CONTENTS CONTENTS Contents Letter The Chairman Speaks According to the non amiga clan the the Amiga group, my faith in the amiga from the amiga is dead! Well read on. Back in 92 community was restored. After the first when I was researching which computer phone call I had a steady stream of NEWS to buy, the amiga scene was well and Amiga fanatics phoning me to find out SEAL Update...... 4 Editor truly alive and kicking (sic), just about more about my venture, and to join the everyone had an Amiga or owned one, amiga user group. Today we are still New releases and Hello and welcome to the first issue of and newsagent shelves were brimming recruiting new members. Announcements...... 5 CLUBBED. With this magazine we hope with Amiga magazines. My mind was to make sure that the Amiga knowledge made up, I bought my first Amiga and to My wife Sharon usually speaks to Amiga OS 3.5 ...... 8 and experience within SEAL is brought this day I have never looked back. people phoning during the day, Sharon together in a useful resource for all tells them all about the user group and Piracy...... 10 Amiga users. Another major aim of the Now let me take you forward to 1998, with a “why don’t you join” dropped into magazine is to keep readers up to date and well the Amiga scene is not quite the conversation they are usually CU Amiga Closure...... 12 on happenings in the Amiga community. what it was six years ago. Many of the members by the time they put down the Amiga Inc. Update ...... 12 Particularly if you don’t have access to Amiga magazines have now dis- phone! Some people just phone for the internet you can feel very remote closure and an interview with Neil appeared which include Amiga Shopper, some advice, saying that they have when he emerges gives valuable advice Gary Peake Interview ..... 14 from the wider community. We try to Bothwick the CUCD compiler on page AUI, Amiga Power and Amiga seen our flyers (which are displayed in to our members, and last but by no report all the important happenings and 13. Computing to name but a few, and the various computer shops), or it might be means least Robert who is our vice make you aware of the latest releases magazines that do remain are now but a the case that someone has heard of our chairman. Robert is a constant source of and upgrades. On a more positive note we have loads mere shadow of their former selves. user group and has put them in touch inspiration and enthusiasm and without of news and announcements of new with us. There is always someone to him we would not be publishing this The magazine is produced entirely on products and upgrades. Hardware, soft- In March of this year, I had a brainwave help, if not myself, then I will put them in magazine (after a little nurturing from REVIEWS Amigas. The layout is done in (occasionally these do happen!) was I touch with another member who has the ware and games reviews by people who myself to start up our own magazine Review Scoring...... 21 PageStream 3.3, the images are have really used the products and loads the only mortal in South Essex still using same set-up or specialist knowledge of after seeing his outstanding demonstra- prepared in ImageFX and Photogenics. of hints and tips to help you get the most an amiga? Surely there were others to that particular problem. This is one of tion on DTP at one of our hall meetings , CyberStorm PPC ...... 16 The covers are printed on my HP from the stuff you’ve already got. uncover, people like myself who some- our aims of the user group, to try and and after lots of positive feedback). Deskjet 1120C as is the camera ready times needed advice, or someone to talk help and support the amiga community. Internal ZIP Drive...... 19 artwork for the rest of the magazine. we In this issue there is only one tutorial, to about the amiga scene. The scene The point I am trying to make, is that Intrinsic Tower...... 20 hope to show just what you can achieve we hope to develop this side of the mag- was set, my mind was made up, I was The committee members of South Essex without a user group people have no with your Amiga and some of the top azine much more in the next issue. Also going to advertise in Amiga Format, my Amiga Link are Spencer who is our one to talk to about their Amiga ImageFX 3.2 ...... 22 quality software available. if you have any questions you’d like aim was to see if anyone was interested secretary/treasurer, as well as coming problems, the Amiga scene, or just to answered please send them in and we’ll in helping to start up a local user group. up with the missing “link” in (South socialise with other Amigans. So if you Lightwave ...... 26 In this first issue we have the very sad do a Q + A section. My advert was printed in the April Essex Amiga Link), Gary the think you are the only one using an duty to report on the demise of CU Edition of Amiga Format, now all I had “Australian” who is our assistant Genetic Species ...... 28 Amiga, think again there maybe just Amiga magazine. The last issue is As this is the first issue we need your to do was to wait for all the Amiga en- secretary/promotions officer. Gary has another South Essex Amiga Link just Sensible Soccer...... 30 October which is out now. The closure input, what do you think of the mag, thusiasts to start dialling! The first the gift of the gab, and he also likes his around the corner! was announced on the 13th of August have we missed anything, what could be person to respond was a guy called “KFC”. Mick Smithson is our technical PD Paradise ...... 32 and came as a great shock to all done better? Don’t be shy, send in your Tony who was very keen to be part of Adviser, who goes into hibernation but Mick Sutton, Chairman Amigans and, as I understand it, to the comments and questions and we will staff of CU Amiga. Everyone at SEAL consider them all. would like to thank the CU staff for their About SEAL efforts and wish them well for the future. Enjoy the mag, You can find a detailed article on CU’s Basically, we`re a bunch of Amiga rowdy:) able to escape the evil clutches of Borg SUPPORT freaks, who got together due to the in- Gates. Robert Williams, Editor Photogenics Tutorial ...... 34 spiration of Mick Sutton (”sicky”) We SEAL commandos are diverse in our Blurb formed SEAL for a few reasons, and Amiga interests: In the meantime, we’re still going pretty SEAL Membership...... 34 guess what ? Here they are:) To party well. We have the best graphics soft- on down with other Amiga users in our • Photograghy ware of all platforms, the best internet Clubbed is published quarterly by South Essex Amiga Telephone: +44 (0) 1268 565128 Subscription Info...... 35 Link. For subscription details see the back page. (19:00 - 22:00 GMT only please). area. To help each other out as much • 3D gfx & animation efficient computer, the largest share- Editor: Robert Williams The views expressed in this magazine are those of the Design: Robert Williams author of each piece, they do not nessecarily reflect the as possible with our different areas of • Graphics ware site (by far) of all platforms, the Gallery ...... 36 Contributors: views of the editor, other contributors or SEAL as a knowledge and expertise with the • Programming most loyal users, and are playing Gary Storm group. Mick Sutton Please Note: Clubbed is produced by SEAL members in Amiga. To help out (and be helped), • DTP Quake, Myst, Descent etc. Amiga is Spencer Jarvis their spare time, while we will always strive to produce Amigans worldwide, and generally • Internet definitely the most efficient and the mag on time and include all the advertised contents Roy Burton this is not always possible if other commitments get in the keep in touch. To educate, inform, en- • Gaming friendliest computer ever. Still. Not bad Cover Art: Robert Williams way. The price you pay for Clubbed covers our costs and Throughout the If you have any queries suggestions or want to contact us nothing more, we don’t make a profit from it. tertain, and promote the Amiga ethos. • Music for a platform that got kicked in the mag you’ll find for any reason please use one of the following: If you wish to contact a contributor please send your head by Commodore (spit!) over 4 EMail: [email protected] message to one of the addresses above and we will pass these Tip boxes, WWW: http://seal.amiga.tm/ it on. SEAL meets monthly on a Friday eve- Gateway have the miggy now, and are years ago, eh? each one has a Post: Clubbed Amiga is a registered trademark and the Amiga logo, ning at our venue, we also have weekly developing a new Amiga, to be AmigaDOS, Amiga Kickstart, Amiga Workbench, handy hint or idea 450 High Road, ? BENFLEET, Autoconfig, Bridgeboard, and Powered by Amiga are get-togethers at member’s houses, released late next year (’99). It’s gonna Find out more on what we’ve been get- to help you use your Essex, trademarks of AMIGA International, Inc. / Gateway, Inc. SS7 4AQ, All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their where things usually get pretty rude & kick ass, and the pc world will finally be ting upto over the page… Amiga more productively. ENGLAND. respective owners.
2 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 3 NEWS NEWS
With the news pages we try to report the members’ houses almost every Friday! most important events on the Amiga We have also had four meetings at our Final Office CD: Photogenics NG Scene and give the views of our regular hall venue in Basildon. At each Paul Nolan has sent us a quick note members. For example after the closure hall meeting we have some topic or Sofwood Products Re-Released saying he is aiming to release of CU AMIGA we reported the news the activity planned, here are the things Photogneics NG in November. However following day and Gary Storm we’ve been getting up to: An American company, Soft Partners he has been very busy working on the Interviewed Neil Bothwick (This is also have bought the rights to Softwood’s OS5 Dev (previously known as the UPDATE in this issue of Clubbed, see page 13). • Lightwave Demo suite of Final applications: Final Writer, Bridge System) so Pgs may be delayed. • PageStream Demo Final Data and Final Calc. They have http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~pnolan/ Here are a few of the things we’ve been World Map Project • Video/Scala Demo announced a Final Office CD-ROM doing at SEAL over the last few months: • Bring and Buy Sale which will include all the above products For some time now we’ve been working along with Softwood’s packs of holiday Power Amiga Web Pages on a world map showing Amiga clipart and Final Writer for Windows 95. usergroups. The idea behind this is to Posters and Advertising User Group SEAL has had an internet presence allow users to find groups near them in a The Final Office CD-ROM will cost almost from the start of the group, this graphical way and to show what areas We’ve been doing the best we can to get US$100, but Soft Partners are offering a This is a new user group in the has now grown into quite an extensive don’t have a user group near by. We are the news of SEAL out to Amiga owners reduced price of US$65 on pre-orders Portsmouth area, they’ve only been web site at: http://seal.amiga.tm/. We working on a three layered system in the local area (particularly those not for the CD. There will also be reduced going for a couple of months but already have information on the Club, which is which will have a world overview, con- on the internet). We designed two upgrade prices for people who already have 25 members! The group offers ser- regualarly updated with the latest hap- tinental maps and finally, a country view posters (one is shown on the back own one or more of the included ap- vices such as scanning and printing and penings and events, contact details and for those countries with many user cover) and put them up in several shops plications, but these had not been Final Writer, Calc and Data: regular meetings, they also have a a list of members. groups (USA, UK, Germany etc.). Work locally. We have been listed in the last announced at time of going to press. three of the Amiga’s premier monthly magazine. on this project is temporarily on hold couple of CU Amigas and our website office applications, on one CD. In the Projects section you can find in- while we finish this issue of Clubbed, but has appeared on their CD twice (thanks The applications on the CD will be the The PAUG website already has loads of formation submitted by our members. should have re-started by the time you to Neil Bothwick). Unfortunatly we latest release versions but will not have Soft Partners know that there would be interesting information, including stuff This currently included a history of the read this. haven’t got into Amiga Format yet even any updates, if the Final Office CD sells demand for upgrades. If you don’t have about the group and reviews of software Amiga, a review of the CyberStorm PPC though we’ve written and EMailed many well upgrades are promised. As many EMail get in touch with SEAL and we’ll and hardware by members. They also (an updated version of which appears in Meetings times, hopefully next month! people (myself included) will already pass the message on. have a website rating section called the this issue of Clubbed) and a list of our have one or more of the applications PAUG Internet Awards. A commitee of essential utilities. Over the few months SEAL’s been going Robert included, and therefore may not be inter- Software Partners: their members rate Amiga websites and we’ve had a meeting at one of the ested in this CD, it is important we let http://www.softpartners.com award them from 1 to 5 stars based on site content and design.
