TCWindow - Time Code Window Program ----------------------------------- Preliminary Demo Version 0.3 12/9/86 Mike Berro BCS Software 13432 Lochrin lane Sylmar, CA 91342 (818) 362-6031 CIS: 73267,3361 Version 0.3 uses interrupts to keep time. The only time the count is halted is in the freeze or set time code modes. The display may halt momentarily during disk accesses, but the frame count will be correct. The Preset option has also been expanded to include the time of day. Version 0.2 fixes a bug in 0.1 that would not allow you to set the time code unit frames digit. Color bars with tone was also added. Introduction ------------ TCWindow allows you to create a window dub, or video with visible time code. The time code can be reset or preset, frozen, and moved around. Both Drop and Non-drop modes allowed. Settings can be saved onto disk. This is a preliminary demo. Future versions (if there is interest) will include reading time code through the serial port or reading it directly through mouse port #2 (already done). Future versions will also have a nicer font, variable font size and color, and who knows what all else. I would appreciate any comments. Menu Commands ------------- There are three menus: Project, Options and Disk Access. The Project commands may also be accessed by simply pressing the associated command key; pressing the right-Amiga key is optional. Project Menu ------------ > Freeze the Display [F]: This command freezes and unfreezes the display. Pressing the space bar always unfreezes the display. Other commands still function when the display is frozen. > Set the Time [S]: This command allows you to set the time to any value. After selecting this command, the "set pointer" will become visible. Point at the digit to change and press the left mouse button. Press the right mouse button or any key to exit this mode. The value you have set will be stored in the "preset buffer" (see Preset below). > Preset the Time: This menu item has three sub-items, each selectable from the keyboard: > Zero [Z]: Sets the time to zero. > Preset [P]: Sets the time to the value in the "preset buffer" (see Set above). The value in the preset buffer is displayed in the menu. > Time of Day [T]: Sets the time to the time of day. Use Preferences to set the time, if required. > Move the Time [M]: This command allows you to move the time code display to another position on the screen. After selecting this command, the "move pointer" will become visible. Point to the desired location of the upper-left corner of the display and press the left mouse button. Press the right mouse button or any key to exit this mode. > Hide the Pointer [H]: Does just that. Press the left mouse button to make it visible. > Color Bars [B]: Displays color bars behind the time code. A 1 KHz tone is also output on both audio channels. Use this command again to remove the bars and tone. In this version the switching is NOT done in the vertical interval. Please note that the color bars are calibrated for the composite output, and may look incorrect on an RGB monitor. Green and Magenta are not within specifications. > Quit [Q]: Return from whence you came. Options Menu ------------ > Drop or Non-drop Frame: Non-drop frame time code is continuous. Drop frame code skips two frames every minute, except every ten minutes. Non-drop frame accurately counts the number of frames, Drop frame code more accurately measures the duration. The reason is that video is not running exactly at 30 frames per second, but at 29.97. Therefore, instead of 1800 frames per minute you actually have about 1802 frames. Which code you use depends upon what the code is for. If you are using it to edit tape, use Non-drop frame code. Many inexpensive editing systems will choke on drop frame code. If you are using it to simply measure the duration of events, use drop frame code. > Interlace or Non-Interlace: Interlaced video produces better recordings, but is somewhat annoying to watch. In this instance it does not give you better resolution. The program does not reset the interlace mode upon startup or exit. Disk Access Menu ---------------- The parameters stored are the current time, the "preset buffer", the display position, the drop frame mode and the interlace mode. They are stored in a file called TCW.data. Miscellaneous ------------- Pressing Z zeroes the time code. Activating the menu will cause a "glitch" in the time code, causing it to miss several frames. Use the keyboard to avoid this. Running other programs at the same time could also cause inaccuracies, unless you set the priority of this program very high.