bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) (10/10/87)
I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be
possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to
reach the author - who's name escapes me now (that doen't help much does it?).
I am not a hacker and I don't call long distance. Perhaps someone saying "no,
it is not possible" will suffice...
UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd!crash, seismo!scgvaxd!cadovax}!gryphon!pnet02!bilbo
INET: bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM
*Bilbo*
(Recombinant Hobbit)UH2@PSUVM.BITNET (Lee Sailer) (10/12/87)
In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM>, bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) says: > >I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to I saw on a Mac the other day a neat screen fader. Rather than a totally blank screen, it faded to what looked like a view out of the port of a ship sooming thru space. lee
gmg@yendor.UUCP (Gary Godfrey) (10/12/87)
In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM>, bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: > I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be > possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to > reach the author - who's name escapes me now (that doen't help much does it?). > I am not a hacker and I don't call long distance. Perhaps someone saying "no, > it is not possible" will suffice... > I seem to remember somewhere in the documentation that they just created a single bit plane that was black and covered the screen with it. I'm not gonna say "no, it is not possible", but their current method won't do it. No! The cat is NOT made of velcro! Gary Godfrey - ACT, Reston, VA Phone: (703)471-9433 UUCP: ..!mimsy!{prometheus,hqda-ai}!yendor!gmg
guilford@csv.rpi.edu (Jim Guilford) (10/12/87)
In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM> bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: >I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to >reach the author - who's name escapes me now (that doen't help much does it?). >I am not a hacker and I don't call long distance. Perhaps someone saying "no, >it is not possible" will suffice... > > >UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd!crash, seismo!scgvaxd!cadovax}!gryphon!pnet02!bilbo >INET: bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM > >*Bilbo* >(Recombinant Hobbit) As far as I can remember, the code creates a tall but narrow screen which overlays all the other screens. It is only one bit deep and is set to black. Then the program turns off the DMA to free up as much time for the CPU as possible. In order to do a fade, one would have to create a set of screens (one for each screen being displayed), copy the currently displayed image onto the new screen, and then fade it. Then to unfade it, it would have to copy the new version of the other screens (remember that output continues while faded) to the top screen, quickly unfade it, and then remove the new screens. All in all, it would be very messy. One might try playing with the color registers directly, but then if the user's programs diddled with them during a fade you would have a mess. Due to the versatility of the amiga, I don't think it is easily possible. --JimG (guilford@csv.rpi.edu)
ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (10/14/87)
In article <106@rpicsb8> guilford@csv.rpi.edu (Jim Guilford) writes: >In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM> bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: >>I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >>possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? [ ... ] > >In order to do a fade, one would have to create a set of screens >(one for each screen being displayed), copy the currently displayed image >onto the new screen, and then fade it. Then to unfade it, it would have to >copy the new version of the other screens (remember that output continues >while faded) to the top screen, quickly unfade it, and then remove the new >screens. All in all, it would be very messy. >One might try playing with the color registers directly, but then if the >user's programs diddled with them during a fade you would have a mess. >Due to the versatility of the amiga, I don't think it is easily possible. > I read this, and my jaw sort of sagged. Rather than make a humorous personality-related comment that would instantly get misinterpreted, I'll restrict myself to a practical solution. First off, find the topmost screen. This can be discovered by: scr = IntuitionBase -> FirstScreen; Next, locate the screen's ViewPort structure: vp = &scr -> ViewPort; Once you have a pointer to the ViewPort, you can do all kinds of neat things: extern long GetRGB4(); for (i=0; i<16; i++) for (idx = 1 << ViewPort -> RasInfo -> BitMap; idx; idx--) { color = GetRGB4 (vp, (long) idx); r = (color & 0xf00) >> 8; g = (color & 0x0f0) >> 4; b = color & 0x00f; if (r) r--; if (g) g--; if (b) b--; SetRGB4 (vp, (long) idx, (long) r, (long) g, (long) b); } This won't be a very pretty fade, but it'll fade. And it wasn't all that hard, either. However, this code fragment does not address the problem of what happens if a program is playing with the ViewPort's colors, too. However, there are a multitude of ways around this, none of which are all *that* messy. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape ihnp4!ptsfa -\ \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: dual ---> !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Although there are technical differences between the quality of images created on the Amiga and on our system, we feel that viewers could be misled to believe otherwise, even with your disclaimers to the contrary." -- Ralph J. Guggenheim, Pixar
jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM (Joanne Dow) (10/15/87)
In article <4211@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes: >In article <106@rpicsb8> guilford@csv.rpi.edu (Jim Guilford) writes: >>In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM> bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: >>>I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >>>possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? [ ... ] > This won't be a very pretty fade, but it'll fade. And it wasn't all >that hard, either. However, this code fragment does not address the problem >of what happens if a program is playing with the ViewPort's colors, too. >However, there are a multitude of ways around this, none of which are all >*that* messy. As a matter of fact this can be used to advantage. you can use successive GetRGB's to determine if your settings have been altered. If they have then the program is active and some emergency restorative measures are inorder. (At best just keep hands off.) In fact if you do periodic GetRGB's while waiting for the inputevent timeout you can use that to reset the timeout as well as an actual input event. it is a way of detecting screen activity. What's really needed for Popcli and ScreenBlanker (cheath's) is a method for detecting some common piece of screen activity and preventing the screenblanking action whenever the screen is used as well as whenever the input is active. Suggestions anyone? -- <@_@> BIX:jdow INTERNET:jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP:{akgua, hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!jdow Remember - A bird in the hand often leaves a sticky deposit. Perhaps it was better you left it in the bush with the other one.
