Above, you can see TWO Quicktime movies, designed as bare bones tests for the some of the most interesting features of Quicktime Wired Sprite movies; messaging from and between wired sprites. You must have Quicktime 4 or later installed to take full advantage of this.
DebugStr() is a way for wired sprites to send a string to their container. When you click the first button, the wired movie will send a message to its container (currently this is the web browser you are using to read this document). Usually it is necessary to prepare the container for calls back from the embedded Quicktime movie. Web browsers can not yet be prepared in this way.
ApplicationNumberAndString() is a way for wired sprites to send a constant numerical value and a string to their container. When you click the second button, the wired movie will send such a message to its container. Once again, it is necessary to prepare the container for calls back from the embedded Quicktime movie. Web browsers can not yet be prepared in this way.
Inter-movie messaging is a way for Quicktime wired movies to
control other Quicktime movies running in the same container.
When you click the third button, it will send a message to the
other Quicktime movie (the small one with the ear icon) and something
will happen. If nothing happens, the container you are using does
not support this excellent feature.
Quicktime has been so successful that there are now dozens of popular (and less popular) applications which support it, at least to some extent. Many of these applications only support audio and video track types. Sprite tracks are not particularly new, they appeared with Quicktime version 2, but wired sprite tracks (sprite tracks containing 'executable' data atoms) are a relatively recent addition, arriving with version 3, the first version where the features of the Macintosh and Windows versions matched one-to-one.
Quicktime4 has introduced the new messaging techniques, highlighted on this page which, if they became more widely adopted by the developers of container applications, would make wired movies much more powerful, and would greatly enhance the possibile uses of Quicktime in those applications. Most applications which support Quicktime 3 do have some support wired tracks, but there are still stragglers out there which simply can not display or (in some cases) even open Quicktime movies with tracks other than audio and video.
This has left us multimedia authors wondering exactly which
apps support which of the funky new messaging features. Messages
to the container have been possible since version 3, so there
are only naff excuses for applications not supporting these.
I've been able to test these movies in a number of environments, and gather results from other people, but there are still some gaps in the knowledge base. If you regularly use an application which supports Quicktime, please take the time to test the movies displayed on this page in that application.
To test, CTRL-click (Mac) or right-click (Windows) on both movies and choose 'save as source', saving both files in the same folder or directory. Next, make a new document with the application you want to test and import/embed/link the two files. Examing the documentation of your application to see whether there is any provision for callbacks from Quicktime movies. If there is, prepare the container application to receive the following messages:
DebugStr
ApplicationNumberAndString
For example, in Hypercard 2.4.1 (or later, if there ever is a later version) DebugStr() messages can be trapped and sent to the message box with a hypertalk handler like this in the 'current' card:
on spriteDebugMessage a, b, c put a && b && c end spriteDebugMessage
...and ApplicationNumberAndString() messages can be trapped with a handler like this:
on spriteCustomAction a, b, c, d put a && b && c && d end spriteCustomAction
I have prepared some very simple examples of wired messaging in various applications, which is available for download here.
It is possible or likely that the application you are using has no provision for callbacks from Quicktime.
Finally, test your application with the embedded movies. If you find your application lacking in any of the three areas being tested, please send a mail to the wishlist devoted to that product, and send any special discoveries to me so that I can add the information to the table below.
IMPORTANT: When sending reports of issues with any software,
always specify the version(s) of the software, the operating
system you are running on and any other relevant details. In this
case, it is also important that you specify which version of Quicktime
you are using, and (where applicable) which version of the Quicktime
enabling technology you are using (such as browser plug-in or
Xtra).
The Table
| Tool / Playback environment | Version(s) | Platform(s) | DebugStr() | ApplicationNumberAndString() | Inter movie messaging |
| Hypercard | 2.4 (With Quicktime XCMD) | Mac Classic (only) | Yes | Yes | No |
| iShell | 2.1 | Mac/Win | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Director | Any | Any | No | No | No |
| Acrobat | Any | Any | No | No | No |
| Netscape Navigator | + Quicktime Plugin | Mac/Win | No | No | Yes |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | + Quicktime Plugin / ActiveX Control | Mac/Win | No | No | Yes |
| Appleworks | Any | Mac | No (CRASH!) | No (CRASH!) | No (CRASH!) |
| TexEdit Plus | >4 | Mac | No | No | No |
| BBEdit | >6 | Mac | No | No | No |
| SimpleText | Any | Mac | (Not scriptable) | No | No |
| Quicktime Player | >3 | Mac/Win | Yes | No | Yes |
| mTropolis + Alien Logic AX Quicktime modifier | AX v 2.01 | Mac/Win | No | Yes | No |
Three awards will be made for those applications which are most aware of Quicktime wired sprites, particularly the messaging techniques under investigation. The gold rosette will be awarded to the container application with the most excellent support, silver and bronze will also be on offer.
Vegetables will be awarded to applications which really should know better, or which simply fall over when faced with a wired movie.
Current Awards are thus:
The Gold Rosette goes to Tribeworks iShell for supporting wired actions more extensively than any other app. Go Tribe!
The Silver Rosette goes to Hypercard. (The old dog that wont die).
Bronze Rosette goes to Alien Logic for distinguished service beyond the call of duty.
Cabbages for the following:
 |
|
|
| Macromedia Director | Adobe Acrobat | Appleworks |
Shame on you. GET WITH THE PROGRAM, GUYS!