Hah!
Why is the world so difficult? Why is 1,200.3 written as 1.200,3 depending on where you live? This was an ugly bug, but fixed in the upcoming v4.1h. Or should I say v4,1h? For those interested look at Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.NumberFormat.NumberDecimalSeparator
Hanno
I living i Swidich and that language XP I run.
I have write to You at I wil be beta tester with that promises.
I know at it is problem to conform program's to run in diferent XP languages and it was to help You in Program it I Help You.
My only question is why You not write to my on e-post at that. Only problem that 2 week's is to smal time to test it perfectly
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Hi Sapieha!
No need to apologize! My post was meant in jest, and certainly not as a complaint against you. I'm incredibly thankful to you and everyone else who helps me improve ViewPort by contacting me with feature requests and bug reports. The latest feature which let's you "submit a bug report" when you run into a bug has been very successful- they make it much easier for me to fix bugs that come up in strange situations like the comma/period separator for numbers.
Please continue to pound on ViewPort- in any setting you like [noparse]:)[/noparse]
I'll have another candidate ready later today...
Hanno
It was not that complaint but if You have write to my on e-post.
(My health is not good and I was borta away from Forum litle Time.)
I have started test's directly You have first candidate version.
Now it is litle time to test's to midle of February.
Ps. You said "Please continue to pound on ViewPort- in any setting you like [noparse]:)[/noparse]"
To that!.
?????????????? ** Have You considered on my proposo to rewrite "Conduit.spin". **
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
I've considered your proposal to rewrite "conduit" to work for any frequency.
And, I've finished it! Conduit is now a bit shorter and uses the clkfreq constant to set its bitrate to send/receive at 115kbps, 1Mbps and 2Mbps- it autodetects how fast ViewPort is set to. You need to run at >=10MHz to do 115kbps. You need to run >=80MHz to do 1 and 2Mbps...
I'm just fixing a couple more things....
I like the swedish translation of "integer overflow" -> "arithmetical operation caused spill"
Hanno
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Hi Sapieha,
Glad to see the conduit change works for your setup. Ok, when new firmware is detected, I'll clear the terminal and command buffer. Could be debated either way- but I'll go with your suggestion.
I did get an error message from someone that the opencv dll still causes problems on their particular setup. If you have a problem with OpenCV, please let me know- the error seems to be related to how Windows mismanages the dll's required when compiling a c++ application.
Hanno
I have downloaded right now the 4.1h release, just to have a look at.
I installed it w/o problems. It runs. When I went to the video section I expect that by choosing the webcam I'll see my face on the screen. Have I misunderstood something?
I run on acer notebook w italian WinXPsp3 prof., integrated acer orbicam. I have no propeller connection right now since I am not at home.
Hi dMajo,
It might take a couple of seconds to initialize the video driver- but you've probably waited that long to take the screenshot... I assume your camera works in other applications like Skype? I'm using the OpenCV library to support camera's, so I'm limited to their list. Some quick google searches didn't tell me if it was or wasn't compatible.
Hanno
dMajo,
I just noticed that the video screen is not black like I would expect if the camera was not supported. Rather, it appears like there's white "static" on a black background. This gives me some hope that I could fix it... Here some things to try:
- When you click "Propeller" as a source, you should immediately see black output.
- When you click "WebCam", output should be black for a second or so while it finds your camera. Then, video should appear. In your case, white static. Does the white static correlate with video? Ie, does it move/change when the camera sees different things? Can you tell me resolution/color depth of your camera?
Hanno
Hanno... I have a question about camera features...and this seems like as good a place to ask as any.
Can you use the Prop-IMpixelcamera in any way without Viewport? I love Viewport, but for some apps I don't want a computer attached.
For example... could I take a frame and download it, however slowly, to an SD card?
by the way... when I click on your kits icon at mydancebot.com... my Mac/Safari gets sent to spinstudio stuff[noparse]:)[/noparse] honest. really old mac... and wonderful "friends."
Hi Rich,
Yes, I'm 100% focused on software now- that's why my "kits" section links to Brian's SpinStudio site- he's building lots of great modules for the Propeller (hopefully soon some of the designs I've been sitting on while I keep coming up with new features for ViewPort)
Which "Prop-1Mpixelcamera"? The one I had on my site? If so, bug Brian about making that module...
The march edition of circuit cellar will feature an article by me on how to grab and process video with the propeller. I use an adc 08100 to sample the ntsc signal from a miniature ntsc camera. That gets digitized into global memory where another cog does simple processing on it. Check out the video tutorials in ViewPort for some notes- there's also a bit on the forums, or pm me...
