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TitleGen
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TitleGen.DOC
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1990-01-21
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TitleGen 1.6 Crawling Titler
----------------------------
Copyright (c) 1989
by Kevin Kelm.
S H A R E W A R E
TitleGen is ShareWare. No guarantee is made, expressed or implied as
to TitleGen's suitability for any application. Not responsible for the
results of the use (or misuse) of TitleGen.
I. What IS TitleGen?
TitleGen is a program I wrote to title videos through a Genlock
Device using the Amiga. Like no other Amiga program that I am aware of,
TitleGen implements the bottom-to-top "Rolling Credits" that are used at
the end of productions. Using a very easy-to-learn script format, you can
generate complex title sequences.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
- An Amiga computer. This part is essential! :-)
- At least 512K. 256K might work too, but as memory goes,
the more the merrier!!!
- a Genlock Device is suggested but not essential. Production
without a Genlock would be like programming without a
language, but hey-- whatever works.
II. Ok, Howzit work?
TitleGen is designed to make the most of the CPU as possible.
Therefore, it is NOT designed to work in a multi-tasking environment. In
fact, TitleGen will take measures to even lock out the workbench screen.
This will render Left-Amiga-M & N useless.
To write a title sequence, you use a standard text editor and type
each line of your sequence in the order you want it displayed. TitleGen
will use ANY font and it will automatically center the text, so when you
enter the text, left-justify it. Also, some fonts have problems with the
last character in the line being chopped. In these cases, put a space or
two at the end of the line.
You could leave it right there with an acceptable output, but TitleGen
has six (6) in-script commands which you can use to spruce up your output.
The command is signalled by a tilde symbol, "~" in the left-most column,
immediately followed by one of these (TitleGen is case-insensitive):
(Upper case denotes an actual character, lower case denotes a numeric
digit in either decimal or hexidecimal)
n : A single digit between 1 and 3, inclusive. This sets all
following text to the color number given. Defaults are:
1 : Bright White
2 : Medium Grey
3 : Bright Blue
Color number 1 is the default. Any other number will generate
an error in the CLI window.
R : This command signals TitleGen that it should wrap back to the
beginning of the file and continuously scroll the same text. All
lines after this command are completely ignored. Note that if
this command is not used, TitleGen will stop after displaying the
last line of text and wait for the left mouse button to be pressed
before exiting back to the CLI.
Sn : This command sets the SPEED of the scroll after this line to the
given number n = (1 to 9) in "pixels per bump." A speed of 2 is
the default.
Pnrgb : This is one of the neatest. It allows you to set you text's color
Palette. The "n" is the pen number you want to change (0-3), and
the single HEXIDECIMAL digits "r," "g" and "b" are the single-
digit hexidecimal values of the Red, Green and Blue levels that
the color should be. The color will be changed immediately and
until the next change, which may affect visible text displayed
before this command. This opens new possibilities if your
Genlock Device is capable of Luminance Keying.
Note that pen #0 is not actually a text color, but the color of
the background. Normally this would be keyed out, but it may
be usefull in some situations to have a colored background, so
I said to myself, "Kevin," I said, "What the heck. Let's do it."
Hn : This is the HOLD command; the display will be frozen for the
number of HALF seconds listed, n = (1 to 9). In combination with
the Palette command, the Speed command and Lum. Keying, you can
hack up "popping" displays.
B : This command will stop the scrolling and wait for the user to
click (down-up) the left mouse button. You can use this feature
to cue actions.
-----------
Neato, huh? Note that each command must start at column 0 and it
must be on a line of its own. At this time, TitleGen can handle up to
five-hundred (500) lines of text, including command lines. Since commands
always begin with a Tilde, it is obvious that you cannot start text lines
with them unless you put a space in front of them. Since these are usually
proportional fonts, a single space won't much affect the centering. Got it?
III. Ok, I've got it. Now how do I make TitleGen work?
Easy. From the CLI, run TitleGen by typing:
1> TitleGen [<font name> #font height#]
Note that the "1>" is just the CLI prompt. If you leave off the font
name, TitleGen will assume Diamond 20. Example:
1> TitleGen Sapphire 19
Do NOT type ".font" at the end of the font name!!
After that, whether you specify a new font or not, TitleGen will
display version and Shareware info, then ask you for the name of the input
file. Type it now with path name.
When all that is done, TitleGen will attempt to load the file
completely into memory. If it can't, you'll hear about it, believe me.
If successful, Your screen should go black.
TitleGen will then do its stuff. The text will begin to appear at the
bottom and disappear off the top. You can click the left mouse button at
ANY POINT and the program will immediately exit.
I suggest that you put TitleGen on its own, bootable disk. Then
create a mouse pointer where the image is skewed several pixels from the
"hot spot" so that you can push the mouse off the display for clean titling.
IV. Hmmm. Do I need to know anything else?
Nope. That's it. Any questions? Direct them to the author.
Check out the sample input file, "TitleGen.TTL" to see what cooks.
V. Professionals:
For registered permission to use TitleGen in your works, send a
one-time registration fee of $10 to:
Alternate Realities
c/o Kevin Kelm
7080 Roaring Springs Avenue
Colorado Springs, Colorado
80817
Direct questions/suggestions/rags to Kevin at:
(719) 392-1023
- or -
CIS 71071, 2726
...but I'd rather hear from ya, voice. The Shareware registration will
help keep me developing new versions for your video pleasure. How does
interrupt-driven timing sound? How about 8-color IFF image support? What
say to multiple fonts? What do you think of programmable Left-Center-
Right-Custom justification? And what about multiple-directional scrolling,
hmm? Well, I can implement these things and more if folks like you respond
favourably.
Consider it.
Do it.
Live it.
Send it.
----------------------
TitleGen 1.6 was written with the best darn prgramming environment in
the known Amiga universe:
Avante-Garde's
Benchmark Modula-2! Thanks, Leon!
Enjoy!
Kevin