[comp.sys.amiga.multimedia] AmigaVision--Videodisc Problem

bobb@cs.athabascau.ca (Bob Bedecki) (01/30/91)

I am attempting to develop an interactive videodisc presentation
using an Amiga 2000 with a Commodore 1084 monitor, 30 MEG HD, and 
7 MB Memory, connected to Pioneer 2200 Laserdisc player and a Super
Gen genlock, and using AmigaVision as the authoring system.     

Here's the problem:  after generating a number of menus and inserting
the appropriate frame numbers from the videodisc I try to "Present"
this interactive program.  The results are not what I expected.  The
movement between the menus works well, but when I attempt to make a
menu selection that will play a videodisc sequence the menu fades to
black and then immediately reappears while the videodisc sequence
plays in the background.  The question is: how can I get the menu or
graphic to disappear from the screen until the videodisc sequence is
played and then return after the videodisc sequence is completed?

Maybe AmigaVision requires a two screen setup where the menus appear
on the Amiga screen and the videodisc sequences appear on a second
NTSC monitor.  I've tried this two-screen set-up and it works, but I'm
still hoping that a one-screen set-up will work as well.

Any solution, or even hints or suggestions, would be greatly
appreciated.  Thanks.

Bob Bedecki

-- 
Bob Bedecki				bobb@cs.AthabascaU.CA
Instructional Developer			(403)675-6247
Athabasca University

campbell@cbmvax.commodore.com (John Campbell - Marketing) (01/30/91)

In article <914@vax.cs.athabascau.ca> bobb@cs.athabascau.ca (Bob Bedecki) writes:
>
>I am attempting to develop an interactive videodisc presentation
>using an Amiga 2000 with a Commodore 1084 monitor, 30 MEG HD, and 
>7 MB Memory, connected to Pioneer 2200 Laserdisc player and a Super
>Gen genlock, and using AmigaVision as the authoring system.     
>
>Here's the problem:  after generating a number of menus and inserting
>the appropriate frame numbers from the videodisc I try to "Present"
>this interactive program.  The results are not what I expected.  The
>movement between the menus works well, but when I attempt to make a
>menu selection that will play a videodisc sequence the menu fades to
>black and then immediately reappears while the videodisc sequence
>plays in the background.  The question is: how can I get the menu or
>graphic to disappear from the screen until the videodisc sequence is
>played and then return after the videodisc sequence is completed?

Perhaps you did not realize that you need to put a blank (color zero)
screen into your flow before the video icon, since effectively you want to 
genlock with a blank screen in this case.  (Depending upon your pallete,
you can normally just put an empty screen icon in the flow to get
the blank screen you need.)

>Maybe AmigaVision requires a two screen setup where the menus appear
>on the Amiga screen and the videodisc sequences appear on a second
>NTSC monitor.  I've tried this two-screen set-up and it works, but I'm
>still hoping that a one-screen set-up will work as well.

NO!!!!!!!!!!  The one screen solution is a key advantage in terms of cost
and ease of use.  Most Mac people I have dealt with are used to a two
screen approach, but clearly a one-screen solution is what the users
generally want.

>Any solution, or even hints or suggestions, would be greatly
>appreciated.  Thanks.

I hope I have helped,

John Campbell
Senior Manager
Software Applications
Commodore

bobb@cs.athabascau.ca (Bob Bedecki) (02/07/91)

Hey, John Campbell, the blank screen works. Thanks very much. Bob
Bedecki

-- 
Bob Bedecki				bobb@cs.AthabascaU.CA
Instructional Developer			(403)675-6247
Athabasca University