@database 076d3bd8-0 @master StusCDXLGUI.guide @$VER: Stu's CDXL GUI Guide File v1.2 @author "Stuart Tomlinson (stuart@tomonet.demon.co.uk)" @(c) "Stuart Tomlinson (stuart@tomonet.demon.co.uk)" @node "Main" "StusCDXLGUI.guide" @next "Legal" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: v1.2 Copyright @{"Stuart Tomlinson" link "Author" 0} 1995 This program is Mailware, if you use it, mail me, telling me if you liked it or not, and if you've found s/some bug(s). Which you probably will knowing me. :) The more mails I get, the more people I know want it, so the program will get advanced faster! See @{"About Me" link "Author" 0} for my address. * @{" Legal things " link "Legal" 0} * @{"  What is it?  " link "About" 0} * @{" What do I need? " link "Requirements" 0} * @{" How do I use it?" link "Usage" 0} * @{" Any hints? " link "Hints" 0} * @{" What it was. " link "History" 0} * @{"Things need doing" link "To Do" 0} * @{"Thanks and Hellos" link "Credits" 0} * @{" About Me " link "Author" 0} @endnode @node "Legal" "Legal" @next "About" @prev "Main" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: Legal things Copyright: Stu's CDXL GUI, it's AmigaGuideŽ documentation, and the associated file StusCDXLGUI.dosbit remain the property and Copyright of it's author, Stuart Tomlinson. Stu's CDXL GUI is NOT public domain, but it is freely distributable. It MAY be placed on CoverDisks, PD disks, etc. but NO files must be modified in anyway, or removed from the archive. The archive when archived MUST remain complete, the ONLY things which are allowed to be added to the archive are backdrops. It may not be sold for profit, except a small charge for copying, etc. It MAY be placed on Cover CDs, but NOT on PD CD's (except for Fred Fish and Aminet). The ONLY exception is for Amiga User International magazine, who may do what they like with the files, as long as this guide stays with the program, as I trust them. Permission to do any of the above which is denied can be obtained from myself, where I see fit. Disclaimer: This program is provided as is. If it ruins anything it's not my fault. You use it at your own risk. You cannot sue me because of anything this program does! @endnode @node "About" "About" @next "Requirements" @prev "Legal" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text} In one sentence, this program allows you to comfortably to play CDXL video files. It has loads of snazzy features, like a catalogue/database, and loads of lovely buttons to click on. :) @endnode @node "Requirements" "Requirements" @next "Usage" @prev "Features" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: Requirements * ARexx * Kickstart 2.04 or higher * cdgsxl.new * Some CDXL files * Some IFF backdrops if you want to use the backdrop option And libraries: * rexxreqtools.library * rexxsyslib.library * reqtools.library, Version 38 or higher * diskfont.library Where can CDXL files be found? Commodore Demo Disk (the one with Dangerous Streets and Wing Commander) CD32 Advert Rise of the Robots demo Amiga CD! (in Amiga User International) Amiga CD! Issue 1 CD32 Advert Editorial Amiga CD! Issue 2 CD32 Advert Editorial FMV Cartridge Bit Trivia Pursuit Seek and Destory Alien War Last Action Hero Les Visitours And another one I forgot I'm sure.... Amiga CD! Issue 3 Editorial In the Line of Fire No Where to Run Labyrinth of Time Fury of the Furries Disposable Hero Amiga CD32 Magazine Issue 1 Microprose Logo Pirates! Gold intro And many other places as well.... BUT! The big question? Why did no-one make a game with CDXLs.... @endnode @node "Usage" "Usage" @next "Hints" @prev "Requirements" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: How to use it! Quite simple, but a summary of the options are here: MAIN MENU: 1. Colour Correction: This corrects a lot of the faults with HAM, and increases the quality throughout. Unless you want to see what it looks like without this, I would leave this on permanatly. 2. Speed: Allows you to adjust the speed of the clip. Change this to slow just for the s i l l y s l o w voices if you want. :) 3. Interlace: This gives, to all those who only know the good points of Gloom over Fears, 0.5 pixels to the virtical axis. To the rest of us it's Interlace. 