Transcript Graphics and Multimedia Software

Computer-aided design (CAD)
software is a sophisticated type of
appli cation software that assists a
professional user in creating engineering,
architectural, and scientific
designs. For example, engineers
create design plans for vehicles and
security systems. Architects design
building structures and floor plans.
Desktop publishing (DTP)
literature, product cat alogs,
Software enables professional and annual reports. Designers
designers to create sophisticated and
graphic artists can print finished
documents that contain text,
graphics,
publications on a color printer,
and many colors Professional take
DTP software is ideal
them to a professional printer,
or
for the production of highquality
post them on the Web in a
format
color documents such as
textbooks,
that can be viewed by those
without
corporate newsletters,
marketing
DTP software.
Graphic artists, multimedia professionals, technical
illustrators, and desktop publishers use paint software and image
editing software to create and modify graphical images such as those
used in DTP documents and Web pages. Paint software, also called
illustration software, allows users to draw pictures , shapes, and
other graphical images with various on-screen tools such as a pen,
brush, eyedropper, and paint bucket. Image editing software
provides the capabilities of paint software and also includes the
capability to enhance and modify existing pictures and images.
Modifications can include adjusting or enhancing image colors,
adding special effects such as shadows and glows, creating
animations, and image stitching, which is the process of combining
multiple images into a larger image
Professional photo editing software is a type of
image editing software that allows
photographers, video graphers, engineers,
scientists, and other high-volume digital photo
users to edit and customize digital photos. With
professional photo editing software, users can
retouch photos, crop images, remove red-eye,
change image shapes, colorcorrect images,
straighten images, remove or rearrange objects in
a photo, and apply filters.
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Video editing software allows professionals to
modify a segment of a video, called a clip. For
example, users can reduce the length of a video clip,
reorder a series of clips, or add special effects such as
words that move horizontally across the screen.
Video editing software typically includes audio
editing capabilities. Audio editing software lets
users modify audio clips, produce studioquality
soundtracks, and add audio to video clips. Most
television shows and movies are created or enhanced
using video and audio editing software.
Multimedia authoring software allows users to combine
text, graphics, audio, video, and animation in an interactive
application. With this software, users control the placement
of text and images and the duration of sounds, video, and
animation. Once created, multimedia presentations often
take the form of interactive computer- based presentations or
Web-based presentations designed to facilitate learning,
demonstrate product functionality, and elicit direct-user
participation. Training centers, educational institutions, and
online magazine publishers all use multi media authoring
software to develop interactive applications. These
applications may be available on an optical disc, over a local
area network,or via the Internet.
Web page authoring software helps users of all skill
levels create Web pages that include graphical images,
video, audio, animation, and special effects with
interactive content. In addition, many Web page
authoring programs allow users to organize, manage,
and maintain Web sites. Application software, such as
Word and Excel, often includes Web page authoring
features. This allows home and small business users to
create basic Web pages using application software they
already own. For more sophisticated Web pages, users
work with Web page authoring software.
Office/home office users balance their checkbooks, pay
bills, track personal income and expenses, track
investments, and evaluate financial plans.Most personal
finance software includes financial planning features,
such as analyzing home and personal loans, preparing
income taxes, and managing retirement savings. Other
features include managing home inventory and setting
up budgets. Most of these programs also offer a variety
of online services, such as online banking, which require
access to the Internet.
Legal software assists in the preparation of legal
documents and provides legal information to
individuals, families, and small businesses. Legal
software provides standard contracts and documents
associated with buying, selling, and renting property;
estate planning; marriage and divorce; and preparing a
will or living trust. By answering a series of questions or
completing a form, the legal software tailors the legal
document to specific needs.
Tax preparation software, which is available both as
packaged software and Web applications, can guide
individuals, families, or small businesses through the
process of filing federal taxes. These programs forecast
tax liability and offer money-saving tax tips, designed to
lower your tax bill. After you answer a series of
questions and complete basic forms, the software creates
and analyzes your tax forms to search for missed
potential errors and deduction opportunities. Once the
forms are complete, you can print any necessary
paperwork, and then they are ready for filing. Some tax
preparation programs also allow you to file your tax
forms electronically.
Personal DTP software helps home and small business users
create newsletters, brochures, flyers, advertisements,
postcards,greeting cards, letterhead, business cards, banners,
calendars, logos, and Web pages. Although many word
processing programs include DTP features, users often
prefer to create DTP documents using DTP software because
of its enhanced features. For example, personal DTP
programs provide hundreds of thousands of graphical
images. You also can import (bring in) your own digital
photos into the documents. These programs typically guide
you through the development of a document by asking a
series of questions. Then, you can print a finished
publication on a color printer or post it on the Web. Many
personal DTP programs also include paint/image editing
software and photo editing and photo management
software.
Personal paint/image editing software provides an
easy-to-use interface; includes various simplified tools
that allow you to draw pictures, shapes, and other
images; and provides the capability of modifying
existing graphics and photos. These products also
include many templates to assist you in adding images
to documents such as greeting cards, banners,
calendars, signs, labels, business cards, and letterhead.
