C

CAI -

Computer-assisted instruction. Synonym for CBT.
calibration -
The adjustment of a piece of equipment so that it meets normal operational standards. (For example, for the IBM InfoWindow system, calibration refers to touching a series of points on the screen so that the system can accurately determine their location for further reference.)
camcorder -
A compact, hand-held video camera with integrated videotape recorder.
capture -
To take a snapshot of motion video and retain it in memory. The video image may then be saved to a file or restored to the display.
cast animation -
(1) A sequence of frames consisting of manipulations of graphical objects. (2) The action of bringing a computer program, routine, or subroutine into effect, usually by specifying the entry conditions and jumping to an entry point. (3) See also frame animation.
CAV -
Constant angular velocity.
CBT -
Computer-based training. Synonym for CAI.
CCITT -
Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique. The International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee.
CD -
Compact disc.
CD-DA -
Compact disc, digital audio.
CD-I -
Compact Disc-Interactive.
CD-ROM -
Compact disc, read-only memory.
CD-ROM XA -
Compact disc, read-only memory extended architecture.
cel -
A single frame (display screen) of an animation. (The term originated in cartooning days when the artist drew each image on a sheet of celluloid film.)
CF IOProc -
An internal I/O procedure, provided by the MMPM/2 system, that supports RIFF compound files. The CF IOProc operates on the entire compound file (rather than on the elements in a RIFF compound file, as with the BND IOProc). The CF IOProc is limited to operations required by the system to ensure storage system transparency at the application level. See also BND IOProc.
CGA -
Color graphics adapter.
CGRP -
Compound file resource group.
channel mapping -
The translation of a MIDI channel number for a sending device to an appropriate channel for a receiving device.
channel message -
A type of non-SysEx MIDI message that has a channel identifier in it, implying that these messages are specific to one channel.
check disc -
A videodisc produced from the glass master that is used to check the quality of the finished interactive program.
chord -
To press more than one button at a time on a pointing device.
chroma-key color -
The specified first color in a combined signal. See also chroma-keying.
chroma-keying -
Combining two video signals that are in sync. The combined signal is the second signal whenever the first is of some specified color, called the chroma-key color, and is the first signal otherwise. (For example, the weatherman stands in front of a blue background-blue is the chroma-key color.) At home, the TV viewer sees the weather map in place of the chroma-key color, with the weatherman suspended in front.
chroma signal -
The portion of image information that provides the color (hue and saturation).
chrominance -
The difference between a color and a reference white of the same luminous intensity.
chunk -
(1) The basic building block of a RIFF file. (2) A RIFF term for a formalized data area. There are different types of chunks, depending on the chunk ID. (3) See LIST chunk and RIFF chunk.
chunk ID -
A four-character code (FOURCC) that identifies the representation of the chunk data.
circular slider control -
A knob-like control that performs like a control on a TV or stereo.
circular slider knob -
A knob-like dial that operates like a control on a television or stereo.
class -
(1) A categorization or grouping of objects that share similar behaviors and characteristics. Synonym for object class. (2) See node class. (RTMIDI-specific term)
click -
To press and release a button on a pointing device without moving the pointer off the choice. See double-click. See also drag select.
clip -
A section of recorded, filmed, or videotaped material. See also audio clip and video clip.
closed circuit -
A system of transmitting television signals from a point of origin to one or many restricted destination points specially equipped to receive the signals.
close-up -
In videotaping, the picture obtained when the camera is positioned to show only the head and shoulders of a subject; in the case of an object, the camera is close enough to show details clearly. See also extreme close-up.
CLP -
Common loader primitive.
CLUT -
Color look-up table. Synonym for color palette.
CLV -
Constant linear velocity.
CODEC -
compressor/decompressor (CODEC) - An algorithm implemented either in hardware or software that can either compress or decompress a data object. For example, a CODEC can compress raw digital images into a smaller form so that they use less storage space. When used in the context of playing motion video, decompressors reconstruct the original image from the compressed data. This is done at a high rate of speed to simulate motion.
collaborative document production -
A system feature that provides the ability for a group of people to manage document production.
collision -
An unwanted condition that results from concurrent transmissions on a channel. (T) (For example, an overlapping condition that occurs when one sprite hides another as it passes over it.)
color cycling -
An animation effect in which colors in a series are displayed in rapid succession.
color graphics adapter (CGA) -
An adapter that simultaneously provides four colors and is supported on all IBM Personal Computer and Personal System/2* models.
colorization -
The color tinting of a monochrome original.
color palette -
(1) A set of colors that can be displayed on the screen at one time. This can be a standard set used for all images or a set that can be customized for each image. (2) Synonym for CLUT. (3) See also standard palette and custom palette.
common loader primitive -
A system service that provides a high-level interface to hardware-specific loaders.
common user access (CUA) -
(1) Guidelines for the dialog between a human and a workstation or terminal. (2) One of the three SAA architectural areas.
compact disc (CD) -
A disc, usually 4.75 inches in diameter, from which data is read optically by means of a laser.
compact disc, digital audio (CD-DA) -
The specification for audio compact discs. See also Redbook audio.
Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I) -
A low-cost computer, being developed by N.V. Phillips (The Netherlands) and Sony (Japan), that plugs into standard television sets to display text and video stored on compact discs.
compact disc, read-only memory (CD-ROM) -
High-capacity, read-only memory in the form of an optically read compact disc.
compact disc, read-only memory extended architecture (CD-ROM XA) -
An extension to CD-ROM supporting additional audio and video levels for compression and interlacing of audio, video, and digital data.
component video -
A video signal using three signals, one of which is luminance, and the other two of which are the color vectors. See also composite video and S-video.
composed view -
A view of an object in which relationships of the parts contribute to the overall meaning. Composed views are provided primarily for data objects.
composite -
The combination of two or more film, video, or electronic images into a single frame or display. See also composite video.
composite monitor -
A monitor that can decode a color image from a single signal, such as NTSC or PAL. Contrast with RGB.
composite object -
An object that contains other objects. For example, a document object that contains not only text, but graphics, audio, image, and/or video objects, each of which can be manipulated separately as an individual object.
composite video -
A single signal composed of chroma, luminance, and sync. NTSC is the composite video that is currently the U.S. standard for television. See also component video and S-video.
compound device -
A multimedia device model for hardware that requires additional data objects, referred to as data elements, before multimedia operations can be performed.
compound file -
A file that contains multiple file elements.
compound file resource group (CGRP) -
A RIFF chunk that contains all the compound file elements, concatenated together.
compound file table of contents (CTOC) -
A RIFF chunk that indexes the CGRP chunk, which contains the actual multimedia data elements. Each entry contains the name of, and other information about, the element, including the offset of the element within the CGRP chunk. All the CTOC entries of a table are of the same length and can be specified when the file is created.
compound message -
A structure which combines a time stamp, a source instance identifier, a track number, and a MIDI message. Each of these fields is 32 bits, so the structure is 16 bytes in length. (RTMIDI-specific term)
computer-animated graphics -
Graphics animated by using a computer, compared to using videotape or film.
computer-assisted instruction (CAI) -
(1) A data processing application in which a computing system is used to assist in the instruction of students. The application usually involves a dialog between the student and a computer program. An example is the OS/2 tutorial. (2) Synonym for computer-based training.
computer-based training (CBT) -
Synonym for computer-assisted instruction.
computer-controlled device -
An external video source device with frame-stepping capability, usually a videodisc player, whose output can be controlled by the multimedia subsystem.
conforming -
Performing final editing on film or video using an offline edited master as a guide.
connection -
The establishment of the flow of information from a connector on one device to a compatible connector on another device. A connection can be made that is dependent on a physical connection, for example the attachment of a speaker to an audio adapter with a speaker wire. A connection can also be made that is completely internal to the PC, such as the connection between the waveaudio media device and the ampmix device. See also connector.
connector -
A software representation of the physical way in which multimedia data moves from one device to another. A connector can have an external representation, such as a headphone jack on a CD-ROM player. A connector can also have an internal representation, such as the flow of digital information into an audio adapter. See also connection.
constant angular velocity (CAV) -
Refers to both the format of data stored on a videodisc and the videodisc player rotational characteristics. CAV videodiscs contain 1 frame per track. This allows approximately 30 minutes of playing time per videodisc side. CAV videodisc players spin at a constant rotational speed (1800 rpm for NTSC or 1500 rpm for PAL) and play 1 frame per disc revolution. CAV players support frame-accurate searches. See also constant linear velocity.
constant linear velocity (CLV) -
Refers to both the format of data stored on a videodisc and the videodisc player characteristics. CLV videodiscs contain 1 frame on the innermost track and 3 frames of data on the outermost track. This allows approximately 1 hour of playing time per videodisc side. CLV videodisc players vary the rotational speed from approximately 1800 rpm at the inner tracks to 600 rpm at the outer tracks (for NTSC).

