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Amazing Computing Vol 12 09 1997 Sep
AMIGA Is a registered trademarlc of Amiga International Gmbh othb.Jled n Ile U.S. & CCllCldO by lntemaliol d Pedodcol Dbllblas 674 o de lo Vdli&. Sle 214. Soklno Beach. CA '1}[)75 & Peliocllcds Inc. 1226 Hel QJCicer Blvd., La Veme TN 37006 Printed In U.S.A. International, Inc. The Boing is Back The Comeback has Started. Keep the Momentum Going! There is a new excitement in the Amiga community world wide. The AMIGA continues to gain new energy and additional momentum with AMIGA lnternational's three point strategy: 1 . Support the existing AMIGA community Leverage the existing AMIGA technology through broad licensing. Assist in the development of new products based on open standards to the home computer and video/graphics market. AMIGA International is proud to present the first two companies to license products based on the AMIGA. Micronik Computer Service of Germany will be creating a new /tAMIGA version of the AMIGA with their infinitiv Towers. Index Information Ltd. of Hampshire, England will manufacture AMiGA and distribute the "Access" Computer, based on the Amiga Chip Set and Operating System. AMIGA Calendar Join the new Amiga excitement! For information on Amiga
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COMPUTING) Ytmr Oriniiml A MktA Monthly Hexmtrrc 'AMIGA Volume I - No. 9 September 1997 US $ 3-95 Canada $ 5.95 The Boing Ball Is Back!
Network PC & The Siamese Syste Using A PC with your AMIGA ADORAGE Amazing Special effects with any AMIGA PLUS!
Lightwave Deforms QUAKE on the AMIGA?
Polished Headlines Web Artists!
Accurately Capture and Translate Web Art from any platform!
Introducing The Newest Model From QuikPak The A4040L and A4060L represent the latest innovation from QuikPak. A fully functional Amiga in a portable case, complete with LCD, these computers offer full compatibility with all A4000 peripherals. Combined with the NewTek Toaster and Flyer, the A4040L and A4060L are the ultimate graphics and television broadcasting solution.
* 68040 25Mhz CPU
* $ 4495, or $ 9495 when bundled with the NewTek Toaster & Flyer.
* 68060 50Mhz CPU 2 GB HDD
* $ 4995, or $ 9995 when bundled with the NewTek Toaster and Flyer.
Now Things are Happening with the Amiga Call QuikPak @ 1.888.784.5725 or by email: email@example.com QUALITY QUICKLY UIKPAK www.amigasupport.com quikpak QuikPak Welcomes Gateway 2000 to the Amiga Community Once again it seems that the Amiga Community is subjected to another sharp turn on the rollercoaster that is the future of the Amiga. The recent announcement by Gateway 2000 that its bid to purchase the assets of Amiga Technologies has been successful is truly a surprise. Yet, it is a surprise that holds much promise.
Gateway 2000 is a tremendous success story - continually scoring top marks in customer satisfaction surveys based on service, support, and product reliability.
Gateway 2000 is a leader in its market, and brings to the Amiga Community a wealth of resources and knowledge.
While we are understandably dissappointed that our own bid was unsuccessful, we at QuikPak remain as committed as ever to the future of the Amiga. We have devoted a large portion of our energies to developing the Amiga market and supporting the community, and we have no intention of abandoning our position now.
The Gateway 2000 purchase may represent an excellent opportunity to breathe new life into the Amiga platform. We've maintained all along that we believe in the future of the Amiga, and stand by our statements.
Thank you once again for your continuing support, and we look forward to bringing you new information as it becomes available. We look forward to working with you, the user, and all our other partners in making the Amiga's future as bright as possible. And, we look forward to the opportunity of working with the newest player in the Amiga field, Gateway 2000.
Sincerely, Dan Robinson Director of Business Development QuikPak Dave Ziembicki
C. E.O. QuikPak Now Things are Happening with the Amiga QUALITY
Call QuikPak @ 1.888.784.5725 or by email:
firstname.lastname@example.com www.amigasupport.com quikpak QUICKLY
UIKPAK Terrific Packages from QuikPak A4000T
* 1GB SCSI Drive
* Value Priced @ $ 1997.00 A4060T
* 1GB SCSI Hard Drive
* Value Priced @ $ 2697.00 All QuikPak Amigas come with Wordsworth
4SE, Photogenics SE, Personal Paint. TurboCalc, Organizer,
Scala, and preconfigured Internet Software from Robinson
Consulting I.S. Accelerate Your Amiga If you're looking for the
most powerful Accelerator for your Desktop A3000 4000 series
computer or A4000T, then look no further. The A4060T and A4060D
accelerators offer a 50Mhz 68060, SCSI-II wide, 64-bit EDO RAM
capable, designed and manufactured in the U.S.A., and are
available today.
Both Models are available for $ 999 Now Things are Happening with the Amiga Call QuikPak @ 1.888.784.5725 or by email: firstname.lastname@example.com QUALITY QUICKLY UIKPAK www.amigasupport.com quikpak fmmrMy AMIGA aziiis MiGA COMPUTING Qtgilal FX Col aclion Ron Thornton Digital FX, P.9 MicroniK, P. 12 i w - lightwave Deforms, P. 16 r ** §** 4 ADORAGE, P.20 9 New Products & other neat stuff Aladdin 4D 5.0 Released, Siamese Alpha & TCP EP, Animator Tips & Tricks, Ron Thornton Digital FX CD... 12 The Licensing of The Amiga Amiga International expands the concept of the Amiga with new editions from
Index Information Ltd. And MicroniK Computer Services.
14 Amiga-Web Color Connect by R. Shamms Mortier Accurately capture and translate web art created by all platforms.
16 LightWave Deforms by R. Shamms Mortier Improve your 3D graphics and animation with the unique deformation tools in NewTek's LightWave 3D.
20 ADORAGE by Rev. John Jackman Create complex 3D page peels, particle effects, and motion effects on any Amiga with truly stunning results.
26 On-Line by Rob Hays Try newsreading with Voyager NG, Autopilot is freeware, CompuServe could be sold to AOL, how to find a local ISP, and more, 30 A Polished Edge by Nick Cook Burnish your headlines for a 3D effect.
34 Network PC & The Siamese System by Dave S. Matthews With the right tools, your Amiga can utilize the better parts of any PC.
Quake for the Amiga?
42 Games on the Amiga by Peter Ohifstm Id's Quake is on the move - to the Amiga. Peter reviews shoot-eroups and even finds a new game available FREE (with a certain European Mag)!
48 The Cross- Platform Page by R, Shawm* Mortier Is it time we looked beyond the Amiga and used its power to work with the other major platforms?
The Boing « w is Back!
DEPARTMENTS NetworkPC & The Siamese System, P.34 ial Conti Interest in a new Red Planet Doris Gamble Robert Gamble Ernest P. Viveiros Don Hicks Ernest P. Viveiros Scott Brown Shamms Mortier Mars or Bust One of the high points of this Summer was the Mars landing and the pictures that came back from the rover lander team. For weeks NASA web sites were crippled with requests by voyaging web travelers who wanted a close-up of the red planet. The NASA team became stars. Even the lander and its small sidekick rover became action heroes.
The Mars landing was a spectacular feat of engineering and risk taking. NASA threw out the rule book. They had a precise budget and a specific time deadline. NASA reinvented NASA.
1 was fascinated by the way the lander arrived on Mars. This was not a soft, balanced landing on flaring rockets nor was it a multiple parachute landing. Through a complex arrangement of rockets, tethers, and a parachute, the lander eventually separated from the tether, hit the surface of Mars and bounced (as high as 50 feet) in its enclosure of airbags. After the lander had come to rest, it deflated the bags and then stood on its base (this alone was remarkable). It performed a diagnostic and began transmitting its position and condition back to Earth. A remarkable feat of engineering not
just because it succeeded, but because it was attempted.
NASA, faced with the dramatically rising costs of their missions, had to find a way to perform missions inexpensively or soon the United States would have relegated the entire space program to launching and maintaining satellite TV systems and cellular telephone networks.
NASA had to change and through that change it was able to accomplish more.
Being Creative I believe creativity comes from the ability to mentally visualize an object, situation, or concept and then turn it in your mind until you see it from a fresh angle. The process suggests change and that is what we are seeing applied to the Amiga.
There are several changes in the way we view the Amiga exemplified in this issue. The first is Amiga International's signing of two new Amiga license holders, Index Information and MicroniK. This is the first time development and production of the Amiga has been shared outside the confines of the official owners.
To signify this new marketing approach, Amiga International has brought back one of the first symbols for the Amiga, the Boing Ball. They are using it in the "Powered By Amiga" emblem and MicroniK has it proudly displayed on their products.
For those of you who don't know, the Boing Ball got its name because it was used in a demo of the first Amigas. Viewers could see the ball spin and bounce around the inside of a box on the screen. Each time the checkered ball hit a side, top, or, bottom of the box, the ball would reverse its spin, the computer would sound a large boing and the ball would move on its new trajectory.
This was magical. It was extraordinary. Oh, sure, it seems like small potatoes today, but in 1985 no other micro computer could generate the math, plot the trajectories, construct the graphics, and make the sound all at the same time. The Amiga could because it was multitasking the work.
The Boing Ball was an excellent example of viewing a problem from a fresh angle not only in its construction but in its lesson. The Amiga had to show what was different about it and why it was capable of so much more. For those that understood what was involved, the Boing Ball was a great metaphor, but for the others, the lesson was far too subtle. Unfortunately, Commodore never found another way to further demystify the differences.
Today, to get the maximum from their Amigas, users also view their Amigas differently . In this issue, Dave Matthews discusses the benefits of two hardware products that allow the Amiga to take advantage of new and used Pcs with Network PC and the Siamese System.
Shamms Mortier has suggested a column for the magazine dedicated to utilizing software from other platforms and he has asked for your input. These articles let us look at the Amiga differently. They allow us to leverage what is best about the Amiga and use it to accomplish our work, In the months ahead, we will continue this effort. I hope you will also send any ideas on how the Amiga is currently being used by you or how it could be used in the future.
Amiga International has adopted an old symbol to characterize the change in the Amiga. For Amiga users, Mars is not the only red globe they can be proud of, there is a red and white checkered sphere that could also point our way to the future.
Amazing Computing Amiga™ (,ISSN 1053-4547) is published monthly by PiM Publications, Inc.. P.O. Box 2140, Fall River, MA 02722-2140, Phone 1-508- 678-4200,1-800-345-3360, and FAX 1-508 6756002.
U. S. subscription rate Is $ 29.95 for 12 issues. Subscriptions
outside the U.S. are as follows: Canada & Mexico $ 38.95 (U.S.
funds) one year only; Foreign Surface $ 49.97. All payments
must be in U.S. funds on a U.S. bark. Due to erratic postal
changes, all foreign rotes are one-year only.
Periodical Postage paid at Fall River, MA 02722.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PIM Publications Inc., P.O. Box 9490. FaH River, MA 02720.
Printed In the U.S.A. Entire contents copyrighl© 1997 by PiM Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from PIM Publications. Inc. Additional First Class or Air Mall rates available upon request. PiM Publications, Inc. maintains the right to refuse any advertising. PiM Publications, Inc. is not responsible for the claims, content, and or policies of any advertiser or advertisement.
PiM Publications Inc. is not obligated to return unsolicited materials. All requested returns must be received with a seif-addressed stamped mailer.
Send article submissions in both manuscript and disk format with your name, address, telephone, and Social Security Number on each to the Associate Editor. Requests for Author's Guides should be directed to the address listed above.
AMIGA™ is a registered trademark of Amiga International Gmbh Distributed In 1he U.S. & Canada by International Periodical Distributors 674 Via de la Valle, Ste 204, Solona Beach, CA 92075 & Ingram Periodicals Inc. 1226 Heil Quaker Blvd., La Veme IN 37086 Printed in U.S.A. 1-508-678-4200,1-800-345-3360, FAX 1-508-675-6002 http: www.pimpub.com AMAZING AUTHORS Randy Finch Rob Hays Marc Hoffman Dave Matthews Managing Editor: Hardware Editor; Illustrator: Contributing Editor: Circulation Manager: Traffic Manager: Production Manager: EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION Publisher: Joyce Hicks Assistant
Publisher: Robert J. Hicks Intern: Nicholas H. Pacheco International, Inc. The Boing is Back The Comeback has Started.
Keep the Momentum Going!
There is a new excitement in the Amiga community world wide. The AMIGA continues to gain new energy and additional momentum with AMIGA International's three point strategy:
1. Support the existing AMIGA community
2. Leverage the existing AMIGA technology through broad
3. Assist in the development of new products based on open
standards to the home computer and video graphics market.
AMIGA International is proud to present the first two companies to license products based on the AMIGA.
in Micronik Computer Service of Germany will be creating a new jXHwnully AMIGA version of the AMIGA with their infinitiv Towers.
Index Information Ltd. Of Hampshire, England will manufacture AMIGA ar|d distribute the "Access" Computer, based on the Amiga Chip Set and Operating System.
AMIGA Calendar Join the new Amiga excitement!
The following are AMIGA events throughout the world.
Please support the AMIGA by attending these expositions.
* October 25th and 26th: AmiExpo New York, New York USA
* The biggest AMIGA exhibition in the world!
November 14th - 16th: COMPUTER '97 in Koin (Cologne), Germany
* November 29th: IPISA'97 at the Conference Hall in Milano, Italy
International Developer Conference for Alternative Computing
For information on Amiga Liscensing for your products, please
contact: International, Inc. Robert-Bosch-Str. 11 B 63225
Langen, Germany Phone 49 (0)6103 5878-5 Fax: 49 (0)6103 5878-88
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com www.amiga.de "Gateway 2000 can
redefine computing without developing cold feet. I am glad
Gateway refuses to think out loud." Dear AC, Heartfelt kudos
for creating a sensible oasis of calm amidst the swirls of
rumor, inflated claims and general unrest surrounding the
Amiga. I recently retired my 512K Amiga 1000 from active duty
when the "N" key died. My trusty 2500 now graces that hallowed
spot on my den desk, where the venerable A1010 still doubles as
a television monitor.
These vintage beauties witnessed the only other time I felt a sincere faith in the company caring for the Amiga.
