|
+CORTEX
+installation notes + | ||
| release | +2.1.2 | |
| maintained by | +Eric Moon | |
| last updated | +13 June, 2000 | |
| For current project info, visit http://cortex.sourceforge.net +Back to index... + | ||
 + | ||
| installing add-ons |
+ Sample add-ons are provided in the add-ons.ppc and add-ons.x86 folders. +To install add-ons for your architecture, select all of the '.media_addon' files in the +appropriate folder and drag them to the linked folder named '[DRAG HERE TO INSTALL]'. + + | |
| +Copyright © 1999-2000, Eric Moon. All rights reserved. |
|
+CORTEX Release Notes + | ||
| this release | +2.1.2 | |
| maintained by | +Eric Moon | |
| last updated | +13 June, 2000 | |
| For current project info, visit http://cortex.sourceforge.net + Please send bug reports to em@be.com +Back to index... + | ||
+ | ||
|
+r2.1.2 + | + + [up] + [down] + | |
Bug fixes & minor UI improvements
| ||
+ | ||
|
+r2.1.0 + | + + [up] + [down] + | |
BeOS 5 Version, new UI
| ||
+ | ||
|
+dr2.0.2 + | + + [up] + [down] + | |
PowerPC Version
| ||
Features
| ||
+ | ||
|
+dr2.0.1 + | + + [up] + [down] + | |
Fixed Bugs:
B_RECORDING: support for filtering live streams from physical inputs +has been vastly improved. + +Workaround: on the BeOS R4.5.2, some nodes for audio-input hardware (such as the emu10k) stop +responding when requested to stop. Physical-input nodes cannot be stopped for now +(once the node has been started, the group inspector 'Start' and 'Stop' buttons will +have no effect.) + + + | ||
| +Copyright © 1999-2000, Eric Moon. All rights reserved. |
|
+CORTEX documentation index + | ||
| release | +2.1.2 | |
| maintained by | +Eric Moon | |
| last updated | +13 June, 2000 | |
| For current project info, visit http://cortex.sourceforge.net +Installation +Release Notes +Source & Binary License + | ||
+ | ||
| 1) |
+Overview & General Usage + | + + [up] + [down] + |
| routing window intro |
+ Revision 2.1.0 of Cortex introduced a kick-ass new routing window design courtesy +of Christopher Lenz (cmlenz@gmx.de.) +The routing view now has two distinct +viewing modes: "Icon View" and "Mini Icon View", selectable from the context menu that +appears when you click the right mouse button in an empty area of the window. + +"Icon View" is the default; it's similar to the old look & feel (though a lot nicer +to look at) -- nodes are displayed as rectangular tiles with inputs and outputs +arranged vertically on the left and right sides, respectively. Nodes are assigned icons +based on the type of node, or the owning application if any. + +"Mini Icon View" is a more compact display: connection points are layed out horizontally, +with inputs on the top and outputs on the bottom.) + +In either view, nodes can be freely dragged around. You can select multiple nodes by +<shift>-clicking or by dragging a selection rectangle around them. Try right-clicking +a node or connection to see the specific commands available for it. +Node positions in both views will be remembered the next time Cortex is run. +If you find the gray background dull, try dragging in an image file or a color from one +of the many color-chooser apps out there (I like kColor.) + + | |
| making connections |
+ New connections can be made by dragging between two connection points (it doesn't +matter if you drag from an input or an output.) The wire will snap to connection points +as the mouse nears them (this doesn't guarantee that such a connection is possible.) + +To disconnect two nodes, click on a wire and press the <delete> +key, or right-click it and select "Disconnect." + ++Restrictions: Cortex locks the connection between the system mixer and the +audio output. The Media Server doesn't look kindly upon apps that break that +connection. Connections from file-producer nodes (more about those below) are also locked, +due to a bug in the Media Kit. + | |
| dormant nodes |
+ +Now for a look at the second window: labeled "Media Add-Ons", it displays all the +media nodes available in add-ons (these are also known as "Dormant Nodes.") Additional +information on a given node can be had by right-clicking and selecting "Get Info." + +To create, or instantiate, a new copy of a given dormant node, drag it +to a spot in the routing window. If Cortex was able to successfully +create a new instance of the node, a corresponding panel will appear in the routing +window. + Danger! Cortex currently allows you to instantiate any dormant node +you want. Some add-on nodes, such as sound-card inputs and outputs, can't be +created more than once, and instantiating a new copy will break the existing one. +If this happens, the "Restart Media Services" in the Media preferences panel should +return the system to a usable state. + +File-producers: to create a node capable of playing a given media file (audio +or video), drag it the file into the routing window. Note that if you create a video-producer +in this fashion, it can't be hooked straight up to a raw video output, since it +produces compressed video. You can use the "Decoder Node" add-on to produce +raw video that can be directly displayed in the Video Window (and hopefully a +video output as well -- but I don't have one to test with, so no guarantees!) Note +as well that the Video Window must be started manually before it'll display anything. + + +To delete a node, click on it (to select the node), then press the +<delete> key, or right-click the nodeand select "Release." + + + | |
| saving node-sets |
+ +new cool thing: you can save an XML-based description of the currently selected set +of nodes via the "Save Nodes" option in the 'File' menu. Nodes that you've instantiated +in Cortex are fully described, so that they are recreated when you load the node-set. +Nodes owned by outside applications are described to the point that connections to/from them +may be reestablished if they still exist but Cortex will make no attempt to +recreate outside nodes if it can't find them. + + | |
| the transport window |
