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StarShip 5 MINUTE Weekend Newscast (1993 07 23)
Welcome to the
____
/ ___) *StarShip* 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast
/ (_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___)
/ (__ very weekend the *StarShip* on GEnie presents a new 5-MINUTE Weekend
(_____) Newscast in Communications Room 10 in the Real-Time Conference Area.
Featuring late-breaking stories from the Amiga community, these dynamic,
scrolling newscasts cycle every 5 minutes, so you can stop by between 6PM and
3AM Eastern time on Friday, or 3PM and 3AM Eastern time on Saturday or Sunday
and learn everything that happened during the preceding week. Industry news,
product announcements, upgrades, rumors, special *StarShip* activities, trade
show reports, GEnie usage tips, humor, recommended files to download...
... the works -- and it ONLY takes 5 minutes!
Each 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast is available on *StarShip* Menu #10 during the
following week. Periodically, newscasts are combined and made available for
downloading from the *StarShip* Library.
____________________________________________________________
// \
|| -*- IMPORTANT! -*- |
|| |
|| As long as individual stories are kept intact and credit |
|| is given, this material may be reproduced in ALL or PART |
|| on a privately owned BBS or in a user group newsletter. |
|| See wording for proper credit at the end of this Newscast. |
\\____________________________________________________________/
|| |
|| |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Denny Atkin, Editor,
COMPUTE's Amiga Resource,
for his generous input.
Here we go!...
To Return to GEnie:
Type /QUIT on a line by itself and hit RETURN.
^ Note the SLASH! Note the SLASH!
DateLine: July 23, 1993
This 5-MINUTE Newscast presents the following stories:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Commodore Extends Amiga 2000 Power Up Promotion, Offers Program Savings
to Amiga 3000 Owners
2. Commodore Outsources US Support Operation to Service Management Group
3. Prime Image Introduces Plug-In Digital Standards Converter Board
4. Next Week's *StarShip* Amiga Conferences
5. Impulse Announces Imagine 3.0
6. Electronic Arts Announces DeluxeMusic(R)
7. Push*Button Publishing Ships Panorama Version 3.0
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
1st of 7 Stories
Commodore Extends Amiga 2000 Power Up Promotion
and Offers the Program Savings to Amiga 3000 Owners
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___) West Chester, PA -- July 1, 1993
/ /
/ (__
(_____)ommodore Business Machines, Inc. today announced it is extending the
Amiga 2000 power up program, offering special savings for Amiga 2000 owners
on the purchasse of an Amiga 4000 series computer, through July 31, 1993. The
company is also expanding the Power Up program to include owners of Amiga
3000 series computers. Promotional pricing is $2349(*) for the A4000-040/120
and $1599(*) for the A4000-030/120, repressenting substantial savings of
$1350 and $800 respectively, based on Maufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices.
"The success of the Amiga 2000 Power Up program and feedback from our
established Amiga 3000 customer base encouraged us to expand the program to
include A3000 owners," commented James Dionne, president and general manager
of Commodore Business Machines, Inc. "Extending the promotion through the end
of July will allow A3000 owners to take advantage of the substantial Power Up
savings and enable us to meet the growing demand for Amiga 4000 products."
The Power Up program is designed to position the Amiga 4000 computer as the
new base platform for development of future Amiga products. The promotion
provides current Amiga 2000 and 3000 computer owners with the opportunity to
puchase an Amiga 4000 at a substantial cost savings. By not requiring current
users to trade-in their A2000 and 3000 systems the program also protects
their investment in software and add-on hardware.
To receive the promotional pricing purchasers must provide the front cover of
their Amiga 2000 or 3000 owners manual and the system serial number. Power Up
program pricing is available at the time of purchase through participating
Commodore Authorized Resellers in the United States.
The high performance A4000-040/120 and A4000-030/120 both feature Commodore's
Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) chip set, enabling users to display and
animate graphics in multiple resolutioins at up to 256,000 colors from a
palette of 16.8 million. Both systems include AmigaDOS(tm) Release 3,
Commodore's multitasking operating system that takes advantage of AGA
features while maintaining backward compatability with most software
developed for earlier versions of AmigaDOS. Backward compatibility is also
maintained for most peripheral products originally designed for the Amiga
2000 or 3000 computers.
Commodore Business Machines, Inc., bassed in West Chester, PA, is the U.S.
subsidiary of Commodore International Limited. The company manufactures and
markets a complete line of Amiga computers and peripherals for the business,
consumer, education and government markets. The company's worldwide installed
user base of Amiga computers is presently almost four million.
