HTML+TIME 2.0 Reference

This topic documents a feature of HTML+TIME 2.0, which is obsolete as of Windows Internet Explorer 9.

HTML+TIME (Timed Interactive Multimedia Extensions), first released in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, adds timing and media synchronization support to HTML pages. Using a few XML-based elements and attributes, you can add images, video, and sounds to an HTML page, then synchronize them with HTML text elements over a specified amount of time.

Thus, HTML+TIME technology allows you to create multimedia-rich, interactive content on a Web page with little or no scripting. Because HTML+TIME adds timing to a document through new attributes on existing HTML elements, you can use your existing HTML knowledge when you add timing to a page. The HTML+TIME attributes specify when an element appears on a page, how long it remains displayed, and how the surrounding HTML elements are affected, allowing you to create animation effects. In addition to the attributes, some new XML-based elements have been created to simplify the incorporation of media into Web pages.

The topic areas listed below provide access to the object model exposed by the time2 behavior.

HTML+TIME References by Topic

Animation Introduction to HTML+TIME allows Web authors to animate content on the page by changing the value of particular attributes and properties over time. Without using script, you can animate an element's color; move an element along a specific path or between intervals; cause elements to appear or disappear over time or in response to events; or accelerate, reverse, or loop an animation.
Microsoft DirectMusic Authors can add sophisticated musical content to Web pages by combining the timeline control and synchronization offered by Introduction to HTML+TIME with some of the attributes and properties provided by the DirectMusic API. DirectMusic provides support for MIDI, downloadable sounds, and consistent playback on the Windows platform.
Media Introduction to HTML+TIME provides extensive support for media playback through media container elements, a unified timeline model, a variety of media-specific attributes and properties, and system test attributes. These features make it simpler for Web authors to provide tightly synchronized multimedia presentations, and to coordinate media and animation without using script.
Time Containers By providing a timing model that unifies a rigid timeline with event-based timing relationships, Introduction to HTML+TIME makes it easy to synchronize media elements, control animations, and add timed, interactive content to a Web page without using script.
Transitions Introduction to HTML+TIME provides support for Introduction to Filters and Transitions, which allow you to apply multimedia-style effects to your Web pages. Visual filters are extensions to CSS properties that change the display of an object's contents. Transitions are time-varying filters: they affect the way content changes in an object are displayed. You can apply visual filters and transitions to standard HTML controls, such as text containers, images, and other windowless objects. Although filters and transitions can be implemented as script, Introduction to HTML+TIME allows Web authors to combine filters and transitions with timeline control and animation without using script.
Other Features These links provide access to additional features of the object model exposed by the time2 behavior, including content control elements, system test attributes, timing attributes and properties, and several overviews on Introduction to HTML+TIME functionality.

HTML+TIME Overviews and Articles

Introduction to HTML+TIME HTML+TIME, first released in Internet Explorer 5, adds timing and media synchronization support to HTML pages. Using a few XML-based elements and attributes, you can add images, video, and sounds to an HTML page, and synchronize them with HTML text elements over a specified amount of time.
Basics of HTML+TIME Animation This article introduces you to the basics of HTML+TIME animation, so that you can create an exciting Web experience for your users.
Controlling Child Elements Using HTML+TIME: Time Containers HTML+TIME 2.0 comes equipped with three time containers that enable you to control how timed interactive child elements behave on your Web pages. These time containers enforce time relationships with their corresponding child elements, control the amount of time that children may be active, and define the relationships among a set of grouped child elements.
About Content Selection: System Test Attributes and t:SWITCH HTML+TIME 2.0 provides authors with the option to display different elements based on system settings.
Incorporate the time2 Behavior This tutorial explains how to incorporate the time2 behavior in your Web pages so you can begin using timelines, multimedia, and animation with HTML elements.
Initiating Timed Elements with the begin Attribute This overview provides you with the syntax for the begin attribute and describes how to initiate timed interactive HTML+TIME elements using the time2 behavior implemented in Internet Explorer 5.5.
Getting Started with HTML+TIME HTML+TIME enables you to support timed, animated, and multimedia content in your pages. Using a few XML-based elements and attributes, you can synchronize media playback with text and other elements and animate content in your Web pages without using script.
Spice Up Your Web Pages with HTML+TIME HTML+TIME provides a declarative means for adding multimedia and interactivity to Web pages. You don't need to know script to use HTML+TIME, so you can focus on creating the content instead of learning a programming language.
Using HTML+TIME Transitions It is now possible to create transitions with HTML+TIME quickly, without writing script. To get started, you need only learn one new HTML+TIME element called t:TRANSITIONFILTER and a few of the t:TRANSITIONFILTER attributes.

