L.A.B.A.N.
Lean Against Bricks And Nailstm
My Kinetographic Editor for the Largely Advanced Body Animation Notation language.

NOTICE! I have placed this project on-hold for awhile. The time when I will continue with it is currently uncertain.

Note! LABAN (without the periods) relates to the kinetographic language that was invented by Rudolf von Laban in 1928, and this is pronounced lab-ban, or maybe lay-ban, BUT L.A.B.A.N. (with the periods) relates to a computer program that was written by David E. Down the Faery Monarch, and this is pronounced by saying its individual letters.

What is kinetography?
Kinetography is a method to write body animation routines onto paper. I plan to make my kinetographic programming project open source, and maybe open development also. It uses the LABANscript language which is invented by Rudolf von Laban at 1928, and information about it can be found at URLs such as http://www.dancenotation.org, and http://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~griesbec/LABANE.HTML. I will be sure that this program will be sleek to use.

What platform(s) that this program runs on?
Currently DOS at moment, with a lot of memory, but I have Linux on my machine. I do not know much about the Linux API at this moment. I may start learning by analyzing the Linux source CD-ROM, or the library header files.

What type of software license that this program uses?
I think that I will use the GNU general public license.

Will the datafiles that this program creates, be an ASCII or binary type?
It will be a RIFF style binary file format which I have given the extension .rvlf (short for Rudolf von Laban file). Also, my editor intends to support some unstandard LABAN rules, such as stave reading direction, and addtional shades and glyphs, which may not exist in other LABANscript based editors.

Status of the program:
I have prepared the first alpha release of this program, it is ready for you to download, please read Documentation. It requires DJGPP, and the Allegro library.

Executeable Binaries: Source Code Files:
LABANexe_19990721.zip
(DOS Executeable)		 MABANOL_19990721.zip [version 0.0.1a]
(L.A.B.A.N. program)
gui_19990721.zip [version 0.0.1a]
(My Magic Tututm GUI library)
Documents:
Documentation for the program.
Addendum to the 19990721 version of this program.
Software license details "GNU GPL" for file MABANOL*.zip, also applies to LABANexe*.zip.
Software license details "GNU LGPL" for file gui*.zip

 

Some of my ideas that I have planned for this program:
  1. A GUI interface.
    1. I have placed this under a seperate source file, and it is covered under the "GNU LGPL".
  2. Able to store attribution information into the project file.
  3. Able to choose between thin-16, and wide-24 column staves.
    • Originally, I have started with 16 columns because I have seen the staves at www.dancenotation.org in the "basics" standard with about 15 columns, then I have discovered staves with about 22 columns, then I have decided to add in support for 24 column staves.
    • It is not currently implemented the latest alpha release.
  4. User selectable reading direction.
    • I will have this on top-to-bottom mode as default, because top-to-bottom is my referred option, plus I want to educate the users of this program to read the instructions.
  5. Able to work on multiple projects at once.
  6. Able to work on project that consists of body animation routines for one or two actors.
    • I have devised the terms: "step-for-one" for the one actor mode, and "step-for-two" for the two actor mode.
      • The word actor is gender-netural, and I never use it in a Gender-specific context what so ever.
      • For those are catching on the "step-for-two" bit, and asking themselves why I did not use <some-French-term>. Guess what? I have a no foreign language based terminology policy.
  7. Render the project onto a BITMAP file, thus make it easy for everyone to post LABANscripts on the 'net.
Some of Other Ideas that I have planned for this program:
  1. File interchanging tools with other LABANscript orientated programs.
    • I have found an UNIX LABANscript editor, whose name is LED (Labanotation EDitor) with source code. I have found at http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/led/led.html, and I have tested this out under Linux.
      • Although there was no Linux makefiles at this site, but I have managed to get it compiled under Linux, but this program seems to be buggy.
  2. Also, there is LabanWriter at http://www.dance.ohio-state.edu/files/LabanWriter/index.html, but it is for the Macionish which is a type of platform that I do not have access to, and its "source code" release license is a Non-Disclosure Agreement type, which is not compatible with the "GNU GPL".
    • Also, I can emulate a Macintosh on a PC by getting the emulator "Executor" at www.ardi.com, but I am required to register it if I want to continue to use it.
    • I think that the LabanWriter developer (David Ralley) may "freely" release the File format specifications.


SCREEN SHOTS OF LEAN AGAINST BRICKS AND NAILStm:

ABOVE! The pre-alpha screen shot!

 

ABOVE! The screen shot that was taken when I was implementing the polygon glyphs.

 

ABOVE! I have decided to implement a wallpaper feature to my Magic Tututm GUI.

 

Lean Against Bricks And Nails is a GonksoftwareTM computer program that is written and copyrighted by David E. Down. This program is not designed, licensed, or endorsed by any entity who is successor of the now dead Rudolf von Laban, whose name appears within this computer program. This program uses Software Libraries which are not entirely written by the author, they are listed in the SDK info section of the About menu. This program comes with absolutely no warranty.

Get back to my Programming Night's Dream, or see my list of LABAN sites.

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NOTICE! I have placed this project on-hold for awhile. The time when I will continue with it is currently uncertain.

© Copyright David E. Down 1999-2000