WhiteCap is a free visual plugin for audio players as well as a standalone screensaver. Please read all of this file--it has key info you'll want to know. I dedicate all of WhiteCap to Jesus, the light of my life––praise God! In my darkest hours, He carries me.
Instructions
1) Move the two items inside "(into Plugins)" into Enthogen's "Plugins" folder.
2) Run Enthogen and select WhiteCap from the Plugins menu.
3) Wait a few seconds and WhiteCap will begin to "slide-show". You can manually change the currently displayed "config" by clicking on the title of the displayed config, command-clicking anywhere in the WhiteCap window, or by typing part of a title.
Notes
• "Configs" are text files that contain drawing commands that WhiteCap understands, and they need to be in the WhiteCap Configs folder in order for WhiteCap to see them.
• Learn about the many options in WhiteCap by reading what's inside the Extras folder. It includes information about fullscreen mode, screensaver mode, and other options.
• Disable virtual memory and other programs & extensions to get higher frame rates.
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, and "Disco Ribbon" contains some user-contributed documentation. More basic examples are "Puddle" and "Avalanche." To give you an idea how far this plugin has come as a result of users, most of the WhiteCap configs are configs users made themselves and sent in to me (about 90ish of the present 135).
Q: Why does WhiteCap sometimes seem to run in spurts?
A: If you're running another program that uses your CPU in intense spurts, such as a server or A/V process, the lags you see are other programs taking CPU time. Disable virtual memory, quit programs, disable intensive extensions, and restart to boost your frame rate.
Q: How do I resize its window?
A: Just drag near the bottom right of the window.
Q: What's in the Extras folder?
A: 4 things:
• A standalone version that displays sound-input
• Information about fullscreen mode, screensaver mode, and text options
• Information about how to customize WhiteCap
• The source code for WhiteCap
Q: Can I change the current displayed config to a new one using the 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"
Q: Why should a person send in feedback and bug reports?
A: WhiteCap can't improve unless you send me ideas, feedback, and bug reports! Most of the features added to WhiteCap started out as casual feedback. However, be sure you read all of this file as well and the Extras documentation before you send your email. Most questions or feature requests are already addressed somewhere in the WhiteCap documentation.
Q: How do I display multiple configs at the same time?
A: Make a folder in the "WhiteCap Configs" folder and place the config files you want to be displayed at once inside that folder. "RGB Rave" is 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.
Q: What keyboard commands are available?
A: You can use the following keys (there's more described in the Extras documentation, including how to ignore specific keys you may want to use for something else):
\ Toggles slideshow mode
` Toggles fullscreen mode
, . Previous/next config (and disable slide show mode if on)
Q: I experimented with some WhiteCap settings, and it no longer seems to work. How can I fix it?
A: Exit WhiteCap, delete your "WhiteCap Prefs" file located in your system preferences folder, and restart WhiteCap. When WhiteCap can't find its prefs file, it will generate a fresh one.
Q: How can I change the startup/default config?
A: Rename the config file you want to be the startup config "(Default)"
Q: Where did WhiteCap get its name?
A: The only other software I've ever officially released was a Mac mail stats program for FidoNet (a hobbyist message backbone), back in the days of BBSes. For some reason, I used the author name of "WhiteCap Software," and when I had to come up with a name for this plugin, "WhiteCap" still had decent ring to it.
Q: Why isn't the standalone version isn't registering any sound?
A: You may not have your default audio source set properly. The standalone version uses your default recording source as audio input. Go into your control panel and verify that your audio input/recording source is selected correctly. It's also possible you're reading the source correctly but it's not powerful enough to see any activity. Increase the signal scale scale 10 to 100 times to see if a signal is there (the '[' and ']' keys scale the signal amplitude up and down).
Q: Could WhiteCap benefit from MMX (for Pentiums) or Altivec (for G4s)?
A: The CPU power that goes to WhiteCap is spent mostly running WhiteCap's virtual machine (the thing that makes "running" configs possible). These hardware technologies can't be used here to get an increase in performance.
Q: Can WhiteCap get 3D accelerated?
A: Please understand that OpenGL is a professional technology. To use it properly, professionally, and effectively (the way it would need to be used in WhiteCap) one needs a lot of experience with it; I have none. When you use commercial 3D software, remember you're using software made by dozens of highly paid people who do it for a living. I'd love to work on WhiteCap and G-Force more, so I could do the things you ask, but that can't happen for a while.
Final Notes
• If you write in with a problem or question, please be sure you've already read through all the documentation (including what's in the Extras folder) and be sure you include lots of details. Getting an email that only says "it doesn't work" isn't helpful.
• My new plugin named G-Force was released recently and has received a great welcoming. I still develop both, so don't hesitate to make and send in new configs that I can include in the next release of WhiteCap.
• 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 2010 in Virtual PC.
• WhiteCap is open source. Don't steal the source code (feel free to use it, just give credit to where you got it from). It's open source because I want to expose upcoming software authors to source code other than snippets and freeware hacks for UNIX that nobody cares about. I ask other software authors to consider this and do the same. The source code is located in the "Extras" folder.
• Use of WhiteCap is intended only for non-profit and hobbyist use and explicit permission to use it otherwise is required.
Andy O'Meara
(aco5@cornell.edu)
Version History
3.3 - 21 Dec 99
- 0-2% speedup in ExprVirtualMachine::Execute() from optimization
- Fixed access fault when configs tried to draw coords past 2^30
- A variety of key commands now available (see Extras)
- New config globals: MOUSEX, MOUSEY contain the current mouse coordinates (see ArticFox Memories)
- Changing configs (via mouse or kybd) now disables slideshow mode
- Changing configs when a transition/morph is alreay in progress overrides and stops the morph
- Winamp: Fixed bad BitBlt rect that caused hard freezes
- Winamp: Added maximize and minimize buttons (double-clicking no longer goes to fullscreen)
- Macast, SoundJam: Standalone version/screensaver now included. Monitors sound-in port and can export quicktime
- Macast, SoundJam: Fixed "white screen" bug for fullscreen mode
3.3.1 - 31 Dec 99
- Found cause of jitter/shakiness of lines for some configs
3.3.2 - 15 Jan 00
- Fixed cause of frame studder/redraw for configs having points very close to the camera and fall offscreen
- Macast, SoundJam: WhiteCap was screwing up other windows from refreshing properly
3.3.3 - 1 Feb 00
- Fixed bug that marked an Y,Z, G, or B expression containing rnd() as independent of s
- Added pref to control fullscreen resolution & depth
- Added a little more docs to "ArcticFox Memories"
3.3.5 - 7 Mar 00
- New prefs: KIgn, FS_# (see Extras)
- Macast, Standalone: Fixed fullscreen mode suddenly exiting or crashing
3.4 - 14 April 00
- New configs (Thanks users!)
- Made config popup menu hierarchical
- New pref: GSmo, FS_f (see Extras)
- Winamp: Plugin window no longer gets minimized when Winamp gets minimized
- WhiteCap now exists for Sonique (for Windows), for Enthogen (for MacOS), and as a standalone for Windows.
- As the window gets smaller, WhiteCap scales the configs up
- Default number of steps per spectrum increased (to 47).
