peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (05/16/91)
Some things I would like to see in a future version of AmigaVision,
but didn't see anybody mention similar things:
1. Simpler handling of brushes in AV-Graphics, let them be removed
easier.
2. Allow anim brushes (plus sprites, for item 3.) with icons/commands
similar to AmigaBASIC BOBs.
3. With 2., allow for programmable mouse pointer, at least its shape,
perhaps also programmable motion.
4. Allow reading of sequential files (perhaps use existing database
routines for most parts of this), let single lines and/or words
(make this choosable) read into variables. Add boolean function
eof().
5. During wipes in AV-Screens, also gradually interpolate color
palettes.
6. Make a software interface public to attach alternative input
devices.
Items 3 and 6 are thought for something I have in mind, a *very*
cheap replacement for a touch screen. (I won't tell more in the
moment.)
--
Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions...
Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterktcapener@watserv1.waterloo.edu (CAPENER TD - ENGLISH ) (05/22/91)
While people are making out AmigaVision wish lists I'd like to add a few
features. I am designing college-level courseware and AmigaVision's current
text handling is totally inadequate for most of my tasks (I am designing
English Literature lessons). These additions would make AmigaVision MUCH
more useful for a lot of applications (we could even design CDTV applications
with it):
o When a scrolling text box is on screen, leave any other buttons on
the screen active too (besides the text box's "pg up", "pg dwn", and
so on). This means I could put it a "help" button or a "quit all"
button (but please make it as open-ended as possible--that is, don't
just add "help" and "quit all", let us decide what buttons
should be active).
o Allow us to define highlighted phrases within a text which return
response strings which we can act on (this way we can do hypertext).
This would mean putting a "pause" check-box in the text-box's
definition dialogue box and forcing us to poll text-box icons in
a loop rather than just calling the icon and getting control back
after the user presses our "quit" button, but I think it is necessary.
These two suggestions are the only ones I think are ABSOLUTELY necessary (for
me, of course) but here are some others which would be nice.
o Allow us to define a proportional text-scroll gadget in a text box
like most word-processors have.
o Let us make "conditional" blocks of text which are displayed
depending on the value of an expression.
"The Voyager space probe is travelling very fast.
|If country=="USA"
It is travelling at over 300 miles per second.
|Endif
|If country~="USA"
It is travelling at over 500 km/sec
|Endif"
Ignoring the silliness of my text, this would be a very useful
addition which would allow us to make "smart" text that could
tailor itself to the context in which the reader encounters it.
Perhaps you might need a different syntax, and you might want to
add an "Else" clause, but I hope you get the idea.
I think you can see that I am kind of text oriented, but I think these things
would be valuable additions to AmigaVision in general. The text handling
portion of AmigaVision is the most restricted part, and these additions would
make it as flexible in this area as it is in others.lmbailey@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Laurana Bailey) (05/23/91)
Another AmigaVision wish list suggestion: How about direct support for MOD music files? Generally much better Amiga music can be written in MOD format than any other around. DMCS is old, out dated, and needs a big time revision. Sonix is better, but not as versitile or as compact. .SMUS needs help period. MOD format seems to be the best for internally generated music. It is the only format on the Amiga that has had translater programs written so that IBMers with Soundblasters can hear MOD files. Ideally it should be adopted as the new IIF standard, but merely having it in AmigaVision would help a lot. -- /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ |Just another lemming... | Yet another Amiga maniac set loose | | | on the world...and you thought things| |lmbailey@vela.acs.oakland.edu | couldn't get any worse. |