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ST-Computer Leser-CD 1999 January
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M_PLAYER: SLIDE-SHOWS and MOVIE-MAKER section (Quick Time, AVI, FLM or GIF)
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How to run a slideshow?
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Just choose your batch file instead of an animation (please, keep
BAT as the batch extension).
How to run a movie-maker?
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It's the same as before, but the batch file must contain the line
'o=file_path' to know witch file to create. If you simply clic on 'Go!', it
will act as a slide-show, to get the Movie-Creation, you must use the key
'Alt' while clicking on the 'Go!' button. Easy, no?
It's the type of images you give that will determine the type of
movie created:
tga -> Quick Time movie with RLE16 compression (and sound)
img -> Quick Time movie with RLE8 compression (and sound)
-> (*) Video AVI movie with RLE8 compression (and sound)
gif -> Gif movie (no sound)
Degas -> Extended FLM
Neochrome -> Extended FLM
(*) with 'img', the default format is MOV (Quick Time), but if the
file specification in 'o=file_path' starts with a '#', an AVI file will
be created instead.
How to create a BATCH FILE for a SLIDESHOW?
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A batch file is a simple ascii text files that contains 3 parts:
- the identifier
- the header
- the datas
Only the first line must start ont the leftmost row, for the
others, spaces and tab to indent are allowed, there must be only one
command per line, lines starting with ';' are considered as comments.
The size of the file is limited to 12488 bytes (I think it's
enough...).
The identifier
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It must be on the first line, first character and is always:
M_PLAYER or m_player (or m_PlAYer if you prefer!)
The header
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Starts on the second line (or after some comments lines) and gives
general infos on the slideshow:
w=xxxx the width of the movie
h=xxxx the height of the movie
c=xxxx the compression (the type of file):
tga2 for TGA 2 uncompressed (24 or 16 bits)
ximg for IMG with 'XIMG' extension and 256 colors
gif8 for either gif87a or gif89a
dega for Degas 320x200x16
neoc for Neochrome 320x200x16
b=xxxx size of the buffer to load the entire largest image file
Those first 4 infos can't be ommited! The following can (for a
slide show, but must appear for a MOVIE-create):
t=xxxx time for one frame (number of 1/200sec), with a GIF it is
the time to wait between two frames (without the display
time), with 0, no delay block will be added.
f=xxxx number of frames in the whole slideshow
o=file_path path and name of the file to create (MOV, RLE16,
RLE8 or GIF, or FLM compression), if file_path
starts with '#' (with ximg only), the AVI format
will be outputed instead of the Quick Time format.
s=file_path path and name of the sound file to add to the MOV
(WAV or AVR, 8/16 bits, mono/stereo). For MOV/AVI
the frequencies are 11025, 22050, 44100, for FLM
12517, 25033, 50066 +/-2%. For FLM, 16 bits is
forbidden.
* not used with GIF movies *
If 's=' is present, then 't=' is ignored and the frame rate is
computed according to the sound duration.
q=x quality, default value is 5 (5 bits per color), but you
can reduce it to 4,3,2 or even 1 to get a more efficient
compression, but with a lost of quality. I've tried 'q=2'
on some frames, it seems to be correct (better
compression, good quality). 'q=' is only useful when a MOV
is created, it fixes the number of signifiant bits to know
if the color of a pixel has changed or not.
* not used with GIF, FLM movies *
k=xxxx specifies the rate of the key frames (for example, with
k=5, frames #5, 10, 15, 20 ... will be key frames). See
below: "Key frames use".
* not used with GIF, FLM movies *
r=xxxx for GIF files only, fixes the number of loops for that
movie, the range is 0 to 65535. This will add the NETSCAPE
extension as follows:
$21, $ff, $0b, 'NETSCAPE', '2.0', $03, $01, Intel word=xxxx,
$00.
A value of 0 indicated an infinite loop.