toebes@sas.UUCP (John Toebes) (10/18/87)
In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM>, bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: > I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be > possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to > reach the author - who's name escapes me now (that doen't help much does it?). > I am not a hacker and I don't call long distance. Perhaps someone saying "no, > it is not possible" will suffice... > *Bilbo* Sure it is possible. I have always avoided doing it because of the complexity of getting it right with multiple screens and having to restore the palettes correctly whenever an event comes in. It is simple if you only have to deal with a single screen, (gee, if we only had the limits of a MAC) but when there are several screens visable at the same time it becomes fun. One possibility I have toyed with is to have it blank the screen by pulling down a 'night shade' complete with draw string. When you unblanked, it would roll back up and flap a while. The big thing that has kept me from doing that is the size. Seems everyone wants me to put in more features AND make it saller at the same time.... By the way, the name is 'John Toebes' (or The Software Distillery if you are interested in the company). -- |_o_o|\\ John A. Toebes, VIII usenet:..mcnc!rti-sel!sas!toebes |. o.| || | . | || Coordinator of ... | o | || The Software Distillery | . |// USnail: 235 Trillingham Ln, Cary NC 27511 ====== BBS: (919)-471-6436
andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel) (10/20/87)
In article <26@yendor.UUCP> gmg@yendor.UUCP (Gary Godfrey) writes: >In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM>, bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: >> I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >> possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? Also, I do not know how to After you add the fade (trivial to do, btw) if you've got background functions running (like, oh, a Kermit server), and you have a program in the foreground that opens a 640x400x4 or 320x200x5 screen do the background program(s) a favor and open a single bit plane black screen in front. Then they will get more time, as the custom chips can sit back and coast. -- andy finkel {ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy Commodore-Amiga, Inc. "Interfere? Of course we'll interfere. Always do what you're best at, I always say." Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share. I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.
bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt) (10/20/87)
In article <1916@gryphon.CTS.COM> jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM (Joanne Dow) writes: >In article <4211@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes: >>In article <106@rpicsb8> guilford@csv.rpi.edu (Jim Guilford) writes: >>>In article <1852@gryphon.CTS.COM> bilbo@pnet02.CTS.COM (Bill Daggett) writes: >>>>I've been using PopCLI for some time and am curious to know if it would be >>>>possible for the screen to fade rather then pop? [ ... ] > >What's really needed for Popcli and ScreenBlanker (cheath's) is a method for >detecting some common piece of screen activity and preventing the >screenblanking action whenever the screen is used as well as whenever the >input is active. >Suggestions anyone? Yes. Don't do that. Or if you do, don't give me a copy. :-) Seriously, the screen blanker I would like to use would fade the frontmost screen's viewport's colors to or from black on command. It would then build the tiny low res one bitplane black screen in front. You must use LockIBase(0L); while mucking with the viewport, and when you fade it back up LockIBase(), then scan the list to make sure it is *still* a viewport. (damn, why are windows, screens and tasks not serialized!!) This should work without problems, but remember the advice is worth what you paid for it. :-) Blanking would happen after an interval of no input.device activity, 30 seconds or so default. If I wanted to read a screen without disruption I'd move the mouse to the bottom right corner; this would up the interval to say, 2 hours default. If the mouse was shoved to the upper left drop the default to about 2 seconds. The bouncing clock, or checkmark on the blanked screen is nice, but make it a sprite, and an option. |\ /| . Ack! (NAK, SOH, EOT) {o O} . bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce (") The CBS nightly news: U Dan Rather, paraphrased: "Mr. Analyst, do you think we will continue to see a drop in the market like today's?" Market Analyst: "Well, that can only happen for three more days."