4. Resolution: On high, to those fitting the catagory above, it gives 0.5 pixels resolution on the horizontal axis. With Interlace as well it's 0.5 x 0.5. But to the rest of us it's HiRes. 5. Box: When using a backdrop, if there is a colour OTHER than black DIRECTLY to the left of the video, then lots of horrible red lines appear. This puts a black box around the video to stop this. 6. Stretched: Other wise know as SDBL mode. As CDXL is played on a copperscreen, it can easily be stretched making it blocky, but filling more/all of the screen. :) 7. Screenmode: Well, do you have a PAL telly/monitor or an NTSC one? Basically if you live in North America you will have NTSC, while the rest of us have PAL. NOTE: As of yet this program has not been tested in NTSC mode, as I only have access to PAL. If someone using NTSC uses this program please tell me if this button works or not! Thank you. 8. Pointer: Faily odvious really. When the video screen is selected do you want your mouse pointer seen or not? Note that your pointer could change colour with the video. 9. End Delay: How long shall the last frame stay on screen once the video has finished? This is counted in frames, so if you have PAL, and you put 300, it will stay on for 6 seconds, for the same time in NTSC, you will need to put 360. PAL = 50 frames a second NTSC = 60 frames a second 10. Loop: How many times should the clip be played? If it is set to one it will continue for ever or until the ABORT button is pressed (See next). 11. Button to Abort: If you want to quit the clip before the amount of LOOPS has been completed, which button should be pressed, if any? FIRE = Fire on Joystick in Joystick port. LMB = Left Mouse Button in Mouse port. RMB = Right Mouse Button in Mouse port. NONE = No way out until it is finished! (not recommended) 12. CD-Rom Drive Type: Some people have had problems using this program earlier. Changing this option from CD32 to OTHER will improve compatability with other systems. If you have problems using it on CD32, try OTHER. OTHER MENU: These are faily simple options and so do not really need documenting that much. The Filename and Backdrop options take you into the database bit. Here you can change the current filename/backdrop to one in the list or to a totally new one. X/Y Position allows you to alter the position of the video, in pixels. Default X means it's in the centre horizontally, and Default Y means it's at the top of the screen. Add Filename/Add Backdrop: IMPORTANT: AS OF YET THERE ARE ***NO*** EDITING OR DELETION TOOLS FOR THESE SECTIONS. IF YOU ADD SOMETHING TO EITHER CATALOGUE, THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF IT FROM WITHIN THE PROGRAM IS TO ERASE THE WHOLE CATALOGUE OF FILENAMES AND BACKDROPS. When you add a filename, it also adds the stretched variable with it, so this variable will also be restored when retrieving from the catalogue. The backdrop option also retains the position variables and BOX variable with it. DISK MENU Save Current: This option saves all the options on the MAIN and OTHER menus and so will be restored upon reloading Stu's CDXL GUI. Revert to Defaults: This will change everything upon startup to the settings when you unarchived the file. Erase Catalogue: VERY DANGEROUS OPTION! This will erase the catalogue file, and thus erase everything you have wrote to it, leaving both the Filename and Backdrop list with ten free spaces. @endnode @node "Hints" "Hints" @next "History" @prev "Usage" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: Hints Q: When I view a clip on some backgrounds I get lots of horrible red lines. What do I do? A: Turn BOX on, this will draw a black box around the clip erasing these lines (which are caused by using the HAM screenmode, which CDXL uses). Q: It judders like a jumping record, repeating some parts. How do I stop this? A: You have some CPU intensive programs running in the background. Disable some of them. Some of the main culprits are: Virus_Checker (scans all the video that comes in) Remind (always checking