SoC 2008/Qt improvements

This project is part of Google Summer of Code 2008. Student: Lukas Durfina Mentor: Jean-Baptiste Kempf

GSoC - QT improvements

Goals of my project:

  Fullscreen controller (FSC) for Linux and Windows
  make VLC interface for Phonon to provide it as backend
  playlist enhancements => phonon improvements

Repositories

web browsing: http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc-lukas.git;a=summary

getting code: git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc-lukas.git

Phonon: http://code.google.com/p/phonon-vlc-mplayer/

feel free to clone, compile, test and make feedback

Finished (or partially finished) parts

Fullscreen controller

Phonon related:

• enable setting brightness, contrast...
• dvd handling, setting chapters, audio, video tracks, channels, subtitles
• video, audio filters
• audio devices

Work timetable

26th May - start of coding

9th June - FSC should be mostly done, start Phonon part of project

9th - 12th June - one or two free days caused by bachelor exams

9th - 12th Jule - trip, with notebook, without internet connection

3th August - VLC Phonon backend should be greatly working

4th August - start coding around playlist

This part was dropped and phonon development continues, because phonon is in development and always provides new functions

5th September - end of the SoC project

Status of work

26th May

          prototype of fullscreen controller is working on linux,
          but on windows there is issue with hidding of FS controller
          I requested Tanguy Krotoff for svn account in VLC(-mplayer) Phonon backend repository

28th May

          I have account in VLC(-mplayer) Phonon backend repository
          FSC works in unintergrated and integrated video

29th May

          hidding on windows is working, it is done by trick, but
          searching for resolving problem with hide() continue

2nd June

          remove equalizer button from FSC
          it seems nobody knows why hide() doesnt work for windows,
          so it is solved by setting opacity and resending key press
          events to libvlc

3rd June

          press events resending enabled for linux, works fine,
          now it is usable. I was trying several tests wtih transparency
          it seems to be serious problem on windows, it is blinking a lot.
          On linux you need composite manager to make it working, I dont have
          it and my attempts to make it working failed on first step with
          installing proprietary ATI driver, which doesnt want to work with
          actaul X.Org
          My work is a bit slowed-down, because I have to prepare for my exams
          on 10th June.

4th June

         add debuging mode for testing transparency on windows
         add teletext buttons
         slow hidding enabled on non windows platforms, but working
         only with composite manager and also turn on when transparency
         debug is enabled

5th June

         learning for exams, created first prototype of patch for master branch

6th June

         redesign, some tests and learning

9th June

         travelling to unniversity, learning

10th June

         exams passed, I am bachelor
         now I am going to install qt4.4 some way for fedora, it seems
         it wouldnt be easy and then try Phonon
         btw fs controller was merged with master branch and it is available
         in night builds

11th June

         some testing and fixing fs controller
         start studying and experimenting with phonon

12th June

         travelling home from university
         continueing study of phonon and related things

16th June

         start working on adding functions to libvlc interface
         for setting brightness, contrast, gamma, hue and saturation

17th June

         point mentioned above wouldnt be so easy as I thought

19th June

         these functions are done, and works correctly with phonon backend
         design of whole filter architecture in libvlc was done and going to
         be implemented

20th June

         implementing of filter architecture, start investigation about next
         point for phonon backend: DVD handling, as Tanguy said, it could be
         more complexed than filters :(

23th June

         fixing qt4 problems

24th June

         start work around DVD handling in libvlc

25th June

         fixing fullscreen controller

26th June

         studying architecture of playlist and Qt model/view

30th June

         added functions for controlling video tracks, audio device

1st July

        functions getting description about video, audio tracks and subtitles (libvlc)
        fixing fs controller => change style of initialization, now it doesnt use ugly
        hack. It is done by seeting variable on p_input_thread to signal new vout

3rd July

       new branch in phonon repo for phonon-vlc, add support for functions provided by adjust
       video filter

4th July

       first dvd related functions in phonon-vlc (subtitles, audio channel)

7th July

       continue searching solution for fs controller, add some new DVD features to phonon-vlc

9th July

       going on holiday

12th July

       comeback

15th July

       DVD handling in phonon-vlc is mostly done, I add naming of titles and chapters, fix changing
       chapters when title is change, fix refreshing audio channels and sutitles when titles changed

16th July

       add persistence of applied video filters, so when it is set and new vout is created, the previous
       applied filters are restored to new vout - needed for phonon.
       Now I feel and can tell, that phonon-vlc is much more better working.

17th July

       testing and fixing my new code on win32 platform
       studying next phonon parts and going deeper in code and its contextes

18th July

       start adding support for audio and video filters
       I hope it will work as I want, that user would be able to use same
       audio and video filters with phonon-vlc as he cas use with VLC

22th July

       first audio filter (equalizer options) is working
       now I have to research other audio and video filter and design
       some clever architecture in phonon for them

23th July

       I am travelling to university to get documents

24th July

       preparetion for moving to git repo, clearing from mplayer code
       editing for qt phonon version

28, 29th July

       some fixing and testing FS controller, various small phonon tests
       finding differences between qt and KDE phonon

30th July

      fixed advanced buttons and related stuff in FS controller
      adding setting aspect ratio in phonon-vlc

31th July

     I am going to try integrate phonon-vlc with trunk phonon in KDE repo,
     then it will be possible to move it to KDE repo \o/

4th August

     free day, I gave my blood

5th August

     some fixes around effects in phonon
     start work to provide various audio devices and effect parameters by phonon

7th August

     phonon can set audio device for playing, I have to finish better handling of
     alsa devices

8th August

     audio devices handling is done