ViewPort let's you use that video for input into OpenCV as well- so right now I'm doing face detection inside viewport on video streamed over the usb connection which was frame grabbed from an adc with the Propeller! Of course, you'll need a PC to do heavy-duty vision processing...
Yes, you could easily use ViewPort's VideoCapture object to capture an image into memory, and then download it to SD card...
See if you can get permission to have the article on your site... I buy CC over the counter... to support the availability of the magazine... but I have to go about 50 miles and many times when I get there... they are out of stock... not over the phone of course... over the phone they always have it[noparse]:)[/noparse]
I have all kinds of apps that let me digitize, manipulate and save to an SD card.....they all require a computer[noparse]:)[/noparse] I also have NTSC cameras that can be synced together by linking two pins. None of this satisfies me in any way. What I want is a cheap chip camera that I can completely control and put on my PropBot to send stereo images and GPS data over my PropPhone[noparse]:)[/noparse]
After that it is just a matter of convincing NASA to add cell phone service on Mars and I'm in business... just kidding[noparse]:)[/noparse]
One question on resizing ViewPort window?
Look at pictures.
Only field av interest is that I marked.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Pne more problem.
Not posible to "Continue" after.
After "Restart VyewPort" it loads firmaware but not posible to communicate widh Propeler
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
If I point with mouse on logic state window and press right mouse buton.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty. For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer. Don't guess - ask instead. If you don't ask you won't know. If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Hanno said...
dMajo,
I just noticed that the video screen is not black like I would expect if the camera was not supported. Rather, it appears like there's white "static" on a black background. This gives me some hope that I could fix it... Here some things to try:
- When you click "Propeller" as a source, you should immediately see black output.
- When you click "WebCam", output should be black for a second or so while it finds your camera. Then, video should appear. In your case, white static. Does the white static correlate with video? Ie, does it move/change when the camera sees different things? Can you tell me resolution/color depth of your camera?
Hanno
Yes, when I choose Propeller I have a black screen.
When I switch back to webcam the output is black for a while and then it shows noise (the translation of a antenna technician to english will be "snow") as when you take an old TV and you disconnect the antenna.
I have noted something other:
- when I run more applications trying to connect to the webcam, the others (not the first one) say that the device is already in use
- when I swicth Viewport to webcam, having already another application using, it not show me the same message: it just displays "snow"/noise
PostEdit:
Sorry,
the webcam is 1.3 megapixel (1280*960 24bit color depth). You can chose also 320*240 and vga(640*480)
Sapieha,
If you want to customize the layout of a view you need to switch to "Designer View". This let's you completely re-arrange the view, change properties, behaviors- pretty much whatever you want. ViewPort's Views are sort of like web pages- they're defined by xml files which specify where ViewPort widgets should be and how they should act. Very powerful!
When you resize the whole ViewPort window, all parts within are proportionally resized/moved. Things whose aspect ratio shouldn't change, like round dials, keep their aspect ratio.
I'll look into your issue of restarting ViewPort, loading firmware, and then failing to connect.
I'll look into your right-click bug.
Rich,
I'll try to get the article on the website. Yes, getting a camera hardware module out would be wonderful for ViewPort... I've put a lot of effort into the frame grabber, video processing object, and lately the OpenCV filters.
dMajo,
Thanks for confirming that we're getting some input from the camera. Funny to get "snow" in today's digital world. I'll do some more investigating of your specific camera... Thanks for the note on some applications tying up the webcam, they might be using the same driver while OpenCV uses a different driver- who knows? Your default resolution 1280x960 is higher than the traditional 640x480- that might explain it... I'll get back to you.
Thanks dMajo for the bug report...
On the beta page you'll find the latest candidate.
This somewhat fixes the "separation" problem, and others were you set opencv parameters out of spec- you'll see a "status" message at the bottom of the "opencv" window.
This release should fix the "dll" problem for everyone. You no longer need any other files to run opencv with ViewPort- just download the installer and you're set.
Also, this includes a new parameter that might help dMajo- in the "opencv-source-webcam" you can specify which webcam to use. Try these 0,1,2, 100,101, 200,201, 300,301... Hopefully one will work for you. The "hundreds" indicate which method to use. 0 indicates try all. 1, 2,3 can be used to switch between cameras. Good luck!
Hanno
Thanks dMajo for sending me your report- glad that OpenCV is working on your laptop by setting the camera source to 1. I'm starting my list of things to fix/improve for the follow-on version....