The commitee awarded the SEAL Amiga Writer Demo website their top 5 star award, thanks guys! Haage and Partner have released a For those that don’t know, Amiga Writer John A.V. Services demo (in both English and German) of is a brand new serious wordprocessor their new Amiga Writer word processor for the Amiga, some of its major features on their website. Amiga Writer was pre- are: 2 Manser Road, viously named Easy Writer but the name Rainham, had to be changed as it clashed with an • Footnotes and endnotes Essex, RM13 8NL. existing PC product. Amiga • List of contents So visit their website at: (01708) 523210 Technologies have given H&P approval • Master pages and Chapters http://www.richtemp.demon.co.uk/ to use the Amiga name. • Paragraph, font & size pop-up menus Or if you’re in the Portsmouth you can • Flexible tab settings ‘phone Richard on: 3 Camera (01705) 829541 after 15:00 Also: The first version lacks a spell check and • Many font manipulation options thesaurus but these are promised for • Colour selection for text and underline Event Recording: World Standards Video version 2 in early 1999 which will be a • Preview of text attributes and colors free upgrade from version 1. Version 2 • Lock position and size WoA 1999 Conversion will also have a full printed manual. • Set distance between text and box Wedding • Set line weight and color the frame line Confirmed Format Conversion and its background color (specialising in obsolete • Text wrap around boxes Following the success of the 1998 World • Set box to the background or fore- of Amiga show the organisers have Drama & Theatrical systems) ground of other boxes announced that the ‘99 show is already Duplication from all • Multiple columns being planned. Dates and venue have • Text formats: AmigaWriter, RTF, ASCII, not been confirmed as yet but the Kids Birthday Consumer Formats expandable by plugins Hammersmith NovaTel is the likely host. • Image formats: Amiga IFF, JPEG, Cine, Slide & Photo > Video PNG and Datatypes. The official WoA website is now being Presentational Video > Photo hosted by Infinite Frontiers after the Sporting Haage and Partner are at: closure of CU Amiga... Surf along to: Video Tape Doctor Amiga Writer showing its http://www.haage-partner.com http://?? box-based layout. 4 Private Functions CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 5 NEWS NEWS
GoldED Tornado 3D 2 ScanQuix 4 NewsRog Eyelight have just released yet another RBM Computertechnik of Germany have test image then printing it out and re- Studio 5 Newsrog is a new program for reading upgrade to their 3D renderer Tornado3D which is its third major upgrade since its announced version 4 of their ScanQuix scanning. This allows ScanQuix to scan Dietmar Eilert has announced the Usenet discussion groups on the inter- release late last year. So far all the scanner software. ScanQuix supports an image and product perfect printed availablity of the latest version of his text net from ShadowWorks software. upgrades have been free to registered several types of scanner: output, the program supports 24bit editor GoldED. Version 5 is available in ShadowWorks claim it is the most users. While on the surface version 2 printing via Turbo Print and Studio. The a CD-ROM package called GoldED 5 powerful news client on the Amiga. looks little different to previous versions • Epson Photocopy Pro feature can be used to Studio, this includes the editor and a NewsRog is a MUI program and is very options many new features have been added • Hewlett Packard take perfect colour copies in conjunction wide selection of Plug-ins which tailor it well presented, it is designed with a while reading posts and bugs squashed. • Mustek Paragon with Turbo Print. to specific uses. For example the WWW high-end Amiga in mind but will run on including options to hide • Artec (world wide web) plug-in highlights most OS3 systems. It supports quotes or put them in a scrolling area so • Umax Astra (comming soon) ScanQuix is sold in the UK by Eyetech. HTML tags and allows you to apply advanced filtering to help remove spam you can get to the new text quicker. You Speed Demon common formating at the click of an (advertising posted to many groups) and can read through a group by pressing One of the most important features (in- ScanQuix is a stand alone scanning Visit RBM’s website at: icon. Recently GoldED has been in- posts from authors who are often annoy- just one key that pages through each troduced in version 1.75) is Tornado’s application that also lets you scan http://www.rbm.de/ cluded with Haage and Partner’s Storm ing or abusive. The software also allows post then automatically moves on to the support for Phase 5’s PowerUP PPC directly into popular Amiga programs. Eyetech: C compiler as it’s editor, the new version the filtering out of entire threads started next one when you reach the end. accelerators. This makes Tornado For version 4 RBM have added several 07000 4 26442 (Weird number eh!). integrates into Storm’s development en- by a particular authors making it eaiser (which was already a fast renderer) useful functions, one of the most inter- vironment. to avoid flame wars (angry arguments) Although it is already a powerful pro- esting is Calibratix which allows you to which often spring up in some news gram NewRog has the facility to add many times faster than the 68k opposi- calibrate the scanner by scanning in a groups. The filtering can also be used to new features via pluginsand includes tion. In version 2 the PPC support is Key New Features in 5 highlight posts and threads contributed first-class online documentation in robust and speeds up rendering by several times. For example a 233Mhz • New user interface to by authors you particularly like. HTML format. A working demo limited to PPC 604e renders about 8 times faster • What’s-This help for all buttons 2 news groups is available for you to try than a 50Mhz 68060. • Dialogs can be left open permanently Newsrog is fully internally multitasking out, the full version costs US$30 and is Keeping Amiga • Simplified configuration so you can be reading one group while available from Questar Productions. • Improved tab support (hard tabs) downloading posts from another. It New Features • SAS/C environment allows for both on-line and off-line http://www.frii.com/~srk/ShadowWorks/Pr There are hoards of new features in T3D • Sequence compiler (faster playback) operation. There are several clever eview/NR.html Companies Alive 2, some of the more interesting ones • Roget’s Thesaurus included are: • Central setup for all add-ons As you can see on these news pages • Sequences can be saved as AREXX and in other magazines there are many • Postscript font support for instant macros fine products still available forcontinued the support to get them through CyberVision PPC logos. Amiga, from newcomers like theAmiga next 12 months. We hope that they • Soft Particles for very realistic smoke CyberStorm PPC owners will be pleased only about 25-30Mb/s. While this is Writer to updates on old favouriteswill be like developing on OS5Dev during effects. to hear that Phase 5’s CyberVisionPPC twice as fast as a Zorro III card it is ImageFX. In the Amiga communitythis period we but they still need to eat, pay • Hair Generator to make hair (ob- graphics cards have now been released. about half what most PCI cards acheive viously) and grass etc. often moan about lack of softwarethe billsand etc until OS5Prod machines be- while there are some things we do miss The CyberVision PPC is an add-on on the PC. While this is somewhat dis- • Mesh Painting makes texturing parts come available and they can start sell- people tend to forget the wealth of great graphics card for Phase 5’s CyberStorm sapointing it’s important to remember of an object eaiser. ing. AInc have already had a wonderful stuff that is out there. PPC and Mk III accelerators. It features that much of the graphics speed is • Golem Scripting Language allows you response from many developers who a 3D Labs Permedia 2 graphics down to the speed of the to automate animations and effects via will be working hard to get our favourite However there is a problem, in this time processor which has both 2 and 3D bus between the graphics scripts. products ported and updated. of uncertainty for the Amiga market capabilities. The Permedia 2 is the memory on the CVPPC many Amigans seem to be taking a wait- fastest chip ever used on an Amiga and the Permedia 2 chip You can findout more about T3D and Remember also that any apps you buy graphics card by a large margin, which runs at full speed on request the 2.0 update (if you’re a regis- and-see approach to spending money GoldED 5 showing syntax highlighting on their Amigas and this is hitting thewill run on OS5Prod machines through that allied with a direct connection the card and with the latest tered user) from the Eyelight website, companies that have supported us emulation so you are not wasting your in Storm C source code. to the accelerator and 8Mb of CyberGraphX drivers the http://www.tornado3d.com. Tornado is through thick and thin very hard. money. fast SGRAM should give the CVPPC is still considerably distributed in the UK by Blittersoft: The full version of GoldED Studio on card stonking performance. faster (several times in most (01908) 261466 CD-ROM is priced at DM89.90. If we want the Amiga to be anything We will be making an announcement at The first deliveries of these cases) than any other Amiga Upgrades for registered owners and more than a enthusiasts platform like the MAE [This refers to the Mid-West cards arrived in the UK in graphics card and this is without StormC users are DM49.90. The previ- the 8bit machines have become we Amiga Expo, a show taking place in the late July. The recom- the 3D functions being used. ous version of GoldED (4.7.3) has been In some pro- need to support our companies, here is USA on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October, mended price is around made available free from the GoldED grams (includ- a usenet post from Fleccy Moss of ED] Michaelthat we hopeCarrillo, will a provide keen Amigan the classic and £180 and the cards are Phase 5 have announced that a library website and is also on the Amy ing Workbench) Amiga Inc. explaining why he supports webmaster of the Amiga Yellow Pages available from several supporting the Permedia 3D functions market with a boost. Stay tuned.” Resource volume 10 CD-ROM, it is in- current Amiga companies: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/michael.carrillo, dealers in the UK including will be available soon, which will hope- you can select tended as a demo of version 5. White Knight Technology. fully allow 3D accelerated applications ? several options at has organised a survey so Amiga users “I have spent over $600 on my machine can let companies know what they and games to become available. Look once from the menus, The GoldED homepage is at: over the past few weeks (Scala, DOpus, would like to buy in the near future. Initial reports from knowledgable users out for a full review in the next issue of click on each option with the left http://members.tripod.com/golded/golded Napalm, Foundation and some HW Many SEALs filled one in at our meeting on the Internet indicate that the CVPPC Clubbed! button, then release the right .htm might not be as fast as we might have bits). on the 18th of September, if you’d like a button over the last option you Find out more about Amy Resoure at: hoped. The speed of the bus between Phase 5: http://www.phase5.de form EMail Michael at want to choose. http://www.amyresource.it the 68k CPU and the card is said to be White Knight: (01920) 822321 The developers and retailers need our [email protected] or contact us 6 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 7 NEWS NEWS A1200 Sound Card Kickstart DOpus 5 Mid West Amiga Expo Kato Development have released their long awaited Melody sound card for the Napalm! A1200. The Melody is the first full Amiga Sale ClickBoom, famous for Amiga Mist and Fernando GP Software have announced that the OS 3.5 Announcement duplex 16bit sound card for the A1200. At the end of August Kickstart, the Quake have released a demo of their The board, which plugs into the clock new Command and Conquer style latest upgrade to Directory Opus 5 (their Just as we were putting this issue to bed Surrey Amiga user group, held a sale of header, uses a 20bit audio CODEC with strategy game, Napalm. The game, great directory utility and Workbench Gary Peake of Team Amiga posted this Amiga stuff at their hall, they invited all a 108dB signal to noise ratio (compared which supports graphics cards and replacement) will be released at announcement from the MAE (held on comers so 4 SEAL commandos made to 80dB on many other cards). The card AGA, looks and sounds totally cool. Computer 98 in Cologne Germany on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October) on theThere will also be a full Classic OS3.5 the trip, Mick, Gary, Dave and Robert. comes in two versions, base and pro, the 13th - 15th of November. Amiga Web Directory. emulator shipping with the NG OS so we the pro version adds a hardware mpeg 3 At the hall there were 18 tables loaded The background graphics are amazing can all start buying software again The upgrade will be called Fernando audio decoder. The Melody 1200 is AHI with bargains including both Classic and and there are a wide variety of buildings If you want more info. please contact us secure in the knowledge that it will be and will have many new features and compatable for use with a wide range of more up to date hardware and software. and vehicles all beautifuly 3D rendered. at the addresses in the front of the mag supported and runnable with the NG improvements. audio software and games. Kato have Everyone found something of interest to for an update. Amiga! taken over development of Octamed buy. During the sale we met several Anyway you can see for yourself by GP Soft: SoundStudio for the Kickstart members and also the guys downloading a demo from: “Reported to me by Team AMIGA This 3.5OS upgrade and the promise of http://www.gpsoft.com.au Amiga so the new ver- from Amiga Soc (a UK wide group with a http://www.clickboom.com members at MAE (Columbus, Ohio) ... full emulation in the NG Amiga will sion, due soon, should strong internet presence) and the Power smooth the transition for all Amiga users Directory Opus 5 is distributed in the UK have excellent Melody Amiga User Group from Portsmouth. Napalm will be distributed in the UK by It is official!!! Amica Inc. announces to the NG Amiga. support. the usual CD-ROM suppliers such as by Compute! (formerly known as Wizard OS3.5 with P5 PPC board support Developments): (0181) 3031800 Later in the day Sensible Soccer and Weird Science: (0116) 2463800 will be done by the first In the next week or so, a website will go The Melody has a Doom knockout competitions were held, half of ‘99! It was not pass through for up especially for OS3.5 and Amiga great fun was had by all and our very announced however, additional Inc will begin releasing information own Gary Storm came runner up in the PageStream whether the OS3.5 devices, Kato on the upgrade to the Amiga Sensi. Even Robert who has never upgrade will use the P5 Develpment played football either on the pitch or press. More details about OS3.5” News or H&P PPC software. have their own screen was pursuaded to have a go and will also be released in highspeed serial card for For several years now PageStream 3 Gary has since confirmed displayed his usual games playing Developed in combination Cologne.... this port. The board is designed has been the only professional DTP pro- on the Team Amiga mail- prowess by losing 4-1. with a lot of Amiga to fit in both desktop and towered gram available for the Amiga, during this ing list that the approved A1200s. time it has progressed from very shaky developers, OS3.5 Upgrade PPCGary software Peake will [email protected] be You can find out more about Kickstart on beginings to one of the finest pieces of will use the current 3.1 roms Haage and Partner’s WarpUP. their webpage at: Here’s a small section from the announ- software available. We use PageStream and will be a CD ONLY release! Here’s a quote from Fleecy Moss on http://www.arrakis.u-net.com Rob about to lose the game... cement: “We’d like to make clear 3 here to produce Clubbed by the way. There will be no PPC version, Usenet: Melody1200 is a High-End product, it’s however PPC support will be in- not a noisy toy which even shows the surprise surprise! PageStream has been available on the cluded using either P5 or H&P PPC“One soft- of our main reasons for doing sound of the mainboard and motors of You can drag files from Workbench windows onto file reques- Mac for a couple of years and now ware, as stated above. drives etc.! The price is probably too low ters to quickly select that file and directory. Many programs OS3.5 is to (try to) revitalise the Amiga Softlogik has a Windows 95 version for such a product but this is a conven- that don’t run on the Workbench screen have an AppIcon on market. Developers need users to buy, nearing completion. Many companies Highlights concerning the OS3.5 the WB, drag files onto this to load them into the program. retailers need stuff to sell and users tion of KatoDEV.” dropped the Amiga as soon as they con- upgrade: need to know that the investments they http://kato.home.pages.de ? verted to another platform but Softlogik make will still be good next year and the have shown a strong commitment to the • RTG Support year after. Amiga. Version 3.4 for both Amiga and • RTA Support NetConnect 2 In Mac is promised in the next few weeks • CDFS Support We hope that the support OS3.5 gives with useful new features such as a spell • New Interface for graphics, sound and co-processor checker (much needed here at Clubbed • Plus bug fixes and updates to severalcards, as well as accelerators, Availability Shocker! HQ) and simpler page guide setting. areas of the OS memory and IO cards, will The long-awaited second version of the system a GUI configuration utility and an Version 4 for Amiga will be shipping at help everyone in the com- Net Connect internet package has finally installation “Wizard” which walks you the same time as the Windows version Purposes of the OS3.5 upgrade ismunity. to I am jst sorry it’s so shipped from Active Software. The through the setup for your internet ser- early next year. support all the advanced hard- late.” package which includes Vaporware’s vice provider. The aim of these features ware/software that is on the Classic internet clients (Voyager, Microdot, is to bring Genesis up to the ease of use SoftLogik are able to perform these Finally some good news for Amiga market and to allow developers AmIRC etc.) and AmiTCP also includes of Miami while keeping it’s powerful feats because PageStream has been Classic Amiga users. On behalf of several utilities to help integrate the features. For example Genesis can run specifically designed as a multi-format to code for a higher specall AmigaSEAL membersClassic. I’d like to thank package. These include a Contact more than one network interface at a program with only the user-interface This will open the doorTeam for more Amiga, and Amiga Inc. and all in- Manager which stores hotlinks and time so you can connect to the internet areas different for each platform, as better software and hardwarevolved for for making the this happen. Classic Amiga while giving developers people’s address details for all the ap- while remaining connected to a local PageStream evolves so does the ver- more transition time into the NG Amiga! plications and an archive extraction network. sion for every platform. You can abort drag (moving an icon, window or other object) utility X-Arc which can automatically de- operations on the workbench (and in many other programs) archive downloaded files. Active Software: The current version of PageStream is by clicking the right mouse button before you release the left (01325) 460116 3.3a, the upgrades to 3.2 and 3.3 button. The Melody1200 NetConnect 2 Includes a new version of http://www.active-net.co.uk carried a small fee, the 3.3a upgrade is I/O Module AmiTCP called Genesis which gives the available from the SoftLogik website: ? http://www.softlogik.com 8 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 9 NEWS NEWS
