SoC 2009/QuickTimeVR Playback
This project is part of Google Summer of Code 2009.
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Contents
Project Abstract
FreePV is a panoramic viewer that was initially developed due to the lack of an implementation of QuickTime and Shockwave for Linux and VLC is a cross platform media player widely used, both work with QuickTime files and the problem arise from that, since both videos and VR contents share the same Mime Type this ends in a conflict for web explorers such as Firefox which should decide which plug-in to load based on the Mime Type of the file. To solve this problem the main goal of this project is to integrate the FreePV library into VLC to enable it to play QuickTime VR contents; the second goal would be to improve FreePV.
--Leonox 02:59, 25 March 2009 (CET)
Previous works
The problem was identified during the realization of the Interactive Panoramic Viewer project proposed for SoC 2007. There was the Panorama Viewing proposal for SoC_2008 based in the same idea. There is also a page about this in the Panotools' Wiki.
Description
Since main proble is that both videos and VR contents share the same Mime Type this ends in a conflict for web explorers such as Firefox which should decide which plug-in to load based on the Mime Type of the file, thusthe first step of the project would be to distinguish between videos and VR contents, based on this I could create a demux and a decoder in VLC or use the existing functions inside FreePV, I would say that we should analysis this, since there are some decoders already implemented in VLC that would be useful. The whole file or the samples of a track should be given to FreePV in order to build and display the panorama, thus there will be the need to analyze how we will display the panorama, probably we will have to modify some code on how VLC handle the images, then the the basic interaction with panoramas should be supported and it should be easy, since VLC already support some interaction with the DVD menus.
The second part of the project would be the advanced interactive part by exploring the use of Wiimote, we will need to check which library out there will fit our needs to get advantage of the Wiimote's accelerometer, then we will experiment with the interaction with panoramas and finally using it to control other VLC's functionalities.
Main goal
- Display Quicktime panoramas with VLC media player.
Project goals
- VLC will be able to distinguish between video and vr content.
- VLC will be able to display panoramas.
- VLC should be able to handle the interaction required for panoramas.
- Control VR with the Wiimote.
- Control other media using Wiimote.
- Keep improving FreePV.
Schedule
Here is a tentative plan for the project, this schedule was the one submitted with the original project proposal, for a more accurate Schedule you can check this Google Calendar.
April 3th
I could start getting familiar with the VLC code, since April 3th, because I will have more than 2 free weeks and I should have plenty of time to do it, after April 22th I will be with exams and giving projects away, but I will try to keep working in the project.
May 20th
I will be able to work full time in the project after this day.
May 23th
Official Start date for Google Summer of Code 2009.
May 25th
Send report to my mentors (Week 0).
Goal: Check if a file is a QTVR.
June 1st
Send report to my mentors (Week 1).
Goal: Use FreePV to demux and decode QTVR files.
June 8th
Send report to my mentors (Week 2).
Goal: Use VLC does better to decode to be able to play QTVR that use other encoding than JPEG.
June 15th
Send report to my mentors (Week 3).
Goal: Display and add basic interaction.
June 22th
Send report to my mentors (Week 4).
Goal: Test and Debug
June 29th
Send report to my mentors (Week 5).
Goal: Work with Wiimote.
July 6th
Send report to my mentors (Week 6).
Goal: Get everything prepared for the mid-term evaluation.
July 13th
Mid-term evaluation.
July 20th
Send report to my mentors (Week 8).
Goal: Add Wiimote interaction.
July 27th
Send report to my mentors (Week 9).
Goal: Test and Debug.
August 3th
Send last report to my mentors (Week 10).
Goal: Prepare everything for the “Pencils down day”.
- I would like to go to SIGGRAPH in New Orleans, but this is just a crazy idea that I have.
August 10th
Pencils down day!!!.
Project Status
Project Accepted --Leonox 23:51, 20 April 2009 (CEST)
Git
You can checkout my repository by:
$ git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc-leonox.git
If you want to test QTVR...
$ git checkout qtvr
to compile the qtvr decoder module you need to add the following argument:
$ --enable-qtvr
... or if you want to test the Wiimote
$ git checkout wiimote
to compile the wiimote control module you need to add the following argument:
$ --enable-wiimote