Everyone- thanks for the wonderful help and support with both OpenCV and the Debugger. It took a bit longer than I first thought, but v4.1 is now done! Give it a try: ViewPort Home
Hanno
There'll be plenty more beta's for cool new functionality in the future. If you have suggestions for features that would make it easier for you to develop advanced project with the Propeller please post them! Here some things I've prototyped/thought about:
- support for serial protocols: rs232, spi, i2c
- control panel for manipulating servos- let's you program servo positions then animate them, includes 3d viewer showing your custom model, uses inverse kinematics to control servos from your mouse actions
- additional opencv features: recognize objects other than faces, character recognition
- assembly debugging- similar feature set as I provide for spin
- disconnected mode
- bluetooth integration
Of course all of these are achievable with the developer kit, if things calm down tomorrow I'll post it then (still improving the documentation)
Ok- what versions does what? Basically, I highly encourage you to buy the Ultimate version- this will always get you everything I develop. For example, people who bought v4.0 Ultimate get v4.1 Ultimate with the new features (OpenCV, Debugger) for free. But, you can always start out with less and upgrade one component at a time- the cost is the same. I went through the (significant) effort to do multiple versions to suit people who don't want to pay for thing they don't think they'll need. So, you can buy ViewPort with/without the OpenCV, Debugger, Designer, and High Speed. Keep in mind, your purchase supports me working full time on this.
OpenCV gives you the ability to integrate state-of-the art computer vision with your project. This is cutting edge stuff! And finally, easy to use. You won't have to install loads of compilers, windows header files, and lots of switches- it's all built into ViewPort. A simple control panel let's you choose what items to track and gives you some parameters. The result can be used to drive servos....
See this entire thread about all the cool stuff built into the debugger...
The Designer let's you customize the instrumentation of the existing views, as well as build new ones. Basically, ViewPort is like a browser, it uses xml files to assemble widgets into views. With the Designer, you can graphically arrange and configure the widgets. With the developer's kit you can build your own widgets. All widgets in ViewPort can be build with the developer's kit- so you can see how flexible it is.
The "High Speed" feature is a must for people who value their time. If you pay for broadband, you should pay for this feature. It also increases sampling resolution when you're streaming variables, makes debugging quicker, and increases the screen update rate when using the quicksample object.
The "Free Trial" version let's you try everything (except you can't save while in the designer)
With all purchases you get direct support from me. I've been selling ViewPort for 2 years now and have successfully resolved every issue.
Hanno
Comments
Why is the world so difficult? Why is 1,200.3 written as 1.200,3 depending on where you live? This was an ugly bug, but fixed in the upcoming v4.1h. Or should I say v4,1h? For those interested look at Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.NumberFormat.NumberDecimalSeparator
Hanno
Sorry.....
I living i Swidich and that language XP I run.
I have write to You at I wil be beta tester with that promises.
I know at it is problem to conform program's to run in diferent XP languages and it was to help You in Program it I Help You.
My only question is why You not write to my on e-post at that. Only problem that 2 week's is to smal time to test it perfectly
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
No need to apologize! My post was meant in jest, and certainly not as a complaint against you. I'm incredibly thankful to you and everyone else who helps me improve ViewPort by contacting me with feature requests and bug reports. The latest feature which let's you "submit a bug report" when you run into a bug has been very successful- they make it much easier for me to fix bugs that come up in strange situations like the comma/period separator for numbers.
Please continue to pound on ViewPort- in any setting you like [noparse]:)[/noparse]
I'll have another candidate ready later today...
Hanno
It was not that complaint but if You have write to my on e-post.
(My health is not good and I was borta away from Forum litle Time.)
I have started test's directly You have first candidate version.
Now it is litle time to test's to midle of February.
Ps. You said "Please continue to pound on ViewPort- in any setting you like [noparse]:)[/noparse]"
To that!.
?????????????? ** Have You considered on my proposo to rewrite "Conduit.spin". **
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
Post Edited (Sapieha) : 2/4/2009 10:42:33 PM GMT
And, I've finished it! Conduit is now a bit shorter and uses the clkfreq constant to set its bitrate to send/receive at 115kbps, 1Mbps and 2Mbps- it autodetects how fast ViewPort is set to. You need to run at >=10MHz to do 115kbps. You need to run >=80MHz to do 1 and 2Mbps...
I'm just fixing a couple more things....
I like the swedish translation of "integer overflow" -> "arithmetical operation caused spill"
Hanno
Thanks.
It's open for more extensive test's.
Ps. I tested Register product fature with name.
All my proposos is to give You better product!.
Christoffer J
ViewPort v4.1H
-Fixes "arithmetic spill", decimal mixups, missing msvcr dll's for Bob, debug file browse, packet size changes, debug breakpoint
-cleaner config view
-better error reporting
-conduit now calculates timings based on clkfreq
-improved welcome view- highlighting "debug"
Hanno
One more window to clear on start new exercise.