HTML+TIME References by Name

Members Table

The following table lists the members exposed by the HTML+TIME 2.0 Reference object.

Attribute Property Description
abstract

Gets a description of the media file.

Abstract

Gets the Abstract content of the entry banner in an Advanced Stream Redirector (ASX) file by using the event object.

ACCELERATE accelerate

Sets or gets a value that applies an acceleration to an element timeline.

ACCUMULATE accumulate

Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the animation is cumulative.

activeDur

Gets the total duration of the timeline.

activeTime

Gets the current point in time along the total active timeline, including repeats and time spent in reverse mode.

activeTrack

Sets the active track or gets the active playItem object in the playList collection.

ADDITIVE additive

Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the animation is additive with other animations.

ATTRIBUTENAME attributeName

Sets or gets the name of the element attribute to animate.

author

Gets the name of the media file author.

AUTOREVERSE autoReverse

Sets or gets whether the timeline on an element begins playing in reverse immediately after it completes in the forward direction.

banner

Gets the banner content of an entry in an ASX file.

Banner

Gets the Banner content of an entry in an ASX file using the event object.

bannerAbstract

Gets the bannerAbstract content of an entry in an ASX file.

bannerMoreInfo

Gets the bannerMoreInfo content of an entry in an ASX file.

BEGIN begin

Sets or gets the delay time before the timeline begins playing on the element.

boundary

Sets when music should begin to play by using DirectMusic.

bufferingProgress

Gets a value that indicates the current percent of buffering completed.

BY by

Sets or gets a relative offset value for an animation.

BY by

Specifies a relative offset value for the progress of the transitionFilter element.

BY by

Sets or gets a relative offset value by which to animate a color attribute or property with the t:ANIMATECOLOR element.

CALCMODE calcMode

Sets or gets the interpolation mode for the animation.

CALCMODE calcMode

Sets or gets the interpolation mode for the progress of the transitionFilter element.

CALCMODE calcMode

Sets or gets the interpolation mode for the animateMotion object.

CALCMODE calcMode

Sets or gets the interpolation mode for a t:ANIMATECOLOR element.

canPause

Gets a value that indicates whether the media file can be paused.

canSeek

Gets a value that indicates whether the media file is capable of locating a specific time in the media's duration.

CLIPBEGIN clipBegin

Sets or gets the beginning point of a sub-clip of a continuous media object.

CLIPEND clipEnd

Sets or Gets the end point of a sub-clip of a continuous media object.

copyright

Gets the copyright information associated with a media file.

currentFrame

Gets a value that indicates the currentFrame of the object.

DECELERATE decelerate

Sets or gets a value that applies a deceleration to the end of a simple duration.

downloadCurrent

Gets a value that indicates the current number of bytes downloaded from streaming content.

downloadProgress

Gets a value that indicates the current percent of download completed.

downloadTotal

Gets a value that indicates the total size (in bytes) of the downloaded file.

DUR dur

Sets or gets a value indicating the amount of time the element remains active or displayed.

DUR dur

Sets or gets a value indicating the amount of time that a transition is applied to an element.

dur

Gets the playing-time length of the current playList or playItem, if the length is known.

earliestMediaTime

Gets a value that indicates the earliest time for efficient seeking.

element

Retrieves the dispatch for an animated element.

END end

Sets or gets a value indicating the end time for the element, or the end of the simple duration when the element is set to repeat.

ENDSYNC endSync

Sets or gets the synchronization rule that specifies which child element is used to determine when the time container ends.

FILL fill

Sets or gets the action taken by an element if the element timeline ends before the timeline on its parent element ends.

FROM from

Sets or gets the starting value of an animation.

FROM from

Sets or gets a progress value indicating the point from which to begin the transition.

