Frequently Asked Questions
- What is WhiteCap?
- WhiteCap graphically visualizes music, producing video in real-time that's
responsive to an audio signal. WhiteCap exists as an add-on to audio players
(ie "plugin") and as a standalone application that uses "line-in" input. WhiteCap
is designed to entertain you on its own but allows many ways for you to customize
it.
- What are the system requirements?
- WhiteCap only requires a fast computer and doesn't require 3D or other special
video hardware. It's recommended you have at least a PII or G3 processor.
If you plan to use WhiteCap as a plugin to your audio player, you need to
have the player already installed, and if you plan to use the standalone version
of WhiteCap (to visualize line-in audio) then you don't need anything more.
- Can WhiteCap visualize "line-in" audio?
- Yes. The first method is to simply use the standalone version of WhiteCap
(see the WhiteCap Standalone section of the
documentation for more). The second method to visualize line-in audio is some
audio players allow you monitor line-in audio. For example, in Winamp go to
"Open Location" and enter "linein://", and in SoundJam select "Play From Sound
Input".
- How do I customize WhiteCap?
- After you run WhiteCap for the first time, search for a text file named
"WhiteCap Prefs". This file is a list of parameters that determine
WhiteCap's behavior in a text format that allows you to edit it. Use any text
editor to view the prefs file, and you'll easily see the kinds of parameters
found in it. Examples are: the most recent window position, the default font,
and how often track text information appears. All the parameters are listed
and described in the Customizing WhiteCap
section.
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- How can I increase frame rate?
- WhiteCap doesn't use any special hardware, so even the newest graphics hardware
won't increase your frame rate--your CPU and RAM speed are the most limiting
factors. However, you can increase frame rate by:
- Quitting background processes
- Decreasing fullscreen resolution -- Use the "Switch fullscreen
mode" key (M by default) to switch fullscreen resolution
- Limit WhiteCap's frame size -- When WhiteCap is told to draw
in a given rectangle, you can confine WhiteCap to an even smaller rectangle
using the MaxX and MaxY parameters. This is useful because it sets an
upper limit on how many pixels WhiteCap must render, allowing you to avoid
low frame rates because screen resolution is set high (1024x768 or greater).
- To edit MaxX, or MaxY, see "How do I customize WhiteCap?" (above).
- How do I change the fullscreen resolution settings?
- Your display device may show WhiteCap best in a resolution different than
the default fullscreen resolution (640x480). 640x480 is the default because
most monitors and projectors show it well, it's very compatible, and it's
fair for a typical PC setup. If you have a faster setup or use a display device
that only supports a certain resolution, you'll want to change the fullscreen
resolution mode. While running WhiteCap in window mode, press the "Switch
fullscreen mode" key (M by default) to step through the available fullscreen
resolutions. Be warned that because WhiteCap's frame rate is proportional
to how many pixels it must draw, frame rate is low when fullscreen resolution
is set high. Also see "How can I increase frame rate?" (above).
- How do I specify which display device WhiteCap uses for fullscreen?
- Whatever display device the centerpoint of the WhiteCap window sits on is
the device WhiteCap will use for fullscreen mode. For example, if you have
a LCD projector and want WhiteCap to use it as the fullscreen device (ie,
not the monitor), first drag the WhiteCap window so it's in the projector
screen rectangle, then start fullscreen mode.
- How do I undo/reset changes I've made to WhiteCap?
- You may accidentally edit some settings in the prefs file that causes problems.
If you delete the prefs file, WhiteCap will create a fresh prefs file with
"factory" settings the next time it starts. Because WhiteCap writes its prefs
file when it exits, you must delete the prefs file when WhiteCap isn't running.
- How do I store a good looking config and recall it?
- Sometimes, you may spot a config you really like. WhiteCap allows you to
"save" the current config for later recall by writing out a script
that switches to the given config when the script run.
- To save the currently running config as a key on your keyboard, press
CTRL+SHIFT and the key you want associated with the script.
- To run the script, press CTRL and the key you used to store the script.
For example, suppose you chose '8' to be associated with a config (ie, you
pressed CTRL+SHIFT+8). The above steps makes WhiteCap generate a text file
named "8 Key" inside your "Scripts" folder. When you now press CTRL+8, WhiteCap
will search for a script named "8 Key" to run. Scripts are capable of much
more, but this method is meant to be an easy way to store and recall appealing
combinations of configs. See the Scripting WhiteCap
section for more.
- Where can I get more WhiteCap config files?
- The folder "More WhiteCap Configs" inside the "WhiteCap Files"
folder contains additional WhiteCap configs users have submitted. Since there's
so many configs for WhiteCap, only the sharpest and most creative configs
that are submitted make it to the "Configs" folder. The rest of
the configs that are submitted are placed in the "More WhiteCap Configs"
folder and cannot be used unless they're hand-moved to the "Config"
folder. Be warned that the configs in the "More WhiteCap Configs"
have not been thourougly checked or tested for problems (and could cause WhiteCap
to be unstable).
