Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Try WJG::AMIGA:EIGHT.ARC

Here's the doc file:


   ********************************************************
   *                                                      *
   *     The EIGHT color WorkBench Screen Modification    *
   *                  by David M. Pochron                 *
   *                                                      *
   ********************************************************

   Have you ever wanted more colors on the WorkBench screen? This
modification will let you have just that. By modifying the KickStart 1.2
disk it is possible to increase the # of bitplanes in a standard WorkBench
screen. Here is what you will need that is not included in this ARC file:

   A kickstart 1.2 disk (sorry Amiga 500 & 2000 owners - maybe someday I'll
figure out how to get it to work with KS in ROM)
   A disk sector editor (such as DiskX or DiskED)

Some items you MAY want to get the full potential of this mod:

   A utility to convert Dpaint brushes to icons (Like ZapIcon) or an icon
editor that will edit 8-color icons! (You'll probably want to create your
own 8-color icons someday...)
   A program that let's you change the screen colors on the Workbench
screen. (POPCOLORS is what I used)


Here is what is included in this arc file:

   These instructions. (duh!)
   A DISK icon         [DISK.INF]
   A RAMDISK icon      [RAMDISK.INF]
   A DRAWER icon       [DRAWER.INF]
   A TRASHCAN icon     [TRASHCAN.INF]
   A PROJECT icon      [PROJECT.INF]
   A CLI icon (a tool) [CLI.INF]
   A TOOL icon [TOOL.INF] (it's an extra - use it with Prefs. or something)

   An batch file which will rename the .info files from .inf to .info (arc
v.2.2 only allows 11 character filenames!)  [EXECUTE.ME]
   A basic program which will convert any icon of some type (ie: garbage,
tool, etc.) to any other type [CHNGICON.BAS]
   A program that sets the color registers 4-7 [SETCOLOR]
   A program that saves the current values in color registers 4-7 [SAVCOLOR]
   A color palette data file [COLORS.DAT] for registers 4-7. This must be
renamed to COLOR.PALETTE to work with the SETCOLOR program.

Procedure
---------
   First of all, get the names of those above icons changed by typing from a
CLI: EXECUTE EXECUTE.ME and if all goes well, the icons should have their
names changed to what need to be to show up on the workbench screen!
   Next - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACKUP OF KICKSTART! You really don't want to
chance messing up your only copy of it!
   Okay, now down to the nitty gritty...Boot up your favorite disk sector
editor (a file editor won't work with kickstart) and go to sector 247
(decimal). The byte that first must be changed is at $6F, and the value that
SHOULD be there is a 02. If a 02 isn't there, look around for a 02 preceded
by four $FF's and a 00.
   Now, change the value of 02 to 03 and you have just made workbench with 8
colors! However, there is a catch: Kickstart has a checksum value that is
checked whenever CTRL-Amiga-Amiga is pressed. If that checksum value doesn't
match the checksum of the KS disk, it will do a cold-start and ask for KS
again. So we must also fix the checksum...
   Go to sector 512. At byte offset $1E8, you will find the checksum value.
This value consists of four bytes. Change the four bytes there to:
      $56 $F2 $E2 $A5
   Unless you have made previous changes to your kickstart disk, this should
fix it. To test it, reboot completely using the modified kickstart disk.
Insert a Workbench 1.2 disk when it asks for it. If the cursor is white
during the startup-sequence, chances are that you have an 8-color workbench.
You will be able to find out for sure if the icons in this arc file show up
with 8 colors. There is one more test that needs to be performed - the
checksum value test. Press CTRL-amiga-amiga. If the computer asks for
Workbench, then everything is okay. If it asks for kickstart, then you
either made a mistake entering the new checksum value or there are other
mods to your kickstart disk. The only thing I can tell you now is to get
ahold of a public domain program called SUMKICK, which will read the entire
kickstart disk and create the checksum value for you.
   In any case, that's all there is to the actual modification. What follows
is an explanation of the three programs included with this arc file.

SETCOLOR
   Now that your workbench screen has 8 colors, you'll want to be able to
set the extra colors. (Preferences only can set colors 0-3) This program
looks for a file called COLOR.PALETTE. COLOR.PALETTE contains the RGB values
for the extra color registers. SETCOLOR should be copied to the C:
directory of your WorkBench disk and then you should modify the
Startup-Sequence to include the command SETCOLOR. The program will look for
the file COLOR.PALETTE in the current directory. (The root directory if used
in a startup-sequence.) Note that this program can only be used if there is
ONE screen currently up. If you are running a graphics demo, paint program,
etc. which opens up a new screen, this program will set the colors for that
other screen! All other screens except the Workbench screen must be closed
for this program to work.

SAVCOLOR
   You may not like the colors I chose for color registers 4-7. This program
reads the values currently in those registers and saves them to disk as the
file COLOR.PALETTE. Changing the values for those colors however can not be
done unless you have a program such as POPCOLORS which allows you to set the
color registers for a screen at any time. Also, if you have more than one
screen open at once, SAVCOLOR will save the colors from the other screen,
and not the Workbench screen! This has one advantage, as you can boot up
Dpaint II with WorkBench ON to create icons and it will grab
those colors from the Dpaint II screen! (No need then to figure out what
colors got used in the icons!)

