Club Amiga de Montreal - CAM/CAM_CD_1.iso/files/542.lha/ADAM_v0.22/Adam.txt.pp/Adam.txt

Text File | 1991-08-10 | 15KB | 305 lines

                      Automated DCTV Animation Maker
                     Copyright 1991 by Daniel J. McCoy



                               Introduction

Amiga users have always enjoyed being able to  produce  animations  in  the
native resolutions.  Up to now, the HAM format has been the best you  could
get and had certain limitations and  quirks.   Today,  new  output  devices
permit higher resolutions and more colors available than the  native  Amiga
display modes.  One such product is DCTV by Digital Creations.  DCTV  is  a
display device that allows one to display to any  composite  output  device
with the resolution and color capabilities as that of  NTSC.   Also,  since
DCTV's file format is  a  modified  IFF  type,  you  can  use  any  of  the
available programs to view and construct both still images  and  animations
in NTSC color!  Although animations are  possible,  it  hasn't  been  easy.
Most of the available products that save out to the new  IFF  24  bit  file
format and don't directly support DCTV's own format  (Scenery  Animator  by
Natural Graphics is an exception).  You must first  convert  the  IFF24  or
Impulse's RGB8 format to DCTV's format using either the full DCTV  software
or their IFFTODCTV CLI based conversion software.  When  having  a  program
generate multiple frames for an animation, these IFF24 or  RGB8  files  can
consume large amounts of file storage space.   Once  the  program  is  done
generating, THEN you can convert the multitudes of frames  and  compile  an
animation using Deluxe Paint by Electronic Arts or the  programs  available
publicly like MakeAnim.  Not only can this take a lot of time, it  is  also
tedious!  Several  people,  myself  included,  have  written  either  ARexx
scripts or AmigaDOS scripts that help automate this  task.   These  scripts
can wait for a frame to be generated and  convert  them  to  DCTV's  format
once completed and then generate the animation for you once the last  frame
is converted.  This allows you to render  to  RAM:  (saving  lots  of  file
space and speeding up the rendering time) and save only  the  DCTV  images.
ARexx and AmigaDOS scripts are fine for  those  comfortable  with  the  CLI
environment.  Others wish for a user interface of some sort.  Enter ADAM.

ADAM was constructed using CanDo 1.5 by INNovatronics.  Without having  any
Amiga programming knowledge whatsoever, you can make complete  applications
that are freely distributable and even sellable!  One drawback is that  you
either need the CanDo.library or you have CanDo tack  on  this  library  to
your application, make it  at  least  128K  in  size.   Since  most  people
dealing with  animations  already  have  many  megabytes  of  memory,  this
shouldn't cause grief (and if it does, either buy more memory, wait for  me
to write this in C or by all means, do it yourself!).  ADAM will  wait  for
Imagine (Impulse), LightWave (NewTek) or VistaPro (Virtual Reality Lab)  to
generate frames, converting them to DCTV frames  using  IFFTODCTV,  storing
the DCTV frames  where  you  want  them,  either  moving  or  deleting  the
original 24 bit file, and even creates an animation once the last frame  is
converted using MakeAnim.  You also have  the  capability  of  having  ADAM
wait for one specific frame over and over again to try out settings in  the
rendering program.  The picture is displayed  using  a  IFF  view  of  your
choice (as long as it's named SHOW) once completed and the  wait  continues
until you abort it.  ADAM isn't limited to waiting for  Imagine,  LightWave
and VistaPro.  You could have files you need to convert  already  complete.
Tell ADAM where they are and what the source program is and let it  convert
and construct an ANIM for you.

                               Requirements

* Any Amiga with the requirements the rendering program.  ADAM works under
  Kickstart 1.3 and 2.0.
* You need the following in the directory ADAM is in or in your C:
  directory.
  * IFFTODCTV from Digital Creations.
  * MakeAnim by Right Answers, Inc.
  * ANY IFF viewing program as long as it is named SHOW in the
    directory.
* CanDo.library in your Libs: directory OR use ADAM-FULL that has the
  CanDo.library embedded in the application.


                              Installing ADAM

To install ADAM, all you need to do is drag either the drawer icon  to  the
directory you would like it in or drag the application (ADAM  if  you  have
CanDo 1.5 installed, ADAM-Full if you don't)  where  you  want  it.   Don't
forget to have IFFTODCTV, MakeAnim, and a program called SHOW  in  your  C:
directory or in the directory with ADAM.

                                Using ADAM

To use ADAM, simply click on the icon  or  call  it  from  CLI.   A  screen
should pop up.  You will see three separate sections.  I'll start with  the
section in the top left hand corner of the screen.

