Funny graphical programs with Allegro ===================================== Package version: 1.50 for Windows 98/2000/XP/7/8 and Linux Author: Stefan Spaennare, Lund, Sweden E-mail: stefan@spaennare.se Home page: http://www.spaennare.se/index.html Program page: http://www.spaennare.se/ssprog2.html First version: 2006-01-02 Latest update: 2012-12-29 Contents ======== 1. Introduction 2. Disclaimer 3. Config files 4. Files included 5. Graphics mode 6. Screensaver 7. System requirements 8. Playing instructions for "lworm" 9. Package history 10. References and programming tools 1. Introduction =============== This is a very slow ongoing project to convert all the C-programs in "Graphical DOS Mix" ("ssdosmix", see the program web-page above) to 32-bit code using the game programming library Allegro and modern compilers under Windows and Linux. Some programs in this package are new or improved compared to "ssdosmix". At present the programs "lworm", "cube", "transf" the improved program "elpend" and the new program "chaopend2" are included. The programs are now terminated by typing the key "q" (quit) only. See the header of each program C-code for more information and program history. 2. Disclaimer ============= For all the programs in this package the following statement is valid: I make no warranties that this program is (1) free of error, (2) consistent with any standard merchantability, or (3) meeting the requirements of a particular application. This software shall not, partly or as a whole, participate in a process, whose outcome can result in injury to a person or loss of property. It is solely designed for analytical work. Permission to use, copy, and distribute is hereby granted without fee, providing that the header above including this notice appears in all copies. 3. Config files =============== Each of the programs has a config file ("program.cfg") which can be edited to set different running parameters. Open the config file with WordPad, NotePad or WinVi under Windows. Preferably Vi under Linux. The program "chaopend2" has the RGB color palette set in a separate config file called "chaopend2-colors.cfg". The other programs will also get such color config files in a future release of the packge. 4. Files included ================= The file "alleg40.dll" or "allp.dll" (for Windows) as well as the sound files (*.wav) (Windows and Linux) must be present in the same directory (map) as the executables. 5. Graphics mode ================ The programs can be run either in console (DOS or CMD) mode under Windows or in window mode under both Windows and Linux. If window mode is used the outer border of the shown program window must be smaller than the graphics resolution of the screen. 6. Screensaver ============== Some of the programs (at present "cube", "transf", "elpend" and "chaopend2") can be run as screensaver under Windows. Rename the file "program.exe" to "program.scr" and copy the file to the directory "C:\WINDOWS\system32" together with the file "program.cfg" and "alleg40.dll" or "allp.dll". 7. System requirements ====================== Operating system: Windows 98/2000/XP/7/8 or Linux released after 1998 Processor: Intel Pentium III, AMD K7 or faster Memory: >= 256 Mbyte Sound card: Optional, but it is funnier with sound. Sound card is only required for the program "lworm". 8. Playing instructions for the "lworm" game ============================================ Try to shoot the blue "candy" squares with the laser to get points. Avoid to run into the green squares, the border or the worm itself. Although you can shoot a way through the green squares and the worm with the laser. Try to shoot as many "candy" as you can with as few shots as possible and at as short distance as possible to get a good "running skill". Enjoy! :-) 9. Package history ================== Whats new 2012-12-29 (package version 1.50) ------------------------------------------- The program "lworm" now works with this release of the package with some minor changes. The start sound is changed and the program works best in "DOS" or "CMD" mode under Windows. Edit the "lworm.cfg" file to set this. Unfortunately it seems as if the Linux version of "lworm" is quite slow. The program "transf" hs also been updated to fit with the new Allegro versions mentioned in the 2012-12-08 release of this package. See below. The program "chaopend2" now uses dynamical arrays for the pendulum data. This means that only the memory of the computer limits the number of pendulums the program can run at the same time. Each pendulum requires quite little memory, so this means at least several thousand pendulums. For practical reasons usually much fewer are used. The RGB color palette for the program are now located in the file "chaopend2-colors.cfg". You can add as many colors as you wish i this file and then change the colors of the different pendulum parts in the file "chaopend2.cfg". In this file many other parameters for the pendulums can also be set or changed. The author has the intention to make similar color palette *.cfg files also for the other programs in this package in a future release. Whats new 2012-12-08 (package version 1.40) ------------------------------------------- The program "chaopend" is now replaced by "chaopend2" which can run several chaotic pendulums at the same time. All programs have now updated config (*.cfg) files. The programs are now terminated by typing the key "q" (quit) only. The Linux versions are now compiled using Allegro 4.4.2 and gcc under Fedora 17 64-bit. The Windows version is compiled using Allegro 4.2.3.1 and MSVC 6.0. It seems that the Allegro graphics under Linux (using OpenGL) is significantly faster than in Windows. Unfortunately the "lworm" game doesn't work in this version of the ssfun2 package. Possibly due to sound problems with the new versions of allegro. This will be investigated. Use the old version of this package ("ssfun") to run the "lworm" program. To install Allegro 4.4.2 under Linux simply download the package, compile and install it. To be able to compile and run your own Allegro C or C++ programs you then also need to install alleggl-devel-4.4.2. Simply run "yum install" on this package. It is an OpenGL development package for Allegro and it is quite fast. Whats new 2006-07-18 -------------------- The programs "transf", "elpend" and "chaopend" added. Minor changes to "cube" and "lworm". Whats new 2006-01-06 -------------------- First version of the package. Programs compiled using Allegro 4.0.3, Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 for Windows and GNU gcc for Linux. 10. References and programming tools ==================================== 1. The game library Allegro 4.2.3.1 and 4.4.2 was used for graphics and sound: http://alleg.sourceforge.net/ 2. Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 (MSVC) compiler was used under Windows: http://www.microsoft.com 3. The sound files (*.wav) to "lworm" were made using the program "Sinus": http://www.gusnet.cx/proj/sinus/ 4. The random function ran2() comes from Numerical Recipes in C Second Edition: http://www.nr.com ----------------------------------------------------------- End of readme.txt file.