Home of SlideCap* (coming soon!!!) and CineCap (formerly Dodcap) software
* SlideCap software available August 2004
|
|
|
|
Welcome to AlternaWare Software Designs! AlternaWare is a small, one-man operation run by me, Jeff Dodson. My first software product offering was called Dodcap, but is now named CineCap. The name has changed, but it is the same easy-to-use program. CineCap allows you to do stop-motion video capture with MovieStuff's Video WorkPrinter. Please check out the full product description and system requirements below, and feel free to download a trial copy! When you are ready to purchase a product activation code (a.k.a. serial number) you can do so 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply click the link below under Purchase. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Dodcap has a new name...CineCap!Same product, same functionality...new name. The current beta installs as "Dodcap." However, when the full, non-beta release of 1.36 is made, it will have the name "CineCap." If you have already download the Dodcap 1.36 BETA release, there is no need to download the CineCap 1.36 BETA. NOTE: Upgrades and updates are still free for anyone who is already a registered user of Dodcap. When the full 1.36 release of CineCap is available, registered Dodcap users simply download the update software and install, using their existing license. You can also download previous Dodcap releases here.
This CineCap release contains the following improvements:
Note that this is a BETA release. I plan to make a full release by mid-September 2004. There are many user interface changes in this BETA, so I would greatly appreciate feedback, suggestions, and reports of any bugs spotted. Also, this BETA does not include an updated help file, so help is disabled in the BETA. This will be corrected with the full release later this month. In addition, CineCap still supports:
Previous Versions: Dodcap 1.35, 1.34 (Windows 98 SE, 2000, and XP)Dodcap 1.35 (11 August, 2003) Dodcap 1.34 (9 May, 2003)
Remember that I am always open to suggestions. So if you have a "wish list" of features you would like to see, please drop me an email at comments@alternaware.com. You can now download CineCap's User's Guide for a sneak preview. Just click this link: CineCap: Stop-Motion Video CaptureCineCap is a simple tool for performing stop-motion capture. It allows you to
capture still frames from live video streams and store them in .AVI files. These
.AVI files are then ready to play back, or you can edit them with your favorite
video editing software.
What sets CineCap apart from other stop-motion capture programs? CineCap supports both Video-for-Windows® and DirectShow®, providing you with maximum compatibility with a wide range of video capture hardware and software. Most other stop-motion capture programs support only Video-for-Windows®. DirectShow® support means that you get improved capture speed and handling from DV (Digital Video) camcorders. CineCap stores each frame you capture in an .AVI file which is immediately ready for playback in Windows® Media Player, or to import into your favorite video editing software. In many cases, you can even play this .AVI file directly from your video editing software's timeline to your firewire DV camera without modifying or re-rendering the .AVI file. Most other stop-motion capture programs store your frames as individual bitmap or jpeg files. This means you have to import them into your editing software as a series of numbered stills (assuming your software even supports this feature!) and re-render them to an .AVI file. With CineCap, this is not a problem because you start with an .AVI file. CineCap can also automatically convert the frame rate of your captured footage so that it plays correctly on PAL and NTSC video systems. Will CineCap work with my video camera and capture card? CineCap works with video capture cards that are Video-for-Windows® or DirectShow® compatible. The easiest way to determine whether CineCap will work with your equipment is to download the free CineCap trial and test it with your system. Another way is to download Microsoft's sample capture utility, AMCap (size: 68K), and test your video capture hardware. If your capture equipment works with AMCap, it should work with CineCap. To use AMCap, launch the AMCap application, select your preferred capture device from the "Devices" menu, then turn on the "Preview" option under the "Options" menu. If your capture device is powered on and properly connected to your computer and still does not show up in AMCap, then it is probably not DirectShow or Video-for-Windows compatible. This means that your capture device uses proprietary drivers, and you should check with the manufacturer to determine its capabilities. Minimum System Requirements: NOTE: If you have Windows® XP, DirectX® 8.1 is already installed on your system. If you have Windows® 2000 without DirectX®, you can download it from Microsoft's DirectX® site here: Microsoft Windows DirectX Downloads. For more information about DirectX®, you can check out the Microsoft Windows DirectX Home Page. To see Microsoft's DirectX® FAQ page, click here. DirectX® is part of every Windows® operating system, so if you use Windows® you use DirectX®. DirectX® 8.1 is fully