In 1988, Howard Diamond brought with him the hope of Apple-style marketing. As a computer consultant for education, I began to seriously present the Amiga as a versatile, creative tool for elementary and secondary schools. I could call A1 Rossi in the Commodore Education Division.
He would join me as I presented the platform and its possibilities to teaching staffs, PTAs and school officials.
Amazing things began to happen.
Children began creating animated storybooks. School libraries contained ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION 4x5 COLOR TRANSPARENCIES 35mm COLOR SLIDES from ALL Amiga Computer & Video Toaster Graphics
• 4000-line Film Recorder Resolution*
• NO Scanlines • Brilliant Color* Call or Write for order form,
price list, and FREE sample slides: HAMMOND PHOTOGRAPHIC
SERVICES 4301 N. 75th Street, Suite 101B Scottsdale, Arizona
(602) 949-6066 child-created multimedia book reports.
Labs featured individually configurable virtual environments for terminals on a network. Teachers began to use tools to create visual aids, video projects and logical puzzles at the elementary and middle school level. I felt that I was witnessing the dawn of a new era in education.
Commodore pulled the plug. I still don't understand why. Try as they might, they could not define the progress of the Amiga by the success of other computers. Maybe they weren't brave enough for the new world created by the Amiga.
In the course of my consulting, I have coerced many a MicroSoft PC into doing something useful. As I switched from one software title to another, the technology seemed to reconfigure itself for each new application. I felt forced to leave the cockpit of one machine and climb into another.
My school recently bought me a PowerMac for my classroom desk.
While the very fast Mac can work quickly in a single application, when I switch programs the Mac busily flutters about its massive OS in an attempt to accommodate my request. I wait for the Mac. It only contains 16 megabytes of RAM, so I must reduce the number of display bitplanes to allow many applications room to run. I must listen carefully to the Mac. I never dare to refuse its requests, or fail to follow its instructions.
In the Amiga cockpit each added application becomes a part of the machine itself, a living, dynamic tool in my workbench drawer. I fly my five megabyte, 25Mhz, A2500, with its 40 meg hard drive, to places the Mac has never dreamed of going.
Each application interacts with the OS, and with other applications, instantly executing my every command.
It is 100 Mhz slower than the Mac, yet no matter how hard I try, I cannot outrun it. It always waits for me. My Amiga asks me not only what I want, but how I want it served. I feel almost obligated to give it a tip. I can't recall any idea, a process or a combination of functions that I could not perform on the Amiga in a seemingly limitless number of ways.
Teachers quickly dispense with anything that does not serve them easily and efficiently. The technology must adapt. It will forever be used in ways unforeseen by its designers. The average teacher still does not use a computer for anything beyond the production of worksheets and letters. I saw a brief glimpse of something special when I saw the Amiga become an integral part of the teaching process.
Now, in 1997,1 feel a similar sense of excitement. Maybe Gateway 2000 can redefine computing without developing cold feet. I am glad Gateway refuses to think out loud. It's very hard to explain the possibilities of the Amiga. Make them real, then reveal them. Only the Amiga OS, or something like it, will be able to penetrate the Microsoft juggernaut.
To Gateway 2000 I proffer two simple requests: Please keep and improve the hardware blitter, and allow me the comforting pleasure of dragging the screen down to monitor the progress of a background task.
Sincerely, Scot M Sutherland Lancaster CA Please Wrife to: FeedBack c o Amazing Computing
P. O. Box 9490 Fall River, MA 02720 AMIGA The waiting has come to
an end. With the new infinitiv towersystem, the international
Amiga community can now find a professional,
high-powered-multimedia-solution on AMIGA-basis for private
use. It is produced by the German company MicroniK.
For this development MicroniK has just received an official AMIGA- license. With it, MicroniK is the first licensed Amiga International, Inc. manufacturer of AMIGA-computers in Europe with worldwide sales.
Infinitiv A1300 Tower: I j;iy fA»fe
• infinitiv Tower with AMIGA 1200 Mainboard
• Floppy disk drive 880 KB AMIGA 720 KB DOS
• internal PSU 150 Watt
• separate AMIGA-keyboad
• Operating System AMIGA-OS 3.1 Workbench 3.1
• Handbooks infinitiv A1400 Tower:
• as A-1300 Tower with additional:
• Bus-Board Zorro II with 5 Zorro II Slots
• Video-Slot optional
• pass-through A1200 Expansion-Port infinitiv A1500 Tower:
• as A-1300 Tower with additional:
• Bus-Board Zorro II III 16 32 bit, with 5 Zorro II III
• A3 4000 CPU-Slot (for A3 4000 Accelerator-Cards)
• pass-through A1200 Expansion-Port
• Fast SCSI-II Host-Adaptor onboard
• Video-Slot optional « ,5S*.
• "Snap-and-Click" f&Jr The infinitiv Towersystem is not just a
handsome case-design. The infinitiv Towersystem offers " space
for all Amiga-typical extensions with guide- and easy access to
the main board. The piodular design with its "Snap-and-Click"
mechanism' allows expansion internally via hard disk exten
sion case or top of the case through the specially designed
top-case extension.
Dealer Inquiries welcomed.
McroniK MicroniK Computer Service Phone: +49 (0)2171-72 45 24 Fax :+49 (0)2171-72 45 90 Internet: www.micronik.de BruckenstralBe 2 D-51379 Leverkusen GERMANY Been following the Amiga market lately?
I** 3 Vi i i a - dikA V 1 ... Then you must have been reading Amazing Computing. AC has been with the market on every rise, fall, twist, turn, and surprising event. Each issue AC not only reviews great products, offers interesting tutorials, and brings you up to date on everything that is coming and going in the Amiga community, we also delve into the future of the Amiga. AC has followed the course of the Amiga for over ten years. If is the longest running periodical for the Amiga and it is your best opportunity to know just what is happening in the market, before you are taken for a ride.
To climb on board just call toll-free in the US and Canada 1-800-345-3360 or complete the form and send it with check, money order, or credit card information to Amazing Computing, PiM Publications Inc.,
P. O. Box 2140, Fall River, MA 02722, FAX is available at
Aladdin 4D 5.0 Reknsed, Siamese Alpha & TCP IP, Animator Tips & Tricks, Ron Thornton Digital FX CD... NEW PRODUCTS and oth&n n&at ft add Talking Animator Tips & Tricks Three Sons Software has announced the release of Talking Animator Tips & Tricks Version 1.0. This title was designed by a teacher who won international awards using The Talking Animator. It includes hundreds of examples and tutorials which unlock the power of the program. The user can go far beyond the original documentation into sound effects, speed control, educational projects, making a 10 minute+ animated video on a 1
meg A500 and much more. Ideas pamphlet and skills checklist are included. Great for beginning animators on any platform.
Talking Animator Tips & Tricks is available now with a suggested retail price of $ 40.00 US, plus $ 5.00 S&H.
School and school district licenses are negotiable. Money orders or school purchase orders preferred. Minimum system requirements include a CPU 6800,1 meg RAM, single floppy, WB 1.3, must already have Talking Animator 2.0 to display the files of this 4 disk set.
Three Sons Software, Box 1424, Hope, BC, Canada VOX 1L0, Ph Fax: 604-869- 2635, email: c o firstname.lastname@example.com The Creative Magic of Ron Thornton Digital FX collection CD Rom Desktop Images has released the Creative Magic of Ron Thornton - Digital FX Collection CD Rom. This title is the complete collection of LightWave 3D models, Scene files and Images contained in the Ron Thornton instructional videotapes: Spacecraft Model The press releases and news announcements in New Products are from Amiga vendors and others. While Amazing Computing maintains the right to edit these articles, the
statements, etc. made in these reports are those of the vendors and not Amazing Computing.
Design, Spacecraft Surfacing Techniques, Digital Cinematography, and Cinematic Visual Effects. The collection enables the viewer to follow along with the actual models and scenes as Ron demonstrates.
All Models are completely surfaced and are incorporated into special effects sequences utilizing compositing, explosion sequences and particle animation. The models and scenes can be easily used and modified to create custom imagery. All of the models and scenes are offered for unlimited use, royalty free.
The CD Rom includes tryout versions of Adobe Photoshop and Dynamic Realities' Particle Storm Plug-in for LightWave 3D. Also included are explosion image sequences from the Pyromania! CD Rom from VCE, Inc. Digital FX Collection carries a retail price of $ 79.95. Each of the instructional video tapes carries a retail price of $ 49.95. Desktop Images, P O Box 10908, Burbank, CA 91505, Tel: 818-841-8980, Fax: 818-841- 8023, email - email@example.com, 24 hour order line 1-800-377-1039, On-line order catalog http: www.desktopimages.com desktop Two New Products from CeV Design New RBM 1200
Slots: RBM Computertechnik is now shipping a new zorro 2 adaptor that has 7 zorro 2, 2 Video Slots (optional cord required), and 5 ISA slots with the passthrough for a Blizzard board or DKB Cobra. The Video slot requires an extra option and should be available in July. This fits in CeV Design's Model 4B Case with the 250 Watt power and 11 drive bays with the PC keyboard interface.
Digital FX Collection Picasso and many zorro 2 cards have been tested to run well in this case. Your 1200 has to be installed by the user although CeV can install and test all for a $ 50.00 charge. The KB interface works under any Win95 or AT keyboard. To order XP Chassis Model 4B (Tower) @ $ 589.00 + $ 30.00 S&H, Slots Separate A1200 can be purchased @ $ 329.99 + $ 20.00 S&H or the Video Slot Option @ $ 99.00 contact CeV Design.
New RBM 4000 Slots Towerhawk Towers: RBM also has a 7 zorro 3, 2 Video Slots, and 5 ISA slots ready for US distribution. This new board comes in CeV Design's Model 5C Case and has a 230 Watt power and multiple drive bays.
Your A4000 MB has to be installed by the user. CeV can assist whenever possible. To Order the XP Chassis Model 5C (Towerhawk) @ $ 675.00 + $ 30.00 S&H or Slots Separate A4000 @ $ 339.99 + $ 20.00 S&H contact CeV.
CeV Design, 11 Spring Street, Reading bAA 01867-2640, Tel: 617-942-0209, Tues or Wed 6:30-7:30 PM EST best time to call, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com, Web Page: www.shore.net ~cev cev.html ? ??? WANTED ????
A2000 Computers TOP DOLLAR PAID If you are sitting with an A2000 in your attic or basement not being used, this is the time to turn it into cash. We offer top dollar for any A2000 and even pay the UPS shipping costs! Trade in your A2000 towards an A3000.
Call for pricing details. You won't be disappointed.
Visit us at: www.paxtron.com NEW ? Fully Authorized Amiga Repair Center A ? Amiga Dealer Prices £) ? Commodore Parts and Ics
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Siamese TCP IP Ethernet Internet HiQ is in final testing of the Siamese TCP IP Ethernet Internet connection.
The Siamese System now supports the TCP IP protocol for transferring all file data, Screen Retargetting, etc. The Ethernet link will allow any Vvin95 NT system to run the Siamese System software from an Amiga as long as they are both linked via Ethernet and have TCP IP stacks available to them. So far tests have shown file transfer rates of over 500kbytes sec on budget type Ethernet cards and the Siamese RTG system positively flies. HiQ also stated that Video Toaster and Flyer users will be able to control their Amiga Video system from any Win95 NT system and transfer data to and from an Alpha
Lightwave system for example.
HiQ's Siamese System goes Alpha HiQ also announced that the Siamese System now supports Alpha based WindowsNT workstations. In conjunction with DigitaLs FX!32 translation system, version 2 of the software now shipping runs transparently and at high speed. The Siamese System integrates a Windows95 NT PC with any Amiga with an 020 and AmigaOS 3.x. In use the two systems appear as one, greater than the sum of its parts. The supplied software and hardware allows you to use one monitor, mouse, keyboard and printer for both machines, as well as mounting all the drives of the Windows machine on the
Amiga. The Siamese RTG allows you to retarget compatible Amiga screens at high speed to your Windows desktop, in resolutions up to 2048x2048.
According to HiQ, "With high end Alpha 21164A CPUs reaching 600mhz, and the 21164PC CPUs coming in at Pentium prices, Alphas are the perfect machines to Siamese with your Amiga.
The awesome rendering speed of the Alpha in conjunction with the still unbeaten video capabilities of the Amiga Toaster Flyer wili unleash your creativity and greatly increase your productivity."
HiQ Ltd. 44(0) 1525 211327, FAX: 44 (0) 1525 211328, www.sianiese.co.uk Distributed in the U.S. by Anti Gravity Products, 1649 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, Sales 1-800-747-2848, Customer Service 310-399-7782, FAX: 310-399-8262, Web: www.antigravity.com. Aladdin 4D 5.0 and a Limited Time Offer for ImageFX!
Aladdin 4D 5.0, perhaps one of the most anticipated upgrades to a consumer 3D package on the Amiga, is available!
Nova Design is currently taking advance orders for this highly anticipated upgrade. Aladdin 4D claims to be the Amiga's fastest 3D animation package and it comes with advanced tools like volumetric gases and particle systems!
Included features are:
• No more dongle copy protection!
• All-new AmigaDOS 2.1 3.1 style interface! Completely
configurable interface has been redesigned to make using the
Aladdin 4D modeling and animation system easier to use than
ever before!
IBIS im
* * d
* * iS.
.ill forward Search Order Support ANT! GRAVITY !? 800GRAVITY PRODUCTS Sales: 800-747-2848 FAX: 310-399-8262 Customer Service: 310-399-7782 Service Center: 310-399-7446 Location: ittp: www.antigravity.com OR @ 1649 16'th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA Anti Cravity Products Welcomes You To antigravity.com Your Internet Direct Specialist!
Anti Cravlty.com Video Products Video Toaster Video Flyer Perception DPS TBC-IV Audio Products Thank You For Stopping By Our Homepage! Browse Or Search In Any Area On The Left. Then Place Your Order Through The Internet! Or By More Traditional Methods' By Phone Or In Person In Our Showroom!
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Siamese System S395 The Siamese System is many things. You are probably aware that it totally integrates an Amiga with a PC, allowing you to control both computers with a single mouse, keyboard and monitor. However, did you know the Siamese System offers the fastest Amiga to PC networking solution in existance? With scsi networking support, you can share a scsi drive so that both computers can read and write to it at full speed. The Siamese Software will also use the shared drive to transparently buffer data, for example if you copy a file from C: on the PC to dhQ: on the Amiga, the software
will automatically copy the file from C: to the shared drive, and then from the shared drive to dhO:. This results in the fastest file transfer speeds around, with speeds upto 3 megabytes per second acheivabie, far faster than ethernet. The Amiga has access to all of the PC's drives, including floppy, cdrom, and networked drives, via a virtual drive called PC: that appears to the Amiga like any other drive.
