Frequently Asked Questions
- What is WhiteCap?
- WhiteCap is a real-time music visualization plug-in for media players and can also visualize auxiliary or "line-in" audio. WhiteCap features more than 190 effects, a morphing slideshow, savable and scriptable effects, video file export capabilities, control over specific effects, and expandability. WhiteCap is designed to be visually engaging and extremely dynamic while allowing you to customize, control, and script 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 PIII 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 stand-alone 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 stand-alone version of WhiteCap (see the WhiteCap as an Application section 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://".
-
- How do 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, here's other ways to increase frame rate:
- Quit background processes (Mac OS X users should exit Classic mode)
- Decrease full screen resolution -- Use the "Switch full screen resolution" key (M by default) to switch fullscreen resolution
- Limit the 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 when screen resolution is set high (1024x768 or greater). To edit MaxX and MaxY, see "How do I customize WhiteCap?" (below).
- Use pixel doubling -- Press 'P' turn turn on pixel doubling.
- Disable CPU power saving features -- For example, on Mac OS, enabling "Processor Cycling" or "Reduce Speed" in the Energy Saver control panel slow down the CPU in order to reduce power consumption.
-
- How do I change the full screen resolution settings?
- Your display device may show WhiteCap best in a resolution different than the default full screen resolution (640x480). 640x480 is the default because most monitors and projectors show it well, it's very compatible, and it yeilds good frame rates for a typical PC setup. If you have a faster setup or use a display device that only supports a specific resolution, you'll want to change the full screen resolution mode. While running WhiteCap in window mode, press the "Switch full screen resolution" key (M by default) in order to step through the available full screen resolutions. Be warned that because WhiteCap's frame rate is proportional to how many pixels it must draw, frame rate is low when full screen resolution is set high. Also see "How can I increase frame rate?" (above).
-
- How do I specify which display device WhiteCap uses for full screen?
- Whichever display device the WhiteCap window sits in is the device WhiteCap will use for full screen 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 full screen mode.
-
- How do I customize WhiteCap?
- There's two files that determine how WhiteCap is configured: the preferences file and the "boot" file. See the Customizing section for more.
-
- What is a "config"?
- A "config" is WhiteCap slang for a text file that arbirarily insrtructs WhiteCap how to function, much like how a video game cartridge arbitrarily intructs the video game console. Particular selections of configs running together, each defining unique WhiteCap visual behavior, determine WhiteCap's visual output. Because configs are text files, users can create new configs that add to the WhiteCap expereince.
- How do I undo changes I've made to the WhiteCap prefs file?
- 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 section for more.
- Where can I get more WhiteCap config files?
- At the WhiteCap Home , you can download additional and bonus conifg archives. Since there's so many configs created for WhiteCap, only the sharpest and most creative configs that are submitted make it to the distributed WhiteCap archive.
- Can I capture or take a "snapshot" of the WhiteCap window?
- To take a 'snapshot' of the WhiteCap window, press the key that does so ('`' by default). When you press this key, the contents of the WhiteCap window will be saved to a BMP file on the desktop.
- Can I make WhiteCap into a screensaver or desktop background?
- Athough there are future plans to offer WhiteCap as a screensaver and as an "active" desktop, this not currently available.
- Can I make my own WhiteCap config files?
- If you want to learn the language WhiteCap 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.
- Can I resize the WhiteCap window?
- Depending on what player and platform WhiteCap is running in, you may not be able to resize the WhiteCap window. For example, for the standalone versions, drag near the bottom right of the window.
- Why doesn't WhiteCap respond to my keyboard or mouse input?
- Depending on what player and platform you're using, it may not be possible for WhiteCap to receive mouse clicks or keystrokes. For example, certain media players simply don't pass mouse and keyboard events to visual plugins (ex, Sonique).
- Why should I send in feedback, bug reports, or configs?
- WhiteCap can't improve unless you send us ideas, feedback, and bug reports. Most of the features added to WhiteCap and WhiteCap 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, 180 configs now come with WhiteCap. WhiteCap is the same way: 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 function SetDesiredFPS() in the boot.txt file sets the desired frame rate. WhiteCap monitors the current frame rate and attempts to adjust its system priority until the desired frame rate is achieved. Because WhiteCap uses feedback to change its system priority, it can take take several seconds for WhiteCap to arrive at the desired frame rate, so be patient when you resize its window (or do anything that significantly changes its load on your system). When WhiteCap has raised its system priority to the highest limit or "peg" (and cannot raise it further), you will see frame rate start to fall below the desired frame rate. See the customizing section to learn about the boot file.
- 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 section.
- How do I coordinate the start of an audio track or WhiteCap capture with a script?
- When a new audio track starts in your media player, WhiteCap will look for a script with a matching name to run (note: if the audio track is an mp3 file and contains ID tag data, then WhiteCap will use the ID track name instead of the track's filename). For example, suppose you have a script that's timecoded for "Andy Sings Opera.mp3". Rename your script to "Andy Sings Opera.txt", restart WhiteCap, play the audio track, and WhiteCap will automatically start the script. The acripting section describes scripts in detail, allowing you to coordinate WhiteCap with an audio track in exciting ways. In its GUI, the G-Force Video Exporter allows you to specify a script to run as the specified audio track is exported to a video file, allowing you to create your own customized music video.
-
- 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.
- How do I uninstall WhiteCap?
- Use the OS to search for a folder named "WhiteCap". Once you've found the correct folder (see what it contains and what its parent folder is), simply delete it. In Windows, WhiteCap doesn't use the registry at all.
- What was used to make WhiteCap 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 (or whatever Microsoft likes to call it these days). Both WhiteCap and WhiteCap have evolved over the course of two years and contain many intricate parts.
-