mikmod: docs/changes.txt comparison

comparison docs/changes.txt @ 2:687659b135f0

Initial entry of mikmod into the CVS tree.

author	darius
date	Fri, 23 Jan 1998 16:05:05 +0000
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-:d4366a861859
+:687659b135f0
+--> MikMod Sound Libraries Version 3.0
+-> Updates and Changes Text - August 20st, 1997
+Updates to MikMod 3.0 Public from Beta Release 03.
+==================================================
+I warn you now:  There are a LOT of changes in this version.  :-)
+-/- Soundcard Drivers:
+- The Soundscape and WSS soundcard drivers were effectively disabled.
+They should work now.
+- There is now a Gravis Ultrasound software mixer.  To use the old
+hardware-only one, register 'drv_gus2' in the place of 'drv_gus'.
+The drv_gus driver now supports BOTH software and hardware mixing
+at the same time!
+- Fixed some small stereo bugs in the software mixer [VIRTCH.C].
+Stereo would get skewed in rare circumstances.
+- Added Dolby Surround Sound to the software mixer.
+- Added real reverb to the software mixer.
+- Added a second software mixer [VIRTCH2.C] that is geared toward
+high-quality output at the cost of speed.  This mixer is by default
+used by the RAW and WAV to-disk drivers.
+- Added a WAV out driver.  This generates standard RIFF-WAVE format
+files as the name MUSIC.WAV.
+-/- Functions and API:
+- Big Yay!  There is nicely written and formatted documentation!
+Check out 'docs/mikmod.doc' for the MS Word 2.0 or 'docs/mikmod.txt'
+for the std text versions of the documentation.  Note that the docs
+are still in the process of being written and there are most likely
+a handful of inaccuracies and missing topics (to be fixed soon).
+- Big Yay!  You can now change driver settings on the FLY!
+Changes to md_mixfreq, md_device, md_dmabufsize, and md_mode after
+mikmod has been initialized will have no effect on replay.  To have
+any new settings take effect, call MikMod_Reset(), which will reset
+the driver to use
+the new settings.
+Also, note that the following flags of md_mode will take effect im-
+midiately no matter what:
+DMODE_SURROUND, DMODE_REVERSE,
+and DMODE_INTERP (when it is supported :).
+- md_dmabufsize is in MILLISECONDS now (and this time it will stay :).
+The new default value is 50 milliseconds, which comes out to about the
+same buffer size as the old default of 8192 bytes.
+NOTE: To achieve the maximum size buffer, use a value of 4000 or more.
+That will guaruntee that the largest DMA buffer is always used.
+- MD_SetNumChannels has been renamed to MikMod_SetNumVoices and has sev-
+eral other changes:
+- A value of -1 for either parameter (music or sndfx) will keep the
+current setting.
+- It can now be called at any time.  If it is called while playback is
+active, there will be a brief skip in playback and the new settings
+will be active.
+- ML_RegisterLoader() and MD_RegisterDriver(), although still supported,
+should be replaced with:
+MikMod_RegisterLoader(load_format);
+MikMod_RegisterDriver(drv_sound);
+NOTE: The '&' (address-of) preceeding the loader/driver should not be
+used with these procedures.
+- Also added the functions:
+MikMod_RegisterAllLoaders();
+MikMod_RegisterAllDrivers();
+These are defined in MDREG.C and MLREG.C, and can only support drivers
+that are distributed with MikMod or that I am aware of.  If you are a
+driver developer, simply register your driver by hand as you did be-
+fore.
+- A new naming convention is now being used.  This system should be quite
+a bit more intuitive for the avaerage MikMod user.  Note that for this
+version, and probably the next few updates, the old API will still be
+useable (#define macros in MIKMOD.H).  These will be removed in the
+near future, however.
+The [hopefully] complete list of function name changes are as follows:
+Old                          New
+MD_RegisterPlayer(x)        MikMod_RegisterPlayer(x)
+MD_Init                     MikMod_Init
+MD_Exit                     MikMod_Exit
+MD_Update                   MikMod_Update
+ML_Free(x)                  MikMod_FreeSong(x)
+MD_SetNumChannels(x,y)      MikMod_SetNumVoices(x,y)
+MD_SetNumVoices(x,y)        MikMod_SetNumVoices(x,y)
+MD_PlayStart                MikMod_EnableOutput
+MD_PlayStop                 MikMod_DisableOutput
+MD_VoiceSetVolume(x,y)      Voice_SetVolume(x,y)
+MD_VoiceSetFrequency(x,y)   Voice_SetFrequency(x,y)
+MD_VoiceSetPanning(x,y)     Voice_SetPanning(x,y)
+MD_VoicePlay(x,y,z)         Voice_Play(x,y,z)
+MD_VoiceStop(x)             Voice_Stop(x)
+MD_VoiceReleaseSustain(x)   Voice_ReleaseSustain(x)
+MD_VoiceStopped(x)          Voice_Stopped(x)
+MD_VoiceGetPosition(x)      Voice_GetPosition(x)
+MD_VoiceRealVolume(x)       Voice_RealVolume(x)
+ML_LoadFN(x,y)              MikMod_LoadSong(x,y)
+ML_LoadFP(x,y)              MikMod_LoadSongFP(x,y)
+MP_HandleTick               Player_HandleTick
+MP_PlayStart(x)             Player_Start(x)
+MP_PlayStop                 Player_Stop
+- A new array of procedures have been added that affect the current playing
+song (as opposed to the old MP_ functions, which required a UNIMOD handle).
+The functions are [see the MikMod docs for descriptions]:
+void Player_Start(UNIMOD *mf);
+BOOL Player_Active(void);
+void Player_Stop(void);
+void Player_TogglePause(void);
+void Player_NextPosition(void);
+void Player_PrevPosition(void);
+void Player_SetPosition(UWORD pos);
+void Player_Mute(SLONG arg1, ...);
+void Player_UnMute(SLONG arg1, ...);
+void Player_ToggleMute(SLONG arg1, ...);
+BOOL Player_Muted(int chan);
+void Player_HandleTick(void);
+- Note to beta testers: The following files, if existing, should be de-
+leted (they are residue from older betas):
+pt_share.c
+pt_play.c
+mp_chart.c
+Actually, I suggest you remove any old versions of mikmod completely
+before installing this one.
+- If no soundcard is found, MikMod will automatically default to the
+No-Sound driver.  This fixes crashes caused when no soundcard was
+present.
+-/- Loader:
+- The 15-instrument module loader has been adapted to support Ultimate
+SoundTracker modules (very old :), and general 15-instrument support
+and detection has been improved as well.
+- The UniMod Module Loader (load_uni) has been reinstated.  See MIKCVT.C
+for the conversion program that you can use to change any supported
+format into a UniMod module.
+- The MED loader has been fixed (although it is still very non-func-
+tional).
+- The 669 loader has been fixed up a tiny bit.
+- A title loading command has been added, for those making module players
+who want to add the song titles to directory listings:
+CHAR *MikMod_LoadSongTitle(CHAR *filename);
+Returns a malloc'ed string containing the title of the song, or NULL
+if the song was not able to be opened or no title was present.
+-/- Player:
+- ImpulseTracker sample vibrato support has been improved.  Linear mode
+sample vibratos are now supported perfectly, but modules in Amiga mode
+will not sound exactly correct (but close).
+NOTE: This does NOT affect standard effects vibratos, which are correct
+whether in Linear or Amiga (logrithmic) mode.
+- A small handful of modules with rare envelope sustain / loop setups
+would confuse mikmod and end up with silent samples.
+- Note Delays were not being implimented properly.
+- a note delay would distort the sample that had been playing before it.
+- a note off or note cut triggered with a note delay too effect im-
+midiately, rather than after the delay had expired.
+- A 'bug' in ImpulseTracker's Sample Offset (Oxx) has been fixed.  The
+IT documentation wrongly reported that offsets past the end of a sample
+would not be played (they are, duh).
+- An IT Retrig (Qxx) indescrepency - Qx0 is the same as Qx1 [std Pro-
+Tracker and ST3 simply ignore Qx0 commands].  Fixed.
+- Fixed an IT/S3M bug where Qxx would mess up any pitch slide commands
+immidiately following it that had a data part of 00 (ie, D00).
+- Overall NNA has been optimized and improved in many ways.
+---------------
+Updates to Build 03 of MikMod 3.0 over Build 02.
+-/- General:
+- The volume scale for song volume has been redone to 0->128 instead of
+0->100.
+- You can also control song volume via "md_musicvolume", which is also
+on a scale of 0->128.
+- When registering loaders or drivers, you no longer put them in reverse
+order.
