Atari Explorer Online: 23-Apr-94 #0307
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 04/25/94-10:15:50 AM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 23-Apr-94 #0307
Date: Mon Apr 25 10:15:50 1994
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Volume 3 - Issue 7 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 23 April 1994 ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: ::
:: ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI ::
:: EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER ::
:: ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE ::
:: ::
:: Published and Copyright (c) 1993-1994 by Subspace Publishers ::
:: All Rights Reserved ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: Publisher ........................... Michael Lindsay EXPLORER ::
:: Editor .................................. Travis Guy AEO.MAG ::
:: Assistant Editor GEnie................ Ron Robinson EXPLORER.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor CompuServe.......... Albert Dayes AEO.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor Delphi......... Andreas Barbiero AEO.2 ::
:: Assistant Editor Internet........ Timothy Wilson AEO.8 ::
:: Atari Asylum ... [Closed] ...... Gregg Anderson AEO.7 ::
:: Unabashed Atariophile ..... Michael R. Burkley AEO.4 ::
:: Atari Artist ................... Peter Donoso EXPLORER.2 ::
:: Jaguar Junkie ............... Tal Funke-Bilu EXPLORER.5 ::
:: User Group Coordinator ........ Ron Whittam EXPLORER.4 ::
:: ::
:: Contributors: ::
:: """"""""""""" ::
:: Loic Duval, Michael Robinson ::
:: David A. Wright ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: Telecommunicated to you via: ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: GEnie: AEO.MAG ::
:: CompuServe: 70007,3615 ::
:: Delphi: AEO_MAG ::
:: Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 319 ::
:: AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10 ::
:: ::
:: Internet mailing address: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com ::
:: FTP AEO Volume 3 issues from: rahul.net:pub/wilsont/AEO ::
:: Search gopherspace under "aeo" for back issues ::
:: ::
:: Internet subscription service: stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu ::
:: (Internet subscription requests ONLY!) ::
:: ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Table of Contents
* From the Editors ......................................... Cut. Print it.
* Digital Briefs ................................ Computer, high tech, and
video game industry news.
* Rare Gems ......................................... Quotes worth reading.
* Jaguar Tackboard ...................... New developers & titles / Quotes.
* Preview of Jaguar Games/Bay Area Devcon ..... Resident Jaguar programmer
Tim Wilson went to the
Bay Area Jaguar Devcon
and got to play with
some beta titles.
* Jaguar NewsPhrases .................. Tal scoops up some of the freshest
Jaguar news; alas no Minter!
* ECTS - Traque du Jaguar a Londres .......... Stalking a Jaguar in London
was easy for Loic last
week. See what was shown.
* CeBIT '94 ....................... Atari wasn't there, but TOS items were.
* Atari Artist ..................... A call for TOS standardization - more
Wizztronics wizardry - MIDI news.
* InShape ................................. 3D modelling and rendering for
high-powered Atari's only!
* The Creation of BattlePong 2001 ........... Not joking, Michael Robinson
tells how he used InShape
and an Editor's weird
idea to pull a prank.
* Andreas' Den ...................... A slew of new ST games on their way?
That and TT acceleration are on
Andreas' mind lately.
* "From a Saved Backup" ............... The club newsletter. Communication
at the heart of a users group.
* News From Usenet ............... Odds and ends from that largest of nets.
* The Unabashed Atariophile ................... PD and Shareware files for
_your_ Atari computer.
* GEnie News ........................... New files & happenings on Atari's
Official Online Resource.
* Developing News ......................... Texas Atari Festival
Fez.A.Bit, Berlin
ICD Link 2
Processor Direct Prints!
DMC's Customer Offer
Calamus User Magazine
Audio CD Master 3.0
Diamond Back 3 Shipping
Space & Astronomy Compact Disc
Mastering AtariWorks
Radio Computer Magazine
ROMWARE's Software Hunt
* Shutdown ............................ Around the world and up your block.
--==--==--==--==--
||| From the Editors ....... Atari Explorer Online: The Next Generation
||| Travis Guy
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow. There's so much going on in the World Atari of late that I had to
stop the building of this issue at the quarter-megabyte mark and leave
some stuff for next time. (The lesser of an editor's two nightmares:
"Not enough to fill an issue" vs. "Too much, what can I cut?".)
I've listened to the comments and EMails asking if AEO was ignoring
Atari computer owners for the new Jaguar crowd, and this issue should
be the start of the response: No. We're increasing our Atari computer
coverage with a report from CeBIT, a review of InShape, Atari Artist
returns with more news from Wizztronics and Steinberg, Usenet news,
over 33K of TOS press releases, and our regular columns from Andreas,
Michael Burkley and Ron Whittam, now an AEO regular - welcome him
aboard everyone. Many more reviews and articles are in the works. (A
few were even cut from this issue!) I don't think anybody will be
disappointed.
The Jaguar side isn't going neglected either. A report from the ECTS,
Tim Wilson with hands-on beta copies of new Jaguar games, Tal's
Jaguar NewsPhrases, and the latest and greatest AEO Jaguar
Development List. Plans are being made to attend the Summer CES in
Chicago to provide the best in Atari coverage. I hope to have further
details of Subspace Publishers' plans in the next issue of AEO.
I've even been able to add a touch of class to this motley
collection. "Rare Gems" are a weekly collection of quotes chosen by
an online personality I've admired for years, David Wright. Mr.
Wright has consented to the inclusion of his "Rare Gems" in AEO, and
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
"What next," you ask. "Grunge Jaguar fiction?"
"Tune in next issue and see," I reply. "Change is a part of life."
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the late President
Richard M. Nixon, the 26 UN volunteer peacekeepers who were accidently
killed in Iraq, and most of all, to all of the victims of the violence
in Bosnia.
It's Earth Day. Be kind to your planet and to your neighbors. It's
not that hard, folks.
See you back here in two weeks.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Digital Briefs - Industry News
||| By: Albert Dayes
/ | \ CIS: 70007,3615 GEnie: AEO.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Atari News
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Atari Stock to Warner Communications - Atari Corp. recently
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" reported that agreement
for the sale of common stock to Time Warner Inc., as reported on March
24, 1994, has been completed. Atari Corp. has sold Time Warner Inc.
1.5 million shares of its common stock at a price of $8.50 per share
for a total of $12.8 million. The transaction increases Time Warner
Inc.'s interest in Atari Corp. to approximately 27%. Time-Warner has
since transferred the sotck to Warner Communications, the former
parent of Atari Inc.
//// Atari Ships Tempest 2000 for Jaguar - Atari Corp. announced it
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" is shipping Tempest 2000
for Jaguar, its award-winning 64-bit game system. Tempest 2000 was
recently awarded "CES Game of Show" (Electronic Games Magazine), "Game
of the Month/March" (DieHard GameFan) and "Game of the Month/March"
and "Editor's Choice Gold Award" (Electronic Gaming Monthly).
The original Tempest is one of the most popular video games in arcade
history. With Tempest 2000, players get four games on one game
cartridge: the original Tempest, Tempest Plus, Tempest 2000 and
Tempest Duel.
"Tempest 2000 is the hottest selling title on Jaguar today," said
Peter Roithmayr, senior buyer at Electronics Boutique. "We sold over
60 percent of our Tempest 2000 stock within four days; most sold in
the first two days of shelf life. Tempest 2000 is in very high demand
because the popularity of the Jaguar has far exceeded the gaming
industry's expectations."
"Tempest, by itself, is worth the price of the Jag - Tempest 2000 for
Jaguar is further proof that the next level of gaming has arrived,"
said Dave Halverson, DieHard GameFan.
Tempest 2000 players venture through 100 unchartered galaxies filled
with "Demon Heads," a very aggressive and deadly enemy and "Warp Bonus
Tokens," which count toward bonus levels and a free instant
"SuperZapper," a player's defense which can destroy everything on the
screen.
"We are pleased to offer Jaguar players Tempest 2000, which has
already captured the attention and praise of the industry's leading
game publications, " said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari Corp.
"Tempest 2000 has hit the ground running - Jaguar's 64-bit technology
has allowed us to make one of the industry's most exciting,
challenging games even more outstanding."
Tempest 2000 features two-player cooperative play and more than 30
minutes of pure CD-quality techno-rave soundtrack. In addition:
-- Powerful 3D polygons provide realistic parallax star fields
-- Particle displays deliver realistic explosions
-- Melt-O-Vision graphics provide stunning graphic effects
-- Cycle shading gives players accurate depth perception
Atari Tempest 2000 is immediately available through all
Atari-authorized retailers for $59.99.Atari Jaguar is the world's
first 64-bit interactive multimedia home entertainment system and is
the only video game system manufactured in the United States. Jaguar
was recently named the industry's "Best New Game System" (VideoGames
Magazine), "Best New Hardware System" (Game Informer) and "1993
Technical Achievement of the Year" (DieHard GameFan).
Atari Corp., based in Sunnyvale, manufactures and markets 64-bit
interactive multimedia entertainment systems, video games and personal
computers for the home, office and educational marketplaces.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
//// Yerger Lawsuit Decision - Earlier this week, a decision in the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" California case brought against Atari
Corp. by Bill Yerger was reached in Atari's favor. While AEO hasn't
seen a transcript from the trial at this time, it is worth noting that
some rather "interesting" testimony was reported to have been given.
No announcements have been made as to whether any appeals are planned.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Technology News
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Optical Power - An Optically Powered Data Link (OPDL) system
"""""""""""""""""" providing total immunity to electromagnetic and
radio frequency interference (EMI and RFI) has been developed by
Photonic Power Systems, Inc.
Fiber optic power uses light in an optical fiber to transmit power
instead of electricity in a copper conductor. As such, the technology
avoids the drawbacks of conventional power transmission, including
susceptibility to electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference,
ground loops and the devastating effects of lightning. It has
important applications in electric power transmission grids, mining
and munitions, corrosive atmospheres, and many other critical
installations.
//// Squeeze an Atom? - AT&T Bell Laboratories researchers have
""""""""""""""""""""" invented a fundamentally new type of
semiconductor laser - called a quantum cascade (QC) laser - that
operates like an electronic waterfall.
It is the world's first laser that can be tailored to emit light at a
specific wavelength set at nearly any point over a very wide range
from the mid-to far-infrared spectrum. This can be done by simply
varying the layer thicknesses of the laser, using the same combination
of materials.
The QC laser's emission wavelength is entirely determined by quantum
confinement effects: the fact that its layers are so thin - typically
a few nanometers, or about 100 billionths of an inch - that electrons
are squeezed and change their quantum mechanical properties. One can
tailor the laser's wavelength continuously over an enormous range by
changing layer thicknesses.
//// Green Disks and Ham? - GreenDisks are high-quality recycled
""""""""""""""""""""""""" diskettes, extracted from outdated
packages that software companies had not yet sold before a new version
was shipped. GreenDisk works with concerned software companies,
collecting these obsolete versions of their products. They break down
the packaging and recycle the paper and plastic components. The
diskettes are "degaussed" - a magnetic process which completely erases
all information. Next, the diskettes are preformatted, prelabelled and
packaged.
Within its first year, GreenDisk Inc has recycled over 5 million
pounds of software. The company first began operations one year ago
on Earth Day.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Computer Business
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// IBM Stac'ed - IBM recently licensed data compression technology
"""""""""""""""" for all IBM software including DOS and OS/2. This
comes quickly after Stac won a legal victory over Microsoft involving
the same technology. Stacker data compression technology, now in its
fourth generation, is the first product of its kind to break the 2:1
compression barrier. Beyond increasing storage capacity, Stacker 4.0
provides new safety features for enhanced reliability and a
comprehensive tool set for managing Stacker drives.
//// Flash: Memory Near $3 Billion - Dataquest recently announced
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the results of its flash memory
market forecast, which indicated that the flash memory market is
expected to increase from $634 million in 1993 to $2.975 billion by
1997. According to the forecast, North America will have approximately
50 percent of the worldwide market.
Flash, a nonvolatile memory, retains information even when power is
disrupted. Flash memory is increasingly used in a variety of equipment
such as small personal computers, personal digital assistants, laser
printers, and facsimile machines. The demand for flash memory will
come mainly from the replacement of EPROMs, silicon disk drives, and
solid state recorders.
//// "Mrs. Bell, Godzilla on Video Line 4" - AT&T has signed licensing
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" agreements under which
four major Japanese consumer electronics companies will be able to
introduce and promote new products compatible with AT&T's proprietary
VideoPhone technology.
AT&T said the agreements are evidence that its Global VideoPhone
Standard (GVS), is becoming the de facto standard for video telephony
in the consumer electronics industry.
//// Peaches Picked - Automatic Data Processing announced Tuesday that
""""""""""""""""""" it was buying Preachtree Software for an
undislosed sum. Peachtree is a maker of accounting software on the IBM
PC platform. ADP is a large computer consulting firm with revenue in
excess of $2 billion dollars.
//// Superman Online - DC Comics Online will soon make its debut on
"""""""""""""""""""" AOL (American OnLine). It will provide
services such as, information on new comics, previews, interviews,
graphic files, and background information on making comics in general.
In addition users of the online service will be able to talk directly
to the authors and writers of many of the comics.
//// Hard Drive Makers Write Protection - Seagate and Toshiba signed a
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" broad, worldwide patent
cross-licensing agreement which permits each partner to use a number
of magnetic mass storage technologies covered by the other's patents.
The agreement demonstrates the desire of both companies to compete on
commercial values, unimpeded by the risk of patent litigation.
"The disc drive industry today has become mired in costly,
unproductive patent litigation and the trend toward hostile patent
claims continues," said Alan F. Shugart, president and chief executive
officer of Seagate Technology. "We are pleased Toshiba shares our
belief that cross-licensing benefits everyone in the industry -
fostering a more competitive market environment where innovation
flourishes and end-users realize the best product options available."
Seagate also holds similar agreements with industry leaders including
Quantum Corp., NEC, and Hitachi. Patent cross-licensing agreements
allow companies to compete on commercial values, unimpeded by mutually
blocking patent portfolios.
//// Cyrix Dumps TI for IBM - IBM and Cyrix announced a five-year
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" agreement for advanced x86-compatible
microprocessors. This comes quickly after lawsuits were filed between
TI (Texas Instruments) and Cyrix on royalty payments and patent
protection.
Under the agreement, IBM's Microelectronics Division will become a
primary manufacturer of Cyrix-designed 486-compatible microprocessors.
In addition, Cyrix has selected IBM's industry-leading half-micron
CMOS process technology for use in its M1, an advanced Pentium-class
microprocessor, and successive high-performance designs. Both
companies have made investments to ensure availability of
Cyrix-designed product manufactured at IBM facilities. In addition to
supplying these microprocessors to Cyrix, IBM has the right to
manufacture an equivalent amount for use internally or to sell on an
OEM basis.
//// Phoenix Patent Rises - Phoenix Technologies was recently granted
""""""""""""""""""""""""" a patent for its PostScript language
clone color technology. The patent deals mainly with its half-tone
screening techniques used in its software. It increases color
gradation without losing resolution or using more memory when
generating an image.
//// Size not Important - Quantum won a victory over Rodime (another
""""""""""""""""""""""" hard drive maker) when a partial summary
judgment ruled that size of a hard drive does not matter. This was due
to Rodime's claim that it could patent the size of 3.5 inch drive.
Quantum was the only company so far to fight Rodime's patent claims
even when IBM, Conner and other hard drive manufactures had alreaady
paid Rodime.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Smart Weapons
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// No Tail - The "X-31" program is designed by NASA to determine
"""""""""""" unique performance increasing characteristics for the
next generation aircraft. The X-31 program is an international
experimental project of the two countries United States and Germany.
The aircraft recently tested at Edwards Air Force base should be one
of the first tailless aircraft to break the sound barrier. Three
vanes extend beyond the back of the plane which use exhaust to control
the aircraft. The aircraft has also demonstrated its ability to fly at
high angles of attack (which would cause normal jet aircraft to stall)
and make abrupt 180-degree turns.
One important advantage military of the craft its increased stealth
characteristics. In addition for non military use it provides such
benefits as reduced weight, smaller amount of drag and less fuel
consumption.
//// Take a Long Bow - The Army's AH-64 (Apache) helicoper was
"""""""""""""""""""" recently enhanced during a special upgrade
project called Longbow. Transmission and sharing of digital targeting
data - vital to the Army's success on the next-generation digitized
battlefield - was successfully demonstrated recently by an airborne
Longbow Apache prototype for the first time.
The first of what will develop into a library of Longbow messages was
transmitted from the Longbow Apache to a mobile ground station using
an Improved Data Modem (IDM), an integral part of the aircraft's
avionics suite. The IDM will enable crews to instantly communicate
digital targeting data with other air and ground IDM-equipped or
IDM-compatible forces.
The IDM will enable pilots to communicate digital targeting data and
other information needed to accomplish near real-time fire zone
coordination, fire control and target handoff.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Video Game Industry News
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Fujiless Arcades? - Time-Warner's game and multimedia units plan
"""""""""""""""""""""" to integrate their operations soon. The
units are Time Warner Interactive Group, Atari Games Corp. and Tengen
Inc. They will operate under the common name, Time Warner Interactive.
The new structure will allow the organization to develop and publish
interactive consumer entertainment products that span across all
platforms including coin-op video games, home video games, CD-ROM
entertainment titles (for game-based machines as well as computer
platforms) and interactive TV applications.
//// Nintendo Postponing Reality? - Rumors are that Japanese video
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" game manufacturer Nintendo has
purchased a design for a new home console video game unit from a
Japanese industrial company. It has been said that this new unit is
-not- part of Nintendo's planned 64-bit "Project Reality", and may
debut in early 1995 for less than $200.
//// A Claim to Sega? - Acclaim will become the first US entertainment
""""""""""""""""""""" software maker to use Sega's Titan technology
to create games across Sega's high-end hardware systems including
coin-op; Genesis Super 32X; and the yet-to-be-introduced platform,
code-named Saturn. The first release published under the agreement
will be based on a soon-to-be-released major motion picture.
//// Trade WMS - WMS Industries announced that it has entered into an
"""""""""""""" agreement to acquire privately-held Tradewest Inc.
and certain related companies. The acquisition provides WMS with an
established home video game development group, worldwide distribution
network and industry licenses. Tradewest is a licensee and publisher
for Nintendo, Sega, Atari and 3DO platforms and produces games for IBM
compatible and Macintosh personal computer applications.
//// Toshiba licenses 3DO - Toshiba has signed a hardware license
""""""""""""""""""""""""" agreement to manufacture, market, and
distribute 3DO products. Toshiba also plans to develop a portable
version of the 3DO system that can also be installed in cars.
//// Mega Fight on the Big Screen - Capcom (best known for its Street
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Fighter games) has made several
deals involving Mega Man. Bandai will bring Capcom's famous software
superhero to the action toy market, while Sony Music Entertainment
will market and distribute episodes from the much-anticipated Mega Man
TV series on home video. In other path-blazing, video game-based
projects will bring Capcom's Street Fighter II to the motion picture
industry in December. The live action film's expected bugdet will be
around $34 million dollars.
//// Orion on CD-I - Philips announced that it has signed an
"""""""""""""""""" agreement with Orion Home Video to distribute
films from the Orion Home Video library for the Compact Disc
Interactive system, using the Digital Video (MPEG-1) technology for
full screen full motion video on Compact Disc.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Rare Gems
||| Compiled by: David A. Wright
/ | \ GEnie: DAVE.WRIGHT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for April 3 to 9,
1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. Compilation copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's
rights reserved. Each weekly or monthly collection may be distributed
freely as long as this notice is retained. Multiple collections, such
as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and other publications, may not be
distributed without further authorization. We don't take American
Express. --:Dave
===
None can love freedom heartily, but good men - the rest love not
freedom, but license. --John Milton
Man no sooner discovers a new intelligence, than he tries to
involve it in his own stupidity. --Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Let them laugh. The present is theirs, but the future I'm really
working towards is mine. --Nikolai Tesla
Who lies for you will lie against you. --Bosnian proverb
If you won't be better tomorrow than you were today, then what do
you need tomorrow for? --Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav
Is not this the true romantic feeling - not to desire to escape
life, but to prevent life from escaping you. --Thomas Wolfe
After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.
--Italian proverb
The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for April 10 to 16,
1994. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and
David Alan Wright. Compilation copyright 1994 by same. All Wright's
rights reserved. Each weekly or monthly collection may be distributed
freely as long as this notice is retained. Multiple collections, such
as CD-ROM, print, electronic, and other publications, may not be
distributed without further authorization. May cause perkiness.
--:Dave
===
Everyone has a photographic memory, but some don't have film.
--Unknown
Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI. --Tony Hendra &
Michael O'Donoghue
Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less
boring and because it has fresh peaches in it. --Thomas Walker
Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved. --D. H. Lawrence
Life is a handful of short stories, pretending to be a novel.
--Unknown
Stop complaining. You knew what you were getting into when your
father left you the business. --Queen to king, cartoon by Harris
For every vision, there is an equal and opposite revision.
--Unknown
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jaguar Tackboard
||| Confirmed information about Atari's Jaguar
/ | \ Compiled from online and official sources
-----------------------------------------------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Independent Association of Jaguar Developers
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The IAJD (Independent Association of Jaguar Developers) has started
accepting members on GEnie. The IAJD is a private group where
confidential discussions can be freely held. (Category 64 of the ST
RoundTable is the IAJD meeting place.) Consequently, membership in the
IAJD is limited to Jaguar developers who are registered with Atari
Corp. To apply for membership, send EMail to ENTRY$ on GEnie (or
<entry$@genie.geis.com> if you're not on GEnie). Regular EMail
correspondence with the IAJD should be sent to IAJD$ (again, or
<iajd$@genie.geis.com> if you're not on GEnie).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Developer / Game List 1.8
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Editor: The following developers, licensees and game titles have
been confirmed to the best of AEO's ability as of April 19, 1994.
Entries in the "S"tatus column reflects any "e"rrors, "u"pdates, "n"ew
titles, or new "d"evelopers since the last AEO list. Titles in brackets
(e.g. [Cybermorph]) have been completed and are available in the US.
1-10 Titles
S Developer/Licensee Rating under development
" """""""""""""""""" """""" """""""""""""""""
21st Century Software - Pinball Fantasies
n 3D Games - Rainbow Warrior
n - MORE
n Accent Media Productions - Varuna's Forces CD-ROM
Accolade - Al Michaels Announces Hardball
- Brett Hull Hockey
- Charles Barkley Basketball
- Jack Nicholas Golf
Activision - Return to Zork CD-ROM
All Systems Go - Hosenose and Booger CD-ROM
- Jukebox (cart multiplexer)
n - Bios-fear CD-ROM
e American Laser Games - Mad Dog McCree
Anco Software Ltd. - Kick Off 3
- World Cup
Anthill Industries
Argonaut Software - Creature Shock CD-ROM
(For Virgin)
Atari Corp. - Battlezone 2000
- Chaos Agenda CD-ROM
- Club Drive
5 [Crescent Galaxy]
- MPEG 1 and 2 carts
- Star Raiders 2000
- Tiny Toons Adventures
- VR Helmet
MORE
u Atari Games Corp. - Arcade Games using Jaguar
Attention to Detail - Battlemorph: Cybermorph 2 CD-ROM
- Blue Lightning CD-ROM
7 [Cybermorph]
(For Atari)
Audio-Visual Magic
Bethesda Softworks
Beyond Games Inc. - Battlewheels
- Ultra Vortex
Black Scorpion Software
Bjorn Joos/Kris Van Lier
Borta & Associates
Brainstorm - [x86 Jaguar Development System]
Bullfrog Productions Ltd. - Syndicate
- Theme Park
(For Ocean)
Clearwater Software
Computer Music Consulting
Cybervision
CyberWare
Delta Music Systems Inc.
Dimension Technologies
n Domark Group Ltd. - F1 Racer
n DTMC - Lester the Unlikely
n - Mountain Sports
n - (Miniature Golf)
Duncan Brown
d Eclipse - Iron Soldier
Elite
E-On
Eurosoft
EZ Score Software Inc.
GameTek Inc.
Genus Microprogramming Inc.
Gremlin Graphics Ltd. - Zool 2
- UNKNOWN TITLE (racing) - MORE?
H2O Design Corp.
Hand Made Software - Kasumi Ninja (For Atari)
High Voltage Software
Hisoft
ICD Inc. - Cat Box (AV & comm expansion box)
id Software - Doom: Evil Unleashed
- Wolfenstein 3D
Imagineer Company Ltd.
Imagitec Design Inc. 6 [Evolution Dino-Dudes]
6 [Raiden]
- Freelancer 2120 CD-ROM
u - Busby in Clawed Encounters
of the Furried Kind (For Accolade)
Interplay - BattleChess CD-ROM - MORE?
n Jaleco - Cisco Heat
n - Bases Loaded
n - MORE CD-ROM
Krisalis Software Ltd. - Soccer Kid
Limelight Media Inc.
LlamaSoft 10 [Tempest 2000] (For Atari)
- MORE MINTER!
Loricel S.A.
Manley & Associates Inc.
