Category : Printer + Display Graphics
Archive   : MVGAVU61.ZIP
Filename : README.1ST

MVGAVU v6.1 (c) Copyright 1989-1991 Lawrence & Marvin Gozum, MD.

MVGAVU is a stand-alone viewer/slideshow for images encoded as

* GIF 87a/89a
* TGA (TARGA 16/24/32)
* BMP (Windows 3.x)
* PCX (ZSoft/PC Paintbrush)

for

EGA/MCGA/VGA/SVGA/HiColor and HercGS video cards.

It also support viewing BLD/PLT (BASIC) files.


MVGAVU61.ZIP MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING
****

README 1ST This doc.
BRUN41 EXE Runtime module
MVGAVU EXE Main Program
REGISTER DOC Registration Form
MVGAVU DOC User Manual
SLIDSHOW DOC User Manual on programming MVGAVU Slideshow scripts

EVERX512 CFG 512x512x256 user mode for Everex (see user comment)
CHIPS768 CFG 720x540x256 user mode for C&T 452/453
GENOA512 CFG 512x512x256 user mode for Genoa 5x00 series
GENOA720 CFG 720x512x256 " " " " " "
GVGA-512 CFG 512x512x256 user mode for Genoa 6x00 series
GVGA-720 CFG 720x512x256 " " " " " "
STBAUTO CFG 528x480x256 user mode for STB Auto (w/ Tseng3000 chip ?)
STBEM960 CFG 960x720x16 user mode for STB EM
V7-720 CFG 720x540x256 user mode for Video7 (see user comment)


Update v6.1 * FASTER! 5%-9% improvement in speed when decoding full-
screen, non-interpolated, 256-color images.

* Abort viewing function via [ESC] key is now integrated
with all viewing modes/option.

* Improved GIF handling. Now handles the those problematic
GIF test files (eg., AUTHOR, BOB-89A, COLUMB, COLTST,
NMARE1, NMARE4, SRUN, YANGST, ...)

* POWERFUL SLIDESHOW PROGRAMMING

- Use any editor to make slideshow script in text format.
- View any combination of GIF, PCX, BMP or TGA files.
- Select image files from ANY drive or directory.
- User-definable display durations per "slide".
- User-definable transition effects per "slide".
- User-definable AutoMode processing option per "slide".
- User-definable aspect ratio correction per "slide".
- User-definable video mode per "slide" (incl. user mode)
- Optional grey conversion/display for any "slide".

[See SLIDSHOW.DOC for programming details/tutorial]

* Expert menu is now automatically disabled when viewing
BLD/PLT (ie., BASIC BLoaD images).

* Bugfix: Viewing GIF images with less than 256 colors in
a 256-color mode caused a 'hang'; corrected.

* Bugfix: BMP Automode function did not integrate with
expert mode when MVGAVU was configured with HiColor card
capability; corrected!


Update v6.0 * HiColor 16384-color mode emulation added for ideal viewing
and/or consistent, uniform 256-color reduction of 24-bit
BMP (Windows 3.x) or 16/24/32-bit TARGA files!

- FAST algorithm!

- 16384 color perception!

- HiColor 16384-color mode emulation for virtually any
VESA-compliant SVGA card.

o 512x768x16K from 1024x768x256 mode
o 400x600x16K from 800x600x256 mode
o 320x480x16K from 640x480x256 mode
o 320x400x16K from 640x400x256 mode

- User-definable NNNxNNN HiColor emulation mode
via USER mode (eg. 360x540x16K from 720x540x256 mode).

- Simulated MCGA/VGA 16384-color mode support.

o 180x480x16K from 360x480x256 mode (non-standard VGA)
o 160x400x16K from 320x400x256 mode (non-standard VGA)
o 160x200x16K from 320x200x256 mode

- Enhanced EGA/VGA/SVGA 16-color rendering of 16384-colors
via 2x2 "SuperPixels".

- All simulated 16384-color modes are integrated with all
existing processing options.

- Integrated with Automode feature.

* GIF slideshow are now fully integrated with all processing
option from Command Line or Expert Menu!

* TARGA SLIDESHOWS

- Up to 4096 files.
- Very reliable (runs for days).
- Showoff your HercGS or HiColor card's 32768 colors.
- Works with simulated MCGA/VGA/SVGA 16384 color modes.
- Integrated with all processing options.
- Integrated with most slideshow effects available.

* Smarter/Enhanced grey color rendering in ANY mode with
ANY file type.

* HercGS and HiColor 640x480x32K modes, if available, are
now integrated in AutoMode selection (including Command
Line); 16/24/32-bit Targa and 24-bit BMP files will
automatically trigger 640x480x32K color mode, if detected.

* Added 1024x768x256 non-interlaced mode configuration for
Hercules Graphics Station card.

* Bugfix: HercGS 512x480x16M mode erroneously interpolated
small 16/24/32-bit Targa and 24-bit BMP files that were
smaller than screen size; corrected!

* Bugfix: Viewed/processed PCX and BMP images could not be
saved to MVGASCRN.* files; corrected.


Update v5.1 * 24-bit BMP ("True", 16 million color palette) support.

- Integrated with all processing options.
- up to 2048x2048

* ATI VGA Wonder XL 1024x768x256 mode added

* HiColor Mode Support (see those 16/24/32-bit Targa
and 24-bit BMP files)

- 640x480x32K "HiColor" mode support

for ATI VGA Wonder XL
and
Tseng 4000 cards w/ Sierra DAC

eg. Cardinal VGA732
Diamond SpeedSTAR HiColor
Focus 2 the Max VGA4000
Micro-Labs Ultimate VGA/HiColor
Orchid Prodesigner IIs
SOTA Lightning VGA
STB PowerGraph Ergo-VGA HiColor
United Ultra Image HiColor

- 800x600x32K "HiColor" mode support for Tseng 4000
cards w/ Sierra DAC (includes proprietary VRAM clear
screen routine - no garbage left on screen!)

* Fast (100% assembly), automatic, alphabetical file sorting.

* Total Slideshow overhaul - very reliable - runs for days!

* BUGFIX: When saving images converted to grey, palette
was not saved; corrected.

* BUGFIX: When saving resized or rendered 16-bit or 24-bit
images, MVGASCRN.RAW files were incorrectly saved
resulting in VGAFIL not recognizing the image or
crashing; corrected.

Update v5.0 * SVGA VESA support !

- Integrated with all processing options.
- 800x600x16
- 640x400x256
- 640x480x256
- 800x600x256
- 1KBx768x16
- 1KBx768x256

* Special 640x400x256 VESA mode for cards without it
(as long as card supports 640x480x256 VESA mode).

* PCX (Zsoft) support!

- Integrated with all processing options.
- up to 2048x2048
- B&W
- 16-color
- 256-color
- Version 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 compatibility.

* Paradise 800x600x256 and 1024x768x16 modes are now
included in menus and considered standard modes.

* BUGFIX:Genoa 6x00 640x400x256 mode called incorrect
mode;corrected.