Only for the Experts... Review on Macromedia Director

Macromedia Director is a software that helps you in making high-end multimedia packages. I've been using Director since its Version 6, and have seen many changes in its layout, features and usefulness. I use it for making CD ROM presentations which includes just everything from music, videos, animation, 3-D art, etc. Director really helps me to direct my very own creation. It makes me become the master of creations, where I can do just anything that I visualized.

I really don't know from where should I start talking about Director. I also don't want to be too technical. So, I will tell you my story of my first CD ROM presentation that I created for a company called GMI using Macromedia Director. During the story you will know the astonishing features of this mega powerful software of multimedia.

Flash and Director

One fine day, I received a call from the MD of this company called GMI. He wanted a CD ROM depicting the tourism of India. But he wanted actual video footage, some 3-D animation, an enquiry form and database support. The first software that struck my mind was Flash. But how could I put in 3-D animations and video footages in Flash? Also, Flash was meant for web and not usually for CDs. Then I thought Authorware would do the job. Again, 3-D animation was the question. My friend then referred to me Director. It was meant for CD ROMs and many high-end multimedia packages, games, etc. were made using this software.

But still the question was, can Director outsmart Flash?

I was very proficient in Flash and was dying to use it. I felt Director was bit of an expert-level software. But then I found out that it was not too different than Flash. The following that is coming up is meant only for Flash users:

These were the common things between Flash & Director:

Work Area (Flash) - Stage (Director)

Movies - Sprites

Timeline - Score

Library - Cast

ActionScripts - Lingo

So, you see that tools with same features had different names. But I found Director more suitable for the CD ROM presentation. Also the very extensive and comprehensive help modules helped me learn the program.

Let's start working

The first thing that we wanted was a 3-D title. Till the 8.0 version of Director, 3-D was not supported by it. But in 8.5 version, 3-D support was introduced. All we had to do was create the animation in 3D Max and import it in our movie. Director accepted the animation, and also helped us in tweaking the animation. We also had the power of alterig any frame of the animation. We could also slow it down or pace it up, or break it into two or more parts. We could also combine more 3-D movies! We used our 3-D movies with Flash animation as well, which we had imported into our movie. So, we were like making a collage of different softwares. We had the flexibility to either import the work or link it externally. This helped us reduce the filesize. So, our major objective of using 3-D was achieved.

What about the video footage?

We had collected some video footages of North India, Kanyakumari, Ganga River, Taj Mahal and Gateway of India. We also recorded some interviews of the people. We also had some footages of the children of India, Indian army, and the glamorous sunset. We had converted all these footages into QuickTime movies. Flash does not imports them, but Director does. Director imports QuickTime movie and helps us gain complete control over it. We can slow down the frame, or bring in many cuts and edit them. We can put in background sound for the video footage. So, Director became a video-editing software for us and helped us achieve our second important target.

Oh! Get me my Dispirin

Our next target was to create an enquiry form on Director that will collect all the information provided by a visitor. The information should then be transferred to an invisible file. It was like creating an ASP form without using ASP! But Director's Lingo helped us achieve this next target. It brought in the Database support we wanted for the enquiry form. Actually, we did better. We also put in a Security lock for the CD by bringing in Password support! The form could also be printed by the Administrator! The information is stored locally, or can be sent on the web. So, Lingos really helped us prove our mattle. We did much better than expected.

I want it for the Web as well!

We did well by creating a very high-profiled CD ROM package. We acquired the selling rights of the CD and were ready to flood it in market. We marketed it in the name of INDIAN TOURISM, and our distributors were from D.K. Marketing. But then our clients wanted the whole presentation for the web as well! How can we do it? But we did managed it as well as Director movies run on web pages like any other Flash movies. We also put in a quiz game made in Director! It was like a dream come true.

Macromedia Director 8.5 gave me my first CD ROM package. It was so well made that I have received two more projects. But I also found some minuses with Director.

First, it is way too expensive. Second, you need an indepth knowledge and have to be an expert before you lay your hand on this software. Third, you need a faster PC to handle this large package.

But that's all ignorable when you see the pluses.

It is just a great software.