Attempts to downplay this and portrait ditions for that. Even then the emphasis shops), were also selling/supplying Gary Storm DC members as misguided or bored needs to be on amnesty, not on the pirated goods. In some cases investigates the students is IMHO utterly inappropriate, chance to do “cool stuff”. Commodore knew of this, but did noth- and a slap in the face of every serious ing about it, as it`s back was against a continuing problem Amiga developer, and everyone who As to conventional anti-piracy measures: financial wall and it didn`t want to lose was forced to leave the Amiga in the yes, I do think threats can help, as long more dealers. of Piracy in the past because of piracy, sometimes in as they are not empty. I do inform ISPs Piracy Amiga community. bankruptcy... (and if necessary, upstream network So, what can be done to help stop providers) about illegal file archives in piracy? robably everyone has engaged in format your hard-drive. Fun. Not. Trojan Horse, disguised as a “keyfile And no, I don’t think that DC can con- no uncertain terms, and sometimes take piracy in one form or another, maker”, that allows them to break into tribute much useful work, or have done additional action as well. So do many Many idea`s have been bandied about Pmaybe you still do? Blackmail is also in the pirates arsenal, *every* Amiga on the Internet, that ex- so: So far all I have seen from them are other Amiga software authors who and discussed on the Team AMIGA as Gary Peake pointed out: “Groups like ecuted that program even once before. programs with illegal backdoors, pro- still care. This means that mailing list, which hopefully Piracy comes in many shapes - from DC now target certain developers. They With this mechanism DC has stolen grams to disrupt or steal the work of occasionally pirates lose will help out the ICOA taping your favourite tv shows, music off physically make contact either by phone countless keyfiles and copies of com- other programmers, programs based on their Internet access or group. Ideas such as the radio, or what we’re going to talk (usually) or email and ‘make an offer’ mercial software from countless Amigas stolen source or object code, and pro- even their jobs, or are having a port specifi- about... software piracy (or more specifi- such as this ... give us x number of and, as a “friendly gesture”, formatted grams based on illegally reverse- hit with criminal law- cally added for a cally, Amiga software piracy). keys/registrations to crack/give away, the hard disks of victims’ computers. engineered algorithms. It is not difficult suits, in particular if type of dongle, not etc and we will hold piracy down on your at all to come up with “c00l stuff” if you the ISP who is in- a “bloody hell I’m Everyone knows that software piracy on software to a manageable level. If you 4. spread lies that those backdoors and simply ignore all rules and laws. Some formed about the sick of this dongle the Amiga helped to kill off Commodore do NOT play along with us, we will target Trojans were part of various commercial people on this list seem to have forgot- illegal archives always getting in (along with Mehdi Ali and Irving Gould’s you and pirate as much as possible until software titles, not their own work, and ten that, and apparently don’t seem to happens to be their the way and crash- mismanagement, and ineffective mar- we shut you down. in doing so ruined the reputation of care if laws are broken during program employer or school. ing my machine keting); the extent of it’s influence can several programs and their authors. This development, as long as the end everytime I have to be debated ad-infinitum, but it did have They also keep very meticulous records is not only slander in its worst form, but product is “c00l”. If this is the attitude of Such measures may use a new one” type an influence. Unbelievably, even with and woe be unto him who crosses them has also created a reluctance among the new Amiga developer community currently be difficult to dongle, which we all the tiny Amiga market of today, there is if they first agree to ‘the deal’. Amiga users to connect to the Internet, then I don’t want to be a part of it, be- perform in some Eastern hate, and was pretty use- still a pirate element. fearing their Amigas might be broken cause the Amiga won’t have much of a European countries, but can less anyway (remember Couple this with the fact that some of into. The disinformation spread by DC is chance professionally. work very well in the US and many Robocop 2?), but rather a “smart” There are many reasons people our most prolific current developers are continuously being fought by companies other countries. Certainly more than an dongle which has the latest protection used/sold pirated software. Users to ex DC, etc and you see the enormity of involved in Internet development and by As to the skills of pirates: for the most empty threat. algorithms (which although anything can save money; test things out; lack of the problem here. user groups, magazines and mailing part these are highly specialized be cracked in time, there is a point availability; dodge dongles etc etc. lists all over the world. Assembler skills and detailed knowledge I also have a “one strike and you are where a pirate won’t want to spend Pirates to test their “skills” for electronic Either way, catch 22. In of the current Amiga hardware. I fail to out” policy regarding piracy. Anyone who thousands and years trying to crack one street cred, and to make money. It’s a comp.sys.amiga.emulations it is damn 5. committed countless other incidental see how this is in any way particularly is detected or observed using a stolen game). This dongle may also interface waste of time going into reasons in any nigh impossible to get developers there crimes, such as using stolen telephone significant for a future Amiga with a dif- keyfile of any of my products is entered with a chip within the Amiga itself. I’m great detail, as they’re personal and dif- to openly protest/protect their own soft- calling cards for international cracker ferent CPU and different hardware. into a database and will not receive a confident the many experts (such as ferent. What people tend to forget ware. That is left up to people like me conferences and software exchange, These people would have to acquire registration or any kind of support from Mario Saitti; Dave Haynie; Fleecy Moss; (myself included), is that dealing with and other Team AMIGA members to do running up phone bills of innocent in- new skills, just like any other (non- me for ANY of my current and future Gus Haines; Dimitris Dimitriou; Holger pirated software actually affects REAL for them it appears”. dividuals and companies. pirate) user. products, unless/until I get direct, first- Kruse; Stephane Desroisiers; and Gary people, with their REAL lives. There is a hand knowledge that this person has Peake) can help formulate the basis for REAL cost in money, emotions, relation- For a more personal insight, Holger Especially points 3. and 4. are extremely What we need are people who can write stopped using pirated software al- future piracy busting, and make it as ships, future, and sanity. Kruse (Miami developer) recently said significant. If the same thing had professional software and who are will- together. If that means fewer painless for the honest use as humanly happened in Windows then this would ing and able to learn, to commit them- registrations to me fine, but it’s a matter possible. This issue was recently brought to the “About Digital Corruption: in case some have been the opener in Headline selves, to take product responsibility, to of principle. Those losses cannot surface after Gary Peake of Team of you don’t know yet: News, and the FBI and Interpol would take personal and financial risks, and to possibly hurt me in the same way as or- In the meantime, what can we do? Well, AMIGA posted to the list that ICOA probably have made every effort to put provide support. This is something I ganized piracy. for a start you can delete any pirated (Industry Council for Open Amiga) had in the last few years they have the responsible members into jail. have not seen from DC so far. I don’t software you have, and buy whichever begun a work group to tackle possible However, since they “only” harmed the think that any member of DC could In the end the question, at least with programs you find you can`t do without. anti-piracy measures. A fierce debate 1. cracked, illegally distributed and il- Amiga, a “dead” platform with not much possibly be more significant to the future respect to organized piracy, is, do we Register those programs you find useful (on the Team AMIGA mailing list) legally sold about every Amiga program of a commercial market, apparently of the new Amiga than any average take a stand, or do we cave in ?” or essential. Report any acts of piracy ensued between a member of “DC in existance, using extensive and ex- nobody really cares... Amiga user who is willing and able to you encounter on the net or at the local Legal” and the other Team AMIGA pensive computer and network equip- learn how to write software for the new Others have similar stories. Commodore boot sale. You can phone or mail us, members. DC stands for “Digital ment. That’s hardly the result of a few Well, I DO care: The overall damage DC machine, and to show some commit- lost many promising programmers to the and we can pass the message on, or Corruption”, a cracking group... pirates, “bored individuals”. It is the result of an has done to my company is, even ment. pc, due to piracy. One friend of Dr.Peter you can call the police. allegedly. The “DC Legal” section codes organized,international crime organiza- according to careful estimates, so enor- Kittel was emotionally distraught when utilities as freeware or shareware, but tion. mous that I cannot possibly “excuse” A completely different issue is to try and all his hard work on a utility was pirated With effective anti-piracy technology on the general consensus is at best a case this in any form. If any individual or or- resocialize pirates other than DC, e.g. to the point of devastation. He moved to the next Amiga, companies will flock to of guilty by association, and at worst a 2. blackmailed Amiga authors into pro- ganization officially “excuses” or people who simply *use* pirated soft- the pc, and became successful there. the system, and software should fall in way to hack into your hard drive, as viding them with “favors” (financial and pardons the acts of DC then I will ob- ware, and perhaps pass it on to friends, He even managed to save up for the car price. With effective anti-piracy, Amiga- many pirate-affiliated utilities are otherwise) in return for not cracking their viously in turn hold that person or or- but don’t play any part in international, he never had as an Amiga programmer. Inc won`t go the same way as actually “Trojan horses”. These internet software immediately after release. ganization responsible for my losses. organized crime. I have no objections Can you blame him ? I can`t. Commodore. based “utilities” allow members of the Needless to say, those “promises” typi- against this as long as it is made clear pirate group to access your hard drive, cally were not kept. Again, the result of The way I see it, DC is an international that *we* do not need *them*, but are Apparently, it seems that cracking At the end of the day your computing and take any key-files from you, for organized crime. organized crime ring, that engages in *offering* them a way out of their situa- groups and playground pirates weren`t depends on it. Let`s learn from the past, spreading. They can also take whatever network terrorism and software ter- tion and potential legal problems, and the only nails in Commodore’s coffin. A and look to the future. else they wanted, in theory, and even 3. written and distributed an illegal rorism. that it is ICOA who determines the con- number of Commodore dealerships (aka 10 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 11 NEWS NEWS
Gary Storm brings you Neil Bothwick Interview magazine of the two at the moment. like “We’ve made a new product, and Yes, CU’s been better quite a lot of the here it is”. Neil was obviously not in the best of the sad news of the time. There was a time, years ago, when moods, but true to his character, put that Which is ok in the PC market, ‘cos it’s Format was better, but I remember think- closure and talks to Neil aside to talk to me on the phone. so strong, but not Amiga. ing two and a half years ago, I was CU AMIGA Bothwick the compiler Can anything be done to save CU? buying more issues of CU than I was of Exactly, but you’ve got that market of the CUCDs. CU I don’t think so. The Accountants look at Format. Being on the net and not need- where there’s always new stuff coming the books, make the decision, and that’s ing alot of magazines to keep me in- up anyway. The Amiga market is dif- AMIGA is dead, long live it, end of story. formed, I was being quite selective ferent that it needed some sort of an- nouncement like they were planning to the AMIGA. How long have you known, was it a about what I bought. It was starting to snap decision? turn round to CU from then, and do at World of Amiga. What it didn’t Gurus they’ve been going from strength to need was the announcement they Well, first I knew about it was a strength. The 3 issues they’ve actually did at World of Amiga. s you will know by now the a high, as befits their quality publication. never hear of who worked hard at phone call yesterday morning, produced since World of October issue of CU Amiga, We respect their decision. This is a sad making the mag what it was... We ap- and the others at CU, in the You mean the mixed messages. A currently in the shops, is the event. preciate all their efforts. office (in London), only Amiga, have all been su- last ever to be published. Sales seem to knew a day or two perb. Yeah, the partial messages as well. We’ll have been falling slightly since WoA, Years ago, Amiga Format used to rule Jason Compton will continue to do the before. Speaking to have to wait and see, but without CU and the magazine has become un- the quality roost, but over the last few online magazine, “Amiga Report”, Neil them last week, everything Really, most people Amiga. profitable, so the accountants at EMAP years, CU Amiga has been the favourite. Bothwick, comms and cd-compiler ex- was really positive. It’s a real would have expected AF to fold before CU, given decided to close the magazine, for the We at SEAL especially liked their traordinaire, is still the heart of “Wirenet” shock. There was no hint that How does this affect you, personally? Future Publishing aren’t shy of shareholders. covers, for their imagination. (who I’m with), the only Amiga specific anything was wrong. It was just a shutting down mags, and AF have Very much, I started on the “read.me” internet service provider. If you’re think- financial decision by the suits. It wasn’t anything to do with the quality lower sales figures than CU. files on the CU cd’s, and gradually was The CU Staff didn’t want to continue to Good luck to the CU staff in whatever ing of changing provider, or want to get of the magazine, just someone looking asked to do more and more. When Matt survive for a couple more issues by cut- they do next. Tony Horgan, Andrew on the net... then Neil is immensely I was quite worried earlier this year, at the spreadsheet. The thing about CU (Bettinson) left, I took over the whole ting the magazine editorial in half, and Korn, Richard Drummond, Neil honest and helpful. Go Wirenet. Go that AF would fold, and that that is that they didn’t want to fade away. mastering of the cd. Writing the printing on “toilet paper”, such as the Bothwick, John Kennedy (even though Amiga. would leave CU in a bad posi- They also said that they wanted some pages of the magazine to go fate that befell Amiga Shopper, Amiga you got it wrong sometimes), and Jason tion. The sort of position warning, and they’ve fortunately got that, with it, then writing the inter- User International, Amiga Computing, Compton... thank-you for your writing. Thank-you CU Amiga, past & present there is another issue to come out... that Format are in now... net pages as well. I Amiga Pro, and Amiga Power. The CU Thanks also to