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*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
X - Master - The ULTIMATE in CONTROL for
all your
EXTENSION specific programs
v1.05
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
An introduction of sorts...
Scenario ONE -
You own a Sound Blaster card, and you have been amassing
an enormous collection of MOD files, as well as a few ROL files, and
a few CMF's. You only have a 60mb HD, and have to keep all these
files compressed as to conserve space. Everytime you wish to play
one of the MOD's, you have to uncompress the file, play it, and then
delete it after hearing it. Kind of a pain...
Scenario TWO -
You own a VGA card and have been collecting a bunch of FLI's.
These are incredible space takers, so keeping them unarchived does
not make any sense, so you ARJ a few of them, ZIP some of the
others, and LZH the rest. Unfortunately, not one program can undo
all the aforementioned archives, so you have to continually remember
which one is compressed with which archive, or repeatedly take
directories. Even more of a pain, especially if you spell one
wrong...
Scenario THREE -
You own the ultimate multi-media machine and have the same
problems as the two people mentioned above, but since you have a
660mb HD, your problems are ten times worse! What you need is a
program which is easy to configure, will automatically choose which
unarchiver and player to use, and give you the ability to play /
view all the various extensions without the added headaches...
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Enter X-MASTER
X-MASTER is the program you need to aid you in combatting the above
scenarios. So what is it, you might ask? X-MASTER will give you a menu
to choose which file you wish to play / view / use. If the file is
archived using one of the three most popular archivers, X-MASTER will
unarchive it for you to a place of your choosing, use the file as
directed, and then delete it once complete. In the BBS' world, there
are so many programs that do different things, but programs can usually
be classified by their three character extension (i.e. .ZIP files are
usually compressed with PKZIP by Phil Katz; .MOD files are usually Amiga
Music files which require an external program, such as MODPLAY, to
use...) Generally speaking, most people keep all there MOD's, VOC's,
FLI's, etc... in a particular directory, a default directory in other
words. X-MASTER has the following features :
■ Easy to configure
■ Support for ARJ'ed, LZH'ed and ZIP'ed files
■ Mouse support
■ An attractive display with an easy to operate menu
■ Ability to sort files by extension/name
■ Supports any and all extensions / players / viewers which
support a command line option (or not!)
■ Supports multiple directories of the same extension
■ Ability to delete files from archives without leaving
the program
■ Support for multiple players / viewers
■ Speedier than the average program by using special
AutoMagic files
■ Will unarchive the file where ever you wish including
a RAMDRIVE for added speed
■ Ability to "tag" files for playing / viewing to create
a jukebox or video show
■ Can compile several directories worth of same extension'ed
files into one big list
■ Support for 25/43/50 line modes
■ Support ZIP/ARJ file comments for describing the file
■ Supports XMS/EMS/DISK
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Getting Started
X-MASTER was made to be a simple program to use, but it requires the
use of many external programs for all features to be implemented.
Examine the included XMASTER.CFG file, and change it to suit your
system, and file names. You might be able to use the configuration file
without any changes. The setup of the configuration file is as
follows :
drive / directory to unarchive file
location of PKZIP
location of PKUNZIP
parameters for PKUNZIP
location of LHArc
parameters for LHArc
location of ARJ
parameters for ARJ
first extension for X-MASTER to find (i.e. MOD)
location of the first extension files (i.e. C:\MODS)
second extension for X-MASTER to find ...
location of the second extension files
.
.
.
(up to forty extensions allowed!)
The lines which require filenames MUST be valid filenames,
regardless of whether or not you use the particular archiver. The
parameter lines may be blank or not (PKUNZIP normally does not require
any parameters). The location of where to unarchive files MUST be a
valid directory. If the line is blank, the current directory will be
used. Furthermore, do not put any extraneous spaces or lines between
the directory names, or file names.