+- ML_LoadFN() has been modified.  It now accepts two parameters, the
+filename of the song, and the maximum number of channels allowed to be
+allocated.  See the MIKMOD.C example for more details.
+- Sound Effects support has been added.  See MIKMOD.TXT for complete
+details on how to fully utilize MikMod's sound effects routines.
+- Additions to the MIKMOD.C example file:
+- F1 through F10 now set volumes of 10 through 100.
+- Songs can be paused and resumed via pressing 'P'
+- Added panning separation control via the command line option
+'/pansep xx' where x is a value from 0 to 100% (100% being full
+stereo).  [default = 100%]
+- Added reverse stereo panning option (/revpan).
+- Added volume control via F1 (10%) thru F10 (100%).
+- Maximum allowed mixer channels can be set with the '/c xxx' option.
+The max value is 255 channels, the minimum is 2.  This will affect
+ALL song formats.  [default = 64]
+-/- Player:
+- ImpulseTracker (IT) support is nearly completed.  New note actions are
+now supported in full.
+- IT Linear slide functions are now fully functional, and greatly op-
+timized for both speed and size.
+- IT and XM KeyOff / KeyFade effects should be supported correctly now.
+- Several IT panning bugs have been fixed.
+- There is no longer a need to call MD_PlayStart() or MP_PlayStop() if
+no sound effects channels have been specified - they will automatic-
+ally be called by MP_PlayStart() and MP_PlayStop()
+- New function:  MP_TogglePause(UNIMOD *mf);
+Pauses or unpauses a song using MP_PlayStart and MP_PlayStop
+- Channel muting is now availble via the functions:
+MP_Mute();
+MP_UnMute();
+MP_ToggleMute();
+-/- Loaders:
+- Many IT modules that would not load before will now load.
+- Support for scaling samples to fit into availible memory (for use on
+hardware mixer cards, but optional for software mixing as well).
+- Sample Loader functions have been separated from MDRIVER.C into a new
+source file, SLOADER.C.
+- XM loader bug fixed that caused a small handful of XMs to crash.
+[thanks to Urban Meuller]
+-/- Software Mixer:
+- Support for reverb and stereo delay have been added, but are not yet
+availible in assembly mixer form (C mixer only, see VIRTCH.C).
+- VIRTCH.C can be compiled as a 16 bit sample mixer.  This about 50%
+slower than the 8 bit sample mixer on Intel machines, and requires
+twice as much memory for samples (not yet availible in assembly
+mixer form).
+[See VIRTCH.C for information on how to recompile to support these
+options]
+- Reverse Stereo is available for all soundcards.
+Set "md_mode |= DMODE_REVERSE;"
+- Dolby Surround Sound features are planned for but not yet supported.
+To enable surround (for future upgrades of MikMod):
+Set "md_mode |= DMODE_SURROUND;"
+---------------
+Updates to Build 02 of MikMod 3.0 over Build 01.
+- SLOADER has been renamed back to MLOADER.
+- Error messaging has been worked back to the old style of returning a
+string and no error code.
+- All references to strings have been defined as UBYTE instead of char.
+(is this a problem for anyone?)
+- SB/AWE32 drivers have been added.
+(thanks to Steffen Rusitschka)
+- Windows Sound System [WSS] support has been added.
+(thanks to Mario Koeppen)
+However, for the driver to detect the card, the following environment
+variable must be set:  set WSS=A[port] I[irq] D[dma]
+- Several older module loaders have been reinstated (thanks to Dimitry
+Boldyrev):  FAR, 669, MED, and DSM.  These loaders most likely have
+some bugs to be worked out.
+- A new version of the "BigMultiply" function has been made, that is both
+big-endian friendly and C based.  It uses the FPU to do the 64-bit mul-
+tiply, and is only used on non-Watcom compilers.
+- A bunch of IT replated replay bugs weeded out.
+- IT and S3M loaders have been optimized to act like other players' load-
+ers that detect the REAL number of channels used.  One wonders whatever
+happened to a simple "numchn" variable in a module format rather than
+pre-processing all pattern data to figure out what is used and what is
+not.
+- The GUS drivers have been split apart - there were both VTIMER and GUS
+timer based drivers.  The VTIMER one is for timing-critical DOS appli-
+cations, while the GUS timer is exellent for programs that will be run
+from a Windows95 dos-box.

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comparison docs/changes.txt @ 2:687659b135f0