computer science

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language rather than just read about it. In short: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL ()) is a World Wide Web Consortium recommended Extensible Markup Language (XML) markup language to describe multimedia presentations. It defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things.

Key takeaways

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL ()) is a World Wide Web Consortium recommended Extensible Markup Language (XML) markup language to describe multimedia presentations. It defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things. SMIL allows presenting media items such as text, images, video, audio, links to other SMIL presentations, and files from multiple web servers. SMIL markup is written in XML, and has similarities to HTML. Members of the World Wide Web Consortium (also known as the "W3C") created SMIL for streaming media presentations, and published SMIL 1.0 in June 1998. Many of these W3C members helped author several versions of SMIL specifications between 1996 (when the first multimedia workshops were hosted by the W3C) and 2008 (when SMIL 3.0 was published). SMIL is an XML-based application, and is a part of many Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) applications. SMIL can be combined with other XML-based specifications such as with SVG (as has been done with SVG animation) and with XHTML (as done with HTML+TIME).

Version history As of 2008, the W3C Recommendation for SMIL is SMIL 3.0.

SMIL 1.0 SMIL 1.0 became a W3C Recommendation on 15 June 1998.

SMIL 2.0 SMIL 2.0 became a W3C Recommendation on 9 August 2001. SMIL 2.0 introduced a modular language structure that facilitated integration of SMIL semantics into other XML-based languages. Basic animation and timing modules were integrated into Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and the SMIL modules formed a basis for Timed-Text. The modular structure made it possible to define the standard SMIL language profile and the XHTML+SMIL language profile with common syntax and standard semantics.

SMIL 2.1 SMIL 2.1 became a W3C Recommendation on 13 December 2005. SMIL 2.1 includes a small number of extensions based on practical experience gathered using SMIL in the Multimedia Messaging System on mobile phones.

SMIL 3.0 SMIL 3.0 became a W3C Recommendation in December 2008. It was first submitted as a W3C Working draft on December 21, 2006. The last draft revision was released on October 6, 2008.

Authoring tools Authoring and rendering tools for smilText and SMIL 3.0 PanZoom functionality:

Fluition by Confluent Technologies Ezer by SMIL Media Grins by Oratrix GoLive 6 by Adobe, discontinued in April 2008 Hi-Caption, a captioning tool by Hisoftware HomeSite by Allaire, discontinued in September 2003 JM-Mobile Editor for mobiles using SMIL and J2ME technologies Kino: a non-linear DV editor for Linux. It features integration with IEEE-1394 for capture. LimSee2 is an open source SMIL authoring tool, with support for SMIL 1.0 and SMIL 2.0. MAGpie, a captioning tool by WGBH MovieBoard, for e-learning (Japanese only) MMS Simulators list Perly SMIL, a SMIL 1.0 Perl module ppt2smil tool is a PowerPoint macro that convert a PowerPoint presentation to a streaming SMIL presentation with audio and/or video. RealSlideshow Basic by RealNetworks SMIL Composer SuperToolz by HotSausage Smibase, a server-installed software suite SMIL Editor V2.0 by DoCoMo SMILGen by RealNetworks, a SMIL (and XML) authoring tool designed to ease the process of XML. SMIL Scenario Creator by KDDI SMIRK presentation authoring tool for the production of accessible slide shows outputting to SMIL 2.0, SMIL 1.0, XHTML + SMIL, HTML 4.01. SMOX Pad and SMOX Editor, for advanced SMIL and HTML+Time development. SMG for a PDA, a BREW, a Phone and a PC by Smilmedia TAG Editor 2.0 - G2 release by Digital Renaissance ??? Tagfree 2000 SMIL Editor Toolkit for MPEG-4 from IBM, creates MPEG-4 binary from content created in XMT-O (based on the SMIL 2.0 syntax and semantics). TransTool - open source transcription tool VeonStudio by Veon Validator: SMIL 1.0, SMIL 2.0, SMIL 2.0 Basic and XHTML+SMIL by CWI. 3TMAN allows to easily author the complex multimedia projects and then can export the multimedia projects to the Html+time and/or SMIL formats Demos

SMIL 2.0 Feature-by-feature demos by RealNetworks Torino and New York demos by Telecom Italia Lab SMIL1.0, SMIL 2.0 demos available from Oratrix. Synchronized Multimedia Summer School at INRIA The Webnews demo, by CWI. (needs an HTML renderer) Demos available from RealNetworks SMIL 1.0 tutorial written in SMIL SMIL1.0 demo of the Canyonlands XHTML+SMIL demos, by Microsoft (works In > IE5.5 only) XHTML+SMIL demos, by Patrick Schmitz (works In > IE5.5 only) Demos of SMIL Animation used in combination with SVG at Burning Pixel and KevLinDev Karaoke demo; SMIL version, you can directly test a Html+time version for IE6. An enhanced Karaoke demo.

SMIL documents A SMIL document is similar in structure to an HTML document in that they are typically divided between an optional <head> section and a required <body> section. The <head> section contains layout and metadata information. The <body> section contains the timing information, and is generally composed of combinations of three main tags—sequential ("<seq>", simple playlists), parallel ("<par>", multi-zone/multi-layer playback) and exclusive ("<excl>", event-triggered interrupts). SMIL refers to media objects by URLs, allowing them to be shared between presentations and stored on different servers for load balancing. The language can also associate different media objects with different bandwidth requirements. For playback scheduling, SMIL supports ISO-8601 wallclock() date/time specification to define begin/end events for playlists. SMIL files take either a .smi or .smil file extension. However, SAMI files and Macintosh self mounting images also use .smi, which creates some ambiguity at first glance. As a result, SMIL files commonly use the .smil file extension to avoid confusion.

Combination with other XML-based standards SMIL was created during a time when structured data using XML was very popular and during a time when Internet Explorer was very popular. Thus "combining" SMIL with other markup languages was considered one of the best current practices of the day.

SMIL+SVG

SMIL is one of three means by which SVG animation can be achieved (the others being JavaScript and CSS animations).

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

In research: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer file formats, Declarative markup languages, Declarative programming languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language in simple terms?

Why does Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language.