OK how to we get VideoXPro "fully" working with MMF2?
This would added huge development potential to MMF2 in the video and webcam area.
Suggestion?
OK how to we get VideoXPro "fully" working with MMF2?
This would added huge development potential to MMF2 in the video and webcam area.
Suggestion?
What's VideoXPro, and in what way does it not work "fully" with MMF2?
Sorry I mistyped, I should have called it VideoCapX. It is one of several activex/.net products from www.fathsoft.com. It is reported to be fully compatible with C++, VB.Net, C#, VB6. (Please don't tell me to just use on of these other programming languages. I like MMF and want to see it develop.) VideoCapX allows a developer to:
Create video preview window
Capture single image from camera
Capture video sequence
Play media files with VideoCapX
Upload image to web server using FTP
Upload files to web server using HTTP
Motion detection
Put time-stamp on video
Transfer video frames over a network
and several other features.
While I've been able to create a preview using a webcam and IP cameras I have not been able to find a way to get motiondetection to work. This has to do with a conflict between the way VideoCapX works and the MMF2 activex extension works.
Really the problem is bigger than this. I have developed another application trying to integrate activex and MMF2 with limited success. For example, a financial application using a spreadsheet activex.
The spreadsheet calculation engine greatly increased development speed since trying to code all of the calculations by hand was slow and an error prone process.
A spreadsheet calculation engine would also be a great help to game developers. It is far easier to develop and test calculations and display results than trying to had code it all by hand in MMF2. Develop and test the spreadsheet. Then interface the input and output to MMF. Very easy, quick and accurate.
I would really like to see a new extension designed to allow MMF to integrate "well" with these other .net or activex components.
Or a program that can take as input the activex or .net component and generate an MMF2 extension allowing the user to define what properties, methods and events are to be included. Also a way to catagorize the properties, methods and events.
This is one problem the current MMF activex has. You get a large list of actions, conditions, and expressions for example. However in some cases you would like to be able to catagorize the actions, methods or events in a different way or have them selectable in conditions and actions both for example.
(Case in point is the VideoCapX DetectMotion method. It is both an action and an expression which returns a number on how much motion was detected, 10% 20% 30% ect...)
With the VideoCapX product, I would like to catagorize the actions into motiondetection, camera control, ftp transfer, tv tuner, video server, etc... instead of them being all mixed together in a random way like the MMF activex extension does today.
This has been a long ongoing problem. Th MMF Activex extension has been updated and is much better than a few years ago. But now is a time to add a new object that allows MMF to be extended with other components.
Perhap using the term a new object is not the best. Perhaps a new program that does the above is required just like the Install Maker or Patch Creator. Call it the Extension Generator. Input an activex or .net component and output an extension for MMF2.
It seems to me that for someone who know VB.net, C#.net, or Visual C++ and the MMF SDK for extension creation it would not be hard to create. This would also seem to be a possible way to quickly upgrade all extensions as we move from one version of MMF to another or add new runtime platforms which as also been an ongoing problem.
You underestimate how hard creating a "general purpose" extension is. A replacement ActiveX extension would come under this.
On the other hand, I think a "VideoCapX" extension would be relatively simple to make, if a little time-consuming.
Either way I suspect you are going to have to pay a developer to create the extension.
I'm not referring to a "general purpose" extension. I am talking about a program to take in an activex or .net component,like VideoCapX, and help a user to build an MMF2 extension using the sdk.
1.What activex do you want to use?
2.Here is a list of the properties, methods, events.
3.How should the MMF extension list the properties, methods, events.
4.Do you want to create catagories?
5.Click here to generate the Extension you defined.
I believe the sdk is a great first step but you need to be a developer to create an extension. I just believe there has to be a better way. There are not enough programmers at Clickteam to convert all of the activex and .net components. It is better than it was with the development of the sdk.
So just like with Patch Creator or Install Maker we need Extension Creator.
What you suggest would be *more* complicated than making a new ActiveX extension. Either way it has to work with *any* ActiveX, which isn't a simple thing.
I agree. I have no doubt the MMF activex extension is a complex piece of programming. As I stated the MMF activex extension is far better than it was and the sdk has been greatly improved.
But I believe, just like with Install Creator Pro and Patch Maker, a new Extension Generator/Manager is needed. Issues with extensions go all the way back to MMF 1.0. Just being able to find an extension programmer, track, locate, install, recompile to work with the newest version of MMF, updating installed extensions automatically, knowing which platforms they will work or can be exported to, consistence help, examples, tutorials and help files, consistence installation procedures are still issues to one degree or another. I believe there needs to be a consistence strategy and tool developed.
The biggest issue I have right now is getting two activex extensions to work. One is Spread (a spreadsheet activex) and VideoCapPro. I'm concerned the market is moving away from activex and the new .net components is going to be the new technology. I know there are also Java components, Flash components etc... so the issue of MMF Extensions is becoming more critical.
Asking for something that automatically makes an extension is like asking for something that automatically writes a book.
Sorry, it's just not that simple.
EDIT: In case you're not aware, real programming languages don't divide code into actions, conditions and expressions. "Action" type code frequently returns success or failure, for example, which would confuse an automatic process as to whether it was an action, condition, or expression. This is the source of half the problems with the active-x extension.
Then you've got structures and pointers, neither of which have an equivalent in MMF.
Hear hear!Originally Posted by Dynasoft
Could Clickteam send me a copy of the activex code which I assume is in C++ format. Maybe I can review it and the sdk and develop what I am speaking of.
Yes I understand what you are saying and the need to have the user provide input to help the program understand how to generate the extension.
This is no different than using Install Maker and feeding it information so it can create the install program.
I am not speaking of an "automatic" "god-like" program. Just one with more AI built in.
The MMF activex extension can take an activex component and present actions, condititions and expressions just given the activex component's methods, events, and properties today. It is not perfect. A better interface is needed to allow a user to help the program understand better how to define and present the actions, conditions, and expressions in a better way.
One example would be the ability to create catagories of actions, conditions and expressions, or rename them, or a better understanding of pass-by-value and pass-by-reference parameters and arguments which a human could provide via a form screen.
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