Software of the Month Club 1996 June

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Software of the Month Club 1996 June / Software of the Month Club 1996 June.iso / pc / dos / games / firestrm / fstorm.doc < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1995-06-21 | 29.0 KB | 773 lines

FIRESTORM! A forest-fire simulation program by Cricket Software Version 1.3 Users Manual Copyright 1995 by John Daigle All rights reserved. -------------- IMPORTANT NOTICE ---------------- FIRESTORM is a copyrighted shareware program. You have 30 days to evaluate it. After 30 days you must register it in order to use it. To register send Check or Money Order for $22.00 (includes shipping) to: Cricket Software c/o John Daigle 10680 West Rd. Redwood Valley, Ca. 95470 You can print out an order form using the 'Print Order' button on the sign-on message of FIRESTORM or print the file 'FSORDER.DOC'. Be sure to specify 3 1/2 or 5 1/4 disks. Registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of FIRESTORM, an information phone number and major discounts on all programs from Cricket Software. If you are a distributor or vendor of shareware be sure to read the 'VENDOR.DOC' file. Please read DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE on Page 11 & DISCLAIMER-AGREEMENT on Page 12. Minimum hardware needed to run FIRESTORM: An IBM compatible computer 286, 386 or better. An EGA, VGA or SVGA color monitor. A 2 or 3 button mouse. Loading FIRESTORM: Running the program from the floppy disk: Put the disk in either floppy drive, go to that drive ( a: or b:) and type: fstorm Loading FIRESTORM on your hard drive: Go to the directory on the hard drive, you want FIRESTORM loaded into or create a directory using MKDIR (DOS command) then put the FIRESTORM disk in the 'A' or 'B' drive and type: copy a:*.* (if disk in the 'A' drive) or type: copy b:*.* (if disk in the 'B' drive). Run the program by typing: fstorm (while in that directory). The Scenario: You are the Captain of "Central Fire Command", a computerized forest fire fighting command center . Via downlink from an infra-red satellite in geo-synchronous orbit, you have a birds eye view of 180,000 acres of coastland somewhere in the Northwest. The land is heavily forested and mountainous, rivers, roads, a lake and even building are visible due to computer enhancement of satellite images. Via GPS (geo-positioning system) uplink, you have the real-time location of 4 ground fire crews and 2 air tankers. Using your command console you can direct the movement of the ground and air units to fight the fire. You also have access to real-time weather information (wind direction & speed) and also have the ability to change the wind direction & speed. Other information is provided like: acres on fire, acres burned, structures lost & day & time. Of course, you need a fire to fight so you have options not available to most fire command centers. Like starting fires-either randomly or manually. A number of other options are available: you can slow the fire down or speed it up, change the speed of the ground & air units, change the length of the retardant drop area and change the turn-around time (refuel time) of the air units. Its all yours to command. As Smokey sez... ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT ( & now put out! ) FOREST FIRES! PAGE 1 Visual display: The Map Shown on map Represent green areas forested flat lands light green areas forested hills & mountains light blue lines rivers & streams dark blue areas lakes & ocean white lines roads crossed white lines airfields. small brown squares buildings numbered red squares ground fire crews numbered light cyan squares air tankers The buttons Button Purpose CREW 1 Controls movement of ground crew 1 CREW 2 Controls movement of ground crew 2 CREW 3 Controls movement of ground crew 3 CREW 4 Controls movement of ground crew 4 AIR 1 Controls movement of air tanker 1 AIR 2 Controls movement of air tanker 2 WIND Displays and/or controls wind speed & direction OPTION Change and/or display optional parameters START * Select number & location of fires & start simulation STOP ** Pause program, start new simulation or exit program * = Displayed only before simulation is started. ** = Displayed only after simulation is started. Note: You may exit the program at any time by pushing CTRL Q. (hold the ctrl key down and push the Q key) Other displays: The sector number (Mouse arrow location) is located in the lower left corner. Wind speed & direction & MANUAL / AUTO status is located in the lower right corner. PAUSED will be displayed here when the STOP button is pressed. After simulation is started, a yellow information bar will be displayed at the top of the screen showing number