This file describes changes to the VGA support software not yet
reflected in the manual.
This file is divided into individual sections which are delimited by
horizontal lines (----------) followed by the section title.
This file may also be read in its entirety, or section-by-section,
by entering the VGA utility and typing R at the main menu.
Driver installation instructions are also now contained here,
rather than in a sub-menu in the VGA utility.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Software Diskettes.
The VGA Drivers Disk contains drivers for GSS*CGI, Gem, Ventura Publisher,
and Microsoft Windows.
WINDOWS2 Directory with Windows/286 2.0, 2.10, 2.11 drivers
WIN386 Directory with Windows/386 2.0, 2.10, 2.11 drivers
VGAWIN1.DRV Windows 1.0 driver for all resolutions below 1024x768
VGAWIN17.DRV Windows 1.0 driver for 1024x768 resolution
VGACGI.SYS GSS*CGI driver
SDVGAGEM.SYS GEM 2.2, 2.3, 3.0, and 3.1, and
Ventura Publisher 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 driver
(NOTE: In order to keep all drivers associated with a particular application
together on the same disk, the Drivers diskette is arranged in an unusual
format; the DOS command CHKDSK may report several cross-linked files, but
this is not an error. To make a copy of this diskettes, use DISKCOPY instead
of COPY, since all the files together occupy more than 360K bytes. COPY may
still be used to copy the files to a hard disk or a high-density diskette.)
The VGA Utilities Disk contains all utilities and all other drivers.
README Describes changes not yet in the manual
ANSI.SYS ANSI console device driver with VGA support
MONO.SYS Separate monochrome console driver
VGAKEYS.COM Screen saver and fingertip video functions (plus Zoom)
RAMBIOS.COM RAM BIOS accelerator (text and graphics)
TEXTBIOS.COM RAM BIOS accelerator (text modes only)
ROMLOAD.COM Load BIOS ROM into RAM
VGAFIX.COM Bug fix for older BIOS versions
VGAVESA.COM Vesa Super VGA BIOS extensions
MULTIVGA.COM Switcher for multiple VGA cards in one system
VGA.COM Mode set, diagnostics, and software installation
VGACONF.COM Configuration program for configuring drivers
CLR.COM Clear screen in any mode
IBM8X16.COM Use IBM-style 8x16 and 9x16 characters
TLIMODES.COM Enable use of Tseng Labs-compatible software
VGAMEM.COM Allow software to up to 96K of VGA memory as extra RAM
MAGNAVOX.COM Patch for Magnavox 6CM320 and 6CM320 displays
WSPATCH.COM EGA/VGA Patch for WordStar 3.20 and 3.30
VGAADI.COM AutoCAD 2.52, release 9, release 10, AutoShade driver
TINYADI.COM Small AutoCAD 2.52, release 9, release 10 driver
ADICONF.COM Configuration program for configuring AutoCAD drivers
FCAD480E.COM FastCAD and EasyCAD driver for 640x480 in 16 colors
FCAD600E.COM FastCAD and EasyCAD driver for 800x600 in 16 colors
FCAD768E.COM FastCAD and EasyCAD driver for 1024x768 in 16 colors
VGACADD1.VID Generic CADD 2.0 configuration file
VGACADD2.VID Generic CADD 3.0 configuration file
VGACADD3.VID Generic CADD 3.0 configuration file
VGACADD4.VID Generic CADD 3.0 configuration file
VGACADD3.COM Generic CADD 3.0 driver
VGACADD.VGD Generic CADD Level 3 driver
VGALOT1S.DRV Lotus 1-2-3 1A text driver
VGALOT2S.DRV Lotus 1-2-3 2.0 and Symphony 1.0 text driver
VGAVCAD.COM VersaCAD 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 and VersaCAD/386 5.4 driver
VGAVCAD2.CFG VersaCAD 5.2 and 5.3 configuration file
VGAVCAD4.CFG VersaCAD 5.4 configuration file
VGAVCAD3.CFG VersaCAD/386 5.4 configuration file
VGAWORD.VID Word 5.0 driver
VGAWP.WPD WordPerfect 5.0 driver
VGAWP.VRS WordPerfect 5.1 driver
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Device Configuration program VGACONF.
Most applications have a single driver which handles all resolutions and modes
and which is configured by the VGACONF utility.
To modify a driver, type "VGACONF drivername" and follow the prompts.
If you intend to frequently use more than one resolution, you can make
several different versions of the driver, and edit each version separately.
