** 2 pages Q&A / 2136 words ** ** Recycle ** In AC#11 Stephen Strowes asked if there were any other hi-res emulators available. There's a shareware program called Double 2 programmed by Lars Erik Osterud in Norway which allows a double height interlaced screen on STEs but it doesn't work under MagiC. However, despite the docs, it does run in any resolution from ST-low to ST-high giving new resolutions of 320x400, 640x400 and 640x800 - check it out! Matt Burton, Derbyshire Regarding Stephen Strowes thoughts last issue about a program to allow four or sixteen colours on screen at once at high res... The limitation on the number of colours and resolution in the ST video modes has nothing to do with software - so it cannot be improved using software. Additional hardware is the solution and coincidentally I'm currently working on a board that would replace the ST's graphics with much better SVGA true-colour graphics capabilities! Mario Becroft, New Zealand --- ** Tip ** Calamus Calamity In the Calamus 98 review in AC#11 Ed McGlone mentioned it's no longer possible to clear a line using the [Esc] key. The problem actually lies with the keyboard macro's - delete the macro which uses the [Esc] key and it will work again. Dave Barkin, via Email --- ** Tip ** MagiC PRINT.TTP Fed up pressing the Form Feed button on your printer to output the last page when using PRINT.TTP (from the MagiC distribution) as the installed application for printing? Follow these easy steps: ** PRINTTIP.GIF here ** ** UL ** * Create a text file containing the formfeed character. Using a text editor type the form feed character - depending on your text editor this can be entered from a pop-up or using Everest by holding down the [Alternate] key and typing 12 to enter the FF character. Save the single character as a file FF.TXT in your GEMSYS\GEMDESK folder. * From your desktop, install PRINT.TTP as an application. * Set the Start directory to Application or Program. * Enable parameter passing, to do this in Thing make sure the Pass always checkbox is crossed. * Enter the following parameters in the line underneath (assuming your MagiC GEMSYS folder is on drive C:): ** NP on ** $1 C:\GEMSYS\GEMDESK\FF.TXT ** NP off ** (Alternatively using Thing you can Drag&Drop the FF.TXT file onto the parameters line). ** UL ** That's it folks! Pat Morales, Chino, USA --- ** Q ** Pretty in Pink? Has anyone painted a Falcon or ST, or any plastic computer cases? I love the computer but I really can NOT stand the colour of the case much longer. Any suggestions? I was thinking of painting it purple coz it would go rather nicely with my NeXT. Anyway, what kind of paint could I do this with? rivet@volcane.is.my.33Mhz.NeXT.com ** A ** I've seen quite a few painted amigas, especially among the demo crews and they look quite cool in my opinion. I've already painted plastics, so here is how to get a pretty good result using car spray paints. ** UL ** * Sand the case all over with sandpaper, to give the surface something the paint can key onto. Wash the case to remove the plastic dust and leave to dry thoroughly. * Spray with primer then sand again using 600 grade wet and dry paper - aim for a smooth soft finish but you don't want to rub through the primer - if you do spray more primer and repeat this stage. * Finally select your chosen colour from the thousands available, and spray over the primer and stand back to admire your new case! ** /UL ** Always follow the directions on the spray cans and work in a warm but well ventilated area and make sure you shake the spray cans thoroughly before using them. Handle your new machine carefully, the surface colour will be prone to chipping. ** BC ** Nicholas Bales Email: bales@mygale.org The Atari ST Quick FAQ http://quickfaq.atari.org ** BC ** --- ** Q ** Making your mark The NEWSie emailer allows a signature file to be added to my emails automatically which saves lots of typing because I send a lot of postings! However, I post to lots of different newsgroups and to different individuals and my generic sig file is not always relevant or even suitable. NEWSie author John Rojewski explained: "Currently, sigs are added when the article/email is actually sent to the server. This means that if you want a sig on one, but not another, you must connect and send that single one. This was done to reduce the amount of disk space required to store the sig on each and every outbound mail/article. As for a different sig for each newsgroup, that is something nobody else has asked for, and would require additional parameters to be attached to each newsgroup, probably via another edit dialog, and another file, etc." I really need to be able to choose different sig files to reflect where I am posting to and wondered if there's a better workaround? Thomas the Tank Engine, Isle of Sodor ** A ** Thankfully there's a very simple solution which only requires some initial setting up and an extra mouse click! Make a folder called SIGS, create your various sig files as separate files, start NEWSie and uncheck the Signatures Option in the Preferences menu and save your NEWSie preferences. To add the appropriate sig file to your email or newsgroup posting go through the usual steps and before saving your message, merge or import (depending on your text editor) the desired sig file and save and exit your text editor as normal. Mike Kerslake and Ronald G Hall: The DarkForce! BBS ** A ** ** KURZEL.GIF here ** An alternative solution would be to use the keyboard kurzels (tags/shortcut) feature in your text editor, Everest, qed and Edith all support these. After setting up your sigs in the kurzel/tag file you can select between sigs on-the-fly. For example, typing "s_[Esc]" in Everest adds "Regards, Joe", "si[Esc]" adds a comment and "sig[Esc]" adds my full signature this concept can be extended to support as many signatures as you like. Joe Connor --- ** Tip ** Connect '97 problems? Thanks to Roger Cain on NeST there's a work-around for the problem with this version of Connect complaining of errors. Delete the CONNECT.NUM file and to create a zero length file of the same name - you can do this from the desktop or via Freedom or other utilities easily enough. ** NEWFILE.GIF here ** This does mean the cost logging won't work but with the bewildering range of call charges I guess not many people make use of this feature anyway. Derryck Croker, via CIX --- ** Q ** Font formats Without boring anyone too much can someone explain to me the difference between TrueType and PostScript fonts? I have NVDI 4 and a few fonts set up, how do I import them into DTP programs such as Timeworks and so on? James Aubrey, CIX ataricomputing conference ** A ** Postscript fonts type 1 are vector fonts that use a format devised by Adobe, they render curves using four point quadratic bezier curves and the font file format is a bit like a PostScript printer text file/program with a big encrypted binary bit in the middle which when you decrypt and unpack it is also like a PostScript printer file/program. TrueType fonts are vector fonts that use a format devised by Apple, they render curves using three point cubic bezier curves and the file format is a bit like that of Apple Macintosh Resource files - binary tables with pointers to binary tables of binary data. In both sorts a zero winding algorithm is used to set inside bits of paths on or off. Matthew Carey, CIX ataricomputing conference To use vector fonts with Timeworks you need the v2.04 release - the one given away with Atari World magazine (RIP). Drag the new fonts from the source disk into NVDIs BTFONTS folder, open the NVDI Fonts and Caches CPX, click on Scan, Save, then OK. Next double-click on FONTWID.APP in your PUBLISH folder, ignore Unknown Printer and the FSMGDOS messages and click on SORRY, and that's it - a doddle! Load Timeworks 2.04 and a DTP document and look under STYLE - FONT\SIZE and they should be listed together with the Franklin Gothic and Baskerville collection bundled with NVDI. Pete Fenwick, CIX ataricomputing conference --- ** Q ** What type of modem do I need to connect to my Atari ST? I have borrowed a PC external 14k modem (US robotics) from a friend of mine, but it doesn't respond to any AT commands I send it via my dial-up software - I am using STiK. I suspect this may be due to the fact that the modem is configured for a base-port address corresponding to COM2 on a PC, but I have no idea what this means in terms of an Atari ST. Peter Swann ** A ** It's more likely to be a problem with the ST's serial port or the cable rather than the US Robotics modem. There's a quirk on my Courier that it won't run after a change in port speed until I've resaved the defaults, even if nothing else has changed, but that's all. The bit about COM ports is a definite red herring. On my Falcon (but not my ST) I can't address the modem unless I have HSMODEM installed so that's worth a try. Modems can be set to be dumb and not to send any responses, something like ATX2 might make them show up again. Keith Jackson, CIX ataricomputing conference It's also worth trying to reset the modem to its factory defaults - try AT&F then AT&W0 to store these setting - check for AT commands in the manual if available, our usual disclaimer applies! Joe Connor I can confirm the USR 14.4 modem works fine with an Atari ST. Daniel Cohen --- ** Tip ** ** MUST GO IN AC12 ** Ghostscript fonts Ghostscript substitutes a default font if it encounters a font it cannot find in its fonts folder which isn't an ideal situation. However, assuming you have the required font available, you can enter its details to the FONTNAME file. The FONTNAME file does illustrate the required syntax but it isn't very clear. In this extract I've added a Schoolbook font (from CompoScript's font collection) as an example: ** NP ** /Century-Schoolbook-SWA(3031a___.pfb); /Century-Schoolbook-ItalicsSWA(3032a___.pfb); /Century-Schoolbook-BoldSWA(3033a___.pfb); /Century-Schoolbook-BoldItSWA(3034a___.pfb); %alias /NewCenturySchlbk-Roman/Century-Schoolbook-SWA; /NewCenturySchlbk-Italic/Century-Schoolbook-ItalicsSWA; /NewCenturySchlbk-Bold/Century-Schoolbook-BoldSWA; /NewCenturySchlbk-BoldItalic/Century-Schoolbook-BoldItSWA; ** /NP ** The filename which corresponds to each fontname has to be specified (the filenames are shown in brackets). After the %alias flag you can list any other fontnames the font may also be known as - or use this feature to substitute any desired font. For example, if a document requires a font called NewCenturySchlbk-Roman Ghostscript will notice this fontname is an alias for Century-Schoolbook-SWA and load the font file 3011a___.pfb from disk. To find out the fontname for a specific font file load the font into a file editor such as Egale or qed and all will be revealed. Derryck Croker --- ** Q ** I have a 520 ST upgraded to 4Mb and a 127Mb hard drive which I use for word processing, DTP and spreadsheets. I don't do any programming so my questions are about problems with the programs I use. ** UL ** ** 1 ** I use Protext for word processing and have recently upgraded from v4.3 to v6. Previously I used the CONFIG files to set the print layout, specifically to produce left and right hand pages for documents but it doesn't work with the new version, the Document Settings menu item seems to override the CONFIG settings. So what's the point of the CONFIG file now? ** 2 ** I use Timeworks Publisher 2 for DTP and I bought some additional GEM fonts from the FaST club. I have unpacked them, put them in the GEMSYS folder, added their names to my ASSIGN.SYS file, rebooted, re-run the font width program, but TW2 doesn't know they are there. I have tried changing the font file extenders from FNT to VGA and B30 for screen and printer fonts respectively (HP DJ520) and it made no difference. Help, please. ** 3 ** Finally, I recently bought a second-hand mouse which is rather better than my old Atari one. I use MACCEL3 as an accelerator, and with the new mouse the pointer occasionally and quite randomly goes drifting off all over the screen. Sometimes it refuses to go up and down but will go sideways, after a minute or two, or if I press [Esc], it's OK again! I much prefer the new mouse but I don't want to do without the accelerator. Any ideas? Bill Blairs ** A ** ** 3 ** There were some mice (optical probably) that were known to exhibit erratic mouse pointer behaviour - the mouse casings were not light proof and in direct sunlight they were prone to go walkabout! If your mouse behaves correctly in a darkened room it's a vampire not a mouse and you should get the wooden stake out :-) Barry via CIX ataricomputing conference and Joe Connor