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1988-01-17
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Fantasy
Version 2.0
Copyright 1987 by Natural Software
19 South 5th. Street
St. Charles Illinois 60174
(312) 377-7320
All Rights Reserved
January 17, 1988
Equipment required:
-------------------
- IBM compatible PC, XT, AT with IBM compatible Color Graphics
Display Adapter and (preferably) a color display. Fantasy writes
directly to the graphics screen buffer for speed. It is therefore
not compatible with other display adapters such as the Hercules
standard.
- MicroSoft compatible mouse, with either MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM
loaded. (Fantasy will run without the mouse, and you can cause
movement with the cursor keys -- but it just isn't the same.)
What is Fantasy?
----------------
- Quick summary: fantasy creates flowing graphic images on your
display as you move your mouse.
If art can be fleeting, transitory and personal -- then Fantasy is an
artist's tool, and you are the artist, and you are the audience.
Fantasy is a tool for personal performance art. Like building sand castles
or blowing bubbles, each performance is different and highly personal.
Fantasy lets you control a variety of pleasing and sometimes hypnotic
images on your graphic display. As you move the mouse the image constantly
moves and responds in never-ending, never-repeating animated sequences.
How to use Fantasy:
-------------------
Simply run FANTASY.EXE. An initial display will show a list of valid
commands and the keys used to evoke them:
|--------------------------------------------|
| Copyright 1987 by Michael Allen |
| Move the mouse for some action |
| [right button] = change color |
| [left button] = end effect |
| [both buttons] = change effect |
| [F1] help [F2] color |
| [F3] cursor off/on [F4] change cursor |
| [F5] record file [F6] replay file |
| [F7] erase off/on [F8] sound on/off |
| [Shift F1] Scroll-1 [Shift F2] Scroll-2 |
| [Esc] stop effect [F10] Exit |
| -------------- Effects --------------- |
| [V] Centered Boxes [B] Boxes |
| [R] Rectangles [L] Lines |
| [H] Move Home [C] Circles |
| [M] Multi-Lines [F] Free lines |
| Enter a number to change box size |
|--------------------------------------------|
The keys and their effects are as follows:
[B] Boxes constant sized square boxes
[C] Circles circles
[F] Free lines line length depends on cursor movement lines seem to
follow your movement.
[V] Vert boxes rectangles remain centered around orig. cursor
position
[L] Lines normal lines
[M] Multi-Lines lets you start new origin with Enter key (Left
Button)
[R] Rectangles normal rectangles
[F5] enter filename to record your performance
[F6] enter filename to playback recorded performance
[F7] toggle erase (xor) graphics effect
[F8] toggle sound - pitch is determined by cursor
position
[Shift F1] scroll full screen up
[Shift F2] scroll top and bottom half of screen toward center
To start the action press any key on your keyboard. Then move your mouse
and keep it moving slow and steady to get the idea. You should see the
initial square mouse cursor shape move in response to the mouse, creating a
snaking trail moving off the top of the display. When you stop moving the
mouse, animation stops. The idea is to "conduct" the performance by
constantly moving in small or large sweeping curves.
You can re-display the initial help screen by pressing the [F1] key
(without moving the mouse).
Alternative method:
-------------------
You can also run FANTASY.EXE with an optional command line argument to
specify a command file or list of files. This method causes Fantasy to
automatically run a pre-recorded performance. For example to automatically
run the two command files: DEMO1 and DEMO2, type:
FANTASY DEMO1 DEMO2 [ENTER]
Special effects
---------------
You turn on one of the special effects by pressing the key letter for that
effect. For example press [B] to start the Box effect.
The Box effect: press [B] to start the box effect. This causes a square box
to be drawn as the mouse is moved. Initially, the size of the box is eight
pixels. You can change this size by:
1. press [Esc] to end the current effect.
2. enter the new size using the number keys. For example enter
[48] to change the box size to 48 pixels.
3. return to the box effect by pressing [B].
4. Then return to a lower scroll increment value by pressing the
number keys: [4] for instance.
The Rectangle effect: press [R] to start the rectangle effect. This draws
rectangles of varying size originating from the position of the mouse
cursor when the effect was started, moving to the new mouse position as you
move.
The Circle effect: press [C] to start the circle effect. This draws circles
of varying size with their center at the position of the mouse cursor when
the effect was started. Their diameter is changed as you move the mouse.
