Aimtech Corp, based in London in the UK, has launched its authoring system IconAuthor 4.0. The use of the Microsoft Corp Windows 3.0 environment is intended to enable non-programmers to create multimedia applications in areas such as computer-based training, information and transaction-based kiosks and interactive business presentations. Non-programmers, it says, can develop a multimedia presentation by building structure and content. To build structure, icons that represent computer functions are moved from an icon library and connected into a flow chart that depicts the logic of the application. Presentation content, including text, graphics, animation, full motion video and audio, is then added to the icon structure via dialogue boxes. IconAuthor 4.0 runs under MS-DOS 3.1 or higher as well as under Digital Equipment Corp VMS and Ultrix under DECwindows. It requires an 80286 or 80386 processor, 1Mb of RAM for 16 colour graphics or 2Mb of RAM for 256 colour graphics and uses CGA, EGA, VGA or super VGA graphics boards. IconAuthor supports multimedia peripherals such as video disk and tape players, video overlay cards and audio systems that run under Windows. It is compatible with dBase and communicates with data management applications. IconAuthor supports Dynamic Data Exchange, Dynamic Link Libraries, and multimedia extensions for Windows. David Hendon, general manager of Aimtech, says that users are currently upgrading from IconAuthor 3.0 to 4.0. He said that DEC is testing an IconAuthor RISC version under Ultrix using DECwindows and that a version is being developed for VMS and Ultrix. He expects that IconAuthor will be available on Data General Corp’s AViiONs under Unix and X Window, and under Hewlett-Packard Co’s HP-UX within 90 days. An OS/2 version is planned for the first quarter of 1992. IconAuthor 4.0 is available now and costs UKP2,600.
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