The last lines of the configuration file are the extensions you wish
X-MASTER to recognize. Example : MOD, FLI, GL, GIF, VOC. The line
following the extension is the default directory where to find the
aforementioned extensions. Example : D:\TRAK, E:\VGA\FLIES, C:\PORNO,
D:\SB\VOCS... Notice that none of the directories have a trailing
backslash; trailing backslashes are not necessary, but will be ignored
if present. Put only one extension on each line, and you may have only
one default directory for each extension.
After completing the configuration file, you are halfway done. You
must now make a batch file for each extension you put in the con-
figuration file. The purpose of the batch file is to actually "use"
(play / view / whatever) the file of your selection. For example, say
you have a FLI extension in your configuration file, and to view the
FLI's, you use the program AAPLAY.EXE. The batch file would be similar
to :
rem This batch file plays FLI's using AAPLAY
E:\VGA\FLIES\AAPLAY %1
Notice that a %1 is in place of where the name of the FLI to view
usually goes. X-MASTER will pass the name of the FLI by use of DOS
parameters to the batch file. If you are unsure of how the %variable
notation works, consult your DOS manual. For most purposes, just place
a %1 where you would normally place the name of the file.
So, how does X-MASTER know which batch file to run?? Well, the name
of the batch file has to be exact for X-MASTER to find it, and it must
follow a very special format. Each batch file is named by the
extension for which it is going to be used, the word "PLAY" and then a
number starting at "1" and going through "9", ending with the .BAT
extension. For example : "FLIPLAY1.BAT" would be the first (default)
batch file to be used to view .FLI files. Always start with "1" and go
up from there. You may have up nine batch files available.
You might be wondering how you can tell the batch files apart when
your inside X-MASTER. Did you notice the "rem" statement in the batch
file given earlier? REM statements are simply "rem"arks made about the
batch file. They do nothing to alter the operation of a batch file.
If you put a "rem" statement as the first line of your batch file,
X-MASTER will show the first forty characters following the "rem "
instead of an ambiguous "Batch file #2".
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Notes on batch files
Batch files can be very powerful, however, you must take care in
using them. If you load a program into memory, it must be taken out of
memory before it will come back to X-MASTER. This is especially
important when working with TSR programs. I personally use KEY-FAKE a
lot (stuffs keys into the keyboard buffer) but it must be taken out of
memory (via MARK/RELEASE) before it will work with X-MASTER. If you
find yourself being dropped to DOS, make sure the memory is the same
when going to X-MASTER.
Another thing to remember about batch files is any program that can
be run from DOS can be run from a batch file. This gives you a great
variety of programs which can be incorporated into your X-MASTER batch
files. Be creative!
If you want a good example of creativity in batch files, I have a
file called XMDEMOS which has the batch files I use to play VGA demos
from X-MASTER. It requires the many excellent features of 4DOS however.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Getting around in X-MASTER
When you load up the program, you will see a list of extension
types. These should be the same as the ones you have listed in your
configuration file. Use the arrow keys or the mouse to select which
extension you want, and either press [RETURN] or one of the mouse
buttons. The screen will then clear, and all the files in the specified
directory of the selected extension will appear. Use the arrow keys to
move the cursor around, and press RETURN to "use" the file you have
selected. Press PgDn to go down a page, or press PgUp to go up a page.
Home takes you to the first file, while End takes you to the last file.