Personal photo editing software, a popular type of
image editing software available both as packaged
software and as Web applications, allows users to edit
digital photos by removing red-eye, erasing blemishes,
restoring aged photos, adding special effects,
enhancing image quality, or creating electronic photo
albums
.
Application software often includes a clip art/image gallery,
which is a collection of clip art and photos. Some programs
have
links to additional clips available on the Web or are available
as Web
applications. You also can purchase clip art/image gallery
software
that contains thousands of images. In addition to clip art,
many clip art/image galleries provide fonts, animations,
sounds, video clips, and audio clips. You can use the images,
fonts, and other items from the clip art/image gallery in all
types of documents, including word processing, desktop
publishing, spreadsheet, and presentations.
Many home users work with easy-to-use video and
audio editing software, which is much simpler to use
than its professional counterpart, for small-scale movie
making projects . With these programs, home users can
edit home movies, add music or other sounds to the
video, and share their movies on the Web. Some
operating systems include video editing and audio
editing software.
Homeowners or potential homeowners can use home
design/landscaping software to assist them with the
design, remodeling, or improvement of a home, deck, or
landscape. This software includes hundreds of predrawn
plans that you can customize to meet your needs. These
programs show changes to home designs and
landscapes, allowing homeowners to preview proposed
modifications
Travel and mapping software enables users to view
maps, determine route directions, and locate points of
interest. Using travel and mapping software, which is
available both as packaged software and as Web
applications, you can display maps by searching for an
address, postal code, telephone number, or point of
interest (such as airports, lodging, and historical sites).
Most programs also allow you to download construction
reports and calculate mileage, time, and expenses.
Reference software provides valuable and thorough information
for all individuals. Popular reference software includes
encyclopedias, dictionaries, and health/medical guides.
Educational software teaches a particular skill. Educational
software exists for just about any subject, from learning how to
type to learning how to cook to preparing for college entrance
exams. Educational software often includes games and other
content to make the learning experience more fun. Many
educational programs use a com puter-based training approach.
Computer-based training (CBT) is a type of education in which
students learn by using and completing exercises with
instructional software. CBT typically consists of self-directed,
self-paced instruction about a topic.
Entertainment software for personal computers
includes interactive games, videos, and other
programs designed to support a hobby or provide
amusement and enjoyment. For example, you
might use entertainment software to play games
individually (Figure 3-32) or with others online,
make a family tree, or fly an aircraft. Many games are
available as Web applications, allowing you
to play individually or with other online players.
As previously mentioned, a Web application, or Web app, is
a Web site that allows users to access and
interact with software from any computer or device that is
connected to the Internet. Users often interact
with Web applications directly at the Web site, referred to as
the host, through their Web browser.
Some Web sites, however, require you download the
software to your local computer or device. Web
application hosts often store users’ data and information on
their servers. Some Web applications provide
users with an option of storing data locally on their own
personal computer or mobile device
Popular Web Applications
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Program Name Type of Application Software
Britannica.com Reference
Dictionary.com Reference
Flickr Photo Editing and Photo Management
Gmail E-Mail
Google Docs Productivity Suite
Google Earth Travel and Mapping
Google Maps Travel and Mapping
MSN Encarta Reference
Program Name Type of Application Software
Office Web Apps Productivity Suite
Photoshop Express Photo Editing
Picnik Photo Editing
TaxACT Online Tax Preparation
TurboTax Online Tax Preparation
Windows Live Calendar Personal Information Manager
Windows Live Hotmail E-Mail
YouSendIt File Transfer and E-Mail
One of the main reasons people use computers is to
communicate and share information with
others. Some communications software is considered
system software because it works with hardware
and transmission media. Other communications
software performs specific tasks for users,
and thus, is considered application software.
Application Software for
Communications
Web Browser
• Allows users to access and view Web pages on
the Internet
• Requires a Web browser program
- Integrated in some operating systems
- Available for download on the Web free or for
a fee
E-Mail
• Messages and fi les sent via a network such as
the Internet
• Requires an e-mail program
- Integrated in many software suites and
operating systems
- Available free at portals on the Web
- Included with paid Internet access service
- Can be purchased separately from retailers
Instant Messaging
• Real-time exchange of messages, fi les, audio,
and/or video with another
online user
• Requires instant messenger software
- Available for download on the Web, usually at
no cost
- Included with some paid Internet access
services
Chat Room
• Real-time, online typed conversation
• Requires chat client software
- Integrated in some operating systems, e-mail
programs, and Web
browsers
- Available for download on the Web, usually at
no cost
- Included with some paid Internet access
services
- Built into some Web sites
Text, Picture, Video Messaging
• Short text, picture, or video messages sent and
received, mainly on mobile
devices
• Requires text, picture, video messenger
software
- Integrated in most mobile devices
- Available for download on the Web, usually at
no cost, for person
Learning how to use application software effectively involves
time and practice. To assist in the learning process, many programs
provide online Help and Web-based Help.
Online Help is the electronic equivalent of a user manual.
When working with a program, you can use online Help to ask a
question or access the Help topics in subject or alphabetical order.
Most online Help also links to Web sites that offer Web-based
help, which provides updates and more comprehensive resources
to respond to technical issues about software.
Many books are available to help you learn to use the features of
personal computer programs. These books typically are available
in bookstores and software stores.