Amiga(R), AmigaDOS and Advanced Graphics Architecture are trademarks of
Commodore-Amiga Inc.
(*)A2000 and 3000 Power Up promotional pricing is subject to reseller
participation. Actual reseller pricing may vary. See reseller for further
details.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
2nd of 7 Stories
Commodore Outsources US Support Operation
to The Service Management Group
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___) West Chester, PA -- July 1, 1993
/ /
/ (__
(_____)ommodore Business Machines, Inc. and The Service Management Group,
Inc. today announced an outsourcing agreement in which the SGM will provide
all post sale support to Commodore resellers, OEMs, VARs and end users. Under
the terms of this agreement, the SMG will administer the U.S. warranty
program for Commodore. Commodore products are currently covered by a one
year, parts and labor warranty provided through Authorized Commodore
resellers and service centers. Beginning today Commodore resellers and
service centers will work with the SMG for all warranty-related activities.
The Service Mangement Group will also act as the U.S. distributor for
Commodore parts. The agreement is expected to eventually include the repair
and refurbishment of all defective products, repair component mangement and
end-of-life logistics and materials management.
Commodore also announced that it is unbundling end user product support
offerings effective today. After an extensive study of the current customer
service programs and consultation with Commodore resellers, service centers
and end users, CBM decided to restructure both the Commodore Express(tm) and
Gold Service Programs. These nationally recognized programs will now be
unbundled, permitting Commodore customers to select the service that best
meets their individual needs. The Gold Service Programs will be available
through the Service Mangement Group. Under Gold Service, Commodore end users
can select a variety of coverage options for their Commodore Amiga systems
and the most popular third-party items purchased for these systems. These
coverages include dealer, depot or on-site support in the United States.
"Commodore end users are a very diverse and demanding group," commented James
Dionne, President and General Manager of Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
"Their support requirements range from self maintenance to total turnkey
support. Commodore is committed to meeting each of these support requirements
with the highest quality service at the lowest cost to the customer.
Outsourcing our support program to the SMG permits us to not only meet these
requirements, but to keep Commodore support among the best in the industry."
The SMG provides customer support through a network of Authorized Commodore
resellers and service centers, as well as a nationwide service provider.
The SMG will also provide support for both Commodore Authorized resellers and
service centers. These programs are slated to include a technical help desk,
staffed by engineering personnel specifically trained to assist dealers and
service centers, as well as technical publications and on-line bulletin
boards.
"We are very proud of the work we have done with Commodore over the past
three years," noted Paul Bielski, President of the SMG. "With programs such
as Commodore Express Gold Service and the SMG Extended Warranty, Commodore
has been able to meet the needs of the most demanding customers, while
improving quality and reducing cost. We are proud to have had the opportunity
to design, implement and manage these efforts for Commodore."
The SMG announced that it will be expanding its headquarters in Columbia,
Maryland, and will add new facilities and personnel in the West Chester,
Pennsylvania and Memphis, Tennessee areas.
Commodore Business Machines, Inc., based in West Chester, PA, is the U.S.
subsidiary of Commodore International Limited. The company manufactures and
markets a complete line of Amiga computers and peripherals for the business,
consumer, education and government markets.
The Service Management Group, Inc., located in Columbia, MD, is a
professional services and management consulting firm, specializing in
customer service and product support. Chartered as a Service Integrator, the
SMG provides innovative solutions to complex operational and support problems
for manufacturers, distributors, VARs and large end users.
Commodore(R) is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Limited. Amiga(R) is a
trademark of Commodore-Amiga, Inc. Commodore Express(TM) is a trademark of
Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
3rd of 7 Stories
Prime Image Introduces Plug-In Digital Standards Converter
Board for NTSC, PAL, PAL-M, SECAM, PAL-N & NTSC 4.43
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ _ ) San Jose, CA -- June 7, 1993
/ ___/
/ /
(_/rime Image has introduced its model Std Con/PCB digital standard coverter
plug-in board for PC operation. The Std Con/PCB may be used with IBM, Amiga,
or any "compatibles" that incorporate an AT bus.
This new plug-in board offers complete world television standards conversion,
including: NTSC, PAL, PAL-M, SECAM, PAL-N, and NTSC 4.43 inputs; and NTSC,
PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, and NTSC 4.43 outputs.
The Std Con/PCB incorporates an on-board time base corrector/synchronizer in
addition to its standards converter components, and accepts synchronous or
non-synchronous inputs, with transcoding of composite or Y/C in to Y/C or
composite out. Of added significance is the ability of the Std Con/PCB to
convert the NTSC "Toaster" input and output, used extensively in desk-top
video applications, to PAL input and output standards.