Driver configuration
The program itself is menu-driven. Only menu items relevant to the
driver in question are shown.
The following choices are available in the main menu:
F1 Configure Driver Resolution
This brings up a sub-menu allowing selection of number of
colors, and graphics resolution used by the driver.
F9 Restore Original Values
This causes all parameters to be restored to the original
values they had when the driver was entered; this effectively
discards all changes and starts over.
F10 Save Changes + Exit To DOS
This permanently saves all changes and exits to DOS.
Esc Exit to DOS
This discards all changes and exits to DOS without modifying
the driver.
Configure Driver Resolution
The Up, Down, Home, and End keys move from one selection to another.
The Left and Right keys select the previous and next available values
for the given selection. The Esc key returns to the main menu.
In several of the fields, making a particular selection will force
some of the fields below it to take on default values.
If a configuration requires that two displays be connected to the VGA,
a message is displayed to that effect. If a configuration will show
incorrect colors on a digital display, then a message to that effect
is displayed on the digital display.
Graphics Display
This selects the display (or displays) on which graphics will be
displayed.
Digital
A digital display (that is, a display connected to the 9-pin
digital connector at the back of the VGA) is used. If an analog
display is also connected, it will show the same information.
A maximum of 64 different colors can be displayed, with up to
4 intensities of each color. This is the default configuration.
All resolutions are permitted in 2-8 colors.
All resolutions up to 800x600 (VGA/AD) or 640x400 (VGA) are permitted
in 16-64 colors.
Analog
An analog display (that is, a display connected to the 15-pin
analog connector at the back of the VGA) is used. If an digital
display is also connected, it will probably show incorrect colors.
A maximum of 256 different colors can be displayed, with up to
64 intensities of each color. (If an 8-bit DAC palette is
available, up to 256 intensities of each color may be used.)
All resolutions are permitted in 2-16 colors.
All resolutions up to 800x600 (VGA/AD) or 640x400 (VGA) are permitted
in 32-256 colors.
(NOTE: You MUST select Analog to use 1024x768 in 16 colors).
[D] + [A]
Two displays must be connected to the VGA adapter, the one on the left
to the 9-pin digital connector, and the one on the right to the 15-pin
analog connector. The two displays side-by-side are viewed as a large
double-width display. This is useful when dealing with very large
images, or when using a windowed application (such as VersaCAD 3D
modelling) which allows different windows or views to be displayed on
the two displays. This permits a dual-display system with only one
graphics adapter. The two displays should be of the same type
(or at least two similar types).
Most operations will operate at normal speed, although screen
clears, rectangle-fills, and scrolling will likely operate much
slower in 8- and 16-color modes.
All resolutions are permitted in 2 colors.
All resolutions up to 800x600 (VGA/AD) or 640x400 (VGA) are permitted
in 4-16 colors.
[A] + [D]
This is similar to [D] + [A], but with the analog display on the
left, and the digital display on the right.
Text Display
This selects the display on which text will be displayed. It is only
applicable in applications (such as CAD packages) which allow text to
be displayed on a separate screen from graphics.
Graphics
A single screen is used for both text and graphics simultaneously.
VersaCAD will display menus on the left, and prompt and status
information on the bottom of the graphics screen, slightly
reducing the drawing area.
Digital
This option is only available when the graphics display is Analog.
Text is displayed on the digital display, while graphics is
displayed on the analog display. This permits a dual-display system
with only one graphics adapter. The two displays should be of the
same type (or at least two similar types).
Most operations will operate at normal speed, although screen
clears, rectangle-fills, and scrolling will likely operate much
slower in 8-, 16-, and 32-color modes.
All resolutions are permitted in 2 colors.
All resolutions up to 800x600 (VGA/AD) or 640x400 (VGA) are permitted
in 4-32 colors.
Analog
This option is only available when the graphics display is Digital.
Text is displayed on the analog display, while graphics is
displayed on the digital display. This permits a dual-display system
with only one graphics adapter. The two displays should be of the
same type (or at least two similar types).
Most operations will operate at normal speed, although screen
clears, rectangle-fills, and scrolling will likely operate much
slower in 16- and 64-color modes.
All resolutions are permitted in 2-8 colors.
All resolutions up to 800x600 (VGA/AD) or 640x400 (VGA) are permitted
in 16-64 colors.
Monochrome
A monochrome display connected to a monochrome adapter is used to
display text.
Internal
A display connected to the internal video on a PS/2 model 25, 30,
or 30/286 is used to display text. This is also used on other
machines with built-in VGA, such as some Compaq machines.
