Graphics Docs  This file includes Documentation for all files in the Graphics Drawer. They have all been combined into one to save disk space. The Docs included in this file are:  Play.Doc Clip-It.Doc SuperBreakOut.Doc View.Doc  Doc File Headers are in RED! *****************************************************************************  PLAY Documentation  Sonix Score Player 1.0 - December 1, 1987 (C) Copyright 1987 Mark Riley, All Rights Reserved. Sonix is a trademark of Aegis Development, Inc. Amiga and Workbench are trademarks of Commodore-Amiga, Inc. Some Information About PLAY =========================== PLAY is that program you've been patiently waiting for that'll let you listen to Sonix tunes without Sonix itself. Not only can you play scores, but you can also create PLAY scripts that play multiple scores, one right after the next. This allows for continuous music which is desirable for slide shows and the like. This is possible since PLAY can start a score playing, while preloading the next score. In addition, PLAY may be used from either the Workbench or the CLI. This program is ShareWare; it isn't free. If you like PLAY and want to continue to use it, please send $10 to the address below. This will make you a legal user of PLAY. Mark Riley - Play P.O. Box 234 Simi Valley, CA 93062 Thank you! Paying for PLAY will help to reimburse me for the time I spent on it, as well as to provide improved versions with time... If you have any questions or comments regarding PLAY, I can be reached at the above address or the following services: BIX: mriley - PLINK: SONIX PLAY is a quality program, well worth the money you'll spend for it. With PLAY you don't need to buy an expensive music composing program if all you want to do is listen. So, let PLAY and your Amiga rock you... Enjoy! -Mark- Important Note ============== You (as an individual) may freely redistribute PLAY in its original unaltered (and PAKed) state provided that you do not charge money for the program. PLAY is intended for private use only. It is copyrighted software. It may not be used (in full or in part) for commercial applications, nor may it be used for demonstration purposes associated with commercial applications. If it is your desire to do so, I may be reached at the above address or at (805) 583-8173 to discuss licensing arrangements for including PLAY or its object code routines into your application. What You've Got Here ==================== This file "Play.pak" was created by another utility I put together called Pak (which is now floating around the various BBS's.) In addition to the PLAY files, I've thrown in my LED program which swaps in/out the audio filter on an Amiga 500 or 2000. Play The Sonix score player itself Play.doc The file you are now reading Play.info An icon for the score player Score.info A generic score icon Script.info A generic script file icon Scores.info A generic scores drawer icon LED Swaps audio filter on A500/A2000 LED.info Icon for the LED program Playing Scores from the Workbench ================================= Before you can use PLAY from the Workbench, there's a little setting up to do. First off, PLAY and it's ".info" file should be copied to the root directory of the disk that contains your Sonix scores. Secondly, if your scores are located in a directory other than the root, you need to copy the "Scores.info" drawer icon into the score directory's parent directory. If your score directory is named "My Tunes" then the drawer icon should be named "My Tunes.info". Thirdly, you need to make copies of the "Score.info" icon file for each score and place them in the same directory as that score. These icons must have the same name as the score file with ".info" appended at the end. If a score is named "Jingle Bells.smus" then the corresponding icon should be named "Jingle Bells.smus.info". If the instruments for a particular score are in a different directory, then you must specify where they are in the icon file. To do this, select the icon for the score, then select the Info item in the Workbench menu. In the Tool Types box type the pathname of the instrument directory after the "I=" and Save the info file. Relative pathnames such as "I=/Instruments" are ok here. Now, just double click on a score icon and it should load and play. You may also use extended selection to play multiple scores in the order they were selected. If PLAY encounters a problem and can't load the score it will "beep" the display and try to load the next score (if any.) If you wish to stop playing a score, double click on the PLAY icon. Also, if you try to play a score while another is playing, the new score will override the previous one. Playing Scores from the CLI =========================== Usage: PLAY [*] [I=instrdir] score[.SMUS] If you plan on using PLAY from the CLI then copy "Play" to your commands "c:" directory. Just specify the pathname for the instruments directory and the pathname for the score, and PLAY will load and play that score. You don't need to type the ".smus" part of the score name as PLAY will do that for you if necessary. Use quotes if a pathname has spaces in it. If you want PLAY to run asynchronously, add the asterisk as the first parameter. This works better than "run" because it allows you to perform an "endcli" properly. This is useful for playing songs from a startup sequence. To stop a score while playing, just issue a Ctrl-C to abort (if PLAY is running asynchronously then use "play *" or start another score playing to abort the original score.) Example: 1> dir Scores (dir) Instruments (dir) 1> dir scores Jingle Bells.smus Cameo.smus YTV.smus 1> play i=instruments "scores/jingle bells" 1> cd scores 1> play i=/instruments ytv cameo.smus 1> cd /instruments 1> play * /scores/cameo 1> Creating & Using PLAY Scripts ============================= PLAY scripts basicly allow you to sequence through many songs back-to-back. This feature is especially useful for slide shows or demonstrations that require backround music. You might even want to setup a sequence of songs you want your Amiga to play in the backround while you are busy with other tasks. One important feature of PLAY scripts is that they enable you to play one score while loading the next. This way you get continuous music since no time is spent loading a score between songs. To create a PLAY script, you need a text editor of some type. PLAY scripts consist of a series of options seperated by spaces, commas, or carriage returns. Most options consist of a letter, an equals sign "=", and an argument. If an argument (such as a pathname) has spaces in it then enclose that argument in quotes. When you save your PLAY script, you might want to use the extension ".play" so that you can distinguish PLAY scripts from other types of files. PLAY script options are discussed in the next section. You may start a PLAY script from either the Workbench or the CLI. You must put a copy of the "Script.info" icon file in the same directory with your PLAY script (appropriately renamed.) Just double-click on the icon to start your script playing. To invoke a PLAY script from the CLI you use the following: Usage: PLAY [*] P=script In addition to aborting a PLAY script with a Ctrl-C, you may stop the current song and skip to the next with a Ctrl-E. When invoked from a CLI, PLAY can report any errors it encounters within a script file. Example: 1> dir Scores (dir) Instruments (dir) Demo.play 1> dir scores Cool.smus Cameo.smus Rollover.smus YTV.smus 1> type demo.play ;This is a demo PLAY script: d=scores ;Set current directory i=/instruments ;Specify instruments directory r=2 ;Repeat the following twice v=128 c=3 a=cool ;1/2 volume & repeated 3 times v=-1 a=cameo ;Use score's original volume . ;End of repeat loop r=0 ;Repeat the following forever a=rollover ;A bunch of asyncronous scores a=ytv c=2 a=cool ;Repeated twice again a=cameo . ;End of repeat loop 1> play p=demo.play 1> PLAY Script Options =================== These options may be used in either a PLAY script or in the command line itself. For simplicity's sake, the usage desciptors do not indicate all of these options. score A filename by itself indicates a score to be loaded and played. PLAY will append ".smus" to the filename as necessary. A=score This option tells PLAY to play the specified score and proceed immediately with loading the next score. This allows for continuously playing music. One drawback is that you need enough memory to hold two scores and their instruments into memory at one time. I=instrdir This specifies to PLAY where to look for a score's instruments. This applies to all subsequent scores until it is changed again with another "I=". Relative pathnames are ok here. D=newdir PLAY scripts inherit their current directory from the Workbench or CLI. You can specify a new current directory with this option. Relative pathnames are also legal here. C=count Specifies how many times to repeat a score. A value of zero indicates that this score is to be repeated forever (or until aborted...) The count value applies only to the next score to be played. V=volume Specifies the volume at which the following scores will be played. The valid range is from 0 to 255. A value of -1 uses the score's default volume. R=repeat This option allows you to repeat a block of options (and . scores) a number of times. The repeat block is bounded by the repeat option and a period "." (or another repeat option.) A value of zero indicates that the block is to be repeated forever. Repeat blocks only work from within PLAY scripts. ;comment A semi-colon ";" indicates that the rest of a line is a comment. P=script You may link to another PLAY script from within a PLAY script. The LED Program =============== This program toggles the brightness of the front panel LED. Also, on the Amiga 500 & 2000 it will swap in/out the audio filter. It can be started from either the Workbench or the CLI. Type "LED ?" to see the parameters for CLI invocation. While running a program that uses Amiga sound output, try double clicking on the icon and you'll notice a substantial difference when the filter gets swapped out. It's like someone took the cotton out of your ears! You may hear a squealling sound; this is the aliasing that the filter was designed to eliminate in the first place. Double clicking again will turn the filter back on. Example: (for using with the CLI) 1> play * ytv ;Play a score asynchronously 1> led ? ;Lets you see usage LED 1.1 - Mark Riley - 11/11/87 Usage: LED [DIM|BRIGHT|TOGGLE] 1> led ;Toggles status of audio filter 1> led bright ;Turns filter on 1> led dim ;Turns filter off 1> led toggle ;Same as "led" by itself 1> ****************************************************************************  ClipIt 1.1 Copyright (c) 1987 by Mike Scalora  This program is shareware. Freely distributable as long as this notice stays in. This program was originally uploaded to PeopleLink's Amiga Zone. The Amiga Zone has well over 3000 members, and a library of thousands of public domain files. If you're interested in joining us, call 800-524-0100 (voice) or 800-826-8855 (modem). This program is shareware. If you use it, please send me $10 so I can continue to not work at McDonald's so that I will have the free time to write program for you, the Amiga community. Please give ClipIt to all the Amgia users you know. Non-distributable source code is available (on disk) for $20 (Includes shareware fee!). The source code for this is Benchmark Modula-2 and assembler. To compile the source you must have Benchmark Modula-2. If you want to re-assemble the InputHandler, you must also have an assembler. (Asm68K, the PD assembler, will NOT work, sorry. It does not work with the Benchmark Modula-2 include files.) A make file will also be included. Free updates with SASMw/3.5"disk. Source shows how to: - write an InputHandler (in ASM) and interface it with Modula-2 - write simple ILBM files (1.4K routine vs. 5K for library routine) - do window iconification. Send your contribution to: Mike SCARY Scalora 342 Hurley Ave Kingston, NY 12401 NOTE to PLink users: Shareware fees can be paid using a PLink gift! Save time and stamps! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ClipIt is a utility for the Amiga that lets you take 'clips' of graphics from any screen. The 'clips' are 'clipped' into a window and can then be saved in IFF format. You can have up to 5 'clips' at any one time. You can have 'clips' on any screen**. ** 1) Some screens don't like windows on them (i.e. DPaintII) and 'clip' windows will erase what is under them. ** 2) If you close a screen while there is a 'clip' window on it, you stand a good chance of meeting the guru or locking up ClipIt. I tried this a few times to see what would happen. I never got the guru, but I locked up ClipIt every time. How to use ClipIt: To take a clip, just hold down the LEFT-Alt key and drag out an imaginary box with the mouse and the LEFT-Button. That was LEFT-Alt - LEFT-Button-drag. Got it? Good! NOTES: You can only clip from the front screen, and to get good results, you should have this screen pulled all the way up. The ClipIt window. When you run ClipIt, it opens a control window on the Workbench screen. This window is used to select options and save 'clips'. There are 5 number gadgets that select the 'clip' to be saved. The SAVE AS gadgets is used to save the 'clips'. Next to it is a string gadgets that is used to specify the file name to save the 'clip' under. The default file name is 'RAM:Clip.iff'. There is also a gadget labeled 'Clip to Workbench'. When this gadget is on, all 'clip' windows will be opened on the Workbench screen. When the 'Color' gadget is on, 'clip' windows will be opened with the border in color 3 instead of color 1. 'Kill HOT-KEYS' turns off ClipIt. While this gadget is selected, any LEFT-Alt - LEFT-Button events will be passed on to intuition. The last gadget is 'Iconify', this gadget closes the control window and opens a small 'icon' window. To open the control window back up, just click in the non-border area of the 'icon' window. ClipIt will run from both CLI and Workbench. If you run ClipIt from Workbench, a small, I'm talking small here, window will be opened in the very top left corner. How small you ask? 1 by 1! ClipIt will refuse to make clips that are too large or too small. NOTE: If you need to use Alt and the LEFT-Button on the mouse and you don't want to use 'Kill HOT-KEYS', use the RIGHT-Alt. RIGHT-Alt is NOT used by ClipIt. I was thinking of making the clip windows sizable. It would take a bit of code. Is it needed? Wadda ya thin? I was also thinking about putting in a 'save-screen' feature. Is this needed with all the PD screen savers around? If I did that, I think I would have to go to a packed ILBM file. That could turn out to be a lot of code also. If you find a bug, OR you thing you have a good idea of something else that could be put into ClipIt, please let me know. I can be reached at: People Link: SCARY Internet : SCALOR01@SNYNEWBA.bitnet CI$ : 73717,2334 (every other cold day in hell) OR - ] Mike SCARY Scalora [ - 342 Hurley Ave 7-12 Kingston, NY 12401 *****************************************************************************  SUPER BRICKOUT --------------  by James David Walley For all those with a nostalgia for the first video games, here is an all-time classic. (Did you know that the Atari arcade version was programmed by none other than Steve Wozniak?) This version is based on the first Brickout made available for the Amiga, written in ABasiC by Wayne Davison. Super Breakout is written in C, and includes a few new features: o Three games available: BRICKOUT -- The standard BRICKTHRU -- The ball keeps going until it hits a wall DOUBLE -- Two paddles and two balls o True STEREO sound o Different tones from each brick hit. Make music with your game! One note: for best game-play with the DOUBLE game, I would recommend a system with TRUE FastRam. While the game of Brickout is certainly a generic concept, this specific version is (C)opyright 1987 by Bit Player Software. The author of this program and Bit Player Software give permission for this game to be freely distributed, under the following conditions: 1) This game may not be modified, and must be distributed along with this documentation file. 2) No charge may be made for this game (user groups, public-domain disk libraries, and the like may charge a sum not exceeding $5 to defray charges for media, postage, etc.). 3) This game may NOT be uploaded to or posted on CompuServe without written permission of the author and Bit Player Software. Until such time as CompuServe ceases to claim copyright over all programs uploaded to it, and readmits John Foust to the AmigaForum, such permission will be AUTOMATICALLY denied. If you enjoy Super Brickout, your contributions would be welcomed. We are a new software company that would like to be able to go the shareware route as much as possible. In order to help us do that, please send any contributions to: Bit Player Software 9021 Evergreen Way--Suite 130 Everett, WA 98204-7118 We thank you for your support. *****************************************************************************  VIEW Documentation  IFF (ILBM) Picture VIEWer 1.0 - January 1, 1988 (C) Copyright 1987 Mark Riley, All Rights Reserved. VIEW is a *small* utility for displaying IFF pictures. Now, I realize that there are plenty of IFF viewers out there already, but I thought that this one would be of interest because of its small size (only 600 bytes.) There's no fancy anything in VIEW, since it is optimized for size. This means no error messages or built in usage facilities. Thus, VIEW is the smallest, tiniest, dirtiest IFF picture VIEWer in town (until some tall dark stranger comes up and blows it away... ;-) If you haven't guessed already, VIEW is written in assembly language. I'd like to thank Andry Rachmat for posting USHOW 2.0; there were some neat tricks for optimizing in it. No doubt VIEW can probably be squeezed in size further, but I thought I'd release it and see what someone else can come up with. Feel free to redistribute VIEW (for non commercial purposes only.) If there are any questions or problems, I can be reached at the following services: PLINK: SONIX - BIX: mriley Happy VIEWing.... ;-) -Mark- P.S. I'll be uploading a more robust version of VIEW that'll interact with PLAY (my Sonix score player) and allow people to easily put together really polished looking slide shows w/music. Look for it at a BBS near you! VIEWing Pictures ================ VIEW is simple to use. You may want to install it into your "c:" directory before you use it though. This way it'll be there no matter which directory you move to. Usage: VIEW picture Don't use quotes when typing the picture name, even if there are spaces. This is because there is no command line parser in VIEW (optimization), so what you type is what you get (I think it's actually easier.) If VIEW has any problem displaying the picture, it'll just exit, no error message, no nothing (sacrifice for optimization.) Once the picture is up, you can use the usual invisible screen drag and front/back gadgets to manipulate it. To quit a picture, just type Ctrl-C. The CLI from which you issued the VIEW command must be active in order for Ctrl-C to work (this is the case if you don't go roaming around to other screens while VIEWing.) Otherwise just click in the CLI window and do a Ctrl-C. If you "run" view then issue a "break" to the process number you ran it as. Here's an example: 1> run view nagel [CLI 2] 1> break 2 1> Being able to run VIEW, makes it a natural in execute files (slide shows) since you can quit it remotely with a break command: 1> type slideshow run >nil: view nagel wait 10 break 2 run >nil: view nagel2 wait 10 break 2 1> execute slideshow 1> *****************************************************************************