Interactive multimedia development system and method

摘要

A system and method for authoring interactive multimedia presentations (14). This system is a streamlined authoring system utilizing a simplified user interface which facilitates the creation (20), charting (22) and testing (24) of interactive multimedia presentations (14) during the authoring process. The system uses an intuitive design (10) which makes it possible to produce interactive media (16) faster and more effectively than current systems. The system provides for the creation and arrangement of new and preexisting media assets (12) in a modifiable sequence for interactive and branching display. The system utilizes a simulation window (18) in which individual screens in a multimedia presentation are developed. Also, a simplified method for establishing hierarchical linked between these screens is provided. A navigator (22) generates and displays a graphical presentation of each screen along with a presentation of its position in the hierarchy of link screens automatically while the screens and links are generated. This eliminates the need for manual creation of presentation flow charts. As a result, the present invention is extremely user friendly and does not require extensive knowledge of programming by the user.