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- Scheme - Version 1.02
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- By Andrew Barron
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Scheme is a display creator designed to allow you to put together
- folders combining sprites, text files, animations and tracker
- music (standard Sound Trackers or 4-Track (Stereo) trackers.)
- The folders it creates are self supportive and once loaded can be
- left to run constantly repeating themselves. An !Example folder
- is provided.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Instructions
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Before you begin to create a folder there are a few things you
- must decide:
- What will be the directory root and filename of the folder?
- Do you want to use Sound Trackers?
- How do you want escape to affect the folder?
-
- The options for escape are:
- Return to desktop;
- Return to first page;
- Disable escape completely.
-
- Once you have decided on these double click on the '!Make-Fold'
- application. You will then be presented with a screen containing
- copyright information and the first question above. Answer it,
- press 'RETURN' if you just want the folder in the $ directory.
- Now you will be asked for the filename it must be prefixed by the
- '!' provided. The filename must be less than 10 characters long.
-
- Next you be asked if you want to use any type of sound tracker,
- answer 'Y'es or 'N'o. The next question is the escape affect
- answer with '1', '2' or '3'. The final question asks if you want
- disk change prompts. If you are coping onto different disks in
- the same drive press 'Y' ,if not 'N'. Now press any key to
- create the folder. (Press space on change prompts if selected.)
- The folder will be made in the currently selected drive and
- filing system.
-
- You will now be returned to the desktop. You now need to put all
- the files you are going to use in the correct directories of the
- folder. To bring up the directories hold down 'SHIFT' while
- double clicking the folder. Either three or four windows will
- open (hour if sound trackers are to be used.) Copy all your
- files into the correct directories:
- Text directory - Empty;
- Sprite directory - Contains DirSprites + SchemeInfo;
- Tracker directory - Contains STDocs4/06;
- Palette directory - Contains Default palette.
- Animations should be placed in the Sprites directory.
-
- The current contents of these are explained later. Once you have
- copied your files into these directories double click on '!Edit-
- Fold'. You will be presented with basically the same screen as
- in !Make-Fold, enter in the same directory details as before
- (make sure you have the correct folder disk in the drive.) You
- can perform '*' commands by pressing 'ESCAPE'.
-
- Now a menu will appear with eleven options and various
- information at the bottom. One of these pieces of information is
- the screen mode, the default is 12, if any of the sprites that
- you going to use are not in that mode you must change it by
- selecting option 6 and typing in the new mode.
-
- Once this is correct you can add a sprite to the screen. Select
- 3 to do this. You will be presented with a catalogue of the
- 'Sprites' directory, type in the filename of the one you want.
- The sprite will be loaded and you will be asked for which sprite
- you want. Now, using the mouse, position the sprite. All other
- sprites and text boxes will be shown when you do this.
-
- To add a text box select 2 from the main menu. You will be
- presented with the catalogue the text file directory. Type in
- the file you want. Now create the box. This is done by placing
- the pointer at one corner of the box, clicking 'Select' and
- dragging the box out. To change the corner point click 'Adjust'.
- When you have finished click 'Select' the box will be filled with
- the text file. You will be then asked if this is OK if not press
- 'N' and remake the box.
-
- As text boxes only appear as a green box when editing you can use
- option 6 to display the page. If anything is wrong with the page
- you can use option 5 to change boxes. On selecting this you will
- be asked for the box number, if you do not know this just press
- 'RETURN' and each box will be displayed separately.
-
- If the box you are editing is a text box you will be asked if you
- want to reposition the box, change the text file or if you want
- to change it into a sprite box, these are done in the same way as
- described above. The final option allows you to delete the box.
- If you are editing a sprite box the same basic options apply.
-
- If you are using tracker files select 7 to change the one for the
- current page. A catalogue of the Stracker directory will appear
- and type in the name of the tracker you want. If you want the
- music stopped on that page type in 'Unused'.
-
- To add an animation select option 9. Animations are placed in
- the Sprites directory so this list is brought up. After you have
- typed in the animation file name Scheme will check if the sprites
- are setup correctly. They must be have named with their frame
- number starting at 1. After this you will position the sprite
- and then set its speed using the arrow keys. To change the
- animation select 9 again from the main menu. Only one animation
- is allowed per page.
