MACROMEDIA DIRECTOR

'Macromedia Director' is a media application created by Macromedia—now part of Adobe Systems. It allows users to build applications built on a movie metaphor, with the user as the "director" of the movie. Originally designed for CD-ROMs and kiosks, it has become more popular for the use of online 3D game development.
Its scripting language Lingo motivated some to use this application. Many companies deliver demonstrations or use it as a user interface (UI) for content on CDs and DVDs. It can incorporate many different file formats (e.g. AVI, BMP, QuickTime, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, RealVideo), making it possible to integrate without re-encoding files. It also supports vector graphics and 3D interactivity (via Shockwave 3D), which can be used for producing games. Version MX and its successors are also easily linked with Flash animation.
Director's functionality can be extended through plug-in applications called Xtras. These can be created by users or purchased from third party vendors. They are created using Macromedia's XDK (Xtra Development Kit), a C++ SDK.
Director started out as MacroMind "VideoWorks", an application for the original Apple Macintosh. Its name was changed to "Director" in 1987, with the addition of new capabilities and the Lingo scripting language in 1988. A Windows version was available in the early 1990s.
The open source multimedia platform libavg claims to 'pick up where Macromedia Director leaves off' and deliver high-performance multimedia content for interactive installations.
One type of file created by Director can be viewed in a web browser using the Shockwave plugin. These files have a .DCR extension.
Director can also create stand-alone executable applications from a project, called projectors, which can be compiled for Macintosh or Windows operating systems.

Contents

Product Timeline

External links

Product Timeline

★ '1985' VideoWorks

★ '1988' Named Director 1.0

★ '1993' Macromind Director became Macromedia Director (v 3.1.3)

★ '1993' Macromedia Director 4 was released

★ '1996' Macromedia Director 5 was released

★ '1997' Macromedia Director 6 was released

★ 'November 16, 1998' Macromedia Director 7 was released

★ '2000' Macromedia Director 8 was released

★ '2001' Macromedia Director 8.5 was released (Shockwave3D)

★ '2002' Macromedia Director MX was released

★ 'January 5, 2004' Macromedia Director MX 2004 was released

★ '2007' Adobe Director 11 will be released
Adobe stated that a new version of Director, presumably Adobe Director 11, is likely to ship in the second half of 2007. Adobe, however, had not published an official time frame and will not disclose details of this release at least until 30 days before the Director's expected shipping date. [1]

External links

★ Official site of Adobe Director

★ Director Online

★ mmorpg's made with director

★ Macromedia History

★ IEEE History Center: John Thompson, inventor of Lingo Programming Language

★ Future of Adobe Director (Adobe Director 11)