fVDI 0.95

This is finally a new real release version of fVDI! It should deal well with most normal programs, including the desktop.

Drivers are included for two and sixteen colour bitplane modes as well as for the Eclipse/RageII in 8/16/32 bit mode (hardware accelerated). Some monochrome graphics cards will likely work as well.

Installing fVDI

fVDI can nowadays usually (there are some problems with resolution extension programs, such as Videlity) be run from the AUTO folder if the correct options are set. If you have NVDI too, you can make NVDI use fVDI for the actual screen output by making sure that NVDI runs last. This will be slower, but you'll be able to use NVDI's outline fonts and printer drivers (if you don't need the outline fonts, NVDI can run before fVDI and then there will be no speed penalty for screen output). It's also possible to start fVDI from the desktop by simply double clicking FVDI.PRG, but then you have to comment out the 'booted' option in FVDI.SYS.

The FVDI.SYS file must be set up correctly (see comments in the file). If no 'PATH=' line is used in FVDI.SYS, fonts and drivers are assumed to be in a directory called GEMSYS at the same place as FVDI.SYS itself. FVDI.SYS is searched for first in the current directory, then on C:\ and finally A:.

The shortest possible FVDI.SYS contains only a driver initialization line: 01r 1plane.sys This only works when staring fVDI from the desktop and the driver mentioned must be located in a subdirectory called GEMSYS, inside the current one.

If you have a computer with some kind of FastRAM (an AB040 for example) you might want to append the word 'shadow' after the device driver name in FVDI.SYS (only for the normal Atari mode drivers). fVDI will then do all screen reads from a FastRAM buffer instead, which might improve performance (depending on the difference in memory access time and the processor speed).

Uninstalling fVDI

If you started fVDI manually, just run REMOVE.PRG. It's a very bad idea to do this if there are more virtual workstations opened than when fVDI was first started. That is, make sure the system is in the same state as when you clicked fVDI. Don't try to uninstall a booted fVDI!

 The fVDI ACC

This is currently not useful for anything but the Eclipse/RageII driver.

 Modifying default modes

To create your own set of default RageII modes, use DEFAULTS.TTP. Given only a driver name (complete path), it will report the modes set. Append a digit (0-9) and only that mode will be reported. If a new mode string is given after the digit, the specified mode will be updated. defaults driver [[n] [mode]]

 Help wanted!

If you want to help out in any way whatsoever, please contact me.

Are you interested in actually working on fVDI? Perhaps you have some old graphics code that might be of use? How about just testing software with fVDI?

 Screen output

When it comes to drawing primitives, only a few NVDI specific things are implemented. Compared to the normal VDI, the main missing things are arrowed lines, flood fill, rounded boxes and the 'VT52' functions. Note that a function being supported only means that it will do something. There could be limitations.

I'm very interested in hearing about which of the missing or incomplete functions are the most important to you.

Johan Klockars (rand@cd.chalmers.se)

000220