Russell Cox, a true hero staff (like Matt Bettinson & chums who You can’t blame the ac- What if you went Bi-monthly, or in- countants for closing CU, gradually did more and team decided they would rather end on behind the scenes, and the others we are at PC Gamer now), for everything. creased the cover price, or produced with the Amiga market more for the magazine, a CD mag? being what it is. They’re and it’s a substantial Going Bi-monthly, you still have nearly amount of my income. I’ve obviously better to finish the next- responsible to the share- the same production costs, the same holders, who want their done other jobs which were By generation Amiga OS and various plans, staff to pay. Unless you sack half the money to work for them. You less work and more money, but I Gary Storm and and leave emulation to a third party. staff, and rent half the office out, and could start pointing the finger at love doing work for CU. There are still Robert Williams Hopefully there are some 3rd parties halve the magazine, it wouldn’t work. A others, who are not necessarily in this opportunities. There was an idea interested, there should be. CD would incur nearly the same costs in country. recently which I would have been keen A-Inc are still aiming for a November production, but how and who would ad- on, if I had the time to devote to it. That hile many may think that showing of the OS5 Dev system. vertise in it? Would you put irritating problems been fixed now (dry laugh). Amiga Inc. are moving as banner ads flashing all over the place? Germany and America? Apparently, OS5 Dev will NOT be a full Yeah... .trying to be positive, at least a slowly as a tortoise on How would people buy it? It would have W roll-out of beta. It will come in seperate Yeah, I think even Germany are making little bit. Well, Wirenet will obviously con- crutches, the reality is that behind pieces, each getting tested fully until the to be subscription only, and you wouldn’t an effort. But Amiga Inc are so quiet. the scenes things are moving apace. As you may have read elsewhere, an sell enough... Personally I’d much rather tinue, there’ll never be any problem next segment is rolled out. The team are forging ahead with the ICOA work-group are investigating all read a magazine, as a book, not staring there. The things I’ve been talking about Like the Kernel they were supposed at a screen... Increasing the cover price will still be in the Amiga market. Mitchie masterplan. the anti-piracy options. Apparently, A-Inc’s doors have been to have decided by mid-June, and practically beaten down by developers would lose as much money, as you We’ve unearthed these titbits for you to Fleecy has expressed an interest for a told us about. wishing to get into the Amiga revival, gained, so it wouldn’t get you any fur- Will the CU website continue in some taste; some will taste good, some not so dedicated Amiga online supplier of pro- with Bill McEwan (PR meister), having ther. Yeah, I think they’ve had a change of form after the office is shut down? good, and some may be mere rotten grams, (shareware, freeware and com- enough lunch appointments to make him heart on that, not on the Kernal, but on rumours. mercial) to be created. This baton has I suppose Amiga Format will benefit I’m not sure. Technically the space is very, VERY fat indeed :). There are alot the idea of making a big announcement. been taken up and the name “Amiga by this, in a way, seeing they were paid for, but what will happen to it I don’t To clarify the status of the development of big PC partners just crying out to give There was always this pressure on Central” has been touted. Brilliant idea, selling 2,500 less than you, every know. What I wouldn’t like to see is it system due to be released in November M$ the big boot. them, with people saying “give us some can’t wait for the final product online. month? just stop, and just sit there ‘as is’, with Amiga Inc. have renamed it OS5 Dev news, give us some news”. They held In addition to the development of OS5 Well, yes, but they’re not happy we’re all the old stuff on there, three months instead of OS4. The final version of OS An IRC conference was recently held on back for a year without really saying Amiga Inc. are working on the hardware going, either. In the short term they will down the line, saying what’s in the cur- 5 due for release late in ‘99 is now Java implementation with Mitchie, so it anything, and then come World of specifications for the next generation increase circulation, and we have some rent issue, and what’s in the last issue. I refered to as OS5 Prod. seems that may have a good chance of Amiga, they said yeah, we’re gonna Amiga architecture. They will only be advertisers who advertised exclusively think that will be very sad, It would be seeing the Amiga dawn. have this big announcement. And basi- There is still no news on the kernal for producing a Set Top Box (Web TV etc.) with us, who will go to Amiga Format nice to have some sort of farewell cally they cocked it up. I mean that was Amiga OS 5, talks are continuing with Amiga-Inc seem to be concentrating on with the technology. They will be licens- now. AF will have to re-evaluate their message on it. potential suppliers. developing the OS for Mitchie. They ing out the architecture for use in other just one balls up.... I can imagine position. They’re competing with them- aren’t planning on doing “Classic” Amiga applications (such as a new computer) Gateway saying “well, you ain’t gonna It seems that Arexx fans may be selves now. I’ve always said their needs Thanks, Neil, for talking to me at such a emulation, but will instead leave that to to “strategic partners”. do that again”, “when you’ve got a box delirious to know that Alan Havemose to be two magazines, competition is im- difficult time, and for all the great cd’s any developers that may be interested. to show people, then you can say some- and Fleecy Moss are also in that club, portant... and articles you put together at CU We aren’t too happy with that, per se’, thing”. ‘Cos it’s always been Gateway’s so expect that and datatypes to feature For more see the Gary Peake interview Amiga. but if it’s due to time constraints then it’s attitude, not to be one for vapourware, in OS5Dev. over the page.... It’s very sad, seeing CU is the better 12 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 13 NEWS NEWS
How do A-Inc hope to license a new Is there anything you can tell us con- be sent their way so that users can be Gary Storm speaks to the man co- computer, and expect it to succeed, cerning the possible innards of OS3.5 included in the AmigaNG process. given the fact that 90% of the world is (Glow-Icons, perhaps :) )? ordinating Team AMIGA, the worlds How many members of Team AMIGA trapped in Windows and Windows- Gary Peake Well, I know what ideas have been do you estimate there to be? biggest Amiga user group. dependant applications which are passed on to those who could do an essential to their business? Are cur- 5,697 is my current estimate tonite. :) upgrade, but it really depends on time rent major pc software applications Age: 46 have ever met. Half of Team AMIGA is directly or indirectly STB’s. Sound plan. and finances more than anything else. If How can users join Team AMIGA? going to be willingly ported to any made up of developers, testers, and the Remember the A500's? Hot, hot sellers!! you have all the time and money you Family: Two children, son 18, daughter Mitchie-based computer? Easy as pie ... techy-brains of our community. The need, you can do almost anything. As 15, wife 46
install the board adding the SIMMs is easy, once the CyberStorm is installed two of the slots are obscured by the 5.25" drive bay. There has been various discussions on the PowerUP mailing list about using EDO RAM on PPC cards. Several people have reported problems Manufacturer: Phase 5 Digital Products and Phase 5 recommend Fast Page Distributor: White Knight Technology (01920) 822321 Mode RAM. All I can say is that my EDO SIMMs are OK. Each pair of SIMMs is Product: CyberStorm PPC Accelerator identical (e.g. made by the same manu- Cost: £650 (Varies with spec. and exchange rates) facturer and bought at the same time) Version: PowerPC 604 233Mhz, Socket for ‘060 50Mhz but they were not expensive. If you’re Tested With: A4000/030 Rev. D, CyberVision 64, 64Mb RAM. buying new RAM for your PPC card I’d stick to good quality FPM SIMMs though Robert Williams reviews his CyberStorm PPC… the chip is tiny, not much more than a cen- to be on the safe side. timetre square! fastest Amiga accelerator ever. Who is it aimed at As usual with A4000 CPU cards the computer needs to be taken apart for and is it worth the money? Read on to find out. Installation them to be installed. I removed the front As with all ‘060 cards you need to install panel and drive bays behind as well as ’ve wanted to get a PPC card ever Initially I wanted to buy the card with an the software before installing the card so the harddisk in its cradle. Two jumpers since they were first released last ‘060 CPU so I could sell my existing this was the first job before I removed need to be checked on the motherboard and adjusted if required before fitting the Testing the SCSI devices before reassembly, year, however as I already had an CyberStorm MkII accelerator on. the old accelerator. The PPC and SCSI I accelerator. To hold the card in place ‘060 accelerator and there was little Unfortunately due to the shortage of software comes on floppies and there is As you can see it’s a tight fit! Phase 5 supply standoffs which clip to PPC software I couldn’t justify the ex- ‘060s at the time my dealer couldn’t say also a CD-ROM with some demos and devices. The trouble was I currently only quickly. As usual the problem turned out pense. In June Eyelight released a PPC when a card of this spec might be avail- developer documentation. the motherboard and card, this holds the have narrow devices which meant to be very simple, a floppy drive power version of Tornado 3D and with com- able, I had to get the upgrade board with card firmly in place on the processor buying not only expensive SCSI III ca- cable was touching the PPC’s fan. After panies like Nova Design promising PPC a socket for my existing ‘060. Going this As I had an upgrade card I had to slot. bling but also an adapter for each device tidying the cables the machine started support the software situation is begin- route saved me about 200UKP, not remove my existing CPU and install it on and an adapter for my scanner. without hassle. As I said earlier the ning to look better. The clincher though much less than I could get for my exist- the PPC. There was no mention of SCSI Unfortunately Phase 5 have not fitted a SCSI works as long as the device at was the imminent release of the ing accelerator second hand so I wasn’t upgrading the CPU in the otherwise ex- standard 50 way header for narrow each end of the chain has termination My A4000 has been a SCSI only CyberVision PPC, a graphics card for too disappointed. cellent manual and no tool was supplied devices as many PC Ultra SCSI cards switched on. All my memory was recog- machine ever since I got the CyberSCSI the CyberStorm PPC which has far to remove the existing ‘060. Bearing in do, which means you have to use the nised too. module for my MkII. With the ultra-wide greater performance than any other The card took two agonising weeks to mind that a replacement ‘060 costs over expensive cabling even if you only have SCSI controller on the CyberStorm PPC Amiga graphics card (my CyberVision be delivered from Germany, but it £200, if you can get one, I would have narrow devices. Looking at the board I knew I would need the right cables and PPC Performance 64 included). Along with the SCSI III arrived on time, when White Knight said liked a bit more reassurance in doing there is just not space for such a con- adaptors straight away so I could use controller on the accelerator this pur- it would. I took a day off work to receive the upgrade. As there was no tool, I had nector but it would have made upgrad- After setting up my CD DOSDrivers for my system. Ultra Wide SCSI is designed chase would upgrade almost every the board and fitted it with the help of to carefully lever around the three ac- ing from an older controller much the new SCSI device (cybppc.device) for very high performance devices but is aspect of my Amiga. Mick Sutton. The board is the same size cessable sides of the chip and slowly cheaper. In the manual there are war- we were ready to try some PowerPC backwards compatible with older SCSI as the CyberStorm MkII but much more ease it out of the PGA socket. I’ve done nings that the SCSI bus must be software on the CDROM. I started with I decided that if I was going to spend a heavily populated with components. A this before with an old (486) PC CPU properly terminated with expensive the Benoit fractal generator, this was a lot of money I might as well go for the fan and heatsink covers the PPC and managed to bend the pins, but for- SCSI III active terminators. As I only good test as it can be switched between best, so I chose the 233Mhz PPC card. processor but if you unclip it the actual tunately after about half an hour of care- have narrow devices I decided to try PPC and 68k modes on the fly. ful work the CPU dropped out un- using the narrow passive terminators Generating fractals was between 10 and damaged. only before shelling out. Fortunately this 15 times faster on the PPC, WOW, a works well, if I ever get any wide devices good start. Benoit is also a great little Fitting the processor onto the new card I will need to buy the proper terminators. program with some beautiful pre-sets was much easier, simply a case of lining ready to load up. I then tried Tornado it up on the socket and pushing it home, With the card, miles of SCSI cable, 3D, my main PPC program, and even at it was a very tight fit and it took a lot of adapters and stuff packed into the version 1.75 where PPC support isn’t pressing to seat the chip firmly. I hope I original A4000 case (My Ateo tower kit fully optimised I get an 8 times speed never have to remove the ‘060 from the hadn’t arrived at this point) we were increase on average, brilliant. PPC card as it is surrounded by com- ready for the first test. Switching the ponents and would be very difficult to machine on I almost immediately General Performance lever. noticed a burning smell, as you can im- agine it was switched off again pretty In the more recent revisions of the The next job was to install the RAM, the CyberStorm PPC has 64bit memory access and therefore requires matched If your Amiga has a real time clock but stops keeping time pairs of 32bit SIMMs. I had one pair of open up the machines as soon as possible and remove the 16Mb EDO SIMMs already and I bought A tower case like my Ateo is dead battery as they can quickly leak corrosive alkalies on to another set in preparation for the PPC. the motherboard. advisable if your A4k is PPC Card fitted in an A4000 desktop. As long as you fit the SIMMs before you already loaded with drives. ? 16 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 17 REVIEWS REVIEWS
CyberStorm PPC flash ROM including faster than the old one in both graphics the version shipped on my board have a and processor performance. I’ve made boot menu allowing you to set-up the the decision that I want to stick with card without using jumpers. Holding Amiga, this upgrade gives me the ul- down escape while the system boots timate Amiga. Internal brings up the menu, from it you can set- up each SCSI device which allows you In two or so years (I’m certain it’ll take to configure SCSI even if a problem this long to actually be in the shops) means the system won’t boot. There are Amiga Inc. aim to bring out a new ZIP Drive also options to turn on 60ns mode for Amiga. It may well be a totally amazing Manufacturer: IOmega the RAM, enable map ROM and patches jump in technology leaving everything Spencer Jarvis finds out if an Internal SCSI ZIP Distributor: Various for Mac emulators etc. This means you else behind. However from what I’ve Cost: £109 can take all the utilities that perform seen so far many of the things I love drive is a good way to give his towered A1200 more Tested With: A1200, Apollo 040, these functions out of your startup- about Amiga: simplicity, programability storage. Power Tower, Squirrel sequence. One option I particularly like and flexibility are not at the top of Amiga SCSI. is to disable the on board IDE interface Inc’s agenda. For example looking at the if you have no drives attached to it. user interface shots released it seems A few weeks ago I had a bit of spare laughing which is rarely the case when mail order for around the same price, Because the Amiga no longer searches they are following the PC trend for non- cash and decided that I would like to buying PC periphials for the Amiga, and you can get either PC or MAC disks and for IDE drives it doesn’t have boot up is standard “fun” interfaces which I feel is spend it on my Amiga, The only problem as an added bonus they were ten quid format them because they are exactly much quicker (knocks off about detrimental to ease of use. Also they was what to buy, A bigger Hard Drive? cheaper than PC World, I picked it up for the same apart from the packaging. It’s 20seconds I think). Unfortunately be- seem to be concentrating on the con- More RAM?, A faster processor or a £109.00 which compares fairly well with also worth bearing in mind that there are cause the boot menu was not added sumer level, will this mean they don’t storage device? well as I was just some mail order companies and I didn’t “non official” disks around made by Fuji until recently it is not detailed in the include the breath of preferences and recovering from a major HD crash I have to pay the postage and wait a etc but Iomega doesn’t recommend manual, however there is a text file ex- things like AREXX that Amiga en- opted for the storage device, and from week for it to arrive either. them and says you void your warranty plaining the options. thusiasts thrive on? what I have seen the Zip drive from by using them!, also official Iomega Iomega seemed like a good choice. All I needed now was a SCSI cable, in- disks have a full lifetime warranty and Another useful feature that has been I really don’t know what