Re: Gnome Media Library

[Sean Thomas Middleditch <sean middleditch iname com>]

Mo McKinlay wrote:

> # If you get the hopefully differentlu named OpenPlay to be compatible with
> # Microsoft's DirectPlay, I know about 10,000 game developers that would give
> # you a kiss.  Well, a hug at least.  OK, a beer?  I wouldn't kiss you... ;-)
>
> Aww, you got my hopes up then, too ;-)

Now I'm scared....

> I think we're starting to touch on a much broader issue - DirectX covers a
> helluva lot more than multimedia, although it is primarily MM-centered. If
> we decide to embark on this, it would quite definitely need to be split
> into (admittedly large) sub-projects. I do think this is going far beyond
> the original idea (i.e., a media framework for GNOME), but it's something
> worth persuing. An open source general-purpose media framework that
> encompasses everything that DirectX, QuickTime and the Be Media Kit do
> would do wonders for all sorts of things. Hey, why don't we throw
> PostScript into that bag too, and get the GS people involved? :-)

Hey, the idea for Linux didn't exactly start on the Linux kernel mailing list,
now, did it?
Yes, something like this SHOULD be split from GNOME... but hey, we're just
brainstorming here.  If some of us actually do something about it, we shall make
yet another kicking contribution to OSS.

> # Or, we could make our own API, then someone could go and write a wrapper
> # library... that would be nifty.  I think that anything that makes
> # transition from Windows/Max to Linux easier, for developers or users, is
> # a "good thing," since that means we can get less the computer-savvy
> # users over to the "open" side and some of  the more stubborn (read:
> # foolish) programmers, too.
>
> I'm glad I'm not the only one who'd considered a wrapper (this entered my
> mind on my galant journey to McDonald's earlier [see previous mail] :)

Hey, great minds think alike.  Then again, technically, insance minds think
alike too, so I'm not going to brag too much.  :)

> One of the other things I'd considered was a MM scripting language for
> doing toolbook/director-style multimedia applications, relying on this
> luverly newfangled toolkit that doesn't yet exist and we're all talking
> about. Something for the future, perhaps?

Ya.  Lets go ahead and design the interior of our next fusion-powered sports
car, too! :)  I think the script idea is pretty good.  Then again, I'm currently
engrossed in embeddable scripting languages (everything from Lua to Cubix to
AweActionScript, a little thing I'm in love with that I haven't created yet!).

Sean Middleditch