Target:
Just so people have an idea of where this program is coming from, when
did you get involved in Warbirds? What's your background in the game?
Phenix:
I have been playing Warbirds online since September of 1997 just previous
to the release of 2.0. I had been 'practicing' offline in 1.11 for about
2 months prior to that after seeing an add in an internet magazine. I joined
the 'Haze', after a chance meeting with -btjo- soon after going online
and have been with them ever since. You may know -btjo- as his latest ID,
vert++. :) I am currently the leader of our Buff Wing, mainly due to my
navigational skills. I have become quite good at lining buffs up on a target.
Target:
Where did you get your programming skills?
Phenix:
I have been literally programming since 5th grade (remember BASIC on the
old Apples?). I graduated with a degree in Math and Physics and took a
job in programming. In my current position, I have coded in about a dozen
different languages in the past year. Because of this I can't say I am
an expert in any of these languages, but as most programmers know, they
all work the same, just different looking code. I still code as a hobby
and learned most of my Java at home.
Target:
How long have you been working on Warbirds stuff with those skills?
Phenix:
I have been making aids for Warbirds for a long time from detailed maps
to gunsites. As a matter of fact I think I may be spending more time lately
in extracurricular Warbirds activities than actually playing online. :)
As I have stated, I create things like Java
Guncam and because I wanted it to use. But, it is very rewarding to me
if others can utilize what I create. I guess that keeps me working on things.
Plus, if I ever make it to a con, someone might buy me a shot. :) Did I
mention Java Guncam is beerware? :D
Target:
Hehe, glug glug! Where'd you get the idea for the Java Guncam?
Phenix:
I was greatly inspired by Rehn's Guncam and used it in pre-WB3. From that
program I learned what settings should be considered when creating guncam
(trailing frames, etc.). Rehn was able to actually generate animated gifs,
which for now I have no intention of doing. There is plenty of software
out there that can do it.
Target:
I've tried it out now and I find it a pretty amazing tool. Are you done
with it, or are there improvements coming?
Phenix:
I guess I don't find the guncam that awesome... yet. Wait till I get it
to works for Mac. I know Java pretty well, but the program is a mixed bowl
of things I have found on the internet. The joystick connection is none
of my stuff, but a freely distributed package. The blurring and grayscaling
of the image is also pretty basic Java code. The aging portion of the film
and the timestamp idea was something I came up with on my own. In the past
when I had used Rehn's Guncam, I had to convert all the images one by one
to get the effect I needed. So when writing Java Guncam, I put the option
to do all the processing for me upfront. Afterall, I made this primarily
for myself. :)
I just wished it worked while it was in full
screen, although some are reporting that it captures every frame with highend
cards. In the future, iEN will have the option to record your flight and
then play it back in a viewer. It is my hope they don't force the viewer
in a full screen mode. Then one could use Java Guncam to create the needed
frames for a movie offline and while not playing.
For the immediate future, I plan on finding
away to make it Mac compatible even if it is through the keyboard only,
and also add the ability to purge and write out the images in memory without
exiting the game. Right now if you would play it for hours without stopping
to develop your film, you
would eventually start seeing a slow down on your system. :)
Java
Guncam for WarbirdsIII
The orginal 
