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Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso
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1991-06-01
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│
The Silicon Frog │
│
The SHOW2 Program │
│
FirsLook's Show Viewer │
│
Version 2.0 │
│
Copyright (c) 1991, The Silicon Frog, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Introduction...............................................3
Quick Start..............................................3
Starting SHOW2 in Manual Mode............................3
The Show File Menu.....................................5
The Credit Screen......................................5
Running SHOW2 - Manual Mode..............................5
F2 - Screen Menu.......................................6
F3 - Special Effects Toggle............................6
First and Last Screens.................................7
AutoMode Operation.......................................7
No-Show Files..........................................7
Starting and Running SHOW2 in AutoMode...................7
AutoMode/Manual Mode Toggle............................8
AutoMode Batch Operation...............................8
Continuous Unattended Operation........................9
Video Adapter Support....................................9
Incompatible Video Adapters...........................10
Compatibility with earlier versions.....................10
SHOW - Version History..................................11
Version 2.0...........................................11
Version 1.7...........................................11
Version 1.6...........................................11
Version 1.5...........................................11
Versions 1.0 through 1.4..............................11
SHOW2 3
Introduction
The SHOW2 program displays Show Files (.SH2) created with
the FirstLook system. SHOW2 requires approximately 90K to
operate, and PC- or MS-DOS release 2.1 or greater. A color
display is highly recommended, but not mandatory. SHOW2
also takes advantage of a Microsoft or compatible mouse if
one is available.
Quick Start
For experienced folks and all who hate to read .DOCs, here's
the quickest way to view shows with the SHOW2 program:
1. Copy SHOW2.EXE and all .SH2 show files to the same
diskette or hard disk directory,
2. At the DOS prompt, type SHOW2 and press <Enter>
3. Follow the program's instructions. When viewing the
show, press F1 to toggle the help line ON/OFF.
Starting SHOW2 in Manual Mode
SHOW2's manual mode is intended for personal show viewing
(the program's automated mode is used for unattended show
displays). To start SHOW2 in manual mode, use the following
command:
SHOW2 [SHOWDIR] [/BWx] [/NOFX] [/NH]
[SHOWDIR] is an optional parameter which points to the
directory where the desired Show Files (.SH2) are stored.
SHOWDIR must be a valid DOS drive:\directory\ name
containing a trailing backslash. If the [SHOWDIR] parameter
is omitted, SHOW2 will look for .SH2 files in the current
directory. If the SHOW2 program is in directory in your DOS
PATH, start the SHOW2 program from the .SH2 file directory
and omit the [SHOWDIR] parameter.
The [/BWx] optional parameter forces monochrome display and
color translation modes (new in SHOW 1.6) in cases where
SHOW2 is unable to automatically detect a monochrome
monitor, or whenever the default color translation does not
yield acceptable results on your monochrome monitor. See
the section titled "Video Adapter Support" later on this
document for additional information on supported displays.
SHOW2 4
The [/NH] parameter is intended specifically for display
adapters which are not fully compatible with the IBM
standards. These include monochrome adapters (MDA, Hercules
or compatibles) and color/graphics adapters (CGA, EGA, VGA
and MCGA). If your monitor exhibits erratic behavior,
displays garbage, or if your computer locks up for no
apparent reason, use the /NH parameter on the SHOW2 command
line. Read the paragraph titled "Video Adapter Support"
later in this document for additional details.
Following are sample commands:
1. Show Files are in C:\DATA\SHOWS, SHOW2 is in C:\SHOW
C:>CD SHOW
C:>SHOW2 C:\DATA\SHOWS\ <Enter>
2. The SHOW2 program is in the DOS PATH and Show Files are
in the C:\DATA\SHOW directory:
C:>CD DATA\SHOW
C:>SHOW2 <Enter>
3. SHOW2.EXE and Show files are in the current directory and
monochrome output with default color translation is
desired:
C:>SHOW2 /BW1 <Enter>
The /NOFX parameter, if specified, disables special screen
transition effects, if any. Screen effects and screen
display timing for AutoMode are defined by the show's
author. If the show contains special effects, they are
displayed by default. If /NOFX is specified, it can be
overridden during the show (in manual mode) by pressing the
F3 key.