CHNGICON.BAS
   If you are making your own icons from IFF brushes, chances are that the
converter program does not allow you to convert to any type of icon.
ZAPICON, for instance, only creates TOOLS when converting. This program will
let you change from anything to anything.
   First you will be asked for the name of the icon to change. Enter the
name (without .info added) of the icon you have just converted. Next you
will be asked for a data icon. This data icon serves as the "template" for
your custom icon. The image from your own icon is zapped onto this template
and the icon is saved under the name of your custom icon. (Not under the
name of the data icon!) So if you wanted to change a tool icon into a disk,
you would use a disk icon as the template.


A few caveats...
----------------
   Okay, you would probably like to know if there is anything BAD about
making these changes - Well, there are a few things...

1) You can't have backfilled 3-bitplane icons. Don't ask me why this doesn't
work. Even if the backfill bit is set, the rectangular area around the icon
stays. Note that backfill still works if the icon is only two bitplanes.
(yes - you can have 2 bitplane icons on a three bitplane screen! Nice, eh?)
2) Some "strange" icons look funny. The icon for NEWZAP! gets some garbage
on the 3rd bitplane for some reason. The easiest way to fix this is to
create a new icon for it!
3) The CLI windows scroll a little slower. Use a font speedup program to fix
this problem.
4) Although all of your old 2-bitplane icons still work fine, (a very
flexible OS - nice) the "animated" 2-bitplane icons don't "blit" with the
mouse when you drag them around. 3-bitplane animated icons work just fine,
however.

   That's it - aside from the fact that you can't use ICONED to create
3-bitplane icons. (Though you can still create the standard 2-plane icons
with no problems.)  To my surprise, if you convert a 3-bitplane IFF brush
(using ZAPICON or BRUSH2ICON) it will be converted to a 3-bitplane icon! 
Also, you can merge two 3-plane icons together with ICONMERGE and create an
animated 3-plane icon with no problems either!
   Remember that SETCOLOR only sets the extra color registers - use
Preferences to set registers 0-3. The values that registers 0-3 SHOULD be
set to so my icons look proper are:
   Register  R  G  B
   -----------------
   00        00 00 00
   01        15 15 15
   02        00 00 12
   03        12 00 00

For reference purposes, here are the values for 4-7 in the COLOR.PALETTE
file:

   04        08 08 08
   05        12 12 12
   06        00 10 00
   07        15 12 00

   I suggest you try these out - the icons look real impressive with
those colors!


Conclusion:
-----------
   With similar changes to this one, you could make the workbench screen
into anything you want. You could easily change the 03 to an 04 an have a
4-bitplane workbench screen! (Though the slowdown may be too great to live
with..) How about a HAM mode workbench screen with REAL digitized icons???
Hopefully, I'll have time to work on such projects.
Anyhow, enjoy the new WorkBench!
                                              - DMP -

     
     
     I found a newer version of the program by David Pochron on
     the net as WB8OR16.ARC. This one works with A500 and 2000
     and comes with some icons.
     Dave

    re .2:
    where on the net?
    
    dennis
    

>>where on the net?

I found it somewhere about a year ago. Since I didn't find it with
a quick search, I sent it to NORSE::AMIGA:[UPLOAD]WB8OR16.ARC

Note that even this version is NOV 1987, so there may be newer versions
around somewhere.

Dave

    Since we are on the subject of the workbench.  I have been using
    "mymenu" to run utilities without opening a shell, but have to put
    up with a lot of crashes.  Is there a menu utility that is a bit more
    stable then mymenu, or some other util without menus that can give me
    the same functionality?  I've seen a couple of "macro" key utilities
    but trying to remember all the key combinations (ctrl+shift+left<A>...)
    can be mind boggling. 
    I've got about 20 games and 15 application/utilities defined under
    mymenu.  Is there something PD or commercial that is reliable?
    
    
    mark

	Re. 5
>    Since we are on the subject of the workbench.  I have been using
>    "mymenu" to run utilities without opening a shell, but have to put
>    up with a lot of crashes.  Is there a menu utility that is a bit more
>    stable then mymenu, or some other util without menus that can give me
>
    	I'm not sure what "Mymenu" does, but I have been using BROWSER
    for running utilities. You create a "startup" file for BROWSER were
    you define all the utilities you want to run and their path. BROWSER
    will open a small window with all the volumes mounted. You can then
    proceed to click on a volume/directory to select your file and the 
    operation you want to perform selected from BROWSER's menus.
    
    	BROWSER also has built in operations such as copy, delete, create
    directory, etc.. and it is very stable. I've crashed many times, but
    none I could blame BROWSER. You'll probably find it in TAPE. Make sure
    you get the latest version, since it's much improved over older ones.
    I don't remember the version number, but it's the only one that offers
    a "detachable" version of the program, so that you don't have to "run"
    it. 
    

