The PALMEDIA Player package allows you to view images on your Newton MessagePad. This package combines and extends the capabilities of my previously released Newton Slide Show and Newton Movie Player. PALMEDIA Player runs on Newton OS 2.0 MessagePads only.
Features of PALMEDIA Player include:
Ñ Automatic playback mode with user selectable pauses between images.
Ñ Manual viewing mode for moving forward or backwards through the images.
Ñ User selectable transition special effects.
Ñ Movie mode for animation playback.
Ñ Uses images imported (via 3rd party shareware) from a Macintosh or Windows PC.
Ñ Uses images created with NewtPaint¬ from Landware, Inc.
Ñ Uses sound imported (via 3rd party shareware) from a Macintosh.
Ñ Can be used as a "Helper Application" for Newt's Cape.
This version of PALMEDIA Player is a shareware ($10) application for displaying still images and movies on Newton MessagePads running Newton OS 2.0.
Requirements:
1) A Newton MessagePad using Newton OS 2.0 with at least 120K-150K free (either internal or memory card) for PALMEDIA Player, Slurpee, and any soup tools.
2) A Macintosh or Windows computer with appropriate communications software and a Newton serial cable. Or, if using a Macintosh, PALMEDIA Image Transfer, a HyperCard stack to use instead of a communications program. PALMEDIA Image Transfer is much easier than using and configuring most communications programs (and it's freeware!)
3) Slurpee 1.8 (recommended) or higher installed on the Newton.
4) A soup management tool installed on the Newton (not absolutely required, but recommended as a safety net for removing unwanted images).
5) Though not strictly necessary, a graphics program capable of saving files in 1-bit (Black and White) GIF or PICT formats installed on the Macintosh or Windows computer.
6) Newt's Cape Graphic Converter installed on the Macintosh or Windows computer.
-or-
If you wish to create and view graphics entirely on the Newton, a Newton MessagePad using Newton OS 2.0 with at least 150K free (either internal or memory card) for PALMEDIA Player and NewtPaint¬ instead of the requirements listed above.
*** NOTICE ***
Slurpee and Newt's Cape Graphic Converter are shareware packages by Steve Weyer and Greg Simon. Please be sure to pay your shareware fees! Without their software, you wouldn't be able to import images into PALMEDIA Player. Here's the URL for more information regarding Slurpee and Newt's Cape:
1) Install the PALMEDIA Player application (PMPlay.pkg) using traditional means.
2) Launch PALMEDIA Player via the PMPlay2.0 icon in Extras.
3) Tap the "Play" button to start (autoplay) the slide show. The "Play" button toggles to a "Stop" button while the slide show plays. Tapping the "Stop" button halts the show and toggles back to a "Play" button.
4) The "Slow" button indicates the delay time between images is 5 seconds. The "Slow" button toggles to a "Fast" button, setting the delay time to 1 second. Tap the "Fast" button to switch to "Movie" mode. This mode configures PALMEDIA Player for animation playback. Tapping the "Movie" button switches back to "Slow" mode.
5) Tapping the up scroll arrow displays the previous image, while tapping the down scroll arrow displays the next one. Note that a running slide show or animation will be stopped when using the arrow buttons. To resume autoplay, tap the Play button again.
6) Tapping the "Pop" button will open a list of all the available special effects transitions. You may use this button during autoplay or in manual mode. Note that the "Pop" transition essentially displays (pops) the next image without any special effects. While in Movie mode, the special effects button will disappear.
7) Tapping the "NewtPaint" button switches to "Bitmaps", toggling displayed images from the NewtPaint image soup to the Bitmaps image soup (used by Slurpee, MacPictToNewton, Newt's Cape, and Newt). Note that this button is hidden during autoplay (you can't change image soups during playback), but reappears when either the stop, up, or down buttons are tapped.
8) Tapping the "i" button pops up an information screen.
9) To remove PALMEDIA Player from your MessagePad, simply use the normal Remove Software methods.
10) To import images, use the 3rd party shareware application "Slurpee 1.8" (older versions will work) along with "Newt's Cape Graphic Converter" (see the following Notes section for more information) and a communications program (such as Zterm or PALMEDIA Image Transfer). Please note that Slurpee runs on the Newton, while NC Graphic Converter runs on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. See the Slurpee release notes for more details.
11) To remove the image and sound soup entries, use a soup management application such as TrashPak (RemoveIt!), StewPot, BitSound, etc.
12) WARNING - PALMEDIA Player 2.0 operates in landscape and portrait screen modes. However, if you rotate the screen with PALMEDIA Player running, PALMEDIA Player will not properly resize its screen. The close box will not be visible. You should exit PALMEDIA Player before changing the screen orientation.
Notes on this version of PALMEDIA Player:
Ñ The player looks for either of 2 Newton soups. One, called "Bitmaps" contains all of the images transferred from the desktop to the Newton via Slurpee. The second soup, called "NewtPaint" contains all of the images created with NewtPaint¬. You'll need to put (or create) images in either of these soups before PALMEDIA Player becomes useful (otherwise, you're stuck looking at the built-in title picture). While not necessary, it is recommended that your images be no larger than 234 pixels across by 290 pixels down for portrait screen orientation or 314 pixels across by 210 pixels down for landscape screen orientation. Images larger than these sizes will be clipped to fit the display area.
Ñ NewtPaint¬ owners can create their own graphics and then switch to PALMEDIA Player for viewing as a slide show or a movie. NewtPaint¬ and PALMEDIA Player can be used for making cel animations.