The order of those infos is not fixed, but you musn't put spaces
between the characters (w = 320 is wrong!).
The datas
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Starts immediately after the header with a key word:
data
Then, every line is read and:
if starting with a '.' --> it's a command, executes it
else --> it's the name of a file, displays it,
and its name becomes the current name.
commands are:
.rept xxxx
.endr
repeat xxxx times what's between rept and endr. Loops can
be nested.
.disp
displays the file corresponding to the current name
.getp
uses the palette of the next file (only applied with
palette based images). If '.getp' is not specified, then
the palette will be ignored (for example when all of the
frames share the same palette that is loaded once), this
speeds up the display when running in NOVA 256c (because
the palette must be passsed to the VDI).
* not used with GIF movies *
.incr
increments a number found into the current name (example,
if name was: C:\IMAGES\FRM00001.TGA it becomes
C:\IMAGES\FMR00002.TGA)
.decr
same as above with a decrementation.
.stop
end of the slideshow. This command MUST appear, else the
program crashes.
.keyf
forces the next frame to be a key-frame (if k=xxxx is
used, then this auto key counter will be reset). See below
at "Key frames use".
* not used with GIF,FLM movies *
GIF movies
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A GIF movie can only be created from GIF images, those images must
have the same global size and the same global palette (if a local palette
is present, it will be stored).
Every other bloc than $2C (the images) are skipped (for example
copyrights, infos, etc...). Only one bloc is always added, the one defined
by myself that indicates the number of frames:
$21, $ff, $0b, 'M_PLAYER', 'FRM', $04, Intel Long Frames, $00
This bloc must be located just after the local palette (and, if
present, after the Netscape extension concerning the looping).
The delay time between two frames is stored into an unsigned word,
so it is limited to 65535, this means no more than 655.35 seconds (and so
131070 for 't=' as it a number of 1/200 of second). If the value is
greater than this limit, 0 will be used instead (meaning no delay!).
M_Player can be used to modify an existing GIF-Animation (for
example to add the M_PLAYER extension, the Netscape extension or to modify
the delays between two frames,...).
Example, I have an animation NUKE01.GIF that has no M_Player
extension, with a infinite loop and that is played too fast, I run it once
to get the infos:
size 64x64, 9 frames displayed (in the stats box at the end. When
an anim has a loop, SHIFT stops it!).
Then I create the following batch file:
m_pLaYeR
w=64 the size I noted
h=64
c=gif8
b=16000 the file is only 15xxx bytes long
t=11 11/200 = 0,055s of delay
f=9 9 frames into my initial anim
r=3 will repeat only 3 times (instead of infinite)
o=C:\TGA\nuke.GIF the output file
data
C:\TGA\nuke01.GIF only one file!
.stop
Upon exit, I'll have a new anim NUKE.GIF with the M_PLAYER
extension, with different delays and with 3 loops only. The output file is
shorter, because M_Player has skipped very info bloc!
FLM Movies
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As they are created from ST-Low images (c=dega or c=neoc), you can
omit 'w=', 'h=' and 'b=', they will be filled with the following default
values:
w=320
h=200
b=33000 (PI1 32034 or 32066, NEO 32128)
A FLM file hasn't the 'key frame' capability, and so, be sure that
the frame rate you specify will be possible on your machine. Else, as no
frame is skipped, the images could last longer than the sound.
Example of a BATCH FILE:
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(The comments starting with ** don't appear in the file!)
** start of file
M_Player ** Id
; comes from a FLI ** comment
w=320 ** width
h=200 ** height
; 67/200 means 3 f/s ** comment
t=67 ** time for one frame
f=29 ** number of frames
c=tga2 ** files are TGA 2 uncompressed
b=192018 ** size of one file (320x200x3 + 18)
data ** end of header/start of data
E:\imprimer\mou00001.tga ** first frame, display it
.rept 2 ** twice the whole
.rept 7 ** 7 times
.incr ** increment name of file (00002 to 00008)
.disp ** and display it
.endr ** loop
.rept 7 ** another 7 times
.decr ** dec name of file (00007 to 00001)
.disp ** and display it
.endr ** loop
.endr ** twice!
