旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � � � The � � AmoebaSoft MOD Player � � for the � � Gravis UltraSound � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FILES IN THIS ARCHIVE: ---------------------- Release 0.90 of The AmoebaSoft MOD Player includes the following files: ASMOD.EXE - the MOD player itself ASMOD.ASL - some resources that ASMOD.EXE must have ASMOD.DOC - this file Plus (in the SOURCE directory): GUSMOD.PAS - MOD loading and GUS interface routines GUSHEAP.PAS - GUS memory management routines NEWCRT.PAS - keyboard and timer routines TYPES.PAS - some global variables and error handler GUSUTIL.ASM - assembly source for the MOD player GUSUTIL.OBJ - the assembled version of GUSUTIL.ASM KEY.ASM - assembly source for new keyboard handler KEY.OBJ - the assembled version of KEY.ASM TESTMOD.PAS - a short program to make sure the MOD player works The source for compiling ASMOD.EXE has not been included. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: --------------------- To use the AmoebaSoft MOD Player your computer must meet the following criteria: 386 or better processor VGA compatible graphics card Advanced Gravis UltraSound or UltraSound MAX (both with 256K or more RAM) MS-DOS 3.1 or better Some large modules may play incorrectly or not at all on UltraSounds with < 512K of memory. This software is designed to run on a 486DX/33Mhz or faster computer, so slower machines may not be capable of reaching the default frame rates of 30 frames per second. Of course, slower computers may work great, but it hasn't been tested. ABOUT THE PROGRAM: ------------------ The AmoebaSoft MOD Player for the Gravis UltraSound plays 4, 6 and 8 channel MOD files on computers equiped with a Gravis UltraSound or UltraSound MAX. Obviously, there are already a LOT of MOD players around that support the UltraSound, and though this MOD player may have a few unique features, it is intended mainly as a demonstration of AmoebaSoft's UltraSound Interface for Borland Pascal. This is a BETA release of the MOD player, and therefore most MOD effects are not yet implemented. Those which ARE implemented are listed below: Effect # Effect Name 컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 0Bh � Position Jump 0Ch � Set Volume 0Dh � Pattern Break 0Fh � Set Speed Though this is a small number of the possible commands, they are by far the most frequently used, and you should find that ASMOD plays about 95% of all MODs correctly. The best way to find out is to try it yourself. More effects will be implemented in the near future. USING THE PROGRAM: ------------------ First of all, be sure that ASMOD.EXE and ASMOD.ASL are in the same directory. This can be your current directory or a directory in the path. There are two basic methods to using ASMOD. First, you can specify the name of a MOD on the command line when you run ASMOD. For example: ASMOD ODYSSEY.MOD will play ODYSSEY.MOD if the file exists in the current directory. If the MOD file has an End Jump Position of 127 ASMOD will exit back to DOS after playing the last pattern in of the MOD. Otherwise it will loop until a user exits the program with Alt-X. The second method is to run ASMOD without specifying a filename. This will cause ASMOD to enter directory mode and display a list of all files with the extension .MOD. To play any MOD file listed, simply highlight it with the arrow keys and press RETURN. To change to another directory, highlight that directory's name and press return. To move back one directory, go to the '..' directory at the top of the list and press RETURN. Both ESCAPE and the Alt-X key combination will exit to DOS from the directory mode. While the MOD is playing you can move backwards or forwards in the song with PageUp and PageDown, which will move to the previous or next pattern. Using the Up and Down arrow keys will move backwards or forwards one line in the current pattern. Pressing ENTER will cycle through the display modes while pressing the number of a channel will toggle the corresponding channel on or off. Using the Left and Right arrow keys will scroll the pattern display through the available channels. You can increase and decrease the master volume of the MOD being played with the Plus and Minus keys located on the keypad (the + and - above the letter keys will not work this way). To stop playing the MOD and return to the diectory of files, press ESC. Of course all of these keys are listed in the bottom right corner of the screen while a MOD is playing. ABOUT AMOEBASOFT'S ULTRASOUND INTERFACE: ---------------------------------------- The code used to produced ASMOD was written in Borland Pascal 7.0 and Turbo Assembler 3.2. The routines for loading MOD files were written in Pascal while the MOD playing routines are 100% assembler. Most of graphics routines used to create ASMOD.EXE (except for those with limited applications) are part of the AmoebaSoft Video Toolkit. The source for loading and playing MODs is included in the SOURCE directory of this archive. This source will also load and play sound effects while MODs are playing (just don't use the voices the MOD player is using, always 1-4 and sometimes 5-8, depiding on how many channels are in the MOD). The source is implemented with an IRQ handler which you can probably just disable, since it only handles wave table IRQs and not ramp IRQs (which can be used to remove clicks at the beginning and end of samples). NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT: -------------------- The program described in this document, its accompanying files, and the source code which produced it are Copyright (c) 1994 by Jonathan E. Wright and AmoebaSoft. The AmoebaSoft MOD Player for the Gravis UltraSound is FreeWare and the author offers it on an as-is, use at your own risk basis. Neither the author or AmoebaSoft will be held responsible for any damages resulting from the use or modification of the files described herein. Legal stuff aside, feel free to use this code as you wish as long as you give credit to Nelno the Amoeba (me, the author, Jonathan E. Wright) where it's due. If you make any significant improvements I'd like to hear about it. See the .PAS files for information on contacting the author. Borland Pascal and Turbo Assembler are trademarks of Borland International. UltraSound and UltraSound MAX are trademarks of Advanced Gravis.