of acres on fire, number of acres burned, number of structures lost and day & time. The message 'FIRE OUT' will be displayed here when the fire is extinguished. A window corresponding to the button pushed will be displayed below the buttons. PAGE 2 How to push the buttons on the screen: Move the mouse arrow over the button you wish to push and push any mouse button. Before you start the simulation ( The WIND & OPTION buttons): The WIND button & window: The wind data window is displayed by pushing the WIND button or the GO button in the start window. The wind direction is shown by an arrow and the compass direction the wind is blowing FROM. (N,S,E,W,,NE,NW,SE,SW) Below that the wind speed is shown in knots (KTS). Note: The wind direction, speed & manual/auto status is also shown in a small box in the lower right corner of the screen. Wind control (AUTO or MANUAL): You have the option of letting the computer change the wind speed & direction at random (AUTO) or of selecting the wind speed & direction yourself (MANUAL). Manual wind control: The AUTO & MANUAL buttons are below the wind speed display. The current setting is in red letters. If the AUTO button is in red letters, push the MANUAL button. The word MANUAL will now be in red, all the compass directions will be shown in white (except the direction the wind is currently blowing from, which will be in red & there will be white up and down arrows on each side of the wind speed indicator. Changing the wind direction: Move the arrow over the white letters in the compass you wish the wind to blow FROM, then push a mouse button, the letters will change to red and the red wind arrow will be pointing from that direction. Changing the wind speed: To increase wind speed, move mouse arrow over the white up arrow to the left of the wind speed indication and push a mouse button, if you hold the mouse button down the wind speed will keep increasing. (maximum speed is 60 KTS) To decrease wind speed, move mouse arrow over the white down arrow to the right of the wind speed indication and push a mouse button, if you hold the mouse button down the wind speed will keep decreasing. (minimum speed is 1 KTS) PAGE 3 Auto wind selection: If the MANUAL button is in red letters, push the AUTO button. The letters in AUTO will now be red,only the current wind direction will be shown on the compass and the up & down arrows next to the wind speed indication will disappear. The computer now has control of the wind and will change it randomly at random times when the simulation starts. Note on wind selection: You can change between AUTO & MANUAL at any time before or during the simulation. The OPTION button & window: Pushing the OPTION button before starting the simulation displays the options window with 5 option setting buttons and options status. Pushing the OPTION button after the simulation is started, displays only the option status. Options CANNOT be changed after the simulation starts. Optional settings: 1. FIRE SPEED - SLOW/NORMAL/FAST - sets the speed of the fire. TO set, push FIRE SPEED button, the other option buttons will disappear and SLOW, NORMAL & FAST buttons will appear at the bottom of the window. Push the speed you wish, the other option buttons will reappear and the new speed will be shown by 'FS>' in the status area. 2. CREW SPEED - SLOW/NORMAL/FAST - sets the speed of the ground crews. TO set, push CREW SPEED button, the other option buttons will disappear and SLOW, NORMAL & FAST buttons will appear at the bottom of the window. Push the speed you wish, the other option buttons will reappear and the new speed will be shown by 'CS>' in the status area. 3. AIR SPEED - SLOW/NORMAL/FAST - sets the speed of the air tankers. TO set, push AIR SPEED button, the other option buttons will disappear and SLOW, NORMAL & FAST buttons will appear at the bottom of the window. Push the speed you wish, the other option buttons will reappear and the new speed will be shown by 'AS>' in the status area. 4. DROP TIME - SHORT/NORMAL/LONG - sets the length of retardant drop. TO set, push DROP TIME button, the other option buttons will disappear and SHORT, NORMAL & LONG buttons will appear at the bottom of the window. Push the length you wish, the other option buttons will reappear and the new length will be shown by 'DT>' in the status area. 5. FUEL TIME - NO WAIT/15 MIN/30 MIN - sets the length of time the air tankers must wait at the airfield between drops. TO set, push FUEL TIME button, the other option buttons will disappear and NO WAIT, 15 MIN & 30 MIN buttons will appear at the bottom of the window. Push the length you wish, the other option buttons will reappear and the new length will be shown by 'FT>' in the status area. Note: Default is 