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1993-07-17
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SCREEN-FIX v2.0
by Daniel Potter (aka Sir Lancelot/Digital Infinity)
Here is a program that you have all been waiting for...SCREEN FIX!!!
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF IT BLOWS UP YOUR GAS MAIN!
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF IT DAMAGES A PART OF YOUR COMPUTER!!
(hi Jare)
What does it do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Basically, when the makers of the VGA card found that they could use a higher
resolution mode for text, they jumped at it, ruining the eyes of many, and
making every ANSI screen in the world suffer.
Since the normal VGA text mode resolution is 720x400, each character is 9
bits wide (720/80=9). This means that to define a character this large, you
would need a 9-bit byte. Since this is not feasable, they simply made it where
the right side of each character was not definable. Since this would not work
with box characters, they made a certain range of the character set where the
8th bit would be duplicated as the 9th. This is why the mouse cursor in programs
such as the Norton Utilities 6.0 does not work correctly - it uses the box
characters, and since the mouse WILL pass over a character that uses 8 bits
sometimes, the line is duplicated, making the 'stretching' effect.
What ScreenFix does is to change the horizontal resolution of the text modes
back to 640x400, thus eliminating the 9th bit. So all of the bits are definable.
This means that will not have lines between your shade characters anymore, and
the letters will be bigger, and therefore easier to read.
ScreenFix 2.0 now includes an optional palette file so that you can use the
a program such as Vga Palette Tool (VPT) and modify your text mode palette to
your liking. ScreenFix uses VPT compatible palette files, so direct saves from
that program may be used in this. A sample palette is included. This is the
palette I use.
Be aware, when you expect something to happen, and it doesn't, this program
works only on the standard VGA text modes and all strains thereof (such as
modified ones like 80x30, etc)!
Installing it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Installing the program is simple. Run INSTALL.EXE. After that, run SCRFIX.COM
and try it for a while to see if you like it. If you do not like the palette,
design another (any standard RGB file with work, with colors RED-GREEN-BLUE
such as the ones from Autodesk Animator and the likes), or delete/rename the
file. Of course, if you do this, you'll have to reboot to reinstall it to
see the changes. Right now you can't change the name of the SCRFIX.PAL file
except for with a disk editor (hehehe). Next version maybe.
Another thing to watch for - since no path names are included in the file-
name for the palette file, you must place it in the current directory for
ScreenFix to pick it up (AGAIN! WILL BE IN NEXT VERSION!)
If you like it, the choice is obvious - stick it in your autoexec!
*WARNING*!! If the files SCRFIX.COM and/or SCRFIX.PAL are included in the
archive, DO NOT USE THEM! They may include viruses, modified versions and other
unpredictable things. Only use the INSTALL.EXE program to create the correct
files from the encrypted version in that program.
Programmers!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've added a new feature you'd like, it's a ScreenFix detection call. Call
Int 10h with AX=FFFF and if screenfix is installed, it will return 0000 in AX.
Source code
~~~~~~~~~~~
Screen fix was written 100% in Borland's Turbo Assembler. It is made to
compile in the superior Ideal mode. Hopefully, in time, every one will be using
ScreenFix:)If you would like fully commented source code for ScreenFix, please
contact me at the address(es) below, I'll give it to you for 10 USDollars.
This will allow you to use it in any freeware or shareware program (basically
anything NOT commercial) all you want royalty free. The catch here is that
you have to credit me for it. Hmm.. lesse.. if you want to use it in a
commercial program, you've gotta pay me 1% of what you make on it. That seems
fair. That allows you to use it wherever you want without crediting me in any
way whatsoever. (And I do have contacts, so if you got the public source and
used it in a commercial program or something, I'll know it.)
Also the source code does NOT include source to the install program.
Requirements
~~~~~~~~~~~~
ScreenFix requires a 286 or better processor and a register compatible VGA
video card.
Problems
~~~~~~~~
All known problems have been fixed!!! Bugs reports are gladly welcome!!
Digital Infinity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am also a coder in an IBM demo-group called Digital Infinity. As of yet we
have released two demos, and the next is DifTro3. This one will be really cool
for an intro, and will use music from my 16 channel GUS composer (see
Farandole Composer).
Programmer's Oasis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Me and Matt McLelland (the other coder of Digital Infinity) sysop a board
called Programmer's Oasis. It is for everyone, despite the name, and has
support for graphics and demos, music, etc. We carry demos and programming info
for all you graphics and sound freaks out there.
Programmer's Oasis's number is (214)328-6142. 24hrs 14.4k, v.42bis.
Gravis UltraSound
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is by far and away the best sounding card for any computer, and also
has a better price than technology even similarly comparable (such as SB/16
and WaveBlaster put together which currently cost about $450), at the price
of $139 (Best Buy). Digital Infinity (the demogroup) has (and will) only
support GUS from now on.
The Ultrasound has these features:
32-channel, 16-bit, 44.1Khz digital voices using the advanced wavetable
synthesis.
A line output AND amp output, so that the line output may be used for lower
distortion.
A line input AND mic input, so you can record straight from a CD,etc or a
mic.
Speed adjusting joystick port and MIDI port.
Optional MIDI cable (can modify a SB cable to work as well).
Optional 16 bit RECORDING add on (you can only record 8 bit, but still play
back 16 bit without it).
Optional exchangeable CD-ROM interface, include Sony IDE, and soon SCSI-2.
Miles/AIL/MIDPAK/DIGPAK drivers to interface your old games to the new
standard. Sounds really completely awesome.
AWESOME SOUND!!!
The Address(es)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can write me with snail-mail at:
Daniel Potter
2828 Tolosa Dr.
Dallas, TX, 75228
Or Fido-Net with:
1:124/4232 (Programmer's Oasis in Dallas, (214)328-6142)
Or SBCNet at:
13:100/4 (Programmer's Oasis)
ShareWare
~~~~~~~~~
NOT!!!! This is begware. If you want to send money to a student who will
sell his dog (just kidding) to go to one of the demo parties, then you can
send to the address above. I'll give you the source for 5, and of course,
anything else is extra :) For anything extra, I'll send you the newest copy
of ScreenFix when it comes out. If you want me to do this, include:
1) An address to mail a disk to, OR
2) A local BBS # that I can post it to (FidoNet or SBCNet support is
preferable)
If you send me money, if you can, send it in US Dollars, otherwise find some
currency I can exchange (like Money Orders or something similar). DON'T send
me foreign currency! While it may look neat to me, it's useless in the U.S.!!
Revision History
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.0 First version that was distributed
1.2 Fixed a couple of programs that were not converted over
1.5 Removed annoying flicker and fixed the bug that caused EGA 320x200x16 to
conk out. Basically the entire function detect code was revised.
2.0 WOW! New version number! Fixed Borland bugs (finally!)! Added support for
replacing the BIOS palette in text mode. Now includes a setup
program to create SCRFIX.COM.
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU DON'T NEED MORE GLASSES.