Maxis Software
Microids - Evidence
- Commando
Microprose - Gunship 2000
- MORE SIMULATIONS
Midnite Software Inc. - Car Wars
- Dungeon Depths
n MORE
Millenium Interactive Ltd.
NMS Software Ltd.
Ocean Software Ltd. - (Movie title "The Shadow") CD-ROM
- Apes---
n - (Comic title "LOBO") CD-ROM
Phalanx - Phong 2000
Photosurrealism - Galactic Gladiators
PIXIS Interactive
d Rage Software UK
ReadySoft Incorporated - Dragon's Lair CD-ROM
- Dragon's Lair II CD-ROM
- Space Ace CD-ROM
Rebellion Software Ltd. - Alien vs. Predator
- Checkered Flag II (Redline Racing)
- Legions of the Undead
(For Atari)
Rest Energy
Sculptured Software Inc.
u Silmarils - Robinson's Requiem CD-ROM
Software Creations
Team Infinity
Team 17 Software Ltd.
Tecnation Digital World
Techtonics
Telegames - Brutal Sports Football
- Casino Royale
- European Soccer Challenge
- Ultimate Brain Games - MORE?
u - Double Dragon 5 (For Tradewest)
n - Super Off-Road (For Tradewest)
Teque London Ltd.
Thrustmaster
u Tiertex Ltd. - Flashback (for U.S. Gold)
Titus
Tradewest - Troy Aikman Football
n Trimark Interactive - White Men Can't Jump - MORE?
U.S. Gold Ltd.
UBI Soft International - Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis
- MORE
V-Reel Productions - Arena Football
- Horrorscope
Virgin Interactive
n Entertainment Ltd. - Dragon
n - Demolition Man
Virtual Xperience - Indiana Jags
- Zozziorx - MORE?
Visual Concepts
Williams Brothers
WMS Industries
d Zeppelin Games - Center Court Tennis
Pts Stars AEO Ratings
""" """"" """""""""""
10 ***** GAMING NIRVANA!!! - You have left reality behind... for good.
9 ****+ Unbelieveable GAME!! - Your family notices you're often absent.
8 **** Fantastic Game!! - You can't get enough playtime in on this.
7 ***+ Great Game! - Something to show off to friends or 3DOers.
6 *** Good game - You find yourself playing this from time to time.
5 **+ Ho-hum - If there's nothing else to do, you play this.
4 ** Waste of time - Better to play this than play in traffic.
3 *+ Sucks - Playing in traffic sounds like more fun.
2 * Sucks Badly - You'd rather face an IRS audit than play this.
1 + Forget it - ... but you can't; it's so badly done, it haunts you.
0 - Burn it - Disallow programmer from ever writing games again.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Jaguar Quotes
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Jeff Minter entered into a discussion about the internals of
Tempest 2000:
[] ... JERRY is doing all the audio. TOM gets to draw all the
calculated starfields by himself; he gets in league with the
blitter to do polygon drawing, transforming and rendering game
objects, and pixelshatter (where things break into a zillion pixels
like the '2000' bonus). Melt-O-Vision is almost entirely a Blitter
operation. The 68K runs all the game logic and orchestrates the
other co-pros and builds the (very simple) Object List. The OLP
isn't really doing much at all, it's sitting there twiddling its
electronic thumbs and just displaying the main screen and an
overlaid sprite for the score and ships info.
Frame rate is variable, depending on how much drawing is to be
done. Logically, the game engine never slows down, as it's slaved
to a regular interrupt. The draw engine is decoupled from this, so
when the going gets tough it drops frames where necessary, which
results in a degradation in the frame rate but does not affect
gameplay speed. It *is* possible to clog it up if you let a lot of
stuff build up on the web, but the dynamics of normal gameplay mean
that this happens sufficiently rarely to be a problem in gameplay.
The alternative would have been to maintain a constant framerate by
limiting the number of objects onscreen, or having them 'disappear'
(arcade Defender used to do that!) when the load is high, but I
don't like that as it spoils the consistancy of the game
environment. Don't assume that the rendering of polygons in T2K is
necessarily as fast as it can be done - T2K represents my first
attempt at a polygon-based game, and the first cut of my
polyrenderer is unlikely to be optimal. Everyone optimises over
time, and as we get into the Jag we'll learn cheats, techniques and
shortcuts to do more stuff faster and smoother than ever...
//// In a discussion about portibility ("C" vs. assembler), Doug Engel
<d.engel@genie.geis.com> had this to say:
[] The Jaguar is too "unique" to write "portable" games for. If you
try to write "portable" code, you've locked yourself into a mindset
that limits most of what the Jaguar is good for.
...
You _have_ to know how the Jaguar operates to write _anything_ on
it, no matter when you write in. Much of the hardware features in
the Jaguar are directly accessable in "C"... the problem is that
the hardware will just be accessed more slowly than it would in
assembly, or RISC assembly.
//// id Software's constantly being asked about their Jaguar work.
Here's their latest statement:
[] We're doing Doom and Wolfenstein 3D for the Atari Jaguar. They're
both coming right along. Wolf 3D is sporting several new features,
including source artwork at twice the resolution (4x the data), a
high, fluid refresh rate, 22 kHz sound effects, and MIDI device
emulation. Doom pushes the hardware a lot harder and already looks
trey cool. The anti-aliasing effects of composite screens coupled
with the very hip 16-bit CRY pixel mode makes images look even more
realistic than the DOS version. Both should be done this summer.
Duncan Brown <brown_du@eisner.decus.org>, self-confessed "Jaguar
Programmer in a Garage", sums up how he views the Jaguar's power:
[] -- It's kind of an awe-inspiring amount of powerful hardware at
your disposal. What kind of graphics system theory are you used to?
Sprites? Frame buffer? Character mapped? Graphics coprocessor?
State machine to process display lists? Yeah, this can do all of
that... simultaneously... and probably some other things that
people haven't even thought of yet.
-- There's so much power in so many different places, it's kind of
hard to know where to start. To try to write a program from scratch
(even after studying example code supplied by Atari) suffers from a
steep "learning wall". You have to get at least passingly familiar
with a lot of different pieces just to make that first tiny program
fly. But once you've gotten familiar with all that, gotten the
framework in place to make all the parts sing together, it gets a
lot easier.
-- I'm still getting my feet wet here. In fact, it's a bit
depressing to play Tempest 2000. It's like I'm still painting a
background on a canvas and then someone takes me to see the Sistene
(sp?) Chapel... But from everything I can tell, this is a graphics
hacker's ultimate playground here. There are no rules, there are
almost no restrictions. Once you decide which direction you want
to head in, it's pedal-to-the-metal time.
-- The development hardware and software is pretty decent, but it
does take some effort to get used to. The faint of heart need not
apply. Atari's example programs *never* assemble and load without a
hitch. But hey, what better way to learn the tools than by figuring
out what the problem is? I wasted a lot of time creating a good
work environment for myself on the TT030 because I had never even
*heard* of the computer before, much less used one! I was convinced
the development tools would work better on a 680x0 platform, but I
advise anyone else to weigh that notion carefully against the
ramp-up time for a new platform. If you're already familiar with
Atari computers, then it's a no-brainer. The TT030 *is* a nice
platform.
... But so far I am extremely impressed and extremely happy!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jaguar Games Preview & Bay Area Devcon Report
||| By: Tim Wilson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.8 Internet: wilsont@rahul.net
------------------------------------------------------------------
Through my various sources and by attending the Bay Area Jaguar
Developer Conference, I've been able to see some of the following
games:
Doom
Wolfenstein 3D
Club Drive
Alien Vs Predator
Checkered Flag II (Redline Racing)
Kasumi Ninja
A Very Important Note: everything I saw was in an early stage, and at
least a month old at the time I saw it. (Which makes them at least
two months old to you.) I also have no way of knowing how far along
each one was, or how far back the demo was. Oh well, just read this. :)
//// Alien Vs Predator
You want texturemapping? You got tons of it in this game. Walls,
floors, ceilings, doors, are all covered with 16-bit textures. All
nicely done. You could of course choose to be an Alien, a Marine or
the Predator, I tried each out, but only the Marine had a lone working
weapon. (Pulse rifle) Each character had a unique HUD that you can
slowly fade in and out, making it opaque or transparent, depending on
the situation. A map could also be displayed over the screen - the map
would scroll around smoothly as you moved. The map was an overlay, not
a separate screen, so it's possible to see the map and look through
your "eyes" at the same time.
The Marine had a shotgun, a pulse rifle, and a grenade launcher
visible. I've seen a knife before, but that's being cut out I hear.
It may be possible to pick up and drop weapons, it's not confirmed
yet. The Marine had a motion tracker on the HUD, but it wasn't active
then. (It's since been activated.)
The Predator had the cloaking net, claws, plasma gun, killer frisbee,
net gun, and a spear. The Predator also has Ultraviolet and Infrared
vision. I couldn't find a dark area to try it out in, the map was
huge. The Predator had a sound analyzer, but it too was inactive.
The Alien only has a tail, second mouth, and claws as weapons.
However, the Alien can move EXTREMELY fast.
As the Marine I could engage the Predator or Alien if I happened to
cross their path. The Predator would immediately cloak, then suddenly
appear in front of me, quickly shooting, poking and stabbing with all
of his weapons. Not that it mattered, I was invincible. He wasn't... a
blast from the pulse rifle sent green blood spraying, A few more shots
and he fell to the ground in a slowly expanding pool of glowing green
blood. When I shot the Alien, it kinda made a little explosion on his
chest, and then a bigger explosion when it died... it looked thrown
in. Of course, this was an early release.
I also accessed a computer terminal, but all that was there was mug
shots of the programmers and some bitmaps of armor and stuff.
I did find some Alien eggs, which open as you near them. No
facehuggers popped out, but I did encounter a facehugger scampering
around. It jumped at me and disappeared. I guess that subroutine
wasn't quite done yet either.
Some ambient noises where present, hissing steam noises, and ominous
alarms. Watch the last 20 minutes of "Aliens", and you'll hear the
same noises.
//// Doom
Doom was running in 16 bit color as well, and I only got to see
episode one, mission one. There were beasties to kill, and they died
just like in the PC version. The added colors (supposedly from the
original 24-bit artwork) sure helped, and the dark areas and color
gradients were -excellent-. id has said they'll acheive a faster
frames per second in the end. What more can I say... it was Doom!
//// Wolf 3D
It's the same ol' PC Wolfenstein you know and love. Dogs, Nazis,
blood, big weapons, and many fps. Someone said that delays had to be
added because it was so fast. The textures were enhanced to double
their original resolution.
//// Club Drive
Yeah, I saw it, but it's been redone since. The frame rate was great,
and the toy car scenario was kinda neato. Lots of ramps and things to
let you get on top of tables, etc.... I'm not gonna say much else in
light that it's been worked over.
//// Checkered Flag II (Redline Racing)
Looked a lot like Virtua Racing or Hard Drivin'. Buildings and distant
objects fade into view and get more detailed as they get closer in a
realistic manner. There were four views to choose from, and the
internal view had "arms" that moved the steering wheel. The tracks
were flat, but I hear they may be changing that. The frame rate was
pretty good.
//// Kasumi Ninja
I hope you like blood....
Blood splatters all over, and according to the product manager, can be
turned on or off easily (no secret codes), and then saved to the cart,
so you won't have to constantly enter a "blood code."
Blood slowly "dried" up, but it may very well -stay- on the ground for
the whole round if the manager gets his way. The finishing moves code
be done at any time in the version I played. They were uh... unique.
They may or may not be final versions of them... but here they are:
[] Flip your opponent over backwards and then back flip onto his head,
squishing it nicely.
[] Pick up your opponent and then proceed to rip him/her in half, drop
said opponent... er... oppenents? at your feet.
Errr, there was one more, but I can't remember it. -grin-
The characters also had the usual assortment of special powers:
Fireballs, floating roundhouse kicks, and teleportation. (That's for
one character...)
BTW, those backgrounds you see in the pictures will be animated. For
example, those dog/dragon thingies will have firey eyes and smokey
nostrils, and various other details.
I've heard of some CD games too, but I can't tell you much about them.
("Gee! THAT'S helpful!", you say grumbling.) Well, I've been sworn to
secrecy, but I can say the CD will have -lots- of support. Use your
imagination on this one. :)
I've also heard of more never before heard of ComLynx games... but I
can't say what. I know I'm gonna get hate mail, but just know this for
now - Atari has bunches of titles and tricks up their collective
sleeves.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Jaguar Developer Conference Report
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I attended the Jaguar Developer conference and was *very* pleased that
I went. Normen went over the documentation and fielded questions. If
he didn't know the answer, he found it out. Each chunk of the Jag was
covered, the Object Processor, GPU, DSP, and blitter. I learned just
how amazingly flexible the OP was, and learned some amazing tricks,
visual and efficiency wise. I learned how much time various operations
took in relation to the other parts of the Jag, which is a big help in
regards to interupts, which were also covered in detail. Also covered
was a bit of Jaguar history, the CD unit, some previews of upcoming
games, and miscellaneous Atari plans.
I personally think it'd be a good idea for any Jaguar programmer to
attend the conference when it gets close to you.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jaguar News Phrases
||| By Tal Funke-Bilu
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.5
----------------------------------------------------------------
O.K. Jaguar fans, here's the scoop. I had this great follow-up to my
Jeff Minter interview. He was gonna talk long and hard about the
making of T2K and give a full report from the ECTS (European Computer
Trade Show). The only problem was that all of GEnie's EMail was
backlogged for a day due to maintenance. Then Atari decided it wanted
Jeff to spend a lot of time working on the VLM for the JagCD. What to
do? Work on Jag CD stuff, or write for AEO?...
Enough with the excuses. There's been a lot of talk about Tempest
codes and a rotary controller. First off, let's get the codes
straightened out. There are two of them, one allows you to pass the
current level by obtaining an "outta here" while the other enables the
current warp when you pass the level you are on. I've seen a ton of
garbled posts on how you actually enable these, and most of them will
work, but here's the bare bones:
To enable either cheats, start a game of Tempest 2000 with the "a"
button while holding down 1,4, and 7. Then, when you are playing, hit
"6" to enable the warp, and "option" to catch an "outta here."
Now for the good stuff. People seemed to have discovered that by
another combination of button pushes, one can enable a "controller
type" option on the options screen which can be set at "rotary" or
"joypad." Again, I've seen various claims to "push this!" or "no, you
do this!", and again, here is the bare bones (you need two
controllers).
To enable a "controller type" option on the options screen, go to the
options screen, and push "pause" simulataneously on both controllers.
That's it.
I am only revealing this because others have already discovered it,
and I am sick of reading "where can you get a paddle?" posts. The main
reason behind the secrecy surrounding the rotary option is mainly
becuase Atari did not want people hounding them with "When can I get
one?" calls and other related correspondence. Here's the facts:
[] Developers have the info. If they want to make a paddle control, it
is up to them.
[] Installing hooks into a game to accept rotary controls is minor.
The Yak said it took him two days to do the extra code. It would be
better to leave a hook in a game that would most likely be played
with a paddle, than leave it out. For that reason, I suspect all
games that have even the most remote possibilty of being played
with a paddle, will have some sort of hook installed.
[] Right now, Atari can not afford to spend resources on a paddle. If
enough games are released that could use one, and people still talk
about it, I suspect that late summer-early fall might see the
release of such a controller.
Keep in mind that the rotary option was not to be talked about by
Atari employees/developers (in public).
That's all the Tempest action for this week. (Anyone go double beastly
or beat 3,112,083 yet? Without the cheats of course!)
//// Other Jaguar tidbits: (sorry this is so brief, look for an
expanded section next issue)
[] Atari wants AvP to be a mega-hit, so the programmers (Rebellion)
are cramming in all the whistles and bells that will fit! This is
definitely going to be a major candidate for game of the year.
Rumored to have been in beta-testing by now, word is AvP's hit some
legal snags and has went back to the developers, so it could wind
up on the shelves from early June to early August.
[] Don't even think about DOOM until the end of summer. ID wants to
get the job done right, and with the Alien running around at
30fps, ID is going to have their job cut out for them.
[] In the meantime, Wolf-3D is being updated for the Jag. The addition
of a flamethrower and rocket launcher are just a few of the
enhancements, not to mention double the sprite size! Don't worry,
all the Nazi decorations are intact, not to mention resampled sound
along with improved music.
[] A sizable number of new developers signed up at the ECTS a week or
two ago. Look for a confirmed list in an upcoming issue.
[] Jaguar television ads are all over cable. Even a new Tempest 2000
ad.
[] Some people have reported hearing radio commercials for
Tradewest's Troy Aikman Football, "Out this fall" for Jaguar.
[] Ocean's Flashback should be one of the first 3rd party games
available (along with Wolf-3D).
[] Jeff Minter's Virtual Light Machine, supposedly named ColorSpace
2000, will most likely be built into the CD-ROM unit.
[] Here's the specs on the JagCD:
Double speed.
350Kb/s transfer rate.
160x120 @ 50 fps.
320x160 @ 24 fps. (3DO can do 160x120 @ 24 fps)
[] A VR Helmet code-named the CyberMaxx is reportedly being made for
several platforms, including the Jaguar. Rumored price range:
$400-$500.
Look for a nice developer report in an upcoming AEO, along with the
missing Jeff Minter files.
I'll leave you with this parting caption I dug up from EGM #16 in
1990:
"Quartermann has scored big this month with the first solid
news on what could become the most exciting new system of
the decade! No, I'm not talking about the big "N's" SFX, I'm
pointing my joystick at none other than Atari Corporation!
The creators of the console, who remained content with their
position as the low priced man on the totem pole, have
decided to launch a superior system to sit next to their
cutting edge Lynx portable! The new system, code-named
Panther, reportedly uses an advanced 16-Bit processor and
comes with a totally explosive package of abilities that
include scaling, multi-field scrolling and more! While
little else is known about the Panther at this stage,
several of Quartermann's sources were told that the machine
will absolutely, positively blow the Super Famicom away with
its scaling functions (a strong feature on the company's
Lynx)! Atari will neither confirm nor deny the rumors at
this point, saying only that they've heard similar
rumblings. While it does seem to be a reality, Atari appears
to be keeping their doors as well as their mouths closed
until games are finally ready to play. Save up your money
kiddies, it looks like the 16-bit wars are going to be much
hotter than anyone had planned..."
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-- --
-- To enroll as a Delphi subscriber, modem call 1-800-365-4636. Press --
-- [Return] until you see "Password:", then type IP26 [Return] --
-- --
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--==--==--==--==--
||| ECTS - Traque du Jaguar a Londres (Stalking the Jaguar in London)
||| By Loic Duval
/ | \ CIS: 100015,3044
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The ECTS, one of the most important video games shows in Europe, took
place in London this year from the 10th to 12th of April. The ECTS is
a trade show that only professionals can access, so it is not a show
for big announcements, and not a show with huge booths and large,
colorful demonstrations. It is more the kind of show where booths are
comfortable suites with sofas, and people simply talk to one another,
etc.
Atari Europe (which means Atari UK) had a suite on the lower ground
level, which was just in front of the "Time Warner Interactive" suite.
Sam Tramiel and Bill Rehbock made the trip to London with some other
US personel like Normen Kowalevski, who responsible for Jaguar
developer support.
The booth contained five Jaguar displays and a big TV with all the
Jaguar ads running in loop. In the back, a secret room was reserved
for developers' presentations.
There were no other Jaguars displayed at the show except at three
booths from UK dealers. You would have to know that the Jaguar has not
been officially introduced into Europe yet. The current date of
introduction should be around September 1994.
However many developers have confirmed that they were currently
working hard on Jaguar games and some of them had early versions
displayed in the Atari booth.
//// One more award
Before I describe the games I saw, I have to announce that the Jaguar
won another award at the ECTS: "Best Hardware 1994". (The only
hardware award given.) The ECTS awards are the only independent
consumer awards for this industry. A panel of over 70 of the world's
leading computer and video games magazines voted on the award. The
other contenders for the "Best Hardware 1994" award included 3DO, CD32
and Reel Magic.
//// New games
Atari displayed prototypes (in various stages of development) of soon
to arrive Jaguar games, but no announcements or demonstrations of any
new hardware or Jaguar extensions were made. (However there were some
new products which were demonstrated to developers during a developer
conference on the 13th of April.)
The game that attracted the most interest and about all the
journalists present (at least the ones I spoke too) was Kasumi Ninja.
It is the Jaguar's hottest title for the moment, even if the game is
still far from completion.
Only two characters (Ninja and Goth) were implemented in the version I
saw, but it was still highly playable. It may look like Mortal Kombat
because of the digitized fighters, however it is yet much more fun,
more playable, and more... bloody!
The characters are very well digitized (in true color) with smooth and
detailed animations. They look even bigger than on MK (Mortal Kombat)
or SF2 (Street Fighter 2). One very interesting detail is that the
characters have a real shadow which follows the movement exactly and
not the kind of simple dark circle you have on SF2 or MK.
The background graphics are also digitized with tons of colors and
multiple levels of parallax. It is not yet animated but it will be in
the final release. The ground is done with texture mapped polygons
also. I wasn't sure because you don't see any polygons (the ground
looks so good), but the 3D perspective animation (when you move both
fighters on the left or on the right) was so smooth that I can't
believe they have enough space in the cartridge to store all the
bitmap positions. It must be texture mapped 3D polygons! (Editor: It
is.)
Each character has its own moves and "fatality" moves. I was impressed
by the number of moves currently implemented and how they succeeedd to
install it on the Joypad. You don't have to use the numeric keypad at
all. All moves are done using the joypad and the three fire buttons.
Many combinations are possible, because to get at some, you have to
find the right joypad position and press several buttons
simultaneously. It may look strange but believe me Kasumi Ninja is
highly playable and once you have discovered a move, it is very easy
to reproduce it.
As I said previously, the game is bloody. Very bloody indeed. When you
hit your opponent some blood springs down to the floor and remains
there. The "force" level is represented by a knife (one for each
fighter) at the top of the screen. Each time a fighter is hit, more
blood appears on his blade, dripping on the floor. So at the end of a
fight, the least I can say is that you have a lot of blood on the
screen. If you add a fatality move, the result....
The fatality moves can be executed at any times (if you are well
positioned). No, I will not describe the 3 fatalities currently
implemented. I prefer to let you discover them once the game will be
available. Just say that the face of the visitors looking at those
moves for the first time was the funniest thing at the show (something
like the face of your father or mother when he/she discovers the
"barf" Jaguar ads on the TV for the first time).
With all of the action and gore (it even sports a 3D texture mapped
maze!), Kasumi Ninja is so terrific and impressive that it
overshadowed all the other Jaguar games on the show - even Alien Vs
Predator! AvP is now very near completion. When you look at it for the
first time, the 3D animation looks smooth but slower than Doom on a
486/66 PC. That is not because the Jaguar is slower, but because the
soldier walks slower than the one in Doom. Just play the Alien and you
will discover how fast the Jaguar can be when texture mapping. You
just "fly" down the corridors of the space station at 30 fps.
The concept, of the game (AvP) is very similar to Doom but AvP is much
more an adventure game than a shoot'em up. Graphics are beautiful
(with highly detailed textures) and the very realistic sounds add a
lot of depth to the game.
Wolfenstein 3D was also displayed. It runs at an incredible speed (60
fps for sure), too fast to be honest. The version displayed is in a
very early stage and only uses the PC graphics (in 256 color mode)
with no texture mapping on the floor or ceiling (just like the PC
version). I know that the graphics are currently being redrawn for the
Jaguar.
Also displayed for the first time was Flashback from US Gold
(programmed by Tiertex). The game looks exactly like the PC and the
Genesis version. So we will hope that Tiertex will change the graphics
to true colour before release. For the moment Flashback Jaguar looks
like an immediate 68000 port from the Genesis. The game is good with
an incredibly smooth animation, but Jaguar players want more than a
simple port from a 16-bit platform.
Tempest 2000 (T2K) was the only game at the show that is currently
available. The successful game has attracted many visitors (and don't
forget that it was T2K's first official presentation in Europe).
I also very briefly saw some other games like Checkered Flag II, which
is still very far from completion. The good news is that the version I
have seen is much faster than the one displayed at the CES in January.
The speed is now similar to Virtua Racing, and Rebellion's programmers
are still optimizing their routines so the final version will be even
faster. The most interesting feature is that you can change the view
to be in the cockpit, just behind the F1 or behind and over the F1
(with a fully user selectable angle).
Club Drive is a flat 3D polygon style racing game. The animation is
smooth and fast but the graphics looked poor (no texture, no gouraud,
just flat polygons). The game is very fun and you can play with two
players (the screen is split in 2) simultaneously for even more
excitement.
//// News From Third Parties:
[] Domark
F1 Racer from Domark will be a dangerous competitor for Checkered Flag
2. The game is in early development stage but the 3D graphics are good
and the animation is very fast. It looks similar to Microprose's Grand
Prix or Papyrus' Indy Car on the PC.
[] Ocean
Ocean is currently working on two Jaguar projects: one cartridge and
one CD ROM. The first game, code-named Apeshit, has some of the nicest
graphics seen on Jaguar (which means some of the nicest graphics ever
seen on any console). It is a True Colour platform game with multiple
parallax scrolling and a cooperative "two players" mode. The CD-ROM
project is based on the violent comic character LOBO. Ocean said this
game is a very new concept and doesn't want to talk about it for the
moment. The only thing we know, is that all the graphics and
animations have been rendered on Silicon Graphics Unix workstations.
