Utilities Professional 1-1500/Utilities Professional 1-1500 (1994)(WPD)[!].iso/10011250/var1232.dms/var1232.adf/OctaMED.guide(sample)/OctaMED.guide(sample)

Text File | 1992-09-02 | 37KB | 1,188 lines

____________________________________________________________________________

  The hundreds of help features are not available on this non-save Demo.
  Besides having many NEW windows etc,there are dozens of new features
  within each section that you asked for,so get your full save copy now!

  The full uncut version of this Help file utilises the amigaguide® and
  allows you to negotiate this new version without the help of a manual!
  In it's edited version below,(using pmore and not,of course,the Amigaguide®)
  it will not make to much sense,however we have left the main headers etc.,
  in here to give you a small idea as to the contents of the complete
  full save versions directly accessable on line assistance.

 ( To those of you with a V4 please use the "goto n%",below and select 65% )


AMIGAGUIDE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE;
NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE.  ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.  NO LIABILITY
OR RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED.

Amigaguide is Copyright 1992 Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduced and distributed by RBF Software under license from Commodore.

____________________________________________________________________________

@DATABASE OctaMED Help

@REMARK Written by Ed Wiles, with some minor changes by T.K...& RBF
@REMARK Partially based on earlier documentation.

@NODE Main "Help Contents"
Welcome to the OctaMED help system. The following topics are available:

      @{"           Menus            " LINK Menus }
      @{"          Windows           " LINK Windows }
      @{"        Main screen         " LINK MainScreen }
      @{"      Player commands       " LINK PlrCommands }
      @{"     Keyboard shortcuts     " LINK KeybShorts }

      @{"        Introduction        " LINK Introduction} <-- Read first if you are new to OctaMED
      @{" Those upgrading from V4... " LINK V4_Upgrade}   <-- Upgraders from OctaMED V4 read first
      @{"     The user interface     " LINK UserInterface}

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         MENU NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE Menus "OctaMED Menus"
The OctaMED menu bar contains the following menus:

        @{"  Project " LINK menu_project }
        @{"  Display " LINK menu_display }
        @{"   Song   " LINK menu_song }
        @{"   Block  " LINK menu_block }
        @{"   Track  " LINK menu_track }
        @{"   Instr  " LINK menu_instr }
        @{"   Edit   " LINK menu_edit }
        @{"   MIDI   " LINK menu_midi }
        @{" Settings " LINK menu_settings }
@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_project "The Project Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_display "The Display Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_song "The Song Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_block "The Block Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_track "The Track Menu"

@ENDNODE


@NODE menu_instr "The Instr Menu"

@ENDNODE


@NODE menu_edit "The Edit Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_midi "The MIDI Menu"

@ENDNODE



@NODE menu_settings "The Settings Menu"

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         WINDOW NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE Windows "OctaMED Windows"
These are the windows included in OctaMED.

        @{" Synthetic Sound Editor " LINK win_synthed} :

                @{" Synthetic Sound Volume  " LINK win_synvol}
                @{" Synthetic Sound Stretch " LINK win_synstretch}

        @{" Sample Editor " LINK win_smped} :

                @{" Change Volume  " LINK win_chgvol}
                @{"  Change Pitch  " LINK win_chgpitch}
                @{"      Mix       " LINK win_mix}
                @{"  Filter/Boost  " LINK win_filtboost}
                @{"      Echo      " LINK win_echo}
                @{"     Noise      " LINK win_noise}
         *NEW*  @{" Chord Creation " LINK win_chdcreat}
         *NEW*  @{" Pixel Density  " LINK win_pixdensity}

        @{" Input Map Editor " LINK win_maped} :

                @{" Functions " LINK win_funcs}

        Project menu:

                @{"  New Project  " LINK win_new}
                @{" Save Options  " LINK win_saveopts}
         *NEW*  @{"  Save Timer   " LINK win_savetimer}
                @{" Print Options " LINK win_printopts}

        Display menu:

