ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/A6/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, The Stuart Tyrell Advantage 6
The Stuart Tyrell Advantage 6
Dave Holden has a brief encounter
By now most people will be aware of the two small footprint RISC OS computers using VirtualRPC software, one from R-Comp and the other from Stuart Tyrell Developments.
I have read various reports of these machines, and have seen them at computer shows, but as I tend not to have much spare time at these events I haven't had any real 'hands on' experience with them myself. However, one of my customers decided to purchase an A6 and asked me if I would be able to transfer all his software and data to it from his present machine, a Strong ARM RiscPC. It was arranged that the new computer would be delivered direct to me from Stuart Tyrell, and my customer would then leave his old machine with me so that I could undertake the transfer and also make backups 'just in case'. I therefore found myself in possession of a shiny new A6 for a few days and couldn't resist taking the opportunity to try it out.
This isn't intended as a full review, hopefully we'll be able to do this in a future issue of RISC World. It's just my own impression of this machine with a few remarks on how it feels in use in comparison with a Strong ARM RiscPC and the Iyonix.
An overview
STD's A6 and R-Comp's RISCCube have many similarities and most of the comments I make about the A6 would apply equally to the RISCCube. This assumes equivalent processors because the RISCCube is offered with a selection. The entry level versions of both are similarly priced; R-Comp quoting £699 including VAT and carriage and STD £599 plus VAT and carriage. Naturally there are differences, and anyone seriously considering buying either should take the trouble to look at their respective web sites and speak to both companies and decide which would be best for them.
This type of machine is extremely attractive to anyone looking for a new RISC OS computer. Experience with my own customers has shown that the majority of RISC OS users now also need (or choose) to use a Windows computer as well as RISC OS. The ability to have both systems combined in one attractive package would therefore seem to be a great advantage, especially for home use where space is at a premium or where a jumble of bits and pieces and a 'rats nest' of cables might not be acceptable to other people who share the same living space (!)
What do you get?
The exact dimensions of the A6 are 210mm wide x 180mm high x 320mm deep. To put this in some sort of perspective that's about the same height and slightly more than half the width of a two slice RiscPC or a bit wider but about half the height of the average PC 'midi' tower case. That makes it a pretty compact unit, and not only it is compact, it's also extremely attractive. The A6, as you can see from the illustration, has a black case, and comes with a (very nice, good quality) black keyboard and mouse and speakers. If you buy a monitor from STD at the same time this will also come in black.
Luckily black is no longer a rarity in the PC world, and many accessories, including things like printers, monitors and scanners, are also available to match, so you could have a complete ensemble that will grace any room and that you won't feel you need to hide away in the spare bedroom.
The machines all come with a 'combi' DVD and CD ROM and Re-Writer drive and there is a variety of hard drive, RAM and monitor options. The one I had was fitted with a 120Mb drive and 512Mb of RAM, which is rather more than most people would require if the intention was to use it mainly for RISC OS. It includes a 56K fax modem and LAN, and there are driver CDs and manuals for these and the nVIDIA Geforce graphics card should you ever need to re-install the software for any reason. There are four USB ports, two at the rear and two on the front panel.
Also included is a 'proper' copy of Windows XP Home, that is, not just a recovery CD, and Nero 5.5 CD burning software. Naturally there is also a copy of VirtualRPC with it's registration cards for you to return to Virtual Acorn and RISCOS Ltd.
As I mentioned earlier, the RISCCube can have various processor options, but the A6 is supplied with what is probably the best processor for running VirtualRPC, the Barton core AMD 2500+. Although there are faster processors, (though not by much, and they are all quite a bit more expensive), the internal architecture of this processor, especially when used with 333 or 400 Mhz DDR RAM (as it is with the A6) suits the requirements of VirtualRPC, which makes RISC OS run, if anything, faster than on processors with a nominally higher clock speed.
It's RISC OS Jim, but not as we know it....
The first problem I encountered was finding out how to switch it on. There didn't seem to be anything resembling a pushbutton. Following the time honoured procedure of 'when it doubt, prod things' I did exactly that, and discovered that the area below the floppy drive is, in fact, a switch plate. Very neat. Pressing the right hand side performs the On/Off or Wake Up function and the left is the Reset.
Having discovered how it worked I applied a digit in the appropriate place and a few seconds later I was presented with a RISC OS desktop. A bit of an anti-climax, really, rather like switching on a familiar RISC OS 4 RiscPC.
The computer is delivered set up to go straight in to RISC OS on start up. You can, of course, get back to Windows by pressing ALT-RETURN, where you are greeted with a rather fetching backdrop consisting of the A6 photo like the one above. If you prefer you could alter the setup to start up in Windows, when a click on the VirtualRPC icon on the backdrop will rapidly get you into RISC OS.
The desktop screen was configured as 1024 x 768 in 32K colours, presumably to avoid problems if used for the first time with a monitor that didn't support the sort of screen sizes that the machine is capable of. This is a sensible precaution, and it is the work of only a few moments to re-define the default RISC OS screen mode in the usual way if you wish.
Below is the menu of 'standard' modes available from RISC OS. Thanks to the enhanced VRAM of the latest VirtualRPC all of these except the largest (2048 x 1536) are available in up to 16 million colours, and even the largest size can have 32K colours.
Using RISC OS on the A6
There really isn't a great deal to say - it's just like a regular RiscPC only quicker with a lot better video and a much faster hard drive. You also have the ability to nip back into Windows to do some of those chores that we all need to do but which can be a pain with a regular RISC OS machine - like accessing awkward web sites, downloading photos from some cameras, watching DVD videos, etc.
The familiar RISC OS 4 desktop
If you've got a printer which has a RISC OS driver than you can use it in exactly the same way as normal, if there is no appropriate RISC OS driver then Uniprint from R-Comp solves the problem by allowing you to print using the Windows printer driver.
So far I have only found one thing that reminds me that I'm using an emulator and not the 'real thing'; when accessing a drive the mouse pointer freezes momentarily. This is due to the way HostFS, the VirtualAcorn filing system, works.
Performance is something of a revelation if you've been listening to all the pundits who proclaim that emulation could never compete with 'real' hardware. In almost every respect it's faster than a Strong ARM RiscPC, often significantly so, and I'm comparing it with a 287 Mhz machine, not a 'vanilla' 202 or 233 Mhz. I haven't done a huge number of tests, this is not a full review, but I did try a couple of things to see how the A6 compared with my 287 Mhz RiscPC, my own 3.2 Ghz P4 machine running VirtualRPC and the Iyonix. I used two simple tests, not standard benchmarks but just the sort of thing that users might do in everyday use. The first was rendering a complicated ArtWorks file, the second was creating a large ZIP file using !SparkFS
The ArtWorks file is rather complex and hence takes a long time to render, which makes timing easier. It is called TransWarp by Alan Wilburn, and is supplied on this CD so that you can try it for yourself.
The ZIP test was carried out on a directory of 67 Sprite files, totalling 34 Mb, which compressed to about 18 Mb. The ZIP file was created on a large RAM disc to minimise the effects of hard drive speed. However, as the files were on the hard drive and !SparkFS uses !Scrap the hard drive speed will still have a considerable effect, but that's the way it works in normal use so to have put !Scrap and the source files on the RAM disc as well would have made the test rather artificial. Once again we have made this available on the CD so you can try it for yourself.
The tables below show the results of these test and also include times for my own 3.2 Ghz P4. As you can see the A6 was able to match this, in fact all the timimg were almost identical.
Create ZIP file3 min 54 secs7 min 20 secs26 min 7 secs3 min 56 secs
Time to Desktop21 secs23 secs41 secsnot tested
The start up time for the A6 is when it was 'sleeping' rather than shut down sompletely. After a full shut down this rises to about 39 seconds.
I also did come tests with four small BASIC programs that I had lying about on my hard disc. I had put these together some years ago when I started selling the Turbo processor upgrade. They were intended to give some idea of the speed improvement obtained by increasing the processor speed to 287 Mhz. The results running these simple programs were rather surprising, so I have put the programs on the CD and reproduce the results I obtained here. All results are the time taken in centiseconds.
A6 with VRPC Iyonix PC 287 Mhz S/Arm
Test1 97242
Test2 182379367
Test3 796323063659
Test4 68364301986
So, there you have it. Not a comprehensive review, just an opportunistic exploration. However, I must confess I was pleasantly surprised with the A6, both it's appearance and performance. At around £700 including VAT for the basic models this looks like an ideal replacement for an aging RiscPC for anyone who doesn't want the potential compatibility problems and higher cost of the Iyonix.
Dave Holden
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/BASICV/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, BASICV a Dabhand Guide Part 3
BASICV a Dabhand Guide Part 3
Alligata Media
About this book
We have largely left this book unaltered: the original edition was written by Mike Williams and included a section relating to the DABS Press books and software which has, of course, been deleted and we refer you to
At present we are considering an update to this book to cover the use of more modern BASIC in the shape of that supplied with the Risc PC, but offer no promises beyond this re-print. This book was produced using Ovation Pro on my StrongARM Risc PC; with the whole mainly typed from an original which was produced using VIEW on a Master Compact before being laid out for press in MacAuthor.
This book will be serialised in the next few issues of RISCWorld.
Contents
Local Error Trappin
Local DAT
New ERROR Keyword Usag
Revised Error Numbers and Message
Introducing Whole-Array Operation
Whole-Array Operations: Constant
Arrays: Operation on with a Constan
Binary Operations on Array
Modulus Functio
Summatio
General Comment
Alligata Media
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/CTL/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, Castle and Tematic Merge
Castle and Tematic Merge
Castle Technology
Castle and Tematic Merge to Create Multi-faceted RISC OS Company.
Castle Technology Ltd and Tematic Limited today confirmed that Castle and Tematic merged in the fourth quarter of 2003. The combined business will trade under the Castle Technology Ltd name with a new "Tematic Division", focused on offering full design and engineering resources to customers wishing to licence RISC OS for use in their new products.
The new Castle technology logo
Jack Lillingston, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) for Castle said, "The combination of Tematic's engineering skills and Castle's marketing and product skills means that we have a company structure that can really tackle the opportunities that lie ahead".
In a separate move Castle also announce that they have appointed Peter Wild as director and COO (Chief Operation Officer). Peter Wild said, "It is great to be back in the RISC OS world. We hope to clinch substantial licence deals with a variety of household names over the coming months. Things have never looked more promising for RISC OS".
The Tematic Division will continue to be based in Cambridge and will develop and support an embedded version of RISC OS which has been designed for use in the new generation of smart multimedia products for the high volume consumer electronics market.
Castle will continue producing the Acorn and IYONIX pc range of computers.
John Ballance CTO (Chief Technical Officer) for Castle said that "This strengthens the product side of Castle's business and gives us a clear path to develop and enhanced products for the future".
For more details please contact:
Jack Lillingston
Castle Technology Ltd
Ore Trading Estate
Woodbridge Road
Framlingham
Suffolk
IP13 9LL
Tel 01728 723200
Fax 01728 727427
http://www.iyonix.com
http://www.tematic.com
email tematic@iyonix.com
About Peter Wild
Peter Wild is an expert in electronic design and manufacture, with 17 years experience, including 10 years as Founder and Managing Director of Wild Vision Ltd, a leading manufacturer of add-on hardware, multimedia and desk-top video accessories, who produced some of the most highly acclaimed accessories for the Acorn range of desktop computers.
After teaming up with top Acorn Software House Computer Concepts in 1992 Wild Vision was subsequently acquired by Acorn; Peter continued to work with them, and more recently Pace, where he was responsible for several RISC OS Set Top Box designs.
Peter is experienced in 'design for manufacture', frequently working in Southeast Asia with high volume manufacturers to introduce products to their factories. With a proven track record as a creative and prolific designer who can transcribe and deliver technical innovations into realisable applications, he has an excellent understanding of how hardware, software and infrastructure products must fit together and how to work with mutli-disciplined teams to achieve objectives.
Issued by Akalat Publishing on behalf of Castle Technology Ltd.
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/DATAPOWER/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, DataPower Home
DataPower Home
David Bradforth takes a look at RComp's relaunch of the easiest WYSIWYG database on any platform.
With RISC OS very much a niche market sometimes some of the older established companies decide to call it a day. It's very pleasing when other companies choose to take over control of products that might otherwise vanish. Iota Software's DataPower series has long been regarded as the prettiest, and in some ways most powerful, database for the RISC OS platform, but it had become known that they were looking to dispose of the product.
Enter Andrew Rawnsley who, through RComp Interactive, has acquired the product and coordinated its evolution into a native 32-bit application. RComp have, as with several other companies, chosen to produce dual 26/32-bit applications which ensures that the user need not install any other modules to make full use of an application. This is in itself to be commended, as it allows the user to focus on using the application itself rather than partake in a learning curve to install it.
DataPower Home is the second in the DataPower series to be released by RComp. Whereas DataPower 2 offers the full relational database facilities, DataPower Home is aimed squarely at the home user and hence loses some of the more advanced scripting facilities, together with the relational aspects which are more of use to business users. Supplied in a DVD case with attractive inlay, DataPower Home contains the entire program and documentation on a single CD-ROM (which installs easily into Virtual Acorn products, by the way) but lacks any paper documentation.
What's on the CD-ROM?
The DataPower Home CD-ROM contains eight major items.
To start off with, !Borders is a generic location within which border styles are stored. This can easily be extended by creating new border designs within Draw, then compressing them using Squash and copying within the !Borders application.
Next up, !DataPower is the DataPower Home application itself. You can run this directly from the CD-ROM or, using the !InstallDP application, copy it to your hard disc for subsequent location alongside your data files. If you're running short on hard disc space, we'd recommend running it from the CD-ROM but in these days of multi-gigabyte hard drives it's probably best to install it and deal with losing some space from your hard drive.
The !Readme file contains the latest release notes to coincide with the content of the CD-ROM, and includes a detailed reference to everything that's on the CD-ROM.
The Examples and Tutorial folders contain interrelated materials, demonstrating many different aspects of DataPower Home itself. The Examples folder focuses on providing worked examples of databases created entirely using DataPower, whereas the Tutorial folder contains the material accompanying the tutorial section of the manual.
Continuing the current trend, the Manual folder contains the complete manual for DataPower Home in HTML format. The structure is very simple, making it easy if you wish to do so to jump straight to a later section of the manual. The manual itself is derived from the DataPower 2 manual, and hence some o the material makes specific reference to its sister product. RComp are keeping an eye on things though, and the other advantage offered by an HTML manual is the ease at which it can be updated.
The final major item on the disc is within the UsingDP2 folder; essentially a comprehensive tutorial referring specifically to DataPower 2 exploring different aspects of the program. Unfortunately, none of the examples would load into DataPower Home which did leave me wondering as to the value of including the files themselves.
Getting started
Loading DataPower Home is a matter of simply double-clicking on the !DataPower icon, and as such the program will load onto the iconbar. The quickest, and easiest, means by which you can create a new database is by dropping a CSV file onto the DataPower Home icon. This will load the data into the back of DataPower Home's memory, and start by presenting you with a card design screen. We're going to illustrate this process in a number of steps, as given below.
1. Start by loading !DataPower from your DataPower folder on your hard disc.
2. With the DataPower Home icon on your iconbar, locate a CSV file on your hard disc you wish to turn into a database. Click on it once, and drag it onto the DataPower icon before letting go of the mouse button. A window similar to that shown will appear.
3. In this example, I'm producing a simple software database. Let's start by selecting each field - to do this, click once at the bottom right hand of the group of fields, and move towards the top left while keeping the mouse button held down. Next, click within the selection and move the group towards the bottom and right.
4. Let's add a graphic - in this case, an ArtWorks file. To do so, click once on the frame icon (the yellow square with a cross in it) then within the main window of the database click and drag to create a new frame. Then drop the ArtWorks file from its source location straight into the new frame. If you wish to add text, click on the Text Input button (just above the graphics button) and click where you wish to add it.
When you've completed the above, click OK and enter a new filename for the database; then drag it to a suitable location on your hard disc. After a short while you'll find that DataPower Home opens your database with the graphical changes/textual additions you've just made.
DataPower Home does include so much more in the way of advanced reporting, but this is an item really best explored yourself. Archive magazine has a regular column looking at the features of DataPower 2, which realistically has some of the truly more advanced reporting functions as well as SQL capability. It wont talk to PCs with SQL server, but this may be something for the future if RComp sell a good few thousand copies.
Summing up
DataPower Home, at £49, is aimed at the home user, and with its easy to follow interface together with the fantastically explained manual it certainly achieves its aims. The acquisition by RComp of the DataPower series has already proven its worth, with the release of this 32-bit/26-bit neutral version of DataPower 1.5 (as Andrew put it) and DataPower 2. The features on offer will only be expanded over time, and as such if you've not yet got a database that fulfils all of your needs we can do nothing but recommend DataPower Home.
