home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Belgian Amiga Club - ADF Collection
/
BS1 part 23.zip
/
BS1 part 23
/
Amiga Vision v1.53 revG d1.adf
/
Read_Me
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1990-08-22
|
8KB
|
206 lines
Included in this file:
I. Product Contents
II. New Features
III. Application Diskette Creation
IV. Low Memory Tips
V. ARexx Notes
VI. DeluxePaint III Work Around
VII. Programming Conventions
VIII. Manual Corrections
I. Product Contents
Manual and 4 diskettes:
AmigaVision Boot Disk
AmigaVision Program Disk
AmigaVision Tutorial Disk 1
Includes Picture_Show, Keyboard, FunWithARexx, Multimedia*
AmigaVision Tutorial Disk 2
Includes States, Database, Quiz and Elographics Driver
* Please note: If you have a 1 meg system, the Multimedia
example works best by double-clicking on its icon.
Also, many of the examples have been upgraded from their
descriptions in the manual.
II. New Features
Several new features have been added which are not described in
the manual. They include:
1. Configuration Menu. Workbench Closed is a toggle switch
which allows you to close (or reopen) Workbench in order to save
memory while in the AmigaVision Editor. Video Setup has been
moved to the Configuration Menu from the Project Menu. A
Preferences selection has been added for multi-lingual support.
2. Pointer control in animation requestor. This gadget allows
you to choose having the pointer visible or invisible while
showing an animation.
3. Improved videodisc player installation. Choose your
videodisc player from the 'Video Setup' requester (sometimes
referred to as 'Configuration' in the manual), and AmigaVision
will install the necessary programs for you.
4. Touchscreen driver. Please click on the Touchscreen Read.me
found on Tutorial Disk 2 for more information about this
feature.
5. Memory Available. The 'About' option in the Project menu
now displays the amount of Graphics and Fast RAM that are
available.
6. New videodisc driver. The Pioneer 6000 videodisc driver
works with both the 6000 and 6000A models. The Pioneer 6010
videodisc player is now supported.
7. We have included an example database file for use with the
'Database' example called 'CustRecords.dbf'.
8. Page 1-6. Step 6 now reads: In the disk window, drag the
AV icon to the AmigaVision drawer you just created. Then drag
the "AV_Help" followed by the "AV_Text" icons to the same drawer.
9. Page 1-8. 3. The last command to setup the videodisc
driver drawer is now:
copy DF0:devs/players/DRIVER_NAME to devs:players
10. Page 1-8. 5. The commands to copy AmigaVision to your hard
drive are now:
makedir WORK:AmigaVision
copy WORK:Empty.info WORK:AmigaVision.info
copy DF0: WORK:AmigaVision all
11. The following functions have been added:
ascii(s) - returns the ASCII code number for the first
letter in s
char(n) - returns the character from the ASCII code n
mouse() - returns the last mouse button depressed
"LMB" for left mouse button
"RMB" for right mouse button (when run from
Workbench)
"MMB" for middle mouse button (future use)
"" if key pressed, etc
strcmp(s1, s2) - compares s1 and s2 in a case-sensitive
manner
version() - returns version string of executing software
III. Application Diskette Creation
To create Application Diskettes, referred to as Runtime courses
in the manual, AmigaVision requires either two floppy drives or a
hard drive and a floppy drive. Be careful when choosing the
destination drive to avoid accidentally damaging your source
program disk. We advise that you write protect your source disk
(by setting the write protect tab on the disk so that it is open)
before you construct Application diskettes or make copies.
Be patient when installing, moving or creating applications.
Large flows can take several minutes to manipulate because of the
amount of data they contain.
IV. Low Memory Tips
1. Development/Editing
For development, AmigaVision works best with at least 1 MB of
chip RAM, 1 MB of fast RAM and a hard drive. If you need to
conserve memory, try the following:
* close all other applications and windows
* Select Workbench Closed from the Configuration menu
* avoid high resolution, interlace or overscan pictures
whenever possible
* try to use pictures with 8 colors or less, especially
when using high resolution screens
* try to use color cycling instead of animation
* use synthesized speech instead of digitized sound
* avoid transitions
2. Application Modules
For running applications in low-memory situations, apply the same
rules as for development except for this: Select the 'Close
Workbench' option in the Defaults requester (found in the System
menu) instead of choosing 'Workbench Closed' from the
Configuration menu; the course will now close Workbench, if
possible, upon execution. Be aware that executing a course from
its icon does not load the AmigaVision editor and saves memory.
Also in the Defaults requester, do not choose the 'Double
Buffering' option. Finally, always test your courses on the
desired target machines.
Always begin your Application module on a freshly started
machine. If you have run any other programs on your Amiga,
"reboot" your Amiga before starting your Runtime module by
pressing the CTRL, Left Amiga and Right Amiga keys at the same
time.
Under extremely low memory conditions, AmigaVision will have
sufficient memory to open a window but not show all of your
picture. This will sometimes result in the background color of
your picture being shown. To be able to preview or present
pictures in this situation, you can change the requester settings
to fewer colors or a lower resolution. This allows previewing
the pictures without altering your Application module as long as
you don't save the course after changing the requesters.
V. ARexx Notes.
1. AmigaVision needs ARexx version 1.06 or higher. If this
version of ARexx is not found, the proper result code is
returned to the EXECUTE icon.
2. The 'FunWithARexx' script assumes that the 'RexxMast' program
resides in the Sys:System directory. This is where the current
AmigaDOS 2.0 places it by default. Please make sure that the
EXECUTE icon labeled 'Sys:System/RexxMast' in the subroutine is
set to the correct path for RexxMast.
VI. DeluxePaint III Work-Around
If you have generated an animation using DeluxePaint III and
wish to play it only once, it is best to check LOOP in the
Animation requester and set the number of repetitions to 1.
VII. Programming Conventions
1. Using the sound channels. AmigaVision gives the user access
to the Amiga's sound capabilities through three icons: SPEECH,
SOUND and MUSIC. SPEAK uses 1 channel per "speaker", 2 channels
for stereo. SOUND uses 1 channel per speaker, 2 channels for
stereo. MUSIC allocates all 4 channels. You can use up to four
channels simultaneously via combinations, such as one SOUND in
the left speaker, one SPEAK in the right speaker, and one stereo
SOUND. You cannot have two SPEAK icons active at the same time.
2. GOTO a subroutine. Although AmigaVision allows you to GOTO a
subroutine as well as CALLing it, this is not advisable. Without
properly CALLing subroutines, RETURN icons are ignored; this
causes AmigaVision to fall through the subroutine and either
stops execution or executes all other subroutines below it.
3. Long division. Long division in AmigaVision follows standard
programming rules, so a division yields a result which has the
type of the most complex operand. For example, an integer (10)
divided by an integer (3) will return an integer (3). Dividing a
floating point (10.0) by an integer (3) will yield a floating
point (3.33333).