Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-04.adf » !WriteDemo/!Help
!WriteDemo/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-04.adf |
Filename: | !WriteDemo/!Help |
Read OK: | ✔ |
File size: | 06B6 bytes |
Load address: | FFFFFF45 |
Exec address: | 3127B069 |
File contents
Writing your own Graphics Demo By Mark Hobson Graphics demos are extremely popular and can really show off your machine's capabilities. Now you can write your own with our new series on a modular demo-writing system. Run this option to open up a directory containing the files from the first part of the series. All the files except one make up the source code for this month's demo. The file Demo is the ready-compiled demo, and you can run this by simply double-clicking on it. This month's demo contains scrolling text which can move in all sorts of wave formations. Press Esc to return to the desktop. The other files in the directory make up the source code for the demo. If you wish to re-compile the demo - so you can alter the contents of the scrolltext, for example - then you must copy all the files (except Demo) to a new disc, as the compression used on the cover disc is read-only. Before compiling, you must double-click on !SetSysVar to set up the relevant system variables. To actually compile the demo, double-click on Compile, answer the prompts, and you will create a new demo. If you opt to save the demo to disc, a new Demo file will appear. This month the only alterable module is the ScrollText module. You can alter the text used in the scrolltext, and the waveforms used, by changing the files Text and Waveforms inside the Modules.ScrollText directory. Then to re-compile the ScrollText module, delete the Module file inside Modules.ScrollText, and double-click on Source to create a new one. Now re-compile the whole demo as described above, and you will have your own personalised demo. For more information, see the article on page 90 in the magazine. � Copyright Mark Hobson 1994
00000000 57 72 69 74 69 6e 67 20 79 6f 75 72 20 6f 77 6e |Writing your own| 00000010 20 47 72 61 70 68 69 63 73 20 44 65 6d 6f 0a 42 | Graphics Demo.B| 00000020 79 20 4d 61 72 6b 20 48 6f 62 73 6f 6e 0a 0a 47 |y Mark Hobson..G| 00000030 72 61 70 68 69 63 73 20 64 65 6d 6f 73 20 61 72 |raphics demos ar| 00000040 65 20 65 78 74 72 65 6d 65 6c 79 20 70 6f 70 75 |e extremely popu| 00000050 6c 61 72 20 61 6e 64 20 63 61 6e 20 72 65 61 6c |lar and can real| 00000060 6c 79 20 73 68 6f 77 20 6f 66 66 20 79 6f 75 72 |ly show off your| 00000070 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 27 73 20 63 61 70 61 62 | machine's capab| 00000080 69 6c 69 74 69 65 73 2e 20 4e 6f 77 20 79 6f 75 |ilities. Now you| 00000090 20 63 61 6e 20 77 72 69 74 65 20 79 6f 75 72 20 | can write your | 000000a0 6f 77 6e 20 77 69 74 68 20 6f 75 72 20 6e 65 77 |own with our new| 000000b0 20 73 65 72 69 65 73 20 6f 6e 20 61 20 6d 6f 64 | series on a mod| 000000c0 75 6c 61 72 20 64 65 6d 6f 2d 77 72 69 74 69 6e |ular demo-writin| 000000d0 67 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 2e 0a 0a 52 75 6e 20 74 |g system...Run t| 000000e0 68 69 73 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 6f 70 |his option to op| 000000f0 65 6e 20 75 70 20 61 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 |en up a director| 00000100 79 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 |y containing the| 00000110 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 | files from the | 00000120 66 69 72 73 74 20 70 61 72 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 |first part of th| 00000130 65 20 73 65 72 69 65 73 2e 20 41 6c 6c 20 74 68 |e series. All th| 00000140 65 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 65 78 63 65 70 74 20 6f |e files except o| 00000150 6e 65 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 73 |ne make up the s| 00000160 6f 75 72 63 65 20 63 6f 64 65 20 66 6f 72 20 74 |ource code for t| 00000170 68 69 73 20 6d 6f 6e 74 68 27 73 20 64 65 6d 6f |his month's demo| 00000180 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 44 65 6d 6f |...The file Demo| 00000190 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 61 64 79 2d 63 6f | is the ready-co| 000001a0 6d 70 69 6c 65 64 20 64 65 6d 6f 2c 20 61 6e 64 |mpiled demo, and| 000001b0 20 79 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 69 | you can run thi| 000001c0 73 20 62 79 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 20 64 6f 75 62 |s by simply doub| 000001d0 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 69 |le-clicking on i| 000001e0 74 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 6d 6f 6e 74 68 27 73 20 |t. This month's | 000001f0 64 65 6d 6f 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 20 73 63 |demo contains sc| 00000200 72 6f 6c 6c 69 6e 67 20 74 65 78 74 20 77 68 69 |rolling text whi| 00000210 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 6d 6f 76 65 20 69 6e 20 61 |ch can move in a| 00000220 6c 6c 20 73 6f 72 74 73 20 6f 66 20 77 61 76 65 |ll sorts of wave| 00000230 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 2e 20 50 72 65 | formations. Pre| 00000240 73 73 20 45 73 63 20 74 6f 20 72 65 74 75 72 6e |ss Esc to return| 00000250 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 2e | to the desktop.| 00000260 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 66 69 6c 65 |..The other file| 00000270 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f |s in the directo| 00000280 72 79 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 73 |ry make up the s| 00000290 6f 75 72 63 65 20 63 6f 64 65 20 66 6f 72 20 74 |ource code for t| 000002a0 68 65 20 64 65 6d 6f 2e 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 |he demo. If you | 000002b0 77 69 73 68 20 74 6f 20 72 65 2d 63 6f 6d 70 69 |wish to re-compi| 000002c0 6c 65 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 6d 6f 20 2d 20 73 6f |le the demo - so| 000002d0 20 79 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 61 6c 74 65 72 20 74 | you can alter t| 000002e0 68 65 20 63 6f 6e 74 65 6e 74 73 20 6f 66 20 74 |he contents of t| 000002f0 68 65 20 73 63 72 6f 6c 6c 74 65 78 74 2c 20 66 |he scrolltext, f| 00000300 6f 72 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20 2d 20 74 68 65 |or example - the| 00000310 6e 20 79 6f 75 20 6d 75 73 74 20 63 6f 70 79 20 |n you must copy | 00000320 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 28 65 |all the files (e| 00000330 78 63 65 70 74 20 44 65 6d 6f 29 20 74 6f 20 61 |xcept Demo) to a| 00000340 20 6e 65 77 20 64 69 73 63 2c 20 61 73 20 74 68 | new disc, as th| 00000350 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 72 65 73 73 69 6f 6e 20 75 73 |e compression us| 00000360 65 64 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 76 65 72 20 |ed on the cover | 00000370 64 69 73 63 20 69 73 20 72 65 61 64 2d 6f 6e 6c |disc is read-onl| 00000380 79 2e 0a 0a 42 65 66 6f 72 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 69 |y...Before compi| 00000390 6c 69 6e 67 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 6d 75 73 74 20 64 |ling, you must d| 000003a0 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 21 |ouble-click on !| 000003b0 53 65 74 53 79 73 56 61 72 20 74 6f 20 73 65 74 |SetSysVar to set| 000003c0 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 6c 65 76 61 6e 74 | up the relevant| 000003d0 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 | system variable| 000003e0 73 2e 20 54 6f 20 61 63 74 75 61 6c 6c 79 20 63 |s. To actually c| 000003f0 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 6d 6f 2c |ompile the demo,| 00000400 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e | double-click on| 00000410 20 43 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65 2c 20 61 6e 73 77 65 72 | Compile, answer| 00000420 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 6d 70 74 73 2c 20 61 6e | the prompts, an| 00000430 64 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 63 72 65 61 74 |d you will creat| 00000440 65 20 61 20 6e 65 77 20 64 65 6d 6f 2e 20 49 66 |e a new demo. If| 00000450 20 79 6f 75 20 6f 70 74 20 74 6f 20 73 61 76 65 | you opt to save| 00000460 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 6d 6f 20 74 6f 20 64 69 73 | the demo to dis| 00000470 63 2c 20 61 20 6e 65 77 20 44 65 6d 6f 20 66 69 |c, a new Demo fi| 00000480 6c 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 2e 0a |le will appear..| 00000490 0a 54 68 69 73 20 6d 6f 6e 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 |.This month the | 000004a0 6f 6e 6c 79 20 61 6c 74 65 72 61 62 6c 65 20 6d |only alterable m| 000004b0 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 53 63 72 |odule is the Scr| 000004c0 6f 6c 6c 54 65 78 74 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 2e 20 |ollText module. | 000004d0 59 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 61 6c 74 65 72 20 74 68 |You can alter th| 000004e0 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 75 73 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 |e text used in t| 000004f0 68 65 20 73 63 72 6f 6c 6c 74 65 78 74 2c 20 61 |he scrolltext, a| 00000500 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 76 65 66 6f 72 6d 73 |nd the waveforms| 00000510 20 75 73 65 64 2c 20 62 79 20 63 68 61 6e 67 69 | used, by changi| 00000520 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 54 65 78 |ng the files Tex| 00000530 74 20 61 6e 64 20 57 61 76 65 66 6f 72 6d 73 20 |t and Waveforms | 00000540 69 6e 73 69 64 65 20 74 68 65 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c |inside the Modul| 00000550 65 73 2e 53 63 72 6f 6c 6c 54 65 78 74 20 64 69 |es.ScrollText di| 00000560 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 2e 20 54 68 65 6e 20 74 6f |rectory. Then to| 00000570 20 72 65 2d 63 6f 6d 70 69 6c 65 20 74 68 65 20 | re-compile the | 00000580 53 63 72 6f 6c 6c 54 65 78 74 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c |ScrollText modul| 00000590 65 2c 20 64 65 6c 65 74 65 20 74 68 65 20 4d 6f |e, delete the Mo| 000005a0 64 75 6c 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 6e 73 69 64 65 |dule file inside| 000005b0 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 2e 53 63 72 6f 6c 6c 54 | Modules.ScrollT| 000005c0 65 78 74 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d |ext, and double-| 000005d0 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 53 6f 75 72 63 65 20 |click on Source | 000005e0 74 6f 20 63 72 65 61 74 65 20 61 20 6e 65 77 20 |to create a new | 000005f0 6f 6e 65 2e 20 4e 6f 77 20 72 65 2d 63 6f 6d 70 |one. Now re-comp| 00000600 69 6c 65 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 6f 6c 65 20 64 65 |ile the whole de| 00000610 6d 6f 20 61 73 20 64 65 73 63 72 69 62 65 64 20 |mo as described | 00000620 61 62 6f 76 65 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 79 6f 75 20 77 |above, and you w| 00000630 69 6c 6c 20 68 61 76 65 20 79 6f 75 72 20 6f 77 |ill have your ow| 00000640 6e 20 70 65 72 73 6f 6e 61 6c 69 73 65 64 20 64 |n personalised d| 00000650 65 6d 6f 2e 0a 0a 46 6f 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 69 |emo...For more i| 00000660 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c 20 73 65 65 20 |nformation, see | 00000670 74 68 65 20 61 72 74 69 63 6c 65 20 6f 6e 20 70 |the article on p| 00000680 61 67 65 20 39 30 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 |age 90 in the ma| 00000690 67 61 7a 69 6e 65 2e 0a 0a a9 20 43 6f 70 79 72 |gazine.... Copyr| 000006a0 69 67 68 74 20 4d 61 72 6b 20 48 6f 62 73 6f 6e |ight Mark Hobson| 000006b0 20 31 39 39 34 0a | 1994.| 000006b6