MatchWare Mediator EXP 6

EXP also adds the Set Property action that allows you to change the properties of Mediator objects at run-time without needing to use code. I'm not sure how useful this is - having made the investment in EXP, I'd want to use script everywhere I could.

The Animation Track action gives you fine control of an animation, allowing you to alter its properties as it runs. For example, you could make the animated object change size, orientation or colour, speed it up or make it disappear. At run-time, Mediator knocks the socks off Opus Pro when it comes to the performance and stability of animation effects and transitions.

Finally, EXP adds the HTTP Request resource that lets you to GET data from or POST data to a Web server, allowing Mediator EXP to act as an interface to a Web database or update its content online.

So, is it worth the upgrade? Choose the right project and you could see production timescales halve when compared to Director. How much is that worth? Is it really £400 better than Opus Pro? The question is irrelevant if EXP enables you to do something Opus Pro doesn't. The expandability offered by ActiveX support is tempting, the coding environment is better, the language easier to use and more tolerant and Macro Scripts could save a lot of time spent on repetitive tasks. Director is still the only choice for cross-platform delivery and the best choice for online deployment, but Mediator EXP offers a realistic alternative to Director for all other purposes. But if your needs aren't so sophisticated, Opus Pro offers many of the same features for a much lower price.

Author: Kevin Partner