MULTIPLE EVENT LIST CREATION AND PLAYBACK SYSTEM Version 2 (OCTOBER 15 1995) by Patrick Beaudine written for "HELM" V1.67 (by Eagle Tree Software) other products mentioned: "SCALA" (by SCALA INC.) "Deluxe Video III" (by Electronic Arts) "One Stop Music Shop" (by Blue Ribbon Soundworks) "DeluxePaint" (by Electronic Arts) Programs in the public domain: "WBRun" Authors: Sylvain Rougier, Pierre Carrette. parm.library Authors: Sylvain Rougier, Pierre Carrette. (used to run the "One Stop Music Shop"'s 'Loop Back' program) "MidiPlay" copyright 1993 Janne Syväniemi (used to play MIDI files) This archive contains: HELMFileChecker.info HELMFileChecker MultiScriptPlayer.info MultiScriptPlayer MultiPlayerScala MultiPlayerScala.info MultiBaseScala MultiBaseScala.info (All the above books should be put into the HELM: or HELM:books/ directory.) midiplay midiplay.info midiplay.doc midiplay.doc.info midiplay.guide midiplay.guide.info midi.library (used by midiplay) WBrun WBrun.c WBrun.doc WBrun.doc.info parm.library (used by WBrun) MultiSCALA.readme (this file you are reading) MultiSCALA.info HELMFileChecker =========== Checks, displays information and plays SMUS, 8SVX, ILBM, ANIM, MIDI, TEXT files. This book can be used to see what instruments an SMUS file contains, or what track names an SMUS file that uses MIDI channels contains. An SMUS file that uses MIDI channels will be played through the serial port by HELM. You can get information from an 8SVX sound file such as how many seconds it takes the sound file to play. If an ANIM file was saved using 'DeluxePaint' by Electronic Arts you can get the frames per second and how many seconds the ANIM plays. You can all the info on number of colors and the type of display needed to show either an ILBM or ANIM file as well, plus much more. This info is created via AREXX scripts that are stored as resources. The info for a MIDI file is provided by the 'midiplay' program which is stored in the C: directory. The MIDI file info is similar to the info given by the SMUS file info. Help is available via the HELP key. MultiBaseScala =============== Allows storage of 9 events per page. The events may be: SMUS: simple music file type MThd: MIDI music file type 8SVX: sound or instrument file type VDEO: Deluxe Video III (Electronic Arts program from 1986-92) file type TEXT: text file type ILBM: picture file type ANIM: animation file type If you have SCALA the events can be saved as a HELM generated AREXX script that can be played by the 'ScalaMMPlayer' that comes with SCALA. A SCALA editor is built into 'MultiBaseScala' with a HELP file to assist in fine tuning SCALA AREXX scripts. You can add to the 9 events per page via an APPEND SCALA button which appends to a previously saved HELM generated SCALA AREXX script using the current page event list. The 9 events can also be played using HELM itself via the TESTSEQ button. This button saves the event list as a function called 'PlayIt()'. You can save this HELM generated function script to a file and load it into the 'MultiScriptPlayer' book to play it. The SCALA AREXX script is a standalone AREXX program. It will work from a CLI or can be executed from any HELM book via the HELM 'AREXX' command. This means you can also store the script as a text resource in the HELM book that uses it. from a HELM script: load text "\sScalaScript1.rexx" into temp save temp as "ram:ScalaScript1.rexx AREXX "ram:ScalaScript1.rexx" waitmessage ' SCALA's AREXX player will play the script while HELM waits. or from a CLI window on WorkBench: rx scalascript.arexx Help is available via the HELP key. MultiScriptPlayer ================= This is a bare bones book that contains all the resources and functions to play a 'MultiBaseScala' 'PlayIt()' function that was generated by the 'MultiBaseScala' book, and can be used as a starting point if you want to build a book around 'PlayIt()'. A single button appears on the form of the book that has the code to load and play a script. MultiPlayerScala =========== Plays events that can be played by the MultiBaseScala book and also allows you to play and edit and save SCALA AREXX scripts that were generated by the MultiBaseScala book. Both MultiBaseScala and MultiPlayerScala have an OPTIONS panel that allows you to save the file specification of the locations of the 'ScalaMMPlayer' if you are using SCALA, the One Stop Music Shop's 'Loop Back' program if you have 'One Stop Music Shop', and the DeluxeVideo III player 'DVPlayer' if you use 'Deluxe Video III' by Electronic Arts. NOTE: No Deluxe VIdeo III or SCALA ARexx scripts may be played without the file specifications set in the options panel. If you set the file specs of the 'Loop Back' when you next run the 'MultiBaseScala' or 'MultiPlayerScala' books then the 'Loop Back' program will be automatically run if it is not allready running via the supplied 'WBRun' program, which should have been installed into the C: directory. Periodically you will have to streamline the above books since you will be adding information to the book. 'MultiScriptPlayer' loads the scripts it plays into the FORM script. 'MultiPlayerScala' and 'MultiBaseScala' allows you to edit SCALA scripts. MultiBaseScala saves pages of data. 