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PicBoot.Man
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PicBoot 1.02 User manual PicBoot 1.02
NAME
PicBoot
SYNOPSIS
PicBoot FILES/M/A,L=LIST/S,B=BLACK/S,D=DETACH/S,DEF=DEFAULT/S
DESCRIPTION
Have you removed all output in your 2.0 startup, and only see
an empty screen during bootup? Wouldn't it be nice to have a
picture instead? A picture that disappeared when the Workbench
screen was opened?
If so, PicBoot is certainly a program for you. What it will do
is to read any IFF file containing an ILBM picture, and show
that picture. As soon as the Workbench screen appears (or you
press any mouse-button), the picture will go away.
PicBoot features a fast BODY-unpacker (use the BLACK option to
get the best speed), optional auto-detaching, and a way to
automatically random select among any number of different files
to show.
To activate PicBoot, add a line your startup-sequence, looking
something like this:
PicBoot Pics:Hi-res/RockyCalvin.Pic BLACK DETACH
Or, if you have a list of files in "Work:Text/PicList":
PicBoot Work:Text/PicList LIST BLACK DETACH
This line should be located very early in the Startup-Sequence
(no point in placing it near the LoadWB commant, is it?? :),
but keep it after SetPatch. PicBoot will only output any text
if it fails, so don't re-direct its output. Note however that
if you place PicBoot *before* any additional monitors are
installed, you'll be stuck with the default.monitor for showing
your picture. The DEFAULT switch may be of help here (see below
for more information about this switch).
Make sure no program makes any output in the CLI window, since
then the Workbench screen will open with a boring CLI-window
instead...
Apart from OS 2.04, PicBoot doesn't require any special
libraries. The only non-ROM library required is
iffparse.library.
OPTIONS
FILES
This is the only required argument. Here you specify the
Page 1 (Printed 21 Feb 93)
PicBoot 1.02 User manual PicBoot 1.02
name of the picture you want to view. You may enter several
files here, in which case PicBoot will select one of them
randomly, and show that one. It may also be the name of an
ASCII file containing a filename list if you specified the
LIST option (see below).
NOTE: The random-number generator used is quite simple, and
is based on the current system time. I don't know if it is
a "good" random generator. If you have an algorithm you
think is better, don't be afraid to send it to me.
L=LIST
If this switch is present, it instructs PicBoot to
interpret the *first* filename specified in the FILES
argument as the name of a file containing a list of
pictures (any ohter filename(s) in the FILES argument will
be ignored). PicBoot will then randomly select one of the
filenames in the file, and view that picture.
This filelist file is an ASCII (text) file with a simple
layout. On the first line you specify the number of
filenames in the file. This is usually <number of lines in
file>-2 (one line is occupied by the count, and the other
is the last linefeed). The rest of the file is simply the
files to view, one filename per line. So, a short file
could look like this:
3
Work:Pics/Comics/Calvin01.Pic
Work:Pics/Comics/Calvin02.Pic
Work:Pics/Comics/Calvin03.Pic
B=BLACK
This will make PicBoot open up a black screen (very small 1
bitplane, almost a 0 bitplane screen.. :) before the real
screen is opened (and this one will open behind the black
one). Since the black screen needs very little DMA time to
be displayed, the CPU will get much more access to the
CHIP-mem rather than if a 4 bitplane hires screen (ECS
system) would be in the front. This can speed up BODY
unpacking rather much (since during boot there is no screen
to hide behind... :).
D=DETACH
This will cause PicBoot to detach from its calling CLI when
the picture is fully loaded etc. If you specify this
option, you shouldn't RUN PicBoot. This option will reduce
memory fragmentation, and will ensure that the picture gets
loaded quickly. However, the implementation maybe isn't
the most "system-friendly" one (but there aren't that many
alternatives...), hence the switch. I don't think it will
be any problems, but one can never know... :)
Page 2 (Printed 21 Feb 93)
PicBoot 1.02 User manual PicBoot 1.02
NC=NOCENTER
This option will disable the centering of the picture.
