The role of high-level and low-level features in style-based retrieval and generation of multimedia presentations

In this article we argue that the automatic generation of dynamic multimedia presentation requires both low-level collections of objective measurements for media units representing prototypical style elements, and high-level conceptual descriptions supporting contextual and presentational requirements. Only the combination of both facilitates the retrieval of adequate material and its user-centred presentation. We discuss the problems of visual signification for images in dynamic systems and explain how a combined approach can help overcome such problems. We then propose an architecture for such a system and present its applicability for a museum-oriented multimedia system with a working example.