The Std Con/PCB provides high quality signal processing generally found in
only much more expensive, rack-mounted models. Weight is under 10 ounces, and
the board requires less than 7 watts of power. The base price for the
stand-alone board is currently under $1,700.00 (US). Options include a remote
control unit for TBC functions, and a 3-way adaptive comb filter that allows
the unit to output broadcast quality flat response to 5.5 MHz. Std Con/PCB
plug-in boards are currently shipping.
Model Std Con/PCB Features
o Mode Selection for All World Television Standards
o Operates with all PC's that use AT Bus
o Time Base Corrects and Synchronizes Input
o Converts NTSC (Toaster) Input/Output to PAL
o Full Proc Amp
o Y/C or Composite In or Out (Transcodes)
o Detail Enhance - 3 levels
o Freeze - Field or Frame
o Variable Rate Strobe
o Verical Color Advance - 1, 2 or 3 Lines
o Automatic Gain Control (AGC) On/Off
o Go to Black/White
o Horizontal Position
o Horizontal Phase Adjust
o Subcarrier Phase Adjust
o Optional 3-Way Adaptive Comb Filter On/Off
Model TBC/PCB Plug-In Time Base Corrector for Desk-Top Video
The TCB/PCB is an all-digital time base corrector/synchronizer plug-in board
that is designed to work with personal computers, including Amiga (Toaster),
IBM PCs and compatibles.
The TCB/PCB accepts and provides required timing for all VCRs (even consumer
models), cameras, and other video feeds used in desk-top video applications.
The unit offers composite and Y/C inputs and outputs, using convenient 4-pin
S-VHS connectors for Y/C. Digital advantages include: no internal alignment
adjustments, no drift operation, and no surface mount ICs to cause
intermittent performance.
In addition to the many features listed, the TCB/PCB is also the smallest
board on the market, operates with the lowest power consumption available (6
watts) to ensure no overheating or power supply problems, and is made in the
U.S.A.
An optional remote control panel allows for full proc-amp video output
adjustments, including video level, chroma level, set-up, hue, field or frame
freeze, horizontal subcarrier system timing, and more. These same adjustments
can also be made from the host computer terminal.
Features:
o Full Digital Operation -- No drift -- No adjustments
o NTSC or PAL Models
o Stable Freeze Frame/Field -- Variable Rate Strobe
o Provides Timing into Switcher (Toaster)
o Horizontal Phasse & Subcarrier Phase
o Signal Enhancement
o Proc Amp and All Other Settings Controlled through Video Remote
or from Host Computer
o Composite and Y/C In and Out with Transcoding
o Built-in Genlock
o Vertical Color Advance -- 1, 2 or 3 Lines
o Horizontal Chroma/Luma Adjust
o Four Event Memory Presets per Board
o Go to Black & White (Color Kill)
Full-True-Broadcast TBC and SYNC (Model # BC-TBC/PCB) NTSC, PAL or PAL-M
Plug-in Time Base Corrector and synchronizer
3-Way Adaptive Comb Filter
Composite and Y/C In and Out
Full Digital Design -- No Drife -- No Alignment
Features:
o Full Proc Amp Controller
o Free Frame / Field
o Strobe - Variable Rate
o Signal Ehance
o Vertical Color Advance - 1, 2 or 3 Lines
o Horizontal Chroma - Luma Adjust
o AGC On / Off
o Go to Black & White On / Off
o H-Position
o Optional: Remote, works without remote
Power/Box (Model #PCB-8X) NTSC, PAL or PAL-M
Video Expansion Chassis with Controls
Accepts up to 8 of any of the 3-types of Prime Image Plug-in Boards
1. TBC/PCB; Time Base Corrector and Synchronizer
2. Std Con/PCB; Standards Converter for NTSC, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N SECAM,
and NTSC 4.43
3. BC-TBC/PCB; Full-True-Broadcast Time Base Corrector and Synchronizer
Full Front Panel Proc Amp and Features Controls for up to 8 Boards
Y/C and Composite In and Out for each Channel
Interface: Determined by type of boards plugged into chassis
Performance: Determined by type of boards plugged into chassis
Operational Controls
Board Select 1 through 8
Input Select Composite or Y/C
Freeze Off/Field/Frame
Strobe Variable rate
Enhance Normal/Low/High
AGC On/Off
Go to Black & White On/Off
H-Position +/- 2usec
V-Color Advance 1, 2 or 3 Lines
H-Chroma/Luma Adjust +/- 1 usec
Video Level +/- 6 dB
Color Level +/- 3 dB
Set-Up Level +/- 10 IRE
Hue (NTSC only) +/- 45 degrees
H-Phase Adjust +/- 2 usec
Burst Phase Adjusst > 360 degrees
Power On/Off
Environmental
Operating Temperature +32 degrees F (0 C) to + 113 Degrees F (45 C)
Operating Humidity 10% to 90% Non-Condensing
Power Supply 110 or 220 VAC, +/- 10%, 60 Hz or 50 Hz
Power Avail to Boards 200 Watts
Height 5.75 in. (14.6 cm)
Width 14 in. (35.6 cm)
Depth 16 in. (40.6 cm)
Weight (no boards) 10 lbs. (4.4 kg)
Prime Image Digital Desktop Video Product Line
NTSC, PAL or PAL-M
Plug-In Series Model List
------------------------------------------------------
TBC/PBC, TBC & SYNC PCB $950
Option: Remote Control -RC $250
New!