Ctrl-Left arrow takes you to the first item on the line, and Ctrl-Right
arrow takes you to the last item on a line. Also, if you press the
first letter of the file name, it will take you to the next file which
starts with that letter. If your list is sorted (see below), it will
take you to all the files which start with that letter. Mouse users may
move the pointer to the appropriate file and double click the first
(left) mouse button. To go up or down a page, click either button on
the words "PgUp" or "PgDn" respectively.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Options available
When you have a lot of files and you want to play a bunch of them,
you can tag each file you wish to play by pressing the [SPACE BAR]. The
tag switch works like a toggle, so if you tag a file which you do not
want, just press the [SPACE BAR] again. Mouse users may press the
second mouse button to tag or untag. When you have finished tagging
files, press [RETURN] to "use" them. You will be give the option to
"use" them in sequential order (the order in which they appear on the
screen), or random order. If you wish to abort a "tagged play run",
press the [SPACE BAR] or the Escape key between files. Be careful, if
you press ESC too many times, you will exit the program. I would
recommend using the [SPACE BAR], but for those of us that are quick, the
ESC works just as well. Starting with release 1.05, there is a five
second delay between each file, so use any OTHER key besides Space or
ESC to abort the delay. Use [SPACE BAR] or ESC to abort the tagged play
run as usual.
Each of the function keys have special functions as well. They are
as follows :
Alt-H,
F1 - Utilities Menu / Help - The first time you hit it, a menu will
pop up containing all the major functions. If you hit it again,
you will see an online help screen with the basic functions
outlined. Not extensive, but will explain parts of the program.
Alt-C,
F2 - Change Directory - if you wish to change the current directory
to another, choose this function. Be careful, a config file is
created for every directory you select. Not that this is bad,
but it wastes disk space if you select directories without any
files in it. If you have a few directories which you keep files
in already defined, press F2 again to pick from your currently
defined directories. This reduces typing to a minimum!
Personally, I keep all the files I like in one directory, and
all the new ones, which are not backed up to disk, I keep in
another directory. This aids in easy organization.
Alt-E,
F3 - Change current extension - With this command, you may switch to
any of the extensions you have defined in your CFG file. The
directory will be changed to the default directory as specified
in the CFG file, and if no AutoMagic file is found, one will be
created.
Alt-D,
F4 - Delete File - Whether this file is in a ZIP, ARJ, or LZH, or
even uncompressed, this command will delete the file the cursor
is currently on. Be extra careful with this one as once its
deleted, its gone for good.
Alt-O,
F5 - Sort (Order) the Files - Simple enough, all the files with be
sorted by name to aid in easy finding. Just hit the first
letter of the name to go to all the files that start with that
letter.
Alt-N,
F6 - Select New Player - You may have more than one batch file
defined for use, and with this command, you may switch between
them. The currently selected one will be marked with a check
mark or a star.
Alt-R,
F7 - Rescan Current Directory - Rescans the current directory for
any new files. Use this command when you get a new file you
wish to use.
Alt-M,
F8 - Make Master Directory - A master directory is a compiled list
of all the currently defined directories. When you make a
master list, you may choose a file from any of the defined
directories for the same extension. In other words, if you have
all your MOD's in two different directories, this will put all
of them on the screen. This can be very useful if you keep
files spread out for some reason. Personally, I keep all my new
MOD's in one directory, and the old MOD's in another. This way
I can play from them both without switching directories.
Alt-U,
F9 - Use Master Directory - This will use the currently compiled
master directory.
Ctrl-Q,
F10 - Quit - Return to DOS.
Alt-S
F11 - Status window - when you are on a file, press Alt-S to see the
status of the file. It includes most of the pertinent
information such as size (compressed and uncompressed), the file
time/date, and if compressed with ZIP or ARJ, the file
description. The status will also tell you which archive it is
in which is great if you have duplicates. You can selectively
delete from the right archive.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Advanced Setup
Starting with the 1.03 version, I have included batch files for an
advanced users setup. Guaranteed to make your X-MASTER the ultimate
music/graphics machine! These are my personal batch files that I use on
my computer in their unadulterated form. Furthermore, if you run into
one of those asinine players which does NOT accept a full path name from
the command line, I have included a program which may help you out a
bunch. These batch files are meant as a supplement AFTER you have
X-MASTER working with a single batch file. If you thought the above was
difficult, you have a challenge ahead of you!
