INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: negopus on June 21, 2004, 10:46:05 am

Title: DirectX Host
Post by: negopus on June 21, 2004, 10:46:05 am
I have installed the "DirectX Host" plug-in on MC 10, but at first nothing happened. I noticed only that now MC waits a minute, spinning the CPU usage to 10-20%, before starting playback. I cannot configure "DirectX Host" it in the "Plugin Manager" menu option, nor does it appear in the Plugins tree.
It could seem that "DirectX Host" was developed for MC 9 and not updated anymore. Really a shame, it could have solved my visualization needs.
But "DirectX Host" also appears in the MC 10 plug-ins list, and the initial release date shown in the site is not the latest release date (really confusing!).
With some effort (after a search within Interact) I discovered that the DirectX Host plug-in is useable within DSP Studio (really counter-intuitive!). Again, this feature is not documented.
The visualization performance is very poor. Refresh happens about two times per second, in a very irregular fashion. The sound processing by DirectX does not seem "stuttering", however (I am using a P4 2.4 GHz with 1 GB RAM).
So it is clear that "DirectX Host" was not made for visualization purposes.
Visualization plug-ins should be handled differently. They should appear in separate (multiple) windows with customizable refresh interval, and they should be treated as "Display Plugins" that can be displayed in full-screen mode. More than one visualization plug-in should be visualized, when in windowed mode.

negopus
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: salsbst1 on June 22, 2004, 12:03:35 pm
I believe it is for using DirectShow audio filters.
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: Mastiff on June 22, 2004, 04:09:07 pm
Yes. I use it for the brilliant RGC High Frequency Stimulator. It's multi-zone usable and blew the primitive DFX plugin right out of the computer.
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: GHammer on June 22, 2004, 09:27:36 pm
Nope, it's for playback plugins.
If you want more info, this looks like the place to go:

http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx (http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx)
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: salsbst1 on June 23, 2004, 06:14:43 am
DirectShow audio filter != playback plugin   ?

My world is collapsing.
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: negopus on June 23, 2004, 12:52:58 pm
Nope, it's for playback plugins.
If you want more info, this looks like the place to go:

http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx (http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx)

Info about what? I'm getting confused.

Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: negopus on June 23, 2004, 12:55:55 pm
DirectShow audio filter != playback plugin   ?

My world is collapsing.

Yes, some DirectX plugins are for realtime display of spectrum or waveform. There are VST plugins with the same purpose as well.
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: GHammer on June 23, 2004, 02:41:23 pm
Nope, it's for playback plugins.
If you want more info, this looks like the place to go:

http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx (http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx)

Info about what? I'm getting confused.



The whole of the original post was confusing. Just adding to it.
Title: Re:DirectX Host
Post by: negopus on June 23, 2004, 03:16:39 pm
The original post said:

I am tying the MC "DirectX Host" plug-in in order to use some DirectX visualization plug-ins. But DirectX Host is designed for audio plug-ins, not for visualization ones (even if they accept audio as their input). So visualization is "choppy", and inside "DirectX Host" a spectrum analyzer or oscilloscope lack the necessary "real-time" to be used seriously.

About the link that GHammer posted (http://www.chronotron.com/content.php?page=products#adaptx), what kind of info would it give to me? And about what?