I was on a BBS in New York last night and saw several messages that
indicates Flight Sim won't work with the new drives.

HAven't confirmed this as yet. So until I do, this is just a rumour.

Does anyone else know of this problem and if there is a fix? The consensus
on this bbs was that there was NO fix forthcoming.

--
*******************************************************************************
* eul@dalcsug.uucp  || Disclaimer: All opinions are my own unless other-   *
* /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ||             wise noted.                             *
****AKA: Atari Nut*************************************************************

I agree with wallman-geo@yale-zoo.arpa (Natuerlich!) responding to Stan
Lackey's suggestion to use the jump at VBI at the end of a display list to
jump to an alternate display list.  (This was to automatically display
alternating screens meant for the left eye, then right eye, etc. to achieve
a stereoscopic effect with a minimum of software coding).  I tried it on a
400 and found that the address in the jump instruction is ignored, the computer
continues to use the original display list and the display doesn't change.
Perhaps as wallman-george@yale... points out, something has to be done to
'shut-off' shadowing of memory locations pointing to the display list.  I haven't
figured out how to do it though (or if it is even possible).  Maybe it works
on the XE machines.

(Parent-article information lost due to hitting 'R' rather than 'f' first
time through... sigh...)

Well, you've got the basic idea: that the OS VBI routine is restoring the
hardware Display-List pointer from shadow locations 560,561 (dec), AFTER the
Antic JMP instruction tries to go somewhere else.  You need to either SHUT OFF
shadowing of 560,561 into hardware, OR update THOSE locations so that THEY ALSO
point at the new Display List.

Shutting off shadowing may be as easy as setting the CRITIC flag, suppressing
part of the VBI processing -- but I'm not absolutely sure that the shadowing
you want to suppress, is part of the code getting suppressed, so that may not
work.  To be absolutely sure, you'd want to write your OWN VBI routine that
took care of whatever OS operations you wanted still to happen, but DIDN'T
shadow the Display List locations.

Updating the shadow locations on the fly could be done most easily in a short
DLI (Display List Interrupt) routine; in the middle of display "A", the DLI
kicks in and changes the shadow registers to point to display list "B".  And
vice versa.  Note that the DLI needs to know which display list it is currently
in; you need to maintain a flag, or switch, in memory.  The advantage to THIS
method is that the code is relatively short, you don't have to take up the bur-
den of anything the OS normally handles for you, and you can turn the page-
flipping DLI on and off by playing ONLY with the Display List.  

Of course, in NEITHER application are you limited to TWO display lists, al-
though if you're after STEREO that's all you really need.

--
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cfchi@bsu-cs.UUCP                                          

In article <8805020833.aa01@ARDEC-3.ARDEC.ARPA> eki@ARDEC.ARPA ("Edmund S. Kijak", IMD-SIAS) writes:

Nothing easier than that. Just circumvent the usual OS routine. As usual
I don't have my Atari sitting here "at work" but this should work (in
BASIC).

POKE 54286,0
POKE 546,PEEK(548)
POKE 547,PEEK(549)
POKE 54268,192

OK what I think this will do is preempt the immediate VBI by using
the deferred VBI that doesn't do the shadowing and usually does
nothing. 54286 is NMIEN that turns VBIs and DLIs on and off.

Watch out. Lots of stuff will not work anymore with shadowing disabled
such as  'comfortable typing' SETCOLOR commands etc. If you use
BASIC pure in the first place, you won't get very far. Better write a
little VBI that does the work.
DISCLAIMER: the statements were done w/o consulting either my indis-
pensable Mapping the Atari book, nor by trying it out on a computer.
But I am confident that above statements are true.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Loveletters & Hatemail to : wallman@yalecs    
                 Files to : WALLMANN@CTSTATEU  (Bitnet)
                 Talk  to : wall@yale-zoo-suned.arpa
--------------------------------------------------------------

In article <8805020833.aa01@ARDEC-3.ARDEC.ARPA> eki@ARDEC.ARPA ("Edmund S. Kijak", IMD-SIAS) writes:

I glitched.  What I REALLY did was change 560/561 and the hardware location
to the alternate display list in an extension to the VBI code I put in page 6.
Now, who is going to buy a pair of Sega 3D glasses ($60) and try it out?
If I was confident I could figure out what voltages to apply to those
babies without blowing them out, I might go for it myself...
-Stan

If anyone DOES come up with tech-specs for the Sega 3D glasses (voltages,
currents, pulse form requirements etc.), and if anyone else knows where to
get them, I'd be happy to throw $60 into 'em.  I've been a stereo nut for years,
so this is a worthwhile expenditure.

