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- New features in CD-Box v3.00:
-
- Major improvements:
-
- - RAY-TRACED GRAPHICS!!!
-
- - FULL INTERNAL .VOC SUPPORT
- (any size, using homemade double-buffer technique, VPLAY no longer needed!)
-
- - FULL INTERNAL .ROL SUPPORT
- (great news for AdLib users!)
- (uses extended waveform capabilities of AdLib v1.51 & SB v1.5 and later)
-
- - INTERNAL .WAV SUPPORT
- (same as .VOC, but 8-bit mono only, I've only got a SB!)
-
- - files can be played from any drive and/or directory; CD-Box can also recurse
- directories when scanning (/S parameter). Examples: CD-BOX \ /S
- CD-BOX A: B: D:\MUSIC
-
- - the documentation has gone through major surgery and is directly available
- from CD-Box (press F1)
-
- - I've tried to make CD-Box (the program, the registration procedure, support,
- etc) conform to the ASP standard. I am NOT a member yet, the application
- is in progress!
-
- Bug fixes:
-
- - the .MOD volume controls and the volume the song was played at weren't
- always consistent when a new .MOD started playing - fixed
- - CD-Box won't crash when extracting .VOC length (even if infinite loop)
- - CD-Box won't try to analyze again (when you press Rescan) files that for
- some reason could not be analyzed at startup
- - files that cannot be extracted are now ignored (instead of stopping CD-Box)
- - outrageous playing time for .MODs - fixed
- - unknown blocks in .VOC samples are skipped instead of crashing (oops!)
-
- Small improvements:
-
- - Random mode will ignore clicks on other mode-buttons (Files, Goto...)
- - Infinite .MOD songs should always terminate (disallowed backward jumps)
- - Percent bar updated while scanning
- - Index of archives maintained instead of searching through the disk each time
- a song needs to be exploded -> much faster to start playing (drawback:
- increased memory usage :-)
- - Building the file index is MUCH MUCH MUCH faster
- - CD-Box can be run from any directory, it will look for all its kids in its
- own directory anyway (including SONGS.DAT)
- - memory fragmentation much decreased!
- - checks that temporary drive/directory is valid
- - protection about viruses and hacks
- - Esc key cancels current mode and hints user for quitting
- - /O switch added & Register button
- - sprite manager much improved; notice how the sprites can move past the
- borders of the screen (without hanging the computer of course)
- - one new animation
- - uses 80286 & 80386 specific instructions in some routines if proper CPU
- is detected
- - DefaultBNK= command added
- - Text=yes command added (you can now use players that display something)
- - Again button added to repeat current song
- - some buttons have more than one keyboard equivalent (Rewind & Forward!)
- - Registration much easier & better (extra programs!)
- - SoundBlaster port & IRQ automatic detection
- - CT-VOICE.DRV no longer needed, but BLASTER, yes
- - volume & echo control for .VOC & .WAV
- - the same volume is kept throughout the whole session (instead of being reset
- to full each time you start playing a selection)
- - .WAV made more robust (some .WAV don't follow exactly the WAVE format
- definition, like KLAXON1.WAV - CD-Box reads some of them anyway)
- - CRASH! error messages are more "context-dependent"
- - added .PAK support
-
- Changes:
-
- - duplicates are now only reported in debug mode (CD-BOX/D).
- - removed Driver= command from CD-BOX.CFG (it was useless when you think about
- it, the player doesn't necessarily detect it the way CD-Box does)
- - /I switch changed, now displays more technical data, not for everyday use
- - it's not MDI anymore, but MID. I was fooled by some software which uses the
- MDI extension, but it turns out after all that both extensions are used
- for the same format, and MID is much more used (thanks to Windows for
- instance).
- - BLASTER variable highly recommended!
-
- Note to registered users:
-
- CD-BOX.REG is of no use anymore, you can delete it. You'll have to register
- CD-Box again using the same instructions I sent you. If you lost them, write
- me, I'll send them back!
-
- Coming attractions:
-
- - Support for .LZH and .ZOO archives when I find a quiet extractor
- - Support for stereo music & sounds on stereo cards (SB Pro, PAS-16...)
- - Support for 15-instruments .MODs
- - Capacity for two thousands songs & huge .MODs
- - I am fooling around with .MID... stay tuned!
- - Audio CD support
- - Anybody out there got .MID or .MUS routines I can use or get inspired by?
-