Since it seems like there's been some interest in C64 video capture again, I thought I'd try to dust off my old QuickScan files.  This interface was designed to connect to the monochrome,  parallel Connectix* QuickCam, so if anyone still has one or knows where they can be found, this post is for you.

Of particular interest is that I wrote a "loader" plugin for Godot back when I was first working on this stuff, but as I said in the "C64 video capture" thread, I thought that code was lost.

I was wrong - the plugin and source code still exist!  Many thanks go to Arndt Dettke for being my long distance, long term backup service.  ;-) 

The "new" plugin allows one to snap single images and then process and save them in the usual manner with Godot's wide array of tools.  As far as I remember, it is stable and fairly user friendly, it just lacks a live feedback function (we ran into technical difficulties at the time).  As with the old demo drivers, the Loader plugin was based on the original prototype interface (which should match the one on my website).

In addition, for those who have not been to my website in a while, I also revised the QuickScan prototype itself as well.  It now exists in the form of proper schematic and board layout files, suitable to be sent to any reputable board fabrication company such as Olimex.

Interested parties can find all of the project's files, as well as several other projects I've been working on, at this address (in case anyone missed it before):

http://starbase.globalpc.net/~ezekowitz/vanessa/hobbies/projects.html

I'm unable to double-check the driver, so I would appreciate some feedback, as my own camera bit the dust years ago, and my interface disappeared shortly thereafter.  I'll replace them both as time permits, if people are indeed still interested (and if I can indeed still find a Quickcam :-)  )

If the new plugin doesn't work, please let me know.

[*] Logitech bought Connectix out shortly after my interface was first released, so some of the first monochrome, parallel Quickcams released with their branding may also work, but I can't be sure.

--  
"There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most
things aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~ezekowitz
Vanessa E. <vanDEesLEsaTEezTHekISowitz@gmail.com>
(Delete the obvious to email me)


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

On Apr 6, 8:07=A0pm, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I thought I'd try to dust off my old QuickScan files.


Hi,

is source code available for the driver?

On Apr 6, 8:07=A0pm, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> [*] Logitech bought Connectix out shortly after my interface was first re=
leased, so some of the first monochrome, parallel Quickcams released with t=
heir branding may also work, but I can't be sure.

Vanessa, I can't remember the model number of that
Quickcam.  Do you have that information?

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 24-25 CommVEx v6 2010 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum
and click on ComVEX

On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 23:16:48 -0700 (PDT)
rich12345 <aiiadict@gmail.com> wrote:

> is source code available for the driver?

Yes and no :-)

The main camera "driver" source code is included, and should be practically identical across all of the different modes the archive has.  The source code for the 80x50 4-grey 'chunky' rendering engine is included as well.  The 160x100 4-grey rendering engine was written by Adrian Gonzalez and also includes source code.

The rendering engines for the two 320x200 modes were contributed by Mark Seelye and Adrian Gonzalez, but they never sent me the sources.

The interface routines between my drivers and those rendering engines also includes source code.


(Mark, Adrian, if you guys are reading this, I wouldn't mind being able to include your source code in a future release, even if it is 10 years late, if you still have it. :-)  )

-- 
"There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most
things aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~ezekowitz
Vanessa E. <vanDEesLEsaTEezTHekISowitz@gmail.com>
(Delete the obvious to email me)


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 23:44:22 -0700 (PDT)
RobertB <rbernardo@iglou.com> wrote:

> On Apr 6, 8:07=A0pm, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>=20
> > [*] Logitech bought Connectix out shortly after my interface was first
> > released, so some of the first monochrome, parallel Quickcams released
> > with their branding may also work, but I can't be sure.
>=20
> Vanessa, I can't remember the model number of that
> Quickcam.  Do you have that information?

I don't remember if it had a model number at all actually.  It was sometime=
s called the "1.0" camera, as shortly thereafter came the "version 2" line.

I only know it as the "original" B&W Connectix QuickCam, and afaik they all=
 have that rectangular bezel around a fixed focal length lens.

What I did find out just now, while searching the web for a place to buy on=
e of the cameras from (still no luck, not even eBay so far), is that it app=
ears to have used a Texas Instruments TC255 CCD chip.