Plug-Ins SYSTEMS Alpha Amiga Siamese Video flyer Accelerators Drives Storage "The Fastest Amiga To PC Networking Solution In Existance!"
Main features: ? Integrated Amiga, PC and Mac system possible.
? Single Monitor automatically switches to display PC as if Amiga Screen, ? Single Keyboard and Mouse operation across all platforms.
? Built rn Serial networking with ail PC drives mounted on Amiga.
? Siamese uses high speed SCSI network wnh suit able SCSI interfaces.
? Read Write on any PC Drive at high speed, including Networked Drive.
? Text Clipboard, Cut and Paste between Amiga and PC applications ? Share Printers, all Amiga output sent to PC printer.
? Amiga MCI controller from AmigaDos or Atom, (Media Control Interface) ? Access tu Low cost PC products.'
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EMPLANT Siamese MAC bundle: EMPLANT Siamese MAC Mac Roms Mac OS Scall 'Specifications: CPU: Pentium 75-150MHZ RAM: Upto 256MB Cache: 256K-1MB Int. PORTS: IDE & Floppy Ext. PORTS: COM1, COM2, PS 2 Mouse, High Speed RS-232, Enhanced Parallel Slot: Fits in the ISA bus Built-In: PCI 5CS1-W PCI VGA Display 'Call for curent specifications Anti Cravity Labs Software Hardware Pentitrator VS-200MHz $ 1995 Pentitrator VS Pro-200MHz $ 2495 Pentitrator VS Dual Pro-200MHF $ Call Aladdin 4D 5.0 Offer (continued from page 10) pvmrezlby AMIGA.
• Supports all Amiga display modes, CyberGraphX, Toaster, DCTV
and more. Full support for integration with ImageFX and other
packages supporting the MAGIC buffer sharing system allows you
to render images and immediately post process them.
The Licensing of The Amiga Amiga International expands the concept of the Amiga
• Spotlights! Negative lights!
Configurable photo-realistic soft shadows! Two configurable lens flare systems!
• Video Toaster and Lightwave compatibility means that you can
load and save Toaster Framestore images, render directly to the
Toaster display, load Lightwave objects and composite Lightwave
scenes three dimensionally with built-in zbuffer support.
• Hierarchical, spline based, motion paths!
• Arexx support, real-time texture previews, thumbnail image
requesters, interactive help system, multiple level anti
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The upgrade price, which includes a completely new manual, is $ 99.95. Aladdin 4D can order and 'crossgrade' to ImageFX 2.6 directly from Nova Design, Inc. for $ 124.95 when ordering their Aladdin 4D upgrade. ImageFX owners can also order Aladdin 4D at this upgrade price and get Aladdin 4D 5.0 for $ 99.95. These offers will not be available forever. Call 1-800-IMAGE- 69, or (804) 282-1157, to order Aladdin 4D and ImageFX on this special offer, or fax (804) 282-3768.
Nova Design, Inc., 1910 Byrd Avenue, Suite 204, Richmond, VA 23230. For customer support or information call
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• AC* True to his word (see the interview in the August issue of
Amazing Computing), Petro Tyschtschenko has signed two new
licensees to Amiga International and the Amiga. The following
are descriptions and excerpts from the press releases on these
new packages for the A1200 motherboard. Amazing Computing will
review these products as soon as they are available to us.
Cess The Access computer by Index Information Ltd. Is a low cost Corporate Multimedia delivery platform based on the Amiga Chip Set and Operating System. In addition to the standard Amiga specifications the Access has connectivity options, CD-ROM, and floppy disk drive. The design is flexible so that a range of motherboards can be built which have 90% common parts, mount in the same case, can be flexibly manufactured using computer controlled production equipment, and therefore allow rapid delivery of small batches at an economical price.
The Access motherboard, when fitted with its mounting frame and floppy disk drive, fits into a standard 5 1 4" drive bay. The mounting method is flexible and can be mounted in a wide range of cases, even in a standard PC case (although its depth of 297mm does cause problems with some bays). This design allows the motherboard to be quickly and easily replaced if necessary. The options this provides extends from its 'normal' package with a CD-ROM to a compact 8 unit tower case for major installations.
Index Information is targeting this product for a wide range of applications. Education and Interactive training by CD-ROM or Ethernet network delivery, public displays such as museums, public buildings, and attractions, Internet access when integrated with a modem and hard disk in a half height case, and public kiosks for interactive product selection and vending control.
Please send New Products Info to: Amazing Computing,
P. O. Box 9490, Fall River, MA 02720 FAX (508) 675-6002 The
Access Computer by Index Information Ltd.
The Access computer is 100% Amiga compatible with a Motorola 68EC020 processor running at 14MHz, 2MB CHIP RAM and either 2MB or 8MB FAST RAM. It promises a rate 2.3 times faster than a stock A1200. The Access computer also uses an IDE Hard disk interface, an IDE CD-ROM with driver in ROM, a Standard Amiga floppy disk drive, an ISA expansion slot for low cost modems and Ethernet networks, a sound sampler with microphone input, a Real Time Clock, CD-DA audio input connector and mixer, plus non volatile RAM for configuration information.
The output connectors can be easily changed for different designs without the need to change the case. In the back there are ports for an RGB -15 pin High Density cable, a 25-pin D Parallel port, a standard Mouse port, Keyboard, composite video, and phono. The front of the case has stereo sound out, volume control, mono sound in, and the floppy disk.
AMIGA WEB DIRECTORY mmi A mmatk §m m kWm * Visit The Amiga Web Directory!
• The world's leading resource for the Amiga on the World Wide
• Updated daily with new Amiga web sites, industry news and
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• Available on six different international mirror sites.
• The most award-winning Amiga web site ever.
• Includes "Agnes", the world's most flexible Amiga search engine
° Agnes If you only have a few bookmarks in your web browser,
make sure one of them is the Amiga Web Directory! Sponsored by
the The Champaign-Urbana Computer Users Group, the "AWD" is the
most complete resource to the Amiga on the World Wide Web. Make
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http: www.cucug.org amiga.hfml today!
Index Information, 60 High Street, Odiham, Hook, Hants, RG29 1LN, England. TEL: +44-(0)1256-703426 and FAX: 44-(0)1256- 701023, email: email@example.com, web: www.cix.co.uk ~index. The Infinitiv towersystem is an AMIGA- based professional high-powered- multimedia-solution by MicroniK of Germany. MicroniK was the first company to receive a license from AMIGA International, Inc. The handsome towersystem case- design offers space for all AMIGA- typical extensions. The case-design offers a quick and easy exchange of the main board plus the modular design of the infinitiv towersystem suggests
numerous extension possibilities either internally via hard disc extension cases or to the top through the specially designed top-cases.
Mounting additional drive bays is very simple and through a "Snap-and- Click" mechanism. With the top-case add-ons, the tower can be extended with CD-ROM and hard disc-drives. This enables a multiple increase in the infinitiv tower power case.
...... .V The new infinitiv towersystem comes in three variations the A1300, A1400, and the A1500. The infinitiv The Infinitiv towersystem by MicroniK contains an A1200 and more!
A1300 Tower contains an AMIGA 1200 motherboard, a floppy disk drive 880 KB AMIGA 720 KB DOS, an internal 150 Watt power supply, a separate AMIG A- keyboard, the Amiga -OS 3.1 and Workbench 3.1,1 plus manuals. The infinitiv A1400 Tower: is the same as the A1300 Tower with the added features of a Zorro II Bus-Board with 5 Zorro II Slots, a video-slot option, and an A1200 Expansion- Port. The infinitiv A1500 Tower is also the same as the A1300 Tower but with a Zorro II III 16 32 bit Bus-Board with 5 Zorro II III Slots, an A3 4000 CPU-Slot (for A3 4000 Accel- erator-Cards), an A1200
Expansion-Port pass-through, a Fast SCSI-II Host-Adaptor onboard, and a video-slot option.
MicroniK, Briickenstrafie 2, D-51379 Leverkusen, Germany, Phone 011 49 2171- 72 45 0, or Fax 011 49 2171 72-45 90.
Internet: imvw.micronik.de.
• AC* Just when you thought you knew everything you needed to
know about color on the Web, along comes new information. Well,
this information isn't really new, it's just organized
Amiga-Web Color Connections by R. Slmrn* Mortier Accurately capture and translate web art created by all platforms.
When you display graphics on the Web for surfers who do not have 24-bit capability, strange things can happen.
All of the fine-tuned 256 color art you crafted painstakingly for hours can appear like moldy cheese on the display. That's because certain browsers that are in use have definiRIFFS 2 bar IFF Samples of Horns for your MODS and or MIDI sequences VARIOUS Horns - Brass and Woodwind Tempos - 30 bpm 120 bpm Styles - Jazz, R&B, Blues.
Ballad, Classic Write for free disk to: DW Inc. 6971 Rooks Ct. Frederick MD 21703 Something NEW for the Amiga tive expectations when it comes to color use, and certain colors are expected to be in specific positions in the palette. To make matters even more complex, certain computers have their own 256 color palette needs, though your graphics software can always help you solve any situation when you are not on-line by fostering the capability to load in a new palette.
256 color palettes are always loaded in when you load a new graphic, except in some cases when you tell the system not to. This is especially true on the Amiga in Brilliance 256 color mode, where you are given that option. (TrueBrilliance is a 24-bit and HAM 8 application, so color always looks as it should).
Complexity from Nothing Complexity intervenes when you try to work in a Web specific palette on the Amiga. The Amiga, to my best knowledge (and I am sure a reader will correct me if I am wrong on this), has no specific 256 color system palette like Mac or Windows platforms.
Instead, it can access a multitude of color lookup table data, depending upon the software in use. I remember the old VideoScape 3D software because it had its own 16 and 32 color lookup tables. I disliked that intensely, and was always getting strange rendering results because of it.
The Amiga, however, depending upon the software you are using, does share one thing in common with other platforms when it comes to color palettes in a 256 color environment. It reserves certain colors for system use, although, it is not as greedy a system as either the Mac or Windows in this regard. Windows is the worse culprit.
Windows allows only 216 non-system colors of the 256, reserving 40 for its own uses. Because of this, and because Windows systems are such a dominant force in the market, the Windows palette is usually ceded to when you do 256 color graphics on the Web.
When you grab a color graphic on the Web, you also grab its palette.
Trying to import that palette into an Amiga program can be quite a challenge however. Here is how I do it.
First, I load the image into ImageFX, the most magical image translation software the Amiga has. ImageFX has a special Palette utility that allows you to grab and save a picture's palette.
After saving the palette, I import it into Dpaint for developing 256 color Web graphics, because Dpaint, unlike Brilliance, seems to reserve only one color well for its own system use. Now that may mean that all of your menus will go black, depending on the palette. Using the Right Mouse Button ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦ ¦¦•¦¦¦¦¦¦a 1 .1 1 I ¦ however, allows you to temporarily see the menus and tool choices as defaulted. It is a tricky way to work till you get used to it, but it does the job.
Forget using Brilliance in this manner, as it keeps too many of the colors in the 256 color palette for its own use, and thereby gives you far fewer options.
Figure 1. Here is a sample of possible Web browser palettes you may run across as you develop the content for a Web site display (from upper left to lower right): Windows '95 (used by Microsoft Internet Explorer), Spectrum, Netscape navigator 6x6x6, Netscape Navigator 5x5x5, NetScape Navigator 2x2x2, Netscape Gray levels 6x6x6, Netscape 16 color 6x6x6, Mac System palette, Standard Grayscale palette, and the Blackbody palette. The blank wells indicate that either the color is not used, or that it is reserved for system color uses.
Editor's note: Although every effort to keep these colors as accurate as possible, there may be some deviation through machine translation and the printing process. For that reason, we have also placed this image on the Amazing Computing Web site at www.pimpub.com. Of course, the best means for creating Web graphics is to stay with a 24-bit alternative, either in a 24-bit painting program or in TrueBrilliance (or Dpaint, though as a 24-bit painting application, Dpaint is slower than a sleepy dog). There are times, however, when 256 color Web work is required.
At these times, when you have to work in a specific Web ready palette, grab the palette with ImageFX, and use Dpaint to do the work.
Please Write to: Shamms Mortier c o Amazing Computing
P. O. Box 9490 Fall River, MA 02720
• AC* LightWave Deforms Improve your 3D graphics and animation
with the unique deformation tools in NewTek's LightWave 3D.
By R. Shamms Mortier Assigning and manipulating object deformations is a major function of 3D graphics and animation.
NewTek's LightWave offers a list of unique deformation alternatives.
Deformations are used in 3D graphics in one of two ways: First, to reshape an object from the start, in order to have the object display its new personality in either a piece of art or an animation.
Second, to add a morph target to an animation sequence, so that the object is seen to reshape itself over time, from its source shape into that of the applied deformation. This article is one of a few that will deal with LightWave's object creation and manipulation capacities, with the assignment of deforms a good place to start, Any object that you can bring into LightWave, from its long list of internal choices, to objects imported from other formats, to objects that you generate yourself, can be deformed.
Deformation takes place in the Modeler, and there are some cautions to observe: Zoom in on the object close enough so you can see deformation results. You should be able to see the entire object, before and after the deformation is applied.
Adding more polygons to the object will make the deformation results look a lot smoother. After the object is bent and twisted in a deformation application, objects with smaller numbers of polygons can look jagged. Increase the polygon count at the start to prevent this.
Never save the object over itself with the same name, use a different name. This allows you the future opportunity to use it as a morphing target. However, if you are adding more polygons to the object, resave it as its original name. Morphing operations in LightWave require that the source and target objects have the same number of polygons.
Be aware that the view in which the deformation is applied leads to radically different results than if it is applied in another view. To get the hang of this, keep a notebook that details the results of a deformation in different planes.
Starting the Process Although we are using a text block for these examples, you may select any compatible LightWave object file. Over the years, I have used these techniques to reshape organic forms, especially flowers and leaves, so that one object file can become many variants used in a scene. You create scenes that look more random and consequently real. So open the LightWave Modeler, and import the text block or object of your choice. Zoom in or out as necessary, and select it.