Flip
A single screen is used for both text and graphics, but not at the
same time. The application will use one display, flipping between
text and graphics as required. Only one will be visible at any
given time.
Number of colors
This is the number of colors available to the driver. For most
drivers, the default is 16 colors. Many drivers allow any one of
the values 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or 256 in this field, although some
restrictions apply.
SDVGAGEM.SYS: (GEM/Ventura Publisher driver): only 2, 4, 8, or 16
VGAWIN1.DRV: (Windows 1 driver): only 8
VGAWIN2.DRV: (Windows 2 driver): only 8
If a value of 256 is chosen, correct colors will only be displayed
on analog displays; digital displays will display garbage.
Screen width, Screen height
These are the screen size, in dots. In some drivers (such as VersaCAD)
the actual space available for drawing will be slightly less, taking into
account menus, status lines, prompt areas, etc. In text mode drivers
(such as Lotus 1-2-3), the width is in characters.
Character width, Character height
These are the size of characters used for text in menus, status lines,
prompt areas, dialog boxes, etc. At high resolutions, larger characters
should be used to improve legibility and reduce eyestrain.
Horizontal dots per inch, Vertical dots per inch
These parameters describe the dot size, and are dependent on the
resolution. Many applications use this to ensure that the screen aspect
ratio is correct, so that circles are round instead of oval. The default
values for these fields are set up for standard multi-frequency displays.
Some applications also use these values to actually cause one inch in a
picture being drawn to correspond to one inch on the screen. These
values should be adjusted together if this is desired on displays with
larger picture tubes.
Use chained memory
This option is available only with BIOS 1.08 or later. It enables use
of all 512K of video memory in low-resolution modes which normally use
only 256K of video memory. If the value is not reasonable, it is
ignored. (For example, 1024x768 mode is always chained, and 16-color
modes on digital displays are never chained)
The advantages of this option:
- Extra screen memory is available, for storing pull-down menus and
pop-up menus in some applications
- Some operations such as clear screens and rectangle fills are faster
The disadvantages of this option:
- If a digital display is used, only 8 colors are available
- Some applications may provide restrictions on digital displays
Black on White
If this is NO, the screen display will be basically white graphics
and/or text on a black background; if it is YES, the screen display
will be basically black graphics and/or text on a white background,
simulating an ink-on-paper display. In most drivers, this is
implemented by exchanging the colors WHITE and BLACK, and leaving
all others unchanged. (Note that setting this value differently
from the default for the application may result in some anomalous
colors; for example, Windows uses black and white to generate
dithered colors, so if black and white are reversed, 'light' colors
and 'dark' colors will also be reversed).
For VersaCAD, if this is NO, color 0 is black, and 1 is white;
if this is YES, color 0 is white, and 1 is black.
VersaCAD version
This option is only used by VersaCAD driver.
This option selects between VersaCAD Design, and VersaCAD/386.
Interrupt Vector
This option is only used by some drivers. The default interrupt vectors
should not be changed without good reason. Consult the documentation for
the application if the interrupt vector needs to be changed.
Notes for VGA users with analog displays:
In 8-color dual-screen VGA modes above 200 lines, VGA displays will
show the incorrect height; some multi-frequency displays may fix this
by a manual adjustment (such as turning the Manual switch ON on NEC
MultiSync displays.)
Analog monochrome displays may display incorrect shades in 64-color
modes; use 256-color modes instead.
Notes for VGA users with digital displays:
64-color modes will always display incorrect colors on RGB color (CGA)
displays, and will display correct colors on enhanced color (EGA)
displays only in 350-line modes. The colors will be correct on most
multi-frequency displays; if not, many such displays have a color-
selection switch which allows selection between 8, 16, or 64 colors.
8-color dual-screen VGA modes should not be used on enhanced color
(EGA) displays in 350-line modes. In modes above 200 lines, some
multi-frequency display may require adjustment (such as setting the
manual switch ON and setting the number-of-colors switch to 8 or 16,
rather than 64)
On the VGA/AD, enabling chained memory in 16 color modes (which is
done automatically for high-frequency modes such as 1024x768) causes
bright colors to have a bluish tinge; this will cause many dithered
colors such as used by the AutoCAD driver to be similarly off-color.
Disable the chained memory feature if the colors are incorrect.
On the VGA/AD, enabling chained memory in 8 color modes (which is
done automatically for high-frequency modes such as 1024x768)
generates dim colors. Disable the chained memory feature if the
colors are not bright enough.