Amiga Inc’s in- side my tower I have got my Squirrel the others don’t, the ones Manhattan added in the most recent flash ROM is tentions are, no one does, and from their After asking around I knew I needed to SCSI interface fitted and needed a cable sell are the official disks I recommend the facility to boot from a CD-ROM. This silence since WoA it looks like we’ll have get a SCSI version and as I have got the to go from that to my Zip drive. I had no you get your disks from them, the only means you could backup your system to wait until the new machine is Amiga in the power tower I wanted to trouble getting one but it was a little ex- problem is they tend to only keep 2 or 3 using a CD writer and then boot from launched before we find out. Until then I get an internal model to keep everything pensive at about £20, but this was a top in stock so if you want to get more than the CD to repair a harddisk or use a dif- know I enjoy using my Amiga, I know it nice and tidy. I did a bit of ringing around of the range one and the guy said they that, they may have to order them for ferent system configuration. A side is the platform that lets me be most and PC World told me they had one for normally have one for about £10 but you but they have got a shop which effect of this feature is that you have to creative and productive. That is worth £119, this isn’t the cheapest I have seen after hunting down the drive I wasn’t keeps a larger stock if you can’t wait. slightly re-configure your CD dosdrivers investing in. the drives at but its nice to nip down going to wait another few days for the otherwise the system will use the limited there and get it as opposed to waiting sake of a tenner. I would say the Iomega Zip drive was Phase 5 CD filesystem built into the for one to arrive, so cash in hand I surprisingly easy to fit and don’t think flash ROM for booting. travelled to sunny lakeside, When I got home I immediately anyone with even a little knowledge proceeded to remove the cover from the would have any problems fitting it, it In use the card feels fast, obviously the I used to work in PC World a couple of tower and the five and a quarter inch works brilliantly and I cannot fault the PPC side is a quantum leap ahead of years ago and found it very strange blanking plate, although the drive is the drive in any way and I would recom- even a 68060 but there is also a notice- going back there until I saw an old mate. same size as a floppy disk drive it has mend it completely to anyone looking for able improvement in other areas. The After a chat about the good old days I got a built in moulded surround that a reliable storage device. I would have SCSI seems faster and I will now be asked him where the internal SCSI Zip cannot be removed and therefore needs no hesitation in giving it 9 out of 10. If it able to use a super-fast ultra-wide drives were and as you can imagine I a large drive bay. was slightly cheaper, around the £80 harddisk when I need to replace my cur- Results was annoyed but not surprised to hear mark it would have been a perfect 10. rent one. The ‘060 is faster too, I guess that the guy I spoke to had made a I had the drive fitted in about 20 minutes due to better memory access. According Pros mistake and they only sold external and apart from a slight confliction with So if you haven’t got a spare weekend to SysSpeed the improvement seems to Blisteringly fast PPC SCSI Zips and they couldn’t help me. my CD ROM drive which was entirely to backup your HD onto hundreds of be about 10%. Fastest RAM and SCSI Now came the most blatant case of the my fault and due to me not reading the floppys get a Zip you won’t regret it! Flash ROM and boot menu. pot calling the kettle black I have ever instructions properly as usual everything experienced, He suggested that I tried worked perfectly. Why PPC Cons Mondo, but then went on to inform me I love my PPC card, not only is the PPC Limited PPC software available that “...they’re not the cheapest place to I downloaded a package called Z100 Results amazing but it is also the fastest 68k Expensive buy things...” and PC World are? In Tools from Aminet which mounts the accelerator you can buy for you Amiga. shock I left still clutching the money. drive and provides a few essential While PPC cards are expensive (par- utilities, but there is also commercial ticularly the A3/4000's CyberStorms) I The short walk to Mondo only took a software available as well at about 20 look on it this way: a CyberStorm PPC couple of minutes and I was pleased to quid but I really don’t think you’ll need it. and the CyberVision PPC graphics card see that they had a large range of Zip if you do decide to go for a Zip, bear in (out now, expect a review in the next drives including Internal and external mind that 100MB (96MB formatted) issue of Clubbed) cost roughly the same IDE, Internal ATAPI and Internal and disks are not cheap, around 15 quid in as buying a new computer. But they also External SCSIs. The guy I spoke to was PC World etc but Manhattan Computers give you a new computer, many times very helpful and actually knew what an who have a cabin in Basildon market do Amiga was and could say it without them for £10 and you can also get the 18 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 19 REVIEWS REVIEWS
With a plethora of A1200 tower kits on the market to the motherboard. A reset button is and the audio plug into the CD-ROM drive size bays and ample power sup- ready cabled in (via the Ateo keyboard (the tower now has two audio outputs plies. Mick Sutton gives us his opinion on long standing interface) so that reboots can be per- one from the Amiga and one from the formed single handed if that’s your CD-ROM). In my opinion the tower was easy to favourite. thing! build, and at the end of the day the The power supply to the A1200 is via a single sheet of paper was quite nce a decision has been Next up is to install the keyboard inter- The various power supplies (plenty of cable which exits the at the bottom of adequate. I can fully recommend this made to tower your A1200, face, which is fitted into the tower (pop them) are plugged into the peripherals the tower and immediately turns back on product and add that it is one of the best O there are two options that are riveted) and has a 5 pin DIN type socket itself and plugs into the normal items I have bought, and in my opinion open to you. The first being ‘a do it your- for the keyboard to plug into, four wires Amiga power in socket (you can makes my Amiga the best looking on the self job’ (if you’re feeling brave!) is to come away from the keyboard interface just see this in the picture, left). block. Time to go and buy those buy a PC Midi tower and convert it. This that go to a square device which sits peripherals you have not had room for may or may not be easy, depending on over the keyboard chip on the mother- The monitor is powered via a eh? what unforeseen problems arise, such board, the instructions tell you how to pass-thru port on the power as if there is room to install the A1200 correctly align with the chip and press supply like any other modern day motherboard without fouling on the home hard until a click is heard! Wow computer. So, time to power up for Results power supply, and the little problem of was that a worrying moment or what? the first time, the Amiga booted up getting access to the Amiga ports via the no problems! But for the first time Pros back of the tower. Once this has been done the rest is a in its life it could breathe, stretch Pre-wired Audio relatively easy task of installing the it’s legs so to speak. One thing Expansion Dream Secondly, you could go for the ready various peripherals into the casing, such remains to be done, install the Excellent keyboard interface made solution such as the Power Tower as hard drive and floppy drive (extra Ateo Concepts keyboard software which re-maps the Windows keys Cons (£129), Micronic (£149) , Eyetech (£149) long cables are supplied to reach the Nothing I can think of. or as in this case the ICS solution. This motherboard) which a blanking plate is (yuk) to Amiga keys (yeh!) and route to Amiga heaven may work out a supplied if you only have your original also the scroll lock key to the help little more expensive but in my opinion open faced floppy (if you don’t have a key and that’s it. well worth it. blanking plate it resembles a Baboons arse to look at). Next install your CD- Now you have a towered Amiga So what do you for your money? ROM (you have got one haven’t you?) In with plenty of room for expansion Caviar this case a SCSI unit, which at the time I due to the three 5 1/4” bays, two 3 • Midi Tower with 250W power supply was using a Surf Squirrel interface so I 1/2” bays and two 3 1/2” floppy • Ateo-Concepts keyboard interface also needed a PCMCIA right angle (Ready fitted into tower) adaptor (available from Blittersoft or • PC Win95 (Yuk!) keyboard Power Computing) which plugs into the What’ s on the Board • CD-ROM Audio output sockets pre- motherboard and just leaves enough wired into tower room to plug in the Squirrel and fits into e have a fishy ratings general the bottom of the tower. A cable is fitted system, that we think is less score, which On opening the package that arrived in to the power, floppy and hard drive W fishy than other ones. the reader the post, it consisted of two main parts: LED’s on the tower which is connected can take into
Tower Reviews are very subjective, what one account Miss Ford? • The tower with parts already as- reviewer may love, another hates. Such along with the text. Not just rely on the We also feel that in the % system too sembled and in place. is life. Magazines either have many text, or % score. many products get “Gold” or similar • The PC keyboard plus various cables reviewers write a comment, or one awards, even if they have a fair bit of such as 2.5" to 3.5" IDE HD (about reviewer gives a very specific score So we invented the fish...it’s easy to room for improvement. Thus we are only 30cm long) and long (40cm) floppy drive (normally in %), or both. work out which we feel is a better awarding the full fish (caviar), to cable. product... the more bones that show, the products that are practically perfect. We feel that a better way is to have a smellier the fish :) On first inspection I was quite impressed with the build quality, but a little dis- mayed at the assembly instructions, a
TEST single sheet of A4 paper with a few diagrams and instructions!
LONG TERM So first things first then, remove mother- board and all the top shielding from your A1200 (so far so good) then install it into SMELLY tower, this part went surprisingly Caviar smoothly with the motherboard fixing The best so far ! Definitely worth Average, neither too Crap, but hopefully disgusting, multi-
Intrinsic points lining up quite well with the ones Manufacturer: Intrinsic Computer on the tower carcass. The back of the Can hardly pick any- buying, but still has good nor too bad. getting better in fu- colour yawn induc- Systems (01474) motherboard lines up with a slot in the thing out of it, not room for improve- Kind of like a warm ture versions (if ing abomination that 335294/533500 back of the tower (which has all the even boogers. Rarer ment. Like 69. fart :) there are any). insults the Amiga. than Nessie. Distributor: As Above ports labelled) and is fixed to it by four of Cost: £130 the port screws. 20 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 21 REVIEWS REVIEWS
choose how big the previews will be, other image. Therefore you can Paint zoom and pan them. This allows you to white over areas of the image you want get a much better idea of how an effect to see and black over areas to easily will look before it is applied. crop an image. You can blur an alpha Unfortunately some effects still do not channel to fade the edges into the layers preview properly (PaintFX is a prime behind. Other effects that work well on example), this seems to be unavoidable the alpha channel are distorts and Image due to how these effects work, but an texturing. One effect I particularly like is inaccurate preview is not much good to filling a white area of the alpha channel anyone so perhaps they should just be with a greyscale gradient fill which Robert Williams looks at removed. causes the image to fade into the back- the latest version of the ground and lower layers. For new users ImageFX is quite in- Amiga’s premier Image timidating, as any complex program is to The Layer Manager allows you to Effects Processor, is it still King a certain extent, but IFX has quite a 3.2 learning curve. The learning process hide, move and edit layers. At it’s heart ImageFX is an effects pro- of the Hill? was helped in previous versions by the ground image. I could then load the gram, and this is the area where it is excellent user manual which took you image of the person (or scan it using best equipped. The range of effects is through every aspect, with great IFX’s scanner support). Using the region truly astounding and everyone of them is Developer: Nova Design The main user interface remains similar to a menu orientated interface (similar to tutorials and plenty of illustrations show- tools I would select the person from the totally configurable. Most effects have a (http://www.novadesign.com) to previous versions, there is a large tool programs like Photogenics and Art ing you how the various effects and original background and pick them up as complex controlling requester, several of Distributor: Compute! (0181) bar which is further split into several Effect). Personally I feel they have taken parameters work. As version 3 is such a a brush. Moving to the background these have multiple pages of options. 3031800 pages for the different functions of the the right road, IFX 3 is a huge improve- major upgrade much of the original man- image by selecting it’s window I would What this means is that with ImageFX Cost: £149 (With Aladdin program, Scanner, Palette, Toolbox, ment over the 2.x versions without ual is very incomplete. Unfortunately add a layer to the image using the layer you have a huge amount of control over 4D) Render and Printer. The Toolbox section requiring you to completely re-learn the the 3.0 upgrade comes only with a palette pop-up menu. Now when I stamp how an effect will look. At first all the Version: 3.2 has icons for various painting tools and program. For those people who like the Quick Start guide to supplement the ver- the brush down on the background options seem very daunting, however Tested With: A4000 Rev. D, buttons for different types of effect. Each old interface or who use video hardware sion 2.0 manual. The guide gives only a image, it is applied to the new layer. At most effects have some presets you can CyberStorm PPC 060, effect button pops up a list of effects of that cannot display windowed screens very brief overview of the new features this point I might decide that the back- load up and experiment with. You soon CyberVision PPC, that type. In version 3 you can configure (older 24bit boards and the Video with none of the indepth explanations of ground is too dark, as the image is now learn to appreciate the flexibility the pro- 64Mb RAM. these lists to stay open after a selection, Toaster etc.) Nova provide an ImageFX the old manual. New features like layers layered I can simply select the back- gram offers. Here are some of the best which makes applying several effects Classic mode which works like all previ- are sadly under-explained, in fact it ground layer and use the Balance effect effects out of the hoards included with much quicker. You can snapshot a ous versions. wasn’t until I went to WoA and saw to alter its brightness, because the ImageFX 3.2: mageFX is one of those programs window configuration so your favourite ImageFX demoed by Corrina Cohn that I person is on another layer they are Not that although very well known, rela- windows are opened everytime you start The user interface is now font sensitive discovered some of the layer effected. By the same ticket if I want to tively few people this side of the PaintFX I ImageFX. so you can set the font you want to use, functionality available. apply an effect to the person, say I want Atlantic seem to have used. I bought which is invaluable on hi-res graphics to motion blur the person so they look This effect is one of the most con- ImageFX 2.1 from a cover disk upgrade Some people may accuse Nova Design card screens. Another much requested like they’re running across the back- figurable in ImageFX, It works by paint- offer several years ago, and gradually Layers of not going far enough with their inter- feature that has been implemented are gound, I select their layer and apply the ing a brush down many times on the upgraded to 2.6. Through this time the face changes, and want them to change improved effect previews. You can now Layers are definitely the biggest new effect. image controlled by various factors. You basics of the program remained the function in ImageFX 3, they allow you to set the number of times the brush will be same, new and more powerful effects build up an image of several parts and Just this aspect of layers is really cool, painted and you can then set how the were added, but the interface remained then alter each part seperately. All but IFX has several other tricks up its size, colour, transparency and rotation of quite limited. With version 3 ImageFX layered images start with a background, sleeve, layers can be combined in many the brush will be determined. You could, takes a huge step with a new interface this can be any image loaded into IFX or ways, one layer can, for example, for example, choose that the colour of as well as yet more effects and features. a fresh image buffer. You can then add a brighten, darken or colourise the layers the brush comes from another image. layer over the background. The layer is below it. Each layer has its own alpha This would mean the colour from the New Interface like a piece of glass over the image, you channel which controls which parts of it second image would be painted onto the can paint on a layer and although it are transparent. An alpha channel is just first using the brush of your choice. As The original ImageFX interface used the covers the background it remains separ- a greyscale image the same size as the you can imagine with a bit of work this Amiga’s native graphics modes to put ate. So if I drew on a layer I could then layer. The Black areas of the alpha effect can be used to simulate different the toolbox on one screen overlaying a move my drawing about using the move channel correspond to transparent areas painting styles. It is also excellent for HAM preview of the 24bit image being layer function without effecting the back- of the layer and the white areas to making random backgrounds. worked on. Even when CyberGraphX ground. ImageFX lets you have as many opaque areas. The shades of grey in support was introduced you could still layers as your memory allows so you between make the layer more and more only view one image at a time, but on a FXForge (New in 3.0) can build up complex compositions and tansparent the darker they get. ImageFX windowed screen. In version 3 you can still be able to alter each element separ- allows you to edit and process the alpha The new FX Forge hook allows you to open as many images as you like and ately. You can move layers up and down channel in the same way you would any use formulas developed for Photoshop’s each has its own window. Controls on in the stack (although you can’t move Filter Factory. There are a wide variety the window border allow you to easily the background), add and delete them at zoom the image and snap the window to any time. If you own a graphics card a 256 colour screen is often faster its size. Another button allows you to than one with less colours, because the graphics chips used open several views of one image, this Lets take an example, say I want to are optimised for PC 256 colour SVGA displays. allows you to edit a portion of the image compose a person onto a new back- magnified in one window while seeing A typical ImageFX screen, showing tool box, colour palette, and multiple views. ground. First I would load in the back- the overall effect in another. ? The Balance effect requester shows the new zoom and panable previews. 