Special Section: Challenging Multimedia Projects

Special Section Challenging Multimedia Projects

The preceding exercises are keyed to the text and designed to test the reader's understanding of fundamental multimedia concepts. This section includes a collection of advanced multimedia projects. The reader should find these problems challenging, yet entertaining. The problems vary considerably in difficulty. Some require an hour or two of program writing and implementation. Others are useful for lab assignments that might require two or three weeks of study and implementation. Some are challenging term projects. [Note to Instructors: Solutions are not provided for these exercises.].

21.12	(Animation) Create a general-purpose Java animation program. It should allow the user to specify the sequence of frames to be displayed, the speed at which the images are displayed, audios to be played while the animation is running and so on.
21.13	(Limericks) Modify the limerick-writing program you wrote in Exercise 10.10 to sing the limericks your program creates.
21.14	(Random Interimage Transition) This provides a nice visual effect. If you are displaying one image in a given area on the screen and you would like to transition to another image in the same area, store the new screen image in an off-screen buffer and randomly copy pixels from it to the display area, overlaying the pixels already at those locations. When the vast majority of the pixels have been copied, copy the entire new image to the display area to be sure you are displaying the complete new image. To implement this program, you may need to use the PixelGrabber and MemoryImageSource classes (see the Java API documentation for descriptions of these classes). You might try several variants of this problem. For example, try selecting all the pixels in a randomly selected straight line or shape in the new image, and overlay them above the corresponding positions of the old image.
21.15	(Background Audio) Add background audio to one of your favorite applications by using the loop method of class AudioClip to play the sound in the background while you interact with your application in the normal way.
21.16	(Scrolling Marquee Sign) Create a Java program that scrolls dotted characters from right to left (or from left to right if that is appropriate for your language) across a marquee-like display sign. As an option, display the text in a continuous loop, so that after the text disappears at one end, it reappears at the other.
21.17	(Scrolling Image Marquee) Create a Java program that scrolls an image across a marquee screen.
21.18	(Analog Clock) Create a Java program that displays an analog clock with hour, minute and second hands that move appropriately as the time changes.
21.19	(Dynamic Audio and Graphical Kaleidoscope) Write a kaleidoscope program that displays reflected graphics to simulate the popular children's toy. Incorporate audio effects that "mirror" your program's dynamically changing graphics.
21.20	(Automatic Jigsaw Puzzle Generator) Create a Java jigsaw puzzle generator and manipulator. The user specifies an image. Your program loads and displays the image, then breaks it into randomly selected shapes and shuffles them. The user then uses the mouse to move the pieces around to solve the puzzle. Add appropriate audio sounds as the pieces are moved around and snapped back into place. You might keep tabs on each piece and where it really belongsthen use audio effects to help the user get the pieces into the correct positions.
21.21	(Maze Generator and Walker) Develop a multimedia-based maze generator and traverser program based on the maze programs you wrote in Exercise 15.20Exercise 15.22. Let the user customize the maze by specifying the number of rows and columns and by indicating the level of difficulty. Have an animated mouse walk the maze. Use audio to dramatize the movement of your mouse character.
21.22	(One-Armed Bandit)Develop a multimedia simulation of a "one-armed bandit." Have three spinning wheels. Place images of various fruits and symbols on each wheel. Use true random-number generation to simulate the spinning of each wheel and the stopping of each wheel on a symbol.
21.23	(Horse Race) Create a Java simulation of a horse race. Have multiple contenders. Use audios for a race announcer. Play the appropriate audios to indicate the correct status of each contender throughout the race. Use audios to announce the final results. You might try to simulate the kinds of horse-racing games that are often played at carnivals. The players take turns at the mouse and have to perform some skill-oriented manipulation with it to advance their horses.
21.24	(Shuffleboard) Develop a multimedia-based simulation of the game of shuffleboard. Use appropriate audio and visual effects.
21.25	(Game of Pool) Create a multimedia-based simulation of the game of pool. Each player takes turns using the mouse to position a pool cue and hit it against the ball at the appropriate angle to try to make other balls fall into the pockets. Your program should keep score.
21.26	(Artist) Design a Java art program that will give an artist a great variety of capabilities to draw, use images and use animations to create a dynamic multimedia art display.
21.27	(Fireworks Designer) Create a Java program that someone might use to create a fireworks display. Create a variety of fireworks demonstrations. Then orchestrate the firing of the fireworks for maximum effect.
21.28	(Floor Planner) Develop a Java program that will help someone arrange furniture in a home. Add features that enable the person to achieve the best possible arrangement.
21.29	(Crossword) Crossword puzzles are among the most popular pastimes. Develop a multimedia-based crossword-puzzle program. Your program should enable the player to place and erase words easily. Tie your program to a large computerized dictionary. Your program also should be able to suggest words on which letters have already been filled in. Provide other features that will make the crossword-puzzle enthusiast's job easier.
21.30	(15 Puzzle) Write a multimedia-based Java program that enables the user to play the game of 15. The game is played on a 4-by-4 board for a total of 16 slots. One slot is empty, the others are occupied by 15 tiles numbered 1 through 15. Any tile next to the currently empty slot can be moved into that slot by clicking on the tile. Your program should create the board with the tiles out of order. The goal is to arrange the tiles into sequential order, row by row.
21.31	(Reaction Time/Reaction Precision Tester) Create a Java program that moves a randomly created shape around the screen. The user moves the mouse to catch and click on the shape. The shape's speed and size can be varied. Keep statistics on how much time the user typically takes to catch a shape of a given size. The user will probably have more difficulty catching faster-moving, smaller shapes.
21.32	(Calendar/Tickler File) Using both audio and images, create a general-purpose calendar and "tickler" file. For example, the program should sing "Happy Birthday" when you use it on your birthday. Have the program display images and play audios associated with important events. Also, have the program remind you in advance of these important events. It would be nice, for example, to have the program give you a week's notice so you can pick up an appropriate greeting card for that special person.
21.33	(Rotating Images) Create a Java program that lets you rotate an image through some number of degrees (out of a maximum of 360 degrees). The program should let you specify that you want to spin the image continuously. It should let you adjust the spin speed dynamically.
21.34	(Coloring Black-and-White Photographs and Images) Create a Java program that lets you paint a black-and-white photograph with color. Provide a color palette for selecting colors. Your program should let you apply different colors to different regions of the image.
21.35	(Multimedia-Based Simpletron Simulator) Modify the Simpletron simulator that you developed in the exercises in the previous chapters (Exercise 7.34Exercise 7.36 and Exercise 17.26Exercise 17.30) to include multimedia features. Add computer-like sounds to indicate that the Simpletron is executing instructions. Add a breaking-glass sound when a fatal error occurs. Use flashing lights to indicate which cells of memory or which registers are currently being manipulated. Use other multimedia techniques, as appropriate, to make your Simpletron simulator more valuable to its users as an educational tool.