Audio Bit Depth Sample Size and Sampling Rate

1. Sound moves through what medium?

Sound travels in mechanical waves. A mechanical wave is a disturbance that moves and transports energy from one place to another through a medium that can be solid liquid or gas. In sound, the disturbance is a vibrating object. And the medium can be any series of interconnected and interactive particles. This means that sound can travel through gases, liquids and solids.

Let's take a look at an example. Imagine a church bell. When a bell rings, it vibrates, which means the bell itself flexes inward and outward very rapidly. As the bell moves outward, it pushes against particles of air. Those air particles then push against other adjacent air particles, and so on. As the bell flexes inward, it pulls against the adjacent air particles, and they, in turn, pull against other air particles. This push and pull pattern is a sound wave. The vibrating bell is the original disturbance, and the air particles are the medium.

2. What unit is used to measure sample size?

Essentially this is the number of digits in the digital representation of each sample. Think of the sample rate as the horizontal precision of the digital waveform, and the sample format as the vertical precision which is measured usinh Hz


3.  What unit is used to measure sampling rate?
The rate at which the samples are captured or played back, measured in Hertz (Hz), or samples per second. 


4.  Compare the quality of AM, FM and Digital radio.
AM radio ranges from 535 to 1705kHz
FM radio band goes from 88 to 108 MHz
Digital radio has frequencies below 30MHz   

Difficulties I Encountered

Difficulty: Learning how to use inkscape and getting used to it s functions.

How I overcame it: I watched tutorials in order to learn how to use it, I did practice beforehand, Took assistance from peers and teachers and referred to web to educate myself to successfully make frame for my animation through inkscape.  

Difficulty: Not make frames Jerky 

How I overcame it: I practiced and from experience I learnt the technique which was to make an export every small move I make. This was time consuming but it prevented the animation sequence from appearing jerky. 

Difficulty: It was time consuming

How I overcame it: I tried to brake up the task in doing a small part everyday because Mercedes my house group has 8 letters in it I did one letter everyday instead of all in one day I did it in just over a week.

final size of animation

My animation was 15.32 seconds
It had 156 frames
It was 1370 KB in windows media player

frame rate I was aiming for

The frame rate I was aiming for was: 6 frames per second and I achieved frame rate of approximately 10 frames per second ans I had 156 frames and the animation lasted for 15 seconds so I simply divided 156 by 14 to get 10.4 and rounded it down to in order to receive the answer 10fps

Image format frames saved as

I was saving my frames usin the file extension ".png" which means Portable Network Graphics are the ideal web graphic file types. They are completely lossless and they support alpha transparency.

image format during devlopment of frames

During the developmet of my  frames I used the file file extension "svg" which means Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic (i.e. interactive or animated).

Creation process

Step One: Creating animation using inkscape

I experimented using inkscape the many options I had than finally choose a final design than created it. Which is where I created each bitmap. 

Step two: Exporting Bitmap images 

I was exporting bitmap images using the file extension ".png" Every small move I  made to make my balloon go higher I exported it trying to obtain smooth movement from one frame to another. 

Step three: Putting Frames onto windows live movie maker 

After exporting the bitmaps using the "png" file format I added each frame to movie maker 

Step four: Changing duration of the frames 

I selected all that frames than changed to desired duration by clicking the edit tab and selecting the relevant length for each frame.

Step five: Changing the file format 

In order to successfully post my animation on blogger and complete the task I was required to change the file format from ".wlmp" to a ".vmw" 

software used and reason for choosing it

the software is used was inkscape to create the still images and to export the bitmap image and I used windows live movie maker to add my frames and to change it from still to moving. I used Inkscape because it had features such as:

• A powerful bitmap tracer
• Paint bucket tool to fill any bounded area with a path.
• Easier to export bitmap images
• It is free of charge.
• Functions such as the curve tool are straight forward and easy to use
• It has a function that allows you edit paths by nodes, this tool is very useful because if you make a mistake when you the tool for drawing bezier curves this is not always accurate but by the use of this tool you are able to fix up your work.
• The functions and tools are straightforward and easy to use. 
• It allow you to ad text 
•  Alpha transparency support for display and PNG export.

So I decided that I would inkscape for my final animation because it caters for the needs of this assessment task and it supports my requirements and criteria i need to complete the task.

Careers in Digital Graphics

Career 1: Web development

1A web developer is a software engineer that creates application specally for the worldwidwide web.  The purpose of web design is to create a website—a collection of online content including documents and applications that are on a web server/servers. A website may include text, images, sounds and other content, and may be interactive.

2.Where would you see this person’s work (e.g. in the newspaper, in a game shop)?

Web developers can be found working in all types of organizations, including large corporations and governments, small and medium sized companies, or alone as freelancers. Some web developers work for one organization as a permanent full-time employee, while others may work as independent consultants, or as contractors for an employment agency.

3. What training is needed for the career?
The most straightforward path to becoming a Web Developer is through training (a BSCS or MSCS). Software Engineers that do not have web development experience may start by developing small components or pieces of web applications with guidance from more senior person.