Chris Chiesa
--
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cfchi@bsu-cs.UUCP                                          

The Kitchener-Waterloo Atari user group, Vector-GTIA,
has a separate 8-bit meeting and 16-bit meeting.
We meet monthly, have special interest groups (SIGs),
associated bulletin boards, and public domain libraries.

I am on the executive of the group
so I should be able to handle most questions or
get replies from the rest of executive.

The group welcomes new members and visitors with
8-bits, 16-bits, or those just curious.

The group currently meets at :
        DCS Course Room, Room 2009 (2nd floor)
        Math & Computer Building
        University of Waterloo

Next Meetings
*************
      8-bit - 7:00 pm, Wed May  4, 1988
16-bit (ST) - 7:00 pm, Wed May 11, 1988
Games Night - 7:00 pm, Fri May 27, 1988

Hope to see you there,
        Dani Roloson
        579-3695

Anybody out there have/know of any PD paint/draw programs, suitable for
an 800XL?  Thanks in advance.

   I just got the latest issue of Antic the other day &
found all sorts of neat things. They had a complete
article on the XF551 drive answering most of the questions
that have been brought up here. I also appreciated the
reviews of ICD's new Flashback! and SprataDOS Tool Kit.
They sound like good packages, but I am wondering about the
SpartaDOS X cart. they are supposed to be coming out with.
If it will include the Tool Kit as well as the other stuff
they claim it will have, I'll wait for X. If X is out and
doesn't have any of this stuff, I may as well go ahead and
get the Tool Kit. Does anyone know anything about the X?

                                  Gary Duzan
                                  Time  Lord
                              Third Regeneration
                           Atari Enthusiast Extreme

In article <1@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU>, gdt@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Gary D Duzan) writes:
The following information is directly from the ICD BBS.  I don't know if it
answers all the questions, but it is a good start.

                                SpartaDOS X

Just what your 8-bit has been waiting for...a cartridge based DOS which
increases the power of your computer and includes an abundance of features
such as automatic Ultra Speed I/O with the Indus GT, US Doubler, and High Speed
on the new Atari XF551.  SpartaDOS X is a fantastic new version of its disk
based cousin.

Even though SpartaDOS X is a 64K cartridge, it requires no memory from your
computer.  You may piggyback another cartridge on top of the SpartaDOS X
cartridge and operate just as if you had booted from disk -- except much, much
faster.  Here are just a few of the advanced features found in this cartridge
based DOS.

        High Speed drive access with US Doubler, Atari XF551, and Indus GT
            drives.
        New improved menu program.  Shows entire directory tree and performs
            multi-file operations.
        Supports up to 1 meg of internal memory as a RAMDISK.
        The Lowest MEMLO of any DOS!
        Powerful file loader supports relocatable files and symbol linking.
        All new command processor includes parameter passing on batch files,
            user definable prompt, and search file paths.
        Commands now allow MS-DOS syntax!
        The most commonly used commands are built right into the cartridge!
        Atari 800 support with Axlon compatible upgrades.
        Built in, all new formatter pops in with an XIO#254.

SpartaDOS X runs on an 800XL, 1200XL, 600XL (with expanded memory), 65XE, 130XE
800XE, the XE Game System, the old 800 with Axlon compatible RAM upgrade.

NOTE: SpartaDOS X will become available in June 1988. ($79.95 MSRP)

                                        Kit Kimes  
                                        AT&T--Information Systems Labs
                                        ...ihnp4!ihlpe!kimes