-> Source Program
The button to the right of this text  is  the  program  you  are  using  to
generate frames.  Imagine, LightWave and VistaPro  are  supported.   Simply
click on the Source Program button to cycle  through  the  three  different
options.  You will notice other fields may change when you cycle through.

-> Input Path
Input Path is the path and base file name your  source  program  is  saving
the frames to.  Clicking on the button pulls out  a  CanDo  file  requestor
that allows you to specify this path and base file name.  Clicking  on  the
text field to the right of this  button  allows  you  to  bypass  the  file
requestor and enter what you want.   One  note  here.   Imagine  saves  out
frames with a base file name of "pic." with  "0001"  appended  to  indicate
frame one.  You don't have to enter in "pic." and ADAM will filter out  any
file name entry.  It will only accept the  path.   LightWave  and  VistaPro
allow a base file name to be entered.  You will need  to  enter  this  base
file name in either the file requestor or text field.   Don't  include  the
frame numbers or ADAM will look for the wrong file name.

-> Output Path
This is the path where IFFTODCTV will save the DCTV  files  to.   Clock  on
the button for a file requestor or enter the path in the text field to  the
right of the button.

-> Move Path
This path entry is  used  when  the  "Move  Frames  When  Done"  option  is
selected.  Your original 24 bit frames will be moved to the path  specified
after conversion allowing you to render to RAM: and save the 24  bit  frame
where you want.  Press the Move Path button for the file requestor  or  use
the text field to the right.

-> Anim Path
This path and file name entry is used to tell MakeAnim  where  to  put  the
animation you can have ADAM generate.  Just  as  the  above  path  options,
press the button for a file requestor or use the text field on  the  right.
Remember to specify a file name.

-> Start
This numeric entry is the start frame to have ADAM wait for.   This  should
be the same start frame as the program you are using to render the frames.

-> End
This numeric entry is the end from that ADAM will stop  waiting  at.   This
should be the same as the end  frame  as  the  program  you  are  using  or
whatever you want.  It can't be less than Start.

-> Step
This numeric entry is use to indicate the step rate the program  is  using.
A value of 1 means  that  frames  are  created  in  increments  of  1.   By
specifying 2, your program may start from frame 1 and go to  frame  17  and
skip the even frames.

Now for the box on the upper right corner.  These are the  parameters  used
for IFFTODCTV.

-> Screen (Presets)
Selecting this button cycles through preset  heights  and  widths.  To  the
right of the button are two more buttons, one with  a  "<"  character,  the
other with a ">" character.  Clicking on  either  will  cycle  the  presets
down or up respectively.

The presets are:

HiRes Lace OScan   = 704 x 482 (High res, interlace, normal overscan)
HiRes Lace SOscan  = 736 x 482 (High res, interlace, severe overscan)
HiRes Lace HOScan  = 704 x 400 (High res, interlace, horizontal overscan)
HiRes Lace SHOScan = 736 x 400 (High res, lace, severe horiz overscan)
HiRes Lace VOScan  = 640 x 482 (High res, interlace, vertical overscan)
HiRes Lace         = 640 x 400 (High res, interlace)
HiRes OScan        = 704 x 241 (High res, normal overscan)
HiRes SOScan       = 736 x 241 (High res, severe overscan)
HiRes HOScan       = 704 x 200 (High res, horizontal overscan)
HiRes SHOScan      = 736 x 200 (High res, severe horizontal overscan)
HiRes VOScan       = 640 x 241 (High res, vertical overscan)
HiRes              = 640 x 200 (High res)

The Width and Height fields and  Interlace  button  are  set  when  cycling
through the presets.

-> Width
This numeric entry specifies the screen width IFFTODCTV will save the  file
to.  Limits are : 640 to 736.  Once a value  is  entered,  it  is  compared
against the presets.  A match in both width and height will set the  preset
text.  No match results in "Custom" being displayed.

-> Height
This numeric entry specified the screen  height  IFFTODCTV  will  save  the
file to.  Limits are 200 to 241 with the Interlace turned off, 400  to  482
with Interlace turned on.  Like  Width  above,  a  value  entered  here  is
compared against the presets.  If a match is found, the  preset  text  will
be set to appropriate preset text.  No  match  results  in  "Custom"  being
displayed.

-> Interlace
This toggle button is used to toggle interlace  on  and  off.   The  Preset
text will change if required.

-> Bit Planes
IFFTODCTV can save the DCTV frame  in  either  3  bit  planes  or  4.   The
defaults is 4.

-> Filter
This tells the IFFTODCTV program to filter out bad color values that  don't
look right under NTSC.  The default is ON.

