Otherware/Otherware_1_SB_Development.iso/amiga/misc/amigalib.lha/edplayer.lha/edplayer/EdPlayer.DOCs/EdP.history.README

Text File | 1992-07-18 | 12KB | 218 lines

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A History of changes to EdPlayer.  All previous users, PLEASE read this
file to see what's new!!
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EdPlayer v2.0:  7/17/92

    Hmm, I considered calling this EdPlayer 1.2, but then I decided to
call it v2.0.  Why?  Well here's a few reasons:

* 100% new music-playing code.  NoiseTracker 1.0 Replay was replaced by
  Protracker 1.1b Replay.  MED 3.10 Replay was replaced by MED 3.21
  Replay.  (ProTracker hacked a bit to support some NT commands, notably
  effect F00 for which EdP does a pattern-break, not a STOP).
* Now compatible with ALL Amigas!  (I hope!)  ProTracker Replay borrows
  a non-cpu specific timer from MED Replay, so it should not skip notes
  on any speed machine.
* Tested on an A3000, A2000, and A500, under both OS1.3 and OS2.0!
* 34 new ARexx commands added since 1.1a!  20 of those are ARexx queries,
  where the ARexx script can ask EdPlayer almost anything about its
  current status and settings.
* New version of kd_freq.library supported.  WATCH OUT!!  This new
  version requires pressing the "select" gadget in the upper-right
  when multi-selecting files.  I don't like this much, but it's
  beyond my control.
* Select favorite file requester (not stuck with default) (see FREQ).
* PLAY command will now pull names from the program if needed.
* Filter Override added, ARexx control of filter added (see FILT).
* FastForward and Rewind buttons added to panel
* Random programs added -- EdPlayer plays songs in an arbitrary order.
* Save programs!  Save in ARexx or CLI form.  (see SAVA or SAVC).
* Documentation split into several files for easier access to needed parts.
* Fade rate control slider added to panel.
* New VU-meters and a Spectrum Analyzer added to panel.
* ARexx STARTUP SCRIPT "rexx:Startup.EdP" added.
* ProgramJump added: jump to specific song # in program (see PJUM).
* SuperJump added: jump INSTANTLY to a position in song (see SJUM, JUMP).
* Most ARexx commands can optionally be longer than 4 letters.
  Ex:  You can say 'pause 5' instead of 'PAUS 5', etc.
* My email address changed to [e-mail].  Oops, that's not a feature.
* ARexx control of LED display mode added (see DISP).
* Extract RGB colors from MED mods and use for panel (see MCOL).
* Programs Telled and Cteled were improved, see their commented sourcecodes.
* NT/PT Mod init routine now has range checking, should now warn users
  when trying to load defective NT/PT mods.
* ARexx can display arbitrary messages in panel scroll bar (see MESG).
* Optional low-priority background loading/decrunching (see LPRI).
* New commands (SWAI, PWAI) that suspend a script until a song or program
  is finished or reach a certain point.
* Text in panel scroll bar not so quick to disappear (used to disappear
  after any gadget or mouse click).
* New display mode, named "EdSynth" by my brother who thinks everything
  I write should have my name on it.  EdSynth displays a piano keyboard
  on the screen and colors notes as they are played.  Fun to watch!

Well, what do you think?  Was it worth the number 2.0?
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EdPlayer v1.1a: 11/03/91
    Oops!!  Version 1.1 broke EdPlayer's compatability with people using
OS 1.3 with an overscanned screen.  This version fixes that bug.  Also
this version allows the iconified window, which stretches to the left when
printing long filenames in large fonts, to also stretch to the right if
it can't go any further left.
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EdPlayer v1.1:  10/25/91
    This is just a minor update to 1.0.  I kinda rushed it out, because
some bugs needed fixing right away.  Also some useful stuff added.
* req.library added.  If EdPlayer can't open kd_freq.library, it will
  look for req.library.  I'm also thinking about the posibility of asl...
* powerpacker.library added.  If you were using PowerPatch for EdPlayer
  alone, you can remove it from your startup-sequence, as I suspect
  EdP will be much more effecient WITHOUT it.  Also you can see neat
  messages like ...LOADING CRUNCHED... and ...DECRUNCHING... if you're
  NOT using the patch.  A new AREXX command, "DCOL", allows setting of
  the decrunch effect.
* New AREXX command "ERAS" allows erasing the program.
* ARexx commands are no longer case-sensitive.  I guess this is kind of
  a frill, but I like it better this way.  NOTE: the "MIDL" command
  still NEEDS a case-sensitive parameter for midi_dest.
* Can load PP encrypted (password protected) modules.  Will bring up a
  password requester when needed.  Also passwords can be entered via
  ARexx, see LOAD and JUKE in the DOCs for an explanation...
* Iconified window now supports bigger fonts
* Iconified window now has NAME of current song!  Also scrollbar has a
  new trick that puts the song name there after a scroll.
* PAL/Overscanned WB screens supported better.  EdPlayer 1.0 used to open
  in the NTSC, no overscan position all the time.  EdP 1.1 tries to
  center itself, and appear flush with the bottom.
* FADE bug fixed.... NOT!!!!  This is NOT a BUG!  PLEASE read the DOCs
  in the BUTTONS section under FADE for a NEW & IMPROVED description
  of why EdPlayer fades the way it does!!  The FADE code didn't change.
* Slight bug in program mode made it impossible to enter songs with
  European characters in the names (like ⁿ, Σ, etc.).  This is now
  fixed.  Never do signed arithmetic on ASCII bytes...  >127 looks neg :-)
Hmm, now that I look at it, it doesn't seem like such a "minor" update
after all...  oh well...
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WISH LIST:
     Before reporting a suggestion, please make sure it's not in the wish
list.  If it's not, then report it!
The following is a wish list of features that might or might not appear in
a future version of EdPlayer:

* I wish EdP supported asl.library
* I wish EdP could support MED song+samples format $*#&^*!!!

My, that list got a lot smaller this time!!
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EdPlayer 1.0: Sometime in July 1991, I think.
   New features in EdPlayer 1.0:

* All of them.

Well what did you EXPECT???  duh!
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Well that ends the useful part of this file.  Only read on if you want
to hear about...

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                    THE CASE OF THE BACKWARDS AUDIO

============================================================================

It is a wonderful feeling, to open the box of a brand new A3000.
Apparently, my MegaBall fans got really addicted.  I'd like to thank them.
Of course, now I have the chance; I can make MegaBall more compatible
with the 3000.  Umm, soon.  Ahem *cough* *hack*  Anyway, when running
some final tests on EdPlayer 2.0 on my new A3000, I ran into one
very mysterious problem.

The new display mode, that is supposed to separate the VU-meters into
left and right meters, was separating them into right and left meters.
This was rather annoying, to see a drum channel beating on the left
while listening to it on the right.  I had previously tested EdPlayer
on three A2000s and an A500, and the left/right channel separation worked
just fine on all those machines.

Silly me, I thought, I must have wired the plugs backwards when connecting
my stereo to the 3000.  I peeked around back and looked at the wiring;
it looked OK.  I pulled out the left plug and tapped on it.  I could hear
clicks on the left speaker.  I tried the same with the right plug and
heard clicks on the right speaker.  So, there was nothing wrong with my
wiring.  I could only assume that some quirk in the 3000's motherboard
was sending the left audio to the plug marked "right," and vice versa.

This drove me nuts, because I didn't want to assume there was anything
wrong with my new computer (other than some initial HD troubles which
Briwall promptly fixed for me :-).  After a few days of watching EdPlayer
get it backwards on the 3000, get it right on the 2000 and 500, and
re-checking the wiring on all the machines, I finally gave up and
actually looked at the "Quick Connect" installation guide.  I know
it seems very odd that an experienced Amiga person like myself would
go looking at the "how to hook up your computer even if you have
peanuts for brains" wiring diagrams, but I thought it was needed in
this case.

What I found was not much use.  First, I discovered that Commodore had done
a MUCH better job with the 3000's install guide than they did with the
old 2000's.  This was just peachy, but it didn't help me.  Second, I
found that the install guide showed the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" labels in
the same place as on my 3000 (I was secretly hoping they would be
reversed).  And lastly, I found that the guide showed the LEFT plug
colored red, and the RIGHT plug colored white, when on my A3000,
the LEFT was white and the RIGHT was red (a much nicer configuration).

This just confirmed my fears that someone had done some weird switching
around of the audio hardware that was probably responsible for
EdPlayer's mixup of the left/right VU-meter display.  But the biggest
suprise was yet to come.

A few days ago I got my hands on the new RKMs (programmer's manuals for
Workbench 2.0).  I was looking through them and I happened to see the
entry for the audio.device.  Its "Possible Channel Combinations" chart
(DEVICES, page 23) agreed with my wacky A3000 and disagreed with
both EdPlayer and all the A2000s and A500s I could find.  I quickly
looked up the same chart in the old Workbench 1.3 manuals
(LIBRARIES & DEVICES, page 615) and this is what I found:

Workbench 1.3 RKM's:
     Channel 3     Channel 2     Channel 1     Channel 0
       left          right         right         left

Workbench 2.0 RKM's:
     Channel 3     Channel 2     Channel 1     Channel 0
       right         left          left          right

So there it is, in back and white in the two books, staring me in the face.
This is no mistake in my wiring, or in my new A3000's motherboard.
This is a deliberate and malicious switcharoo on the part of Commodore,
probably perpetrated by the same C= employee who decided it was a good
idea to hook the audio filter to the Amiga's power LED.

This has implications farther reaching than minor EdPlayer viewing
annoyances.  Let's suppose you're playing Dungeon Master on your
new A3000 and you hear monster footsteps on the right speaker...
You quickly turn to the right... and no one is there!  Suddenly,
you are attacked from behind!  Now you're dead!!  Hahahaha.
All because some engineer decided to switch around the audio outputs.

So, here is my recommendation to ALL Amiga 3000 owners and developers:
                 **** SWITCH YOUR AUDIO PLUGS. ****

Plug your A3000's LEFT output into your stereo's RIGHT input, and the
A3000's RIGHT output into the stereo's LEFT input.

Maintain compatability!!

All programs developed for use under 1.3 will then work properly, and all
programs developed for use under 2.0 should follow the old 1.3 style,
because switching it around improves nothing!  There is really no
excuse for the two operating systems to be incompatible in this area.

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Well, I hope you enjoyed EdPlayer's story this version.  See ya in
EdPlayer 2.1....
                                           --Ed.