Next Though we will investigate alternate deforming mechanisms in LightWave in future articles, for right now all of the deformation choices we will use are under the Modify Menu. Open that menu by clicking on Modify, and noticing the options in the toolbar on your left.
OPEN MON-FRI 11 AM TO 7:30 PM, SAT 11 -7 The Options Shear is your first option. Shearing creates an oblique displacement, rather like a hurricane force wind blowing on the object. This is a good deform, by the way, to apply to a 3D tree object when the scene is in the midst of a storm. Apply the Shear Deform by clicking on it and moving the cursor in any view window. You can apply Shear in different windows in succession to shear the object in several directions at once.
The Twist deform is like taking a towel and twisting it. Twist works on any axis to create deforms along that axis. You might use Twist to indicate that mysterious forces are attacking an object. When used just a little, Twist can make an organic form turn its head, waist, wrist, etc. Taper 1 and Taper 2 are alternate versions of the Taper deforms.
Tapered objects get larger or smaller at one end than the other. Tapers can be applied to any view, or to several views in succession. Tapered objects in an animation look like they are paying attention to something in the direction of the taper, like a head noticing an impending approach of another object. Explore both Tapers to get a feel for their differences.
Bend is useful as a substitute for Bones in some instances. You can add bends to simulate appendages bending on an axis, without any seams in the object. Bends work best when there are more polygons added to the object, since that allows the Bend to look more natural and less polyed up. Use Bends to simulate organic movement, and use them with more force to simulate the effect of natural forces.
The Magnet deform pulls out points and vertices within its field of attraction. It takes a while to get acclimated to its use, and to the direction and force of the flow.
Magnet is an excellent choice for making Pinnochio's nose grow longer, and also for simulating the growth over time of plants. Use it in several directions at once if you want to.
A Vortex indicates a physical force sucking an object into a direction. Use Vortex to simulate a black hole or whirlpool effect. Target it to a planar sea that your ship is floating on. Add it to a logo for flyouts, so the logo deforms and dissipates as it is moving.
Pole 1 and Pole 2 draw the object up into polar coordinates, deforming it towards its center. To decide where to use the Polar deforms, you will have to dedicate some play time to get a feel for how they operate.
Deformed Conclusions LightWave remains a powerful art and animation tool, continuing to expand its options with every release. As we continue in future issues, we will explore the magic.
Take care and ENJOY! See you in ROMulan space.
• AC* ADORAGE by Km-. John Jmkmrn Create complex 3D page peels,
particle effects, and motion effects on any Amiga with truly
stunning results.
If you are doing multimedia or video production on an Amiga, you may have had the miserable experience of drooling over the transition effects of Mac or PC programs such as Adobe Premiere, thinking to yourself, "Boy, I wish I could do that on my Amiga." Well, you can!
M m _j _|| [wil | Fti | Start,,, ¦ in* rrn 1 nr. N™ m a 11-', r .-Ti | Control | ???
Start- | ) find- Adorage (pronouced ah-dor-azh) is an animation transition effect generator which will allow you to create complex 3D page peels, particle effects, and motion effects on any Amiga with truly stunning results.
Though the name is pure invention, for video pros it is immediately reminiscent of high-end ADO (Ampex Digital Optical) effects used by broadcast networks.
Adorage is the brainchild of a German company Djreims the &reaiH the Dre«iw " fireunt the - ,VTft« » SeeJhe tfsSk Vtism Vision Figure 2: Combining different Adorage effects can create dynamic title sequences.
Called ProDAD (Pro Digital Animation Development). ProDAD produces a complete line of video effects and animation packages designed primarily for the video producer who uses an Amiga genlock. Remember, NewTek has never produced a PAL version of the Video Toaster, so European Amiga users have had to look for fancy transitions elsewhere.
ProDAD has answered that need with their line of programs: Adorage, ClariSSA, Animage, and Monument Designer. Though originally designed for the genlock market, each of these programs has application for any Amiga-based video studio.
Adorage installs on any Amiga with KickStart 1.2 or above. Four megabytes of memory is recommended, though the program will run with less; and the program will run even on older Amigas with only a half meg of chip memory. As with any animation or graphics program, faster processors and more memory give better results.
How Adorage Works The Adorage main screen (Figure
1) is basically a pallete of available effects, each effect class
being represented by a small icon. To begin creating a
transition, you start by clicking on the effect you want. This
opens a configuration screen; all the effects have a variety
of configurations, which allows a dizzying array of
possibilities. Many of the transitions are basically particle
effects which break the picture into small chunks and move
them in apparent 3D space.
On most of the effects, you can specify the size of the image fragments, as well as other parameters such as direction, distortion, and "spring."
Once the basic effect configuration is set up, the foreground and background images are selected. Most effects can operate either on the full screen or a selected area; the center of motion can be set with the mouse.
Once fully configured, the effect can be rendered for preview, rendered as IFF frames, or rendered as an SSA animation.
What is SSA?
SSA is ProDAD's proprietary animation format. SSA, or Super- Smooth Animation, is an animation optimisation format which is based on a trick with the interlaced display. SSA displays as separate sequential fields rather than complete frames, resulting in an apparent smoothing of motion even in portions of the animation which play at a lower than optimal rate. It sounds confusing, but it does indeed work, allowing more complex animations to play back than would normally be possible with the old Anim-5 format.
Nothing is free, however, and the price you pay for the SSA speedup is increased interlace flicker. This is virtually unnoticable in some animations, but can be intrusive in certain high-contrast animations. Animations which can't maintain speed in the basic SSA format can be optimised even more in ClariSSA Pro, a separate program. There is, of course, a limit to what SSA can pull off, and users will need to find the limits of their hardware software combination.
It is worthy of note that SSA works on older Amigas as well as newer ones.
It is worthy of note that SSA works on older Amigas as well as newer ones. I specifically tested Adorage on an old Amiga 500 to see what SSA could do on limited hardware; I was frankly astounded. My test image was a video screen grab, rendered down to a sixteen color high resolution file in AdPro. Anyone who's done much animation on an A500 knows that onscreen motion is very limited in high-res.
I used Adorage to render a full screen page turn, and then played the SSA anim back from within the program. The only noticeably jerky transition was in the middle of the playback, when most of the pixels on the screen were changing from frame to frame. It was unacceptable for real video production, but amazing for fullscreen, high-res playback on an A-500.
It should also be noted that the SSA format can only be used with interlaced pictures, and a basic conversion program is included to convert non-interlaced pictures for use.
Any non-HAM Amiga IFF picture can be used if IFF frames are output. The program cannot use HAM, HAM8, or IFF-24 files. On AGA machines, 256 color files can be used. In video work, of course, this can be a limitation. Non- AGA machines will mainly be limited to animated titles or text screens. AGA machine users will need to reduce deep-color video frames to a dithered 256 colors through a good image processor such as Image FX. It should also be noted that the palletes for foreground and background pictures must match for best results.
Possibilities In addition to the obvious uses for generating full-screen video transitions, Adorage also can be used to animate sections of a screen. Version
2. 5 adds the ability to map Color 0 as transparent, which
expands the potential for brush animations.
Title screens can be built in several stages, with different effects applied to sections of text. For example, in one recent video, I created a title screen animation where the initial words of the title "rolled" on, using the page turn with Color 0 transparency, and then the focus words in much larger type appeared with a particle wave effect. The combined use of motion and distortion effects on areas of the screen can be used quite powerfully (Figure 2). This sort of title screen animation can provide a flashy touch to multimedia presentations.
Adorage And Digital Video Adorage can be used effectively in any Amiga-based studio. It is ideal for the genlock user, but it can be equally useful in the brave new world of nonlinear editing. V-Lab Motion, Broadcaster Elite, and even Toaster Flyer owners can make use of the effects generated by Adorage when saved as IFF frames.
Until recently, the V-Lab Motion software did not have a page turn effect, so I have used the Adorage page turn in a number of productions. At first, I was apprehensive that the transition from 24-bit JPEG frames to a dithered 256-color frame would be blatantly obvious, or that the image processing involved would cause a visible color shift. In fact, the results were remarkably good (Figure 3).
The V-Lab video clip which needed a page turn was first trimmed to the exact length needed, and the final frame exported as an IFF-24 file.
Next, the 24-bit file was converted to a 256 color picture using Floyd- Steinberg dithering in Image FX. Tests of both ImageFX and Art Department Professional showed remarkable color fidelity in the conversion. The resulting frame was then loaded as a foreground picture in Adorage, with a solid blue picture loaded as the background.
The Page Turn (or Fire, Roll, Fragment, or other effect) is rendered and saved as a sequence of IFF files.
These are then imported back into the V-Lab Movie Shop software, and the blue background set to transparent using the Alpha operator. When finally rendered in MovieShop, the next scene "shows through" the blue areas of the Adorage animation, resulting in a perfectly composited effect. A similar approach can be used with the Broadcaster Elite. NewTek Toaster Flyer owners already have loads of effects at their fingertips, but limited options for text motion and warping such as Adorage offers.
Gripes And Moans While Adorage is a relatively easy and effective program to use, it is not without minor problems. The program is driven from icons on the main interface which represent different effects. Some of the icons are easy to understand, others quite obscure; unfortunately, there is no text title for each icon to help you know what it is, and the tiny black and white pictures in the manual are sometimes hard to match up with the screen icons. It took me a good bit of squinting at the very similar screen icons to be sure which icon was "Fire," and I still am not sure about a few of
them. Larger simple icons with text titles would help. The best thing to do is run through a basic test render of each effect and keep your own notes on the results!
While the program installed easily and automatically on my A-4000, installation on an old A-500 was not so simple. ProDAD does not use the Corrunodore installer, but rather an IconX script which simply refused to run on the A-500.
Hand-typing and execute command successfully installed the program. Since other IconX scripts ran correctly on the machine, I was unable to figure out what prevented the scripts from running properly.
On the other hand, the program ran fine on the A500, while there were predictable crashes on the A4000. SSA playback is triggered by a left mouse click, and stopped with a right mouse click. On my A4000, each right click would result in a visit from the Guru.
The right-click function worked fine on the A500. None of these problems were substantial enough to keep me from recommending the program, however.
The Future For professional video use, the most obvious limitation of Adorage is the 256 color limitation. From my tests, this is not quite as serious as it might seem at first, since the 256 color file is in motion throughout the transition.
ProDAD plans an update to include 24-bit files sometime next year, but this will be a P-OS version and will have to wait for the release of P-OS. ProDAD is closely involved with the P-OS development, and future version of their software will probably be designed for that operating system.
Adorage is available in the US from Safe Harbor and other dealers.
For more information on Adorage, P- OS, or ProDAD's other products, visit their website at www.prodad.de. ProDAD is one of the software companies dedicated to the Amiga platform, so they are worth watching!
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0 Copyright 1987, tMyAatWKtia |Fi, All Splits Reserved amiga telecomrnu ons r E Try newsreading with VoyagerNG, Autopilot is freeware, CompuServe could be sold to AOL, how to find a local ISP, and more.
VoyagerNG While all three Amiga Web Browsers( Awebll, Ibrowse, and VoyagerNG) have the ability to interface with separate programs such as newsreaders, so far VoyagerNG is the only one to actuaLly have a newsreading function built in. Although you almost certainly will not want to use this as your exclusive method of reading the news, it is a fully functional implementation.
This month we wiLl start by browsing the Usenet Newsgroups in a slightly different manner.
The first step is to make sure your News server information is set up correctly. After starting VoyagerNG, choose the Settings item under the Settings menu, then click on the Mail News icon on the left side of the widow that opens (Figure 1). Enter the required information, check with your Internet Service Provider if you are not certain about the name of your news or mail server.
Once you are on line, there are two ways to access the Newsgroups. The first way is to click in the box that displays the current URL, and type in the name of the group you wish to access, prefacing the name with news:.
Like this; news:comp.sys.amiga.games The other method is to simply click on the "News" hot link button. This will result in a listing of all available Newsgroups on your news server (Figure 2). Continue working your way through the hierarchy of groups (Figure
3) , until you finally reach the specific group in which you are
interested. Now individual articles can be read, written, and
replied to, just as with any of the other newsreaders.
One problem with trying to use VoyagerNG as a newsreader, is that unlike a stand-alone reader, it does not keep a list of available newsgroups from one use to the next. Every time you click the "News" button, the complete list of newsgroups is read in from your server. Depending on your modem speed, and the completeness of your server's newsfeed, this can take up to several minutes.
Updates Ibrowse Work has been continuing on Ibrowse which is currently at version
1. 12 (Figure 4). Many new features have been added, including
support for frames, and MiamiSSL for secure Internet
transactions. See the July On Line for more information about
MiamiSSL. Other changes include enhancements to the Cache
Browser, Hotlist, the URL string box, and support for
A new demo version has also been released, also version 1.12. No longer valid only for a specific number of days, it does have a time limit of 30 minutes per session. For all of the latest info, visit: http: www.omnipresence.com ibrowse CompuServe Amidst all of the activity concerning the purchase of Amiga Technologies by Gateway2000 this summer, Amiga users on CompuServe also had to weather a whole different kind of storm. Reports began surfacing that America OnLirte was trying to buy CompuServe.
Many possible theories were put forward to explain why AOL, still stinging from the fallout of massive network overloading following their change to flat rate pricing, would even be interested in buying another network. The only theory that made sense was one that said AOL needed a large, preexisting network operation to take some of the pressure off their overloaded system.
Of extra concern to Amiga users is the long standing refusal of AOL to make their proprietary operating software available for Amigas. The worry was, if AOL buys CIS, how long until CIS becomes AOL, and Amiga users are locked out? In the end, the sale did not go through.
However, as I was finishing this column, I saw a news item that said AOL had secured additional financing, and was expected to renew their attempts to purchase CompuServe from its current majority owner, H & R Block. The story said that if successful, this would make AOL the largest online service provider in the country.
Stay tuned for further developments.
AutoPilot For The Asking One bit of good news for Amiga users on CIS, is that Steve Ahlstrom, author of the automated program AutoPilot, has released it as Freeware.
Previously it was a $ 59.95 commercial program, and while it is only useful on CompuServe, it could quickly save you its price in reduced on line charges.
