CompuServe Thread

#ANIPLAY Limitation?

12 messages in this thread
#3901From: Stephen GrisezOct 4, 1991 9:20 AM
Grant, I would like to create some acad help animations. I would like to be able to start from lisp shell out of acad to start a .bat file or script that runs an animation and then return to acad. 640x480x256 would be ideal. Which or your suggested options would be best? or is this possible? Also, will I be able to use these programs on other computers without: 1. buying a copy for each computer. 2. having a finding a VESA driver for each "different" cpu (what a mess) Last of all, what would be the cost $$$ of your recommendation? Thanks for your help, Stephen
#3941From: [F] Grant Blaha [Adesk]Oct 4, 1991 6:13 PM
You've got two choices I know of, Greame's shareware player (Play73) up on this forum, and Grasp from Paul Mace Software. You can "go grasp" and ask for more info about it. -GB-
#4063From: Stephen GrisezOct 7, 1991 3:17 PM
Grant, Play works great so far. I still have 2 concerns. Can it be run w/o a SVGA board (ie. VGA). I would like to run 640×480 filcs, so I don't need SVGA. Also, could I create an .exe that will run itself so I don't have to copy the FLIC and the PLAY.exe to everyone I give an animation. Stephen
#4069From: TrilobyteOct 7, 1991 4:57 PM
You have to have a SVGA board to play 640x480x256 flics, there is not enough memory on a standard VGA board for this mode, it can only accomodate 320x200x256, which Play will handle nicely. If you register your copy of Play with Trilobyte, you will be sent regular updates, one thing that is planned is a compiler that combines the script, flics and everything into a single file. Graeme.
#4073From: Stephen GrisezOct 7, 1991 7:22 PM
For tutorial purposes 16 colors would be sufficeint? Could I configure for 640x480x16 filcs.. and will your play.exe read it? Stephen
#4089From: TrilobyteOct 7, 1991 10:43 PM
You cannot configure AAPro, 3D Studio or Play to play 640x480x16, .fli and .flc files all have 256 colors (even if you only use 16 of them!) Graeme.
#4382From: Michael F. PitschOct 13, 1991 10:45 PM
Graeme, I have recently discovered (as has Stephen) that to play or demo fli's on customer machines finding an SVGA equipped machine is a _real_ problem. As a matter of fact, finding a large installed base of VGA machines is difficult here in the Midwest (Milwaukee to Chicago corridor). What we really need is a quick and dirty way to demo models and animations without having to go to tape, or carry machines around. This _is_ a problem in need of a solution. We need to be able to create at 640x480x256 and then knock them down and use play.exe to run them at VGA. Can you help?
#4384From: TrilobyteOct 13, 1991 11:15 PM
Well VGA generally indicates 320x200x256, in which case you can convert your 640x480x256 animations down to this size and then play them with Play (using aniconv or AAPro). Different resolutions (such as 640x480x16) require different attitudes, I personally feel that color resolution is worth more than pixel resolution. I'd suggest using aniconv or AAPro to knock those animations down to 320x200x256, they are smaller (they fit on floppies easier) and no color resolution is lost. Graeme.
#4427From: Robert C. SeiwertOct 14, 1991 11:28 PM
What I need is DVI on a TSENG labs chipset. We are running quicktime and looking at long animations on floppy (w/ sound).
#4198From: Stephen GrisezOct 9, 1991 8:31 AM
Graeme, Thanks! The combonation of flic and play into and .exe sounds great? Any Ideas about when it will be available? Stephen
#4220From: TrilobyteOct 9, 1991 12:04 PM
Linking play and a flic together will not be done for quite some time, I'm working hard on integrating music and pcm audio right now, I'd say anything else is a few months away. Graeme.
#4074From: CSA/CAOct 7, 1991 7:51 PM
Stephen, The problem is that the VGA "standard" is only 16 colors @ 640×480. This in part is why the original Animator was geared towards 320×200, as the lowest common denominator @ 256 colors. SuperVGA refers to resolutions of 640x480x256 colors, 800x600x16 colors, and maybe, 800x600x256 colors. Extended VGA (EVGA) is the terminology for the higher resolutions. Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates