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1987-04-27
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Action! v1.0 Documentation
This program uses text format, scene descriptions to present pictures,
sounds and speech simultainiously. Pictures are displayed in 32 colors
with color cycle animation. Sounds may be played in stereo or assigned
to individual channels. Multiline speeches may be used to provide
detailed narration. All of these features may be combined to produce
sequential 'Video Movies'. Additionaly, user interactivity, through
keyboard function keys, makes possible the construction of tutorials and
'Adventure' games.
To view the 'Action!' default scene, simply use the mouse pointer to
'Double Left Click' the 'Action!' tool icon or type 'Action!' at the CLI
command prompt. This will cause the disk to be searched for a directory
named 'Scenes' and if found the scene named 'Action!' will be loaded. If
no 'Scenes' directory is found, an attempt will be made to load a scene
named 'Action!.scene'. To view a specific scene you may either 'Single
Left Click' the scene's project icon then 'Shift Double Left Click' the
'Action!' tool icon or, from CLI type 'Action!' followed by the name of
the scene to be loaded (e.g. Action! Scenes/Education). Alternativly the
scene's project icon may be altered to indicate 'Action!' as the default
tool, then simply 'Double Left Click' the project icon.
Scene descriptions and speeches may be written using Amiga's 'Notepad'
or other simple text editors (e.g. Ed or Edit). Speeches are written in
phonetic text as described in the 'SoftTalk' chapters of the 'Amiga ROM
Kernel Manual Volume 1' and Microsoft's 'Amiga Basic'. Scene descriptions
consist of one or more lines of 'Action!' commands and parameters as
described below. I use 'Electronic Arts Deluxe Paint' for my graphics,
but other programs that save pictures in IFF ILBM format should work also
(don't know about color cycling though). Sounds must be in either IFF
8SVX oneshot format or 'Applied Visions FutureSound' jukebox format.
Action! Commands:
All commands consist of two capitalized characters. Most commands are
followed by one or more parameters. In the following text, each parameter
is indicated as one or more words surrounded by 'Less Than' and 'Greater
Than' characters. Optional parameters are additionaly surrounded by
square bracket characters.
Pictures:
DP <picture file name> [<cycle speed percentage>]
This is currently the only command available for picture manipulation,
the indicated file will be loaded and displayed with color cycling.
The picture file name may include device and directory specifications.
Cycle speed percentage is optional and will default to 100. This
parameter may be set to zero to indicate no color cycling.
Speech:
ST <speech file name> [[[[[[<pitch>] <period>] <sex!>] <rate>] <mode>]
<volume>]
This command will load a speech file of up to 40 lines of 255 phonetic
characters, then send one line at a time to the narrator until all lines
have been sent.
The speech file name may include device and directory specifications.
Pitch, period, sex, rate, mode and volume are optional and will default
to the narrator devices normal defaults. Detailed descriptions of these
parameters may be found within Amiga documentation.
NOTE: The narrator device is mostly implemented in software and can
be CPU intensive. Color cycling causes some degradition of the
narrators voice when using the default settings. Use of lower
periods or rates can eliminate this effect. Alternatively you
could set the cycle speed percentage, mentioned above, to zero
which would turn off cycling.
CT
This command's only function is to close any speech in progress and
release the phonetic text from memory. As speech will normaly continue
from one scene to another this command is the only way to interrupt the
narrator.
This command has no parameters.
Sounds:
BS <sound file name> [[<period>] <volume>]
This command will load and continualy play the indicated file through
a pair of stereo (one left, one right) audio channels.
The sound file name may include device and directory specifications.
Period and volume are optional and will default to the files settings
(maximum volume will be used for JukeBox format file). The minimum
acceptable value for period is 124. Volume may range from 1 to 64.
SS <sound file name> [[[<cycle count>] <period>] <volume>]
This command will load and play the indicated file, through a pair of
stereo audio channels.
The sound file name, period, and volume parameters are specified in the
same manner as for the BS command. The cycle count parameter is optional
and will default to one playing. If the cycle count is given, the sound
will be repeated that number of times. If the cycle count is set to zero
the sound will be repeated endlessly (same as BS command).
SL <sound file name> [[[<cycle count>] <period>] <volume>]
This command is identical to the SS command, with the exception that only
the left audio channel will be used for playback.
SR <sound file name> [[[<cycle count>] <period>] <volume>]
This command is identical to the SS command, with the exception that only
the right audio channel will be used for playback.
CS <channel>
This command will close one or more audio channels and free the sound from
memory.
Channel is optional and will default to stereo. A channel specification
of zero will close only the left audio channel, channel one will close only
the right channel.
Control:
NN <scene file name> [<seconds>]
This command will push a scene onto the 'Node Stack' (a list of scene names
to be loaded). Repeated use of this command is permited and can be used
to build a scene sequence. As the 'Node Stack' is processed in a 'Last in
First Out' methode, the last NN command will be processed first followed
by the NN command prior to it, and so on. When the current node 'Times
out' the next scene on the stack will be loaded and performed.
The scene file name may include device and directory specifications.
Seconds wait time is optional and will default to 60 seconds. If wait time
is set to zero seconds, there will be no delay between the processing of
the current scene and the next scene on the stack.
WT [<seconds>]
This command sets the number of seconds to wait befor this scene 'Times
out'. If no scenes remain on the 'Node Stack' the 'Action!' program will
terminate operation.
The seconds parameter is specified in the same manner as for the NN
command.
N1 <scene file name>
This command is used to indicate the name of a scene to be loaded if the
keyboard function key F1 is pressed.
The scene file name may include device and directory specifications.
N2 <scene file name>
This command functions identicaly to the N1 command with the exception that
the F2 key is tested.
N3 <scene file name>
This command functions identicaly to the N1 command with the exception that
the F3 key is tested.
N4 <scene file name>
This command functions identicaly to the N1 command with the exception that
the F4 key is tested.
N5 <scene file name>
This command functions identicaly to the N1 command with the exception that
the F5 key is tested.
Animation:
Not yet implemented.
Music:
Not yet implemented.
Well thats it for now, I hope you find 'Action!' useful and entertaining.
I belive that all 'Bees and Spiders' have been exterminated, but I make
no guarantees (those little creatures hide in the darndest places)! Some
scenes may work in 256K of memory but I recomend 512K. If you recieve
messages of insufficent memory, try closing windows and using the CT, CS
commands to free speech and sound memory when not being used.
If you are intersted in receiving the latest version software, documentation
and examples, please 'Support the Arts' by sending donations, disks,
software (programs, graphics, sound), pictures of your girl friend, or
whatever to:
Peter L. Dunlap
Mountain Micro Guild of Colorado
P.O. Box 444
Indian Hills, CO 80454
or
Mountain Micro Guild of California
33637 Windmill Rd.
Lake Elsinore, CA 92330