Virtual Reality Madness/VRMAD96_ONE.ISO/vistapro/manual/ch3.txt

Text File | 1993-08-02 | 20KB | 465 lines

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Chapter 3
Vistapro User Manual
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VISTAPRO MENUS


Vistapro's menus are accessed via the buttons at the top left
of the main screen. To see the menus, place the mouse cursor
over one of the buttons and press the left mouse button. A menu
with several selections appears immediately below the button.
This menu will remain on the screen as long as the left mouse
button is held down. To select a menu item, move the mouse
pointer down over the menu and release it when the cursor is
over the desired item. For more general information on using
the menus see the Graphical User Interface section located in
Chapter 2 of the manual.

There are five menus in Vistapro:

* The Project Menu allows access to DOS, information about
  Vistapro, information about the currently loaded landscape, and
  the quit Vistapro function.

* The Load Menu allows loading of landscapes, colormaps and pictures.

* The Save Menu saves landscapes, colormaps and pictures.

* The GrMode Menu is used for selecting graphics and animation modes.

* The Script Menu is for creating and executing Scripts.

Many of the Menu items involve the use of Vistapro's File
Requestor. The File Requestor indicates file names for those
functions which require file names - loading and saving files
for example. The File Requestor allows easy navigation through
drives and directories to find files. See the section titled
Vistapro File Requestor for more details on how to use the File
Requestor.

Project       Load       Save       GrMode         Script
-------       ----       ----       ------         ------
Spawn DOS     Load DEM   Save DEM   VGA 320x200    Generate

About Vista   Load CMAP  Save CMAP  VANIM 320X200  Create

About DEM     Load PCX   Save PCX   VESA 640x400   Open

Quit                                VESA 640X480   Add

                                    VESA 800X600   Preview

                                    VESA 1024x768  Execute

PROJECT MENU
------------
The Project Menu allows temporary transfer to DOS, retrieves
the information about the current landscape, and allows you to
quit Vistapro.

Spawn DOS
---------
Spawn DOS temporarily transfers you to the DOS command line.
Spawn DOS is useful to format a diskette, delete files, view an
animation, or perform other DOS tasks. When Spawn DOS is
requested, Vistapro returns the screen to the starting mode. It
frees about 256K of memory and then attempts to run
COMMAND.COM. If an attempt is made to run a program that
requires more than 256K of memory, it may not succeed. After
the DOS excursion is completed, type EXIT to exit DOS and
return to Vistapro. Vistapro returns to the state that it was
in when the DOS excursion was initiated.

About Vista
-----------
About Vista opens a window with information about Vistapro, its
authors, and its publisher. While this window is visible, none
of the other Vistapro menus and buttons will be active even
though they are still visible. To shut this window click the
button labeled OK at the top left corner of the window.

About Landscape
---------------
About Landscape opens a window with information about the
current landscape. The file name of the landscape and other
information from the landscape header file will appear. While
this window is visible, none of the other Vistapro menus and
buttons are active even though they are still visible. To shut
this window click the button labeled OK at the top left corner
of the window.

Quit
----
Quit causes Vistapro to clean up after itself and return to DOS
or the program from which you started Vistapro. Vistapro will
delete all its temporary files, restore the screen to the mode
that it was in when Vistapro was started, and free the memory
it was using.

LOAD MENU
---------
Load Menu loads landscapes, colormaps, and picture (PCX format)
files into Vistapro. The File Requestor is used for all these
functions. See the File Requestor section for details on its
use.

Load DEM
--------
DEM is an acronym for Digital Elevation Model - a format used
to represent landscape data. Load DEM loads a landscape into
Vista. Each Vistapro landscape has elevation data, color data,
and usually, some textual information (which can be read via
the About Landscape Menu item). All of this information is
loaded by Load DEM. Many of the internal settings of Vistapro
will be reset to some default values when a landscape is loaded
- for instance, the camera is placed at the top center of the
contour map and the target is placed at the bottom center.
Vistapro recalculates all of its coloring and shading
information when rendering starts.

When installing Vistapro, all landscapes are placed in the DEM
subdirectory in the Vistapro directory. For example, if
Vistapro was installed in C:\VISTAPRO then all its landscapes
will be found in C:\VISTAPRO\DEM.


