Uncle Bruce
New member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 1
- Programming Experience
- 10+
I'm just starting to build an application. Many years of programming experience, but the past decades have been as a manager, not a programmer. I'm finding the plethora of choices, even in the VB world, a bit overwhelming.
My question has to do with how to choose which tools to use (e.g. WPF, Forms, etc).
First, I'll outline the application, then get into some specific questions:
The app will have two levels of user. The first is intended to help people learn to pronounce a language unfamiliar to them - especially the rhythms of the language. It will involve a video clip and will display text on it for the user to read (think subtitles with some minor twists). The second level of user will use more of the app to create the timing of the text display and adjust effects (think sing-along bouncing balls or something like that). This second level user will see the video and a display of the audio. The will be able to use an editor to key in what is being said and create markers to show when to display or emphasize each word (or sometimes even syllables) and when to move on to the next. The timing needs to be very precise - to at least 1/100 of a second. The critical operation here will be to select a section of audio and play it in a loop while the video runs and the superimposed text undergoes transitions - the idea is to get the transition timing perfect.
I've been playing with WPF, and it seems attractive - but, given the separation it seems to set up between the code and changes in the display, it isn't at all clear that I can make it do what I want - especially forcing very tightly timed changes to the display.
I've done this sort of thing before - early 90's under Win95. The tools were primitive, the machines slower, but I certainly had very direct control over what happens.
Essentially what I want is the read-only portion of an audio editor application that can also display video and make precisely timed changes to the display. The challenge with WPF seems to be that its wonderful animation features don't work with abrupt changes.
Any discussion that can point me in an appropriate direction will be welcome!
My question has to do with how to choose which tools to use (e.g. WPF, Forms, etc).
First, I'll outline the application, then get into some specific questions:
The app will have two levels of user. The first is intended to help people learn to pronounce a language unfamiliar to them - especially the rhythms of the language. It will involve a video clip and will display text on it for the user to read (think subtitles with some minor twists). The second level of user will use more of the app to create the timing of the text display and adjust effects (think sing-along bouncing balls or something like that). This second level user will see the video and a display of the audio. The will be able to use an editor to key in what is being said and create markers to show when to display or emphasize each word (or sometimes even syllables) and when to move on to the next. The timing needs to be very precise - to at least 1/100 of a second. The critical operation here will be to select a section of audio and play it in a loop while the video runs and the superimposed text undergoes transitions - the idea is to get the transition timing perfect.
I've been playing with WPF, and it seems attractive - but, given the separation it seems to set up between the code and changes in the display, it isn't at all clear that I can make it do what I want - especially forcing very tightly timed changes to the display.
I've done this sort of thing before - early 90's under Win95. The tools were primitive, the machines slower, but I certainly had very direct control over what happens.
Essentially what I want is the read-only portion of an audio editor application that can also display video and make precisely timed changes to the display. The challenge with WPF seems to be that its wonderful animation features don't work with abrupt changes.
Any discussion that can point me in an appropriate direction will be welcome!