While he has also stopped further development of the program, he has said that if a qualified individual or group wishes to take it over, he would make the source code available to them.
If you are an Amiga user on CompuServe, you can download the AutoPilot program from Library 9, in the AmigaVendor forum. The filename . N t , V. Circle 126 on Reader Service card.
IS AP.LHA. Hotlist of the Month Finding an Internet Service Provider can be almost a cross between pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, and Catch 22. If you have one, you don't need one, and if you don't have one, how do you find one?
(203) 234-1483 We Will Gladly Beat ANY Amiga Retail Price!
Recently, while trying to help a reader locate an ISP near his home, I found a new site called ISP Finder (Figure 5). ISP Finder has over 2500 ISPs in its database, searchable by area code. Click on your area code, and see a list of ISPs available. Visit their site at: http: ispfinder.com oreHor Amiga!
The new s Call us 7-Days A Week Some of our Low Prices: CyberVision 64 3D $ 279 Picasso IV ......$ 399 Visit our Website!
Http: nrex.net dimensions (Catalog Updated Daily) firstname.lastname@example.com_ Circle 125 on Reader Service card.
Now, obviously you have to have internet access to use the Web site, but if you are totally Web-less, you can call toll free 1-888-ISP-FIND to request a referral form through the mail.
©"Attentlon:ISPs O" Attention: Internet U sere ©"Internet T erminolotv O-ISP Services Menu ©"Request a referral list ©"Suggestions ©•"What to know about your ISP 7JW- ivjy to tn j IakiI i*rmvj ror*ttr~ 2,563 ISPs and climbing!
This sitt sponsored by.
¦HBHBMBMlnfoOnCall B"~al )M r awrrtro mg n* m viSnk tsESol mm The Knox Computer Club Dedicated to users of less-than- mainstream computers, the Knox Computer Club (Figure 6) has a new Web site up at: http: www.galesburg.net ~kcc The Flipside BBS that was mentioned in the July column is part of the Knox Computer Club.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
NAME: Saskatoon Amiga Users Group PHONE: 306-978-AMIG (2644) CONTACT: firstname.lastname@example.com WWW: http: www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca science SAUG index.html I Will Get To It!
On a personal note, after too many months of neglect, I have updated my personal site. It still is not finished, and a long way from perfect, but it is much better than it was. If you have not been by for a while, the address is below.
Where To Find Me email@example.com http: www.kiva.net ~rhays firstname.lastname@example.com
R. Hays5 on Genie 72764,2066 on CompuServe For U.S.Mail: Rob Hays
P. O.Box 194 Bloomington, IN 47402 Please include a SASE if you
need a personal reply.
If you run an Amiga specific BBS, send me the information caliers will need to access your system. Phone number(s), modem speeds, software settings, etc. As a service to the Amiga community I will include the information I receive in this column from time to time.
If you come across any World Wide Web sites you feel would be of interest to the Amiga community, pass them along for inclusion in the HotList of the Month. Send the info to any of my addresses above.
That's all for now. See you on line!
Figure 5 (Top): Lots of good information about lots of ISPs.
Figure 6 (Bottom): A good site, even if you don't use a Babbage or ENIAC system. «AC* LI AGE INTERNATIONAL, INC. 36 DYE STREET GARNERVILLE NY 10923
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MJNDSCAPE POWERPLAYERS JOYSTICK WITH PISTOL GRIP HANDLE $ 3.79 NEW A1000 POWER SUPPLIES $ 3.99 8364 (Gold Plated) CHIPS $ 2 99 8564 CHIPS $ 2.99 8375B AGNUS CHIPS $ 15 00 i f ( wince i t'fiit ip BURNISH YOUR HEADLINES FOR A 3D EFFECT by Nick Cook Desktop publishers seem to spend an inordinate amount of effort trying to disguise the true nature of type: blobs of ink on a flat page. For example, headlines are given shadows or set in offset type to give the illusion of depth. Here's yet another way, "Amiga-tized" from Adobe's Image Club catalog. This technique gives type the appearance of a third
dimension by adding a polished edge, as though light is reflecting off the text. We'll demonstrate this tip with PageStream 3 and DrawStudio programs.
PAGESTREAM 3 Fire up PageStream 3.2: STEP ONE: Enter your text. Click on the arrow icon, then on the text to make it an object. Duplicate it with the "d" keystroke or Object Duplicate menu item.
STEP TWO: Build the double gradient fill; that is, a fill which runs from black to white to black again.
Click on the rectangle gadget, and create a rectangle slightly wider than Line 8. Fi Iyp* »|firad »nt ?|Black Idp™ '1 t f 1 »jhm* I OK | Figure 1: The Line & Fill requester In PageStream 3 provides many options to create gradient fills.
The text object but only half as tall.
Select the Object Line & Fill menu item. In the requester, toggle the Line gadget off. Go to the Fill interface, and set Type to Gradient. Leave the top Color at Black, and select White from the popup menu for the bottom color.
Finally, choose Linear from the Taper gadget (Figure 1). Click OK to create the gradient fill.
STEP THREE: Duplicate the object created in Step Two. Click on it and call up the Line & Fill requester again.
Select Inverse Linear in the Taper popup menu, or enter -90 in the Taper number gadget. Either action has the same effect, creating a gradient opposite of the first (i.e., colors range from white to black).
STEP FOUR: Arrange the two gradient boxes so that the white bars meet in the middle (Figure 2, top).
Shift-click on both boxes to make them active, but do not group them. Select Drawing Make Drawing from the Object menu.
STEP FIVE: Stack the copy of the text object on top of the gradient box.
Arrange the text so that the white bar runs under the middle of the text (Figure 2, middle).
STEP SIX: Make the text and gradient objects active. By the way, don't forget PageStream's handy "lasso" tool for situations such as these. Press the left mouse button and drag the dashed box around the text and gradient objects, then release the button.
STEP SEVEN: Select Mask Mask Graphic from the Object menu. The text "fills" with the gradient effect (Figure 2, bottom).
STEP EIGHT: Stack the original text object on top of the gradient text object. Arrange the text object so that it is slightly offset from the gradient text (for example, to the left). Group the objects. The polished text effect is virtually invisible on a white page, so create a complimentary colored background for it.
If you use the 3.0 3.1 version of PageStream, you'll have to make an adjustment, since those earlier versions don't include the Mask Graphic command. Insert this workaround between Steps Four and Five: STEP FOUR A: Draw a rectangle around the duplicated text object that is as wide and tall as the double gradient object. Click on the arrow icon and select both the rectangle and text objects. Choose Object Merge Paths command (this creates a composite path of the two objects).
Select the Object Line & Fill menu to open that requester. Change the box Fill to solid White and toggle off the line stroke. Perform Steps Five and Six, skip Step Seven, then finish up with Step Eight.
Figure 2: The double gradient (top) is made up of two linear gradient objects.
The text object is placed on top of the gradients (middle). Masking the text and gradient objects results in the filled text (bottom).
DRAWSTUDIO The new illustration program DrawStudio shaves half the steps off this technique. Here's how: STEP ONE: Enter your text. Click on the pointer tool (the arrow), then on the text to make it an object. Copy it with Edit Clone menu item.
STEP TWO: Make sure the clone is active, then select Attributes from the Object menu. Set the radio button in the Pen Colour (well, it is a British program, after all) to None. Click on the Gradient button in the Fill Colour section, then on the Edit button. When the Gradient List appears, highlight the Black Fade Out entry then click on that requester's Edit button.
STEP THREE: In the Edit Gradient requester (Figure 3) use the Speed popup menu to change the setting to Dual Blend. Click OK on the three requesters to apply the gradient to the text.
STEP FOUR: Stack the original text object on top of the gradient text object. Arrange the text object so that it is slightly offset from the gradient text.
Create the complimentary colored background. Export (in the Project menu) as a bitmap or EPS graphic.
Polished text is effective for headlines with few words, such as "Thank You", "Announcing..." and "Sale." With small headlines, or a lot of words, the effect would reduce readability. If you've got the right bit of text, this technique gives your output real polish!
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407-636-3393 firstname.lastname@example.com Circle 155 on Reader Service card.
Volume 11 Number 12; DECEMBER 1996 New Products & other Neat Stuff, new Amiga system packages, Portal finds a new home, Amigas now available by on-line sales, and more.
Keep up with the Latest with AC!
3D Table Building, Without realizing it, you have at your disposal some of the most unique development tools for creating 3D objects imaginable: your word processing and painting software by R Shamms Mortier The Gothic Church: Part 3 A Tutorial in Aladdin 4D, Mr Cavanaugh explores a set of tools used to create magical special effects. The tools are gas, wave, flare, and fountain systems all fully integrated into the Aladdin workspace by Charles F Cavanaugh.
Make It Bleed! Using Bleed in Page Layouts, The technique to print bleed is simple enough, but requires a workaround if the services of a professional print shop are not in the picture.
Follow these simple steps and do it yourself!, by Nick Cook.
On Line, More Web authoring tools available on-line, plus the latest news on Portal and more by Rob Hays.
Web Typesetting, Part 9: Frames, Frames are the next big thing on your web site. Also, more reader's sites from the web by Randy Finch.
Using an IDE ATAPI CD ROM with an Amiga 1200 or A4000, Since IDE supports two devices, if you only have a single hard drive, wouldn't it be nice to use the free IDE port a CD-ROM? By Dave Matthews.
This Old Workbench; Episode 5 Renovation from the Ground up!, What would you want to see in a new Amiga Operating System? By Dave Matthews Volume 12 Number 1; JANUARY 1997 New Products & other Neat Stuff, MathScript v3.0, Directory Opus 5.5, amiSpider, and Big ED are all now available. Plus Cronus introduces three new Cds, the Guru-ROM V6 A2091 can improve your GVP SCSI adaptor, and more.
Phase5 Has Announced A New Amiga!, Check the latest specifications for a new Amiga clone system promised for 1997.
Amiga PGP, Pretty Good Privacy can protect your medical records and a whole lot more! If security is an issue with you on the internet or at any time you are sending files PGP may be the answer, by Michael Tobin M.D., PhD.
Halftone Screens for Video Projects, While moire patterns are a problem on the printed page, they can be a boon to the Video Artist by R Shamms Mortier.
Stack'em, Dan-O! Using Layers to Create Outline Effects, Layering or stacking is an easy method to create wider and cleaner outlines by Nick Cook.
Color Use on the Web, A Web designer has a global audience of potentially hundreds of millions of viewers every day. Awareness of the cultural differences in the perception of color is a must by R Shamms Mortier.
On Line, Searching through the World Wide Web can be a lot easier with the right tools by Rob Hays.
Web Typesetting Part 10; Today and Tomorrow, Randy Finch completes his series on Web publishing by looking at the future of the Web and the questions we must ask today.
The Midwest Amiga Exposition, Users from as far away as Texas come together in Columbus for the Amiga by Robert K Sharp.
VOLUME 12.2; FEBRUARY 1997 New Products & Other neat stuff, VlScorp announces a change in their bid status, Aurora Works begins Amiga development, and Air Mail for Amiga email is released.
Columns with Personality, Create personality in your art by capturing the personality of your 3D objects with one of the powerful 3D programs available for the Amiga, by R. Shamms Mortier.
PageStream 3.2, PageStream 3.2 and Tune-up 3 is the main DeskTop publishing package on the Amiga. Just what does this new version add to the versatility of the program that is Amiga's answer to this Mac and IBM dominated field.
Roughing the Text, The DeskTop Publishing tutorials continue with Nick's unique approach of applying image filters to text for dramatic results, by Nick Cook.
On Line, Amiga email programs once were difficult to set up and run properly. However, they have matured to the point where they no longer need be feared, by Rob Hays.
Ultimate Amiga Emulator, UAE, Ultimate Amiga Emulator, emulates an Amiga 500's hardware on a variety of platforms, including Unix, Linux, (Power)Mac, DOS, and even the BeBox, by Dave Matthews & Marc Hoffman.
VTU EXPO '96, Universal City was the site of VTU's last exposition. Many new products were announced as well as the return of some old standbys.
AmigaFest '96, Toronto once again played host to a major Amiga outing with dozens of Amiga companies showing new products from around the world. Amiga made the most of their central spot in ComputerFest, one of Canada's largest general computer shows.
W i
* Wr, LlJfl ¦ 1 Ehj VOLUME 12.3; March 1997 New Products and
other Neat Stuff, Personal Paint 6.4, Storm C, Audio Thunder,
the new ARCH Computer Technology company, QuikPak accelerators
and more new products are now available.
The Egyptian Connection, The rich symbol heritage of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics language could be just the thing for your next artistic enterprise, by R Shamms Mortier.
Kara Forever, Kara Software's font volumes have played an important part in the Amiga's history. Kara fonts were made for video display, yet they work equally as well when targeted towards desktop publishing, by R Shamms Mortier.
Audio Thunder, AsimWare Innovations makes it possible to translate audio files to and from other formats, by R Shamms Mortier.
Installing the AmiFAST 3000, Improve your Amiga 3000's capacity with standard 72-pin SIMMs with this hardware project.
Stretch Your Available RAM to the MAX, Do you have an old A500 or even an Amiga 1000 with little memory? Perhaps you can still get some useful work out of them with these special memory saving techniques, by Dave Farquhar.
This Old Workbench; Episode 6 Progress Is Our Most Important Product, Mr. Matthews offers a variety of utilities to brighten up your Amiga or ease your task. This month's assortment includes a program to liven up your bland Amiga boot sequence, a utility to display icons for files with no icons, Pop up 3D style menus, solutions to mode promotion, and more, by Dave Matthew's.
On Line, Send yuor e-mail by Air Mail, use a Bomb! To read your e-mail, and tour the AmigaZone from your own web browser, by Rob Hays.
The Amiga Sale Continued... VlScorp fades as QuikPak announces offer for Amiga Technologies in an open letter to the Amiga community.
Ftp 7'" FT'p.r?, DD 0 Volume 12 Number 4; April 1997 New Products and other Neat Stuff, A Sweden Amiga Show, Draw Studio CD, four new Cds from Schartztruhe, and more.
Morphimals, Basic Morohing is not as hard as it once was, if you follow a few' simple Rules of the Game, by R Shamms Mortier.
Tips for Animators: Part 1, A few tricks to keep your animations interesting whether they are for your computer buddies, a tape presentation, or to dazzle viewers on the Web, by R Shamms Mortier.
