ÚÒÂÒÂÒÂÒÂÒÂÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÂÒÂÒÂÒÂÒÂÒ¿ ³º³º³º³º³º³º VGA Planets Movie Player/Compiler V2.1B º³º³º³º³º³º³ ³º³º³º³º³º³º Copyright 1994 by Weird Vision Software º³º³º³º³º³º³ ³º³º³º³º³º³º Written by Wil Barath, available for FREQ from º³º³º³º³º³º³ ³º³º³º³º³º³º Crazy Train ][ BBS (604)383-2201 (Fidonet 1:340/88) º³º³º³º³º³º³ ÀÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÁÐÙ 1. Introduction to VPM 2. How do I use it? 3. The Movie Viewer: VPMPlay 4. VPMPlay controls 5. License information 6. Registration Information 7. Contents of VPM210B.ARJ 8. Acknowledgements ============================================================================== 1. Introduction to VPM ------------------- This program was spawned by a very simple thought: Have you ever been playing a game of VGA Planets and wanted to see a historical reference of the game? Maybe to see trends in your opponents' actions, or just for nostalgic reasons? After working on many sorts of displayer programs, most notably ShowMaps, the author decided to try making a program that would record all notable changes in the HOST data directory for a game, and display that information graphically. The result was VPM - VGA Planets Movies. Due to the nature of the information stored in the movie files, this release is not suggested for use in mid-game displays. The information stored by the HOST compiler at this time includes ship positions, owners, hull types, engine techs, number and tech of beams and torpedo launchers, starbase locations, and planet ownership. Not the kind of information that one generally wants falling into enemy hands... Plans are underway for a second movie compiler that will strip the movie data from player files, and when that is released players will be able to use it to snoop over all the basic game information supplied by the host in their .rst files for all of their turns. The best use of that information is the tracking of enemy fleets, and the organising of your own fleets. That will be a feature supplied in the version 2.2 REGISTERED VPM package. Maybe the best use of VPM is the creation of game histories. I know that I've heard of a lot of games played that I wish I could have SEEN. And now that is easily possible. The only requirement is that the VPMC program be run after each HOST run, to record the game. After the game is won, a host system may put the .VPM movie file online for users to view at their leisure, and for the players to keep. What better trophy could there be for the winner of a tournament than the movie of the game? ============================================================================== 2. How do I use it? ---------------- Place VPMC.EXE in your path, and call it after each HOST run. That's all there is to it. Please note: VPMPLAY won't work under DesqView... Here's a capture of a DOS session asking VPMC for help: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ C:\>VPMC /? VGAP Movie Compiler revision ID: VPM 2.1 Option: /? : Help Me!!! Usage: VPMC [/W ][/All /Mines /Planets /Ships ][/? or /Help ][] ie. C:\>VPMC /Wc:\planets\game1\ /P /Mines movie1 Would make a movie called "Movie1.VPM" based on the files in c:\Planets\game1\ storing only the Planet and Minefield changes. C:\>_ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "[/W]" is optional. If you are in the HOST file directory, you will not need to specify a path to the data files and you can skip this. However, if you are not in that directory, you can tell VPMC where to look for the data files by telling it with the /W (Work) directory switch. "[/All /Mines /Planets /Ships ]": All of these flags are optional. If you select a flag, you must select ALL the flags that correspond to data you wish to be kept in the .VPM file. Ie. if you specify /M to record Mine data, you must also specify /P if you want Planet data. By default, /A is active and will cause the compiler to record all events. "[/? or /Help ]": These will cause VPMC to display the above help message. "[]": This is the name you want to call the movie, and optionally, where you want it to go. Ie. "Game1.VPM" would make VPMC place the game data in the current directory in a file called "Game1.VPM". "c:\planets\game1\game1.vpm" would make VPMC place it in a file called "game1.vpm" in the directory "c:\planets\game1\". If you give no name, it is assumed that you want the file in the current directory and that you want it to be called "VPMovie.VPM". ============================================================================== 3. The Movie Viewer: VPMPlay ------------------------- The player is very simple to use. Just provide path and filename and optionally add the /F flag to make the program run faster. You will notice a tradeoff if you use this option: there will be a lot of flicker when playing your movie file. Use this option only if you are running something Dog-Slow like a 286/16 or slower. VPMPlay will run at a decent speed on anything from a 386SX/25. It was designed and tested on a 386DX/40 with 4MB and it flies quite nicely on that system, even under Windows. Usage: VPMPlay [][ /F] "[]": If the .VPM movie file is in the current directory and the name of the movie file is VPMovie.VPM, then you need not provide the name. Otherwise, provide a complete path and filename. "[ /F]": This is an optional flag that reduces memory requirements by 64k and makes the program run quite a bit faster, but it disables the anti-flicker buffering. You should really only use this option if you are trying to run VPMPlay in under 128k on a 286. If VPMPlay doesn't find the file you specified, or the default file in the current directory, or if one of the arguements you gave it makes no sense to it, then a help screen will pop up showing the cause of the confusion and the available options. Just click on the gadget that seems most likely to resolve the problem. For those of you running VPMPlay without a mouse, the gadgets may be activated by keypresses: 'Y' to accept the error, 'N' to quit via the extra help screen, to abort the program, and 'L' to try a new filename. Once the movie file has been found, you will be prompted to register the program. Just click the button, or press , until the messages have gone by. After the 'Thanks' button, the movie will load and you will be in the viewer. For best results, it is suggested that you use a disk-caching program and that this VPMPlay not be used to display files held on floppy disk. It will work under these circumstances, but performance will be hurt. ============================================================================== 4. VPMPlay controls ---------------- While in the viewer, you can do the following: 1) Zoom in and out: Use the '+' and '-' keys, or click on the '+' and '-' gadgets. When you zoom in, detail will improve and ship and planet IDs will become visible. In the Registered version, ship hull types, armament, and engine techs may be displayed. 