Pros and cons of where to store image data

[Ken Norris]

Hi Barry,

> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 23:18:54 -0600
> Subject: Re: Pros and cons of where to store image data
> From: Barry Levine <themacguy at macosx.com>

>  I remember reading somewhere that Windows likes ".wav" files better than
>  ".aiff"
----------snip
See, that's what I mean. I don't know that stuff. I assumed it would do
either equally well, and on whatever player it has.
----------snip
> Not insisting on the audio being a ".mov" makes it easier for everyone.
----------
I thought if they have QT, .mov files would be the route to go for
standardization across all platforms, e.g., if you are replacing and sending
media, wouldn't it be better to have QT translate it into a .mov file before
sending, which QT on any platform will recognize?
----------
> There are so many up here who provide useful info to me that I don't
> remember who recommended keeping the interface and the code separate.
> I'll add my 2 cents: Keep the images, movies, and sounds separate, as
> well. The obvious benefit is that your stack won't have to load 'em all
> when it loads (so no out-of-memory problems); the other benefit is what
> we've been discussing: The ease of replacement should the need arise.
-----------
Well, yes, that was part of my basic advice to the thread originator (I've
forgotten who it was), but it doesn't hurt to restate it.

However, my philosophy and yours differ in that I would not necessarily
place all images/sounds in separate files. I will probably continue to
import images for splash screens, headers, and some types of buttons, things
that won't need to change over time, while keeping image files for photos,
drawings and artwork, special sounds, additional images and movies for
working parts of the app, and other updatable data separate.
----------
> As for Rev using a ".wmv" file in place of a ".mov"...I don't really
> know. According to how I've interpreted the documentation, once a stack
> references a QT Player object, QT loads (if it's available). How would
> you show a movie without a Player object?
----------
Well, that wasn't the question. The question is basically this: If the user
system has MS MediaPlayer but no QT Player, will a Rev player object open
that instead of QT? (I'll ask that in a different thread).
----------
> And once QT loads, why use
> anything else? (Of course, it is possible that I've misinterpreted the
> docs yet again.)
----------
...Unless there is no QT Player. I like the idea of distributing QT with an
app, but here's a typical problem I will encounter (I'm working on a special
communicator for speech impaired with poor vision, which will have its own
emailer):

If I send voicemail to my mom (who has macular degeneration and has too much
difficulty reading the monitor) as an attachment, and they have no QT
Player, (my stepdad tried to d/l it, but QT doesn't automatically load into
the correct place on Windows like it does on a Mac, you have to follow a set
of progressive instructions in the Wizard, which he couldn't quite figure
out), but _do_ have MS MediaPlayer, then what type of file should I create
for it?

TIA,
Ken N.