Program startup
If no Show Files were found in the current directory or in
the directory specified on the command line, SHOW2 will
terminate with an appropriate error message. The error
message may also be displayed if an incorrect command-line
parameter was used.
If .SH2 files were found, SHOW2 will display its
logo/copyright screen. The logo screen will scroll away,
and will be replaced by an informational screen about
SHOW2's Help Line. Since most screens contain 25 lines'
worth of information, the Help Line is not displayed by
SHOW2 5
default. To proceed with the Show File Menu Screen, press
any key or click any mouse button.
The Show File Menu
The Show File Menu Screen displays a variable-size,
scrollable window containing the titles of all shows found
in the show directory. To select a show, use the cursor
key(s) or roll the mouse until the desired show name is
highlighted, then press <Enter> or click the left mouse
button. Pressing <Esc> or clicking the right mouse button
exits SHOW2 and returns to DOS.
The Credit Screen
Once you have selected a Show, a credit screen will be
shown for a few short seconds, acknowledging the show's
author. You will then be prompted to press any key or click
either mouse button to start the Show. In AutoMode, the
credit screen display may be disabled with the /NOA command-
line parameter.
Running SHOW2 - Manual Mode
When SHOW2 starts, it immediately displays the first screen
in the .SH2 file. Pressing the F1 keys cycles help
information on the screen's 25th line. The default Help
Line displays keyboard help; the second help line displays
mouse help. Pressing F1 a third time erases the help line
so that all screen data is visible. Since many screens
contain 25 lines' worth of information, keeping the help
line off will allow you to view the entire screen. Once you
become familiar with SHOW2's simple commands, you will want
to keep the help line OFF permanently.
SHOW2 controls are simple and intuitive:
F1 - Cycle Help Line (kb/mouse/OFF)
F2 - Show Screen Menu
F3 - Special Effects Toggle
PgDn/Click Left - Display Next Screen
PgUp/Click Right - Display Previous Screen
Home - Display First Screen
End - Display Last Screen
F2/Click Both - Screen Menu
Esc - Exit Show/Return to Show File Menu
SHOW2 6
In addition to the PgUp and PgDn keys, SHOW2 also responds
to the following keys to move from screen to screen:
Next Screen - Space Bar, Plus or Equal keys,
<Enter>, Tab (-->|), Down Arrow
and Insert key.
Previous Screen - Minus keys, Backspace key, Up Arrow,
Shift-Tab, and Delete key.
When you exit the Show, the Show File Menu Screen will be
re-displayed.
F2 - Screen Menu
Pressing F2 (or clicking both mouse buttons) at any time
during the show displays the Show's Screen Menu. The top
line of the menu screen contains the Show's title. Below
the title, a scrollable window displays the show's screen
descriptions and allows selection of the next screen to be
viewed.
While in the screen selection window, the following keys and
key combinations are active:
Dn/Mouse Down - Down one screen
Up/Mouse Up - Up one screen
PgDn - Down 18 screens
PgUp - Up 18 screens
Home - Top of Window
End - Bottom of Window
^Home - First Screen
^End - Last Screen
Enter/Click Left - Select screen and exit
Esc/Click Right - Exit without screen change
Pressing <Enter> or clicking the left mouse button selects
the highlighted screen and resumes the show at the new
starting location.
Pressing <Esc> or clicking the right mouse button returns to
the show where you left off.
F3 - Special Effects Toggle
Shows may or may not contain special screen transition
effects. Most shows created for marketing / display-only
purposes are likely to contain screen effects. While
viewing the show in manual mode, pressing the F3 key toggles
special effects ON and OFF. When special effects are
active, the "FX" indicator will be displayed at the left of
the help line (if the help line is displayed). When effects
SHOW2 7
have been disabled, the "NoFX" indicator is displayed
instead.
First and Last Screens
SHOW2 will chirp if you attempt to move back from the first
screen, or forward from the last screen -- to let you know
that you were at the beginning or end of the show --. The
current screen will remain displayed.