On Line, AmigaWorld is back!!! Well, sort of.
Also, learn the latest on MiniMail, MUI (version
3. 7), and Voyager NG, by Rob Hays.
ATAPI CDROM on the A1200 A4000 Part 2, Both AsimCDFS by Asimware Innovations Inc and AtapiPnP (Atapi Plug and Play) by CD++ will get you spinning with CD-ROMs, by Dave Matthews.
Demo Tape Success Secrets! Whether you are a video producer in need of marketing or just someone who needs to promote their best efforts, Steve Yankee has some valuable insights into what we all need to do, by Steve Yankee.
Step Right Up! Creating Stepped Type, This desktop publishing article provides tips for creating stepped type effects using either Art Expression or PageStream 3, by Nick Cook.
This Old Workbench Special Delivery Alternative Views, Dave Matthews has received a great deal of mail concerning his suggestions on the next Amiga OS. Read what the Amiga users want and then write Dave with your own needs, by Dave Matthews.
• * r" '1 jr» A mazing Computing & Acs TECH SUPER Back Issue
While supplies last!
Order complete volumes of Amazing Computing and AC's TECH Back Issues at these incredible prices!
ANY 12 BACK ISSUES Amazing Computing.
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(S25 Foreign) Please iijil S5 S& 11 l(ir cue!) Set Don't miss out on this great offer!
Call: 1-800-345-3360 rm -h VOLUME 12.5; MAY 1997 New Products & other Neat Stuff,, MYST on the Amiga, Prelude sound card, Real3D upgrade, Imagine 5.0 upgiade, AVSRPro, REBOL, and more.
DrawStudio, DrawStudio's vectors, layers, and warps are a must see in Amiga graphics by R Shamms Mortier.
ANY 4 BACK ISSUES AC's TECH.
$ 45-.ee $ 40!
All TECH SET Prices Include shipping & handling Computer Graphics and Zen Denting, The perfect reality often relies on imperfect objects. Give your renderings a feeling of history, and a sense of unpredictability by doing what every human does best, being imperfect, by R Shamms Mortier.
On Line, This month we will try to work some magic on the e~ma.il problem, by Rob Hays.
This Old Workbench: Episode 7 Boot Camp, GUI Wars, and Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks, Expand your Amiga's versatility with a few utilities such as a musical pictorial boot sequence, a variety of GUI authoring utilities, individualized color on your screens, and more, by Dave Matthews.
Translucent Shapes, The Amiga user has several options when it comes to displaying text over graphics. Nick walks us through a few of them, by Nick Cook.
How to Organize Your Life, A few helpful hints to organize your work Life and define your goals that work as well for a video producer or an average, overworked, under-funded, Amigan, by Steve Yankee.
The Gateway Computer Show, An Amiga User group of 32 people bring together a computer show that attracts Amiga users and vendors from around the world and revitalizes an industry.
McFiler Version 4.3, Tired of never knowing where your files are? Check out this catalog utility for a multitude of media, by Dave Matthew's.
A New Beginning, Amiga developers meet to determine cooperative strategies to continue Amiga development.
The Amiga Sale: Round Two, Amiga Technologies' President, Petro Tyschtschenko, breaks a long silence to tell the Amiga community what has happened and his experiences.
DO IT NOW, We need your latest information to complete the long awaited AC's GUIDE.
VOLUME 12.6; JUNE 1997 New Products and other Neat Stuff, Gateway 2000 wins the Amiga, but will not speak until May 17th, Amiga web design with Pagenionster 1,0,Siamese System RTG v2.0, Asimware upgrades, and more.
Picasso IV, Is it time to see the world of your Amiga in a little more depth and color? Picasso IV is the latest edition to Village Tronic's long- running graphics card, by William Near.
Animating Video Backdrops, Use the Amiga and a few' secrets to create sequences that rival those from the big boys, by R. Shamms Mortier.
On Line, While THOR is just the god of thunder, rain, and farming of Scandinavian mythology, he is one powerful multitalented program for Amiga net surfers, by Rob Hays.
Final Writer 97, If you compose your prose, SoftWood has created a new version of their product w'ord processing software designed to make your muse cruise, by R. Shamms Mortier.
Soft Shadows, To satisfy your thirst for a mystical look of soft shadows in your graphics and text does not require a large bite of effort, just a little reflection, by Nick Cook.
Games on the Amiga, I'm getting rid of my Amiga games. Got your attention? It's true. Peter talks about certain games that have exerted (and continue to exert) some sort of hold over him, by Peter Olafson.
Gateway 2000, Who are they? Where did they come from? Where are they going? Where does the Amiga fit in?
NewTek @ NAB '97, There are hundreds of displays at the National Association of Broadcasters each year, but NewTek remains a key player, by Thomas G. Reed.
DO IT NOW! AC's Guide form for Amiga Developers, Amiga Dealers, and Amiga User Groups.
VOLUME 12.7; JULY 1997 New Products and other Neat Stuff, It's Official Gateway 2000 is in charge! Opus 5 Magellan released, clickBOOM to produce PowerPC games, Cloanto releases PowerPC Library, and more.
New Logo Backdrop Ideas: (or "Brilliance Lives!"), When a computer program is a classic, it isn't old, just under utilized, by R Shamms Mortier.
Visual FX for Image FX, Making a great program even better! By R Shamms Mortier Off We Go! Offset Type Creates Depth, By offsetting your type you can give some shady characters a rest, by Nick Cook.
On Line, On-Line News: How to get it and what you get! By Rob Hays Games on the Amiga, Which Amiga games to kepp - part 2, by Peter Olafson.
New Life for Old Drawings, With creativity, rtaditional drawing practices and digital techniques can enhance each other, by R Shamms Mortier.
This Old Workbench: Episode 8 Amiga Anti Virus Programs, Computer viruses are very contagious. When your Amiga gets sick, you will also become ill, by Dave Matthews.
World of Amiga London Another Amiga Success! Amiga vendors, Amiga users, and even the new Amiga owners gather in London to show new products and prepare for a new future.
Gateway 2000 & Amiga International, Jim Taylor of Gateway2000 and Petro Tyschtschenko of Amiga International address the Amiga market together for the first time.
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It was not without a bit of remorse that I bought my first PC (a Gateway 2000, as fate would have it.) Although I still strongly believe in the basic superiority of the Amiga design, well, in a world dominated by the IBM clones, it becomes necessary for a bit a protective camouflage.
Network PC & The Siamese System fey Dave S. Matthews With the right tools, your Amiga can utilize the better parts of any PC.
One of the first, and ongoing tasks I faced was transferring files between the Amiga and the PC. Using floppy disks for transfers was the easiest and least expensive first thought. Yet, while the Amiga is perfectly capable of formatting MSDOS diskettes using CrossDOS (either the version included with OS3.0+ or the commercial version), sometimes this "floppy net" leaves much to be desired.
My search for a better way to transfer files led me first to PC2Amiga, a freeware bit of software available on Aminet. With the addition of an inexpensive (under $ 10) parallel cable, PC2Amiga essentially turns your PC, with all its hard drives, floppies, CDROMs etc., into a peripheral for the Amiga. Amazing Computing readers may have read my review of that product in the November 1996 issue.
Well, there have been some significant developments in the area of connecting Pcs and Amigas. PC2Amiga has grown up a bit, and gone commercial as Weird Science's PC Network. HiQ has gone even further, with their Siamese System, which binds a PC and Amiga together, controlling both the PC and Amiga through one monitor and the Amiga's mouse and keyboard.
I know I am not alone in my desire to get the most out of both systems and I am certain there are others in need of a solution to the problems of using both the PC and Amiga. In that vain, I have put both Weird Science's Network PC and the HiQ Siamese System to the test.
Network PC As I stated earlier, Weird Science has picked up PC2Amiga and commercialized it. While they have added a win95 installer; cleaned up the product a bit; and added a printed manual, it is essentially the same software. Network PC mounts the PC as a device in the Amiga's filesystem. Once the software is run on both the PC and Amiga, you have a PC icon on the Workbench, which allows access to all of the PC's drives. The most important addition is the included high-speed bi-directional parallel cable, so unlike PC2Amiga, there are no worries about whether this or that cable will work.
The installation is relatively simple on both the Amiga and PC side, and took about ten minutes in total to be up and running. Sadly, (given the Weird Science tie in) neither Vanessa Angel nor Kelly LeBrock make an appearance when I ran the software. Aside from that omission, however, the product performed well. See Figure 1 for the MSDOS configuration window.
Faster transfers than the serial port. My file transfer tests, using the included cable on standard PC and Amiga parallel ports averaged about 20KB s. This is over 6x the speed of a 28.8 modem.
Since the cable is a bi-directional parallel cable, if your PC is equipped with a EPP or ECP port, as most newer systems are, you should be able to get 30-50KB s transfer rate (using the standard Amiga port). I was unable to test that, as my 486 lacks this type of port.
Workbench Screen' I know I am not alone in my desire to get the most out of both systems and I am certain there are others in need of a solution to the problems of using both the PC and Amiga.
Less understandable is the lack of accurate PC Disk size and free space information. The PC Network reports a stock 23.0 MB Hard drive, of which 17.7 MB, remain perpetually free. You can change these values, but it would be far more useful to have real PC drive size and free space reports. Since the Siamese System seems to share this fault, perhaps it is impossible to ascertain the real values? See Figure 2 for a screenshot of Directory Opus accessing the PC through Network PC.
Finally, unless you have multiple parallel ports, it is impossible to use the printer while using this product. This is not a failing of the product, simply something to note when using network PC. Nor can you access a printer hooked up to the PC (on a second parallel port, for instance) with Network PC. To print from the Amiga will require either disconnecting the Network If you are using Windows 95, you will be glad to know the long file names of the Amiga will be preserved. No more 8.3 hassles!
There are a few flies in the ointment, unfortunately. The biggest is the inability to access the Amiga's drives from the PC side .
This is disappointing and inconvenient at times, but understandable. While the Amiga makes provisions for addressing foreign file systems such as MSDOS and Windows, neither of these makes reciprocation easy.
Figure 4 (Top): The Siamese Amiga Prefs Figure 5 (Bottom): Open PC drives on your Workbench "We didn't buy the Amiga to make it smaller.
We want the Amiga to grow."
Jim Taylor, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Gateway 2000.
Gateway 2000 Press Conference Witness this historic event from a unique perspective. Learn what Gateway and Amiga International said first hand. Listen to the complete Question and Answer session. Plus PIOS Press Conference on the same tape.
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P. O. Box 9490 PC cable, using an Amiga IO card which offers a
parallel port, or getting some kind of parallel switch box.
The Siamese System I have to confess, when I first heard of the Siamese System, and its intent to integrate a PC with an Amiga, I was a bit skeptical. In fact, my first thought was, what a horrible thing to do to an Amiga!
However, a better knowledge of what the Siamese System is and can do has dispelled most of the dark foreboding.
The Siamese System consists of an ISA video switcher card, a serial cable, and the accompanying software. The video from the Amiga and the PC plug into the video switcher, and this, along with the serial cable allows you to control both the Amiga and the PC with the Amiga's keyboard and mouse. A simple keystroke switches the monitor between the Amiga's Workbench, and the Windows 95 Desktop. With the new 2.0 RTG (Retargetable) version there is even the possibility of opening the Workbench and Amiga applications in a Window on the Win95 Desktop!
First a word of warning. If you are not comfortable opening your PC, plugging in cards and internal cables, and such, than you should have the Siamese System installed for you. Unlike the Network PC, installation is not a simple matter of plugging in a parallel cable. While the Siamese has a fairly complete manual (with a few omissions), this is not for the novice!
Installation of the software was straightforward, and presented no grave problems. The only semi-tricky part was setting the video modes of the Workbench and Amiga applications to use a video mode compatible with my PC's monitor. I selected Double NTSC no-flicker, 640x480 mode, since I knew my PC's monitor could handle this.
1 suggest that you make sure the monitor you intend to use supports both the Amiga's and PC's video output. An ideal monitor would support all the Amiga modes including the 15Khz NTSC and the PC SVGA modes, but most MultiSync or SVGA monitors should work with the ECS AGA productivity modes.
Note that not all Amiga software will allow use with the Siamese System. Games in particular tend to want the 15Khz NTSC (or PAL) modes. If the monitor you use with the Siamese does not support this, you might keep an old 1084 or like attached to your Amiga's composite (if it has one) port, for those applications which require it.
Also, a handy utility like NewMode (included) or ModePro, can be used to force some applications to use the new video modes. I covered both of these in the March, 1997 issue of Amazing Computing.
Software installation done, I turned to the hardware. Complications ensued.
My first "uh oh!" Came with the statement "find an open ISA slot in your PC." Ask me to find the missing sock, even ask me to find the Holy Grail, but don't ask me to find an empty ISA slot! I gave a long heartfelt, woebegone sigh, which failed to elicit any noticeable sympathy, but, since the review must go on, I pulled the extra parallel port card I had installed for Network PC out, and installed the Siamese video switcher card. This is not to fault the Siamese, but it is worth noting. See Figure 3 for the Siamese ISA switcher card.
Next the manual told me to "disconnect com port 2." Oh please, shoot me now!
Well, in for a penny, and all that. First 1 did as instructed and disconnected the internal serial (com port 2) cable from the PC case.
The next step was to connect this cable to the Siamese card. Naturally, the serial cable originating at one end of the PC's NATIONAL AMIGA AMIGA PRODUCTS AND SERVICES INTERNATIONAL www.nationalamiga.com ; n [ Our full catalogue is available online in 60 different currencies, or call write for a free catalogue on disk! J New and Used Hardware • Software • Accessories • Books Toaster Flyer Systems • Networking • Chips • Parts Canada's largest Amiga Service Centre Some of the fine products we carry: phase 5 ¦digital products
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Monday through Saturday 10am-6pm EST AmigaFest? Hmmm. Maybe we can do that... motherboard, and the Siamese card installed in the opposite most ISA slot, the cable was a bit too short.
After the obligatory 2.5 minute computer conspiracy theory rant, and the follow-up 30 second fume and sulk, 1 gTitted my teeth, and disinterred all my PC's cards, rearranging them to better suit the Siamese board. Now, the com port 2 cable happily connected to the back of the Siamese card, I was ready for the next step.
