#Autopilot,Bones,Stories
31 messages in this thread
Greg:
In a recent post to me you said:
< Hope this clears it up for ya! >
Well yeah… maybe… but it did raise a few new questions….
You said:
< Advanced Media, Inc. was the company which purchased Pyros Computers >
< AMI is a sales organization. >
Who is this mysterious sales organization that had enough moolah to plunk
down and buy Greg Pyros out? Could it be the country of Japan?
Seems I recall noticing something somewhere in an issue of 3D Artist Mag
that my old friend Joel Sher was involved.. Care to elaborate?
On a totally different tangent:
Any truth to the rumor that AIA is having their national convention down
here in N'Awlins next year? Does this mean we're going to get a chance to
split a po'boy and talk bidness? It would be great to give you the
Kevin Gibson tour of the city. If you want references, ask Bob B.
And finally:
I've been struggling to find a thread I captured where I caught you rambling
on about how you had taught your computer to call you at home from the office
and tell you what frame of animation it was currently rendering. Is this so?
If it is…then spill it out right here and now please. Share with us this
mysterious magical formula you've concocted for making your computer work
so well. Can you please post the method for all to see?
And name names… please. What kind of modem does your computer yak on?
Kevin Gibson
Animation Nation <tm> -= A rebel with a cause. =-
Kevin:
>> Any truth to the rumor that AIA is having their national convention down
>> here in N'Awlins next year?
Next year? I can't even figure out what's happening next week! Not a clue!
>> how you had taught your computer to call you at home from the office
Easy – just run a batch file from Video Post. Could be as simple as:
@ECHO OFF
IF EXIST C:\3ds4\images\file0500.tga GOTO :CALL
END
:CALL
(put in here whatever it takes for your particular modem to call you)
As soon as file 500 is rendered and saved to the hard disk, the program will
find it and execute the rest of the batch file. As you can imagine, this is an
extremely powerful concept, one which most people have pretty much ignored
(with the notable exception of Martin "Mr. Video Post" Foster, of course).
There's no limit to what you can do in VP!
Greg Pyros
<< Easy – just run a batch file from Video Post. Could be as simple as:
@ECHO OFF
IF EXIST C:\3ds4\images\file0500.tga GOTO :CALL
END
:CALL
(put in here whatever it takes for your particular modem to call you) >>
Good idea, Greg.
Mark
Greg,
>> (with the notable exception of Martin "Mr. Video Post" Foster, of course).
<<
thanks very much 🙂 I like to think I've come up with some obscure uses for
video post too <g>.
Martin:
Perhaps we should have a contest here on CIS to see what is the most obscure or
interesting or whatever Video Post usage. Hopefully most of the lurkers will
see the different uses and think of some more.
I nominate you to be the judge! But just because you can't win doesn't mean
that you can't enter, mate!
Greg Pyros
PS – Multiple entries are allowed!
Greg,
>> Perhaps we should have a contest here on CIS to see what is the most obscure
or interesting or whatever Video Post usage….I nominate you to be the judge!
<<
I'll judge, if you like. No problem.
My most obscrure use is probably creating custom 4×3 pixel transition flics (or
sequence of .tgas) for use in the trans column of video post.
Not quite as obscure or interesting as phoning you at home, though <g>.
Martin
Martin:
OK, those are two obscure uses of video post.
Who has any others? Come on now, guys and gals, this is an open invitation!
Greg Pyros
Assuming you have 3DS call you at home in the dead of night to
announce a completed rendering job so you can run into the office and
check on it, why not also have it toggle a relay so your freshly
brewed coffee is ready by the time you arrive at the studio ?
I like it! Who makes a relay that can be triggered from a PC card or
serial port?
Try asking on the TrainNet Forum, I'll bet those model railroad buffs
have all sorts of devices that can be triggered from a serial port.
Hey, why not rig up your own model railroad and teach the old Lionel
to *DELIVER* the coffee when it's done ? <BG>
Bruce:
>> Hey, why not rig up your own model railroad and teach the old Lionel to
>> *DELIVER* the coffee when it's done?
