Shockwave (thing)

Shockwave is a form of digital media developed by Macromedia and is now in version 8.5. It is closely related to Flash but is far more sophisticated in its scope for interactivity and programmability. It is used on the internet as a component of a lot of flashy webpages, adding memory and download time-light but graphically heavy GUIs, games and more recently 3D animation to an otherwise fairly static medium. It is also the most commonly used medium for interactive CD-ROM content and online training manuals.

Shockwave files are created in Macromedia's "Director Shockwave Studio", an incredibly expensive and complex application. It allows the user to animate in a similar manner to Flash, upon a "stage" using a technique called "tweening", (in which the user plots position points and the program interpolates the paths in between), but it also has uses way beyond just animation, and can be used to create many types of interactivity, especially when using it's native language, "Lingo".

Director can export Shockwave media in several different formats:

• .DCR - For embedding into HTML files for internet use. This kind of internet content requires that the end user have the Shockwave plugin embedded in his or her web browser. This plugin contains universal elements needed by all .DCR files to function, but this saves webspace for the designer and download time for the user.
• .CXT - The "cast" members used in the .DCR file, (eg. pictures, sounds and scripts) can be exported separately for use by more than one .DCR, also generating a saving in space and time.
• .EXE - Shockwave can be exported as stand-alone executable files from Director in three variations of the format, (This is more often than not the .EXE file you will run on most CD-ROMs):
  • Standard: Fully self contained program which will run on any computer regardless of whether the Shockwave browser plugin is installed or not.
  • Standard Compressed: Also self contained but with a few KBs shaved from images and suchlike, slightly lower quality but easier on the RAM.
  • Shockwave Compressed: This requires the presence of the Shockwave browser plugin, though it still acts like a stand-alone program.

See:

• http://www.shockwave.com
• http://www.macromedia.com
• http://aaapha.com

for examples and more information.