Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 05:11:52 -1000 From: vdhamer@prl.philips.nl Message-Id: <199505151511.AA265720712@isthp3.prl.philips.nl> Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology Subject: KiteFlight Newsletter #3 /******************************* kf_news3.doc ******************************\ * * * Module : Kf_news3 * * Descript : KiteFlight Newsletter * * Project : KiteFlight * * Modified : 13-May-1995 (Sat 20:35) * * * * (c) 1995 by Peter van den Hamer * * * \***************************************************************************/ KITEFLIGHT NEWSLETTER #3 by P. van den Hamer 13-May-95 This is the 3rd issue of a newsletter with information about the PC program KiteFlight. The newsletter contains information for both users and others interested in KiteFlight. Unlike an FAQ, most information in this newletter will not be repeated in future issues, so I recommend that you save this file if you are interested in KiteFlight. Contents of this issue: 1. What's KiteFlight? 2. What is the current version? 3. Update policy 4. What's new in KF 2.00? 5. KiteFlight under Windows and OS/2 6. KiteFlight under SoftPC on the Macintosh 7. Odds and ends 1. What's KiteFlight? --------------------- KiteFlight (KF) is an MS-DOS program which can simulate the movements of dual-line stunt kites or stunt kite teams. The movements of the kites are controlled by control files written in a kite simulation language called KF1. KF is useful both for visualizing existing routines and as a tool for developing your own routines. The commercial floppy ("Kite 2.0") with KiteFlight also contains software (Plot and Sputnik by Peter Ruinard) for printing and customizing kite plans >From the books by Servaas van der Horst and Velthuizen ("Stunt Kites..." and "Stunt Kites II..."). Plot and Sputnik are meant to be used without the book(s). KiteFlight, however, can be used independently. 2. What is the current version? ------------------------------- Latest version: 2.00 (latest complete version in my own possession) Latest release: 2.00 (demo version available on Internet by ftp) Latest release: 2.00 (on 1.44MB floppy in CD Box via shops/magazines) In other words, there has just been a major new release of KiteFlight. At this time the commercial version has been frozen and is being processed (duplication of master floppy, print work, stickers). It may take a month or so (depending on the country) for the disk to reach your local kite store. Readers of KiteLines magazine are also advised to keep an eye on the KiteLines bookstore at the back of the magazine (which currently still offers Kite 1.0). 3. Update policy ---------------- If you buy and register the commercial Kite 2.0 diskette, you can get free upgrades to KF 2.xx by Internet. You can register (free) by sending an E-mail message to the author (vdhamer@prl.philips.nl) stating your address, which version you own and where you bought it. Although you can register even if you don't have any form of access to Internet, you will not be able to get updates (but maybe your nephew can help out with the Internet part). If you own the commercial Kite 1.0 diskette, you can get free upgrades up to KF 1.18. Updates from Kite 1.0 to Kite 2.0 are, however, NOT available and you will have to purchase the Kite 2.0 diskette to get KiteFlight 2.00 and its successors. We have chosen for this update policy because:  Our updates are free (unlike those by Microsoft, Borland, etc.).  Kite 2.0 is a full 1.44 MB disk (compared to Kite 1.0's 720 KB).  Kite 2.0 will cost about 25more than Kite 1.0 did.  The changes to KiteFlight 2.0 are significant (see below).  The number of kite designs supported by PLOT has increased significantly. You can obtain a free copy of the demo versions of KiteFlight via Internet >From the following rec.kites archives: ftp://ftp.uni-bremen.de/pub/kites/simulation/kfd/kfcd_200.zip (Germany) ftp://ftp.hawaii.edu/pub/rec/kites/simulation/kfd/kfcd_200.zip (USA) 4. What's new in KF 2.00? -------------------------  New installation program which completely automates installation including creation of subdirectories and file decompression.  New (END)SPEED instructions for increasing or decreasing the flight speed per kite.  New SYNC instruction for synchronizing multiple kites in team or pairs routines.  Extended library with 65 AKA/STACK/AJSKA compulsory figures.  Four new full length team routines incorporating KF 2.00's new features.  Running segment number indicator at bottom right-hand corner of screen.  New KF32.EXE which can use all available memory (via built-in protected mode DOS extender) rather than just the first 640 KBytes. KF32 requires a PC with a 32-bit processor (386 or up).  Significantly improved animation quality when KF is invoked from Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. This applies to the KF32.EXE version only.  SuperVGA support for VESA-compliant video boards. This applies to the KF32.EXE version only. This support must be explicitly enabled by the user.  