-
- All sprites have palettes that control their colours. Scheme
- loads in a palette file every time a new page is drawn. This is
- important because the colours of the sprites could seem quite
- strange without it. For this reason every page you create needs
- to have a palette file set for it. The default one provided is
- the desktop palette (do not delete this palette because Scheme
- uses it when it returns to the desktop.) The page's palette is
- changed using option 8 on the menu. After selecting this you are
- asked for the filename. Palettes can be extracted from sprites
- using !Paint.
-
- To move onto the next page select 1 from the main menu. You will
- be asked for the page you want to edit. This page will be loaded
- or created. The whole folder must be saved before leaving the
- editor. Select 0 from the main menu to do this. Finally press Q
- to return to the desktop.
-
- Now double click on your folder to run it. If you are using
- tracker files a few errors may occur. Firstly if an 'No room in
- RMA' type error appears you need to extend the module area using
- the task manager. If no music plays check the speakers are on
- and if so you will have to free more memory for them to run.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Miscellaneous Information
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- When the directories of a folder open they will contain the
- following:
- DirSprites - the sprites which are displayed in the disk window.
- You may edit these if you wish. This file must not
- be deleted.
- STDocs4/06 - the documentation which accompanies the Tracker
- module 4.06.
- SchemeInfo - Information file about scheme it must be kept if
- you plan to pass the folder onto third-parties.
- Default - This the desktop palette - it must not be deleted.
-
- Scheme automatically claims sprite memory so if any memory type
- error occurs during sprite use it means you need to free more
- memory for sprites. Also all sprites will be cleared when using
- any of Scheme's programs.
-
- Scheme is created to work in all standard modes. However, it is
- not advisable to use modes 2 or 5. I do not have multiscan, HRM
- or VGA to test modes 18 to 28 so I cannot guarantee that they
- will work, but I see no reason why not. User defined modes will
- generally not work correctly.
-
- The maximum number of boxes allowed on one page is 100.
-
- Yes/No questions can be answered by the mouse. Select for yes or
- any other button no.
-
- Standard Sound Trackers are played in Stereo.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Changing Sprite modes and palettes.
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This can be done by using Paint on the desktop. Load in your
- sprite and change the desktop mode to the one you want to use the
- sprite in (change mode using the palette manager.) Load in your
- palette file. Click 'Menu' on the Paint icon and select 'Get
- screen area' now select the screen area of the sprite (this
- process is described on page 138 of the RISC OS User Guide.)
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Using Draw files
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Load in Paint, Draw and your draw file. Invert the palette and
- select the mode you want to use it in (described above) and 'get
- the screen area' of the draw file (also described above.)
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Copyright
- ~~~~~~~~~
- All the Scheme programs, Obey files etc. are:
-
- Copyright © Andrew Barron 1991
-
- They can be copied without my prior permission providing:
- The programs are not altered in ANY way;
- The application is copied as one unit (i.e. all the supplied
- files are copied);
- No profit is made from sales of the application.
-
-
- The tracker module is:
-
- Copyright © H. Fiennes, H. Mercier and M. Farrow
-
- It can be freely copied, for full information read ST-Docs4/06.
-
-
- The MemAlloc utility I cannot trace although it is used by
- !Lander on the RISC OS Apps. Disks.
-
-
- The folders created are:
-
- Copyright © Andrew Barron 1991
-
- The sprites, text files and trackers in them will be of another
- source not within my copyright.
-
- These can be freely copied providing no profit is made and that
- the Scheme program and Obey files are no altered.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Have fun
-
- Andrew Barron
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Version history
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1.00 - First release of demonstration version with basic
- features.
- 1.01 - Copyright notices changed, version not public domain.
- Palette manager and animation options added. Designing
- system rewrote without the flicker. All programs updated
- so that the mouse can be used to answer Y/N questions.
- Sprite memory claiming system rewrote to save memory.
- Folders can now be moved around into different
- directories. Sound Tracker changed to version 4. Other
- minor handling changes made.
-
- 1.02 - Returned to Public Domain due to the number of registered
- users being so low. Various small errors corrected.
- Memory management of the folder display program rewrote.
- Folders will now attempt to load in all sprite files
- before beginning the display providing enough memory is
- available. This speeds up page changes especially when
- animations are used. Sound Tracker module updated to
- version 4.06.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Credits
- ~~~~~~~
- I would like to thank the following people for their unknown
- contribution to Scheme:
-
- Hugo Fiennes, F. Mercier and M. Farrow for putting together the
- tracker module
-
- The unknown writer of the MemAlloc module.
-
-