Re: QuickTime GS movie of jet fighter uploaded to ground

[pubpc1@library.ucla.edu]

Anonymous wrote:
> 
> Sorry if these questions have already been answered!  I just did a DejaNews
> search,  and I did not find very much information.  I was wondering if I
> could convert Quicktime videos for viewing on the GS!

You can easily convert Quicktime videos for viewing on the GS.
It is not difficult to do, just somewhat time consuming.  What
you need to do is open the QT movie and go through it frame by
frame, converting each frame to a separate GIF or TIF file. On
the GS, they need to be converted to APF or SHR and saved
together as a PaintWorks animation.  The sound track is converted
separately and HyperCard is used to synchronize the two.

I recommend Corel PhotoPaint on the PC or Mac side and Plantinum
Paint on the GS side.  You would convert the video like this:

(1) Load QT movie into Photopaint, then convert the first frame to
    GIF or TIF.  Scroll to second frame and repeat.  Repeat with
    all frames.  It is recommended you number the frames (Movie1,
    Movie2, etc.) so you know what follows what.
(2) Transfer all the graphics files to the GS and use a utility
    like Prism, SuperConvert, or Convert 3200 to convert the
    graphics to APF or SHR.  A grayscale palette is recommended
    for best appearance and to save memory in the final video.
(3) With the frames labeled Frame.000, Frame.001, Frame.002,
    ..., Frame.xyz (where xyz is the number of the last frame),
    use Platinum Paint to make a PaintWorks animation.

For the sound track, QuickTime supports either a MIDI or a
digitized format.  If the format is MIDI, save the file as a
standard MIDI sequence and convert to the GS using Music
Composer, MIDI Surgeon, or a similar program.  You'll
probably need to convert the instrument patches also.  If
the format is digital audio, just convert to an rSound it using
a program like Audio Zap, Sound Shop, or Digital Sessions.

HyperCard is used to combine the audio and video.  Just play
the synthLAB sequence or sound clip followed by the Animate
command to start the PaintWorks animation.
  
> Do converted videos have to be full screen?

Nope.  You can resize the frames to a smaller size.  QT Movies
tend to be 320x200 or so, which translates into full screen on
the GS.  Of course resizing each frame will take more time.  A
benefit of a smaller screen size is less space.  A PaintWorks
animation at 110x100 will take much less space.  The PaintWorks
format only saves the pixels that have changed, so resizing
each frame to 110x100 will let it run on a machine with less
RAM.

> Is extra hardware needed to convert videos?

No extra hardware is needed.  8MB is best though because you
can play longer (or full screen) movies.

> What is invlolved in converting a video?

See above.  :)

> How long did it take to convert the Su-27 video to GS format?

Several months.  That's because I did it in my spare time,
converting 10 or 20 frames at each sitting.  If you spend a
night or two in front of the computers, you can do it faster.

> 
> It would be neat to see a "making the Su-27 Stack"-Stack   (or at least
> some text telling more about the video/audio  conversion, synchronization
> 8-)

That's a great idea!  I may make a "QT Conversion How-to"
stack.  :)

To synchronize video and audio, you have to play around with
the PaintWorks animation's frame rate setting.  You can also
time how long HyperCard/Animate XCMD takes to load the video
and leave that many seconds of silence at the front of your
synthLAB sequence or rSound.

> 
> I checked GROUND in the /apple16/hypermedia/ directory for the "Brian G's
> XCMD" that Scott G. mentions in a previous post.  I cannot find it.  Is it a
> commercial program?

It is not a commercial program.  I found the HyperCard IIGS FAQ
and used it to find one online location of the XCMD.

Point your web browser to:

http://junior.apk.net/~jaunt5ft/download.html

and download the Animate XCMD.

> 
> Im already on the subject of GS video, so might as well ask a few more
> questions:  How were those MINI-movies created?  (the ones that are not full
> screen.  Theres one with a jet flying, the intro to the Dr. Who TV show, and
> a few others)

I don't know how those mini-movies were made.  Anyone?

If you make any movies, please upload them.  :)

-Scott G.