It's the only WYSIWYG database available for RISC OS.
Product details
Product:
DataPower Hom
Supplier:
RCom
Price:
£49.0
Address:
22 Robert Moffat, High Leigh, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6P
Once again RISC World is sticking to its promise of cover mounting a full commercial package for our readers, this issue its MenuBar, originally published by Graham Crow and now by APDL.
MenuBar
MenuBar is a multi-tasking desktop utility for the Acorn Archimedes and RISC PC range of computers running under RISC OS. It requires RISC OS 3.1 or later, at least 1mb of RAM, and a hard disc. it is StrongARM compatible.
MenuBar provides a convenient way of accessing often-used directories, applications and files. In operation it is similar to the Filer and the Pinboard, but is presented as a slim bar of pull-down menus at the top of the screen, complementing the icon bar at the bottom. Menus may be dragged or clicked open and shut. A Bar may contain up to ten menus, each with up to 30 objects (ie directories, applications or files). It is very simple to add, reposition and remove objects or Menus.
Up to 30 separate Bars may be created and saved in a Library for loading as required.
MenuBar allows you to organise files to suit the way you work - regardless of the way they are stored on disc. Each Menu may be given a name so that, for example, you could arrange for 'DTP' to hold !Printers, !Style, !MultiChrs and a data directory. Or you might have 'Tools' containing !Measure, !CloseFile, !WimpAid, !Pointer, !Flags, !Magnifier, etc. A third might contain 'WIP' - work in progress. It's up to you! The important point is that all these objects can be run from within MenuBar by double-clicking or dragging.
Moreover, the Menus are instantly available: no frustrating delays while you dig deep into the filer hierarchy waiting for all the icons to be read. By including MenuBar in your Boot sequence your most important files are available from the MenuBar on start-up, and no need for any more cluttered backdrops with windows obscuring the icons you want!
MenuBar is economical on space because all it stores is basic information about the objects you drag onto it - just enough to display them and to allow them to be retrieved from their source (normally your hard disc) when required.
No warranty, express or implied, is made about the suitability of MenuBar for any purpose. The author cannot be held responsible for any damage to or loss of data which may occur whilst using this program.
The sample Artworks and Basic program test files used in Dave Holden's article, plus some hard disc speed tests.
CineWorks
RISC OS video editor.
Files
The software from Brian Pickard's file conversion series.
Games
All the games from this issues games world column.
MakeSFX
Dave Holden's self extracting file generator.
MenuBar
The complete version of MenuBar.
PD
All the latest PD, shareware and freeware releases from the PD column.
Turbo
A drawfile showing the modifications required to turbo charge a StrongARM along with some test programs.
ToolBox
This contains two sets of Toolbox Modules. The Castle archive contains the latest 26/32 bit neutral system components, required if you want to run a lot of new software releases on 26bit machines (ie. anything that isn't an Iyonix). The RISCOS Ltd archive contains later and improved versions of a number of modules and is suitable for all versions of RISC OS from 3.1 onwards.
While every care is taken, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors in either this product or documentation for this product, nor for the loss of any data or consequential effects from the use of this package.
What is it?
What does it do?
Interactive Help
Before using DW-XE
Loading DW-XE
Starting off
The DW-XE toolbar
Controlling DW-XE
The top row
The File toolbar
Foreign file import
Filetypes
Foreign bitmap import
JPEG importer
Exporting as Sprite or GIF
The View toolbar
Hints on zoom tools
The Text toolbar
The Text Spiral tool
The Style toolbar
Winding rule tool
The grid toolbar
Isometric/Rectangular
The Edit toolbar
The justify tool
Grade and interpolate tools
Undo/redo tools
Vector object tools
Editing Vector objects
The DW-XE special toolbar
The Information tool
Preferences window
Saving preferences
Merge Paths tool
Multiple Merges
Merge Example (Spirograph)
Merge Example (Stencil)
Merge tool Notes
Unknown Objects
Known Problems
The Split Objects tool.
The DrawTrix tool
Using DrawTrix
DrawTrix Effects
DrawTrix Options window
DrawTrix Object options
The Variables window
Example equation
DrawTrix (Making an effect)
The Brightness Tool
The RGB Balance Tool
The Colouriser Tool.
DW-XE Preferences
Different !Draw versions
Automatically convert text to path
Saving Preferences
OLE links (Impression/Ovation)
Boot Sequences
Problem Solving
DrawWorks XL
What is it?
DrawWorks XE (DW-XE) is a bolt on addition to Draw, the drawing application supplied with all Acorn computers. DW-XE is used alongside Draw and attaches itself to a Draw window whenever a Draw window is opened. You will be able to see a new toolbar along the top of the Draw window whenever DrawWorks SE is running.
What does it do?
The new DW-XE toolbar provides an easy to use shortcut to many of Draw's features. For example, if you want to change the fill colour of a selected object you would normally have to navigate Draw's menu structure to find the fill colour dialogue box. With DW-XE loaded you and simply click on the Style button and then on the fill colour button. This makes Draw much easier to use.
DW-XE not only makes existing Draw functions easier to use but it also adds a host of new features to Draw. These work in such a way that although DW-XE is performing these new features they all behave as though they are part of Draw itself. Any special tools or effects you use will happen inside the Draw window that you are using.
Interactive Help
DW-XE fully supports Acorns interactive help system, as well as the popular BubbleHelp application. In addition DW-XE will display helpful messages on its main tool bar as you are using it. It may also prove useful to have this manual on screen while you are using DrawWorks SE for the first few times.
DrawWorks XE is a cut down version of DrawWorks XL, our professional graphics package, the latest in the DrawWorks series.
Before using DW-XE
As we have seen DW-XE is a cut down version of DrawWorks XL. DrawWorks XL is supplied on CD and as well as the DrawWorks program itself includes many other useful programs.
DrawWorks XL includes many many more features than DW-XE,if you find a feature lacking in this version of DrawWorks then it may well be available in the full version.
DrawWorks XE can be used on any computer running RISC OS 3.1, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4 (including Select) or 5
Loading DW-XE
To load DW-XE all you have to do is double click on its icon. A title screen will appear and after a few seconds DW-XE will load onto the icon bar. Normally it will also automatically load !Draw at the same time.
In order for DW-XE to work correctly it must be loaded before Draw. If Draw is already loaded it will automatically be killed first.
Starting off
Provided you now have Draw and DW-XE loaded on the icon bar you are ready to start. Simply click SELECT on the Draw icon to open a new window. DW-XE will detect this window opening and will attach itself to the window. On some machines there may be a slight delay. You will see the hourglass switch on as DW-XE attaches itself to Draw and then switch off again. You are now ready to use DW-XE.
The DW-XE toolbar
As you can see the DW-XE toolbar has two rows of icons with a scroll bar below the second row. DW-XE has its tools arranged in groups. In the example shown above the second row of tools are all concerned with editing. The tools shown on the second toolbar are selected by the various buttons on the top row.
If you try clicking on different buttons on the top row you will see the tools on the bottom row change. Also note that tools are grouped by function with a small text icon next to each group. In the example above you can see two tools next to the "Layer" icon. These are front and back and are equivalent to Draw's "Front" and "Back" from the "Select" menu.
Controlling DW-XE
The DW-XE tool bar will normally move around the screen to follow the Draw window which it is attached to. This process is automatic and you do not need to set anything for this to happen.
As you will see later you can fix the toolbar either at the top of the Draw window (as shown), at the bottom of the window, or above the window
If you want to position the DW-XE toolbar to a particular place on screen you can drag it away by holding down SELECT on the drag button.
The DW-XE toolbar may sometimes obscure part of a Draw window. You can turn the toolbar off temporarily by holding down ALT & T on the keyboard. Also note that the DW-XE toolbar will only appear on screen when a Draw window has input focus. If another task has input focus the DW-XE toolbar will not appear.
If you click back in a Draw window the DW-XE toolbar will re-appear. DW-XE needs to alter a number of parts of Draw, and so the first time a DW-XE toolbar is attached to a window the hourglass may appear for a few seconds. Once that window has been patched DW-XE will remember and the hourglass will not re-appear until you open a new Draw window.
The top row
This is to top row of tools on the DW-XE toolbar. As you can see above each of the buttons on the top row will open a new set of tools in the second row. For example, if you click on the Open Text Toolbar button on the top row the buttons in the second row will change to those related to text and font manipulation.
The DW-XE toolbars contain a mixture of features. Some of these just offer a quick way of using Draw's standard operations. Others add completely new tools.
The DW-XE toolbar just contains special DW-XE tools that are not part of Draw.
The File toolbar
This toolbar is entirely concerned with loading and saving files of different formats. Save File - this will save your current drawfile
Save Selection - will save the currently selected objects
Save Sprite - will save a sprite (is a sprite is selected)
Save Text Area - this will save a text area (is one is selected)
Save JPEG - will save a JPEG (if one is selected)
Import - allows Draw to import other files such as WMF/PostScript etc.
Produce Sprite - this will save selected objects as a 256 colour Sprite
Produce GIF - this will save selected objects as a GIF file
OLE Edit - Exports a selected Sprite or Text Area to a suitable editor
From now on this manual will concentrate on the new facilities offered by DW-XE. Buttons that control Draw's normal features will not be explained in depth as these are covered in the RISC OS Applications Guide. To get the best from DW-XE the user must be reasonably familiar with Draw
Foreign file import
This tool lets you import files produced using other packages into DW-XE. This includes GIF files, Adobe Illustrator files and TIFF files.
To import a file drop it on this window and it will be imported into your current document. Note that if you have an object selected when you import a file the new imported object will replace the selected object.
Filetypes
In order to import files they must be filetyped correctly. To set the type of a file before importing it select it in a filer window and click MENU, go to the option "File <filename>" and then down to the option "Set type". Type in the correct filetype for the file e.g. &B2D for Adobe Illustrator and press RETURN. The file is now typed and can be imported by DW-XE.
Foreign bitmap import
DW-XE can also import a number of "foreign" bitmap files. These include JPEG images, GIFF, TIFF and Windows Bitmap files. To import these file types DW-XE uses the !ChangeFSI application supplied with all Acorn computer systems. Before importing a bitmap ensure that !ChangeFSI has been "seen" by the filer.
These files are imported in the same way as vector files. Simply drop the appropriate file onto the DW-XE file import window. The hourglass will appear and then the file will be imported. All files may be imported in full 24 bit colour under RISC OS 3.5 or later, and as 256 colour with a custom palette under RISC OS 3.1.
JPEG importer
Draw under RISC OS 3.5 or later can load JPEG images directly, so you may wonder why DW-XE allows JPEG images to be imported in another way. This is because the bitmap editing controls (for example those that allow you to adjust colours/tint objects) cannot work on JPEG images. In this case you can import the JPEG using DW-XE, edit it, and then export it as a JPEG again later. Also some applications cannot render drawfiles that contain JPEG images. Using the JPEG importer a larger file will result but it can be rendered in any package.
The full version of DrawWorks can import and export even more foreign format file types as you will see from the number of 'feint' filetype icons in the Import window.
Exporting as Sprite or GIF
Produce Sprite will open the window shown. This lets you export the current selection as a 256 colour Acorn format Sprite.
You can set the dpi (dots per inch) using the buttons on the left of the window. 90 dpi is the normal screen resolution. Selecting Anti-aliased improves the image quality.
Produce GIF will open the window shown below. This is similar to the Sprite window except that it creates a 256 colour ant-aliased GIF image, as used widely for web graphics.
Transparent will make any white areas of the image transparent.
Interlace means that the image displays with low resolution at first and then improves so it appears more quickly for web graphics
It is best to select Netsafe colours for web graphics to ensure that the colours appear the same on different systems.
The View toolbar
This toolbar is entirely concerned with viewing or printing the current file in the Draw window. All of these tools are operated with a single mouse click. Some of the tools, such as the Portrait/Landscape tool will open a menu allowing you to choose from the options. Some other DW-XE tools work the same way. If the mouse pointer changes to a menu when you are over the tool then that tool has a menu attached to it.
All of these features are provided by Draw.
Hints on zoom tools
The zoom tools can be very useful for looking at detail in an object. You can also zoom in to specific area by holding down CTRL and dragging a rectangle with SELECT. The current view will zoom into the area you have selected. Also note that you can have two different views of your file with different zooms set.
The Text toolbar
This toolbar is concerned with text and fonts. Some of the tools on this toolbar open a menu. For example the Select Font, point size and height tools. Other tools such as the colour and edit tools will open a dialogue box on screen.
The Font menu button opens a normal font menu. The point and height buttons also open a normal Draw menu. You can also increase and decrease text size by one point using the 'bump' buttons. Unlike previous versions of DrawWorks the point size menu now contains a writable option that lets you enter any text size.
Clicking on the text fill colour or text background colour buttons will open the normal draw colour picker.
Clicking on the edit text button will open the normal Draw dialogue box for editing a line of text.
Clicking on the convert to paths button will turn the text into vector objects that can then be edited i.e. the shapes of letters can be changed, but not the words they spell.
The Text Spiral tool
This tool takes any number of text objects and combines them to make a spiral of text reading from the outside to the middle.
As you can see from the example the way this tool is used is to produce a line of text and then copy it a few times. Select all the copies and then click on the spiral tool. The spiral text tool window will then open. You can now set the size of the outer edge of the spiral and the gap between each ring of the spiral.
Hint - Sometimes it can take a long time for the computer to draw the spiral. If this happens increase the size of your font cache
The Style toolbar
This toolbar is entirely concerned with the style of vector objects, their fill colour, line colour etc.
Many of these tools are operated with a single mouse click. Some have an attached menu or dialogue box from which you can choose the setting you want. The menus and dialogue boxes are similar to those from Draw, except for Rotate, which used a dialogue instead of Draw's menu.
The two colour buttons open normal Draw colour pickers. The line buttons again open copies of Draws normal menus.
Winding rule tool
This requires a little more explanation. A winding rule alters how objects are rendered when the are filled. As you can see from the example on the right altering winding rule can alter the appearance of an object. Draw, and many other packages use an even-odd rule. Adobe Illustrator uses a non-zero rule. As you can see this can result in some objects being rendered incorrectly when exported. This tool can be very useful for previewing objects before exporting them.
The grid toolbar
This toolbar is entirely concerned with the grid that Draw can display over your draw file.
All of these tools are operated with a single mouse click. Some of these tools such as Turn on grid are operated just by clicking on them. Others such as the in/cm tools have a menu attached to them.
Isometric/Rectangular
Draw can display two types of grid, a normal rectangular grid and an Isometric one. Isometric allows pseudo 3D projections to be produced. This grid is best used with the DrawTrix Isometric effects.
The example shows a cube produced with DrawTrix. This looks three dimensional - but it isn't really. The sides have no vanishing point.
Isometric projection is often used by designers to show how flat designs would look projected up into 3 dimensional space.
The Edit toolbar
This toolbar is much larger than the others and is split into two sections. All of these tools are operated with a single mouse click.
The justify tool
The justify tool will open a copy of Draw's justify menu. However unlike the normal Draw justify tool the DW-XE justify tool does not need to have selected objects grouped before they are justified, that is, the tool will automatically group objects for you before they are justified.
Grade and interpolate tools
These tools activate the normal grade and interpolate options from Draw's menu. This means that the level of grade/interpolate is the Draw default (normally 8). To increase the level of grading use Draw's normal menus and type in the number of levels.
Undo/redo tools
DW-XE uses a special buffer to hold undo/redo information. This is set using the Draw Preferences option (see later in the manual). If you do not have enough buffer DW-XE will not be able to undo some operations. The default buffer size is 50K
Vector object tools
In order for any of these tools to work you must have a vector object selected (a single object not a group). Once you have selected the object you wish to edit click on any of the editing tools. You will now see your object shown with all its control points and bezier curves.
To use these tools select the control point of the object that you wish to alter using ADJUST. For example, select the object (SELECT), click on one of these tools (SELECT), highlight a control point (ADJUST).
Editing Vector objects
Once you have a vector object selected with its control points highlighted you can edit it.
In this example a letter A in Trinity has been converted to path and then selected and edited. One of the shapes control points has then been selected.
Note that when editing all mouse operations must be performed using ADJUST not SELECT.
Other control points can be selected simply by clicking Adjust on them. In this example the selected line and control point have been converted to a curve. The bezier curve control points for this new curve have then been moved around and the joint flattened to ensure that the curve is smooth.
All of these tools require a control point to be selected before they are used. For example to convert a line to a curve in an object click ADJUST on one of the lines control points. Now click on the "Convert to Curve" button. The line will now have two bezier handles. These can now be moved around with ADJUST.
For more details on editing vector objects in Draw see the RISC OS applications manual.