DEF=DEFAULT
If this switch is present, PicBoot will force the picture
to use the default.monitor, regardless of what was actually
stored in the picture (in the CAMG chunk). This is needed
since very early in the startup, default.monitor is the
only monitor available (e.g. vga.monitor is not available).
In the future, I might add more types of "forcing" (e.g.
force a picture to PAL, NTSC or whatever that might be
useful).
KNOWN BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
I do not know of any real bugs in PicBoot. However, certain
parts of the program may still contain bugs. E.g., pictures
that have a mask bitplane (mskHasMask) are supported, but since
I only have one (compressed) picture that have a mask, there
might be a bug in that code (can't test it properly). Please
report any problems!
Currently there is no support for SHAM, PCHG and similar
"special" pictures. I'm not sure if this could be implemented
in a "clean" way (that would work on future systems etc.).
Color cycling is currently ignored (I have no need for it..
:).
PicBoot should work on most Amigas. It has been tested on an
Amiga 500 with 2.04, and an Amiga 4000 (with 3.0), and works
fine on these computers.
AUTHOR
PicBoot was written in 100% assembler by Magnus Holmgren. If
you have any comments etc, feel free to send me a note. You can
reach me via internet on any of these addresses:
cmh@augs.se
magnus_holmgren@augs.se
cmh@lysator.liu.se
d91magho@und.ida.liu.se
Fido-net messages should go to "Magnus Holmgren",
2:204/404.6@fidonet.org. Snail mail should reach me if you
write the following address on the envelope:
Magnus Holmgren
Rydsvägen 254 A:14
S-582 51 Linköping
SWEDEN
Since I start doing my military service in a not too distant
Page 3 (Printed 21 Feb 93)
PicBoot 1.02 User manual PicBoot 1.02
future (end of March), it may take a little while before I can
reply to your message, so please have some patience! :)
DISTRIBUTION
PicBoot is released as FREEWARE. This means that you may use
and copy this program freely, as long as the following
restrictions are followed:
1) All files are copied in an unmodified state. If additional
information is needed, place it in a separate file. Preferably
redistribute in the original archive form (*.Lha).
2) The copying is done on a non-commercial and non-profit basis
only. A copy fee to cover media costs, postage etc. may be
charged, and mustn't exceed the fee to obtain an AmigaLibDisk
from Fred Fish.
3) The copier/spreader is not claiming the Copyright © of this
program.
Any exceptions from these restrictions requires written
permission from the author, Magnus Holmgren.
HISTORY
Version: 1.00 Release date: 08 Feb 93
Initial release.
Version: 1.01 Release date: 14 Feb 93
PicBoot would sometimes read past the end of the
picture-list file, although the file was correct. Also, the
last picture would never be showed. Fixed (thanks to Daniel
Joseph Oak for reporting).
Did some tweeking, to make the program smaller. The total
gain was eaten up by improved error messages though.
PicBoot will now more accurately report why the display
didn't open.
Added support for masked ILBMs, since I discovered that I
had such a picture anyway. :) Since I only have one
picture, its hard to tell if it really works, but it seems
to be ok at least.
The autoscrolling of the screen didn't work. Fixed (so now
you can view pictures larger than the screen, by moving the
invisible mouse-pointer).
Added the NOCENTER switch.
Version: 1.02 Release date: 21 Feb 93
Added the DEFAULT switch. As Bradley Yen pointed out for
Page 4 (Printed 21 Feb 93)
PicBoot 1.02 User manual PicBoot 1.02
me, there is only one "monitor" available early in the
startup, and that is default.monitor (and what
default.monitor is can vary. It can e.g. be PAL or NTSC).
This switch will make the picture use the default.monitor,
regardless what it was saved in.
Autoscrolling of screen disabled again, since this would
make some overscanned pictures "clipped", even if this
wasn't needed.
A bug in the init code fixed.
Page 5 (Printed 21 Feb 93)