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12AUG03 - SHOWVBIN.EXE - Display Fonts in a Video Card's ROM BIOS Image File
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SHOWVBIN is a Windows' CONSOLE program that uses a dumb "brute force"
approach to try and locate the font images contained within a binary file
representing the memory image of a video card's ROM BIOS.

If the font images can be located, individual character glyphs can be
displayed.

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What is a ROM Image File?

Modern computer video cards hold their software and font images in EEPROM
(Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memeory) so that bugs can be
corrected and new features added.

Manufacturer's websites provide updated binary ROM image files and "flash" 
utilities that use these image files, so that card purchasers can update the 
BIOS in their cards. 

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What is a "Flash" Utility?

A "flash" utility allows you to copy a new binary image file into the video
card's memory. They will also normally allow you to save the existing ROM
image to an image file, check the BIOS and diagnose problems, etc.

Unfortunately very few manufacturers' utilities allow you to view - or
change - the embedded fonts within the video card's ROM.

However, for most popular video cards, there are public domain editors
available that allow you to replace the manufacturer supplied fonts and
often "tweak" some of the card parameters to optimise performance.

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SYNTAX

   SHOWVBIN BINFile(s) [/C[From[-To]]] [/T]
      BINFiles = the target Video ROM binary image File(s)
        /C (Optional Switch) = Show Character Glyphs
           From = Start Character (ASCII Value)
           To   = End Character   (ASCII Value)
           Valid ASCII Values are from from 0 to 255
        /T (Optional Switch) = Show Glyphs using Text Characters

   Examples:
      SHOWVBIN RADEON.BIN       - Show Font Sizes and Sample Glyphs
      SHOWVBIN *.BIN /C         - Sizes and All Character Glyphs
      SHOWVBIN 982.BIN /C65     - Sizes and 'A' Glyph
      SHOWVBIN *.ROM /C48-57    - Sizes and '0'-'9' Glyphs
      SHOWVBIN *.ROM /C0-127    - 7 Bit ASCII Glyphs

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DEPENDENCIES

This program uses several Windows' DLL files. If these are not present you
will get an error message indicating which DLL is missing.

If this occurs, download the required DLLs from the links given in:-
   http://www.procon.com.au/UtilDLLs.htm

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DISCLAIMER

Use this utility at your own risk! If you do not understand
  CONSOLE Mode,
  Command Line parameters,
  ASCII values,
  Decimal vs. Binary byte representations,
  Flashing Video ROM,
  etc.,
you can only cause yourself grief.

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