[] Anco
Kick Off 3 is a soccer game from Anco. Versions 1 & 2 (available on
the ST) were the most playable soccer games ever made. Kick Off 3 is
of course better and offers many new features. The game is now side-on
view (watching from the stands) with much, much larger and better
animated players. It is scheduled to be released in June/July time
frame, Kick Off 3 on Jaguar sounds very exciting.
[] Zeppelin Games
A new company, Zeppelin Games, which was not on my list of Jaguar
Licensees has announced "Center Court Tennis" to be available late
1994.
//// The Developer Conference
On the 13th of April, Atari organized a Jaguar developer conference
attended by around 100 European developers. They showed a Jaguar
CD-ROM prototype running an FMV demonstration of Spielberg's movie
"Jaws". The CD-ROM is expected to be available in August at a retail
price of $199.
The FMV (full motion video) demo shown was done using Cinepak technology
from SuperMac. Cinepak is also used by Apple (in Quicktime), Sega (in
the Mega CD), 3DO (most of the CD animations you have on 3DO games are
coded with Cinepak). Cinepak is similar to MPEG as it uses a "lossy"
compression scheme (which means visual information not seen by human
eyes is not encoded) to get a very high compression rate which allows
you to store more than one hour of VIDEO + AUDIO on a single compact
disc.
The Jaguar Cinepak implementation is done completely in software (no
extra hardware is needed to decode the frames) and is, in term of
quality, one of the best implementations of Cinepak so far. Some
programmers who used to work with Cinepak compression on the Mac or
3DO, said they never thought Cinepak images could be as good as what
they have seen on the Jaguar. The quality is outstanding (no
pixelisation effect; no visible loss most of the time; excellent
synchronization between the sound and the video image; and it runs
in 320x240 pixels at 30 frames per second. The best point of the
Jaguar's implementation is that the decoder only uses about half
the power of the machine, so programmers have enough bus bandwith
and processor power to move objects on the screen and add game play
over the video playback.
During this conference, Jeff Minter demonstrated a "currently under
development" version of VLM (Virtual Light Machine), an impressive
light synthesizer which reacts to music and the user's input, and it
will be a pack-in with the CD-ROM unit. It is totally crazy and
absolutely indescribable. It is a kind of Colourspace/ Trip-A-Tron
(Jeff Minter's light synthesizer on Atari STs) using the 64-bit and
Tempest 2000 technologies.
Many games are currently under development for the Jaguar CD-ROM. The
most advanced projects seems to be "Return To Zork" from Activision,
"Space Ace" from ReadySoft, "Robinson's Requiem" from Silmarils, and
"Freelancer 2120" from Imagitec. Several new developers signed up as
Jaguar developers during the ECTS show as well.
In final, this ECTS confirmed that most of the Jaguar titles are late.
Due to a production delay, don't expect new games before beginning of
June. However the new titles look very, very hot and most of them will
probably be displayed in final stages during the Summer CES (Consumer
Electronics Show). So stay tuned....
--==--==--==--==--
||| CeBIT 1994
||| By: Loic Duval
/ | \ CIS: 100015,3044
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The CeBIT is the biggest computer show in Europe. Just imagine 24 huge
packed halls (you need to walk more than hour to reach Hall 24 from
Hall 1). More than 5000 exhibitors (from nearly 50 countries) and
around 700,000 visitors came to the 1994 CeBIT show.
This 1994 edition was the "processor wars" edition: Power PC
(Motorola/IBM/Apple), Pentium (Intel), Alpha (DEC), Mips (Silicon
Graphics) were all present at the show; and the winner was the
Pentium. Oh yes, Power PCs were present (thanks to IBM more than
Apple) but they didn't meet the expected interest compared to the
Pentium. The big winner was Intel - Pentiums were everywhere! Intel
had some very impressive demonstrations of the 100 MHz DX4 and the new
90 and 100 MHz Pentiums. Intel also announced a 150 MHz Pentium and
the new 300 MIPS "P6".
For the first time since 1986, Atari was not present at the CeBIT.
They preferred to attend the ECTS (April 10th to 12th) - the biggest
European video game show in London. And it was a big surprise for
visitors to find in place of the Atari booth... COMMODORE! However
even though Atari was not present, some big German developers attended
the show with their own booths. Compo and Overscan had the biggest
(with many new products), but Steinberg, Maxon, Heim Verlag and
Rhotron had their own booths also.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// News from COMPO
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Medusa Unleashed
Compo is the exclusive distributor of the Medusa T40 in Europe. The
Medusa T40 is a very high performance TOS workstation. It is based on
the Motorola 68040 running at 64 MHz and offers 26 MIPS/4.5 MFLOPS
performance. The main bus is 32 bits wide with transfer rates up to
128 MB/sec. The Medusa T40 includes 8 MB of RAM which can be expanded
to 128 MB on the mother board and to 4 GigaBytes using an extension
board. The ET-4000 graphic board provides 16 bit True Colour graphic
modes and up to 1024x768 in 256 colours. This board also supports all
ST, TT and Falcon resolutions. If you open a Medusa you will discover
many slots. One of them is filled with the ST I/O board which provides
a DMA interface, 2 serial ports, 1 Centronics parallel interface, 2
MIDI ports, an IDE hard disk interface and several AT-bus expansion
slots (used by the ET4000 board).
Optionally, a SCSI board is available, a Bus Board (which offers a
Mega ST extension bus slot), a VME extension bus (TT compatible) and a
ROM port. Performance is outstanding with indications of at least 5
times the speed of the TT (68030/32MHz). We performed some tests with
Calamus SL. We displayed 7 times the same colour document on the
Medusa while the TT/030 was trying to display it for the first time.
We also printed four pages on the Medusa while the TT was still trying
to print the first page. The T40 costs DM 7999 with a 300 MB hard
drive and one 1.44 MB floppy drive.
Look for Medusa to be released in the second quarter 1994.
//// Musicom 2
Musicom 2 will be released this May. This direct-to-disc stereo
recording system includes some impressive DSP effects, a full set of
functions for editing samples and assembling samples (to create
jingles). Musicom 2 has a wonderful spectral analyser too. The user
interface uses multiple windows to allow you to have access to all the
functions on the screen. Musicom 2 costs DM 200 and supports the
"Digital Box" from Compo. This box allows you to input Digital Signal
from your CD player into your Falcon030 and also to output in digital
format to a DAT recorder (48Khz). With the "Digital Box", Musicom 2
and your Falcon030 can work together at either 44.1 Khz or 48 Khz. The
"Digital Box" (at DM 599) supports the S/P-DIF protocol too.
//// Trackom
Trackom is the first 16-bit sound tracker for the Falcon030 and it
supports up to 10 tracks (played simultaneously). Samples have to be
recorded with an external software like Musicom 2 or the shareware
program WinRec. The user interface is MultiTOS compatible and is very
easy to handle. You play the music with the computer's keyboard for
example. The sound quality is very impressive and Trackom can work
fully in the digital domain if you have the "Digital Box". Trackom
should be out in the second quarter.
//// CD-ROM <--> ROM
A double speed (300K/s) CD-ROM drive (which is very inexpensive)
connects directly to the ROM port (cartidge slot) of all STs, STEs,
TTs and Falcons - even the Medusa's cartridge slot is supported. The
CD-ROM drive includes an Atari Metados driver, a Multitos driver, and
a CD Audio player program. Second quarter 94.
//// ScreenBlaster II
ScreenBlaster II is the second generation of video extender for your
Falcon030. It includes software which allows you to push your monitor
(and Falcon) beyond its "normal" limits. The Video Mode Generator will
let you program non-standard video modes. You can have up to 512x480
pixels on a VGA monitor in True Colour. In 256 colours, you can have
over 944x720 pixels (on most SVGA) and over 1280x960 in 16 colours!
//// FalcoGen
FalcoGen is a professional genlock which is very high quality at an
affordable price (DM 799). It can work in normal mode (priority goes
to computer image which comes over the video image), in luma-key mode
(priority goes to video image so the computer image appears behind
it), and can even use the Overlay-Bit mode of the Falcon030. It
supports a wide variety of video signals/formats including for Input
AND Output including: PAL, NTSC, Y/C(SVHS), RGB, SMPTE Timecode.
//// Overlay
Overlay is a presentation and video titling software package. Version
2 offers many more effects, an anti-flicker mode, and can even call
external programs from within your animation. Two new modules are
available:
[] Hypermedia allows the creation of "interactive" animations.
[] An FLI module allows you to play FLI/FLC animations within your
Overlay presentation.
//// AfterBurner040
Overscan has also announced for late May release, an incredible
accelerator board for the Falcon030. AfterBurner040 connects into the
internal slots of the Falcon030 and turns it into a very powerful
Falcon040 machine. This board is based on a 68LC040 CPU running at 66
MHz (internal, 33MHz external) and supports up to 64 MB of Fast-RAM
(using SIMMs). It also includes an optional PCI bus for additional
graphic boards.
//// Screen Eye Plus
Matrix and COMPO presented Screen Eye Plus, a real time video
digitizer. Now you can watch TV on a corner of your screen! Dedicated
to the Falcon030, Screen Eye works in True Colour or 256 colours. You
can display from 192x144 pixels at 25 frames/s up to 768x576 pixels at
around 2 frames per second. It is also inexpensively priced at DM600.
For more information about these and other Compo products in the
United States, contact: COMPO Software, 104 Esplanade Avenue, Suite
121, Pacifica, CA 94044. Tel: 415-355-0862 Fax: 415-355-0869 GEnie:
COMPO
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Other Products
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Steinberg Plays 16
The big revolution!! Steinberg has announced CUBASE AUDIO 16 (for
Falcon) which supports up to 16 direct-to-disk audio tracks played
simultaneously! This new version also includes new editing tools and a
10 band graphic equalizer. Another new product called AudioSpector, is
a professional tool for acoustic analysis which runs on the Falcon030.
Also available for the Falcon030, Avalon 3.0 - sample editor (which
uses the 56K DSP for impressive effects) and all the Synthworks series
have been rewritten to run on the Falcon.
//// Maxon Emulates ST on PC
Janus, from Maxon, is an ST emulator for the PC. It differs from
Gemulator because it is an hardware emulator which includes a 68000
running at 16 MHz with its own memory (up to 16 MB). Janus runs in two
different modes: in "Local Mode" where everything is done by the 68000
(just like an ST) and with speed similar to a MegaSTE. In "Dual Mode",
Janus uses all the power of your PC to help the 68000. In this mode,
Maxon claims you get a TOS machine running up to 12 times the speed of
an ST. Price of Janus, DM 800.
As you can see the Atari market is not dead in Europe with many new
products coming out for the Falcon030 and the STs. In fact, since
Atari has closed French and German offices, developers have found a
new dynamism. They are organizing three big Atari shows in Germany (in
April and May) and many new products (even Falcon games) are promised
to appear in the next months from France and Germany. Let's hope these
new products (Chroma, Afterburner, etc) may help Atari to find good
reasons to come back into the computer business.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari Artist
||| By: Peter Donoso & Fadi Hayek
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-[ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [ ATARI ARTIST ] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-[ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hello, and welcome once again to ATARI ARTIST. Although this issue may
seem somewhat on the thin side, we feel the content more than makes up
for the size. It also is a fairly good indicator that the next issue
will have a good deal more news for us to talk about!
First off, we have an short editorial piece which centers on a subject
that we feel is both relevant and timely to the future of the entire
Atari community. Take a moment to look at our Editorial section
directly below and give us some feedback on what your feelings are.
After that is the latest update on Wizztronics' 040 Barracuda
accelerator board for the Falcon030. Steve Cohen has been bombarded
with calls from all over the US... and the rest of the world as well!
Find out about the latest developments in this leading Atari hardware
developer first - we've got it!
So, without further ado... entrance, Stage left!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
= =
- - -=-=-=- [ E D I T O R I A L ] -=-=-=- - -
= =
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The continuing influx of new product from a number of both recently-
established, as well as long-devoted, European software developers
seems to continue to be a crucial factor in keeping both the domestic
and Canadian Atari market alive and kicking. Meanwhile, back here in
Vespucci-land, we (that is, us) Amerigoes continue to steadfastly
cling to our Atari systems, even as we dabble in the workplace with
varying intensity on a number of other computer platforms.
Word has it that the Medusa 0x0 TT clones will be arriving on our
shores sometime in the next few months. Atari's first step towards
licensing TOS to third-party computer manufacturers is certainly a
wise idea whose time has come (and hopefully not already departed). It
seems to me, however, that in order to engender continued development
and support for the release of new models and the software that can
take full advantage of the latest processing power, a crucial element
continues to remain conspicuous by its very absence. What I'm talking
about here is the very real and present need for developing a standard
for future Atari software and hardware.
When Microsoft first developed DOS they made the conscious decision to
leave the layout and workings of a DOS-based program up to the
individual developer. As long as it followed the rules, they basically
had a "no looks or functions barred" attitude. Since DOS was the first
PC operating system on the scene, Microsoft felt it essential to
capitalize on this and assure a continuing hold on the market by
purposely encouraging the largest number of developers, at the expense
of the individual user. This was a move they would soon realize was a
serious mistake.
When Apple introduced the Macintosh line, the one thing Microsoft
would come to envy more than anything else was its uniformity. Users
could buy just about any program and be assured that the look,
function and key commands for each program would be consistent and
work the same way. This added in a big way to Apple's overall
"user-friendly" pitch - "a computer for the rest of us." The rest is
Apple history. People became enamored of a system that didn't require
a large body of knowledge to set-up, configure and run a computer
system.
Microsoft managed to see the writing on the wall in time to do an
about-face in developing and subsequent released versions of their
Windows shell operating system software. It's no small coincidence
that a premium was placed on assuring similar looks and functions
among each and every Windows-based program running under the Windows
environment. They all share a similar look and set of basic functions.
With what we feel is the imminent release of TOS upon a third-party
world, now is the time to establish an operating environment which is
capable of running older TOS & GEM based programs while establishing a
standard for all future development of Atari software and hardware.
Although this may prove a daunting task at first, it's not impossible.
When Dave Small's GADGETS BY SMALL announced development of a MAC
emulator for Atari computers, he got quite a bit of "totally
impossible - it just can't be done!" from a number of quarters. Of
course, that's all Dave had to hear - and the rest is Small-story!
Well, it's not impossible.
Atari has had its hands full developing the Jaguar to stay alive.
They have a truly exiting engine under the Jaguar's hood, one which
offers some very exciting potential for both a game machine and some
form of home computer system as well, and they should pursue it
wholeheartedly as the next step in a natural sequence of technological
development would logically dictate.
Although Atari continues to make assurances that they have no
intention of abandoning their TOS-based platform, it seems to me that
the wisest thing on their part at this time is to do exactly what they
seem to be doing - license out TOS to third parties who will be able
to establish markets for the manufacturer of both older as well as
next-generation models based on their TOS operating system. TOS is
certainly capable of very, very sophisticated applications - its
potential has most likely been merely touched upon.
If continuing with GEM will severely limit the implementation of new
chipset instructions and processing power, then maybe it's time to
look at adopting a new graphic environment to run under TOS. With
careful planning and a consortium of minds similar in creative ability
to the team that developed the original 1040ST, TOS's potential is far
from finished.
The other problem which draws some striking parallels with the world
of DOS is the software itself. The wealth of programs that run on the
ST / TT / Falcon line of computers are quite impressive, but they all
have one distinct feature in common - they all look and function
differently. Some employ their own operating system, totally ignoring
GEM and in some cases run their own shell environment on top of TOS.
Others adhere to the GEM standard but use a variety of different key
commands and locations for menu functions.
Although Atari wisely decided to place its operating system totally in
ROM, thereby sparing users from having to configure start-ups by
adding to or changing a seemingly daunting amount of code in autoexec
and config.sys- like files, they also saw the need for attracting as
many developers as they could in the beginning.
As a result they played it loose when dealing with the diversity of
interpretations that inevitably came up among different code writers.
Since you could write programs using a variety of computer languages,
each langauge had its own set of limits pitted against its respective
advantages. Although Atari certainly succeeded in attracting
developers, the time has now come to follow in Microsoft's footsteps
and establish a badly needed set of standards. Perhaps the IAAD
(Independent Association of Atari Developers) can work in conjunction
with the company or companies who are granted licensing for
manufacturing and developing the next generation of Atari
ST/TT/Falcon/???-based computers.
In a computer world that is slowly shrinking while also increasingly
becoming cross-platform friendly, the success of any one operating
system depends to good degree upon a particular key ingredient. To
insure a continued user-base, one which will keep established users
loyal while expanding to attract an ever-widening number of new users,
an operating system must be uniform in its visual as well as practical
usage in handling a variety of applications.
The inevitable replies may include any number of "It's impossible.",
"It's too late." and "It's not practical." responses, but after having
been in the Atari community for a number of years, I would consider
that a positive dare - one which someone out there will pick up and
say, "Oh, yeah?.. watch this!" It's always been human nature - and
it's often been the Atari banner cry. Until that cry is heard, let's
all make a concerted effort to raise this issue and talk about it as
much as possible. What do you think? Let's do it!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
= =
- - -=-=-=- [ WIZZTRONICS ] -=-=-=- - -
= =
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Barracuda 040 Accelerator Board
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
After a number of frustrating delays and revisions, Wizztronics'
Barracuda 040 accelerator board is finally nearing completion. The
past two months have also brought about a redevelopment of the board's
original 8 logic PALS, which have now been reduced to one FPGA field
programmable gate array. This greatly reduces the possibility of
crashes and failures due to mis-connections and the integration of a
number of chips, as well as reducing overall current draw and
increasing system reliability.
The previously announced standard configuration, driven by a 68EC040
microprocessor running at 68EC040 operating at 16MHz (no FPU) 68040
running at 33MHz, both with an 8K internal cache will be ready for
shipping by the end of May - a two month delay from the previously
announced deadline.
If you've ever dealt with Steve Cohen, you know that his word is his
absolute bond, so you can imagine how much it hurt, not to be able to
deliver in March as originally promised. Preliminary benchmark
testing, using Quick ST's benchmarking program (a widely-respected
standard in the Atari industry) yielded some impressive results. 68040
33MHz showed an overall system performance increase of 500% without
the additional RAM card. Some benchmarks, such as the integer aspect,
reached a whopping 876%!
The Barracuda will fit in the existing Falcon casing with small shield
modification and one wire to solder. Use of the optional 128meg RAM
expansion card, or any other optional card (see below) will require
the relocation of the Falcon to a external case.
Prices are still as follows:
Barracuda 040 16MHz accelerator board with 68EC040 - $650
Upgrade to 68EC040 33MHz - add $150
Upgrade to 68040 33MHz - add $300
RAM Expansion Card w/memory management controller $300
Switch Kit - add $ 5
The Video Funnel video frame-grabber unit will be released one month
after the Barracuda board - the end of June.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Falcon Rack
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Wizztonics' Falcon Rack has been ready to ship, but is being held
up until the Barracuda 040 accelerator board has been officially
released. Latest specs confirm inclusion of a stereo 1/4" jack at both
the front and rear panels of the unit, as well as the option for
either a front or rear-mounted cartridge port.
A second SCSI port will also be available for allowing installation of
an additional external hard drive within the case. Connecting the
drive directly into the Falcon's SCSI port, a SCSI cable will lead
from the SCSI out port of this external drive to the back of the case
for interfacing with additional SCSI-based units. Rack dimensions
remain 19" wide by 15" deep by 5 1/4" high.
Prices also remain as previously announced:
Level 1 - #WT-ARK941 bare case $250
Level 2 - #WT-ARK942 includes keyboard interface $335
Level 3 - #WT-ARK943 includes internal power supply $320
Level 4 - #WT-ARK944 includes internal power supply &
keyboard interface $395
Additional Options:
200 watt UL power supply (recommended for Barracuda $175
33 MHz accelerator board and RAM Expansion board) $ 70
Internal hard drive mounting kit $ 20
SCSI cable kit with IDC 50 and dual centronics connectors $ 35
PC keyboard interface for use with XT or AT keyboards $125
Input/Output patch cable kit for use from original Falcon
housing to Falcon Case $ 20
Near-Future* Options:
1040/Mega ST rear plate $ 55
Mounting adaptor plate for Mega ST $ 20
* 3rd quarter '94
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// PC Emulation Board
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
If you're a bit confused as to whether this is on-again/off-again...
it's definitely on again! Last time in Atari Artist we mentioned that
Wizztronics decided to give a green light on developing of an optional
PC emulation board for the 040 Barracuda accelerator. Originally
conceived as a 386SX, it wasn't certain that the choice of the older
processor would entice customers to buy in sufficient quantity to
warrant its manufacturing, so the project was shelved. After a lot of
sweat, and more than a few all-nighters, a number of seemingly
unsurpassable obstacles were finally overcome.
Last month's Atari Artist column included an announcement that
Wizztronics had decided progress on their 040 accelerator warranted
continued development of a 486-based PC emulator. Soon after the
phones at Wizztronics' headquarters started ringing off the hook! Due
to the amazingly heavy number of telephone calls regarding this PC
emulator, using a faster 486-based processor chip for the PC board has
now become a viable option.
If you caught that phrasing, you'll notice I didn't say "emulator"
board. That's because Wizztronics has decided that in order to insure
100% compatibility with PC-based applications (games are another story
- that's up in the air right now, but we'll keep you informed) they
decided instead to go with a FULL 486SX PROCESSOR running at 25 MHZ on
a separate plug-in board! In effect, this card will be like installing
a PC onto your Falcon, via the Barracuda's motherboard. There is one
catch, however.
The added height will require that your Falcon be relocated into an
external case. Fortunately, Wizztronic's Falcon case will be perfect
for the occasion! Price for the PC-on-a-card is around $500, and
should be ready in time for Santa to put in your stocking.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Dedicated Support
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Wizztronics has asked me to assure their loyal customers that the
company is continuing their uncompromising commitment to future
development and full support for any and all of their Atari-related
products. Deadlines serve the useful purpose of spurring development
to its completion, but a deadline is nothing without the delivered
promise of a fully-functioning, 100% solid product. That same
commitment to providing total customer satisfaction is a central
driving force behind the Wizztronics' business philosophy.
Wizztronics offers its sincere apologies for the delays, and looks
forward with as much eager anticipation towards their final release as
the many users who have either already called to make inquiries
concerning this new line of products.
You can reach Steve Cohen on GEnie at S.COHEN 27, or call him at
(516) 473-2507.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
= =
- - -=-=-=- [ MUSIC NEWS ] -=-=-=- - -
= =
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// 16 Audio Track Version Of Cubase Audio Falcon!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Steinberg Jones has made some exciting announcements for its next set
of updates. First and foremost, the next version of Cubase Audio
Falcon will offer a whopping, rock solid 16 TRACKS OF DIGITAL AUDIO!!!
Although never really discussed in-depth, the Motorola 56000 DSP chip
used in Atari's Falcon 030 is actually capable of eight STEREO tracks
of digital audio. That translates to a total of 16 monaural tracks!
This is eight more tracks than Digidesign's hardware-dependent (2
cards plus external mixing unit) Session8 for the Mac & Windows and 10
more tracks then Deck's (employs the DSP in a Mac) six tracks!
Other added features include:
[] 128 tracks of MIDI
[] Auto analog compression.
[] Support for the Studio module within Cubase Audio.
[] New sample rates for sounds with conversion capability.
Sample rates include 48kHz, 44.1, 33.9, 24.6, 20.8, 16.5.
[] 10-band graphic EQ, which includes a new mixer map.
[] Cross fading and reversing of digital audio.
[] Linking of stereo sampling for editing as one entity.
The only limitation while in 16-track mode is that EQ & reverb
features are negated, due to DSP restraints, and will not be
avaialble.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Avalon Version 3.0
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A major update to Avalon, Steinberg's awesome, full-featured sample
editing program is also due to be released around the second quarter.
This new version will include some exciting new features:
[] Audition samples directly through the Falcon's Audio output.
[] Support for importing Cubase Audio Falcon digital audio files
(AIFF).
[] Load samples directly from your sampler's SCSI port into Avalon.
[] Support for Macintosh interchangeable file format.
[] Multi-harmony processing.
[] Direct control of Akai S1000 & Roland S770, S760 samplers.
[] Ability to apply Falcon's DSP digital effects to samples.
This new version means Steinberg will discontinue production of the
AVALON SCSI adaptor and AD/DA card. For those stalwart Mega ST users,
Steinberg still has a few of these peripherals left.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// New Cubase Hardware
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Steinberg also will be releasing their SA-8 four stereo channel output
external unit, featuring RCA outputs. This will allow for the use of
external effects processors for eight digital tracks, as well as
isolating and exporting your digital tracks to an external mixing
board for final mixdown. The SA-8 has a built-in DSP port for
interfacing directly with the Falcon.
Also included is a dedicated thru port for chaining Steinberg's FDI
(Falcon Digital Interface). The FDI features SPDIF in/outs as well as
optical in/outs for connecting with the AD/DAs on your DAT machine.