Since 200-line modes use a 16-color CGA-display-compatible palette
(rather than a 64-color EGA-display-compatible palette), some
displays will cause bright colors to have a slightly washed-out look;
this will cause many dithered colors to be similarly off-color. Use
modes with 350 or more lines if this is a problem.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSI screen drivers ANSI.SYS and MONO.SYS
ANSI.SYS is a a character device driver used to provide compatibility
with programs designed to run on ANSI-compatible display terminals.
It may be installed by including a line "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS" in the file
CONFIG.SYS. A more complete description of the standard DOS version of
ANSI.SYS may be found in the DOS technical reference manual. The rest
of this document describes differences and enhancements which Tecmar's
version of ANSI.SYS provides above the standard DOS version. (In any
case, Tecmar's ANSI.SYS will operate correctly, even if Tecmar's VGA
is not installed in the system.)
MONO.SYS is a similar output-only character device driver which displays
80x25 text on a separate monochrome adapter, on a device named "MONOCARD".
It may be installed by including the line "DEVICE=MONO.SYS" in the file
CONFIG.SYS. When used in conjunction with the standard VGA console, MONO.SYS
permits simultaneous access to both adapters under DOS.
(i.e. "CLS >MONOCARD" will clear the monochrome screen, and "DIR >MONOCARD"
will display a directory on the monochrome screen, leaving the VGA intact.)
Since this is an output-only device, the sequences ESC[...n (cursor report)
and ESC[...p (define keyboard macro) are not implemented.
The erase-screen function ESC[J now conforms to the ANSI standard, and
looks at its parameter. ESC[0J or ESC[J erases from the cursor to the
end of the screen; ESC[1J erases from the start of the screen to the
cursor; ESC[2J erases the entire screen and homes the cursor, as
always. All these functions fill with the current text attributes.
The erase-line function ESC[K now conforms to the ANSI standard, and
looks at its parameter. ESC[0K or ESC[K erases from the cursor to the
end of the line, as always; ESC[1K erases from the start of the line
to the cursor; ESC[2K erases the entire line with the cursor.
All these functions fill with the current text attributes.
The mode-set function ESC[=...h now handles many more different video
modes. The modes which are available depend on the video adapter and
attached display. There are now three parameters:
The first parameter is the video mode, as always. The mode number may
now be any value in the range 0-36.
The second parameter, if specified and nonzero, specifies the height of
the characters being used. This height may be any value up to 32 (23 in
graphics modes). If this parameter is omitted or zero, a default value
is used. In text modes, this parameter is only usable on the VGA.
The third parameter, if specified and nonzero, specifies the number of
character rows available. If this parameter is used, the character
height must also be present and nonzero. The total number of scan lines
(character height x character rows) in text modes may be 200, 350, 400,
or 480. In graphics modes, the number of scan lines depends on the mode.
These values may be exceeded slightly (i.e. 44 rows of 8-line characters
generates 352 scan lines). If this parameter is omitted or zero, a default
value is used. This parameter is only usable on the VGA.
The set-attribute function ESC[...m now preserves foreground and
background colors in all text and graphics modes, as well as many
attributes such as boldface, reverse-video, and invisible. In graphics
modes with 16 or 256 colors, all attributes except blinking are
available. In 4-color graphics mode 15, blinking and boldface are
available, but colors are not. In other 2-color and 4-color graphics
modes, the number of colors is reduced, and boldface and blinking are
not available.
The set-attribute function ESC[4m now handles underlining in all text
modes on MDA and VGA (but not on CGA or MCGA), as well as in all
graphics modes. In text modes, underlining may only be used with a
white foreground color and black background color, and underlined
characters and blue colors may not appear on the same screen.
The set-attribute function ESC[2m now provides italic fonts in all
text modes on VGA (but not MDA, CGA, or MCGA), as well as in all
graphics modes. In text modes, italics may not appear on the same
screen with boldface characters.