Std Con/PCB, All-in-One Standards
Converter, TBC & SYNC SC/PCB $1,695
Option: Remote Control SC-RC $285
3-Way Adaptive Comb "E" $499
New!
BC-TBC/PCB, Full-True-Broadcast
TBC & Sync BC/PCB $1,550
Option: Remote Control -RC $250
New!
Power/Box, Video Expansion
Chassis - up to 8 Boards PCB/8X $950
For more information contact Prime Image, 19943 Via Escuela, Saratoga, CA
95070 U.S.A. or call 408/867-6519, fax 408/926-7294.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
4th of 7 Stories
__________________________________________________________________________
| |
| *StarShip* Amiga Conferences |
| |
| _ _ |
| / ) _ _ / ) _ _ |
| __ / / / ) / ) / / / ) / ) |
| ( (_/ / / (_/ / / / / (_/ / |
| \___/ (_____( (_/ (__ / |
| ___) / |
| (____/ |
| |
| Except where noted, Conferences begin at 10PM Eastern Time in the Amiga |
| Conference Rooms at Page 555;2. Amiga Programmers meet Wednesday nights |
| at Pro/Am on Page 670. Amiga/GEnie HelpDesk EVERY Night at 9PM Eastern. |
|__________________________________________________________________________|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Humpday |Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Help@9EDT| Help@9EDT|Help@9EDT| Help@9EDT|Help@9EDT| Help@9EDT| Help@9EDT|
|__________|__________|______.__|__________|_________|__________|__________|
| 25 | 26 | 27 |\ | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
|5-MIN News| | _| | | | New |5-MIN News|
| 3PM-3AM | | (_) | AmiGames |vv-Video!|*StarShip*| 3PM-3AM |
| -*- | DeskTop | | ------ | with | 5-MINUTE |9:Hardware|
|10PM: |Publishing| Music |Programing| Yury | Newscast | Clinic |
| Graphics | Night | Night |at Pro/Am | & Guests| 6PM-3AM |10: Party!|
|__________|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________|
HelpDesk *EVERY* NIGHT @ 9PM Eastern Time!
Got a problem? If you have questions about learning to use your
Amiga, the *StarShip* or GEnie, we have answers! Stop by Conference
Room 4 ANY EVENING from 9 to 10 EDT for live, on-the-spot help.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
5th of 7 Stories
___ ___ Impulse Announces Imagine 3.0
(_ )( _) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ /_/ / Brooklyn Park, MN -- July 21, 1993
/ __ /
_/ / / /
(___)(__)ere at Impulse, we are very excited about the release of Imagine
3.0. To say the least it has been a long time since we brought out a new
product, and we are sorry that it has taken so long, but (a big but) we are
sure that the wait will be well worth the time!
If you are on our data base as a registered user you will be getting a
newsletter very soon. We mailed them by US postal service on Monday, July 19,
by bulk mail, so it will take a few days to get to you.
This newsletter will give you an insight to the new features of 3.0 and for
those of you who wish, you will be able to order your copy now. We will begin
to ship the software late in August or early September. There will be a minor
hold up due to the manual. We are very excited to tell you that Phill Shadock
of writing fame will be writing the manual, so you can expect a through
handling of all the old as well as new features.
We are very happy with the new features that are found in Imagine. There are
hundreds of new features, too many to try and mention here, and the
newsletter will do a better job than this note.
One quick note, Imagine has the very best particle system found on any
platform or software! You will have a great time doing snow and rain and
butterflys or swarming rocking chairs.
So to all those who have supported us, we thank you and hope that you will be
as happy with 3.0 as we are.