22 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 23 REVIEWS REVIEWS of formulas available on the ‘net to pro- expect in a traditional paint program like Regions regions as mentioned above you can cut duce loads of different effects. ImageFX DPaint. You can draw different shapes using the different drawing tools (rec- comes with a variety of formulas to get and lines using different line thicknesses If you want to apply an effect to a par- tangle, oval, polygon, freehand etc.) and you started. FXForge is very useful and and it has the standard range of solid ticular part of an image you can use the using the magic scissors which attempt some of the effects are good fun, how- and gradient fills. Two things of note are powerful region tools, these allow you to to cut an object away from it’s back- ever they do take much longer to apply the excellent airbrush tool which is quite select parts of an image in several ways. ground. Once you have the brush you than standard effects as they have to be realistic and easy to use and the flood fill For a start you can use a box, circle or can stamp it down onto the current interpreted. which has configurable sensitivity allow- polygon to enclose a region. More image or by simply selecting another ing you to control how closely colours powerfully you can draw around the image window you can compose it onto Fire, Clouds (New) and must match before it floods over them. region in freehand mode and finally you that image (or layer if the image is All the painting tools can operate in can flood select. The flood tool selects layered). When you have picked up a Lightning Generators many modes, apart from normal painting the area of similar colour around where brush the region gadget has a brush op- in the selected colour you can blur you click, you can use the fill tolerance tion, if this is selected you can apply As well as applying special effects to smear, lighten and darken an image for to set how close the colour match must effects to the brush before it is pasted your own images IFX has the ability to example. If you use Photogenics you will be. Once the region is selected you can down. You can also scale and rotate the generate images of its own. You can probably find IFX’s painting tools limited, add and remove parts from it by holding brush. Cutting a brush from one image generate realistic fire, clouds and lightn- in particular the left mouse button to down a key while you select using any and then stamping it down onto a layer ing tailored to your exact requirements. apply/right mouse button to remove fea- of the region modes. When you’ve of another image makes for very easy The clouds generator is new in version ture is missing which makes IFX seem a selected the area you want most effects compositing. 3, it generates random fractal clouds, it bit clumsy. Version 3's Layers go a long will be applied only to that area. You can can generate several layers of cloud for way to improve matters however, as you also choose to pick the region up as a a realistic random effect. You can also Automation can now experiment without fear of brush which allows for very complex change the colour of the clouds to damaging other parts of the image. areas to be picked up and composited One of the areas of ImageFX that often create effects such as plasma and lava ImageFX can also be set to have any into other images (using layers if you gets ignored is its facilities for automa- An image for the SEAL User Group Worldmap project showing some of the too. number of UNDOs (this applys to all IFX like) easily. tion. The program has an extensive Layers allow the background, water and land to be alerter independently at any time. operations) which also makes painting AREXX port that is well described in the textures and mask layers used to create it. Painting Tools easier. Brushes on-line documentation. You can record your actions into scripts and play them to preview and pick just the area of the better at painting and composing images Painting is probably ImageFX’s weakest You can cut brushes in ImageFX using back at any time. This feature allows scanner bed you want to scan at full which was previously one of its weaker area, although it has all the tools you’d several methods, as well as using you to create your own scripts more resoloution. Also included with ImageFX points. Unfortunately the version 3 easily as you can record the action you is the CineMorph morphing package that upgrade has caused some stability want to perform then add the controling can be used to create complex distor- problems which are being solved (albeit ImageFX AREXX code, lots of example scripts are tions and for morphing between images. rather slowly). Although an expensive supplied. There are two batch process- The program can create single images package by Amiga standards you do get Here are a small selection of effects from Paint FX ing engines included, AutoFX and IMP or animations. Cine Morph has not been an awful lot for your money, particularly ImageFX’s huge range, for colour images (ImageFX Multi-Processor) which allow upgraded for a long time, and is a totally if you’re going to use the scanner see back cover: you to apply effects to a series of separate program, not integrated into module. New users will need to per- frames. Most of ImageFXs effects are ImageFX. However it has a nice style severe to learn the program but once The original designed for animation so, for example guide compliant interface and does its you have it rewards you with unrivaled image. you could make animated floating job well. flexibility in the effects it produces. clouds or ripples. The AutoFX batch processor comes with many pre-set Issues effects, and you can combine as many Results Hair as you like of these and save the output When ImageFX 3 was released in April in a variety of formats including it was quite buggy, the cause of this animations. If you want to write your seems to be ImageFX’s modular nature. Pros own effects you can do so using AREXX Version 3 adds so many major new Powerful layers Bubbles, Shingle and use them in conjunction with the features (e.g. layers) that some of the Range and configurability of effects covers the Image Generators Molecule ones provided. Personally although I existing modules just can’t cope with Automation image in Fire don’t use the animation side of things them. Four upgrades (3.0a, 3.0b 3.1 and Scanner Support bubbles much, I was able to use AutoFX to com- 3.2) have been released so far and the which mag- bine rendered frames into an IFF anim vast majority of the bugs have now been Cons nify it. using the provided effects very quickly. squashed. Unfortunately there are a Steep learning curve couple of operations that will crash Poor upgrade documentation Scanning and Morphing ImageFX still, you learn to avoid them, Bugs but still it is annoying to find these in an Pinch pulls Aside from its major role as an image expensive program that has been out for in the image, processor ImageFX also has a couple of six months now. you can set “added value” features. The first is scan- the centre ner support for Hewlett Packard (SCSI and strength Conclusion Clouds only) and Epson (SCSI and Parallel) flat of the pull. bed scanners and a couple of digitisers. ImageFX is a great program with a very Lightning ImageFX has all the basic scanning wide range of effects, with the im- features you need, including the facility plementation of layers it becomes much
24 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 25 REVIEWS REVIEWS
and type -359 this will perform a com- There is the “Scene Panel” where you The next panel is the “Effects Panel” plete rotation on the object. Hit return can see at a glance all the elements here you can add backdrop images, fog Spencer Jarvis, SEAL’s again to fix this change and click on the within the current scene or animation. and lots more, I am still experimenting 3D guru, takes a look at Make Preview button to see a wireframe The “Objects Panel” which allows you to with this one!. The last of the main preview of the animation you have just add and remove objects from the scene panels is the “Record Panel” this is one of the Amiga’s most created. If all’s well you should see the as well as define a skeleton for your where you record or save your images professional packages. plane swoop down from the top left to objects, there is the “Surfaces Panel” you can choose what format and size bottom right while performing a barrel which has a huge array of options, this is you want the final image to be and roll! This is a very nice way of animating where you define a texture for your where you are going to save it. One nice and makes life very easy as well, if only object which can range from clay to feature that I have come across is that A Users Point of View everything in Lightwave was this easy! brushed steel and anything in between, Lightwave will warn you that you are you can even define the refractive index rendering with the save option turned Another great feature of Lightwave is of the material so if you want to create a off, this is very handy and stops you henever you mention example, if you the surface design. You can get a pre- crystal texture for instance you can wasting hours waiting for something to Lightwave the normal reac- wanted to build a view of the current surface by pressing simply pop down to the local library look render just to find that you haven’t saved tion is “cool lens flares!” but model of a table W the S key. Lightwave will then render a up the refractive index and enter it in the it! there is so much more to it then that, you could create little sphere which is mapped with the panel to get a truly realistic surface! reverse kinematics, bones, keyframe the table top in current texture. This is handy for seeing Moving along you have got the “Images The worst thing about Newteks animation etc. When I first started out in one layer and the the texture as it would actually be Panel” where you can add or remove Lightwave is the amount of cash you 3D over 6 years ago with a coverdisk legs in another rendered and not just on a flat lightless any images you wish to use for image need to get going, you need a fairly fast version of Imagine 2.0 I was amazed at layer and tem- plane. Lightwave also has various pre- maps etc within the scene. Amiga to make any use of it, although what I could do on a basic A1200 I could porarily merge the set textures such as fractal bumps, un- you can get away with an ‘030 50Mhz only have dreamt about the versatility two layers using derwater and wood. You can also load in Next along is the “Lights Panel”, the faster the better. Newtek recom- and wealth of features that Lightwave the shift key and images in standard IFF format or other Lightwave has numerous options for mends 12 megabytes of RAM but some- would offer me. clicking on the formats such as JPEG, GIF or PNG via lights. You can choose from different times I find myself struggling with 34 appropriate layer a plug-in which is included. types such as Point, this is the type you megs so I would recommend investing As a convert from another package tabs. Then if you would use if you wanted to simulate a in some serious hardware before you Lightwave can seem very confusing at like the look of it lightbulb, candle etc. There is Distant, bite the bullet and purchase Lightwave. first but as the weeks go by you think you can cut the this is used to get an even blanket of There is nothing worse than spending you are begining to grasp it, or rather legs from the light over the whole scene without any hundreds of pounds on a package just you think you do then you notice a second layer and hotspots. This is handy for outdoor to find out it chugs along in slow motion! button you hadn’t seen before and a paste them into Modeler showing an object under construction scenes where you want to emulate the whole new menu opens up before you the first layer. The There is a lot more to Lightwave, in fact and you realise that you are just layer system also makes the alignment Load your plane into Layout and select too much to mention here. It would be scratching the surface of this huge pro- of objects eaiser as well. There are the edit object button from the panel on nice for people to be able to try a demo gram. That’s the beauty of LW there are some lovely tools in modeler including a the left of the screen. You then goto the before they spend all that money but just so many features and functions that full range of Boolean tools which allow last frame in the sequence by either unfortunately there isn’t one available so every time you load it up you see some- you to add, subtract and drill objects. So dragging the slider along to frame 30 or all I can say is try and see it in action at thing new or find a different way of doing if you wanted to create a doorway in a typing the number of the fame into the a show or have a go on a friend’s ver- something. wall you would simply create an ex- box, in this case 30. Surface options sion, I’m sure you’ll be amazed truded plane the size and depth of the One of the best features is the ability to Lightwave is split into two main sections, wall, and another the size and depth of Then drag the plane down and to the load an IFF ANIM as a texture and map This is a fantastic package and worth the Layout editor and the Modeler. the door. Intersect the two in seperate right and hit return to fix the changes. In it onto a surface so you could easily and every penny, If you have a fast enough Layout is where you place your layers and select subtract and the the same frame move the object nearer quickly create impressive effects. The machine and even a slight interest in 3D cameras, add lights and compose your Modeler will remove a piece in the wall to the front of the screen then hit return surface panel also supports IFFs with graphics I would recommend you take a scenes. Modeler is where you design the size and shape of the door for you, again to fix this change as well. At this Lots of lighting options colour cycling, this is carried over from serious look at Lightwave 3D! and build your objects. simple eh? point we have moved the plane from the the old DPaint days. sun. Finally there is Spot, this emulates top left to the bottom right and moved it a spot light and can be placed as a real Modeler has a very nice layer system for Layout also has some lovely tools as closer to the camera. Now for the barrel Lightwaves menus are in the form of spot light would be, to pick out certain building objects so you can visualise well such as keyframe animation. roll, still in the last frame select the “Panels” rather than the standard pull objects, there are also numerous options your models before you commit yourself Keyframe animation allows you to simply object and click on rotate, hit N on the down menus used by Cinema 4D and for lens flairs as well. The next panel is to joining all the pieces together. For create complicated animation routines. If keyboard to open a numeric requester, Results Imagine. After a little getting used to, the known as the “Camera Panel” but is you had a nice model of of a plane and panels make things a whole lot easier more of a rendering options panel, this is wanted it to fly from the top left of the although there are a small number of where you change the resolution of the screen to the bottom right whilst getting drop down menus within the panels to final image as well as altering the an- closer to the camera and performing a let you select a texture from a list of tialiasing values and cool features such barrel roll it couldn’t be simpler, well those currently available etc. as depth of field rendering etc. actually it could but it is easy, here’s Caviar how: As a default Lightwave gives you a 30 frame animation but you can simply You can move the pointer by pressing the cursors while hold- adjust this by clicking into the dialog box ing an Amiga key. R-Amiga + R-ALT is the right button and and typing a new value, but for the L-Amiga + L-Alt the left. This is handy if your mouse breaks purpose of this tutorial we will be keep it or if you need to move the pointer with pixel accuracy. at the standard value of 30. ? The basic Layout screen. Setting up 26 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 27 REVIEWS REVIEWS
If at first you don’t succeed.... Cheat!