--=20
"There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most
things aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~ezekowitz
Vanessa E. <vanDEesLEsaTEezTHekISowitz@gmail.com>
(Delete the obvious to email me)


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

On Apr 7, 10:46=A0am, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> It was sometimes called the "1.0" camera, as shortly thereafter came the =
"version 2" line.
>
> I only know it as the "original" B&W Connectix QuickCam, and afaik they a=
ll have that rectangular bezel around a fixed focal length lens.

A couple of years ago I helped a Czech friend
obtain a color parallel Quickcam from eBay.
When he received it, he tried it out and found that
it was incompatible with Quickscan.  So it seems
that only the B & W camera will do.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 24-25 CommVEx v6 2010 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum
and click on ComVEX

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 23:24:03 -0700 (PDT)
RobertB <rbernardo@iglou.com> wrote:

> On Apr 7, 10:46=A0am, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>=20
> > It was sometimes called the "1.0" camera, as shortly thereafter came the
> > "version 2" line.
> >
> > I only know it as the "original" B&W Connectix QuickCam, and afaik they
> > all have that rectangular bezel around a fixed focal length lens.
>=20
> A couple of years ago I helped a Czech friend obtain a color parallel
> Quickcam from eBay. When he received it, he tried it out and found that
> it was incompatible with Quickscan.  So it seems that only the B & W
> camera will do.

I hope he was at least able to use that camera elsewhere?

At any rate, you are correct.  There are a few reasons behind this, though.=
  For one, the B&W camera was significantly cheaper.  ;-)  The big problem =
though was hardware itself.  I needed a lot of I/O lines to talk to and con=
trol the camera, but I was afraid to start shoving experimental stuff into =
the Expansion Port, so I stuck with the User Port.

I had PA2 and /PA3 serving as handshake lines, SP1 for the camera's /Reset =
signal, SP2 as my control line for the 4066 (to bank the Nybble Bus in and =
out), and PB0-7 as my Data Bus when sending commands, and as the Nybble Bus=
 when receiving image data from the camera.

The problem with the color camera is that there are two lines on the PC par=
allel port that the B&W camera doesn't use, but which the color camera need=
s for additional handshaking.  At the time, I couldn't think of a way to ad=
d the missing lines to the interface, though I had a couple of ideas that m=
ight have worked.  I never got to implement them though.

I had planned to make an Expansion Port version (the "G2" as I planned to c=
all it), which would have afforded me as many I/O lines as I wanted, but li=
fe being what it is, Connectix/Logitech quit making the cameras, and I even=
tually kinda got sidetracked anyway. :-)

All of this led to the driver software only knowing how to handle 4-bit gre=
yscale data from only the B&W model.  In retrospect, I'm glad I was able to=
 get at least that much, but I do wish I'd had the opportunity to buy up a =
whole bunch of those cameras, considering how damned hard they are to find =
now.

(I finally found two leads, each of whom appears to have exactly one camera=
..  Neither of them has responded to my requests, yet.)

--=20
"There are some things in life worth obsessing over.  Most
things aren't, and when you learn that, life improves."
http://starbase.globalpc.net/~ezekowitz
Vanessa E. <vanDEesLEsaTEezTHekISowitz@gmail.com>
(Delete the obvious to email me)


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

On Apr 8, 9:27=A0am, Vanessa Ezekowitz <vanessaezekow...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> At any rate, you are correct. =A0There are a few reasons behind this, tho=
ugh. =A0For one, the B&W camera was significantly cheaper. =A0;-) =A0The bi=
g problem though was hardware itself. =A0I needed a lot of I/O lines to tal=
k to and control the camera, but I was afraid to start shoving experimental=
 stuff into the Expansion Port, so I stuck with the User Port.

(snip)

Thanks for the detailed explanations, Vanessa.

> ...I do wish I'd had the opportunity to buy up a whole bunch of those cam=
eras, considering how damned hard they are to find now.
>
> (I finally found two leads, each of whom appears to have exactly one came=
ra. =A0Neither of them has responded to my requests, yet.)

:)

Good luck,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 24-25 CommVEx v6 2010 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum
and click on ComVEX