VistaPro 2 enhancements
10 messages in this thread
Clint:
After playing with VP2 for a week, I have some suggestions to make for
the next enhancement:
First, and this is sort of trivial, I think that the documentation for
Viewer could use some enhancement. At least you point to the area of the
keyboard to experiment with. I would also like to see comand line switches
to control looping/single shot playing of the VANIM. Since I doubt that I
would ever have VANIM as an end product, it is not vital, but would be
nice.
Secondly, the new scripting tools make me feel as if I have sat down a
banquet and been told that I can have all the salad I want. The add
command still uses the old format, saving only the camera positions and
headings. I can see supporting the old format for compatability's sake
(tho I would handle that issue with a utility), but feel that VP should
generate scripts in the new format. The script writer should also support
the full range of script commands.
Thirdly, there are great holes in the Arexx script commands. Although I
can set any varriable I want, there is no way to 'get' current settings. I
would like to be able access the elevation of any point in the DEM, the rgb
settings of the color map, whether CLOUDS, SKY, OAK etc. are on, etc. I
would also like access to the file's Header data. I realize that these
issues all fall into the area of metascripts, but that is the direction you
all are pointing, isn't it?
Knowing VRLI's great customer support, I trust that you all have had
John working on these very issues for weeks now, and that a timely release
was the only reason that they were not included in the upgrade. This is
not a complaint, it's just that you ahve gotten me wanting MORE.
Consider me greedy…
-Homer
Homer:
Actually I have been thinking along the line of a VANIM editor to supliment
the Viewer, but haven't gotten very far along that path yet. A case of too
many projects and too little time and manpower.
The scripting is also being looked at. We haven't settled on a solution
yet, but we know that writing scripts by hand can be a pain. Suggestions
are always welcome.
The ARexx scripting had to wait until the VP script language was defined,
which left too little time before release to do more than accept commands
and process them. Handing information back to the ARexx programmer will be
dealt with in the next release.
We would rather have greedy customers than bored customers any day. <grin>
One feature I would like to see is directory defaults: load dem actually g
going to the landscape directory, load scripts going directly to the
scripts directory, etc.
Robert:
We are looking into using the ASL and/or Khalid's kd_freq as a file
requester for all file i/o. This would allow such defaults as you are
asking for.
Clint <VRLI>
Clint,
PLEASE DO!!! I've got VistaPro 2.02 and love it! However, I'd find it a
bit more functional if you used ASL — then I could bypass it!
-sja
Clint,
Please use ASL, rather than Khalid's. Then folks can use one of the bypass
programs to pick the file requester of their choice…
Denny, that would be what we would have in mind, but we would include
Khalid's on the disk as the 'default' unless it were removed, in which case
ASL would become the default. Khalid's has some features that lend
themselves quite nicely to the type of directory manipulation that users of
VP find themselves frequently doing.
Clint <VRLI>
Hey, Clint, sorry to break in on the thread, but I just got my Firecracker
board in today, and I had to tell you just HOW GREAT Vista looks in 24
bits! Keep up the good work!
Douglas Bullard
Doug:
Glad you like it!
Clint <VRLI>
Douglas,
I second that…VistaPro's 24-bit images are sumptuous, the visual
equivalent of eating Screaming Yellow Zonkers. 8^)
-Dave-