15 MIN. PAGE 4 Starting the simulation: Pushing the START button (ie. moving the mouse arrow over the button and pushing any mouse button.) displays the start window directly below it. Select # of fires: The button '# FIRES=0' is at the bottom of the window. Pushing that button once will change number of fires from 0 to 1. When this happens the RANDOM & MANUAL buttons will be displayed above the # FIRES button. You can select from 1 to 5 fires to be started by continuing to push the # FIRES button. Selecting Random fires: If you wish the fires to be started in random locations, push the RANDOM button, the location of the fire/fires to be started will be shown by small blinking red box/boxes on the map & the GO button will be displayed in the start window. Selecting Manual fires: If you want to select the location of the fire/fires to be started push the MANUAL button then move the arrow to the first location you want to start the fire and push a mouse button, if you have selected more than one fire, continue to move the arrow and push a mouse button until all fire locations have been selected. A blinking red box will show the start location of each fire and the GO button will be displayed in the start window. Note: fires can only be started in green or light green areas. The GO button (starting the fires): Pushing the GO button in the start window, starts the fires and actually starts the simulation. The yellow fire information bar is displayed at the top of the screen and the start window is replaced by the wind data window. Simulation time vs. Real time: The clock in the fire information bar displays 'simulation time': 1 minute simulation time = 1 second real time 1 hour simulation time = 60 seconds real time 1 day simulation time = 24 minutes real time PAGE 5 About the fire: The hottest areas of the fire burn yellow, the less hot areas burn light red. As an area is burned, it turns light gray or dark gray depending on the terrain. Effects of the wind on the fire: The fire burns fastest in the direction the wind is blowing, as the wind direction changes, so does the fire direction. When the wind speed increases so does the speed of the fire and when the wind slows down so does the fire. Effects of terrain on the fire: Light green areas (hills & mountains) burn faster than dark green areas (flat lands). Burned green areas turn light gray & burned light green areas turn dark gray. Effects of fire on buildings: When buildings (small brown squares) burn there is a tick sound and the STRUCTURES LOST counter in the fire information bar will increment. After the building is burned it will show as a pink color on the map. Effects of fire on fire crews & Air tankers on the ground: When the fire is in direct contact with the fire crews or air tankers on the ground (at the airfields), you will hear short high pitched sounds. If the fire reaches the center of the unit, you will hear a loud buzzer sound and the unit is destroyed and disappears from the map. Effects of roads on fire: If the wind speed is under 20 KTS the fire will not cross a road and will be stopped. If the wind speed is 20 KTS or over the fire will cross a road and turn it from white to black. Effects of rivers on fire: If the wind speed is under 40 KTS the fire will not cross a river and will be stopped. If the wind speed 40 KTS or over the fire will cross a river and turn it from light blue to blue. A fire can cross a river by burning a bridge if the wind is over 19 KTS. Effects of ocean & lake on fire: The fire is stopped at the shoreline of the lake or ocean. Effects of firelines & retardant on fire: The fire is stopped by firelines (light gray) cut by fire crews and by retardant drop lines (pink) dropped by air tankers. The FIRE SPEED option button can make the fire burn faster or slower than the normal rate. (Can be set only before fire starts) PAGE 6 Fire information bar: The yellow bar shown at the top of the screen after the fire starts gives the following information: Acres on fire: (number of acres currently burning) Acres burned: (number of acres already burned) Structures lost: (number of buildings destroyed by the fire) Day: ( the day of the fire, first day is day 1 ) Time (the time of day, HH:MM format 24 hour clock) When the fire is out: When the fire is completely extinguished, 'FIRE OUT' will be displayed in the fire information bar, a buzzer will sound, and the STOP button will be light red and the stop window will be shown. All activity ceases and the simulation is over. You can exit the program or start a new simulation. The ground fire crews ( crews 1 through 4 ): Moving the crews on the roads: Push one of the 4 red CREW buttons, a FIRECREW window will be displayed below the buttons. In