backward-compatible with applications that require older versions of DirectX®. The only applications that might not work properly after installing DirectX® 8.1 are those that are "version coded" to work only with a specific version of DirectX®. Most manufacturers quickly correct such mistakes, and make product updates available. If you are concerned that an application or device may not work properly after installing DirectX® 8.1, download and install the manufacturer's latest product update before installing DirectX® 8.1. Download CineCap TrialTo download a trial version of CineCap: Stop-Motion Video Capture, just click on the link below. You may evaluate CineCap for up to 30 days, and each capture session is limited to capturing 350 frames. The registered version of CineCap removes these limitations, as well as entitling you to email-based technical support. You will need an unzip program to extract the CineCap install program. After unzipping the download file, follow the instructions in the ReadMe.txt file for installing the update. Please note that to adequately evaluate CineCap, you should install it, capture a full 350 frames using your WorkPrinter, import this capture into your video editing software, and output it to your video camera. Get the latest CineCap version! Latest Version:
Previous Versions: Dodcap_135_Full.zip download (1.35 full install; 1137KB) Dodcap_135_Update.zip download (1.35 upgrade for all older versions; 1113KB) Dodcap_134_Full.zip download (1.34 full install; 1008KB) Dodcap_134_Update.zip download (1.34 upgrade for earlier versions; 982KB) Download the latest version of CineCap and try these new features:
Smooth pulldown schemes! These schemes convert film to video frame rates using "interpolated" padding frames. CineCap creates these special frames by combining fields from adjacent frames. When played on an interlaced video device (in other words, a television set!) this creates smoother looking pans, zooms, and motion scenes! Offline pulldown module! CineCap's post-processing module is easy to use, and allows you to apply pulldown schemes to .AVI files you have already captured. You can even apply pulldown to .AVI files you captured with other software packages. Pulldown scheme test file! Download this video file if you wish to experiment with the different pulldown schemes in the post-processing pulldown module. Use this file as the source file for your pulldown session, then examine the resulting frames to see how the schemes work. Click here to download the file. 1) Power on your video camera and connect it to your computer 2) If you are using a digital video camera, plug in the AC power connector before performing video capture 3) Remove the tape from your video camera, or leave open the tape drawer to prevent your camera from entering standby mode during a capture session. I would love to hear from everyone who downloads and tries CineCap. If you try CineCap, I would greatly appreciate an email containing your thoughts/comments. This will help me make CineCap a better product. In your email, please tell me what you liked/disliked, as well as which Windows operating system you used and what camera, capture card, and video editing software you use. You can send your email to: comments@alternaware.com. PurchaseCineCap is available for $69.95 USD. If you wish to purchase a product activation code for CineCap: Stop-Motion Video capture, just press this link: Please note that ShareIt! requires you to supply an email address to complete the order process. Currently, they will not accept hotmail addresses, or addresses from other free email accounts. If you only have access to a free email account, you may opt to pay for CineCap using PayPal, but only if you are purchasing from the United States. Here are the steps to follow if you wish to pay with PayPal: 1) Notify me by email (sales@alternaware.com) that you intend to pay via PayPal 2) I will contact you (via email) confirming your intent to order 3) Log onto your PayPal account and make a $69.95 USD payment to PayPal user jeffdod@netzero.net After you have completed step #3, I will respond to you (in as timely a fashion as I am able) with an email containing your product activation code for CineCap. Please remember that I accept PayPal payment only if ShareIt! does not accept your email address, and only for purchasers in the United States. Contact InformationI am committed to providing technical support for CineCap. However, being a one-man operation places certain limits on the type of technical support I can provide. For instance, I cannot provide phone support under normal circumstances. My preferred method of providing support is via email. I check my email frequently throughout the day, and enjoy communicating with people and providing technical information. If you need any help installing or using CineCap, do not hesitate to email me at one of the mail links listed below. Also keep in mind that you can download CineCap and try it out before purchasing it. This means that you can determine whether CineCap works on your system and meets your needs before committing any of your hard-earned money. Please try the evaluation version before you purchase!
|
|
Send mail to
webmaster@alternaware.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