·
Ps. Conduit function correctly with that settings.
·_clkmode······· = xtal1 + pll8x
·_xinfreq······· = 14_318_180
No more problems to swap Crystal
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
Post Edited (Sapieha) : 2/5/2009 5:29:04 PM GMT
Glad to see the conduit change works for your setup. Ok, when new firmware is detected, I'll clear the terminal and command buffer. Could be debated either way- but I'll go with your suggestion.
I did get an error message from someone that the opencv dll still causes problems on their particular setup. If you have a problem with OpenCV, please let me know- the error seems to be related to how Windows mismanages the dll's required when compiling a c++ application.
Hanno
I have downloaded right now the 4.1h release, just to have a look at.
I installed it w/o problems. It runs. When I went to the video section I expect that by choosing the webcam I'll see my face on the screen. Have I misunderstood something?
I run on acer notebook w italian WinXPsp3 prof., integrated acer orbicam. I have no propeller connection right now since I am not at home.
Edit: added screenshot
It might take a couple of seconds to initialize the video driver- but you've probably waited that long to take the screenshot... I assume your camera works in other applications like Skype? I'm using the OpenCV library to support camera's, so I'm limited to their list. Some quick google searches didn't tell me if it was or wasn't compatible.
Hanno
but it is the standard built-in in almost every todays acer notebook.
it works with skype.
I just noticed that the video screen is not black like I would expect if the camera was not supported. Rather, it appears like there's white "static" on a black background. This gives me some hope that I could fix it... Here some things to try:
- When you click "Propeller" as a source, you should immediately see black output.
- When you click "WebCam", output should be black for a second or so while it finds your camera. Then, video should appear. In your case, white static. Does the white static correlate with video? Ie, does it move/change when the camera sees different things? Can you tell me resolution/color depth of your camera?
Hanno
Can you use the Prop-IMpixelcamera in any way without Viewport? I love Viewport, but for some apps I don't want a computer attached.
For example... could I take a frame and download it, however slowly, to an SD card?
by the way... when I click on your kits icon at mydancebot.com... my Mac/Safari gets sent to spinstudio stuff[noparse]:)[/noparse] honest. really old mac... and wonderful "friends."
Rich
Yes, I'm 100% focused on software now- that's why my "kits" section links to Brian's SpinStudio site- he's building lots of great modules for the Propeller (hopefully soon some of the designs I've been sitting on while I keep coming up with new features for ViewPort)
Which "Prop-1Mpixelcamera"? The one I had on my site? If so, bug Brian about making that module...
The march edition of circuit cellar will feature an article by me on how to grab and process video with the propeller. I use an adc 08100 to sample the ntsc signal from a miniature ntsc camera. That gets digitized into global memory where another cog does simple processing on it. Check out the video tutorials in ViewPort for some notes- there's also a bit on the forums, or pm me...
ViewPort let's you use that video for input into OpenCV as well- so right now I'm doing face detection inside viewport on video streamed over the usb connection which was frame grabbed from an adc with the Propeller! Of course, you'll need a PC to do heavy-duty vision processing...
Yes, you could easily use ViewPort's VideoCapture object to capture an image into memory, and then download it to SD card...
Hanno
See if you can get permission to have the article on your site... I buy CC over the counter... to support the availability of the magazine... but I have to go about 50 miles and many times when I get there... they are out of stock... not over the phone of course... over the phone they always have it[noparse]:)[/noparse]
I have all kinds of apps that let me digitize, manipulate and save to an SD card.....they all require a computer[noparse]:)[/noparse] I also have NTSC cameras that can be synced together by linking two pins. None of this satisfies me in any way. What I want is a cheap chip camera that I can completely control and put on my PropBot to send stereo images and GPS data over my PropPhone[noparse]:)[/noparse]
After that it is just a matter of convincing NASA to add cell phone service on Mars and I'm in business... just kidding[noparse]:)[/noparse]
I'll nag Brian a bit.
Rich
If Brian isn't interested, I am.
Rich
One question on resizing ViewPort window?
Look at pictures.
Only field av interest is that I marked.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
Pne more problem.
Not posible to "Continue" after.
After "Restart VyewPort" it loads firmaware but not posible to communicate widh Propeler
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
Next problem.
If I point with mouse on logic state window and press right mouse buton.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.
Sapieha
When I switch back to webcam the output is black for a while and then it shows noise (the translation of a antenna technician to english will be "snow") as when you take an old TV and you disconnect the antenna.