The advantage of using FDI's input/outputs is that they offer a much
cleaner signal path, as opposed to the Falcon's somewhat noisy
built-in stereo input/outputs.
Using both hardware units, you can utilize the Falcon's stereo outputs
as an additional two external effects sends to route to your favorite
effects box. You can return them through the Falcon inputs or to your
DAT player or through the FDI box.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Studio Sessions On The Phone
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In what has to be the wildest application of communications technology
to music, Steinberg will also release their MIDI-to-ISDN converter
unit. Using a modem which supports ISDN ver. #24 transmission, you
will be able to do studio session work right from your own home - or
wherever you are - right over the phone.
Simply hook up your MIDI keyboard or controller, along with your
modem, into the appropriate ports in Steinberg's unit. The other end
of the phone line needs a similar setup. Once a connection has been
confirmed, either location can both send and recieve MIDI information
directly over the phone lines!
=-=-=-=-=
//// Coda
=-=-=-=-=
Well, that's it for this edition. Until our next issue, this is
Pete Donoso & Fadi Hayek reminding you that...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
= =
- - [ "Today is the Tomorrow you dreamed about Yesterday." ] - -
= =
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--
== ==
-- C R E D I T S --
== ==
--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--
ATARI ARTIST endeavors to bring you the latest news on what's
happening in areas that involve the ARTS: Music & MIDI, video, and a
host of graphic categories covering drawing, painting, animation,
graphics, raytracing & texture mapping as well as related
graphic-editing & rendering programs, all of which are either new
arrivals or soon to be released both here and in Europe.
We keep a somewhat loose publishing schedule, which roughly translates
to around once a month. ATARI ARTIST's staff consists of myself, Peter
Donoso, and my partner, Fadi Hayek.
An Atari owner since 1985, I've written numerous software reviews for
a number of publications, including ST Log, ST Informer, and Atari
Explorer magazine, the latter of which I also had the pleasure of
serving as Managing Editor under the stewardship of Editor/Publisher
John Jainschigg. Apart from writing, I also freelance as a DTP layout
and graphic artist, and find my Atari computers an absolutely
essential tool in my passionate pursuits of both musical performance
and composition.
I use a number of both acoustic and MIDI-related instruments,
including keyboards, guitar, flute, sax, percussion, vibes, as well as
MIDI guitar, wind-controller, MIDI vibes and percussion controllers.
I've been a New York city resident for more than thirty-five years.
An equally long-time Atari owner, Fadi Hayek is a MIDI/computer
specialist for the SAM ASHE chain of music stores in the northeast
United States. Recording engineer, artist and video enthusiast, he is
also an accomplished composer and drummer, guitarist, bassist and
percussionist.
For those of you who may be interested, my personal Atari setup
includes:
[] An original 1040ST, used for playing games.
[] A Mega ST / 8 megs RAM / Digidesign DSP-driven Sound Tools card,
TOS 2.06 / TALON Omniswitch for Princeton Ultra 16 multisync
monitor/ Cartmaster multi-cartridge port expander / Spectre GCR
Mac emulator / ICD Link.
[] A Falcon 030 / 14 megs RAM / 65 meg internal hard drive /
integrated Barracuda 1 Gigabyte external hard drive & 88 meg
Syquest removable Cart drive / NEC 4FG 15" multi-sync monitor.
If you have any questions or sugestions concerning anything related to
the contents or subjects mentioned here in ATARI ARTIST, you can leave
EMail for either Fadi or myself on GEnie at EXPLORER.2 (Internet:
<explorer.2@genie.geis.com>), and we'll get back to you just as soon
as we can.
--==--==--==--==--
||| InShape Review
||| By: Michael Robinson
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.1
--------------------------------------------------------------
A Professional 3D Modeler/Shader for
the Atari TT and Falcon Computers
//// Introduction
Inshape is a 3D Modeler and Shader package marketed in North America
by Cybercube Research Inc. This product is useful for visualizing
three dimensional objects in various environments. It is also capable
producing a series of renderings that can then be played back as an
animation. Included in the package is a converter program for
producing output in TIFF file format.
According to Cybercube Research Limited, "InShape integrates a
sophisticated 3D scene, object, path and template editor with a truly
amazing 24 bit raytracing/rendering engine. InShape lends itself for
many different and exciting applications incuding: product design,
architecture, sophisticated game developments, visualisation of
intricate biological, chemical or physical phenomena, professional
video animations and DTP work."
//// What's Needed?
InShape is an application that requires a powerful computer, and the
computers it will run on reflect that. The product is only designed to
run on Falcon030 or TT030 with an FPU in a minimum resolution of
640x480x16. For all of you ST users out there wondering why InShape
doesn't support your ST, it would probably take a couple of DAYS to
render a high quality on an 8 MHz ST and really requires the speed and
power these 2 computers offer.
//// 3D Modeler - User Interface
The Modeler gives you an excellent custom interface appearance with a
MultiTOS 3D like look. When I first ran it, my initial impression was
"cool!", and it stayed that way the whole time I used the program.
The Modeler is fairly easy to use, aside from not being able to use
the mouse to place points and simple boxes etc. Everything is in
convenient places and is very logical. The user interface looks crisp
and clean. All of the key equivalents are convenient and are in
logical positions. Although Warp 9 is not available due to a conflict,
screen redraws are very fast.
InShape is one of the few Atari programs that actually use both mouse
buttons. InShape utilizes a neat item called a "Shader". A shader is a
slider bar within a box that you click in. Depending on your mouse's
position when the left button is clicked, the values will change
according to where the mouse is. If you use your right mouse button,
the value will change by 1, which is really handy when editing an
object's color.
//// The Modeler
When you run InShape Modeler, you are presented with a dialog box with
the options of "New", "Open", and "Continue" with the Scene editor
beneath it. The Continue button is handy, allowing you to pick up from
where you left off from last time. You will notice a tool box to the
far left side. These have the neato 3D look like everything else.
Menus have a nice little border around the edges that gives it that
extra neat factor, unlike normal GEM's black-in-everything approach.
If you explore the menus some, you'll realize much of what's up there
is mostly different views. In addition to the views, there is the file
menu, shader menu, and the INSHAPE menu. One drawback of this custom
interface is the INSHAPE (or "Desk") menu. Underneath it is an info
selection. That's it. You can't use desk accessories while using
InShape.
When you take a gander at the Shader menu, inside you'll see an
animation preview. This is one of the handiest things that InShape's
creators could have though of. This allows you to see what happens in
your animations before you create them, and is presented in another
crisp looking dialog in the middle of the screen. The animation
preview is then drawn in yellow wire frame (slowly the first time
through), and can be replayed through as many times as you like. This
menu is also where you tell the program when to generate a single
frame or a whole animation when you are ready.
When you've finished having enough fun exploring the joys of the menu
bar, you'll need to take notice of the tool box off to the left. All
of the buttons on the upper half are squares with icons that really
fit their function. Example, to get to the Camera, you click on the
icon that looks like a camera. To define the texture of the floor,
click on the icon that has a 3x3 grid of boxes, which looks like the
Scene editor's "floor" when looked at straight down. This is where a
majority of the most useful functions are located.
The Modeler makes use of a custom file selector, allowing you to do
many things such as rename or delete files, definitely better than
TOS's file selector. One problem I found was when you try to make a
folder, it ends up replacing the name you made for the folder with a
bunch of gibberish. In addition it would be nice to have the option of
being able to use a different file selector (such as UIS III or LGS).
Using the camera is difficult, especially when it comes to getting it
to point where you want it. After a while, you get used to it and can
generally place it where you want it. You are also given certain keys
you can press on the keypad along with the control, left shift, and
alternate keys to change the values which is very helpful in trying to
figure out what you are doing.
//// Object Manipulation
InShape uses a position relative scheme for placing objects. This
"Hierarcy system" allows you to group objects in some sort of logical
organisation. Puting "Object A" at coordinates (in x,y,z format)
15,100,45 will put the object at 15,100,45. Anything under "Object A"
will have coordinates that are an relative to "Object A"'s
coordinates. If we add "Object B" under "Object A" instead of under
"Main" (the default), "Object B" will be at coordinates 15,100,45. The
portion of the dialog which tells you where the object is located at
will report "Object B" as being at coordinates 0,0,0. Modifying that
0,0,0 to 10,25,-5 will result in the actual coordinates being
25,125,40.
The object Hierarchy system can be accessed by clicking with either
mouse button inside your "view". When you do this, you are presented
with a window that contains the hierarchy. As a default, you get a
"main" where everything goes under. Clicking on an entry with the left
mouse button, you can add, delete, and do a few other things with an
object. If you'd like to edit an item, just click on it with the right
mouse button. Within the dialog, you can select which object you want
the entry to represent. You can reposition the object to whatever xyz
coordinate, rotate it by whatever xyz axis, and choose its scale (1
being same as it is in the object editor, .5 being 1/2, 2 being
twice).
You can have a light source dedicated to it, and you can also
reposition that as you like and choose its radius if you want to (0
being invisible). You can choose the brightness of the object
(infinite, flood, bulb, or candle), and you can define it as a
spotlight too. If you make your light a spotlight, you can choose the
direction that it points, the angle of light it puts out, and how
softly it fades out.
A distance below everything in the tool box, you will see a button
called "Object". This will send you into the Object editor, where you
actually make your 3D objects. After clicking on this, the menu bar
changes to reveal many more menus. Among them is the Create menu.
The Create menu contains all of the basic types of objects you can
create, from a simple box to a 100+ segment sphere. When selected,
each one prompts an appropriate dialog box asking for appropriate
information, such as the x,y,z position of your object. Unfortunately,
you are not allowed to use the mouse to actually place an object where
you want it. This is the biggest drawback I found with InShape.
It's very difficult to actually know for a fact where something will
need to go beforehand if you're designing a complex object from
scratch. After you've filled out the appropriate data, you are given
another dialog box where give the surface features, such as the color,
what kind of texture it will have, luminosity, transparency,
reflectiveness, etc., etc.
Included with InShape are TONS of premade surfaces, such as marble,
sand, chocolate (!), mirror, glass, leather, and dozens more, not to
mention what you can modify and make on your own (Transparent
chocolate anyone?). Not only can you load/save them off the disk, you
can store them inside a slider menu for later use within that object
you are creating.
Amongst the other menus, there is (of course) the "View" menu. In here
are your standard Top, Bottom, Right, Left, views. But the two I liked
the most were the "Parallel" and "Central" views. I really can't tell
the difference between them, but if you press the control key, you can
rotate the xyz axis to any position you want, and the object will be
draw in that position.
There is a file menu which allows you to load individual objects and
save them. The usual assortment of things you would expect to find
under a "file" menu.
The tool box has very clear icons that really do explain what they do.
The cutest one I saw was the "delete points". The icon to delete all
selected points has a set of points being eaten by (among others)
PacMan. The buttons are clear enough to figure out what they really
mean without having to look at the manual (too much :).
From the Object editor, you have access to the Template editor and the
Path editor. You can also return to the Scene editor.
In the Template editor, you create a one layer slice of a pattern.
You can have the program create some point arrangements for you, such
as an ellipse. You can actually use the mouse to arrange you points
here. No hit and miss guessing. To aid you, InShape gives you the
option of having a grid displayed, along with snap if you want it. The
points you can create can either be smooth or sharp. The icons in the
tool box will be a mix between old an new. Some familiar icons such as
the delete selected points are there, along with new ones like the
ellipse function (which looks like a compass).
After you've finished creating your "template", and you've connected
all the points together (don't forget that!), you can turn this into a
3D object for the object editor to deal with. If your finished item is
too complex for the simple Spin and Extrude functions, you can go on
to the Path editor. When you've finished creating your path, choose
the "path" option from the menu bar and an object following your
template runs along the path, and is drawn in the object editor.
The Path editor's only use is to create a path for the Template editor
to use. You are allowed to use your mouse to manipulate points here
also, and you can once again tell it if you want a grid or snap too.
The interface here is pretty simplistic. Point where you want your
next point to be and you're done with it. You can turn line segments
into Bezier curves in addition to just straight lines. When you do
this, you will see 2 "x"es which you reposition to change the curve.
When you are finished here, you can go back to the template editor,
and make an object that follows your path.
//// Shader
The Shader is a separate program itself and is launched by the 3D
modeler when you want to create an actual frame. An annoying quirk
between the Modeler and the Shader is you have to press a mouse button
when going between them. The next thing you see is a bunch of numbers
counting down to zero labeled "pass one". Then you get a set of 3
numbers labeled "pass 2" that seem to move somewhat erratically. When
they disappear (and your selected screen size is small enough to be
displayed) you are treated to a dithered display of your picture in
progress.
This file is created and saved to a file called "IS_00001.IIM". You
have to re-name it when you are finished. If you get interrupted or
find something wrong while the Shader is working, pressing [Control]+
[LShift]+[Alternate]+[RShift] will stop the current render. It would
have been nice if you could start where you stopped, but that isn't
supported. Other than that, you just get to look at the screen....
The actual time it takes to create a picture depends on a number of
things, including the number of light sources, textures, clouds, etc.,
etc. Rendering a picture at 320x200 with several light sources, a
couple thousand points, many different textures (including
transparency and reflection options), image mapping, and a few other
things at 5 iterations with photo shading can take several hours
(literally).
On the other hand, a small object (say 100x100) with a couple hundred
points and 1 or 2 light sources at 1 iteration and test shading can
take less than 1 or 2 minutes. When the shader is finally finished
creating your picture, it re-runs the Modeler and you go on as if you
just started the program.
//// Converter
Thankfully, you are given a program within the InShape package to
convert files to and from the shader's IIM format. The Converter has
the same neato 3D look as the Modeler. It gives you information about
the file you have loaded (if any) and can also show them to you if you
want. You can load in IIM files, TIFF files, and Degas files. The IIM
and TIFF files loaded in fine, but the monochrome Degas pics I loaded
into it were shown twice (i.e. "picture picture"). That was the only
apparent problem with the converter. You can save files in IIM and
TIFF.
The converter gives you a few options too, such as turning a picture
into 256 gray scale (or True Color if the file is in 256 gray scale)
and you can reduce its size in half. The custom file selector is used
here and contains the same folder creation bug as the 3D Modeler (you
make a folder and it creates a folder with a garbage name). I kind of
wished that it would convert and load more file formats, but you take
what you get.
If you don't like or don't want to use the converter program that the
authors of InShape included, they've also (thankfully) created a
couple of modules for the great shareware graphics conversion package,
GEMView v3.xx, which easily loads, converts and saves the IIM files
used by the Shader into many different formats.
(Editor: InShape was used by Michael to create the base "BattlePong
2001" image seen in AEO_0306; GEMView was used to convert the True
Color image into the GIF file.)
//// Documentation and Support
The manual for InShape is very well done and professional. It is
contained in a 2 ring binder and contains 156 pages. Most *EVERYTHING*
is explained in the manual.
The program disks for the InShape package can be found in the front
cover inside 2 plastic sleeves. Included inside the manual are 4
terrific tutorials, or "exercises", that really get you used to and
comfortable with many functions the Shader offers, such as the
Template and Path editors and how they work, the Scene editor, and how
to image map an object.
There are 3 different appendices, which include keyboard shortcuts
and a look at what different patterns look like. Also in the very back
is an index that seems to cover everything.
CyberCube Research Limited provides great personal support of the
product for the U.S. and Canada. Electronic network support is also
provided via GEnie, CRS-Online and InterNet/UseNet.
//// Conclusions
The InShape package does what it was intended to do: Create
beautifully rendered computer generated images and it does this very
well. Aside from some minor bugs (*VERY* minor), the 3D Modeler is
simply a joy to use and would have been almost perfect if you would
have been able to reposition, move, create, or whatever with the
mouse. The Object Editor is reportedly getting an overhaul with
version 2.0, as well as many other additions, improvements,
enhancements, and bug fixes (which includes being able to use the
mouse in the object editor).
Look for announcements of updates to InShape in future issues of AEO.
Roars (good)
===== "Neato" 3D Interface
"Continue" button
Tons of premade surfaces
Example tutorials in manual
Automatically saves preferences when quitting
24-bit color files created
Very configurable
Excellent manual
Makes animations
Image mapping
Snores (bad)
====== No ACCs
Difficult to edit (No mouse point editing)
Can't choose the save names of files you render
The need to click a mouse when exiting and before render
Warp 9 conflict
SpeedoGDOS conflict
Can't create folder correctly
No animation player
(Editor: CyberCube tells me that all of the "snores" listed
here are being remidied in the next versions of InShape.)
InShape INTRO 1.0
=================
Hardware Requirements:
Atari Falcon030 with 4MB of RAM,
color monitor (min. 640x480),
harddisk and FPU (68881 or 68882).
SRP: US $189
Can $229
InShape 1.02
=============
Hardware Requirements:
Atari TT030 with 4MB of RAM,
VGA (PCT1426 or equivalent) monitor,
harddisk, FPU (68881 or 68882).
SRP: US $319.00
Cdn $379.00
Upgrade Prices:
Registered Customers: INTRO 1.0 -> 1.02 US $120.00
===================== Cdn $140.00
INTRO 1.0 -> 2.00 US $240.00
Cdn $290.00
Unregistered Customers: INTRO 1.0 -> 1.02 US $130.00
======================= Cdn $150.00
INTRO 1.0 -> 2.00 US $250.00
Cdn $300.00
- Multiple Licenses Available -
US/Canada - Contact
===================
Cybercube Research Limited
126 Grenadier Crescent
Thornhill L4J 7V7
Ontario Canada
Tel.: (905) 882 0294
Fax : (905) 886 3261
BBS : (905) 882 5895
GEnie: CYBERCUBE
CRS-Online: Cybercube.Research
InterNet/UseNet: cybercube.research@camrem.com
or cybercube@genie.geis.com
Germany contact
===============
InShape Softwareentwicklung GmbH
P.O. Box 1302
24952 Harrislee
Germany
Tel.: 0461 / 788 21
Fax : 0461 / 788 26
United Kingdom contact
======================
CGS Computerbild
231 Northborough Road
Norbury,London SW16 4TU
England
Tel.: 081-679 7307
Fax : 081-764 7898
--==--==--==--==--
||| The Creation of "BattlePong 2001"
||| By: Michael Robinson
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.1
------------------------------------------------------------------
In mid-March, I was asked if I could come up with an April Fools gag
picture called BattlePong 2001 for AEO. The following text describes
how I made the picture using InShape.
What I first created was the paddle. The main bulk of the paddle was
just a simple box. I tried putting a few bolts in, but they're really
too small, and I barely notice them when I'm looking close up. I
figured, "heck with it", and left them in anyway.
Next to be created was the ball. It too is a simple object; just a
small sphere.
The walls were very similar to the paddles. Just a single box. Using
the hierarchy, I positioned multiple "walls" so that it looked like a
squarish single wall.
The holes in the walls were a bit harder to make. The holes themselves
are just a one plane circle colored black. It has the "no-shadow"
option on so you don't see any shadow effects, and is placed a bit
away from the wall itself so it doesn't disapear into the wall. They
were meant to give the illusion of a hole, but it kind of failed
because you didn't see the side of the blown out hole.
I tried making the scores of the players a few differant ways. The
first thing I did was use Degas to simply type some numbers on the
screen and write player 1 or player 2 beneath it. I first tried
mapping it onto a cylinder, but when it rendered I couldn't get both
sides lighted correctly so I finally tried using a single plane.
Getting it rotated so that it looked flat on the screen was also hard,
but after a bit of piddling with the numbers, I managed it so it
looked right.
The "balls remaining" were very easy to make. They're just multiple
copies of a single sphere that were spaced out and positioned so that
they looked like they were right next to the scores.
The blasters were also simple. They're just cylinders with one end
hollow, colored blue.
All of the powerups in the middle of the screen are simply objects
created using Degas, blown up, and image-mapped onto differant planes.
They are all colored red and are slighly transparent.
The bullets you see are simply light sources that are differant
colors. That's why you see shades of blue and yellow around them.
The title (or logo or whatever) is another simple Degas picture. The
cool effect (at least I think it is) was discovered purly by accident
by turning on the bump map. After seeing that for the first time I
yelled "Dude!" and wondered how I did it.... Then I made it a bit
reflective and it ended up shining in red, blue and yellowish colors
which also really added to the "effect".
The starfield that I made didn't show up in the 320x200 res that the
picture was rendered in. This is understandable because the screen
shots that were taken were in 640x400. I think that if you rendered it
in a resolution higher than this you would see stars. There are
actually 4 differant pictures to the starfield. Each one is supposed
to have the stars as different colors, hopefully making it look a bit
neater.
The laser shot (the red squiggly thing) was made using the template
and path editors. It is actually just a circle following 2 bezier
curves, but I think it looks very nice. I had to mess with some
values, including the length and how big the center radius would be,
but I eventually found something that looked right. It's also supposed
to "glow" a little bit too.
On top of the right paddle is 1/2 of a red "blob" in the shape of the
sphere. This is supposed to be the laser thing-a-magig. It's just a
red light source put in as an afterthought.
Right below the scores of the 2 players, you should see a red bar.
This is supposed to be power indicatior. It too is a simple object,
consisting of only 1 plane and transparent red. Positioning them was a
bit tricky. You'll notice that I didn't quite get it in the correct
position on the right side of the picture.
Positioning all of this was very easy using the Hierarchy system in
the InShape modeler. Light sources are placed above the middle of the
screen, above the scores, right in front of the paddles, the red thing
on top of the right paddle, and as all of the shots. Assembling the
paddles was a snap, as was the background. As I said earlier, I just
positioned the walls in one place, made a copy, rotated it, and
positoned it also. The bullets were subsets of the blasters and
positioned relative to them.
After finishing with all that, the computer was sent to work and
several hours later, volia! Instant April Fools gag. BattlePong.
Editor: I'd like to take this opportunity to thank
Michael, I handed him a very non-specific task, "Can
you use InShape to do a 3-D Pong 2001 game thing?" He
took the initiative and turned the idea into BattlePong
2001.
What's not so funny is that at least one Jaguar
developer is interested in actually using InShape to
create objects and various other items for -real-
Jaguar games.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Andreas' Den
||| By: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: ABARBIERO GEnie: AEO.2
----------------------------------------------------------------
//// So you never thought you'd see new ST games again?
Welcome to 1994, a watershed year for the Atari community at large. I
have found that despite the hype about the new DX4, PowerPC and other
computers out there, my TT030 and programs like Calamus, AtariWorks,
STalker, and GEMView still fill the bill for my applications work. I
broke down and bought a Jaguar (yeah, they REALLY twisted my arm),
expecting that to fulfill my gameplaying hunger. I don't just like
playing games, I love the feel of a well written simulation or the
escapism of an exciting role playing game. These are not just games to
me, but challenges. My "real" job is playing Electronic Warfare
Operator aboard a Navy P3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. This is
basically the world most expensive video game, complete with real
nuclear submarines, F-14 Tomcats, satellite datalinks and
counter-narcotics missions outside Singapore.
Games are not merely test of reflexes or fire-button exercises, but of
the mind. Reaction to an on screen threat, like with Cybermorph, is an
extension of this. Your reactions have a deadly twist to them, and
your actions have repercussions. Naturally they are less severe than
in real life, but a well written game will teach that, rather than
some sense of invincibility while destroying your peripheral vision.
//// To the Deserts of Arakkis!
Jaguar, Jaguar, Jaguar... that's all I hear about. It is as if all the
Atari computer owners out there have turned into console owners in
about ten minutes. Don't get me wrong, I love my Jaguar! Don't mistake
me either that just because I love Cybermorph and Tempest 2000, they
are not the games that I live for. I still play Elite II just as much
as I can find the time to - even though the Jaguar is much prettier at
playing games than this 'ol TT030. The ST market is not as dead as it
may seem. The last big round of PC clone games has made it past their
software "life-span" and the publishers are looking for more ways to
make money off them. With the recent Christmas sales of the STe, and
the continuing sales of TT030s and Falcon030s around the world, the
Atari market is still active, not as large as it might be, but some
"official" (nope! I can't release my sources!) placed the current
Atari machines estimated active worldwide at about 3 million in 1993.
There has probably been some attrition here, but programs like
Microprose's F1 and Elite II sold close to half a million copies.
Falcon030s sales are up over the 50,000 mark and while it is not much,
it evidently may be enough....
Perusing magazines and placing calls to dealers around the world has
uncovered games as being "in development" for the Atari which you
would most likely recognize from other platforms. Captive II, the
sequel to one of my favorites, Captive, is rumored to be around soon.
This first person "Dungeon Master in Space" game was as nearly perfect
as possible with enough innovative features to make it interesting to
play while maintaining enough classic features to be familiar. The
idea was original, you were trapped in a cyrogenic prison and were
suddenly awoken alone with only a remote terminal at your disposal.
You had to remotely control a group of four robots to destroy 11 power
stations which held you in your prison. Not only do you have to keep
your robots "alive" you have to wend your way around some devious
traps and figure out how to destroy the power station, and remember
how to escape in time! There are thousands of stars to choose from and
you don't know where anything is... loads of fun!
