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- Path: uu4news.netcom.com!genesplicer!icon!joey.mcdonald
- From: Joey.McDonald@icon.genesplicer.org (Joey McDonald)
- Date: 15 Mar 96 22:06:09
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
- Subject: DCTVpost 4/5
- Message-ID: <00a_9603160501@genesplicer.org>
- Organization: The GeneSplicer
-
- CHAPTER 2:
- The Future of DCTV display programs.. and a NEW type of display!
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- ⌐ copyright 1996 Joey McDonald
-
-
- PROBLEM:
- ~~~~~~~
- Wouldn't it be nice to be able to scroll around huge 1200x1200 DCTV
- displays? The DCTV software does not allow the creation of such
- large images, and even if you could create such an image... there
- is no way to scroll the image due to the fact that DCTV requires
- special data on the top and left sides of the display.
-
- SOLUTION:
- ~~~~~~~~~
- I noticed that while using the P.D./Shareware program Rend24 that it is
- absolutely possible to create HUGE DCTV displays much larger than the
- viewable area (by converting large 24bit/jpeg images to DCTV format).
-
- However when you try to load one of these images into a viewer that
- allows scrolling, you will encounter problems. When you scroll.. DCTV
- will not be able to decode the image data. The reason; DCTV requires the
- top scanline which contains special information, as well as the left
- "zipper" lines (2 vertical lines on the left side). When that data is
- moved off screen, the image will not register with DCTV.
-
- While tinkering with a p.d. program called Dswitch (that allows you
- to do a few odd things with your DCTV.. such as pass video through,
- etc.) I noticed that when you select Dswitch's RGB mode that you
- can actually scroll from top to bottom of a LARGE DCTV display with
- virtually no problems. I am not a programmer and I'm not sure what the
- Dswitch program does to allow this (it was not designed for that purpose).
- But, when I found this out.. it got me thinking about HOW it would be
- possible to scroll a HUGE DCTV image without any problems.
-
- An idea for a new type of DCTV viewer:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Create a special viewer program that does the following; Upon loading
- a DCTV picture.. the viewer "clips" the top line (magic cookie) and
- the "zipper" on the left. The data is HELD in position (sort of like
- a TOP invisible layer to a parallax scrolling screen). The actual image
- is displayed UNDER the HELD lines.. (a 2nd screen) and when you scroll
- around.. only THAT screen (the 2nd screen) will scroll, the important
- information always remains in the same position on the TOP MOST SCREEN.
- The top line is absolutely required for top to bottom (up/down scrolling)
- and the left zipper lines are required for sideways (left/right) scrolling.
-
- There may be a much simpler approach to this... but I have at least
- presented an idea and a starting place for a NEW type of DCTV display.
- Imagine the possibilities of Huge 1200x1200 -SCROLLING- DCTV backdrops!
- I can see possibilities for incredible DCTV video titlers with "rolling"
- backdrops, etc.
-
- A utility to create HUGE DCTV displays:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- I have already stated that you can create large DCTV images by
- converting large 24-bit/jpeg/gif etc. images in a program such as
- Rend24. BUT, it would be nice if we had a utility that would allow
- us to actually combine several DCTV images into one large super bit-map.
- For instance.. combining 4 640x200 images would result in a 1280x400
- super bit-map image with a 640x200 scrolling display area. You could
- combine as many as you like within the limits of the Amiga display area
- (1280x1280 ?). There are many other resolution/screen size options.
-
- I know that this will work. I entered DeluxePaint with two DCTV 640x200
- displays and stamped them BOTH down on a 640x400 screen. Both images are
- displayable as a single scrolling image (the special viewer would be need
- for proper display). I did note that a program that combines many DCTV
- images into a super bit-map display might need to clip and remove the top
- line (magic cookie) from all images below the first (top image). The zipper
- must always be properly aligned upon combining images.
-
- It would also be nice to have a PAINT program capable of scrolling
- through a DCTV super bit-map image.
-
- Joey McDonald
-