The DW-XE special toolbar
This toolbar only contains tools provided by DW-XE. All of these tools require an object or group of objects to be selected before they are clicked on. These tools are covered in the next pages of the manual. Some of them, such as the DrawTrix tool, can perform some quite amazing effects with selected vector objects.
The Information tool
This provides access to the DW-XE information window. This will provide detailed information on a selection. Simply select the object(s) that you would like information about and then click on the Information button. As you can see the information window offers full details on the selected objects. Most objects are self explanatory, however some deserve a little more explanation.
Tags - these are special objects inserted into a file by another application - for example TableCalc. They are tagged so that they can be identified by a third party application easily.
Text Matrix - this is a transformed or altered text object. For example any kerned text objects will appear under this heading. Also any text objects that have a style applied to them will be shown here.
If when you load a drawfile some of the text appears in the system font then simply click on the Select All tool and then on the Information tool. The Fonts Used menu will tell you what font(s) the text should be in.
Preferences window
This is opened by clicking on the preferences button on the DW-XE toolbar. The options are all grouped together according to their function.
Tools - This allows you to choose which tool is selected when !Draw is first loaded.
Page - This allows you to set the page size from A5 to A0, the orientation and if print borders are shown or not.
Undo - In order to use the undo/ redo functions from the DW-XE toolbar you will need to set the size of the buffer. 50K is normal.
Zoom - Lets you select the default zoom (1:8 to 8:1).
Grid - This allows the grid options to be set. When using the grid remember to set both Show and Lock.
Saving preferences
Once you are happy with your new preferences you can either save them ("Save" button) or just temporarily set them ("OK" button). If you have changed your mind then click on the "Cancel" button. Whenever DW-XE is loaded these preferences will then be automatically applied to Draw. However note that for the preferences system to function DW-XE must be loaded before Draw is loaded. Also note that DW-XE will attempt to save some of these preferences inside any draw files used so that even without DW-XE loaded grid, paper size, zoom and Undo buffer settings can be preserved.
Note - You will see that some items in this window cannot be selected. This is because they are not available on this issue of DrawWorks, only on the full commercial version.
Merge Paths tool
This tool will merge multiple path objects to produce one object. It will even merge path objects created using the GRADE and INTERPOLATE tools. In simple terms this tool can do two things.
1. Combine lots of objects as one so they can be graded
2. Make shapes with holes in
Multiple Merges
You can always MERGE a group of objects then make a copy of them and then MERGE the two copies.Try experimenting to see the results. However always remember that unless you set the FILL COLOUR all you will see is a set of lines that look the same as your original.
Hint - If a merge goes wrong you can always recover from it using the Undo tool.
Merge Example (Spirograph)
This example takes you through using the merge tool to create a spirograph effect.
Make an ellipse shape with the circle tool. Make a copy of the ellipse with the Copy tool Rotate the ellipse by 90 degrees using the Rotate option on the Transform Menu.
GROUP the pair of ellipses and then use the JUSTIFY tool to align the objects to the Centre and Middle. Now click on the Grade tool. You will now have part of a Spirograph.
Copy the part of the spirograph with the Copy tool. Rotate the copy by 90 degrees. Select both of the parts of the Spirograph & GROUP them. JUSTIFY them to the CENTRE and MIDDLE. You now have a Spirograph shape.
Click on the fill colour tool and select Black. Now click on the Merge tool and see the result. You now have a completed Spirograph.
Merge Example (Stencil)
Enter a line of text and then choose the FONT that you wish to use (e.g. Trinity.Medium) using the Font tool. Set the size of the text (e.g. to 20 point).
Now draw a rectangle around the outside of the text leaving a gap for the text to sit in. GROUP both the text and the rectangle. Now click on the Convert to Path tool. Click on the fill colour tool and select Black. Now click on the Merge tool.
The object now appears to be white text in a black box however the text is actually a hole which you can see objects underneath through.
Merge tool Notes
Line objects created in Draw are made from paths, the Merge tool can merge these. However the following objects are NOT paths and hence will be discarded when processing the file.
Text Areas
Text not converted to a path*
Sprites
JPEGS
* If the option "Automatically convert text to paths" is on from the DW-XE preferences window on the icon bar then text will be converted to a path by DW-XE. You will not need to do it by hand.
Unknown Objects
Some applications put special object types into Drawfiles, the Merge tool will try and guess what sort of object it is and merge or discard it as appropriate.
Known Problems
Due to a couple of bugs in DRAW merging of objects created using the Grade and Interpolate options may not produce what is expected. When Interpolating Draw produces TWO paths for each line, not just one, as a result the merged file made by Merge will not appear correctly. Always use the GRADE option and you will not get any problems. Until this bug is fixed in a future release of RISC OS Interpolated objects should be handled with care.
The Split Objects tool.
This tool operates in exactly the same way as the merge paths tool, except that it will split an object up into separate smaller objects. This means that a merged object can actually be un-merged.
Note - This tool works by taking each path and separating it. For example take the letter "e" from an Outline font. This actually consists of 2 paths, one for the outside of the "e" and one for the inside. The split tool will take this "e" and produce two objects from it.
You can see this in the example below. The centre of the original "e" is a hole. The center of the split version is a separate object.
The DrawTrix tool
DrawTrix is a sophisticated image manipulation package for Drawfiles. Selecting a vector objects and clicking on this tool will launch a DrawTrix window for the current selection.
DrawTrix fully supports interactive help and we recommend that you load this before using the DrawTrix tool.
Using DrawTrix
DrawTrix can perform just about any type of transformation (called an effect) to any path objects. Just like the other tools it will have no effect on sprites or text objects. The easiest way to use DrawTrix is to select some path objects in Draw and then click on the DrawTrix tool in the DW-XE toolbar. The DrawTrix window will then appear.
DrawTrix Effects
DrawTrix supports a number of pre-defined effects. These can be accessed using the menu button next to the word "Identity". Click SELECT on this button and a menu will open.
Choose the effect you would like from the menu and click on the "Transform" button. After a couple of seconds a preview window will open.
If this preview is correct close this window and then drag the Drawfile icon from the main window into an open Draw Window. Once this file has been loaded you can close the DrawTrix window.
DrawTrix Options window
Clicking on the "Options..." button in the main DrawTrix window will open up the options window.
For most effects the "Convert lines to beziers" option should be on as this allows DrawTrix to bend straight lines.
Keep XY will add the effects of any change to the existing point position.
Split long lines will allow DrawTrix to split up long lines to improve the quality of its effects. The accuracy settings alter how much a line is split up. For most effects the "Standard accuracy" setting is adequate.
DrawTrix Object options
The second half of the options window allows you to specify how the effect is applied to your selection. Most effects will be applied from the centre of the object.
To see how this works try using the "3D Cylinder" effect from the DrawTrix menu with the "apply from" button set in the centre, then at the bottom centre and then at the top centre. As you can see this alters the viewpoint of the perspective cylinder.
When a transformation is saved the current settings in the options window are saved with it. So if you load different effects the settings in the option window will change.
The Variables window
This window shows you the variables that you can use to produce DrawTrix effects. As you can see the name of each variable is shown along with what it signifies.
In the bottom of the window is a list of the mathematical functions that can be used in an effect.
The "Show Numerical Values" button will open a window showing the actual values of these variables for the current selection.
All DrawTrix effects are produced using these variables constructed to form a series of equations which are then used to manipulate your selected draw objects.
Example equation
A= COS(Y/height) B=
C=0 D=COS(X/width
E=0 F=0
The equations shown above are for the 3DBulge effect.
DrawTrix (Making an effect)
You can quite easily make your effects and keep them permanently. The best advice is to base a new effect on an existing effect. All the DrawTrix effects are defined using the 6 writable icons in the main window. If you choose an existing effect from the main menu you will see the equations in these icons change.
These equations form a transformation matrix which is applied to each point in your selection according to the X and Y equations shown in the window.
When trying out an effect to see if it works it is much quicker if you have the accuracy set to "Standard".
When making a new effect we recommend that the Interactive Help application is loaded.
When you are happy with your new effect click on the "Store Matrix" button and your effect will be permanently stored on disk and will always be available from the DrawTrix menu.
There are samples of some of the effects on the CD in the WorkSheets directory.
The Brightness Tool
This allows you to alter the brightness of selected objects. A value above 100% makes an object brighter, a value below 100% makes an object darker.
Some examples are shown below
The RGB Balance Tool
This lets you alter the colour balance of the selected object. For example, altering the red to 149% will give an object a red tint. Its main use is to correct colours in bitmap images. If an imported bitmap was too green the colour could be corrected by increasing red and blue or by reducing green.
Unlike a normal colour picker this tool alters the percentage of each colour based upon what colours are already there. For example, taking an object and increasing the green level by 19% (119% total) several times will result in the object being tinted more green each time.
The Colouriser Tool.
This tool is designed to add colours to an existing object, or to alter the objects current colours in a number of ways.
The options from the top part of the menu colour the selected objects using the chosen colours. For example selecting an object and then selecting "Primary colours" and clicking OK will alter the objects line, text and fill colours to Primary colours chosen by DrawWorks.
Make greyscale converts the image to shades of grey Make monochrome converts the image to black and white. Make negative produces a photographic negative of the original image.
Some options, like Pure Tint and Named colours and those described below are not available with this version of DrawWorks.
Make sepia is like greyscale but uses warm grey colours. Make red=green flips colours around so red becomes green, green becomes blue and blue becomes red.
DW-XE Preferences
Not only can you set preferences for Draw you can also set them for DW-XE. Open the DW-XE preferences window by clicking MENU on the DW-XE icon on the icon bar and then select "Prefs..." from the menu.
You can alter the position of the DW-XE toolbar so it is either above or below the Draw window. You can arrange for DW-XE to autoload Draw. You can also turn the toolbar help on and off.
Different !Draw versions
RISC OS 3.1, 3.6, 3.7, 4 and 5 have !Draw in ROM. RISC OS 3.5 and Select have it on the hard drive. If !Draw is on your hard drive you will need to tell DW-XE where to find it by dragging !Draw to the icon at the bottom of the window. The pathname will appear there and DW-XE will then be able to start up !Draw when you next use it.
Automatically convert text to path
Some DW-XE tools cannot work with text objects, only with vector objects, for example DrawTrix. Normally a user would need to convert any text to path manually before using these tools. DW-XE can convert the text to a path for you and then convert it back again if this option is selected.
Saving Preferences
Click on "Save settings" to keep any changes you have made. Click on "Cancel" to undo any changes. Click on "OK" to make a temporary change.
Note that many changes will not take effect until the next time you start DW-XE. Others, such as the position of the toolbars, will take effect as soon as you click on "OK" or "Save Settings".
OLE links (Impression/Ovation)
These new DW-XE features are incorporated so that they appear to be part of Draw. For this to work a small invisible OLE object is placed in the bottom right corner of the Draw file.
This can sometimes cause a drawfile to not "Fit to Frame" correctly in Impression, Ovation and some other packages. If this happens simply resize the drawfile in Impression by hand or load the file back into Draw and delete any objects situated in the bottom left corner of the file. You can also save the file back into Draw, select the objects you want, and then do a "Save Selection" and drop this back into the frame.
DW-XE will try and remove these link objects if they are no longer required but occasionally it may not be possible to remove the OLE objects completely.
Boot Sequences
If you want to install DW-XE as part of your normal Boot sequence so that both Draw and DW-XE are loaded then the sequence must be:
Filer_Boot Resources:$.Apps.!Dra
Filer_Boot <location of DW-XE>.!DWorksX
Filer_Run <location of DW-XE>.!DWorksXE.!Ru
Note the extra !Run on the end of the line that Loads DW-XE.
Obviously these lines do not actually have to be next to each other but they must be executed in the order shown above.
Problem Solving
DrawWorks is a complex package and some other applications can interfere with its use. This page shows a list of common problems and the other software that may be causing it.
Computer locking up when using DrawTrix/Merge/Split tools
You have a module called AWCD (All Write Click Drag) by Justin Fletcher loaded on your machine. This interrupts the DrawWorks OLE system. Remove this module from your !Boot sequence and reset the machine.
Strange memory errors
You are running a copy of !Virtualise. This alters some OS_File calls used by DrawWorks. Remove !Virtualise from your !Boot sequence and then reset the machine.
Flickering Toolbars
You have a module called 3DRomPatch loaded, this causes the odd flickering on screen. Remove the module from your !Boot sequence and reset the machine.
Other odd errors
Some other applications have caused problems on some users machines, these include
!Director
!Activity by Justin Fletcher (flashes keyboard light in time with HD) Once you have checked for the above applications and the fault is still occurring please contact us.
DrawWorks XL
As explained earlier DW-XE is a cut down version of DrawWorks XL. This offers many more features, a few are listed below:
Drop shadow tool with user definable styles
Mould making tool - allows objects to be fitted into custom shapes
Map making tool - allows maps to be produced easily and quickly
Lining tool - apply any number of user defined lining effects to objects
Freehand drawing mode
Named and PureTint colour pickers
CMYK and Spot Colour separations
Alter CMYK colour levels
Direct interface to Mr Clippy and over 1000 pieces of clip art
OLE bitmap image editing including contrast/brightness etc.
Export of EPS files for use with PC and Macintosh computers
Automatic print tiling across any number of pages
Offset litho print simulator - shows your design on different papers
Export as SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
Export as anti-aliased JPEG
Export all text objects from a Drawfile into one text file
Text Area control including font and point size and change number of columns
User definable text styles
Realtime editing of outline fonts
Interface with 2500 fonts supplied on the CD
Export fonts in PostScript Type1 format for use with a PC
It's the start of yet another new RISC OS year. Since its now over 5 years since Acorn got asset stripped by accountants I find it rather surprising that we are still here. Well regretfully the number of us still here is falling, but maybe this year we will see things turn round somewhat (Doesn't everyone say this every year? - HJ). At the end of this month RISCOS Ltd will finish its financial year, and all the indications so far are that it will return a profit. Of course small computer companies aren't supposed to return a profit but ROL may well be able to buck the trend. Insider has some exciting potential news for us this issue, along with some comments on subliminal advertising, maybe this year will see the launch Of Impression X, well I certainly hope so. With the merger of Castle and Tematic perhaps RISC OS will finally get its foot in the embedded systems door permanently. It looks like being a very exciting year all round.
There is one big piece of news as far as RISC World is concerned, and that is the machine it's now produced on. Up until this issue RISC World has been edited On the same StrongARM RiscPC that I have used for a number of years. I have had a long soul search and decided that the machines increasing unreliability, it's age and the fact that it simply wasn't fast enough any more meant that I had to change. So from this issue onwards RISC World will be edited using VirtualRPC-SE running on an Athlon 2600 desktop PC. No doubt I will get accused of "bias" from some quarters, but for me VRPC-SE is the best tool for the job.
Editors Rant of the month
I have one rant this month and it's about a company called Status Group PLC. Late in November I decided to replace one of the ancient LaserJet printers with a new laser. A quick scan down the price guides showed that colour lasers have now dropped to silly money, indeed some are now sub £500, which means a colour laser can cost less than the mono one it was going to replace. Having colour is handy, especially when printing manuals, so I decided that a colour printer was what I wanted.
At the budget end of the market there are two main choices, a QMS Magicolor 2600, or an Epson Aculaser C900. Both are based on the same print engine, but having consulted a number of people the consensus was that the Epson printed better, because it had better drivers. Having got a print sample from both machines I had to agree. The Espon did print better and seemed to re-produce more detail. However the QMS machine came with 32Mb of memory, and the Epson only had 16Mb. I figured that memory was important and plumped for the QMS. It wasn't in stock at PC World, OK then I will have the Epson. Sorry that's not in stock either. So I went back home, at this point I had another think, was memory, or print quality more important? Finally the discovery that the Epson could be upgrade to 144Mb, but that the QMS has no memory expansion, clinched it. Decision made.
But who to get it from? A quick surf revealed a wide price differential, with the cheapest being nearly £200 less that the most expensive. So I called a few companies, could I have an Epson C900 and a memory upgrade. I got the same answer from all "No problem with the printer, they are shipped directly from Epson, but the memory is out of stock and I don't have a delivery date." As an aside since all the printers are shipped direct £200 seems like a high price premium for taking an order and faxing it to Epson, but I digress. Anyway one company,
An Epson C900 (it's a lot bigger than it looks)
Anyway Monday came, but the printer didn't. Late Monday I rung to check delivery, it hadn't been sent but I can have it tomorrow, OK. So Tuesday afternoon came, but still the printer hadn't shown up. I rung to find out what was going on and was told that my order didn't exist on the system, someone promised to call me back, but didn't. In the meantime the printer turned up, but no inkjet freebie, and no memory card. I was then told that to get the inkjet I had to return the card inside the printer packaging. What card? "Oh is it missing? The stock department sometimes don't put them in." Really, so they aren't taking the cards and getting the free inkjets for themselves then? "Oh, I don't know", well I do. Anyway after getting passed from pillar to post I got a bit annoyed and told them to post me a card. They didn't.