All codes need to be entered from the level Cncd Plasma Gun Impulse Mantis Beam Genetic Species code entry screen. Iris Flechette Depth Laser Rifle Polka B. Assault Rifle Floppy Hand Grenade FrameCount Enable Frame Counter. Parallax Mini Gun Gods Poopie DangerZone Maximum Weapon Ammo. SpaceBalls Flame Thrower Artwork Data Disc Is this a DOOM another twist in FoxMulder Maximum Weapon Power. 3LE Tazer Rage Violet Keycard Caffeine Immortality Stellar Ind. Drill C-Lous Red Keycard Clone too far or this popular MindFields Unlock All Doors. Puzzle Stun G. Launcher Subacid Green Keycard Sissies Able To Carry Everything. Kefrens Pistol Balance Blue Keycard have Marble format... Gary Retribution Stage0 Impact Sil. Pistol Efreet Bio Toxin Dysfunctional Stage1 Silents Fire Axe TBL Save Game Eyes found Storm finds out. Antimatter Stage2 Scoopex Aut. Pistol VirtualDreams Orange Keycard EyeOfTheStormStage3 Deathrow Hugger Acid Ambrosia Rocket Launcher Loonies Laser Mine t could never be done, though sadly still not up to Ithey said. Hah! Quake’s standards. The everything has in this bio-mechanical thing ? Actually, that could be a good level design is good, age. You could think of yourself as an basis for an extra’s pack.....Smelly- For years we’ve had graphics variable enough to intelligent Violent Vibrator (or, uh, not). I Breathed monsters from the Outer “Doom-a-likes”, something the pc world like a... (end poetic mode). If you have sustain interest, and explosions are won’t go into the details of the plot, as Space Curry Bar. thought was their domain alone. In my your cd-rom connected to an external hi- better than Quake’s in a way, as they much like a naughty movie - the ‘plots’ mind (which can be a dangerous, mucky fi, then you’re able to enjoy the atmos- are more realistic, whereas Quake ex- are all roughly the same: alot of All in all, it’s a must to buy Genetic place to go, but anyway) the Amiga pheric music throughout the game. It plosions are more pixelly. Quake has grunts/groans/and firing of weapons. Species, if you are in any way interested games of this ilk that have stood out really does add much to GS’s appeal. more overall atmosphere though, as the Look, you’re the good guy, OK? You in these type of games. The graphics, have been Gloom, and Breathless. I`ve enemies in GS aren’t all that scary, and havevarious levels to complete by ex- sound and gameplay are great, and with never played Nemac IV; Fears was ok, Marble Eyes have really made an effort not as well animated. ploring, solving puzzles, and killing the four MASSIVE stages to complete, you’ll and Alien Breed 3d2 was way too hard to make this game the most user-friendly enemy, to beat the bad guys. definitely get your money’s worth. (or am I a wooss? Don’t answer that :) ). of it’s type. Everything you’d need to All the staple dietary requirements are change to make it a more personal inter- there for the testosterone drunk junkie: As usual, you have to keep a good ac- As if the game wasn’t good enough as it Recently, two more “Doomers” were face is at the front-end. Controls, corridors/weapons/health/ammo/keys/doo count of your health and ammo, as is ! Marble Eyes have just announced, released. Quake, the pc port which can`t screens, sound, it’s all there. It’s also rs/puzzles/enemies/death/shooting/sex neither are particularly easy to come by. and released a patch, which let’s you go even run properly (yet) on a Playstation, totally os friendly. I typed this in Ed on Ok, it’s missing sex, but it’s got the next I wish the programmers had seen fit to 24 bit ! More colours than you can even and Genetic Species (GS), coded ex- the workbench screen while playing the best thing - possession. You actually include the option of picking up the dead see ! Grab it today ! clusively for the Amiga by Marble Eyes. game on it’s own screen. have the ability to ‘enter’ another enemy’s ammo, to make things easier creatures mind, and control it’s body. (but I’m a wooss, right ?). It may not quite be Quake, but in some First, let`s get this out of the way...... Putting the frame-count really reinforces Brilliant ! Wanted one for years. Look areas it surpasses it. If you want a truly Quake is generally better, as a game. the programmer’s knowledge of the into my eyes, ladies :) The graphics that Where GS is the undisputed champion optimised Amiga Doom-alike, GS is the GS is friendlier to your Amiga, though. I Amiga. On my system it ran at between follow you pressing that ‘probe’ key are though, is in it’s Artificial Intelligence. best you can get. I’m sure Marble Eyes have an A1200T, Blizzard `030/50, 10 and 16 frames per second, at near nothing short of psychedelic (man). You How many games have you played that will be tweaking the graphics and adding 32meg ram (with no gfx card), and GS enough full-screen. On Rhino’s A4000 can also use it for looking around are simply a matter of time before you a death-match option (maybe even play flies ! ppc/060 with gfx card it whizzed around corners, though it takes practice. memorise the moves/locations of the over a modem one day), and then it will (full screen), at around 30fps. Wow! enemy, and defeat them? Not so easy get the full fishness :) The 3D animated intro is amazing, not In this case the game is set in the future, here, matey, as the enemy AI in GS is least in part due to the fantastic, atmos- Graphics-wise it’s certainly the best and the means of swapping bodies is fine-tuned, and easily the best I’ve ever pheric music that drifts over your soul Amiga specific one of it’s ilk so far, done courtesy of nueral interfaces that seen. The soldiers act as if they actually Results have a life to lose, and will run away if Admiring the Scenery they’re injured, or try and sneak up on Pros you from another direction. They go Fast and system friendly about their business if they don’t know Brilliant AI you are there, so it’s possible in some of Fantastic lighting effects the more expansive areas to dodge Innovative gameplay them. All the enemy types act differently Cons to certain situations, so it’s not as easy twist is that once you enter the host, you Not exactly scary here, as it is in Doom or Quake, where also take on all the health (or lack of it, Could be more colourful the nasty-boys just rush at you blindly so don’t blast them too much) and from their pre-set positions. ammo that they have. A beautiful feeling is when you possess your host, the view The possession factor certainly livens switches to their view, and you see your up the tactics, as you must solve certain previous victim fall to the ground. quandaries by inhabiting a particular Poltergeists on acid, maaaaan ! One The elusive Save Position bonus. Brilliant lighting effects Fire... I want you to burn! enemy, who has access to certain oversight is that although you are in- Genetic Species has some fantastic lighting and transparency effects that really add to the atmosphere of the game and in areas. Marble Eyes have added a whole habiting a different body, the enemy still many ways make up for it’s simple (as compared to games like Quake) 3D engine. new chapter to the story of these games know it’s you. Does your character have with that little invention. One tactical irredeemable smelly breath, or some- 28 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 29 REVIEWS REVIEWS
Harddisk installers are now available for many older games including most of the classics. In many cases the installer will also patch the game to run on newer Amigas. Many in- Sensible ? stallers can be found on Aminet in the game/patch directory. great things at Kilmarnock and Celtic able, for all the versions. I recommend (Scotland). I thought I was doing quite the SWOS `96/`97 update edition in- well with the players I had, but was staller. Then you can download or grab sacked after a season and a half. Bah the other SWOS updates to bring the humbug. team/players data into the present. There`s even a complete World Cup `98 Gary Storm gets back into one of the Amiga’s best A brilliant inclusion in the game, believe data update, to give you English another known games, has the magic faded? it or not, are injuries to your players. chance (I can`t talk...Australia didn`t CLASSIC This realism injection really makes the even make it to the finals.....but maybe REVIEW game even more of a challenge, as you Mr.Venables had something to do with have to consider many more things than that, and he`s English :). If even that ecently, Kickstart (the Surrey Kick-Off wasn`t as well implemented as Luckily the goalkeeper is controlled by normal. What if your star player get`s isn`t up to date enough for you, there`s Amiga User Group), hosted an Sensi in some areas, and was losing the the computer, so you still have someone injured, possibly out for the rest of the a SWOS team editor you can install, R Amiga fair, which Robert, Mick, war. It totally lost the plot, when Dino to blame if it all goes horribly wrong in a season (a-la Newcastle)? If you don`t which let`s you play around with ab- David and myself raided. The highlight Dini left Anco, and the subsequent Kick- match :) win the next few games, to stay in that solutely everything, including the player of the day for me, apart from all the bar- Off programmers made a real hash of division, you`ll be signing on at the dole stats and value. Andy Cole really can gains, was a Sensible Soccer competi- the series. No-one could dispute Sensi After the match, if you`ve been obser- queue. Yet you haven`t got a decent be brilliant, after all :) Sponsored by Amiga? tion. It had been a long time since I`d Soccers football crown, especially when vant and made note of the players replacement, and no money to search played Sensi, at least a year or two, but a huge management side to the game you`re impressed/distressed by, you can manager should. Money is earned from for one. Eeeeeek! This game requires As with most games, human Vs. human I didn`t do too badly :) Playing in the was added, including nearly all the enter the world of tactics, and transfers. ticket sales at home games, cup games planning, people. Your substitute selec- is the best, and although the computer is competition rekindled the Sensi fire. leagues and players of the world. Thus All the players in SWOS have attributes anywhere, and the selling of players for tion is just as important as your team a very (sometimes too much so) worthy was born Sensible World of Soccer. relating to speed, control, finishing, tack- a profit. Just don`t be too much like selection, in this game, unlike the myriad opponent, it`s against your friends that Sensible Software have been respons- ling, etc, which influence the way your Southampton and sell your best players of powerful, pretty console games of the most fun is too be had. At the ible for a few Amiga classics, such as There are plenty of cup competitions to team plays, and therefore which players :) today, who never get injured players. Kickstart competition, I was kicked out in Cannon Fodder 1 & 2, Sensible Golf, choose from, but the real meat of the you buy and sell. As a general rule, the SWOS still has more depth than any the second semi-final, after a well fought and of course, Sensible Soccer. Sensi game is the Career. Pick the team you higher the price of a player, the better he Hopefully, if you`ve done a good man- other football game in existence. Fact. match which was very close until extra wasn`t the first football game on the want to be the player/manager for, from is… but not always. I tend to like a fast agement job, and played a good game That may change if Sensible Software time, where it ended up 4-2, to the even- Amiga to adopt the overhead view, or, all the teams in nearly all the leagues in team, so I look for players with an “S” in of football, you`ll get promoted to a do as good a job on the Playstation ver- tual winner of the competition, James. as Mick puts it... “ants with a football”. the world. For example I`ve just started their stats, although Andreas Thom is higher league in that country at the end sion they`re doing. Microprose Soccer, and then Kick-Off, my first season at St.George, a New quite fast, and he has FHV has his main of the season. I`m aiming for the Do yourselves a favour.... buy SWOS, were the inspiration for the guys at South Wales division team in Australia. attributes (Finishing, Heading, Velocity), Australian first division with St.George. There aren’t many things that SWOS install it on your miggy HD, and have a Sensible to improve upon the genre. Players worth average at about 45k. You so it`s always good to keep an open You may get job offers from other clubs needs in the playability stakes to make it great time trying to make your way up Kick-Off was admirable in it`s first two can take the team on training if you mind when buying players. Put the (probably Tottenham :). If you stay with even better. The only things I can think from the player/manager of a piddly little incarnations, with Dino Dini at the helm, want, to see their calibre, but as I`m too players you don`t want on the transfer your current club, the chairman will allo- of is the anomaly that a player can be team, into the player/manager of a world and the kind of arguments that rage impatient, I just get them out on the list (maximum of 5 at a time), and wait cate more money for the coming doing really well, and scoring plenty of cup winning national team. Good Luck ! today between players of titles of simi- pitch, and test them against the opposi- for any offers to roll in. You can haggle a season, so you can strengthen the goals, yet his value can go down some- lar natures, like Fifa 98 vs Actua Soccer tion. bit if you get offers, but you could also squad. If you didn`t do too well, you may times. Not often, but it`s strange none- 2 on the Playstation, or Command & lose the sales opportunity. You live & get sacked. theless. The other one is that the com- Conquer and Dominion on the PC, Controlling the game is simplicity itself… learn. puter players don`t ever seem to get Results raged then betwen the champions of it`s all done by one fire button on your Whatever your career moves, hopefully seriously injured, which puts you at a Kick-Off and Sensible Soccer on the joystick. The longer you keep the button To build a good team, you`ll have to in- you`ll do well for quite a few seasons, disadvantage, as your players do get Pros A500, in the early 90`s. down for when you kick, the harder the vest a fair amount of time in the search and you may even get offered to man- injured enough to be forced off the team Fantastic gameplay kick is. Press it while you`re defending, for good players on the transfer market, age a national team. I was manager of for a few matches at least. Hopefully HD Installable and the player you control (indicated by or trawl through the teams of the world Australia for a while once, after doing someone can fix these two slight over- Absorbing career his number appearing above his head) to make direct offers on players not on sights in the programs code will do a sliding tackle. Decide the direc- the market. One of the great things sometime. Cons tion the ball will take if the tackle is suc- about Sensi is that you can develop your Graphics, obviously cessful, by pointing the joystick in that own world-class players, through trial Ahh, I hear you cry, wasn`t Computer cheats :) direction. One of the most rewarding players, who become reserve players if SWOS on two disks ? Who things to master, is the aftertouch, you like them, and then go on to be wants to have that old disk- whereby the ball you`ve just kicked, or worth more and more money if they per- swapping knee-slapping passed, will bend in the direction (left or form well. So you`re not forced to wrist-injuring hassle again right) you hold your joystick. Simple, always buy class players, even though it ? Don`t worry, neither do I, effective, fantastic. It will still take some is the quickest way to success, if you and we don`t have to ! time to get used to the system, as with have the finances. Thanks to some intrepid all games, but it soon becomes second programmers, there are a Ants? or me nearly scoring a nature, and the feeling of scoring a goal Yes, you have to keep an eye on that few SWOS installers avail- from a difficult position, is amazing. side of things as well, as any good goal yesterday? 30 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 31 REVIEWS REVIEWS
