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Re: [Kdenlive-devel] New Developer Onboard
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From: Steve G. <s.g...@db...> - 2014-06-29 21:33:14
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Greeting Simon, I'd like to be out there but it's a long way from Los Angeles. Do they have a meeting scheduled during ski season ? :-) I can be available by IRC or something similar though. Steve...>>> On 06/29/2014 01:37 PM, Simon A. Eugster wrote: > Hi Steve, > > thanks for the mail, and welcome here! Great to have you working on > Kdenlive. As Anna asked, can you make it to Randa, at least for a few > days? https://sprints.kde.org/sprint/212 This would be a great > opportunity to discuss those points with the developers. And to taste > some Original Swiss Raclette! > > Simon > > Am 27.06.2014 00:22, schrieb Steve Guilford: >> Greetings Kdenlive developers.... >> >> >> Inroduction >> >> I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Steve Guilford and I'm located >> in Los Angeles, Ca. Some may have noticed my postings on the forum. >> >> I have over 32 years of programming experience. My speciality is in >> creating frameworks, API and toolkits. Mainly in the realm of systems >> integration tasks, hardware integration etc. In 32 years I've done a lot >> of systems programming, architecture design, user applications, systems >> integration, database design, data transformations, hardware >> integrations, software/systems conversions, forensic analysis etc. etc. >> I dropped out of college in 1982 in order to go to work. I've been >> self-employed for 20+ years. Computers are still like toys to me. >> >> My Oracle expertise dates back to 1984. In 1986 I was part of a 4 man >> team that converted the Oracle DB - from source - to run on the Wang-VS >> line of mini-computers (that sure dates me). I'm fluent in multiple >> languages, databases, operating systems and object oriented programming >> frameworks. In the '90s I made a living selling telecommunications >> software that I created. I had some installations that lasted, with >> lucrative support contracts, for upwards of 15 years or more. >> >> I also created the enabling technology in the '90s for a very successful >> medical services firm. This product tracked the admission and >> discharging of patients from hospitals and provided doctors w/ a PDA >> that uploaded patient info (via an old-fashioned modem !!!) to a central >> server. Customized, dynamic surveys were then created and reports >> generated for fax delivery to primary care physicians. >> >> >> My Media Framework >> >> Lately, I been working on a very compact and powerful framework for the >> Oracle database that allows it to be used as a warehousing, streaming, >> transcoding, editing and rendering platform. This is done in a manner >> that eliminates the need for physical files. All assets are stored in >> the database. The framework allows you to keep video data in any >> table. It does not impose any 'schema' restrictions whatsoever. This >> framework is 'ready to go' !!! >> >> I've modified Kdenlive in a very succinct and discrete manner to allow >> it to source it's project from the DB as well as edit and render content >> to-and-from in the manner just described. My modifications are 'compile >> time' enabled via a build switch. The modifications are contained >> within '#ifdef' statements. I modified 8 source files as well as some >> header files. I added 5 UI modules and corresponding UI widgets to >> allow for the sourcing of projects, access/assignment of content to a >> project and a 'render' screen. I've modified the CmakeLists.txt file to >> enable the compile time inclusion of these features. >> >> Kdenlive now has the potential to be the first cloud enabled, location >> independent, database capable video editing platform. Given that the >> need for physical files has been eliminated, it also qualifies as >> potentially the most secure architecture available. I hope to be able >> to post my modifications upstream in the near future. >> >> >> Kdenlive's Long-Term Viability >> >> In my opinion, the only way that Kdenlive can survive is to have a >> 'corporate sponsor'; one that has a vested interest in seeing the >> project supported and improved. I am trying to build just such a >> business model. I am looking to build a location independent, cloud >> enabled video editing environment. In this model, seats on the system >> are free !!! There would be no charge for use of the editor. The cloud >> system however does provide secure location independent storage and >> access as well as consolidated high-performance rendering/transcoding >> services. That's what you pay for. This model could be attractive to >> media productions that must incorporate content from multiple locations >> with the secure delivery of "daily's" for approval by lead >> directors/editors. There are other benefits as well but I'll leave that >> for another thread. >> >> I've become somewhat familiar with Kdenlive's internals. From what I've >> been seeing in the forum/dev-list traffic, there are not many that have >> an in-depth knowledge of Kdenlive. That's obviously a big problem. >> >> *I'd like to help !!!* Hopefully my 32 years of practical experience >> can be useful. Kdenlive can be a terrific platform for open-source >> collaborative work. Developers that work on Kdenlive would get exposure >> to a wide variety of programming disciplines and concepts from >> multi-threading, multi-processing, frameworks, build systems, graphics, >> hardware, documentation etc. etc. Not every open-source project offers >> the breadth of disciplines that Kdenlive does. I think it could have >> strong potential as a 'teaching tool' within academia and the >> open-source community. If that happens, the quality and support >> associated w/ Kdenlive could rival the small group of high-end >> professional NLE's. There would also be spillover to projects such as >> Blender, Audacity etc. etc. >> >> >> A Way Forward >> >> That said, there's some significant steps that need to be taken before >> that can happen. Here's how I see it. >> >> We need to build a current roster of developers - a list posted online - >> w/ skills and specific areas of responsibility. >> >> We need to create a developer's