'HELMFileChecker' display information in a text field. midiplay ======== Used to play midi files. Midiplay should be placed in the C: directory. midi.library ============ Used by midiplay to play MIDI files. This file should be placed into the libs: directory. WBRun ===== WBRun is used to run the "Loop Back" program for One Stop Music Shop. I need to use this program in order to get information via AREXX that this task is running. WBRun should be placed into the C: directory. Placing the 4 books in a directory other than HELM: or HELM:books/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can GO to the MultiPlayerScala, MultiBaseScala, HELMFileChecker, and MultiScriptPlayer in a directory via entering the specific directory name into the Preferences for each of the 4 books. Open the Preferences requester in each of the 4 books and enter the directory where the 4 books are stored. When HELM uses the GO command to go to a book HELM looks in this directory preferences list to see if the book is located there. ====================================================================== TUTORIAL using the MultiBaseScala book --------------------------------------- 1. Start HELM and install the names of the 4 books into the BookShelf next to each other. 2. Open the 'MultiBaseScala' book. Note the HELMMULTI menu. You can open the other books that were in this archive from this menu. 3. Select the first event button from the vertical left hand column of event buttons. You can also press the HELP key and get info on what this column of buttons does by pressing on this first button. 4. Install the file name of either an ANIM (animation), ILBM (picture), SMUS (music), MThd (MIDI music file), (TEXT (text file), 8SVX (sound file), or a VDEO ('Deluxe Video III') into the first and second events in the event list. If you chose an ANIM: put the number of loops you want the ANIM to play in the text field to the right ofo the file name text field. If you chose an ILBM: put the number of seconds you want the ILBM to show in the text field to the right ofo the file name text field. If you chose an SMUS: put the number of loops you want the SMUS to play in the text field to the right ofo the file name text field. Remember to set the place where HELM will find the INSTRUMENTS for the SMUS file. This is located in the preferences menu item in HELM. There can be more than 1 path location where HELM can look for instruments. If the SMUS file is a MIDI type then the internal instruments will not be used. If you chose a MIDI: put the number of loops you want the MIDI to play in the text field to the right ofo the file name text field. Also be sure you have your MIDI equipment hooked up to the AMIGA and turned ON. If you don't the save your work, close HELM, and turn OFF the Amiga and hook up your MIDI gear. If you chose a TEXT: put the number of seconds you want the text to show in the text field to the right ofo the file name text field. This number is only of consequence to a SCALA generated script. HELM will use the SHOW TEXT command which requires you to press the close button to close the text display window. If you chose a VDEO: the number is of no consequence since Deluxe Video III has it's own time line editor. My recommendation is that you place a SMUS, MIDI, or 8SVX file as the first event. This asynchronous event then be then played over the synchronous second event where you can show a ANIM or ILBM while the music is playing. You can also examine an event via the HELMMULTI menu which has a menu item called 'Examine Event' you can only examine events the correspond to the above event types. 5. Press the tiny red button above the column of text fields where you entered the numbers. This button will generate a chart for the 2 events. If the file was an ANIM file you saved from DeluxePaint the length of time that the ANIM will play will be put into the field to the right of the number field. Timings cannot be generated for MIDI, VDEO, or SMUS files. Timings are generated and charted for TEXT, ILBM, ANIM, and 8SVX files. 6. Press the tiny red button to the right of the red button you pressed in step 5. You will get a count of the amount of time that can be totaled. 7. Press the red 'Play' button to the right of each field to verify each file name. If the event was a 8SVX sound you can stop it if it is still playing by pressing the SOUND STOP button at the top of the page. If it is a MIDI file you can stop the MIDI file from playing by pressing the MIDI STOP button at the top of the page. When you play or stop an event using this red 'Play' button a small read out of the type of file played is played into the green status field above the MIDI STOP button. 8. Press the Black TESTSEQ button at the lower right hand corner of the display. The 2 events you generated will be played back. You will then be asked if you want to save the event list. Answer yes and save the event list to ram disk. 9. Select the MultiMenu and go the the 'MultiScriptPlayer' book. 10. After the 'MultiScriptPlayer' book opens press the grey button in the lower right hand corner and load in the test sequence file you just saved to RAM DISK. The file will play. 11. Select the MultiMenu and return to the 'MultiBaseScala' book. 12. Press the green button in the middle column of the display for the first event. The button will turn red. 12. Press the NEW function button. You will be asked if you want to NEW ONLY or make a blank page, or COPY and NEW which means you will copy some or all paths to the new page. Select COPY and NEW. The requester now asks to copy SELECTED PATHS or COPY ALL. Press SELECTED PATHS. A paths list requester now appears. You will see that the first event where you pressed the GREEN/RED toggle button down to RED is listed as an UNDEFINED PATH. By toggling the GREEN/RED toggle button to RED you have exluded this field from being copied to the new page. Now press the OK button on the paths requester. The new page will now appear with the path for event 2. The purpose of copying paths is so that the directory path will be used in the file requester when you create a new event. 