Currently, few CLV players support frame-accurate searches They only support search or play to within one second (30 frames for NTSC or 25 frames for PAL). See also constant angular velocity.

container -
An object whose specific purpose is to hold other objects. A folder is an example of a container object.
contents view -
A view of an object that shows the contents of the object in list form. Contents views are provided for container objects and for any object that has container behavior, for example, a device object such as a printer.
continuity -
In videotaping, consistency maintained from shot to shot and throughout the take. For example, a switch that is on in one shot should not be off in the next unless it was shown being turned off.
continuous media object -
A data object that varies over time; a stream-oriented data object. Examples include audio, animation, and video.
contrast -
The difference in brightness or color between a display image and the area in which it is displayed. A contrast level of 0 is minimum difference. A contrast level of 100 is maximum difference.
control -
A visual user interface component that allows a user to interact with data.
coordinate graphics -
(1) Computer graphics in which display images are generated from display commands and coordinate data. (2) Contrast with raster graphics. (3) Synonym for line graphics.
crop -
To cut off; to trim (for example, a tape).
crossfade -
Synonym for dissolve.
cross-platform -
Used to describe applications that are operable with more than one operating system.
cross-platform transmission -
Electronic transmission of information (such as mail) between incompatible operating systems.
CTOC -
Compound file table of contents.
CU -
Script abbreviation for close-up.
CUA -
Common User Access.
cue point -
A point that the system recognizes as a signal that may be acted upon.
custom palette -
(1) A set of colors that is unique to one image or one application. (2) See also standard palette and color palette.
cut -
The procedure of instantly replacing a picture from one source with a picture from another. (This is the most common form of editing scene to scene.)

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