FROM from

Sets or gets the starting value of a color attribute or property animated by t:ANIMATECOLOR.

hasAudio

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether the media contains audio.

hasDownloadProgress

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether a media file has started to download.

hasMedia

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether the element is an Introduction to HTML+TIME media element.

hasPlayList

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether the element has a playList collection.

hasVisual

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether the element can draw on the screen.

higher higher

Controls how elements with higher priority interrupt child elements of a priorityClass element.

Controls how elements with higher priority interrupt child elements of a priorityClass element.
immediateEnd

Sets a value that indicates whether a DirectMusic segment ends immediately or plays a transition before ending.

index

Retrieves the index value of the playItem object in the playList collection.

isActive

Gets a value that indicates whether the element is currently active on the timeline.

isDirectMusicInstalled

Gets a Boolean value that indicates whether DirectMusic is installed on the machine.

isDirectMusicInstalled

Retrieves whether direct music is installed.

isMuted

Gets a value indicating whether the element's audio is currently muted.

isOn

Gets a value that specifies whether the element is active or holding on the timeline in its current state.

isPaused

Gets a value that specifies whether the element is paused on the timeline.

isStreamed

Gets a Boolean value that indicates if the source of the media object is streamed.

Gets a Boolean value that indicates if the source of the media object is streamed.
KEYSPLINES keySplines

Sets or gets a set of Bezier control points that define the interval pacing of an animation.

KEYTIMES keyTimes

Sets or gets a list of time values used to control the pacing of an animation.

latestMediaTime

Gets a value that indicates the latest time for efficient seeking.

length

Gets the number of objects in a collection.

length

Sets or gets the number of objects in a collection.

longTransition

Sets whether to allow introduction and ending transitions longer than one bar with DirectMusic.

lower lower

Controls how elements that are defined with lower priority interrupt child elements of a priorityClass element.

mediaDur

Gets the duration of the element's media file.

mediaHeight

Gets the height of the element.

mediaWidth

Gets the width of the element.

mimeType

Gets the MIME type of the object.

MODE mode

Sets or gets a variable that indicates whether an element transitions in or out.

Sets or gets a variable that indicates whether an element transitions in or out.
modulate

Sets whether to attempt to modulate between keys when playing transitions with DirectMusic.

MoreInfo

Gets the MoreInfo content of an entry banner in an ASX file through the event object.

motifName

Sets the name of the DirectMusic motif to play.

MUTE mute

Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the audio is turned on or off.

ORIGIN origin Sets or gets the origin of motion for the animation.
parentTimeBegin

Gets the begin time of the current element as an offset from the begin time of the parent element.

parentTimeEnd

Gets the end time of the current element as an offset from the begin time of the parent element.

PATH path

Sets or retrieves a set of values that describe a path as a function of time.

peers peers

Controls how child elements of a priorityClass element interrupt one another.

PLAYER player

Sets or gets the object used to render the media associated with this element.

playerObject

Gets the object that plays media files.

progress

Gets the current progress of the element timeline.

rating

Gets the rating of the media file.

repeatCount

Gets the current iteration in the repetition loop.

REPEATCOUNT repeatCount Sets or gets the number of times an element timeline repeats.
REPEATDUR repeatDur

Sets or gets the number of seconds that an element timeline repeats.

Sets or gets the number of seconds that an element timeline repeats.
RESTART restart

Sets or gets the conditions under which an element can be restarted on a timeline.

segmentDur

Gets the duration of an element on a timeline in seconds, including autoReverse.

segmentTime

Gets the current point in time along a segment of time.

segmentType

Sets whether to play a DirectMusic segment as a controlling segment or a secondary segment.

simpleDur

Gets the duration of a repeat iteration.

simpleTime

Gets an object's current point along its timeline from zero to its dur value.

SPEED speed

Sets or gets the playback speed of an element relative to its parent time container.

speed

Gets the playback speed of an element at run time, which includes the cascading effect of the speed set for the parent time container.

SRC src

Sets or gets the source URL of the media.

src

Gets the source URL of the media.

state

Gets the current state of the element timeline.

stateString

Gets the current state of the element timeline.

SUBTYPE subtype

Sets or gets the name of the subtype that will be applied to the transition.

SYNCBEHAVIOR syncBehavior

Sets or gets a value that indicates the synchronization rules for the element timeline.

SYNCMASTER syncMaster

Sets or gets whether the time container must synchronize playback to this element.

syncTolerance

Sets or gets the time variance that is allowed on a timeline with locked synchronization.

systemBitrate

Gets the approximate bandwidth available to the system in bits-per-second.

systemCaptions

Indicates whether to display a text equivalent of the audio portion of the presentation.

systemLanguage

Indicates whether a given language is selected in a user's system preferences.

systemOverdubOrSubtitle

Specifies whether overdubs or subtitles render during a presentation.

TARGETELEMENT targetElement

Sets or gets the target element to be animated.

TIMEACTION timeAction

Sets or gets the action that is taken on the element while the timeline is active.

TIMECONTAINER timeContainer

Sets or gets the type of timeline associated with an element.

timeParent

Gets the parent time container element of the current element.

title

Gets the title of the media file.

TO to

Sets or retrieves the ending value of an animation.

TO to

Sets or retrieves a value that indicates the point in the transition's progress at which the transition ends.

TO to

Sets or retrieves the ending value of a color attribute or property animated by t:ANIMATECOLOR.

TRANSITIONTYPE

Sets or gets the type of DirectMusic transition to use between segments.

TYPE type

Sets or gets the MIME type of the media object referenced by the SRC attribute.

TYPE type

Sets or gets the type of transition to be applied.

Sets or gets the type of transition to be applied.
UPDATEMODE updateMode

Sets or gets a value that indicates how the object is to be updated.

Sets or gets a value that indicates how the object is to be updated.
URL

Gets the URL specified by the Advanced Streaming Format (ASF) file script command after the onURLFlip event is fired.

Gets the URL specified by the ASF file script command after the onURLFlip event is fired.
VALUES values

Sets or retrieves a list of values of an animation.

VALUES values

Sets or retrieves a list of one or more values specifying the progress of the transition.

VALUES values

Sets or retrieves a list of RGB color values for a t:ANIMATECOLOR element.

VOLUME volume

Sets or gets the volume of the media file.

volume

Gets the playback volume of an element at run time.

Collection Description
activeElements

Returns a reference to the collection of all top-level child elements of the object that are currently active on the timeline.

playList

Retrieves a collection of playItem objects.

timeAll

Retrieves a reference to the collection of all timed elements.

timeChildren

Retrieves a reference to the collection of all timed, top-level children elements.

Element Object Description
t:ANIMATE animate

Animates a specified attribute of an object.

t:ANIMATECOLOR animateColor

Changes the color of an object over time.

t:ANIMATEMOTION animateMotion

Animates the position of an element over time.

t:ANIMATION animation

Defines a timed animation element in an HTML document.

t:AUDIO audio

Defines a timed audio element in an HTML document.

currTimeState

Contains information about an HTML+TIME timeline.

t:EXCL excl

Defines a time container that allows only one child element to play at any given time.

t:IMG img

Defines a timed image element in an HTML document.

t:MEDIA media

Defines a generic, timed media element in an HTML document.

t:PAR par

Defines a new timeline container in an HTML document for independently timed elements.

playItem

Represents an individual media file in a playList collection.

t:PRIORITYCLASS priorityClass

Defines a group of excl children and the pause/interrupt behavior of the children.

t:REF ref

Defines a reference to a generic timed element in an HTML document.

t:SEQ seq

Defines a new timeline container in an HTML document for sequentially timed elements.

t:SET set

Sets the value of an object's attribute for a specified duration.

t:SWITCH switch

Enables you to provide several choices and display content depending on which choice is true on the user's computer.

t:TRANSITIONFILTER transitionFilter

Animates the progress of a transition on an element or elements with renderable content.

t:VIDEO video

Defines a timed video element in an HTML document.

Event Description
onbegin

Fires when the timeline starts on an element.

onend

Fires when the timeline stops on an element.

onmediacomplete

Fires when the element's associated media finish loading.