2) Pan around: Use the numeric keypad cursor controls (with NumLock set) or click on the directional arrow gadgets. (mouse only: Click the Left Mouse Button on any object to center it on screen. Press and hold the Right Mouse Button to pan any direction at a speed proportional to the distance of the mouse from the center of the screen.) 3) Set the playback direction: Use 'O' to play backwards, 'P' to play forwards, or click the play direction gadgets 4) Pause/Continue playback: Use 'S' to start/stop playback, or click the pause gadget. The Pause gadget appears Red when play is paused. 5) Fast Forward and Rewind: Use 'F' to advance a frame, 'R' to rewind a turn, or click and/or hold the fast forward or rewind gadget. *Note* rewind is very slow. This is a feature of the Unregistered viewer. For faster advance with a mouse, see below: 6) Position the movie: (Mouse Only) Click anywhere on the vertical proportional slider gadget to the right of the zoom/pan and playback controls, and you will be at a turn number proportionate to the slider's position into the movie. You may use the adjustment gadgets above and below it to select a specific turn number if there are more turns in the movie than positions on the slider. *Note* reducing turn number with the adjustment button is very slow. This is a feature of the Unregistered viewer. 7) Snap to start/end of movie: Use 'B' to go to the beginning of the movie, 'E' to go to the end of the movie, or click on the direction skip gadgets. 8) Set number of Tweening Frames: (Mouse Only) Click anywhere on the horizontal proportional slider gadget at the bottom of the controls. The number of frames interpolated will be proportional to the position you select, up to about 80 frames per turn. The range has been limited in the ShareWare release. 9) Display the present .VPM file path\name: Use 'L' to turn the title on/off, or click on the Load Media gadget. In the Registered version, the Load Media gadget lets you load another movie file without exiting the program. 10) At any time, press to immediately exit the program. It is possible for there to be a few seconds' delay if the viewer is performing a movie positioning function. ============================================================================== 5. License information ------------------- VPMPlay No-Nonsense User License Agreement VPMPlay is Copyright 1994 by Weird Vision Software. This evaluation package is offered for trial use as ShareWare. No distribution fees may be charged * for providing this package, and the complete contents of the package must be maintained. If you find VPMPlay useful and use it for more than 30 days, you are legally bound to pay the (more than reasonable) $10 ** Shareware registration fee. Weird Vision Software does not warrant VPMPlay, and does not accept responsibility for any damages arising from the use of VPMPlay or any of the files in the distribution package. Upon recieving a registration from the User and subject to reciept of registration fees, Weird Vision Software agrees to provide the User with the most recent and updated release of VPMPlay, and agrees to notify the User of the next major update. Weird Vision Software reserves the right to deny registration to MIKE HORN. *: No fee may be charged for the service of providing this distribution package, and charges for distribution media may not exceed the cost of the media to the distributor. **: $10 U.S. Funds money order, $13 Canadian by cheque drawn on a Canadian bank. ============================================================================== 6. Registration Information ------------------------ This program was for the most part Painstakingly programmed in assembly. That is why the executable is so tiny and why it runs so fast. The hours that have gone into the program more than warrant the $10 fee, but the author is a kind soul, and not out to gouge the world at large as are some of the software houses (need one speak any names?) Prior FreeWare releases by this author include the original FIXMAPS utility which allowed people to have games with alternate maps, and SHOWME, a map display program designed to show maps made with MakeMaps (which the author also had a hand in). This is the first ShareWare release the author has created for the VGA Planets community. I'm hoping it'll get good response, as it will ensure the production of more fine and inexpensive programs for the VGAP community and the PC community at large. Once your registration arrives, we'll deposit the registration fee, and if it clears, you will be registered and we'll mail out a copy of the registered program. On the registration form, there's a list of goodies that we're hoping to have in the first registered release. If you're one of the first registrants, these features may not be fully developed yet, but don't despair. Registered users will get a copy of the first complete release at the time it is completed, as well as the immediate copy of the most updated release, so you'll have the best copy available now, and when the complete registered version has been completed, it'll be in the mail. When the second major update is complete (for Planets 3.5 if it is out yet, or for Planets 4.0, depending on how soon that comes out), you'll get notified and have the option of upgrading for $5 versus the $15 we'll be charging then. ============================================================================== 7. Contents of VPM210B.ARJ ----------------------- VPMPLAY .EXE - The movie player VPM210 .DOC - This document VPMC .EXE - The turn compiler REGISTER .DOC - Registration text FILE_ID .DIZ, DESC .SDI - Archive description files Any other files contained within this archive are NOT authorized and are in violation of the distribution agreement. =============================================================================== 8. Acknowledgements ---------------- Many thanks to Weird Al for constantly begging for this to get done. Without him, this would still be a pipe dream. Thanks to the House of 4 for assorted nods, etc., and for putting up with my programming hours... :-) Thanks to Tim Wisseman for making the game! =============================================================================== Checks and/or Bug reports can be sent to: William Barath P.O. Box 5874 Victoria, B.C. Canada Postal Code V8R-6S8 Crazy Train ][ BBS (604)383-2201 (Fido 1:340/88) VGA Planets is (C) Tim Wisseman. Support the shareware concept and register your copy of his game! (After all, it's ONLY $15!) The Tim Continuum BBS (209)877-4921 Tim Wisseman PO Box 204 North Fork CA 93643 ===============================================================================