[comp.sys.mac.hypercard] Visual effects on overhead projectors

DATJN@NEUVM1.Bitnet (Jakob Nielsen Tech Univ of Denmark) (12/13/88)

I give a lot of lectures and tutorials on hypertext and usually
illustrate them with "live" examples running on the Macintosh.
Many of these are HyperCard stacks and use the visual effects.
Unfortunately (just as on a non-2-grayscale Mac II) the visual
effects have not been shown on the projected screen image used
for the audience. I have used a few different transviewers (transparent
screen duplicates put on an overhead projector to generate a large
projected image) and until recently always had this problem.
Last week I gave my tutorial at the ACM Conf. on Document Processing
where they had a transviewer from Sharp - and it worked with the visual
effects||

I don't know what the  factors are which determine whether HyperCard
visual effects are shown on a projected screen image. But until
HyperCard is changed to use visual effects on all types of screens,
this should be a parameter taken into account when buying screen
projection hardware for your Mac.

aisl@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Lawrence Landry) (12/15/88)

My guess is that the refresh time on your video display is not fast enough
for the visual effects.  I have used some displays where you can't see the
mouse unless it is sitting still.  A simple test is to plug in the display
and move your mouse around.  If it disappears, your display is not as fast
as the screen.  This may cause your effects to not be displayed.  This all
assumes that you are getting the correct effects on the Mac screen during
your demonstration.

Larry Landry
University of Rochester

kjeld@mcopn1.csc.ti.com (12/16/88)

Jakob Nielsen Tech Univ of Denmark writes
>...
>Last week I gave my tutorial at the ACM Conf. on Document Processing
>where they had a transviewer from Sharp - and it worked with the visual
>effects||

The visual effects have always been there, you just haven't seen them.
Or is that a philosophical conflict in terms?

>I don't know what the  factors are which determine whether HyperCard
>visual effects are shown on a projected screen image. But until
>HyperCard is changed to use visual effects on all types of screens,
>this should be a parameter taken into account when buying screen
>projection hardware for your Mac.

This is not a function of HyperCard.  It is a function of the screen.
Liquid Crystal Displays are inherently slow.  SuperTwist displays yield
greater contrast.  Nematic/Cholesteric (spelling?) transition yields a
faster display.  Some of the new displays have both features.  Sharp has
such a display.  It can change the brightness of a pixel in about 1/9th
of a second.  This means that visual effects that are slower than about
nine frames per second will show.  Faster effects will not.  There are
faster displays.  Either Kodak or Sony (don't remember which) has a 14
frame per second display.  This is about the best you can currently expect.
Some of the slower displays have better contrast ratio.  In either MacWorld
or MacUser (don't remember which) this month, there is a comparison of
some of the available displays.

For some of the slower displays, try doing your effects "very slowly"
and see if they don't show up.  There is nothing the authors of HyperCard
can do to fix this problem.  It is a hardware problem that is out of
Apple's hands.

Kurt Christensen
Lowly Engineer @ Texas Instruments
President/Chief Technical Officer @ Apeiron
One of "The Rest of Us" @ Planet Earth
KJELD%MCOPN1@EG.TI.COM

Disclaimer: My opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those
            of Texas Instruments Incorporated.  They do, however, reflect
            those of Apeiron, since my partners believe everything I say.
            The Rest of Us will have to speak for them selves.
***