I have four players for MOD files which I have picked up around the
boards. The first and main one I use is TrakBlaster. This program is
the greatest as it plays MOD files from the command line with a full
path name. The others I have are MODPlay (used with 4DOS and without,
via MODPLAY2.BAT and MODPLAY3.BAT respectively) and PLAYER (possibly
called TUPLAY) by the Untouchables. I also have three players for ROL
files. My main one is ADMPlay. It is from another program similar (but
worse, of course (-:) to X-MASTER. Because of this, I have to run
another program CHKDRV which checks to see if the SOUND.COM is loaded.
If not, then it won't do anything. The next two are for a new
incredible VGA ROL player called Super Sonic Gram. One is for use
with 4DOS, the other one without. These do considerably more in the
batch files including hitting the space bar via a program called
KEY-FAKE, and copying the BNK file to my RAM drive. I have only one STM
player, STM.EXE in STMPLAY1.BAT. I also have three VOC file players.
The first one is my main one which is VPLAY from Creative Labs. The
next one is one called NOHISS. NOHISS is great as it removes
noise/hiss/unwanted extras from the voice file. The problem is it only
works on uncompressed files as my "rem" statement says. Lastly, I have
SeeVOX which draws a graph of the sound, but only works on compressed
files as well. The others are for various things. Check them out!
The purpose of this is to show you the incredible amount of versatility
you have with this program. If you are in the slightest bit interested,
check out SPLCMD10.ARJ (included) and EXBATCH.ARJ (also included) which
contain my SPLITCMD program and all my batch files respectively.
Perhaps you can improve on them, who knows? I'd be interested in any
changes so let me know if you do.
The last batch file I have is XM.BAT. This is the batch file I use for
calling up X-MASTER. Nothing special, but figured someone might be
interested. I keep the file XM.BAT in my path so I can access it from
anywhere.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Optimizing X-MASTER!
X-MASTER can be a powerful program. I use it for a multitude of
things, mainly because I know the program inside and out. Furthermore,
I can program. I realize not all of you can do this, and although you
don't need programming experience, it can help. :-) Also, I use 4DOS
(a COMMAND.COM replacement) which I highly recommend for making great
batch files. Using 4DOS' built in batch language I was able to include
demos (you know, the things that UltraForce is famous for!) as another
extension. If you are interested in that, I'd be happy to send it to
you, or you can pick up XMDEMOS.ARJ (as of this writing) from one of the
support boards. I currently have ten extensions defined in my CFG file,
with most of them being in the end of the document. Some of the more
complex ones (i.e. : DL's and DEMo's) I've left out. If you have
questions on these, feel free to ask me, I'd be happy to help.
X-MASTER uses a routine to swap to EMS/XMS/DISK when it needs extra
memory. For fastest results, have 129k of free EMS/XMS memory
available. Granted, this is not always possible. If X-MASTER can not
find the memory, it will swap to disk. When swapping to disk, you have
a number of options open to you. If you have a designated place for
such a swap file to go (such as a RAM disk), you can set the TMP/TEMP
variable to this location. If you run Windows or something similar, you
may already have such a location in your environment. To do this from
DOS, type the following :
SET TEMP=D:\TEMP
This sets the TEMP directory to D:\TEMP. Everytime X-MASTER swaps,
it will write its swap file here. X-MASTER will also read a TMP
variable as the same thing. Be warned, if you already have X-MASTER
uncompressing the files to a certain place, and send your swap file
there as well, you may run out of disk space. Be careful...
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Why X-MASTER?
Why should you use X-MASTER? Simply because I can't find anything
better! I have honestly tried to find stuff that does everything my
program does, and it just doesn't exist! There were quite a few for the
ADLIB ROL files, but when there are so many other (and better) music
files, then you must switch to another program or worse still, do all
of the work manually. I tried about six programs which did something
similar to my program, and after all the beg screens and crap, the
program sucked. My program has a simple beg line (nothing horrible) but
is FULLY functional otherwise. You really can get the feel for this
program without registering (but I hope you do!) and set it up to do
wonderful things. I am always interested in what you do with this
program no matter how simple. If they are good enough, I will possibly
include them in this DOC.