I finally run Epson themselves who were a model of helpfulness, took down he serial number of my C900, and then sent me my free Inkjet printer. However have you noticed that the memory card hasn't turned up yet? I asked Epson about this and was told that they were out of stock. I rung Status who were "expecting them tomorrow", I pointed out that I was expecting the Pope to absail past my window tomorrow, but I could be wrong. Finally Status admitted they had no idea when the memory upgrades should be in, and in fact had never had any when I placed my order. So I told them that I would keep the printers, but they could credit my card back for the amount of the memory upgrade.
Come the start of January I got my credit card bill, and would you believe it, the card had not been refunded! Now that is like a read rag to a bull. I rung the card company and told them I was not paying any of the bill until the matter was settled. I then rung Status who "had no idea how this could have happened", so it doesnt happen often then? "Well not that often...er...I shouldn't have said that." No you shouldn't. In the end I got a refund for the memory upgrade and for the interest on my credit card. So to go back to my earlier point, how can some companies justify £200 more for the same item, I don't know perhaps they offer excellent service and support. Some box shifters get the price as low as possible by offering little support and simply taking a smal
cut for processing the orders. Status Group PLC, however, has found another way, simply charge customers for things you don't have and aren't going to ship. When you get caught out offer a refund but don't do it, then hope the customer never notices and you can keep their money.
In short I can recommend an Epson C900 (with a copy of UniPrint), but I can't recommend Status Group PLC, not unless you like getting ripped off.
Printing RISC World
The new look of RISC World means that you will no longer get the yellow background when printing articles from RISC World. However you will still get the blue border on the left unless you turn off the printing of background images. The example below shows the print dialogue box from Fresco.
As you can see the option "No Background" is ticked. If you want to print out any of the RISC World pages and don't want to waste ink on a blue border then make sure you have clicked a similar option in your browser.
Aaron Timbrell
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/FILES/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, PC File Conversion
PC File Conversion
Part 4 Multimedia Files - Brian Pickard
In this part I will try and point the way in dealing with multimedia files types when importing and exporting between RISC OS and PC Windows platforms. These types of files are not easy to deal with and certain types cannot be used on RISC OS machines. Let's first break them down into audio and video files.
PC Audio file formats
Wave
The most common audio filetype is Windows Wave (denoted by the file extension .wav) This is used by most CD burners and audio software on the PC. Most RISC OS audio software also understands this format e.g. CDBurn. There are different standards that use this .wave extension! I have come across the following types:
A/mu-La
ACM Wavefor
DVI/IMA ADPC
Microsoft ADPC
Windows PCM
The actual type is usually recognised by the first few bytes of the file. The Windows PCM starts with RIFF. Even though this complicates matters I have found Mark Scholes PlaySound and Rick Hudsons SoundCon do recognise these variations.
MP3
No problems here RTracker and AMPlayer will play these files.
Real Audio
RISC OS does not support this format (due to copyright restrictions).
PCM format
Some PC and RISC OS software recognise this format. It is just the CD sound format. This consists of two 16 bit values one for each stereo channel. However be careful since there are two standards.
Intel standard: This has the order LSB MSB
Motorola standard This has the order MSB LSB.
RISC OS CDBurn understands the Motorola standard. But the filetype has to be set to DATA. CDBurn also understands the wave format but since there are so many variations I tend to stick with PCM files.
There are other variations that use just 8 bit values with added compression. These include 8 bit mu-law compressed and 8 bit A-law compressed. I wouldn't advise their use, unless disc space is at a premium. To give an example of this file use. I use a PC to capture sounds (archiving my vinyl) and save the tracks as PCM Motorola standard files. Then port them over to my RiscPC change their filetype to DATA and then use CDBurn to produce the CD.
Why don't I transfer my CD writable drive to my PC? Well I have come across PC owners whose lightening fast all bells and whistles burners produce some very strange sounding CDs! My RiscPC CDBurn and old Ricoh writable drive has NEVER produced a bad CD copy! (You can't produce Audio CDs at high speed, if you do things can go wrong, when burning an audio CD on a PC go down to 8 speed - ED).
RISC OS Audio File formats
Replay
This format was invented by Acorn for its video/sound replay application. No PC applications (as far as I know!) will read these files so convert them to wave format.
MIDI files
These are universally understood and therefore any MIDI application will be able to play these files. The only compatibility problem will be the instrument sounds. Best to use the GM MIDI standard as most applications understand this instrument setup.
Using Music Software
The only common music software for both PC and RISC OS I have come across is Sibelius.
This is a music writing application which takes its input from a Midi keyboard and produces music manuscripts ready for printout. It is expensive but if you are a serious musician it is the one to go for.
The Problem with MP3
If you wish to send music files to PC users then use either wav format or mp3 (over the web since it compresses sound files by a factor of 8 to 10). There is one snag with the mp3 format when using RISC OS. There is no easy way of converting wav etc. to mp3. I have found three applications called cmpa, lame and blade that will convert wav or pcm files to mp3 but these are all command line apps. Justin Fletcher did produce a multitasking front end for cmpa but at the moment he has taken his apps off his website.
I have produced a wimp multitasking application which uses Lame. I chose Lame because it has two versions, one for StrongArm and the other for ARM7500FP cpu. It is on the CD and is called !MakeMpeg.
The help file contains the user guide. Don't expect the conversions to be quick (unless you have one of the latest RISC OS computers). I would like to know how quick so I have included a wav sound file called testtrk. It is a track from a friends own made CD of his own songs. It is approximately five and a half minutes long. On my StrongArm RiscPC it takes about 25 minutes to convert it to an mpeg. I think it should be quicker using an XScale or the ARM7500FP (the latter may be a surprise but it is due to the built in floating point co processor). Lame will also convert MPEGS to WAV or PCM too. (A much quicker process!).
If you wish to port a sound file over the net then use mp3. If you wish to let a friend have a track then using a CDR or CDR/W use the WAV format.
The Problem with Video Files
This is not so straight forward. The PC world uses several different file formats.
Lets deal with the ones RISC OS does not recognise.
REAL (extension .rm)
This is used to send small screen video over the net using the Real Player by Real Networks. The BBC use this extensively on their web site. Due to copyright restrictions RISC OS does not have any way of playing these files.
DivX
This is a highly compressed video format. I have not found any RISC OS applications that can play these files.
Now for the good news the following formats can be viewed using RISCOS computers.
MPEG videos
These can be played by using the KinoAMP application which always under development. You will need at least a StrongARM machine. You can find further details at
Apple QuickTime (file extension .MOV)
These can be played via a plugin for RISCOS (via !MovieFS), !ARPlayer.
Warm Silence Software do several plugins for different file formats that allow the !ARPlayer to view PC video formats. These include PC files that have file extensions .FLI .FLC .AVI .WAV. Note the last two are Windows filetypes and dont be confused with .WAV. This extension is used for both video and audio files.
The main problem is that there is no cheap and easy way of producing video files on the RISCOS platform (unless you know different!).(Well there is one free video editor, it's called CineWorks, and I have put a copy in the software directory - ED)
Animations
If you want to produce animations you can use your favourite drawing program and use a screen grabber to produce a series of sprite files. Then use !InterGIF to produce animated GIF files.
Most PC video editing software will allow animated GIFs to be loaded and therefore converted into .WAV etc video files. I have used this method when requiring an animated diagram for a video.
As you can see video format is one area where the RISC OS world needs to 'catch up'.
One note though, the BBC use an editing suit based round a RiscPC! It is called OPTIMA and I believe the RiscPC podule is being sold (second hand) by CJEMicros! So if you are an enthusiast then perhaps this is worth investigating.
Thats it for this part, next time I will try and delve into Desktop Publishing.
Brian Pickard
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/GAMES/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, Games World
Games World
Paul Brett with the latest gaming news.
Although it has generally been a quiet couple of months in the RISC OS gaming world I still have details on a nice selection of RISC OS games, all included some new games, in the software section of RISC World, for you to play.
Feud - Justin Fletchcer
This is an updated version of an old game, but I really should let Justin tell you in his own words...
"This was an old game I wrote on the BBC. It's... interesting. This particular version was munged together from the ROMFS and Disc versions to make something that works. The joystick code (player 2) has been made to work with the RISC OS Joystick modules and was tested with Chris Bazley's FakeJoystick module. If you want to laugh at "where I came from" then you can look at the sources. It makes some interesting reading. Quite how I made it work, I don't know. However, looking at it now, I'm quite pleased that it did work. I've made it run more slowly by adding a delay to it. It's not that clever."
"The bulk of the code is unchanged from the BBC; it's really only the memory access that's been changed to use either system variables or reloaded data rather than writing to shared memory. I've intentionally left all typos and misspelling of 'Feud' for posterity."
"The original version was written when I was in Newark, which puts me in the upper juniors, or first year secondary school. About 10 or 11, I guess (1986-1987). I believe that the ... uh... design (oh yes there was design in this) was about 2 months and implementation was another 3 or 4. Obviously whilst I was doing other things. Like playing other games. Which I was really bad at. There are no date stamps on BBC applications (I didn't start using such stamps until after I wrote this). This port and application was made to work 18th December 2003. I'm 27 now."
Feud
RISC OS Invaders
It was recently bought to my attention that a number of RISC OS 4 users do not know about the special version of Space Invaders hidden inside the operating system. Now thanks to Jon Ripley anyone an easily play Space Invaders on RISC OS 4. The Invaders launcher comes in 2 versions, one is a file that you simply double click on to launch Space Invaders, the other is a module that launches the game whenever Ctrl+Alt+I are pressed.
Space Invaders is only hidden in RISC OS 4, and only works when the desktop is running.
RISC OS Invaders
Scavenger - Darren Salt
Here is a rather fun platform game that I can't recall seeing before, it's certainly not in the games collection on my harddisc, but is now. It's a very simple game, just run round the levels avoiding the badies and collect the goodies. Once you have collected all the goodies on a level a ladder will appear at the top of the screen, climb that to get to the next level. The animation in Scavenger is especially good and I must confess that I have spent the last forty five minutes playing it when I should have been writing this article.
The keys are:
Z- lef
X - Righ
/ - dow
' - u
Left ALT - dig lef
Right ALT- dig righ
Space - Start/pause.
Scavenger
Finally I am going to finish off this issue with a gaming classic....
TwinWorld
Although it's an old game, it's most certainly a platforming legend. For full game instructions, please refer to the StrongHelp file supplied with the game. To view the help, click the Menu button of the mouse over the TwinWorld icon, then select 'Help' from the 'Application' menu. Note that you must have a copy of StrongHelp 2 (included) in order to view the help. To see the diagram in the section entitled 'The Scoreboard' you also need Acorn's DrawFile module.
TwinWorld
Signing off
See you next time for more RISC OS gaming, and perhaps news on the most significant gaming release for years, if I am allowed to tell you....
David Bradforth takes a look at some hardware which now has the potential to become available under RISC OS.
Here's an exciting new development for RISC World. We're going to take an occasional look at hardware that offers useful functionality, and has the ability to become available under RISC OS if we can find some kind soul (or a suitably minded company) to develop the appropriate drivers. We're calling this a hardware comments, but it's possible it may become a hardware speculation column, but we shall see.
Back in the early 90's, Computer Concepts and RComp brought to the RISC OS market a number of drivers for Wacom graphics tablets. Making use of the serial port at the time, these allowed RISC OS users to control their mouse pointer in much the same way as creatively inspired PC or Mac users. Sadly as time moved on, support was lost as indeed was support for the hardware.
We've now got USB support for RISC OS, and as such there's no reason why a USB graphics tablet could not be supported. With the Linux userbase containing more than a few gifted programmers, it's likely that the specifications for these graphics tablets (even covering pressure sensing) are freely available to reverse engineer and produce suitable drivers for our platform.
This would make available the latest high-end developments, such as professional Wacom graphics tablets or even the entry-level offerings from the likes of Trust. It's certainly worth thinking about.
On a similar topic, printer drivers for RISC OS users has long been a cause of much confusion to current owners of RISC OS computers. What choices exist once your current printer reaches the ripe old age of obscurity, only to require a replacement for which one seems somewhat lacking?
MW Software have been working on a port of GIMP Print, with the aim of making available virtually any printer for RISC OS. It's possible that the likes of the Lexmark ranges will still remain unavailable, but anything that aims to improve the current state of play as regards drivers can only be an improvement. Visit MW Software at
The developments of Virtual Acorn have been very much in the spotlight recently, starting with the launch of the Microdigital Alpha (a Windows XP based laptop which made use of RISC OS 4 as part of an emulated Risc PC) through to the more recent launch of various branded computers offering VirtualRPC-SE as part of a solution. A number of developers have reported custom from users who have previously not purchased in some years, and it's all looking very positive for the market in general. Virtual Acorn had one other piece of news recently, in that they've had to become VAT registered. This is a good sign in some ways, as it means the company has a healthy turnover, but from the bad side there has had to be a £10 price rise in order to incorporate an element of the VAT now charged.
I'll be back in the next issue, with a detailed buyers guide to the current RISC OS computer ranges, whether they be truly ARM at the core or Intel/PC based. The processor is no longer the issue, but the choice available to the consumer is.
Dave Bradforth
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/HUGHJ/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, The Hugh Jampton Experience
The Hugh Jampton Experience
He's mad, bad, and smells a bit, yes it's Huuuugh Jampton......
Well it seems as though last issue's column went off without a hitch (that's because you sent it in on time - ED). So as per usual we will start off with the absolute joy that is our caption competition...
Last issues caption competition
So last issue I asked if anyone could come up with a caption for this:
And it seems as though some of you could.
"Photo of Microsofts top programmers for their new operating system"
Kevin Wells
"I see that Microsoft are hard at work on the new version of Windows"
William McNee
William also sent in his missing caption for 2 issues ago, which was "This flight simulator is so realistic, even the pilots look real...what do you mean this isn't a simulation...". Thank you, a years subscription to Archimedes World will be in the post.
"I thought the monkeys were supposed to be typing Shakespeare not reading it!"
Andrew Pinder
"If cousin Tolkein can do it, so can we!"
Chris Jarman
"All on board for the pearly Gates."
Geoff Williams
However the winner (again) is Alan Shooter with...
"Enron accountants at work. (My apologies to the chimps)."
So well done to Alan, and better luck next time to our losers.
This issue's photo
So can anyone come up with a caption for this?
Send your entries to HughJ@riscworld.co.uk and you too could get a chance to have your name immortalised in glorious HTML.
So what rubbish has been sent to me in the last few weeks?
Lets start with the "world's favourite ISP".
Still AOL aren't the only company with a near monopoly.
However some people might argue that a monopoly isn't such a bad thing.
And now could someone please count the number of black circles for me.
Now something that our older readers might agree with...
And finally here is something for the true ARM enthusiast.
Hugh Jampton
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/INSIDER/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, Iyonix 2 for Wakefield?
Iyonix 2 for Wakefield?
Insider
It's been a few months since my last article was published in RISC World, and since we are now at the start of a new year I thought it only reasonable that I should update you with what could be the most interesting news of the year, the possible launch of a new version of the Xscale powered Iyonix at Wakefield in May.
A quick history lesson
To re-cap, the Iyonix, designed by Tematic and sold by Castle Technology, was launched in the fourth quarter of 2002. The machine was very well received by the RISC OS user base and has been selling steadily since. With the acquisition of RISC OS Castle and Tematic were finally in a position to push RISC OS in the direction a number of players have wanted to go for years, embedded systems. The Iyonix motherboard is ideal for use in a number of environments because of its low power consumption and the rather obvious advantage that in a correctly designed enclosure it does need any active cooling. It has been suggested by a number of sources that although the Iyonix board does fit a number of criteria, it doesn't fit one very important one, size.
In order to push into more lucrative markets a smaller board would be required. As RISC OS users will have noticed Castle and Tematic have now merged under the Castle Technology banner. Castle have also managed to lure Peter Wild, a very experienced hardware designer, back to RISC OS, Peter would seem just the man to help miniaturise the Iyonix motherboard.
Neuron2
Readers with long memories may well remember the announcement some years ago of the Neuron boards from Castle Technology. These boards were designed for embedded systems, and had a very small footprint, the third of the size of a sheet of A4 paper. Although a number of boards were planned only the Arm7500 version seems to have entered production. Although the Neuron 100 (as the Arm7500 board was called) was the right size, it was underpowered and did not push RISC OS into the hoped for markets. An Xscale powered board would be roughly 10 times faster and might well fit the needs of a number of high profile potential customers. With Castle Technology having an existing product, rights to RISC OS, and the people to do the job it would seem that it is time for a new smaller more powerful solution to be offered to customers.
