********************************************************************** Videl Inside 2.02 (c)1996 Trisomic Development ********************************************************************** Author : Zerkman (Francois GALEA) Distribution : Freeware Intention : Extend the graphic resolutions of the Falcon Translation in english performed by Denis Clement 90:802/1 clement_d@parx.frmug.fr.net Roy Goring 90:100/310 rgoring@zetnet.co.uk 1. Introduction a. Disclaimer The use of this program is not restricted in any way, and the author cannot be held responsible for any consequences of its use. b. Introduction Videl Inside (VI) is a program for Atari Falcon 030 with the purpose to extend the graphic resolutions; the new graphic modes are usable not only under the standard GEM, but also under other OSs like MultiTOS, Magic, Geneva ... It doesn't use much memory, around 1500 bytes, and is very stable. 2. Distribution You can spread VI 2.02 freely, as long as the following files are not modified, or deleted from the package: AUTO\VI2.PRG => Core of VI 2 AUTO\VI2_CNF.PRG => Configuration module of VI 2 ED_MODE.*\ED_MODE.PRG => Video modes editor ED_MODE.*\ED_MODE.RSC => editor's resource files VI2.DAT => file including the extended video modes of VI DOCS\VI_2_FRA.TXT => French doc DOCS\VI_2_ENG.TXT => English doc 3. Getting started Copy the programs from the AUTO folder in this archive to your AUTO folder, and the file VI2.DAT in the root directory of your boot disk. If you own and use NVDI, check thoroughly that it is placed BEFORE VI2. You ought to verify it using "No sort" in the sort mode choice. To place VI2 after NVDI, you should copy VI2, renaming it, (copy depressing the Alt key) in the same directory until one of these renamed copies come after NVDI, then delete the others and rename your copy to VI2.PRG. Reboot your Falcon. 4. Operating a. Differences VI 1.x / VI 2.x Those who have used VI's versions 1.x will find themselves somewhat lost (if not astonished :-) ) with VI 2. These older versions were made of a unique executable code which was placed in the AUTO folder, this served both as the manager of the extended resolutions and as the configuration program. For modularity reasons, and also for reducing the memory used, these two functions have now been separated in VI 2. b. Use of VI 2 with TOS/GEM When in the GEM desktop, nothing happens, apparently. To test if VI 2 is in memory, just select "Video modes" in the Option menu of the GEM desktop, you will see a somewhat unusual selection panel of video modes. To use a video mode, just click on the one which interests you and then on the OK button. You're then in the desired resolution in two mouse clicks! Nice, isn't it? Please note that a double-click on the mode will have the same effect. You can also choose a virtual mode (display greater than the screen size), the visible part scrolls through the screen following the movement of the mouse. By clicking on the button "ecran virtuel" (virtual screen) and choosing the desired size of display. The Falcon and ST compatible modes' buttons let you go back to the usual Falcon's video modes. Finally, the button "Sauver" (Save) will let you, after selecting a mode, to have it as default mode at next booting of the machine. A file VI2.INF containing all necessary informations for the core is then created in the root directory of your boot disk. c. Use of VI 2 with MiNT/MultiTOS, Magic or Geneva Multitasking systems are not so easily fooled (but nothing is impossible!), and it is not so easy to use VI 2 with them as with TOS. To use VI at best, you will have to move the file VI2_CNF.PRG from the AUTO folder and copy it somewhere else on the disk. To select the chosen video mode, you have to launch this copy of the selector, choose the mode and finish with a double-click or a click on OK. An alert box will appear, asking you to change the resolution manually, by selecting a standard video mode. This alert is in French but you will be able to read the numbers. Instead of, as usual, booting in the standard resolution selected, you will be in the extended video mode previously selected. Trick: to simplify this operation, you could install VI2_CNF.PRG as an icon on your desk, or assign it a function key. d. Additional informations It is possible to cancel VI 2 at boot by holding the left Shift key depressed during the boot process. 5. The video modes editor With VI 2 is included an add-on for editing and customising video modes, thus anyone can obtain the most of their monitors capabilities. Its use is simple, even if it could appear obscure to the beginner. Its operating mode is relatively simplified. It uses only the file VI2.DAT being in the root of your boot disk, the changes made are automatically saved in this file. It is safer to make a backup of this file before, in case you're not exactly sure of what you're doing. To quit the program, just click on the window's closing button. 4 menus are available in the program : Preferences, Selection, Edit and Information. a. Preferences This menu lets you select the range of frequencies tolerated by your monitor. Effectively, the more and wider range of horizontal and vertical frequencies a monitor allows, the more different video modes will be creatable. The range of specific frequencies of your monitor should be written in its manual. To allow the manual editing of the maximal and minimal frequencies, you will have to activate the button "Multisync monitor" by clicking on it. This is possible only in VGA mode, if you have a multisync monitor, you will have to set it in VGA mode before. Default parameters are those of a standard VGA monitor, or of a standard RGB, depending on the type of your monitor. Monochrome monitors are not handled in the current version of the program. b. Selection This menu lets you select a mode to edit, or a list of modes to copy, delete, etc. To do that, you have at your disposal a box containing a list of all video modes availables. The button "New Mode" allows you to add a video mode to the list. If a mode was selected before that, the new one will be a copy of this one. The button "Cut" allows you to delete the selected modes, after taking the care to place them in a buffer before that. The button "Copy" only copies the mode into a buffer. The button "Paste" allows you to paste the modes from the buffer to the list. You're asked for a destination position (the form of the mouse cursor changes), you only have to click on the mode after which the modes in the buffer will be inserted. Note about the Cut and Copy functions: If modes were already in the buffer, they will be deleted from it and replaced by those selected. c. Edit This menu allows you to edit a mode selected in the selection menu. Parameters of a mode are: - pixels by line - horizontal resolution (= pixels/line - borders) - horizontal centering - number of lines per frame - vertical resolution - vertical centering - number of colors present on the screen - pixels width (simple, double or quadruple) - videl frequency - vertical mode (normal/double line/interlaced) The button "Test" allows you to display a test screen in the edited video mode to check if the picture is contained in the screen or not. Pressing a key will take you back to the editor. The videl frequency, the number of pixels per line and the number of lines per frame determine the horizontal and vertical frequencies of the mode, if they are included in the range of frequencies of your monitor, the mode will then be considered valid and it will appear in the modes selection box of the desktop. If not, a test will be possible only after confirmation, and the mode will not be selectable from the desktop. d. Infos This menu displays informations about the software. 6. Programmers information VI 2 installs a Cookie in the cookie jar, its value is "VI-2". The parameter of this cookie is a pointer on a structure which format is the following: ck_ver rs.w 1 ; Number of the program's version ck_size rs.w 1 ; blocksize .. ; miscellaneous infos internal to VI 2 VI 2 also traps the trapvectors Nr 2 (GEM) and 14 (Xbios). The routines follow the XBRA norm, their identifiers are the same as the one of the cookie. 7. Special thanks and information about the author. a. Special thanks I'd like to thank the following people, for their support and their collaboration to this version of VI 2 (in alphabetical order) : - Denis Clement - Frédéric Ellis - Roy Goring b. information about the author This programs author (me!) is named Francois GALEA and has Zerlman as ridiculous handle. Not liking to speak of me in the third person, I use the first from now. So, you can contact me at the following address: Francois GALEA 19 rue du Moulinet F-78610 Le Perray-en-Yvelines Minitel : 36 15 RTEL1, bal ZERKMAN E-mail : e5172@iut-orsay.fr (Until the 31st of April 1997 !) Web Page : http://www.iut-orsay.fr/~e5172 I am a member of the group Trisomic Development, among following members: - Kor - Melkor - Pozzi - SoniX - Zerkman (me !!!) I would like to give a little Hello! to the following persons: - Celeborn: Throw your ST away and buy a Falcon! - Createur: Meeeeeeeeting! - Deufr: X-Men rullzz ! - Dumbo: The yuks won't work good in the yanz! What's the mess??? - Gordh: Napalm Death rullz ! - HCL: Magic is BAD for you - Kor: Kronenbourg is GOOD for you ! - Mangue: When is the crash of the disk of the ftp from cnam scheduled? - Melkor: When will Dirty 2 happens??? - Pozzi: Army suxxx ! - Roudoudou: ai"lalai"i"i".... - Scrap & Mickmouse: Linux rullzez ! - SGT Slayer: TB-303 rules !!! - Silver Eagle: Take me to the Saturne? - Zanak: How come can you support SGT Slayer ? - All VI users: a great Thank You! for you support. Francois GALEA, 12/20/1996.