Several newbie questions & a documentation request

[Ian Wood]

Hi Folks,

I am new to the list, having received Revolution 1.1.1 on a cover Cd 
and immediately realised that I can now make my AppleScript project 
into a cross-platform app!

Revolution 1.1.1 on OS X 10.2.1, 1GB RAM.

An application that opens a QTVR cubic pano, takes start and end points 
then produces a sequence of stills that can then be put together into 
video.  The main market is for putting pans onto DVDs, but i started 
doing this for a 'timelapse' project of my own.


Anyway, I downloaded the 24K message mbox & have been looking on there, 
but have problems I cannot find on it...

1) I am running an AppleScript to open an image sequence in QT Pro.  
The applescript is stored in a field, a replace is done on the 
variables and the "do theScript as AppleScript".  So far, so good.  
Except that Classic launches as the AppleScript tries to launch the OS 
9 version of QT.  Both from Script Editor and as a compiled script the 
script correctly launches QT in OS X.  Any ideas?

=======================================
put the text of field "applescript 1" into theScript
   replace filePath with defaultFolder in theScript
   replace frameRate with frame_rate in theScript
   replace "/" with ":" in theScript --to get correct filepath breaks in 
AS
   answer theScript
   do theScript as AppleScript
=======================================


2) The app has three option menu buttons to set video size, frame rate 
and pan direction (l/r).  Is it just something in my coding (I tried to 
convert the info in the menu manager tutorial to the button) or are 
these always so slow to work?  On a PB 1GHz and a P4 1.5GHz it can take 
up to 15 seconds for each menu button to become active!

=======================================
global gVar_dimensions

on menupick pWhich
   switch pWhich
     case "768x576-PAL square"
       answer "Use this option only when the movie will be seen on a Tv 
screen, you will need to export the movie at 720x576"
       break
       case "720x576- DV-PAL"
         break
         case "720x534-NTSC square"
           answer "Use this option only when the movie will be seen on a 
Tv screen, you will need to export the movie at 720x480"
           break
           case "720x480- DV-NTSC"
             break
             case "600x400"
               break
               case "480x320"
                 break
                 case "320x240"
   end switch
   put pWhich into gVar_dimensions

   get gVar_dimensions
   if it = "768x576-PAL square" then
   set width of player 1 to 768
   set height of player 1 to 576
   set the top of player 1 to 0
   set the left of player 1 to 150
   set the hilitedButtonName of group "frame rate" to "25"
   set the menuHistory of button "frame rate" to 4

(then come all the other ifs)

end menuPick
=======================================

Would it be better to do the if statements in a separate script?


3)  The 'New Developers' documentation needs a section on the 
differences between AppleScript and Transcript, if this has not already 
been added in 2.1!  All the time wasted until I discovered that 'put 20 
into variable' was the correct grammar, not 'set variable to 20' got 
irritating, especially as properties DO work in the 'set to' grammar.


4) I can't see from the website, do the new video capabilities of Rev 2 
include making video from image sequences?


5) Is it possible to export a snapsho directly to file?  I am currently 
importing the snapshot and then exporting it to JPEG, but of course 
this results in a huge amount of flicker and general nastiness as I am 
generating up to 1500 snapshots in a row.

=======================================
   put the windowID of this stack into savedID
     import snapshot from rectangle 150,0,(width of player 1 + 
150),(height of player 1) of window savedID
     export JPEG to file file_name & ".jpg"
     delete last image
=======================================



That's all for now!


Ian Wood
Panoramic photography, from web to billboard, sunrise to moonrise
http://www.azurevision.co.uk


P.S. An early beta can be found at http:www.azurevision.co.uk/qtvr2mov