"Connect one end of the supplied ribbon cable to the side connector on the Siamese card"...check. "Now bolt the other end to the computer case where the old com port 2 connector was". Sounds easy enough, and it would have been, had there been anything to bolt it on with! The ribbon cable connector had no bolts at all, just holes. I looked in the plastic bags. I looked in the box. Nothing. Finally I resorted to pilfering the bolts off the back of my long suffering Amiga 500 and finished that part of the job. I was beginning to think this whole thing was a diabolical test of my patience and
Well, all that was left was to connect the video from the Amiga and PC to the Siamese card, and connect the video out from the Siamese to the monitor. By this point I was expecting all manner of foul trickery, but this part went easily enough.
Well, the software was installed, the Amiga set to use the PC's monitor, and the hardware was ready and waiting. Nothing for it but to fire it up and see what happens, First I booted the PC. Windows came up just fine, with the Siamese icon in the system tray indicating all was well.
Next I fired up the Amiga. Bing! The monitor switched to show the Amiga Workbench, in all it's 640x480 non flickery glory. However, when I tried to switch back to the Windows 95 Desktop, nothing happened. Nor did the MountPC command work (this mounts the PC as a file system, like the Network PC, only over the serial port.)
Doh! In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten my PC's internal modem. In order to use the modem under DOS, I had to disable the external com port 2, and redirect it to the modem. Luckily, Windows 95 handles hardware a little better than DOS, so I was able to change the modem to com Port 3, and re-enable the original Com Port 2, now connected to the Siamese. Again, this is not criticizing the Siamese, but you should take note of the fact you may have to do some finagling to use your modem. In fact, with an external modem (whether on the PC or Amiga), you will have to break down and get a
second serial port if you don't already have one.
At last success! I was now able to switch back and forth between the PC and Amiga effortlessly. After getting off to a rocky start, things were beginning to look up. Being able to switch between the Amiga Workbench and the Windows 95 Desktop with a keystroke is sheer genius. 1 can't begin to describe how fluidly using both the Amiga and PC together has become. It really is the best of both worlds, almost like a whole new computer. This is the real power behind the Siamese system. See Figure 4 and 5 for Amiga screenshots of the Siamese System in action.
On the other hand, after doing some file transfer tests, 1 was somewhat disappointed (though not surprised) by a file transfer rate of about 3.4KB s, roughly that of a good 28.8 modem connection. After playing around with the Siamese Amiga prefs, I was able to up the Serial connection to 56700, with a resulting transfer rate of just over 5KB s. I was never able to achieve a reliable 115,200 connection on my stock 1200 serial. I'm sure with a third party serial port, this could be achieved. Even at this rate, though, we are still talking half or less of the speed of Network PC's parallel
connection. This is clearly not the strong point of the Siamese.
For speed junkies with deep pockets, there are solutions to this problem. Setting up the PC and Amiga with a SCSI network (A SCSI drive connected to both the PC and Amiga) drive will speed up transfers enormously, up to a claimed 3MB s. This of course depends on the speed of your SCSI drive and adapters. Also, HiQ is developing a TCP IP solution, so a fast Ethernet solution will be available in the near future.
Which of these two products should you choose? Well, you need to consider your budget and your needs.
In addition to screen switching and file copying, the Siamese offers several features not available with Network PC. Using the included utilities, you can share text between the PC and Amiga's clipboard.
GetTime allows the Amiga to set its time by the PC's clock. More useful is UsePCPrinter. This utility allows you to print to a printer attached to the PC. The manual is rather inadequate in explaining how to use this, and I had to experiment before I thought of printing to Pcriptl.
Some applications like CED allow you to specify where to send the printed output, but you can also use CMD (in the Amiga's Tools drawer) to redirect printing for those applications that don't. This is a little confusing and inconvenient, but better coverage in the manual would help, and it is much better than not being able to print at all.
The Siamese also offers several Amiga commands to use Windows 95 MCI multimedia features. You can display pictures, play .WAV sound files, even display .AVI animations on the PC's multimedia hardware. At this time, you cannot play Amiga formats (8svx sounds or animations for instance) through the MCI interface, but perhaps a future update will allow this.
The latest version of Siamese software features retargetability. This RTG mode allows you to open your Workbench and other Amiga applications in a window on the Windows 95 Desktop. This has great potential, and is simply incredible to see.
One especially nice feature is to have 24-bit backdrops on a 256 color Amiga Workbench. Unfortunately, the lack of speed of the serial port sabotages this somewhat. 1 found setting the WB to 8 colors helped, and still allowed the Newicons 1 use to display properly.
Worse than that, the RTG modes seem rather buggy, and 1 had numerous crashes of the Siamese software, and problems displaying the Amiga's menus. Another annoying habit was to pop the Amiga window to front at arbitrary and inopportune moments, making working with Windows applications difficult. With further work, this RTG mode should be incredibly handy, though it's not really usable (at least on my system) yet. See Figure 6 for a screenshot of my Workbench being displayed on the Windows 95 Desktop.
The Bottom Line Which of these two products should you choose? Well, you need to consider your budget and your needs, if you have a PC and you need an inexpensive, easy to install and reasonably fast way to transfer files, Network PC is absolutely the way to go. I have used Network PC, and its earlier incarnation, PC2Amiga extensively, and can give it a hearty recommendation.
There is no doubt the Siamese is a wonderful product, and offers far more features than Network PC. HiQ seems determined to keep improving the Siamese, adding new features and platform support.
However, the Siamese System is definitely not for casual users. First, its hefty price tag will discourage all but the serious professional user and those home users with rather deep pockets. Second, if you plan on transferring large numbers of files, you will probably need at least a third party serial card, or a SCSI network, or the upcoming TCP IP version. The transfer rates are just too slow otherwise.
The difficult installation is also a bit of a stumbling block as well, at least for the non-engineer types out there. High end users will find the installation not overly taxing (many will enjoy the challenge!) But others should be prepared to have the Siamese installed by a dealer or techie friend. For those in Europe, or at least in England, HiQ will sell you a PC already kitted out with a Siamese system. This might be the way to go if you are thinking of getting into the PC world.
Probably the real market for the Siamese is the professional graphics and rendering houses, which often use Amigas Amiga Developers, User Groups, & Dealers DO IT NOW!
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And Pcs, and it is in this application where Siamese will show its true mettle. If you are in this sort of situation, you will find the Siamese to be a real boost to your productivity, the combined power of the PC and Amiga becoming greater than the sum of their parts. In fact, HiQ is developing a version of Siamese for the Alpha machines.
Imagine an Amiga for Lightwave modeling while a monster Alpha system grinds out the resultant images animations. And both available on the screen with a keystroke.
This will be even better as the RTG software matures. In this situation, the Siamese System becomes a real necessity.
As always, you can contact me via Amazing or via e-mail: email@example.com Network PC Weird Science Requires AmigaOS 2.04+ and DOS 6 (Long filenames require Windows 95) approximately $ 30 The Siamese System HIQ Ltd Requires AmigaOS 3.0+ and Windows 95 $ 395 Please Wrife to: Dave Matthews c o Amazing Computing
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5 & TITLES By Peter Olafson Id's Quake is on the move to the Amiga.
Peter reviews shoot-em-ups and even finds a new game available FREE (with a certain European Mag)!
Start Shaking.
Quake appears to be coming to the Amiga after all. Id Software indicates it has been approached by a well-known Amiga publisher about releasing a conversion of its hugely popular 3D action game. "We're willing to take an honest look at it," said Barrett Alexander, Id's director of business development. "And if it is playable, we're willing to advance forward. Everything's got to be up to our standards."
So far, it looks encouraging. Alexander assesses the chances of Amiga Quake coming off as "very good definitely over 50 percent." A "promising" videotape sent to Id several months ago shows performance comparable to a fast 486 or Pentium 60, and Barrett understands that, with recoding in assembly language, the game's speed has since improved about 12 percent.
The next step is for Id to witness the proof in the pudding the game running on an actual Amiga. Alexander said that's "in the works" via the would-be publisher.
Originally released in June 1996, this follow-up to Id's celebrated series of first- person shooters Doom and Doom 11 are also reportedly in line for conversion via a UK outfit called Alive Media Soft has taken the PC world by storm.
Quake maintained the essential kill- demonic-folks-and-find-the-exit ethic of Doom, but in true three-dimensional environments (as opposed to Doom's "2.5D" world), with a full six degrees of freedom, polygonal enemies, the ability to swim (in wonderfully murky water), a back-of-the-butcher-shop level of gore and a Quake C programming language (also reportedly being converted for the Amiga) that invites creative coders to turn the game into ... well, whatever they want. (Quake has spawned some amazing conversions that turn it into, among other things, a Capture the Flag tourney; a bug hunt
right out of "Aliens"; and a road race evidently inspired by Sega Rally.)
To date, the shareware and commercial versions of Quake have sold a total of more than a million copies. It has also being ported to the Macintosh and versions for the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn consoles are in the works.
Barrett couldn't provide a sense of when Amiga Quake might see the light, and representatives of the publisher aren't yet prepared to discuss the project publicly.
However, a source acquainted with the project indicates that coding and optimization is essentially complete and that only "external" issues presumably, including striking the deal with Id remain to be settled.
If the project comes to fruition, it would be the first time a major IBM 3D action title a commodity much in demand among Amiga gamers since the 1991 appearance of Id's Wolfenstein 3-D has been ported to the Amiga. Amiga game designers, with typical aplomb, have come up with their own variants, including Acid's Gloom, Manyk's Fears, Power Computing's Breathless and Team 17's two Alien Breed 3-D games, and some have been quite respectable. (Some of the more recent titles are reviewed this issue.)
However, it wouldn't be the first time a full-blown commercial game has sprung from the work of an Amiga foot soldier taking on an unauthorized conversion. The Amiga port of Cyan's ground breaking graphic adventure, Myst, slated to be published by Canada's clickBOOM later this year, has its roots in an impressive user-coded demo that appeared last year (albeit briefly) on AmiNet.
And, in fact, Amiga Quake has been around for a while. Earlier this year, a rough-and-ready executable (0.31) put together by one "Max" of the demo group Digital Corruption began appearing on web sites. The requirements were hefty: AGA or a graphics card and some 8 to 10 megs of RAM. But the amazing thing was that, when combined with the main resource files in the shareware and commercial versions of Quake, it *worked*.
You could actually play Quake, and enjoy it. It ran painfully slowly we're talking seconds-per-frame on slower systems but it was just playable in NTSC low-res (320 x 200) on a 060 50-based machine.
However, it seemed doubtful the project would go anywhere. There was the matter of the source code (which had not been released by Id). And, in a UseNet post, the leader of Digital Corruption asserted that the project was dead in the water and that no one was picking up where "Max" had left off. (Note: I couldn't confirm who's developing the current incarnation of Amiga Quake.) That seemed to be that.
I'm not privy to much of what's happened in the interim, but current indications are that Amiga Quake is very much alive. Of course, it remains to be seen how well the final take plays. But if it can deliver the speed, the feature set particularly internet play and compatibility with the huge library of Quake addons, it means we'll have more than a classic on our hands. It will be a tangible step back from the abyss.
Nemac IV: The Director's Cut First-person shoot-em-ups are not exactly new to the Amiga, indeed, there was a time two to three years ago, you could hardly turn around on AmiNet without bumping into a work-in-progress engine for a new one.
Most of those 3D engines never wound up making the transition into full games. (Remember Poom?) One of the few that did is Oliver Groth's TexMapp (which later became Warp_S). That game is Nemac IV: The Director's Cut (Zentek, distributed by clickBOOM), and it's turned out quite nicely.
In this CD-only Wolfenstein-style blaster, you send a twin-gunned combat robot on a 40-odd level stroll to avoid the usual yadda yadda yadda about a computer-related boo-boo that threatens to destroy. The gray-toned graphics look fine, the frame rate seems brisk, the levels are of manageable dimensions, and surprises and rendered arums crop up here and there.
And it's essentially "fun* something that other games in this genre sometimes omit. It's also a regular triumph of configurability: a huge array of graphics modes; support for graphics boards and chipsets from OCS to AGA even i- glasses! Headsets.
But, while Nemac IV throws up some very crisp hi-resolution displays, I wound up spending most of my time playing at a lower one (a full-screen 320 x 200). In high- res, even on an 060-based system, I couldn't get the hot to turn smoothly enough to allow precise aiming, and that made the game much harder. In low-res, the game just whipped along, and I really started enjoying myself.
One lament: I don't want to sound bloodthirsty, but, while shooting robots in lieu of people may mean the game runs into less censor trouble in sensitive Europe, it is rather unsatisfying to lay waste to unthinking steel.
First three issues will feature scenes from Dave Haynie's video "The Deathbed Vigil," including never before seen footage!
Figure 1 (Lett). Id Software's u !
Quake is a long awaited Amiga gamers' wish (PC HUU Lr 11 2 version shown).
Iuu I D L 1 1 Figure 3 (Right). In Nemac ) ) IV: The Director's Cut, you f 7' V -bi-, must control a twin-gunned combat robot in a 40-odd level combat.
1 FROM THE MAKERS OF AMIGA REPORT COMES: AMIGA NEWS • TUTORIALS REVIEWS • GAMES DEMO TAPES • ART GALLERY Over 60 minutes of fun, informative video - 5 times a year!
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Trapped By contrast, New Generation's Trapped is a relative novelty in this genre: It is a role-playing game only the third free-scrolling Amiga RPG, after Legends of Valour and Ambermoon and a decent one at that. It's actually better on the details than on the broad strokes. The 13 levels offer the odd architectural flourish like curved archways (albeit in a world of otherwise 90-degree angles); stairs (although rather shallow); atmospheric lighting effects (including moving light sources and lense flare); some nifty spells (one of which provides a rear-view mirror right out of System
Shock); the ability to look up and down; a stylish rendered intro and death scene; and fine-tuning for many different configurations. And I'm only on the second level.
On the other hand, Trapped is definitely not Ultima Underworld. Combat is simplistic. (There's just one move.) Many of the critters are crudely drawn. It permits only one save. You can't interrupt the rendered scenes. And the manual's only on the CD a nasty habit started by IBM publishers and one that Amiga side, even given the economies of scale necessary to this marginal market, would do well to avoid.
