Automatic temporal layout mechanisms

Abstract

A traditional static document has a spatial layout that indicates where objects in the document appear. Because multimedia documents incorporate time, they also require a temporal layout, or schedule, that indicates when events in the document occur. This paper argues that multimedia document systems should provide mechanisms for automatically producing temporal layouts for documents. The major advantage of this approach is that it makes it easier for authors to create and modify multimedia documents. This paper constructs a framework for understanding automatic temporal formatters and explores the basic issues surrounding them. It also describes the Firefly multimedia document system, which has been developed to test the potential of automatic temporal formatting.