Fires when the element's associated media finish loading.
onmediaerror

Fires when an element's media file causes any error.

onoutofsync

Fires when the element loses synchronization with its associated timeline.

onpause

Fires when the timeline on an element pauses.

onrepeat

Fires when the timeline repeats on an element, beginning with the second iteration.

onreset

Fires when the timeline reaches the value of the BEGIN attribute or when the resetElement method is called on the element.

onresume

Fires when an element's timeline resumes from a paused state.

onreverse

Fires when the timeline on an element begins to play backward.

onseek

Fires whenever a seek operation is performed on the element.

onsyncrestored

Fires when synchronization is resumed between the element and its associated timeline.

ontimeerror

Fires whenever a time-specific error occurs, usually as a result of setting a property to an invalid value.

ontrackchange

The event fires when a track changes in a playList defined in an ASX file.

onURLFlip

This event fires when an ASF file, played by a HTML+TIME media tag, processes script commands embedded in the ASF file.

Method Description
activeTimeToParentTime

Converts a value in the element's active timeline to the corresponding point in the parent timeline.

activeTimeToSegmentTime

Converts a value in the element's active timeline to the corresponding point in the segment timeline.

addFragment

Adds a fragment to the composer site. Consults the registered composer factories to find the proper composer.

beginElement

Starts the element on the timeline.

beginElementAt

Starts an element's timeline at the specified time.

buttonActivate

Activates the currently-selected button.

detachFromComposer

Notifies the fragment to detach itself from the animation composer.

Notifies the fragment to detach itself from the animation composer.
documentTimeToParentTime

Converts a value in the document timeline to the corresponding point in the element's parent timeline.

endElement

Stops the element on the timeline.

endElementAt

Ends an element's timeline at the specified time.

enumerateFragments

Enumerates the fragments on the composer registered for the given attribute name.

get_value

Retrieves an animated attribute's current value.

gotoMenu

Navigates to menu.

insertFragment

Inserts a fragment into the composer site at the specified index.

item

Retrieves an object from the specified collection by index.

item

Retrieves an object from the element collection by name or index.

item

Retrieves the playItem object at the specified index from the current playList collection.

leftButtonSelect

Selects the button to the left of the current button.

lowerButtonSelect

Selects the button below the current button.

nextElement

Advances the timeline so that the next element in the sequence begins playing.

nextTrack

Advances the media-playing container to the next playItem object in the playList collection and begins playing that track.

Advances the media-playing container to the next playItem object in the playList collection and begins playing that track.
parentTimeToActiveTime

Converts a value in the parent timeline to the corresponding point in the element's active timeline.

parentTimeToDocumentTime

Converts a value in the element's parent timeline to the corresponding point in the document timeline.

pauseElement

Stops playing an element's timeline at the current point.

prevElement

Resets the timeline so that the previous element in the sequence begins playing.

prevTrack

Sets the media-playing container to the previous playItem object in the playList collection and begins playing that track.

Sets the media-playing container to the previous playItem object in the playList collection and begins playing that track.
registerComposerFactory

Registers a new composer factory with this site.

removeFragment

Removes a fragment from the composer site.

resetElement

Removes any changes made to the element and returns the element to its original state.

resumeElement

Restarts the element's timeline from a paused state.

rightButtonSelect

Selects the button to the right of the current button.

seekActiveTime

Locates a specified point on the element's active timeline and begins playing from that point.

Locates a specified point on the element's active timeline and begins playing from that point.
seekSegmentTime

Locates the specified point on the element's segment timeline, and begins playing from that point.

seekTo

Locates a specified point on the element's segment timeline, including repetitions, and begins playing from that point.

seekToFrame

Locates a specified frame in the object.

segmentTimeToActiveTime

Converts a value in the element's segment timeline to the corresponding point in the element's active timeline.

segmentTimeToSimpleTime

Converts a value in the element's segment timeline to the corresponding point in the element's simple timeline.

setActive

Sets the current playItem object as the active track in the playList collection, which causes the track to play.

simpleTimeToSegmentTime

Converts a value in the element's simple timeline to the corresponding point in the element's segment timeline.

tags

Retrieves a subcollection containing only the elements of this collection that have the specified tag name.

unregisterComposerFactory

Unregisters a composer factory on this site.

upperButtonSelect

Selects the button above the current button.