------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @2 ______________ /\____________________ /\____ _____/\__________ \_____________\/ /\___________________\/ /\___\ ____\/\_________\ \________ \/_ \_ ___________ \/ / ./_ \_ _____/ / / / .// _____/ _/ / /// _____/ \/_ ___/___ //_________ /_____/___ /\__________/_____ ___ / Y \/ \/ \/ Y \/ : N.E.R.V.E! A.X.|.S! : .______________ /\ ___ _____/\ __________________ . \_____________\/ /\___\_____\/\______\___________\ \________ \/_ / __/ \ / _____/ / / / ./ . /\___ \ \/_ ___/___ /_____/___ //_____\ /________ __/[Sk!n] Y \/ \/ \/ Y : . @4KHUL OF -NERVE AXIS- @1PRESENTS @3MAGNUM V1.7 - RELEASED ON THE 15TH JULY 1993!@1 NOW THE PROGRAM WILL RUN ON ALL AMIGAS, INC. A500+, A600, AND A1200. ENJOY! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @2INTRODUCTION@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Magnum is a utility that allows you to make disk magazines with ease. It uses a system that has been tried, tested, and is now used with the majority of disk magazines. It follows the style of Raw, Grapevine, Deadlock, Hexagone, Big Business, Classifieds, Scene Talk, etc. Of course, using this program doesn`t replace your own coded versions, but if you don`t know how to code, or haven`t got the time and want to produce a disk magazine, then Magnum is all you`ll probably need. @2HOW DOES MAGNUM WORK ?@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Magnum works by reading a text file called Magnum.index from disk. This file is configured to your needs. It details the title of your article and the path from which it is to be loaded, and also the colours you want. Magnum.panel contains your panel gfx. Music and a title page are optional. This "index" file could also be called a configuration file. @2ENTERING ARTICLES@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Each article is to be typed and saved as a normal ASCII text file from any word processor. Note that ansi and styles (italics, bold, etc.) are not currently supported. Once you have your articles ready on a blank disk you can use Magnum. Try to keep each article to no more than 200 pages (4800 lines). Colour commands are available to choose from 7 text colours. 1-White (default) @2 2-red @3 3-yellow @4 4-green @5 5-cyan @6 6-blue @7 7-purple @1 If you don`t understand, load this file into a word processor to have a look! @2POWERPACKED FILES@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Magnum does not internally support Powerpacked graphics, text, and music files. You can avoid this problem and fit more on your disk by using a superb little utility called POWERPATCHER by Michael Berg. Just run this program before you load up the main Magnum program and you will find you can read packed files. Please read the @6PP.docs@1 for more information. @2CONTROL PANEL GFX@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The control panel you are using below can be changed to suit your taste. The graphics panel must be low-res and in 16 colours. A stencil and example is on the disk to help you (panel.iff). The panel when complete should be saved as a brush Magnum.panel onto your disk. @2GRAPHICS@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graphics can be displayed as a single page. They must be NTSC in size and standard in width (320 or 640). Pictures can be in Interlace, HAM, Low, Med, and High resolution. @2MUSIC@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music can be run in the background so you could have Octamed, TFMX or whatever music running. The Music on/off function only applies to music loaded by Magnum. Else this function is useless, and you can draw some graphics over the unused panel. (logo?). The program will know whether there is music loaded in which should be saved as modules compatible with ProTracker, PSTtracker, NoiseTracker, Soundtracker, etc. The Default magazine music should be saved under the name Magnum.music on your disk. @2TITLE PAGES@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The title page can be whatever you want, making sure that it is IFF of course. Your completed picture should be saved under the name Magnum.t1. Subsequent loading pages should be titled Magnum.t2, Magnum.t3,... until Magnum.t5. You can have upto 5 different lead up/loading pictures. @2INDEX FILE (CONFIGURATION FILE)@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now a text file must be created to tell Magnum where your articles are on the disk, and what it should show on the menu. You can load up the example file on this disk, Magnum.index . Below is an example... f00 - Colour of line at top. The number is typed in hex format and you must remember to press return afterwards... This example will be RED. fff - Top text colour. (WHITE) fff - Mouse colour (WHITE) f00 - Mouse border colour (RED) My Disk Magazine- The title of your disk magazine. (No more than 30 chars) Article 1 - A1. The name of your first article df0:drw/file - A1. Path of article (where file is on disk) Article 2 - A2. Another article... df0:drw/file - A2. Path again... *empty* - A3. Putting *empty* leaves an empty line YO DUDE! - A4. To create a message, place message and then put *empty* *empty* - A4. so that when YO DUDE! is chosen, nothing loads. King Tut - A5. To load an iff picture, place *iff*df0:d/f - A5. *iff* BEFORE the path Beethoven - A6. To load a tracker modules, place *music*mod.beet - A6. *music* BEFORE the path You can continue the name and path of this article to a maximum of 500 articles. You must also remember to press RETURN after EACH line. This file should then be saved under the name Magnum.index . @2CONTROLS@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The icons are self explanatory, and there is a help file on disk. Keyboard shortcuts are as follows. @3Esc @1= @7Return to index @3Shift + Esc @1= @7Quit @3Return @1= @7Load file @3Space bar @1= @7Goto page of index/article @3s @1= @7Sound on/off @3Up arrow @1= @7Goto 1st page of index/article @3Down arrow @1= @7Goto last page of index/article @3Left arrow @1= @7Move back a page of index/article @3Right arrow @1= @7Move forward a page of index/article @2TIDYING UP@1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So now you should have on your disk: @4Magnum.Panel @1- your gfx @4Magnum.T1-T5 @1- title pages (optional) @4Magnum.Music @1- (optional, you can use your own player or not have any music at all.) @4Magnum.Index @1- your file of names and paths Now all you have to do is to copy across the Magnum.prg file to your disk and also Diskfont.library. If you don`t know how to do this with the CLI, then load up the @3SET_UP_MAGNUM@1 program on this disk and follow all onscreen prompts. It will also create a startup-sequence (as below). Now all is needed is a startup-sequence. Make your startup boot up Magnum.Prg or your own music first, etc. eg. @4 MAGNUM.PRG @1 or @4 RUN OCTAMEDPLAYER >NIL: 1.0 (April 92) - Pre-production version. Very badly bugged, keeps crashing.