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- RESERVOIR RIPPER
- ----------------
-
- CODED BY MR PINK
-
- (C) 1995 RESERVOIR GODS
-
- ** INTERNAL RELEASE - NO SPREADING **
-
- The "Reservoir Ripper" is designed for ripping graphics from Falcon
- games and demos for use as screenshots in Maggie.
-
- Its store pictures in a new GRIP (Gods RIPper) format with the
- extension .RIP - this contains all picture data, screen dimensions and
- all palette data.
-
- Unfortunately this format is not supported by any art package or
- viewer yet as I have just invented it. I am currently coding a viewer.
-
- There is now also the option to save in .GOD format. No matter what
- resolution you are running from it will convert the screen into a true
- colour picture.
-
- To access the ripper you will have to plug a jaguar joypad into Port
- A. Run the ripper, install your vectors, run your target program, get
- to the place you want and press option!
-
- LOADING
- =======
-
- The Reservoir Ripper can be loaded in one of two ways - either the
- conventional way by just double clicking on it, or you can drag your
- target program onto it. It fully supports the command line, so if you
- wish to rip a demo, drag it onto the ripper and this program will be
- executed when the vector menu is exited.
-
- On loading you will get some text in the normal TOS font, press any
- key to go onto the vector installation menu.
-
-
- VECTOR INSTALLATION MENU
- ========================
-
- This is the main control menu for the ripper.
-
- The ripper works by latching itself onto various vectors, and here you
- can choose which vectors to take over. The more vectors you use, the
- slower the system will be and the greater the likelyhood of a crash.
-
- I will give a quick over-view of the vectors and their functions:
-
- TIMER A
- -------
-
- Used for DMA-Sound, tracker players etc.
-
- TIMER B
- -------
-
- Used for palette switching, rasters.
-
- TIMER C
- -------
- Use by TOS to monitor keyboard input - keyclick, key repeat etc.
-
- TIMER D
- -------
- RS-232 baud rate generator - usually unused. This is a very fast
- interrupt (very frequently called) and will slow things down quite a
- bit.
-
- VBL
- ---
- Interrupt at the start of every frame.
-
- VBL QUEUE
- ---------
- When system VBL is installed, routines here are executed.
-
- TRAP #1
- -------
- File loading operations, screen printing, key inputs, super mode,
- executing files, memory allocation.
-
- TRAP #2
- -------
- For GEM only - AES/VDI calls.
-
- TRAP #13
- --------
- Key/printer i-o, exception setting, system timer info, drive bitmap,
- keyboard shift info, read/write disk sectors.
-
- TRAP #14
- --------
- Get/set screen, WAITING FOR VBL, random, dsp communication, DMA sound
- control, track read/write, exec in super mode, get/set time
-
- IKBD
- ----
- Keyboard Handler (+mouse & joystick)
- Occurs on keyboard/mouse/joystick event.
-
- BLITTER DONE
- ------------
- Blitter command complete (usually off)
-
- LINE A
- ------
- Non-fast graphics functions. Mouse sprite on/off.
-
- LINE F
- ------
- some crap routines that no-one ever uses.
-
- HBL
- ---
- Horizontal blank - at low IPL levels only!
-
- ERROR EXCEPTIONS
- ----------------
- Takes over all system crashes - instead of bombing out the ripper will
- be called. Bus error, address error, illegal instruction etc.
-
- RS-232 INTERRUPTS
- -----------------
- All rs-232 exceptions goto the ripper. You can trigger events by
- configuring the rs-232 port.
-
- MONO MONITOR
- ------------
- Plug in a mono monitor to trigger this interrupt.
-
- MMU VECTORS
- -----------
- Memory configuration/addressing errors will trigger this interrupt.
- NB - GEMDOS usually restores all these vectors.
-
- TRACE EXCEPTION
- ---------------
- Was going to be the centrepiece of stunning new ripping technique
- which dismally failed.
-
- ALT-HELP
- --------
- Screen dump vector. Press ALTernate + HELP & OPTION.
- Only valid if system IKBD handler is active.
-
- FLOPPY/HD INTERRUPT
- -------------------
- IT IS NOT RECCOMMENDED THAT YOU USE THIS INTERRUPT!!!!
- IT COULD LEAD TO DATA LOSS!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
- If all else fails, not many games/demos take over this!
-
- RESET
- -----
- Press reset. This is not for ripping purposes, but for diagnostic
- purposes. On pressing reset it will jump to the vector installation
- screen and the currently installed vectors will be asterisked.
-
- RE-INSTALL
- ==========
-
- If a vector is on re-install mode, it means that if a game/demo
- disables it, it will be re-installed. It will intelligently jump
- through the new vector so the program will still run properly.
-
- The best things to put on re-install are the TIMERS, VBL, IKBD and
- other MFP interrupts. It is pointless putting such things as TRAPS and
- LINE A/LINE F on reinstall as most programs don't take these over.
-
- RESTORE
- =======
-
- A vector which is on RESTORE mode does all the housekeeping. That is,
- it make sure the program isn't being nasty and de-installing other
- vectors.
-
- Vectors on RESTORE mode check all vectors on RE-INSTALL mode and will
- RE-INSTALL any vectors that have been changed.
-
- This is an intelligent re-installation that checks for zero, negative
- and odd addresses, also check the relevant bits in MFP interrupt masks
- to determine whether to reinstall vectors. Because of this
- intelligence the routine can be quite time consuming, so don't put too
- many vectors on RESTORE mode or the system will grind to a halt.
-
- SAVING FILES
- ============
-
- You can save files in RIP or GOD (true colour) format.
-
- Non true colour picture saved as GOD files will be converted to true
- colour mode. The current screen is used as a buffer for conversion so
- ignore any mess in the top lines! (Just pretend it is the pompey
- packer or something!)
-
-
- Converting and Saving GOD files to FLOPPY will take AGES! You have
- been warned! (save to Hard Drive or be prepared for a LONG wait!)
-
- RIPPER MENU
- ===========
-
- On pressing 'OPTION' on your powerpad, the "Reservoir Ripper" will
- appear on your screen.
-
- It changes resolution into 640 x 200 2 colour mode. This only takes
- 16k of memory and this screen memory is part of the ripper so it
- doesn't interfere with the game/demo you are ripping.
-
- Screen setting is not via XBIOS, but pokes VIDEL directly.
-
-
- The main ripper screen gives information about the current resolution
- and colour mode the falcon is in. The x and y dimensions of the screen
- are displayed, along with the colour mode. All the important VIDEL
- registers are displayed including all the horizontal registers,
- vertical registers, video clock, video control, sync, line width and
- horizontal scroll.
-
- [F1] VIEW SCREEN
-
- Pressing F1 will revert the screen back to its old mode, dimensions,
- colour and address allowing you to preview the screen you are about to
- save. Pressing F1 again takes you back to the main menu.
-
- ** NOTE **
- DON'T TRY THIS FUNCTION ON RGB MONITORS IF THE SCREEN IS IN INTERLACE
- MODE!
-
- [F2] VECTOR MENU
-
- Allows you to reconfigure the vectors that are set up and examine
- which vectors have been taken over by the current game/demo.
-
- When the ripper is called, it checks which of its vectors are still
- active. This are displayed as asterisks in the install line of this
- menu. You can re-install any vectors you want, and change the re-
- install and restore modes of vectors from here.
-
- [F3] SAVE FILE (GOD)
-
- Save screen in GOD file format.
-
- If the screen mode is true colour, saving will be a quick process.
-
- If non true colour, the picture is converted to true colour, which may
- take some time, especially if saving to floppy.
-
- [F4] SAVE SCREEN (RIP)
-
- This saves all the picture and palette information from the current
- screen resolution.
-
-
- TRICKS & TIPS
- =============
-
- The best vectors to use are the TIMERS. Timer C and D are rarely
- changed by programs. The TRAPs are never usually changed, but are not
- accessed every VBL, although some demos/games will use trap #14 to
- wait for the vertical blank (e.g. Papa was a bladerunner by EKO).
-
- The IKBD is another good thing to take over, although you will have to
- move the mouse/touch the keyboard AND press option to trigger the
- ripper.
-
- A useful default configuration would be:
-
- INSTALL REINSTALL RESTORE
- TIMER A * *
- TIMER B * *
- TIMER C * * *
- TIMER D * *
- VBL * *
- VBL QUEUE *
- TRAP #1 * *
- TRAP #2 * *
- TRAP #13 * *
- TRAP #14 * *
- IKBD * * *
-
-
-
- That is having all TIMERS, TRAPS, VBL, VBL QUEUE & IKBD installed.
- TIMERS, VBL and IKBD will be re-installed if disabled.
- The traps, ikbd and timer d handle the RE-INSTALLING.
-
- BUGS
- ====
-
- Loads!
-
- The main problem is with TIMER D.
- DO NOT put TIMER D on RESTORE mode if lots of vectors are on RESTORE
- and REINSTALL mode! It will crash!
-
- You can put every single vector on INSTALL, everything on RE-INSTALL
- and all on RESTORE except TIMER D.
-
- You can put timer d on restore mode if not many other vectors are on
- restore/re-install mode.
-
-
- Keyboard hanler is shagged after reset.
-
- ***BIG BUG****
-
- SCREEN VIEWING DOES NOT WORK IN INTERLACE MODE!!!!
- If you are hacking a game/demo in interlace mode, do not try the view
- screen option or the monitor will go haywire. Quitting the ripper will
- cause the same problem. You can still save the current screen for
- later viewing.
-
- SCARY WARNING
- =============
-
- This program is not for spreading. If demo coders see which vectors I
- am taking over they may trash them to prevent picture ripping.
-
- [ MR PINK : after the storm ]
-