🚀 go-pugleaf

>>First, EX development is not easy.  In the code for the Amiga versions,
>>there is no API in the strictest sense and most of the code is not
>>documented or commented very well.

>That's a shame.

It is.  Its one of the biggest reasons why we do not have an SDK for EX
development.  Of course, the other reasons are just as important.

>>Second, we must restrict EX development to the publishers of software or
>>the manufacturers of the hardware.  We cannot allow just anyone to make
an
>>EX.  There is the issue of an EX that would compete with our own
>>products and/or interfere in the development and/or marketing of new
>>products.

>I can understand that but I don't have to like it. As I'm a programer and
am
>be the only one to do certain things (because of my knowledge of some
special
>hardware or because I do not allow other people to get the knowlegde I
>obtained some time ago) I would really like to know how to support
>existing multimedia software. And as (unfortunally ??) Scala is the
>most popular MM product on the amiga, the knowledge is of special
>interest, isn't it ?

Its a question of accountability.  As long as you are an authorized agent
of the hardware or software company, EX development is possible, but then
we still have the difficulty in making an EX in the first place, with the
existing Amiga code.

>I believe that doing this hide and seek policy (I can certainly use
>some resource tool to get the information on how to do an EX) will lead
>into nothing but that there will be another, more open product become
>more important to the amiga then scala is now.

I'm sure there will be.

>Another reason is the lack of graphic card support, which is not a
>unusual extension to an amiga. I myself be thinking about doing such a
>MM software and after doing a quick hack I believe it cost me 3-4 weeks
>to get a program exectly the way scala works now. With gfx-support and
>a nice interface to make extensions.

Go for it.

>So it can be more dangerous to hide informations from third parties
>than make it public...

We understand the ramifications for doing so.

>If you can supply a well documented interface, just like ADPro or better
>ImageFX, it's not up to you to make any support for the EX's. I did never
>bother either Nove Design nor the guys of ADPro with any questions nor
does my
>customers. So this argument is obsolete.

Well, that seems to be the problem, right?  We don't have a well
documented API, we don't have an SDK, nor do we have the resources to
support development of EXes on the current Amiga code.

>As I said, not giving any information will force us, the amiga programers
to
>do our own mm software.

That's OK by me.  Go for it.  I encourage development.  However, once "you
have started down the path" and you are in the thick of it, you'll finally
see it from my perspective and why I have answered your questions in the
manner that I have.

Regards,

John Chang

____

John Chang, Technical Support Manager, Scala, Inc. USA
Reply to: john.chang@scala.com, Scala Computer Television
Websites: http://www.scala.com or http://www.scala.no
"Multimedia by SCALA.  Why Make It Harder?"