Dodcap 1.36

[Dave Anderson]

Jeff,

What do you have up your sleeve for this release? Features?

Thanks!

Dave

[Lunar07]

Jeff,

What do you have up your sleeve for this release? Features?

Thanks!

Dave

I have always wished for this application to have two features:
1. An option to allow user to either capture on Mouse Click (left button down then up) event OR on Mouse Down (left button down) event, and
2. Some support for USB interface mouse.

[MovieStuff]

Jeff,

What do you have up your sleeve for this release? Features?

Thanks!

Dave

I have always wished for this application to have two features:
1. An option to allow user to either capture on Mouse Click (left button down then up) event OR on Mouse Down (left button down) event,

Actually, the software captures on the mouse release (mouse up). I know the Capturemate software has an option for either. Maybe Jeff can be talked into adding the mouse down feature to DodCap but I'm not sure of any benefit from having it capture on the mouse down stroke. Is there something that I'm missing?

2. Some support for USB interface mouse.

We offer both USB and PS2 mice but recommend the PS2 for use with a PC because there are sometimes latency issues with USB mice on some PC systems. The PS2 always works but the USB can cause synch issues if the latency becomes a problem.

Roger

[digvid]

Dave -

Dodcap 1.36 will have a simplified user interface with a summary of instructions for using Dodcap+WorkPrinter on the main screen. No functionality is taken away, although some things that people don't use very often are tucked away as advanced features instead of being immediately visible on the main window. For instance, the pulldown during capture options are not normally visible/available any more. The same is true for the compression codec, although all these things are still accessible if you put Dodcap in "advanced" mode.

The menu system in 1.36 is spread out across the top of the main window (like any other Windows program) instead of being "hidden" in the system menu. I have had many complaints about people not being able to find the menu, so I redid this part.

The Dodcap media player is now more compact looking--I reduced the size considerably because some users apparently still use rather small desktop sizes. Also, the media player now has a standard Windows menu as well. I have added a feature to the media player that allows you to take footage you have just captured with the WorkPrinter and preview what it would look like with any of the pulldown options. This is a preview only--it doesn't actually perform the pulldown or create a new file, it just approximates what your footage would look like after pulldown. This will hopefully help people make decisions about which pulldown speed to use instead of doing a trial-and-error method.

I changed some terminology as well. For instance, "pulldown" is now called "speed change". Also, you no longer need to specify speed changes as being for PAL or NTSC. When you first run Dodcap after updating to 1.36, it will ask whether you use NTSC or PAL, and then it will never ask you again. If you make a mistake, you can correct it by going to an advanced settings section and correcting it there.

Most of these things were, I think, much needed, although I realize there is nothing earth-shattering here. I do think though that these things will make Dodcap easier to use.

Hope that answers your question Dave!

- Jeff D.

[Dave Anderson]

Thanks Jeff! So it's still officially 'beta' then? I will give it a try...

Dave

[digvid]

Dave -

Dodcap 1.36, which I just described above, is not yet released. Expect it within a week or so. It will not be released as a beta, because the core code it is based on has been in circulation for quite some time.

Dodcap 1.35, which has been posted on my website for quite some time now, is still listed on the site as a beta. However, it has been used with no major problems for about ten months now by a large number of people. In other words, I probably should have removed the "beta" status of 1.35 before now. So feel free to download and use 1.35...and 1.36 when I release it.

- Jeff

[Lunar07]

Jeff,

What do you have up your sleeve for this release? Features?

Thanks!

Dave

I have always wished for this application to have two features:
1. An option to allow user to either capture on Mouse Click (left button down then up) event OR on Mouse Down (left button down) event,

Actually, the software captures on the mouse release (mouse up). I know the Capturemate software has an option for either. Maybe Jeff can be talked into adding the mouse down feature to DodCap but I'm not sure of any benefit from having it capture on the mouse down stroke. Is there something that I'm missing?

2. Some support for USB interface mouse.

We offer both USB and PS2 mice but recommend the PS2 for use with a PC because there are sometimes latency issues with USB mice on some PC systems. The PS2 always works but the USB can cause synch issues if the latency becomes a problem.

Roger

I can understand the latency issues caused by using a USB mouse. So using a PS2 mouse is no big deal.
As for giving the user the option to capture on Mouse Down event, it makes it ***much easier*** for an amateur to build a system by which a capture happens on mouse down event. Such a simple system can be built with radio shack components and an off the shelf IC timer. Jeff knows that whole story, and he knows the exact rationale behind it. Capturing on mouse click event just introduces some complications. I have built the circuit and tried it with a Eumig 610D running at 3FPS. It works. All I need is a DodCap version that supports capturing on mouse down event.
Of course, I'd still like to get the WorkPrinter XP :-D which I am saving money for. But supporting a mouse down event capturing in dodcap makes it an all round useful piece of software.

[MovieStuff]

As for giving the user the option to capture on Mouse Down event, it makes it ***much easier*** for an amateur to build a system by which a capture happens on mouse down event.

Why?

[Royalbox]

@Jeff (Not Dave) (digvid)
A small suggestion:
When the mouse is locked to the capture button, perhaps you could put a message on the interface to say what the escape key combination is for people like me who maybe go months without doing any transfers and then forget how to stop the capture once it's started!

[MovieStuff]

@Dave (digvid)
A small suggestion:
When the mouse is locked to the capture button, perhaps you could put a message on the interface to say what the escape key combination is for people like me who maybe go months without doing any transfers and then forget how to stop the capture once it's started!

DigVid's name is Jeff. ;)

[Royalbox]

Oops! Thanks Roger, sorry Jeff.

[paulcotto]

I was hoping for a joystick fire button option. that way I can still use my PC while I capture frames rather then keeping the cursor over the capture button. Please!!

Paul Cotto

[tbruegg]

great news Jeff, really looking forward for the update. Will you do a post here when you release 1.36? so i don't have to visit your site every day

[MovieStuff]

I was hoping for a joystick fire button option. that way I can still use my PC while I capture frames rather then keeping the cursor over the capture button.

While that would work okay at slower speeds of about 1-2fps, it would create havoc with synch during transfers with the WorkPrinter-XP at 6fps or above. The reason is that anything that interrupts the cycle time of the computer can delay the execution of the capture command, which is hyper critical at higher transfer rates. Using the computer for other things during capture would really only work dependably at slower speeds.

Also, the reason I stick with the mouse interface is that it is pretty much 100% foolproof and very, very easy to trouble shoot via long distance (compared to the seriel port). It also makes it compatible for both Mac and Windows based systems. However, there are some potential speed advantages in using the seriel port that we have considered and are looking into it if we increase the speed significantly on future models.

Roger

[Lunar07]

As for giving the user the option to capture on Mouse Down event, it makes it ***much easier*** for an amateur to build a system by which a capture happens on mouse down event.

Why?

A capture on Mouse Down event saves on response time. Why should I worry about the time it takes for a click when I know that the capture starts when the mouse button is down NOT clicked? As long as I am assured that a click took place (switch on then off), all I have to worry about that a capture takes place mouse down event (switch on). It is the time factor that is important here. The difference in response time between capturing on mouse down and capturing on mouse click.
Also, if capturing happens on mouse down, a timer circuit can be designed to vary time that controls when switch off happens without worrying that a capture have not taken place yet.
Capturing on mouse down allows capturing with a USB mouse and a projector running at 3-6FPS. The USB interface has a slower response time. A capture on mouse down makes a big difference.

What would it take for Dodcap to allow for giving user the option between capturing on mouse click and mouse down? What will it take????????