QuickTime

QuickTime is a Macintosh system extension that allows users to play video, sound, MIDI, and animation in many applications including hyperCard.

To use QuickTime you need to install the QuickTime extension (version 2.1 is the latest). You need a colour-capable (68020 or later) Macintosh with system 6.0.7 or later, with at least 2 MB of RAM.

If you are using system 7.0 or later, you need at least 4 MB of RAM.

If you are using system 6.0.7 with a Mac II, IIx, IIcx or an SE30, you need to install 32-Bit Color QuickDraw.

The movie controller

With the controller, you use the slider to quickly locate any point in the movie. The step-reverse and step-forward buttons let you fine tune your position. The play button toggles between play and pause.

By holding the mouse button down on the speaker icon, a speaker volume slider will pop-up.

Clicking within the movie viewing area pauses the movie, and double-clicking plays the movie. This is particularly useful if the controller is not displayed.

HyperCard and QuickTime

Movie XCMD and MovieInfo XCMD.

These resources are found in the QuickTime Tools Stack that comes with the full version of hyperCard

This stack makes it easy to install QuickTime resources and even a button for playing movies into any stack you choose

You can also use Power Tools to copy these QuickTime XCMD's into another stack.

Set HyperCard's Memory Requirements to 2000 K or more to use QuickTime. (Use Get Info... under the File Menu)

Opening a Movie with HyperCard

If movie files are not in the same folder as the HyperCard stack that's using them, the full pathname of the files must be specified.

The hyperCard command to open a QuickTime movie is:

movie "movie name"

The full syntax for calling up a movie is:

movie "file name", "window style", "location", "visible"

eg

movie "quicktime logo","windoid","200,250","visible"

QuickTime movies are shown in windows and these can be of different types like rect, zoom, dialog, shadow, windoid and plain.

movie "quicktime logo", dialog

QuickTime 2 will convert MIDI files into QuickTime movies and comes with an extension called QuickTime Musical Instruments which allows you to select from a number of instruments when you make a movie.

If you have downloaded my HyperTutor stack from this web site it comes with an example "frs.mov" created from a MIDI file of a tune called "Female Rambling Sailor" which you can experiment with. Or just use any quicktime movie you have and put it's name where I have used "frs.mov" in the examples below.

Once a quicktime movie is opened in hyperCard you can control it with a number of commands. Try these in the Message Box one line at a time

It's worth remembering that QuickTime is very useful for playing sounds, MIDI files, showing stills and playing animations as well as the more common video clips.

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