Boston 2/boston-2.iso/DOS/SOUND/WOWY/WOWY.TXT

Text File | 1993-12-01 | 9KB | 193 lines

                             Wowy-Ka-Zowy v1.3

                        Written by: David E. Basile

Requirements:

          ■ VGA 640x480 (No CGA/EGA)!
          ■ Mouse
          ■ Sound Blaster/Sound Blaster Pro
          ■ Dos 3.3 or higher
          ■ 640k memory
          ■ WOWII by Jan Ole Suhr (In your path)
          ■ At least 1 MOD file

Files Included:

          ■ WOWY.EXE - Main program
          ■ WOWY.TXT - This document
          ■ SOUNDS.000 - Extra sounds for buttons
          ■ MUSIC.000 - Background music
          ■ KILL.EXE - Clean up program.  Removes files Wowy creates.

What is it:

     Wowy-Ka-Zowy is a menu shell for Jan Ole Suhr's WOWII Mod file player.
In my opinion WOWII is the best Mod file player there is but, and there is
always a but, it lacks one thing!  If you want to play quite a few files you
to have type each one on the command line and then retype the next one or re-
edit the command line.  This works fine but can get tiresome.  Wowy-Ka-Zowy
will put an end to that.

Setup:

     Basicly there is none.  You do not need to create a configuration file.
Just run WOWY.  The first thing it should tell you is that there are no files
in the C:\.  Just enter the directory where you store your Mod files, ie;
D:\SOUND\MODS.  You might want to run the setup to ensure that the settings
are correct for WOWII.  Wowy will read in all your MOD files and display
them.  After that you can tag the file(s) you want to play and press the
mouse button.  Only the LEFT mouse button is used.  WOWII MUST BE IN YOUR
PATH OR WOWY WILL NOT WORK!!!  You can put Wowy in your path too.

Controls:
     The other buttons are pretty easy but here is a description of each:

     Title - Shows the MOD file Title, Size, Instruments, and Patterns

     Wowy - Give you support information.

     Left and Right Arrows - Shift the screen to the left and right if you
     have more than one page of files.

     Play - Play the tagged file(s)

     Change Directory - Change to a different directory.  It will only look
     for mod files.

     Setup - Allow you to change the WOWII parameters.

     Help - Gives you help should you really need it.

     Quit - Leave Wowy-Ka-Zowy (ESC will do the same thing)

     Change Background tune - Allows you to switch between the 38 different
     tunes that can be played in the background.


Points to note:

You can rename the file WOWY.EXE to whatever you wish, that is ok, but the
configuration file that Wowy creates must remain WOWY.CFG. If you try to run
WOWY with Sound Blaster settings that just aren't right, like using IRQ 5
instead of 7 (when you are using 7) may cause WOWII to malfunction.  I have
had this problem and I had to reboot my system to get the card to reset so I
could use WOWII again.  And last, if you select a MOD file, and it goes to
WOWII and back out again without playing, and your settings are correct, then
the MOD file may be to large to play.  I have 2 MOD files over 450k which
will not play with WOWII but will play with an older version of WOW.  No big
deal there and I can't control that.  I have not tried Wowy under DesqView
and don't know what the results will be.

Menu Music:

     While you are at the Wowy main menu you should hear some cheap watch
music being played.  I added this just for laughs and grins.  There are about
38 songs that will play.  If you have some decent ROL files, upload them to
the GALAXY BBS and I will put them in the next version if you want.  Because
I have included all the music into one file it is rather large.  The
MUSIC.000 file is for the back ground music and SOUND.000 is for the other
sounds.


Volume:

     If the volume of the Menu Music or MODs are to soft then go to DOS and
use the SPB-SET program (SB Pro) to crank up the volume.  I set my Voice, FM,
and Master to 15 which might explain why I can't here the wife yelling at me.
I don't recommend loading the TSR, SBP-MIX.  This will just take away memory
from the Wow player, unless you load it high.  Some of the back ground music
will not be at the same volume level either so some will be softer.  This I
cannot controlled either.