And?
It has been made clear from a number of statements made that Castle see the future of RISC OS in embedded systems, and indeed it is very hard to disagree with them. Readers should remember that Pace produced almost as many RISC OS set top boxes in 3 years, as Acorn did desktop computers in 10 years. So if embedded systems are the future for RISC OS why bother with a desktop computer?
There are a number of reasons. Firstly it's a marketing tool, any potential customer is going to want to see the product they are considering working. What better way to show them than to produce a full working desktop computer. They can then see the board in action and also see that the company behind the board have the expertise required. Secondly Castle has always supported the desktop market, it's where they came from, are they really likely to forget all the loyal users who have supported them over the years just because of the need to expand. Thirdly, and it's purely an economic argument, it will not cost a great deal extra to design the board so that it could be used either in an embedded situation, or inside a desktop computer. The extra components that make a desktop computer, case, drives, power supply etc are not greatly expensive and a manufacturer does not have to hold massive stocks.
So what might a new Iyonix be like?
Assuming a new machine is launched using a new board Insider would expect it to offer similar or greater performance to the current Iyonix. The on-board USB will need to be working so that a stand alone PCI card is not needed, this would mean that only one card, the graphics card would be required. With the addition of a right angled connector onto the PCI interface and the use of a low profile graphics card a very slim desktop case could be used. This would limit expansion, but then it would be a simple matter to offer two models. One in a new stylish slimline case, and one in a larger desktop case. As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, you can always fit a small board in a big case, but you can't do it the other way round.
Insider would be surprised if the current Iyonix is not replaced by a MkII tower version at Wakefield, most likely at a similar price but offering an improved specification. As for the idea of using a small desktop case with little expansion options I have done some costings and in my view a price of around £1000 would be quite sustainable. A version of the Iyonix at around this price point would also provide a true high performance RISC OS machine at an entry level price point.
Updates....
Since I wrote this article at the start of January a couple of odd things have happened. Firstly it has been suggested that Castle Technology have been buying up low profile graphics cards, although I have seen no evidence of this myself it is possible. The other interesting item to cross my desk was the new Wakefield show advert, designed by Richard Hallas (I am regretting forwarding this to Insider already - ED), someone who is known to be close to Castle Technology. The advert shows a phoenix rising from a broken Iyonix logo, I have reproduced the relevant section below.
The phoenix from the Wakefield show advert
Is this the first case of subliminal advertising for RISC OS computers, time will tell....
Insider
Aarons addendum
I asked Richard for his comments about the Wakefield advert, and hinted at some of Insiders conclusions, Richard found it very funny and had this to say about the choice of the Phoenix and the Iyonix logo.
"In actual fact, the 'phoenix rising out of the ashes' idea came abou
because of the near-death-experiences of the show itself. As with las
year's event, there was every possible chance that it wouldn't be abl
to happen at all, so the fact that it is going ahead is where the ide
came from. But having thought of it, it also seemed fairly appropriat
to include a reference to the Iyonix, which could be seen as saviou
of the RISC OS hardware market. (Maybe next year's poster will includ
the phoenix depicted on a computer monitor, in deference t
VirtualAcorn's efforts with emulation!)
Besides, I needed to get some RISC OS-related imagery into the poste
as well, and the Iyonix logo seemed quite apt for making eggs in
'RISC OS cogwheel nest', so that worked quite well.
Also, Castle is one of the sponsors of this year's show, wherea
MicroDigital has stated that it doesn't expect to attend, so that wa
quite helpful for me: it meant that I could use the Iyonix log
without having to devise a way of getting omega symbols into th
design as well! (If necessary I'd have made the phoenix's claws int
omegas, or had it clutching an omega or something like that.)
So that's the full story of the image. There are no intentional hidde
messages at all in the design; it was just meant to be eye-catching.
Of course, it may be considered a 'tantalising' image if people choos
to interpret in a particular way (and I'm sure they will...)! Bu
Castle had no input or influence over the design; nor did RISCOS Lt
(or anyone else), even though the nest is a big cogwheel. The imag
may entice a few more people to make the effort to attend the show i
the hopes of seeing something exciting, but that's what the advert i
Yes, its the barren wasteland of the letters page.
It's been a quiet time on the RISC World letters front. I guess it's because everyone has been occupied over Christmas, either that or no one want to write to us anymore....still the mail bag wasn't completely empty.
First off John Crane comments on our case for hardware/emulation feature from last issue.
Hello,
Well Aaron invites comment,so I thought I'd add a point or two to th
'debate'. I say debate in inverted commas, as there seems generally to b
more of a for / or against type situation with a bit of 'my dad's bigge
than your dad' type squabbling thrown in for good measure. Although ther
has been more reasoned discussion on the newsgroups of late, so perhap
things are changing a bit.
Personally I can see both sides of the argument but I don't think i
necessarily has to be as clear cut as many would like it to be.
Speaking for myself I have a Castle Strongarm (233) Storm (SCSI) Risc P
which I have upgraded over the years so it now has a RISC OS 4.02,
CD Writer, two floppy drives a scanner, PC Card (Acorn 586 - 100 with Cyri
processor). I haven't won either of the Iyonixes which were up for grabs (
given away last year and another recently given away to celebrate the 1s
birthday) so I'm saving up for one. If only I could get one on interest fre
credit (I know technically you can, but I want a fully specced one for £140
not £1600).
When I originally got the RPC I used to do windows bits on the PC card an
occasionally wrote say a Word Doc in Easiwriter and then checked it in Wor
on the PC card (I do sometimes still do this but see further down.......
Also my eldest son used to practice at home using some of the same softwar
he used at School, but then over a period of time, the School(s) moved ove
to Windows......
I also (as most people do I imagine) use Windows extensively at work. S
there came a time when I needed to be able to do Windows stuff and frankl
compared to modern Windows hardware the PC card even with W98 SE just didn'
cut the mustard, so a Windows PC at home became inevitable.
Thus I have had a Windows XP machine since just about the time XP came ou
which sits at the side of my RPC. This has also been upgraded a bit with DV
writer and video capture box.
If all this was available on RISC OS and I was able to satisfactorily wor
on e.g Excel spreadsheets on RISC OS, then obviously I wouldn't need
Windows machine, but that's not to be at present.
Anyway when VA5000 came out I bought it and stuck it on the XP box, to se
what it was like, bit disappointed at first, but once the bug fixes an
later upgrades came out it matured very nicely and I am looking forward t
getting VirtualRPC-SE when suitable funds have been found. I suppose thi
must be quite unusual as most people seem to put emulation on Laptops rathe
than Desktops (or desktops if no RISC OS hardware) but I do find it usefu
and use RISC OS both via emulation on Windows and on a real RISC OS compute
and find uses for both 'flavours'.
For Example imagefiles. I find RISC OS apps seem to be able to display an
convert many different image files quite easily. Somebody sends me a disc o
whatever with an MSword file on and some dodgy embedded images tha
Easiwriter doesn't like. Bosh it into the XP box, open the file in Word
extract the images from it and save them back to the Hard Drive in VA
storage area. Start up VA retreive the images, fire up a nice friendly RIS
OS app, resave the images back in a more friendly format.Close VA rever
back to Windows, copy the images back into the document and resave it.
I can then view the file back on my RISC PC in Easiwriter and usually b
resaving it in Easiwriter the file becomes significantly smaller (even i
saving as a MSword file). If I then need to send it on somewhere I can zi
it up with SparkFS (and make it smaller still) and email it using m
preferred RISC OS email software.
I guess with the new network aware RPC emulation this could now all be don
on the Windows box, but I'm merely giving an example, there are others and
could go on at length but I guess my overall point is that it doesn't hav
to be either emulation or real hardware, a combination of the two works wel
too.
John Crane
I have to say that I agree, I don't think anyone has to have one or the other, if both a real machine and an emulated machine are useful then why not have both. Running VPRC-SE on a desktop isn't that unusual, see my editorial, but yes a lot of people do use it on laptops. Indeed we have a surprising number of customers who use an Iyonix as a desktop machine, and VirtualRPC-SE on a portable device. I have never really understood the all or nothing mentality. Having access to both Window and RISC OS is seen by many to be pretty essential these days, especially if you get sent files in some obscure format. You can get Windows to decode them, then use a decent OS to do something with them.
Phil Spiegelhalter also had something to say about our feature from last time...
Hi,
I was glad to see Aaron's postscript after the 2 pieces on emulation
native. I must admit to agreeing with him.
I must concede that I am biased: biased in that I am a long-term user o
RISC OS, and a user by necessity of PCs, both by nature of my work, whic
pays the bills and buys the machines.
I teach, but not in a school classroom. I teach operations and maintenanc
of various broadcast products, and as a result, I have a need for a mean
of presenting, and modifying, notes and diagrams on-site.
Until recently, I used A4-sized coloured overheads for each product t
give 'high-definition'/resolution projection of diagrams.
In '89 I joined the training department, of a large company, and we al
used Archimedes computers (and the Publications department next door use
Macs) I bought my own A440/1, and an A4 when it was launched.
The A4 allowed me to write, or adapt, notes and monochrome drawing
on-site, to meet the student's needs, in a wide variety of countries
I could usually print to any on-site printer they had.
My colleagues pressured the company to buy portables - which meant PCs
The Archimedes disappeared from their desks, replaced by Windows 95/98
I continued using RISC OS, and by buying Adobe's Acrobat Distiller a
home, I was able to convert any of my RISC OS output to Acrobat format.
When Phoebe was being promoted, I warned them that a portable was neede
to retain the business user. Simply; if you could not use the output o
the RISC OS computer away from the desk, then the material would b
created on another platform which could be used on-site.
Since '99 I have been working independently, and my RISC PC is still m
main machine, but joined by several PCs (for Video Editing) in a network.
Recently I had had to resort to taking Lin's old Portable PC with me t
connect to equipment on-site. In the continuing absence of a ne
portable, I built my 'interim portable' and used it in place of overhea
transparencies - saving/recovering about 300ukp over the next 2 courses!
Now I have a Microdigital Alpha Pro, with 1Gbyte of memory to cope wit
future windows software, and a 60Gbyte HD to cope with simple vide
editing. This allows me to take a single portable on-site, along with m
lightweight projector, and continue to use my preferred RISC OS software
as well as any PC software I need. ( I use Open Office Org's software
its free and compatible )
Naturally I would prefer the power saving/ battery life of a small AR
portable, but I need to earn money NOW (and back when I built the interi
presenter 8-) ).
I do not have an Iyonix: until the portable was released, I could no
justify spending any more money on RISC OS (apart from Select).
Since its release, I have added Viewfinder to my Risc PC (which shares
19inch LCD monitor with an editing PC, via a Stuart Tyrell KVM), an
upgraded my Artworks and Photodesk apps, at the end of the SE Show - Rcom
upgrades still need to be sorted out, but Uniprint is in regular use whe
I don't want to power up my networked postscript colour laser printe
which is also on the RiscPC parallel port).
Through ITC-uk, after the show, I now have a 2nd RISCOS Select RiscPC mad
from the firmware of the interim portable (itself from ITC-uk), a RISCP
Mk3 motherboard, the VideoRAM displaced by Viewfinder, and my 'emergenc
standby' RiscPC power supply, and other 'spares' (previously I couldn'
risk not having a working Risc PC!).
At this time, although software compatibility has been resolved with th
Iyonix, I cannot afford, or otherwise justify adding that to the family
but only because my RiscPCs /viewfinder already offer what I need, I think?
So, for me, the availability of a VA-portable has allowed me to remain i
the RISC OS marketplace, whilst still having acceptable compatibility wit
the companies paying my wages!
The case for the 'desktop' emulated machines is slightly different
Even in these environmentally-PC (politically correct) days, the energ
saving of the ARM processor versus CISC debate fails because th
periferals are common to both, and surplus heat, in winter, reduces th
heating bill by other means. (Not many uk schools are equipped wit
air-conditioning).
Governors and others controlling the finance may be insisting on 'industr
standard' PCs; possibly in the vain hope that the students will then b
able to overcome the shortcomings of the office PCs when they eventuall
get there??
Software purchase may remain more under staff control, and therefor
permit the learning of a 'second computer language' on the same hardwar
installation, in the same way that a language laboratory does not onl
teach French! Once a viable level is attained, this may lead to more native RISC O
units being bought.
Looking at other product ranges, note how it is portability that create
the market.. and ARM processors are already in many of them! Its a sham
that Acorn didn't realise that before Phoebe. A small machine can ALWAY
be put into a larger case, at minimal cost, but not the other way round.
VA sells RISC OS 4, and in turn Select - which could then provide
'viewfinder' like solution using the PC inbuilt graphics ability with th
16M internal design of RISC OS for graphics previously unavailable to us.
Phil Spiegelhalter
I have to agree with a lot of your comments. In the end people mainly buy things to do a job o some sort. If I buy a pen, it's to write with. If I need RISC OS on the move, and I often do, then VRPC-SE on a portable does the job. I have explained my rational behind VitualAcorn in a forthcoming issue.
Now Andrew Pinder with a genuine problem....
Hi Aaron
A few things:
1 Yes, I do read your editorials. How about "If company x do y and launch/upgrade product z then I will seriously consider buying it"?
2 When I load the CD I get the error message "Module X-files is not 32 bit compatible". I'm not sure what I'm missing as a result - the pages all open in Oregano2. Any chance of an upgrade on the next CD?
3 Your hardware v emulation debate: I agree they were two badly thought out rants. I think you should have sent them back for rewriting or at least published the authors' names.
4 In your round up item you raised the issue of plugging an Iyonix into a work network as opposed to installing VRPC. I'm pretty certain that our IT department would sooner plug a standalone machine in to the network. Obviously it would need to conform to network protocols, security issues etc. To get non-standard PC software installed and maintained can be somewhat involved - they have to do impact testing etc. I'm think the idea of expecting them to support a machine with an emulator on top of Windows would give them too many concerns about not understanding it, and potential hardware and software conflicts. You probably know IT managers who are somewhat more flexible but I suspect our lot are not unusual.
Regards
Andrew Pinder
It's nice to know that people do read the editorials, that will stop me recycling an old one and hoping no one notices. The error message from X-Files is a bit more worrying, having had a quick look X-Files doesn't seem to be 32bit safe, which means it won't work on the Iyonix. Having done a quick Internet trawl I can't find a 32bit version either. This leaves me with a problem, I put stuff that gets sent in by authors into X-Files archives for the software section of RISC World, and I have done this for some time. This means that anyone with an Iyonix can't open the archive and get the software. I use X-Files because it's fast and you can run stuff directly from CD. Does anyone have a 32bit safe X-Files I can use, or can anyone suggest a good alternative? And why haven't any of the Iyonix owners told me before? I have removed X-Files and will try not to use it in future.
Both articles were badly thought out, but in the end I decided to keep the names off, both authors were suitably embarrassed after I chewed their ears off. The example of plugging a machine into a network was based on a number of issues, as you quite rightly say any such machine would have to "conform to network protocols, security issues etc", an existing PC already would. I do have quite a lot of experience in selling RISC OS into schools, and in many schools you would regretfully have no chance of getting any real RISC OS machine in the door, let alone plugged into the network. At least from one point of view, a VirtualAcorn is just a bit of software, that's the rationale that many of our school customers use to get the OS they want back into use. The point is that a lot of schools want to use RISC OS, but are forbidden from buying a "real" RISC OS machine, at least with VirtualAcorn they are still using RISC OS, without it they wouldn't.
As for "impact-testing", do they hit it with a hammer? That's what we used to do with impact testing when dealing with plastics.
Well that's all we have this time. If you have any comments do send us an e-mail, especially if you have spotted a mistake as we haven't had any reported recently.
While every care is taken, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors in either this product or documentation for this product, nor for the loss of any data or consequential effects from the use of this package.
About MakeSFX
This is a program I originally wrote for my own use. It will create a self-extracting archive from any (reasonable) number of files and/or directories. The output from the program is an archive in the form of an 'Absolute' file (type &FF8) which can be Run by simply double-clicking on it. The idea is to allow groups of files, directories, applications. etc. to be grouped into a self extracting archive which can be sent by email etc. and de-archived without the need for any other programs.
This version does not use any compression. This is because it was originally intended to be used to distribute files already compressed. However, as it's a single file it can easily be compressed with !Squash (which you can't really do with multiple files) and everyone has !Squash so they can decompress it before Running it. Alternatively you could compress the files first with !Squash, !SparkFS or !ArcFS and then put the squashed files in the archive.
It is ideal for web sites and others to distribute programs like the read only version of ArcFS, SparkPlug or other de-archiving programs so that users can de-arc the other programs they download. After all, how do you distribute the de-arc'ing tools without putting them in some sort of archive?
Note that both !MakeSFX and the archives it creates are 32 bit neutral.
