Chip 1994 February/CHIP0294.ISO/digital/magazin/pontontv/readme.txt

INI File | 1994-07-07 | 14KB | 371 lines

[manual for version 1.33 not finished, will be delivered later]

Service Area Frontend for P, Ver 1.2
(c) Ponton European Media Art Lab, Hannover 1994

* Introduction

Service Area a.i. is a telematic landscape based on
computers and networks. It's accessible in different
ways: via Telephone, Modem, Fax or TV. The visitors
of Service Area a.i. inhabit and design this world
and therefore represent a virtual society. Hundreds
of people could get access in realtime, they have
several communication possibilities like talking to
each other, exchange text- and artwork, they could
even transmit movies. The visitors can visualize
themselves with the Service Area Frontends, they could
travel through the cyberreality, get in touch with other
people, make music and much more. The software is
the key to the virtual world of Service Area a.i..
If you'd like to know more: just dial in and try it
or write an e-mail to [e-mail] for more
information first.


* Hardware Requirements

You need at least a PC with a 286-CPU, a 386 with 33 MHZ would
be much better and a 586 is the absolut choice.

- eine RAMDISK with at least 1 MB.
You create one with 4 MB by writing this command to CONFIG.SYS:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 4096 512 1024 /e
You can choose any capacity for 1 to 16 MB, depending on your
hardware.

- MS-DOS 3.3 or higher

- 640 K standard-memory
- VGA-Graphics
- Mouse

- a Modem with at least 9600 baud, 14400 is the better choice.

Optionals:
- Soundblaster 2.0
- Microphon (required for the upgrade to PC Frontend 2.0)
- AVIS-Videodigitizer (with Camera)


* How to install the Frontend?

First create a directory PIAZZA. Copy the
program "FRONT_PC.EXE" to it and execute the exe-file. All
necessary files will be unstuffed. Here's a list of them:

FRONTEND.EXE           the program
EGAVGA.BGI             Grafiktreiber
USER.DDD               your profile
PIAZZA.DDD
USER.SHP
MAKEUSER.EXE           User shape's compilation tool
PIAZZA.SHP
FM.IBK
BUTTONL.BMP
BUTTONR.BMP
BUTTONM2.BMP
AVIS0000.API           several AVIS-Pictures
README.TXT             this file
LIESMICH.TXT           this file in german
FHISTORY.TXT           AVIS-History file
LITT.CHR
TRIP.CHR
F.BAT                  batchfile

Store your parameters (COM-Port and modemspeed)
in "F.BAT".
The Frontend is freeware, please feel free to spread it
to all your friends and good BBS systems. But be sure to
keep the file "USER" with you, because it stores your
personal data. You don't need to worry too much if your
user file has been spreaded by accident. Service Area a.i.
stores no personal data like mails or addresses and no
password is required for access.


* Modemsettings

Your modem should have the following settings, there's the
possibility to define an initstring at the first start of
the PC-Frontend. If you want to change it later, use any
ASCII-Editor to change the file "USER".

Your modem should use RTS/CTS flow control (often AT&R2&H1)
and the serial port rate should be fixed (mostly AT&B1). The
Modem should hang up on DTR down and should execute normal
DCD-operations (AT&D2&C1). Please choose the following options
with a connected AVIS-cheese: ignore DTR and disable command
echo (AT&D0E0). Your serial cable should support all handshake
and all pins from 2 to 8 and 20 should be connected. For
people with  9-pol cables: TD,RD,RTS,CTS,DSR,GND,DCD and DTR.


* starting Frontend

You can start up either with "F.BAT" or directly with
"FRONTEND". Calling Frontend directly gives you the ability
to handle some parameters directly. E.g. "FRONTEND 1 19200"
tells: use COM-port 1 with 19200 baud.

The software searches first for a RAM-Disk to create a
directory for temporary items. It asks for a partition to
store the scratchfile, if the RAM-Disk search fails. You
can specify any disk and directory for the temporary file,
confirm your choice with a <RETURN>. Although it's
a good idea to create a RAM-Disk because of speed reasons.
Here's an example how to create a 4MB-Disk: add the
following command line to your CONFIG.SYS and reboot:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 4096 512 1024 /e

The Service Area Frontend asks first for the desired
COM-Port, if you haven't passed any parameters after
launching the program. The standard devices COM1: to
COM4: are accessed with <1> to <4>. If you'd like to use
other ports: pass the parameters in the following form
"$"<adress in hex>"/"<interrupt> ein. For a Unix-card
something like: "1A0/5".

It's necessary to specify the Modem speed. Just type an <a> if
you're using an AVIS-cheese, because AVIS is working with
one speed only and requires a special port handling.

You could store these parameters in "F.BAT" to access them
automatically next time.

You're asked for a username and some personal data at first
login. Please give them to us or access to Service Area a.i.
will be denied. We collect these data for adminstrative
use and won't pass them over to other persons or organisations.
You've added some wrong data by accident? Just delete
the file "USER" and restart the programm, it will create
a new file for you.

You can add an initstring for your modem afterwards, please
have a close look at "Modemsettings" for all necessary
information. The modem commands are stored in the "USER"-file,
you could change it easily by using a simple text editor.

Last but not least, the phone number of Service Area a.i.
from within Germany. Please change it to
511-631030 and don't forget to add the german
country code.

Then the frontend comes up and tries to reach us in
Hannover, Germany. Have fun.


* The Piazza

Your first look at Service Area a.i. goes to the main
piazza, called "Public", straight ahead are the four
forums that belong to it. There are seven other piazzas,
each one has four forums. Every piazza has it's own
theme of global interest, the themes of the forums
are more specialised. Every theme is displayed in big
blue letters. Just step around, take place in discussions
or do whatever you want.

A status line is displayed at the top of your screen.
Your ID (received automatically at login) is at the left,
followed by the dialed number. The mode is shown in red:
"TEXT" means a normal Text-Capture and "AVIS" stands
for Video-Captures. "AVIS" changes to "Sendig" while
you're transmitting your own pictures into Service Area.
If you've choosed the sound-mode, your instrument is shown
in white letters. The green "X" or "O" is an indicator
for sending permissions. An "X" means too much data
received, shut up a moment. "O" everything allright
pass over all data. The time is displayed in UTC
(Universal Time Code).

Underneath your window to Service Area a.i., as described
already. All Piazzas are in blue or orange color, you appear as
a green object, if you haven't  changed the parameters in
USER.DDD. Every user carries his name.

You can create your own shape by modifying the file USER.DDD.
We recommend that you now the basics of 3-D-Programming to do
this. Compile your edited file with MAKEUSER.EXE.

The last part of the screen is the navigation window. It's
divided from the WorldView of Service Area through a
status line for system informations. All users, that
are currently connected are displayed here, this list
will update every time a user loggs out or comes in.
You'll get a message also if you've entered a forum.


* Navigation through Service Area a.i.

You could wander through the world of Service Area with the
mouse. There's a compass at left top to make orientation a
little bit easier for you.
All buttons could be activated also with the numeric keypad
and the cursors. All buttons on the right are belonging to
the numeric keys and the buttons on the left to the cursor
pad. Every move is collected and displayed from your own
frontend. That's why you are able to fly everytime, even
when you're not connected to Service Area. This feature
gives you the ability of true navigation. You can enter
a forum directly and talk to the people there. All
communication that takes place in other forums is
suppressed then. Just fly directly to the forum until
its name is displayed in your status line. Then you're
in. You leave the forum by flying away via the side border.

This is the layout for your three dimenisional navigation.Sure
you could execute it also with your mouse.

       1 /\  straight ahead
       2 v   down
       3 \/  backwards
       4 <-  left
       5 o   Home            returns to the login position
       6 ->  right
       7 <@  turn left
       8 ^   upwards
       9 @>  turn right


* Communicationmodes of Service Area a.i.

