CompuServe Thread

One time again !!!!! Before you get to feature freeze in your design. Please have your lead design person for IPAS4 call me at 805-473-0145. VERY IMPORTANT. Your existing BXP animation output is severly crippled in that it only assumes output to a series of still image frame files. It has severe limitations for a composite file (e.g AVI, MPEG, etc), especially when the BXP has no positive indication at the start as to the expected number of frames. You need to allow a BXP to operate in one of two contexts (or modes). BXPs which output 1 file / 1 frame can work fine with the existing architecture. BXPs which output 1 file / many frames cannot, and need the following architecture: START, SaveFrame, SaveFrame, SaveFrame, ……., STOP. Why is this so? Not every BXP which outputs a composite file can simply open/append frame/clos the file. MPEG in particular. In order for IPAS4 to distinguish the operating method of the two types of output, it is essential that both types of BXP be able to respond to a query type command by which IPAS will find out which method the BXP wants to use, whether 1 file/ 1 frame or 1 file / multi-frame. Then having determined which method, IPAS can then operate with the appropriate sequence of messages for the output method of the particular BXP module. PLEASE CALL ME FOR further clarifications and suggested minimum messages for each mode.