If you do find a program which you like better or it has a neat
feature you wish mine had, let me know what I can change. I'll consider
it, and if its good, I will add it. I am always interested in new
ideas.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Known pitfalls / troubleshooting!
Make sure all the archived files are archived correctly with no
errors. If you find yourself getting a Runtime Error #100, check your
archives for errors. The program, as of version 1.03, will call your
attention to bad archives, and skip them.
Bad archives are generally to blame for any Runtime Errors between 100
and 105. If you find yourself getting one of these errors, test all
your archives. Next, make sure the archive is made with the latest
version of the archiver. Problems have been known to come up if you are
using an archive that was made with an older version of the archiver.
The program was tested with ARJ 2.30, PKZIP / PKUNZIP 1.1, and LHA 2.13.
These are the latest releases as of this writing.
I tried making the program as fast as possible, and on my 386/40,
the program is quite fast. If your computer is slow, use PKZIP and a
RAMDRIVE for best results. The majority of the slowness is due to the
unarchiving process, and there is really nothing I can do about that.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Command line options
Currently, very little can be done on the command line, but the
following items may help you out a bit. If, for example, you find the
mouse cursor annoying or not working, or the program starts blinking, or
you find my fonts not working, or almost anything video wise not
working, use the /NOGUI command.
If you find that X-MASTER can not adequately return your video mode
back to normal after playing a file, use the /FV switch. A Paradise
card owner has said that it can't quite return to 43/50 line modes, so
if you have this problem, use the /FV switch and put the MODE commands
in your batch file used to play/use the file.
Hopefully you keep all your X-MASTER files in the same directory
in your path. This would include all the *.C? files, the CFG file, and
the *.MST files, and of course the EXE file. If so, you can specify a
starting directory on the command line. Just add the starting directory
to the end of the command line.
Examples :
XMASTER /NOGUI
Start XMASTER in primitive video mode.
XMASTER C:\UTIL
Start XMASTER with the starting directory as C:\UTIL.
XMASTER E:\XM /NOGUI
Start XMASTER with the starting directory as E:\XM in
primitive video mode.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Tested extensions
I have tested a few of these extensions out with my program and
found that they work well with my program. I'd be interested in any you
have added, and if you are writing a program which plays / views / uses
a certain extension'ed file, please make it accept a full path name on
the command line. Here are some of the ones I tested :
MOD's
-----
I have used TrakBlaster by Volker Zinke with this program ex-
tensively, and it works great. The latest version I have is 2.0.
I have also used MODPLAY by Mark J. Cox. The version I have does
not accept file names on the command line very easily, so I wrote a
program which seperated what my program sent out, and changed the
drive/path to be the one with the MOD file, and then did MP
<filename>. Check out the SPLCMD files for an easy way to do this.
VOC's
-----
I have used Creative Labs Voice Player (VPLAY) with my program and
it works fine. Furthermore, if you keep your VOC files in normal
packing method (uncompressed), they can be used with NOHISS or
SEEVOX quite nicely.
STM's
-----
The only player I have seen for this is STM by Sami Tammilehto. It
works fine with this program.
ROL's
-----
There are a bunch of ROL player's out there which work with this
program. I use the player called ADMPLAY which works great.
PLAYROL works, as does INTUNE.
CMF's or CMS's
--------------
These are more Sound Master music files, and they work with PLAYCMF
that is supplied by Creative Labs. Apparantly, there are more
players out there, but this is the only one I've seen and it works
fine.
MID's
-----
I have yet to find a DECENT MID file player that accepts parameters
from the command line. The one I have is OK, but not great. I'd be
interested in any I could get, or you could supply me. :)
GL's
----
These movies can viewed with GRASPRT.EXE quite nicely provided they
do not require more than 565k or so of memory.
FLI's
-----
These work well with AAPLAY.EXE.