the time) And the like. Q: When I click on Go it doesn't play, and just gives me an error. A: Try it on CD-Rom Drive Type: OTHER instead of CD32. Q: When I click on Go, I get no error, but it just brings up my window again, nothing has happened, not film, nothing. A: You probably have it on NTSC. This mode is untested, but this is the effect of putting it in NTSC has on me. If you are using a NTSC Amiga and this option DOES NOT WORK, then mail me about it! I only have PAL, so I cannot test this option. @endnode @node "History" "History" @next "To Do" @prev "Hints" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: History 1.2 This is mainly a bug-fix release. Lots of bugs fixed. Now there is no chance of any conflicting options being selected. The s on frames and times is removed when they are only 1. :) Added CD32 and OTHER options as on some systems the default setting is incompatable. Basically, it now works on loads more CD-ROM drives. :) 1.1 Proper release of Stu's CDXL GUI. Added a few more error requesters and a decent guide. Removed Multitasking option as I couldn't get it to work on my Amiga, even though I'm sure I had it working before. Changed Speed option from a number (which didn't work properly) to a SLOW/NORMAL option. 1.0Beta1 Only released to a few friends. Added catalogue options, added config save options, added backdrop support, added position support. Basically, all the goodies were wrote now. Still no decent doc though. 0.1 Only released to ftp.demon.co.uk Just the options set by CDGSXL were included, except for backdrop and position. @endnode @node "To Do" "To Do" @next "Credits" @prev "History" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: To Dp Add catalogue editing things from within Stu's CDXL GUI. Add lots more/unlimited spaces in catalogue. Add any screenmode your machine/monitor can handle, including VGA, DblPAL, etc, as well as SuperHires (0.25). This will be done next release, okay John? ;) Linking/Programming of CDXL files, have many played in a string. Anything else I can think of. Suggestions are recommended to be mailed to me. @endnode @node "Credits" "Credits" @next "Author" @prev "To Do" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: Thank yous and hellos: I would like to thank: John Helliwell, for betatesting. John Hellowell and Rick Gibson, for bug reports. Malcolm Ogden, for being the only person I know physically who doesn't only use his Amiga for games. Steve Collins, for me massacreing his AmigaGuide file to make my own. Gary Fenton, for writing such brilliant articles in AUI, and for being great. Scott Johnston, for writing the best game in the world, Hired Guns. Stian Olsen, for writing Interplay, the great CD player. Steven Spielburg, for doing a great job on the movie of Casper. Amiga Industries, Commodore, Amiga Technologies, ESCOM, for the Amiga. And hello to: Terrance Boyes, Philip Stewart-Jones (where are you now?), Philip Stokes, Leo Davidson, Brian Skreeg, Dan Cannon, Simon Brown, Mark White, Darren, DAz, Sylvia Wrigley, Dennis Evans, Neil Brewwit, Gareth Edwards, Tick, and anyone I know who I forgot. @endnode @node "Author" "Author" @prev "Credits" @{fg highlight}Stu's CDXL GUI@{fg text}: About the Author It was programmed and thought up by: Stuart Tomlinson E-Mail: stuart@tomonet.demon.co.uk WWW: http://metro.turnpike.net/~stu/ IRC: Casper (Casper_ when in use) Stuart Antony Tomlinson was born on the 2nd of January 1980, and lives in Droylsden, which is in Manchester, England. He is a big Amiga user, and detests most other forms of operating system. In fact, the only thing which he likes the same/more than the Amiga, is Casper the friendly ghost, both the animated version and the movie. In fact, watching Casper changed him, his attitude, and his whole look on life. Yes, one character did that much. :) He currently owns a CD32 with SX-1, for which he uses to access the Internet. From there upon request he setup the SX-1 mailing list, which you can find out about by: Mailing, SX1-request@tomonet.demon.co.uk with HELP in the body, or look at it's WWW page at http://metro.turnpike.net/~stu/sx1.html @endnode