Hey, how'd you know I had a Lionel train set? Was that you at my last
4th of July party?
Greg,
Only in spirit, we mutants are all connected one way or another !
Bruce N. Goren
>>…rig up your own model railroad and teach the old Lionel
>> to *DELIVER* the coffee when it's done ? <BG>
That is an idea that I have been "toying" with for some time. Why not a wall
mounted horizontal monorail running from room to room. On this monorail would
be stations or checkpoints but with software there could be stopping points
anywhere between those hardware points. With the notebooks becoming so cheap
and PCMCIA slots on all, the notebook could be the controller when not "on the
road". The "cars" could be just small battery driven devices that would
automatically seek recharge when depleted. The control could be one of several
technologies (note the evasion). Only problem is that there must be a robot (or
servent) in the kitchen to supply the stuff for delivery.
You know, I bet if we could visit Bill (as in Billion) at his new toy (oops,
I mean house or maybe palace), I bet we would maybe find something like this in
development <g>.
P.S. BTW when do you think we will all shift to the new Microsoft online
service for this interchange news, views, and BS?
>>P.S. BTW when do you think we will all shift to the new Microsoft online
service for this interchange new, views, an BS?<<
When Yost and ADESK *Tell* us to !
Bruce N. Goren
>> Who makes a relay that can be triggered from a
>> PC card or serial port?
There is a company that makes a sort of houshold controller with a
number of controlled devices that can even be wireless, as I recall.
I can find the info on the company if you are interested.
Albert:
Yes, I'd be interested, if it isn't too much trouble.
Greg Pyros
Gregory,
Regarding your question:
"Who makes a relay that can be triggered from a PC card or serial port?"
HYBRID TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, INC. is a vendor in the Compuserve mall
offering home automation supplies. Reach them by typing GO HTS at
most any prompt.
HTS has products that allow you to control your home's lights,
appliances, audio/video, and climate by one or more of the following:
Personal Computer, wireless remote control, table-top control
centers, voice control, situation control, and prescheduled control.
In fact, one of their better known products, "BigmOuth," was named
after me.<G> Guess I can give away my secrets, since I wouldn't be
eligible for any prizes even if there was a contest. ( So what does
Mr. Grubba say, Mr. Pyros? )
BigmOuth, as many will know, is a computer based voice-mail system.
When linked together with PremierECS, it will let you do all kind of
things with or without fancy batch files running under Video Post.
Quoting from their promotional materials: "The PremierECS (Event
Control System) is a multipurpose DOS program which can greatly
simplify your life by monitoring and controlling virtually anything
in your home in any manner you specify! This is the software you need
for dedicated on-line control of your home or office by computer. It
is interactive Home Automation Software for the IBM compatible
computer."
"The PremierECS software allows users to control everything in the
house from Lights and Appliances to Home Security including
Audio/Video, Pools/Spas/Saunas, Door/Gate Openers, Lawn Irrigation
Systems and telecommunications. Premier is configured to answer to
simple English statements (ie."If I am home, then turn TV on to
channel 3"). This syntax is easy to define and comprehend. It can
be fully configured and customized by a person having no technical
background. No assistance in installation of the system is needed."
HTS has inexpensive books and videotapes to help get you started in
this area. They also have relay switches, Greg.
I've got my computer doing all sorts of things. It wakes me up,
starts the coffee, polishes my shoes, warms up the car, downloads my
mail from Compuserve, draws me a hot bath, fries me up a couple of
eggs, fetches the morning paper, lets the dog out, calls the office
and says "I'll be late, I'm stuck in traffic," searches and retrieves
information from the Compuserve database and composes responses such
as this, and all before I get out of bed.
Now if I can get a few of them obscure Video Post batch files maybe I
can be even more creative.
GO HTS for more info. HTS and the Compuserve Mall are part of Basic
Services. But you knew that.