As stated earlier, I'd be interested in any other extensions / players
you come up with. The program is ready for ANY type of extension, even
the ones that don't currently exist!
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Contacting the author
Hopefully, you found this program of use and bug free, but if not,
or you have a suggestion, please contact me on one of the following
BBS's, or write to me at the address given at the end of this document,
or better yet, netmail me at 1:387/255.625@fidonet. If you have access
to echos, feel free to leave me a message on the Adlib or SoundNet
echos. I check Nul for mail/echomail daily :
Nul BBS - 512-615-NUL1 or 512-615-NUL2 or 512-615-NUL3 - 1.2 gigs
running RBBS. Excellent board, with a large file base, and a
quarter of a million echos. Absolutely free! File Requests allowed
- 1:387/255. HST / DS on Node 1 and 3.
Sysop - Jan Maaskant
Picture Express - 512-666-4842 - PC-BOARD 14.3 beta - Specializes in
Graphics and anything having to do with them. He also has an Adlib
conference which is the best place to get ahold of me. Join
conference #2 to get in, and you can also check out his hundreds of
ROL files. All sound cards are supported here as well. HST / DS!
Sysop - David Steward
Ultra BBS - 512-637-1240 - SuperBBS system - Specializing in Pascal
files and SoundBlaster files. A small BBS but one of the few in SA
carrying the Adlib conf. Many Soundblaster files, including betas
of this program. The sysop is a beta tester. 2400 only.
Sysop - Daniel Hermann
RoboTech BBS - 904-758-9477 - Searchlight system - Has bunches of music
stuff on this BBS and the newest versions of this program. No file
ratios / no byte limit to keep / no life history required / first
call downloads - HST speeds.
Sysop - Jeff Hancock
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Kudos, Legal BS...
I wish to thank all the people who helped with this program, namely
Fred Hewit, Chris Tio, Greg Collins, Daniel Hermann, Jeff Hancock, and
all the people who release source code into the public domain, including
many of the people in the Pascal and Adlib Echo whose names escape me...
I also wish to thank the sysops of the their above boards for their very
lenient ratios. :-) They are really good boards, call them now. All
are in San Antonio, TX, except the last one which is lost in Florida.
I use the following units/libraries in this program : the Turbo
Technojocks Toolbox, Thomas Wagner's excellent swapping routines, Max
Maischein's SPCFONT, Dave Kirsch's MOU routines for the graphical mouse
cursor (translated by DJ Murdoch) and an assortment of PD/Freeware
routines I've picked up along the way.
--- Thanks guys! ---
Lawyers, take note :
This program here is essentially public domain, and is offered as
is, without warranties of any kind. By using this program, you agree
that the author is in no way responsible for any damage done by this
program. Simple. Anything that happens isn't my fault.
Enjoy!
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Shareware!
SHAREWARE means you try the program before you buy it. If you like
and use the program, you are asked to pay for it. No one is forcing
your hand at paying for it, but your conscious will bother you for the
rest of your life if you choose not to.... I am not a rich person, and
enjoy programming, but in order to pay the bills, a monetary con-
tribution of $25.00 or more would be most appreciated. $25 is not a
great deal of money to pay for a program, and if you use it as often as
I do, it should be well worth the money. Send your contribution to :
Mr. Joy Mukherjee
202 Vanderheck
San Antonio, TX, 78209-4045
Any correspondence as well can be forwarded to this address, and
would appreciate any bug reports or innovative uses of this program.
Thank you for your support...
Unregistered users will however notice a small line on the screen
where the status goes telling you to register. Please consider it...
If you register, and use this program with MOD files, I will send
you a program which will extract the titles from MOD's and put them on
the status line. You will of course receive a new X-MASTER with the beg
line removed! The program however works the same registered or not.
Thanks for any comments / suggestions / bug reports / criticisms
registered or not!
And above all, thanks for reading this far.
--END--