules may be related to several aspects of the scenario, such as the accessibility and the perceptibility of different components of the scenario, the length of the navigation trajectories, etc. Thanks to a second working method, the components of the media production are produced by means of the production means 2. The production means 2 are also connected to the database 6 and contain means for carrying out a second series of intelligent processes to filter all available information and to select what is required for the further course of the production. With the information obtained via this second type of processes, the different scenario objects are extended with attributes which determine how a scenario object will manifest itself in the final production and how this scenario object will be realized. The production means 2 contain management means 7 which are meant among others for the producer or the manager of the project. With these management means 7, the producer can manage who is qualified to input electronic data, and also user preferences 8 ('multi-user facilities') are managed. Thus, these management means 7 contain among others means to recognize which author can and may work on what component or fragment, and means to generate a report for an author with the information from the scenario which is relevant for this author. Also the production can be followed up as far as quality, planning and budget are concerned. The present status of the production can be evaluated at any time. Also possible changes to the scenario, which have to be approved by the producer before they are used for the production, can be evaluated with this component as far as their influence on the costs, the planning and the quality of the production is concerned. In order to extend the scenario objects with attributes, it will usually not be possible to retrieve all the data from the scenario. To this end, the production means 2 further contain a number of 'wizards' or guides 9 which are meant in particular for the authors, i.e. the fellow workers who develop the different components of the scenario, and by means of which the user can complete the information in an interactive manner. Every guide contains behavior functions for subjects, scenes, avatars and such which occur frequently or which are frequently required, and it offers functions to translate the behavior descriptions of the scenario towards the program. One or several of the following guides are available: An avatar guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end user will be able to navigate through the scenario. In the case of a production with the medium 'Virtual reality' with among others interactive 3D graphic parts, the user will be able to specify by means of this guide how the end-user can navigate through the virtual environment. This avatar guide is the basic guide which is always present. The others can be added in the form of a plug-in component. An object manipulation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to manipulate the objects, for example operate a visualized machine. An interactive assembly guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to assemble objects into larger wholes. A guide for the visualization of changing object statuses which supports the user when specifying the manner in which alternative statuses of an object should be visualized, as well as the data source from which the status of these objects can be obtained. A guide for simulating physical forces which supports the user when specifying the behavior of the objects under the influence of physical forces such as gravitation, electromagnetic forces, forces resulting from wind load, forces resulting from the impact which bodies have on one another (in case of collision), etc. An annotation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to add annotations to objects as well as the manner in which annotations should be visualized. In the case of a production with the medium 'virtual and extended reality', this annotation guide will support the user when specifying the 3D annotation methods to be realized. A guide for visualizing environments which supports the user when specifying the environments in which the objects will be visualized. When using these guides, the operator, i.e. the user of a device which supports the working method, can possibly add attributes himself. When all behaviors can be filled in with the offered functions of the available guides, no further programming will be needed for the application. Usually, however, this is not the case. In this case, a project fellow worker can write out the media environment in one or several files with which the author or the programmer can carry on. These files contain a script code for all the behavior functions which have been selected in the guide. Media components that are still being worked on and which thus are not stored in the database 6, are filled in among others with simple, temporary components. In the scripts have been defined zones where the programmer can add extra program codes. These zones are defined by means of comment fields. The files which have been extended by a programmer can then be read in in the data base later on. The added program codes are stored in the data base, as well as the changes to the codes which were already there. Possibly, one can make a short report for each of the media components to be created (geometry, pixmap, video, sound) with the program of the demands for these components. This report is composed of all the descriptions of these components which are available in the scenario. Another part of the production means 2 consists of means 10 for importing both existing and newly designed media components, which have for example been designed by means of the above-mentioned guides 9. With these import means, created media components such as geometry, pixmaps, video and sound can be imported in the project database. Every component to be imported is allocated by the author to an object, a scene, an avatar or parts thereof. The format transformation for each of these media components is carried out among others by means of external programs which are invocated from the import means 10. According to a third method, the produced components are integrated into the final production by means of the integration means 3, or, in other words, the multimedia components which have been produced by the production means 2 are placed in the media environment. These integration means 3 to this end contain means for exporting media components which have been integrated into a product, with their definite interpretation, towards the outside, for example a multimedia player, a viewer, etc. By means of these integration means 3, the components can be exported first to an editor and, after they have been possibly adjusted, read in in the database 6 and be exported towards the outside. During the integration, it is in principle only possible to adjust parameters such as the position of objects, time intervals, etc., whereas during the production, scripts and objects which are strictly program-related are adjusted or added. As already mentioned, the scenario objects, together with their relations and attributes, and the multimedia components are stored in the multimedia database 6. The imported media components are each time linked to the scenario object or the part thereof they are a realization of. As the scenarist must be able to build up the scenario in an entirely free manner, the multimedia database 6 must be very flexible, which is realized by offering small scenario objects which can be linked to one another by the scenarist into a fully-fledged scenario. Other actors in the production process may then link various data to them which are related to the implementation of the scenario objects. These data, which are inputted during the import of the media components, are read in from separate files for which it must be possible, in due time, to be exported again from the database 6 as loose files. This multimedia database 6 can be linked to one or several existing document management systems 11. The above-described method and device allow for a very flexible and quick production of multimedia. The device must not necessarily contain the three above-described modules. The modules can be marketed as separate. It is sufficient if the device contains the module with the scenario development means 1. The production of the components and/or the integration can possibly be carried out in a conventional manner. The invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiment represented in the accompanying drawing; on the contrary, such a method and device for producing multimedia can be made in all sorts of variants.

Claims: Method for simplifying the production of multimedia, during the production of which, in a first stage, a scenario is developed whereby the content of the multimedia production is determined in a descriptive manner, whereby, in a second stage, the components of the multimedia are produced, after which, in a third stage, the produced components are integrated into the final production, characterized in that it contains a method for working out a scenario and with which this scenario is specified in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them and with which, from the thus specified scenario, data are automatically extracted to initialize the production and integration steps by making use of a first type of intelligent processes, also called 'agents', which automatically and autonomously check the scenario for certain design rules. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the scenario is specified in a heterarchic manner. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it contains a method for producing multimedia components on the basis of the elaborated scenario, with which by means of a second type of intelligent processes, all the available information is filtered, and what is required for the further progress of the production step is selected. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that , with the information obtained by the second type of processes, the different scenario objects can be extended with attributes which determine how a scenario object will manifest itself in the final production and how this scenario object will be realized. Method according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that it contains a method for producing multimedia components on the basis of the elaborated scenario with which, if not all necessary data can be derived from the scenario, this information must be completed in an interactive manner by means of one or several 'guides', also called 'wizards'. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that these guides contain one or several of the following: an avatar guide, which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to navigate through the scenario, an object manipulation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to manipulate the objects, an interactive assembly guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to assemble objects into larger wholes, a guide for visualizing changing object statuses which supports the user when specifying the manner in which alternative statuses of an object should be visualized, as well as the data source from which the status of these objects can be obtained, a guide for simulating physical forces which supports the user when specifying the behavior of the objects under the influence of physical forces, an annotation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to add annotations to objects as well as the manner in which annotations should be visualized, and a guide for visualizing environments which supports the user when specifying the environments in which the objects will be visualized. Method according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that , during the production of the multimedia components, multimedia components from outside, possibly made by means of one or several guides, can be imported. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the obtained scenario objects, together with their attributes, are stored in a multimedia database with distributed data access characteristics. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the database is linked to one or several existing document management systems. Device for simplifying the production of multimedia, which device contains scenario development means (1) for specifying the different parts of the multimedia environment, characterized in that the scenario development means (1) contain means (4) for specifying the scenario in the form of scenario objects and the relations between them, and means (5) for automatically and autonomously checking the scenario for specific design rules. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means (4) to specify the scenario may contain means to link a description to each of the components of the media environment and means to indicate in every description to which aspect each fragment thereof is related. Device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that it contains production means (2) for producing the necessary multimedia components, which production means (2) contain means to filter all available information and to select what is required for the further progress of the production, and which contain one or several guides (9). Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the production means (2) contain at least one or several guides of the group composed of: an avatar guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to navigate through the scenario, an object manipulation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to manipulate the objects, an interactive assembly guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to assemble objects into larger wholes, a guide for visualizing changing object statuses which supports the user when specifying the manner in which alternative statuses of an object should be visualized, as well as the data source from which the status of these objects can be obtained, a guide for simulating physical forces which supports the user when specifying the behavior of the objects under the influence of physical forces, an annotation guide which supports the user when specifying the manner in which the end-user will be able to add annotations to objects as well as the manner in which annotations should be visualized, and a guide for visualizing environments which supports the user when specifying the environments in which the objects will be visualized. Device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the production means (2) contain means (10) for the import of both existing and newly designed media components. Device according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the production means (2) contain management means (7) to manage them towards the users and the designers. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the management means (7) contain means to recognize which author can and may work on what component or fragment of the production, and to generate a report for an author containing all the relevant information from the scenario for this author. Device according to any of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that it contains integration means (3) to place the media components produced by the production means in the media environment. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that the integration means (3) contain means for exporting the media components which have been integrated into a product towards the outside. Device according to any of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that it contains a database (6) with distributed data access which is possibly linked to one or several existing document management systems (11).

Inventors: VANDAMME MIKE FERDI HANS, VANDAMME, MIKE FERDI HANS
Applicants: VARTEC NV, VARTEC, NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06F17