You can use several media to communicate with others on
our piazza. Choose between text, pictures or sound with
a mousclick on the icon-buttons displayed on the left.
Use:
       'T' for text,
       piano for music
       microphone for speech (not implemented in this betaversion)
       CamCorder for AVIS-pictures
       brush for painting (not implemented in this betaversion)
       the clear button for nothing
       (sure, it hasn't been implemented yet).


Text
make a discussion with the other participants. You can read
the text communication in your actual forum in the lowest
window between the navigation blocks. Your own contributions
are edited in the green line below, send it with <RETURN>.
Your username is added automatically.

Music
just make music. The text window changes to a piano after
a mouseklick on the music button. You receive one of 128
instruments automatically. The icons above are not
initialised with special instruments by now, but you
can move to another instrument by pressing them. The icon
with the note on it loads a new bank. You can enjoy the whole
variety of the orchestra by using a soundblaster device.
Playing is very easy: just press the piano by using your
mouse or use the keyboard. The second and forth row
contains the tone and the first and third the halftones.
You could hold every sound for 10 seconds, afterwards
it will be ignored by the WorldEngine to avoid getting
on all others nerves.

Brush
paint with your partners, these function will be added
later on.

Microphone
speek to everyone. With a Soundblastercard you'll
be able to hear all voices in the next version of
Service Area Frontend.

Camera
make photographs and films at Service Area a.i..
You have access to full functionality if you have
an AVIS-Cheese. If not, you can watch what other
people are transmitting. The display changes to black
and white by pressing the camera button. All received
pictures are stored in the gallery. You could step from
one frame to another with the cursor-keys. The F-keys
have the following functions:

F3 send this picture (play)
F4 save next received picture to gallery
F9 send live-pictures from home (AVIS-Cheese required!).
   This keys between "start transmission" and "stop
   transmission". Its helpful to press it after 2
   seconds again to transmit only one picture.
   You can't participate in the chat, during a
   transmission of AVIS-pictures.

You'd like to obtain an AVIS-Cheese? Please look
at the order info at the bottom of this text.


* Orange Keys
same as F-keys 1 to 4

Info (F1)
Map of Service Area, you look at the world with
all users from above. Change the view with the
"+" and "-" on the numeric keypad.

Toggle Connectionmode (F2)
pressing this key with the mouse terminates your
visit to Service Area. The Frontend tries to
connect you if you're not logged in. Auto-Redial
included.

Play (F3)
Plays a file to Service Area, which kind depends
on the chosen media mode.

Record (F4)
starts recording: a capture if you're in the text
mode, a snapshot in the video mode and so on.


* Navigation Keypad
travel trough Service Area a.i.. Buttons are
described from left to right:

turn right
upwards
turn left
left
Home            returns to the login position
right
straight ahead
down
backwards


* Keyboard Commands

del        disconnect from Service Area but don't drop the line
ins        reconnect to Service Area (Connection Reset)
tab           cycles through the media modes
shift-tab  cycles back
shift-F1   testmode: shows all incoming messages with headers

----------------------------------------------------------------

AVIS Order Info:

        AVIS is a simple, easy to use videodigitzer for video-
        conferencing, fun, interactive TV. It converts PAL/
        NTSC/SECAM video to serial RS232 and allows transmission
        of video and text with standard 14.400/V.42bis modems
        on analog telephone lines.
        AVIS can be used on the following computer platforms:
        PC, Mac and Amiga. It has a resolution of 96x72 pixel,
        16 levels of grey, and automatic gain control (AGC) for
        best possible quality, picture update every 2 seconds.
        AVIS is shipped with Manual, Software for Mac, Pc, Amiga
        and Mac-to-modem-cable.

        Please send a written order to:
        PONTON EUROPEAN MEDIA ART LAB
        Lister Str. 17
        D-30163 Hannover
        Fax: [phone]

        You'll receive AVIS after wiring DM 190,- plus DM 22,- for
        shipping and handling in Europe (worldwide plus DM 43,-)
        to our account "Ponton Verlag" at Deutsche Bank, Hamburg