4. What kind of software and hardware is used?
Examples of software:
Adobe Dreamweaver
Wix
Microsoft expression studio ultimate
Microsoft office publisher
Softpress Freeway 5 Express
Extensis Suitcase Fusion
Examples of Hardware:
scanner
digital camera

Carrer 2: Graphic design 
1. What does the person in the career do?
A graphic designer is responsible for arranging and using elements on different types of media (such as a poster, a package or a website), most likely with the use of a graphics software program such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or InDesign. These elements include:

• Photos
• Illustrations
• Type
• Shapes

2.Where would you see this person’s work (e.g. in the newspaper, in a game shop)?

Many graphic designers work for advertising agencies and design studios, who are hired by other companies to visually sell products or messages. Graphic designers can also find work at magazines and newspapers who need designers to layout editorial content and images. Many companies have in-house designers to work on internal and external publications and advertising. Also, companies and publications hire freelance designers to work on specific projects for predetermined periods of time.

3. What training is needed for the career?

A bachelor of arts degree and associate of arts degree are two of the most common types of degrees needed to become a graphic designer. There are options for continuing your education for higher degrees, but a B.A. or A.A. will help you land the job.

4. What kind of software and hardware is used?
Examples of software:
CorelIDRAW graohics suite.
AutoCad
DAZ stidio
PDFill PDF editor
Examples of Hardware:
A computer at least 4GB RAM and 160GB of hard drive in it
An internal DVD-RW drive with Lightscribe
A scanner
A printer must be laser and PostScript

color-accurate monitor. 

Graphics tablet

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that allows one to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way one draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures. It can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper which is taped or otherwise secured to the surface. Capturing data in this way, either by tracing or entering the corners of linear poly-lines or shapes is called digitizing.

A graphics tablet consists of a flat surface upon which the user may draw or trace an image using an attached stylus, a pen-like drawing tool. The image generally does not appear on the tablet itself but, it is displayed on the computer screen. Some tablets, however, come as a functioning secondary computer screen that you can interact with image directly using the stylus.

Wireless tablet: intuos4:
This tablet lets you create graphics by drawing by the use of the pen on to the tablet and that appears on your computer screen, it also ahs wirelesstechnology and  the tablet allows you tcreate digital artworks like:



5080 lines per inch of resolution in the tablet translates into smooth, detailed lines on your screen
 2048 pressure levels the pressure level means it provides greater stability in controlling pressure-dependent variables on artist brushes (brush size, opacity, etc.).

Intuos4 Small (PTK-440): $378
Intuos4 Medium (PTK-640): $528
Intuos4 Large (PTK-840): $728
Intuos4 X-Large (PTK-1240): $1,148

cartoon images

Still image 


































video:

olympic rings

I used paint to make these Olympic rings it was hard because they was the interlock was very challenging but I used another square of the exact same colour of the ring interlocking to cover some parts.  

Digital art....... real art

Digital art is a real form of art, because art is a form of creativity and imagination of the artist and can be expressed in any form this can be either the artist using traditional methods or can also be done in the form of digital art so this makes digital art a valid form of art.

Digital art has advantages over traditional methods because digital art has the advantage of functions such as undo button etc. Digital art is better because it allows people who are filled with creativity and imagination but lack skill and technique in traditional methods of art to express themselves thought the use of art. Digital also allows the artist to create moving artworks such as animated gifs.

A digital artist must posses the skill of computers and knowledge on the functions of the digital media they are using like which tool performs what function e.g the pencil tool allows you to draw free hand etc. A digital artist must also be skilled in the knowledge of graphics and graphic terms in order to create a great digital artwork. The artist also must know what file extension to select to give the best result to their artwork.

Digital media

Forms of digital media that surround us:

• Mobile phones (Cellular phones)
• Compact discs
• Digital Video
• Televisions
• e-books
• Internet
• Video games
• e-commerce
• Game consoles
• Computers
• Interactive media

What number system is digital media based on? What two digits are used to code all digital data?


What is a bit what is byte?
Bit: Short for binary digit, the smallest unit of information on a machine, Computers are sometimes classified by the number of bits they can process at one time
Byte:Abbreviation for binary term, a unit of storage capable of holding a single character. On almost all modern computers, a byte is equal to 8 bits.

What is sampling rate? find an image on how sampling works.
The number of times per second that a sound wave is measured. A higher sampling rate provides superior sound quality.


How does colour depth or bit depth affect the appearance of an image? Find some images to illustrate the effect?
colour depth or bit depth is the number of bits used to show the colour of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video, the higher the colour depth(or bit depth) the better quality of the as it gives a broader range of distinct colours.



Colour depth effects both still and video digital media. Sampling rate only effects video but not still media. Can you explain?
As sampling rate is the number of times per second that a sound wave is measured and still images don't require a sampling rate as they don't have sound hence a sound wave is not needed but colour depth effects both because there are still moving images seen so colour depth effects both.