Kevin Gibson
Animation Nation <tm> -=We're a curious lot.=-
KG:
Thanks!
You know, I've had one of those bigmouth cards for several years, and I never
knew it could do all that. I've never even received an upgrade notice from them
for the software. Maybe I ought to give them a call…
Just use your favorite Radio Shack X-10 PC interface, and it could turn on the
lights, too. Or the air conditioning in your part of the country, the heat in
mine. 🙂 You know, there really are people you can "page" by sending them
Internet e-mail… I know Motorola has a system like this.
Ah, good ol' Radio Shack! I'll have to drop on by – thanks!
>> Who makes a relay that can be triggered from a
>> PC card or serial port?
Ok, I could not find it where I thought I should.
But then I realized who would have it and Radio Shack does carry that very
product which is a rather extensive line of products for remote power control
as well as interfacing with various security devices. Operation of these
devices can be controlled by either an independent controller or a PC.
Possible bad news is that the software I noticed was for Windows.
If a particular store does not have the whole line, it is in their current
catalog.
Oh yes, there is a wall outlet controller that can handle up to 15 amps AC.
Albert:
Radio Shack to the rescue again! Thanks for the info, I need to get over
there!
Greg Pyros
Martin, Greg and ALL
I said:
< Share with us this mysterious magical formula you've concocted for making
your computer work so well. >
Greg, you said: < Perhaps we should have a contest… >
Martin said: < I'll judge, if you like. No problem. >
So I say: Let's do it!
Greg, why don't you offer up one or more of your IPAS routines as a
prize? If for some reason that is not within your power, I'd be glad
to solicit my friend John and see if he might throw in a CD to get
people motivated enuff to participate in this contest. And even if I
can't pry one loose out of his tight fingers, I've got another idea
or two about incentives.
I'll get the word out. We can get entrants to post their entries to a
thread titled "VIDEO POST CONTEST" or something like that.
If we attract any serious participation at all, everybody will be a
winner by benefitting from the collective knowledge ( and humor.)
So whaddya think?
OK – if we come up with a minimum of 25 'real' entries, we will donate
an IPAS to the winner, chosen by Martin. Martin's family and
co-workers are not eligible. :^) And you just elected yourself as
the keeper of the batch files to compile into one upload after the
contest!
No, at the CALL label you're supposed to insert the command line that
automatically sends yourself some e-mail, and then your e-mail program
automatically calls your pager, and then logs into Compuserve to send the
message via paper through the Post Office.
John:
<ROTF,L>
Greg
Greg,
Please don't make me beg… You stopped short of giving me the full scoop
on your batch file handiwork.
You said:
(put in here whatever it takes for your particular modem to call you)
In my request to you I also asked what kind of modem you use.
I guess there's no need to reveal all of your secrets, but inasmuch as I am
about to buy a new modem, and you've already performed one little bit of
magic with your Video Post batch… why don't you fill in the blanks?
What modem do you use and what command lines round out your batch file?
Perhaps you can post your answer to a new thread and it will be the
first entry into the contest. ( Yeah. I don't see why either you or
Martin couldn't win, in spite of your roles, but then I better come
up with a more suitable prize seeing how you already have all of your
own IPAS routines ) :^) Or we could select the winner by forum vote?
I never said I used it myself, I just said that's how it would be
done! Remember, we run a Sun workstation as a server and Internet
gateway, I would probably run a script there!
Sorry. As I noted in my first request for info re: the Video Post
batch calling your home… I had seen a discussion on it, but
apparently didn't save the thread. I thought you were talking about
something you were actually doing. So does your entry count as a
'real' entry? 🙂
In any event, thanks. My curiosity just may spark something of value
to all. I will gladly serve as archiver of the thread.
Regarding the prize you offer: Are we talking winner's choice of one
Pyros IPAS Library?
Kevin:
>> Are we talking winner's choice of one Pyros IPAS Library?
I'll have to let Gus decide on that, makes him feel part of the contest! <g>
Greg Pyros