Creating an SFX
Double-click on !MakeSFX to run it and then click SELECT on the icon. A window will open and you can drag either a file or a directory to this window.
If you drag a directory then the CONTENTS of that directory (and all its sub-directories) will be included in the archive
If you drag a file then the contents of THE DIRECTORY THAT FILE IS IN and all it's sub directories will be placed in the archive
If you drag a directory with the shift key held down then it is the same as if you had dragged a file, ie. the contents of the directory that THAT DIRECTORY IS IN and all the sub-directories will be placed in the archive
If you drag an application directory, that is, a directory beginning with '!', then the application will be placed in the archive
So, the easiest way to make an archive is put everything you want to include into a directory and then drag that directory to the window. The archive will be created and a 'SaveAs' window will open for you to save the archive, which will be an 'Absolute Code' file. That's all there is to it.
De-archiving
Double-click on the archive application and a small window will open with a single Data icon in the middle. Drag that to wherever you want the files to go. They will be re-assembled with sub-directories, correct filetypes, etc. exactly as the original.
De-archiving Problems
There are two possible problems. Firstly the whole archive has to be held in RAM when de-archiving. This can cause difficulties because not only must you obviously have enough RAM to hold the whole archive (not likely to be a problem), but if the archive is bigger than the 'Next' slot set set in the 'Tasks' window the program will just give a 'No writable memory at this address' error. You would think RISC OS would be bright enough to know that it needs to assign a big enough WimpSlot to actually load the program, but apparently it isn't. Now if this was a 'proper' application I could check or adjust the slot size, but I can't do anything because the error happens as the Wimp tries to load the program so there's nothing I can do. I can't even issue a message to tell the user what's happening, and I can't include any sort of !help or instructions file (although there are brief instructions at the start of the file that can be read if the user loads it into a text editor) because the whole point is to have everything in a single file.
So, if you intend to distribute a large(ish) archive you should warn the user that they must open the 'Tasks' window and make sure that the 'Next' allocation is at least as large as the size of the file.
The second problem is that the filetype might get lost or altered in transit. Again, there's nothing I can do about it, you will just have to tell users to set the filetype to &FF8 and then double-click on it.
Archiving problems
At present you need enough RAM to hold all the files at once. This could be altered but I haven't bothered because as the de-archiver needs to have enough RAM to hold the entire archive it shouldn't be a problem for the person creating the archive.
Copy the !MenuBar application from the supplied floppy disc to any directory on your hard disc, and run the program by double-clicking on the !MenuBar icon.
This version
This version is restricted to five Bars, and each Bar is limited to eight Menus containing up to twelve Objects. It is complete in all other respects.
When you run MenuBar the initial Bar appears at the top of the screen with a button and five (empty) Menus. The button is instead of the usual icon bar icon.
It is recommended that you include in your Boot sequence an instruction to Run !MenuBar so that the program is launched automatically each time you switch on the computer. If you are unsure how to do this please refer to the RISC OS User Guide.
Building a Menu Bar
Suppose you want to use the first Menu to hold some favourite applications. To give the Menu a more meaningful name click the middle mouse button while the pointer is over the title bar of 'Menu 1'. Now slide off 'Menu 1 - Rename' and replace the current name with 'Applications'. The new name remains in white to indicate that the Menu is still empty.
To add some applications to the Menu simply drag them from a Filer window, singly or as a selection. (If you try to add more than the maximum permitted, a buzz sounds.) The Menu name changes to black and the Menu may be opened by simply dragging the 'handle' or double-clicking on it with Select. As with the Filer, the items may be double-clicked to execute them or dragged to any relevant place on the desktop.
Continue to build the other Menus in the same way and when you are satisfied save the data by the following short-cut. If the button to the left of the Menus is not already coloured cream then click Select on it to give MenuBar the 'input focus'. Then press F3 to save the data. Next time you run MenuBar the data will automatically be loaded.
The objects in a Menu (ie. directories, applications or files) may be treated in a variety of ways and these are detailed in Section 6. Similarly, the actions which may be performed on the Menus are accounted for in Section 7. Additional Bars may be created and added to the Library as described in Section 10. First, however, MenuBar's own menus are described.
MenuBar menus
MenuBar has two menus - the main menu and the button menu.
Click the MENU button anywhere on a Menu to display the main menu. There are three menu items, one for the current Bar, one for the current Menu, and one for the current Object. The text of the second two depends on the pointer position when you click the menu button. If the pointer is not over an Object the third item is greyed out.
Click MENU on the button icon to display the button menu. Below the dotted line are the usual Info and Quit, and above are five items - 'Library', 'Sprites', ''SysVars', Choices' and 'Shortcuts'.
The submenu functions are described in the sections that follow. If changes have been made an asterisk appears in the title of both menus, and if you attempt to quit with unsaved data a warning is issued.
Objects (directories, applications or files)
Add objects
To add objects (directories, applications or files) to a Menu, drag them from a Filer window, either individually or as a selection. If you attempt to exceed the maximum number of objects per menu a warning buzz sounds. The same object may be added to more than one Menu, though it is naturally not possible to have the same object twice in the same Menu. Dropping an object on the Menu's handle sends it to the top, otherwise the new object is positioned immediately below the one on which it is dropped.
Select objects
As with the Filer, clicking SELECT on an object selects it and clicking ADJUST allows additional objects to be selected/deselected. Alternatively, use drag with SELECT or ADJUST on the background (left edge of object name) to select/deselect a group of objects. All the objects in a Menu may be selected and cleared in one go from the menu by choosing 'Menu - Alter' followed by 'Select' or 'Clear'. Providing MenuBar has the input focus the same result can be achieved (for the most-recently active Menu) by Shift+S or Shift+Z.
Making selections is useful if you want to execute several objects at once. For example, you might select all the objects in your DTP Menu in order to run them all with a single drag to the icon bar. Or you might want to remove several objects from a Menu.
Remove objects
To remove an object (or a selection) click menu on it and choose 'Remove' from the object menu. This does not, of course, delete the object from your disc.
Move objects
To reposition an object (or a selection) within a Menu drag the source object and drop it on the destination object. Moved object(s) are inserted below the object at pointer position and any intermediate objects are shunted up or down to make space.
Drag objects
A single object or a selection of objects may be dragged:
- to a Filer window (objects are copied
- to a compatible Application (window or icon bar icon
- to the Pinboard (objects are pinned
- to the Icon Bar (objects are executed
Dragging with SHIFT held down removes the object from the Menu after the drag is completed (but never deletes the source). Dragging with ADJUST closes the Menu when the operation is complete.
Execute objects by double-clicking
Double-clicking Select on an object opens directories and runs files or applications, as with the Filer. To open an application directory, hold down shift and double-click Select. Double-clicking with Adjust closes the Menu afterwards.
Object information
To find out more about an object click the menu button on it and slide off the object name. You can then slide off 'Pathname' or 'Info'.
Count objects
To find the size of an object click the menu button on it and slide off the object name then click on 'Count'. This only applies to single objects, not selections (since they may belong to different directories).
Find objects
Slide off 'Bar - Find' followed by 'Leaf' or 'Path' and enter the search string. Press Return and a search will be made of all the Menus for any objects containing the search string. Depending on the menu choice the search will include the whole pathname or be confined to the leafname. The search ignores case. Any matching objects are highlighted and their Menus fully opened. At the end of the search a beep sounds if the string is found or a buzz if not.
If, having placed an object in a Menu, you subsequently move, delete or rename that object, then MenuBar will be unable to locate it. In this case the drag icon will be replaced by a red cross. If you subsequently re-launch MenuBar then the file icon will also be replaced by a red cross. Executing such an object produces a warning buzz.
Object not found
If, having placed an object in a Menu, you subsequently move, delete or rename that object, then MenuBar will be unable to locate it. In this case the drag icon will be replaced by a red cross. If you subsequently re-launch MenuBar then the file icon will also be replaced by a red cross. Executing such an object produces a warning buzz.
Disc not found
In the unlikely event of a disc not being found, perhaps because you have included an object which resides on an absent floppy disc, or renamed your hard disc and not stripped the HD4 name from the data file, then the Filer will issue a 'Please insert disc...' message. Respond by either inserting the disc or pressing 'Cancel'. In the latter case MenuBar will offer you the option of re-loading the previous Bar or quitting. This is to prevent a situation where the Filer could issue a 'Disc not found...' message for every single object on the Bar.
Open Filer Window
To open the Filer window of the directory containing a Menu object, click the menu button on it and slide off the object name. Then choose 'Open Parent'.
Launch Applications and load data file simultaneously
When you double-click on a file, MenuBar broadcasts a message to all active tasks to see whether any of them wishes to load it. For example, double-clicking on a Sprite file will probably load it into Paint. If Paint is not active, then it will be installed before the data is loaded. Sometimes, however, you may want to load the file into a different Application, for example, into Ovation.
You can achieve this with MenuBar by holding down Alt and dragging a suitable file to an Application on a Menu. The file may be dragged from another Menu or from a Filer window.
Note that this feature depends on MenuBar being able to identify the task name (as displayed in the task window) from the application's filename. Normally these are the same, but if not (for example a taskname has a space in it or is longer than 10 characters) then Alt-dragging will not work as intended. To overcome this, each time MenuBar is launched it looks in its application directory for a file called AppNames and builds a name translation table. By editing this textfile you can add items to the names translation table, up to a maximum of 30 names. The format is
<filename>:<taskname><LF>.
Note also that before the Risc PC (RO 3.5), the name in the task manager had a maximum of 19 characters, eg Publisher would be 'Impression Publishe', but from the Risc PC onwards the name can be longer (ie 'Impression Publisher'). This AppNames file is currently set up for use on a Risc PC.
Menus
Add Menus
Choose 'Bar - Add Menu' and an empty menu will be added at the right of the Menu Bar. The Bar is re-centred. If you have already added the maximum number of Menus, this option is greyed out.
Scroll Menus
If the screen is too small for all the Menus to fit then the whole Bar can be scrolled by holding down Ctrl and moving the pointer to the extreme left or right of the Bar. Alternatively, you can use the left or right cursor keys if MenuBar has the input focus.
Open/Close/Front/Back Menus
Menus may be opened, closed, moved to the front or moved to the back in a variety of ways. The operation may be applied to the whole Menu Bar or just a single Menu.
Whole Bar: The simplest method is to click on the button with Select+Shift to open the Bar and Select+Adjust to close it. Select+Ctrl brings the Bar to the front and Adjust+Ctrl sends it to the back. Alternatively, from the menu choose 'Menu - Alter' followed by 'Open', 'Close', 'Front' or 'Back'. If MenuBar has the input focus the same results can be achieved by Ctrl+O, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+F, or Ctrl+B. The first method is probably the best since it is not necessary for MenuBar to have the input focus. A quick way to send the Bar to the back if it is obscuring a window's title bar is to click menu with the pointer at the very top of the screen.
Single menu: A single Menu may be opened by double-clicking Select on its handle, or closed by double-clicking Adjust. Or you can simply drag the handle. In case the handle is obscured, you can also drag the Menu by placing the pointer close to its right-hand edge. Clicking Select on a Menu's handle (or on its extreme right edge) brings it to the front. Alternatively, from the menu choose 'Bar - Alter' followed by 'Open', or 'Close'. If MenuBar has the input focus the same results can be achieved by Shift+O, or Shift+C.
Name Menus
Each Menu can be given a more meaningful name. Click the menu button on the appropriate Menu and slide off the Menu name. Then slide off the 'Rename' item on the submenu to reveal a writable icon where you can edit the existing name, using up to twelve characters.
Remove Menus
Choose 'Remove Menu' from the appropriate menu and the Menu will be removed from the Bar. Any gaps are closed and the Menu Bar is re-centred. After saving, only those Menus which remain will be loaded on the next occasion. It is not possible to remove the last Menu.
Move Menus
To reposition a Menu on the Bar, hold down Alt and drag the source Menu handle, dropping the drag icon on the destination Menu. Any intermediate Menus are shunted along to make space. In case the handle is obscured, you can also drag the Menu by doing an Alt-drag starting with the pointer close to the its right-hand edge.
Save Menus
Choose 'Bar - Save', and a data file and text file are saved in sub-directories within the 'User' directory. The text file is a readable listing of the pathnames of all the objects in each Menu - very useful if you ever need to re-create your Menus.
Sort Menus
You can sort objects by name or by type, for all Menus or just one, by clicking the menu button and making the appropriate choice. As with the Filer, sorting by name is alphabetical and sorting by type is in the order directories-applications-files. You can set an option in 'Choices' to sort automatically when an object is added. Alternatively, you can arrange the objects in any order you choose by dragging (see 'Move object').
Sprites in menus
If your Menus include applications which have not been seen by the Filer, the generic Application sprite will be shown. This does not affect the operation of MenuBar, but it is more attractive to display the applications' own icons. There are several ways of doing this.
For a single object double-clicking or clicking-and-holding (ie starting a drag) performs a Filer_Boot on the application to display the correct sprite.
For a whole Menu, the same result may be obtained by choosing 'Menu - FilerBoot', and for the whole Bar by choosing 'Bar - FilerBoot'. Note that the FilerBoot operation, which can be quite lengthy, may be aborted by pressing Escape.
However, the best method is to save the required sprites by choosing 'Sprites - Save' from the button menu. Before you do this you must first perform a FilerBoot on the whole Bar (indeed every Bar if you have more than one - see the section on Library). This places the required sprites in the Wimp Pool. 'Sprites - Save' does a selective save, keeping only the required sprites and discarding the large version when a small one exists. It thus keeps the extra storage requirements to a minimum.
When MenuBar is next launched, the Sprites file (which is located in the User directory) is merged into the Wimp Pool so the correct sprites are shown in the Menus. This is very fast provided the Wimp Pool is not already fairly full, which is a good reason for launching MenuBar in your Boot sequence. You can force the Sprites file to load at any time by choosing 'Sprites - Load' but this will not normally be necessary.
Once you have created the Sprites file all you need do when you add other applications which show a generic icon sprite is to click and hold to get the correct sprite then do a 'Sprites - Save'.
Other features
System Variables
System variables are used to store various pieces of information which affect the way the computer works. For example, a system variable can tell the computer which application should load a particular type of file; another contains details of the date format. A set of default system variables is present when the computer is first turned on, but the list is added to by many applications, typically when their !Boot file is run.
Double-clicking a file which does not have an appropriate system variable set results in the common error message 'An application that loads a file of this type has not been seen by the Filer...'.
MenuBar provides a way of saving and re-loading all current system variables. Before saving the system variables for the first time you should perform a FilerBoot on the whole Bar (every Bar if you have more than one) to set the required system variables. Then choose 'SysVars - Save' from the button menu. This saves an Obey file 'SysVars' in the User directory and when MenuBar is next launched this file is automatically run, thus overcoming problems such as the one mentioned above.
You must be a careful with System variables. For example, if your SysVars file included a variable such as:
OvationPro$ResourceDir
which at the time of saving had a value of:
'..$.OvPro2-36.!OvPro.!OvResDir'
and you subsequently upgrade Ovation Pro, placing the files in a new directory called:
'..$.OvPro2-46.!OvPro.!OvResDir'
then the OLD directory will still be searched for the files. For this reason, you can inspect MenuBar's SysVar file by choosing 'Show' from the menu, and you can also disable the automatic running of the SysVars file by setting an option in the Choices window (see Section 10).
To update the SysVars file you can either re-save it from the menu, or (if you know what you are doing) amend it by hand. The file may be re-loaded from the menu.
Choices
'Choices' is available from the button menu and leads to a window in which you can choose colours and other options.
To change the colours first select the colour you want by clicking on the palette. The currently-selected colour is shown below the palette. Then click on the appropriate place in the small replica of MenuBar below the palette. You can set the background/foreground of the Menu and its handle, and (separately) the foreground colour of an empty menu. Note that each Bar can have its own colours.
Automatic sorting, either by name or by type may be set and causes the menu items to be sorted each time an object is added.
You may set MenuBar's drag sprite to be either solid or dithered.
You can choose whether or not the saved Sprites and SysVars should be actioned when MenuBar is run. Changing either of these options only applies the next time MenuBar is run. If the files have already been actioned, and you wish to prevent them from being run next time, you will need to re-boot to clear the current state.
Click 'Set' to activate any changes with immediate effect or 'Save' to save the settings in a Choices file for future use. 'Cancel' closes the window leaving the previous settings intact. Clicking on Choices from the top level menu opens the window and closes the menu so that the dialogue box remains in place until you explicitly close it by clicking on one of the action buttons.
Library
Up to 30 separate Bars may be created and saved in a Library for loading as required. The Library is controlled from the button menu. Sliding off 'Library' opens a sub menu listing all the available Bars, with the active one shown in red. Below this, in grey, is a count of the number of actual and maximum Bars. This is followed by the remaining two entries - 'Open Lib.' and 'Create'.