roadmap and documentation. This is >> critical. In order to attract other coders we need to make it as easy >> for them to come-up-to-speed as possible. We also need to dispel the >> myth that a video editor is way to complicated 'for me' when somebody >> approaches this project for the first time. The roadmap would take >> somebody from start-to-finish in terms of getting them going. Here's >> some of the things it would contain: >> >> * Specific and tested instructions for creating a local source-tree >> from GIT. >> * Instructions on how to upload your changes/mods/bug-fixes. >> * Details on the bug system used, how to take responsibility for and >> post a fix for a bug. >> * Instructions on how to utilize an IDE (i.e. Kdevelop, QtCreate, >> Eclipse) and create an appropriate IDE project. >> * Details on using a UI builder such as QtDesigner. >> * Coding standards. >> * Kdenlive source tree layout (so you know where to find things and >> what something is for) >> * Details on Kdenlive's build system. >> * Kdenlive data sources - a description of where Kdenlive keeps it's >> files (i.e. project, proxies, temp files) >> * A description of the Kdenlive editing project file layout. >> * Details on how signals and slots are connected together in order to >> implement UI tasks and other asynchronous tasks within Kdenlive. >> * A UI interface gallery so that one can flip through a group of >> images in order to find the desired UI and controlling 'view' module. >> * A description of how multi-threading and multi-processing is used >> within Kdenlive (i.e. generating proxies, thumbnails, rendering etc). >> * Details on Kdenlive's internal data structures. >> * A C++ class layout/diagram. >> >> The developer's roadmap would be an evolving set of documents w/ >> provisions for user comments and contributions etc. I think some of >> these items in the roadmap need to be in place before we start altering >> code. Other items can be filled in as we go along. >> >> We need to advertise Kdenlive as a viable, attractive 'learning' >> platform in order to attract academia an other members of the OpenSource >> community. We need a build a reputation of being a worthwhile project >> to be involved in. >> >> >> Code Changes >> >> As far as code changes are concerned, I definitely have my opinions on >> that. Please excuse me though - I have 32 years of coding habits built >> up and over time I've seen a lot and done a lot. Kdenlive's source code >> suffers greatly from 'formatting' issues. I know some would argue, but >> after 32 years and countless projects and teams that I've either been >> part of or led, or done by myself, there's really no way to brace and >> indent code other than GNU style. Yes, it increases the vertical size >> of code somewhat but do remember that when K&R style was introduced, we >> were coding on VT-102 terminals w/ 80x24 screens. (I have an original >> edition of K&R's Learning to Program in 'C' book - a classic - but I >> digress) So, vertical size was an issue then. Now - not so much. >> However, in my mind, K&R style's legacy of hard to read code and >> style-induced bugs prevails. >> >> As you might have surmised, Kdenlive uses K&R style. So, that would be >> the first code change I'd recommend - and it really would not involve >> any logic changes whatsoever. It would be relatively straightforward >> and easy. Braces on separate lines and 2 character indent levels. I >> think that making these changes would be very important to our ability >> to attract other coders. Hard to read code is always a turn-off. >> >> Once that is done the next area I'd address are the 'massive' routines >> and the kludgey if/else/if/nested-forever statements that appear >> throughout the code. In this instance I'm speaking of routines that >> accomplish way too much (they need to be broken up into smaller chunks) >> and 'if' statements that have too many levels to them. Breaking up >> routines that are too big has a direct benefit of making the code more >> 'self documenting'. This also tends to make it easier, later on, to >> modify sections w/out adversely impacting other areas of code. Making >> these changes would serve as a lead-up and the beginnings of a >> refactoring effort. >> >> Refactoring the code so that its easier to understand and modify will be >> crucial if we are to have a platform that is conducive to encompassing >> new features and capabilities. The refactoring effort would also >> include a re-organization of the source code tree. This provides a >> means of splitting the code into distinct MVC sections and have source >> files organized within separate subdirectories. >> >> >> Thanks For Reading This Far !!! >> >> That's all I've got for right now. I hope some find this interesting >> and I look forward to possibly helping out w/ Kdenlive. If anybody has >> access to an Oracle DB (you can download and install one for free for >> evaluation/development purposes) I'll set you up w/ my Multimedia >> framework. It's all of *1.5Mb* in size (I rounded up). >> >> If you need help setting up an Oracle DB, I can help w/ that too. It's >> easier than it looks.... >> >> Sincerely.....Steve Guilford...>>> >> >> -- >> Steve Guilford >> http://www.dbplugins.com >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Open source business process management suite built on Java and Eclipse >> Turn processes into business applications with Bonita BPM Community Edition >> Quickly connect people, data, and systems into organized workflows >> Winner of BOSSIE, CODIE, OW2 and Gartner awards >> http://p.sf.net/sfu/Bonitasoft >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Kdenlive-devel mailing list >> Kde...@li... >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/kdenlive-devel >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Open source business process management suite built on Java and Eclipse > Turn processes into business applications with Bonita BPM Community Edition > Quickly connect people, data, and systems into organized workflows > Winner of BOSSIE, CODIE, OW2 and Gartner awards > http://p.sf.net/sfu/Bonitasoft > _______________________________________________ > Kdenlive-devel mailing list > Kde...@li... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/kdenlive-devel -- Steve Guilford http://www.dbplugins.com |