CompuServe Messages

Mark: I thought you might be interested in a posting from Jerrell Nickerson of Eagle Tree Software concerning a CD32 development system based on their Multimedia authoring system "Helm": "No kidding, the CD32 version of Helm will be out by the end of May. Well, actually it is a version to create CD32 applications. It will cost a lot more than the standard version of Helm. It has support for the game controller, CDXL, MPEG, CD audio, the nonvolatile memory, and a more sophisticated autobrowse system for moving the focus around the page with the controller. It also takes into account some of the nuances of creating an application that must juggle CD audio or video as it moves from page to page with only one laser. You might have seen a press release for a serial cable to connect an Amiga computer to the CD32. The cable will come with Helm books that allow you to play audio and video CD's from the Amiga. There is also a miniature bulletin board system integrated in the books. You type in messages, select the effect, pen colors, speed, and background transparency on the Amiga side. Then you press a button and send a script over to the CD32 which updates the messages. MPEG video streams can play behind the text. It effectively gives you an simple offline editing system for a bulletin board. It is not as sophisticated as InfoChannel but it works and only requires the cable and a CD32. Not only that you can play Star Trek behind the text. <g> The best part is that I created the entire system in a couple of weeks and had a blast inventing new Helm features to get it to work. With the communications facilities of the next Helm, I now see a lot of possibilities for interactive books communicating over serial cables and by telephone. People will be able to create their own custom information systems that use CD32's (or any other Amiga) for remote units. Because information is passed in the form of Helm scripts, it is easy to send and receive information from the remote units. The remote units could consist of a CD32, serial cable, modem, optional FMV cartridge, monitor, and some sort of input device (probably a touch screen). Not bad when you see the enormous cost of creating a kiosk on other platforms that have integrated video and CD quality audio. Of course, 3D0 and CDI are capable of coming close in cost, but the Amiga has some advantages in existing software development tools. –Jerrell" Although Helm doesn't have the sophistication of Infochannel and Scala MM300, it looks like a nice addition as a tool for developers. I just purchased Helm a couple of weeks ago and in the process of developing some applications. The one thing I like about Helm compared to Scala or CanDo is that there is no dongle, or stupid PD licensing agreement. If you create an application with Helm, you can use it for Shareware, PD, commercial, or whatever. // John – (Flying via AutoPilot) \X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net