AutoMode Operation
In AutoMode, SHOW2 continuously displays the Shows found in
the default or specified show directory (with the exception
of No-Show files, described below). Prior to starting the
display, the file names are sorted in ascending alphabetic
order. This allows user-specified ordering of the shows,
merely by renaming the files. For example, the files
TEST1.SH2, ZIGGIE.SH2, and NEW1.SH2 would be displayed in
the following order: NEW1, TUTOR, and ZIGGIE. To change the
show order to TUTOR, ZIGGIE, and NEW1, the files should be
renamed so that the new names are sorted in the desired
order:
C:>ren TUTOR.SH2 SH2W1.SH2
C:>ren ZIGGIE.SH2 SHOW2.SH2
C:>ren NEW1.SH2 SHOW3.SH2
Any file names may be used (however, if the .SH2 file is to
be later disassembled with the FirstLook Show Director
program, the file name should not exceed five characters).
No-Show Files
Files will be excluded from the AutoMode show if their name
starts with the "@" character. Rather than deleting files
from the show directory, they can be easily renamed to a
filename starting with the "@" character. (Note: if there
is only one file in the show directory it may not have the
"@" prefix).
Starting and Running SHOW2 in AutoMode
To invoke AutoMode operation, the /AUTO parameter must be
used in the DOS command line used to start the SHOW2
program. In addition, the /NOA (no acknowledgment)
parameter may also be used in conjunction with the /AUTO
SHOW2 8
parameter to disable the default 4-second show credit screen
display.
The /NOFX parameter may also be specified to disable special
effects. When /NOFX is used, screens are displayed
instantaneously and remain displayed for the duration
specified in the .SH2 file. As mentioned earlier, effects
and display timing are defined when the show is created and
cannot be altered by the viewer.
To start SHOW2 in AutoMode without the credit screen
display, use the following command line:
C:>SHOW2 [other parameters] /AUTO /NOA
No user prompts are displayed while in AutoMode. At the
beginning of each show, SHOW2 displays the credit screen for
4 seconds (unless /NOA is used), then starts displaying show
screens automatically, using the special effects (unless
/NOFX is used) and screen timing values defined in the .SH2
file.
AutoMode/Manual Mode Toggle
At any time during the show, pressing <F10> will toggle
between automatic and manual modes. When F10 is pressed, an
information screen will be displayed, stating the program's
new mode of operation. Pressing a key will resume operation
under the new mode. When in AutoMode, <F10> is the only
accepted keyboard input. The <F10> key will not be
recognized if the program was started in manual mode.
AutoMode Batch Operation
AutoMode batch operation allows SHOW2 to start and end
automatically. In this mode, the program may be included as
part of a batch file.
To specify Batch Mode, use the /AUTn parameter rather than
the /AUTO parameter. The "n" suffix is a single digit from
0 to 9 which defines the number of shows to be displayed
before the program terminates and returns to DOS. All other
AutoMode rules apply, but the program will not produce a
display upon startup.
The /NOA and /NOFX parameters may also be specified.
In Batch Mode, SHOW2 will automatically cycle through all
eligible .SH2 files until the number of shows displayed
SHOW2 9
equals the "n" suffix in the /AUTn parameter. If the show
directory only contains one file, then that show will be
displayed n times. If the show directory contains two files
and n=3, SHOW2 will display the first show, the second show,
the first show again, and will terminate.
Continuous Unattended Operation
If the /AUTX parameter is used, SHOW2 will start without
displaying its AutoMode startup prompt, and will run
indefinitely until the program is switched to manual mode
via the F10 key. /AUTX allows SHOW2 to be included in an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file on a bootable diskette, for example. As
with batch mode, /NOA and /NOFX may also be specified.
Video Adapter Support
Shows are developed with color displays in mind, but they
can be viewed on any display. Since FirstLook allows
vibrant, high-intensity background colors, a color display
is strongly recommended.
SHOW2 automatically detects the following display types:
- Color monitors attached to CGA, EGA, VGA , and MCGA
adapters.
- Monochrome monitors attached to MDA, Hercules,
EGA, VGA, and MCGA adapters.
When a monochrome monitor is detected, SHOW2 will translate
all screen colors to provide a readable display. SHOW2 also
recognizes the current video mode, which may be used to
override the installed hardware operation. When SHOW2
detects a monochrome display, it will use a default color
translation method to make the show as "visible" as possible
on the monitor.
