Re: Reinventing the wheel?

[nathan@cco.caltech.edu (Nathan Mates)]

In article <1994Aug10.054720.13726@k12.ucs.umass.edu>,
Andrew Schwerin (Bedford HS 95) <schwerin@k12.ucs.umass.edu> wrote:
>  I'm also working on a graphic development system
>for windows, buttons, & menus.  It would be intuitive
>to use - similar to Hyperstudio, with dialog boxes
>and so forth, only on an assembly
>language level.  (Again, this has most likely
>been done to death, but maybe not exactly the
>way I see it).

   Nope. There are a few implementations, but they're commercial
programs put out by either rather dead companies (Simple Software
Systems's Genesys) or by live ones that don't want to update them (Byte
Works's Design Master). There is a freeware program shell for editing
resources, known as Foundation. It's got some great promises, but it
really needs a bunch of editors for controls, windows, etc. 

   I suggest you download 'foundation.102.shk' from cco.caltech.edu in
the pub/apple2/utils directory. That will show you what Foundation
is, and it has all sorts of documentation on shell callbacks, and more.
Rather cool.

>  I think there may be a use for a GS comm program
>that can connect to "Macintosh only" links (designed
>to be used with a human interface program) and
>interpret the data into a "GS" interface.
>(Theoretically, such a program is possible. Again,
>I apologize if it's been done.)

   Explain more. I don't quite follow. You mean something like a
GS AOL client that handles things like the Mac client?

>  Finally, I hope to work on a drawing/presentation
>program similar to most multimedia programs.  The
>features of the program would hinge around the
>fact that many colorful and beautiful effects can
>take minutes if not hours by conventional tools.
>This program would feature font gradation tools,
>layering, animation filters (to create animated
>effect morphing of still images), full access to
>200 SCBs (3200 colors), multiple step undo, hard
>code animation, font smoothers, sound
>and all sorts of things which SHOULD
>be in a graphics program but often aren't, at least,
>in those for the GS.

   This would take quite a while. It would be darn nice
to get it, but, the GS's resolution and other things would
really tend to get into the way.

Nathan Mates
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