Frequently Asked Questions

What is WhiteCap?
  WhiteCap graphically visualizes music, producing video in real-time that's responsive to an audio signal. WhiteCap exists as an add-on to audio players (ie "plugin") and as a standalone application that uses "line-in" input. WhiteCap is designed to entertain you on its own but allows many ways for you to customize it.

What are the system requirements?
  WhiteCap only requires a fast computer and doesn't require 3D or other special video hardware. It's recommended you have at least a PII or G3 processor. If you plan to use WhiteCap as a plugin to your audio player, you need to have the player already installed, and if you plan to use the standalone version of WhiteCap (to visualize line-in audio) then you don't need anything more.

Can WhiteCap visualize "line-in" audio?
  Yes. The first method is to simply use the standalone version of WhiteCap that's included. See the WhiteCap Standalone section for more. The second method to visualize line-in audio is some audio players allow you monitor line-in audio. For example, in Winamp go to "Open Location" and enter "linein://", and in SoundJam select "Play From Sound Input".

How do I customize WhiteCap?
  After you run WhiteCap for the first time, search for a text file named "WhiteCap Prefs". This file is a list of parameters that determine WhiteCap's behavior in a text format that allows you to edit it. Use any text editor to view the prefs file, and you'll easily see the kinds of parameters found in it. Examples are: the most recent window position, the default font, and how often track text information appears. All the parameters are listed and described in the Customizing WhiteCap section.
How do I change the fullscreen resolution settings?
  Your display device may show WhiteCap best in a resolution other than the default fullscreen resolution (640 x480). 640 x 480 was chosen as the default because most monitors and projectors show it well, it's the most compatible, and it's a fair burden for a typical PC setup. If you have a faster setup or use a display device that only supports a certain resolution, you'll want to change your fullscreen resolution settings. Quit WhiteCap, search your system for the "WhiteCap Prefs" file, open it in a text editor, carefully edit the values in FS_X and FS_Y to the dimensions you desire, and save the changes. Note: FS_X and FS_Y specify a device resolution, so you can't set them to any values you feel like (common display resolutions are 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, and 1280 x 1024). The Customizing WhiteCap section contains related information and discusses the prefs file in full. Also see the following two questions.
How do I select what display device G-Force uses for fullscreen mode?
  Whatever display device the centerpoint of the WhiteCap window sits on is the device WhiteCap will use for fullscreen mode. For example, if you have a LCD projector and want WhiteCap to use it as the fullscreen device (ie, not the monitor), first drag the WhiteCap window so it's in the projector screen rectangle, then start fullscreen mode.

How do I undo/reset changes I've made to WhiteCap?
  You may accidentally edit some settings in the prefs file that causes problems. If you delete the prefs file, WhiteCap will create a fresh prefs file with "factory" settings the next time it starts. Because WhiteCap writes its prefs file when it exits, you must delete the prefs file when WhiteCap isn't running.

How do I store a good looking config and recall it?
  Sometimes, you may spot a config you really like. WhiteCap allows you to "save" the current config for later recall by writing out a script that switches to the given config when the script run.
  1. To save the currently running config as a key on your keyboard, press CTRL+SHIFT and the key you want associated with the script.
  2. To run the script, press CTRL and the key you used to store the script.
  For example, suppose you chose '8' to be associated with a config (ie, you pressed CTRL+SHIFT+8). The above steps makes WhiteCap generate a text file named "8 Key" inside your "Scripts" folder. When you now press CTRL+8, WhiteCap will search for a script named "8 Key" to run. Scripts are capable of much more, but this method is meant to be an easy way to store and recall appealing combinations of configs. See the Scripting WhiteCap section for more.

Where can I get more WhiteCap config files?
  The folder "More WhiteCap Configs" inside the "WhiteCap Files" folder contains more configs users have sent in. Now that there's so many configs for WhiteCap, only the sharpest and most original submitted configs make it to the "Configs" folder, but the ones in "More WhiteCap Configs" still definitely stand out. You can try these configs by simply moving them into the "Configs" folder.