But if you have patience with its little oddities, I think you'll have some fun with Trapped. (You'll also be well-prepared for Trapped 2, slated for release next month, which looks to be a huge leap forward.)
Testament The bottom of the barrel belongs to Islona's Testament, a nondescript Wolfenstein3-D clone for AGA systems that recalls the Dracula action game that Psygnosis published for the IBM some years back. As usual, you are after a big bad guy, Ghuwta the Sorcerer (with a name like that, no wonder he's a bad guy), and you are running around 16 flat, texture-mapped mazes, collecting color-coded keys, first-aid kits to restore your always-declining health, ammo for a handful of weapons and the odd "special.'' Games like Nemac IV and Titan Computer's forthcoming Brainkiller (due in July or
August) suggest there's more that can be done with this dated genre. But there is not much to recommend Testament. The graphics range from the inoffensive to amateurish, the maps are predictable, the story next to non-existent. And, in an amazing omission, the designers have neglected to include even the most basic of sound effects, with the result that the three- disk Testament has even less atmosphere than the space station Mir. No excuse for this kind of sloppiness.
Capital Punishment Capital Punishment by clickBOOM manifestly deserves the high marks for graphics that are so prominently featured on its box. No beat-em-up on the Amiga can hold a candle to this 2D fighter for pure good looks. Not Shadow Fighter AGA. Not Street Fighter II Turbo. Not Ultimate Body Blows. It positively beams out of the screen.
But, beyond the pretty pictures and some nice features, I found trouble.
It started with installation. An LHA- related error cropped up while decompressing files that had been copied to the hard disk. A re-try with SnoopDOS running Capital Punishment by clickBOOM manifestly deserves the high marks for graphics... animations. It has loads of options: the ability to configure your game in deep detail; support for up to four players, and five different styles of play. I especially like the "epic" mode in which you try to fight your way to the top of the castle. It gives the game a sense, not of a batch of separate pairings, but almost one of contiguous adventure.
I try it out. It's hard. No, it's very hard.
On the first encounter in "epic" mode, I am lucky to land a blow. I am typically up on the spike trap, bleeding like a pig, inside 15 seconds. (A parental lock allows you to disable the gore though not all violence and put a black bar over the female fighter's bared breasts.)
And that is in "training" mode. This is going to take practice. I'm looking forward to it. (The docs refer to special moves, rooms and fighters.) But, I'm looking forward to it rather guardedly. For, even with the patch, CP still has a tendency to drop to a black screen after a replay.
Unfortunately, upon exit, it reboots the system rather than quitting to Workbench apparently a memory issue. (CP is very tight with chip RAM.) Hey, that's a lot like the "quit" feature I designed. It's called "turning your Amiga off and back on again."
XP8 (Effigy): OK, the Amiga games market may have fallen and can't get up, but it hasn't fallen so far or so fast that we should have to settle for XP8 from Effigy. This vertically- scrolling shoot-em-up (available in separate for AGA and ECS OCS machines) is no better than polished shareware: limp plot, pathetic explosions, ordinary gameplay.
Sure, there's some lateral scrolling and the enemies are models (some of them quite elaborate) rather than simple sprites. But XP8 doesn't even touch the borders of an already-dated genre. Why bother?
The Flight of the Amazon Queen You miss LucasArts, right? Me, too.
Since the release of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, we've had to make do with pale imitations like AdventureSoft's Simon the Sorcerer. (Simon walked the LucasArts walk and talked the LucasArts talk, but didn't bring enough of its own to the table.)
Binary Illusions' Amazon Queen (distributed by Time Warner), on the other hand, would be a good game even if LucasArts was still doing Amiga work. It isn't so much imitation as homage. There's a bright intelligence to the writing that suggests vacation time logged in the 'Turtle jCightnirig jTlfniga Software 24 HR FAX: 9 1 5-563-43 I 5 E-mail: email@example.com
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IN: Amazing Amiga X M. COMPUTING-C f CALL JILL HUGHES AT:
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It makes 32 colors look good. And ya gotta love that
Humans III: Evolution Lost in Time Hey, could we have one more subtitle, d'ya think? Humans and Humans II were part of the wave of save-the-cute-critters games that followed Lemmings. (The twist was that its little cavemen had innate gifts other than just walking to their deaths.)
And so I suppose it's not surprising that Imagitec's long-overdue follow-up it was supposed to come out in 1994 is a save- the-diverse-cute-critters game after the style of Lemmings II: Tribes.
With Arthur the caveman, Merlin the magician and a diverse cast of others, you're expected to explore seven time zones ranging from ancient China to modern Japan to recover the scattered pieces of a time machine.
The mechanics haven't changed appreciably. Evolution is still pretty much a platform game played with a tool belt. (You can build a Human ladder, lower and raise ropes, fire weapons and so forth with some of the specifics determined by the period in which you find yourself.) The puzzles haven't lost their edge. It's just as pretty as the earlier games maybe prettier, as this one's evidently AGA only and, unlike its predecessors, goes on hard disk, so it is not as slow as a Sunday afternoon. In fact, in a sense, it's Humans made accessible.
But I don't love it quite the way I think I should maybe because torturous disk access prevented me from getting far enough into the earlier Humans. The result: A game that should have a history and accumulated good will... doesn't. Maybe it's just me. I'll work on it.
Legends The grass is always greener someplace else. Computer gamers have long called for console-style RPGs the ones with the airy tone, the anime look, the storybook text, the little people with the huge huge heads. The ones that seem more like fun, and less like a way of life.
Ocean's action adventure hybrid Nutz! And Team 17's The Spheris Legacy were steps in the right direction, and the long-awaited Legends (developed by Krisalis and distributed by Guildhall Leisure) cements their progress. This time- travel adventure for the A1200 and CD32 is expansive (six hard-drive installable disks), cute as a button, pleasantly open-ended and dopey in just the right consoley way.
Downside: I'm not a big fan of harddisk installable games that require a boot disk to launch and passwords to resume play. (I need something else to lose, right?)
And what's with that Village People cover?
Can we please agree that the '70s are over?
Thank you.
Then again, if you were a game and you had to have a failing, wouldn't you pick inane items such as boot disks and bad cover art? I thought so.
News: TFX, the long-awaited high-end flight sim, is finally slated to appear on the Amiga about three years late, in an unexpected venue ... and virtually free.
The DiD sim, first slated to be published by Ocean circa 1994, was originally withheld owing to the perceived small market for AGA games requiring a hard disk and fast RAM. England's CU Amiga magazine has since acquired the rights to include the full version on the cover CD of its October issue (available for around $ 11 stateside). It's reported to include 040 and FPU support.
One caveat: It's also reported to be "slightly buggy in places." We'll let you know how slightly come October.
In addition to conversions of Id's Doom and Doom II mentioned above, the Amiga Flame web site also reports that Alive Media Soft is porting to the Amiga Sierra's seven-CD horror adventure Phantasmagoria; LucasArts' Dark Forces (a Stars Wars tale in a Doom-style environment); Interplay's Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster (an FMV adventure featuring Tim Curry); and Access' Links Pro golf game.
An ambitious agenda particularly when you include Alive's own CD-ROM game, The Haunting. However, at press time, I'd had no independent confirmation from Sierra, Interplay, Id or Access about contact with Alive, and LucasArts' international licensing people indicated no knowledge of such a port.
Italy's Underground Software is developing The Golem a graphically stunning multi-style action adventure. It apparently will include 3D shoot-em-up, flying, third-person martial arts and over- the-shoulder exploration sequences the last of those featuring the huge, androgynous cyborg of the title (see Figure 2).
It's too early to draw conclusions. But the intro is the most elaborate creation I've seen attached to an Amiga game since the CD32 version of Alien Breed: Tower Assault. And an early demo of the technology, with only limited interaction, looked simply incredible... Shorts: About time a commercial game was lined up for an AmiNet CD. Number 18 includes the full version of Silltuna's Extreme Racing a very pleasant Super Mario Karts-like racing game for AGA Amigas from 1995 .
A 3D texture-mapped fighting game in the style of Virtua Fighter is reportedly in the works. Yokozuna (a working title) is being developed for AGA machines by an Italian outfit called Digital Warp The creator of the classic mid-80s RPG Alternate Reality: The City reportedly has released the Amiga version free of charge.
It's available via the WWW at www.pacificone.com sean. This open-ended RPG designed to build up a character for the follow-up; it has no real ending was way ahead of its time, with scrolling movement, a sophisticated game world (you can get a job) and a distinctive feel that much more advanced games can't touch. (Now, if we could only persuade someone to finish the near- complete sequel, The Dungeon.)
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The Cross-Platform Page Figure 1. Fractal Design's Poser can save 3D DXF , " .. models and single frame animation sequences for fy R. Shamms Mortier use |n LightWav* A,addin4D, Rea, 3Dj cinema 4D, and other Amiga specific 3D environments.
OK. Here's the deal. 1 am calling for a "cross-platform" page. Cross-Platform means that the software to be detailed here will not be Amiga specific, but will reference both Mac and Windows operating systems.
Like you, I am a dedicated Amiga user, When Gateway2000 places the new Amigas on the market, I will no doubt ante up my pennies to get one. But, like about 70 percent of us, I must work with other systems.
I am an artist and animator first, and a platform obsessive second. 1 enjoy the available tools and what they can do, and I use whatever system provides them. This way, I can paint and animate exactly what my vision is telling me to do. This does not cut the Amiga short, in fact, it elevates it.
After all, what other supposedly "dead" computer system do you know of that still offers such unique and constant software tools as the Amiga? None.
But, in my opinion, the Amiga must, at the very least, incorporate either or both PowerPC and Pentium technology in its next incarnation. Therefore, any software discussed in a Cross-Platform column will be available to Amiga users when Gate- way2000 opens the gate.
All the Cross Platform software we will focus on, or at least most of it, runs on both the Mac and the PC. This means we will be getting a head start on software that may soon run on the Amiga. But, what if Gateway2000 doesn't opt to incorporate PowerPC or Pentium capabilities what then?
With about 70% (at least) of general Amiga users owning either Macs or Pcs or both, we still need cross-platform discussions. Like it or not, Macs and Pcs have become standard platforms in the work place, while many individuals also have these systems at home, sitting next to their Amigas.
You might have an Amiga for your videographic and Toaster work, but you are probably workingly familiar with Mac System 7+ or Windows applications for other pursuits. People who use a computer for creative purposes, and who also own and use an Amiga, are often forced to create in a variety of environments.
Then there is our "emulator" crowd.
Many Amiga owners also use an Emplant board for Mac applications, and run either hardware or software Windows emulators.
By not following what is available for emulation pursuits, we shortchange a large section of the Amiga community.
Ignorance is Not Bliss As Amiga users, we must know what else is available. To be ignorant of what is available is to have no comparative pride in your own platform. The artistic software available for the Mac and Windows is very serious stuff. But guess what? It just so happens that the Amiga, our beloved little system, can still do some tilings that are either way too expensive to do on other systems, or simply do not exist except on the Amiga. A cross-platform page will allow us to examine these areas.
In addition, if we discuss non-Amiga software, then we can discuss how to port the results to the Amiga environment, and how, why, and when to do it. The digital artist and animator works with tools to do a job. Creative digital tasks are commonly ported from one system and from one software package to another before the task is completed.
One special effects utility might be the core reason to port a project from the Amiga to a Mac or Windows system and back again. Additionally, most Amiga developers have ports of their software for other platforms, so Amiga users will be a step ahead of their peers when using these applications.
Coming Soon.
The next time you see this Amazing column with this headline, look for a report on some non-Amiga software. Also look for comparative commentary that relates non- Amiga software to Amiga software, and ways to use the results when you return to the Amiga environment.
Send e-mail to me at email@example.com or drop a letter to me in care of Amazing Computing about this matter. I would like to know what you think and what you believe we should cover.
I think it would be a mistake, given all of the reasons I've mentioned, not to develop this idea. After all, the Amiga is a technological marvel that has to be retrofitted for future uses if it is to creatively survive, and this is another way Amazing Computing can help in the process.
This will be one page in Amazing Computing devoted to taking a detailed look at what's happening in the other camps, and how we all might benefit from that awareness.
• AO Please Write to:
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2300, 2630. CDTV, 1581. C65 ....$ 19.95 A500 schematics. A600. 1084S, 1084S-DI, 10&4ST, 1936A, 1960. A2000 ....$ 24.00 A1200, A3000, A3000T, A4000, CD32 $ 39.95 CLEARANCE SALE A600 computer system ...$ 229.00 A520 Video Modulator Adapter Cable $ 12.50
2. 04 3.1 ROM Switch - (Switch Itt) with speaker..? 17,50 15-23
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AVAILABLE Ramsey 7 Upgrade DMAC 4 Upgrade PACKAGE PRICE $ 79.95
Super Buster 11 Upgrade I Western Digital SCSI
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$ 7.50
3. 1 Books Manual (without disks or
1 x 4 Static Column ZIP (8 zips = 4
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Keyboard $ 67.50
KB100 adapter to use with IBM
keyboards ..$ 34.95
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Rack Mounted enclosed A3000
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The above prices are special to those people who purchase the
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• 4 meg SIMM installed
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• 1 year warranty 20 Grove Street. Spring Valley. NY 10977 n . -
- v Vrtl,Al'l 914-578-6522*800-815-3241 800-595-5534*888
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Aladdin 4D and ihe rendered lamp logo are trademarks of Nova Design, Inc.. 1910 Byrd Ave, Ste 214, Richmond, VA23230 SalBS lnformalion: (804) 262-5868, Fax: (804) 282-3768, Web; httpyfwvvw.novadesign.com g 1 PtM Publications, Inc. reserves the right to edit product descriptions.
2 boot up. Nice copy protection; very clean and simple. Oops. The program crashes. I try booting a couple more times.
It crashes a couple more times. I install the game a third time. It still crashes. Finally, I check AmiNet for a patch. 1 am not hopeful.
Amiga games typically do not get patched.
Well, what do you know? ClickBOOM did make a patch. Good for them, and good for us, too. V. 1.1 improves memory management; includes unproved code that removes the need for separate 040 and 060 libraries; and permits CP to work with Apollo accelerator boards. I download it.
And, somehow, it does the trick. Now the game runs. And I like what I see. The graphics are amazing, and not simply for the gleaming images themselves but the little touches like shadows and background 3 Standard 72 pin 4 meg SIMM