Playing:

     After you have selected your file to play just click on the Play button.
This will play all the selected files.  If you have more than one there will
be a 4 second delay before the next one is played.  A small screen will be
displayed giving you the option to Abort or Jump to the next song.  If it is
on the last song and you hit J it will is the same as hitting the abort.

Support:

If you have problems, suggestions or just would like to have a feature added
you can contact me at the GALAXY BBS in Daleville Alabama.  Node 1 205-598-
9509 HST Dual Standard, Node 2 205-598-6547 HST Dual Standard.  I'm in the
U.S. Army and am scheduled to leave Fort Rucker, AL in October of 1992 to go
to Alaska.  I will still support WOWY but will be doing it long distance.  So
if you have suggestions or problems after October, replies could be delayed
because of my move.  By the way, the GALAXY BBS is a Totally Free BBS with 5
Gigs on line.  No dues or fees.  Stop by and take a look around.

Registration:

NONE.  It is free.  Not crippled nor does it say UNREGISTERED anywhere so
feel free to use it as long as you want.  I do encourage you to register
WOWII if you are using it.  Jan Ole Suhr is a nice guy and could probably use
the money <GRIN>.

Guarantee:

NONE.  Use it at your own risk.  It works fine for me.

License Agreement:

Consult your physician before starting this program.  Batteries not included.
May cause drowsiness.  Must be over 17.  Not available in all states.  Not
responsible for acts of God.  Prices subject to change.  Proof of purchase
required.  Read label before using.  Some assembly required.  Not responsible
for typographical errors.  Some restrictions apply.  Subject to local
regulation.  Warrantee period limited.  Close cover before striking.  No
resemblance to any person, living or dead, is intended.  Subject to
availability.  No COD's.  Sales tax not included.  Local restrictions may
apply.  Shipping & handling extra.  All orders subject to review.  For
external use only.  Do not give to children under 8 years of age.  May cause
excitability.  Avoid alcoholic beverages while using this software.  Use
caution while operating mechanical devices.  If symptoms persist, consult
your physician.  Keep this and all software out of the reach of children.
May be unsuitable for sensitive people.  Parental guidance suggested.  Do not
use this software if you are currently taking a drug for depression.  Neither
the seller not the manufacture will be liable for any brain damage arising
from the use of this software.  The buyer assumes all risks associated with
using this product.  In case of irritation, flush eyes with cold water and
consult your physician.  This software is not a savings account and is not
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  Use with adequate
ventilation.  Avoid prolonged or repeated contact with skin.  Contents under
pressure; do not puncture or incinerate.  Store in original containers.
Always replace sleeve before discarding any computer disk.  Get medical
attention if symptoms persist.  Harmful if swallowed.  Do not remain in
enclose areas after use.  Not responsible if you've fallen and can't get up.
So there!


Future Enhancements: Support for playing MOD files from ZIP and ARJ was going
to be added but I ran out of time and as I will be leaving soon, I will have
to add it later unless I should find the time real soon.  Any other
suggestions?  Possibly support for other MOD file players but if you want
them supported, let me know.  Right now WowII is the only one that Wowy
supports.

History:
     1.3  VGA only version with mouse support.

          More background music

     1.2  Had the Default for the DMA Buffer set to 32000 when it should have
          been 31000.  Fixed.

          Wowy no longer Shells out to play a mod.  It completely exits and
          run WOWII and then runs Wowy again.  This ensures all available
          memory is there for the mod player.

          Fixed a small bug where it would only show 7 columns instead of 8.

     1.1  Fixed a small time bug when running all the MODS

          Wowy now creates a Wowy.CFG.  Makes running the program a bit
          faster.

          Added some background Menu Music while you are waiting to make your
          MOD file selection.

     1.0  Initial release!