                @{" Sample List Editor  " LINK win_slist}
                @{" MIDI Message Editor " LINK win_msged}
                @{"  Notation Control   " LINK main_notation}

        Song menu:

         *NEW*  @{"  Song Selector   " LINK win_sngsel}
                @{" Playing Sequence " LINK win_playseq}
                @{"   Song Options   " LINK win_songopts}
                @{"  Track Volumes   " LINK win_trackvols}

        Block menu:

                @{"  Block Properties  " LINK win_blkprop}
         *NEW*  @{"     Block List     " LINK win_blklist}
                @{"   Expand/Shrink    " LINK win_expshrk}
                @{" Highlight Options  " LINK win_highopts}

        Instr menu:

                @{" Instrument Parameters " LINK win_instr}

        Edit menu:

                @{"  Transpose   " LINK win_trans}
                @{" Spread Notes " LINK win_spread}
                @{"  Note Echo   " LINK win_noteecho}

        MIDI menu:

                @{" Input Channel " LINK win_inpchan}

        Settings menu:

         *NEW*  @{"   Mouse Options   " LINK win_mouseopts}
                @{" Keyboard Options  " LINK win_keybopts}
                @{" Programmable Keys " LINK win_progkeys}
                @{"      Palette      " LINK win_palette}

        Main screen:

         *NEW*  @{" Instrument Load " LINK win_instload}
                @{" Instrument Type " LINK win_type}
         *NEW*  @{"  Section List   " LINK win_seclist}
@ENDNODE



@NODE win_new "The New Project Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-N ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_saveopts "The Save Options Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-S ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_savetimer "The Save Timer Window    *NEW*"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_printopts "The Print Options Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-P ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_synthed "The Synthetic Sound Editor   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-Y ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_synvol "The Synthsound Volume Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-V ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_synstretch "The Synthsound Stretch Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-S ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE synthed_prog "The Synthetic Sound Programming Language"

@ENDNODE



@NODE synthed_keyw "The Synthetic Sound Language Keywords"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_smped "The Sample Editor   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-E ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_chgvol "The Change Volume Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-O ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_chgpitch "The Change Pitch Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-P ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_mix "The Mix Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-M ]"


@ENDNODE



@NODE win_filtboost "The Filter/Boost Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-F ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_echo "The Echo Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-K ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_noise "The Noise Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-N ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_chdcreat "The Chord Creation Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-H ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_pixdensity "The Pixel Density Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-D ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_slist "The Sample List Editor   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-L ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_msged "The MIDI Message Editor   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-G ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_maped "The Input Map Editor   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-A ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_funcs "The Functions Window"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_sngsel "The Song Selector Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-G ]"



@NODE win_playseq "The Playing Sequence Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-Q ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_songopts "The Song Options Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-H ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_trackvols "The Relative Track Volumes Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-R ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_blkprop "The Block Properties Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-B ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_blklist "The Block List Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-B ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_highopts "The Highlight Options Window"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_expshrk "The Expand/Shrink Window"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_instr "The Instrument Parameters Window  [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-I ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_trans "The Transpose Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-T ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_spread "The Spread Notes Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-F ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_noteecho "The Note Echo Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-E ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_inpchan "The Input Channel Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-\ ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_mouseopts "The Mouse Options Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-W ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_keybopts "The Keyboard Options Window  [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-K ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_progkeys "The Programmable Keys Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Amiga-Y ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_palette "The Palette Window"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_type "The Instrument Type Window   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-T ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_seclist "The Section List Window  *NEW*   [ Keyboard shortcut: Left Alt-C ]"

@ENDNODE



@NODE win_instload "The Instrument Load Window  *NEW*"

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         MAIN SCREEN NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE MainScreen "The Main Screen"
The main screen is split into several parts:

        @{"  Tracker editor   " LINK main_tracker}
        @{"  Notation editor  " LINK main_notation}
        @{"   Upper screen    " LINK main_upper}
        @{"   Lower screen    " LINK main_lower}