ESCAPE SEQUENCES
(numbers are shown in parentheses; if omitted, default is used;
new or modified functions are shown with *, and described above)
Sequence Description Default
ESC [ (n) A Move cursor up (n) lines 1
ESC [ (n) B Move cursor down (n) lines 1
ESC [ (n) C Move cursor right (n) characters 1
ESC [ (n) D Move cursor left (n) characters 1
ESC [ (y);(x) H Move cursor to position (x,y) 1;1
* ESC [ (n) J Erase in screen 0
* ESC [ (n) K Erase in line 0
ESC [ (y);(x) f Move cursor to position (x,y) 1;1
ESC [? 7 h Allow wrap-around at end of line
ESC [? 7 l Disable wrap-around at end of line
* ESC [= (n);(c);(h) h Video mode(n), c.height(c), height(h) 0;0;0
* ESC [ (n...) m Set character attributes 0
VIDEO MODES
Notes Mode Description
C,P,V(C),B 0 40x25 color text
C,P,V(C) 1 40x25 color text
C,P,V(C),B 2 80x25 color text
C,P,V(C) 3 80x25 color text
C,P,V(C) 4 320x200x4 color graphics
C,P,V(C),B 5 320x200x4 color graphics
C,P,V(C) 6 640x200x2 color graphics
M,V(M) 7 80x25 monochrome text
V(C) 13 320x200x16 color graphics
V(C) 14 640x200x16 color graphics
V(M) 15 640x350x4 monochrome blinking graphics
V(C) 16 640x350x16 color graphics
P,V(C) 17 640x480x2 color graphics
V(C) 18 640x480x16 color graphics
P,V(C) 19 320x200x256 color graphics
V(C) 20 640x400x16 color graphics
V(C) 21 800x440x16 color graphics
V(C) 22 800x600x16 color graphics
V(4) 23 132x25 color (or monochrome) text
V(C,M,1) 24 1024x768x16 color graphics (128K linear memory)
V(C,1) 25 1024x768x16 color graphics (2 64K pages)
V(C,2) 26 640x350x256 color graphics (4 64K pages)
V(C,2) 27 640x400x256 color graphics (4 64K pages)
V(C,3) 28 640x480x256 color graphics (5 64K pages)
V(C,3) 29 800x600x256 color graphics (8 64K pages)
V(C,3) 30 960x480x256 color graphics (8 64K pages)
V(C) 31 100x42 text (800x600 dots)
V(C) 32 960x480x16 color graphics
V(C,1) 33 960x720x16 color graphics
V(C,1) 34 1280x768x16 color graphics (2 64K pages)
V(C,1) 35 1440x600x16 color graphics (2 64K pages)
V(C,1) 36 1440x720x16 color graphics (2 64K pages)
NOTES:
B CGA composite color displays will display black and white image
C mode is usable on a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA)
M mode is usable on a Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA)
P mode is usable on a PS/2 model 30 Multi-Color Graphics Adapter (MCGA)
V mode is usable on a Video Graphics Array (VGA)
(C) mode is not usable if a CGA is also present in the same system
(M) mode is not usable if a MDA is also present in the same system
(1) Requires Tecmar VGA/AD card; VGA will display only 4 colors
(2) Requires Tecmar VGA/AD card if used with high-frequency display
(3) Requires Tecmar VGA/AD card
(4) Generates 120x25 text with an IBM PS/2 analog display without VGA/AD
CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES:
0 No attributes (white on black)
1 Bold
2 Italics
4 Underscore
5 Blink on
7 Reverse video
8 Invisible
30 Black foreground
31 Red foreground
32 Green foreground
33 Yellow foreground
34 Blue foreground
35 Magenta foreground
36 Cyan foreground
37 White foreground
40 Black background
41 Red background
42 Green background
43 Yellow background
44 Blue background
45 Magenta background
46 Cyan background
47 White background
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AutoCAD 2.52, Release 9, Release 10, and AutoShade Driver (ADI 4.0).
Quick list of features
- AutoCAD 2.52, release 9, release 10, and AutoShade all in one driver
- All 8-, 16-, 64-, and 256-color combinations are supported
- Modes below 256 colors use dithering to simulate AutoCAD 256-color palette
- VGA drivers supports dual-screen graphics, and dual-screen text modes
- Text may be displayed on internal video on PS/2, PS/2 model 30, Compaq
- VGA supports hardware zoom (via VGAKEYS); (doesn't work well in AutoShade)
- Uses large characters for easy reading, or small ones to allow large menus.
- Supports flip-screen on single display without redrawing
- Supports dual-screen mode using monochrome adapter with monochrome display
- Allows user to customize size of prompt window, menu bar, and status line
- Allows user to customize all colors used internally by AutoCAD
- Drawing color is displayed as a small dot at upper right corner of screen
Driver installation
There are two versions of the driver: VGAADI uses about 19K of RAM, and
supports all features. TINYADI uses about 12K of RAM, and has the following
restrictions: graphics must be single screen 16 color, text must be on flip
screen, monochrome adapter, or internal video, and AutoShade rendering is
not supported. The rest of this document describes VGAADI; TINYADI is
similar, subject to these restrictions. (If TINYADI is configured for any
unavailable options, it reverts to appropriate defaults.)
