Shockwave MIDI reality

Date:  Fri, 16 Jan 1998 12:28:04 -0800
From: Buzz Kettles <buzz@macromedia.com>
Subject: the Shockwave MIDI reality
Here's the dirt on using MIDI files with Director & Shockwave without an Xtra ... Here's how to do it:
Launch MoviePlayer & select Open ... If the MIDI file has a Macintosh TYPE of 'Midi', it will show up in this dialog & selecting it will turn the OPEN button into a CONVERT button. Pressing CONVERT will cause a new QT file to be written. Use the default name as this file won't be the one used.

IMPORTANT: If you can't see your file, change the TYPE using 'ResEdit' or 'Snitch' or 'FileTyper' or 'Change Type & Creator' (BTW - Snitch does batches & lets you do it thru the standard GetInfo dialog ...)

After CONVERTing, do SAVE AS & select MAKE MOVIE SELF-CONTAINED & PLAYABLE ON NON-APPLE COMPUTERS. This flattens the movie & makes it playable in Bill's sandbox. Be sure to name the file with a windows style . .mov extension (for example, midifilename.mov) for the same reasons.

Now just use the file as you would any other piece of linked media, local or web. Remember to author local Shockwave within a dswmedia folder. Use preLoadNetThing, frameReady, & mediaReady as necessary.

BONUS 1: Since these QT Music files play Midi, they do NOT compete for the sound device when on Windows. Regular sound files can be played while these QT Midi files are playing, allowing for long non-looped backgrounds with mouseclicks etc.

BONUS 2: If you open the non-flattened movie into SoundEdit 16 (version > 2.04) you can add cue points to the QT Music file ... Play the QT Midi to where you want, pause & press cmd-M. up comes the naming dialog ... Play more & add more ... Again, be sure to Save As & flatten the movie before using it cross-platform.

TONAL QUALITY: On the Mac, the quality of the midi samples used for playback are 'limited'. If you don't like the way your QT Midi file sounds, you can change the instrument assignments. In MoviePlayer, you can Preview instruments by selecting Movie > Get Info & selecting the Music Track in the left popup & Instruments in the right. Double-clicking an instrument brings up a simulated keyboard to try an instrument on. Use the popups to change instrument sets or specific instrument. Usually this doesn't help much. It's pretty easy to just make your song sound goofy. Anybody want to hear Aerosmith on a Banjo or Calliope ?

ONE LAST THING: Be nice to the end-user - Because of the above limitations, PLEASE include Volume & Pause controls for your QT Midi files.