Setting up my Alpine system properly, How do I make the Alpine work with my PC?? Options

[Alex Czarnowski]

Ok, my manual is dated: 24 July 1995. This could explain why you are missing some info I found in docs, but still this one is far from being complete - some parts still contain information that text will be included in next releases.

[MegaData]

How complete is your developer software?

[Alex Czarnowski]

How complete is your developer software?

Could you be more specific? I can post listing of my dev disks if you like.

[atari_fan]

Ok, my manual is dated: 24 July 1995. This could explain why you are missing some info I found in docs, but still this one is far from being complete - some parts still contain information that text will be included in next releases.

Wow, that is much newer than the version I have.

Do you happen to have this manual in digital format??

[MegaData]

I've been looking for several things I notice I'm missing as I make my way through the manual. For example, I just found out I do have the "Anajoy" example program from the original Jaguar Developer's Club (StarCat) disc. I've been posting messages asking if people had it, among other things. I must not have installed it from the CD before. It's great when I find things I already had! Twice in one week! Woo-hoo! Where was I? Oh yes. Everything I have for developer tools is from StarCat and the JSII Programming Playground. High Voltage and Songbird sold me Alpines but I never got software with either of them. Anything outside of what I have would be cool. They may be the most updated versions there are available but if you can go into the playground, you can download what I have and compare it with what you have. StarCat's files were generally older. He's had one or two updated releases since then.

I'd definitely like to know if there is source code for 3d_jaz (there's just a cof file to run with the 3d demo) and if you have a Cinepak CD Demo with "Jaws" "Escape16" and "Future" on it, I know I'm missing those from mention in the developer manual. Anything beyond the date of my manual would be of great interest to me, as well. Software and Manual wise. It'd be nice to have a complete developer evironment as updated as possible.

If a listing of dev. discs would show version numbers, or dates of files, I'm interested to see that.

This post has been edited by MegaData: Dec 18 2006, 07:37 AM

[atari_fan]

If a listing of dev. discs would show version numbers, or dates of files, I'm interested to see that.

I am interested too!

[Alex Czarnowski]

Ok, my manual is dated: 24 July 1995. This could explain why you are missing some info I found in docs, but still this one is far from being complete - some parts still contain information that text will be included in next releases.

Wow, that is much newer than the version I have.

Do you happen to have this manual in digital format??

Unfortunately not - if I had it it would be posted here long time ago. I have to find one day to scan it. However I'll post listing of my dev tools including versions.

[MegaData]

I just have now found that I am missing the help file for the artwork program.

[Alex Czarnowski]

I just have now found that I am missing the help file for the artwork program.

What artwork program? It seems I don't have anything like it in on my disks.

[MegaData]

There is an artwork folder with a July 1995 release. It's on the starcat disc & in the playground but neither have the help file called from the "ArtWork" application. Maybe there never was one. There is a pdf file bundled with it and the application is missing "cut" and "copy" features according to the pdf. It seems like it was still in early development.

[Alex Czarnowski]

There is an artwork folder with a July 1995 release. It's on the starcat disc & in the playground but neither have the help file called from the "ArtWork" application. Maybe there never was one. There is a pdf file bundled with it and the application is missing "cut" and "copy" features according to the pdf. It seems like it was still in early development.

Ok. I don't have this file either

[atari_fan]

I believe he is talking about these files:

http://www.u-235.co.uk/downloads/files/Jaguar_Artwork/

This is a huge collection of all sorts of artwork for boxes, labels, overlays, etc.

On the website it says:
"Glenn Bruner very kindly posted a collection of artworks obtained from multiple SyQuest drives from Atari onto the news groups. To make this useful stuff more availible I have hosted the files here so that people can pick through them at their leisure."


There is great stuff in there!

Ok, my manual is dated: 24 July 1995. This could explain why you are missing some info I found in docs, but still this one is far from being complete - some parts still contain information that text will be included in next releases.

Wow, that is much newer than the version I have.

Do you happen to have this manual in digital format??

Unfortunately not - if I had it it would be posted here long time ago. I have to find one day to scan it. However I'll post listing of my dev tools including versions.

I have a scanner with automatic sheet feeder in my office, so I could process the manual(s) and convert them into a PDF if you like (and trust me). The more recent our dev manuals are the better.

[MegaData]

Although there is great stuff in the downloads you linked to, including a customizable overlay layout, box designs and other neat goodies for a final project, that is not what I was referring to.

The "JAGUAR ArtWork" program works directly with the Alpine. You load an image into the artwork program and it shows up on the PC as well as the screen attached to the Alpine. When choosing colors the eyedropper appears in real time on the Alpine screen while you control the mouse on the computer. I'm not real sure how to load other images into it other than the one provided which simply has eyes "Jaguar" and "64-bit" to display. You can mess with clipping, scrolling, and scaling...

In the same folder is "JagTool" or "The Jaguar Graphics Tool" which does not display on the Alpine but does have a "help file" though it is not very helpful...

The Jaguar Graphics Tool is designed to allow developers working on Jaguar software to load graphics images created by popular software and save them out in a format suitable for use with their Jaguar project. It is capable of loading most popular graphics file formats, and can save out images in a variety of different Jaguar-specific formats including Madmac source code, and ALN-linkable binary files. It can handle RGB to CRY conversion as well.

This is the very first release of the Jaguar Graphics Tool, and it still has a number of rough edges, not the least of which is the minimal documentation, including that contained in this online help file, that is provided with it. The program is, however, still very useful in its current form.

[atari_fan]

Although there is great stuff in the downloads you linked to, including a customizable overlay layout, box designs and other neat goodies for a final project, that is not what I was referring to.

The "JAGUAR ArtWork" program works directly with the Alpine. You load an image into the artwork program and it shows up on the PC as well as the screen attached to the Alpine. When choosing colors the eyedropper appears in real time on the Alpine screen while you control the mouse on the computer. I'm not real sure how to load other images into it other than the one provided which simply has eyes "Jaguar" and "64-bit" to display. You can mess with clipping, scrolling, and scaling...

In the same folder is "JagTool" or "The Jaguar Graphics Tool" which does not display on the Alpine but does have a "help file" though it is not very helpful...

The Jaguar Graphics Tool is designed to allow developers working on Jaguar software to load graphics images created by popular software and save them out in a format suitable for use with their Jaguar project. It is capable of loading most popular graphics file formats, and can save out images in a variety of different Jaguar-specific formats including Madmac source code, and ALN-linkable binary files. It can handle RGB to CRY conversion as well.

This is the very first release of the Jaguar Graphics Tool, and it still has a number of rough edges, not the least of which is the minimal documentation, including that contained in this online help file, that is provided with it. The program is, however, still very useful in its current form.

Wow, that is very interesting.

So, where did you find all these tools? And where can I get them from?

[MegaData]

I have the very first release of StarCat's Developer CD. ArtWork may be on a revised version but it's not on mine. You'll have to inquire with StarCat on that note. I see there is a 1995 PDF Developer Manual on the StarCat CD... I find the PDF format harder to read than a hardcopy though. The scans don't look the best (edged off to one corner) but that's an interesting find I didn't know I had.

I must have downloaded the Artwork Folder from the Playground post of the Developer Tools.