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- Path: uu4news.netcom.com!genesplicer!209-254-8!joey.mcdonald
- From: Joey.McDonald@209-254-8.genesplicer.org (Joey McDonald)
- Date: 15 Mar 96 10:50:31
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
- Subject: DCTVpost 4/5
- Message-ID: <3e3_9603160006@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 side 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 vetical
- 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 nota 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 th 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 requied 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 640x00 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 int 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
-