FINAL NOTE: NOTICE TO ALL DEVELOPERS LARGE OR SMALL or even if you just want
to hack around with that new complier. Impulse wants to make sure that each
of you have all of the data that you need to build support software for
Imagine. If you want to make textures or FX of your own or you want the new
object file format, please note that on your order or call us direct and we
will get you this information as soon as we have finalized everything.
Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to work with Impulse.
Of special note to those who are making products for Imagine, Impulse will be
making a catalog of support products from around the world. You can get your
product mentioned as detailed in this catalog by sending a sample of your
product to Larry Halvorson. Larry will review the product as well as any data
sheets that you send, and screen shots or product shots that you want used in
the catalog. The catalog will be 4-color and will be sent to all registered
users in December.
Once again, thanks for waiting and we look forward to hearing what you think
about 3.0. The cost of the upgrade will be $100.00. Shipping and handling is
shown in the newsletter.
For more information or if you want to get your order placed today, contact
Impulse, Inc. 8416 Xerxes Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55444, or call us
at 1-800/328-0184. Sorry but this is for US orders only; others can call
612/425-0557. We will have a world-wide 800 number as soon as the plan gets
moving.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
6th of 7 Stories
____ Electronic Arts Announces DeluxeMusic(R)
/ ___) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ (_ San Mateo, Calif. -- May 5, 1993
/ ___)
/ (_
(____)lectronic Arts today announced the upcoming release of DeluxeMusic(R),
the much anticipated update to the best seller DeluxeMusic Construction Set.
With DeluxeMusic, professional and novice musicians can create, publish and
perform great music without a concerted effort.
DeluxeMusic now offers many new dictation features including multiple
document support, hide and reveal project options for the easy management of
open projects, macro support to automate repetitive tasks, and full AREXX
support.
DeluxeMusic also provides new playback options such as a stand-alone Player
module and the ability to attach any instrument sample or MIDI Channel to an
instrument name. With over 20 instruments included with multiple play styles
(like staccato or legato) for each instrument, dynamic range from ppp to fff,
play back speed from 10 to 300 beats per minute and full four-voice sound,
the DeluxeMusic composer has a wide range of options to choose from.
DeluxeMusic also has full publishing capabilities and now supports 48 staves.
DeluxeMusic's full range of easy-to-use dictation, ovation and pagination
features make it accessible to novice musicians and yet powerful enough for
the most experienced musician.
Electronic Arts is offering a $50 (including shipping and handling) upgrade
to DeluxeMusic Construction Set owners. Details for ordering the DeluxeMusic
upgrade can be obtained by calling Electronic Arts at (800) 245-4525 Monday
through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
Category: Music Platform: Amiga
SRP: $149.95 Availability: August
________________________________________
/ \
| Listen up! |
| |
| The *StarShip* will have a |
| |______________________
| Deluxe Music Demonstration Version / \
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Deluxe Music Conference |
| in the Library Next Week! | Coming in August! |
| Watch the Banner on Page 555 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| For the File Name and Number! | Stay Tuned for Details: |
\_______________________________________| Guest: Electronic Arts! |
\_______________________/
DeluxeMusic is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Inc.
-*-
*StarShip* Amiga *Flash*
7th of 7 Stories
Push*Button Publishing Ships Panorama Version 3.0
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ _ ) Morrison, CO -- July 1993
/ ___/
/ /
(_/ush*Button Publishing has shipped Panorama(TM) Version 3.0, a program for
the creation, manipulation and rendering of fractal landscapes for Amiga
computers. The program incorporates the latest technology in fractal
landscape algorithms, making pictures of astounding beauty and realism from
mathematical calculations.
No knowledge of math is required to use Panorama. The program's automatic,
preset selections for all of its many parameters are configured to produce
nice pictures the first time. From there, users can customize any of the vast
number of possibilities to produce custom effects, refine the realism, add
trees, and sculpt the fractal math algorithms that perform the magic.
In addition to working in the Amiga's normal and overscan resolutions,
Panorama permits creating full, 24-bit pictures of any arbitrary size, shape
or aspect ratio up to 8,000 by 8,000 pixels. Because of this versatility of
both picture size and aspect ratio, Panorama's pictures are suitable for use
in any application on any computer, such as for video backgrounds.
Panorama is Video Toaster friendly, too. The program, which is fully
ARexx-compatible, comes with ARexx macros to support NewTek's Video Toaster,
as well as Impulse's Firecracker-24 24-bit display board.
Panorama supports USGS DEM files with the included GeoRama(TM) program, to
permit rendering of real-world landscapes from Digital Elevation Map files
converted for use by the GeoRama program. The four-disk package includes
three disks of ready-to-render DEM data files, example pictures, settings
files for special effects like volcanic lava, and a collection of ARexx
macros for controlling the program, extracting fractal data for scientific
study, etc.