To create a Bar slide off 'Create', enter a name for the new Bar, and click Select. A new Bar will appear with five empty Menus, and you build the new Menu Bar as described in Section 4.
By sliding off the name of any Bar you open a sub-menu with five items:
'Load' replaces the active Bar with the new one. A warning is issued if the active Bar contains unsaved data. A quick way to load a Bar is to click on its name in the menu.
'Default' establishes the active Bar as the default, so that it is loaded when MenuBar is launched. The default Bar is ticked. Choosing the default name again de-selects it. If no default Bar is selected then a NewBar is offered on start-up.
'Delete' prompts for confirmation then deletes the Bar from the disc. Note that if you delete the current Bar, it remains 'active' in memory (and can be re-saved) until it is replaced by another Bar.
'Rename' changes the Bar name.
'Copy as' copies a Bar under a new name for further editing, which may be quicker than creating a new Bar.
Finally, you can open the User directory by clicking on 'Open Lib.' where you will see the data and text files stored in separate sub-directories. A text file 'Default' records the name of the default Bar, if any. If you need to force MenuBar to re-read the library data you can achieve this by clicking on 'Library' in the menu.
Once you have established a number of bars you can quickly change between them by clicking with Adjust on the button. This brings up a simplified 'Bars' menu from which you may choose a new bar.
Passwords
With schools in mind, it is possible to protect each Bar with a password. The idea is that the teacher retains control of a separate Password application, secretly entering each child's chosen password, after which it is not possible to open the Bar without typing in the correct password.
In the 'Utils' directory is an application called '!Password'. Running this installs its icon on the icon bar and opens its window. Just drag the '....User.Data' directory on to the application and all the Bar names are displayed. You can now enter a password for each Bar and click the option button to make it active. Clicking on 'Save' encrypts the data files with the password. Passwords can be changed or rendered inactive by the same process.
Now, when you try to load a protected Bar a window pops up prompting for the password. If an incorrect password is entered a buzz sounds, and the user is forced to click on 'Cancel'. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.
Data conversion
In the 'Utils' directory is an application called '!Convert', which changes MenuBar text files to data files, and vice-versa. You will not normally need to use this but it could be invaluable if by some mischance a data file is lost or corrupted. Providing you still have the corresponding text file you can re-create the data file.
Running the program installs its icon on the icon bar and opens its window. Locate the source file in the 'User' directory and drag it onto the application. The message shows 'Text-to-Data' or 'Data-to-Text' as appropriate, and the save icon becomes type Data or type Text. Drag the save icon to the appropriate sub-directory in the 'User' directory, click on 'Library', and it will appear on the Library menu.
Miscellaneous
Note that copying is interactive if this is configured (use the RISC OS !Configure), and that the options (Confirm etc.) will be according to your settings. Also note that solid sprite dragging applies if your CMOS is appropriately configured (ie. bit 1 of byte 28 is set); otherwise 'rotating boxes' apply. A separate utility 'SolidDrag' is included in the 'Utils' directory to simplify the setting/unsetting of solid sprite dragging.
A summary of the shortcuts may be obtained by choosing 'Help...' from the button menu.
You are prevented from inadvertently running more than one copy of MenuBar at the same time.
MenuBar's own error/message window may be dragged with Select or Adjust when the pointer is on the body of the window.
There is a Public Domain program called !LongFiles by Jason Tribbeck which allows filenames of up to 55 characters to be created. MenuBar is compatible with this utility, though naturally the filenames are truncated to fit into the Menus.
Clicking Adjust on the button loses the input focus. This is useful to allow other tasks to process 'hot keys'.
APDL
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/ONLINE/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, RISC OS News Portals
RISC OS News Portals
Dave Bradforth offers a detailed roundup of the current web scene
When I first became interested in Acorn computers, as they were at the time, there were three magazines available on the shelves of WH Smiths with which I could gaze in amazement at the latest developments. The three magazines were, of course, Acorn User, Acorn Computing/The Micro User and Archimedes World.
As time moved on, sadly so did some of the magazines; but with the rapid introduction and growth of the internet the concept of the online magazine was born. Then rapidly developed into interactive magazines providing for feedback in ways it had never before been thought possible. With news developments taking place at a rapid pace, suddenly the buying public had the opportunity to feedback their opinions straight to developers.
It's provided for an interesting time over the last few years, for both developers within the RISC OS market and users alike. As such, we've brought together over the course of this article a detailed analysis of a number of current online magazines for RISC OS users. We're using this as a single classification; although it's probably not doing many of them justice. For this we hope you'll forgive us.
This article has been structured into a number of mini reviews, at the end of which I have provided an opinion on our own personal favourite. We recommend that all RISCWorld readers take the time to look at each and make their own decisions; anybody taking the time out to run one of these sites deserves your support particularly in a market as small as ours.
Drobe
Drobe
For those of you who are more than a little familiar with the Internet, and are still avid users of RISC OS,
At the heart of the site is its news section; featuring easily the most regularly updated source of news and opinions on current news and events. The news items, often sources from comp.sys.acorn.announce, when not fed directly to the editorial team, cover everything from new software to reviews of current hardware. At the time of writing, the A6 from STD has been reviewed. The reviews on offer are written from the point of view of a user, with a keen enthusiasm for the product being reviewed - I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style of Martin Hansen, and his keenness to pass on experiences was only to be commended.
Features have a similar enthusiasm behind them; ranging from light-hearted April fools to detailed technical features taking apart the most confusing aspects of a programming language.
Towards the left hand side of the opening window, we have the hub of drobe.co.uk. A group of perhaps twenty links, each giving access to a specific feature of the site or a customised link into another site. Highlights include a link to eBay Auctions, specifically searching for RISC OS related items and/or memorabilia and another link through which you can download JPEGS of twenty year old Acorn User magazines.
The style of drobe is minimalist; with graphics used only where necessary but this does make loading somewhat faster than a more graphic-rich site; and if the truth be told drobe is very attractive in its presentation. There are features of the site which will not work in all browsers, such as the java chat provided through the site, but regardless of this there is definitely something here for everybody.
Iconbar
Iconbar
The
The original aim of having regular columns or resources devoted to a number of different subjects (as indicated through the links at the top of the page) seems to have suffered due to a lack of contributions, but I don't doubt that with suitable contributions being offered the team at Iconbar would certainly put the effort in.
As far as news goes, the most prolific contributor to this site is Phil Mellor. With a chatty, yet informative, writing style his contributions are straight to the point and prove to often be an interesting read in the process. Articles often include small graphics, with links to larger graphics were required and the loading speed for the site as a whole is generally very good.
Two of the strongest assets of The Iconbar rest in its links at the top of the page. Free Ads and Forum.
The Free Ads feature allows RISC OS users to offer for sale, or want ads, for any RISC OS products; with a particular emphasis that commercial bodies are not to use the free ads to sell directly to Iconbar readers. The presentation and method of entering adverts may feel familiar to long-term Acorn User readers; mainly because the same feature used to be available through the Acorn User website when Richard Goodwin was the site editor.
So far as Forums go, The Iconbars is the best for RISC OS. Once you've registered, and logged in, to create a new topic it's as easy as clicking a button; to reply it's as easy as clicking a button and so on. Everything appears in a logical layout on the page, and if you wish to jump to opinions from a particular contributor all you need do is click on their name.
As a whole, The Iconbar does suffer from occasional long periods without updates; but when it is updated the news is spot on and a helpful compliment to the Forums. If you're looking to chat to like-minded RISC OS users, it's worth visiting the forum of this site just to do so.
Acorn Evolution
Acorn Evolution
Announced at the start of this year
The front page of Acorn Evolution features no graphics beyond the logo for the site itself; something which may prove to be something of a mistake in terms of its ability to catch the casual browser intrigued with RISC OS. In terms of content, however, each link offered on the site continues to a piece which enthuses about RISC OS and passes on the relevant information about a news release for instance.
A forum is on offer, much the same as Virtual Acorn's forum, through which readers can chat and share news but again the style can leave a little to be desired.
When all's said and done, it's a new site, with regular updates written by an author who enthuses about RISC OS at every opportunity. With help from other contributors, Acorn Evolution should evolve into a must-see site. For the moment, keep an eye on it!
Conclusions
Out of Drobe, Iconbar and Acorn Evolution, there is a clear winner. While the style of Drobe may not appeal to all, few can deny that the presentation and regularity of update make it a must-visit location for all users of RISC OS computers. Items do have a habit of appearing here before comp.sys.acorn.announce, and they usually have a healthy dose of comment added along the way too.
Dave Bradforth
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/PD/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, PD World
PD World
Paul Brett with the latest freeware and PD releases for RISC OS.
BogoFilter - Stefan Bellon
I featured BogoFilter in the last issue, but it has been updated and it's well worth putting in the software directory again. Stefan's read me file explains all about the new changes and you will need to read this. The main changes are that the format of the wordlist has changed and some configuration options have been removed, the options removed are:
>additional wordlists (e.g. ignore
separate wordlist mod
ignore cas
tokenization of HTML tag
tokenization of HTML scrip
choice of algorithm
If you used any of those features previously then you have to change your configuration.
BogoFilter
FewerGif - Gavin Wraith
Now an usual item, a Techwriter extension. If you convert a TechWriter document to a webpage the mathematical text gets converted to GIF files. Unfortunately the conversion process does not test to see whether a new GIF file is actually needed, so you may end up with thousands of identical GIF files, one for each instance of a piece of mathematical text. This application can be used to prune the redundant GIF files corresponding to inline mathematical text. It corrects the IMG tag references so that the resulting webpage looks identical to the original. To use FewerGif simply load it so that its icon appear on the icon bar and drag the HTML file generated by TechWriter to the FewerGif icon.
FewerGif requires a copy of !RiscLua and I have included this in the archive with FewerGif.
MiscSetup - Paul Vigay
MiscSetup is intended for the Iyonix, although some features can be used on earlier machines if you follow the instructions supplied. MiscSetup is designed to allow a user easy access to some of the "hidden" RISC OS configuration options, these include:
Setting the default desktop font size
Setting the default NextSlo
Setting LMTransport configuratio
Replacing the Iyonix switcher icon with the old Acorn one.
MiscSetup
Money2 - Chris Wragg
Money2 keeps a record of up to ten individual accounts which may include normal bank accounts, credit card accounts, and savings accounts. It provides a facility to budget under up to twenty different headings, and keeps track of bankers orders at monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual payments. Data files are located within the software directory, and allow up to 1200* records per file which should enable a full year of financial records to be kept together before starting a new file. In short, it provides a one-stop program for managing household accounts, keeping track of both savings and expenditure.
Money2
NewsRoom - Paul Vigay
NewsRoom simulates the workings of a news room, receiving snippets of information, from various sources and displaying it as it arrives. Simply double-click on the !NewsRoom application to load the program into the computer and install an icon on the icon bar. Clicking SELECT on the icon bar icon will open the main simulation window and display the program title and information. In order to use the application you need to load a news story database, a sample news story database called June is supplied.
Load a news story database into !NewsRoom simply by dragging the whole directory onto either !NewsRoom's icon bar icon or onto it's open window. Once a new database is loaded, assuming it's a valid !NewsRoom database, the main simulation window will open and the name of the loaded database will be displayed. Once the simulation is running, each news story will be displayed in the main window as it arrives.
NewsRoom
TapirMail - David Llewellyn-Jones
TapirMail is a new POP3 email client for RISC OS computers. It is ideally suited for people who want to check their mail on the move, or on multiple machines. RISC OS already has a number of truly excellent email clients, such as Messenger Pro and Pluto. TapirMail is not intended to replace either of these programs, but instead has been designed to complement them. TapirMail has the following features:
Built in POP3 and SMTP protocol support for receiving and sending emails
Saves no files to disc, ensuring safe use on any machine
Multiple email account settings
Allows the encryption of account details using Blowfish
Indent colouring to improve email readability
Downloads only those emails requested; ideal for slower connections
Small program size can easily be fitted on a floppy disc
Ideal for use with a USB pen driv
TapirMail
ViewXLS - Anton Reiser
!ViewXLS is a viewer for native MS-Excel-Files under RISC-OS. It has been tested with a RISC OS 3.7 RiscPC, a RISC OS 4 StrongArm machine, a Kinetic/RO4.03 and an Iyonix and is linked with StubsG, so it should work with 26 bit and 32 bit SharedCLibraries. !ViewXLS only shows the results of cell-content, this means that it does not show formulas, objects (graphs etc), outlines, macros or pivot-tables. !ViewXLS should work with the newest native Excel-File-Formats and has ben tested with Excel 4.0, Excel 5.0, Excel 95, Excel97, Excel 2000 and Excel XP Files.
To load an Excel file make sure it is correctly filetyped (&BA6) and then either double click on it or drop it on the !ViewXLS icon on the icon bar. Choose Excel-Sheet from the menu to display an other sheets from the workbook (if there are any).
ViewXLS
Signing off
There are some very interesting applications in development at the moment, hopefully I will be able to reveal more next time.
Paul Brett
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/SOUTHWEST/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, RISC OS SouthWest 2004
RISC OS SouthWest 2004
All the details on the next RISC OS show.
The RISC OS South West show will be going ahead on Saturday the 28th of February 2004 at the Webbington Hotel, Loxton, nr Ashbridge in picturesque North Somerset. After the cancellation of the Birmingham show late last year this will be the first time for a year that those along the M5 corridor have had a show. Of course its also the main show for those who live in the west country.
The Webbington Hotel
Finding the Webbington
For those coming by train there will be a free minibus service from Western-Super-Mare station, for those coming by road consult the following map.
Times and exhibitors
The show opens at 10:00 in the morning and closes at 4:30, the admittance charge is a mere £3.00 for adults, £2 for Arm Club and RISC OS Foundation members, as usual under 16's can get in for free. The list of current exhibitors includes APDL, Archive Publications, the Association of Acorn User Groups, Castle Technology, CJE Micros, David Snell, Electronic Font Foundry, Finnybank, Fortran Friends, Peter Naulls, Photodesk Ltd, R-Comp, Ray Favre, RISC OS Ltd, StrongArm Systems, the Arm Club and VirtualAcorn. The theatre program is fully booked with talks being given by Castle Technlogy, RISCOS Ltd and Finnybank (the new owners of Acorn User).
This years show is sponsored by Bristol Acorn RISC User Group and Wessex ARM User Group.
RISC World
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/TECH/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, Tech Support
Tech Support
Aaron with some amusing (but not for him) tech support stories
I have been meaning to write a little article on technical support for some time. The reason I have decided to write one now is that it's Monday afternoon, and already today I have had the full spectrum of tech support requests by phone and e-mail. Firstly I need to point out that the vast majority of technical support requests are genuine queries from customers who have a problem, have read the manual, and cannot find the solution for their difficulty. From the point of view of this article I am not interested in these users, instead I am interested in users that, although normally highly intelligent member of the RISC OS community, are having a "blond day". I should point out that this article is intended to be humorous. As an additional note I should also like to point out that one of the few things that get me through the day is the thought that humans are genetically 50% banana, however sometimes this figure can reach as high as 98%. So lets take a good long look at those who at some point in the day are 98% banana.
Spotting a banana
The important things for any front line tech support person to do is to spot a banana as quickly as possible. Sometimes it may not be immediately apparent, however there are a couple of quick giveaways that can help. Firstly is the customer concerned an "expert"? If they don't claim to be an expert, or start the conversation with "I just use computer, but I don't understand....." then you are 99% likely to be banana free. If the customer claims to be an export then the alarm bells should start ringing. At this point you need to ask what version of Windows they are using, if it's Windows 98, then you quite likely have a banana on your hands. Why? Well anyone who is an "expert" would not be using Windows 98, at the very least they would be using Windows 2000, and most likely Windows XP. The old adage is that a little knowledge is dangerous, in the hands of some bananas it's lethal. So what sort of bananas have I encountered today, and how does one deal with them? Read on and find out...
Mr Errrm.
This is the classic basic banana, they have rung up for technical support on the "...ermmm, thingy that you click on when you errrm. You know when you start the errmm, Virtual RISC errm...". Providing technical support in this situation is extremely difficult, mainly because the customer doesn't know what they are asking. I used to try to guess, but have recently discovered that if you continually reply with "Sorry, I don't understand", they either stop going "errrm..er..um..." and explain what the problem is, so you can help them, or are unable to explain it and give up and go away; either is fine.
Mr What
A slightly more advanced form of banana, easily identified because they start each sentence with the word "What?". Now an in-experienced tech support person might fall into the gap of repeating the same phrase louder. This is not necessary. The banana has heard you perfectly well, but after years of use the connections between ear, brain and mouth are fused, so that no matter how loudly you speak they will instantly respond with "What?", rather like Pavlovs dogs, but without the charm, and with more saliva. You can, however, call their bluff, after the "What?" simply don't respond. Most times you will then discover that in actual fact they did hear what you said perfectly well and are quite capable of responding in a fashion that indicates the possibility of intelligence. Mr What has to be handled very carefully as the following genuine exchange from early this morning demonstrates.