For you flight sim fans, here are five titles that should get your
blood pumping: F14 Tomcat, F-117A Stealth Fighter, Tornado, Falcon
3.0, and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. I am assuming (praying) that
this is the European version of F14 Tomcat: Defender of the Fleet.
This is a game that, if I did not know better, could convince me to be
a Tomcat driver. (Reality check, F-14 pilots spend 10% of their time
yanking and banking, with the other 90% stuck with paperwork and
pretending to live the Top Gun fantasy.)
F-117A, Falcon 3.0, and Secret Weapons all have been around for a few
years on other platforms, but it seems they have a chance of making it
to the Atari. Falcon 3.0 is an enormous upgrade over the older version
we know and love on the Atari. Hopefully it will use the FPU on the
MSTe, TT030, and the DSP on the Falcon030. The biggest change here is
with the topography. Unlike the old versions, mountains do not just
appear out of the ground, but from hills, and for the first time, you
can fly down river beds to targets using realistic nap-of-the-earth
terrain following, just like a real Falcon driver would. Secret
Weapons of the Luftwaffe allows you to try out the world's first jets
in actual combat. If the Germans had put more money into jet and
rocket technology in World War II, most likely the war would have had
a different outcome, and with this LucasArts game you can see if they
would have!
I have also seen references to the Dune series of games, which of
course are based on the Frank Herbert books. I have played both on the
PC, and Dune II is a great strategy game involving the tactful
production and employment of military units which you build with the
profits from spice mining. Complete with Worms and ornithopters, even
if you have never read the books, these are worth a look.
Hopefully all these games will have 256 color modes for the
Falcon030/TT030, stereo sound, and will be installable on a hard
drive. For those of you looking for mainstream software, the BitMap
Brothers have a game called Soldiers of Fortune on the Genesis (which
won some best game award) which is known as the Chaos Engine on the
Atari. This game has fabulous hand drawn art that really hides the
fact that there is only about 32 colors onscreen! The must use some
kind of software hack to do this, but Amberstar did the same.
I will soon be receiving some new games, so expect some real and NEW
software reviews soon.
//// Speed!
I just received notice that the long-awaited for TT030 accelerator,
the CaTTamaran from Cybercube, is in production. I will be receiving
one for review, and if the original specs were right, $99 for an
upgrade to a ~48MHz '030 is money well spent. The only things left to
improve the TT030 would be about 128K of cache-RAM, and an upgrade to
32Mhz on the bus. Never satisfied, am I? The CaTTamaran will give
performance superior to the faster '030 Macs, and with Dave Small's
Spectre GCR 3.1 now working on the TT, and now speed independent, Mac
emulation takes on a whole new world.
Spectre 3.2 IS coming, and a lot sooner than 3.1 took to arrive. With
3.2 comes System 7.1 emulation. A 48MHz TT030, with 12 MEGs of RAM and
the ability to run System 7 software is something not to sneeze at. I
can't wait to check it out and run some speed tests on it, I expect
that we will be able to run Mac software at least as fast as the best
'030 Mac out there. Considering that the PowerMac will run regular Mac
software at speeds from the Mac LC III can only emulate the 68LC040.
In emulation mode, the top of the line PowerMac, at its fastest runs
about 3X the speed of the 16MHz '030 Mac III, I expect the CaTTamaran
TT030 to keep up quite nicely.
There you have it. Until they start porting Mac programs to run in
native mode on the PPC601, and come out with a 100MHz PowerMac for
under $2000, the TT030 is still the best route for an Atari owner.
Now, when Mr. Small gets Spectre running on the Falcon with one of
those 040 boards....
A short note, if you have a Falcon and are waiting for voice mail, you
should wait no longer, check your favorite on-line service for
VOX-mail by Michael Fung, it is excellent, and definitely worth the
D/L time. There is a new OCR program out, as freeware, and I am sure
The Unabashed Atariophile will have a recap on it soon. Mag!x, a new
multitasking OS (180K in size!) should be in English now, and may be
available in the USA soon. Something to look forward to!
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --==--==-- CompuServe Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
-- --
-- To sign up for CompuServe service, call (voice call) (800) 848-8199. --
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--==--==--==--==--
||| "From a saved backup...."
||| By: Ron Whittam
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
//// Getting the Word Out
In this column I hope to foster communication and support for 8-bit
and ST computer owners... presenting a positive and direct approach.
This will help to strengthen the users group base and encourage the
executive element.
Another factor that infused my users group was what the newsletter
editor did during the year after that fateful vote.... Last issue I
shared about this vote. The Atari Boise Users Group was nearly dead.
The membership came together for what might have been its last
meeting. The six members voted to continue the group at the narrow
margin of four to two. Part of the "yes" vote was to get more involved
and develop a participating membership. One of our members, Tom
Derrick, accepted the job of Newsletter editor, and began to create
the Home Computer News (HCN) on his recently acquired Atari ST and
PageStream.
Tom's story is an interesting one. He is an electrician by trade. He
uses his Atari computers (notice the plural) for both his business and
his home. He is definitely sold on the ease of use of the Atari
platform, and I would consider him a loyal diehard Atari owner. He is
not a writer nor a publisher by trade nor education, but was willing
to give the Atari Boise Users Group EDITOR position a try. He did it
because he believed it was worthwhile. In the past year he has learned
to use PageStream. Each newsletter demonstrates his developing
ability. It's this newsletter that I want to focus on in this issue.
Since early in the ABUG's history there has been a newsletter. It was
an 8-bit monthly for many years, until Atari introduced the ST, then
it began its conversion to a predominately ST informational guide. It
was a cute newsletter developed by and for the Atari diehard - mostly
it was a compilation of Z*Net and STReport on-line magazines. (We
included tidbits from AEO when it started.) In the year that the ABUG
president was also the ST Librarian and Newsletter editor, the
newsletter evolved. The focus of the users group was to support and
help Atari computer owners, not just the diehards. Because of its
visibility (at least in the group's member's homes), the newsletter
was a good place to start that focus.
First, the name changed. The "Home Computer News" replaced "Atari BUG
Newsletter" and we adopted the tag line, "The official monthly
newsletter of the Atari Boise Users Group." I wanted a quality on the
cover that would be acceptable at home or on my desk at work... and
even at the local bookseller's freebie table. The format had
previously changed, to a large 8 1/2 x 11 sheet with two to four pages
from the original Atari BUG, a small 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 easy to carry
pamphlet. The newsletter was redesigned to that original format.
However, the laser quality beat the dot matrix of the old 8-bit
newsletter by a landslide. We had a cover. We needed content. Content
that would grab someone's attention. Something that would meet the
needs of an Atari Computer owner. Talking about this agenda and asking
members to write was my primary method to getting the change done.
Then Tom took over the newsletter and things really got done.
Tom picked up where I left off. He kept the name "Home Computer News"
and created an acronym, HCN. It's funny how labels like acronyms
create an air of quality or importance. The personal computer is a
very simple term that people can relate to. The acronym "PC" is now
part of our vernacular. To millions of people, "PC" means COMPUTER.
(Check this out, ask some non-computer people what "PC" means. The
answers will probably surprise you). With the HCN, PageStream, and a
host of ideas, Tom set out on his crusade to spread the news about
Atari.
It has always been my contention that there are literally hundreds of
unused Atari computers just sitting in closets or attics. Kids ask
their parents, "What is an Atari?" The response probably is like,
"It's just a game machine that looks like a computer. Software Etc. is
not selling the games for it anymore so we do not use it." These
people are unaware that their investment is not a loss. We need to
tell them, and provide a place for them to learn how to use it. Tom
picked up this battle cry and took it further then I had done.
The first thing Tom did, after he figured out PageStream, was to get
permission to put the HCN on the counters of local bookstores and
computer businesses. How did he do it? Simple: He offered to put an
advertisement for their store in the HCN at no charge. Free
advertising for an unused 6 x 9 spot on the counter. "No problem." The
HCN began showing up on counters all over town. Some did not want an
advertisement, but would display the HCN anyway.
It was not long before I started getting phone calls. Solitary Atari
computer owners were calling me. They did not know that there was an
Atari users group in Boise. They wanted to know more. I got calls from
people wanting to sell. I got calls from people wanting to buy. We
started a classified section in the HCN. The magazine began to grow.
Tom offered advertising space to any member free of charge. Any buyer
or seller got a free spot. People who wanted an Atari could buy one.
As a result the ABUG membership grew.
Tom asked for writers. Not the way I did. I just asked if someone
would write "anything." Tom asked for specifics. He pegged one of the
MIDI musicians (who was also a music teacher) to do a MIDI column.
The guy turned him down. He did not think anyone would be interested.
This reaction did not dismay Tom. He brought it up at the next
meeting. He asked people if they thought information on MIDI would be
of any help. As a result the MIDI musician learned that people needed
good quality information on MIDI. So he started to write.
Tom also needed an expert to write on 8-bit computers. He helped to
identify the need. One of our members was a baker. He used his 8-bit
Atari to run his business. He needed information. There was a need.
The 8-bit guru now writes articles for HCN.
I have read mail from many editors in the Atari community. The biggest
complaint is not quantity of information. The on-line magazines offer
much of that. The complaint is that their local members are not
willing to contribute. Often the newsletter is a combination of the
editor's writing and the on-line magazines. The newsletter is
typically a one-man effort. He feels that nobody really cares. The
quality of the material drops. When people do not seem to care, the
editor gets more frustrated but is too much a die hard Atari owner to
want to quit.
I learned one thing from what Tom did. The participation of the
membership was vital to the growth of the group. The growth is a
result of the users group truly meeting the needs of the membership,
and reaching beyond the group to the Atari community. The Atari Users
Group is NOT a spectator sport. This axiom applies: To get anything
out of your users group, you must put something into it.
Participation is important if a group is to succeed.
Here are some tips on developing a participating group:
1. Identify the assets of the group. Know who your members are. Learn
what your members do and how they use their computers. If you have
an electrician, have him share tips on properly connecting the
Atari to the wall socket and why surge protectors are needed.
2. If you have a door prize or if you raffle off Atari software, make
it a requirement (before the fact) that the winner must write a
brief review for the newsletter.
3. Ask the members what they would like to know about. Make it a topic
of discussion. Point fingers at the ones who can help with the
needs brought up. If a member is thinking about getting into MIDI,
maybe the MIDI guru could write a brief article about setting up
the cables for a MIDI system.
4. Make the newsletter a point of support. Ask a knowledgable member
to be the HELP DESK for a month or a quarter. Publish his phone
number in the newsletter under a title of HELP DESK. Offer
assistance for new Atari users.
5. Put advertising in your newsletters. Some will pay for a spot. The
local copy center might do it in lieu of payment for copying the
newsletter.
6. Get visibility for the newsletter. Ask to put it in bookstores and
computer stores. Offer to trade ad space for shelf space.
7. Encourage members to write about the programs they use. Show them
it will help others to decide if they want the same program. Some
members have fierce loyalty to a program. Ask them to put their
reasons into an article.
8. Mail the newsletter to the users group members one week before the
meeting date. It's a good reminder to attend. Sending the
newsletter too early loses its "reminder quality." If it arrives a
day before the meeting, it is too late for planning. I think seven
days is a magic number in this case.
9. And in the words of Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never, never,
never give up."
In the future we will cover Membership (methods of increasing it),
Demos (where and how), etc.; and I will share from my own exploits as
a users group president; the frustration and the elation. Stay tuned.
------------
Ron Whittam is a Customer Support Specialist for a small software firm
in Boise, Idaho; and the President of the Atari Boise Users Group. He
can be contacted on GEnie (EXPLORER.4), on the Internet at
<explorer.4@genie.geis.com>, or on ROVER BBS (208-362-2243).
--==--==--==--==--
||| News from Usenet
||| By: Tim Wilson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.8 Internet: wilsont@rahul.net
----------------------------------------------------------------
Whew, I finally have some free time to work on this article, I have
had lots of stuff going. Let's hop right into the news then...
//// Macintosh <--> TOS disks
Someone asked about Macs reading ST disks, and vice versa. The
general consensus was that the newer macs can read the standard PC
format disks, created with TOS 1.62 or higher.
Kei Ito (ito@mzdmza.zdv.uni-mainz.de) said he had problems with
tranfers, but only after the ST had written to the disk, the Mac
wouldn't read it.
Personally, I transfer files to and from a Mac 165c quite easily using
TOS 4.04 HD formatted disks. The Mac or the Falcon doesn't care who
did the formatting. The Mac has to write some funky files to the disk
though.
//// FPU Q & A
David Forrai asked:
Q: ...does code written to utilize a FPU in a ST/STE utilize the FPU
in a TT/Falcon?)
Waldi (walra%moacs11@nl.net) responded:
A: No, the SFP004 registers at adresses 0xFFFA40-0xFFFA60 are not
available in TT/Falcon. It might be possible to emulate those -- not
very usefull though.
A2: The reverse (running code /w line-F FPU opcodes on ST/STE /w FPU)
is of course possible using a line-F FPU emulator.
Joseph Hogan asked: I have a MSTE TOS 2.05, and I am wondering if a
math coprocessor would really do me any good. What kind of programs
use it. I have heard of DynaCadd, but that's it.
Waldi again responded with:
A: Pure C and Lattice C come with auto-detecting math libraries.
Programs linked with these libraries will use the FPU if it is
available, and will still run on an ST without coprocessor.
Joseph then asked: Also, which coprocessor would I want. I saw a
discussion on it a little while ago, but I missed this info.
A: MC68882
Q: Next, how much harder is it to make a program coprocessor aware,
A: No effort is needed when you link the right mlib to your code.
Q: and in what type of programs does it make a difference.
A: Any program that uses floating point maths :-).
Q: Also, if the program is coprocessor aware, what happens if it is
not there?
A: The auto-detecting libraries, mentioned above, will use different
math routines.
//// Calamus with 3rd party goodies... the scoop.
Stefan Damerau (Stefan_Damerau@sl.maus.de) answers...
Q: Does Calamus 1.09n work with NVDI as well?
With NVDI 2.5 (o.k. it's the only NVDI running on Falcon) it works
fine. Even with Winx 2.2! (Makes finding parts of a page in highest
zooming easier)
BTW: You should try to get the Calamus SL upgrade. In Germany it
costs DM 298.- (about 176 US$, don't know the value of CA$)
Q: Does Calamus take advantage of the increased screen size when using
BlowUp030 monochrome modes?
Graeme Rutt (sabbath@cix.compulink.co.uk) answers:
Yes.
//// Side Notes
Side notes is just for quick questions that I thought were interesting
that went unanswered, or for just news tidbits that don't warrant
their own section.
jchappel@charon.engga.uwo.ca (Jerry L. Chappell) asks for help on
connecting the old Atari Touch Tablet to a PC or ST.
Ledpanel 2.4 supports color, different shapes of lights, and date,
time and caps lock. Ledpanel shows disk I/O as well.
PB diskmag is now Falcon compatible from #22 and on.
atari.archive now has some beta versions of MiNT-Net, extensions for
sockets, SLIP, and PPP for MiNT 1.10. Remember that MiNT binaries
after 0.96 can't be distributed. Look in the /atari/Mint/Network
directory.
--==--==--==--==--
||| The Unabashed Atariophile
||| By: Michael R. Burkley
/ | \ Delphi: MRBURKLEY GEnie: AEO.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'm here today to ask all of you programmers out there to make some
more work for me! It's not that I don't have enough work to do already
with the 100's of files I've downloaded in the past month. I haven't
gotten to all of them yet! But I do have some specific requests for
some files I've not yet seen. In fact, I don't think that they've even
been written yet. Let's see who can bring them out first!
First of all a few programs that I have enjoyed in the past, but which
don't work on anything but TOS 1.0. Can any of you update them?
[] GAUNTLET by Dave Flory is his adaptation to English of DGDB, the
arcade action game. Excellent! This program works on TOS 1.0 but not
on TOS 1.2, so I am fairly certain that this game for one or two
players will not work with any higher TOS. Color.
[] GILGALAD by Markus Dheus is a graphically oriented game in which
your country is threatened by a dark king. You are the only one who
can save your people from total slavery. Travel through plain, forest,
town, temple and swamp, defeating enemies, bribing wizards, and
killing monsters. Mono and TOS 1.0 only.
[] LUNRLNDR is a wonderful game! Lo-rez color only. TOS 1.0 only
(sorry!). If you have TOS 1.0 and a joystick get this (a color monitor
helps as well!). You try to land your Lunar Module on the Moon at a
variety of landing sites. Three levels of difficulty. This is a very
challenging game. I really like this. I actually keep my TOS 1.0
machine handy almost entirely so I can occasionally still play this
game (and RIPCORD below).
[] RIPCORD is a fun game. An airplane drops you out and you fall until
you open your parachute (you keep falling if you don't open
it - splat!). The object is to land on target. A simple, but quite
challenging game. I like it. Color and TOS 1.0 only.
[] TUZZLE is a mono & TOS 1.0 only game by Armin Danbmann in which you
try to move the "floating water" to the exit points by moving and/or
turning the game pieces. It's too bad this only works with TOS 1.0
because it is very interesting. Get this if you can use it.
The next bit of programs I hope some of you come up with are two
I've never seen on an Atari. I'll write the description as if
there were real files...just insert your name!
[] BANNRWOW is a truly amazing banner program by ...... (dated
??/??/94). Containing three different fonts in two different sizes
you can use this program to print a wide variety of banners. In the
larger size fonts the letters take up most of the page and so are
suitable for banners viewed from some distance. The smaller sized
fonts fit are used to create two lined banners. What you lose in
ability to read from a distance you gain in information placed on the
banner. One thing I especially like about this program is it's ability
to "drape" the message. Cloth Banners always bow downward and the
message follows the curve. This program simulates this sag by
calculating the center of the banner message and placing that center
at the bottom of a curve with the rest of the message following that
curve. It also allows you to create letters with a 3-D effect through
the simple offset copying of each letter. Finally (!) each letter of
the banner may be composed of any individual character or phrase to
get your banner message across in an even more vivid way. The author
says that this program is still under development and that future
versions will include the ability to load and print .IMG files on the
banners! Full documentation and 9 pin and 24 pin printer drivers
included. Color or mono. ST--Falcon compatible.
[] PNTMATCH is Paint Match, a Falcon only True color game by .....
(dated ??/??/94). This game reminds me of the time I worked as a
research chemist. Across the hall was the "color matching" man. People
would mix up batches of colored paint and ask him to identify the
colors that made it up. He would look at the paint and say, "Hmmm,
that looks like 10 parts vivid green, 1 part red, 2 parts white, and a
touch of black." Whatever he said was exactly right or close to it! I
asked him how he did it and he said, "Experience." I'd like to have
the opportunity to develop experience like that and this program will
do it! Actually, you are asked to match the color onscreen by mixing
an array of "paints" available to you. Your score is based on the
number of tries it takes you to make the match. Online help is
available to give you some hints along the way. Docs included.
Now wouldn't those two programs be nice additions to the software
available to us all? I know I'd pay a shareware fee for a banner
program like that, and I'd love to play around with the Paint
Match program (I don't have a Falcon yet, so it wouldn't do much
good to register!). How about it? Anyone want to do some
programming?
Now it's time to get on with the show!
[] 2COLUMNS is the Two Column Printer release 6 (dated Jan. 1994) by
Jonathan Corey. TWO COLUMN PRINTER prints text files (ASCII in Atari,
IBM, Unix, and Apple styles) in a two column "magazine style" format.
This saves paper and makes long listings much easier to refer to. To
save even more paper, it has an option that simplifies two sided
printing, even on continuous form paper. Great for the environment and
full of features, this version is far advanced in ease of use and
program features over previous versions. Now with a GEM interface
which allows better multitasking operation and greater flexibility in
use. Epson, Panasonic and HP DeskJet, and HP LaserJet II drivers
included. Supports just about anything your printer can deliver.
Detailed docs included. Color or mono (and extended res, too).
ST/STe/TT/Falcon compatible.
[] AIM_3_1 is the Atari Image Manager v.3.1 (dated July, 1992).
Coming out of the Centre for Image Processing of Delft University,
this program will allow you to manipulate picture files, doing much
the same things that NASA does to improve the picture quality of
pictures received from space probes. This version now allows you to
work directly with a large number of picture formats (AIM Gray and
Color, Degas, NeoChrome, GEM .IMG, Amiga .IFF, .TIF (5.0), GIF 89,
FITS (.FIT), and PC Paintbrush (.PCX)). Color (Color doesn't work on
my STE, but it does on a Falcon - or so I've been told) or monochrome.
A variety of printer (HP, Epson, etc.) types are supported. Extensive
on-line helps are a must for the multitude of functions available in
this program. Frankly though, I'm at a loss as to how to use this!
ST--Falcon compatible.
[] ALIEN is the Alien VideoMaster animation for the Falcon by Barry
Summer. Barry has made two other "Gumby-like" stop-action animations
(CAR and DRAC - see below). This animation takes place on top of
Barry's Falcon! This is a robotic alien walking along and he gets into
his land cruiser, turns the vehicle around, and speeds off. The player
program is also included...just drag the alien.con file to the
player.ttp icon, and the animation will play repeatedly. Press ESC to
stop.
[] AR_TIMES is the Alternate Reatlity Times by Mike Allen. This is a
well-written piece of fantasy that begins with the FTC abandoning its
charges of monopolistic practice against Atari (Atari suceeded simply
because they offered a better product, a better price, better support
for customers and developers, better everything). Interviews with rich
and famous developers, satisfied owners, amazed onlookers, just about
anything you wish. I enjoyed this article...with a sigh for what
"might have been." Oh well... I recommend it to you.
[] AVIDSOFT is a "press release" dated March 25, 1994 (it should have
been dated April 1, 1994) which tells of a proported formation of a
new software publishing firm by Atari and Time Warner. Some of the
titles "in development" are rich! "Harding Falls" where competition
takes on a certain rough and tumble character (this game comes with $5
coupon for "The Club") is the one I like the best! "Bobby Bobbit and
Friends" makes me cring just a little bit too much! A fun read! From
Artisan Software (really).
[] BALLBOX2 is a 24-bit 640 x 400 Targa (.TGA) image created using the
Persistence Of Vision raytracer (POV), using the included
BALLBOX1.POV. It took J.Dewell's MegaSTE with 68882 math co-processor
46 hours to generate this picture! It shows a beautiful reflective
green glass ball inside a cube composed of metal edges and empty
faces. A light from the front right is shining through the ball and
comes to a focus on the floor to the behind left of the box. The view
is from the above front. I viewed this using PhotoChrome 4.
[] BALLOONS is Balloons! v.1.2 by H.W.A.M. de Beer (dated 1992). This
mono only program will place three rotating and floating balloons
(white, gray, and black) bouncing about your screen. They float about,
not bothering your programs at all, but just providing a bit of
pleasant distraction. TOS 1.0--1.62 compatible (at least).
[] BAT103 is BatSoftware's 80 column VT100 emulator v.1.03 (dated
1994). It is written in MC68000 assembly language and is very fast.
It now features XMODEM and display codes. A real-time clock and timer
are available onscreen. You can easily select screen colors or use the
pre-set screen colors (hint: use the arrow keys to make selections).
Only 80 column mode is supported, thus no double width or length
characters are supported. The F1 key toggles XON/OFF. The emulator
supports serial port rates of up to 19,200 baud, and can almost keep
up at 9600 baud making it the fastest one available (or so I've been
told). It has been suggested that you set your comm size to 8-1-N for
XMODEM transfers and then reset it to 7-1-E for other work. An
expanded version is available through BatSoftware. Medium res. only. I
found this on the Toad Hall BBS.
[] BBSX9404 is an ASCII text listing of the current (as of April,
1994) BBS Express! ST BBS's available for you to call. Included in
this file is information about the connect speeds available, times
when the board is up, connections with other systems, and of course,
the phone numbers! This is an excellent service that C&R Systems
provides to all Atari users. Thanks!
[] BIGCHESS is a 24-bit 640x400 Targa (.TGA) generated by the
Persistence Of Vision raytracer, using the included CHESS.POV. Using
a MegaSTe this Raytrace took about 26 hours to complete, even when
using a 68882. It shows a black and white marble chess board with a
newly set up set of light and dark wood chess pieces. The view is from
the back right of White's side. Enjoy! Uncompresses to 770K! I used
PhotoChrome 4 to view.
[] BIGPOPS is a 24-bit 640x400 Targa (.TGA) generated by the
Persistence Of Vision raytracer, using the included LPOPS1.POV.
Rendered on a MegaSTe, this file took about 24 hours, using a 68882 to
complete. Wow! It shows an infinite checkerboard plane with some
wood-like pillars in the foreground. On top of those pillars are clear
glass objects, some appearing to be solid lead crystal glass and one
appearing to be a transparent glass bubble. It looks like a set of
glass candy pops! I viewed this using PhotoChrome 4. Enjoy! 770K
uncompressed!