The driver VGAADI.COM is installed in memory by typing "VGAADI". When it is
installed, it displays the selected drawing and rendering resolutions, as
well as the size of the resident driver. This size is usually around 19K,
but may vary depending on the mode and display configuration. If the driver
is already installed, VGAADI just display the information about the already-
installed version. After running this command, the driver is available for
use with AutoCAD, AutoShade, or AutoSketch. If these programs are going to
be used often, it may be a good idea to put VGAADI in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Once the driver is no longer required, it may be removed from memory by
typing "VGAADI -R". (NOTE: If other terminate-and-stay-resident programs
have been installed after VGAADI, the space formerly occupied by VGAADI will
not be available to DOS; thus, if you intend to remove the driver later, it
is a good idea to install VGAADI after all other resident programs.)
If the driver configuration is changed by ADICONF.COM, the driver should be
removed and then re-installed to make the changes take effect immediately.
Driver configuration
The configuration program ADICONF.COM is used to customize the driver to a
user's particular needs. To modify a driver, type "ADICONF drivername" and
follow the prompts. If you intend to frequently use more than one
resolution, you can make several different versions of the driver, and edit
each version separately.
The program itself is menu-driven, and is very similar to VGACONF.COM.
(Please read the section on VGACONF first; the following description will
mention only features specific to ADICONF.)
The following additional choices are available in the main menu:
F2 Configure Driver Parameters
This brings up a sub-menu allowing customization of various
driver parameters, such as sizes of menu and prompt area.
F3 Change Color Selections
This brings up a sub-menu allowing customization of colors
used for special functions, such as menus and dialog boxes.
F8 Use Default Values
This causes all parameters and colors to be changed to their
default values, and resolutions to be changed to the highest
resolution available on a given adapter. (For VGA and VGA/AD,
the drawing resolution is the highest 16-color mode, and the
rendering resolution is the highest 256-color mode.)
Configure Driver Resolution
Graphics Display
The selection "Single" refers to a single graphics display; VGAADI will
always output information suitable for both digital and analog displays
whenever possible (except for 256-color modes).
Text Display
The selection "Flip" causes a single screen to be used alternately for
text and graphics. AutoCAD will erase one while the other is active. No
redrawing will normally be necessary when returning from the text to the
graphics screen. If any operation on the text screen (such as an external
application invoked via SHELL command) alters video memory, an automatic
redraw takes place.
The selection "Dual VGA" displays graphics on the digital display, and
text on the analog display. This is only valid in 8, 16*, and 64-color
modes.
Drawing colors
This is the number of colors available for AutoCAD drawing.
If 256 colors are selected, all 256 AutoCAD colors are available on
analog displays. (Digital displays should not select 256 colors).
If less colors are selected, dithering is used to approximate all
256 AutoCAD colors. 64-color modes occupy as much memory as 256-
color modes, and are provided for the benefit of digital displays.
16*-color modes are similar, and are for the benefit of digital
displays which can only display 16 colors. 8-color and 16-color
modes occupy half as much memory as 256-color modes, and provide
higher resolutions. 8-color, 16*-color, and 64-color modes allow
use of dual-screen configurations using one VGA.
(TINYADI requires that the number of drawing colors be 16)
Drawing resolution
This is the screen resolution for drawing. The actual space available for
drawing will be slightly less, taking into consideration the menu, status
line, and prompt lines. Unlike VGACONF, ADICONF specifies both the height
and width in one field.
Rendering colors
This is the number of colors available for AutoShade rendering.
Rendering resolution
This is the screen resolution for AutoShade rendering.
Continuous-tone rendering
If this is NO, the VGA hardware palette is used, to provide up to 16 (or
256) distinct colors on analog displays, each with one of 64 different
levels of red, green, and blue. This will display random colors on
digital displays.
If this is YES, any number of colors may be displayed at once. 256-color
modes provide many color combinations without dithering, but are not
usable on digital displays. Modes with less than 256 colors may be used
on either analog or digital displays, but since dithering is used, there
may be some color aliasing at edges between shaded regions. The number of
distinct values of red, green, and blue which may be used in each mode are
shown below:
Mode Continuous Shading Colors
8 colors 3 red x 3 green x 3 blue
16 colors 5 red x 5 green x 5 blue
64 colors 7 red x 7 green x 7 blue
256 colors 6 red x 6 green x 6 blue (without dithering)
The recommended configuration for analog displays is 256 colors with
continuous-tone rendering OFF; the recommended configuration for digital
displays is 16 or 64 colors with continuous-tone rendering ON.
Black on White
If this is NO, color 0 is black, 7 is white, and 9 (or 15) is light
grey. If this is YES, color 0 is light grey, 7 is black, and 9
(or 15) is white. This is initially YES, simulating ink-on-paper
display.
Color scheme
The default color scheme is that used for 256-color drawings:
0 black
1-6 bright primary colors
7 white
8 dark grey
9 light grey
10-19 various different shades of red
20-29 various different shades of reddish-orange
30-39 various different shades of orange
40-49 various different shades of yellowish-orange
50-59 various different shades of yellow
...
240-249 various different shades of reddish-pink
250-255 grey scales
The color scheme for compatibility with 16-color drawings is:
0 black
1-6 bright primary colors
7 white
8 dark grey
9-14 dark primary colors
15 light grey
16-255 (same as with 256-color scheme)
This is almost exactly the same as the 256-color scheme, except
for colors 9-15. In both cases, selecting black-on-white display
makes color 0 light grey, 7 black, and 9 (or 15) white.
Suppress Raster Cursor
Normally, a raster cursor (pointer) is used for making selections from
pull-down menus or dialog boxes. In AutoCAD release 10 with multiple
viewports, it is also used to indicate that the cursor is in not in the
active viewport. In some versions of AutoCAD, the cursor may not be
displayed in inactive viewports. If this occurs, enable this option to
force AutoCAD to draw the cursor with three straight lines, eliminating
this problem. In programs such as AutoShade and AutoSketch which require
a raster cursor, this option has no effect.
Interrupt Vector
This is a hexadecimal value signifying the interrupt vector used by
AutoCAD to communicate to the driver. It is normally 7A and should
not be changed, unless something else is using interrupt 7A.
Configure Driver Parameters
This menu contains various fields relating to the sizes of the non-drawing
areas on the screen.
Number of status lines
This is the number of status lines at the top of the screen.
AutoCAD displays the layer name and coordinates here. It is normally 1.
Blank lines below status
This is the number of blank scan-lines below the status line.
It is normally 1, to separate the status line from the border.
Border lines below status
This is the thickness of the border below the status line.
It is normally 1, to separate the status line from the drawing.
Number of prompt lines
This is the number of prompt lines at the bottom of the screen.
In single-display configurations, AutoCAD displays a portion of
the text display here. In dual-display configurations, AutoCAD
displays command prompts here. It is normally 3.
Blank lines above prompt
This is the number of blank scan-lines above the prompt lines.
It is normally 1, to separate the prompt lines from the border.
Border lines above prompt
This is the thickness of the border above the prompt lines.
It is normally 1, to separate the prompt lines from the drawing.
Menu width
This is the width of the right-hand menu, in characters.
It is normally 8.
Blank lines left of menu
This is the number of blank scan-lines to the left of the menu.
It is normally 2, to separate the menu from the border.
Border lines left of menu
This is the thickness of the border to the left of the menu.
It is normally 1, to separate the menu from the drawing.
Change Color Selections
This menu permits customization of any colors used internally by AutoCAD.
Beside each selection is a small box showing the selected color.
At the right of the screen is a palette showing all 256 available
colors. (In 16- and 64-color modes, many of these colors are
generated by dithering together two different colors. Since text
does not currently support dithering, all text drawn in such colors
will actually be drawn in one of the two dithering colors. Raster
cursors are treated similarly). If two incompatible colors (such as
text background and text foreground) are the same, a message is
displayed warning about the conflict. (Note that not all such combinations
are noted; for example, colors 2 and 10 are both bright red, but are not
considered different)
Graphics Background
This color is used for the blank sheet upon which all drawings are drawn.
Text Background, Text Foreground
These colors are used in the menu, status line, and prompt lines.
Border
This color is used for borders.
Alert Foreground, Alert Background, Alert Border
These colors are used for alert messages.
Menu Foreground, Menu Background, Menu Border
These colors are used for pull-down menus.
Pop-up Foreground, Pop-up Background, Pop-up Border
These colors are used for pop-up windows.
Dialog Foreground, Dialog Background, Dialog Border
These colors are used for dialog boxes.
Dialog Line Draw
This color is used to draw lines in dialog and alert boxes.
Border
This color is used for the border separating the text areas from
the drawing area.