You need to read the Manual
"The what?"
The manual
"What's it called again?"
THE MANUAL
This leads us very neatly on to another favourite of mine....
Mr Manual
The following, from the weekend, shows Mr Manual at his best....
"How do I access my USB Zip drive from Acorn?"
Do you mean VirtualAcorn?
"Yes, Acorn."
Right, well you need to make a new HostFS mount that points to the driver letter of the USB zip drive.
"How do I do that."
Yes, that's right, Mr Manual hasn't read the manual. But he's an expert and doesn't have to read the manual, indeed he will often tell you so. "Oh, I never read manuals..." should be a warning sign to anyone who offers technical support. There are a number of ways of dealing with Mr Manual. Firstly you can tell him that his problem is covered in the manual, even if it isn't, and then just continually refer him to the manual after everything he says. Eventually he will go away. This will give the experienced technical support person enough time to emigrate. The other alternative that might work, but is dangerous, is to solve his problem and explain that in future he will need to consult the manual. The inherent danger is that having got you to tell him what the documentation already says, he will come back again and again. Then you will have to find another way of getting rid of him.
I encountered a new variant on Mr Manual last week. This helpful person made a load of suggestions for ways of improving the documentation. I printed out the e-mail and started having a look. I rapidly discovered that all his suggestions were already in the manual. I gave up with his list half way down when he suggested we ought to have a problem solving section.
Mr Jargon
Mr Jargon is one of the most difficult bananas to deal with, and can come in one of two forms, they are both easy to identify. The less common variety says things like "I don't understand all this Jargon...", usually when you have mentioned uncommon terms like CD, Floppy or Network. What this particular Mr Jargon means is that he is not prepared to learn the meaning of any word that has entered the English language since 1900. The best way here is not to back down, and simply say that the the "jargon" you are using is the word for the item in question. If they continue simply point out that "chair" is simply jargon for "something that has a number of legs that is a bit of furniture that you sit on". Eventually this type of Mr jargon will eventually give in, at which point you discover that he does know what most of the words mean once his brain has got up to speed.
The other, more common, type of Mr Jargon, is different. He likes jargon, and uses it at every opportunity, especially if he can just it incorrectly, or in such a way as to cloud his true meaning. He also mixes up words, concepts, confuses companies and products. This afternoon I had a gentlemen asking if "Rcomp" would run on VirtualAcorn. I pointed out that Rcomp was a company. In the end I discovered he meant "Message Pro" (Messenger Pro). This is a godsend to someone manning a technical support line, as you now have the opportunity to pass the buck. I gave him R-Comp's phone number, and then promptly took the dogs out for a walk.
Mr Register
Mr Register is an interesting combination. He combines the inability to read of Mr Manual, with the apparent deafness of Mr What. To explain, in order to activate VirtualRPC-SE a user needs an unlock code. They can e-mail or ring for one. The supplied printed installation guide explains that they need the product ID number shown on screen, and the CD serial number, which is printed on the CD. For the hard of thinking a picture is supplied showing a CD with the position of the serial number marked. This exchange from today shows how Mr Register can make a complete mess of this simple process.
"I would like to register my VirtualAcorn."
I ask for the CD serial number
"45222E..."
No that's the product ID number, I need the CD serial number first
"Oh, right that's 300..."
No that's your RISC OS 4 serial number, I need the CD serial number
"Where's that?"
On the CD.
A user also has to read out a Product ID number from the screen, this can also cause Mr Register some degree of difficulty...
Right, what's to Product ID number?
"It's 198...er...is that an 8 or a B?
I don't know I can't see you monitor from here....
From here it's a slippery downhill slope, until the VirtualRPC-SE is unlocked you can't be sure that he has given you any correct details at all.
Mr Chatty
A particular type of banana, they don't actually want any technical support. They can be easily spotted as they usually explain the problem, then say what they think the solution is. They already know that they are right, and just need you to "confirm" it before they go ahead. Actually what they really want is a chat, which in itself is no bad thing. However if you start talking you then cannot get rid of them. Every time you try to end the conversation they will respond "..oh...well just one more thing." As tenacious as Columbo after William Shatner, Mr Chatty can be very difficult to get rid off. However I have found a solution, all of my machines now have a looping sample of a phone ringing. I simply start this going and turn the speakers on. I then apologise but say I have to take a "call on the other line"; problem solved.
Although Mr Chatty is often a very nice person, and I do feel a bit guilty about including him I feel that I have to, mainly due to the very poor timing of his phone calls. If you are about to either go to the toilet, go to the bank, go to the shops and the phone rings 5 minutes beforehand don't answer it, as it will be Mr Chatty.
Finally we finish of with a recent discovery...
Mr Snap
Mr Snap has only appeared in the last few months. Although perfectly normal in all other respects his first instinct when obtaining a new piece of software on CD is to snap the CD in half. How does he achieve this? Well some products ship in DVD style cases, where to release the CD you press the button in the centre of the CD down, the CD then pops free. In order to make this clear DVD style cases come with a moulding that says somthing like "Press centre button to release." Now as I am sure most people realise the same actually applies to CD cases, and indeed has done so for the last 20 years. Mr Snap, on the other hand, prefers to grab the edges of the CD and pull. The CD doesn't move, so he pulls harder, in extreme case he will actually try to lever the CD out of the case. Now if you have every snapped a CD yourself you will know how much force needs to be applied.
Having applied so much force that the CD has broken Mr Snap will either ring up, apologise, and ask for a new CD, in which case he is then excluded from this list. The real hardcore Mr Snap will ring up and complain. He will become very annoyed when he is told he has to return the old broken CD and will have to wait up to two weeks for a replacement; why two weeks? Well every CD is individually numbered and they are generated in batches. I will have to get a one off CD produced with the same serial number, so all the other numbers still tie up. Usually pointing out that he broke it and if he wanted it so urgently why didn't he take more care will force Mr Snap to withdraw.
Mr Tech-Support
You may think that I have exagerated some of the above for comic effect, regrettably I haven't. These are all genuine examples of tech support queries I have had to deal with in the last few weeks, I offer them up because they are funny (with hindsight) and because its always cheering to know that however dim I am (see last issue's editorial) there is always someone else who can have an even bigger "senior moment".
I should point out that the above represents a small minority of technical support calls/e-mails. However what seems to be a worrying trend is that the proportion of noise to sound is rising. Is it that the common level of intelligence in RISC OS users is slipping, I can't believe so. That leaves me with one conclusion, there is only one banana, he's called Mr Tech-Support, and he's the miserable bugger who answers the phone!
Aaron
P.S. It's Tuesday afternoon and I have just had this conversation...
"I can't read a CD on VirtualAcorn"
Right, what sort of CD is it?
"Sorry?"
What sort of CD is in the CD-ROM drive?
"Oh, do I need a CD in the drive?"
ÿÿÿÿVOLUME4/ISSUE5/TURBO/INDEX.HTM Volume 4, Issue 5, Turbo charge your StrongARM
Turbo charge your StrongARM
Aaron shows you how to get more speed for no money
The StrongARM processor card was one of the most popular upgrades ever offered for the RiscPC. It allowed the somewhat pedestrian machine to go several orders of magnitude faster than it had originally been designed for. Many RISC OS users still think of the StrongARM processor as a recent machine, well it isn't, the earliest cards are now coming up for 8 years old. There are two alternatives to the standard card, one is the Kinetic from Castle Technology, this does offer speed advantages, but is expensive, and to be honest you would be better of putting the money towards a new machine. The other alternative is the Turbo card from APDL, this takes a standard StrongARM and clocks it up to full speed (287Mhz for the top version). Although the APDL card is cheap, mainly because it's supplied on exchange, you can make the same modifications yourself for pennies, and this is what I am going to show you in this article.
How much faster?
One of the big arguments that used to used was that with the slow bus speed (16Mhz) of the RiscPC a faster StrongARM would show little benefit, and to be honest this does seem to make sense. Luckily however it's complete rubbish. If you do tests you will discover that a 287Mhz machine is almost 50% faster than a 202Mhz machine for some tasks. Having used a 287Mhz machine for 5 years going back to a 202Mhz one is absolutely painful. So if you would like a 50% faster RiscPC read on....
Which StrongARM?
Firstly you need to find out which type of processor you have, there are a number of different ones, these can be identified by the revision number used, plus a number of different rated speeds. The main revision versions run from revision J to revision T, this information is printed on the top of the chip. If you are unlucky enough to have a revision J then you are unlikely to be able to clock it above 242Mhz, as these early chips are not really suitable for turbo charging. Revision K chips onwards are generally fine, indeed the StrongARM in my RiscPC is a revision K, was turboed within weeks of purchase in 1997 and has worked 100% ever since. There are two main speeds of StrongARM the earlier 202Mhz cards, which can be clocked up to 287Mhz, and the newer 233Mhz cards which can be clocked to 276Mhz. The later card can only be clocked to a slightly lower speed due to the different frequency crystal used.
You may also find a card rated to 160Mhz, these are usually identified by a sticker over the chip. Remove the sticker to identify the revision number, if it's a K or later then it should still clock all the way up to 287Mhz (Acorn were rather paranoid about the potential top clock speed with the StrongARM as first introduced). Often these cards can be purchased for silly money as people think they have little or no value anymore.
From the beginning
Before starting this modification you should be aware of the following, if you mess it up your processor will be useless and you will have to buy another one, if you aren't sure that you an do the job after having read this article then don't do it. Also note that we are providing this article for information purposes and will not be responsible for any damage that might occur as a result of following these instructions, you undertake this modification entirely at your own risk.
Firstly you need to turn off your RiscPC using the power switch on the front (yes I know it's obvious but I have seen someone pull out a processor card from a machine that was on, and then wonder why it never worked again). Do not remove the power lead from the computer or the socket, but simply switch the socket off at the wall. Before starting prepare the work area, you need an anti-static bag to place the StrongARM on once it has been removed from the machine. Memory upgrades, harddiscs and other components will come in these bags and it's always worth keeping a few bags lying around in case you need to do any work on a machine. You will also need small sharp knife, a disposable scalpel will be fine.
Remove the top cover and you will see the StrongARM card on the back left side of the machine. Earth yourself using an earthing strap, or by touching the top of the power supply (you won't get electrocuted). Now remove the StrongARM card from the machine, it comes out by gently pulling it upwards. If the card doesn't want to come out then investigate why, do not force the card as you may damage it. Once the card has been removed place it on the anti-static bag with the StrongARM chip facing upwards.
Finding the StrongARM
Understanding the modification
The processor speed of a StrongARM card is set using four dip switches. To prevent users selecting the higher speeds Acorn shorted out two of the switches using tracks on the StrongARM board. If these two tracks are cut then the switches will then operate, and a higher clock speed can be selected. So you need to locate the dip switches, and then the tracks that need cutting. You should see the dip switches top left.
Finding the dip switches
If you now turn the card over you will see a series of tracks behind the dip switches, two of these need to be cut.
The two tracks
You need to be careful when you cut these tracks. Luckily they are on the top surface of the card and so by carefully using the point of the scalpel you can gradually cut through the tracks. If you are experienced at this sort of modification you can use a small drill, or a cutting tool attached to a Dremmel type machine. What ever method you use (and although a scalpel is much slower there is far less risk of damage) take care to only cut the two tracks that are marked in the diagram above. Once the tracks are cut put the card back in the RiscPC (don't alter the dip switches at this point) and check that the machine still powers up normally.
If it doesn't then turn it back off and re-check to make sure you haven't damaged some other part of the card, and that you have plugged the card back in properly, the StrongARM chip itself face the front of the machine. Also try the card in both sockets as I have seen a couple of machines that would only work if the StrongARM was in a particular socket. If the machine still fails to power up then you may have damaged the card, provided you have been careful this is very unlikely to happen. If the card is damaged, and they are very static sensitive, you will need to buy a new card as it is not economic to fix them.
Cooling
Assuming the machine has booted up and is working fine you can consider extra cooling. This is slightly controversial as I know of quite a few overclocked machines that have been running for years with no extra cooling. We will look at adding extra cooling in the next issue, if you are worried about this then simply continue to use the StrongARM with the dip switches in their current position, and the machine will behave the same as it did before, until we have covered adding cooling next time. The only time a StrongARM is likely to overheat is when it is placed next to an uncooled PC card in a RiscPC case. even if it does start to overheat you will have plenty of warning as the machine becomes unstable so you can switch off and clock the processor back down slightly. The later the revision the more likely a StrongARM is to run at the full 287/276 Mhz.
Setting the links
With the computer turned off you can now alter the dip switches to set the StrongARM speed. The full range of speeds and dip switch settings are shown below, the switch settings are shown as u for up, and D for down.
uuuu 88.3Mh
uuuD 95.6Mh
uuDu 99.4Mh
uuDD 106.7Mh
uDuu 143.5Mh
uDuD 150.9Mh
uDDu 161.9Mh
uDDD 169.3Mh
Duuu 191.3Mh
DuuD 202.4Mh
DuDu 213.4Mh
DuDD 228.1Mh
DDuu 242.8Mh
DDuD 257.6Mh
DDDu 276.0Mh
DDDD 287.0Mh
As you can see the slowest speed is with all the dip switches set to the up position, nd the fastest is with the dip switches set to the down position. A normal 202Mhz StrongARM card will be set to DuuD. Take a note of whatever your current setting is and increase the cards speed up to the next one. Now Turn the computer back on and use it for 15 minutes. If the machine becomes unstable and starts reporting silly errors turn it off, left the StrongARM cool down and then clock it down to the next lowest speed. If the machine behaves correctly then then he machine off, set the card to the next highest speed, and try again. Using this method you can find the highest speed the card will run at without any cooling.
If altering the dip switches does not make the machine any faster then you have not properly cut the two tracks.
Speed testing
If you want to test the speed of our new processor then we have included two utilities to test performance. CPUSpeed will tell you how fast your StrongARM is running, and BogoMips will give you some indication of performance. You might find it interesting to try running the BogoMips test using the original processor speed and the with the new speed, you may be surprised at the difference!
Conclusion
If you are brave then you can make this modification for no money, although come next issue you might have to spend a few pennies on some cooling equipment. Having used a turbo StrongARM you won't be able to go back to a standard one. Next issue we will fit cooling to ensure that the card will never overheat.
The Wakefield show is going ahead, RISCWorld has the details
The Wakefield RISCOS Computer Club have decided to go ahead with the Wakefield 2004 show. At one point the future of the show was in some doubt, but it's good news as the show will once again be on, and will be in its usual venue of Thornes Park athletics stadium. Last year the show was for one day only, which meant that some people couldn't attend, however this year it will be back to running over 2 days on the 15th and 16th of May. On both days the show will open at 10am. On Saturday it closes at 6pm, and on Sunday at 4pm.
This years show has been sponsored by APDL, Stuart Tyrell Developments, Castle Technology, Finnybank, Richard Hallas, MW Software, Spellings Computer Services and VirtualAcorn. A free minibus service will operate from Wakefield Westgate station to the show.
Tickets
Due to popular demand the Advance tickets facility will be returning for the show. Advance tickets will be available from March 2004.
Ticket prices
5's and under Free
Advance tickets 6 pound
On the day rates
Saturday £7.0
Sunday £6.00
To request your advance tickets by post (from March 2004) send a cheque or postal order made out to 'WROCC Show' to :
Wakefield Show 2004
3 Riverdale Avenue
Stanley
WAKEFIELD
West Yorks
WF3 4LF
Advance Credit Card orders will only be able to be placed via the show website (
Exhibitors and more
The current list of confirmed exhibitors is APDL, Castle Technology, MathMagical software, MW Software, Qercus, Stuart Tyrell Developments and VirtualAcorn. Further exhibitor details will be made available shortly. One company who won't be attending this year are MicroDigital as they have a prior commitment.
It would not be a Wakefield show without the usual Show Theatre and Charity Stall, which will again be raising money for Wakefield Hospice. The usual catering will be on hand, and hopefully there will also be another prize draw. Last years main prize was an Omega, what could it be this year?
Advertising
All of the RISC OS press will be running adverts for the show (designed by Richard Hallas), a sample of one of the adverts, which have been produced in a number of sizes is shown below.
Organisers
The show is once again being coordinated by Chris Hughes, who has organised all the previous Wakefield shows, in the past supported by the late Mike Wilson, and now by Steve Potts and Phillip Marsden and of course the WROCC members. The show is organised on behalf of the Wakefield RISCOS Computer Club one of the longest running Acorn/RISCOS computer clubs in the UK.
