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What is it? The Future.Library is a library for
QB 4.5, which you can use freely in your programs (as long as credit to
Future Software is given). It has tons of useful functions, that you can
start using after just a few simply commands, instead of programming the
functions yourself which may take a very very long time...
What's new? November 14,
2000: - fixed bug in loading/storing BMPs (the trailing 4 byte
alignment was off, resulting in incorrect loading/storing) - Speedup
on PCX image loading time - Added support for loading 24 bit PCX
images - Added support for loading 24 and 8 bit PCX images i
hi/true-color modes - Added support for GIF89a images - Added
support for loading GIF images in all hi/true-color modes - Fixed bug
in SetPage (it canceled the effect SetFrameBuffer had) - Added
Animated GIF routines - Added new Timer functions - Replaced 50/50
blending with full blending support - Added Blender support for
Future.CIRCLE - Added new screen modes - New now made public
SetScreenMode
July 18,
2000: - Entire
document has been reviewed and updated - New SVGA special
effects - Speeded up
loading time for BMPs -
added MMX support - added
a 1280x960 mode - added
DQB type blender map -
added blendeing for hi and true color modes - Fixed bug in Future.Snapshot
(used incorect file sizes in 15/16 bit
modes) - Fixed bug in
EMS/XMSarrayPut (did not
work corectly with hi/true color modes) - Fixed bug in mode setting routine
(better mode detection)
- Fixed Future.Mouseshape
(Colors was not shown right in 16 bit
mode) - New SizeOf - New CopyEMSpage - New Future.EMStoFile - New Future.FiletoEMS - New IsMMX - New SetMMX - New SetBlender - New SetBMapColor - New Future.Library Builder
v2.00 (it now builds
librarys for PDS 7.1 aswell) April 8, 2000: - New Future.DefineXMSArray - New Future.XMSArrayGet - New Future.XMSArrayPut - New Future.DefineEMSArray
- New Future.EMSArrayGet
- New Future.EMSArrayPut
- New Future.Version
- Fixed bug in
SetViewport (it did not
work properly on ems maps) - Fixed bug with wave playing routine - Fixed bug in screen setup
routines (It crashed
computers where ems was not installed) - Fixed bug in Future.POINT
- Added support for loading 1 bit
BMPs - Added an extra
parameter in LoadWAV - Fixed bug in Future.EMSROTATE/EMSROTATEB (X and Y had been swapped) - Fixed bug in Future.LOADBMP
(it did not work in 32 bit
screens) - Fixed bug in
Future.EMSput (the clip
box did not work correctly on it) - New Future.Library Builder v1.05 - Updated previous Latest
updates (it was
incomplete) March 12,
2000: -
Changed parameters in Future.MouseShape - New Future.ResetMouseShape - UpdatedFuture.TRIGOUR
with truecolor support -
New SetViewPort - Fixed mouse cursor position
at start up (Furure.MouseX and Furure.MouseY now contains the right
coordinates at startup) -
New Future.Library Builder v1.01 (Fixed minor bugs and changed the mode from 640x400 to
640x480) February 9,
2000: - Added
an EXCELLENT Keyboard
handler - Reduced the
use of string space (should now be above 40k) - New RGB2Color/Color2RGB - Future.TRITEXT/EMSTRITEXT will only
work with power of 2 sized maps - New Future.EMSTRITEXT - New Future.EMSROTATE - New Future.EMSROTATEB - New Future.Library Builder
v1.0 - added more sound options
December 27, 1999: - Added TrueColor
Modes - Used more
string
memory
(you may run into memory problems) - Updated all subs and functions for truecolor
(excluding Future.TRIGOUR) - Speeded up Future.EMSput/Future.EMSputx - New Future.XMSget/Future.XMSput - Fixed bug in
AllocateXMS - Added
MoveXMS - Added support
for loading 24 bit BMPs in 15, 16 and 32 bit modes - Added support for loading 4 and 8 bit BMPs in
all modes - Changed the
color format from 16
bit integer to a 32 bit integer (this affects all drawing functions)
November 05, 1999: - Added full access to
XMS - Userfonts are now stored in
xms - Reduced memory
use. - Fixed bug in
Future.FONTLOAD - Fixed