On-line help text also provided as HTML file for browsing by Mosaic or Netscape ("the World Wide Web viewers").  German translation of documentation of the KF1 language. 5. KiteFlight under Windows and OS/2 ------------------------------------ KiteFlight is basically an MS-DOS program and runs under any reasonably modern version of MS-DOS (3.1 up to 6.2). KiteFlight has also been tested under OS/2 (2.1 and Warp 3.0) and runs well. KiteFlight also runs under the various flavors of Windows, but not always as smoothly as under MS-DOS itself. The reason is that, during animations, KiteFlight makes extensive use of the PC's timer hardware. Enhanced mode Windows, however, does not allow a running program to access the hardware directly. This is known as "protected mode" or "386 enhanced mode" in Windows parlance. When KiteFlight tries to read out the timer chip, it actually sees a simulated chip instead. This simulation is good enough for many purposes, but not for KiteFlight which was raised on the DOS sub-millisecond resolution timer. The resulting timing errors are apparent as a somewhat jerky kite motion and as dashed trails (even on fast PCs). Thus, although all versions of KF should run on all versions of Windows, they don't always run as well as possible. This problem has been largely resolved in KiteFlight 2.00: the commercial release includes a special KF32.EXE version (for 386, 486, Pentium, etc.) which has been made "Windows-aware". When KF32 detects the presence of Windows, it switches to a custom Windows timing technique which solves the problem described above. More details can be found in KF's built-in help facility and in KF's Help|Info|Environment window. KiteFlight 2.0 has also been tested under the forthcoming Windows 95. Some adaptations were necessary. As these adaptations were based on the ("Final" M8) beta test release, it is quite possible that we actually introduced a workaround for a temporary bug in Windows 95. If you start KF 1.xx from Windows 95 you may thus still encounter these (mouse related) problems. 6. KiteFlight under SoftPC on the Mac ------------------------------------- Mitsufumi Kumai (kuma@imasy.or.jp) of Kawasaki, Japan provided the following information about running KiteFlight on an Apple Macintosh using SoftPC Professional. SoftPC is a well known family of software PC emulators from Insignia Solutions. System requirements for running SoftPC on the Mac are:  any Mac with a 68020/68030/68040 CPU  System 6.x or 7.x  8 MB of RAM  6 MB of hard disk space  Super Drive  Color QuickDraw (for VGA/EGA graphics)  68881/2 (for 80287 coprocessor emulation) SoftPC includes a bundled copy of MS-DOS (5.00). For running KiteFlight, you will need SoftPC Professional because the simpler SoftPC version does not support graphics. You will probably need Color QuickDraw (KiteFlight typically uses VGA graphics). Mitsufumi Kumai reported that the performance on his LC630 Mac (68LC040 without 68881/2 at 33MHz) was roughly comparable to his old PC (80286, 10 MHz). A 68881/68882 math coprocessor might improve performance somewhat. Alternatively, you should be able to use Insignia's SoftPC-with-Windows product (includes MS-DOS 5.00 and Windows 3.1). It uncertain whether the current Macintosh versions of SoftPC can support the KF32.EXE version of KiteFlight (this currently requires emulation of an 80386 in 80286 protected mode). 7. Odds and ends ----------------  French and German translations of KF1.DOC ----------------------------------------- KF 2.00 incorporates a German translation of the v2.00 KF1.DOC file by Dieter Sattler (dieter@fununltd.han.de), a member of the well known German stunt kite team "Fun Unlimited". A French version of KF1.DOC is underway by Mr. Christian Bonato (Christian.Bonato@gsi.fr) of Le Versoud, France. The French version didn't make it time for the KF 2.00 release, but should become part of future releases. Persons willing to provide translations of KF1.DOC into other important languages should contact Peter van den Hamer.  KiteFlight on WWW ----------------- "Peter's Kite Site" on the World Wide Web contains detailed information about KiteFlight 2.00: http://www.win.tue.nl/win/cs/fm/pp/kites/index.html The site is maintained by Mr. Peter Peters of Best, Holland and also contains previous issues of this newsletter: ftp://www.win.tue.nl/win/cs/fm/pp/kites/kiteflight/kf_news*  Marty Sasaki ------------ Mr. Marty Sasaki of "rec.kites", the AKA and Sasaki Kite Fabrications is said to be working on a KiteFlight version of a routine by his team Storm Front.  KiteFlight Bugs --------------- The online help text of KF.EXE and KF32.EXE contain a list of known bugs. At the moment the list does not contain any serious "flaws" (but, thats exactly what they said at Intel before the press and public became hysterical about the Pentium's FDIV bug...). -=-=-=- = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =