mikef@samba (Michael Freedburg) (12/21/90)
Sorry for the empty post, nothing got appended last time. So here goes: I have done some conversions with Convert-It, first on some small test stacks and then on a major 800K stack with all sorts of graphics, buttons, but only some simple scripts. Two step process: First convert the stack to a HIFF file on the mac, Convert-It! has a stack which creates this for you from a selected stack. This HIFF file is a text file which describes in detail exactly what is in the stack and where it is, its properties, and so on. This file will be larger than the stack in every case. With the 800K stack, the HIFF file was 1.4 megs, so a major increase in size. You then need to get the file over to the PC (all sorts of options, we used the Novell network to get it over). We used a Model 60 to run the Convert-It! book under Toolbook, where you have some options as to how you want the translation to go. Well, after a number of efforts and hours of waiting, we found that Toolbook has some limitations which Convert-It cannot overcome: 64K limit on the entire page, and a 32K limit on the page graphic, or something like that. Well, everything we did went over this limit, so things did not go well. Some recommendations: USE A FAST MACHINE!!! Color in Toolbook really slows things down..... Make sure that your stack is small enough that the conversion will not create pages larger than the legal limit in Toolbook. One could always build the stack as small modules, convert them, and then reassemble then in Toolbook. Keep in mind that Toolbook does not offer bitmap graphics, only object oriented a la MacDraw. Convert-It will also do its best to convert the Hypertalk to OpenScript, but again this can really cause problems. The one thing that the Convert-It toolbook does really nicely is convert or translate single lines of Hypertalk into Openscript. I can recommend this type of conversion for small projects, but if you are planning to do something large, break it down, and convert it in small pieces. Otherwise you may be better served beginning from scratch with Toolbook and take advantage of its features. Subject: Convert-It! Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard Keywords: ConvertIt, Toolbook, Hypercard
rtg@cs.rit.edu (Robert T Gayvert) (12/23/90)
From article <2019@beguine.UUCP>, by mikef@samba (Michael Freedburg): > First convert the stack to a HIFF file on the mac, Convert-It! has a > stack which creates this for you from a selected stack. Do you have any information on the HIFF file format? Is this something that only Convert-It! uses, or do other programs use it also?
leonardr@svc.portal.com (Leonard Rosenthol) (12/24/90)
In article <2059@cs.rit.edu>, rtg@cs.rit.edu (Robert T Gayvert) writes: > From article <2019@beguine.UUCP>, by mikef@samba (Michael Freedburg): > > First convert the stack to a HIFF file on the mac, Convert-It! has a > > stack which creates this for you from a selected stack. > > Do you have any information on the HIFF file format? Is this something > that only Convert-It! uses, or do other programs use it also? The HIFF specs are available from "The HyperMedia Group". The copy that I have is titled "The HIFF Specification: Hypermedia Interchange File Format Version 1.0 - 17 July, 1990 -". I would assume that there is a newer versions, but I have not pursued it. As to who uses it, I know that Silicon Beach was considering support for it (ie. Supercard <-> Toolbook conversion), but that's about it. Here is the complete address to write to for a copy of the spec: The HyperMedia Group HIFF Specification 5900 Hollis Street, Suite O Emeryville, CA 94608 AppleLink: HMG (which would translate to) Internet: HMG@applelink.apple.com -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- + Leonard Rosenthol | Internet: leonardr@sv.portal.com + + Software Ventures | GEnie: MACgician + + MicroPhone II Development Team | AOL: MACgician1 + ----------------------------------------------------------------------