13. Press the event button for the 2nd event. Note that the path you copied from the first page for the 2nd event appears in the file requester. Load a file from the path to create the 2nd event and repeat steps 4-6 above. 14. Now press the NAME button from the vertical strip of function buttons. Enter 'TESTPAGE 2' in the ask requester and press return. 15. Now press the PREVIOUS button from the vertical strip of function buttons to take you back to the first page. 16. Press the HELP button and locate the first event load button. Under the first load event button is a narrow green button. Press the HELP mouse pointer over this button. A blackboard should appear that reads "Copies the corresponding field or pastes the last copied field." Press the HELP button again to end the HELP. Note that there is a copy/paste button for each event underneath the each load event button. 17. Now press the copy/paste paste button for event 1. A requester will appear asking if you wish to copy or paste for event 1. Select COPY. 18. Now press the INDEX button from the vertical strip of function buttons. Select 'TESTPAGE 2' in the INDEX requester. You will now be taken back to page 2. 19. Press the copy/paste button for the empty event 1 of page 2. Select PASTE. The first event from page 1 is now pasted into the first event for page 2. 20. Verify that the file paths are correct by pressing the blue PATHS button in the lower left hand corner of the display. PATHS checks only the paths. You will use this option when you have copied paths when creating a new page. FILES checks both the path and file. You will use this option when you have constructed complete events. Go to the path textfield in event 1 and delete a letter in the path name so that it is incorrect and repeat this step and you will get a report on the event number and event name that is bad. 21. Verify you are on 'TESTPAGE 2'. Press the INDEX function button and select 'TESTPAGE 2' from the INDEX requester. Press CANCEL if you allready on the page 'TESTPAGE 2'. 22. You will now delete a file name but keep the path of that file name. Press the GREEN/RED toggle button for event 1 so that is is RED (pressed down). Press the HELP key on the Amiga keyboard and select the small narrow RED button above the column of file name text fields. After you have read the HELP blackboard press the HELP key again and then click on the red button to delete file names only. A requester will verify that you wish to delete the file name. Select DELETE. Note the file name is cleared but the path name is kept intact. 23. Press the small narrow red button on top of the column of GREEN/RED toggle buttons. This will turn all the toggle buttons GREEN. 24. Press the GREEN/RED toggle button for event 2. Locate the small RED narrow button on top of the column of PATH textfields. Press this button. Select DELETE. The entire 2nd event is deleted. 25. Now delete all of page "TESTPAGE 2' by pressing the delete function button. 26. Look at the page counter in the upper right hand corner and see if it reads page 1. If not then click on the FIRST function button to go to the first page. 27. We will now copy the entire page. Select the NEW function button. Select 'COPY and NEW' mode. When the next requester appears select COPY ALL. Page 1 will copied and inserted to become page 2. 28. Select the blue 'CLEAR' button in the lower left hand corner of the display. Press FILES. All of the FILE NAMES ONLY are deleted. 29. Select the blue 'CLEAR' button in the lower left hand corner of the display. Press PATHS. All of the FILE AND PATH NAMES are deleted. 30. The comment field at the bottom of the page is deleted separately. Locate the small red button above the comment field. This will delete the comment field. 31. Press the DELETE function button again to delete this page. Note: you cannot delete the last remaining page of a book. This ends the MultiBaseScala tutorial. ====================================================================== HELMFileChecker TUTORIAL 1. Open the HELMFileChecker book. Plays the file types supported by the MultiBaseScala book and displays info about these file types. 2. Move via the file requester to a file of the supported type. See the tutorial above for the supported types. Remember MIDI or SMUS files that play through the serial port can only be heard if MIDI equipment is hooked up properly. SMUS files that use the 4 internal AMIGA sound channels will sound like a quartet of flutes if you don't tell HELM where to look for the instruments that are used to play the SMUS file. You can get info about the instrument names that a SMUS file uses before you play the SMUS file. You must then tell HELM the directory of these instruments via setting these directories in the Preferences/Music requester. You can open this requester by pressing the '=>' button and then pressing the PREFS function button. When the requester opens, press the MUSIC button. You will see a list gadget at the bottom of the display. If the instruments are stored inside the HELMFileChecker as a resource you can enter \s as one of the places to check for SMUS instruments. When HELM plays a MIDI file or a SMUS file with MIDI channels the MIDI button turns blue color. When an SMUS file plays using internal instruments the MIDI button toggles to a gray color. 