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Archive Magazine 1996
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ARCHIVE_96.iso
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utility_01
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uni_mode
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!UniMode
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1992-06-20
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Why UniMode?
UniMode is the first package that allows you to gain full control over the
Archimedes video-system, at a very reasonable price.
THE L E G A L USE, FOR YOU, IS ONLY ONE POSTCARD AWAY !
A program like 'VIDCPlus' can do part of the job, but being a commercial
program it is quite expensive, and still won't allow full control.
Another very important advantage is that it has the full control over any
VidcEnhancer. This means that the same program, together with all goodies,
will run with any make enhancer. You'll no longer need the firmware which
has often many shortcomings. For example UniMode is able to switch the
enhancer on or off by looking at the mode, and so find the best state for
the enhancer for each mode. This way it is no longer needed to put a mode at
a particular modenumber (like >= 96) to switch the enhancer on.
(Currently the Atomwide and Acorn (A540/A5000) enhancers are supported, and
the Watford is recognised. Since we haven't got any clue how to control the
Watford enhancer, it cannot be controlled YET! Please let us know if you
know how to. Do you have an unsupported enhancer PLEASE let us know,
together with make, type and the essential coding to turn it on and off.)
But UniMode has much more to offer! The initial thought behind UniMode was
to make a module to provide softmodes. These modes can be loaded into the
workspace of the module at the modenumber of your choice. This allows you to
use any number of modes, at any modenumber you like and still have only one
module in the list. The files on disc are quite short since the common part
of the module is no longer needed. You need no longer load a pile if
junk-modes together with a single good-use-mode. Since most of the package
was developed to create softmodes, you can still make very good use of it
even if you haven't got a VidcEnhancer! Even though you can make the most
out of the package using a multiscan-monitor, it is not a must. Look for
example at the DIY_BSDM, to make modes for a broadcast-standard-
50Hz-monitor. The same goes for VGA- and HiResMonochrome-monitors, although
we never tried these.
UniMode was developed with the thought in mind that a mode could be designed
entirely from the commandline. Also realising that making a mode is not a
daily job, it thus is not important for it to be a fancy fully multitasking
application. It is far more important that (s)he who wants to make a mode
can do so in quite an easy way, having full control.
The first version of UniMode was dated December 25th 1991 and eversince that
date I use it every single time I use my computer. Then my brother saw it
and he wanted to use it on his A5000. That was the moment I realised there
might be many others that might like the program, I decided to support all
known enhancers and wrote the most astonishing algorithm (Intelligent) to
control the enhancer. I really wonder why Acorn themselves never thought of
it before the release of the A5000, since anyone could have seen the problem
with existing large softmodes. Although the whole package is, and will
always be, PostWare, for the right price, we might concider a licence to
Acorn for inclusion in RISC OS 4 ROM's ...
What we would like UniMode to become is a package that every Archimedes
owner has in the root of his harddisc or bootdisc, so that commercial
applications only need to provide an MDF-file for use with the - in the
bootsequence loaded - UniversalMode-module.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Don't worry we'll get burried under piles of postcards
since we've got lots of room to stack them. Once there isn't enough room on
the walls and the ceilings anymore we'll think of some roulating-mechanism
to get them all on display. The only good reasons for not sending a
picture-postcard are:
- It's a Sunday;
- The shops are closed;
- The shops where just out of nice cards;
- Your going to buy a card first thing tomorrow.
And remember, the more cards we receive the
better the next update will be!
NOTICE: MAKE SURE THAT, WHEN USING !UNIMODE,
THERE ARE NO OTHER PROGRAMS RESIDENT
WHICH CONTROL THE VIDCENHANCER (Like
SuperVidc and AutoVidc)!!!
The !UniMode package is POST-Ware and
copyright of HendrixáBros. ⌐ June 1992.
Read the files ReadMe1st and ReadMe2 before
using the package!
Troubleshooting:
Read the manual for more information!