Can I make WhiteCap into a screensaver?
  First become familiar with the Customizing G-Force section. The 'SSvr' parameter tells WhiteCap to go fullscreen after a given number of idle minutes, so edit your "WhiteCap Prefs" file accordingly.

Can I make my own WhiteCap config files?
  If you want to learn the language G-Force and WhiteCap use in their config files, you should already have some familiarity with programming or script writing of some sort. The more programming or script experience you have, the easier you'll learn the config language. See the Config Programming section.

What color depth is best?
  In window mode, you get the best color quality from 32 (or 24--same thing) bit mode). You set what depth WhiteCap attempts to set your display to when it goes fulscreen via the 'FS_D' parameter in your prefs file. By default, FS_D is set to 16, yielding a slightly higher frame rates at the cost of some color quality. Try setting FS_D to 32 for a little better color quality, but be aware some audio players force plugins to 32 bit mode anyway. Remember to avoid having changes to your prefs file overwritten by editing it only when WhiteCap is closed.

Can I resize the WhiteCap window?
  Drag near the bottom right of the window.

Why should I send in feedback, bug reports, or configs?
  WhiteCap can't improve unless you send me ideas, feedback, and bug reports. Most of the features added to WhiteCap and G-Force in the last year started out as user comments. When WhiteCap was first released, it came with about 20 configs. Today, thanks to users who sent in configs they made, 160 configs now come with WhiteCap. If you submit new configs, you'll make WhiteCap that much better for everyone else.

Can I control how much of my CPU goes to WhiteCap?
  The 'FPS' parameter in your preferences allows you to specify a desired frame rate. Note that it takes several seconds for WhiteCap to approach the frame rate you have set in the FPS parameter, so be patient when you resize its window (or do anything that significantly changes its load on your system). See the Customizing WhiteCap section.

How do I pre-plan/script a WhiteCap performance for a particular audio track?
  Using WhiteCap's scripting services provides some exciting ways to synchronize events in WhiteCap with events in audio tracks. See the following question and read the Scripting WhiteCap section.

How do I coordinate the start of an audio track or WhiteCap capture with a script?
  Whenever a new audio file is played in your audio player, WhiteCap will look for a script or config file with a matching name. If the audio track is an mp3 file and internally defines the track name (ex, ID tag data), then WhiteCap will use that instead of its filename. For example, suppose you have a script that's made to go with a file named "Andy Sings Opera.wav", and it's written so that 0:00 corresponds to the start of the audio file. Rename your script to "Andy Sings Opera" (remember: extensions are ignored in WhiteCap), restart WhiteCap, play the audio file, and WhiteCap will automatically start the script. The Scripting WhiteCap section describes scripts in detail, allowing you to coordinate WhiteCap with an audio track in exciting ways.
How do I display multiple configs at the same time?
  Make a folder in the "Configs" folder and move the config files you want to be displayed at the same time inside that folder. See "RGB Rave" as an example.

Can I edit configs while WhiteCap is running?
  If you develop your own configs, you'll need to test them out as you go along. However, WhiteCap caches its files when it starts up, so changes to config files won't have any affect until you restart WhiteCap. However, you can get WhiteCap to load a fresh copy of a config from disk by pressing the key that "reloads current configs." Pressing this key will cause WhiteCap to reload the currently running config from disk.

Could G-Force benefit from MMX (for Pentiums) or Altivec (for G4s)?
  Two-thirds of the CPU power that goes to WhiteCap is spent mostly running WhiteCap's virtual machine (the thing that makes "running" configs possible). These hardware technologies can't be used here to get an increase in performance. However, 3D hardware could aid in the 3D rendering, but it the overhead wouldn't be worthwhile for just wireframe rendering. In other words, until WhiteCap uses intensive 3D effects (surface rendering, etc), 3D hardware isn't worth using. Also, understand that OpenGL is a professional technology. To use it properly, professionally, and effectively one needs a lot of experience. When you use commercial 3D software, remember you're using software made by an army of highly paid engineers.

What was used to make G-Force and WhiteCap?
  Both are written in C++ and compiled using Metrowerks Codewarrior, a C/C++ development environment that beats the pants of Microsoft Visual Studio. Both G-Force and WhiteCap have evolved over the course of two years and contain many intricate parts.