Generic Timeline Control

[murk]

I have been searching high and low for a very generic Timeline control object (ActiveX or .NET would be great). The minimum features this hypothetical object would contain would be:

* Have ability to customize look & feel a little
* ability to add events with custom callback functions
* expose a variety of user interaction events (mouse click etc.)
* Have an API for playback control (i.e. Play, Stop, Speed etc)

This would be such a useful and reusable component, I just can't believe that no one has made one yet (even commercially available)

I know that DirectShow has a Timeline object, but it is very geared to multimedia applications and it does not have a GUI.

Anyone on the same page?...

[peri]

Hi,

well i have been looking for something like this also, but no luck. We could write our own though. Got any programming experience?

Regards,

per-i

[visualove]

Is the open source Jahshaka (http://www.jahshaka.org/) too heavyweight?

[murk]

Originally posted by visualove
Is the open source Jahshaka (http://www.jahshaka.org/) too heavyweight?

That looks like some sort of demo creation tool. I am looking for something totally abstracted away from the media.


Hi,

well i have been looking for something like this also, but no luck. We could write our own though. Got any programming experience?

Regards,

per-i

I do have programming experience, but I am thinking that this could be some work to make a flexible, abstract, customizable timeline control. It is hard to believe that none exist. One could prolly make some cash if it was built right. I think a .NET control would be the best, though an ActiveX would be more backward compatible. But I personally enjoy .NET much more than ActiveX.

[Mavrick]

it would be quite easy to write a custom component for vc.net, BUT...

You would need to decide specifications - "I want a timeline control" is not enough!

1. how would you envisage it being used?
2. what sort of functionality would you want?
3. single track, more than 1 ?
4. how will the data be used
5. how will you edit tracks - will you be able to edit tracks?

You will also need to specify how any app would interact with it, and also how you are going deal with data (if any) from the app to and from the timeline control.

you will need to specify what the data structures will look like and think about how they interact with the timeline.

The playback section of the timeline would essentially be a seperate control. That would mean you could have an app with the timeline + controls + data, and also an app with only the controls and data and NO timeline.

Why would you need to seperate them? Because in a VJ app, it would be better to have a playback system with minimal requirments (the timeline would eat loads of resourses)...

[peri]

Hi,

well it would certainly be a .net written control then. No activeX one.

playback should be done by another control. That control should have a position propertie which can be read/set by the timeline control.

I have been working on something like this in the past, but stopped (but that was an activeX control). If you are interrested in writing it together than i am interested to.

But i only write in C# or vb.net.

Regards,

per-i