The Line effect: press [L] to start the line effect. This draws a sequence
of lines starting from the position of the mouse cursor when the effect was
started, moving to the new mouse position as you move.
The Multi-Line effect: press [M] to start the Multi_line effect. This is
similar to the line effect, except that you can change the origin point by
pressing the mouse left button. Each time you press the left button line
drawing starts from that new position.
The Free lines: press [F] to start the Free lines effect. This draws a
short line (depending on how fast you move the mouse) that seems to follow
the mouse movement like a tail. This effect is most effective with the
mouse cursor off.
Switching Effects
-----------------
To end one effect and start a new one, press the [Esc] key, then press the
selection key for the new effect.
Another way to switch: press both mouse buttons to switch from one effect
to another in sequence without needing to exit. This allows a more seamless
transition from one effect to the next in your performance. This method
will not get you into the Multi-Line effect, but if you start with the
Multi-Line effect then press both mouse buttons you will eventually return
to it.
The mouse cursor
----------------
Turning off the mouse cursor: Some effects appear better with the mouse
cursor turned off. To turn it off:
1. press [Esc] to end the current effect.
2. press [F3] to turn the mouse cursor off.
You can turn the mouse cursor back on by repeating the above steps.
Changing the mouse cursor: there are currently three cursor shapes: The
initial square box cursor, a cross cursor and a diagonal cross with arrows.
You change to a new shape by:
1. press [Esc] to end the current effect.
2. press [F4] to turn the change to a new mouse cursor shape.
Screen Color
------------
Fantasy uses the Color Graphics Adapter's high resolution mode of 640 by
200 pixels. In this mode the background is always black, but you can change
the foreground color to one of the 16 possible by either:
1. press the [F2] key, or
2. press the mouse right button.
This works even while a special effect is on.
Recording to a File
-------------------
To save (record) your fantasy performance for later playback, press the
[F5] key. You will be asked to enter a filename. Enter any valid filename
with optional drive and path designation. (It will overwrite any existing
files with the same name in the same path, so be careful.) From that point
on, each keystroke and mouse movement will be saved in that file. To stop
recording, type: [%] (shifted 5). This is the special character to
terminate recording (it is placed in the file to terminate the playback
also).
Playing back from a File
------------------------
To begin playing back a performance from a file recorded as described
above, press the [F6] key and enter the filename (drive and path optional)
of a valid performance file. The keystrokes and mouse movements stored in
the file will begin being executed just as they were recorded. The only
difference is that the timing between events is regular and static. This
allows you to compose your performance files slowly and carefully -- they
will be played back fast and snappy.
Ending Fantasy
--------------
1. press [Esc] to end the current effect.
2. press [F10] to exit and return to DOS.
Genesis of Fantasy
------------------
You may find it interesting: The fantasy program is the result of a simple
error made while debugging a new graphics program. This new program called
PC-Draft III is an object oriented CAD drafting program which will be
similar to our PC-Draft II product which is a pixel based drafting program.
In the course of debugging, a trace message inadvertently caused the
graphics display to scroll each time the cursor was moved. This caused
effects similar to what you see with Fantasy. We found ourselves delighted
with some of the effects, playing with them for hours. We have no idea
whether this will have the same impact on others, or whether this
phenomenon is strictly personal -- perhaps because it is our own
programming effort.
Status of Fantasy
-----------------
The Fantasy program is protected by copyright. It is not to be resold or
used for any commercial purpose or included with any other product or
software collection without our permission. It is being distributed as
shareware. This means that you are granted the right to freely use Fantasy
and to make copies for your friends.
The shareware philosophy is to pay smaller amounts for well crafted and
useful software from developers who cannot spend the millions of dollars on
marketing necessary to compete with the large software development
companies. You benefit by being able to try a wider variety of software
products to find the ones that suit your particular purpose. And the trial
is free. The shareware developer benefits from being able to distribute his
work to a wider audience than would be possible through normal channels.
Your share of the responsibility for shareware to continue, and to support
the development of more and better products is to distribute your shareware
programs to others and become a registered user of those products you like
and use.
If you want register your copy of Fantasy or to use Fantasy in a commercial
environment (not for your non-business personal use) you can obtain a
license:
Send: $20.00 to:
Natural Software
19 South 5th. Street
St. Charles, Illinois 60174
If you would like information on our other products, specifically PC-Draft
II, or would like to order with your VISA or Master Card, call: (312) 377-
7320