I have noted something other:
- when I run more applications trying to connect to the webcam, the others (not the first one) say that the device is already in use
- when I swicth Viewport to webcam, having already another application using, it not show me the same message: it just displays "snow"/noise
PostEdit:
Sorry,
the webcam is 1.3 megapixel (1280*960 24bit color depth). You can chose also 320*240 and vga(640*480)
Post Edited (dMajo) : 2/9/2009 11:41:26 AM GMT
If you want to customize the layout of a view you need to switch to "Designer View". This let's you completely re-arrange the view, change properties, behaviors- pretty much whatever you want. ViewPort's Views are sort of like web pages- they're defined by xml files which specify where ViewPort widgets should be and how they should act. Very powerful!
When you resize the whole ViewPort window, all parts within are proportionally resized/moved. Things whose aspect ratio shouldn't change, like round dials, keep their aspect ratio.
I'll look into your issue of restarting ViewPort, loading firmware, and then failing to connect.
I'll look into your right-click bug.
Rich,
I'll try to get the article on the website. Yes, getting a camera hardware module out would be wonderful for ViewPort... I've put a lot of effort into the frame grabber, video processing object, and lately the OpenCV filters.
dMajo,
Thanks for confirming that we're getting some input from the camera. Funny to get "snow" in today's digital world. I'll do some more investigating of your specific camera... Thanks for the note on some applications tying up the webcam, they might be using the same driver while OpenCV uses a different driver- who knows? Your default resolution 1280x960 is higher than the traditional 640x480- that might explain it... I'll get back to you.
Hanno
Video section/circle tab: when you go with "separation" to zero the application crash (maybe a divide by 0).
I have sent you th bug report through your bug report function
On the beta page you'll find the latest candidate.
This somewhat fixes the "separation" problem, and others were you set opencv parameters out of spec- you'll see a "status" message at the bottom of the "opencv" window.
This release should fix the "dll" problem for everyone. You no longer need any other files to run opencv with ViewPort- just download the installer and you're set.
Also, this includes a new parameter that might help dMajo- in the "opencv-source-webcam" you can specify which webcam to use. Try these 0,1,2, 100,101, 200,201, 300,301... Hopefully one will work for you. The "hundreds" indicate which method to use. 0 indicates try all. 1, 2,3 can be used to switch between cameras. Good luck!
Hanno
Everyone- thanks for the wonderful help and support with both OpenCV and the Debugger. It took a bit longer than I first thought, but v4.1 is now done! Give it a try:
ViewPort Home
Hanno
Hanno, could you please elaborate on the differences between the different versions? Thanks!
- support for serial protocols: rs232, spi, i2c
- control panel for manipulating servos- let's you program servo positions then animate them, includes 3d viewer showing your custom model, uses inverse kinematics to control servos from your mouse actions
- additional opencv features: recognize objects other than faces, character recognition
- assembly debugging- similar feature set as I provide for spin
- disconnected mode
- bluetooth integration
Of course all of these are achievable with the developer kit, if things calm down tomorrow I'll post it then (still improving the documentation)
Ok- what versions does what? Basically, I highly encourage you to buy the Ultimate version- this will always get you everything I develop. For example, people who bought v4.0 Ultimate get v4.1 Ultimate with the new features (OpenCV, Debugger) for free. But, you can always start out with less and upgrade one component at a time- the cost is the same. I went through the (significant) effort to do multiple versions to suit people who don't want to pay for thing they don't think they'll need. So, you can buy ViewPort with/without the OpenCV, Debugger, Designer, and High Speed. Keep in mind, your purchase supports me working full time on this.
OpenCV gives you the ability to integrate state-of-the art computer vision with your project. This is cutting edge stuff! And finally, easy to use. You won't have to install loads of compilers, windows header files, and lots of switches- it's all built into ViewPort. A simple control panel let's you choose what items to track and gives you some parameters. The result can be used to drive servos....
See this entire thread about all the cool stuff built into the debugger...
The Designer let's you customize the instrumentation of the existing views, as well as build new ones. Basically, ViewPort is like a browser, it uses xml files to assemble widgets into views. With the Designer, you can graphically arrange and configure the widgets. With the developer's kit you can build your own widgets. All widgets in ViewPort can be build with the developer's kit- so you can see how flexible it is.
The "High Speed" feature is a must for people who value their time. If you pay for broadband, you should pay for this feature. It also increases sampling resolution when you're streaming variables, makes debugging quicker, and increases the screen update rate when using the quicksample object.
The "Free Trial" version let's you try everything (except you can't save while in the designer)
With all purchases you get direct support from me. I've been selling ViewPort for 2 years now and have successfully resolved every issue.
Hanno