The program requires 2 megabytes of memory (more recommended), and runs on
AmigaDOS 1.2 and higher, including versions 2.0, 2.1, and 3.0. Hard disk
drive not required, but recommended. Pictures can be saved in standard Amiga
resolutions, including HAM, or in full, 24-bit Amiga IFFs.
Panorama is published for the Amiga by Push*Button Publishing, publisher of
the software packages 600 Amiga Fonts, 600 Color Clipart by Software Designs,
and the book, The Amiga Multimedia Workbook by Jay Gross.
Panorama is available NOW.
Highlights of some important Panorama features:
o Full 24-bit support, all resolutions
o Built-in HAM conversion
o Extensive clouds and sky controls
o Real water waves on lakes, rivers, or sea
o Extensively user-controllable blending and dithering on contours and
cliffs and their boundaries
o Easy, intuitive user interface
o Automatic defaults set up to make great pictures
o Mouse-driven approach to many functions
o Individually controllable palette for leaves, bark, sky elements, beach,
waterfalls, rivers, ground cover, etc.
o ARexx compatibility and controllability, includes ARexx macros for
automatic interfacing to VideoToaster and FireCracker boards
o Pictures up to 8000x8000 pixels in any aspect ratio to work with any
computer system or display
o GeoRamaTM DEM support program and three disks of DEM files included
o Maximum control over fractal parameters at all stages of landscape
creation.
For more information contact Push*Button Publishing which is represented by
Inventure, 114 Market St., Morrison, CO 80465, telephone 303-697-5270, Fax:
303-697-5260, or your local Amiga dealer.
___________________________________________________
/ \\
| Landscapes Rendered with Panorama v3.0 ||
| Available in the *StarShip* Library: ||
| ||
*StarShip* | #20292 MTFAIRWEATHER.LHA <-Gorgeous JPEG image! ||
Exclusive--> #20293 LAVA.LHA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||
| #20294 SUNSETFOG1.LHA <-- Swirling Fog & Mists! ||
| #20295 MOUNTAINSCENE.LHA ||
\__________________________________________________//
Panorama DEM Data Sets
Render real landscapes from digital elevation data released by the U. S.
Geological Survey and other sources and compressed into a proprietary format
which can be read and converted into Panorama data files by the GeoRama
program provided with Panorama. The data is organized by quadrangles which
are identical to the quadrangles of published USGS contour maps, and are
referred to by the same names. Each of the USGS quadrangles has more than
twice the number of points contained in a Vista Pro landscape file. You can
deal with up to nine contiguous quadrangles at one time in GeoRama, and scale
the patch imported into Panorama to cover a large or small part of this area,
as you wish. The Panorama patch can be centered anywhere in the selected
quadrangles. Focus on exactly the landscape features you wish, and render a
smaller area with maximum detail or a sweeping view of a larger area.
Unlike competing programs, GeoRama and Panorama can adapt to both types of
DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) made available by the USGS, 7.5 minute DEMs
and one degree DEMs.
The points in the 7.5 minute DEMs are spaced by 30 meters in a square array
in what is called the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system.
Each quadrangle spans 7.5 minutes in longitude and 7.5 minutes in lattitude.
Lines of constant longitude and lattitude are curved lines in the UTM
coordinate system (due to the curvature of the surface of the Earth), so a
quadrangle will look slightly askew when it is displayed in GeoRama.
The points in a one degree DEM are aligned along lines of constant lattitude
and longitude, spaced by 3 seconds of arc in lattitude (N-S) and by 3 or 6
seconds of arc in longitude (E-W). The linear spacing on the ground is about
90 meters N-S and 60 to 90 meters E-W, depending on the lattitude of the
quadrangle. Thus, you cannot hope to see very much fine detail in the shapes
of individual mountains using one-degree DEM data. However, you can cover a
much larger region than would be feasible with 7.5 minute data, making
possible to render a patch over one hundred kilometers across, spanning an
entire mountain range. The other advantage of the one degree DEMs is that
they are available for the entire United States, including the spectacular
mountains of Alaska, while the 7.5-minute DEMs have much more spotty
coverage.
The DEM data for Panorama is sold in sets of 2 to 6 disks, each disk
containing from 5 to 8 or more quadrangles. Each quadrangle contains data for
roughly 160000 points, but the size of the file varies according to the
ruggedness of the terrain, and quadrangles containing large areas with the
same elevation, such as lakes or the sea, take relatively little space.
