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Protocol & Plugin Support Changes I don't know what is actually causing previously honoured protocol conformant compositions from working, however, I have noticed recently that the screen space , which is said to be min 64 and max 32767 in the iTunes.c file for iTunes plugins does no longer render well for older plug ins like exo and iVisualize. The main defect is that at the top of the iTunes in window visualization process there now exists a black bar with a white corner on the right.
At first I thought this might be to do with impending Snow Leopard changes creeping in prior to June into iTunes & System updates. However I now find that after the latest iTunes update some Kineme 3D & GL plugin compositions no longer work within iTunes. Not a high priority I might well agree and I do recognise that anything built using Apple's defaults is more likely to survive updates intact and functional. Which is what perplexes me the most, as , try as I might I can find nothing to suggest any such adding to the height or width of screen estate available for rendering a visualization, nor any notes about updates to the iTunes API & SDK whatsoever. Furthermore at the present moment in time, I can find nothing specific to do with the visualizations that are still functional that explains why some are failing whilst these very similar compositions still load as either iTunes visualizations or else as screen savers.
Very puzzling indeed. Any explanations, similar experiences ? .
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I have reported the problem to both Apple Support and Apple Bug Reporting.
I await their response.
In the meantime, I sought to satisfy just what was now broken plugin and composition wise, thankfully it's mostly plugins that need to be updated, or perhaps iTunes needs a patch, whatever.
I took the time to examine Jelly, refactored it use GL Lines and added some presets[12]. So here, hopefully for your delectation and amusement is GeLee.
Apologies for the size of the download, somehow I've bloated the composition up from 284K to nearly 10MB and it is in all probability some image embedded within the composition :-), which I've now managed to sort out and bring down to a more reasonable 676KB.
Just download, place into your Library/Compositions folder and enjoy.
M key to raise preset menu, arrow up or down to choose preset number.
Got it running in iTunes. Preset menu appears on M command and presets are selectable with arrow keys. But I'm suspecting something is missing, given the descriptive names of the presets. For me, the iTunes visualizer merely displays varying numbers of rotating, color-cycled rectangles. Perhaps an adjustment on the Source Index input splitter?
Thanks for the feedback, I guess there might be something missing, but if you can get the preset list with names up then I can only guess that it needs to be run with Kineme GL plugin installed, which I'm assuming you have and leaves me nonplussed as to why this is not working for you.
Will take another look at this a little later.
Cheers :-)
My thanks to you for the composition!
GLTools.plugin is installed. I am indeed able to get a range of selectable imagery if I go into the composition and change the Source Index to 'Large'.
Hmm, sometimes various Apple programs don't load third party plugins correctly. Typically, I have more luck with kineme plugins in that department than even standard API apple plugs!
I have not really much experience poking around the iTunes visualizer standard to know if something has changed underneath. It seems like it is fubar if the built in apple patches aren't working... but I don't know if it is really a bug/problem if 3rd party plug-ins don't load inside of iTunes. They may want it to be that way :o( ?
If something is working on one system and not the other, and the same iTunes version... I openly wonder if the particular library you have the plug-in installed in vs. where iTunes is loaded, would make any difference. It seems like it shouldn't but....
I hate to write a bunch of open ended speculative crap without poking around first...
Thanks to you all for your feedback - just to clarify.
Problem Protocols wise is more to do with older Itunes Plugin SDK type bundles , indeed Quartz Composer Visualizer and other bundles work AOK.
exo, iVisualize - they don't work correctly in the iTunes Window, they do work AOK full screen.
I await Apple's response upon this.
Whatever it is always useful to hear just how 'unportable' a code block or composition of mine really is.
I shall definitely have to look somewhat further into how I've re-engineered this composition.
PostScript :- So long as I have the correct plugins installed, KIneme dependent compositions work AOK excepting with those plugin bundles , like iVisualize, that evidence the black and white top bar. Plugins that don't require or can't exploit Quartz Composer files also can evidence the black and white top bar.
Well, I went back to, the drawing board and simply incorporated my new presets into the pre-existing JavaScript array of presets, linked up audio peak to a previously unpublished input port for Feedback Hue and lo and behold Jelly, that initially weighs in at 260KB when originally installed becomes JellyReEngineered, sans any KIneme GL objects or patches, weighing in at just 264KB. This is pretty much what Apple installs straight out of the box, plus some additional presets, little change to operating logic this time.
It would be interesting to hear how well this fairs, in the meantime, I shall continue to work towards a good and carefully clean copy in which as little as is crucial to the operating logic of Jelly is changed whilst extending and hopefully improving upon its visual appeal by means of incorporating KIneme GL objects and patches.
Now with 13 presets - and more to follow.
Do enjoy :-)
Yeah, I've never setup anything for the iVisualize thing, anytime I've messed with iTunes, I've just used the protocol setup...
It does this with all of the compositions, regardless? I would be curious to put everything in a render and then try billboard or sprite w/ rendering image destination stuff attached. I don't think it would make a dif, but you never know...
... what I get now with JellyReEngineered is a new, second option to select 'Jelly' in iTunes>View. This is in addition to the original default Jelly and in addition to GLJelly. When either of those Jellies is selected, both 'Jellies' (not GLJelly) then display selection checkmarks. M command works for menu. 7 menu items, as opposed to 13, are shown as being available and those 7 are selectable. Each presents a very nice imagery variation.
Man .. I'm gonna go find something sweet to eat. lol
My bad - or how hard it is to get Quartz Composer to either take a new like brand new name in the editing information or even more so, change a name. Consequently although the diting info box said what I'd put into it, once saved it did not honour those changes of information. am just trying to save with a clean deck to begin with.
Sorry about that.
I have attached an updated version of the file that I've double checked for the stickiness of the name, basically do not try to save whilst a live rendering is going on, that always seems to cause a problem.
Thanks for the feedback, at least it means that I'll be looking more carefully for that with the next composition.
And now - House of Wax - Oh Boy :-)
Attached below the minimally altered operating logic, GL replacement for the Sprite, Raster and Particle System dependent Jelly, now named GellyGeL, another lame pun :-)
Regarding iVisualize, yes it does mess up any and all compositions published to its folder, including the default one's it installs with, however these same compositions, when given appropriate protocols, will work from the Compositions Repository[s].
As stated above , it also other non QC based / linked plugins, like exo for instance, just reviewing how badly or well others have faired, but there will no doubt be others.
Also, this could simply be Apple that has somewhat dropped the ball [ a liitle].
Seems to work. All 13 variations are just gorgeous, too! Very nice. Thanks so much!
aha! Spiffier, even! 14 menu items. Looking good! Thanks for this one, too!
I get an error that states "KinemeGLLineExpressionPatch" is missing. I'm trying to run it directly in QC editor. I've installed the GL tools v1.1 . Running on the latest Leopard. Any ideas?
It appears that the Line Expression patch is in the GL Tools v1.2 beta update.
Thanks for the much needed clarification, yes it is very beta dependent and apologies to anyone who suffered from a lack of beta plugins in their Kineme diet :-)
Hi Cybero
I'm really interested in studying this composition. To examine in Quartz Composer itself, not iTunes, what would I have to patch the input splitters to to get an image. I'm refering to the splitters you've labelled (required) and (optional) that bind to the iTunes data.
It's strange to me that this .qtz comp plays in Safari 4 but not inside QC application itself. (Works in iTunes nicely.)
Thanks in advance of any possible hints.
Alastair
On my mac, this one shows a full screen of red until the 'm' key is pressed. Then it behaves as it should. Nice comp though.