Mac QT <----> Windows 3.1 Conversion instructions v1.0
3/17/94
Hello, this file explains how to play Macintosh QTs with Windows.
Before I explain the process, let me give you a brief background
of the conversion problem.
QuickTime movies have a section containing actual data and a section containing information on how to play that data--the compression method for graphics or sounds, playback rates, etc. Under MS-DOS, a file is a file is a file, so QTs under DOS have everything in one chunk. Macintosh files, however, have two pieces--a data fork and a resource fork (the resource fork allows programmers to easily add and access specific pieces of data in their programs--sound, icons, etc.). DOS has no analogous structure. When one converts files from Mac to IBM, a Mac file often becomes TWO files on the DOS disk, one containing the data fork and one containing the resource fork. This situation is a problem because:
1. DOS movie players generally want everything in one file; and
2. The Mac saves the movie data in the data fork, but control info in the resource
Therefore, for the DOS or Windows players to work, all of the movie data must be integrated into ONE file, a process known as "flattening."
So just how does one deal with the problem? Simple. You need to obtain two software packages from Apple, both of which are available for free over internet (I don't want to get into the copyright problems involved in redistributing software, so I'm not including the software here--instead, I'm telling you where you can get it).
1. Using anonymous FTP, connect to FTP.APPLE.COM, enter the SOFTWARE:MAC:SC:SNIPPETS:QUICKTIME directory and download PLAYMOVIE.HQX. This is a binhexed StuffIt archive which contains source code for PlayMovie AND a compiled version of PlayMovie. This is the necessary Mac software.
2. Using anonymous FTP, connect to LUGA.LATROBE.EDU.AU. The file you need is
/pub/windows/qtw11.exe.
NOTE: QTW is available from LOTS of places on internet. If you do an archie search for filenames beginning with "qtw" you will find many copies of it all over the place (in .exe, .zip, and .arj formats at the very least). However, many versions are the 1.0 release; luga.latrobe has 1.1. This is the necessary Windows software.
You must have access to a Mac, since the PlayMovie, the flattener, is a Macintosh application. Open the Mac QT movie with PlayMovie. WHILE THE MOVIE IS PLAYING, select "Save flattened" from the file menu to save a flattened copy of the movie (the movie closes when it's done playing, so you can't save it then). Transfer this flattened movie to the IBM (use whatever means necessary--modem, ethernet, disk [CompactPro for Mac and UnCompact for IBM will allow multidisk archives, so you might try them]).
QTW11.EXE is a self-extractor for MS-DOS that contains QuickTime for Windows v1.1 (requires Windows 3.1). The file "Player.exe" can open flattened QT movies (use a ".mov" file extension).
Moving QT/Windows files to the Mac should not be a problem. A few Mac programs will open such flattened files directly; others may require you to set the file type to "MooV" (using ResEdit or another utility) before they display it in the dialog. These files will (should!) play just file without resources. SUGGESTION: since the Mac and Windows environments both support flattened files, Mac users might want to leave all of their QT movies in flattened format so that it's easier to exhange files.
Good luck! If you have trouble, I probably won't be much help, but you're free to email me and ask me anyway... Please let me know if you found this info useful or if there are any errors in it.
This file is for everyone's benefit, so please distribute it freely to anyone who might find it useful. Thanks.
-Eric Bennett (ericb@emb121.rh.psu.edu; if that fails, ericb888@aol.com)
