WhiteCap is a MacAMP/Macast, SoundJam, and Winamp visual plugin. Please read all of this file--it has key info you'll want to know. Finally, I dedicate this entire project to Jesus, the light of my life––praise God! Without Him, I can do nothing.
Instructions
1) Move the two items inside "(into Visual Plug-ins)" into SoundJam's "Visual Plug-ins" folder.
2) Run SoundJam and select WhiteCap from the Window menu.
3) Wait 15 seconds and WhiteCap will begin to "slide-show". You can also change the currently displayed "config" by command clicking in the WhiteCap window, clicking on the title of the displayed config, or by typing part of a title.
4) To go into fullscreen mode, double click on the WhiteCap window or hit cmd-F.
5) For best results, be in at least thousands of colors (16-bit) mode.
FAQ
Q: How can I learn about WhiteCap config files so I can make my own?
A: The config file titled "ArcticFox Memories" is documented. Other good examples are Puddle, Avalanche, and ElectroScope.
Q: Can I resize the WhiteCap window?
A: Just drag near the bottom right of the window.
Q: Can I make WhiteCap act like a screensaver?
A: Open the text file "WhiteCap Preferences" in your Preferences folder. The parameter 'SSvr' is the number of minutes WhiteCap waits before switching to fullscreen once your mac has been left idle. Set this parameter to -1 to disable this feature.
Q: How do I make WhiteCap display random configs every so often?
A: When WhiteCap starts up, it's automatically in 'slide show' mode. After a certain number of seconds it will automatically switch to another config. To change the time delay, open the WhiteCap preferences file. The parameter 'Slde' is the number of seconds WhiteCap waits before switching to a new config. For example, you could have WhiteCap always be morphing between configs by setting Slde to 0.
Q: What else can I edit in the WhiteCap Preferences file?
A: When WhiteCap switches to another config, it has to know how long to make the transition from one config to the next. WhiteCap decides this period of time by picking a random number of seconds between TrLo and TrHi. The MScl parameter scales the amplitude of all music samples (x1000), so if most of the music you play is soft, try increasing this to 1500 or higher (1.5+). If you don't want config titles to be displayed, set ShwT to 0, if you want them only in fullscreen mode set it to 1, if you only want titles in window mode set it to 2, if you want titles in both modes set it to 3. If you set NoBo to 1, WhiteCap will try to make its window borderless. If the Kybd parameter is set to 0, WhiteCap will ignore keystrokes.
Q: How do I change the currently displayed config via keyboard?
A: WhiteCap will sense what you type and will change the current config after you finish typing. WhiteCap is smart about choosing a config based on what you typed, so don't worry about capitalization, typos, or length. Here's some examples of stuff that WhiteCap would easily figure out:
"pud", "Pud", "puddle" -> "Puddle",
"pole", "trip" -> "TriPoles",
"thund", "rpsthu" -> "RPS Thunderdome"
Finally, if you type "slideshow" (one word), WhileCap will toggle slideshow mode. This is useful if you want no visible sign that you've entered/exited slide show mode.
Q: How do I display multiple configs?
A: Make a folder in the "WhiteCap Configs" folder and place the config files you want to be displayed at once inside that folder. See "RGB Rave" as an example.
Q: Why does the green factory config keep appearing when I select a config?
A: WhiteCap falls back to an internally stored 'factory' config if there's a problem loading a config. Try double checking your config for missing/extra quotes, commas, and comments and make sure it's not open in another application.
The only thing I ask in return for using WhiteCap is an email saying hi with some feedback. Also, if you make a cool 'config', include a copy of it to me and I'll put it in the next release of WhiteCap. If you send me a config, please put some info about yourself in the config file (alias, email, config title, etc). To give you an idea how far this plugin has come from user support, most of the WhiteCap configs are configs you guys have sent me. Remember, WhiteCap can't improve unless you send me ideas, feedback, and bug reports. Email, email, email! Also, I'd like it if you mentioned what configs you like so I can try to make more along those lines.
Notes
• Don't blame WhiteCap for messing up your HD when you happened to be defragging your HD, while installing Stacker, while you were using Netscape, while you were running Microsoft Office 2000 in Virtual PC.
• Don't steal the source code (feel free to use it, just give credit to where you got it from). I include the source code because I want to expose upcoming software authors to source code other than snippets and freeware hacks for UNIX that nobody cares about--it's the kind of thing I wish I had to learn from when I was starting out. I ask other software authors to consider this and do the same.
On The Horizon
Way back I said I had two new plugins simultaneously under development. WhiteCap 3 was one of them and the other is nearing completion. Time is scarce, but this other plugin will happen within couple weeks. Thanks in advance for your patience and support.
My third project, a mac port of of Icecast, a mp3 streaming server, has been at a standstill. With so many other exciting projects on the to-do list, I've abandoned this project.
Thanks to an email from a guy, it got on a line of thought that led to a radical new idea. I was so excited, I retreated into my room to code for three days straight (no kidding) to prototype this idea. I'm excited to say I now have proof of concept for this technology, and I'm really optimistic about it. It's coded "Project: Escape," and to give you an idea of how excited I am about it, it's stolen all my excitement from my (unnamed) new plugin. Project: Escape is a 3D technology that's proven to have serious potential, and I have to choose among the ways it can be used. If you're in a market associated with computer eye appeal (screensavers, music/artistic visualization, 3D interactivity/games, or eye-grabber technology) and are interested in a unique venture, email me.
Version History
3.1 - 9SEP99
- Added a bunch of great new configs (thank Mavelick from Japan!)
- Added TrLo, TrHi, MScl to the preferences file
- "(Slide Show)" now grays instead of vanishing when WhiteCap's in slide show mode
- Winamp: Fixed 24 and 32 bit color drawing
3.1.1 - 15SEP99
- Added ShwT to preferences file
- SoundJam: Fixed big performace bug in WhiteCap (thanks Jeff Robbin!)
- Fixed ugly problem that caused quivering/shaking of configs
3.1.3 - 17SEP99
- Added division by zero catch for configs that cause a div by zero
- SoundJam, Macast: Made screen saver mode keyboard aware
3.2 - 11OCT99
- Added keyboard config change (see FAQ)
- Added the function trnc()
- Fixed bug that marked an XYZ or RGB expression containing rnd() as independent of s
- Fixed bug: "... + a + b + c * d ^ e + ..." was being compiled as "... + a + b + ( c * d ) ^ e + ..."
- Added NoBo and Kybd and modified ShwT in preferences file
- Winamp: Fixed config titles not displaying in fullscreen
- Winamp: WhiteCap now looks for the config folder at the same level as itself (vs. a dir named "Plugins")
- Macast: Found cause of Macast crash on fullscreen exit
- Macast: Fixed problem causing an exit from fullscreen upon entering fullscreen
3.2.1 - 20OCT99
- Fixed clipping bug responsible for occasional crashes/exceptions
- Fixed clipping in multi-config mode
3.2.2 - 28OCT99
- Now ignores keyboard input less than 4 characters
