Jul 97 MacTech Online
Volume Number: 13
Issue Number: 7
Column Tag: MacTech Online
July 1997 MacTech Online
by Nicholas C. "nick.c" DeMello, URLs@mactech.com
Let the QuickTimes Roll
QuickTime -- Moving Pictures
"QuickTime, a set of functions and data structures that you can use in your application
to control time-based data.
-- from the New Inside Macintosh: QuickTime
Moving pictures impress. Your application can have a startling splash screen or a
dynamic about box, and the QuickTime pages at Apple have almost 50 code examples to
show you how. Of course, the essential reference for QuickTime is the New Inside
Macintosh: QuickTime (ISBN 0-201-62201-7), written by Apple and published by
Addison-Wesley's Developers Press. An electronic version of that book is available
from Apples developers world pages in either Acrobat or Apple DocViewer format.
Make sure to review the QuickTime tips at Terran Interactive and Charles Wiltgen's
QuickTime FAQ before digging too deep into NIM.
Graphic Converter hasn't appeared at the info-mac archive since version 2.5, but the
latest version (2.8) of this essential shareware utility can be downloaded directly
from the Lemke Software pages. Among it's many features, Graphic Converter allows
you to combine a series of static images into a single QuickTime movie. Localized
versions in English, French, Swedish, Spanish, and German can be downloaded. Another
valuable freeware tool is Movie Cleaner Lite, available from the Terran Interactive
site. It supports conversion between Cinepak and Indeo codecs, for those of you moving
QuickTime videos between MacOS and Windows.
Apple's QuickTime Pages
http://quicktime.apple.com/
QuickTime Sample Code
http://www.quicktime.apple.com/dev/devsw.html
Inside Macintosh: QuickTime
http://devworld.apple.com/dev/techsupport/insidemac/QuickTime/QuickTim
e-2.html
QuickTime Tips
http://terran-int.com/QTInfo/QTInfo.html
The QuickTime FAQ
http://www.QuickTimeFAQ.org/
Graphic Converter 2.7
http://www.lemkesoft.pingnet.de/
Movie Cleaner Pro
http://www.terran-int.com/prod/Cleaner.html
QuickTime VR & QuickDraw 3D -- Moving Into the
Just as tapes predated disks, linear access movies and sound tracks were only the first
step in QuickTime. The QuickTime Media Layer now includes the new technologies
QuickTime VR and QuickDraw 3D which allow users to interact with QuickTime movies
-- to explore QuickTime worlds. QuickTime VR lets a user to rotate their perspective
and experience a 360° view of a scene. It can also allow a user to roll an object in
space -- to see that same object from any side they choose. Apple has put a quick
explanation of how QuickTime VR accomplishes both these tasks online, with more
detailed information available at their QuickTime VR FAQ web page.
QuickTime VR can add an impressive degree of interactivity to your web pages and to
your Director movies. The latest version of the QuickTime VR Plug-in for both
environments is available from Apple. But Apple isn't stopping there. Current Apple
plans include merging the QuickTime VR worlds with QuickDraw 3D technology.
QuickDraw 3D allows you to define objects in space, then manipulate them within your
code and dynamically render the scene into 2D form. Visit the QuickDraw 3D web pages
to see dramatic examples of this 3D standard, and to download the latest version
(1.5.1) of the QD3D extension. Nine develop articles have described how to implement
QuickDraw 3D, and Apple has put them and their example code online at Developer
World.
With QuickTime, worlds of sound and animation, panoramic vistas, and dynamic 3D
objects can exist on your web sites and within programs. Let the QuickTimes roll...
How QTVR Works
http://quicktimevr.apple.com/how.html
The QTVR FAQ
http://quicktimevr.apple.com/dev/webfaq.html
QuickTime Plug-in 1.1 for Netscape
http://quicktimevr.apple.com/sw/qtvrmac.html
QuickTimeVR Plug-in for Director
http://quicktimevr.apple.com/bin/Forms/xtra_download.cgi
QuickDraw 3D
http://quickdraw3d.apple.com/
develop QuickDraw3D Code Examples
http://devworld.apple.com/dev/techsupport/develop/bysubject/quickdraw3d
.html
Parting Shots
Next month MacTech Online is going to get serious about Java. Until then, those of you
who missed the 1996 WWDC might be interested in reviewing the slides from the
imaging workshop, including Shawn Hopwood's overview of QuickDraw 3D (be sure to
also download the player for the slides if you don't have Persuasion installed). See you
next month.
-- nick.c, online@mactech.com
1996 WWDC Overview of QuickDraw 3D
ftp://ftpdev.info.apple.com/Developer_Services/Programs/WWDC_Presenta
tions/WWDC_1996/300_track_-_IMG_sessions/
301_QuickDraw_3D_Overvi.sit.hqx
Persuasion Player for Slides
ftp://ftpdev.info.apple.com/Developer_Services/Programs/WWDC_Presenta
tions/Persuasion_Player_3.0.sit.hqx