Load CMAP
---------
The CMAP, or colormap, is the group of colors, contrast
setting, and exposure setting used to color the landscape and
render the picture. (You can see and alter these colors and
settings by using the Color Control Panel.) After loading a new
CMAP, Vistapro will need to recalculate the color palette used
for drawing pictures, and the shading information. By default,
when you install Vistapro, the CMAP files will be in a
subdirectory called CMA located in your Vistapro directory.

If Vistapro was installed in C:\VISTAPRO then all your CMAP
files will be found in C:\VISTAPRO\CMA\. Colormap files are
actually DEM files with elevation data for a flat landscape
(flat landscapes compress very well and only require about 4K
of disk space). Since each DEM file also has a colormap, you
can load colormaps from other landscapes. To do this, simply
look in the DEM directory instead of the CMA directory and
select the DEM file. Only the colormap portion of the DEM file
will be loaded.

Load PCX
--------
Vistapro can load and save pictures in PCX format. Use this
menu item to view previously saved pictures. Use the File
Requestor to select the desired PCX file. If the PCX image is a
different size than the current GrMode, Vistapro gives you the
option of changing the GrMode for displaying the image. If you
don't change the GrMode and the picture is larger than the
current GrMode setting loaded, you will see only the top left
corner of the picture.

If the picture is smaller than the current GrMode, the picture
will be at the top left corner of the screen. Vistapro pictures
are saved in the PCX subdirectory, in the Vistapro directory.
This is C:\VISTAPRO\PCX. Vistapro only supports the 256 color
PCX format. Pictures created by other programs in the 16 color
PCX format (usually EGA programs) cannot be loaded. Vistapro
continues to display a loaded PCX file until either mouse
button is clicked or the ESCAPE key is pressed.

SAVE MENU
---------
Save Menu items are the opposite of the Load Menu items. They
allow saving landscapes, colormaps, and pictures (PCX format)
files from Vistapro. The File Requestor is used for all these
functions. See the File Requestor section for details on its
use.

Save DEM
--------
If a landscape has been modified, or a new fractal landscape
created, it can be saved as a landscape file. The elevation
data, textual information, and colormap (CMAP) are saved to the
file. The color of each polygon is not saved - this means that
rivers, lakes and seas will be lost. The DEM subdirectory is
recommended for saving landscapes. Subdirectories should be
made if a large number of landscapes are planned.

Save CMAP
---------
If you have modified a colormap and wish to save it for quick
access later on (you may want to use the same colormap for
another landscape) you should use this function. Each CMAP is
about 5,000 bytes. You could also save the entire landscape and
later load the CMAP from the landscape file, but this would
create much larger files (usually about 60,000 bytes). We
recommend that you save your CMAP files in the CMA
subdirectory, especially since they have the same default
filename extension as DEM files.

Save PCX
--------
Vistapro pictures may be saved with Save PCX. (Many other
programs also use pictures in this format.) They may be viewed
again using the Load PCX function of Vistapro.

The picture is displayed on the screen as it is being saved.
After the picture is saved the screen returns to the main
control panel. The PCX subdirectory is recommended for saving
picture files. Created when Vistapro was installed, the
directory will usually be C:\VISTAPRO\PCX.. PCX files range in
size from a few thousand to about 700,000 bytes depending on
the amount of detail and the GrMode in which the picture was
rendered.

GRMODE MENU
-----------
GrMode Menu selects the graphics mode for rendering pictures or
viewing PCX files. Only one of the modes can be selected at a
time and its selection is indicated by the "*" next to the menu
item. Nothing is seen when one of these items is selected, but
subsequent images are rendered in the selected GrMode.

For VESA modes, a VESA driver must be installed before running
Vistapro. Some Extended VGA (EVGA) or Super VGA (SVGA) cards
have the VESA modes implemented in ROM. A VESA driver may have
come with your VGA card.

Note: You'll find VESA drivers for many common video cards in the
      \VISTAPRO\VESA directory. There is a text file that accompanies
      each of the drivers, explaining how to install the driver. Look
      in the directory that describes your graphics adapter. For
      example, if you have an ATI brand card, look in the
      VISTAPRO\VESA\ATI directory. For the most up-to-date drivers,
      contact the manufacturer of your card. Many on-line services
      (like CompuServe) have updated drivers available for downloading.

Not all VESA drivers implement all the VESA modes. In
particular, the drivers cannot produce modes which require more
memory than is installed on the VGA card. Most 256K VGA cards
can display up to 640x400 pixels in 256 colors; 512K cards can
usually display up to 800x600 pixels, and 1024K (1M) cards can
usually display 1024x768 pixels. Some drivers do not support
certain modes even though there is sufficient memory.

Finally, some drivers report to Vistapro that modes are
supported even though the driver does not generate them
properly. In this case a black or gray screen with vertical
lines will appear when a picture is rendered or displayed. If
this happens, select another mode.

Not all VGA monitors can display all the VESA modes. If the
picture appears to roll, try adjusting the vertical hold on
your monitor. If the screen will not sync, the monitor probably
can't support the high refresh and scan rates needed for those
VESA modes. Vertical and horizontal size and position settings
may require adjustment on older multi-sync monitors.

IF A MONITOR DOES NOT SUPPORT THE HIGHER RESOLUTION MODES ,
DON'T USE THEM. DOING SO CAN DAMAGE THE MONITOR.

Vistapro only renders images in the 256 color modes available
on VGA and SVGA cards.

VGA 320x200
-----------
VGA 320x200 is the 256 color mode available on all VGA
adaptors. If a VGA card is present, this mode should work. If a
Script is executed while in this mode, Vistapro will save a
sequence of PCX files in 320x200 mode.

VANIM 320x200
-------------
This is actually the same graphics mode as VGA 320x200 but is
used to create animations in Vistapro's VANIM format. If a
Script is executed while in this mode, Vistapro will save the
animation in VANIM format (one large file). All VGA cards
should be able to display this format.

VESA 640x400
------------
This is the 640x400 256 color VESA format available on many VGA
and SVGA cards. This mode requires 256K of video memory to be
installed on the VGA card. Some VESA drivers do not support
this mode even though the VGA card has enough memory.

VESA 640x480
------------
VESA 640x480 allows use of the 640x480 256 color VESA format
available on many VGA and SVGA cards. This mode requires 256K
of video memory to be installed on your SVGA card. Most VESA
drivers for SVGA cards with more than 512K or more of memory
support this mode.

VESA 800x600
------------
This is the 800x600 256 color VESA format available on many VGA
and SVGA cards. It requires 512K of video memory to be
installed on the SVGA card. Most VESA drivers for SVGA cards
with 512K or more of memory support this mode. The monitor must
also be able to support VESA 800x600 mode. Some standard VGA
monitors will not be able to sync to this mode. Try adjusting
the vertical hold, vertical size, and horizontal size settings
of your monitor if the screen appears to roll or if it isn't
centered. Most Multi-sync or Multi-scan monitors support this
resolution.

VESA 1024x768
-------------
This is the 1024x768 256 color VESA format available on many
VGA and SVGA cards with 1024K (1M) of video memory. Most VESA
drivers for SVGA cards with 1024K (1M) of memory support this
mode. A monitor capable of handling this mode is required.
Standard VGA monitors do not support this mode. Many Multi-sync
or Multi-scan monitors do not support this mode.

SCRIPT MENU
-----------
The Scripting functions allow generation of a series of images
without having to attend to the computer for each image. There
are two uses for Scripts. One generates a sequence of images
unattended. The second generates animations. Actually both uses
are the same except that the succession of camera positions is
more ordered for animations.

Vistapro Scripts can only control the camera location and
direction. Lighting, or any of the other settings of Vistapro,
can't be controlled from script functions.

Vistapro Script files are plain ASCII text files. You can use
any text editor that saves files in ASCII to change them. It is
important the first line of the Script file be: Vista Script
File. The text must appear exactly as depicted here with no
leading or trailing spaces. The second line may have any text
or may be left blank - when Vistapro creates a Script file the
second line is just a reminder of the order of the data on each
line of the Script CamX, CamY, CamZ, Bank, Hdng, Ptch,.

The subsequent lines are a sequence of Camera X, Y, and Z
coordinates and Banks, Headings, and Pitches. There is one line
for each frame of the animation. The first value on the line is
the Camera X position. The second value is the Camera Y
position, and the third value is the Camera Z position. The
following values are the Camera, Bank, Heading, and Pitch
settings. These values are similar to the corresponding values
that appear in Vistapro's Control Panel. Leading or trailing
spaces are allowed on these lines. Each value must be separated
by a comma. Text may be included after the six required values.
The values may be either in integer or floating point format.
For example, the following constitutes a valid Script file:

Vista Script File
CamX, CamY, CamZ, Bank, Hdng, Ptch,
0, 0, 1234, -20, +30, 17,
    1000, 1000, 2000, 0, 0, 0
1234.56, -2345.67, .34, 0.27, -.123, 3, "Comment"

Note that leading spaces are valid.

The simplest way to start a new Vistapro Script file is to use
Vistapro's Create Script function. This will create a Script
file with the first two lines filled out. Append each of the
camera positions to the file.

Generate
--------
This option creates a quick linear path from the current camera
position to the current target position. Generate is most
useful for generating simple straight-line paths for
animations. When this option is selected, Vistapro asks for the
name of the Script file to generate. Then it asks for the
number of frames. If the camera is 1000 meters from the target
and 100 frames are selected, the camera will be 10 meters
closer to the target in each subsequent frame. The Bank,
Heading, and Pitch will remain constant (the camera will
continue to point at the target).

If the name of an existing file is selected, Vistapro will ask
you if you want to delete the file or abort the operation.
Putting Script files in the SCRIPT subdirectory, usually
C:\VISTAPRO\SCRIPT, is recommended.

Create
------
Create is used to create a new Script file. The new file will
have the appropriate first line to identify it as a valid
Vistapro Script file. The second line shows the order of the
arguments for the subsequent lines. If you select a file name
that already exists, Vistapro will ask if you want to delete it
or abort the operation. Putting Script files in the SCRIPT
subdirectory, usually C:\VISTAPRO\SCRIPT, is recommended.

Open
----
Open simply selects a file name for use with the Add function
described below. Open a file when you want to append camera
positions to an old Script file. If the name of a file that
doesn't exist is selected, Vistapro will complain and then do
nothing. Script files default to the C:\VISTAPRO\SCRIPT
subdirectory.

Add
---
This function adds the current camera position, Bank, Heading,
and Pitch to the current Script file. You must first select the
script file with either the Generate, Create, or Open Script
functions.

Preview
-------
Preview depicts the path specified by a Script file. It appears
as a series of black dots on the contour map. Each dot
represents one Camera position.

Execute
-------
This function executes a script. Vistapro asks for the name of
the script to execute and the name of the image or animation
file(s) to output. Vistapro has two Execute modes that are set
by the GrMode (Graphics Mode) Menu items.

If the graphics mode is VANIM 320x200 Vistapro will produce a
VANIM animation file which can be viewed with the Viewer
utility. In any other graphics mode Vistapro will produce a
sequence of PCX files. The PCX files are named: ABCxxxxx.PCX
where ABC is the filename that you supplied via the File
Requestor, xxxxx is a five digit number indicating the frame
number, and .PCX is the standard extension. For example, if you
picked PIC as the filename the output files will be:

PIC00000.PCX
PIC00001.PCX
PIC00002.PCX
etc....

If you picked a filename longer than three characters only the
first three characters will be used; if you selected
PICTURE.XYZ the same sequence of picture names are generated as
with PIC.If you select a name shorter than three characters
Vistapro will just append the five digit value to the name you
selected. A filename of P will generate the following output
files:

P00000.PCX
P00001.PCX
P00002.PCX
etc....

If you are generating an animation in VANIM mode the output
file name is exactly the name you specified with the exception
that if you didn't supply an extension Vistapro will
automatically append .VAN to the file name:

PIC -> PIC.VAN    ;  no extension specified

PIC. -> PIC.    ;  a blank extension specified

PIC.VNM -> PIC.VNM    ;  a different extension specified

We recommend that all your VANIM animations use the .VAN
extension.


*** End of Chapter Three ***