Ñ You may transfer a sound file into a soup called "pmSndTrk" which will enable audio playback. Note that this sound plays only once (when autoplay is started). Also note that the player will just search for the first entry in "pmSndTrk", all other sound files are ignored. In order to hear any soundtrack, open Extras > Prefs > Sound and turn on "Action sound effects." Also adjust the volume to a comfortable level.
Ñ To use PALMEDIA Player as a Newt's Cape helper application, add a similar line to your HTML document:
<a href="PMPlay2.0:LeeMoon">Touch Here</a> to run PALMEDIA Player.
Make sure PALMEDIA Player and your images are already loaded. The resulting Newt's Cape book will locate PALMEDIA Player and run it once you tap on the "Touch Here" hyperlink. This will allow you to run a slideshow or animation directly from a Newt's Cape generated Newton Book!
Future enhancements:
1) Add some sort of scripting to let the user choose the time delay and transition effect for every image (i.e., display image 1 for 2 seconds with the dissolve transition, display image 2 for 5 seconds with the confetti transition,...)
2) Make a better information screen instead of the current screen.
3) Create more special effects (and weed out the boring ones!)
4) Add better sound playback support.
5) Create built-in Help.
6) Revise this documentation for better explanations on importing graphics via Slurpee, creating animation frames from Mac and PC, and various hints and tips for using all the tools.
For further information, questions, or comments you may contact me via the following:
AOL: LeeMoon (LeeMoon@aol.com)
CompuServe: 76641,3317
URL: http://members.aol.com/LeeMoon/
If you decide to register PALMEDIA Player, please send $10 (cash or check) to:
Lee Moon
2914 W. Neptune St.
Tampa, FL 33629
I may set up a Compuserve software registration number later.
I'd like to thank all the folks who have used Newton Movie Player, Newton Slide Show, and PALMEDIA Player version 1.0. Thanks for trying PALMEDIA Player version 2.0!
Lee Moon
Version history:
1.0 beta 0 - 10/10/95
Released for beta testing.
1.0 beta 1 - 10/12/95
Fixed heap space problem which caused Restart errors if the Bitmaps soup was larger than available heap space. The unfortunate consequence of this is that movie playback is degraded. I'll have to come up with a faster method of retrieving the images.
Made BETA Warning Screen display only on package startup. You won't see the BETA screen during slide show or movie playback. The BETA Warning Screen will be replaced by the PALMEDIA Player Title Screen when the product is released into the public domain.
1.0 beta 2 - 10/16/95
Put sound playback code back in.
Put beta version number in the "i" button information screen.
Declared local variables and saved package in uncompressed format in an attempt to speed up movie playback.
Rewrote image retrieval from soups using index and key queries. DRAMATIC improvement in speed! Movie mode playback speed is now equal to Newton Movie Player!!!
There is currently a maximum of 300 images that can be used. I will likely remove this limit in an upcoming release. I've loaded 98 images (the animation frames from my NMP demo) without any difficulties.
1.0 - 11/30/95
Public release!
Replaced Beta startup screen with PALMEDIA Player startup screen.
Changed "i" button information screen (removed Beta version).
A BIG "Thank you" to everyone who participated in the beta test phase!!!
1.5 Beta - 3/11/96 (not publicly released)
Optimized playback for Newton OS 2.0 (turned off Newton 2.0's Busy Icon).
Made code a Newton OS 2.0 package.
Removed status bar (clock and power).
Updated Info button, startup screen, and documentation.
Renamed package to PMPlay (old name was PALMplay).
1.6 Beta - 3/13/96 (not publicly released)
Revised this version to access Landware's NewtPaint image soup.
Updated Info, startup screen, and documentation accordingly.
1.7 Beta - 3/14/96 (not publicly released)
Increased screen size for main app and the image view.
Shrunk buttons to give more room for the soup chooser button.
Added Bitmaps/NewtPaint button to toggle between the 2 soups. Button doesn't work yet.
Removed protoTitle from app to give more room for images.
Updated Info, startup screen, and documentation accordingly.
1.8 Beta - 3/15/96 (not publicly released)
Activated Bitmaps/NewtPaint toggle button.
Revised up/down arrow buttons to show soup toggle button.
Play button hides/shows soup toggle button to disallow changing soups when autoplay is running.
Updated Info, startup screen, and documentation accordingly.
1.9 Beta - 3/16/96 (not publicly released)
Changed effects button to a pop up list.
Updated Info button and documentation accordingly.
1.9a Beta - 3/17/96 (not publicly released)
Application now resizes to screen dimensions.
Made application rotate-savvy. Currently works in portrait and landscape screen orientations.
Changed image view fill pattern to improve view redrawing speed.
*KNOWN BUG* - You can't rotate the screen with PALMEDIA Player running - it doesn't redraw properly, leaving the close box offscreen. To change between landscape/portrait, exit PALMEDIA Player, rotate the screen, and re-open PALMEDIA Player.
1.9b Beta - 3/20/96 (not released)
Put all buttons on a floating palette. It functions fine, but takes more room than having buttons on the main screen.
1.9c Beta - 3/23/96 (not publicly released)
Removed floating palette from 1.9b.
Added new special effect (Angles).
Put hooks in for using the Overview button for something (perhaps picture information, i.e. name, size, etc.)
Updated Info button and documentation accordingly.
Wrote PALMEDIA Image Transfer (HyperCard stack) as a companion to PALMEDIA Player.
2.0 - 3/27/96
Public Release of version 2.0!
Removed hooks for using the Overview - I'll think of something to throw into a later release.
Removed BETA screens and updated Info button, Startup screen, and documentation accordingly.