bug in Future.EMSget -
New Future.EMSputx/Future.EMSgetx - Fixed bug in scrolling routines (scrolling only worked on the first
page) - New
SetScroll - New
LockPage/UnlockPage - New Future.RotateB - New SBsetup - New SetMouseSensitivity
September 27,
1999: - Added
full access to EMS (new routines are added) - Reduced the use of string space
- Added user defined fonts (+beta
version font editor) -
New Future.ROTATE - Fixed
Future.MouseX (it
only returned even numbers) - Fixed the screen setting routine (a screen allready set will not be cleared
if set again) - New
Future.LOADFONT - New Future.Modelist - Fixed bugs in Future.LOADPCX and
Future.LOADBMP - Fixed
bug in Future.EMSget/put - Addeds VBE 2.0/3.0 low res modes - Added support for loading 16 color
BMPs - added ems screen
buffers August 8,
1999: - Future.POINT
is now working - fixed
Future.MouseOff Bug -
Speeded up Futere.TRIFILL - Speeded up Futere.TRIGOUR - New Futere.TRITEXT - Added one demo program
(rotate.bas)
Functions Well to start with: The most
important functions. SVGA functions, called like Future.(LINE,
PSET, CIRCLE, BOX, FILLBOX), can be used to totally improve your
programming, heck, totally improve the QB language. In normal QB you can
only have 256 in a 320*200 resolution (SCREEN 13). Now you can have
320*200*256 (Set320x200), 640*480 (Set640x480), 800*600 (Set800x600), ...,
up to 1600*1200 (Set1600x1200), all in 256 colors! Now is that improving
or not? Memory functions, full access to EMS and XMS
memory! Wave functions, ever wanted to remove the silence of
your programs, and you don't want to fill your whole source file with
those gigantic SUBs and FUNCTIONs? Now, with one command you load a WAVE
file, and with one again you reset the soundblaster. The wave functions
are really good, in the test they even loaded 8.5 MB files and played them
well! Mouse functions, you want to give a better user interface
to the users of your programs? Use the mouse functions! There are also
functions included for using the mouse in SVGA! One command to set it on,
one to turn it off and that's it! Misc. other functions, like
loading GIF/BMP/PCX files, save/load the current screen, and much more.
Just download it! Do you want the ASM source of the FSLibrary's SVGA
functions? Click here! If you
improve anything, please send it to Michael!
Download Get the latest version here: f3build.zip.
This version has got all, including the builder. With the builder you can
create your own customized library, by only including the parts of the
library that you need! Works for both QB 4.5 and QB 7.1! Other
useful utilities:
Font
editor, create your own fonts to use with the Future.Library! By
Michael of Future Software. Must download!
Mouse
Cursor editor, for use with the SVGA routines. Created by Jerimiah
Short! Must download!
Sprite
editor, for use with the SVGA routines. Created by Iron Storm
Elite!
JPEG
viewer, for use with the SVGA routines. Created by James Lewis!
AlfaFLA(Alfa
Future.Library Addition). A very good GUI to use with the
Future.Library. This addition provides a windows-feeling to your program.
Visit the homepage hereMust
download!
Get started You must load QB with QB
/L FUTURE, or just run the QBFUTURE.BAT. Then, you must tell QB to
include the libraries functions by typing REM $INCLUDE:'future.bi'
or '$INCLUDE:'future.bi' (or just load the CODE.BAS, it includes
this line. That all! Now you can start using the functions of the library!
Be sure to read the documentation!
Credits Michael Rye Sørensen, for the SVGA and WAVE
functions. Jorden Chamid, for the
other functions. More info on contacting us on the about-us page. If
you use this library in your programs, please give us credit. Something
like: This program was created with the Future.Library from Future
Software. Visit them at http://www.qb45.com! Also, don't forget to
let us know if you create any programs with our library! We'd love to see
them and maybe put them on our homepage!