A few questions I'm stuck with.....

[Bloodwych]

I'm trying to do away with applications that open their own screen in P96, having everything open on the actual workbench.

So........

Firstly, is there an XPK compressor that works like powerpacker "decrunch header" option? Powerpacker/Imploder are useful for making executable files that decrunch themselves - ideal for placing several programs on a disk. I'm trying to find an XPK compressor that does something similar, but with no luck. None of them seem to add a decrunch header. If no such compressor exists, is there a utility that creates "decrunch headers" for exec files but doesn't open its own screen?

Secondly, is there a way to make PPaint open in a window on a P96 workbench? Looking at how it works, it seems unlikely as it needs custom 256 colour screens. At least it uses P96 resolutions.

Finally, has anyone got a decent hex editor for the Amiga? I'm still using ancient NewZap because I can't find a decent free one that accepts WB arguments.

Oh, and if anyone has the last release of Dpaint V (4 disks I think) if you could kindly place it in the zone I'd be most grateful. :)

Thanks for any help guys! :great

[Enverex]

DPaint 5 (v5.2) zoned.

[Bloodwych]

Thanks enverex, much appreciated. :)

[gary]

I used NewZap until I found Deksid:

http://www.aminet.net/disk/moni/Deksid210.lha

It handles files and sectors from devices. It also disassambles and searches for hex/ascii strings. I don't really know what you mean by WB arguments though (icon tooltypes?). It accepts a filename as a command line parameter and can be used from within Directory Opus.

[Bloodwych]

That's a nice editor Gary, but it opens its own screen! :mad Thanks for the link anyway.

What I mean by WB arguments is if the program can accept activated icons as arguments, so it can open a file via a popup menu in Scalos. These programs usually have drag and drop support also. You can also achieve this by using an Amiga dos command and calling the file path using %p, so that program would probably work. It's a Scalos thing.

[Severin]

Try Deep-X for your xpk stuff, it's one of those programs that lurks in the background and automatically extracts xpk'd files when a program loads them, it also automatically compresses when files are saved, all configurable...

File-x is a good hex editor, a public keyfile was put on aminet...

No chance with dpaint unless you want to run it through the Amiga version of UAE...

deep-x and file-x are both on aminet, I would supply links but I'm a bit busy betatesting OS4 for the pre-release atm...

btw this was written using IBrowse 2.3 running under OS4 on my A1 (just rubbing it in) :)

[Bloodwych]

Nice of you to take time out of your testing schedule Severin. I'll test if you send that A1 my way. ;)

I've already got XFH and deepx - work well from within workbench but still can't replace powerpaker/imploders auto decrunch headers when it comes to creating demo/utility disks. What I was hoping for was something similar - place a lib or two on a 3.5" disk, place the packed file on their and simply double click to execute it. Looks like the usefulness of old Amiga utils never fully dies.

File-X I'm off to check out now. :)

[Enverex]

Would that be an illegal beta version of OS4 then? :rolleyes
IBrowse is also still useless though as it doesn't support CSS.

D-Paint shouldn't be a problem though as it asks you what Window it can open on. Ok, so it uses its own Window, but it can be a RTG window. Multiple screens is one of the advantages of the Amiga...

[Bloodwych]

Severin is an official tester me thinks. :)

It was Personal Paint I was asking about running in window mode. It was more for the P96 WinUAE ClassicWB to stop excessive screen mode changing in full screen mode - it's nice to have everything except games open on the desktop when it has 800x600 or higher resolutions to use. Of course LCDs don't like resolutions that are not native also. PPaint can however run RTG modes, but still re-sysncs the CRT monitor. Not a big deal, just me being fussy.

The normal Classic WBs for real Amiga's use Dpaint and other custom screen programs - I don't have a problem with this since they use PAL/ntsc/interlaced/multisysnc (in other words the same as a real Amiga WB on naitive Amiga hardware) so it's not an issue. Also as you said enverex, this is what the Amiga is all about.

That hex editor is great - don't need a licence key as it's been modified to GPL. :) :great

[Bloodwych]

D-Paint shouldn't be a problem though as it asks you what Window it can open on. Ok, so it uses its own Window, but it can be a RTG window. Multiple screens is one of the advantages of the Amiga...

Just noticed Dpaint freezes in RTG modes - I don't think it can run in P96 unlike PPaint.

Do you know the differences between 5.0 and 5.2?

Dpaint 4.5/6 is apparently the most stable version of dpaint, but the player in dpaint V is superior as it was re-written from scratch. Shame we never got to see the 24-bit support in use due to commodore not pulling through with the hardware.

Does anyone happen to have tha last in the dpaint 4.x series?

[Korodny]

It was Personal Paint I was asking about running in window mode.
[...]
PPaint can however run RTG modes, but still re-sysncs the CRT monitor. Not a big deal, just me being fussy.

PPaint does not have a "window mode". However, it supports RTG just fine - just make sure it uses the same resolution as the Workbench screen (see below). A good substitute for PPaint would be PfPaint (better suited for higher resolutions, 24bit support).


It was more for the P96 WinUAE ClassicWB to stop excessive screen mode changing in full screen mode

That is not a problem if the programs use *identical* screenmodes. Switching between two 1024*768*16 screens is smooth and does not suffer from delays or monitor syncs (only opening a new screen does) - neither on my real Amiga nor on the 500mhz WinuAE setup I was running for a while.


it's nice to have everything except games open on the desktop when it has 800x600 or higher resolutions to use.

I wouldn't want to miss multiple screens.

DPaint will not work properly under RTG btw.

[Frog]

Perhaps Perfect Paint handle to open his own window under WB ? (never try as it needs a gfx card)
http://gothic.fr.free.fr/amiga/index.html
One thing i'm sure, ADPro, ArtEffect and similar photoshop's like tool can be opened under WB.

[Bloodwych]

Thanks Korodny and Frog, great info. :great