[] BJ_10EW2 is a BJ-10e printer driver created by Brian Wolf for
Calamus SL using the Calamus Printer Driver Generator. The top, left,
and right margins are all 1/4" and the bottom margin is 1/2". Since
the BJ-10e can only print out slightly more than these margins,
anything within them should print out. There is also a line feed added
to the print codes (Prinit), to make the top come out much more
accurate. All of you people off of GEnie are out of luck for getting
this file (online, that is). It is a part of the User to User Program,
and can only be obtained online through GEnie. I wish it wasn't that
way, but.... Of course, if you are a registered Calamus SL user you
can send a disk to DMC, the Calamus People, then will send a whole set
of User to User files to you.
[] BUMPSTIS is a Degas .PI1 color picture of a STIS picture created
(by A. Petrie?) using Phillip O'Neal's program STIS (for the
Stereoscopic Image System). I think I am one of those people who can't
see these images, but I keep on trying! Why is it that no one ever
tells what they are? It would encourage me to think that there really
is a picture hidden in that maze of colors and random patterns! (Hint:
there are two two dots at the top of the picture. If you can shift
your focus so as to merge those two dots into a third dot in the
center -you- should see a 3D image made up of the abstract pattern.)
STIS pictures are beginning to show up everywhere - in Sunday
newspapers, books, art stores, and more. I recommend STIS itself to
you as a program to create these images all by yourself! Phillip
O'Neil is in the final stages of finishing STIS 2. I have a copy, but
no docs yet. It's a lot different from STIS 1, so I recommend you get
them both when you can.
[] CAR is the Auto VideoMaster animation for the Falcon by Barry
Summer. Barry has made two other "Gumby-like" stop-action animations
(ALIEN and DRAC). This animation takes place on top of Barry's Falcon!
A car is coming out of the service station, and drives off to its
favorite video store. The player program is also included... just drag
the file car.con to the player.ttp icon and the animation will start
playing. Press ESC to stop.
[] CGP220 is a series of three color screen dump utilities for the
CGP220 printer by Rich Weaver. Each of the programs is aimed to
optimize a different type of screen dump use. SHAREWARE. Docs
included.
[] CLOWNTGA is a True Color .TGA Targa picture created by T. Hebel
using the 3D modeling and rendering program, InShape. It shows a
cut-out clown standing in the midst of several mirrors and resting its
hand on a cloud-covered ball. I viewed this using PhotoChrome 4, which
I highly recommend to you all.
[] D2M is the D2M ("Dessine Moi un Mouton") v.1.0 demo. This is a
Falcon only paint/image manipulation program full of useful and
creative features. Fully GEM-based, D2M works with MultiTOS (MiNT) &
SpeedoGDOS. Under MultiTOS, you can take advantage of the windows'
iconification and "Drag & Drop" protocol, and is compatible with
SpeedoGDOS. Limited in that the demo doesn't save or print, and
contains only a limited number of drivers (I guess they call 16
"limited"!) this program can definately show you a lot of what it can
do. It will import a slew of picture formats (Prism Paint, MacPaint,
TIFF, NeoChrome, Degas, XGA, JPEG, and more). Individual import/export
modules can easily be created by the knowledgeable programmer (in
assembly language or in C). You can save individual images or
animations, use the effects modules to do all sorts of interesting
things. There are only limited English docs with this program and the
program itself is in French.
[] DESKMG33 is Desk Manager 3.3 by Charles F. Johnson and Little Green
Footballs Software. This program has been around some time, but has
recently been uploaded again. Desk Manager is a program that goes in
the AUTO folder of your boot disk. It will automatically select the
correct DESKTOP.INF file for your desired resolution, and allow you to
choose which AUTO programs and desk accessories will load. In
addition, if one of your AUTO programs is named GDOS*.PRG (the
asterisk means "any characters"), Desk Manager will also let you
choose the ASSIGN.SYS file which will be used with GDOS. And one of
the nicest things about it - even though Desk Manager runs from the
AUTO folder it still lets you use the mouse to select files! Color or
mono. Docs included. SHAREWARE.
[] DISKINFO is Disk Information v.4.33 by H.W.A.M. de Beer (dated June
4, 1992). If you want to know anything about your Floppy disks (in
either drives A or B), then this program is for you. FATS, formats,
sectors, free space, vol. name, and about thirty other things are all
found here! Color or mono. TOS 1.0--1.62 compatible (at least and
probably more).
[] DRAC is a VideoMaster Stop-Action (Gumby-like) animation for the
Falcon by Barry Summer. You need to get a Falcon to view this
animation (or have a friend with a Falcon which is what I did!). In
this animation you will find Frankenstein's Monster and Count Dracula
fighting each other right on top of the Falcon's case! I don't
remember who shows up first (one of the disadvantages of using a
friend's Falcon!). Even Gumby shows up! Player program included (just
drag the DEMO.CON file to the PLAYER.TTP icon and you're off! Press
ESC to quit). Hard drive and 4 meg required.
[] DYNAMITE is a music and graphics demo for the STE or TT by Unit
Seventeen. This program will play several soundtracks in 8 polyphonic
channels in 25KHz sound. The graphics aren't great (though I like the
osciliscope that shows the various channel sounds as they play), but
the sound is excellent. Check out the keyboard to see what some of the
keys can do (nothing spectacular, but I thought I'd let you know to
hunt). Dated 1992.
[] EARTH is a mono-only program by H.W.A.M. de Beer which places a
rotating globe of the Earth (accurate, too) in place of the Fuji
symbol at the top left of your screen. TOS 1.0--3.06 compatible (at
least).
[] FAH by Don Dakin (dated Feb. 4, 1994) is an excellent animation
created using the POV ray-tracer. It contains 61 Spectrum frames and
uncompresses to over 3.1 meg of data (so you need a hard drive)! It
shows a series of objects rotating around a tumbling torus (a plain
donut, OK?). The nearest to the donut is a red-striped pencil.
Circling around these two are five other objects: a transparent clear
glass cone; a reflective glass disk, a metalic glass reflective
sphere, a jade sphere, and woodgrained chess pawn. The lighting is
from several multi-color and moving spotlights. All of this takes
place over a multi-patterned checkerboard. This animation includes a
player and is designed to continuously "loop." Docs explaining the
animation and it's construction are included. To view this you need a
4 meg machine with slightly over 3 meg of RAM free. Just boot up with
a clean system and you're in free! Of course, you need a machine which
can display Spectrum pictures (any unaccelerated ST--STE).
[] FAL_APP2 is a text file compiled by Heiko Hartmann (dated March 30,
1994) which details 331 applications for the Atari ST series of
computers and how they run (or not) on the Falcon, what video
resolutions are supported, and whether or not they run under MultiTOS.
Some Falcon specific programs are listed as well (they all run on a
Falcon!).
[] FAL_GAM4 is a text file by Heiko Hartmann (dated March 27, 1994)
describing 504 ST series games (and some Falcon specific games as
well) and how they run on a Falcon (or not!). All the settings you
need to get these games to run are included (CPU speed, cache,
Backward ST Emulator compatible, etc.), and whether or not they will
run on a Hard Drive.
[] FCOMP200 is Filecompare v.2.00 by Guido Klemans (dated 1992). This
is a very useful program which will allow you to compare any two files
with either ASCII or HEX display. The two files are displayed side by
side with their differences in black and their similarities in gray.
This easily allows you to compare one file with another. Color or
mono. Online help. TOS 1.0--1.62 compatible (at least).
[] FPAINT is a Falcon only paint program. Unfortunately for me it
doesn't include any written docs, so I can't tell you anymore about
it. The program is in English and requires at least 3.8 meg free to
run. The uploader said the program was a bit weird!
[] GBNCH340 is GEM Bench v.3.40 by Ofir Gal (dated January 14, 1994).
This program was designed to provide you with a reality-based
benchmarking tool. Using a simple, GEM based interface this utility
tests the speed (and much more) of features you usually use and so
gives you a realistic view of your TOS 1.0--Falcon computer. It will
test the graphic screen drawing speed, the CPU speed (math and memory
access tests), and more. You can also use this program to tell you
your computer type, TOS version, MultiTOS (MiNT) version, Blitter
status, AES and GEMDOS versions, NVDI (a screen accelerator like Warp
9), FPU and other information about the system. You can even force the
system (if you have a TT!) to run in ST RAM or Fast RAM. It will also
let you compare your system against other STock Atari machines. Now
even GEMulator aware and still fully MultiTOS (and Geneva) compatible.
Color or mono. Docs included. This version has some improvements to
make it an even more accurate reflection of your computer's status.
SHAREWARE and recommended.
[] ICDRAW1 is the Icon Editor for the Falcon030 v.1.0 by W.D.Parks/Dr.
Bobware (dated April 8, 1994). With this program you will be able to
create some new and different color icons for your Falcon's Desktop.
Since no one else was making an icon editor (that Dr. Bob knew of), he
decided to do one himself. ICDRAW can read a TOS v.4 .RSC file and
edit any of the color icons therein. It does not add to or delete from
the icons in the .RSC, but only allows you to change them. It also
only deals with icons that are the normal 32x32 pixels (both mono and
4-plane [16-color] icons). Detailed docs included. Shareware.
[] JPEGD is the same JPEG decoder/Viewer from Atari that I reviewed
just a few weeks ago. The only difference is that this file doesn't
include the JPEG pictures so it is MUCH smaller. It runs only on
Falcon computers, since it uses the DSP. It's small, and fast.... Just
put it in your AUTO folder (before or after MINT.PRG), or just
double-click on it. This archive also includes an .ACC by Brainstorm
which is a sample application using the DSP decoder. This .ACC will
allow you to decode several JPEG pictures at the same time whether
under TOS or Multi-TOS. It will even let you continue to use your
favorite application while the picture(s) is decoded! I found this on
Delphi (I don't remember where the other file came from - GEnie?).
[] JUMP_PIC is the Bouncing Picture Demo for the Falcon030 by Thierry
Benoussan. It has a 65536 color TrueColor picture of a snowman that
the program makes bounce on the screen. The animation is really
smooth, and it plays a .MOD at 16bit/50kHz at the same time. Cool and
pretty small for a Falcon demo.
[] LASERS10 is the new Falcon Shareware game "Of Lasers and Men" v.1.0
by Arnaud Linz, et. al (dated Feb. 18, 1994). This 100% machine code,
DSP using, True Color, sound effects game is a "Wolfenstein 3D" type
game which takes place in a spacial maze where two teams of players
(you + Falcon against the Falcon) try to eradicate each other. Blast
away at each other with your portable lasers, watch out for your
enemies, talk to your teammates (and enemies), guard against your
color-blind associates (you're brown and the enemy is blue, but those
guys shoot everyone!), and more. Keyboard, joystick, and mouse
controlled (you use them all at once!). You can play this game through
level two of 15 without registering. After registration you will be
able to play all 15 levels. Docs included.
[] LHA301 is LHarc v.3.01 by Christian Grunenberg (dated April 17,
1994). Termed "The Faster Than Light" compression/uncompression
utility this LZH compatible (lh-0 to lh-5) is compatible with
Quester's LZH201L (and A LOT faster, too) and uses the same commands
as Quester's, but with additional switches and the more extensive UNIX
wildcards (in both English and German versions). It now includes his
v.3.01 shell program that allows you to easily access most if not all
of LHarc's features. (It's a very nice shell, and NOW it's Geneva
compatible!). This version fixes a few minor bugs, adds even more
speed, and includes general English docs (THE EXPLORER'S GUIDE TO
LHarc by Alan Kennedy) as well as the German docs. Color or mono.
ST--Falcon compatible. Shareware. This is definately a recommended
program.
[] LINEBLNK is the Line-Art mono-only screensaver by H.W.A.M. de Beer.
This .ACC screensaver is excellent! It allows you to put a pleasing
moving line display onscreen and configure the display in several
ways. You can control the idle time before it starts (from 1-99
minutes) and the speed with which the display is drawn (from slow to
_fast_ in 25 steps with a corresponding increase in CPU usage). You
can also immediately shift into the screensaver mode at the click of a
button or shut it on or off at will with the same.
[] MB40_BIN is MasterBrowse v.4.0 by Michel Forget (dated April 13,
1994). This is an EXCELLENT text file viewer for any ST--Falcon. I
highly recommend it. This version adds several new features and fixes
a few bugs. Completely replacing the desktop's SHOW routine,
MasterBrowse will allow you to load multiple files into itself
(restricted only by available memory), search, mark blocks of text,
cut and past, take advantage of the Atari Clipboard, print out your
selected text(s) in a multiplicity of ways, and piles more features
(in part the docs are so extensive simply because there are so many
features! If you want a text file viewer to do something, this
probably already has that feature!).
This version drops support for viewing compressed files (to make the
program smaller and less memory intensive, and apparently people
didn't care for it). It is Fast, and can take full advantage of
GDOS/SpeedoGDOS, the features of MultiTOS, MultiGEM, Mag!X, and
Geneva, as well as the alternative desktops such as NeoDesk, TeraDesk,
and Gemini. Keyboard or mouse controlled. Recommended. Shareware.
SUPPORT SHAREWARE AUTHORS! Color or mono. This will work on floppy or
hard drive systems, but in order to install it on a floppy system you
will need to use an extended format disk.
[] NH311GEM is NetHack v.3.1.1, the Graphical GEM version of this
astoundingly detailed dungeon and dragons type game for Atari
Computers by Warwick Allison. This port of NetHack 3.1.1 gives you
full-color graphics, plus a completely GEM user interface. This game
gives you 16x16 pixel, 16 color graphic icons for EVERY OBJECT IN THE
GAME - that's about 850 different icons. But that power comes with a
price - it only really works with 16 colors and at least 640 by 480
pixels. That leaves most of us out (for now!). You need a TT, a
Falcon, or a color board. You can run it in ST-medium to see the basic
interface (but lose the detailed graphics), or in ST low to see the
excellent color graphics (but lose the playability since the controls
don't fit on-screen anymore). This version also requires a hard drive
and at least 2 Meg of RAM: the program itself is 1.15 meg, and the
graphics consume 350K.
It is similar in style to ROGUE, but NetHack is much richer in
character. The game includes multiple dungeons that branch off the
main dungeon at different locations, monsters (who can read scrolls
and cast spells, wield weapons and fight!) and highly varied magic.
The motivation in NetHack is to descend through the dungeon to find
the Amulet of Yendor, then return to the surface. It's not so
straightforward as all that though. You have to complete all sorts of
tasks in the various dungeons before you can undertake your main goal.
As you travel you will meet various creatures (most of them nasty),
find objects (some having magical properties), and experience many
hazards in the dungeon itself. Docs included plus lots of help files.
Mouse and/or keyboard controlled. If you want this file, but don't
have the equipment to run it check out NETHAK31.
[] OCR12 is OCR v.1.2 by Alexander Clauss (Dated March, 1994). This
Freeware program will allow you to load in a scanned image of a text
and train the software to recognize the letters and transform them
into staight ASCII text. There are lots of features I am only
beginning to recognize. Load already recognized fonts for future use,
and save fonts you've just trained the software to recognize.
ST--Falcon compatible, this program seems to work as advertised. It
certainly works well on the supplied text image file (which looked
like a regular hand scan, i.e., pretty cruddy). The program itself is
in English, but the docs are in German. Look for the docs to be
translated into English soon. It's that good of a program! I recommend
this file to you. Of course, it's not as good as MyGraph's OCR
software, but it's free!
Do you remember how I told you about the great PAC games I've been
playing with lately? Well, now they've all been released as
shareware! Inexpensive shareware at that, with the registration
fee only being $5 a game. What a deal! Read all about it below.
[] COPNROB2 is the complete Cops and Robbers Too (i.e., "Cops, and
Robbers, as well") by Kevin L. Scott distributed by PAC (Programs from
Atari Consumers). This is a two player game (there aren't enough of
those out there - and this is a good one!). In this game you and your
opponent are both trying to get the upper hand. As the robber you must
find and rob five banks in the city. As the cop, you must patrol your
city looking for the robber. The police officer has his/her radio and
radar to help locate the robber, but robbers have resources as well
(like a souped up car that is faster than the police vehicle)! The
city is divided up into 32 city blocks consisting of 8 across and 4
down. A complete city is provided for you to play with. A built-in
editor is included which allows you to modify or create your own
cities. Color only. Two joysticks required. Docs included. ST--Falcon
compatible (but TT and Falcon owners may find the game playing too
fast - use one of the programs designed to slow down games such as
NEWSPED2 or SLOWDOWN (see below). At least one meg of RAM required. I
had this game when it was commercially distributed, but now it's
inexpensive shareware (only $5!). My son and I enjoy playing it
together, and I recommend it to you.
[] NEWSPED2 is NewSpeed II (dated Sept. 25, 1994) by Bruce Noonan, the
author of ST Writer, the freeware Word Processor and its commercial
successor, MultiWriter (and numerous other programs as well). NewSpeed
II is a Terminate-Stay Resident (TSR) program which can be either run
from an AUTO folder or from the desktop. It will allow you to slow
down your computer's speed so that you can run your games at a pace
comfortable for you. This is especially good for those games that run
too fast on an accelerated machine. ST--Falcon compatible (but not
MultiTOS compatible). Assembly source code included. Assembled with
Mad Mac. Docs included.
[] SLOWDOWN by Larry Copenhaver is a TSR (terminate and stay resident)
program. After being run it may be toggled on and off with the
ALT/HELP keystroke. When on it will slow all actions of your ST
(except mouse) down to a fraction of the normal speed. This slow
action is very handy for beating some of the fast action games.
[] ESCAPE is the complete version of Escape by Jag Jaeger of PAC
(Programs from Atari Consumers). Escape is a "crazy" text adventure
and graphics game. You must escape from your parents' home (Why? You
just were released from a mental institution and your parents are
keeping you at home to help in your "cure."). Find clues located all
over the property and try to escape. Digitized graphics and sounds.
TOS 1.0--Falcon compatible (the Falcon's fileselector gets messed up,
but this doesn't affect the game). At least one meg of RAM, a DS drive
and a color monitor are required. Docs included. Since this has been
released I've heard lots of good things about it. This formerly
commercially distributed program is now inexpensive Shareware (only
$5!).
[] HOOKMATH is the complete Hooked on Math program by Vince Valenti of
PAC (Programs from Atari Consumers). Hooked on Math presents the user
with an easily mastered interface with a pleasing 3D look. The math
student (suggested ages 6-12) gets to choose between three levels of
difficulty in practicing addition, subtraction, or multiplication
skills. You are presented with a math problem (written vertically). A
list of four possible answers are written on boards on the right of
the screen. Using the mouse you drag and "hook" the correct
(hopefully!) answer over to the problem. If correct a sampled voice
congratulates you (presenting one of several different congratulations
each time). If you are incorrect the program also tells you and goes
on to the next problem. At the end of the 25 question practice session
the program lists your score. ST--Falcon compatible. Requires at least
512K of RAM and a color monitor. This formerly commercially
distributed program is now inexpensive Shareware (only $5!).
[] MAGNOBAL is the complete version of Magno-Ball by Vince Valenti of
PAC (Programs from Atari Consumers). The game begins with you playing
Mango-Ball in the International Space Tournament Arena. This one or
two person game (played against a human or computer opponent) places
you on a rectangular playing area. The object of the game is to
maneuver a small magnetic ball and guide it to your opponent's moving
goal. Sounds simple? Well, it isn't! "You" are sitting in a floating
pad which has no friction against the floor. You start moving in one
direction and that's the direction you keep moving in, unless you turn
around and do something about it. Once you have the ball the opposing
player has the nasty habit of ramming you and trying to take it away
(and in my case, generally succeeding!). Even if you touch the walls
of the arena the ball floats away. Yikes! So far I've kept it at the
easy level, and it's even more fun in the two player mode. ST--Falcon
compatible (the faster your computer the smoother it gets - it's
wonderful on my STE with a T-25 accelerator!). Only 512K of RAM
required. Color only. Suggested for ages 9 and up. Joystick
controlled. This formerly commercially distributed program is now
inexpensive Shareware (only $5!).
[] MEDIEVAL is the the complete version of Medieval Chess by Vince
Valenti and Jag Jaeger of PAC (Programs from Atari Consumers). This is
a chess program with a twist. You are required to master the strategy
of chess _and_ the arcade action of battles. Play chess against the
computer or human opponent, but when you attack another piece you move
to another screen and fight a battle with it. The outcome then depends
on your skill and the power of the piece you battle with and against.
The formerly commercially distributed program is now inexpensive
shareware (only $5). Color only. ST--Falcon compatible. One meg of RAM
(or more), a DS drive, and one (or two for two players) joystick
required. The rules are mostly the same as standard chess, but there
are appropriate changes based on the situation.
[] OUTOFTHS is the full version of "Out Of This Word" by Vince Valenti
of PAC (Programs from Atari Consumers). This is an excellent typing
tutor/fun game. Playing this game places you in a ship with which you
must defend yourself. Defend yourself from what? From those maniacal
monster letters (and punctuation marks) which are advancing towards
your ship. This game has three different levels of challenge. As you
type a letter a miles-thick column of energy so raw, so stark, so
incomprehensibly violent rages out and utterly destroys those letters
(whoops, I've been reading too much of E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman"
series! I recommend you check out the Lensman series - it's fun!
Unfortunately you can only find copies of the books in used bookstores
or in your library - and no - I won't sell you mine!). If you don't
get the falling letter typed in time there are shields which can
protect you to a limited extent, but don't count on them for long! I
thought this was an excellent tutoring program, and I recommend it to
you. It's important for kids (and grown-ups, too) to know how to type
today. This program can make it a little bit easier. ST--Falcon
compatible. Only 512K of RAM required. Color only. Suggested for ages
12 and up (though my nine year-old likes it). This formerly
commercially distributed program is now inexpensive Shareware (only
$5!).
And now back to our regular programming!
[] PCHROME4 is "Atari ST/E PhotoChrome" v.4.00 by Douglas Little
(dated Dec. 20, 1993). PhotoChrome is an amazing "must have" program
(with a number of associated utilties and a slideshow) that emulates a
high capability graphics card for your ST/STe. Its basic specification
is the ability to load most IFF formats, 24-Bit True colour screens
(16 million colors), GIF files and VidiChrome digitised "RGB" color
separations (4096 colors) before converting to one of six powerful
screen modes (Standard Spectrum 512, Spectrum 4096, and four other
specialized and more capable display modes one having the ability to
display 19200 colors out of a 32768 on an STe.
This program will load .RAW (Both DKB-RAW and standard QRT format),
GIF, (and now) any true TARGA file (Y-inverted, or compressed and even
larger than 320*200 Targa files - now you can really view those
excellent .TGA files of Jaguar games!), including 16/24/32-bit,
Spectrum, IFF, and VidiChrome RGB pictures. The GIF, and .RAW files
this displays are unequaled. Normally this program won't display on
machines running at higher speeds than 8 MHz, but now the author has
included a feature which allows MegaSTE owners to run at their 16MHz
speed for image processing and then automatically switches to 8 MHz
mode for the display (now I wish he could do that for my T-25)! Wow!
This program even works on a TT or Falcon (though you can only use it
to convert one format (say PhotoChrome to GIF for example) though you
won't be able to view the pictures with those machines. I am amazed
and recommend this highly. Docs and updated slide show (PCSVIEW2)
included. SHAREWARE. Support Shareware authors! At least one Meg of
RAM and a color monitor needed.
[] PGS_CFG is a program that Jeff Poling sent me information about via
Internet mail back in February. It's a program found at the Internet
address atari.archive.umich in atari/Applications/Dtp. He terms this
file a godsend to anybody who has to frequently reconfigure their
drivers in PageStream. If that sounds like heaven to you find someone
with Internet access to get it for you. I could do it if I signed up
for Internet access via Delphi, but I'm swamped with the files I
already download - I don't need to find anymore! Thanks Jeff!
Speaking of E-mail...For the past couple of weeks I have been
hearing on and off about a program and the concept behind it which
are causing all sorts of problems in our society. Of rather, the
US government seems to be thinking that these encryption tools
might do this and so steps must be taken to limit, and indeed
thwart, their effectiveness. Read all about it below!
[] EPRIVACY is a text file by Jeff Rose (editor of ComputeLink, San
Diego Union-Tribune, Mar. 1, 1994) entitled "Right to E-Mail Privacy
Would Seem Self-Evident." This interesting article details the lack of
privacy we now have in E-Mail, and the Clinton Administration's
attempts to promote a standard data encryption technique (the Clipper
Chip) which on the surface seems to enhance our privacy but in
actuality has the very real potential to reduce our privacy even more
as the years go by. Hummph! This and other articles in the same vein
I've read this week are beginning to ring alarm bells in the back of
my head. The benefits of restricting encryption techniques (fighting
crime and terrorism) seem outweighed by the potential destruction of
our freedom of speech and association. Originally uploaded to GEnie
with the UT's permission.
[] JACKBOOT is "Jackboots on the Infobahn," is a very interesting and
disturbing article by John Perry Barlow of the Electronic Freedom
Foundation which appeared in the April, 1994 issue of "Wired"
magazine. It discusses developments in the Clinton White House
concerning the "Clipper Chip" and other, more secure methods of data
incryption. In case you don't know, the Clipper is touted as an
anti-crime and terrorism encryption chip that the National Security
Agency and FBI hope will someday be in every phone and computer in
America. It scrambles your communications, making them unintelligible
to all but their intended recipients. All, that is, but the
government, which would hold the "key" to your chip (and which could
use it with an easily obtained warrant). Perhaps the most disturbing
quote in the whole article is one from the Clinton White House which
asserts that no US citizen "as a matter of right, is entitled to an
unbreakable commercial encryption product." If that attitude prevails
then the reference to Nazi terror in the title might frighteningly
prove true. May it never be!
