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*******************************************************************************
** **
** Documentation for **
** **
** Embedder V1.0 **
** **
** (C) Copyright 1993 by Bigmama of Trash **
** All Rights Reserved **
** **
*******************************************************************************
Embedder and this documentation is NOT Public Domain software and nobody is
permitted to gain profit on it without my permission.
I won't allow any presence of Embedder on neither scene nor commercial releases
in order to promote the concerned release, without my permission.
If you want to talk about commercial distribution the contact at the BBS listed
at the end of this file.
NO changes should be made to the "Embedder10.lha" archive, which should consist
of the following files:
Embedder/
Docs.info Utilities.info Icons.info WBStartup.info
Embedder/Docs/
Embedder.doc Embedder.doc.info EmbedderShort.doc EmbedderShort.doc.info
Embedder/Icons/
Embedder.info EmbedderProject.info
Embedder/Utilities/
Embedder Embedder.info
HD:Embedder/WBStartup/
Embedder Embedder.info
If the archive and files are kept exactly like above, or (preferably) only the
original archive is passed on, you can distribute it freely in any electronic
form you like.
And now let's get to the actual instructions...
*******************************************************************************
1. The purpose of this utility
2. Requirements
3. Actions and configuration
4. CLI/Shell usage
5. Workbench usage (Workbench rules supreme!)
6. Contact me!
*******************************************************************************
1. The purpose of this utility
I made this small program because all those intros and small demos that don't
work with AGA and caches annoy me constantly!
If you have played around an A1200/A4000 now and then you surely know what I
mean :-)
This utility is capable of resetting the entire display to no output at all and
resetting AGA sprite-resolutions to normal low-res 16 pixel sprites before
executing a demo/intro. This prevents the executed program from showing those
well-known modulo-torn-to-pieces-graphics.
Another thing is that on any 68020+ CPU with fastram the exception and interrupt
vectors aren't located at $00000000 but someplace else (in fastram). That's why
some intros work on A1200 but not on A4000 (or A3000/accelerated A2000's for
that matter).
Well, Embedder is capable of resetting these vectors back to $00000000 and set
them back on exit.
If some programs have cache-problems, Embedder will also handle these for you.
As an extra bonus you will be able to run your favourite intro's from Workbench
if you run them through Embedder and the project icon or use the AppIcon.
A few intros/demos causes the system to die on exit. I don't know why yet, but
maybe I'll discover the reason sometime.
So with Embedder you should now be capable of embedding your intros in a way,
that they can be run without problems.
*******************************************************************************
2. Requirements
Embedder works on all Amiga's with at least Kickstart 2.00. The reason why it
doesn't work on 3.0+ and AGA only, is that some accelerator-owners maybe would
to run some intro's too. Another reason is that you can run intro's from
Workbench.
The only action that requires 3.0+ is the SPRITE_RESET action (see below) but
you can specify it safely on 2.0+ aswell.
*******************************************************************************
3. Actions and configuration
There are five actions that can be performed by Embedder. They all serve the
purpose of making file intros/demos work on AGA and cache systems.
1. VBR_RESET
This action forces the VBR (VectorBaseRegister) to be set to zero
so the interrupts can be executed correctly. (See above.)
There's no need to fool around with this if your machine has got
an MC68000 or no fastram.
2. CACHE_DISABLE
Speaks for itself i figure. Anyway...
All caches will be flushed and disabled as long as your intro/demo
is running. They will be restored to original state on exit.
As the VBR_RESET action this of course has no effect on MC68000.
3. SPRITE_RESET
Resets the sprites to the standard original chipset size of 16
pixels with and 140 ns pixel-speed.
Has no effect on the original Denise, which is normally found in
A1000's, A500's, A2000A's and A2000B's.
4. DISPLAY_RESET
This is for non-AGA machines. If your machine hasn't got AGA then
don't enable this. You will just get that blank display while
loading and there's no need for that.
On AGA this action resets the display to no resolution at all, so
your intro/demo can start a fresh copperlist.
5. APP_ICON
With this action set you can make Embedder add an AppIcon to the
Workbench list of AppIcons. This way you just drop the icon of the
program you want to execute on the Embedder AppIcon and it will be
executed automatically. Note that this action only has effect if
specified in the Embedder icon.
So much for the actions. Now I'll explain how to set/unset 'em.
All actions are standard Amiga icon Tool Types and can be altered using
»Information« in the Workbench »Icons« menu or e.g. »IconInfo« in DirectoryOpus.
The Tool Types specified in the Embedder icon (the icon for Embedder) form
the basic configuration for Embedder. If the Embedder project icon is installed
on all files you occasionally execute or the AppIcon is used, Embedder's
configuration will be overridden by the configuration in the executed programs
icon.
Try using »Information« on the enclosed icons to have a look at how this is
done.
Note that if you don't copy the Embedder icon to the same directory as
Embedder and use Embedder from CLI/Shell, no configuration will be available
at all. Then the built-in default configuration is used. It enables VBR_RESET
and DISPLAY_RESET only.
A real nice way of using Embedder is to insert the Tool Type »DONOTWAIT«
(a standard Workbench Tool Type) and use the AppIcon. Then you just place
Embedder in your »WBStartup« directory and your environment will start up with
that nice little icon on the left everytime you reboot.
(I use this method myself! :-)
So if you want to control Embedder fully, use Workbench.
Note: All Tool Types in parenthesis are ignored by Embedder.
*******************************************************************************
4. CLI/Shell usage
If you prefer to use Embedder from CLI/Shell just type »Embedder (file)«
where (file) is the intro/demo/game or whatever you want to execute.
Note that if you don't copy the Embedder tool icon to the same directory as
Embedder and use Embedder from CLI/Shell, no configuration will be available
at all. Then the built-in default configuration is used. It enables VBR_RESET
and DISPLAY_RESET only.
Another thing is that the »APP_ICON« action has no effect if Embedder is
executed form CLI/Shell.
I therefore recommend that you use Embedder from Workbench :-)
*******************************************************************************
5. Workbench usage
From Workbench you can use Embedder in two ways.
1. You can (as mentioned above) add the Embedder project icon to every
program you execute and Embedder will load the program automatically.
This way every program can have it's own Embedder configuration
(See "Actions and configuration").
2. Another way is to click the icon of the file you want to run and then
press and hold shift and finally double-click the Embedder icon.
If you use this procedure you don't have to add an icon to every
intro/demo, you just use »show all files« and perform the above
procedure on the shown standard Workbench icons.
3. If you don't want to mess around with project icons, you can use the
»APP_ICON« action and just drop your icons at the AppIcon.
To exit Embedder when using AppIcon just double-click the AppIcon and
a requester will appear.
*******************************************************************************
6. Contact me!
If you want to suggest improvements or bugs or just want to have a real
»coders chat« then leave me a message at our WHq...
>>> /Y\etal Connextion <<< +45 (0) 7443 5949.
Greetings to everybody I know,
especially Coma/Trash for great encouragement
through the dimensions of time and space...
Bigmama/Trash