.stop ** end of slideshow
Well, this example has displayed:
mou00001.tga
mou00002.tga
...
mou00007.tga
mou00008.tga
mou00007.tga
...
mou00001.tga
And this twice! The images came from a FLI that I saved using the
Step by Step mode.
INCR and DECR commands can only work correctly if the names of the
files END with digits! (for example 00001BB.TGA won't work because it
ends with BB).
Another example:
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You can specify each file if you don't want to use commands:
M_PLAYER
w=184
h=240
b=50000
c=ximg ** t= ommited because there's a sound
f=5
o=#C:\ANIM\US.AVI ** will create an AVI if Alt+GO ('#')
s=C:\SOUNDS\KISS.AVR ** will add this sound if Alt+GO
data
.getp ** supposing that all have the same
C:\IMAGES\I.IMG ** palette, we load it once!
C:\IMAGES\YOU.IMG
C:\IMAGES\I.IMG
C:\IMAGES\YOU.IMG
C:\IMAGES\YOU_N_I.IMG
.stop
'.stop' is the only command that must appear.
Common errors (those I made...)
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* The header is built BEFORE adding the frames, so the number of
frames that you specify (f=xxxx) must be exact! Else you'll get a totally
corrupted MOV file. To ensure that it's the right value, launch a
slide-show before encoding, if total_frames=frames_displayed, it's Ok.
* this is the same for 'w=' and 'h='. Be sure that all of the
images have the same size, the one you specified.
* the 'supported' message into the graphic box is based upon your
'c=xxxx'. The program hasn't read a file to verify that, ensure that it's
the good fromat.
* The sound frequencies accepted are those from the PC world:
11025, 22050 and 44100 KHz, or the closest possible to them. Else, you get
an 'Unsupported' message in the sound box.
* if using IMG images you get the RLE8 compression that uses a
palette. But, the MOV can contain only ONE palette, so you must be sure
that all the images share the same colors, else, it's the last palette
read (with .getp) that will be saved. The same with AVI files.
Key-Frames use
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Here is a brief introduction to the utility of inserting
key-frames into a movie. There are two cases:
- your machine is fast and no frame will be skipped when playing,
then you don't need to use the key frames.
- your machine isn't so fast and there may be some frames skipped,
the use of key-frames is highly recommended!
What happens when a frame is skipped?
In order to increase the compression, only the differencies
between two frames are stored, this means that one frame is only a partial
display. If one frame is skipped (because of the synchronisation) the next
one won't have the background expected! You'll get a wrong display.
A key frame is used to solve this problem, it is a complete
reconstruction of the screen. So, when a frame is skipped, M_PLAYER just
has to wait for the next key-frame to go on displaying.
An example:
Suppose you have used k=5 and t=40 (5 frames per second) into the
header and that your machine can only display 3 images /second. Here is
what will happen:
second #1: frames 1,2,3
second #2: frames 5,6,7
second #3: frames 10,11,12
etc...
Every key frame will be at its exact position (in time), and
between 2 key-frames, the player does as much as it can. If you play this
same movie with a faster machine, you'll get maybe:
second #1: frames 1,2,3,4
second #2: frames 5,6,7,8
second #3: frames 10,11,12,13
etc...
And with a very fast machine, you'll get every frame.
The best is to put 2 key-frames per second, this way, the display
will be synchro with the sound twice a second.
You must know that a key frame is larger than a normal one,
because it rebuilds every pixel, and that inserting too few key-frames
will lead to a poor synchro quality. It's a question of balance. Make some
tests to find the best solution.
Idea: it's a good idea to choose the frames where the background
changes suddenly, because anyway most of the pixels will be rebuilt!