[comp.sys.mac] Hypercard 1.22 and RasterOps 264 video board: problem

fulk@cs.rochester.edu (Mark Fulk) (10/27/89)

I just put together a MacIIcx with 5Mb, Quantum ProDrive 80 from MacLand,
Rasterops 264 video card, Magnavox monitor, Datadesk keyboard, and Lynx
trackball.  I run 6.0.3, having copied the system folder from the RasterOps
diskette that came with the video board.  The only changes to the folder were
to add Masterstrokes (Datadesk macro facilitY) and the Map CDEV from the
Apple diskette.

-- Incidental, useful note: just draggin the 32-bit Quickdraw init and the
-- monitor CDEV from the RasterOps diskette to the system folder that came
-- with the disk doesn't work.  I don't know why, and don't especially care,
-- since in general the RasterOps system folder works fine.

Now the problem:

If I put the video card in black&white mode and start Hypercard 1.22,
the machine freezes.  The menu bar and the window frame for the cards
appear, but no cards.  The interior of the window is grey.  The mouse cursor
disappears.  Nothing short of rebooting seems to help.

Oddly, one can still check the color option in b&w mode.  This has no effect.

If I have a card displayed, and use the control panel to change the monitor
to b&w mode, the machine freezes as well.  The control panel is there,
the menu bar and window frame are there, the interior of the window is white,
the cursor is gone, and I have to reboot.

Greyscale and color 2-, 4-, 8-, and 24-bit modes work just fine.  Except that
the special visual effects (fade, wipe, scroll, etc.) only work in 1-bit
(b&w) mode, so are unavailable.

My guess?  Perhaps Apple used an undocumented aspect of Quickdraw in Hypercard
when drawing card backgrounds.  Alternatively, either RasterOps 32-bit
Quickdraw software or hardware has a bug in 1-bit mode, probably when
blitting in a somewhat large image.  Clearly Hypercard 1.22 must work with
Apple video cards, or we'd have heard screams by now.

On a happier note, I assembled this computer, my first Mac, from a university
store CPU and various parts bought from MacLand, Technology Works, Beverly
Hills Computer, and Programs Plus.  IT WORKED ON THE FIRST TRY.  Sometime I
may post a brief summary of the experience.

Mark Fulk
Computer Science Department
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY  14627
fulk@cs.rochester.edu
rochester!fulk

planting@hobbes.cs.pitt.edu (Dr. Harry Plantinga) (10/27/89)

In article <1989Oct27.154427.5038@cs.rochester.edu> fulk@cs.rochester.edu (Mark Fulk) writes:
>I just put together a MacIIcx with 5Mb, Quantum ProDrive 80 from MacLand,
>Rasterops 264 video card, Magnavox monitor, Datadesk keyboard, and Lynx
>trackball.  I run 6.0.3, having copied the system folder from the RasterOps
>diskette that came with the video board.  
>
>If I put the video card in black&white mode and start Hypercard 1.22,
>the machine freezes.  

I have a RasterOps 264 board also, and I have had similar problems,
esp. with Hypercard but also with other applications.

I suspect that the problem may be 32-bit Quickdraw bugs.  Evidence:
removing the 32-bit QD init fixes the problems and System 6.04
supposedly has fixes for 32-bit QD bugs.