[] PGPWORLD is another fascinating text file about the unfolding story
about public key encryption technology and actual and potential
governmental limitations on its use by you and me. Phil Zimmermann the
author of Pretty Good Privacy, or PGP, which is a powerful public key
encryption tool available for the ST--Falcon, is recorded as speaking
to a House subcommittee about the importance of the availability of
this software technology in a democratic society and a modern
technological world. Right now such encryption software CANNOT be
exported out of the US. DUMB and Double DUMB. Does the government
actually think that this isn't available to ANYONE who wants it?
[] PGPSHL06 is PGP Shell v.0.6 (uploaded April 10, 1994) by Randy
Hoekstra (the author of The Grocery Lister, and other fine programs).
PGP Shell is a simple Atari GEM interface for Philip Zimmermann's
Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) public-key encryption software. PGP is
available for many different computer platforms with a command line
interface requiring the memorization of command codes and syntax (some
people like such things, but I'll go for a shell any day!). Randy has
made such a shell which has already gone through several revisions
making it better each time. The most used commands have been
implemented and the rest are being worked on. Very easy to use and
with lots of features (like the ability to display ASCII text in a GEM
window), this program allows you to create your public and private
keys, encode and decode files, and engage in key management. Color or
mono. Docs included. Requires PGP (see PGP23A) to work. ST--Falcon
and Geneva compatible.
[] PGP23A is "Pretty Good Privacy version release 2.3a" by Phil
Zimmermann (dated July 2, 1993). PGP, short for Pretty Good Privacy,
is a public key encryption package; with it, you can secure messages
and data files you transmit against unauthorized reading and digitally
sign them so that people receiving them can be sure they come from
you. The keying is very secure and efficient. Excellent docs which
explore both the theory and practice of public encryption. I would
recommend this file just for them. English, French, and Spanish help
files are included (all docs are in English). 716K uncompressed.
What do you think of THAT?
[] PROCESS2 is the edited transcript of the Processor Direct
RoundTable Discussion on GEnie (dated March 30, 1994) with Sean
Dougherty (Publisher), Robert Fernandez (Editor), and Timothy Miller
(Technical Editor). Their new magazine, Processor Direct, was
discussed, what it is like now and plans for the future. At this
RoundTable I won a copy of the first issue of this magazine, and let
me tell you, I'm impressed. It's excellent! This discussion was, too.
[] RAINBOW1 is the Rainbow v.1.0 demo (dated March 18, 1994). This
Falcon specific true color color art package by Rasmus Sderberg and
Mandus Sderberg is fast, 100% assembly language, and full featured.
It will allow you to load and manipulate (but not save in the demo)
*.TIF, *.TGA, *.TPI, *.NEO, *.PI? and *.PC? images. This art package
iss aimed at all graphic artists who need a quick and effective art
package to produce true color (full 16-bit 65536 color) pictures for
games, demos, utilities or private use. One very nice thing about this
program is that you don't have to change color mode or resolution from
the desktop, since RAINBOW automatically changes that (and returns to
the old desktop settings when you quit). The package even contains a
built-in photo studio! Brief docs and ordering information included.
[] RGON1_2 is v.1.2 of a pretty program that doesn't do anything other
than look pretty! By Greg George, this program is now faster and
smoother in its covering of your screen with colorful animated
polygons. It's not a screensaver because to see it you need to run it
from the desktop. The programmer allows for you to customize the
display by pressing a few keys (new commands added in this version).
Color only (obviously, since mono isn't all that colorful!). Docs
included. ST--STE compatible (at least), BUT... when run from my STE
it still locks up the machine on exiting (something it did in the
original version and still not a good idea!).
[] SKATER is a set of .3D2 object files of a skater and a skating
rink. Also included in this file is the Cyber Control file which will
create a .DLT animation for the skater skating around the ice rink. By
K. Fannings, the author of numerous animations.
[] SPLITR2 is Splitter v2.0 by S. Coates & M.J.Matts (dated March 29,
1994). This GEM program will allow you to split up large files into
files that can easily be transferred by floppy disks and then
recombine them into the original format (I guess the latter part IS
important - after all I can split up a file very easy with a pair of
scissors, but it's the putting back together again that I have
problems with!). You can specify the size of the pieces, or let the
program do that for you. The program contains error checking to make
sure you get the pieces back together again. Color or mono. This
version contains the ANSI 'C' source which can be compiled (without
change!) on MSDOS 6.20, OS/2 2.1, IBM RS/6000 and more, allowing files
split on those platforms to be brought to the Atari and Atari files to
them! SHAREWARE. Complete docs.
[] STRIP1 is STrip 0.95 by Lars Kupferschlger (dated 1993). This is
the first terminal program for the Atari ST that supports the new
Remote Imaging Protocol (RIP) found on many IBM Bulletin Boards. RIP
has been developed by TeleGraphics, a USA Company and is a 7-bit ASCII
transfer protocol for color graphics, mouse control and more. This has
been designed to work on mono systems only and will not work with any
graphic cards. How can a mono system adequately display the RIP
colors? Well, it's difficult, but because of the resolution required
by RIP (at least 640 * 350 pixels) it must be run in ST mono. It works
though! If you call IBM boards then this program is for you! Docs
included. Shareware.
[] STZIP25 is STZip v.2.5 by Vincent Pomey (dated April 2, 1994).
This is one fantastic compression utility, and he keeps on making it
better! This version is faster than previous versions (especially in
that it removes that _annoying_ 5 second delay at start-up), has some
bug fixes, adds some features, and more. I recommend it to you. ST ZIP
is cross plaform compatible with PKZIP 2.04 (from the MS DOS world),
and the Unix Info-Zip programs Zip 1.9/Unzip 5.0. Using an excellent
GEM interface (with keyboard hotkeys), it compresses as well or better
(!) than the newest LZH utilities. This version is MultiTOS
compatible, allows up to 65536 files in a zip (given adequate memory),
allows you to extract files to a corresponding folder automatically,
now supports Unix's Info-Zip, and much more. This file includes a
program that creates self-extracting archives, and a small, stripped
down version (a real memory saver) that is accessed only through a
command line interface.
I highly recommend this program for any of you who deal with ZIP
files. Docs included. Color or mono. ST--Falcon compatible. Some
people have told me that they have problems with this version,
especially when configuring it to create a folder for the extracted
files. I've tried to re-create this problem and could not (on my 4 meg
STE TOS 1.62 with T-25 accelerator board). I'm not sure if this is a
real problem caused by different machines, or what. It works just fine
for me! My problem with this program is an ongoing one, but
unfortunately (fortunately?) one that doesn't always happen! Large
archives with multiple files can sometimes only be uncompressed bit by
bit. If I try to uncompress the whole file everything churns away for
some time and then I get "insufficient memory" messages and the
uncompression grinds to a halt. The trouble is that this is not
consistent from file to file! Some huge files uncompress file while
some others don't. I have four meg of RAM, too! You figure! When that
happens I generally use DC Xtract v.2.2b (shareware) to uncompress the
file or I uncompress it bit by bit (which is a pain). PostCardWare
(Come on! Brag a bit and send him a postcard showing the sights of
where you live!)
[] SWAR2000 is Space Wars 2000 v.1.00 by Johnnie Chan, et. al. (dated
March 6, 1994). This graphics and sound oriented shoot-em-up for two
through four players places you in a ship (bigger and better the more
money you win to equip it with) in which your aim is to destroy all
the other players by flying around the screen, blasting away at them,
and avoiding them and the asteroids floating by. The game is split up
into a number of rounds (selectable) and the one who is alive at the
end and has the most toys, wins. This game requires at least 512K of
RAM, a color monitor and two joysticks, but an STE with 1 meg+ of RAM
and four joysticks (with a parallel port joystick adaptor) really
sings! Runs from floppy (uncompresses to about 300K so even a
single-sided drive will work). I found this game easy to configure and
control. The ability to play with another person (or more) makes this
an excellent game in my book (I wish there were more mult-player
games). Lots of excellent docs. At least TOS 1.0-1.62 compatible.
[] SYSIN837 is SysInfo v.8.37 by H.W.A.M. de Beer (dated March 26,
1993). This is a program that will tell you EVERYTHING about your TOS
1.0--Falcon machine (well, I guess it won't tell you what color your
case is, but that's about it!). I can't begin to tell you all the
system parameters this utility measures (it displays on 17 screens,
which should tell you something!). Just think of anything you might
ask a question about your system, and this can tell you. Color or
mono. Online help available.
[] THOUGHT is the Thought! Demo v.1.0 written by Peter Armitage and
produced by Titan Designs (dated Oct. 29, 1993). This program is
supposed to work in any resolution (according to what I can puzzle out
from the one paragraph of directions), but it only works in mono for
me. I'm really hazy as to what this program is designed to do. It
presents you with an on-screen flowchart/outline which you can modify,
copy, delete to your hearts content. There are lots of options to play
with, but since there are no docs, I'm really in the dark. It allows
you to call programs by clicking on some of the flowchart headings. It
seems that you can use this package to write your software manuals in
a more intelligent and organized way (if that's it then Hurrah for
this programmer - anything to help THAT problem <grin>). This demo is
fully working except for the ability to save your work. It uses
SpeedoGDOS to print and display text. It also allows you to configure
your printout (thickness of rectangular outline boarders, print fonts,
screen fonts and display size, etc.). Sample files are included. Mono
only.
[] TIME_VBL is a small program (dated Sept. 14, 1991) which will
display a 24 hour clock (with hours, minutes, and seconds) in the
upper right hand corner of your screen. The initial display says that
the program is installed in "low memory ($0140)." Mono only.
[] TRIYAHOO is Triple Yahoo v.1.0 by Stuart Denman (dated March 20,
1994). Triple Yahoo is an excellent game! The docs say it is "a highly
addictive multi-player GEM Triple Yahtzee game for Atari ST/STE/TT and
Falcon Computers." I would tend to agree! It supports digitized DMA
Sound (over 130K of sound files included), 3D buttons, SPEEDO/GDOS
fonts, and colored icons if available. Works in ALL resolutions and
all color modes including graphics cards. It also runs under MultiTOS
and Geneva. There are a _multitude_ of features available in this
game. The documentation is superb (I wish more authors would do even
half as well). Recommended! Shareware.
[] TRNSDEMO is the complete formerly shareware now freeware version of
the Transcendence BBS v.2.4.01 by Wayne Watson (dated Feb. 19, 1994).
If you are ever thinking of setting up a BBS (a tremendous amount of
work - BBS SysOps are the saints of the computer world in my opinion!)
this program would be well worth your investigation. It works on any
ST--TT with at least one meg of RAM (2.5 meg of RAM and TOS 1.4 or
better is better, of course). The program and support files require at
least 20 meg of Hard Drive space as well. Note, this archive's name
implies that this file is a demo. It is NOT. It's the full-blown
version released by the author. Thanks! (Send him money anyway!).
[] TTERM122 is Teddy-TERM v2.12 by M.J.Matts (dated sometime early
1994) Teddy-TERM is a complete communications terminal for the Atari
ST, STE, TT & Falcon030. Supporting full 16 colour ANSI & VT52
emulation (in minimum 16 colour 640x200 screen modes) with intelligent
ANSI emulation in 4 or 2 colour modes, Teddy-TERM is a breeze to use
(and pretty, too!). Teddy-TERM v1.x originally started life as a
simple shell program to allow you to use external protocols such as
XYZ.TTP and Jekyll easily from within Vanterm, but since then it has
grown and developed into a fully functional (no crippled at all)
Shareware communications terminal program. It is simple enough that
first-time modem users can navigate their way through it, and yet
adaptable enough for the power-user as well. Mouse and/or keyboard
controlled (both for all functions).
Contains a nice capture buffer, features auto-logon features (with a
feature that allows T-Term to learn your own logon information and use
it in the future - VERY Nice!), runs external programs, access
installed .ACC, use fonts other than the system font, the internal
online alarm and connect alarm sounds can now be replaced with a
sample if you have a machine with DMA sound capabilities, and much
more. Requires XYZ202 (by Alan Hamilton, and included in this file)
and Jekyll for transfers using those protocals. One meg or more of
Free RAM required. Extensive docs included. Geneva compatible. Color
or mono (extended res. cards, too).
[] WHATIS67 by Bill Aycock (dated April 5, 1994) is a simple program
that will identify over 160 different types of files. It is
mouse-driven and easy to use; everything is done from a single dialog
box. Whatis runs in any resolution on any ST or TT, and uses under 18K
of your system's RAM. Why use Whatis? It tells you to what program
those strange extendered files belong to. Also if you download file
called SIMPSON.ARC (for example) but find out it won't uncompress with
ARC. Whip out Whatis and take a look, and you might just find out that
the file is really an LHarc archive - the uploader used the wrong
extender! Just rename the file and you're all set. This version will
work as either a standalone program or as a desk accessory (just
rename the program file to .PRG or .ACC as you wish).
[] ZNET9402 is the March 5, 1994 issue of Z*Net. Z*NET is back!
Actually for some time now, but I'm still glad to see it. Hi Ron!
~ Telecommunications News ~Z*Net Newswire ~ Cleveland Free-Net ~
~ Monochrome Monitor Fix ~ DPA News For January ~Trans BBS Goes Freeware~
~ Lynx FAQ ~ Connect Magazine Offer ~ Hard Drive Tech Support ~
~ Lexicor Update ~ Music Of The Byte ~ Jaguar Games ~ More! ~
~ Zipped with an IMG file included of the Z*Net Logo! (well done!)~
That's all for now folks! Take care, and drop me a line sometime!
Michael
All of these files can be found on one or more of the following
on-line services: GEnie (M.BURKLEY1), Delphi (MRBURKLEY), The CodeHead
BBS (213-461-2095), and at Toad Hall, now the official BBS of the
Boston Computer Society (617-567-8642) (Michael R. Burkley). Drop me a
line!
Michael lives in Niagara Falls, NY. He is a former Polyurethane
Research Chemist and is presently the pastor of the Niagara
Presbyterian Church.
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --==--==-- GEnie Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
-- --
-- 1. Set your communications software for half duplex (local echo) --
-- at 300, 1200, or 2400 baud. --
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-- 2. Dial toll free: 1-800-638-8369 (or in Canada, 1-800-387-8330). --
-- Upon connection, enter HHH. --
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-- 3. At the U# prompt, enter XTX99436,GENIE then press <Return>. --
-- --
-- 4. Have a major credit card ready. In the U.S., you may also use --
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-- --
-- --==--==-- Atari's Official Online Resource! --==--==-- --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari ST RT News
||| By: John G. Hartman
/ | \ GEnie: J.G.H.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Atari RT Weekly News 4.3
= FROM THE BANNER =
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Coming 27 April!! Current Notes RTC!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
= ATARI RT LIBRARY =
= RTC TRANSCRIPTS =
------------------------------------------------------
32635 GRIB_RTC.ARC X BRIAN.H 940418 13824 140 13
Desc: GRIBNIF 13 Apr 94 RTC
32445 BRODIE20.ARC X ST.LOU 940402 24832 356 13
Desc: Lots of Q & A on Atari Topics
32433 PROCESS2.ARC X BRIAN.H 940401 14464 98 13
Desc: Processor Direct RTC 30 Mar 94
32363 WAL_RTC.ZIP X BRIAN.H 940326 9856 90 13
Desc: Walnut Creek GEMini RTC 23 Mar 94
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST THREE WEEK'S PRESS RELEASES =
------------------------------------------------------
32644 AUDIO_CD.TXT X GREG 940419 3200 71 14
Desc: Announcing Audio CD Master 3.0
32598 DB3PR.TXT X ORA 940413 1664 232 14
Desc: Diamond Back 3 Press Release!
32580 M_AWORKS.ZIP X R.DOLSON 940411 8320 75 14
Desc: Press release from Spar Systems
32535 NEW_MAG.ASC X P-DIRECT 940408 5504 78 14
Desc: ASCII : Processor Direct is here!
32527 DMCPROMO.TXT X POTECHIN 940408 3456 239 14
Desc: DMC Announces Thank You Promotion
32521 NEW_MAG.ZIP X P-DIRECT 940407 23424 141 14
Desc: Processor Direct is here, get this!
32515 NECCDR25.TXT X K.KORDES1 940406 3200 270 14
Desc: $99 CD-ROM Deal!!
32489 CT_SWAP3.TXT X D.FINCH7 940404 1792 13 14
Desc: Revised Ticket Prices - CT Swap Meet
32466 MOVING.TXT X K.KORDES1 940403 5248 132 14
Desc: Systems For Tomorrow Moving Sale
32451 CT_SWAP2.TXT X D.FINCH7 940402 2688 13 14
Desc: Directions to Connecticut Swap Meet
32423 INSHAPE2.LZH X CYBERCUBE 940331 4480 48 14
Desc: New InShape Pricing in Effect!
32422 GVW_NMT2.LZH X CYBERCUBE 940331 1920 110 14
Desc: New GEM-View 3.xx Modules available!
32420 GVW303PR.LZH X CYBERCUBE 940331 4864 186 14
Desc: GEM-View 3.03 Press Release!
32419 ART_MODS.LZH X CYBERCUBE 940331 3328 42 14
Desc: New Modules for Artis3/Prism PaintII
32399 JV_PRESS.TXT X V.VALENTI 940329 1152 181 14
Desc: Press release about programs for ST
32386 AMNESTY.TXT X POTECHIN 940328 9856 253 14
Desc: DMC Calamus Upgrade/Amnesty Offer!
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST THREE WEEK'S DEMO RELEASES =
------------------------------------------------------
32599 DB3DEMO.LZH X ORA 940413 117504 138 10
Desc: Diamond Back 3 Demo
32534 BACKW252.ZIP X R.SHEPPARD5 940408 40576 76 10
Desc: BACKWARDS 2.52 Falcon to ST Emulator
32502 THOUGHT.TOS X GRMEYER 940405 90240 110 10
Desc: Thought! Idea/Flowchart program
32492 F030BLOW.ZIP X C.LABELLE 940404 52224 72 10
Desc: Blow Up, Falcon resolution enhancer
32369 MAGEDEMO.LZH X D.MUNSIE 940327 182784 45 10
Desc: Demo of the GFA BASIC game tool-kit.
32356 CVTRAN30.ZIP X H.WOLFE1 940325 94208 112 10
Desc: Multilingual translation program
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST THREE WEEK'S TOP 10 DOWNLOADED PROGRAMS/FILES =
------------------------------------------------------
32553 STZIP25.TOS X L.SMITH70 940410 138880 374 40
Desc: STZIP version 2.5
32496 DRIVE144.ZIP X P.GRIFFITH2 940404 2560 240 27
Desc: HD floppy in your ST
32505 LHA3.TOS X L.SMITH70 940405 269184 235 40
Desc: LHarc 3.00 with shell (self extract)
32526 NEO3SECR.LZH X A.FASOLDT 940408 35968 195 15
Desc: Revised "Secrets of NeoDesk"
32579 PCHROME4.ZIP X OUTRIDER 940411 41088 184 28
Desc: PhotoChrome v4.00!!
32345 SUPRVIEW.LZH X GRMEYER 940325 97152 184 2
Desc: SuperView SHOW replacement
32604 OCR12.ZIP X GRMEYER 940413 138880 172 6
Desc: a freeware OCR program!
32438 AIM_3_1.ZIP X P.HARRIS3 940401 239360 168 28
Desc: AIM 3.1
32349 MINDRAFT.ZIP X GRMEYER 940325 102400 157 28
Desc: MiniDraft CAD program
32614 VERICARD.ZIP X M.BRINKWORTH 940415 5376 154 21
Desc: Verify if a credit card is valid
32517 ANSIST.LZH X GRMEYER 940407 8192 153 7
Desc: ANSI-ST "universal" ANSI driver
------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Developing news!
||| Items of interest from TOS platform developers and supporters
/ | \ -------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Texas Atari Festival June 4-5, 1994
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
----> Texas Atari Festival Update <----
We are happy to annouce the recent confirmation of the following vendors
for the 1994 Texas Atari Festival:
DMJ Software - Damien Jones
Gribnif Software - Rick Flashman
Trace Technologies - Keith Gerdes
TOAD Computers - Dave and Jennifer Troy
More Than Games - Rick Detlefson
GEnie - Mike Allen
(pending vacation status :^)
We hope to have more confirmations soon.
If anyone is in need of a rental vehicle, arrangements have been made with
Enterprise Rent-A-Car for special rates.
For Compact cars (Ford Escort, Nissan Sentra, Ford Tempo, Chevy Cavalier,
Plymouth Sundance, Plymouth Acclaim, or Toyota Corolla)
$25.00 per day
$ 2.50 10% luxury tax
-----
$27.50
For Midsize cars (Chevy Lumina, Ford Taurus, Oldsmobile Supreme)
$35.00 per day
$ 3.50 10% luxury tax
-----
$38.50 per day
Contact Mike Krawitz at (210) 520-0819 for rental arrangements. Out of
state drivers and drivers under 21 require proof of insurance and a
credit card deposit.
I haven't had a chance to check out local hotels, but I would urge
anyone who is staying to check out the cheap rates available at St.
Mary's University. Send E-mail to R.HELSEL or C.CASSADAY for more
info.
//// Atari Vendor/Developer Information
The Texas Atari Festival '94 will be held in San Antonio on June 4th &
5th on the beautiful campus of St. Mary's University. Some of you will
remember us as the Fiesta Atari Computer Show last year. As well as a
change of name we have expanded from a one day show to a two day
affair. The ST Atari League of San Antonio, (SALSA), wants you to come
down to sunny San Antonio and show us your wares, meet a bunch of
really fantastic, fun people, and generally just have a great time!
//// What's in it for you?
First and formost is a chance to show off your product(s) to an eager
audience. San Antonio has not had an Atari dealer for over a year now
so everything purchased has been either through the mail or on trips
out of town. As far as I know, the nearest dealers are in Houston or
Dallas and that covers a lot of Atarians, not just the folks in San
Antonio.
Secondly we don't limit our show to Atari users only. If you have a
product(s) that can be used on several platforms then TAF '94 is ideal
for you. The show will focus on how to use a computer in general, and
what a computer can do for you. Last year we got a good response from
users of all platforms as well as folks who were a bit phobic about
computers in general. Our goal is to show people that computers are
more than just expensive paper weigths or machines that have to be
dusted every month! If attendees have questions about why we use Atari
computers then we'll be happy to tell them, but our main thrust is
towards computer users as a whole.
Thirdly we plan to anchor the show with three main areas of interest.
Those areas are MIDI, Desk Top Publishing, and gaming, both hand held
and console. The idea is a simple one. Use broad areas of interest to
encourage people to attend the show and when they get here show them
all the other neat stuff that is availible to them! I know that there
is a lot of interest in MIDI in our area. Currently we plans to have
several MIDI demos each day and that should bring in a lot of
interested folks. We also plan to have an area dedicated to DTP and
all of the things that go along with it. Finally we plan to set up a
gaming area featuring the Jaguar and the Lynx. With these three high
profile areas as anchors and an expanded schedule we hope to have so
much traffic we won't know what to do with ourselves!!
//// So what's the bottom line??
Plain and simple, it's sign up and come. The sooner we know that you
are coming the sooner we can get the word out. We were successful
using local TV, radio, and newspapers and online services last year
and we hope to add the national Atari magazines this year. As soon as
your application hits our mailbox every Atarian within shouting
distance will know about it. Questions? Look through the packet we
sent with this letter. If you just want to chat with me you can reach
me via snail mail, Ma Bell or on GEnie. Just remember, this isn't a
work related trip to a great vacation spot, this a great chance for a
vacation that will include a little bit of work and LOTS of fun!
Thanks for your consideration,
Scott Helsel, Event Coordinator
Texas Atari Festival '94
13938 Brantley
San Antonio, Texas 78233
210-655-4672
GEnie address - R.Helsel
InterNet address - R.Helsel@genie.geis.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Fez.A.Bit Berlin, Germany May 7-8, 1994
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Video-Beamer Presentation Berlin, 7./8. May '94
(last modified 17.04.1994)
in alphabetic order ...
[ Translation by Thomas Schmidt, no warranty for mistranslation!
Produkt = product
Vertrieb = distributor
Thema = theme ]
Software/Programming Hardware
======================= ========
Produkt : CADANS Produkt : Afterburner 040
Present.: Ulli Ramps Autor : Overscan
Vertrieb: R.O.M. Software Vertrieb: Overscan/Compo
Thema : CAD-program with Thema : 68040-Accelerator-
many functions board for ATARI
FALCON 030
Produkt : DSP-Programming
Autor : u.a. Axel Steffens Produkt : ATARI JAGUAR
Thema : DSP-Programming on Vertrieb: ATARI Corp.
the FALCON 030 Thema : 64bit Game-system
(a) Beginner-Lecture with diverse games
(b) Workshop for Advanced (CYBERMORPH, CRESCENT
programmers GALAXY, RAIDEN, DINO
DUDES, TEMPEST 2000
Produkt : LAZy-Shell-III and if possible
Autor : Oliver Michalak ALIEN vs. PREDATOR,
Vertrieb: Maxon Computer GmbH CHECKERED FLAG 2 ...
Thema : flexible Packer-Shell with
many functions with clean _!!!_ in all cases will
and intuitiv User-Interface we show ALIEN vs.
PREDATOR, TEMPEST 2000,
KASUMI NINJA, CHECKE-
Produkt : Linux/FALCON(TT) RED FLAG 2 in moving
Autor : Bjoern Brauel pictures of CES'94 in
Thema : Adaptation of 68000er Las Vegas, the corres-
Linux for the FALCON(TT) ponding Video has all-
ready arrived
Produkt : ObjectGEM =^) ...
Autor : Thomas Much
Vertrieb: Softdesign Computer Produkt : Genlock
Software Autor : Overscan
Thema : objectoriented Library Vertrieb: Overscan/Compo
for Pure Pascal for easily Thema : Genlock-Hardware for
writing of GEM-conform Video-Titeling, e.g.
programs connected with Overlay
Produkt : Overlay/Hypermedia Produkt : Medusa T40
Autor : Overscan Autor : Ferdi Aschwaden
Vertrieb: Overscan/Compo Vertrieb: Overscan/Compo
Thema : Multimedia-Tool for Thema : 68040-based
Video-Titeling and TOS-System
animations with the
interactive Presentation- Produkt : Screenblaster II
Modul Hypermedia Autor : Overscan
Vertrieb: Overscan/Compo
Produkt : Papyrus Thema : Hard- and Software-
Autor : Christian Nieber resolutionenhancement
Vertrieb: R.O.M. Software for the
Thema : Wordprocessing ATARI FALCON 030
Produkt : PEGASUS
Present.: Ulli Ramps
Vertrieb: R.O.M. Software
Thema : comfortable
Addressprocessing
Produkt : Stone Age
Autor : Michael Nolte
Vertrieb: Michael Nolte Computer-
systeme
Thema : Game
for all ATARI-Computer
Produkt : TurnUs
Autor : Oliver Michalak
Thema : comfortable and flexible
File-modifier without fixed
templates, with fulltext-
and similarity-search
Produkt : UpToCase
Autor : Michael Nolte
Vertrieb: Michael Nolte Computer-
systeme
Thema : Software for graphic
generation of Nassi-Shneider-
mann diagrams with Drag- and
Drop-procedure and generation
of the program-sources analog
to the generated structogram.
Produkt : WinRec/WinCut
Autor : Andreas Binner
Vertrieb: Andreas Binner/think
Thema : Harddiskrecording and
-cutting with DSP-effects,
S/PDIF-support and much
more ...
[...]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// ICD Link 2
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Link 2(TM) - The next generation in SCSI host adapters for Atari
ST computers.
Rockford, Illinois, April 2, 1994 -- ICD, Incorporated, a leading
designer and manufacturer of hardware enhancements for Atari computers
today announced The Link 2, the next generation in SCSI host adapters
for all Atari ST computers.
For the past seven years ICD has enjoyed an enviable reputation as
the world leader of interfaces connecting Atari ST computers to SCSI
devices. Just two years ago, ICD set a new standard in excellence
with The Link. Not willing to rest on its laurels, ICD is always
looking for ways to push the envelope and redefine state-of-the-art.
This path has historically given ICD customers the best hard drive
performance, with uncompromising compatibility and speed at
competitive prices.
Today, The Link 2 from ICD allows Atari owners even more flexibility
in their choice of hard drives. The Link 2 is an external SCSI host
adapter which is designed to plug into a standard 50 pin centronics
style SCSI connector. A detachable DMA cable is included to plug into
the hard disk (ACSI) port of the Atari ST computer. Housed in an
attractively-designed molded case measuring just 2.5 inches by 3
inches and less than .75 inches thick (63x76x19 mm), The Link 2 will
fit into any SCSI environment.
Although The Link 2 looks and functions much like its reliable cousin
The Link, there are two distinguishing features that make it a real
stand out. First, a unique indicating light confirms that The Link 2
is receiving sufficient power from the termination line of the target
SCSI device. Second, support for parity has been added so it is no
longer necessary to disable parity on the drive. The Link 2 is now
truly "plug and go" and since most drives require no modifications,
The Link 2 won't affect the drive manufacturer's warranty.
Up to eight SCSI-1 or SCSI-2 devices are supported by The Link 2.
These devices could include any combination of fixed hard disk drives,
CD-ROM drives, Floptical drives, Magneto Optical drives, Bernoulli
drives, and Syquest drives as well as others. ICD software is nearly
universal in supporting virtually every drive made. The plug and go
architecture allows Atari ST, STE, Stacy, and STBOOK computers to use
external SCSI drives originally designed for the Apple Macintosh, IBM
PC, Commodore Amiga, NeXT, Atari TT and Falcon computers.
The Link 2, along with ICD's highly acclaimed software, also gives
multi- platform computer owners unprecedented flexibility. For example
if a Syquest cartridge is first formatted under MS-DOS with FDISK, the
user can directly read and write files from Atari computers under TOS
using the ICD driver. These files can also be shared with IBM PCs
running MS-DOS, and with Amiga computers using the integral CrossDOS
utility.
Thomas Harker, president of ICD explained, "At ICD we Look, Listen,
and Respond to the market place. Two years ago The Link broke new
ground in Atari ST connectivity. It instantly became a best seller
and took command of the market. Now we have responded to customer
feedback by creating The Link 2 which improves compatibility and makes
installation even easier."
The Link 2 is available now. ICD will support current owners of The
Link with an upgrade to The Link 2 for $40. This upgrade offer is
available directly from ICD and includes the latest software. The
Link 2 comes with a full one year warranty.
For more information, contact Thomas Harker at ICD in the United
States by phone (815) 968-2228 extension 222 or fax (815) 968-6888.
The Link and The Link 2 are trademarks of ICD, Incorporated. Other
trademarks are those of their respective holders.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Processor Direct Prints!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
We're here! Two Worlds Publishing is proud to present to the Atari
community our first issue, containing articles by a variety of
authors on a wide array of topics from telecommunications to
programming, and much more.
__
/_/ Just what is Processor Direct?
`-`-------------------------------
Processor Direct is a magazine for nearly all Atari computer users,
containing information valuable to users of the original 520ST up to
users of the Falcon030. Processor Direct is also helpful to the new
user or even the seasoned expert -- odds are most everyone will find
the information they've been looking for.
We currently print in a large format (page size is 11.5 inches wide by
13.5 inches tall) with full color covers and black and white internal
pages. Each issue's cover is printed on 80 pound gloss paper, with the
internal pages on quality 80 pound matte paper.
__
/_/ What is in Processor Direct?
`-`-----------------------------
We offer a variety of columns on topics including Graphics, Music, and
Programming, along with reviews of hardware and software of both
commercial and shareware nature. We've also got the latest news items
on topics like new software and hardware in the Newswire and Recent
Developments sections.
In the first issue we also have a survey which asks a variety of
questions so we can get to know our readers better. The survey itself
is 8.5x11 inches so it can be easily photocopied and mailed to us.
__
/_/ What won't I find in Processor Direct?
`-`---------------------------------------
You won't find long boring articles on topics that no one cares about,
and you also won't get page upon page of unbroken dull text on cheap
newsprint paper. You're going to be stuck with interesting articles
printed on quality paper...we're terribly sorry! <grin>
__
/_/ Why not just read messages on-line?
`-`------------------------------------
Reading messages from USENET newsgroups and from the national on-line
services is incredibly time consuming, often costly, and some times
the accuracy of the information in the form of news can be doubtful.
These networks are excellent to find the answers to your questions and
to talk to knowledgeable people, but if you've ever read any of the
USENET newsgroups, you know that contradictions and rumor run rampant.
We obtain our news directly from the source, with no one to interpret
or twist it. Not to mention, with each information packed issue (at
only $3.50) you get easy to understand information that would normally
take hours to read and compile from one day, forget a whole month.
__
/_/ When and where can I get my copy?
`-`----------------------------------
Processor Direct is available now for direct order for $3.50 ($4.00 in
Canada) each from TWP, and also through a variety of Atari dealers. You
can also subscribe to Processor Direct for just $25.00 (US$33 in Canada)
for 12 issues.
__
/_/ Dealers: Want to carry Processor Direct?
`-`-----------------------------------------
If you are a dealer and would like to obtain copies for newsstand
sales, just contact us and request information.
__
/_/ How can I advertise in Processor Direct?
`-`-----------------------------------------
We have advertising in a wide variety of sizes, with the option of
creating your own custom sizes. Effective for both shareware and
commercial developers (as well as dealers and many others) Processor
Direct may be one of the best ways to tell the community about your
product! For more information, contact us and request our Media
Package, which contains the guidelines as well as hints and tips on
making your ad look best.
__
/_/ Want to be published?
`-`----------------------
Are you an aspiring writer? Always wanted to be published? Here is
your chance! Whether you are a seasoned veteran writer with years of
experience or just enjoy it as a hobby, we're always looking for new
articles on fresh topics and interesting viewpoints. If you'd like to
know more, contact us and request our Submission Guidelines Booklet.
__
/_/ On-line and ready to serve you!
`-`--------------------------------
If you are a member of an on-line service we are incredibly easy to
contact. We have accounts on GEnie and Delphi, as well as two Internet
addresses. If you have a few questions, or just want to say hello,
drop us a message! Have a question about an article? We'll forward
your mail directly to the writer. Also "Letters to the Editor" can be
mailed electronically.
__
/_/ For more info:
`-`---------------
If you've got questions or want more information, just contact us via
one of the addresses below.
US Mail:
Two Worlds Publishing
3837 Northdale Blvd. #225
Tampa, FL 33624
E-Mail:
GEnie: P-DIRECT (P-DIRECT2 for article submissions)
Delphi: pdirect
Internet: p-direct@genie.geis.com
pdirect@delphi.com
The Media Package and Submissions Guidelines Booklet are provided
free of charge, and will be mailed when completed.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// DMC's Customer Offer
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
As many of you are aware, last week DMC issued both a blanket
competitive upgrade offer and an amnesty offer. The response to date
has been encouraging but it seems that we overlooked a factor, brought
to our attention by some of our customers.
Specifically, we have been taken to task for rewarding possible
pirates and non-Calamus customers and not rewarding our long-time
loyal Calamus customer base. Such was not our intention. In fact, I
confess that it hadn't even occured to us at the time. We were
concentrating on writing a general invitation and appeal to people
that were not customers of DMC. A few letters in email as well as a
telephone call or two has reminded us that without our existing
customers we wouldn't be here. Believe me, we here at DMC are well
aware of that fact. Our customers have always come first. We failed to
make the intuitive leap that would have helped us understand the
possible perception of some long-time customers. And their point was a
valid one. So now we need to make amends in a manner that will
continue to benefit us all.
In our December 93 customer mailout we made an offer that expired in
January. It was really well received by our customers. Generally
speaking, whenever we have a promotion, our customers seem to be
pleased with us. With that in mind, we figured the best we could do
was come up with a promotion that would be our way of saying thank you
to all of you that have stuck with us over the years. Hard to believe
sitting here typing now but I first showed Calamus 1.26, in November
1986, Las Vegas Comdex. That was over 7 years ago! Many of you have
been with us since that time. The software has improved substantially
as has the hardware from the days of those first Mega ST's. Looking
back, speaking personally, I loved every minute of it and we couldn't
have done it without you.
For all our Calamus SL customers, registered prior to April 1, 1994,
we are making this special offer to you for a limited time only.
~~~ From now until May 31, 1994, DMC will match you dollar for dollar!~~~
Purchase any DMC software program, module or font and we will match
your purchase with an equal value credit immediately applied against
the purchase of any other DMC software program, module or font.
For example, purchase the Line Art Module for US $150.00 and receive
US $150.00 worth of additional software, such as the Bridge Module,
absolutely free!
Place your order now! We'll ship immediately.
To order, we need your name, address, telephone number and your email
address if you have one please, the relevant amount of payment plus
$10.00 for shipping and insurance in North America. Payment made be
made by Visa, Mastercard or Money Order in Canadian or US dollars by
telephone, fax or email.
This offer, extended to all our registered Calamus SL owners in North
America, will expire May 31, 1994 and will not be repeated.
On behalf of DMC, thank you.
Sincerely
Nathan Potechin - President
DMC Publishing
2800 John Street, Unit #10
Markham, Ontario Canada L3R 0E2
GEnie:DMCPUBLISH Tel: (905) 479-1880
Delphi:DMCPUBLISH Fax: (905) 479-1882
Compuserve: 76004,2246
Internet:DMCPUBLISH@GENIE.GEIS.COM
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Calamus User Magazine
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Calamus User is an independent Magazine which published on a quarterly
basis (every 3 months) and is only available on a mail order basis at
the following rates:
Issue one and two only: 2.00 (UK) : 4.00 (Overseas)
Single issue: 3.00 (UK) Four issues 8.00 (UK)
" " 4.00 (Overseas) " " 12.00 (Overseas)
Please state which issue you require or which issue you wish your
subscription to start from: issue 1, issue 2, issue 3.
Any Cheque or Postal Order must be made out in POUNDS STERLING to
Calamus User.
OUR POSTAL ADDRESS: Calamus User,
PO BOX 148,
Deal,
Kent, UK,
CT14 7QN.
TELEPHONE: (UK) 0304-369364
Internet E-MAIL: caluser@cix.compulink.co.uk
regards
sTTeve Llewellyn 8-)
Editor, Calamus User Magazine.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Audio CD Master 3.0
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Audio CD Master allows you to use all audio CD's with your computer's
CD-ROM drive. Just place your standard audio CD in your CD-ROM drive
and click on Play from the handy desktop accessory.
Custom controls let you play selected tracks in the order you want to
hear them, play a range of tracks from a CD, or play the entire CD.
Audio CD Master works with all monitors, color, monochrome, and
broadcast TV. Works with VGA on the Falcon along with color,
monochrome or broadcast TV.
Audio CD Master works with the entire Atari computer line. Use Audio
CD Master with the ST, STe, and Mega series using the ICD AdSCSI Plus
or Link.
You can direct connect a SCSI-2 CD-ROM drive to the Falcon and TT for
use with Audio CD Master.
All SCSI-2 CD-ROM drives are supported. A special control file is
included for use with NEC drives that use a slightly modified form of
CD audio sound playback.
The Audio CD Master accessory displays both time and track information
for the disc being played.
For MultiTOS users who who prefer to use the application as a program
rather than an accessory, you can do so.
Audio CD Master works with or without ExtenDOS, MetaDOS, or MultiTOS
XFS CD-ROM drivers.
Work on your letters, use a modem, or do some graphics design while CD
audio plays in the background.
Use your CD-ROM drive to its fullest potential. Add CD sound to your
system. Bring your system into the world of computing in the 90's.
You can use Audio CD Master with the phones out on your CD player for
personal listening or connect your CD-ROM drive to your home stereo
system or powered mini-speakers.
//// FALCON FUN
Want to add surround sound to your home stereo?
Want to sing along with Billie Joel but find him singing an octave too
high for you. Bring him down to match your range. Match the high note
in Johnny Mathis' version of Oh Holy Night.
Find out what Bob Dylan would sound like if he was a Cyborg.
Add flanging and other special effects. Add room effects ranging from
club to Wembley. See your CD audio on a graphic spectrum.
Audio CD Master allows you to control and pipe your CD audio sound
into the Falcon for DSP effects using the Audio Fun Machine that comes
with your Falcon 030. Using Audio CD Master and the Audio Fun Machine
all the above are possible.
On the Falcon, CD audio sound can be used with the internal speaker,
monitor speaker, or piped out to your stereo system after applying
Falcon DSP effects.
Digital sound and audio CD can be mixed to add background music to
your presentation's narrations or slide shows. Great for us with Photo
Show Pro presentations using Kodak Photo CD.
//// HOW DO I GET Audio CD Master
Ask for Audio CD Master at any of the better Atari dealers. They
should have it available shortly.
//// I CAN'T WAIT
Audio CD Master is available for $29.99 US, postpaid, worldwide, from
It's All Relative Software
2233 Keeven Lane
Florissant, MO 63031
USA.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Diamond Back 3 Shipping
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Oregon Research is proud to announce a major upgrade to its premier
hard disk backup and restore program. Diamond Back 3 began shipping
today. Among the enhancements to Diamond Back are:
[] A completely redesigned icon and drop down list driven full
windowed user interface.
[] New Visual Directory tree interface for backup and restore path
selection. Easy point and click selection of paths and files.
[] Multiple volume removable media (e.g. Syquest, floptical) support.
[] Support for ANY SCSI tape drive attached to ACSI, TT SCSI, or
Falcon SCSI-2 ports.
[] Custom Backup configurations saved with "Human Readable"
descriptions that you can remember rather than cryptic 8 character
file names
[] Backup Logfiles remember EVERYTHING for you. All your backup
options and where the files came from. To restore just load a log
file and go!
[] Multi-Tasking background backups with any version of TOS. Use any
event driven ACC while you backup!
[] Many more enhancements
Diamond Back 3 retails for $69.95 and is available now. Upgrades from
previous versions of Diamond Back are $29 + $4 S&H from now until July
31, 1994 and $34 + $4 S&H thereafter. If you have not sent in your
registration card then you will need to send you original disk (or a
xerox copy of your original disk) with your upgrade order.
For more information contact us below or download the Diamond Back 3
demo file #32599 in the GEnie demo library #10.
Oregon Research
16200 S.W. Pacific Hwy., Suite 162
Tigard, OR 97224
Phone: (503) 620-4919
FAX: (503) 624-2940
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Space & Astronomy Compact Disc
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Space and Astronomy CD is a collection of images and text files
related to space exploration and astronomy. Educators, students and
space enthusiasts will love this disc. The disc is made for the TOS,
PC, and Mac platforms.
The 1,000 image files on the Space and Astronomy disc will dazzle your
eye. There are images of the Earth, planets, the stars, astronauts,
and space craft. Most of these images are from NASA. You will see the
soloar system from the vantage point of deep space probes. You will
see portraits of the space shuttle crews and the hardware that makes
the missions possible.
The 5,000 text files included will fill your mind with detailed
accounts of space missions and comprehensive data on space
exploration. These files include information on asteroids, NASA news
bulletins, NASA press releases since 1962 and Usenet sci.space
archives.
The Space and Astronomy CD disc includes Atari graphic viewers
including a shareware version of DMJ-GIF along with viewers for the
Mac and PC.
A special disk with additional shareware and freeware GIF viewers is
included with a special offer from It's All Relative Software. Get the
Space and Astronomy disc along with the bonus floppy for $35.00,
postpaid.
Send your order to:
Randall Kopchak
It's All Relative
2233 Keeven Lane
Florissant, MO 63031.
Voice (314) 831-9482
GEnie or Delphi: GREG
CIS 70357,2312
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Mastering AtariWorks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Mastering AtariWorks is a Hypertext Personal Training Guide for the
novice, intermediate and advanced user. The novice user will find the
simple step-by-step approach and tutorial files an easy way to lessen
the learning curve, while the intermediate and advanced user will
benefit from the referencing feature.
Each AtariWorks command is explained in detail with all the necessary
information given on how to use it. Tips and tricks are offered as
well throughout the guide to give you ideas on how to exploit each
command. The 52 page booklet has over 60 screen-shots of AtariWorks
in action explaining documented and undocumented functions.
The step-by-step tutorials is just like having a private tutor, but
without the expensive cost of a tutor. The package includes example
files on disk, user manual and the Hypertext Personal Training Guide
software. A few of the topics discussed are line spacing, GEM
Metafile, initial caps, macros, formats, graphics, page numbering,
text alignment, SpeedoGDOS information, newsletters, business cards,
brochures, database records, multi-columns, rotated text, spreadsheet
& chart tutorials, block handling, database overview, Control commands
and much more.
[] Supports the Word Processor, Database and Spreadsheet modules.
[] Quick Start support for the novice user.
[] Send online summary to printer, file or clipboard.
[] Retrace help summaries.
[] Use together with AtariWorks.
[] Resolution independent. Supports ST, TT and Falcon resolution
modes, and third party video cards.
[] Software comes on a double sided disk.
[] Requires only 99K of memory.
AtariWorks is the first integrated (Word Processor, Spreadsheet and
Database) SpeedoGDOS software package ever to be offered for the
Atari, and Mastering AtariWorks tells you everything you need to know
to start creating documents, while learning the software. Mastering
AtariWorks is fast paced and to the point. Prepare to become an
AtariWorks power user!
Now shipping.
Available from your local Atari dealer throughout the United States,
Canada and Europe. To order from us, send:
(United Sates)
$44.95 + $ 3.00 shipping in check or Money Order.
(Canada)
$44.95 + $ 3.00 shipping in Postal Money Order made out in US currency.
(Europe)
$44.95 + $ 5.00 shipping in Bank Draft made out in US currency.
Spar Systems
381 Autumn Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208
USA
Phone: 718-235-3169
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Radio Computer Magazine
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Radio Computer Magazine (a one hour syndicated computer variety
show) wants to start coverage of Falcon software and news. Atari has
shipped us a 14 meg unit (the hard drive will be here soon). We are
looking for music, ways to use the Falcon, interesting stories, etc.
Also, we need a list of software companies making products for the
Falcon. We already know Steinberg/Jones music. Please spread the word
that John Stewart at Radio Computer Magazine is covering Atari on his
show. I would love to hear from programmers and companies in the USA,
Canada, Europe, etc. RCM talks a lot about PCs, but we really like to
surprise people with other ways to go... so it is an ideal area to
talk about Atari.
Those wishing to know what stations the show runs on should contact
the Sun Radio Network. Also I will post it as soon as I can. We are
on about 25 stations. And please credit Atari with having the good
sense to loan me this unit.
PS: newsletters, software, etc. should be sent to
Radio Computer Magazine
PO BOX 216
Spring Grove, MN 55974.
We will look at commercial programs, shareware, etc.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// ROMWARE: Looking for a Few Good Programs
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The CD-ROM publisher ROMWARE is compiling a new shareware and public
domain CD-ROM for ATARI. Now we are looking for authors in the
CompuServe Atari Forums who would like to see their products on our
upcoming CD-ROM.
The deadline for authors to contribute their files to this CD-ROM is
May 1, 1994 (my birthday BTW). Authors, please tell me the name of
your program, actual version number and where to get it via
CompuServe. And do not forget to give us your permission, if
necessary.
Every program is going to be tested by me. If it stands the test, it
will be added to the CD-ROM.
What we demand is:
[] Normal applications must run with any TOS based computer
[] Applications should be resolution independent
[] Special applications like MOD players should at least abort with an
error alert if they do not run on a particular machine
[] All rights of the software must be with the contributing author.
What we do is:
[] We state clearly what the shareware concept is: Try Before Buy
[] We do include always the newest versions
[] We include versions in different languages, if available
[] Our CD-ROM is going to be the cheapest on the market
If you want to know more about ROMWARE, our products or the ATARI
CD-ROM do not hesitate to contact me via email and ask.
Regards, Hayo Schmidt
ROMWARE Verlags-und Produktionsgesellschaft mbH
Mendelssohnstr. 15d
D-22761 Hamburg GERMANY
Phone (D)+40-899 58-601
FAX (D)+40-899 58-112
CIS 100101,407
--==--==--==--==--
|||
||| Shutdown ............................ Power off, EXIT, BYE, Logoff
/ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome feedback from all of our readers; feedback both positive
and negative. Whatever you think of our efforts, we sincerely would
like to know. Our EMail addresses are sprinkled throughout each
issue - with the new Internet gateway into GEnie, you can reach us
through the Internet also. Append "@genie.geis.com" to any of our
GEnie addresses.
Until the next issue of AEO, I remain,
Your Editor
Travis Guy
Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
--==--==--==--==--
(This issue printed on recycled photons)
--==--==--==--==--
DNFTEC
--==--==--==--==--
#1
Wide_left > 2*(Wide_right)
--==--==--==--==--
No Inflation Necessary
--==--==--==--==--
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
entire Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless
otherwise noted at the beginning of the article, to registered Atari
user groups and not for profit publications under the following terms
only: articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and
author at the top of each article reprinted. Other reprints granted
upon approval of request. Send requests to <aeo.mag@genie.geis.com>.
Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do
not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed accurate at the time of publishing.
--==--==--==--==--
Atari, ST, Mega ST, STE, Mega STE, TT030, Atari Falcon030, TOS,
MultiTOS, NewDesk, BLiTTER, Atari Lynx, ComLynx, Atari Jaguar, Atari
Portfolio, and the Atari Fuji Symbol are all trademarks or registered
trademarks of Atari Corporation. All other trademarks and identifying
marks mentioned in this issue belong to their respective owners.
--==--==--==--==--
Atari Explorer Online Magazine
"Your Source for Atari News"
Copyright (c) 1993-1994, Subspace Publishers
* * *
* * *
* * *
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* * *
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A E O :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Volume 3 - Issue 7 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 23 April 1994 ::
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