Short: MED+SoundTracker mods to executables Author: Steve Marshall Uploader: aminet aminet net Type: mus/misc Version: 0.9 Requires: arp.library Architecture: m68k-amigaos Revision V0.9 This version looks much the same as V0.8 apart from the addition of the NoiseTracker routine. The main addition is that the executable modules created with this version all signal one another on startup. That is to say that if a module is playing when you try to run another module the first module is signaled by the second module. When this happens the first module will shut down releasing the cia and audio channels. Once it has done this it will return the message telling the second module that it is OK to run. The program on this disk is my entry for the silliest program name of the month.It is still in it's early stages but is quite usable as is.I have a few plans for enhancements but more of that later.MOD_Professor is an Intuition based program that allows you to create executable modules.The actual playroutines have all been reworked and all are more stable than before however I'me still not 100% happy with the Soundmon and GMC players. The soundmon plays OK most of the time but sometimes plays high pitched squeeks when using sampled instruments (it's plays OK with synthetical instruments).The GMC player behaves much the same - only worse.I'll have a good look at these sometime.Both these problems are somewhere in the original playroutine code. Perhaps the most important change to these routines is the removal of the verticle blank routine.These playroutines now run from CIA interrupts. The idea for this comes from the sidmon routine on a previous Newsflash.The main difference here though is that the code is legal,that is it doesn't hit the hardware,it goes through the CIA resource.The code first checks to see if CIA B timer B is available,if it isn't it will try CIA B timer A and if this also is in use the program will quit with the returncode set to warn.If all goes well (it usually does) the progam will set up an interrupt server and attach it to the timer with CIA resource function AddICRVector. The timer will then be set up for a 50 Hz interrupt.The playroutines also check to see if they are running on a PAL or NTSC machine and set the timer up accordingly.I could probably have got away without doing this as there is only about .9% difference in speed using CIA interrupts as opposed to the 20% difference with VBlank interrupts.Now all machines should play at exactly the same speed,important if Newsflash is to be distributed in America.Im sure that they weren't impressed with the songs playing 20% too fast. The MOD_Professor (think I'll change the name anyway) uses the ARP library for it's Filerequester and a few other routines and so won't run without it and will print an error message if it isn't present (CLI only).When MOD thingy is run (WBench or CLI)it first loads all the libraries.If the program is run from a disk other than the system disk,and the system disk isn't in any drive you will be asked to replace it.What is happening here is the program is trying to load the Icon library.If you don't require Icons or you want to save memory click on cancel.When the program runs the icon menu option will be ghosted and unavailable if the icon library wasn't loaded. Now having run Mod whatsit you will be faced with a small window on the workbench.I opted to do this so as to save memory - some modules are very long.It would have been nice to have a pretty mulicoloured screen with impressive graphics but I'me a lousy artist so hard luck! You may now load a module,the types supported are Old and New Soundtracker, Brian Posta's Soundmonitor,Game MusicCreator and Musical Enlightenment. Just click on load,press right Amiga O or select open from the menu and the load requester will appear.It is the standard Arp requester so most people should quickly feel at home here.Select the module you want then click OK.The module should load,you will be informed if an error occurs. When the module has loaded the program will give you a little information about the module ie it's size,name (not nesessarily the same as the file name),the size of the executable that will be saved and the module type selected.Note the Type isn't automatic (not yet anyway) you set it yourself. You may now (if you haven't already) set the module type.Use the menu options or right Amiga 1 to 5 to set the module type.Th e module is now ready to be saved.If you want an Icon to be saved with the file press right Amiga I or select Icon from the menu and a checkmark (tick) will appear beside the Icon menu item (only if the Icon library was loaded).All files will now save with an icon until you select icon again (it toggles on and off).Click the save gadget,right Amiga S or Save from the menu and the save requester will appear.The load and save requesters are seperate and will remember the last path used.Earlier versions of this program used the same filerequest structure for both requesters so that changing the path of one changed the path of the other.This way uses a little more memory but makes life a little easier,especially when converting lots of modules.The save requester is a different colour just so you will know at a glance which you are using.Use the requester to set the path then click in the lower file string gadget and type in the filename you wish to use.You may,if you wish to overwrite an existing file you may of course click on the filename then click OK or double click the filename.If you elect to overwrite an existing file (or do it by accident) a requester will appear asking you to confirm or cancel.The file should now save,if there are any errors you will be informed what went wrong with textual error messages in the Status line.If the error is one that I hadn't anticipated (though I think I've covered them all) the message will read ERROR AmigaDOS Error (Number) where Number = the error number (you'll have to look it up). If all goes well you should now have an executable file saved to disk.The best thing to do now is run the executable to see if it works OK and to have a little dance.If it doesn't play correctly go back and check that you had the correct module type set.For soundtracker modules try the other soundtracker type ie if you used Old Soundtracker try New Soundtracker. Future versions of this program will probably have better graphics and also include a play module option.Also planned for future versions is support for other music programs like MED, Noisetracker (slightly different to Soundtracker modules and possibly Quartet,but that depends upon distribution rights for the playroutine code.If you think of anything else that would be useful let me know and I'll try to fit it into the next release. Steve Marshall Unstone,Sheffield,England (28-May-90)