pouët.net

Juggler 2001 by The CoExistence [web]

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                            -= Juggler 2001 =-
 
                      -= Realtime Raytracing in 4K =-
 
                    -= by Han Solo / The COEXiSTENCE =-
                   --=================================--

                                                   Final Version v1.01 


-= Credits =-

 Code ................... Han Solo / The COEXiSTENCE 
 Music-routine .......... Kimmy / PULP Productions
 Arithmetic support ..... Sauron
 Music .................. Skyrunner
 Packer (aPACK) ......... Joergen Ibsen / Jibz


-= Greetings =-

 Iron Eagle, Stingray, InspirE, Blind Enemy, Duke, Thunder, Libertine,
 Wicked Mystic, Frenetic Plague, doj, Schoolar, Franky, KB, Bugjam,
 Copyfault, Shark, Dan, Kojote, Matrixcrawler, The Jack, Korellyen,
 the organizers of Mekka&Symposium, Mat!/Ozone
 
 and to everyone who was, is or will be part of the scene...
 ...we are family


-= What's new in the Final version =-

 More versions for different graphic-modes (now supporting 32bit, 16bit,
 Fakemode and Grayscale). Unfortunately some VGA-Cards don't support all
 VESA-Functions I use and the Graphicmode-numbers differ from the ones
 on NVIDIA-Cards. So I suggest you first try the 320x200x16 version. If
 this one doesn't work, the others probably also won't and you have to
 use the 8bit-versions.
 Furthermore I eliminated a problem when one entered a non-numeric value
 as the GMidi-Port. Now any such keytroke turns off the musicroutine.
 That's why there's no 'Nomusic'-version included anymore.


-= Technical info =-

 This is real raytracing. The code doesn't contain any polyfillers.
 We have spheres, one lightsource, shadows, reflections and diffuse
 reflection. The Juggler himself consists of 80 spheres, he's juggling
 with 3 spheres and there are 4 senseless spheres around him. That makes
 a total number of 87 spheres.
 If you don't know the General-Midi-Port of your Soundcard, try '330h'
 (press '3') at first. Should this not work, try all the other numbers.
 The Intro never crashed due to a wrong port, so you don't have to be
 afraid...

 The ZIP should contain the following versions of the program:

 Juggler_32_200.com   - TrueColor in 320x200
 Juggler_32_240.com   - TrueColor in 320x240 (same as Juggler_Final.com)
 Juggler_32_400.com   - TrueColor in 320x400

 Juggler_16_200.com   - HiColor in 320x200
 Juggler_16_240.com   - HiColor in 320x240
 Juggler_16_400.com   - HiColor in 320x400

 Juggler_Fakemode.com - Only 256 visible colors, but it looks like 3840
                        colors. And due to realtime dithering we even
                        have 27869 (simulated) colors. I'd prefer this
                        version, if Hi/TrueColor does not work on your
                        adapter. (Read also the note below).
 Juggler_8bit         - 256 colors. Looks like crap, but runs on every
                        VGA-card.
 Juggler_Grayscale    - No colors, but it looks better than the previous
                        version.
 
 The following Timedemo-versions can be used to compare the the speed of
 your computers, since they always calculate the same frames.

 Juggler_Timedemo1.com - Calculates 23 frames and is meant for tests with
                         deactivated L1-Cache and for Non-Pentiums.
 Juggler_Timedemo2.com - Calculates 905 frames. For computers < 2 Ghz.
 Juggler_Timedemo3.com - Calculates 7534 frames. For computers > 2 Ghz.

 
 During my tests I discovered, that this Raytracer performs VERY poorly
 on AMD-Processors.  I think it's because AMD's L1-Cache is much slower
 that Intel's. If you're interested, try to run the 'Timedemo1'-version
 with deactivated L1-Cache. Then the AMD-Chips beat the Pentium.

 BTW. you should load a good Midi-Waveset. If you're soundcard came with
 different ones, I would recommend using the biggest one.

 A note about the Fakemode: in the textfile of the Partyversion I
 described it as Tran's Fakemode, but now I found out that the real
 Fakemode was at first invented by Yaka/Xography (Hi, wherever you are.
 Remember me from The Party 94?) and is a little bit more complex (and
 better ;) ) than my version here.


-= Known problems =-

 This Intro was developed on a Celeron566@850, a TNT2 and a SB64 under
 Win98SE. It was tested with a TNT, GeForce, SB128 and Asus OnbordSound-
 there were no problems with this configurations.
 In fact there ARE problems with Win2k and (I'm really sorry about that)
 the SB Live: there are no VESA-modes under Win2K, so you have to use
 the Fakemode-version. The problem with the SB Live is, that some people
 had no sound with this card. I don't have one, so I couldn't test it a
 lot. If anyone has suggestions on how to solve this problem, feel free
 to contact me...
 
 If you use the numpad for entering the GMidi-Port, make sure that
 NumLock is switched on.
 
 A bug will occur on REALLY fast computers (and also if you terminate
 the program at a very early stage): the framecounter won't display
 framerates over 99.99. You'll get the framerate -100 instead (mod 100,
 to be exact ;) ). Not a very serious bug, I think. Take the 320x400
 version instead - it's slower...


-= Further information about this Intro =-

 The basic idea behind this intro is that I wanted to show the (famous?)
 Amiga Juggler-Animation by Eric Graham in realtime. In case you don't
 know the Juggler-Animation, take a look at the website given below.


-= Contact and Links =-

 'aPACK' can be found at http://apack.tsx.org/
 and the Juggler-Animation at http://members.home.net/erniew/juggler.html
 The Midi-Soundroutine is included in the Source to 'live.... or sumthin'
 a 4K by Pulp Productions. Search the web for 'PLP_LVSR.ZIP'.
 Fakemode-Sources by Yaka/Xography can also be found throughout the net.

 If you have any comments, write to:   hansolo@the-coexistence.de
 or visit our always unfinished website    www.the-coexistence.de

 For questions about the music write directly to:   skyrun@gmx.de


-= Han Solo / TC - Mekka 2001 - Fallingbostel - Germany - 2001-04-14 =-
Final version v1.01: 2001-05-02