@ENDNODE



@NODE main_tracker "The Tracker Editor"

@ENDNODE



@NODE main_notation "The Notation Editor"

@ENDNODE



@NODE main_upper "The Upper Screen"

@ENDNODE



@NODE main_lower "The Lower Screen"

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         PLAYER COMMANDS NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE PlrCommands "Player Commands"

@ENDNODE



@NODE cmd_0-9 "Commands 0 - 9"
Command 0:  ARPEGGIO                (@{"MIDI" LINK cmd_midi}: controller value)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

@ENDNODE



@NODE cmd_a-f "Commands A - F"
Command A:  VOLUME SLIDE            (@{"MIDI" LINK cmd_midi}: polyphonic aftertouch)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

@ENDNODE



@NODE cmd_11-1f "Commands 11 - 1F"

@ENDNODE



@NODE cmd_midi "MIDI Commands"

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE KeybShorts "Keyboard Shortcuts"


        @{"    Menu Item Shortcuts    " LINK key_menus}
        @{"     Editing Shortcuts     " LINK key_edit}
        @{" Cursor Movement Shortcuts " LINK key_cursmove}
        @{"      Other Shortcuts      " LINK key_others}

@ENDNODE



@NODE key_menus "Menu Item Shortcuts"
All keys listed have to be pressed with the Right Amiga key held. Note that
you may only use these shortcuts when the main screen is active.

[ V4 upgraders: all shortcuts are *NEW* aside from cut/copy/paste track ]

@ENDNODE



@NODE key_gadgets "Gadget Shortcuts   *NEW*"

@ENDNODE



@NODE key_cursmove "Cursor Movement Shortcuts"

@ENDNODE



@NODE key_others "Other Shortcuts"

@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         INTRODUCTION NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE Introduction "Introduction"
Welcome to OctaMED Professional V5.0! The "MED" in "OctaMED" stands for
"Music EDitor", and that's exactly what OctaMED is. With the program you
may compose music for games, demos etc., or simply use the program as a
stand-alone editor.

OctaMED is used to create "songs" (which are also known as "modules"). Each
song consists of small pieces of music called "blocks", which are linked
together by creating a list of blocks in the order in which they should be
played. Blocks can be played in any order, and any number of times. In this
way a song is broken down into more manageable pieces; and if a song
contains parts that are repeated, you need only create the duplicated
section once, and then tell the computer to play it as often as required.

Blocks are usually edited using the @{"Tracker editor" LINK main_tracker}, in which the music is
represented by note names and numbers. In this form, the music is quite
fast and convenient to edit (when you get used to it!), but it has limited
use when printed since no-one could play it.

For music printing and more traditional editing, a @{"notation editor" LINK main_notation} is
provided, but the Tracker editor is still very important so learning to use
it is essential.

Songs can be played either using the Amiga's internal stereo sound chip or
by using a MIDI keyboard. For sound chip use, the instruments used in the
song usually consist of digitized sounds known as "samples", and these
samples must be loaded from disk to use them in OctaMED. Normally the
Amiga's sound chip can play only four samples simultaneously, but in
OctaMED you can play up to eight samples at once (see @{"5-8 Channel Mode" LINK intro_5-8chan} for
more information). (The "Octa" in OctaMED's name refers to the eight
simultaneous samples).

(Remember, click on any boxed text to see more details on that topic. In
addition, pressing Return chooses the topic highlighted in blue).


How are songs made?
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

    1. Load instruments
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    There can be up to 63 instruments in a song, and they are numbered
    01 - 1V. The numbering works as follows: 01, 02, 03 ... 09, 0A, 0B ...
    0V, 10, 11, 12 ... 19, 1A, 1B ... 1V.

    Just below the title bar of the OctaMED screen is a small box
    containing the current sample's number, followed by a text box
    containing the current sample's name. The previous or next instrument
    can be selected by holding the Shift key down and pressing the left
    or right cursor (arrow) key.

