ShowAmiga96 Version 1.2 (31.12.1997) ===========-------------------------- Introduction ------------ This is just another bootpic-viewer, but with some important features: o READY 4 FUTURE ShowAmiga96 only works on Amigas, which have installed the Picasso96- graphicsboard software. o FAAAST The bootpic is saved in the executeable in chunkypixel-format and there- fore it can be written into gfx-board-memory in a very short time. (On my 25mHz A4000T with PicassoIV loading and showing is finished in less than one second.) o RESOURCESAVING After loading the pic, ShowAmiga96 just needs 10k of Amiga-memory. The picture-data only exists in gfxboard-memory and isn´t buffered. So waste and fragmentation of Amiga-memory is minimized during boottime. Copyright --------- This software is subject to the "Standard Amiga FD-Software Copyright Note". It is MAILWARE as defined in paragraph 4b. For more information please read "AFD-COPYRIGHT" (Version 1 or higher). I don´t know where I found the nice Amiga-logo, but as I can remember, it´s just PD. Requirements ------------ o any Amiga o OS 3.0 o Gfx-board with Picasso96-software If you find some bugs, just contact me. (Maybe someone wants to correct the english documentation...;-)) Installation ------------ The installation is done by an Installer-script. The three programs ShowAmiga96 (to display the bootpic) ShowAmiga96_Close (to close the screen) ShowAmiga96_Prefs (to change the prefs) will be copied into the selected directories. After that, the Installer needs to know, which Picasso96-monitordriver you use and where it is placed. This is necessary because ShowAmiga96 displays the pic at a moment, when the drivers from DEVS:monitors aren´t loaded yet. Therefore ShowAmiga96 does it itself before the screen is opened. The main-executeable is called at the beginning of the startup-sequence. Editing the startup-sequence will be done by the Installer automatically (a backup called "Startup-Sequence.SA96" will be created in "S:"). As "Expert", you can edit the startup-sequence or user-startup yourself: after installation insert the following lines AFTER ENV: HAS BEEN ASSIGNED!!! run >nil: C:ShowAmiga96 >ram:showamiga96.err wait 1 sec At the end you can run the prefs-program. Even if you dont´t want to change the config, it´s recommended to check the success of the installation. Simply press the "Test"-Button...and if it works, the following reboot should be no problem. Prefs-program ------------- The prefs-program is based on many Reqtools-requesters, which guide through the configuration and explain every action - in german :-( I hope this helps a bit, until the programs are localized... Weiter=Continue Abbruch=Cancel After a correct installation, ShowAmiga96_Prefs recognizes the mainprog by a tooltype-entry. Otherwise, a filerequester is opened, where you have to choose the ShowAmiga96 file. Having loaded and checked the file, the prefs-program opens the mainmenu, which offers the following buttons. Bild In a filerequester you can choose a new bootpic, which will be converted into chunkypixel-format and that will be saved into the mainprog. The old picture will be overwritten. These IFF-ILBM formats are allowed in this version: 320 x 240 pixel , 256 colors 640 x 480 pixel , 256 colors 800 x 600 pixel , 256 colors DisplayID ShowAmiga96 detects the best-fitting screenmode it- self. However if you want to select a special mode, simply choose one from the list. MonitorDelay In the appearing requester you can enter a value (in 1/50 seconds) which will be used as a delay time after the sa96-screen has been opened. I needed this function, because my monitor needs nearly one second to synchronize a new screenmode. After the time has been elapsed, the fade-in of the bootpic starts. Einblendgeschwindigkeit In this requester you can select a number from one to nine that represents the speed for the fade-in. One is the slowest one. SA96-Close With these functions you can change the behaviour of the closer (ShowAmiga96_Close). WaitWindow After the closer has been launched from wbstartup- drawer, the program can wait for the appearence of a special window. This can be e.g. a Toolmanager- dock which needs some time to draw its images. If you want your WB to look complete when shown, this function is the right one for you. ShowAmiga96_Close only recognizes the windows by comparing their screen-coordinates, which you can enter in two requesters (first x, second y). If you use Toolmanager, you can get the values from the Toolmanger-prefs. Otherwise there are still tools like ARTM, RSys, Scout,... If a window can´t be found at the specified location (check it with "Test"), the closer waits 15 seconds and continues. Fade Effects The ShowAmiga96-screen can be closed by using one of the following fade effects: Close: the bootpic will be closed and the Workbench will appear (simple!) Fade out: the bootpic will be faded out before the Workbench appears FadeWBblack: the bootpic will be faded out to black and the WB will be faded in FadeWBwhite: like FadeWBblack, but with white as fadeto-color (the FadeWBxxx-functions create a copy of the WB-screen to save the Pensharing from being disturbed) (the FadeWBxxx-functions don´t work on hi/truecolor screens) Test Simulates a Shell-call of the ShowAmiga96-mainprog. All changes will be saved automatically. Pressing the left mousebutton calls the closer with all its adjustments. Beenden Quits the prefs-program and saves the configuration into the ShowAmiga96 mainprogram. Error Elimination ----------------- The errorrequesters of ShowAmiga96 aren´t shown until the WB has been loaded and therefore don´t disturb the boot-process. "Can't open Picasso96API.library v. 0" ! Apparently there is no Picasso96-software installed on your system. "Picasso96 hat keinen passenden Bildschirmmodus in der Liste der verfügbaren Modi gefunden." ! Picasso96 was unable to find a fitting screenmode. Try to select one (ShowAmiga96_Prefs - DisplayID). If this fails, you have to define a new mode with PicassoMode. "Datenübergabe an Fader und Closer fehlgeschlagen." ! ShowAmiga96 creates a file called "ShowAmiga96.dat" in RAM: to transmit some data to the closer. If the file could not be written, this message appears. "Picasso96-Monitortreiber wurde nicht gefunden: xxx" ! The monitordriver you selected during the installation could not be found. Maybe you installed a new one or moved it to a new place. To update the mainprog without new installation, perform the following prefs-call from a shell. ShowAmiga96_Prefs Example: Prefs/ShowAmiga96_Prefs C:ShowAmiga96 DEVS:Monitors/PicassoIV "Die Installation wurde nicht korrekt über das Install-Skript durchgeführt! ShowAmiga96 ist nicht lauffähig!" ! This error appears, if ShowAmiga96 has been installed by hand or if the Installer-script has been interrupted. The program will not without Installer-installation!!! "Bitmap konnte nicht allokiert werden." "Bitmap konnte nicht gelockt werden." "Picasso96-Screen konnte nicht geöffnet werden." "Fenster konnte nicht geöffnet werden." "Konnte Bitmapadresse nicht finden." ! These errors should not occur on correct Picasso96-systems... Support Address --------------- Comments, suggestions, criticism or bugreports are always welcome. E-mail to: hmueller@online.de S-mail to: Heiko Müller Ernst-Reuter-Str. 8 31275 Lehrte Germany If you are interested in others of my programs, just surf to the RelaySoft-homepage: http://www.online.de/home/hmueller/index.html Thanks go to ------------ Olaf Krafft Helge a Tellinghusen Thomas Frühwacht Oskar Duveborn Scott Cameron Marc-Andre Carsten Schalm Frank M. Mölle