Microsoft Expression Studio
Encyclopedia
Microsoft Expression Studio is a suite of tools for designing and building web and Windows client applications and rich digital media
contents.
in Los Angeles. Microsoft Expression Encoder was introduced at NAB
2007. Microsoft Expression Studio was released to manufacturing on April 30, 2007. The RTM news was announced at Microsoft's MIX
07 conference for web developers and designers.
Microsoft Expression Studio 2 was released on May 1, 2008, which also included a graphical makeover for the suite to an inverse of the previous a white on black theme. This release brings all products in the suite to version 2, and now also includes Visual Studio Standard 2008. Microsoft Expression Studio is also available to students as downloads via Microsoft's DreamSpark
program.
Microsoft Expression Studio 3 was released on July 22, 2009, This release brings all products in the suite to version 3, with significant improvements especially targeting Silverlight 3. Expression Media is no longer a part of package, while all other products have been significantly improved and enriched.
On June 7, 2010, Expression Studio 4 was released. Expression Studio 4 is a free upgrade for licensed Expression Studio 3 users, but only for retail copies.
Formerly included:
code and dependencies. With version 3, Expression Web was rewritten in Windows Presentation Foundation
, in line with the rest of the Expression Suite, without Microsoft Office dependencies, essentially making it a new managed code
program. A result of the complete rewrite was features like customizable toolbars and menus, standard Windows color scheme, spell check, DLL addins, file menu export feature, drag-and-drop between remote sites, comparing sites by timestamp were removed in this version. Other features do not work reliably or are incomplete, like Undo for instance. Version 3 introduced Expression Web 3 SuperPreview tool for comparing and rendering webpage in various browsers. Also noted was the lack of support for root relative links, links that start with a "/" to refer to the root of a web server. This feature was added with Expression 3 Service Pack 1.
The version of Expression Encoder Pro 4 available as part of Expression Studio in programs like DreamSpark
, BizSpark, WebsiteSpark and through MSDN Ultimate does not include royalty incurring codec and standards support for exporting in MP4 format (H.264 video and AAC
audio). It also does not include import filters for TS
, M2TS, AVCHD
, MPEG-2
, and AC-3
although if third party DirectShow
filters are installed, it is able to import these formats as is the free version. Expression Encoder Pro version available in retail does not have these limitations. The free version available to everyone and included in MSDN Premium lacks IIS Live Smooth Streaming and unlimited screen capture.
With the release of Expression Studio 4, three editions of Expression Studio were introduced: Expression Studio 4 Web Professional (includes Expression Encoder, Design and Web), Expression Studio 4 Premium (adds Blend to the suite) and Expression Studio 4 Ultimate (adds SketchFlow). MSDN subscribers receive only the SKU of Expression Studio 4 that corresponds to their Visual Studio 2010 license. As such, MSDN Premium users do not get SketchFlow.
Some editions of Expression Studio also include product activation.
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
contents.
Overview
Microsoft introduced Microsoft Expression on September 16, 2005, at Microsoft's Professional Developers ConferenceProfessional Developers Conference
Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference is a conference for software developers, normally Windows developers.It covers new and upcoming technology from Microsoft, and so only occurs in the years when there is something new to talk about...
in Los Angeles. Microsoft Expression Encoder was introduced at NAB
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
2007. Microsoft Expression Studio was released to manufacturing on April 30, 2007. The RTM news was announced at Microsoft's MIX
MIX (Microsoft)
MIX is a Microsoft conference held annually for web developers and designers at which Microsoft showcases upcoming web technologies. The conference is held each spring at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas...
07 conference for web developers and designers.
Microsoft Expression Studio 2 was released on May 1, 2008, which also included a graphical makeover for the suite to an inverse of the previous a white on black theme. This release brings all products in the suite to version 2, and now also includes Visual Studio Standard 2008. Microsoft Expression Studio is also available to students as downloads via Microsoft's DreamSpark
DreamSpark
DreamSpark is a program set up by Microsoft to provide students with software design and development tools at no charge. The program was originally available for university/college students in Belarus, Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, the U.K....
program.
Microsoft Expression Studio 3 was released on July 22, 2009, This release brings all products in the suite to version 3, with significant improvements especially targeting Silverlight 3. Expression Media is no longer a part of package, while all other products have been significantly improved and enriched.
On June 7, 2010, Expression Studio 4 was released. Expression Studio 4 is a free upgrade for licensed Expression Studio 3 users, but only for retail copies.
Applications
The suite consists of:- Microsoft Expression WebMicrosoft Expression WebMicrosoft Expression Web, code-named Quartz, is an HTML editor and general web design software product by Microsoft. It is part of the Expression Studio suite....
: Website designerWeb designWeb design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...
and HTML editorHTML editorAn HTML editor is a software application for creating web pages. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality. For example, many HTML editors work not only with HTML, but also with related...