    A sample can be loaded into the current instrument slot by either
    typing its filename into the text box, or clicking the small gadget
    immediately to the left of the text box: you may now choose its
    filename using the file requester. The instruments on your disks may
    also be organized into a list known as the @{"sample list" LINK win_slist} for easy
    loading.


    2. Set block size, number of tracks etc.
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    See the @{"Tracker Editor" LINK main_tracker} for more information on this.


    3. Set instrument parameters
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    Instrument characteristics such as tuning and volume are set in the
    @{"Instrument Parameters window" LINK win_instr}.


    4. Edit blocks and add new blocks
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    As previously mentioned, blocks are edited predominantly using the
    Tracker editor. New blocks can be created using the @{"Block List window" LINK win_blklist},
    or by using @{"Block Menu" LINK menu_block}/New. (This means using the New item in the Block
    menu).


    5. Link blocks together
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    The list of block numbers used to order the playing of a song is
    created in the @{"Playing Sequence window" LINK win_playseq}.


    6. Play song
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    The song playing gadgets are located on the @{"upper screen" LINK main_upper}. You may play
    the whole song or just the current block, or continue the song or block
    from the current position.


    7. Save song
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    There's no point in creating a masterpiece if it can't be saved! Saving
    is achieved using the @{"Save Options window" LINK win_saveopts}, where you may select what
    format to save the song in, whether the song is to be compressed etc.


Multi-modules
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"Multi-modules" are projects containing more than one song. Each song
shares the same set of instruments. This allows you, for example, to
compose different songs for each level of a game, without having to load or
keep the same instrument in memory more than once.

Multi-modules are also very useful when editing just one song, as you can
treat one song in the multi-module as "workspace", much like Deluxe Paint's
"spare screen" option. You may design and compose in one song, then cut and
paste to another.

Songs are added by using either the relevant gadgets on the upper screen or
the Song Selector window.

OctaMED can automatically remap instruments while loading. This feature can
saves you a lot of work. If you have one or more songs already in memory,
and you load an additional song, a "Remap instruments?" requester will
appear.

If you click "No" in the requester, all previous instruments in the entire
multi-module will be lost and the instruments of the new song will be
loaded. This could be used, for example, to use the new, different
instruments with the other songs in the module.

But if you reply "Yes": firstly, the instruments of the new song will be
loaded to empty slots, i.e. instruments already in memory will be
preserved; secondly, the instrument numbers of the loaded song will be
remapped so that they point to the new instrument places. This means that
the several sets of instruments used in the several songs can be
contributed to one large overall set of instruments.


Some other features of OctaMED
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
    * Friendly and fairly simple appearance (considering the program's
      complexity!): see the @{"User Interface" LINK UserInterface}

    * Numerous editing operations, including Cut/Copy/Paste as found in
      wordprocessors, note transposition etc. (see @{"Block Menu" LINK menu_block}, @{"Track Menu" LINK menu_track},
      and @{"Edit Menu" LINK menu_edit})

    * Sample waveforms can be edited and digitized in the @{"sample editor" LINK win_smped},
      and synthetic instruments may be designed using the
      @{"synthetic sound editor" LINK win_synthed}

    * The relative volume of each track and the overall song volume can be
      altered in the @{"Track Volumes window" LINK win_trackvols}

    * @{"MIDI" LINK menu_midi} may be used, with up to 64 notes played simultaneously and many
      MIDI settings and operations (including a @{"MIDI Message editor" LINK win_msged})

    * Complete PowerPacker and SFCD-compression load support: OctaMED can
      load and decrunch any powerpacked or SFCD-compressed file. (The only
      file you can't compress, unfortunately, is this one: OctaMED.help).

      Requires powerpacker.library for PowerPacker, and lh.library for
      SFCD. Lh.library is not included on the distribution disk, but it
      forms part of the PowerPlayer distribution archive on e.g. Fish 769
      (ask your favourite public domain library).

    * Numerous @{"keyboard shortcuts" LINK KeybShorts} exist. Note the conventions used: for
      example, "Ctrl-A" means "hold down the Ctrl key and press the A key";
      also, the cursor (arrow) keys are represented by <left>, <right>,
      <up> and <down>.


In order to learn how to use the program, we suggest that you study the
@{"Main Screen" LINK MainScreen} topics first, and then perhaps the @{"User Interface" LINK UserInterface} topic. Then
simply experiment! If you find something you don't understand, just press
the Help key and select the appropriate topic. For example, if you don't
quite understand the function of the Input Map Editor window, select
"Windows" from the contents page then select "Input Map Editor" from the
Windows topic.

(Please ignore the often used word "*NEW*" that you might find: it simply
indicates to upgraders from V4 which features are new to V5.0).

We hope you will find this program useful and enjoy it!

P.S. In this help file (and in many other computer documents and bulletin
boards) you may come across odd-looking symbols, often consisting of a
semicolon or colon, an optional hyphen and a closed bracket. To understand
these, just tilt your head 90 degrees to the left :-)
@ENDNODE



@NODE intro_5-8chan "5 - 8-Channel Mode"
The Amiga has four stereo sound channels in its sound chip, and through
each channel one note can be played at once.

5 - 8-channel mode works by mixing two samples in real time and then
outputting them through one sound channel. This takes up a lot of the
processor's power, and the mixing process reduces the sound quality (causes
distortion). The distortion can be reduced using High Quality Mode or (as a
last resort ;) by using the audio filter (both selected in @{"Song Options" LINK win_songopts},
and channel mode changing is also contained in this window).

The processor load that 5 - 8-channel playing causes, and some technical
reasons set some limitations to playing in these modes:

    * Different playing speed selection. Use the secondary tempo as usual,
      but use primary tempo values 1-10.

    * Synthetic / hybrid sounds can't be used

    * All equalizers are disabled

    * All MIDI features are disabled

    * Instrument default volume is ignored, as are the track and master
      volumes

    * Limited sample loop length, only in a minimum of 200-byte steps (when
      the primary tempo is 1). Every time the primary tempo is increased by
      one, the loop length is increased by 20 bytes. So with a primary
      tempo of the maximum 10, the length is set in 400-byte steps.

In addition to this, samples should be "halved". This means that each
sample's volume should be half of its normal volume, so that they can be
mixed quickly. The halving is done automatically when changing channel mode
(answer "Halve" in the requester).

The sound channels that play these mixed samples are called "split
channels". In eight-channel mode all channels are split, but in five-
channel mode only one channel is split, allowing better quality samples on
the other three channels. You may use non-halved samples on non-split
channels, but attempting to use non-halved samples on split channels when
two notes are played simultaneously usually creates awful noise.
Note that 5 - 8 channel mode does NOT mean how many tracks there are. You
must also select 5 - 8 tracks in the @{"Block Properties window" LINK win_blkprop}.

For best results, there should be as few channels as possible. If, for
example, your song doesn't use more than six tracks at once, you should
select 6-channel mode instead of 7 or 8-channel mode. This both increases
the execution speed and gives you two non-split (i.e. high quality) tracks
(2 and 3).


Volume limitations
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Because there are only 4 sound channels and 4 volume registers, two
channels must share each volume register. Channels 0 and 4, 1 and 5, 2 and
6, and 3 and 7 each share one register. This means that every @{"volume" LINK cmd_a-f}
command (C) affects both tracks. For example:

Track:     0         1         2         3         4
    000 C-1 30000 E-1 30000 G-1 30000 --- 00000 A#2 50C20

The 0C20 command on track 4 affects both tracks 4 and 0. The default volume
of instruments is ignored because it would affect two tracks.
@ENDNODE



@NODE V4_Upgrade "To those upgrading from version 4..."

Welcome to another new version of OctaMED! This version, V5.0, and all
subsequent versions will require Kickstart and Workbench 2.04 or higher,
since OctaMED now heavily depends on the new features in Release 2 of the
operating system, and many parts of the program have been entirely
rewritten to take advantage of them. As 2.04 upgrade packages have been
available for more than 1½ years, it's a reasonable assumption that every
serious Amiga user has the package available to them. However,
OctaMEDPlayer is still compatible with Kickstart 1.3.

So you've bought a copy of V5.0, and even perhaps Kickstart 2.04 or higher
specially to use this program, and you're probably wondering what has
changed.

Well, as soon as you loaded OctaMED, you'll have noticed a huge change: the
@{"user interface" LINK UserInterface} has been completely rewritten. This not only gives the
program a much more "friendly" appearance, but it enables more features to
be added to the program more easily. While in OctaMED V4, gadgets had to be
shrunk to make way for new functions, in future versions a window simply
has to be enlarged.


New features in V5.0
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
a) Maximum sizes increased:

        *  64 tracks in a block (you're also not limited to multiples of 4)
        *  1000 blocks in a song
        *  999 entries in a playing sequence
        *  @{"MIDI Preset" LINK win_instr} range (0 - 2800), only works with some devices
        *  1048560 bytes in a MIDI message (should be enough for most use!)

b) New list windows:

        *  @{"Song Selector" LINK win_sngsel} displays all songs
        *  @{"Block List" LINK win_blklist} displays all blocks

c) @{"Sample editor" LINK win_smped} options:

        *  Change volume: fade in/out, halve, double, don't clip (prevents
                          distortion)
        *  Cancel finetune (removes finetune value from a sample)
        *  Set volumes of source and destination when mixing
        *  Set density of pixels in pixel display mode
        *  Invert: turns the range upside-down
        *  Chop: deletes the whole sample except the range
        *  Remove Unused Space: deletes space (of zero volume) from either
           side of the sample
        *  Create Chord: creates chords of 2 - 4 notes from a sample
        *  Play Buffer Contents: plays the copy buffer at the current pitch
        *  Sample Voice Monitor: optionally turns off hearing the input
           signal while digitizing (may enhance quality on slower machines)

d) @{"Sample list editor" LINK win_slist} options:

        *  @{"Instrument Load Window" LINK win_instload} allows easy loading of samples in list
        *  Stores tuning / MIDI / default volume values and default pitch
           as well as loop
        *  Add directories anywhere in list (not just to end)

e) @{"Playing sequence" LINK win_playseq}:

        *  Can create multiple playing sequences (sections), and choose the
           order in which these sections are played in the @{"Section List" LINK win_seclist}
        *  "Clear playing sequence" button
        *  Now also displays block names

f) New @{"save options" LINK win_saveopts}:

        *  A new file format (MMD2), saves 1-64 tracks and song sections
        *  Song compression, using PowerPacker or SFCD compression. SFCD is
           a packing format used in Stephan Fuhrmann's PowerPlayer module
           player program, and it usually crunches modules slightly more
           tightly than PowerPacker. It requires lh.library for use, which
           is not included in the OctaMED distribution, but which can be
           obtained by acquiring PowerPlayer (e.g. on Fish 769).
        *  Song size calculation
        *  @{"Save Timer" LINK win_savetimer} emulates "auto-save" option of many wordprocessors

g) New editing functions:

        *  Insert / delete tracks throughout the song
        *  Flush all unused instruments
        *  Generic Slide creates hex volume slide (even in decimal mode)
        *  @{"Highlighting" LINK win_highopts}: offset start and custom spacing options

h) New @{"instrument type" LINK win_type}: ExtSamples (an extra two lower octaves)

i) More @{"settings" LINK menu_settings}:

        *  Display max tracks: maximum tracks on-screen at once (4, 8, 16)
        *  Left, middle and right mouse button can be configured to turn
           tracks/select tracks on/off, set cursor position, or mark range
        *  Spacing options: destructive, auto-round (@{"Keyboard Options" LINK win_keybopts})
        *  Turn automatic flushing of unused instruments on/off when
           clearing the current song of a multi-module
        *  Auto-Freeze Screen: automatically turns screen updating off when
           the OctaMED screen is not the frontmost
        *  Play After Loading: automatically starts playing directly after
           loading a song, useful for listening to other people's songs
        *  AGA-compatible palette

j) Many new @{"keyboard shortcuts" LINK KeybShorts}, including some new editing functions

k) Other new features:

        *  Fully localizable under Workbench 2.1 or later (requires
           locale.library)
        *  You can set a default pitch (note) for each instrument, which
           will be played and entered at that pitch when the "F" key is
           pressed. Very useful for untuned instruments such as percussion
        *  Clicking the timer reset gadget ("R") stores the current song
           position, which can be recalled by clicking the timer itself
        *  Supports multiple settings and programmable keys files (on
           startup, OctaMED attempts to load "S:OctaMEDPro.config" and
           "S:OctaMEDPro.defkeys")
        *  A @{"Project menu" LINK menu_project} option to display the last title bar message
        *  On-line help provided by pressing the Help key (you'll probably
           have already found this out for yourself ;-)

In an attempt to make the new features more prominent, throughout this help
file the word "*NEW*" appears beside the features new to V5.0. This doesn't
include keyboard shortcuts listed in the main documentation (there are too
many of them!).



We hope you find the new version useful, and also Kickstart 2.04+ if you've
just upgraded: it really is well worth buying!
@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         USER INTERFACE NODE
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE UserInterface "The User Interface"
The "user interface" is the means by which the computer and user
communicate. In OctaMED, this is done by using windows, menus and gadgets.

The user interface has been completely rewritten in OctaMED Pro V5.0, which
should make the program look less complicated and be easier and more
"intuitive" to use. ("Intuitive" means that the various controls behave as
you would expect them to).

"Gadgets" are graphics symbols used for communication with the program, and
this topic describes the various different sorts of gadget (which are
handled using the computer's "GadTools" library).

For information about using the windows and menus, please refer to your
Amiga's user manual. There are two points of note, however, about OctaMED's
window handling. Firstly, notes cannot be entered or deleted while any
window is active, even when editing is switched on: you must activate the
main screen. Secondly, the right mouse button is equivalent to clicking the
window's zoom gadget (except in the @{"sample" LINK win_smped} and @{"synthetic sound editors" LINK win_synthed} and
the @{"Notation Control window" LINK main_notation}, when it displays the window's menu bar).

A quick word about the screen: OctaMED's screen uses AutoScroll, which
means that if you have dragged the screen down, you may drag the screen up
by moving the mouse pointer off the very bottom of the screen.

(Note that the words "gadget" and "button" essentially mean the same;
"click" means "press and release the left mouse button quickly"; and "drag"
means "hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse").


Action buttons
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These are the simplest form of gadget, as they simply perform the activity
labeled on the button. The button's appearance is a rectangular area that
is raised, i.e. it seems to "come out" of the screen.

Holding down the left mouse button over the gadget "inverts" it, i.e. turns
it blue. Releasing the mouse button performs the activity. While the gadget
is inverted, you may move the mouse pointer away from the gadget. This
makes it non-inverted, and the function is said to be "canceled".

There is a special type of action button called a "GetFile" gadget. It is a
small, slightly rectangular gadget containing an image of a list appearing
from a folder. Clicking on this gadget opens a @{"file requester" LINK filereq} for a
particular operation.


Check boxes
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These small square gadgets allow you to choose whether an option is "on" or
"off". When on, a "check" (or "tick") mark appears in the gadget, and when
off, the box is empty. To turn the option on or off, simply click inside
the gadget.


Radio buttons
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These gadgets consist of a set of small circular buttons, collectively
known as a "radio button", which which you select one option from a variety
of options. Radio buttons are "mutually exclusive", meaning that one and
only one option may be selected. When selected (by clicking on it), the
small button is recessed (meaning it seems to "go into" the screen), and a
blue circle appears inside it.


Cycle gadgets
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These gadgets are equivalent in function to radio buttons, but only one
option is visible at a time. They look like action buttons, but with a
"cycle" sign on their left-hand side. The various options are cycled
through by clicking inside the gadget. Shift-clicking them cycles through
the options backwards.


Text and numerical boxes
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Also called "string and integer gadgets", these appear as rectangles with
an embellished black and white border. With them you may type in text and
numbers (in appearance there is no difference between text boxes and
numerical boxes).

The boxes are "activated" by clicking inside them, and a small blue cursor
appears. You may edit the text or number inside the box simply by typing.
When you have finished editing, press the Return key so that OctaMED
accepts the new information. Keyboard shortcuts that you may use while
editing are:(no info for demo)



Sliders
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Sliders are rectangular gadgets that contain another small black rectangle.
This small rectangle is known as the slider's "knob", and the rest of the
gadget is called the "slider box". Above, below, to the left or to the
right of the gadget is a number (called the "slider value"), and the gadget
is used to increase or decrease the slider value.

The slider value is usually changed by dragging the knob. However, clicking
in the slider box increases or decreases the value by one (depending on
where in the box you click). There may be arrows beside the slider; in
which case, clicking them increases or decreases the value by one.


Scrolling lists
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These are used to display a list of different names of objects. Examples of
lists are in the @{"Playing Sequence window" LINK win_playseq}, the @{"Instrument Load Window" LINK win_instload}, and
the @{"Song Selector window" LINK win_sngsel}.

They consist of a box containing the list itself, a scroll gadget to the
right of the list, and sometimes a display box (see later) or text box
underneath the list that shows the currently selected item in the list.

A scroll gadget is like a slider, but by dragging the black rectangle you
move the list up or down. Clicking in the scroll box moves the list one
page up or down. Items in the list are selected simply by clicking on them.


Display boxes
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These are the only type of gadget listed in this topic that you cannot
click inside! They simply display information, and they appear as recessed
boxes.


One more thing you should know about: ghosting. This is when a gadget or a
menu item becomes checkered, and it means that it cannot be selected. This
happens, for example, to the integer gadgets in the @{"sample list editor" LINK win_slist}
when an instrument hasn't been selected. In this case, it is sensible to
ghost the gadgets because the gadgets' values don't apply to any particular
instrument.

For the keyboard shortcuts used with gadgets, see @{"Gadget Shortcuts" LINK key_gadgets}.
@ENDNODE



@REMARK
@REMARK
@REMARK         MISCELLANEOUS NODES
@REMARK
@REMARK



@NODE filereq "The File Requester"
The file requester is used to handle and select files. OctaMED supports
the system-integrated ASL file requester (please refer to your Amiga's
manual for information).
@ENDNODE



@NODE settingsfile "The Settings File"
The settings file is saved by choosing @{"Settings Menu" LINK menu_settings}/Save Settings,
and saves the following options:

        Check boxes in the @{"Save Options window" LINK win_saveopts}

        The @{"Save Timer" LINK win_savetimer} value

        All options in the @{"Sample Editor" LINK win_smped}/Settings menu, the sample editor's
             current pitch period, and the "Don't Clip" gadget in the
             the @{"Change Volume window" LINK win_chgvol}

        The "Auto-Terminate Capture" gadget in the @{"MIDI message editor" LINK win_msged}

        All options in the @{"Mouse Options window" LINK win_mouseopts}

        All options in the @{"Keyboard Options window" LINK win_keybopts}

        All options in the @{"Instr menu" LINK menu_instr}

        Note killing options in the @{"MIDI menu" LINK menu_midi}

        All options in the @{"Settings menu" LINK menu_settings} execpt Play After Loading

In addition, the full save version of OctaMED will save the current window
positions if you have changed them.
@ENDNODE



@NODE hex "Hexadecimal Values"

@ENDNODE
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