[comp.ivideodisc] Videodisc control from 4th Dimension

galper@dna.stanford.edu (Adam Galper) (01/24/91)

I'm trying to control access to a videodisc player (Pioneer 6000) from
within a relational database application, written in 4th Dimension for
the Mac.  Before I set out to do it myself, has anybody out there either
1) written the 4D external interface routines already (in C preferably),
2) adapted the existing Hypercard XCMD (written in Pascal, I believe) to
work under 4D, or 3) written the interface routines within 4D, using the
serial port communications primitives?

Code, comments, and suggestions are much appreciated.
Thanks,
Adam Galper
Stanford University
 

bmug@garnet.berkeley.edu (BMUG) (01/24/91)

In article <1991Jan24.022909.24157@portia.Stanford.EDU> galper@dna.stanford.edu (Adam Galper) writes:
>I'm trying to control access to a videodisc player (Pioneer 6000) from
>within a relational database application, written in 4th Dimension for
>the Mac.  Before I set out to do it myself, has anybody out there either
>1) written the 4D external interface routines already (in C preferably),
>

At MacWorld Expo, ACIUS was demoing a 4D application which would control
a videodisc player, a VCR, and launch animation sequences from MacroMind
Director.  I didn't have more than a cursory look at it, but it would
seem to fill the bill.  The developers were two guys from ACIUS (Todd
Carper and A.J. Jennings, I think), and it will eventually be sold for
$200, but someone at the company may be willing to discuss how this can
be done in a generic way.  Since the original sender is from Stanford,
he may be able to talk with one of the developers in person in Cupertino.

John Heckendorn
                                                             /\
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wilcox@hydra.unm.edu (Sherman Wilcox) (01/25/91)

In article <1991Jan24.022909.24157@portia.Stanford.EDU> galper@dna.stanford.edu (Adam Galper) writes:
>I'm trying to control access to a videodisc player (Pioneer 6000) from
>within a relational database application, written in 4th Dimension for
>the Mac.  Before I set out to do it myself, has anybody out there either
>1) written the 4D external interface routines already (in C preferably),
>2) adapted the existing Hypercard XCMD (written in Pascal, I believe) to
>work under 4D, or 3) written the interface routines within 4D, using the
>serial port communications primitives?
>
Yes, I have a bit of experience implementing laserdisk control (I'm
using a Pioneer LD-V4200) using serial port primitives. I haven't implmented
every feature that the player supports, only those my project has required
at this point in time. Still, I'd be happy to discuss this with you.

Also, I am in the process of adapting some Hypercard XCMDs -- not for
laserdisc control, but for controlling a RasterOps digitizing card -- for
use in 4D. I'll be using a program called XLink to do this. Again, I'd be
happy to discuss it, since this would directly apply to adapting XCMDs
that control laserdisc players.

Why don't you drop me a personal email message...

Sherman Wilcox
University of New Mexico