the red area of the window it says 'ROAD DIR.' and a white up arrow is shown with an 'N'. This means that crew can travel North (up on the map) on the road. Under the red area notice that the CREW STOP button is red (the crew is stopped). Starting road travel: Move the mouse arrow over the road direction arrow and click a mouse button. The road direction arrow will turn yellow, the CREW STOP button will turn white and the crew will start moving in that direction on the map. The crew will continue to travel on the road until it reaches an intersection or the end of the road (dead end). Road intersections & dead ends: When the firecrew reaches an intersection or dead end the crew will stop. If that crews window is currently displayed the CREW STOP button will turn red and the yellow road direction arrow will be replaced by white direction arrows showing which direction can be taken from that intersection or dead end. The CREW button and the firecrew square on the map will blink 4 times, 4 beeps will be heard and then the CREW button will change from red to light red, to flag you that crew needs directions. Once you click the mouse on a new direction arrow or push that CREW button it will change back to dark red. PAGE 7 Stopping firecrews (CREW STOP button): To stop a moving firecrew on a road, push the white lettered CREW STOP button in that firecrew window. The crew will stop, the CREW STOP button will turn red and white direction arrows will show you which way the crew can continue. Overall road travel: After you give a crew directions you can push any other CREW button to give directions to them. When a crew needs directions, just push that CREW button and its window will appear. All 4 crews can be moving at once. To go to a certain place, just keep giving new directions at each intersection until you reach your destination, then push the CREW STOP button. Off road travel (GO SECTOR button): To move the firecrews offroad (overland travel), push the GO SECTOR button in the firecrew window. The window will tell you to move the mouse arrow to the desired sector location. A 'rubber band line' will stretch from the firecrew to the mouse arrow. When the mouse arrow is at the desired destination, click the mouse button. The firecrew will start moving to that sector and a message in the firecrew window will let you know that the crew is proceeding to that sector. The crew can be stopped at any time by pushing the CREW STOP button.When the crew reaches it destination, that CREW button and the firecrew will blink & beep 4 times and the CREW button will turn light red. If that firecrew window is showing or is displayed by pushing that CREW button a message in the window will let you know the crew is stopped at that sector. Notes:Firecrews can travel over rivers & streams but will stop at the ocean or lake. Off road travel is half the speed of road travel. Cutting firelines (FIRE LINE button): To have the firecrew begin cutting a fireline, push the FIRE LINE button in the firecrew window. The window will tell you to move the mouse arrow to the desired sector location. A 'rubber band line' will stretch from the firecrew to the mouse arrow. When the mouse arrow is at the desired destination, click the mouse button. The firecrew will start moving to that sector cutting a light gray fire line behind it and a message in the firecrew window will let you know that the crew is cutting a fire line to that sector. The crew can be stopped at any time by pushing the CREW STOP button. When the crew reaches its destination, that CREW button and the firecrew will blink & beep 4 times and the CREW button will turn light red. If that firecrew window is showing or is displayed by pushing that CREW button a message in the window will let you know the crew is stopped at that sector. Note: Firelines can only be started if the firecrew is off the road. PAGE 8 Returning the crew to a road (RETURN button): To return a firecrew to a road when it is offroad, push that CREW button and then push the RETURN button in the firecrew window. A message in the window will tell you to move the mouse arrow on the other side of a road you wish to get on from the firecrew and click the mouse button. The firecrew will get on the road at the point the 'rubber band line' intersects the road. When the crew reaches the road, that CREW button and the firecrew will blink & beep 4 times and the CREW button will turn light red. If that firecrew window is showing or is displayed by pushing that CREW button, the road direction arrows in the window will let you know the crew is on the road. The air tankers ( AIR 1 & AIR 2 ): Sending the air tankers on a retardant drop: To start an air tanker retardant drop, push AIR 1 or AIR 2 