Copyright 1995-1996 Roel Vertegaal, Dept. of Ergonomics, University of Twente, Netherlands. <R.Vertegaal@wmw.utwente.nl>
Changes from version 1.0
FrameServer is now a fat binary application and compatible with Internet Explorer 2.0.
What is it?
If you have a camera attached to your Macintosh computer, FrameServer will provide your WWW home pages with the option for outside webbers to look into your office. Whenever someone clicks the FrameServer hyperlink on your home page, you hear a knock on the door, and 2 seconds later a photograph is made, which gets saved as a jpeg file on your hard disk, to which a reference is sent to whomever clicked the hyperlink. FrameServer can be used in conjunction with WebStar (or other CGI AppleScript compliant) World Wide Web Server software running on Macintosh computers.
How does it work?
The software uses the Common Gateway Interface standard, and is operated via Apple Events (thanks to Jon Wiederspan for his excellent example code!). FrameServer runs in the background, but only when a photograph is being taken (it starts up and quits automatically when some clicks its hyperlink). So you will never notice its use (apart from the annoying knocks on the door). If you are using all your memory for, say, Photoshop, FrameServer will simply not run, and an error message will be sent to the webber trying to enter your office.
Installation
Installing is simple. Put the application in the same folder as MacHTTP 2.0. Then put the following html code in your home page html document:
Have a look in my <A HREF="/FrameServer.cgi$/office.jpeg">office</A>
The path in front of the $ dollar sign tells MacHTTP where to find the FrameServer application, the path after the $ dollar sign tells FrameServer where to put the jpeg file containing your picture. Make sure that the directory where the jpeg file is put is accessible from the web (i.e., within the MacHTTP folder hierarchy)!
As an example of its use, check out my home page: http://reddwarf.wmw.utwente.nl/
And please, don't knock on my door too often.... :-) At this site, you will also find additional software and online information.
Memory usage
It depends on how many colors your default screen has. Mine is 16 bits color, so I've put the memory partition up to 1 MB, just to play safe. Try out what works best for your configuration. It might well do with less than 800 K in your circumstances.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: I set up the web server, plugged in a camera, I get a good image in
Apple Video Player, but the image FrameServer generates is always black.
A: FrameServer uses the default video input. There is no way to change
these settings. If you have multiple video inputs on your machine
(Composite, S-Video, TV), make sure you plug the camera in the default
one. This is usually Composite.
DISCLAIMERS
This software comes on an as-is basis. The author does not accept any liability whatsoever for damage resulting from its use.
FrameServer is e-mail-ware. If you use this software, please send me an e-mail with the URL of the web page where FrameServer is utilized.
Non-commercial utilization only! The software may not be sold or in any other way used in a profitable manner without my prior consent. This software may not be distributed without this read me file.
I will not answer questions by e-mail which clearly demonstrate that you did not read this read-me file carefully.
VERSION HISTORY
1.1 Fat Binary
Added Internet Explorer compatibility: now returns full path.
