MacroMind was a multimedia software company founded in Chicago, Illinois on April 16, 1984 by Marc Canter, Jay Fenton and Mark Stephen Pierce.[1][2]
History[]
The company was originally named Chicago Software in April 1984. Three days later, it was renamed MacroMind after a character from Fenton's hit game Gorf.[1]
MacroMind's first project was SoundVision, a combined music and graphics editor. Before the release, the audio and graphics features were split into MusicWorks and VideoWorks.[3] MacroMind's earliest projects were distributed by Hayden Software.[4]
Much of the MacroMind's early work also involved contracting for other companies. In December 1985, Fenton implemented a customized version of VideoWorks with Tiny BASIC that was licensed to Apple Computer to build training discs for their early Macintosh line.[1][5]
By March 1988, the company had grown to 22 employees and was self-publishing its products.[6] After a round of venture capital funding,[7] MacroMind moved to 410 Townsend Street in San Francisco, California in 1989.[8] In 1991, MacroMind merged with Paracomp to briefly become MacroMind-Paracomp,[9] then merged with Authorware Inc. in 1992 to form Macromedia.[10]
Products[]
- MacroMind MusicWorks (October 1984) - music composer
- MacroMind VideoWorks (June 1985) - multimedia animation software
- MacroMind VideoWorks Player - for runtime playback of VideoWorks files
- MacroMind VideoWorks II (1987) - added support for color
- MacroMind VideoWorks Accelerator (1987) - animation compiler for VideoWorks files
- MacroMind ArtGrabber with Body Shop (1985) - clip art software and desk accessory
- MacroMind ComicWorks (1986) - a paint program with text editing and multi-page layout capabilities
- MacroMind GraphicWorks 1.1 (1987) - a version with the same user interface and updated graphics libraries[11]
- MacroMind Utility Disk (1986) - a collection of useful graphical desk accessories
- Maze Wars+ (Fall 1986) - multiplayer network game based on the classic Maze War
- MacroMind Director (1989) - evolved from VideoWorks Professional
- MacroMind Accelerator (1989) - animation compiler for Director
- MacroMind Director 2.0 (April 1990) - evolved from VideoWorks Interactive Pro, which introduced the Lingo scripting language
- MacroMind Player - for runtime playback of Director files
- MacroMind MediaMaker (1990) - early video editing and compositing software
- MacroMind Three-D (1991) - 3D modeling and animation software
- MacroMind 3DWorks - animation, lighting, and camera setup
- MacroMind RenderWorks - rendering of 3DWorks projects in 8 or 24-bit color
- MacroMind FireWorks (formerly ImageWorks) - post-production of RenderWorks graphics[12]
A few products initiated by MacroMind were actually released by MacroMind-Paracomp:
- MacroMind Action! 1.0.1 (1991) - a graphical presentation program
- MacroMind Director 3.0 (1991) - introduction of XObjects[13]
- MacroMind TitleMaker (1991) - a utility for making animated titles
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Birth of MacroMind by Marc Canter, p.63. Festival Ars Electronica. 2003-08. Archived 2003-09-20.
- ↑ MacroMind Inc., BizStanding. 1984-04-16.
- ↑ Marc Canter's Work and Careers by Chris Jacques, Intro. to Multimedia. Archived 2006-04-23.
- ↑ Peripherals; Portable screen for Apple by Peter H. Lewis, The New York Times. 1985-02-19.
- ↑ An Unofficial Brief History of Director by Luke Wigley, Lingo Workshop. 2017-01-27.
- ↑ Software Finds Home Sweet Home Here by Daniel Brogan, Chicago Tribune. 1988-03-20. Archived 2020-07-06.
- ↑ History by John Henry Thompson. Accessed 2019-12-29.
- ↑ No Flash in the Pan: Macromedia survives a decade by reinventing itself by Benny Evangelista, San Francisco Chronicle. 2002-05-05.
- ↑ MacroMind, Paracomp plan multimedia software merger by Eric Lai, Computer Business Review. 1991-07-15.
- ↑ Merger builds multimedia powerhouse by Jeanette Borzo, InfoWorld, p.9. 1992-03-09.
- ↑ Desktop Publishing #1 (including MacroMind ComicWorks) by Stewart Cheifet, The Computer Chronicles. 1986-11-02.
- ↑ MacroMind Three-D does animation and rendering by Doug and Denise Green, InfoWorld, p.73. 1991-07-15.
- ↑ DIRECT-L archives -- July 1999, week 3 (#73). Archived 2007-03-17.
External links[]
- MacroMind (firm) at WorldCat Identities
- MacroMind at the WikiWikiWeb
- MacroMind at the Macromedia Wiki
- MacroMind at Wikipedia
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