[Snap]

Ok here is the thing. I want to combine video and live animatronic action togeather. I want to use VSA because I love programing with it and Monkeybasic. The video and action must match perfectly over and over again. This rules out a dvd play button hack (to mechanical and unstable). I also want to do it for very cheap (that rules out expencive equipment and programs). Here's how I think it can be done. Have two computers one with VSA and one with just a media player (Windows media player). Using Visual basic write a program that pre-loads a video and waits. Then use a command from VSA to play it. Play around with the programming in VSA to interact the animatronics while the video is playing. Then at the end stop, preload and play it again Simple right??? hehehhe right??? .... any way any body have any ideas or better ways to do this? Come on all you programmers what do you think?
Thanks

 

[andjarnic]

Not sure how hard this would be for the animtronics, but there is free DMX software out there, although not sure the DMX interfaces to animatronics would be cheap or even exist. At least then you can use a cheap DMX light controller or get the USB DMX interface and free software and fire off audio and the DMX messages to specific props at any time you want.

 

[indeva]

Its not the best route for playing video but I did go the remote hack path.

I needed to play multi videos via VSA and without buyin DMXorcist I couldnt find one.

So I hacked a remote's 1 button 2 button 3, and 4. I made a DVD and on the menu I have four video icons. When you press the 1 key on the remote it plays the first video, the 2 key the second and so on. I am able to play four videos on demand via VSA.

The relay fires the remote button I want to start the video at the same time everytime. The dvd play I am using has the same load time (from menu to start playing the desired video) everytime. I tested it lots of time before I went down this road because if the video is off by even a little the whole thing looks bad.

This is not my first choice of ways to do this but could not come up with a better option so If some of you guys can come up with something id love to check it out.

Heres a few picks of my remote setup.

 

[Snap]

Wow thats a nice hack. I would have just programmed a microcontroller to send the IR but it would have taken me a week of work. It still is not quite what I was after although it is another option. I sent an e-mail to VSA and this is what they said:
Question:
Hi, I am building a project that uses Video synced to animatronics. Can I
use the console to do this in Visual basic or is there an easier way?
Answer:
Thank you for your email. VSA Console can be used to match the start of VSA playback with video playback. However, there is no good way to maintain synchronization during playback. As a result, videos and VSA may drift over more than several minutes of playback (depending on your system).

Back to the drawing board....

 

[Snap]

andjarnic .....What free software are you refering too? Do you have a link. I can do the hardware stuff.

 

[Snap]

I hijacked my own thread, go to Asylum Door Prop to continue this discussion.