3. Select a file. 4. Press the PLAY button. The info for the file will be shown and then you will have the option of showing the file. Play the file. 5. Press the '<=' button. A sliding panel opens to the LEFT of the file requester. You will now see 4 toggle function buttons. When the button is down (blue color) the button is ON else it is off (gray color). 6. Turn OFF the INFO button. 7. Repeat steps 3 and 4 above. This time NO info is shown for the file but you will still have the option to play the file. 8. Now turn OFF the REQS button. 9. Repeat steps 3 and 4 above. This time NO info is shown for the file and the option requester to play the file will NOT appear. The file will play immediately after it is loaded. 10. Press the '=>' button. The right panel slides open. Press PREFS. Press MUSIC in the Preferences requester. This is where you set the directories that HELM searches for SMUS instruments when an SMUS file that uses the AMIGA's 4 internal sound channels is being played. 11. Press the ABOUT function button in the right panel. A text field opens. You can see what the information that is displayed for a supported file type is all about. 12. Press OK to close the ABOUT textfield. 13. Press the HELP key on the AMIGA keyboard to see HELP for each of the buttons in the left and right panels. 14. Press the HELP mouse pointer over the PATHS button in the right panel. When this button is down the last file name in the file requester is saved to a hidden textfield when you close the HELMFileChecker book. 15. Turn OFF the HELP mouse pointer by again pressing the HELP key on the AMIGA keyboard. 16. The toggle button settings in the left panel are saved when you close the HELMFileChecker book. For now, toggle all these buttons to ON (blue color) and close the right and left panels by pressing the '<=' and '=>' buttons. This ends the HELMFileChecker tutorial. ===================================================================== SCALA TUTORIAL using the MultiBaseScala book. (SCALA is an excellent display program made by SCALA INC.) 1. Create a list of events as described in Tutorial 1 above in the 'MultiBaseScala' book. 2. Press the CREATE SCALA SCRIPT button. A SCALA AREXX script will be generated that will allow you to play back the event list using the 'ScalaMMPlayer' program that comes with SCALA. 3. Save the HELM generated SCALA AREXX script to a file. 4. Press the OPTIONS function button in the vertical function button strip at the right of the display. Set the file location of the AREXX 'ScalaMMPlayer' program. This will most likely be located in the directory location where SCALA was installed. If you have allready done this step then you can omit it since the file specification is saved in a hidden textfield. 4. Press the RUN SCALA SCRIPT button. You will get an error if you press this button when HELM cannot find 'ScalaMMPlayer'. 5. Locate the SCALA AREXX script you created in steps 2 and 3 and select it in the file requester. The SCALA script will be checked to see if it was generated by HELM and will then play the script via the 'ScalaMMPlayer'. You will notice a smooth double buffered display of the event list. You can interrupt the playback by pressing the ESCAPE key on the AMIGA keyboard. 6. Create a NEW page. 7. Create 2 events in the events list on this new page. 8. Press the APPEND SCALA button. 9. Enter the name of the file you previously played above in the file requester. The 2 events you just created will be appended to the end of the events in the event list from the file. 10. Enter the name of the file for the appended event list in the file requester. 11. You may now run this new appended script via pressing the RUN SCALA SCRIPT button. 12. Press the SCALA EDIT button. The HELM SCALA editor will appear. Press the green HELP button in the HELM SCALA editor. A HELP list will be shown that explains the events that HELM generated. 13. Press the RUN SCALA SCRIPT button in the HELM SCALA editor. You will be asked whether to run the HELM generated SCALA AREXX from the editor or from a file. Select FILE. Run the same SCALA AREXX script you ran in step 11. 14. Press LOAD SCALA SCRIPT. 15. Press the RUN SCALA SCRIPT button in the HELM SCALA editor. You will be asked whether to run the HELM generated SCALA AREXX from the editor or from a file. Select EDITOR. The SCALA AREXX script in the HELM SCALA editor will now be played. NOTE: you cannot play back a HELM generated script without 'MultiBaseScala' knowing the location of the 'ScalaMMPlayer' program. This file specification was set in step 4 above. The 'MultiPlayerScala' book can also play back and edit HELM generated SCALA AREXX scripts if you set the location of the AREXX 'ScalaMMPlayer' program in the options panel. This ends the SCALA tutorial. Patrick Beaudine OCT 15, 1995