ing for a time consuming command to KCON has to be installed manually, but KingCON complete. as it is just a case of copying one file by David Larsson and adding a couple of lines to your To save typing, KCON can complete file user-startup file it’s no problem. Freeware (Aminet util/shell) names for you, if you type the first few Configuration is carried out by altering letters of the name and press tab KCON the CON: tooltype in the icon calling the The standard shell that comes with all will look for matches in the current direc- shell which is slightly awkward, you’ll PD Paradise Amigas is a very powerful tool, you can tory. If only one file matches it will put probably need to refer to the detailed do things with one command that would the name straight in, if there are several AmigaGuide file when you want to There are literally hundreds of great PD and Shareware programs available for take many mouse clicks to achieve on options a list window pops up allowing change something. That said the default the Amiga but with huge collections on Aminet and CD-ROMs how do you find Workbench if you could do them at all. you to choose the file you require. You set-up would be fine for most people. However the shell is not particularly can choose from the list using either the the good ones? To give you a start Roy Burton and Robert Williams reveal friendly to use and even when you know keyboard or mouse. KCON can also I’ve been using KCON for years and some of the hidden gems they’ve found... more next issue. what you’re doing it has some annoying complete command names in the same haven’t had any stability problems with limitations and tends to require a lot of way, just type the first few letters and it, some commands that use special typing. press Ctrl+Tab and it searches the path shell formatting don’t show the correct COLLECTOR v3.3 using the Settings menu e.g. size of The indexing is slow especially JPEG’s for commands starting with those letters. output when you scroll back, this in- thumbnail, number of colours. It is im- a progress bar shows this and a KingCON is a replacement shell which, If you want to insert a complete file cludes LHA but it doesn’t do any harm. by Frederic Calendini.WB3.0 portant to get these right at an early message is displayed if a picture cannot while looking very much like the stan- name and path pressing Tab with the stage. The indexes that are produced be indexed. e.g. Cannot convert a dard shell, has many functions to help cursor in a blank space on the command I cannot recommend KingCON highly (Creationware, send some of your work) must be of the same type. e.g. all grey greyscale picture to colour index. Once you use the commands more quickly line will bring up a file requester so you enough, if you use the shell already it’ll scale or all 256 colour. I have set mine completed the index can be saved any- and easily. The KCON shell window can look through your drives for the file. make you much more productive and if I recently found a very good image to 256 colours and a thumb-nail of 96*96 where e.g. in a index draw or with the itself has two features not found with the You can also drag icons from you’re new to it starting out will be much cataloguing programme called Next setup the picture viewer by pictures.You can view the whole picture standard shell, the first is a scroll bar Workbench onto the shell window to in- easier. ‘COLLECTOR’ on AFCD27 in the Pictures/Define Actions menu item, in by double clicking on the thumbnail pro- which allows you to scroll back through sert their path and file name into the Seriously_Amiga/Shareware/Graphics/ the box put #?= PPSHOW “%S” this will viding you have set up the viewer cor- the output of commands, you won’t miss command line at the cursor position. Get it NOW!, Robert directory. It is best to drag the whole allow PPSHOW to display the pictures. rectly. By double clicking on the title of interesting information as it whizzes by Collector33 drawer on to your hard drive Note that you’ll need the PPshow pro- the picture you can display information now. Second, in the window title bar as this programme expects to see the gram in your C: directory. about it and its location you can also KCON adds an iconify gadget so you ‘LIBS’ drawer in the parent directory. (As update index if more pictures are added can squash the window down to an icon if the drawer was on the boot drive). Start by selecting the Thumbnails/Add to the drawer. when it’s not in use or while you’re wait- menu item, a requester enables you to On running the software you are select the picture(s) to be indexed, A good package and its all but free. presented with a screen of black boxes, choosing the path and either select a R.A.B. The Edit CD window allows first you should set-up the program picture or select All from the requester. Plugged you to enter the artist, disc by Roberto Ferorelli name and the names of all the tracks, and then the next time you insert Plugged also has a small Controls MagicTV2 A proportional high-resolution 640 by This is an impressive Programme that Shareware $15 (Aminet disk/cdrom) the disc Plugged will recognise it. window with the usual Stop, Eject, Play 512 with 16 colours or Super high- really works, saves buying a flash moni- Plugged then allows you to define a etc. buttons and another window where by Neil Crawford resolution 1280 by 512 if you’re MAD. tor. There are loads of programs on Aminet programme for this CD, this means you you can alter the current playlist without that allow you to use your CD-ROM as can programme just your favourite changing the saved disk programme. (CHOCOLATEware), AGA only It is also able to boost the HighGFX lace May be found on CUCD No19 in an audio CD player. Many of these pro- tracks on each CD. Any of Plugged’s windows can be open, modes on multiscan Monitors such as Readers contributions. grams try to mimic a real CD player with you can even hide them all and pop-up This program is an absolute must for a 800 X 600 mode. an attractive graphical interface, but You can configure Plugged to play the the interface via a hot key. All the A1200 using a single scan monitor like I had a problem with a 16 colour anima- they also tend to duplicate the problems programme when you insert the CD. windows are independent so for ex- the Commodore 1084 ,the Philips 8833 Please note if you use this software on a tion crashing the system when using of a hi-fi CD player (lots of small Plugged allows you to have different set- ample when you are programming a CD monitor or a television. This software is TV make sure you can still read text MagicTV2 it was being played by buttons, difficult to program). Plugged tings depending on the CD you insert, you can use the Controls?? window to a interlace flickerfixer for workbench without eye strain by using a suitable ViewTech (VT) via a ‘Project’ icon it was takes a rather different approach, it is a you can tell Plugged what you want it to listen to each track and decide if you only and is limited to 16 screen colours. font. solved by using PPshow instead. commodity, and runs in the background, do if you insert an unknown CD, a want it in the programme. So you are able to run a flicker free R.A.B. without disturbing you. The main window known CD, and a known and program- Workbench at :- has basic details about the disc inserted med CD. For example on my system if I Plugged is shareware, with a very un- and buttons to open four other windows. insert an unknown CD Plugged starts obtrusive reminder requester that Other features include :- used to scroll windows but the playing it from appears on start-up occasionally. PowerWB v0.8 documentation tells of bugs in this fea- beginning and pops Unfortunately the author is no longer by Georg Steger. 1.Auto-closing parent window when you ture so it may be best to turn this part off up its Edit CD?? developing for the Amiga, but this pro- open a new drawer. (stops screen be- in the preferences, don’t let this put you window allowing me gram is so good and bug free it isn’t a (Shareware 5DM or 5000 Lire) WB2.0+ coming cluttered with windows) off this very useful utility. Also remember to enter the CD real problem. Uses MUI for prefs Programme and can it takes a little time to change a window details. If I insert a be found on CUCD 21 in Utilities. 2.Can close all windows with one key from a Name listing to Icons but very known programmed If you want to listen to your favourite CD (User definable). fast vice versa. CD Plugged starts tracks with the minimum of fuss Plugged This multi-featured programme adds two playing the program is ideal. gadgets to the window’s title bar the first 3.Can close windows one at a time in A great programme if you like using the without bothering toggles between “Show All Files”/ “Show order by key (User definable). good old Workbench. me with any other Robert Only Icons” and the second toggles R.A.B. windows. Plugged’s Main Window between view as “Icon”/ “Name”. Please note the cursor keys can also be 32 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 33 SUPPORT SUPPORT
...continued Embossed SEAL Disconnected? Help Line Joining If you’re not on the Internet Clubbed can & Membership help you get the freely distributable pro- If you would like to join SEAL the mem- Several SEAL members have very grams and upgrades mentioned in this bership fee is £30 per year (payable as kindly volunteered to help other Textured issue. Benefits £2.50/month if you prefer), this covers members and readers of Clubbed SEAL members benefit from many ser- all the meetings including refreshments in their areas of expertise. Simply send us one floppy disk per item vices: and 4 copies of Clubbed per year. For along with a stamped addressed padded in Photogenics further details please contact us at: General Amiga, Shell, AREXX, envelope. On each disk write the name ere’s an easy way to acheive an square), then click the Fix button. Now Directory Opus 5, DTP Help and Advice of the software along with your name embossed and textured look in Blur the text image twice using the Telephone Mick Sutton on (PageStream). and address. Send the package to the Photogenics 2 (it may work in Gausian 5x5 setting, Fixing each time. SEAL members are always giving each (01268) 761429 (7 to 9pm) Robert Williams H following address: older versions but I haven’t tried it) it Fill the paint layer using the Gamma other help and advice on all aspects of Write To Mick Sutton (01268) 565128 after 6pm works really well on text but you could mode, setting the Gamma Correction to Amiga hardware and software, when 20 Roding Way [email protected] Clubbed, also try it on other shapes too. -256, Fix. you join you’ll get a listing of all the Wickford 450 High Road, members with their phone numbers so Essex 3D Graphics (Lightwave, Benfleet, 1, For this effect you need to create there’s always someone to turn to in SS12 9BB Imagine), Image Processing Essex, SS7 5AQ, some text and save it as a bitmap. I your hour of need. Visit http://seal.amiga.tm (Photogenics, Art Effect) ENGLAND. used DrawSTUDIO which can create EMail [email protected] Spencer Jarvis text in any PostScript font then save it (01375) 644614 Hardware Fitting and We will then copy the files onto your as a bitmap (Object/Convert To/Bitmap disks and post them back to you. SEAL then View/Bitmaps then Export). If you Software Installation Hardware, Siamese System On the internet members can get a copy of any program Mick Smithson want to use a program that doesn’t have Within SEAL there are many years of the best source of or upgrade at a SEAL meeting, please (01268) 514481 this facility you could always create the Amiga experience, including the fitting the latest informa- phone Robert Williams in advance and [email protected] text and then screengrab it using and configuration of countless pieces of tion and links to all let him know what you want before the Photogenics’ Amiga Screen loader. hardware and the installation and use of ? the important Amiga meeting. Contact us if you’d be willing to Make sure the text is black on a white numerous software packages. So if you web sites is the Amiga Web use your skills to help other Amiga background. This effect works best on a need a helping hand there’s almost Directory, find them at: NOTE: this service applies to freely dis- users and we’ll add you to this list. fairly bold font. Make sure your text has 4, In the Images window drag the bound to be someone with experience http://www.cucug.org/amiga.html tributable software only, NO PIRACY! some white border around it, if not add thumbnail of the text image into the willing to help. In particular we’ve be- some with Photogenics Add Space func- Alpha area to make it the current alpha come expert at installing harddrives and tion. channel. Select the texture image by CD-ROMs and other common upgrades. clicking in the its window and choose Next Issue If you use DrawSTUDIO I Paint from the mode list, fill the paint Scanning and Printing found it best to switch on layer. The texture image should now be Getting Clubbed Here are some of the goodies we have it’s Antialaising in the masked in the shape of the emboldened Several SEAL members have scanners lined up for you in the next issue: create bitmap requester as text in black. If you want a different and many have colour printers, if at this gives a smoother effect. background colour all you need to do is anytime you need some pictures Colone Show Report change the colour in the palette window scanned or documents printed someone Regularly Computer 98 in Cologne, Germany is and click Use to see the effect. When is always available to help. the worlds biggest Amiga show. we will Get Subbed to Clubbed! SEAL members get Clubbed as part of their membership you’re happy Fix. bring you all the news and announ- fee, anyone else can subscribe at the rates below, these prices include postage. cements from the show. If you want to make a transparent CD-R Harddrive Backup Please note these prices purely cover our costs which is why they don’t reduce when you subscribe (sorry!). Payment is by cheque (UK only) or cash (Pounds Sterling) GIF from this image it’s best to 3 SEAL members have Clubbed Graphics Cards Explained only at the moment. set the background colour as (groan!) together to buy a CD writer and A graphics card makes a huge dif- close as possible to the web they offer a harddisk backup service to ference to your Amiga, we explain how Please fill out the following form and post it with your payment to: page background you’ll be using to other members at a £5 fee plus the cost they integrate with the AmigaOS and Clubbed, 450 High Road, BENFLEET, Essex, SS7 5AQ, ENGLAND. avoid an ugly border. of the media (about £1). Simply contact show you the various options available Mick, Robert or Gary to arrange a for your machine. 5, Select the text image and then backup session. Name: I would like to subscribe to 2, In Photogenics load the text you just choose Undo from the Edit menu, the Clubbed for 4 issues at the Plus... created and the image you want to use text should then be back in its blurred Discounts Address: following rate (please tick): • CyberVision PPC Review as a texture. The texture image needs to state. Move the text image into the Town: UK Europe USA • Blizzard PPC Review be at least as big as the text, if it’s not Secondary buffer then select the texture At time of writing we are negotiating £8.00 £10.00 £12.00 • PPC Software Roundup scale it to fit. If the image is a tileable image. Choose the Rub Emboss mode group discounts with several well known County/State: • 3D Tutorial, which didn’t make it into Amiga dealers. texture you can use Photogenic’s from the list, set the Rub Emboss Light Postal Code: Rest of Surface this issue. Resize Tiled function to expand it to the Source to your prefered direction and Oceania World Mail • Your questions answered (if you send Country: correct size. then choose Fill Paint Layer from the Note that with all these services you will £13.00 £13.00 £9.20 us any). tool bar, Fix. have to pay for any costs incurred (for • Plus many more news items, reviews, 3, Select the text image and apply the example paper for printing, disks etc.). Telephone No.: hints and tips. Defocus mode with a strength of 3 to the There you have it Embossed Textured I enclose (please tick) EMail Address: whole image, click on the fill paint layer text. Continued Over... Cheque Cash Issue 2 is due to be published just button on the tool bar (the white Signature: before Christmas. 34 CLUBBED - Issue 1 Autumn 1998 35 Gallery
WeirdHenge by Spencer Jarvis This image was composed using ArtEffect’s Layers. The reflections were created using Photogenic’s Mirage paint mode.
Did You Know by Robert Williams The latest SEAL flyer with an emphasis on the cool things you can Boing Earth do with your Amiga, including: playing by Robert Williams top games, Mac The boing ball was rendered in emulation and Tornado 3D then composed with two accessing the space images from NASA Internet. (http://www.nasa.gov) using layers in The background ImageFX 3.2. image was created in ImageFX using PaintFX and the wording was rendered in Tornado Visit the SEAL Website: 3D. The final page http://seal.amiga.tm was laid out in PageStream.
ImageFX Some Colour examples of ImageFX’s effects: Ripple PaintFX: Molecule
PaintFX: Picasso
Original Image
PaintFX: Polar Mosaic Shingle