AVI, etc.

This page has evolved to include three sections.

Section One is about how to utilize AVI files within webpages with simple HTML language. The EMBED tag is discussed along with a brief mention of the OBJECT tag. Additionally, in this section you will see the animation file.

Section Two is about the AVI itself, what software it was created with (PC Animate Plus) and two very important converters needed to change the native PC Animate Plus file (ANI type) to Windows supported AVI format. Additionally, these converters are available here for download.

Section Three is for FST, FRONTIER ELITE II, or STUNT ISLAND users who may wish to make AVI movies.

SECTION ONE: Utilizing AVI files with your webpage or HTML document.

Below is a simple hyper-link with the target an AVI file. If you click on it, the the Windows Media Player (or other associated player) is launched and the file is played. This is best for fast loading pages.

Click here to see Fly-By One.

The next method to utilize an AVI file with the HTML document makes use of the EMBED SRC command or tag.

Note: the ALIGN="center" param does not appear to work (at least not for me), though there is a work-around with the html CENTER command. However, ALIGN="left" or "right" DO work. Also, in the below, the AVI cycles as the LOOP="1" param is used, if you choose "0" it plays only once. If you bring your mouse over the playing AVI, you can stop and start the file by left clicking on it. Finally, the param CONTROLLER="false" removes user controls from the page. here is the full html statement:

Another way of including an AVI file in your page is with the OBJECT command. Indeed, the EMBED command has been omitted from HTML 4.0... however, this is what Que's renouned reference book "Using HTML 4.0" says on the topic:

The EMBED tag is not included in HTML 4.0 standard in deference to the OBJECT tag. You can choose to use the OBJECT tag to embed media; however, you won't have the flexibility and interoperability due to cross-browser platform problems. At this time, it's still recommended that you use EMBED when working across platoforms and browsers.

This new way to handle media files seems to simply inferior... The webpage author does not have nearly the control over how the file is displayed compared with good old EMBED. However, if you were to use the below command, the Media Player would pop up - without request and play the AVI in a seperate window. When it closes you would see a big Windows Media Player Logo planked on your page. The OBJECT tag has a variety of PARAMs, but they do not seem to work and are confusing to say the least. - Good thing we have EMBED!

SECTION TWO: About the Above AVI

The AVI file was actually twice converted from it original file type, that being an ANI format animation file. ANI files are created with an older -but terrific- (1992) high-res DOS based animation program called PC ANIMATE PLUS. This program was created by Presidio Software (in 1996 they were out of business, I don't have a current status). PC ANIMATE PLUS was packaged -free- with the Soundblaster ASP 16 Multi CD card back around 1993. It is a great little program and works fine -in DOS mode- under WIN98.

While by no means the only animator out there... this is a very powerful and easy to use paint/animation program which makes ANI files. To get them to a "net usable" AVI format you must perform a simple double conversion with two small freeware programs...

Step One
is to convert from ANI format to FLC format. This is done with a program called CVTFLC.EXE The syntax using this program is:

To convert a PC Animate Plus or 3D WorkShop ANI file run CVTFLC.EXE with -R and the name of the ANI file as parameters.

Example:

CVTFLC -R MYFILE.ANI

Step Two
Now you have an FLC file and you want to convert that to a AVI file. For this conversion you utilize another program called: VFD.EXE

The command line for converting an FLC to an AVI is:

VFD (filname.flc) -A2

The end result will be an AVI file. Finally be advised you should utilize these two programs only from the DOS prompt from Windows (dropping to the DOS prompt from within WIN3.1/95/98 is fine.

AVI, etc.

SECTION ONE: Utilizing AVI files with your webpage or HTML document.

SECTION TWO: About the Above AVI

SECTION THREE: