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THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR COMMODORE 64 & 128 USERS MAE ANG
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ages available today!
Whether you're passing for the game- winning touchdown, jumping through oncoming traffic, or dodging SAM missiles over North Vietnam, you are sure to enjoy. these AAA rated games. Each of these packages represent some of the finest games within their class. They won't last long, so order yours now!
Areade ( Paek.1) Adv. /Srraveay (Pook 2)
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Only $20.00 per Package! Plus Shipping & Handling (Continental U.S. Add: 1-$5.00, 2-$5.50, 3-$6.00, $4-$6.50 All other destinations, see CMD main ad; Page 28)
With this special offer, buy three or more packages # and get a 1670 /
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C QO N
ISSUE 15
COMMODORE
WORLD
THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR COMMODORE 64 & 128 USERS
Genera. MANAGER Charles R. Christianson ° Epitor Doug Cotton od Assistant Epitor Michelle Smith ¢ ADVERTISING SALES Charles A, Christianson (413) 525-0023 2 PHOTOGRAPHY Wayne Wrubel 5 Grapuic Arts Doug Cotton Jenifer Esile a Etectronic Pre-Press & PRINTING Mansir/Holden, Inc. > Cover Design by Jenifer Esile
Commodore™ and the respective Commodore product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Escom GmbH. Commodore World is in no way affiliated with Escom GmbH., owner of the Commodore logo and technology. Commodore World is published 8 times annually by Creative Micro Designs, Inc., 15 Benton Drive, East Longmeadow MA 01028-0646. Second-Class Postage Paid at East Longmeadow MA. Annual subscription rate is US$29.95 for U.S. addresses, US$35.95 for Canada or Mexico, US$45.95 for all EC Countries, and US$57.95 to all other addresses worldwide. All subscription payments must be provided in U.S. Dollars. Mail subscriptions to CW Subscriptions, c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc,, P.O. Box 646, East Longmeadow MA 01028-0646.
Entire contents copyright © 1995 by Creative Micro Designs, Inc., unless otherwise noted. No part of this publication may be printed or otherwise reproduced by any means without prior written consent from the publisher. All programs published in this publication are for the personal use of the reader, and may not be copied or in any way distributed. Allrights reserved. Programming examples and routines in this issue which are presented for educational purposes may be used in the creation of programs by the purchaser of this of this magazine, provided credit for the routines is clearly presented in either the program documentation, or the program itsell, Creative Micro Designs, Inc., assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in editorial, program listings or advertising content, Creative Micro Designs, Inc. assumes no liability for advertisers claims or reliability
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CW Address Changes, c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc., P.O, Box 646, East Longmeadow MA 01028-0646.
N T
MAY/JUNE/JULY 1996
| el —), a | 4
16 Cross PiaTrorm Fite TRANSFERS by Doug Cotton Part two in a series about exchanging data with other computers,
20 Commopore Demo-Mania! by Sherry Freedline Part one of a series devoted to the Commodore works of art.
26 Commopore Cius Expo by Max Cottrell Commodore guru's attend the LACC Expo.
Reviews
28 GAnes by Sherry Freedline SkyFox, Qix, and arcade classics Frogger and Threshold.
Cocumns
10 Just For Starters by Jason Compton You have plenty of options for cartridge expansion units.
12 Foreign ExcHaNGe by Rick Gaudl The SuperCPU goes abroad.
14 GRAPHIC INTERPRETATION by Paul Sullivan GEOS from the ground up.
32 Te SySop’s Corner by Max Cottrell Selecting and setting up menus for your BBS.
34 Carrier DETECT by Gaelyne R. Moranec Converting graphics formats to the Commodore.
38 GEOPROGRAMMIST by Maurice Randall Learning about accessing VLIR files.
40. Assemety LINE by Jim Butterfield
A review of (and some new ideas about) PEEK and POKE. 42 PerRipHERAL VISION by Jim Butterfield
Using “The String Thing”.
44 Basic INSTINCTS by David Pankhurst Exploring the world of fractals and chaos.
DeEeraRTMENTS ‘+ r « On Ten See Our NEW ROM THE Epitor N THE Horizon 4 BackTatx 48 CLassirieD As SHEGK ONE 6 Commopore Trivia 48 Aoverriser’s INDEX Utility
On Page 47
From THe Epiror
WERE YOU WONDERING WHERE WE WERE?
bout now, you may be asking yourself why it took those lazy bums at CMDsolong to get Issue 15 out to subscribers and why theissueisa bit thinner than previous
issues? You've probably even begun thinking of worst case scenarios. Is it that they are going to stiff me like so many previous Commodore magazines have? Is it that theyjust don’tcare? Are they getting out ofthe Commodore market?
We've heard all of these questions over the past few weeks and can truthfully answer NO to all of them! Before I get into my explaination, let me first tell you why CMD couldn't afford NOT to fulfill its obligations to subscribers. It’s quite simple—we have a whole lot more at stake than most magazine publishers, in that if we fail to meet our obligations on CW we'd likely loose you as a CMD customer as well! If that happens we loose big! Besides, our commitment to this market runs much deeper than a simple business obligation. We have about a half'a
dozen people who have dedicated the last nine years of
their life to the survival of our beloved C-64 and C-128 platform. So without laying it on too thick, let me simply say that our subscribers need never question our commitment to Commodore World!
The delay of this issue has several attributing factors. Most importantly was the loss of our chief graphic artist and page layout person, Jenifer Esile. In late May, Jenifer was approached by a large regional publication who made her an impressive offer; so good in fact, that she couldn't refuse, So, with our blessing and encouragement, she’s moved onto greener pastures. Given the demands of the position she vacated here, we've had great difficulty in finding someone to pick up where she left off. So much so that it took us several weeks to find someone to help out.
Additionally, virtually every available body at CMD has, in some way, been working on the release of the SuperCPU 64 (which should be shipping by the time you
COMMODORE WORLD 2
read this editorial). Doug Cotton has been writing the manual for it, so he hasn't been as available to perform many of the editorial tasks that he routinely performs. Mark Fellows has been chasing down the last few glitches in the product. The rest of us have been pushing to make sure that advanced orders are ready, manufacturing is cranking out the finished product, disks are duplicated, and all is ready as soon as we get the green light to ship.
The final factor involved was our acquisition of the Commodore R/T on GEnie. Many days were put into negotiations and the transition. As a result, CMD is working to create a reliable, easy-to-access, and affordable way for the Commodore community to communicate with each other and access the internet. We are just beginning to settle into our managerial role on Genie, and are studying what services can and will be provided. Thus, you won't see any big splashy ads for the time being. What I can tell you is that we're seeing dramatically improved activity on the service. We're also arranging a full schedule of events, guest conferences, and more, including some new hosts to make things interesting!
Finally, why has CW shrunk a bit since the last issue? Time. Although we've found a replacement for Jen, are about to start shipping the CPU, and continue to improve Genie’s Commodore R/T, another week or two would have been required to fill the 56 pages that we usually have. So in the interest of getting you issue 15 while its contents remain current, we've cut a few ads and edited down a couple of artcles!
Now that I've brought you up-to-date on the reasons your issue is late, and hopefully reinforced your faith in CMD, let me close by saying thank-you to each and every one of you for your understanding and support. And with that said—go enjoy the rest of your summer!
Charles Christianson VP of Sales & Marketing
Issue 15
FOADSTAR
MONTHLY
W NEW Games Disk! The Compleat Jon: 1: Games! The whole gamut of gaming is covered here: artificial intelligence, role-playing, mazes, fantasy, science fiction, education and even non-violence (which was a radical concept in its time). These eleven games are among the best ever published on LOADSTAR, Listed on the menu in chronological order, so you can see how Jon's style changed as the years rolled by. ig 1581 disk 0021D3 $20. 1541 disk #0038D5 $20
W NEV Puzzle dist The Compleat Crossword. Every
crossword puzzle published in Puzzle Page in one tay collection! 220 puzzies! It uses Barbara Schulak’s CRUCIVERBALIST program to present the puzzles and allows you to “mark* a puzzle when it’s solved so that you know which you've solved and which you haven't yet. Each 1541 disk contains 110 puzzies. 1581 Disk #0020D3 $20. Disk 1 (1541) #0036D5 $10.Disk 2 (1541) #0037D5 $10
V NEW C128 Productivity! The Compleat Lee O: six ot Lee O. Clinton's best serious programs tor the C-128 80- column mode. Finance, auto expense, kitchen helper, genealogy, resume writing, mutual funds! One 1541 disk #0032D5. One 1581 disk #0017D3 $10.00
VW NEY Word Seren! Super Star Search 1: 200 oniginal word search puzzles by Steven Thomas and Art Dudiey, presented by John Serafino’s modern point and click program. One 1541 disk #0011D5 One 1581 disk # D3 $20.00
WV ew Story dis! The Compleat Prosequest '95: NEW!!! A 1541 disk with all of the entries in the 1995 short story writing contest on it, including the three grand winners. One 1541 disk #0035D5 One 1581 disk #0019D3 $5.00
Soft Wear! LOADSTAR T-Shirts: cimites edition Fruit Of The Loom T-shirts. LOADSTAR's nemesis, Knees Calhoon, stands up to regular washing and drying. Where else can you find Commodore apparel? 50% Cotton//Polyester. $15.00 each with frees shipping! Small #960025, Medium #960125, Large #960225, X-Large #960325, XX-L #960425
Tools! Tutorials! The Compleat Programmer: Best seller! Over Two megabytes of
knowledge crammed and stuffed onto eight 5.25-inch disks or two *
1581 disks! Plus tools, extensions, languages, assemblers, tutorials and utilities! 5.25 set #0005D5. 3.5-inch disk #0005D3. For $5 more, get C= Hacking MAG #0006D3 (on 3.5-inch disks only and NOT available separately) to complete
your programming set, $20.00
PS Giruipnics! Compleat PS Vol. 1 The Print Shop by Broderbund or Printmaster required). er 1300 artistic and never before published PRINT SHOP images. Scan through the many PRINT SHOP images sequentially, by name, or by group number. Press a key and save the graphic you want in 2-block, 3-block and even PRINTMASTER graphic files! All that plus a printed guide! Each volume is $20.00, Vol. 1: C-64/128 3.5-inch disk item . #0001d3. 5.25-inch disks item #0009d5. Vol. 2 (graphics from past LS issues): C-64/128 3.5-inch disk item #0002d3. 5.25-inch disks item #0010d5.
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May/June/July 1996
si =e vr. alt mn . CEOS Cliozrt LOADSTAR presents the biggest Geo
ollection of clip art and fonts ever offered at one ime, All of the Geos art that's ever appeared on LOADSTAR, as well as some great files fro eos fanatic Dick Estel, are available on twenty’ .25 inch disks or eight 3.5 inch disks. Most of thi: inas never been seen before! Use these graphics in your GeoPaint, GeoWrite and GeoPublish documents or convert to FGM with FGM utilities. ISpiff up your GeoFAX documents with the} propriate graphic -- every time! Prices are $20 lor any two 3.5 inch disks, or any five 5.25 inch disks. You can purchase the whole collection fo 75 for either version, Call LOADSTAR toll-free at 1-800-594-3370 or 1-318-221-8718 to order b rodit card, Or send check or money order and specify (by LG number) which disks you want
Disk 01 - RAILS: Railroad art trom Europe and the USA #0012D5
Disk 02 - VEHICLES/TAROT: Artwork of old and new autos; excellent geoPaint drawings of the! arot card set #0013D5
Disk 03 - CLIP ART: Includes converted acPaint files that have never before been vailable in Commodore format #40014D5
Disk 04 - OTTOWA/PRIME CLIPS: Artwork of the main landmarks of Ottowa; plus high qualit public domain clip art #0015D5
Disk 05 - FONTS: More than 30 fonts from past
issues of LOADSTAR, plus articles (in geoWrite’ ‘ormat) on creating fonts, Also two ready-made
ineaders for use with your own documents, one a
picture of a mail truck; the other reading FROM HE DESK OF #0016D5
Disk 06, Disk 07, and Disk 08 - geoPaint and Photo Album files with the great clip artwork eatured on past LOADSTARS - includes
eoCurmudgeon, Anamalia | and II, Australian Animals, Valentine art and many more #0017D5, #0018D5, #0019D5
Disk 09 - GOODYKOONTZ FILES - Jasper oodykoontz, born in Indiana in 1855, produced oodykoontz's Perpetual Calendar and General
Reference Manual (A Book for the Millions). This
disk includes scans from the book of a wide arra’
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Disk 10 - OLD WEST: Scanned Artwork from
Dick Estel's FRD Software - mostly woodcut style}
art of the old west, gold rush days and pioneer! enes. #0021D5
anned into geoPaint format. Side 2 is a collection of scanned artwork of animals from FRD oftware #0022D5
Disk 12 - HOLIDAY: Artwork for New Years, Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas #002305
Disk 13 - PEOPLE/FACES: Scenes ot people and faces from FRD Software #0024D5
Disk 14 - FRD CLASSICS: Dick's choice of he best of the FRD collection #0025D5
Disk 15 - DINOS/CLASSICS: Dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, as well as more first ‘hoice artwork from FRD. #002605
Disk 16 - SPORTS/MISC: Dozens of sports- related clips #0027D5
Disk 17 - OFFICE AND SCHOOL: Clips to’ be used al work and around the house #40028D5
Disk 18 -MUSIC & MORE SCHOOL CLIPS #0029D5
Disk 19 - SEASONAL AND HOLIDAYS: A lip for any occasion #0030D5
Disk 20 - SEASONAL AND HOLIDAYS: A lip for any occasion #0031D5
\lal™ ,
he 3.5" disks are roughly equivalent to two anda
all 5.25" disks Disk 1: Equals disks 1, 2, 4B #0009D3
Disk 6: Equivalent of Disks 14, 15and
ome bonus files not on 5.25° disks #0014D3
tie Sports, Office and school, Music’ 15D3
#0
Disk 8: Music, Holiday and Seasonal #016D3
For your convenience, GeoViewer is included on each volume. GEOS 2.0 is suggested.
Distiulla Cure Germnes! The Compleat Maurice: a compiation of 26 solitaire card games written by Maurice Jones, the acknowledged master of card game simulations for the C-64/128. There's even a brand new, never before published game called Boomerang. Two 5.25 inch disks #0007D5 or one 3,5 inch disk #0007D3, $20.00 postage paid!
Qodles Of Stunning Art! Tutorials! The Compleat Walt: During LOADSTAR’s first ten years we have published 24 of Walt Harned's slideshows and multimedia events. Now we've gathered them into one huge collection: seven 5.25 inch disks or three 3.5 inch disks! There are over 250 pictures, including some that have never been published. The greatest one- man collection of art on any computer platform. 5.25-inch disks order #070425 3.5-inch disks order
#070423. $20.00 postage paid!
Name
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Total Enclosed:
() Check/money order made payable to "Loadstar” in US Funds Visa OW American Express Discover
L) MasterCard Card #
Exp Date / Authorized signature: 7 - Subscribers: I prefer L)5.25-inch diskettes QJ 3.5-inch diskettes LOADSTAR P.O. Box 30008, Shreveport, LA 71130-0008 Questions: 1-318-221-8718 Fax 1-318-221-8870
COMMODORE WORLD
G@ACKTALK
LETTERS AND QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS
Ink Jets... Color Ones, Too! lownaC-64, witha 1541 drive, 1581 drive, Xetec Super Graphix printer interface, an MPS 803, Panasonic 1180, and Star NP-10 printers.
Are there any ink-jet or laser printers that can beused with this existing equipment? Ifso, please list several specific models that I could use.
Are there any color printers that could be used with my equipment? Again, please list several specific models that would work for me.
Although I’m on my second annual subscription to your wonderful magazine, | haven't yet come across an article dealing specifically with these questions.
I'd really appreciate your help in this matter.
- Ronald T. Bulmer
If you're on your second subscription, L would suspect that you should have at least Issue 7, which featured the article, ‘A Tale of Two Printers’ by Ron Hackley. Ron’'sarticle described his own experiences with trying out a couple of ink-jet printers—the Epson Stylus 800, and the Canon BJ-200e. Ron determined that the Epson was inferior for Commodore users.
But the printer market, being what it is today, seems to change models quickly, and the model that Ron decided was the better of the two isn’t available any more. The BJ-200e was superceded by the BJ- 200¢x, but that model has also been closed out (although you might still find one via mail order).
Currently Canon doesn't even make a low-end black-only ink-jet printer, They decided to make a low-cost color ink-jet instead, which is the Canon BJC-210. The bad news, however, is that the color control for this model is non-standard, Canon will gladly tell you that if you simply use the supplied Windows driver, this printer will print color just fine. Nice move. While this printer will perform black printing for us ‘mere Commodore users’, Canon only ships it with a color cartridge... and a black cartridge will run you around $25 to $30 from most suppliers,
Luckily, Canon does still make a fine color model (last time I checked) that provides compatibility with the industry-standard Epson 24-pin color codes: the Canon BJC-4100. You may also find some of Canon's older color printer models such as the BJC-4000 or the BJC-600; either of these can be used as well.
COMMODORE WORLD
The only other ink-jets [can commenton personally are the HP DeskJet printers. My advice on those ts, don't bother. HP does their own thing, and though you may finda GEOS driver for them, that’s about all you'll find.
Laser printers are a similar hazard; unless you get one with some kind of Epson emulation mode, it won't be useful for much—and you'll need a more expensive one with Postscript in order to use it under GEOS. Don't get me wrong here, though—if all you need is great quality for GEOS, then most any of the current crop of Postscript laser printers will bea boon foryou.
If you want to save some money but still want the ability to output color, then a good choice would be a color dot-matrix printer. The Panasonic KX-P2135 is a good choice here, but most any modern 24-pin color dot-matrix printer will have the same level of compatibility. I'd avoid Epson brand, though—they haven't maintained backwards-compatibility as well as most of their competitors have.
A word of warning: most older applications won't support color printing on 24-pin printers, or on color ink-jet printers like the Canon which emulate 24-pin color printers, In addition, many older graphical printing applications do not have 24-pin printer drivers, and will produce output that is vertically elongated. This latter problem is caused by differences in the vertical size of the print-head (9-pin printers have fewer pins, and even though the 24-pin printer's pins are packed more densely, it still comes out a wee bit taller). You can sometimes overcome this problem by putting the printer into IBM Proprinter X24E mode with AGM off, buton newer models therearen't any switches to accomplish this; instead, you're expected to use the supplied Windows setup utility. ‘Progress’ takes another step toward eliminatingnon- WINTEL platforms.
One last problem: these printers are sheet-fed, and thus can't print all the way to the top and bottom of the page. This can also cause data at the end of a graphically-generated page to wrap to the next physical page.
Despite the problems, if you use these printers with applications that do provide adequate printer drivers, the results are quite impressive. The catch is that such programs are few—GEOS, I Paint and GoDot! are
4
among the few graphical printing programs with support, and even in GEOS the sheet-fed problem still exists—at least for now.
Programs that print in text mode, however, do work quite well, so provided your printing requirements consist of compatible applications, or if you have a 9-pin printer to fall back on for incompatible ones, an ink-jet printer can be a nice addition to your hardware.
Assemble Here In Issue 10 (Assembly Line) you demonstrated how to talk to serial devices with ‘high-level’ routines. The sample program had labels where error checking routines were to be installed, and which were to be covered in a later article, but I was unable to find these routines in any later issues. Would it be proper to mix the ‘low level’ error routines from Issue 11 with the ‘high-level’ program of Issue 10?
I'dalso like to know, are Power Assembler and Buddy Assembler the same?
Finally, how many issues of Transactor were published, and how can I get back issues of it?
- Howard M. Little, Sr.
Jim Butterfield took over Assembly Line with Issue 11, and amidst the changeover it appears that we forgot about those routines. Rather than do them ourselves, though, this seems like a good opportunity to see ifour readers picked up on how high-level serial bus access is managed (part one), and on the general flow of handling errors (as provided in the low-level routines in part two),
Thus, Ud like to challenge any of our readers who
feel up to the task to write the missing routines, and
send them in, We'll publish the best solution received in Issue 17, and we'll also reward the author of the entry with a CMD gift certificate.
Buddy Assembler was, at one point, Power Assembler, Buddy, however, is what the author called the program after taking it back over, and has been upgraded several times since.
I've no idea offhand how many Transactor issues there were, but your only real chance of getting any at this point is to obtain them second-hand.
%)
Issue 15
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COMMODORE WORLD
COMMODORE TRIVIA
dy Jim Brain
Welcome to another edition of Commodore Trivia. As many of you may know, these trivia questions and answers have been donated by me to the Commodore community at large. Unlike other articles in Commodore World, these trivia questions have been placed in the public domain. I ask only that the trivia questions remain intact and unchanged, and
that my name and address appear somewhere so users can contact me. The trivia is also used for acontest | run on the Internet; contact meat the included address for more information. Because curiosity has the best of me, I always welcome a note or postcard detailing where the trivia goes. | also welcome new questions— provided they come with the answers. Enjoy!
Jim Brain Brain Innovations, Inc.
602 North Lemen Fenton, MI 48430 brain@mail.msen.com
COMMODORE TRIVIA #14 QUESTIONS
$0D0 How many keys were there on the “original” PET and what was $0D8 — Who published the first PET memory map in the “PET Gazette"? special about them? $0D9 — Which is faster to move the cursor on a PET/CBM or C64: SYS or $0D1 — How do you produce the “hidden” message(s) on the C- 128? PRINT? $0D2 How much memory did the “original” PET show on bootup? SODA On the Amiga 1000, where are the signatures of the first Amiga developers located? $0D3 We all know the “reboot” sys for the 64 is sys 64738, but who knows the same sys location to reboot the CBM 8032? $ODB Onthe6502, what does the accumulator contain after the following is executed: $0D4_ Which computer(s) beeped at bootup? (May be more than one, but only one required.) a: #$aa sec $0D5 How much memory did the CBM 8032 show on bootup? ade #01 $0D6 Certain Commodore computers provided empty EPROM sockets $0DC What is the model number of the US NTSC VIC-II chip? on the motherboard. Give me the number of empty sockets on the following machines: $0DD — Whatis the European PAL VIC-II chip’s model number? (Not sure if that’s its correct term, but | hope you understand). a) CBM 30xx. b) CBM 8xxx. $ODE Assumeyou have two computers, one with each of the above chips e : oo inside. Which chip draws more pixels on the screen per second? d) Plus/4. $ODF In Commodore BASIC, which statement executes faster: $0D7 In Germany, the CBM 8032 came with a 4kB EPROM for the Exxx
area, while the US version only had a 2kB EPROM. Why?
A= 2-2 or A=2+2
COMMODORE TRIVIA #13 ANSWERS
$0CO Alps. is NOT true. Doing PRINT SQR(9) yields 3, but doing PRINT (SQR(9)-3) yields 9.31322575E-10 (C64). This anomaly can be $0C1 — Newtronics. attributed to roundofferrors in the floating point math routines in Commodore BASIC. $0C2 Alps: push-type latch, round LED, Newtronics: lever-type latch, rectangular LED. $0C4 _B =-1. The second statement is the one to look at. ‘The second equals sign is treated as a comparison, while the first is treated as $0C3 0. According to Commodore BASIC, the answer should bby -1,
which is the BASIC value of TRUE. However, the above equation
COMMODORE WORLD
a cet B gets set to the outcome of the comparison, which is TRUE (-1).
Issue 15
$0C5 Sanyo. Specifically, Model M1540A. What a model number! $0C6 On BASIC 2.0 or greater:
?SYNTAX ERROR IN 20 READY.
On BASIC 1.0: (found on the PET 2001 series) J=0 READY.
BASIC 1.0 totally ignored spaces, so line 20 became “IFJ=0GOTO40”. That statement would be correctly parsed, since it contains the “GOTO” keyword.
However, on BASIC 2.0 or greater, pares weren't ignored so completely, and the “TO” in “GO TO” would be tokenized separately, so some code was added to BASIC to check to “GO”. As the code that accepts GOTO as a special case for THEN after an IF statement wasn't patched this way, the above fails, because GO is not a valid keyword after IF. The statement SHOULD work correctly, but does not because of this failure to fix the IF command parsing.
On BASIC 2.0 or greater, substituting the following line for line 20 will cause the program to work:
20 IF J=0 THEN GO TO 40 Germany. 24. Two rows of 12 contacts each,
According to Commodore documentation, a _physical_ screen line is defined as one screen line of characters. A _logical_ screen line is defined as how many _physical_ lines can be chained together to create a valid BASIC program line.
With thatin mind, most Commodore computers chosea_logical_ screen line that was a multiple of the screen width. This works fine for 40 and 80 column screens, but what do we do with the VIC-20, with its 22 column screen. Solution: make the_logical_linelength equal to 4_physical_ lines, or 88 columns.
When the Commodore 128 was introduced, the number rose to 160 characters, whichis 4 _physical_lines in 40 column mode, or 2_physical_linesin 80 column mode. However, you can only take advantage of thisin 128 mode. 64 mode islimited to80 characters.
To add to all this confusion, a valid BASIC program line (in memory) can actually be 255 (tokenized) characters long, but creating such along line cannot be done from the built-in editor in direct mode.
The AmigaBASIC, available on the Amiga, also does not have the 80columnline limit. However, that BASIC is SOOO much different that | am not surprised. The older CBM BASICs, on the other hand, were all derivatives of the original Level 1 BASIC forthe PET.
SOCA
The filename will show up as “AB, with the ‘B’ showing Up to the right of the ™ mark. This could be used to make program loading easier. A file that showed up as “filename”,8,1 could be loaded by simply hitting shift-run/stop on that line.
$0CB References! have on hand say 128 characters. However, the actual code on the 8032 and the C64 acts as though 187 characters can actually be sent (tape buffer-5 control bytes = 192-5=187). The references that claim 128 characters are Nick Hampshire’s _The VIC Revealed_ and _The PET Revealed_. Anyone care to lay this one to rest?
$0CC 66 keys. This is the same number as found on the VIC-20 and the Commodore 16.
$OCD —TAB( (163) and SPC( (166),
$OCE 1) Serial /SRQIN 2) GND 3) Serial ATN IN/OUT 4) Serial CLK IN/OUT 5) Serial DATA IN/OUT 6) /RESET
$OCF — 6.Opposing pinson the connectorare hooked together electrically.
$)
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May/June/July 1996
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COMMODORE WORLD
COMMODORE AND COMPUTER INDUSTRY NEws
Novaterm 9.6 Releases
Seattle, WA July 4, 1996) - Nick Rossi announced the long-awaited official release of Novaterm 9.6 today, With a broad range of new and powerful features, Novaterm 9.6 promises to remain the communications software of choice among Commodore users, Novaterm 9.6 offers significant new features that Commodore users can no longer do without, whether they are surfing the Internet, using on-line networks like GEnie and Delphi, or dialing BBS systems.
For file transfers, the Zmodem protocol has been expanded to support uploading, downloading, and recovery of aborted downloads (often called “crash recovery” or “resume”). In addition, two new protocols have been added: Ymodem-g and Xmodem-1k-g. These are streaming protocols, which download data non-stop into the buffer. Zmodem upload and crash recovery, Ymodem-g, and Xmodem-1k-g have not been available on a Commodore computer until now.
The functionality of the buffer has been greatly expanded. Novaterm’s buffer now uses any memory expansion device as buffer space. Novaterm 9.6 includes drivers to support the REU, BBGRam, GEORam, C128 VDC
memory, and DACC partitions in a RAMLink or RAMDrive. Using one of
these devices provides a huge amount of memory for capturing text or downloading files. What's more, the contents of the buffer remain intact even ifa user leaves Novaterm to use a different application. In fact, as long as the memory device is not overwritten or lose power, the buffer files are there when a user loads Novaterm again, That means a RAMLink or other powered devices will retain the buffer contents even ifthe computer is shut off. Users will no longer lose buffer files that they forgot to save to disk.
Novaterm 9.6 allows Commodore 128 users to take advantage of the C128’s 80-column screen. Novaterm is able to use the 80-column screen for terminal mode, and all of the terminal emulations may be used in conjunction with it: ANSI, VTL00/102, VT52, and Standard. Novaterm can display either 25, 28, 43, or 50 lines on the 80-column screen. In this mode, Novaterm switches the C128 processor to 2 MHz, providing the fastest possible display. The speed of the 80-column emulation has been improved, and a special driver has been included for REU users that uses the REU to implementa fast scroll. The performance of Novaterm 9.6 in 80 columns is far superior to previous versions.
Novaterm still supports the SwiftLink, of course, but other serial devices may also be used with Novaterm now. Performance Peripherals’ CommPort device is supported, as well as the HART cartridge. In addition, Daniel Dallmann, a Commodore enthusiast from Germany, has devised a way to attain 9600 bps through the Commodore's user port. He wrote a driver for Novaterm 9.6, allowing it to reach 9600 bps without a cartridge.
COMMODORE WORLD
Novaterm 9.6 provides many other conveniences. It has an 80-column file viewer. It has ASCII translation and UVencode/decode options. It can read the time from real-time clock devices. It supports a complete scripting language forautomated sessions. It comes witha text editoranda miniature BBS module. Especially useful to novice usersisa user-friendly configuration utility that leads a person through the setup step by step.
Novaterm is no longer shareware; it is now commercial software. Novaterm 9.6 sells for US$29.95. It comes on either a 1541 or 1581 disk, and it is shipped with a printed user's guide.
When a Commodore user group registers with a one-time US$30,00 registration, its members become eligible to receive a 50% discount on purchases of Novaterm 9.6.
For serious modem users, there is simply nothing better than Novaterm 9.6!
(E-mail: voyager@eskimo.com, WWW: hitp://www.eskimo.com/~voyager/ novaterm.htmil).
New Game Releases from Threshold
Threshold Productions International has released three new games for the C-64. Two of the new titles, Hans Kloss ($14.95) and Zamezysko ($9.95)are ‘platform’ games. As Hans Kloss, you must search Hitler's bunker for pieces of the plans to a doomsday machine. The theme may not be politically correctin the western world, but the gameis well done. In Zamezysko you'll search a castle for keys and diamonds, though you'll be hindered by bats, snakes, and other hinderances. The remaining game, Acid Runner ($14.95), isanarcade game that will please Lode Runner fans. All three games feature good graphics and game play, and are available for immediate shipment. Threshold Productions International, 17730 15th Ave. NE, Suite #229, Seattle, WA 98155 (E-mail: tpinfo@eskimo.com),
Escom Files for Protection
The German PC manufacturer Escom AG, recently filed for protection from its creditors after stockholders refused to make up for the company’s large losses. This news came only days after a final agreement between [scom and VIScorp had been reached, in which VIScorp is to take control ofall personnel and assets of Escom’s Amiga Technolgies, Gmbh. subsidiary. In addition, the deal provides VIScorp with the rights to all technology previously owned by Commodore and purchased by Escom last year, with one exception—Escom is to retain rights to the Commodore Trademark to use with their own line of PC's.
Issue 15
While the reported $40 Million deal is not expected to sour due to the filing, the German PC manufacturer faces additional problems: the Securities Trading Supervisory Office in Germany has announced it is investigating the company for alleged insider trading issues.
G & G Closes Out Specialty Cartridges
We recently received information from G & G Electronics indicating that they were closing out several Commodore cartridges for amatuer radio applications.
The products listed are SWL, a receive-only cartridge for CW and RTTY (Baudot & ASCII) for the Commodore 64/128 ($29.95); MORSE COACH, a complete teaching and testing cartridge-based program for learning Morse code on the Commodore 64/128 ($19.95); and AIR-1, a complete interface system for sending and receiving CW, RTTY (Baudot & ASCII), and AMTOR, for the Commodore VIC-20 ($39.95). Both the SWL and
AIR-1 cartridges are supplied with software in ROM. Shipping for each of
the cartridges is given as $5.00, and quantities were limited. G & G Electronics, 8524 Dakota Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, 301-258-7373.
OceanPC Announces Commodore II PC? This one has to go down in the anals of completely obscure coincidences.
OceanPC, a Seattle firm specializing in computers built for the rigors of
marine applications, recently announced their new Commodore II PC. So, what's a Commodore II? As it turns out, it’s an Intel Pentium system that has been specially packaged to reduce the effects of shock and salt water intrusion and corrosion.
Okay, so the name isn’t that odd considering the market the company services, right? True enough. But what really got us was the order number for the system provided on the order form. The ordering code for the Commodore II PC is CMD2000.
Release of Little Red Reader-128 verions 2.5.
Since release 2.0, a few bugs have been fixed, including the problem of not properly logging in MS-DOS disks sometimes which used to result in garbled directory listings. Date support has been added for reading and writing files, as well as the ability to abort commands and better error reporting. A number of other nicities have been added too, including the ability to count the bytes of selected files in a directory and to remove Commodore files, tomake it more convenient to back things up to MS-DOS disks.
Two things that are NOT in this release are the ability to format MS-DOS disks and compatibility with RAM-DOS, RAM-DOS uses the graphics area for its purposes, and that takes up too much memory. I don’t know what would happen if you threw out the graphics area with a “graphic clr”,
The files are available from FTP host “cenga.uwaterloo.ca” in directory “/pub/cbm/util128” in the following files:
Irr25.uua_ (uuencoded archive) Irr25.doc (documentation) Irr25.asm_ (assembly source)
or through my homepage in “http://cenga.uwaterloo.ca/~csbruce/
mycommie.html”. Here’s a summary of Little Red Reader (LRR):
May/June/July 1996
Little Red Reader is a program that allows a C128 (but not a C64) to copy files toand from MS-DOS floppy disks. The menu-driven program requires two disk drives to work, where the one containing the MS- DOS disk must bea 1571, 1581, or CMD-FD, With the CMD FD's, the program supports the 1.44-MB (high-density) disk format. The program does not buffer data internally, so the only size restriction on copying is the capacity of the target disk. The program provides PETSCH/ASCII conversion but will work only with the root directories of MS-DOS disks. The program is also available via FTP and is FREE. It appears that the latest version is not compatible with RAM-DOS,
CMD Captures Genie
The Commodore Roundtable on the Genie Online Service, formerly operated by Parsec, Inc., is now being managed by Creative Micro Designs, Inc. CMD plans to expand the features offered in the Roundtable to include special support for Commodore World readers. In addition, CW will be bringing readers news of planned events on Genie, such as special guest speakers appearing in the Conference area.
The change in management comes amid rumors of a Genie shutdown. These rumors are based on reports the new Genie owners, Yovelle Reniassance Corp., has defaulted on payments owed to General Electric Information Service, previous owners of the service. Lawyers for YRC confirmed that they had defaulted, but claimed that this was due to a dispute with GEIS over the number of active Genie subscribers that GEIS had supplied to YRC in negotiating the sale. YRC also claimed that there was noimmenent danger of the service shutting down, despite the fact that GEIS had moved to block collection of further Genie subscription fees.
While there has been no official word at this point, reliable sources have indicated that GEIS has approached YRC with an ammended payment schedule based on reduced numbers, and YRC appears to be quietly optimistic that the dispute can be remedied in the short term.
SuperCPU 64 Finally Readies for Shipping
After a number of delays, CMD has announced that the SuperCPU 64 is now being prepared for shipment, indicating that the first units should be in the hands of users by the end of July.
CMD indicated that the causes for additional delays were due to final problems found in making the unit work correctly over widely varying signals found in various Commodore computer models. One specific problem that caused delays was that DMA doesn’t work correctly on C-64c models during the first few seconds they are on. CMD initially thought this tobeaSuperCPU problem, but intensive testing indicated that the problem was actually the C-64c timing itself, and that the DMA failure was present even without a SuperCPU attached. In the end, CMD determined that nothing could be done to resolve the problem, but that users affected by the problem would normally see it with or without the SuperCPU,
CMD has also announced that the 64 version of the SuperCPU will be unable to support using the C128’s 80-column screen from 64 mode. Commodore made this impossible by blocking the write control to the 80-column VDC chip from the cartridge port. CMD states that the 128 version of the SuperCPU will use a special adaptor to get around this and other quirks of the 128 hardware design,
COMMODORE WORLD
Just For Starters
ly, Jason Compton
THE GREAT CARTRIDGE EXPANSE
The Commodore 64 was launched with a set of expansion ports unique to its design. The role that the bus designers foresaw for the “expansion”, or cartridge, port of the C-64 and 128 was probably not the same as that seen by modern-day Commodore developers. The past fourteen years have brought a slew of cartridges, some forgettable and some eminently useful, and the present holds a great deal of promise.
ROM Cartridges Early in the 64's life, floppy drives were very expensive, making disks a fairly unattractive medium for personal storage and commercial publication. The other alternative, cassette tape drives, were relatively cheap and the storage medium plentifuland abundant, butloading from tape can be a horribly slow process, requiring up toa half an hour to load a single program. Enter ROM cartridges (read-only memory, indicating a memory chip or chips with data that cannot be altered or erased). More expensive to build and reproduce than cassette tapes, cartridges provided a medium that any C-64 user could take advantage of, without requiring the ownership ofan expensive disk drive ora painful tape drive. Cartridges can be plugged directly into the expansion slot, and when the machine is powered on, the computer has almost instant access to the program. And from a marketing standpoint, cartridges were a well-established and understood concept among the general buying public, who had already been introduced tocartridge-based consoles suchas the Atari 2600. Generally, the first cartridges contained relatively simple but charming games such as Radar Rat Race and Crisis Mountain, and several bignamesin the industry, suchas Sega and Parker Brothers, brought their popular titles to Commodore cartridge slots. Commodore also published a few personal utility programs on
COMMODORE WORLD
cartridge, as well as the BASIC enhancer Simon's BASIC, butin time the cartridge lost its appeal as the more flexible floppy drive, with its dirt-cheap mass-production of disks, came down in price.
But the cartridge port would not restand collect dust so easily. With the cartridge port freed up, developers sought new and more innovative applications for the powerful slot.
Fastloaders Floppy drives (in general, trusty 1541 units) were in millions of homes by then, and people started discovering a drawback to the use of Commodore floppy drives: access was pretty slow. Not as slow as cassette tapes had been, but still ata pace that was rather inconvenient to the average user. It didn’t take long for developers todiscovera number of means, entirely through software, to make the 1541 andC-64 talk to each other more rapidly. The problem with these solutions was that they had to occupy a small but significant portion of the computer's memory at all times, meaning that a large program, oronewithitsown loading routines, could easily corrupt the new routine.
So companies turned to the cartridge port asa way to store their rapid disk access methods without infringing on the computer's standard
10
64k of memory. The trusty favorites in this category were FastLoad from Epyx and Mach-5 (C-64) and Mach 128 (C-128) from Access. Both offered increased load and save speed, a DOS wedge, and a rudimentary set of disk utilities. While the rapid loading routines of these cartridges were not always compatible with commercial software, particularly copy-protected programs, in general they served users and kept them reasonably happy with their disk access.
RAM Expansion
When the Commodore 64 was released, it was the most cost-effective computer in its class. Its standard 64k was greater than all but the high-end (and high-price) IBM PC line. Over time, users began torecognize that to handle serious quantities of data often requires a great deal of available memory, and that 64k was simply not sufficient. The inception of GEOS, the powerful but memory- intensive graphical operating system for the C-64 and 128, only added to this frustration, as a new line of easy-to-use tools offered the potential to work with large documents, but were hindered by the 64’s memory limits, While the release of the 128k C-128 helped to some extent, for 64 users unwilling to change computers, the RAM expanders were a blessing.
Initially produced by Commodore but later taken up by several other companies, including GeoWorks and CMD, RAM expansion units live in the cartridge slot and offer the use of RAM disks (exceptionally fastareasofmemory used forstorage much like a floppy disk) and additional document space for programs designed to take advantage of them (usually GEOS and related applications). The first RAM expansion units offered as little as 128k of extra storage for the C-64. Soon, with the introduction of the Commodore 1750 and 1750 Clone and the GEOS-specifie GeoRAM, 512k became the high-end standard for extra memory.
Issue 15
Over time, even more memory expansion became possible through such products as the BBGRAM and the RAMLink. Both can be battery- backed (so that even if the 64 loses power, the contents of expansion memory remain intact). The BBGRAM was available in up toa 2 megabyte form. The CMD RAMLink can hold up to 16 megs and contains JiffyDOS, CMD's high-speed disk access protocol for even faster access to memory storage. The CMDRAMLinkalso offersa cartridge passthrough slot; the usefulness of which should be growing more and more apparent.
Better Video?
One of the laments of high-end C-64 users is the machine's limited text resolution of 40 columns of characters eight pixels wide. While GEOS attempted to relieve the restriction somewhat, some wanted a solution that would work with existing software and would allow an 80-column text display, like that offered by computers like the IBM, Amiga, and Macintosh.
To this end, various workarounds developed. One found its way onto a cartridge, presumably in order to better reside in the Commodore's memory. The 80 column programs do not enhance the Commodore's basic graphics capability (a displayable area of 320x200 pixels, 320 pixels wide divided by 8 pixels wide equals 40 columns of text) butinstead alter the way it thinks of characters (320x200, 320 pixels wide divided by 4 pixels wide equals 80 columns). In effect, everything becomes 50% thinner.
The workaround only proves mildly compatible with existing software, and is only readable under certain color combinations. The rest are too blurry to discern. Overall, the 64 80 column modeisa disappointment. Those serious about 80 column mode would be well advised to investigate the C-128’s true 80 column mode, which is considerably superior.
Serial Speed Commodore users, like other computer users, are never satisfied; feeling that the grass is greener on the other side. For some time, the standard for modem speed was 2400 baud, a speed most Commodore terminal software supported. Modems made exclusively for the Commodore User port (the port on the opposite side from the cartridge port) as well as specific serial adapters designed to allow the use of industry standard modems supported this speed. Butaftera time, the industry began pulling away, first with the popularization of 9600 baud modems, and then pushing beyond to 14,400(14.4)and 28,800 baud. Users tried to squeeze more from their user port, but the modem manufacturers weren't
May/June/July 1996
catering to the 64. A conventional solution wasn't insight. Then came SwiftLink. Initially promoted asa way touse the new 9600 baud modems on the 64, but later realized at speeds capable of supporting the high-end 28,800, the SwiftLink puts an industry-standard 9-pin serial port on the Commodore's cartridge port. This means that for a reasonable investment, Commodore users have access to the same speed of connectivity that PC owners feel makes them gods.
Double-Barrel SID
The Commodore 64's musical abilities have been much lauded over the years. For years, it offered better sound than standard IBM PCs, and its compactness and ease ofuse were quite appealing. The SID chip, the heart of the 64's sound generation, has been the subject of technical journalarticles, and has been explored by serious musicians and hackers alike. Somewhere along the line, the two pursuits merged and the SID Symphony cartridge was born.
The cartridge contains a second SID chip and, for those programs and songs designed to take advantage of it, will use the two chips in tandem for a combined 6 voices of synthesized sound.
The Super Cartridges
While it’s fun to play with more sound and music and to have speedy telecommunications, the fact of the matter is that a number of users were looking for new avenues to explore their machines with, and needed more power and disk speed than the FastLoad and Mach line offered.
Thus sprung the “super cartridges”. Among this generation ofutility and fast loading cartridge was the Explode, the Super Snapshot, the Final Cartridge, and perhaps the best and most powerful super cartridge of the lot, the Action Replay. Whileno two super cartridges are exactly the same, each was built with some or all of the same features and goals in mind.
Better and faster disk access was of course a high priority. Most cartridges offered some sort of “monitor”, a program used to directly examine and alter memory. All included a reset button, used to escape from machine crashes without powering down, or to escape from a program with the memory intact for later examination. They picked up where Simon's BASIC left off, adding new commands to BASIC to make its use easier. Many included a new and innovative capability called “freezing.”
Freezing involves halting the program currently loaded and entering intoa special menu of options provided from the cartridge. Options include the ability to save the current screen as a picture, the ability to makeanexact backup copy ofthe program
11
(allowing you to reload the program at the exact point of the freeze; convenient for games which don't allow you to save your progress), or on the Action Replay, enter monitor mode and alter the program as it ran.
Avenues are opened up for frustrated gamers, budding programmers and explorers with these units. The best in my experience, and the only one still widely available, is the Action Replay. Its freezer is second to none, and provides a useful set of utilities and disk access programs. Some cartridges have individual assets that outshine the others (FastLoad still has one of the best disk editors, and Final Cartridge III has a graphical interface environment), but AR is the most well rounded.
Juggling Cartridges
Now that you have all of these cartridges, you face the truth: you have more useful cartridges than you have cartridge slots. Devices such as the EX2+1 or EX3 circumvent this problem.
At first, cartridge expansion devices were intended to “avoid wear on the cartridge slot” by providing you with four new cartridge slots you could plug your favorite games into. By flipping a switch, you could choose which cartridge you wanted to be active, and could swap out games on theexpansion unitratherthan the main computer.
As the expansion devices such as SwiftLink came about and the usefulness of super cartridges was apparent, a new solution was needed. Cards like the EX3 allow multiple cartridges to be active at once, so using your favorite term program and 14.4 modem with a SwiftLink won't keep you from programming in your Action Replay anymore,
Last But Not Least: Accelerators What more could you do with the cartridge port? Over the years, that question has been asked and answered many times. The most dramatic statement has been in the development of Commodore accelerator cards, bringing increased speed to the computer itself through the port initially conceived of for a game of Tapper.
The early entries came at speeds of 4 and 8 MHz; significant improvements over the 64’s 1 MHz, but compatibility was a problem. CMD's SuperCPU line for the 64 and 128 promise 20 MHz performance.
Given the course of innovation at every step in the exploration ofthe Commodore cartridge port, I can only believe that the new accelerators will have a positive influence on the future of Commodore computing.
*)
COMMODORE WORLD
Foreign Exchange
Austrians living in the capital city of Vienna have a quaint little saying when describing an event which premiers in their glorious city, and then extends to the outer regions of Europe: “It begins in Vienna!”
On May 4, 1996, a Wienerwald Restaurant in Vienna, Austria was the site of the first public demonstration of CMD’s new SuperCPU. Rudolf Sanda, club leader of the GIG-Vienna, had been in contact with CMD’s European office many months prior to the May meeting. Would CMD have something new to demonstrate which he could use as a drawing card? Yes indeed, the SuperCPU was scheduled to be released in May, and we would do our best to get at least a prototype ready for May 5. On May 2, the precious cargo arrived here at my address, and the next day I was on the train heading for Vienna to meet Rudolf. We had scheduled a ‘viewing’ with insiders on Friday evening, as well as the Saturday show.
Before | let you in on how the show went, I must tell you that I am a die hard ice hockey fan. What in the world does that have to do with the SuperCPU? Well, it just so happens that the World Championship of Hockey was taking place that week in Vienna; the USA had made it to the semi-finals and would be playing one block away from the train station on Friday afternoon. Game time was 4 p.m. and my train arrived at 3 p.m. I wondered if I could get a ticket, see the game and still make the Friday evening meeting. Scalpers were asking about
COMMODORE WORLD
By Rich Gasdl
IN WEIN BEGINNT’S
$150 outside the ice stadium, I thought about making a sign which read: “Trade new SuperCPU for good seat!” but luckily | founda Swede who sold me his ticket for face value.
With the CPU tucked safely under my seat | watched in dismay as the USA lost (they were massacred!) | was sure glad I didn’t have to sacrifice the CPU to see THAT game! The evening game pitted Canada against Russia. | was tempted—but resisted. Canada won in penalty shots after the game ended ina tie. If] had swapped the CPU fora ticket to that game, it may have been worth it!
There were only a few who showed up to get a first look, but the evening demo went well. | ran the unit through a few demos and answered questions, but [hadn't had time prior to Friday to really take the thing apart and test it. That I would leave up to the specialists the next morning.
The actual club meeting on Saturday was by invitation only. Some important Commodore personalities attended. The German magazine “64er” had arranged for a programmer to interview me, take photographs of the CPU
12
and the meeting, and write an article for an upcoming issue. Representatives from other clubs were present and videotaped the demonstration for their members. After the mandatory greetings by Mr. Sanda, I was asked to say a few words concerning the CPU project and then to introduce the unit. Knowing that the CPU could speak for itself, I suggested we play with it for the remainder of the day, I made it a point to specify that the unit which was being demonstrated was not the finished product. Other functions were being implemented into the processor even as we demonstrated that unit. Some guests either failed to understand this statement or were not paying attention, though, as the word “bugs” was used to describe those not yet implemented functions.
As I ran the demo disk, the room was filled with “oohs” and “ahhs”, Guests politely used their elbows to get closer to the table for a better look. The same questions were asked and answered a zillion times. Two young programmers, Guenther Bauer and Andreas Varga, were given the privilege to try out their expertise on the CPU. The processor passed just about every test they put it through. Every available program was tried out on the souped-up C-64, Some programs obviously couldn't keep up with the 20 MHz. Graphic demos were quickly finished even though the accompanying music was stillin its first strains. The race car game Test Drive proved almost too
Issue 15
difficult to manage. One player ‘drove’ the car while his buddy switched the CPU to Normal speed in the curves then back to Turbo speed on the straight-aways. It was quite amusing to watch!
GoDot, the best graphic conversion program for the Commodore, ran flawlessly in Turbo mode. The author, Arndt Dettke, is also considering changes to the program to really take advantage of the newly developed speed. While the GEOS patches were not available for the meeting, we still managed to load the program in Normal mode, and when all disk access was finished, we switched over to Turbo mode. Drawing in geoPaint and scrolling in geoWrite were sensational!
People were overwhelmed not only at the speed, but the ease of installation. No need to take the computer apart or mess around with timing tuning. The CPU is literally a Plug & Play unit! The sturdy metal case impressed those who have seen or own another accelerator that is delivered as a ‘bare board’.
Before | had arrived back home the next day, the news had spread over the Internet. My e-mail address was flooded with mail and the phone rang off the hook. What began in Vienna had rapidly spread to all parts of Europe. A new generation has dawned here for Commodore users!
$)
The following are comments made by Guenther Bauer via the Internet, edited for grammer and readability by the Commodore World editing staff. Guenther was present for the Vienna introduction of the SuperCPU, and spent several hours analyzing it, along with programmer Andreas Varga.
On Saturday, the 4th of May, 1996, CMD introduced their newest product, the SuperCPU 64, to the public at a local GEOS meeting in Vienna, Austria.
The SuperCPU has a W65C816S processor operating at a clock speed of 20 MHz. The unit | was able to test was still a beta version prototype.
CMD’s SuperCPU 64 comes in a metal case (similar in color and style to RAMLink) and hasa pass-through port toadd other cartridges suchas Final Cartridge II, Commodore REU’s, or CMD's own RAMLink. There are three switches on the upper side, plus a Turbo indicator and a Reset button. From leftto right the first switch enables/ disables the device, the second switch turns JiffyDOS on or off, and the third switch is used to
May/June/July 1996
toggle between Normal and Turbo mode (1 and 20 MHz, respectively).
The prototype didn't have the final DOS, and was notable to work with RAMLink. The JiffyDOS switch was also not yet functional, which caused trouble withsome programs that insisted on using their own loading routines.
Sad news foralotofscene dudes: the SuperCPU doesn’t work with the Action/Replay MK VI cartridge; the only way tomake the Action/Replay work was to totally disable the SuperCPU. The Final Cartridge III, however, did work with the SuperCPU,
Some games did benefit from the higher speed that the SuperCPU provides; among these were games like Test Drive. This game plays at 20 MHz nearly as smooth as an arcade game machine— well, the graphics still look a bit rough compared with an arcade machine, but the the scrolling is much smoother, and you can drive very precisely now.
F16 Combat Pilot and Chuck Yeager’s Advanced Flight Trainer looked like real flight simulators— the added speed gives the real feel of flying.
Games like Outrun and Powerdrift did benefit a little, though the difference wasn’t really very big. Other games like Stunt Car Racer or Revs are really amazing to watch, and were incredibly fast—too fast to be playable in 20 MHz mode.
Elite showed real vector power; sometimes the game looks too fast, but in other cases it is really fun to play. If you switch the SuperCPU down to 1 MHz, though, you suddenly feel like you're dealing witha snail... the performance difference is really that big. It’s quite similar to driving a car at 130 Kph for a couple of hours, If you have to slow down to 50 Kph it seems like you're walking by foot.
I also tested some tools and utilities. A 110 block file was crunched using the Crue! Cruncher. Without the SuperCPU it is supposed to take from 15 to 30 minutes; with the SuperCPU it was finished in abouta minute anda half. Decrunching is so fast that you don’t even notice it. If packers use illegal opcodes, it can make the program crash, but that’s understandable.
Godot!, the C-64 image processor, needs only one to two seconds to render, while it normally takes about 35 seconds. Amica Paint also flies, and so does GEOS.
In the final release version there will be a disk containing GEOS patches, since it’s necessary to patch the floppy drivers. These patches weren't available to me at the time, so all 1 could do was switch down to 1 MHz to start geoPaint and geoWrite. As soon as there was no more disk access I could switch to 20 MHz—and the result was more than amazing!
13
In geoPaint the fill routines fly; filled circles now move as fast as your mouse pointer. In geoWrite the improvements are even better—in fact, dramatic. First of all, every time you type a letter, itappears on the screen as fast you are used to in BASIC, so no more ‘typing faster than the computer can handle it’. Left-right page scrolling is now done instantly, you hardly notice the redrawing of the missing text parts. It’s as fast as you would expect a PowerPC or Pentium 120 or higher to behave on a similar program.
Even better is the scroll up and down function (moving the mouse pointer to the top or bottom of the screen): while in 1 MHz mode, down scrolling is slow and up scrolling is slower yet (you have to wait several seconds for it to finish); with 20 MHz it is similar in speed to clicking on the scroll arrows of a window ona very fast PC. It was really astonishing, even more than I expected. Up and down scrolling as fast as the cursors moves!
Alignments (left, center, right, full) happen as fast as you can click on the corresponding button—it’s incredible! A ‘preview’ of the test page I made took 1 minute and 7 seconds to complete at 1 MHz, but with the SuperCPU it was faster than 6.5 seconds.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to test such applications as geoPublish. GeoMORPH, however, is now so fast that it is nearly realtime (just seconds for one frame).
Last, but not least, I want to mention some demos I tried: Attack Of Stubidos 3 had a mandelbrot zoomer which was so fast in 20 MHz mode that it finished in seconds while the music was still playing the beginning phrase (it was initially adjusted to fit to the zoom at 1 MHz).
Vector demos (e.g. The ‘burning rubber’ part of a Bonzai demo) were amazing to watch; they looked way smoother and really Amiga-like. FLI, of course, doesn’t work as it is timed for 1 MHz, butall texture mapping (dawnfall/oxyron) looked fast and smooth.
Andreas Varga tried to code some rastersplits onthe unit. He achieved 32 splits with only about 20 lines ofassembler code without using the IRQ. He felt that it might even be possible to do 2 splits in BASIC.
‘Musics’ which use about 18 rasterlines per frame at 1 MHz now use 1 or 2 rasterlines in Turbo mode.
All these things were tested in the emulation mode of the cpu. The real potential, of course, will bein the native mode ofthe SuperCPU (where you can address up to 16 MB of RAM).
Cheers, Guenther
COMMODORE WORLD
Graphic Interpretation
I bought my C-64 in the fall of 1990, and it was a very simple arrangement: a keyboard, a 1541 drive, a joystick, a black and white T.V. and GEOS 1.3. My buddy Glen really started to get to me with his persistent teasing question, “Hey Paul, when are you going to up-grade to an Amiga?”
This much | knew: as a student, I just didn’t have the funds to be spending thousands of dollars to get an entirely new system. So I began looking around to see what was available to me out there, and GEOS 2.0 and Q-Link online network came to my rescue. Before Q-Link closed down in late 1994, I was able to download many gems that helped me without making me go broke; tools that boost the timeand output efficiency of GEOS applications toan amazing degree. Here are some that I have made good use of, and that can likely be found within a user group near you,
Boot Disk Beauties I have five special tools added onto my GEOS boot disks that are classified as “AUTO-EXEC” or automatic executing sequential files, Quite simply, once you type in the LOAD “*”, 8, Land press return, these files will activate during the GEOS boot process in the order that they appear on the boot disk. They can be placed in any order after the boot files, take up a modest 1-3K of RAM, and don’t add much more than a few seconds to the booting time, yet I think you will enjoy the results. This is the order in which they appear on my disk:
AutoClock 1.5 by Rick Koch, dated 4/15/91, takes up 2K of disk space. It puts up a small
COMMODORE WORLD
buy Paced Sullivan
D>
GEOS FROM THE GROUND UP
screen that allows you to enter the current date and time, eliminating the needed mental note to update the clock once GEOS is booted. No more piles of filed dating from 7/6/88; any files that you create are automatically dated, making for much easier reference.
Next is ScreenSaver 3.2 (Blackout) by Jim Holloway, 4/28/91, which takes up 1K of disk space. During the boot process it will put up a small screen that says “installing blackout” and displays for about three seconds. Thisisasimple but effective screen blocker (best when used with a black border on your screen) which activates after 6-7 minutes of not hitting a key and or using a mouse or joystick. It also adds another useful feature by toggling the pointer and text priority. For example, when typing on geoWrite, the text will show “through” the pointer until it is moved, so you don’t have to keep pointer shifting to read any covered words.
14
It'sbeenalongtime since I last muttered “stupid pointer!” under my breath...
Then there is Fancy Start 1.0 by Anthony Sommers, 7/27/92, which takes up 3K. This does nothing more than put up a very colorful GEOS title screen. As Mr. Sommers put on the info screen “What's three more seconds?” It is simply an attractive amusement.
T am currently making use of a 1750 RAM expander. It doesn’t have a battery backup like the CMD RAMexpansion models do, soit always took me a few minutes after booting to go through my files and pick which ones I wanted to operate on the 1750, The QwikPik and QwikStash files have eliminated all that looking, highlighting, copying, waiting (yawn....) On a disk armed with these two tools, you can designate certain files to be automatically copied onto the RAMdisk during bootup. Select QwikPik and a list of that disks files will be displayed. Highlight the ones you wish to be copied to the RAMdisk. Once you press save and quit, it will produce a file called “QWIKDATA" that will make QwikStash do the work for you each time that disk is booted.
Thave made use of the above tool for well over three years and they have not shown signs ofany bugs nor have they given me any crash or lock- ups. There are more useful files, not in the category of “AUTO-EXEC” that I'd like to describe, so now it’s time to move...
Beyond Booting! Everybody will have their late night lapses, and one very frustrating one can be to delete one or
Issue 15
more very important file(s). But don’t despair! John Howard's powerful “unTrash” application (4/28/90) willlist and recall multiple files that have been deleted on any disk, 5.25”, 3.5” and even the RAMdisk! It will list a screen of the trashed files on a current disk, and you highlight the ones you need to have untrashed (recovered.) Take care though; a file, when trashed, can only be untrashed if nothing has been copied over it. In other words, if you delete a file ora font on Disk A, then copy some other file to Disk A, that copied file may write over the space the deleted one has taken up. If so, the deleted file cannot be recovered. Still, this useful tool is guaranteed to spare you some frustration at some point in time.
Before I bought my two 1581 drives and a 1750 RAM expander, I had to struggle along with my trusty old (but slow) 1541, The desk Top can be as slow as molasses as is redraws the file icons after leaving an application. If you don’t yet have a RAM expansion unit, then Charles E. Kinne’s application Switcher 1.3, 3/10/89, (not to be confused with CMD’s gateWay file) can save you some time. After booting GEOS,
GEOCABLE Il Parallel Print Cable
double click on Switcher's file icon and a simple screen appears. It lists every application, and has command boxes enabling you to open an application, change a disk or drive, or cancel and return to the desktop. It appears on the screen ina tenth of the time the deskTop takes, and best of all, it is only 1K in size!
My pet peeve was the ten page geoWrite file that needed reviewing. Late at night, it was hardly considerate to the other members of my household to have my nine-pin printer screeching out ten draft-style pages. So how do you quietly but quickly review your papers? BSC Tech Unit has devised a very handy application called QuickView 1.1 (2/17/88) which enables the geoWrite user to screen dump (display all text in) a Write file at the push of a button. It’s quick but no need to worry; there's a pause and an exit button so you can momentarily stop the printing and carefully review the text, or just leave the file.
Tool Kit, by Rick Krantz, 12/20/88, enables “entire document formatting.” This means that fonts, page width, line spacing etc., can be adjusted on all pages of a document at once.
Also, for ease of printing, two geoWrite documents can be appended, joined and more. This can save precious time when dealing with long documents.
Easy Access(ories)
There are a number of useful desk accessories that geoWrite users will find helpful. Here area few of my favorites:
Selector 64 (9/30/89) can change the input and printer drivers currently being used. This can be helpful in geoPaint if you need to switch from using a mouse toa joystick for straight line drawing, for example. Or if utilizing more than one printer and needing to switch, then you won't have to run to the deskTop. I'dalso like to mention Payton W. Snider's FontSwap 1.0 (9/ 17/89). Ifyou have a large number of fonts, this tool can temporarily arrange all of your font files until the eight you want are in place.
This is only a small sample of some amazing tools that were once found on the sadly-missed Q-Link. Next time, we'll look at more GEOS boosters.
»
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May/June/July 1996
MacAttack II, WronglsWrite, and
GEOS CONVERT. GeoCabie II is compatible with GEOS, Perfect Print LQ, Action-Replay MK Vi, Superbase, Superscript, Paperciip Ill, and all software that Supports user port parallel printing.
° Faster Output Parallel printing offers up to a 40% increase in output speed. ° GEOS Drivers Included Includes GEOS drivers plus useful GEOS
MPS 803.....$69.00 DPS 1101....$99.00 OKI 20
utilities like
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1541......$69.00 1541 Il...$79.00 1571......$89.00
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Power supplies, cables, ribbons, paper, disks, cartridges, programs new and used, books, magazines, accessories.
COMMODORE WORLD
_ UTILITIES. - ~
- | PART'TWO: | | ° DISK TRANSFER -
dy Doug Cotton - i ue fs | ) | )} (7 ° |
s T indicated in part 1 of this series, I've Annet transferred files between various computer platforms on a daily basis for several years. While my own preference for accomplishing this has always been the null-modem method (where possible), there have
been times where one of the other methods is better suited to the task.
Is Your Data Ready?
Before you start tranferring any data, though, there's another (often initially overlooked) factor in transferring data that you need to be aware of: file translation,
You see, if your data isn’t in a format that ean be easily read by the platform you're movingit to, some form of translation is in order. Often this only means converting between standard ASCII and its Commodore counterpart, PETASCII (see the chart on the following page for commonly translatable characters). Most terminal programs and transfer utilities provide this kind of translation, but there are many translation programs available online or in user group libraries that can be used for this purpose. We've included a list of many such files found on Genie in the sidebar on this page.
While ASCII/PETASCII translation is usually all that is needed for most transfers, there are other possibilities. For example, many word processing programs on the C-64 and 128 store their files in ‘screen code’ format. These are the codes that you would normally use to ‘POKE’ a given character directly into screen memory. Since the need for this type of conversion is less common, so is its inclusion in transfer utilities. But you'll still find a number of public domain programs that can perform this for you.
While it would appear that we're talking mostly about word processing files here, that isn’t completely true. Many other types of programs canimportand export datain ASCII or PETASCIH formats. Spreadsheets, databases, and even some charting programs fall into this category.
Also, before you head off on a search for a special utility to perform your conversion, make sure that you don’t overlook the obvious: nearly every word processor program produced for the 64 and 128 has a means for saving files in standard formats, or a side program for converting its own files. More often than not, you'll be able to convert your files to PETASCI without looking for additional utilities, then convert them to true ASCII while transferring to another platform. And the same is true when
May/June/July 1996
going the opposite direction as well.
Not that text conversions are all you might be looking for. Graphic files can also be converted and transferred between platforms, and many users do this regularly, Graphic files do require a different set of utilities, though, and there are a number of formats that can prove difficult or impossible to convert into something viewable. For a more complete discussion of converting graphics, check out the Carrier Detect column in this issue.
Utilities for Direct Disk Transfers Several utilities are available for direct transfer of data via disk. These utilities have one thing in common: they use the ability of certain Commodore disk drives to read and write MS-DOS disk formats. By doing this, it becomes possible to use the same disks on both platforms. And since most other platforms are capable of reading the MS-DOS formats as well, these utilities aren't limited to transfers between MS-DOS and Commodore.
Among the utilities available for this purpose are Big Blue Reader (a commercial program from SOGWAP Software) and Little Red Reader (a freeware utility by Craig Bruce. RUN Magazine also published several Commodore/MS-DOS utilities, and these are available on the RERUN
disk collection now owned and distributed by Creative Micro Designs.
The RUN MS-DOS CONNECTION program from the April 1989 ReRUN disk is a C128 program that supports 157 Land 1581 disk drives for reading and writing MS-DOS disk formats of upto 360K on 1571 disk drives and 720K on 1581 disk drives. This program also offers support for 1581 partitions, MS-DOS subdirectories, ASCH/PETASCII translation, and all filetypes except for relative files. This program also strips or adds linefeeds as needed during file transfers. The main drawbacks of this program is that it doesn't format MS-DOS disks, it doesn't offer CMD FD drive support, and it has a file size limit of approximately 45K.
A C-64 version of the program, MS-DOS 64, is available on the June 1989 ReRUN disk. This program is just like the 128 version described above, but it has a reduced file size limit of approximately 30K.
Rounding out the RUN utilities is the MS-DOS FORMATTER found on the May 1989 ReRUN disk. This program supports formatting MS-DOS disks up to 360K on 1571 disk drives. It offers no support for 1581 or CMD FD drives.
Little Red Reader, by Craig Bruce, is a C128 program that supports disks up to 360K on ther 1571, 720K on the 1581, and 1.44MB on CMD
File Translation & Conversion Utilities Available on Genie
File # File Name 532 PET ASCII TO REAL ASCII 913 SPEEDSCRIPT UTILS.ARC
3271 ASCII/PETSCIl CONVERTER
3446 FILE TRANSLATOR
3655 TRANSLATOR 1,2
3783 ASCII CONVERT128
3784 ASCII CONVERT64
4125 VELVEETA 64
4242 OMNI2ASCIl
4386 PRINTILITY-2.SDA
4946 ASCII CONV128 V3
§382 CONVERT
5384 CONVERT.DOCS
5696 GWCONVERT6.0.CVT
6129 CBM-IBM.EXE
6912 CBM2OTHERS.TXT 10140 WRONGISRITE7.CVT 10834 ASCII2PETSCI.LARC 17732 TEXTUT
17
Description
Converts PETSCIl to real ascii Speed to Pet & Pet to Speed + Docs SEQ file utility by Dennis Larson. Translates SEQ-->PRG
PETSCII <---> ASCII file converter. Converts Files to Pet or ASCII Convert Files to Pet or ASCII
*THE* File Processor
Convert Omniwriter files to ASCII Convertor/Stripper/Filter, more. TRUE ASCII to PET ASCII Conversion Fast ASCII to PETASCII converter Docs for CONVERT (#5382) Geowrite format converter.
Petascii <--> Ascii converter, cbm<=>vax,mac,ibm,and kaypro v7.0 of geoWrite format converter Converts true ASCII to PETSCII convert text files
COMMODORE WORLD
ASCII, PETASCII, & SCREEN CODES SCREEN i nS.) nn | as - ai ama)
| DEC HEX ASCII | PETASCII
HORI2Z. TAB
SCREEN
=i)
216 | SDE
iz A R } J | x 75 S4B K | K K 217 | SDS | y 6 Co Ly 2
COMMODORE WORLD 18 Issue 15
FD drives. It also provides PETSCII/ASCII translation, and times and dates for MS-DOS files. One of the programs main advantages is thatit’s available online for free—even the source code is freely available.
The program’s main faults are that it requires two disk drives, doesn’t support MS-DOS subdirectories, and doesn'thave the capability to format MS-DOS disks.
Big Blue Reader, from SOGWAP software, comes supplied with versions for both the C-64 and C-128. It supports reading and writing to MS-DOS disks up to 360K on 1571 drives, 720K on 1581 and CMD FD disk drives. Italso supports
LOCATION
Both computers in the same location
64NET cable
Computers are in same or different locations
A64 cable
x1541 cable, 1541 drive
1571, 1581 or CMD FD
Computers are in different locations
May/June/July 1996
HARDWARE
Null-modem cable, RS-232 interface
C64S cable
Modem
reading and writing 1.44MB and 2.88MB disks on CMD FD drives, though these require special formatting. Additionally, BBR supports formatting disks on all drives supported, has ASCII, PETASCH, and screen code translation, and can read and write CP/M formatted disks. BBR can use single or multiple drives.
On the negative side, BBR cannot create the specially formated disks required for 2.88MB disk support. And the requirement of a special format makes it impossible totransfer files even on 1.44MB disks created on another computer.
»
SOFTWARE NOTES Computers are interconnected via null-modem cable, transfer files with terminal programs using xmodem, ymodem, or text buffer capture. Can transfer between any computer types.
Terminal software on both computers
Computers are connected via special cable to create a network. Special software is operated on both computers to achieve transfers. Only for MS-DOS/Commodore transfers.
64NET
Connects 1541 drive to MS-DOS computer via special cable. Transfer using utility included with C64S or other utilities such as TRANS64.
Cé64S Emulator
Connects 1541 drive to Amiga computer via special cable. Transfer using utility included with A64.
A64 Emulator
Connects 1541 drive to MS-DOS computer via special cable. Transfer using special utilities such as TRANS64.
Special utility program running on MS-DOS PC (TRANS64, THE STAR COMMANDER, etc.)
Directly read or write MS-DOS diskettes with Commodore 64/128 using one of the supported drives.
BIG BLUE READER LITTLE RED READER
Computers are connected through modems via standard telephone lines. Transfer files with terminal programs using xmodem, ymodem, or text buffer capture. Can transfer between any computer types.
Terminal Software
19 COMMODORE WORLD
Welcome to the first installment of articles devoted to todays most artistic Commodore expression; the Commodore Demo!
The intent of this series is to introduce some of the best NTSC and NTSC-fixed demos ever made over the past decade. Over the next few issues, we'll discover the classics of the eighties and the hottest new releases. So far this year, we've been treated to approximately 20 new NTSC/NTSC-fixed demos and probably (at the very least) four times as many PAL demos, proving the Commodore is far from dead.
What Exactly Is A Commodore Demo?
Toresearch this topic, | poppedinto the IRC’s#c- 64 channel. Here I found a host of demo artists discussing new releases, NTSC fixes in the works, and of course other Commodore topics. (Yes, believe it or not, there is more to life than demos.) So, I casually dropped the question “What is a demo?” It didn’t take long to realize that the definition varies from person to person. Next is an overview of the most important ingredients comprising an official Commodore demo.
ommodore’s Delightful Demos:
by Sherry Freedline
Graphics
In my opinion, graphics are the single most important element of any demo. These graphics come in many shapes and forms including: original pictures; colorful, animated sines comprised ofalmost anything from simple lines tocomplex sprites, or totally inexplicable, must- see presentations of color.
These graphics are sometimes used to conveya message (Tears ‘95), tell a story (It’s Coming), or just to displaysome amazing talent. Many demos contain more than a single page. In the multi- page demos, the spacebar is commonly used to advance from page to page. Todays demoscontain an introduction announcing the group, a body displaying the unique graphics and/or routines, and a conclusion usually consisting of credits similar to that of a video production.
Text Most (but not all) demos contain scrolling text created with custom character sets. There are
endless variations employed for presentation of
these scrolls. In the past they've flowed in circular paths, waves, and some of the more memorable
scrolls have been upside down, backwards and even mirrored,
The text often contains greetings to friends, fellow demo groups and their individual members. At times, scrolls often contain text relevant to the demo, the Commodore world in general, and/or almost anything the author(s) wish to relay to the Commodore community.
Music
Themajority ofdemos contain music, which playsa vital role in setting the atmosphere for the visual presentation(s). Often times the music (or digi- mixes) contained within the demo are original creations. Takeitfromsomeonewho's been viewing and collecting demos for eleven years; these musical masterpieces easily take control of your mind, making you want to crank up the volume! If you've enhanced your Commodore's sound system, demos will definitely make you appreciate your efforts,
Coding Last, but most importantly, demos use unique routines for the presentation of the demo's scroll
and animated graphics. While in the IRC, it was pointed out to me that a demo should also be thought of as a demonstration of the abilities, talents, and knowledge of the members of the demo group. Many of the demos exist totally to show offa new routine used ina scroll or graphic presentation. Demo masters have proven time and time again that the Commodore 64 has very few limitations. The word “can’t” simply doesn’t exist in their vocabularies.
A Personal Definition
Okay, so that’s the technical definition. Of course, I feel inclined to share my own personal demo definition. I've been an avid fan of the Commodore demo since I set eyes on them with my first online excursion around 1985. To me, a demo isa gift. It takes all the best features of the Commodore (usually the C- 64): the sound, the graphics, the sprites, the colors, and the programming capabilities, and wraps them all into a Commodore gift of art.
Remember that feeling you had as a child on Christmas morning when you first glimpsed all those presents beneath the tree? Thanks to the active Commodore demoscene, I'mable to relive those feelings time and time again upon the release of an all new demo.
Where Do Commodore Demos Live?
The answer is simple: the Internet. In case you haven't had the opportunity to “surf the net”, grab your modem, a VT100 capable term program, and dive in! You'll be amazed by the number of Commodore specific Web Pages and FTP sites now populating the highway. There are so many that | have a hard time restricting my world wide web bookmark file to fifty sites! More are born every day.
If you don’t have access to a local Internet provider, demos can also be found on most online services such as GEnie. And if what you want isn’t available on your favorite on-line services, they can even be sent to you via E-Mail, thanks to uuencoding.
NTSC & PAL
This can be a very technical subject, but because this isn’t a technical series, won't get into this too deeply. For beginning demo enthusiasts, these terms refer to your ability to view a demo. If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you're basically limited to viewing NTSC and NTSC-fixed demos. Overseas viewers have PAL
May/June/July 1996
Commodore systems, and therefore have the ability to view the PAL demos.
What it boils down to is the voltage used by your Commodore computer. There will be occasions where NTSC owners can view a PAL demo. But don’t be surprised to findsome flicker and distortion. Other times, a PAL demo just plain won't load on an NTSC system.
This topic could go into great detail if I let it, butifyou'd like to learn more about it there is an NTSC/PAL discussion currently happening on Usenet’s COMP.SYS.CBM news group and ifall else fails you can always pop into the IRC, channel #c-64 and ask your questions there.
I rely on the talented demo makers of the World because I doubt I'll ever possess the necessary skills to create an awesome demo. The scene is still very much alive. It is these demo makers, game producers, and folks like those at CMD, along with a handful of other talented individuals (even today, they remain too numerous to name) that keep the Commodore scene alive. Finally, on to the demos...
Swish/Synth
Swinth: Glen E. Bredon
Synth: Jim Winings
Combined & Modified by: Carl A, Meahl, Jr.
Swish/Synth (also known as Swinth and Laser Show) is the program responsible for initiating my fascination with Commodore demos. While Swish/Synth may not fall totally into todays definition of a demo, it’s a classic that no demo fan should ignore.
Swish/Synth made its debut in 1985. As indicated by the demo’s title, the program is actually two programs combined. Swish features
21
the graphics and Synth the music. Combined, they create quite an addicting package.
Swish/Synth is interactive, allowing the user to alter various settings as he/she desires. The two-page demo begins with an option screen informing users of the various keys that may be used to adjust the display on the following page.
A press of the spacebar opens the door to an eye-pleasing screen of dancing, animated lines, accompanied by mesmerizing music. The display reminds me of todays PC screen savers. But the Commodore version has one up on the PC; it has music. The PC versions I've seen to date only have music if you happen to pop ina CD ROM or turn on the stereo. Swish/Synth was clearly a program ahead of it’s time and perhaps a predecessor to todays ever popular screen savers.
The continually changing screen alone would have been enough to keep me loading this program time and time again. But even better, the author included the options to allow you to alter the display to suit your preferences. The Fl, F3, F5 keys change the colors of the line designs. F7 provides random color changes. The H and V keys adjust the horizontal vertical symmetry respectively. The length of the designs “tail” changes with the touch of any of the numeric keys. Last, but best of all, the music can be changed to any of nine selections by simply pressing the spacebar. Some of the music may be familiar to you as it’s not all original. Personally, I had a difficult time choosing a favorite because they are all terrific! Fortunately, if you leave the demo run, it will cycle through all nine songs.
By providing the above options, the authors have made Swish/Synth fun and addicting. It doesn’t take long before you find yourself playing with the various options just to see the effects they create on the display.
I found a way to enjoy Swish/Synth at work and at home. In the Eighties I worked in retail (fittingly, | worked in the Electronics division where the shelves were loaded with Commodore computers andit’s related accessories.) One look at Swish/Synth and I knew it was the perfect program to draw attention to the Commodore computer display. I was right, because it attracted audiences ofall ages with its music and dazzling line designs.
Athome, even to this day, I still load Swish/Synth for my _ personal
and
COMMODORE WORLD
enjoyment; it’s a great relaxation tool. Simply load it up, choose your favorite color settings,
put on some comfy clothes and curl up in that favorite chair (hopefully within viewing distance of your monitor). You may find the tensions of the day metamorphosing into a pleasing, mellow mood,
Time Crystal by Jim Sacchs
Time Crystal followed closely upon the heels of Swish/Synth in 1985, The author states up front that he lacked the necessary means to complete Time Crystal. To the best of my knowledge, Time Crystal remains unfinished to this day.
‘Time Crystal appears to be tellinga story. The story opens with the appearance of a human- bearing Time Crystal. Sound effects accompany the Time Crystal as it flies through magnificent multi-colored skies. The final screen leaves you wanting more as the Time Crystal lands ina pre- historic landscape and then it just... ends.
All the pages are amazing. The graphics are of professional quality. For computer art buffs, the final screen truly takes your breath away. This page containsa dinosaur, flying pre-historic birds, and a bubbling waterfall. The animation of the birds and waterfall continue until you forcefully end it. | can't help but wonder what other treats Mr, Sacchs had in mind for the completion of Time Crystal. Does anyone know?
COMMODORE WORLD
Time Crystal also contains some music. However, itis the graphics of this demo that will stay with you. Naturally, this is another must-see classic demo that should be in your collection. Now let’s move ahead to the current demo scene.
Driven
Creator & Editor: Elwix
Co-Editor & Reviewer: Coolhand The year is 1994. Rumors are abound; the Commodore's dying. Along comes a man possessing a dream. Armed with great ambitions, dedication and skill, he’s a member of Style. He needs no introduction among the great world of demos where he's known simply as Elwix. His dream: to support and promote the C-64 demo scene by way of a demo magazine.
Next comes Coolhand, an individual sharing his skills and talent. Fittingly enough they met on the “highway”, a key factor to creating and spreading the dream. They combine their skills, knowledge, and great talents. The dream becomes reality and is introduced to the world on August 13, 1994 as Driven, issue number one,
Other members of the Driven staff include: Cybernoid & Decomp (NTSC demo reviewers), Skyelad (commercial editor), Perry-Beast (article editing), Iceball (PAL articles and news, CountZero (PAL demo reviews), and Tao (articles, new unannounced column, and EHQ BBS Sysop), Dr. Soft and Macx (maintains public domain release list), and many others who have freely contributed articles.
Currently, Driven arrives on the scene approximately every twomonths. ForDrivenaddicts suchas myself, Issue#13, should bereleasedaround May Ist, quenching your thirst for info on all the latest releases. It can easily be found on Coolhand’s official Drive page, URL: http://soho.ios.com/ ~coolhnd. Driven can also be found on most Commodore Web Pages, FTP sites, and online services featuring a section devoted to demos.
22
For those of you new to the online world and the demoscene, Drivenis an electronic magazine originally dedicated to supporting and promoting the NTSC demo scene. Recently they've broadened their spectrum to include coverage of the very active PAL demo scene of Eastern Europe. With the release of over 12 issues, they've proudly reached their initial goal and thus have established a new challenge; that of decreasing the divide of the NTSC and PAL demo scenes. Hopefully, they'll succeed.
Driven is currently contained within a single “crunched” file. Each edition begins with an Elwix editorial topped off with a Driven logo. Of course, all the contents are accompanied by a relaxing musical score. Next comes the menu page featuring six categories: NTSC Scenery, PAL Scenery, Commercial Scenery, Demolysis, Miscellaneous Debris, and Caught in the Net. The followingisa brief overview of each division:
NTSC Scenery
NTSC Scenery will be of interest primarily to the demo fans of the United States and Canada. Located here are overviews of NTSC current releases, announcements of soon-to-be released demos, lists of demos released since last issue, a status list of NTSC demo groups and their members, current NTSC events, and an interview,
Issue 12’s NTSC’s Scenery “pages” informed the Commodore world of a an interesting 4k Demo Competition/Co-op. Details regarding this contest can be found on Driven's home page. Best ofall was the announcement of weekly NTSC demo conferences, heldevery Wednesday at 9:00 PM eastern time on the IRC’s channel #c- 64ntsc. Here, not only can aspiring demo artists find help, but they can also discuss the scene, demo making, and find groups and/or members for their groups. Needless to say, it’s a great hangout for all.
PAL Scenery
Because coverage of the PAL scene isa relatively new addition to Driven, it’s not yet quile as extensive as the NTSC Scenery, although it does contain all the same information as the NTSC Scenery sub menu. Also, one must keep in mind the amountofactivity within the PAL scene; it's huge! In a month’s time, it’s common tosee around 50 PAL releases versus approximately 10 on the NTSC scene.
Issue 15
Commercial Scenery
Driven’s columns wouldn't be complete without a review of a Commodore product, magazine, or company. Typically these products play key roles inthecontinuation ofthe Commodore demoscene, suchastelecommunications programsand utilities.
Demolysis Look to Demolysis for reviews of recent NTSC releases. Reviews commonly include opinions by more than one person knowledgeable in the demo scene. In past issues these individuals have consistently shown the ability to creatively communicate the demo's appearance and contents effectively to their readers, Demolysis alone makes Driven a must-have among demo fans world-wide. For individuals short on time or paying dearly for online time, Driven helps them decide which demos are most vital to their demo collections.
Miscellaneous Debris Asthetitleindicates, articles vital tothe demoscene, butnotfallingintoany ofthe other categoriesappear
here. Generally this category contains peoples opinions on various topics in the demo scene.
Thissection (at times) containsa segment known as “Addies & Adverts”. It's the Commodore Classifieds where ads are found and placed for recruiting group members, Commodore equipment (wanted and for sale), and almost anything else Commodore related that you might find in normal newspaper classifieds,
Caught In The Net
There's no doubt that an account with an Internet provider is a must in todays world— even for Commodore users. Caught in the Net regularly features articles focused on expanding your “surfing” abilities. Also included are E-Mail addresses for VIP’s within the demo scene.
In Conclusion...
Driven is popular in both the NTSC and PAL scenes. In each issue the ambition, dedication andenthusiasm for the C-64 demo scene shines through. | asked Coolhand why he felt Driven was so popular and he replied it’s because
“there are few of us that work with Driven regularly. Most of the writing is done by “non- staff” contributors... a few unsolicited, most asked by Elwix or me... but still written by people IN the demo scene. | personally think it is the variety - of topics and writers - yet consistency, of purpose and direction, that makes Driven a little unique and pretty interesting for most readers.”
Are you a demo fan? If so, then download an issue today. Even if you’re not a demo fan, the Internet articles and commercial product reviews are always more than beneficial.
All the creators, editors, reviewers, and contributors deserve a big round of applause, because together they've managed to give the demo scene and Commodore world in general a boost, meaning the Commodore 64 will live all that much longer.
A special thank you goes out to Elwix and Coolhand for all the help they quickly sent my way.
- S. Freedline
January Digital Magic/FOE
Bonestripper’s Return/Revenge Driven #11 Vision/Omni
February
Fast Money/Spectre SiEat/EOE Polygonamy/Stephen Judd
Coma Light 1/Oxyron; NTSC-Fixed by Style
Hot New NTSC/NTSC-fixed Demos for 1996
March Driven #12 Redrum/FOE
Wix Bouncer v5.0a/Style Party Trap/Beyond Force; NTSC-Fixed by Style
Experience 3/Fatum; NTSC-Fixed by Style
April
Dawnfall/Oxryon Temple of Boom/Style Driven Charts Apr ‘96
TP ‘94 Gfx Winners/NTSC-Fixed by Style ASM ‘95 Gfx Winners/ NTSC-Fixed by Style TP ‘95 Gfx Winners/ NTSC-Fixed by Style Demolition Preview
Subliminal/RPG Tribe/Therapy; NTSC-Fixed by Style X-96 Gfx Winners; NTSC-Fixed by Style
- Complied by S. Freedline and Elwix
May/June/July 1996
23 COMMODORE WORLD
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ather approximately 50 Commodore users, a bunch of C64s and 128s, a sprinkling of software, and throw in a race car for a little excitement, and what do you get? A great day at the Lansing Area Commodore Club Expo! With user groups from Chicago to Muskegon, Michigan coming for a visit, and Commodore guru's like Jim Brain, Maurice Randall, Raymond Day and Eric Kudzin, the 1996 LACC Expo was a rousing success. The Expo featured demonstrations of the Internet, online services, geoFAX, CD-ROM
COMMODORE WORLD
Right: You know there's a Commodore enthusiast lurking about when you see Maurice Randall's CMD Chrysler
parked nearby!
Below; Expo attendees gather around the VCR to take a video tour of the CMD facilities with
Eric Kudzin
26
software, and Commodore modifications. There was also plenty of equipment for sale, including monitors and complete 128 systems.
One of the highlights of the day was the half- hour long video tour of Creative Micro Designs, Inc. in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The tape was recorded earlier this year by Eric Kudzin, Through the magic of video, we got toseesome of the great things at CMD, including the assembly of their hard drives, a whole room full of 1571 5.25 disk drives, and a ton of one of a kind Commodore computers, including a gold plated C64 (honest!) We also got to see some of the unreleased computers that Commodore had made at one time or another.
Eric Kudzin is the author of some remarkable software that allows him to play audio CDs on his C128. The on screen control panel for his CD player looks a little like the geoFAX
Issue 15
screen, but with the usual CD commands; play, seek, tracks, etc. The software is in its final developmental stages, and may be released to the public by the end of the year. He is also working on adapting a 5.25 / 3.5 inch disk drive system from a IBM 386 to his FD 2000 drive. Eric had with him a Commodore laptop IBM clone, and a genuine Commodore calculator on display. Armed with his CMD tour, a ton of books, and some pretty unique pieces of equipment, Eric Kudzin showed that he is a definite Commodore aficionado,
Maurice Randall, as we all know, is the author andprogrammer of geoFAX. Maurice is working on a update of the popular software that includes some real improvements over the original. He is also working on the WAVE, one of the first Commodore World Wide Web browsers. He expects to be able to start working on itsome more once the new geoFAX is out on the market. Maurice had the computer he uses (for his developmental work on geoFAX) running at the Expo. He uses a 4 MHz Turbo Master CPU for a good portion of his work. GeoF AX has the ability to allow for the use ofa fax machine to scan images, which should come in handy for a lot of users.
Maurice is also the owner of the famous #93 ARCA stock car with the Creative Micro Designs logo on it. This official Commodore stock car is able to go 175 miles an hour, and should be back on the track in June. So watch for iton ESPN! (Not to mention, it is equipped with JiffyDOS, which makes it 1500% faster than an average race car!)
Jim Brain, who is another WWW browser developer for the Commodore, was also there with some of his collection of computers, including a SX64, a C65, C116, and a IBM. Wait a minute, you say. He had an IBM there? Yes, he did. We threw tomatoes at it for a while, and then Jim showed us whata graphical
May/June/July 1996
If you don't know these guys, you should! From left to right: Max Cottrel, Maurice Randall, Eric Kudzin and Jim Brain.
browser looks like when it is
Commodore owners and users have never seen one running, so he thought it would be an interesting thing to show everyone, which it was. Jim, who is the owner of Brain Innovations, Inc., is also the editor of Commodore Hacking magazine, an Internet based magazine that he publishes. You may recall that last year Jim was also in USA Today with his collection of CBMs. Some of Jim’s insights into the world of Commodore have personally helped me with my BBS and other activities dealing with CBMs.
Raymond J. Day is a 2 meg REU expert, and is currently doing 64k C128 video ram upgrades. Ray had his heavily modified C128, and the first 2 meg REU ever made (by his estimate) on display. Ray has a VIC20 font burnedintoa ROM in his 128, which makes his screens look different from a normal one, and is turned on and off with a poke. The font is much thinner, kind of like Sans Serif. Ray also does a lot of one-of-a-kind software applications, like his famous “Identify the disk drive ROM" program. Ray also wrote ‘How big is REV”, which continuously scans the memory of the REU and displays how much memory is being used on the monitor screen. He uses this when he is working on a REU, It helps show if the modifications are working.
Another highlight of the day was when the Muskegon Commodore Users Group came to visit for a while. The group purchased several items, taking home with them things like monitors, cables and some software. Members of the MCUG include teachers, students, and even a judge! The Honorable Richard Pasarelaisan admitted Commodore junkie.
Also on hand were members of the Karnkee Commodore Users Group, who drove all the way from the Chicago area with Eric. The day was topped off with a lengthy and informative discussion about the state of Web browsers
27
running on a computer. A lot of
for the Commodore 64 and 128. The general agreement was that while a lot of work has been done to be able to get a actual IP/PPP connection to the Internet, which has been demonstrated (not at the show), that about six months to one year of work needs to be done before the software is ready for alpha or even beta testing. Expect continuing news about this in the Commodore news groups on the Internet, other Commodore web sites, and of course, in Commodore World.
The Lansing Area Commodore Club has sponsored the Expo for several years now. This one is one of the biggest in the past few years. The LACC is in its fourteenth year in Lansing, Michigan and has about 40 members, and sends out over 100 newsletters. The group is GEOS active, and has the likes of Maurice Randall and Tim Hewelt (GEOS-TIM on Genie) as members,
The LACC Expo has the potential to be much bigger than it is right now. With the talent and number of users in the Michigan and Ohio areas, the Expoisa great chance to get together once a year to compare notes, learn new things and show off our wares. With the right communication between user groups, this kind of regional show could be done across the country. “T hope that through more exposure, the Expo can grow to be a ‘must go to’ event”, Tim Hewelt recently told me during his Tuesday night of hosting on GEnie.
The Expo was not only a lot of fun, but was informative as well. The chance to have so many of the top hackers in the Commodore industry together, as well as so many devoted users in one place was remarkable. It was enjoyable to spend a day with all of them, and 1 will remember it for some time to come. ©)
y
Maurice Randall's GeoFAX on display.
COMMODORE WORLD
OsSSS8 aS) ORSS)
Frogger/Threshold Sega Enterprises, Inc./ Sierra On-Line, Inc. Impulse Software Available from SSI
Wow, what a combination! Both of these games are sure to take you fora stroll back in time to the beginning of the ‘Commodore Age’. Frogger is a notorious game which I think was first seen on the Atari game systems, Threshold brings back memories of Space Invaders and Galaga. Both Froggerand Threshold are gamesthat | played over and over again in my youth. I can’t imagine why I stopped playing them, Perhaps it was due to the introduction of other cool games just as addicting as these two. Anyway, once I loaded these games
COMMODORE WORLD
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up, the first thought to come to my mind was “why did I let somuch time go by since playing them?” And, of course, I was eager to introduce my daughtertothegamesIenjoyedwhen I was around her age.
Frogger
I'm sure there are some of you out there that have never played either of these classic games. So, please allow me to introduce to you them. First up is Frogger by Sega Enterprises, Inc. While waiting for the game to load (which isn’t very long) prepare yourself to assume the role of a frog and get ready to do some pretty fancy leaping! The Frogger game screen is divided horizontally into two sections. At the bottom of each section is a
sidewalk where you are somewhat safe. The first section isa four-lane highway filled with four different speeds of traffic. The first lane contains slow moving tractors, followed in the next lanes by normally paced cars, speedy race cars, and big trucks, respectively. Ofcourse, the challenge is to safely leap through the lanes of traffic to the next sidewalk without becoming road pizza.
Above the second sidewalk is a stream flowing with turtles, logs, and crocodiles (or are they alligators?). Once again you must find a way to cross over this very busy stream to reach the ultimate
goal of placing your frog in one of
the five slots (or homes) displayed at the very top of the screen. This is more challenging than crossing the highway. The first step isto hop onto the back of one of the turtles swimming towards the left of your screen. Be careful though, because the turtles randomly dive under the waterand ifyou happen to beon one at that moment, you'll drown. From the turtles, you must leap onto a log floating towards the right of your screen. The logs move a bit faster than the turtles do. The pattern is repeated, forcing you to land on another row of turtles and then a log before attempting to hop your frog into one of the homes. The frog's den may be already inhabited by either a fly or what looks like a wolf.
28
If it's the fly it’s safe and you'll earn extra points for capturing the fly. But, ifit’s the wolf, look out because he'll eat you up for a snack. You can also earn extra points by hopping onto another green frog, your “mate”, whois usually floating along on one of the logs.
The action continues until you've placed a frog in each home. Once accomplished, you'll move ahead to the next level where the cars move faster and new creatures will be introduced. On successive levels, snakes slither across the sidewalk, crocodiles pollute the streams, and the cars increase their speeds and alter their timing. One note, it’s safe toland ona crocodile as long as you don’t land on his head or else...CHOMP!
Frogger is great fun for young and old alike. I can’t believe | haven't shared this game with my ten year old long ago. As soon as I can fititinto her agenda, I'm going tointroduce her to the games mom use to play when she was young. It’s a great way to enjoy some quality time with her.
Threshold
Threshold is a game I also remember, but not under this title. It’s a lot like Space Invaders and Galaga. Before you even load the game, pick out your best joystick or perhaps even CMD's game pad and plug it into joystick port one.
Issue 15
LEC ETLTLELTLEeT
Then, while loading the game, do a few thumb stretching exercises to warm up those all important fire-button reflexes. By the time you're done, you'll find yourself in outer space in control of your very own spaceship fully equipped with its own laser weapon. Then it's time to play!
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May/June/July 1996
HOT FUEL
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The night skies ahead of you are filled with alien creatures with a single-minded mission: destroying youand your spaceship. The aliens
appear in waves consisting of
maybe thirty aliens, all ofthe same species. The aliens are also equipped with lasers which blast at you continuously throughout
29
the game, Additionally, these creatures will swoop down at you trying to smash into your spaceship. Of course, your goal is to obliterate the entire alien wave without being wasted yourself. Adding to the challenge is the fact that itis possible to overheat your weapon, To the right ofyour screen you'll find two meters displaying the temperature of your weapons and the amount of fuel remaining. When the temperature gauge begins to turn red, try to use your weapon sparingly. If it does overheat, you'll have to wait what seems like eons for your weapon to cool down while dodging and weaving to evade the oncoming beams of the aliens.
Each game provides you with five spaceships. Once you've completely annihilated five waves of aliens, your mothership comes for a visit in order to replenish your fuel supply. Then it's on to the next level ofeven more challenging creatures!
Qix Taito Available from SSI
Qix (pronounced like “kicks”) was introduced by Taito in November of 1988. Taito is knownasa high quality Commodore game producer, due to their success with other fine games such as Bubble Bobble and Arkanoid. Looking at the Qix box reveals that this game is based on the “Original Arcade Hit". Remember the days of Pac Man, Centipede, and Asteroids? During that era, those games responsible for devouring many of
were
Threshold is your normal space shoot ‘em up game, but it does stand out for many reasons. First, it’s easy to play, and it is a great tool to help build up those skills needed in even harder shoot ‘em up games, Plus, iteven teaches you patience by forcing you to learn to use your weapon only when needed and during those times when you are forced to wait for your weapon to cool down (arrgghh!).
As I mentioned, these are two great games from the past, which should not to be forgotten. The graphics are good, but don't expect them to compare to some of the new generations of games. The best reason of all to purchase this two-pack is to pass along the goodies of our decade to the next generation. Who knows, it may even help prolong the life of our much Community!
loved Commodore
- Sherry Freedline
my quarters during my breaks while working in the Retail business, as wellas quarters from just about every teenager alive! But those games were also responsible for diminishing stress and providing me with some fun during those work days. Qix was also one of these games. Unfortunately, Taito’s Qix is almost an entirely different game from what I remember from those long gone days. This version of Qix isa mind boggler, as opposed to the shoot ‘em up gamel remember from my youth, Qix is an evil virus which has infected the memory of the game’s computer. Qix also has a few
COMMODORE WORLD
sub-viruses known as Sparx and Spritz. The game screen consistsofa square representing the computer's memory. Inside the square you'll find Qix randomly fluttering about the memory. Sparx’ always travel in pairs and in the same manner as Qix. Spritz’ only travelalongthelines of the square or any lines which you may have created. Outside the square, along the right border, is the status panel which displays the number of lives you have left, the immunization percentage goal, the percentage of memory currently immunized, and the current level. It isalso here that you'll find the Sparx Timer, indicated by a red line. During game play the Sparx Timer decreases. Each time it disappears two new Sparx sub-viruses are introduced into the game.
You play the role ofan immunizer, using your joystick to vaccinate the computer against infection. This feat is accomplished by moving a
triangularshaped marker around the path ofasquare. Pressingandholding the joystick button gives you the ability to slowly draw a line; a path thatis determined by the direction in which you push the joystick. This methodisknownasthe“Slow Draw”. A“Quick Draw”, (asyou might guess, isfasterthana Slow Draw)isachieved in the same way except that you quickly press and then release the joystick button instead of continually holding it down. The goal is to completely enclose a percentage of the screen. Once a portion has been completely enclosed it will fill with a unique colorful pattern representing its immunization against the viruses. There are also some score bonuses tossed in if you manage to divide a Qix in half or trap a Spritz. And for each 50,000 points earned, a new life isawarded. Alifeislostifyourmarker or line is touched by Qix or if your marker is touched by Sparx or Spritz. Each level requires you to immunize a given percentage of
COMMODORE WORLD
memory. Reach or surpass this percentage to advance to the next level of the game. Each successive level increases in difficulty by increasing the percentage of immunization required for completion. Also, Qixisnotadumb virus, because it learns from its previous mistakes, providing an increasingly difficult challenge as the game progresses.
Qix can be played in both Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 (40 column) modes. The front of the game disk features the 64 version of Qix, and naturally, the 128 version is on the back. The 128 version will automatically bootupon powering up in 128 mode. There are only a few differences between the versions. The C-128 Qix game includes a High Score Screen and the music and graphics appear to be alittle bit faster. Also, although only aminor feature, | really appreciated the convenience of being able to use the joystick in either joystick port.
more
Ray Tobey’s SKYFOX Electronic Arts Available from SSI
Welcome to the world of SKYFOX, a game that will grasp the very core of your brain leaving, you with an addiction so strong that you may never again see the great outdoors unless, of course, you have an outdoor power supply.
SKYFOX is a fast flying, shoot ‘em up game from the pros at Electronic Arts. The Skyfox is a powerful flying machine loaded with incredible speed, powerful weapons, and state-of-the-art radar and guidance systems. With the SKYFOX game, Electronic Arts provides you an opportunity to fly a truly awesome machine.
An option screen appears upon loading the game. This is where you get to select from 15 different scenarios and 5 ranks, which adds
30
Qix can be played with one or two players, and even provides a Practice Mode. Practice Mode allows you to brush up on your immunization techniques and die as many times as it takes to master your skills without ending the game. It'sa handy feature you'll use often to start out.
Overall, Qix has good graphics. The color fills will entertain youwith a variety of colorful patterns. But where Qix really shines is in the musical department, with its fantastic rock and roll accompaniment during the title screen. Sorry to say, but I loved the music more than the actual game play. | found that the game quickly became frustrating as early as level two. But for you game masters out there with “Speedy Gonzalez” reflexes, you may just find yourselfa sure fire method to reach the immunization percentages. Good luckand “may theforcebewith you"!
- Sherry Freedline
up to 75 different variations of game play! That's enough to last a lifetime! Of the 15 scenarios, the first 7 are training missions. The training missions provide every opportunity to master the control of the Skyfox. For successful games, it’s very important that you take the time to learn how to use the computer's tactical map and how to engage the automatic pilot, guided missiles and heat seeking missiles. During the training missions you have the chance to blast away tanks and enemy planes. However, unlike a real invasion, you won't have the opportunity to blow up an enemy Mothership. Likewise, you're home base cannot be destroyed. Once you feel competent at controlling the Skyfox, it’s time to try out your newly acquired skills in a small invasion. During an invasion you must protect your
Issue 15
home base at all costs, Ifyour home base is destroyed, you will lose all your remaining fighters alongwith your computer. Without your computer it’s virtually impossible to locate enemy tanks and planes. In addition to protecting your home base, you must try to destroy all the enemy forces. | had no problem winning the small invasion. But when I tried the full invasion, it didn’t take long before I lost my home base and all that it provided. Without the aid of my computer, I found myselfaimlessly flying about looking for enemy troops. It didn’t take long for me to abort the game with Control-R and try my luck again.
In most games of this nature | find it difficult to remember all the controls. However, although there are a variety of controls involved, Electronic Arts has taken all the difficulty away by providing a very detailed reference card and
wen
Sample: $2.95 “ 6 oral
tote ee
" the Gatekeeper
simplifying the controls as much as possible. You'll easily have them memorized after only a few training missions. There was no single outstanding feature to this game, except that the game play itself was so exciting. I sat down with all the best intentions of only spending an hour playing Skyfox. Well, believe it or not, it was well over two hours when I decided to drag myself away (and then it was only because my daughter said she was going to die if I didn’t make her something to eat!) There are so many scenario combinations I doubt anyone will ever outgrow Skyfox. But before you sit down to play, remember to clear plenty of game playing time and feed your family first. Because once you begin, you'll have a hard time giving up the controls of your own Skyfox flying machine! - Sherry Freedline ¢)
emeenenet FOOTE. Cee ae
.. 610 First St.
ov Jose in build a lightpen, on all about the latest products like 4-Scan, Novaterm 9.6 and 64NET, and learn how to fli! Advanced 64/128 users want more. We have it.
Don’t forget to COMMODORGe WORLD!
Please call or write with your change of address 6 to 8 weeks prior to your move so that you won't miss a single issue!
CW Address Change, P.O. Box 646,
E. Longmeadow, MA 01028 413-525-0023
May/June/July 1996
31
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COMMODORE WORLD
The SysOp's Corner
Would You Like a Menu?
Inmy last column, | touched on what your callers see when they first log onto your BBS. Obviously, all BBS software is different. This makes some of the information contained in this column not applicable to some systems, but will help enhance
others. First, a word about how my system is set -
up and what it is designed to do. You may remember that my systemisan online newspaper specializing in local news. After trying different things for several months, I finally decided to set the system up to emulate a UNIX system. I have several Internet shell accounts, and have learned to navigate the online service providers using this. Most will give you the option of either using a menu to conduct most of your business or running a UNIX (or LINUX) shell.
Ihave tried toemulate this structure on my BBS. figure that more users will be using ISPs (Internet Service Providers), and will be more able to use that kind of command structure. That's what my SYSOP friends that run ISPs on large mainframes tell me. Each system uses its own twists and quirks on the commands. To rename a file for my website ononesystem, Ihave toenter the rename command and the directory. On another, I have to be in the directory that the file is in to enter the command. On yet another I have to act as if 1am moving the file toanother directory. Why is this handy forme? Because the commands on a BBS are like using a shell account; each system is different, each software has different commands to do the same thing. Onmy BBS, downloadingafiletakesentering “RX <filename>”.
Once you get this into your head, it begins to make sense. | have made the menus as simple as Ican, and have nested them as deeply as I think | need them to go. By now, you're probably scratching your head wondering what lam getting at. Many users are confused by what you and I know as simple commands. As Commodore users, typing ina commandis second nature. We
COMMODORE WORLD
by Max Cottrell
QO
SET TING UP YOUR MENU
know what a command like ‘load “$",8' means.
Buta lot of IBM and Macintosh users are used to the point and click method of getting around. They simply don’t have the knowledge to enter a DOS command, whether it be Commodore or MS-DOS. When you take into account the fact that Macintosh users don't even get to see their DOS prompts, we have a real problem when we expect them to enter commands on a BBS.
This means thatalotofthem have no idea what you mean when you tell them, “enter ‘R X’ <RETURN> to get a list of files to download.” They just stare at the screen and hang up after a while (Isee thisall the time.) What I've discovered from trial anderroris that a menu system is easier for the user to navigate. | have them enter commands only when they need to do something like up or downloading, change a parameter in their account, or read their E-Mail.
The way to have a menu structure that makes sense to the user is to use the “Inverted Pyramid” format; have general information in the first menu, more targetedinformationinthenext, morespecific inthenext,and soon. Here's what I did foroneofmy main menus (just before the main command area. | keep the user out of the command area by using a loop in the menu to keep reloading the menu. This is done via a ANSI command. More on this later.)
32
NEWS MENU
1. Local News
2. National News
3. Multimedia Stories
4, Nature
5. Sports
6. Science
7. Enter a System Command 8. Help
<<Enter your selection>>
You can see that if the user wants to download, they can do it from the first menu by choosing number 7. This will dump them into the command prompt, which should have a list of commands that accompanies it. My software will let me insert things like date, time, user name, and number of calls that the system has had. I do this to give the BBS a polished feel to it. Another important thing isto make sure that your menus are no bigger than one screen. Having to scroll up and down isa burden a lot of callers will probably complain about it. In the above menu if the user entersnumber one, they getanothermenu, which looks like this:
LOCAL NEWS MENU
1. City Hall Information
2. News Stories
. City Council News
. Crime Prevention
. Go back to the main menu . Help
an & Lw bt
<<Enter your Selection>>
Now the useristwomenusintothenest, presented with more targeted information. This menu (the local news) narrows down the choices that the user has. If the user enters number one, they are looking at still another menu:
Issue 15
CITY HALL INFORMATION 1. Phone Numbers
2. Permanent Information
3. City Council Agenda
4, Go back to the main menu 5. Help
<<Enter your Selection>>
This is about as deep as I go with this particular kind ofmenu. Asyou can see, the user can geta lot ofinformation just by pressing number keys. My BBS also has a message board that the users can enter posts on, much like what you see on GEnie when you are in one of the Bulletin Boards. The whole point of using menus is to get the information into the hands of the user as quickly and easily as possible.
This kind of menu is also a good idea because the users can log on, grab the information, and log off quickly without having to wade through a ton of messages or posts. Since most—if not all Commodore based BBSs are single phone line based, getting the user offline ASAP is helpful.
Where To Keep Files
Ifyou are able to, keep your files in a partition or subdirectory that the users can’taccess. This will keep them from downloading the raw information. Why? Because you work hard to get the filesin a form for the user that looks pleasant. Remember that you are working with a PET- ASCH machine, and more than likely the user is on another brand. If you create the file while in local mode on your BBS (local mode is when you enter the BBS from the host computer, not by calling in) they may be in PET-ASCII, Which means that you can expect to hear about it if a user downloads a file and sees that all the capital and lower case letters are transposed.
Would You Like A Little ANSI With
Your Dinner?
Most terminal programs have the ability to use ANSI (American National Standards Institute) GRAPHICS. | would hope that your BBS program will allow for use of these commands. The BBS software I use, Does The Job, uses most of the standard ANSI graphics and text manipulation commands, plus some that allow you to tailor the system to your own tastes, Things like menus are done with these commands. You can do some neat stuff with some mundane and standard commands. | have used ASCII art backgrounds with menusandtext files, rotating colors, andeven some animation. This takes time and patience to master and add to your BBS, so] recommend that youadd thesecommandstofilesthat stay the same
May/June/July 1996
most of the time. A file that you have to change every few days is not a good place to spend hours getting an animation sequence right.
Your BBS must have a way to know when you're enteringan ANSI command. My system useseither C=PorCNTRLP key combos tostart the input. For example, the code for a screen clear would be:
Confused? It’s easy once you do it a couple of times. Here are the commands and what they do.
Command Description
[xA Move cursor up x number of lines, same column
[xB Move cursor down x number of lines, same column
[xC Move cursor right x number of columns, same line
[xD Move cursor leftx number of columns, same line
[x;yH (or xyH) Move cursor to position x,y on screen
[x] Move cursor to end of screen
[x2] Clear the screen
{4m Underline on
{5m blinking text
{7m reverse text
{24m underline off
25m blinking off [27m reverse text off
(Note: not all of the OFF commands will work. Use the [2] in place of it.)
Colors that you can use:
[3#m #isthecolornumber: 3is for the text colors [4#m #isthecolornumber; 4 is for
the background color
TEXT COLORS BACKGROUND COLORS
30 black 40 black 31 red
33
41 red
32 green
42 green
33 yellow 43 yellow 34 blue
44 blue
35 magenta 45 magenta 36 cyan
46 cyan
37 white
47 white
Compiled by Andrew L Fish of Marquette University, Michigan.
DISCLAIMER: These commands do different things and won't work the same on all systems. 1 can only relay the results I've experienced. Refer to your software manual before trying them. | once entered a command when I was logged in from my othercomputeranderasedall of my Special Interest Groups. So be careful and check your manuals.
As far as menus go, the commands to allow the user to enter a keypress (like an “INPUT A$: IF A$="1" then 500" command) are specific to each BBS software. It would be pointless to say how mine does it unless you are planning on using the same program | do. Ifyou have the ability to have a “wait fora keypress” type ofcommand, then you're all set.
Now that you are ready (I hope) to learn some of the “nuts and bolts” of running a BBS, youmay want to see what the commands and graphics can look like when you call a board that uses them. Since I have literally spent thousands of hours working with this, and I enjoy helping others learn new things, I'm setting up my BBS to demonstrate what I am talking about. If you're willing to spenda few bucks on long distance, you can see what all of this stuff looks like. | am also hunting for ASCII graphics that you can buffer and use on your BBS as screen backgrounds. | even have a program kicking around here somewhere that will convert a Compuserve GIF toa ASCII art file. I've tried it with some photos and have had mixed results.
E-Mail me forinformation on logging onto the BBS, which should be up and running in demo mode in the near future. I'll also have a list of features of other BBS software programs for the C64 and C128.
»)
mephoto@izzy.net me.photo@genie.com http://www.izzy.net/~mephoto/is.cool
COMMODORE WORLD
Carrier Detect
Now that I have a home page on the Internet, I've been delving into the world of graphics, and especially what it takes to create and view pictures that aren't “native” to Commodore. While digging aroundand looking at the choices we have, I've been pleased to find that we have a lot of options open to us, We can grab and view several “foreign” graphic types and better yet, we can do more than just view them, we can use them for our own purposes.
Commodore Graphics When looking into changing a Commodore graphic to a foreign graphic type like GIF, PCX, etc., it helps to understand a few things about Commodore graphics, and the programs we use to change them to other CBM formats.
Outside of GEOS and Basic 8, there are two main categories of graphics that are used: “standard bit map” and “multi color bit map”. These categories have to do with the screen resolution used when the graphic is displayed. Both formats can use color, but because they display it differently, the files are saved in separate formats. Graphic programs which use a standard bit map are Doodle, Fun Graphics Machine, Flexidraw, Art Studio and RunPaint Hi-Res. Programs that use a multi color bit map are Koala, Blazing Paddles, Advanced OCP Art Studio, RunPaint Medium-Res, and Artist64. If you spend much time with conversion programs you'll find that you can not directly change a multi color bit map graphic to a standard bit map, or vice versa. Don't spend too much time on the exercise because most conversion programs will import either type so there isn’t any need to change from one to the other.
The two most common graphic formats that are accepted by most conversion programs are Doodle and Koala. If you can change a graphic
COMMODORE WORLD
By Gaelyne R. Moranec
GRAPHIC DIVERSIONS
from any other type art program into either a Doodle or Koala picture, you can do almost anything with it.
GeoPaintis also often used when converting graphics either to or from Commodore and foreign graphic formats. There are several GEOS utilities that let you import Doodle and Koala graphics to either geoPaint or Photo Scraps, which are discussed in detail below. Once a graphic is in geoPaint format, your artwork can be exported to either PCX or MAC format with poor unfortunates that don’t have the luxury of having a Commodore computer. On the other side of things, you can import both GIF and PCX files to geoPaint format.
Another type of graphic format to discuss are those used by Basic 8 and IPaint. These display graphics on the C128 80 column screen in “interlaced” mode. On normal displays, the monitor has two scanlines, but only one of these is used. In interlaced mode, both scanlines display data, allowing a higher resolution and more colors to be displayed.
IPortisa companion program to Paint which can be bought and used separately. On the Commodore side of things, [Port imports Doodle, Koala, geoPaint, and Basic 8 graphic filesinto [Paint format. Using the same program,
and shared those
34
you can export the [Paint graphic to GIF format for sharing with others, and retain the color of your original graphic. IPort also imports Amiga IFF files, MAC, and GIF files (all with color intact) and lets you save them in [Paint format. Hence, you can use it to convert IFF, MAC, and any of the Commodore graphic formats to GIF format. | tend to use IPort as a means to view these files without necessarily saving them.
Waiting For GoDot
I've seen the GoDot demo (pictured below), andI'ma believer. Naturally, the demo version doesn't support the saving of files, but the demo does make it possible for Commodore 64 users to view both Commodore and foreign graphic types, including many different Amiga types, and PCX. The commercial version isn't yet available outside of Europe, so we'll have to wait awhile longer for it, but meanwhile, the demo is well worth using as a means to view graphics. The godotdemo.zip can be found online via FTP at cenga.uwaterloo.ca in the /pub/cbm/graphics directory. You will have to use either unzipLOl.sda for the 64 or nzp17128.sfx to unzip the archive.
[Redisp [ Godot! ——— [ Save |} Load me
| Exit
Color Controls
Dith: |
Balancing
orf Image Information
fApic a planet s
Koala
1686x268 Screen Controls Hs) | COLON Multi
Colors ig Full
~ Palette
Image Operators
Exec Area Inst| READ ME!
Display [Execute
Issue 15
Viewing or Converting Graphics
Looking for a way to convert a graphic from one format toanother, perhapsto changeit toa Doodle or Koala so you can further convert it? There are some programs that will do the job; refer to the Graphics Interchange Chart to find out what graphic formats the following programs support.
huso-Graph by Fuzzy Fox!
The
nutoMatic graphic display program!
sert a disk Containing graphics and press (Amst).
PL /e) r 3/4
One of the best Commodore graphic viewers and converters can be found online. Autograf by Fuzzy Fox (autograf.stx), as shown above, can display both standard and multi color bit map graphics. It searches the disk directory and
compiles a list of the graphic types it’s capable of
showing. You can select individual files or toggle the entire list and view them one right after another. Itlets you copya graphic from one format to another, and supports two disk drives.
The Fun Graphies Machine (FGM) will let you import almost any standard or multi color bit maps, but at the expense of losing any color the original file had. There are separate utilities included with the commercial version to greyscale the colors from some formats. Graphics can be saved in a variety of FGM formats, or can be exported as Doodle files. While the FGM’s demo (fgmv6dem.sfx and fgmv6doc.sfx) doesn't allow you to save or print files, it’s worth checking out.
If you happen to have a Super Snapshot cartridge, you can use it to view many different graphicsincluding Koala, Doodle, Blazing Paddles, Advanced Art Studio, RunPaint, Artist64, and Flexidraw. It canalso be used for capturing screens and saving them in any of the formats it supports. It was used to capture the pictures used with this article, and then I used other utilities discussed here to get the graphics into a format which the magazine could use. (Probably this will be in GIF format as the editors should be able to convert a GIF to suit their needs.)
GEOS Graphic Utilities
There are heaps of utilities youcan use to import graphic files into geoPaint and Photo Scrap
May/June/July 1996
formats. Utilities that convert Doodle, Newsroom or Koala graphics to GEOS format include GEO Grabber (Desk Pack Plus), Import Runner (Run Powerpak #2), and online you can findexcellent shareware utilities such as Graphic Storm IL and Scrap It!
GeoGIF
One of the more successful means of viewing a GIF file is by using geoGIF (geogif.sfx) and converting the GIF to geoPaint format. GeoGIF strips the color from the GIF file and uses a special method of dithering, which adds texture in place of color that rivals the same type of utility on other platforms. Once in geoPaint format, the file can be converted to [Paint or Fun Graphies Machine.
You can convert MACpaint files to geoPaint format, and you can export geoPaints to MACs using Mac Attack II by Joe Buckley. GeoPCX by Jim Collette converts geoPaint files to PCX format. To convert PCX files to geoPaint format, there's PCX/geoPaint by Doreen Horn which was published in both Commodore CEE and Australia’s Commodore Network magazines.
UNIX Conversions
Since this is a telecomms column, | would be remiss if] didn’t mention there are some pretty neat ways youcan use your modem and do further graphic conversions. Youcan type the commands from your Commodore keyboard and use UNIX to convert graphics that we don’t (yet!) have the facilities to deal with.
You can convert JPEG files to GIFs and then use download and view it. The utility to use is djpeg. If this is on your system, you simply give it thecommand: djpeg-gif-colors 8 file.jpeg >file.gif
You can select up to 256 (or more colors) or have the file greyscaled for you. If djpeg isn’t on your system, you can install it for your own use. The instructions for installing it are included in the archive and it’s very easy to compile. You can skip the “make install” step, as that’s a sysadmin function. The file is
pplicatie “ hpicatie typcation ippicatioa Replication Wpplicntion
hada Tee det Wie ha tot ha Wk o8 Gek Uh 0 bck thn Ok Mada feta Ti ba ik on Osh
jpegsre.v6.tar.gz and is available at ftp.uu.net in the /graphics/jpeg directory.
VBM
Craig Bruce, the author of the ACE operating system created a new graphic file which uses the file extension of “.vbm", ACE comes with utilities that let you view or print vbm files, and there are many vbm graphics for viewing on cenga.uwaterloo.ca in the /pub/cbm/ graphics directory.
Even better, Craig wrote a Unix utility that we caninstall on our shell accounts that will convert “pbm” graphic files to our own “vbm” format. Once installed, you can use it with other UNIX utilities that convert graphic formats, and there are many of these, soit gives us alot of potential. Craig's program converts a UNIX graphics format called “pbm” to “vbm”. There's a UNIX package called PBM Plus which has a lot of small utilities to convert different file types, and we use it to first convert any other graphics type to “pbm” format, and then use pbmtovbm to putit in “vbm” format. We can also use PBM Plus to convert GIF, PCX and MAC files we've created on our Commodores to other formats too.
ToconvertaGIFtoaVBM file, weuse giftoppm, ppmtopgm and pgmtopbm, and finally Craig Bruce's pbmtovbm. Instead of running these as separate commands they can be “piped” into a single command:
giftoppm fil
pbmtovbm
Note thatit’sa pipe character (1) usedin the above command, NOT a colon (:). This would make an excellent macro in your term program.
Craig's utility is in the /pub/cbm/unix directory at cenga.uwaterloo.ca, and the filename is “pbmtovbm.c”.
Endless Possibilities
Hopefully, you’ve learned that with just a handful of utilities, you can view and convert just about any Commodore graphic file to foreign formats, and you can import many of these “foreigners” to Commodore format, too. One ofthe common threads in the above utilities is that most of the Commodore graphic conversion programs involve GEOS, Doodle or Koala files. Also, don’t forget that there are other resources like geoFAX, the HandyScanner, and PageFox, all of which let you import images into formats that can be used for many different purposes.
$)
COMMODORE WORLD
Graphic Interchange Chart
The top portion before |Port are all C64 files. The band with IPort is the only C128 program, and the next band is to represent UNIX conversion programs.
Program >From To Autograf KO GG DD JJ AO A4 BP RP HR MR All types imported FGM KO DD RP AO VB HS CE PM PG RP NR FGM DD SS v5 KO DD BP AO RP A4 FD All types imported GoDot (4) KO DO HR MR BP P4 GEOS ILBM IFF PCX more All types imported GIFVERT.SDA KO GIF Graphic Storm (2) DD HR PS PM NR GEOS geoGIF (2) GIF GEOS Mac Attack Il (2) GEOS MAC GEOS MAC PCX/GeoPaint (2) PCX GEOS geoPCX (2) GEOS PCX Port (1) IP B8 KO DD PSS GEOS IFF MAC GIF IP GIF PBM Plus (2)(3) GIF GEM MAC PCX PICT TIFF IFF more All plus VBM | DJPEG (2)(3) JPEG GIF Legend DD = Doodle JJ = Compressed Doodle PS = Print Shop screens PM = Print Master KO = Koala GG = Compressed Koala SS = Super Snapshot VB = Video Byte II BP = Blazing Paddles AO = Advanced OCP Art Studio HS = HandyScanner CE = Computer Eyes AS = Art Studio A4 = Artist64 P4 = Plus4 Multicolor FGM = Fun Graphics Machine RP = RunPaint NR = Newsroom GEOS = GeoPaint or Photo Scrap IFF = Amiga Format FD = FlexiDraw HR = Hi-Res GIF = CompuServe format MAC = MACpaint format MR= Medium Res IP = |Paint PCX = IBM PC format GEM = IBM PC format B8 = Basic 8 PG = Print Shop graphics JPEG = IBM/MAC format TIFF = Workstation format Notes: 1 Requires 64K VDC 2 Convert only (no viewing) 3 Unix Utility 4 No Save in Demo version, can view files -Compiled by G.R.M. Graphic Utilities Online | C64 Files JIGSAW.SFX Jigsaw Puzzle program. Uses Doodle | GODOTDEMO.ZIP GoDot Demo and Koala files AUTOGRAF.SFX View, convert and copy many CBM GIFVERT.SDA Convert GG (Compressed Koala’s) to graphic formats GIF format | FGMV6DEM.SFX (and F@MV6DOC.SFX) Fun Graphics GRAFXAID.ARC Convert Koala, Doodle, Print Shop Files Machine Demo SLIDESHO.ARC Decompress and display series of GG & GRAFSTRM.SFX Graphic Storm || Convert graphics to JJ graphics GeoPaint | SCRAPIT.SFX Converts graphics to GeoPaint C128 Files | GEOGIF.SFX Converts GIFS to GeoPaint IPSLIDESHOW1.1 IPaint viewer. Requires 64K VDC _ MAC-GEOS.SFX Mac Attack II - convert Mac’s to GEOS IPAINTI6KVIEW2.1 __—‘ [Paint viewer for 128s with 16k VDC's. format Also displays |IPaint’s .SDI (Self GEOPCX Convert GeoPaint to PCX Displaying) graphic files | GEOVIEWR.SDA Native mode (ie NOT GEOS) GeoPaint GEOVIEW128. Native mode GeoPaint viewer viewer MACVIEW.ARC MAC viewer MACTO64.SFX MACpaint viewer that supports printing FLICKR5.SDA MAC viewer. Requires 64K VDC | MAC64.ARC MACpaint Viewer GDS.SFX GIF viewer VGIF.SFX GIF viewer. Greyscale and Multi color GIFDELACE.SFX (also DELACER.SFX) converts give the best results. Saves graphic in interlaced GIFs to standard GIF format Koala format GAS128.SDA Graphic Assault System GIFFY.SFX GIF viewer. Saves graphic in Koala GDS.SFX 80 column GIF Viewer format GDSLONG.ARC 640X480 module for GDS.SFX | GIFFYREU.ARC GIFFY for REU users -Compiled by G.R.M. COMMODORE WORLD 36 Issue 15
What type of Graphic is it? | Graphics files normally have either prefixes or suffixes that tell you what type of graphic it is. Suffixs XBM___ X bitmap used on the X window system. CVT GEOS file. Must be converted to GEOS format before use. Prefixes MPIC Advanced OCP Art Studio Flexidraw and FGM Clipart files RPH — RunPaint Hi-Res RPM — RunPaint Medium-Res APIC Koala* SDI Self Displaying Image (IPaint). DD Doodle VBM _ Binary representation of X bitmap format. ACE OS GG Compressed Koala | (C64/128) | BMP Windows Bitmap used by Microsoft Windows and JJ Compressed Doodle Os/2. P- Artist64 | GIF Graphics Interchange Format. (Compuserve) Pl. Blazing Paddles IFF Amiga Format PICT Basic 8 ILBM Amiga format JPEG Joint Photographers Export Group, used on many “Koala files normally have a capital “A” in reversed video (chr$129) | OS's. Also JPG as the first character. To rename a Koala file soit has this erie ae PBM _ Portable Bitmap. UNIX. you can use the following BASIC command: PCX __ IBM Picture used in DOS on IBM machines. PICT Mac PiCTure used on Apple Macintosh machines. {$=<name>:open15,<drive>, 15,"r:"+(chr$129)+f$+"="+F$:close15 TIFF | Tagged Image File used on high performance | workstations,
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May/June/July 1996 37 COMMODORE WORLD
L3G)
ACCESSING WLIR FILES
-AoSAiAWV)!S~
dy Maurice Randall
VLIR files are heavily used in GEOS, and for a good reason. Imagine if our computers had several megs of memory in them that could be directly accessed by the processor. That would allow us to load an entire large program into memory and run any part of it without any further disk access. Unfortunately, we do not have that luxury, yet it does not stop us from having large programs. The VLIR style fixes the problem for us by allowing portions of large files to remain on disk and accessed when needed.
Instead of storing a file as one continuous stream of data, the VLIR format allows us to store a file broken up into several smaller parts. Each part can be easily accessed since the starting point of each is known. The only drawback if that we must plan our programs and data files carefully. For application files, the usual method is to havea resident portion of the file in memory at all times and then have one or more areas of memory designated for modules to be loaded as needed. Routines that would be needed by more than one module could be kept in the resident portion of the application.
Working with VLIR filesis easy once you get used toit. Youcan manipulate the files manually by using any of the GEOS sector reading routines, or you can utilize the routines that were designed specifically for VLIR files. We will need some sort of file to use as an example, so let’s use a GeoWrite document, since that would bea data file that is stored in the VLIR format.
Opening A File As with most file storage device, it’s customary to ‘open’a file. This is also done with VLIR files. In GEOS we can only open one VLIR file at a time. This might seem like a drawback, but in most cases only one fileneed be accessed ata time. To open a VLIR file, we'll use the routine called ‘OpenRecordFile’, For this to work, the file must already exist on the drive. This will not create a file for us, that will be a subject for another issue. Let's open a GeoWrite file that is called ‘CMDLetter’. Here’s the code for it:
LoadwW r0,#namePointer
jsr OpenRecordFils
namePointer:
-byte “CMDLetter”,0
Youcan see r0is loaded with the address ofa null-terminated filename. Once thatis done, acallis made to OpenRecordFile. GEOS will search the directory of the currently open drive for this filename. Ifitis found, then the x register will holda zero. Any non-zero means that the search failed. Iffound, the 256 bytes at fileHeader will be loaded with the file's VLIR index table, the variable
usedRecords will contain the number of records in the file, and dirEntryBuf
will contain the 30 bytes of the directory entry. Accessing The Data
Let’s begin by determining the number of pages in the file. We can use two routines for this, PointRecord and NextRecord. When a VLIR file is
COMMODORE WORLD
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first opened, the current record will always be the first record if it exists. The first record is known as record #0 and in the case of aGeoWrite data file, there is always at least one page. We don't really need to set this first page as the current record since it will already be done, but let's do it anyway to practice.
LoadB
lda #0
numPages, #0
numPages:
.block 1]
We began by initializing our own variable called numPages to zero. This is where we'll keep count of the number of pages in this file. Once PointRecord is called, numPages gets incremented to one. Following that, the routine NextRecord will point to the next record, or GeoWrite page, and if it exists, x will equal zero. Ifx equals zero, a branch will occur back to increment our page counterand GEOS will be asked to point to the next record over and over again until we have attempted to go past the last page.
You might think that the GEOS variable mentioned earlier called ‘numRecords'’ could be accessed for this info, but notin this case. A GeoWrite data file can also hold a footer and a header as well as several photo scraps. These are all stored in their own VLIR records. So, numRecords only tells us the total number of records, not necessarily the number of pages.
Let's assume that this particular file has 3 pages. We've determined that already. Now we want to load one of these pages into memory so that we can work on it. Let’s have our program set aside about 8K of ram for loading in a page of data. That should be enough room. Let’s begin this area at $5000. Here’s how to load the page into memory:
lda #1 ;for page PointRecord
#52000 ;8 KBy
jsr
LoadwW ré2,
rdw r7.#$5000 ;:load yadW r7,#S$50( ; load
jsr ReadRecord
MoveW r7,pageEnd
pageEnd:
-block 2
Issue 15
The page will be promptly read in at $5000 assuming no errors occur. Your actual program will check the x register after the call to ReadRecord to detect if an error occurred. You will want to keep track of how much data was read. GEOS will load r7 with a pointer of the address of the byte that is just past the last byte that was read in, We will save pointer so that if our program modifies the page data in any way, it can also modify this pointer so that we know how much data to write back to the drive if desired.
Writing Back To Disk
Right now, we don'treally havea plan for this program. It could bea program that prints GeoWrite files, or it might be one that does global changes like changing the font or margin settings. Ifit is a printing program, there would be no need to write the pages back to disk. But fora program that modifies the pages in some way, writing the data back to disk is very necessary. Assume that the data is already altered and it is time to write back to the disk.
lda pageEnd+1 sbc #
}$5000
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39
jsr
WriteRecord
The above code shows how easy it is to write our modified page back to the disk. The particular page is still the current record, we haven't changed it. We loaded r7 with a pointer to the start of the page in memory. Then we had to load r2 with the number of bytes to write. The bulk of the code involves subtracting $5000 from pageEnd to arrive at the number of bytes in the page. Then a simple call to WriteRecord will delete the data in the current record and replace it with the data that begins at $5000.
Closing And Updating
Once we are finished with the GeoWrite file, we must close it. This can't be simpler because only one routine need be called, ‘CloseRecordFile’. No parameters are needed for this routine. Since we rewrote a portion of the file, GEOS knows this and it will update the time and date stamp for us upon closing the file. This is just one more task that we don’t even have to worry about.
Okay, we did an easy one this time. We created a file using GeoWrite and modified it using our own program. What about using our own program to create a file? That gets a little tougher. We can work on that one next time,
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COMMODORE WORLD
4
Jim bulterfield
There are a couple of subjects that you probably know about from BASIC: POKE/PEEK, and print-control characters. We'll review these, and see how easily they translate into assembly/machine language. There will also be a chance to pick up on a couple of new topics. You may have notice that the STOP key doesn’t seem to work with machine language programs; this time, we'll make it work. And it might be fun to doa simple one-byte table lookup.
PEEK and POKE
The BASIC function PEEK() looks at the contents of a memory location, supplying the result as a value from 0 to 255. To do the same thing in machine language, a program usually brings the value into one of the three data registers (A, X, or Y). If we wish to test for a specific value, we can follow up with a compare instruction (CMP, CPX, CPY). As we get into more advanced areas, we'll often want to test a specific bit within the location; at that time, we'll bringin the logical instructions—AND, ORA, and EOR—into operation.
BASIC's POKEcommand putsa value intoamemory location. A machine language program will do the same thing by setting up the value into one of its three data registers, and then storing it to memory with the appropriate store instruction (STA, STX, or STY).
As you know, many locations in your computer's memory are set up for special functions. They do such things as audio, video, timers, and general input/output. Today, we'll concentrate on just one location: 53281, or hexadecimal D021. You undoubtedly know this as the location to POKE in order to change the background color of the 64 or 128's 40-column screen.
Unprintable Characters
You probably know that there are several characters that youcan “print”, but they don’t print anything on screen or printer. You might create these in BASIC with “programmed cursor"—those reverse-font characters that look so odd ina program listing. Or you can just as easily send them by using the CHR$Q) function, giving the number of the character within parentheses. Table 1 shows some of these. You may know them all from BASIC; if not, they will be useful there, too. In our test program, we'll be printing a number of these. The screen will be cleared with character $93, and we'llslip in some cursor-down movements. Our emphasis will be to use the characters that change the cursor printing color.
If you're ever in doubt about one of these characters, just ask the computer to “squeal on itself”. Suppose you forgot which character homes the cursor. No problem: in BASIC, just type PRINT ASC(“... and at this point, tap the HOME key. Sinceyou'rein programmed-cursormode (you typed that quotes character, right?), you'll get a reverse-font S. Complete the line by closing the quotes and closing the parentheses, press return, and the value of 19 will be printed.
The STOP Key
The STOP key seems to workall the time when a BASIC program is running (except during input). To make it work when a machine language program run, our program must do what BASIC does: call Kernal subroutine STOP,
COMMODORE WORLD
at
40
REVIEW AND PRACTICE
which is located at address $FFE1. This subroutine will return with the Z flag clear ifthe STOP button is not being pressed at the moment. If the Z flag is set, somebody is holding the button, and you can take appropriate action by branching with the BEQ (Branch Equal) instruction.
By the way, the subroutine at $FFE1 changes the A register, and might also change the contents of X. If you have data you need in these registers, save them first before making the call. Our demo program will start by checking the STOP key, and will loop back to this start point on a regular basis.
Simple Table Lookup There’s a lot of things you can do with data tables, but we'll stick to the simplest. A one-byte lookup based on a one-byte index value. Our objective isthis: givenanumber from 0to9, pickoutan ASCII character to print. In fact, the character will be a printing color, selected from those listed in table 1. This is a good time to state our program objective. We will allow the user to type a numeric key from 0 to 9, and set up the screen background and printing color based on the number typed. The background color will be set by a POKE to 53281 of the numeric value: 0 is black, 1 is white, and so on. As youcan see from table 1, the printing colors are not arranged so neatly: for example, black is 144 and white is 5. So I'll set upatable often items (numbered 0 to 9), and in each slot I'll pick a color that will go harmoniously with the background. The scheme picked is:
cL Background Foreground | # Background Foreground 0 Black 05 White 5 Green 1C Red
1 White 90 Black 6 Blue 1E Green
2 Red 9E Yellow 7 Yellow 1F Blue
3. Cyan 9C Magenta | 8 Orange 9B Grey 3
4 Purple 9F Cyan 9 Brown 9A Light Blue
Keep in mind that the colors in the right-hand column are my pick for harmonious foreground colors. You may substitute your own choices. Remember, though, that black-on-black is quite difficult to read.
So how do we look up the color character from this table? Simple: we put the value into X or Y, and then address the table using that register as an index. This takes us straight to the desired value. This technique requires that the table must be no longer than 256 bytes long, of course. That's as far as indexing will “reach”, since 255 is the maximum value we can putin X or Y. And it helps that each table entry is only one bytes long; a table of two- byte values would call for a slightly more complex approach.
The Program
This program is specifically for the Commodore 64 or the C128 in 40- column mode, since it makes a POKE (more accurately, a STORE) to address 53281 to set the background color. First, let's check the STOP key:
2000 JSR
2003 BEQ $20
Issue 15
Ifthe STOP key is being pressed, the program will branch ahead to an exit point. This is the only way to stop the program.
We're branchingahead toalocation we haven't encountered yet. A symbolic assembler will have no trouble with this: you would code: BEQ EXIT, and, later, label the desired point EXIT; the assembler would put it all together. If you're using a tiny assembler, such as that built into your machine language monitor, you'll have to enter the forward address as a “guess” and come back to correct it later. That's not too hard, but you need to keep careful notes so that you don't end up with an illegal address in your program.
The STOP key isnot pressed, so we forge ahead and get a character from the keyboard buffer, using a call to GETIN at $FFE4. Our program must ignore anything other than the numeric keys 0 to 9. It does this by comparing the received value with this range, and branching back if the key does not fit.
In the following code, keepin mind that, after a comparison operation, BCC means “branch if less than”, and BCS means “branch if greater than or equal”. Ifthe number is out of range, we go back and check the stop key again. By the way: if the keyboard input buffer is empty, a call to $FFE4 returns immediately with a value of binary zero in the A register. Can you see what happens in this case?
2008 CMP 2G0A BCC 20@0C CMP
2Q@0E BC
#530 S2000 3
2
mm ~
2000
Ifwe reach this point, we have confirmed that the input character is ASCII zero through nine, hex 30to39. We convert this to binary with the AND instruction. The AND operation turns bits off, and with a mask of #$0F (binary 00001111), it will turn off the four highest bitsin the A register. Thus, hex 30 becomes 0 and hex 39 becomes 9. Now we can store the binary value into 53281,
2010 AND
#SOF $D@21
2012 STA 2015 TAX
The program has also copied the binary value, 0 to 9, into the X register. We're ready to look up the ASCII character from the table that starts at address $2037. Once again, this is a forward address; if you don’t have a symbolic assembler, you may need to guess, and correct later. This time, I've worked out the address for you. After we get the character from the table, we print it. This sets the foreground color.
20 201
To prove that we have changed the foreground color, we'll print a short message. HELLO! will do the job. When we look at the characters of the message later (it’s located at $202C), we'll see that it starts with a “clear screen” character followed by a couple of cursor-down movements. The code is a printing loop that should be fairly familiar to you by now.
201C 2015 2021
LDY #S00 LDA $2@2C,Y JSR SFFD2
2024 INY
May/June/July 1996 41
#S@B S2@1E $2000
2025 CPY 2027 BNE 2029 BEQ
After printing HELLO, the above routine goes back to the start at address $2000. At that location, the stop key will be tested again. If it’s found to be pressed, the program will hop down here to the exit point. All that will be needed is a simple RTS, Return from Subroutine, to take us back to BASIC and the READY message.
Here’s the HELLO message. It consists of ASCII characters, not instructions. If you're just using a machine language monitor, display memory from 202C to 2036, and then move the cursor up and type over the values. Ifyou have a symbolic assembler, you'll need to use a directive such as .byte, or .db (define byte). Note that the string starts with a screen- clear character, two cursor-downs, and a space. This positions the HELLO message nicely on the screen. A RETURN character ends the message.
93: LE Li 4c 4c 4F 21 OD
>202C 20 48 45
>2034
Some more data bytes, which complete our program. This is our table of “color characters”; it corresponds to the colors listed above.
>2037 05 90 9E 9C OF 1C 1E 1F >203F 9B 9A
After you have entered or assembled the program and have it in memory, go to BASIC and command SYS 8192. You'll get no prompt, but tapping a key in the range 0 to 9 will give you a new color combination. If you don't see one you like, or wish to experiment, modify the program! You'll find that certain colors do not work well together. The secret is: always pick a pair of colors that have differing brightness.
If you feel adventurous, there are lots of things you could add to the program. How about this: expand the number range from the ones | have given, 0 to 9, to cover 0 to 15 (or 1 to 16, if that suits your style better). You'll find that allowing two digits of input introduces new program design problems. I mean new program design Raatenees, which you can solve if you put your mind to them!
a
Table 1: Some “non-printing” characters
CHRS() Function | et ~ Function ] | Dec Hex Hex : 14 OE ~~ Textmode ie 8E Graphics mode 17 «11 Cursor down 145 91 Cursorup | 18 12 Reverse font 146 92 Reverse clear 19 13 Home cursor | 147 93 Clear Screen 20 «14 Delete 148 94 Insert 29. 1D Cursorright | 157 9D Cursorleft 13 OD RETURN | 151 97. Greyt | 5 05 White 152 98 Grey2 | 28 1C_ Red 154 9A Lt. Blue | 30 =1E Green 155 9B Grey3 31. IF Blue 156 9C Magenta | 129 81 Orange 158 9E Yellow 144 90 Black 159 9F Cyan |
COMMODORE WORLD
Peripheral Vision
By Jim Butterfield
INPUT# VERSUS THE STRING THING
The normal way to get data from a disk file is by using an INPUT# statement in your program. You'll need to OPEN the file first, and you must remember to CLOSE it when you're finished, but INPUT# is your main data-grabber. GET# will accept data too, but only one byte at a time, which slows things down. However, INPUT#is loaded with problems. Ifyour data file is super-neat, you can live with this, But there’s a mass of things to cause you grief; we'll itemize them in a moment. Some dialects of BASIC have a “LINE INPUT#” statement which gets around almost all the problems, But the BASIC you get with your8-bit Commodore machine just gives you that troublesome INPUT,
Problems With INPUT# There are several characters and conditions you might find in a data file that will cause INPUT to give problems. Most are also true of INPUT, which reads from thescreen, but we'll focus on problems encountered when reading files. Two characters, “comma” and “colon”, cause the INPUT command to stop reading data into a variable. So if your data file contains such fields as “CAPTAIN NEWMAN, MD" or “Attention: SYSOP”, you'll find that data gets broken up, placed into the wrong variable, or thrown away entirely. We know we can get around the comma and colon problem by placing quotation marks around our data. INPUT removes these quotation marks, but leaves the contents alone. That leads to another problem: you might have quotation marks as part of your data, and don’t want them thrown away. Too bad, if you use INPUT. The INPUT statement tends to strip out spaces that it findsat the beginning of a field. If your data field isall spaces, you'll get nothing. Another problem is lines that are too long. You might expect a limitation of 255 characters, since that’s the maximum size allowed fora string variable. In fact, it’s less than that: INPUT reads a line of data into a buffer, and the buffer is often only 88 characters in size, or lower (yes, it’s bigger on a 128), Lines of data that are too short cause a different type of problem. Ifyouhave “nothing” in a data field—we call this kind of thing a “null string’"—the INPUT statement will throw itaway and movealong to the next item, without telling anybody. For example, if you have somebody in your data base without a last name, your program may get out of step as it reads past this point. Andifyouhave “nothing” as the last item ina file, the INPUT statement can behave very badly indeed: on some machines, it will cause a system lockup as it tries to move to the next item, which isn’t there.
The GET Solution
The BASIC statement GET# can be substituted for INPUT#. The main problem is that it gets only one character at a time. So ifyou want to receive a string of data, you have to stick the characters together using a coding technique called “concatenation” (pronounced with emphasison the CAT).
COMMODORE WORLD
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That costs you time anditcan lead to another problem: garbage collection. As you combine strings and discard the old fragments, memory space is left idle. When garbage-collection time strikes, it will happen without warning, and your computer may freeze, which on some computers such as the Commodore 64 could last for halfan hour! Most users encountering this will assume that the computer has locked up, and will turn off the power switch.
On the Commodore 128 and some earlier CBM machines, a more efficient way of storing strings virtually eliminates garbage collection delays. Whatever computer you use, GET# is a clumsy and inefficient way to read file data.
String Thing To The Rescue
In the early Commodore computer days, | adapted some code written by Bill McLean, together with the name he gave it, and tightened it up for general use with files. It's called “String Thing”, and has become popular. Here's the key: all theproblemswe discussed about INPUT andGET exist onlyin BASIC. Machine code can grab a string from a disk file quickly, accurately, and efficiently.
It took me a while to devise a system that would allow BASIC to work efficiently with machine code. BASIC stringsare limited in size (255 characters maximum). And they tend to move around, because of garbage collection activities, Different models of Commodore computers build and handle strings in different ways; that makes it difficult to approach the task in a general way. It was especially tricky in the pre-VIC-20 days, where one program had to work correctly in a variety of operating environments.
How To Use String Thing I've given sample coding for a variety of machines: one for the C- 64 and VIC- 20, one for the C-128 in C128 mode, and a third for the pre-VIC-20 machines (PET and CBM). Type in the BASIC program; it’s set up to read a sequential file called “TOUGH DATA”, butyoucan set the filename to anything youlike. Modify the program for your own use. The important things to keep in mind are: the input variable must be the first variable defined. Also, String Thing doesn’t look at variable names. It takes the first one, which had better bea string variable. Make the string variable as large as the strings you want to read. The code shown creates string A$ as size 255 bytes (a 17-byte string replicated to 15 times its original size), That's as big as a BASIC string can be. If you create a custom string, it’s wise not to make it a “literal”, or simply a string in quotations. To make sure the string is stored in “dynamic” memory, do some manipulation on it. For example, don’t code AS="MYSTRING” ... instead, write it as AS="MYSTRING"+"”. The result is the same, but the string willbestoredina different manner. This doesn’tapply tothe C128, which stores all strings in dynamic memory (bank 1). Be sure to OPEN the file you wish to read by naming it logical file 1. String Thing will read only from file 1.
Issue 15
Figure 1: First Other . variable variables | start-of- \\ SN variables \ Tie | pointer % a ane addr size
The start-of variable-pointer (at addresses 45/46 in C-64) points ata table of seven-byte “variable” units. The first two bytes of each units give the variable’s name and type. If the variable is a string type, the next two bytes give the address of the string, and the following one its size. The remaining two bytes are always zero. String Thing assumes that the first two variables will be the string variable entry that it will use.
After you performed an input using String Thing SYS command, the string you defined will contain input from the file, The string will still be its original length; you need to find out how many characters were input and placed into thestring. You can do that with a PEEKO command. The example code given extracts the characters using a LEFT$Q function. Watch out for “null” input lines, where the length will be reported as zero. Ifa line of input datais longer than the input string, which is set to length 255 in our example, String Thing will get what it can. The next call will get you more from the same line; nothing will be lost.
How It Works
The BASIC program reads the machine language bytes and POKEs them into place. The addresses | chose aren't totally fixed: change the POKE address to anotherlocationifitsuits you; butremember tochangetheaddressofiheSYScall.
Figure 1 shows how variable information is stored in the computer. Somewhere in zero page, there's a pointer called “start of variables” that tells you where the variable data is located. This data is normally just behind your BASIC program, except in the C128, where it’s sited in a separate memory bank (Bank 1). Each variable item is seven bytes long. The items are stored in the order that the program creates them, and String Thing expects that your program will create its working string variable first. It doesn’t look at the variable name or type: itjust grabs the data, assuming that it’s the right string.
Thefirst twobytes give the variable’sname, includinginformation onits type (floating, fixed, or string). String Thing ignores this information; instead, it copies the next four bytes from the variable data. Two of these contain the address where the string is located; the third byte gives the length of the string; and the fourth byte is always zero for strings, String Thing will use that zero as an initial value for its input character counter. After that, things are simple, String Thing connects to logical file 1, reads characters, and stores them away in the string. It stops when it sees a RETURN, or when the string is full.
After the machine code has been POKEd to its destination, disassemble the code and study it ifyou wish. There are no obscure tricks. Ifyou're reading the C128 version, keep in mind that the data flow has to cross over to bank 1 twice: the first time, when String Thing reads from the variable table entry, and the second time when the input data is being stowed away into the string.
™ Lanegan 64 Version
FIELD! *
+AS
A$S="!J1IM BUTTER
AS+AS+AS4A5
eR pe
Whee
5eeaa
NM ke
May/June/July 1996
43
220 DATA 8,255,2@01,13,240,15,164,142,145
32,22
230 DATA 140,200,132,142,196,139,240,4,165,144, ,76,204,
249,234
955
“TOUGH DATA” SAME AS
OPEN 1,8,2, REM: NEXT SYS SYS 896
“INPUT#1,A$°
(COULD BE @)
46® CLOSE 1
Late shai hiepiiateia 128 Version
STRING MUS FIRST IM BUTTERFIELD!”
VARIABLE
255) 255,153,248,0,200,1 210 DATA 208,241,162,1,32,198,255 220 DATA figs ago yeni 240,23,164,253
185,
1< L196,
pLOZ ody 250,24 @
23@ DATA 162,251,142, 32, 219);255
SAMA ¢ 240
204,
AN 129 OC s60 144 94 00,132,253, ,4,165,144, 2¢
2 J=2816 TO 287@:READ X: F T<>8145 THEN STOP BANK 15
POKE J,X:T=T+X:NEX T J
=SIZE OF INPUT esased aed
PRINT LEFTS(A ST=@ GOTO
(COULD BE @)
$l ue
The PET/CBM Version
This is where String Thing started. There are several models of the early Commodore 8-bit machines, and they handle strings in two distinctly different ways. So I had to be very careful with the logic so as to ensure that a single program would work correctly on all of them.
70 REM ** 80 REM **
STRING THING (PET/CBM) ** JIM SENTE SS, IELD <=
‘IRST VARIABLE
20 S+AS+AS 13@ REM ABOVE SETS STRING AT MAX (255) vy) 160,2,177,42,153,134,0,200,192,6 208,246,162,1,32,198,255 2 201,13,240,15,164,139,1
39,196,136,240,4,165,15
@,240,234
J=896 TO 937 260 IF T<>6108 THEN ¢
:READ X:POKE J,X:T STOP
1 DATA”
=T+X:NEXT J
PUT (COULD BE @)
LEFT$ (A$, L) ST=@ GOTO 420
e)
COMMODORE WORLD
I was on my way to writing a column on screen displays; discussing the screen resolutions, modes of display, pokes, and such, and do a couple of graphics programs to illustrate the display methods. My big mistake was deciding to display fractals in the example program. Before long, one program became two, then the two became three, and I found myself checking out every library book I could on the subject. No doubt there will be a future column on working with screen displays. For the next two issues, we're going to explore the world of Fractals, along with a visit to Chaos.
So What Is It?
What are we talking about with chaos and fractals? The words have been used (and abused) so much that we need to get our terms straight. Fractal is a contraction of fractional dimension. In real life, a line has width, but from a mathematical standpoint, a real line has no width, only length; a single dimension. Likewise, a square has two dimensions, length and width. A cube has three. As we'll see, a fractal is not always quite two-dimensional, but obviously more than a one-dimensional line. Hence, it is assigned a fractional dimension, a number between one and two.
Chaos is synonymous with random; the difference is that random can refer to a single event, whereas chaos refers to a state of affairs of disorder and confusion. That's the current dictionary definition. If anyone has been keeping up with the subject of chaos theory, he or she knows that even the disorder of chaos exhibits a pattern of sorts. Like fractional dimensions, we'll explore this topic as we go along. These definitions serve to prepare you for the trip, as it were.
A Chaotic Game Let's explore chaos further now with a game called, appropriately enough, the chaos game. The program to play it is the following listing:
10@ REM THE CHAOS GAME
105 REM
110 REM SET UP HI-RES SCREEN
115 POKE 53280,@:POKE 53281,0
12@ POKE 53265, PEEK (53265) OR32
125 POKE 53272, PEEK(53272)OR8
13@ FORI=1024TO 2023:POKEI,16:N EXT:REM SET COLO
R (FOREGROUND*1 6+BACK GROUND) 135 DIM I(3@00):CLR
14@ REM MAKE BIT MASK 145 FORI=@TO7 :M(I)=2*%(7-1I) :NEXT
COMMODORE WORLD
44
DISCOVERING FRACTALS AND CHAOS
15@ 4 DRAW Y=199:FOR X=@ FOR Y=@ TO 199 X=(199-Y)/1.25:GOSUB 250 X=(199+Y)/1.25:GOSUB 250:NEXT 175 DIM PX(4),PY(4) 18@ PX(1)=@:PY(1)=1 9ePY (3):=199 185 REM GET 199 X=RND(-TI/179) *320: 195 GOSUB 250
20® REM MAIN LOOP
205 P=INT(RND(1)*3+1):REM PICK A CORNER TO HEAD TO
210 Y=(PY(P)+Y)/2:
TRIANGLE BORDER
319:GOSUB2
155 TO 160 165 170
5@:NEXT
99:PX(2)=160: PY (2) =O: PX(3) =31
1ST POINT Y=RND(1) *200
X=(PX(P)+X)/2:REM AND GO 1/2
4 AND
AY THERE
215 WAIT198,7
220 GETX$:IFASC(X$+” “)=13 THEN 230
225 GOSUB 25@:GOTO 205
23@ PRINT*%<clr>”: POKE53265, 27: POKES3272,21
235 END
245 REM PLOT A POINT ON HI-RES SCREEN
250 B=8192+INT(Y/8) *320+8*INT(/8)+(Y AND 7) :POKE
B,PEEK(B)OR M(X AND 7) : RETURN
When run, a triangle is drawn, and a point is displayed randomly. Each time you press a key another point is displayed, based on the following rules:
1) Acorner of the triangle is randomly picked.
2) A point is drawn exactly halfway between the previous point and the chosen corner.
3) Repeat from step 1, using the new point.
Keep pressing a key to assure yourself that these rules are being followed, then stop the program (by pressing the RETURN key), and delete line 215. This lets it run at full speed until you stop it again by pressing RETURN,
Before we continue on with our discussion, take a moment to predict what the result will be. Better yet, enter and run the program. Unless you're familiar with the game, the results will definitely surprise you.
Issue 15
The Sierpinski Triangle
Ifyou've run the program, or decided you can’t wait, then here itis. The pattern is decidedly UN-random. Instead of a scattering of dots, there are inverted triangles within triangles, and still more within those. If you were to blow up the image, you would see smaller triangular holes in bigger triangles. What you've done with the program is display a fractal called a Sierpinski triangle. This same triangle is formed as a