Normally each set will contain contiguous quadrangles, but some sets contain
two or more smaller blocks of data. The one degree DEM files are about 10
megabytes in size as they come from the USGS, but they are broken into 9 or 6
subquadrangles for distribution, and the compressed file sizes are in the
same range as for the 7.5 minute DEMs, about 100 to 170 kilobytes.
The names of the 7.5 minute files are the same, except for perhaps some
abbreviation, as those of the corresponding USGS quadrangles. The
subquadrangles of the one degree quadrangles are given the name of the one
degree quadrangle followed by two numbers indicating the position of the
subquadrangle within the quadrangle. The first digit is the west-to-east
position, and the second indicates the south-to-north position, with 00
indicating the subquadrangle in the southwest corner of the quadrangle. All
DEM files have a ".dem" extension. They are not compatible with Vista Pro or
Scenery Animator dem files.
Each disk will contain a ".doc" file giving some information about prominent
features of the area covered, and a diagram indicating the relative positions
of the quadrangles and the names of some of the adjacent quadrangles. Also,
there will be one or more ".DEMset" files which can be used when saving a
Panorama data file from GeoRama to set up the rendering parameters in the
data file appropriately. See the Panorama manual for the details.
Sets of 7.5 minute DEMs
Set #1 Appalachian Sampler. 2 disks, 12 quadrangles $20.00
Central Adirondacks: Mt. Marcy, Lake Placid (9 quadrangles)
West Point (1 quadrangle)
Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley (2 quadrangles)
Set #2 Canyons and Hawaii Sampler. 3 disks, 15 quadrangles 25.00
Grand Canyon: Cape Royal, Phantom Ranch, Shiva Temple
(6 quadrangles)
Zion National Park (4 quadrangles)
Kilauea volcano and vicinity (4 quadrangles)
Honolulu and Diamond Head (1 quadrangle)
Set #3 Rocky Mountain Sampler. 5 disks, 27 quadrangles 35.00
Pikes Peak and vicinity (9 quadrangles)
Aspen, Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area (6 quadrangles)
Tetons, Grand Teton, Mt Moran and parts of Jackson Hole
(6 quadrangles)
Glacier National Park, Rising Sun, Logan Pass, Many Glacier,
etc. (6 quadrangles)
Set #4 Southern Sierra Nevada. 5 disks, 26 quadrangles 35.00
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, from Olancha Pk
and Mineral King to Mt Pinchot and Marion Peak, plus
parts of Owens Valley. All contiguous.
Set #5 Yosemite National Park. 3 disks, 14 quadrangles 25.00
Yosemite Valley, Minarets Wilderness, Tioga Pass, Grand
Canyon of the Tuolumne. All contiguous.
Set #6 Washington Sampler. 5 disks, 27 quadrangles 35.00
Mt Rainier (4 quadrangles)
Mt St Helens and Spirit Lake (4 quadrangles)
Mt Adams (2 quadrangles)
Glacier Peak (2 quadrangles)
Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan (3 quadrangles)
Bonanza Peak and Stehekin ( 4 quadrangles)
Hurricane Ridge and Mt Carrie (4 quadrangles)
Stuart Range (4 quadrangles)
Set #7 South Cascades of Washington. 6 disks, 38 quadrangles 40.00
Mount Rainier and vicinity (11 quadrangles)
Mount Adams and Goat Rocks (17 quadrangles)
Mt St Helens and vicinity (10 quadrangles)
Set #8 Olympic National Park. 5 disks, 29 quadrangles 35.00
Mt Christie, MtWashington, Mt Anderson, The Brothers,
Mt Constance, Mt Angeles, Mt Carrie, Lake Crescent, etc.
All contiguous.
Set #9 North Cascades N. Pk. North. 4 disks, 23 quadrangles 30.00
Mt Baker, Mt Shuksan and vicinity. Southern Picket range,
Mt Triumph, Ross Lake area. All contiguous, and contiguous
with Sets 10 and 11.
Set #10 North Cascades N. Pk. South. 3 disks, 15 quadrangles 25.00
Cascade Pass and vicinity, including Eldorado Peak,
Dome Peak, Goode Mountain, Snowking Mountain, Mt Logan, etc.
All contiguous, and contiguous with Sets 9, 11, 12, and 13.
Set #11 Pasayten Wilderness and Methow. 3 disks, 18 quads 25.00
An area of high peaks east of the Cascade crest, less
alpine in character. Washington Pass, Castle Peak,
Ashnola Mtn., Lost Peak, Mazama.
