help aaplay.vbx problem!
11 messages in this thread
There is a problem with the way the aaplay.vbx and .dll deals with pallets in
windows. It always shifts the pallet to a different pallet than the one
assigned in animator pro and different from any single frame extracted from the
animation. Does anyone know how this can be corrected? We would like to use
.flc files in a multimedia app we are working on. I would hate to go to using
the .avi file format, but we get a horrible pallet flash everytime we play a
.flc. We are using the same identical pallet in all of the other elements in
the program. The .avi's don't have any problem. It was after loosing some
hair and experimentation that we have found that the autodesk .dll is always
changing the pallet. I have yet to figure out its formula for doing so. Any
suggestions may save some of my hair.
Thank,
Andrew
Andrew,
Here is an excerpt from another thread on the topic of Palettes and VBX. It has
some additional info which might also help you.
-Brian
——————————————————————-
I have been going through this issue with several different people at the same
time, I'm not sure whether you have gotten the whole thread or not, so here is
everything on the subject.
There are two reasons that you will see palette flashes and have a lack of
control over your animation. First is the palette, and second is the way the
animation window is created.
1. Palette
FLC files do not conform to the Windows Palette standards, and they are not
controlable. Windows reserves (out of a palette of 256 colors) the first ten
and last ten palette positions for its own use. Thus, to avoid conflicts, your
animations must have a palette of 236 colors, avoiding using the fist ten and
last ten palette positions. Also, they should be a common palette for every
frame of the animations.
To reiterate:
A. You have a common pallete for every frame of the animation.
B. Your palette consists of 236 (not 256) colors.
C. Those 236 colors are in the center of the 256 color palette, leaving the
first ten and last ten palette positions empty so that Windows may utilize them
as it so desires. (Windows pre-empts the first ten and last ten positions from
the 256 palette.)
2. Animaton Window
Many of the Windows controls you would expect to be present, and expect to
apply to the Animation Window you create, can not be performed, thus control
of the animation window is very difficult. This is because the player window
is really two windows. First there is the child window, the one you create
from your application. Then there is a second borderless windows that is
carefully laid on top of the child, only its not a child window, its a parent
window of the AAPLAY.DLL. This is why it can't be controlled because it really
isn't owned by the application that is using the DLL.
I hope these two issues can help you get a grip on the problems you are having.
Hopefully you can work around the constraints that they provide. If I didn't
address your question, or this is all old information to you, let me know.
-Brian
Brian,
Thanks for the response but thats not the problem. I can take the flic and
convert it into an avi (using the flics pallet) and get playback without flash.
The probelm is that the Autodesk DLL seems to always force a pallet change
without checking to see if it is needed. It also completely restructures its
own pallet without any regard. Is there any way I could speak with you
personally? We need to get this problem taken care of very soon or I am going
to have to re-access using flics. (I hate to do this because they do work
really well in high color modes.) Is there any way that I could get a version
of the DLL that you can define the pallet with a bitmap or it simply plays with
the active pallet? EVERY SINGLE IMAGE AND FLIC is using the same pallet that
already has the windows identity colors in place. Everything works perfectly
without flash untill the flics play.
I am getting desperate here because this could cost us a lot of time to have to
convert all of our animations. HELP.
Andrew McClary
Graphic Alchemy
305-739-9872
<< The probelm is that the Autodesk DLL seems to always force a pallet change
without checking to see if it is needed. It also completely restructures its
own pallet without any regard.>>
I am not sure how this works internally within the .DLL. I have forwarded your
e-mail to the programming team. Let's see how the respond to this.
<< Is there any way that I could get a version of the DLL that you can define
the pallet with a bitmap or it simply plays with the active pallet? >>
This is the ONLY version of the .DLL available. (Actually that's not true,
there is one other, but the only difference is that it does not display the
copyright notice. No real code changes.)
I can say that these constant problems within Windows have been noted time and
time again. Also, it is wishlist or problem items like these that influence the
features and capabilities of updates to our software. In other words, these are
problems we know we have to address in the next revision. However I don't have
any information as to when that next revision will be released.
I'll let you know as soon as I hear any response from the development team.
-Brian
Brain,
Both myself and I am sure a lot of other MM programers would be interested in
paying quite a lot for a good windows player that works and can be controlled
well. We also did some checks on a few other computers last night. We found
that fsome of the sound boards wouldn't always played fine. The problem then
arises that the Adesk DLL takes control of the wav device when it plays and
restricts the mci control from playing a wav sound. It is looking more and
more like we may have to use the avi file format. (Unforunately avi files
never look as good as the flics)
Is there any documentation available on reading a flic file. We may look at
writing our own code, though I hope we don't have to. This would delay ouir
release date and cost more $.
Thanks for your help and let me know. Tell you programers we would be gald to
be guinie pigs for testing out any beta code they may have that would help.
Andrew McClary
Andrew,
I share your frustration about the player. All I can say at this time is that
we are aware of the problems with the Windows player. All of these issues (and
more) have been submitted as wish list items for the next release.
<<Is there any documentation available on reading a flic file. We may look at
writing our own code, though I hope we don't have to. This would delay ouir
release date and cost more $. >>
Check out these files:
flcspc.zip in the Animator library #2 has the .flc spec.
flilib.zip in the IPAS usage lib(?)#1 has the .flc spec and lots of other
stuff.
Hope this helps you out.
– Brian
Brian,
Do you have any time tables as to when we might see a revised .flc player
routine for windows?
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Andrew McClary
Graphic Alchemy Productions, Inc.
<<Do you have any time tables as to when we might see a revised .flc player
routine for windows? >>
Unfortunately, I am not allowed to discuss future releases.
-Brian
Brian,
We have an immediate need for reliable animation playback code that can be used
in Windows MM applications. Do you know of any third party developers that
might have a solution?? I absolutely hate to have to got to a Video for
Windows solution. It makes the 3DS animations look terrible compared to the
.flc files. I need to geta solution very very soon though. (I hate having to
compromise quality.) Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Andrew McClary
Graphic Alchemy Productions, Inc.
(Author of "Exploring Ancient Architecture" CD-ROM published by Medio
Multimedia, the animations all done by 3DS by the way. Check it out.)
Andrew,
Do you mean you are looking for code other than the Autodesk Code? It has some
functionality limitations, but it is totall reliable and stable. What do you
need that ours does not provide? That will help me point you in the right
direction.
For 3rd party developers, my best solution is to scan the libraries for
examples of other developers players, and then contact the uploaders directly.
-Brian
Brian,
We need a windows .flic player that can play a flic from within a
Visual Basic program at a specified location without throwing the
pallets out of wack. Every image, animation, button, etc. in our
program uses the same windows optimized pallet. AVI's play well, but
drop frames or leave artifacts all over, but the player doesn't shift
the pallets. We love the Autodesk VB control except that is ALWAYS
shifts the pallet even when there is no need. It doesn't play using
the pallet that is encoded in the flic. It always shifts it causing
screen flash in 8 bit mode.
Are any of you guys going to be at COMDEX in Atlanta next week?
Andrew McClary
Graphic Alchemy Productions, Inc.