Date: Wed, 16 Nov 94 12:41:15 +0500 From: Eric Bennett Subject: QT.on.IBM.v11.hqx.sit To: macgifts@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU You have a November 12 upload called QT.on.IBM.sit.hqx; I wrote this document but did not upload it. The person who uploaded it uploaded an OLD, OUTDATED copy of this file. Please remove it and replace it with the new version 1.1 of this document, which I have enclosed (I have also sent the removal request to info-mac-request@sumex.stanford.edu). Thanks. Description of upload: This text document explains how to save Macintosh QuickTime movies in a format that can be played in Microsoft Windows 3.1 or greater. It includes information on where to get the required software for both the Mac and Windows machines. -Eric Bennett (EricB@psu.edu) Drawing on my fine command of the language, I said nothing. -Robert Benchley Windows AVI-->Mac QT Conversion instructions v1.0 created 9/11/94 There is a tiny Mac application which tries to convert AVI files to QuickTime format. To get it, FTP to Òmac.archive.umich.eduÓ and get the file /mac/graphics/quicktime/aviquicktime.sit.hqx. If the site is too busy, try gopher instead: gopher.archive.merit.edu. Choose ÒMerit Software ArchivesÓ and then ÒMacintosh Archive.Ó The file you want is graphics/quicktime/aviquicktime.sit.hqx. THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. Some AVI files will not convert properly; I do not know why. If anyone has a more reliable conveter, please let everyone know (especially if itÕs free)! Mac QT <----> Windows 3.1 (QT/Windows) Conversion instructions v1.1 created 3/17/94, updated 9/11/94 This section explains how to play Macintosh QTs with Windows. The old, out of date version of this "how to" file from last March seems to have fallen into the hands of many people, so I think itÕs worth it to repost this updated version. Before I explain the conversion process, let me give you a brief background of the problems involved. QuickTime movies have a section containing actual data and a section containing information on how to play that data--the compression method for graphics or sounds, playback rates, etc. Under MS-DOS, a file is a file is a file, so QTs under DOS have everything in one chunk. Macintosh files, however, have two pieces--a data fork and a resource fork (the resource fork allows programmers to easily add and access specific pieces of data in their programs--sound, icons, etc.). DOS has no analogous structure. When one converts files from Mac to IBM, a Mac file often becomes TWO files on the DOS disk, one containing the data fork and one containing the resource fork. This situation is a problem because: 1. DOS movie players generally want everything in one file; and 2. The Mac saves the movie data in the data fork, but control info in the resource. Therefore, for the DOS or Windows players to work, all of the movie data must be integrated into ONE file, a process known as "flattening." So just how does one deal with the problem? Simple. You need to obtain two software packages from Apple, both of which are available for free over internet (I don't want to get into the copyright problems involved in redistributing software, so I'm not including the software here--instead, I'm telling you where you can get it). 1. Using anonymous FTP, connect to FTP.APPLE.COM, enter the SOFTWARE:MAC:SC:SNIPPETS:QUICKTIME directory and download PLAYMOVIE.HQX. This is a binhexed StuffIt archive which contains source code for PlayMovie AND a compiled version of PlayMovie. This is the necessary Mac software. (Some other programs, such as Adobe Premiere, will work as well.) 2. QuickTime for Windows, currently at version 1.1.1, is the necessary Windows software. You can get it via ftp: winftp.cica.indiana.edu /pub/pc/win3/desktop/qtw111.zip or cnuce-arch.cn /pub/msdos/win3/desktop/qtw111.zip or (but this is in Mac BinHex format--you'll need an .hqx decoder) ftp.support.apple.com /pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Supplemental System Software/QuickTime for Windows (1.1.1).hqx NOTE: QT/Windows is available from LOTS of places on internet; it seems to come and go at will from the various FTP sites. If you do an archie search for filenames beginning with "qtw" you will find many copies of it all over the place (in .exe, .zip, and .arj formats at the very least). BE SURE TO GET VERSION 1.1.1. The archive should be between 700-800k if itÕs in ZIP format (if itÕs much smaller, it may be missing some things). You must have access to a Mac, since PlayMovie, the flattener, is a Macintosh application. Open the Mac QT movie with PlayMovie. WHILE THE MOVIE IS PLAYING, select "Save flattened" from the file menu to save a flattened copy of the movie (the movie closes when it's done playing, so you can't save it then). Transfer this flattened movie to the IBM (use whatever means necessary--modem, ethernet, disk [CompactPro for Mac and its DOS extractor companion, ExtractorPC, will allow multidisk archives, so you might try them for movies that donÕt fit on one disk]). I believe that QuickTime for Windows v1.1.1 requires Windows 3.1. The file "Player.exe," which should be in the QTW archive which you obtain by FTP (some archives I have seen are missing this program), can open flattened QT movies (use a ".mov" file extension). Moving QT/Windows files to the Mac should not be a problem. A few Mac programs will open such flattened files directly; others may require you to set the file type to "MooV" (using ResEditÕs ÒGet file infoÓ command or another utility altogether) before they display it in the file open dialog. These files will (should!) play just fine without resources. SUGGESTION: since the Mac and Windows environments both support flattened files, Mac users might want to leave all of their QT movies in flattened format so that it's easier to exhange files. Good luck! If you have trouble, feel free to email me and ask questions (I'm batting 100% on solving problems thus far...). Please let me know if you found this info useful or if there are any errors in it. This file is for everyone's benefit, so please distribute it freely to anyone who might find it useful. Thanks. -Eric Bennett (ericb@psu.edu)