simon@cuisun.unige.ch (Simon Gibbs) (01/29/91)
Does anyone know if it's possible to write a program which directly controls a Video Toaster, ie, does the Toaster come with a documented interface or a subroutine library which allow you to bypass NewTek's user interface? For the application I have in mind, we would like to use an Amiga and Toaster as a video effects server. The parameters for an effect would be calculated on another machine and then sent over Ethernet to a process running on the Amiga and controlling the Toaster. Thanks for any help. I've seen NewTek's brochure but it doesn't answer this question. Simon Gibbs --------------------------------------------------------------------- Internet: simon@cui.unige.ch Bitnet: gibbs@cgeuge51.bitnet Usenet: mcsun!chx400!cui!simon@uunet.uu.net --------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon Gibbs Centre Universitaire d'Informatique 12 rue du Lac, Geneva 1207 SWITZERLAND --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tel: +41 (22) 787.65.87 Fax: +41 (22) 735.39.05 Telex: 423 801 UNI CH ---------------------------------------------------------------------
jerry@truevision.com (Jerry Thompson) (01/31/91)
In article <4825@cuisun.unige.ch> simon@cuisun.unige.ch (Simon Gibbs) writes: > > Does anyone know if it's possible to write >a program which directly controls a Video Toaster, >ie, does the Toaster come with a documented interface or >a subroutine library which allow you to bypass NewTek's >user interface? > > For the application I have in mind, we would like >to use an Amiga and Toaster as a video effects server. >The parameters for an effect would be calculated on another >machine and then sent over Ethernet to a process running >on the Amiga and controlling the Toaster. > > Thanks for any help. I've seen NewTek's brochure >but it doesn't answer this question. > >Simon Gibbs > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >Internet: simon@cui.unige.ch >Bitnet: gibbs@cgeuge51.bitnet >Usenet: mcsun!chx400!cui!simon@uunet.uu.net >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >Simon Gibbs >Centre Universitaire d'Informatique >12 rue du Lac, Geneva 1207 >SWITZERLAND >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >Tel: +41 (22) 787.65.87 Fax: +41 (22) 735.39.05 >Telex: 423 801 UNI CH >--------------------------------------------------------------------- We have done exactly that. The "documented interface" for the Toaster is... ARexx! In fact, it comes with an ARexx script to allow you to control the Toaster from a remote Amiga. The trick is, do a "newshell aux:" first, and then "rx remote.rexx" from the remote machine. Then just type in commands from the Toaster manual like "grid a46", "auto", "page 001", etc. Although it is possible to send ARexx commands from an AmigaVision flow running on the same machine, I would recommend using a second Amiga (say, an A500) as a remote control machine. Once the Switcher is up and running, it doesn't leave other applications many time slices. I ran some music in the background and only got a very muddled rendition. This would be perfect for what you are doing, as the commands are coming from a remote machine anyway. I am not sure if the Ethernet driver will handle be able to keep up the connection with the Switcher running. You may have to run ethernet to one machine, then run a serial cable to the Amiga with the Toaster in it. I just got an Ethernet card on my Amiga, so I will check this out. This also means that you could run a serail cable from ANY machine, making an Amiga/Toaster a great external video effects box for a PC or Mac (but why?). Shhh, don't tell! Incidentally, the only way I have found to flip between the Switcher and Workbench is under ARexx control ("tosw", and "towb"). Also, I have not been able to flip back to any other screen except the Workbench screen. It must be actually doing something like closewb and openwb. Using VoRecOne on a remote machine, we have been able to control the Toaster under voice control. The VoRecOne has done a lousy job of voice recognition. I am lucky to get 70% accuracy. Many times it seems like I am getting less than 20% correct hits. How can it confuse words like "flyin" and "tumble"? Anyway... I have been able to get about 10 very distinct words to be recognized reliably. As long they are very different, like "attack" and moo. -- Jerry Thompson | // checks ___________ | "I'm into S&M, I loved the peace and solitude | \\ // and | | | | Sarcasm and so much, I invited my friends. | \X/ balances /_\ | /_\ | Mass Sarcasm."
swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) (02/01/91)
In article <1991Jan31.145430.14609@truevision.com> jerry@truevision.com (Jerry Thompson) writes: [...] >Incidentally, the only way I have found to flip between the Switcher and >Workbench is under ARexx control ("tosw", and "towb"). Also, I have not been >able to flip back to any other screen except the Workbench screen. It must be [...] A friend showed me a key sequence that does it (which I promptly forgot). Multitasking isn't officially supported as I understand it because the toaster eats so much of the Amiga. Evidently it works, though. Just don't expect to be able to do much. The key sequence was something unusual like <ESC> <CTL> <CTL> <CTL>. This is not necessarilly the correct key sequence, but it is something like this. The same sequence popped us back into the switcher. -- _. --Steve ._||__ DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own. Warren v\ *| ---------------------------------------------- V {uunet,sun}!convex!swarren; swarren@convex.com
mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) (02/02/91)
In article <1991Jan31.145430.14609@truevision.com> jerry@truevision.com (Jerry Thompson) writes: >This also means >that you could run a serail cable from ANY machine, making an Amiga/Toaster a >great external video effects box for a PC or Mac (but why?).Shhh, don't tell! Just what NewTek was out to demonstrate at MacWorld. >Incidentally, the only way I have found to flip between the Switcher and >Workbench is under ARexx control ("tosw", and "towb"). To manually go back and forth between workbench and the Switcher, use the following four key sequence: <CTL> <CTL> <ALT> <ALT> This will toggle you back and forth. %~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~% % ` ' Mark Thompson % % --==* RADIANT *==-- mark@westford.ccur.com % % ' Image ` ...!{decvax,uunet}!masscomp!mark % % Productions (508)392-2480 (603)424-1829 % % % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
jandreas@pro-graphics.cts.com (Jason Andreas) (02/03/91)
In-Reply-To: message from simon@cuisun.unige.ch In version 0.90 of the toaster release, you get Nothing. Although there is the joystick interface for controlling it. Maybe in the next release. Another possibility is the GVP frame buffer. It's supposed offer the same effects as the toaster, except RGB in-out, not NTSC.
baronz@caen.engin.umich.edu (Aaron L Richards) (02/12/91)
Hello All, I am having difficulty maintaining a mouse interrupt on a data form icon. One of the first things that I do in my flow is enable a mouse interrupt. However, I really do not need the mouse interrupt to be active untill I reach a Data Form icon. I just put the mouse interrupt early in the flow for debugging purposes. Unfortunately, the data form seems to disable the mouse interrupt. The hit boxes and text that I define using the mouse interrupt appear on my data form screen as I would like them to, they just do not accept 'hits' when the data form is active. The interrupt is active up to the data form icon, I verify this by hitting the hit boxes and getting a resounding beep. When the computer is executing the data form, the hit boxes defined by the mouse interrupt still show up on the screen, but they are no longer active, (they no longer beep when hit orexecute the flow under the mouse interrupt.) What I am trying to do is use a Data Form icon to build a "requester" that accepts the pathname, repetitions, comments, and user defined names of an anim, still pix, sound, etc. and I want the user to be able to pull up the ARP file requester without exiting the "requester"-Data Form. I need to store the pathname, comments, etc. into a database. The mouse interrupt I expected, would allow me to hit a PATH button that I had defined as a hit box in the mouse interrupt, and bring up the ARP file requester using AREXX. The AREXX code works well. Its just that the darned interrupt dies. Any suggestions, bug fixes, or work arounds deeply appreciated. Thanks, Aaron Aaron L. Richards University of Michigan Aaron_L._Richards@ubmts.cc.umich.edu Commodore-Amiga Stud Rep baronz@caen.engin.umich.edu Senior Computer Consultant Organizational Studies Lab Day: (313) 763-4563 Eve: (313) 761-7871 -- * President MACRO on Campus * * (Michigan's Amiga Computer Resource Organization) * * Senior Computer Consultant -> Organizational Studies Lab * * Amiga Student Representative on Campus * * baronz@caen.engin.umich.edu * * Aaron_l._Richards.ubmts.cc.umich.edu *