Set #12 Lake Chelan and vicinity. 4 disks, 23 quads 30.00
Lake Chelan is a fiord-like lake some 60 miles long,
with peaks rising over 7000 feet above it on both sides.
The set covers most of the lake and the most scenic of the
surrounding mountains. All contiguous, and contiguous
with Sets 10, 11, and 13.
Set #13 Glacier Peak Wilderness. 3 disks, 15 quadrangles 25.00
Glacier Peak, Sloan Peak, Monte Cristo, Whitechuck Mtn,
Clark Mtn, Sauk River, Suiattle River. All contiguous,
and contiguous with Sets 10 and 12.
Set #14 Alpine Lake Wilderness. 4 disks, 21 quadrangles 30.00
Stretches across the Cascades between Interstate 90
(Snoqualmie Pass) and U.S. 2 (Stevens Pass). Many lakes
west of the crest, and some high peaks east of the crest.
Includes Mt. Stuart and the Enchantment Lakes. All
contiguous.
Set #14 Columbia River Gorge. 3 disks, 19 quadrangles 25.00
Bridal Veil Falls, Beacon Rock, to Hood River and
the Dalles. All contiguous.
Set #15 San Juan Islands. 1 disk, 18 quadrangles 15.00
Many jewel-like islands between the U. S. mainland
and Vancouver Island. Mt Constition on Orcas island is
3000 feet high. All contiguous.
Sets from One Degree DEMs
Set #D1 Glacier Bay and vicinity. 5 disks, 40 quadrangles 35.00
Glacier Bay, Lynn Canal, and surrounding territory in
southeast Alaska, including the gold rush route over the
mountains into Canada from Skagway. Some high mountains,
with Mt Fairweather over 15000 feet high. From 135W to
138.5W in longitude and 58N to 60N in lattitude.
Set #D2 Chugach Mountains and St. Elias. 4 disks, 29 quads 30.00
The Chugach Mountains range east of Anchorage along the
south coast of Alaska. Large glaciers, such as the
Columbia Glacier, flow from the crest of the range to
the sea. Also includes the Valdez area, the Copper River
valley, and the west end of the Wrangell Mountains, from
from 144W to 148W and from 61N to 62N.
Mt St Elias rises from sea level to over 19000 feet. The
surrounding area, from 140W to 141.5W and from 60N to
61N, includes Mt Logan, at over 20000 feet the highest
mountain in Canada. Huge icefields and glaciers.
Set #D3 Mt McKinley and the Alaska Range. 3 disks, 23 quads 25.00
All of the western Alaska Range from 150W to 153W and
from 62N to 64N, omitting subquadrangles which are
entirely in the flatlands to the north or to the south.
Mt McKinley is the highest mountain in North America.
Set #D4 Sierra Nevada and Mt Shasta. 5 disks, 27 quads 35.00
Sierra Nevada south of Mammoth Mtn, Owens Valley, and
the White Mountains, from 118W to 119W and from 36N to 38N.
(18 subquadrangles)
Mt Shasta is a towering volcano which dominates all of
northern California. To the west there are the Trinity
mountains and the Scott Mountains, to the north the Klamath
River Canyon. From 122W to 123W and from 41N to 42N.
(9 subquadrangles).
Set #D5 Cascade Volcanoes. 4 disks, 21 quads 30.00
The Cascade Range in northern Oregon and southern
Washington, including Mt. Hood, the Columbia Gorge, Mt.
Adams, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens. All contiguous.
Set #D6 Central Cascades of Washington. 4 disks, 20 quads 30.00
Snoqualmie Pass area, Stuart Range, east to the
Columbia River and Wenatchee. Sauk River, Monte Cristo,
most of Lake Chelan. All contiguous.
Set #D7 North Cascades of Washington. 3 disks, 14 quads 25.00
Glacier Peak, Cascade Pass, Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan,
Pasayten Wilderness. All contiguous.
Set #D8 The Northwest Corner. 2 disks, 16 quadrangles 20.00
Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands,
Victoria, southeastern Vancouver Island. All contiguous.
Panorama DEM sets are available from AmiGadget Publishing Company, P.O. Box
1696 Lexington, SC 29072, Telephone: 803-957-1106, Fax: 803-957-7495.
Please send check or money order with your order. Sorry, no COD's, no charge
cards. Please add $2.50 shipping and handling charge to each order.
Panorama DEM files are not compatible with other fractal landscape programs.
-*-
Waaay OVER a GIGABYTE of Amiga files in our Library!
Catch your limit of Fred FISH Disks from the *StarFish* Library.
If you are after a SINGLE PROGRAM on a Fish Disk, SEARCH for it
before downloading the disk. Most are available separately!
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