button. The AIR CREW window will appear below the buttons. Push the light green ENTER button in the AIR CREW window. The message in the window will tell you to move the arrow to the sector, you want the drop to start. A 'rubber band line' will stretch from the air unit to the arrow. Click the mouse button when the arrow is on the desired sector. Now the message in the window will direct you to move the mouse to the end sector of the drop. A 'rubber band line' will stretch from the start sector of the drop to the arrow. that line shows the path the drop run will be on, but since the plane only holds so much retardant, the drop run will not necessarily continue to the sector selected as the end of drop run. Be sure to make this line a few inches long so the entire load will be dropped, if it is too short the drop run will terminate at the end drop run sector and the tanker will return to the airport. When the arrow is on the desired end drop run sector click the mouse button. A message in the window will let you know the plane is proceeding to the start sector of the drop run and the air unit will start moving toward the start drop run sector. The respective AIR CREW button will be a dark cyan color when the tanker is in the air or being re-fueled and a light cyan color when it is ready. All movement is now automatic, when the tanker reaches the start drop run sector it will turn towards the end drop sector and start dropping retardant ( a pink line appearing behind the air tanker ). As soon as the load is dropped the tanker will turn again and head back to its airfield. As soon as the tanker takes off, you can service other air or ground units. Notes: The length of the drop run is set by the DROP TIME option before the simulation starts. Note that the tankers are a light cyan color on the ground and a dark cyan color in the air. PAGE 9 Air tanker turn-around time: The air tankers need time to re-fuel and reload retardant. The normal wait is 15 simulation minutes (15 seconds real time), but this can be changed to 30 minutes or NO WAIT by the FUEL TIME option before the simulation starts. The AIR CREW window will tell you how many more minutes before the air tanker is ready and the respective AIR CREW button will be a dark cyan color when the tanker is in the air or being re-fueled and a light cyan color when it is ready. The STOP (simulation) button: Once the simulation is started the START button is replaced by the dark red STOP button. Pushing this button, displays the stop window below it and pauses the simulation. Notice that the STOP button changes to a light red when pushed and PAUSED replaces wind data in the lower right corner. 3 buttons are displayed in the stop window. The RESUME button (white): Pushing this button resumes the simulation, the STOP button turns a dark red, the PAUSED message is replaced by the wind data in the lower right corner and the stop window is replaced by the wind data window. The NEW button (green): Pushing this button displays a message saying you are going to start a new simulation (ie. restart the program) and asks you 'Are you sure ?'. YES & NO buttons are displayed. Pushing YES restarts the program, pushing NO cancels the request. The EXIT button (red): Pushing this button displays a message saying you are going to exit FIRESTORM (ie. return to DOS) and asks you 'Are you sure ?'. YES & NO buttons are displayed. Pushing YES exits the program, pushing NO cancels the request. Note: You may exit the program at any time by pushing CTRL Q. (hold the ctrl key down and push the Q key) PAGE 10 DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. * PAGE 11 DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of FIRESTORM must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "FIRESTORM is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse- quential, which may result from the use of FIRESTORM." FIRESTORM is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using FIRESTORM and continue to use FIRESTORM after a reasonable trial period, you must make a reg- istration payment of $22.00 to Cricket Software. The $22.00 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of FIRESTORM must register and pay for their copies of FIRESTORM within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by con- tacting Cricket Software. Anyone distributing FIRESTORM for any kind of remuneration must first contact Cricket Software at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering FIRESTORM immediately (However Cricket Software must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of FIRESTORM.). You are encouraged to pass a copy of FIRESTORM along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the FIRESTORM simulation. Page 12