    
    I've been using MyMenu for quite awhile, and it is very stable for me. 
    Perhaps you're using it to run an application that needs a console
    window open for output?
    
    Ed.

    I have had some problems with MyMenu also, but it doesn't usually cause
    a Guru.  MyMenu makes an attempt to start the program, but it never
    starts, and there is no error.
    
    I have come up with two work-arounds that have worked for me.
    
    1) If the program can be started from CLI and Workbench, try using the
    other method from what you are currently using.
    
    2) Determine what application is creating the problem, and stop and
    restart Mymenu after using that application. (not very elegant and a
    real problem if you have multiple applications started by Mymenu)
    
    Example cases:
    
    City Desk would guru when I would enter the graphics editor, if I
    had Mymenu start it via Workbench.  No problem, when I fliped it to CLI.
    
    After I run Bally III or World Class Leader Board then exit,  Mymenu would
    fail when I would attempt to start any other application.  But, if I stop
    MyMenu and start it again, no problem.
    
    I have not seen any MyMenu problems with Handshake, VT100, VT200,
    Deluxe Paint II, and now City Desk.

    
    These are two variations on the way my amiga crashes:
    
    
Hardware: A500+A501+suprascsi+2MBram(supra)+2->st506 harddrives

Software on startup:WB+srt+qmouse+mymenu+(sometimes SID, most times not)

symptom:	I choose PHASAR using mymenu, finish with PHASAR,
		then choose SID with mymenu.  GURU w/illegal address
		(00000003)

  or		I choose FALCON using mymenu, then try to choose VLT.
		mymenu will not work.  Open a shell to "restart"
		mymenu. {>mymenu}  GURU w/corrupted free mem list
		or something to that effect(81000005 or 81000009).

Maybe it is SID?  I oft times fire it up and forget to kill it.

It seems to happen more often when I finish with PHASAR although I
got the GURU from mymenu when I had a "vanilla" A500 and no PHASAR.
Maybe I should use physical devices names in mymenu.conf 
instead of logical device names. (DI3:, DH2:, instead of UTL:, STORE:)

Most of programs I have defined in mymenu can be run from either the
workbench or CLI so I'll try switching the "CLI|WB" config param and see
what happens.  It only takes me about 24 seconds to reboot but it is a
pain and, being in the field, I detest a crashing system I am unable(at
this time) to troubleshoot.

re: Browser

I've got a copy that came with an Amiga Resource Disk, is that the latest
version?

mark
    

    I used to get the "task held..." requester just by starting up Dpaint2
    or Dpaint3, but since I re-did my hard drives, this does not happen
    anymore.
    
    I notice that you are using Qmouse, when I use Qmouse, there are quite
    a few spurious bugs that happen, like the mouse will "freeze", basic
    programs that used to run, now don't... I think Qmouse may be in for
    part of the blame (I was running MachII before, and IT was buggy too).
    
    I think Il'l try Dmouse, and if I still get weird behaviour, Il'l just
    let the pictures burn the monitor!
    
    Jean
    

    I just installed 8 color workbench on my 2000, spent the time in
    figuring out the colors that work best for me, and it seems to work
    fine. I discovered that when you switch from 8 back to 4 color,
    colors 4-7 are re-mapped to equal colors 0-3. With this in mind,
    I came up with the following scheme that produces normal-looking
    workbench icons and screen in 4 color mode, and enhanced 8 color
    icons in 8 color mode:
    
    Register	Color			R	G	B
    0		Background (blue/gray)	5	7	9
    1		White			15	15	15
    2		Black			0	0	0
    3		Brown/tan		14	9	2
    4		yellow green		14	15	0
    5		Gray/silver		10	10	10
    6		Blue			0	4	14
    7		Red/Orange		15	2	4
    
    I was able to grab an 8 color drawer icon from the fish series and
    changed it to look great in both color modes and to "move" when
    dragged. But I still have a few problems I'm hoping I can get help
    with:
    
    1) Is there an 8 color icon editor anywhere???
    
    2) Is there a program that will change an 8 color icon to/from an
    IFF file? I grabbed the MAKEICON program from fred fish, but this
    produces a constant "file too big" error on IFF files I created.
    Since these files were created in 3 bitplanes and low resolution,
    I can only assume that the error is due to the number of bitplanes
    in the image.

    I could still use help . Is anyone using 8 color workbench on a
    regular basis? What is the best icon editor and IFF import program
    to use?

    I don't use an 8 color workbench but I do use ICON Master.  I sent
    a donation to the author of ICON Master and he sent me a disk with
    the new version which does 8 colors.  If I recall correctly, the
    disk also had all the utilities you need to convert to an 8 color
    workbench and something to import IFF files.  I'll take a closer
    look.  I believe the author is John Schieb from Las Vegas.
    
    Frank
    

    Hummm. I grabbed the version  of ICON_MASTER on the ENET and it was
    4-color only. The best program I found so far is IMAGE_ED, but I
    find the "streched" picture hard to use (plus I seem to have a problem
    with it's default colors over-riding my preferences). I look forward
    to the information.