TOPIC
This article contains the Read Me document included with the QuickTime VR 2.0 SDK.
DISCUSSION
Transition Issues: Distributing QuickTime VR 2.0 Content The QuickTime VR 2.0 Authoring Tools Suite includes all the pieces you need to create QuickTime VR 2.0 content and distribute it for playback on Macintosh, from CD-ROM or hard disk. However, it does not include all the pieces you need to distribute QuickTime VR 2.0 content on Windows and the Web. The pieces you need to distribute QuickTime VR 2.0 content on Windows and the Web will become available a few months after the initial shipment of the QuickTime VR 2.0. The table below summarizes availability dates; the text below explains them. Table 1: QTVR Availability Dates (x=shipping; est.=estimated)
We have made QuickTime VR 2.0 available in Macintosh-only form to allow you to get started on long-leadtime projects using QuickTime VR 2.0 capabilities; for short-term projects that do not require the new capabilities in QuickTime VR 2.0, you can create and distribute your QuickTime VR work in 1.0 format, as described below. QuickTime VR 2.0 Windows Playback Capability To play back QuickTime VR 2.0 content on Windows, from CD-ROM or hard disk, you need a new version of QuickTime for Windows and the upcoming QuickTime VR 2.01 system extension for Windows, which depends on the new version of QuickTime. The initial release of these new versions will support 32-bit Windows playback (Windows 95 and Windows NT), and are expected to be available as follows: These planned releases will not support 16-bit Windows playback (Windows 3.1) for QuickTime or QuickTime VR; new versions that support 16-bit Windows playback are under consideration and may be released later in 1997. QuickTime VR 2.0 Web Playback Capability To play back QuickTime VR 2.0 content on the Web, you need the new 32-bit QuickTime for Windows and QuickTime VR 2.0.1 for Windows, as described above. You also need two additional pieces: the QuickTime VR 2.0.1 system extension for Macintosh, which replaces the 2.0 version included in this product, and the new QuickTime Plug-In for Macintosh and Windows. These new versions will support 32-bit Windows only and are expected to be available as follows: QuickTime VR 2.0 Tools Support Content creation tools such as Bryce 2, Infini-D, and Strata Studio Pro that currently support QuickTime VR 1.0 can be used with QuickTime VR 2.0. Just create the content from the tool, then bring it into the 2.0 authoring tools to add hot spots or make other changes. Multimedia authoring tools such as Apple Media Tool, Macromedia Director, and mTropolis mFactory do not have QuickTime VR 2.0 support initially. In the case of Director, Apple and Macromedia are working together to create a QTVR 2.0 Asset XTRA, and are targeting it for shipment along with Windows and Web playback capability in the second quarter of 1997. In the case of other tools, Apple is actively evangelizing QTVR 2.0 support; you can help by letting your tool vendors know that this is a desirable feature. Using QuickTime VR 1.0 If you need to release QuickTime VR content on Windows or the Web before the system extensions and plug-in you require are ready, consider creating QuickTime VR 1.0 content. To do this, use the QuickTime VR 1.0 tools and documentation included in the Authoring Tools Suite 1.0 folder on this CD-ROM. If you use QuickTime VR 1.0, you will not be able to put hot spots on objects, nor to embed objects flexibly in panoramas. Windows playback may also be less stable than under 2.0. Users playing back QuickTime VR 1.0 content using the 1.0 component will not be able to embed it in QuickTime-aware applications on Macintosh; they will not have the QuickTime VR 2.0 control strip; and they will not be able to zoom in on objects or pan them. However, 1.0 content will continue to work when users upgrade to 2.0. Using 1.0 content may be preferable to waiting for 2.0 playback for the Web and for Windows to become available in the second quarter of 1997 (later for 16-bit Windows support.) You can use the QuickTime VR 2.0 stitcher to create QuickTime VR 1.0 content. Stitch using the 2.0 tools; then take the resulting PICT and dice it using the Version 1.0 tools. This gives you the advantages of the QuickTime VR 2.0 stitcher -- greater robustness, less memory usage, better error messages, and better documentation -- with the wide platform support that only QuickTime VR 1.0 will have in early 1997. To create QuickTime VR 1.0 objects and multi-node movies, use the QuickTime VR 1.0 tools. Summary To summarize the transition issues from QuickTime VR 1.0 to 2.0: For more information and an update on these issues, please see: This article was published in the 15 May 1997 "Information Alley". For the most current information on what SDKs Apple offers, point your web browser to: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/ |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Apple Software |
| Category: | QuickTime |
| Sub Category: | QuickTime VR |
| Keywords: | kalley |
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