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- Can I capture or take a "snapshot" of the WhiteCap window?
- To take a 'snapshot' of the WhiteCap window, press SHIFT+TAB. The contents
of the WhiteCap window will be saved to a BMP file in the "WhiteCap Files"
folder.
- Can I make WhiteCap into a screensaver?
- First become familiar with the Customizing
WhiteCap section. The 'SSvr' parameter tells WhiteCap to go fullscreen
after a given number of idle minutes, so edit your "WhiteCap Prefs"
file accordingly.
- Can I make my own WhiteCap config files?
- If you want to learn the language G-Force and WhiteCap use in their config
files, you should already have some familiarity with programming or script
writing of some sort. The more programming or script experience you have,
the easier you'll learn the config language. See the Config
Programming section.
- What color depth is best?
- In window mode, you get the best color quality from 32 (or 24--same thing)
bit mode). You set what depth WhiteCap attempts to set your display to when
it goes fulscreen via the 'FS_D' parameter in your prefs file. By default,
FS_D is set to 16, yielding a slightly higher frame rates at the cost of some
color quality. Try setting FS_D to 32 for a little better color quality, but
be aware some audio players force plugins to 32 bit mode anyway. Remember
to avoid having changes to your prefs file overwritten by editing it only
when WhiteCap is closed.
- Can I resize the WhiteCap window?
- Drag near the bottom right of the window.
- Why should I send in feedback, bug reports, or configs?
- WhiteCap can't improve unless you send me ideas, feedback, and bug reports.
Most of the features added to WhiteCap and G-Force in the last year started
out as user comments. When WhiteCap was first released, it came with about
20 configs. Today, thanks to users who sent in configs they made, 160 configs
now come with WhiteCap. If you submit new configs, you'll make WhiteCap that
much better for everyone else.
- Can I control how much of my CPU goes to WhiteCap?
- The 'FPS' parameter in your preferences allows you to specify a desired
frame rate. Note that it takes several seconds for WhiteCap to approach the
frame rate you have set in the FPS parameter, so be patient when you resize
its window (or do anything that significantly changes its load on your system).
See the Customizing WhiteCap section.
- How do I pre-plan/script a WhiteCap performance for a particular audio
track?
- Using WhiteCap's scripting services provides some exciting ways to synchronize
events in WhiteCap with events in audio tracks. See the following question
and read the Scripting WhiteCap section.
- How do I coordinate the start of an audio track or WhiteCap capture with
a script?
- Whenever a new audio file is played in your audio player, WhiteCap will
look for a script or config file with a matching name. If the audio track
is an mp3 file and internally defines the track name (ex, ID tag data), then
WhiteCap will use that instead of its filename. For example, suppose you have
a script that's made to go with a file named "Andy Sings Opera.wav", and it's
written so that 0:00 corresponds to the start of the audio file. Rename your
script to "Andy Sings Opera" (remember: extensions are ignored in WhiteCap),
restart WhiteCap, play the audio file, and WhiteCap will automatically start
the script. The Scripting WhiteCap section describes
scripts in detail, allowing you to coordinate WhiteCap with an audio track
in exciting ways.
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- How do I display multiple configs at the same time?
- Make a folder in the "Configs" folder and move the config files you want
to be displayed at the same time inside that folder. See "RGB Rave" as an
example.
- Can I edit configs while WhiteCap is running?
- If you develop your own configs, you'll need to test them out as you go
along. However, WhiteCap caches its files when it starts up, so changes to
config files won't have any affect until you restart WhiteCap. However, you
can get WhiteCap to load a fresh copy of a config from disk by pressing the
key that "reloads current configs." Pressing this key will cause WhiteCap
to reload the currently running config from disk.
- Could WhiteCap benefit from MMX (for Pentiums) or Altivec (for G4s)?
- Two-thirds of 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.
However, 3D hardware could aid in the 3D rendering, but it the overhead wouldn't
be worthwhile for just wireframe rendering. In other words, until WhiteCap
uses intensive 3D effects (surface rendering, etc), 3D hardware isn't worth
using. Also, understand that OpenGL is a professional technology. To use it
properly, professionally, and effectively one needs a lot of experience. When
you use commercial 3D software, remember you're using software made by an
army of highly paid engineers.
- What was used to make G-Force and WhiteCap?
- Both are written in C++ and compiled using Metrowerks
Codewarrior, a C/C++ development environment that beats the pants of Microsoft
Visual Studio. Both G-Force and WhiteCap have evolved over the course of two
years and contain many intricate parts.
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