Image file types

1. You need to find information of the following terms
GIF files: "Graphics Interchange Format", a type of image file (extension .gif) supporting animation. The colour depth is  256 colours. It is used for many animations.

Jpeg files: Joint Photographic Expert Group a compression algorithm for reducing the size of image files. JPEGs are very helpful in allowing access to full-screen image files on-line because they require less storage and therefore are quicker to download into a web page.

Mpeg files: Moving Picture Experts Group: is the name of family of standards used for coding audio-visual information  in a digital compressed format. They are used for movies, video, music

Shockwave files:  a file format for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript in the Adobe Flash environment. SWF files can contain animations. At the moment SWF functions as the dominant format for displaying "animated" vector graphics on the Web. It may also be used for programs, commonly browser games, using ActionScript.

2. What is a vector based image and how is it different to a bitmap image?
Vector based images generally contain well-defined elements such as curves and shapes of various colors. These elements can either be pure graphics, western alphabets or Asian characters. Each element is defined mathematically by the computer. For example, if a vector-based image contains a red dot, then information such as the location of the circle's center point, the length of its radius, and the color, red, would be the essential information for this image file. File names for vector-based images usually consist of extensions such as *.EPS, *.AI, *CDR, or *.DWG.

Vector-based files are more suitable for illustrations that require precise measurements. They are also easily scalable due to their mathematical nature. However, the vector-based file format has its drawbacks as well. It is not good for displaying photo-realistic images such as a photograph because images of this type generally do not contain well-defined shapes and curves.

Bitmap-based images, on the other hand, do not rely on mathematical formulas to define their various elements. Each bitmap-based image is mapped into a grid. The size of the grid is based on the image's resolution. For example, a bitmap-based image of 1 inch x 1 inch with a 600 dpi resolution would be defined by a grid of 600 x 600 pixels. Hence, a bitmap-based image is like a mosaic of pixels with each pixel holding a specific color value. File names for bitmap-based images usually consist of extensions such as *.PSD, *.JPG, *GIF, *.TIF, or *.BMP.

Bitmap-based files are more suitable for photo-realistic images that require complex color variations. They are, however, not easily scalable because each bitmap-based image is mapped to a non-flexible grid. If a bitmap-based image were to be enlarged, it would lose its sharpness. All edges within the image would appear to be jagged.

In general, bitmap-based files require more computer memory for file storage than vector-based files. The former contains all information for every single pixel of the image while the latter contains only the defining mathematical formulas for each element within the image

microsoft word tools

I created this robot using word tools such as 3d effects and also using the basic geometric shapes like square, circle, rectangle etc.

painting tools

Selection: Allows you to select a part of the picture.

Crop: Allows you to see only some parts of the picture upon selection.

Resize: Allows you to change the size of your image

Rotate or flip: Allows you to rotate or flip a picture.

Pencil: This tool lets you draw using the mouse.

Fill with colour: Lets you fill inside of a shape with a colour.

Text: Lets you insert text

Eraser: Lets you erase a part of the image and change it for the background 

 Colour Picker: Enables you to pick a colour and use it for drawing

Magnifier: Allows you to magnify a part of the picture

Brushes: Allows you to draw with different kind of brushes

Shapes: Different types of shapes which can be used

Shape outline: Allows you to choose a medium for the shape outline

Fill: Allows you to choose a medium for the shape fill.

Size: Allows you to choose a width for the tool in use

Colour 1 (foreground color): Enables you to select a color from the palette and can be used for pencil, brushes and shape outline.

Color 2 (background color): Upon selection you can choose a color from the palette and can be used with the eraser and shape fills.

Palette: The number of colors available for use and can also be edited to have color of choice.



Graphic Terms

Animated gif : The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987

Crop: Cut short

Dpi: is an abbreviated version for dots (or pixels) per inch, a measure of the resolution of graphic shown

Jpeg: Named after the Joint Photographic Experts is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable trade off between storage size and image quality.

Mirror: an exact copy of a data set

Resolution: the number of pixels per square inch on a computer-generated display

Pixel: the smallest discrete component of an image or picture on a screen.

fps(frames per second): The amount of still frames that are displayed during one second of video
file extension: A short series of letters and/or numerals at the end of a personal computer file name, used to show the type of file and the software that will be needed to operate or open it.

bmp: A type of image file format, bitmap refers to the rows and columns of dots that make up a digital photo image. Each dot is stored in at least one bit of data.

frame: used  to identify precisely the general information that must be programmed into a computer before considering specific directions
compression:  data compression, source coding or bit-rate reduction is the process of encording information using fewer bits

flip: flip an image

morph: cause to change shape in a computer animation


frame buffer: a buffer that stores the contents of an image pixel by pixel
video card: A piece of hardware installed into a personal computer to allow it to send video signals to an external output device such as a monitor or projector
CPU: central processcing unit does most of the data processing
colour depth: the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. This concept is also known as bits per pixel (bpp)