+ The transport controls (start/stop) are located in a separate floating window (if it's +not visible, select "Transport" from the "Window" menu.) +When one or more nodes are connected, Cortex binds them together into a group, +allowing you to control the nodes in unison. If you want, you can disable this behavior by +right-clicking any node in a group and picking "Lock Group" under the "Advanced" submenu. +Nodes connected to or from any node in the group will thereafter remain in their own groups. + + ++The upper-left quadrant of the transport window lists information on the currently selected +group, if any. Selecting a node in the routing window causes its group -- if it has one -- to +be selected in the inspector. You can click on the group name to edit it; there's not much +reason to do so yet (groups aren't saved with node-sets yet.) The bottom of this +status display may be used to show error information in a future release. + ++In the upper-right are the transport controls: pretty self-explanatory except for the "Preroll" +button. This tells all the nodes in the group to get ready to play -- a properly implemented +media node should be able to do as much pre-processing as it needs to start instantly. + ++The rest of the transport window is devoted to settings. The "Roll from" and "to" values allow +you to set a range over which the group will play. If the "to" setting is less than or equal +to the "from" setting, the group will play unhindered until you stop it. If you do specify a +valid range, playback will stop when the "to" position is reached, unless one or more nodes +in the group have "cycle" enabled, in which case those nodes will repeatedly play the selected +region. The loop isn't guaranteed to be perfectly accurate, especially at short loop lengths, +but cycle mode is useful for stress-testing a node's "seek" abilities, or for keeping a +file-player node running. The "Roll to/from" controls are live while cycling nodes are running, +although Cortex gives up trying to cycle a node if the loop length is too small (less than one +millisecond.) The cycle setting for each node is located in the node context menu obtained by +right-clicking on a node panel. + ++The "Run Mode" control lets you tell the nodes how to cope when they fall behind +(or, if "Offline", to ignore the concept of real time altogether.) This setting +may be overridden on a node-by-node basis via the "Run Mode" options in the node context menu. + ++The "Time Source" control lets you set the time-source for all nodes in the group. A time +source is a node that regularly publishes timestamps used by other nodes to synchronize their +output. The default time source used for new nodes is the "DAC Time Source" (provided you have +an audio output device of some sort.) If you instantiate nodes that can act as time sources, +they'll be added to this menu. + + | |
| parameters |
+ +Chris has been hard at work expanding parameter (control panel) support. To open the +new control-panel window for a node that has parameters, double-click the node or select +"Tweak Parameters" from its context menu. If a node supports its own control-panel window, +it can be displayed from the Cortex parameter window or by selecting +"Start Control Panel" from the "Advanced" context submenu. + + | |
| sample nodes |
+ Cortex comes with several sample add-on nodes. Two of them, LoggingConsumer +and ToneProducer, are based on sample code from the Be Developer Newsletter. I've +made a few changes to them to implement add-on support, and to make them a bit more flexible. +Since they are very useful testbed nodes, future Cortex releases will likely include +further improved versions of them. +Also included is a sample audio filter, Flanger. It is somewhat limited: only +floating-point audio is supported (the same is true of ToneProducer.) It does include +a control panel. Try instantiating ToneProducer and Flanger, connecting +them together, then connecting Flanger's output to the system mixer. This is a +simple example of the Media Kit's flexibility. (For truly warped sounds, try connecting a +few Flangers in a row!) + +To help ease format-conflict pains, AudioAdapter converts +from one raw audio format to another on the fly. In most cases you can simply connect +nodes to either side of it. If you get a "Bad media format" error, you may need to help +AudioAdapter decide the format: in the Parameters section of the node inspector, +you can pick format requirements. (Note that currently you HAVE to fully specify the output +format to get it to connect to the system mixer.) + + | |
+ | ||
| 2) |
+Known Bugs (& Missing Features) + | + + [up] + [down] + |
+back-end (NodeManager)
| ||
+ | ||
| 3) |
+Notes for Developers + | + + [up] + [down] + |
+Come check out the SourceForge +Project Page! + +Comments/questions? | ||
| +Copyright © 1999-2000, Eric Moon. All rights reserved. |
+Copyright (c) 1999-2000, Eric Moon. +All rights reserved. + +Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without +modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions +are met: + +1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright + notice, this list of conditions, and the following disclaimer. + +2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright + notice, this list of conditions, and the following disclaimer in the + documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. + +3. The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote products + derived from this software without specific prior written permission. + +THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR +IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES +OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR +PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY +DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES +(INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; +LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED +AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR +TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE +OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. ++ +