P3D RE: web stuff

[siragusa@xxxxxxxx]

Larry, know your facts before you speak so surely of yourself.


> 
> >How does linking directly to a JPS file provide for more 
> >than one "access technology"?  True, you can't directly
> >download any EMBEDed file unless you have a compatible
> >plugin or you are savvy enough to view the source and
> >download it yourself.  
> 
> ******  It would seem you answered your own question. People 
> using other
> technologies (Mac, or other platforms, or 3D-Pix as a 
> software Plug-in, or
> persons using Win9x without a plug-in of any kind) have a 
> major hassle in
> getting to *embedded* image files (only VRex has chosen to 
> promote the use
> of the embed tag). 
> How does a direct link help? By making the 
> JPS images
> available to anyone, of course!!!!!!!!!!!! It allows the 
> visitor to ignore
> the embed tag nonsense and download the file directly and 
> without having to
> study a technical book first. Without such a link, AND the 
> correct mime type
> on the server, the embedded stereo images are NOT accessible 
> at all outside
> of DC.
> 

Using the EMBED tag has nothing to do with not supporting
other plugins, other browsers, or other operating systems.

First start by reading the definition of the EMBED tag:
http://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals/htmlguid/index.htm

You'll notice that it is a general purpose way to include
data (to be parsed by a plugin) in a web page.  You'll also
notice that this is in no way tied to VRex or DepthCharge.

You also may notice the description of the pluginspage
parameter that you seem to have so many issues with.
The pluginspage parameter defines where a user should
go to download a (not THE, but A) plugin that is compatible
with the MIME type of the data.  If this parameter is 
not included, they are sent to a page where they can 
search for a plugin that will handle the new MIME type.  
Using the pluginspage parameter simply eliminates this 
step of going to your browsers page to search.

Putting pluginspage="http://www.vrex.com/depthcharge"
in your EMBED tag does not bind the JPS image with
DepthCharge.  It tells the browser to direct a web
surfer without a JPS plugin to that page so that 
they can get the plugin to view the images

> 
> >
> >2.  The EMBED tag gives you so much more flexibility.  For 
> >    starters, you can include more than one stereo image on
> >    your web page at a time.  
> >    For example, go to Larry's
> >    page: http://3dzine.simplenet.com/.  Larry has an 
> >    interesting concept of making his entire page 3D (crosseye
> >    or parallel).  This could just as easily be embedded JPS
> >    files. 
> 
> *****  I have many pages with many more than one image on the 
> page at a
> time, and I have ZERO embed tags anywhere. 
>

You are also not using any plugins or special data types.
Try including 2 or more JPS images (the images not the 
links) on a single web page without using an EMBED (or
similar) tag.


>
> ******  None of this is available outside Win9x....  Other 
> plug-ins do not
> recognize or use the embed tag, so if your JPS images are 
> embedded, the ONLY
> plug-in that works is DC and it doesn't matter what type of 
> initial view
> you've specified in your preferences.

This is not true either.  NuVision wrote a plugin, 3D Pix, it also
supports EMBED tags.  And, by golly, they even use those blasted
EMBED tags on their gallery!  Blasphemy!!!
http://www.nuvision3d.com/gallery.html


>
> Worse yet, your silly 
> embed tags are
> unable to recognize that I have a valid plug-in already 
> installed in my
> browser ready and waiting for a JPS image, yet the images 
> become unavailable
> BECAUSE OF your embed tag and for no other reason.. 
>

You fail to mention which plug-in you're using so I can't
offer too much help on this.  I will mention that most,
if not all, web browsers will only accept one for any
given MIME-type.  This, however, is a limitation of the
browser and has nothing to do with DepthCharge or any
other plugin.

>
> >
> >    You can also have text and other graphics around your 3D 
> >    image.  This, in my opinion is a big advantage. 
> > 
> >    http://freespace.virgin.net/dimension.three/  Is an
> >    excellent example of this.  Note that you do not need
> >    a JPS viewer to see my point (just imagine a 3D image
> >    where the blank space is...).
> 
> ****  I saw no embed tags on the page referrenced above. 
>

Try clicking on one of the links.


> 
> You have steadfastly refused to expand DC to be useable on 
> systems other
> than Windows on the excuse that Mac users don't matter. With 
> such a narrow
> view it's extremely hard to see any reason at all to use DC, 
> since other
> plug-ins do exist, other stereo image display methods do 
> exist besides the
> embed tag, and most of them are more friendly to the 
> non-Windows crowd as
> well as with Windows. 
> 

The issue of a JPS viewer not being available on other platforms
is not necessarily an issue with VRex or DepthCharge.  JPS is
an OPEN standard.  By being open, ANYONE can write a JPS reader
and writer.  

While I think it is in VRex's best interest to expand DepthCharge
to other platforms, it's not VRex's fault that it has not yet.
If you want a JPS plugin for Mac, or any other platform go write 
one.  No one is stopping you.

If JPS was a closed proprietary format owned by VRex, then your 
point would be much more of a point.


jon


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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 3217
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