FADER

A CLASSY VIDEO "SLIDE SHOW"

Featuring dot-by-dot "dissolves" between pictures

By JOSEPH P. GRANDE

SYNOPSIS
You get a unique dot-by-dot "fade" effect with this "side show" of picture files compatible with Micro-Painter format.  The program requires a minimum of 48K RAM plus a disk drive, and runs on all Atari computers.  If you're typing in the listing that creates this machine language file, insert your BASIC cartridge.  For Antic Disk Subscribers - just follow the numbered instructions below.

If you use Micro-Painter or another file-compatible program to draw pictures with your Atari, you would probably like being able to have a video slide-show presentation.  FADER does more than simply read your pictures from a disk and display them one at a time.  When FADER changes pictures, it produces a dot-by-dot "dissolve" from one picture to the next.  This impressive effect is unique to computer graphics - movie film couldn't duplicate it.

HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM
Type in the program and save an extra copy as a back-up.  Next, RUN this program.  The screen will go dark for several minutes so the computer can read the data faster.  If you made a typing error, the program will stop and display the number of the line you need to retype correctly, so no TYPO is needed.  You'll then be prompted to insert the disk on which the machine language file "FADER.EXE" is to be written.  Do so, and then press [RETURN].  FADER.EXE is your master version and should be archived on a disk with other utility programs.
   Follow the following step-by-step instructions to create your "slide-show" disk:

1. Format a blank disk, then use DOS menu option H to write DOS files.
2. To save room on the disk, delete DUPSYS.
3. Use DOS menu option O (or C with two-drive systems) to transfer a copy of FADER.EXE to the prepared disk.
4. Use DOS menu option E to rename FADER.EXE to AUTORUN.SYS.
5. Use DOS to copy your picture files to the slide-show disk.  Copy them in the exact order in which you want them to display.  Use option E to rename them so all the picture files extenders are MIC.
6. This disk can now be booted, and will automatically display all your pictures in sequence.  Remove, all cartridges before booting. 600XL and 800XL owners press [OPTION] while booting.
7. FADER loads a new picture about every 30 seconds.  To load and display the next picture sooner than that, press [START].  After the last picture on the disk displays, FADER loads the first one again, and so on.
8. You can change disks if you do it quickly as soon as a picture has loaded. The new disk should have more picture files, all renamed with the .MIC extender.  FADER will start with the next file on the disk.  That is, if FADER has just loaded the second .MIC file on one disk, and you remove that one and insert another with, say, five .MIC files, FADER will next load the third .MIC file on the new disk.  After it displays the last file, it will recycle to the first.

Joseph P Grande of Sunland in Southern California has been a programmer for over 20 years.  He says he also became a graphic artist three years ago when he purchased an Atari.  He has published a pre-school math learning game, Monkey Up A Tree.

Listing: FADER.EXE Download