Certain special purpose monochrome monitors may not be
recognized by SHOW2. In addition, the default color
translation method may not yield acceptable results. If
this is the case, you should use the /BWx command-line
parameter when starting SHOW2. The "x" in "/BWx" in a digit
from 1 to 5, which selects one of five color translation
schemes. Rather than explaining each color translation
method in detail, you should experiment with parameters /BW1
through /BW5 to determine which yields the best results on
your monitor/adapter combination.
SHOW2 10
For monochrome composite video monitors attached to Color
Graphic Adapters (CGA), the DOS MODE BW80 command should be
used prior to starting SHOW2 to insure proper operation.
Incidentally, this is NOT a peculiar requirement of the
SHOW2 program. The MODE BW80 command tells DOS to disable
the CGA's color burst, which makes displays far more visible
on composite monochrome monitors. If your system is so
equipped, this command should be included in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Incompatible Video Adapters
All recent major brand video adapters are fully compatible
with the IBM adapters they are intended to replace. Certain
older "Brand X" adapters may not be fully compatible with
the IBM standards, however. Specifically, some CGA or MDA
adapters may not support the high-intensity background
feature used to SHOW2's advantage (this hardware feature is
fully documented in the IBM PC Technical Reference manual).
Lack of compatibility may show as garbage on the screen or,
in extreme cases, outright system lockup. Should you
experience such problems, use the /NH (no high-intensity
background) parameter in the SHOW2 command line.
Unfortunately, this lack of compatibility cannot be
detected.
The SHOW2 program is not responsible for the problem; it
merely points out your adapter's lack of IBM compatibility.
To get the problem solved (rather than circumvented), you
should contact your video adapter's vendor or manufacturer
and get a fully-compatible replacement.
Compatibility with earlier versions
Although very similar to earlier versions of SHOW.EXE
(distributed with Qmodem 4.x and the John Hancock Tag Line
Manager program), version 2.0 of the program cannot process
version 1.x show files (.SHO), and vice-versa. You may
safely store .SHO and .SH2 files in the same directory,
however; SHOW.EXE and SHOW2.EXE will only recognize files
which they can process.
DO NOT rename .SH2 file to .SHO or vice-versa; this will
guarantee a serious failure of the SHOW or SHOW2 program
which will translate into screen garbage (at best) or
complete system lockup (at worst).
SHOW2 11
SHOW - Version History
Version 2.0
SHOW 2.0 implements a major change in the pointer structure
of the show files which makes them incompatible with
previous releases of the SHOW program. As a result, a pre-
2.0 version of SHOW.EXE is required to view pre-2.0 shows,
and version 2.0 will not display pre-2.0 (.SHO) files in its
show selection window. The change in file extension to .SH2
prevents any problems which would result when the SHOW
program attempts to process incompatible show files.
Version 2.0 also implements six new special effects (HBars1,
VZipDown/Left/Right/Up).
Version 1.7
SHOW 1.7 is a minor upgrade release with one new special
effect (RollAway). Although SHOW 1.7 will display show
files made with pre-1.7 releases of the FirstLook system,
the addition of this new special effect may cause pre-1.7
shows special effects not to be displayed accurately (i.e.,
the screen will be displayed with the wrong effect). This
should only cause minor inconveniences. Version 1.7 of the
program was never released to the public.
Version 1.6
New in SHOW 1.6 is a choice of color translation methods
when viewing a color show on a monochrome monitor. This
feature is implemented via a change in the /BW command-line
parameter.
Version 1.5
SHOW release 1.5 can operate in automatic or manual mode,
and implements user-controlled special effects and display
timing. In Automatic Display mode (AutoMode), the program
cycles through all eligible shows automatically, and each
screen is displayed for a user-specified duration.
Automatic Batch mode can also be used to control the number
of automatic show iterations. In batch mode, SHOW will
terminate and return to DOS once the "Show is Over". For
additional details, refer to the section titled "AutoMode
Operation" found earlier in this document.
Versions 1.0 through 1.4
SHOW releases 1.0 through 1.4 were working versions of the
program and were never released.