[comp.ivideodisc] Database question

clouds@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Kathy Strong) (12/01/90)

In article <1990Nov30.154544.28317@ariel.unm.edu> wilcox@hydra.unm.edu 
(Sherman Wilcox) writes:
>I am developing a multimedia project (an interactive videodisk-based
>American Sign Language dictionary). We have known all along that the
>project will have to have a database underlying it, but our first impulse
>was to develop the application in an authoring language (Director, Author-
>Ware, etc).
>
>We are starting to rethink this decision and wonder whether the entire
>project could be developed in a powerful database such as 4D or Omnis.
>This is the basis of my question.
>
>Does anyone know of any projects which have tied together databases and
>interactive videodisks? If you are familiar with either Omnis or 4D, does
>it sound feasible to do what I am suggesting?
>
>Some specific questions: for the multimedia part, all we really have to
>do is control the laserdisk (Pioneer LD-V4200), which means sending commands
>out the serial port. Possible in 4D/Omnis? Second, we are displaying the
>video on the RBG monitor by using a RasterOps 364 card. Control of the card
>is accomplished via an XCMD -- possible to do this with 4D/Omnis?

Hmm, a good question. I believe that controlling the videodisc player
through the serial port should be trivial--most database packages with
any heft to them have an RS-232 command to control things like cash
drawers and bar-code readers.

I'm not so sure about the overlay card, though...

Also, do you plan to do any animations (that is, using graphics from
the computer rather than video from the disc player)? The reason we
continue to do our interactive projects with authoring packages rather
than with a database or a programming language is that the authoring
package typically packages all the ingredients: program flow (logic,
branching, etc.), calculations, videodisc control, overlays, display 
of graphics, and animations. One of the DOS-based packages we're using
right now, in fact, has rudimentary database functions built in--reads
dBase IV files (whoopee!!).

You may be interested in a product I've seen mentioned recently. It's
called Lynx, by a company named Warren-Forthought (sic) in Angleton, TX.
From their handout: "Lynx is a multimedia object database with powerful
presentation tools... raw power and capacity: Lynx can handle
handle the largest project and never slow down, even gigabytes of data
with millions of links. The multimedia objects in the database are 
created with your favorite and familiar applications... The link is merged
with its image and stored together in the original file. You create no
cards, stack, master file or control program of any kind.... Lynx uses
the Macintosh HFS and the Finder you already know. All multimedia objects
are standard files and are stored in folders..." etc.

Anyway, their material I'm reading from is pretty verbose, but the idea
is that you don't have a control program... all the links or "interactivity"
is somehow saved into the document itself. I wonder how this would work
with a database program? Oh, by the way, the Lynx package does include
videodisc and digital audio control.

If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll give you their full info.

--Kathy

P.S. I've added comp.ivideodisc to the distribution.

P.P.S. The usual disclaimer. Not only do I not work for these guys, I've
       not even seen their product. Someone picked up this material at SALT.


-- 
...........................................................................
:   Kathy Strong               :  "Try our Hubble-Rita: just one shot,     :
:  (Clouds moving slowly)      :   and everything's blurry"                :
:   clouds@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  :                           --El Arroyo     :
:..........................................................................: