@DATABASE Rainboot2.guide @AUTHOR "Kimmo Pekkola 'Rainman' & Andreas Falkenhahn" @$VER: Rainboot2.guide 1.4 (4.10.98) @INDEX Main @NODE Main "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -= @{B}@{FG highlight}R A I N B O O T 2@{FG text}@{UB} =- - The ultimate multimedia boot - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- @{" · Read Me First · " LINK First} Please read this! @{" · Copyright · " LINK Copyright} The boring stuff. @{" · Introduction · " LINK Introduction} What is it anyway? @{" · Requirements · " LINK Requirements} What does it need to work? @{" · Installation · " LINK Installation} Now with a script! @{" · Using Rainboot2 · " LINK Usage} All you ever wanted to know... @{" · Configuration · " LINK Prefs} How can I make my own config? @{" · The Arexx · " LINK Arexx} The port to outside world. @{" · Democonfigs · " LINK Demo} The supplied Democonfigurations. @{" · Misc things · " LINK Misc} comp.sys.amiga.rainboot @{" · Mailinglist · " LINK List} Subscribe to it now! @{" · History · " LINK History} What has happened earlier? @{" · ToDo · " LINK ToDo} What to expect in the future? @{" · Credits · " LINK Credits} Who is behind all this? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Copyright © 1996-98 @{"Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" LINK Credits} All rights reserved -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- @ENDNODE @NODE First "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Rainboot 2.4 Newsflash@{ub} NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.3`s @{"news" LINK Firs}! Hi all! I can finally present you the new version 2.4 of Rainboot. This version is a major update! Check the @{"history" LINK History} to see what has changed. I really got alot of feedback for the last version of Rainboot. Thanks! I see that Rainboot is a very popular program and that animates me to continue developing it. I added alot of new features to this version. Okay, what else to say.... 1) There`s now a @{"Rainboot Mailinglist" link List}. See you soon on it! 2) If you create configs yourself why not upload them to Aminet or send them to me? Many people complained about the lack of configs available - publish your own ones! But read @{"here" LINK Publish} first please. 3) The Rainboot Config Creator (a tool that allows you to create your configurations very easy with a GUI) is 50% finished. I hope to include it in Rainboot 2.5. 4) I added many new features to Rainboot so there may be more or less bugs. I`m sure there are some so that the next update isn`t far away. But it will be Rainboot 2.4x then and not Rainboot 2.5. So get ready for some update the next days! 5) This version features support for Player61 modules. You can get Player61 from Aminet (mus/misc). The Player61 can pack your modules really good: Here`s an example: MOD.Changes -> Original Protracker Length = 808162 KByte --- Player61 Length = 358919 KByte. That`s a bit different, eh? 6) Rainboot now recognizes if CyberGraphX is installed and then switches to CyberGraphX mode. If you do not use CGX and you get corrupt display check if libs:cybergraphics.library is present. If yes delete it then it will work. Maybe some other program installed the library on your system. 7) If you already installed Rainboot in your S:Startup-Sequence without supplying a modeid number you need to add the argument NOREQ - otherwise you`ll see the screenmode requester popup at every bootup. If you have the CGFX argument in your Startup-Sequence remove it also - because it`s no more available (see point 6) Yo! That should do it, have fun with this version and send me feedback, Greets, Andreas email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair, Coder WWW: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de A1200/040T, 40mhz, 2.0GB HD, 18MB Ram, 33.600 Modem "Windows95 is bug free" Bill Gates in `95...."We fixed over 5000 bugs since the release of Win95" Bill Gates in`98 "AMiGA iS BACK......BACK FOR THE FUTURE!", Pedro Tyschtschenko on the Theme of Amiga CD @ENDNODE @NODE Publish "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Publishing Rainboot2 Configurations@{ub} Here is some important information if you want to upload your own configurations to Aminet or releasing them to the public: 1) You should always let the files load from the current directory. For example if you specify the following as background picture: %BGPIC = dh3:GFX/Pictures/IFF/MyCoolBoot.iff And then someone tries to run the config - now the error message "Cannot load dh3:GFX/Pictures/IFF/MyCoolBoot.iff" appears, because this directory does only exist on your system! But if you do something like that: %BGPIC = MyCoolBoot.iff And you copy MyCoolBoot.iff to the directory where the config is located. Now all works right. You should do this with all other filenames too. Otherwise the user who wants to try out your config will get problems. 2) It would also good to create some icon which the user only has to doubleclick and then Rainboot starts. See the Configs/ drawer...there`re such scripts. Many users hate it, when they cannot start configs via doubleclick (I`m speaking from experience) 3) And you should give the user some information where he can get Rainboot from. 4) If you are using own fonts in your boot configuration don`t forget to include them because the user might not have them. He needs to copy the fonts to his local FONTS: too. But you can also let your script do that ! Okay, this were only some tips if you publish your configuration. You need not to do it like that - but it`s advised to do so :) @ENDNODE @NODE List "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Introduction@{ub} Finally, there`s now an own mailinglist for Rainboot 2. If you are using Rainboot and you are interested in some discussion about it you can subscribe the list! @{b}How to subscribe the list@{ub} You can subscribe the official Rainboot2 Mailinglist at http://rainboot.listbot.com or at our homepage :) If you want to send emails to the list then, send them to: rainboot@listbot.com You need to be a member of the mailinglist to send messages to that address! Everybody can subscribe the list if he wants to! @{b}Why I did setup this mailinglist@{ub} As you all know...the future of Rainboot depends on you..the users of it. The mailinglist is there to discuss about Rainboot. That means: * discuss about suggestions of possible new features * report bugs / test beta versions * discuss about things in Rainboot that you like / don`t like * and more of course For example: I have an idea of a new feature in Rainboot. Now I`ll ask on the mailinglist if this feature would be necessary or not. There`re alot of things to talk about. See you soon on the list! @ENDNODE @NODE RST "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Random Startup@{ub} Random Startup is another program written by me. It is useful in combination with Rainboot 2 so I present it here in the documentation. Random Startup allows you to select a random startup-sequence to boot. So you can use it if you want to have more than one boot configurations with Rainboot 2. But you need to setup a new startup-sequence for every bootup. But that`s not difficult, simply copy the startup-sequence and then change only the Rainboot 2 line. You can Random Startup at Aminet in util/boot. Or on our homepage of course !! @ENDNODE @NODE Demo "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Democonfigs@{ub} I supplied some Democonfigs in the Configs/ drawer: Demo: This configuration demonstrates the powerful features in a simple demo. It is not meant to use as a boot configuration. It only demonstrates the features of Rainboot 2. Cloudboot: A great configuration to use as a boot configuration. This is an example how your bootup can look soon. Check it out! Cycle: That`s a really small example but have a look at it. It looks great and was done in 5 minutes :-) Feel free to modify these configurations for your personal needings. They were done only for you :) You can get more configurations at the Airsoft Softwair Homepage: http://www.home.pages.de/~Airsoft. @ENDNODE @NODE Firs "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Read Me@{ub} It was in the end of 1997 when I read on Kimmo Pekkola`s Homepage, that he owned no longer an Amiga. He had to sell it. He wrote that he had to give up all his projects on Amiga within the great Rainboot 2. I asked him if I could continue the development of Rainboot and he send me the sources in return. That was in November 1997. I`m sorry, that I haven`t released a new version for the long time but I was too busy and I hope I can update the program now a bit. But there`s alot that depends on you now...at first I`m not sure if the program is used because it was not updated for such a long time (over a year now). If there`s enough interest on the program I {b}will{ub} continue programming it and finishing the new Rainboot Config Creator. So send me @{link Credits "Feedback"}. If I don`t get feedback I will not spend any more time on it :( I`m sorry, but I have to know that it`s used otherwise I don`t have to waste time with it. The future of Rainboot 2 depends on you. You can get the latest (Beta-) versions of Rainboot at the Airsoft Softwair Homepage www.airsoft.home.pages.de. Thank you for the feedback, Andreas @ENDNODE @NODE Copyright "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Copyright@{ub} Rainboot2 is Copyright (C) 1996-98 by Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn This software package is freely distributable. It may be put on PD collections without the permission of the author, but the author would still like to know about it (and maybe have them also :). The programs are provided "as-is" and the author can not be made responsible of ANY possible harm done by them. No changes may be made to the programs without the permission of the author. Mallander Software and Patrick Palowski are not allowed to distribute this program. If you like this program and want it's development to continue, why not drop me a mail or postcard and tell me what great (or lousy :-( ) job I am doing. @ENDNODE @NODE Introduction "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Introduction@{ub} Rainboot2 is a picture-viewer like program which is meant to show a picture while booting. But it actually is more than that. With Rainboot2 you can write your configuration on the screen, play samples and many more. No other program comes even close with the features that Rainboot2 has. Here are just some of them: · Shows IFF-ILBM pictures. All AGA modes are supported but HAM is not recommended as it messes up with the text output and the fades. · Writes configuration (and more) on screen while loading. · Plays normal IFF-8SVX and RAW samples. · Loads the pics, fonts and samples before continues with the startup. · Forces WB to open behind Rainboot2. · Centres mouse pointer at the exit. · Different configs can be selected with mousebuttons. · Real time updated clock to display the current time. · Fade in and out with WB colors also. · Port to outside world via arexx. · IFF-ILBM brushes can be displayed while booting. · Can erase parts of the screen (i.e. copy the original bg over the text). · Progressbar to show the time that booting takes. · It plays Protracker, Player61 and even cool THX Modules. · No limits with fonts/samples/brushes. · Works with CyberGraphics! · Wildcard support! · Color cycling. · Can show ANIM brushes! · It is able to display different graphically effects while booting. · Scrolling of pictures is possible · Global enviromental variables can be used as text. · And best of all: You get all this for free! There are also two example configs in the Configs drawer. The @{FG highlight}Demo.config@{FG text} is just a small demo of some of the features. The @{FG highlight}Cloudboot.config@{FG text} is something you might use in your boot. You can get alot of more configs on our Homepage: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de. @ENDNODE @NODE Requirements "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Requirements@{ub} Rainboot2 should work with Kickstart 2.04 and higher. However Kickstart 3.0 or better and AGA chips are recommended. Rainboot2 needs at least the version 22+ of iff.library by Christian A. Weber. Version 23.2 is included with the Rainboot package. If you want to play protracker modules, you need ptreplay.library v4.0+ by Mattias Karlsson and Andreas Pålsson. The library is included with the Rainboot package. For Player61 modules you need player61.library v37+ by Petter E. Stokke. If you want to play THX modules you need thxplay.library v5.0+ by Dexter/Abyss. Both libraries are included in the Rainboot package. To use the install-script you need the NewInstaller program which is available on Aminet (util/wb/NewInstaller.lha). Some extra memory and a HD would also be nice, although it is not necessary. Cybergraphics is now supported to some point. Check @{"Using Rainboot2" LINK Usage} for more info. I don't own a gfxboard so developing for one is a bit difficult. Anyway it works with cybergfx (or that's what I was told :). @ENDNODE @NODE Installation "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Installation@{ub} To install Rainboot2 just click on the install icon and follow the instructions. If you want to install it by hand, just copy Rainboot2 and Rainboot2.data somewhere in your path. Edit the example config if necessary and put Rainboot2 in your startup-sequence somewhere after the monitor drivers. You also need to put Rainboot in your WBstartup -drawer if your config doesn't have %Q -command at the end. Well, that's it (more or less)! If you still have problems with installing Rainboot2 check @{"here" LINK StepByStep} for step by step installation guide. @ENDNODE @NODE StepByStep "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Step By Step@{ub} Lets assume that you have a PAL monitor and that you have succesfully used the installer to install Rainboot2 for example in DH0:Utilities/ And you have made the full install (with both configs and all fonts). 1. Open your favorite texteditor and load s:startup-sequence. 2. Add the next line after the C:IPrefs command (it's rather long). @{FG highlight}DH0:Utilities/Rainboot/Rainboot2 >NIL: DH0:Utilities/Rainboot/Configs/Black&White.config MODEID 0x29004@{FG text} (use 0x19004 for NTSC) 3. Reset you Amiga. 4. If everything works you might want to move the above line towards the beginning of the file, so that Rainboot starts sooner. Do not move it above the c:Version >NIL: command! 5. If it still works you can check @{"Configuration" LINK Prefs} section to know how to create you personal boot screen. If you can`t get any graphics try to remove the >NIL: after Rainboot2 and look at what`s Rainboot saying as error message. Then look in the documentation what this message means in fact. If you still don't get it work, read this guide and try again. If it still refuses to work contact @{"me" LINK Credits} and I'll see what I can do. @ENDNODE @NODE Usage "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Using Rainboot2@{ub} Rainboot2 can only be started and stopped from both WB and CLI. If there`s enough interest I can program a GUI for it. Or if there`s anyone who wants to do it contact @{link Credits "me"}. The template of Rainboot2 is: @{b}CONFIG,MODEID/N,LMB/K,RMB/K,MMB/K,NOREQ/S:@{ub} where @{b}CONFIG@{ub} is the name of config-file to be loaded (defaults to S:rainboot2.config) @{b}MODEID@{ub} If you want to use different screenmodes you must supply the correct modeid number. Number can be DEC or HEX. Just add $ or 0x before the hexnumber. Check @{"Misc things" LINK Misc} for the most common modeids. @{b}LMB@{ub} If you push left mousebutton while booting a different config can be loaded. With some effort you can make a startup-selector with this and %RUN command. @{b}RMB@{ub} Same as above but with right button... @{b}MMB@{ub} ...and middle button. @{b}NOREQ@{ub} If you set this argument no screenmode requester will be displayed. The screenmode of the picture will be used then. You do not need to set this if you specified MODEID argument. If you run Rainboot2 again and the screen is still on, it closes the screen and exits. Otherwise Rainboot2 is started as usual. @ENDNODE @NODE Prefs "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Configuration@{ub} At the moment you`ve to create your config by yourself with a standard ASCII Amiga texteditor. A GUI for creating configs is in work, it will be included in Rainboot Version 2.5. So stand by :) The config file is a normal text file which you can make with your favourite text-editor. The config is divided into two different parts: @{" Keywords " LINK Keywords} Things to do before starting @{" Commands " LINK Commands} Things to do while booting @ENDNODE @NODE Keywords "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Keywords@{ub} Here are all the keywords you can use. Please use full paths with the filenames. You can now use patterns as filenames for everyhthing else but fonts. Like: %BGPIC=DH1:Pictures/#? @{b}/* @{FG fill}@{FG text} */@{ub} This indicates a comment. Keywords inside comments are not executed and nested comments work too. Note that you can't use comments after the %TEXT. You should use comments only at the start of the file. I think it`s not necessary to comment any other things, but that`s your choice. @{b}%ANIM = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays an anim-brush in the desired place. The can be NORMAL, PINGPONG, ONCE or WAIT. With WAIT you can use %A to start the animation which will be played only once. The anims use the same palette as the background picture and should have equal amount of planes to work correctly. Only IFF-ANIM brushes work, not the complite animations. E.G. %ANIM = 100/100/NORMAL/10/DH1:Pictures/Misc/Test.anim @{b}%BAR = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text})/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}WAIT@{FG text})@{ub} Creates a progressbar that displays the booting time. It can be horizontal or vertical (determined by the bigger width or height). If the is omitted an average time is calculated from the previous boots. The booting time is saved to a file which has the same name that the config has with @{FG highlight}.time@{FG text} added to the end. If you supply the , the file won't be created. The can be NORMAL which is the normal kind of bar, PLANE which only affects the planes selected with the or CYCLE which cycles between the colors selected with the and . The can be either TIME or EXEC. With TIME the bar increases by the clock and with EXEC the bar is increased everytime a program is executed (thanks to Tajti Attila for the idea). Note that you can't use SPEED and DEFTIME with the EXEC. The WAIT at the ends tells the bar not to start right away but to wait until %U comes in the %TEXT. As you probably are quite confused how the bar really works, just try out all the different variations. After all the worst thing it can do is to crash :) E.G. %BAR = 10/100/10/400/CYCLE/48/63/TIME/4/10/WAIT @{b}%BGPIC = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This is the background picture. You must always have this in your config, even if you want black screen you must create a black iff- picture. The screensize and number of colors are taken from the picture. E.G. %BGPIC = DH0:Pictures/Background.iff @{b}%BRUSH@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} The place and name of an iff-brush that can be shown during the boot. The brush uses the same palette as the bg-picture. Make sure that the brush fits to the screen and that it doesn't have more colors than the bg-picture. You can use %B in the %TEXT to display the desired brush. E.G. %BRUSH1 = 120/40/DH0:Pictures/TestBrush.iff @{b}%CYCLE = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Cycle the colors of the picture. is the index of the first color and is the last color. Indexing starts from 0. is the speed of cycling (higher number is slower). E.G. %CYCLE = 16/31/10 @{b}%ERASE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Inits an area that can be later cleared. It will not clear the background but all the texts and brushes disappear. The area can be erased with %E in the %TEXT. E.G. %ERASE64 = 100/10/200/100 @{b}%FADEIN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the bg-picture by fading it from the . The is the speed of fading (higher number is slower fading). The is a hex number which consists of the amounts of red, green and blue. There must be '$' before the color. E.G. %FADEIN = $FFFFFF/32 @{b}%FADEOUT = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub}(@{b}/@{FG fill}WB@{FG text}@{ub}) This is almost the same as the above, but this one fades the picture out after Rainboot2 exits. The WB tag is not necessary, but if it is there your workbench is faded as well. (This replaces the %$ command in the older versions.) E.G. %FADEOUT = $123456/10/WB @{b}%FONT@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} The name and size of a font that will be used. If no fonts are given topaz.font/8 is used. If there isn't a desired size the nearest one will be scaled. Colorfonts work also, but you must set the palette right. Fonts can be changed with %F in the $TEXT. E.G. %FONT1 = Times.font/24 @{b}%INFOVOL@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Select the volume that you want to display information with %I later in the %TEXT. E.G. %INFOVOL2 = Workbench: @{b}%MODULE = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Name of the module that will be played while booting. The following module formats are currently supported: Protracker, Player61 and THX modules. Rainboot will automatically recognize which format your module is in. Note for Player61 modules: If you create a P61 module you need to activate the flag "Add P61A sign" in the prefs of Player61A. Otherwise it won`t work. E.G. %MODULE = DH2:Modules/mod.TestModule @{b}%RUN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Run a command. This one also takes scripts if you have protected the file with s-flag. Note that Rainboot doesn't exit before the command does. E.G. %RUN = "c:run c:enforcer >nil:" @{b}%SAMPLE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Name of an IFF-sample that will be used later. Check @{" Commands " LINK Commands} -section to know how to use them. TYPE can be one of NORMAL or LONG. A sample with type NORMAL can have a max size of 128kb. If it`s greater than 128kb you need to use LONG. E.G. %SAMPLE1 = NORMAL/DH0:Samples/Humm.8svx @{b}%SCREENDOWN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Scrolls the screen down after Rainboot2 exits. If you have selected %FADEOUT with WB-tag this one doesn't function. E.G. %SCREENDOWN = 10 @{b}%SCROLL@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Here you can setup a scroll that can be started with %J in the config. The picture will be scrolled to the x-coordinate and to the y-coordinate . can be one of: NORMAL, MIDDLE, FAST and WARP. Where WARP is the fastest and NORMAL the slowest speed. The scroll direction is specified in . It can be LEFT or RIGHT. RIGHT will scroll the picture to the right and left to the....guess it !! Before you use this please note that if you want to scroll a picture the picture resolution has to be greater than the screen resolution. For example: You could scroll a 640x512 picture on a LoRes screen (320x256) 320 to the right and 256 to the bottom. If you open a HiRes screen (640x256) you could scroll it 256 to the bottom. Have a look at the examples for some demos. E.G. %SCROLL1 = 320/256/WARP/RIGHT @{b}%TEXT@{ub} This indicates the start of the text. Everything below are considered as a printable text, so you can't use keywords after this line (not even comments). @{b}%TIME = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Coordinates to realtime updated clock. The clock uses the %FONT1 to write the numbers to the screen. E.G. %TIME = 600/20/1 @ENDNODE @NODE Commands "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Commands@{ub} These can be used only after the %TEXT keyword. The numbers on the commands MUST match with the numbers on the keywords. @{b}%%@{ub} Write % -char to the screen. @{b}%A@{ub} Starts the anim if it was defined with the WAIT argument. @{b}%B@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays a brush that has been loaded with %BRUSH -keyword. @{b}%C@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change color of the text. The is the number of pen to be used. Do NOT use higher pens that your picture has! @{b}%D@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Delay amount of ticks (50 ticks = 1 second) after every letter. @{b}%E@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Erase the area that has been selected with %ERASE -keyword earlier. @{b}%F@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the text font to a one selected earlier with %FONT -keyword. @{b}%G@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the text inside a enviromental variable. The variables are called RBvar. The text is only displayed, so no commands can be used in them. If there is no such variable Rainboot2 waits for one to appear. You can use SETENV command to create the variables or just copy a textfile to ENV: with the name RBVar. E.g. SETENV RBvar1 "Hello World!" NOTE: One variable can only be 256 chars long and it should be on one line, cooz returns are not handled very well. @{b}%H@{FG fill}@{FG text}(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} This command does several module operations according to the you specified. Possible operations are: %HA - Pauses the module that is currently playing. You could play a sample then for example. %HB - Continues the module that was paused. Don`t try this if there is no module that you`ve paused. %HC - Waits for the by specified song position and continues then with the script. How many songpositions there are depends on the loaded module. This is not possible with THX modules. %HD - This waits for the by specified pattern position and continues then with the script. Valid pattern position are 0-63. This is not possible with THX modules. %HE - This skips to the by specified subsong. How many subsongs there are depends on the loaded module. This is only possible with THX modules. @{b}%I@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the free/total/used size of the volume selected with %INFOVOL. The is F for free space, U for used space and T for total space in the volume. The is B for bytes, K for kilos and M for megs. E.G. %I1TB would display the total size in bytes of the volume given in %INFOVOL1. @{b}%J{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This starts the scroll with number . You need to have the scroll defined in the keywords. @{b}%M@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Write the amount of free memory to the screen. The is F for fastmem, C for chipmem and T for totalmem. The is B for bytes, K for kilos and M for megs. E.G. %MTB would write the total amount of the free bytes of memory you currently have. The memory is separated with points after every third number. @{b}%N@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This command fades the screen to white and back to the original colours with the specified speed. A speed of 30 would be slow, a speed of 10 fast. If you specify for example 1 as the speed, you will only notice a small screen-blink. @{b}%O{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This does some simple different graphical effects in the colour specified by . Do not specify a higher colour pen than your picture has! You can use all those effects to clear your screen! After the effect has finished you`ll always have a screen filled with the colour The following different effect types are available: A Draws two lines. One from the top left and one from the bottom right. They`ll come together in the middle. B Draws a line that divides the screen into two halves. One halve has the color then. C Draws a line that also divides the screen into two halves. But this time from the bottom to the middle. D Draws lines that systematically clear the screen by running from top to bottom and back. E Clears the screen too. Draws two lines that run from top and bottom to the middle. F Does the same than D but from the left to the right. G Does the same than E but from left and right to the middle. For example: %OB4 would draw effect B with colour 4. @{b}%P@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Write the number of CPU of FPU to the screen. The is C for CPU and F for FPU. @{b}%Q@{ub} Stops the script and exits Rainboot2. @{b}%R@{FG fill}(@{FG text}@{ub} Selects the text rendering style. can be N for Normal, B for Bold, I for Italic, U for Underlined, S for Shadow and E for Edge. With S and E you can select the other pen, also. E.G. %RS20 selects Shadow -style with pen 20 as the shadow pen. @{b}%S(@{FG fill}@{FG text}S)@{FG fill}@{FG text}(C@{FG fill}@{FG text}V@{FG fill}@{FG text}LR)@{ub} Play a sample that was previously loaded with %SAMPLE -keyword. You don't need to put all the commands, just the necessary ones (note that the order must be same). S is of course always necessary. This can be N, L or W. Where N is for a normal sample (a sample which is small than 128kb) L is for a long sample (a sample which is bigger than 128kb) W is for a write sample (a samples which is played everytime a letter is printed on screen. Note that if the delay is 0 no sample is played. A write sample needs to be loaded as a normal sample. Write samples can also have a random pitch which makes a nice effect with some samples. See the optional parameter R. Write samples are played through channels 3 and 4 by default. If you don`t specify a the samples will be played as a normal sample. Please see the examples below! C The channels to be used. The can be from 1 to 15. As you know there aren't 15 channels in your Amiga. The is actually a number generated of the binary code that has the channels to be used. Check the below table for all the combinations. n 4321 1 0001 2 0010 3 0011 4 0100 5 0101 6 0110 7 0111 8 1100 9 1001 10 1010 11 1011 12 1100 13 1101 14 1110 15 1111 E.G. if you want to use channels 1 and 4 you must use the value 9. V Volume of the sample. can be from 1 to 64. L Loop the sample forever. Note that the whole sample is looped, not the possible looparea. This makes no sense if you use it with writesamples. R This plays write samples with a random pitch. This can make a nice effect with some samples. Do not use this with NORMAL or LONG samples. I know that this is really a bunch of different options packed in one command so here are some examples which should help you to get all working like you want it. E.G. %SNS2C12L Plays sample 2 in channels 4 and 3 with full volume and loops until the end of the world (or end of the program, whichever comes first). %S2C12L This does the same as above. If you want to play normal samples you don`t strongly need to specify NS. %SLS3 This plays long sample number 3. %SLS3V32 This plays long sample number 3 at volume 32. %SWS4R Plays sample 4 through channels 3 and 4 with full volume and with random pitch every time a letter is printed. @{b}%S@{FG fill}@{FG text}E@{ub} This stops playing the sample of . The specification is the same as above. E.G. %SWE This would stop playing the write sample. %SLE This would stop playing the long sample. @{b}%TD@{ub} Write date (dd-mmm-yy) to the screen. @{b}%TT(S)@{ub} Write time to the screen. Add S if you want seconds also. @{b}%TW@{ub} Write day of the week to the screen. @{b}%U@{ub} Starts the bar if it was defined with the WAIT argument. The timing of the boot is also started here. @{b}%V@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Write a version to the screen. is C for chipset (AGA/ECS/OCS), D for dos (e.g. 3.1), K for kickstart (e.g. 40.68) and W for workbench (e.g. 40.42). Note that Version -command must be ran before K and W work. @{b}%W@{ub} Waits until Rainboot2 is signalled to quit. Then continues with the config to the end. @{b}%X@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the place of the pen to selected x-coordinate. The is in pixels. A return in the config will move the pen to this x-coordinate. @{b}%XC(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Sets the X-coordinate so that the remaining line is centered. You can also use to change the centered position of the text. NOTE: Commands after the %XC are not handled very well. @{b}%Y@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the place of the pen to selected y-coordinate. The is in pixels. @ENDNODE @NODE Arexx "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}The Arexx@{ub} Rainboot2 has now a very small arexx port. Rexxmast must be ran before using the port. The name of the port is RAINBOOTREXX and it can handle currently these commands: @{b}BREAKSCRIPT@{ub} Breaks the current script. @{b}SENDSTR@{ub} Sends a string to Rainboot2. The string is like the text after the %TEXT command. Note that everytime you send a new string to Rainboot2 you must select the place and the font and the other stuff again, otherwise default values (top left corner, font1, pen0, etc.) are used. This command returns FALSE (as a string) if it is not possible to handle a new string right now (means that Rainboot2 is currently busy with some other string or configs %TEXT). @{b}QUIT@{ub} Quits Rainboot2. @{b}WAITFOREND@{ub} Waits until the current script has been finished. Note that using %W does NOT finish the script! @ENDNODE @NODE Misc "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Misc things@{ub} Here is some things that might be useful to know: @{b}Rainboot is unable to close its screen@{ub} You get the above message when Rainboot exits and fails to close its screen. The reason for failing is that some other program has opened a window on Rainboots screen or it has made some patches that disable the closing of screen. To fix the problem try to find the other program and move it to start before Rainboot or after the screen is closed. @{b}Unknown display mode@{ub} The example pictures are made in DblPAL mode and are not shown if you don't have DblPAL monitor driver. There are two things you can do here. First of all you can load the background picture with your favorite paintprogram and save it again. Or you can force the display mode to one your monitor supports. To do that just give the MODEID -tag and the desired modeid number as an argument to Rainboot2. Here are couple MODEIDs you might use: MODEID: Monitor: ------ ------- $29004 PAL:High Res Laced $19004 NTSC:High Res Laced $A9004 DBLPAL:High Res No Flicker $99004 DBLNTSC:High Res No Flicker $89024 SUPER72:Super-High Res Laced @{b}Wrong WB colors@{ub} If you are fading the WB you might notice that sometimes you get wrong colors in the background. This is because IPrefs tries to select right colors for the bg, but at the same time Rainboot2 fades them. The workaround for the problem is to wait until everything is finished and fade the colors then (this also creates smoother fade). Just put Rainboot2 in your WBstartup -drawer and set the STARTPRI -tooltype to very low (like -100 or so). This way Rainboot2 is ran last. You also need to use %W -command in the end of your config so that Rainboot waits until the end and then wait a while with %D100. @{b}The pointer flickers@{ub} At a certain point in the booting process the pointer goes in the upper left corner and flickers. This is because IPrefs (again!) changes the pointer settings. There is not much you can do but to ignore it. One thing is to change the pointer colors (numbers 17-19) to the same color as the pictures top left corner. This of course is not always possible. @{b}The screen jumps@{ub} If your WB-screen is in overscan the bootscreen jumps during the booting. This is because the IPrefs (yet again!) sets the overscan prefs. This can be fixed with a program called fixjump by ALiENDESiGN. It can be found in the MCP package in Aminet (check util/cdity). Just run it before Rainboot2 and it fixes the problem. @{b}The bar doesn't show@{ub} The progressbar doesn't show in the first time if you have been omitted the argument and there is no timefile (a file with .time at the end). Just run the same config again and it should work ok. @{b}Other things@{ub} · Note that return in the %TEXT acts like a normal return. That is it moves the pen to the %X and %Y+fontsize position · A tab in the %TEXT does nothing. This way you can make the configs a bit more readable. · If you want to wait a sec, just put %D50 %D0 in the text. The amount of spaces between %D50 and %D0 is the amount of seconds you want to wait. · For the best result use the same modeid and size for the bootpicture as you have in your workbench. · If you are using a different monitor than PAL or NTSC the monitor-driver must be run before Rainboot2. · If you use Rainboot2's arexxport the RexxMast must be run before Rainboot2, too. · Also remember that the more stuff you put in the configs the more time it take to boot. @ENDNODE @NODE History "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}History@{ub} Version 2.4 05-Oct-98 · Updated Demo configurations · Updated AmigaGuide® documentation · Added argument NOREQ which doesn`t display the screenmode requester if MODEID wasn`t specified · Removed commands %K, %L and %Z. They`re now all together put in the module options command %H. So %HA does for example the same than %Z did in earlier versions · Rainboot plays now three different module formats: Protracker, Player61 and even THX modules. They`re automatically recognized from the keyword %MODULE so there has nothing changed. Just put the filename after keyword %MODULE and Rainboot will play them · Rewrote sample routines. There are now different types of samples: LONG and NORMAL. With the LONG option you can play ones which are greater than 128kb by using diskbuffering. · Due the rewrite of the sample routines the syntax of the keyword %SAMPLE and the command %S changed. Although you should now use the new syntaxes the old ones are still accepted to stay downwards compatible · Added new keyword %SCROLL which allows you to scroll your bootscreens. Check out the examples to see how it works · Rainboot will now automatically recognize if a CyberGfx system is present and it will then switch to CyberGfx modes so the argument CGFX is no more needed and was removed · It can now be started from WB too -> A ASL filerequester will open then and after that the config will be started · It also has now its own screenmode requester. The requester will appears if MODEID or NOREQ weren`t specified · Rainboot does now some simple different graphically effects. They all clear the screen to the specified colour. Maybe they`re useful for someone. · Error messages are now outputted by a system requester and not in CLI · Mousepointer is now fully hidden · Some other small changes · Bugfixes Version 2.3 15-Aug-98 · Added support for fades during the config is running · Extended the Protracker module support: Rainboot 2 can wait for song- and pattern position and then go on with the script · It`s now possible to use a module and samples in a config, but you need to pause the module before playing a sample (it may work without pauseing -> but this won`t sound good and can crash Rainboot2) · Edited AmigaGuide® documentation a bit · You can play now samples which are longer than 128kb · Some minor bugfixes/changes Version 2.2 15-Jun-98 · Added the support for ANIM brushes (almost everybody wanted this). · The %BAR now has more options. And it also should work a bit better. · %I displays the amount of total/used/free space in a volume selected with %INFOVOL (requested by Gert Kuiper). · Added %CYCLE to cycle the colors (wanted by several people). · Bar now creates its own thread (doesn't use clock's thread anymore). · Fixed the clock-font-width problem. · %XC centres the line (as requested by Gert Kuiper). · Global env vars are now supported. %G prints the text inside RBvar or waits until one exists. · Audio channels are not anymore locked if no samples are used (thanks to Marcin Orlowski). · Arexx command BREAK changed to BREAKSCRIPT to avoid the collision with the native Arexx command. · WbenchToFront() and ScreenToFront() are patched too. This fixes the WB coming to front with at least VirusZ. · Kickstart 2.04 support added. · Added wildcard support with filenames. · Fixed couple of minor bugs. Version 2.1 29-Jan-98 · Added the CyberGraphics support. Use CGFX switch in the commandline to enable it (Thanks to fEdE for testing it). Version 2.0 15-Jan-98 · Completely rewritten! · %$ removed. %FADEOUT and %FADEIN introduced. · %TT doesn't display secs anymore. Use %TTS if you want them. · Now it is possible to clear areas with %ERASE and %E (as requested by lots of people). · And play protracker modules with %MODULE. · Time can use any pen now. · Screen can be moved down at the exit with %SCREENDOWN. · Rainboot2 can now wait until the end with %W (thanks to Haavard Pedersen for suggesting that). · Rainboot2 now has a Arexx port (RAINBOOTREXX) also. · A sample can be played everytime a letter is printed. · Now exits with Left mouse button. · Iff brushes can be displayed during booting. · Added progressbar which displays the amount of time booting takes (Thanks to Haavard Pedersen for the idea). · Text can be rendered with different styles too (as requested by Aristotelis Grammatikakis). · Notes the user if Rainboot2 can't close its screen. · And lots of small fixes and modifications. Version 1.2 11-Jun-96 · The default path for gfx & samples is the same where the config is. · Memory can be shown in Megs, Kilos or Bytes if you add M, K or B after the %M? · Added %VD which displays dos-version (like 3.0). · Removed the flickering from the clock. Note that the clock is now displayed a bit higher that earlier. · Dropped the audio.device support because I couldn't get it work right. Now bangs directly to the hardware :( If you got a problem with it, drop me a @{"mail" LINK Credits}. Version 1.1 19-May-96 · Some of the bugs fixed. · Sound is faded with the picture (as suggested by Mattias Holmertz). · MODEID now accepts hex numbers too. Just add $ or 0x before the number. Version 1.0 05-Apr-96 · First Release History before version 1.0 has been declared top secret. @ENDNODE @NODE ToDo "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}ToDo@{ub} There ARE some things to do in the future and I hope I can implement the most in the future: · finish RCC (Rainboot Config Creator) · add GUI for Rainboot 2 · add support for more than one background picture and more than one animbrush · add support for normal ANIM(5,6,7,8) animations · more commands Please drop me a @{"mail" LINK Credits} if you have some nice ideas what shall be implemented/changed in Rainboot 2. @ENDNODE @NODE Credits "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-98 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Credits@{ub} Rainboot2 development till version 2.2: Kimmo Pekkola Tarjanteenkatu 13 A 4 33720 Tampere Finland email: rainy@iki.fi WWW : http://www.iki.fi/~rainy/prods.html Rainboot2 development from version 2.3: Andreas Falkenhahn An der Trift 2 36132 Eiterfeld-Arzell Germany email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de WWW : http://www.home.pages.de/~Airsoft @{b}Please send me feedback!!!!@{ub} @{FG highlight}IMPORTANT:@{FG text} When you contact me with a question, also tell the version number of Rainboot you are using. Thanks for everyone who helped me testing this program and to all of you who sent me bug-reports and suggestions. Keep 'em coming! @ENDNODE