. - Microsoft Expression Blend + SketchFlow: Visual user interface builderUser interface builderA graphical user interface builder , also known as GUI designer, is a software development tool that simplifies the creation of GUIs by allowing the designer to arrange widgets using a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor...
for XAML or HTMLHTMLHyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
(Windows Metro) applications. - Microsoft Expression DesignMicrosoft Expression DesignMicrosoft Expression Design is Microsoft's commercial professional illustration vector and raster graphic design tool for web images based on Creature House Expression, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2003. It is part of the Microsoft Expression Studio suite...
: RasterRaster graphicsIn computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
and vectorVector graphicsVector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...
graphics editor. - Microsoft Expression EncoderMicrosoft Expression EncoderMicrosoft Expression Encoder is a Windows-based program for encoding digital video for web-based video. Expression Encoder can be used to create video compressed VC-1 as well as H.264 for distribution via Microsoft Silverlight. Expression Encoder features a WPF-based modern graphical user...
: Digital video encoder for authoring VC-1VC-1VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
and H.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 AVCH.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
contents.
Formerly included:
- Microsoft Expression MediaMicrosoft Expression MediaPhase One Media Pro is a commercial digital asset management cataloging program for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. It is the next version of iView MediaPro which Microsoft acquired in June 2006, and sold again in May 2010 to Phase One in Denmark...
: Digital asset managementDigital asset managementDigital asset management consists of management tasks and decisions surrounding the ingestion, annotation, cataloguing, storage, retrieval and distribution of digital assets...
application (Included until Expression Studio 3).
Limitations
Until version 2, Expression Web was the only application in the Expression Studio suite based on Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
code and dependencies. With version 3, Expression Web was rewritten in Windows Presentation Foundation
Windows Presentation Foundation
Developed by Microsoft, the Windows Presentation Foundation is a computer-software graphical subsystem for rendering user interfaces in Windows-based applications. WPF, previously known as "Avalon", was initially released as part of .NET Framework 3.0. Rather than relying on the older GDI...
, in line with the rest of the Expression Suite, without Microsoft Office dependencies, essentially making it a new managed code
Managed code
Managed code is a term coined by Microsoft to identify computer program code that requires and will only execute under the "management" of a Common Language Runtime virtual machine ....
program. A result of the complete rewrite was features like customizable toolbars and menus, standard Windows color scheme, spell check, DLL addins, file menu export feature, drag-and-drop between remote sites, comparing sites by timestamp were removed in this version. Other features do not work reliably or are incomplete, like Undo for instance. Version 3 introduced Expression Web 3 SuperPreview tool for comparing and rendering webpage in various browsers. Also noted was the lack of support for root relative links, links that start with a "/" to refer to the root of a web server. This feature was added with Expression 3 Service Pack 1.
The version of Expression Encoder Pro 4 available as part of Expression Studio in programs like DreamSpark
DreamSpark
DreamSpark is a program set up by Microsoft to provide students with software design and development tools at no charge. The program was originally available for university/college students in Belarus, Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, the U.K....
, BizSpark, WebsiteSpark and through MSDN Ultimate does not include royalty incurring codec and standards support for exporting in MP4 format (H.264 video and AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
audio). It also does not include import filters for TS
Transport stream
MPEG transport stream is a standard format for transmission and storage of audio, video, and Program and System Information Protocol data, and is used in broadcast systems such as DVB and ATSC....
, M2TS, AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video....
, MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
, and AC-3
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
although if third party DirectShow
DirectShow
DirectShow , codename Quartz, is a multimedia framework and API produced by Microsoft for software developers to perform various operations with media files or streams. It is the replacement for Microsoft's earlier Video for Windows technology...
filters are installed, it is able to import these formats as is the free version. Expression Encoder Pro version available in retail does not have these limitations. The free version available to everyone and included in MSDN Premium lacks IIS Live Smooth Streaming and unlimited screen capture.
With the release of Expression Studio 4, three editions of Expression Studio were introduced: Expression Studio 4 Web Professional (includes Expression Encoder, Design and Web), Expression Studio 4 Premium (adds Blend to the suite) and Expression Studio 4 Ultimate (adds SketchFlow). MSDN subscribers receive only the SKU of Expression Studio 4 that corresponds to their Visual Studio 2010 license. As such, MSDN Premium users do not get SketchFlow.
Some editions of Expression Studio also include product activation.
See also
- List of vector graphics editors
- Comparison of vector graphics editorsComparison of vector graphics editorsA number of vector graphics editors for various platforms exist. Potential users of these editors will make a decision based on factors such as the availability for the user's platform, the feature set, usability of the user interface and the focus of the program. Some programs are more suitable...
- Microsoft FrontPageMicrosoft FrontPageMicrosoft FrontPage was a WYSIWYG HTML editor and web site administration tool from Microsoft for the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. It was branded as part of the Microsoft Office suite from 1997 to 2003...
, the predecessor to Expression Web - Creature House ExpressionCreature House ExpressionCreature House Expression was a vector graphics editor initially developed by Creature House in Hong Kong, then Ray Dream, then Fractal Design Corporation and later MetaCreations as a companion to then-Fractal Design/MetaCreations Painter. At the time, Creature House was an independent Hong Kong...
, the predecessor to Expression Design - iView Media, the predecessor to Expression Media
- Comparison of office suites