-> Center
This tells the IFFTODCTV program to center the frames instead  of  aligning
the frame to the top left corner.  The default is OFF.

Now for the third and last box...

-> Delete frames when done?
With this box selected, ADAM  will  delete  the  original  frame  once  the
conversion is done.  Of course, when this box isn't selected, the  original
files are left intact.

-> Move frames when done?
With this box selected, ADAM will move  the  original  frame  to  the  path
specified with the Move Path button or text  field.   This  allows  you  to
render to RAM:, saving time, and then moving the original frame  for  later
use.

-> Continuous Start frame show?
With this box selected, ADAM will convert the original frame and then  call
SHOW to display the DCTV image once the  Start  frame  is  complete.   This
allows you to have ADAM sit in the background waiting for the  Start  frame
so you can try out settings in the rendering program.  Once  the  frame  is
rendered, ADAM has the frame converted and shown and  the  waiting  process
begun again so you can continue to fine tune settings.   Note  that  either
Delete frames or Move frames MUST be selected in order to use this  option.
If this option is selected and you select both Delete  and  Move  frame  is
deselected, this option will automatically be deselected.

-> Do NOT convert when done?
If you don't want to convert  the  24  bit  files  just  yet,  select  this
option.  This allows you to render to RAM  and  move  the  files  elsewhere
without converting the frames to DCTV format.

-> Generate ANIM when done?
If you want ADAM to call MakeAnim once the last frame is  complete,  select
this option.  Do have a path and file name  specified  as  mentioned  above
(see: Anim Path).

-> Looping ANIM?
This instructs MakeAnim to create a looping animation by tagging the  first
two frames to the end of the animation.

-> Delete DCTV frames?
Selecting this instructs ADAM to delete all DCTV frames once the  animation
generation process is complete leaving only the animation.

At the bottom of the screen, there are  two  buttons,  one  on  each  side.
Quit will quit ADAM.  DO IT!  tells  ADAM  to  start  doing  it's  job!   A
requestor will come up giving the status.  Select Abort  to  tell  ADAM  to
stop.

That's it!  Use this and sit back while creating animations!

ADAM is shareware and may be distributed anywhere.  I  reserve  all  rights
to this program and can't be held liable for the use of this  program.   If
you wish to distribute this commercially, please contact me prior to  doing
so.  Send whatever you think this deserves (be it  money  or  programs  you
have written you find useful) to the address below.

Daniel McCoy
13324 Aetna Street
Van Nuys, CA  91401

I can also be reached on the following systems:

CompuServe : 73617,2626
Bix        : dmccoy
Portal     : Daniel James McCoy
             (I've GOT to change the name to just Dan McCoy or something!)

and I frequently call the following BBS:
Mike's Video House  : [phone] or [phone]

Those with DCTVs and a modem and don't mind the toll call, call The  Summit
at 1-916-649-3288, a hangout for  many  other  DCTV  owners  with  tons  of
worthwhile messages and files.

All products are registered with their respective company.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Software Changes:
0.20 - Initial release to the public.
0.21 - Changes have been made here and there...
       * You no longer have to append a "/" when entering a path using the
         text field instead of the requestor.
       * Screen to back (BACK) button in the DO IT! requestor.
       * Change made to how the status in the DO IT! requestor is
         displayed.  Most of my debugging was under 2.0.  Under 2.0, the
         screen refreshing is quicker than under 1.3.  Once I saw the
         speed 1.3 (or lack thereof) was displaying the text, I HAD to
         change it!
       * Some cleanup and removal of unneeded routines in CanDo.
       * "SYS:C/" was added to DOS function calls DELETE and COPY just
         in case the path to C: is not defined.
       * When doing VistaPro conversions, the Status window wouldn't
         display that it was at frame 0.  Fixed...
0.22 - * ADAM no longer opens up on a custom screen.  It'll open up on
         WorkBench instead.  Not everyone has either 2.0 or utilities that
         permit screen flipping with the Right-Amiga-M combination.  When
         ADAM is waiting and you select the BACK button, ADAM WOULD
         disappear however you may not have been able to get back to
         ADAM's screen!  This shouldn't happen any more.  Simply click the
         backgadget as you would any normal window.  ADAM will determine
         which Intuition version you are running and attempt to make the
         embossed interface look correctly under 1.3 though the gadgets
         won't look that great under 1.3 since I can't control those
         colors like text colors.
       * DCTV Default button now replaced with a rollo gadget permitting
         the user to flip between presets.  Two other gadgets to the right
         of the rollo gadget cycle down or up through the presets.  A
         change in the Width or Height fields or the Interlace button
         may change the preset text in the rollo button if the values
         match a preset or "Custom" will be displayed.