Crosshair Cursor
This color is used for drawing the crosshair cursor.
Pointer Background, Pointer Foreground
These colors are used for drawing the pointer (arrow) cursor
used in pull-down menus and dialog boxes.
Grid Dot
This color is used for drawing grids.
Menu Hilight
This color is used for hilighting items in the menu.
Hardware zoom
VGAADI supports hardware zoom whenever VGAKEYS is installed. VGAADI adds
two new AutoCAD commands which assist hardware zooming; both may be used
transparently. ZOOMINn zooms in to a factor of n (1-8). If n is omitted,
the previously zoomed-in value is used. ZOOMOUTn zooms out to a factor of n
(1-8). If n is omitted, 1 (no zoom) is assumed. In addition, pressing
Ctrl+L at any time will toggle zooming; if the screen is zoomed in, it will
be zoomed out; if it is zoomed out, it will be zoomed in to the previous
zoomed-in value.
Notes for AutoCAD users
Flip-screen normally does not requires a redraw except in 1440x720 16-color
mode, and 960x480 modes in 16*, 64, and 256 colors.
Notes for AutoSketch users.
Dual-screen graphics mode is not supported.
Notes for AutoShade users.
Dual-screen graphics mode is not supported.
If an analog display is being used, the DAC palette lookup-table can be used
to generate exact colors. The advantage of this is that drawings with
relatively few colors (and possibly many shades) will be rendered with very
smooth gradiations between dark and light areas. The disadvantage is that
only a fixed number of colors can be displayed (i.e. in 16-color mode, only
16 discrete colors can be rendered).
When configuring AutoShade, there are three possible display configurations:
1) VGA is used for both drawing and rendering (the most common confiration):
Select graphics display device:
Autodesk Device Interface display driver (interrupt vector = 7A)
Select rendering display device:
Autodesk Device Interface rendering driver (interrupt vector = 7A)
Do the display and rendering devices share a single screen? YES
Does FLIPSCREEN require a redraw? YES
2) VGA is used for drawing, and another card is used for rendering:
Select graphics display device:
Autodesk Device Interface display driver (interrupt vector = 7A)
Select rendering display device: (will depend on the rendering device)
Do the display and rendering devices share a single screen? NO
Does FLIPSCREEN require a redraw? NO
2) Another card is used for drawing, and VGA is used for rendering:
Select graphics display device: (will depend on the drawing device)
Select rendering display device:
Autodesk Device Interface rendering driver (interrupt vector = 7A)
(If drawing device also uses ADI, change VGA interrupt vector)
Do the display and rendering devices share a single screen? NO
Does FLIPSCREEN require a redraw? NO
Notes for VGA users with analog displays:
16* and 64-color modes work correctly, but they provide no advantage
over 256-color modes. Use 256-color modes for crisper colors without
dithering.
Analog monochrome displays will display incorrect shades in
16*- and 64-color modes; use 256-color modes instead.
Analog monochrome displays will display incorrect shades in
most AutoShade rendering modes; only 16-color continuous-tone mode
will generate shades corresponding to normal colors.
Notes for VGA users with digital displays:
Rendering with continuous-tone turned OFF will produce totally
strange colors. Always turn continuous-tone rendering ON.
Selecting 256 colors on a digital display will produce totally
strange colors. Use 64 colors instead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FastCAD and EasyCAD 2.0 drivers.
Driver installation for FastCAD and EasyCAD version 2.0.
1. Copy one of the following files from your VGA Utilities Disk to the file
DSDRV.COM in the FastCAD or EasyCAD directory on your hard disk:
FCAD480E.COM (640x480 in 16 colors)
FCAD600E.COM (800x600 in 16 colors)
FCAD768E.COM (1024x768 in 16 colors)
2. Run FastCAD or EasyCAD
A new driver may be selected at any time by repeating step 1.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Generic CADD 2.0, 3.0, and Level 3 Drivers.
Quick list of features (Generic CADD 2.0)
- All EGA-compatible modes (up to 640x350) are supported in 16 colors
- All low-resolution modes (up to 800x600) are supported in 2 colors
Quick list of features (Generic CADD and 3.0)
- All low-resolution modes (up to 800x600) are supported in 16 colors
Quick list of features (Generic CADD Level 3)
- All 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 32-, 64-, and 256-color combinations are supported
- VGA driver supports dual-screen graphics modes
- VGA supports hardware zoom (via VGAKEYS)
Driver installation (Generic CADD 2.0)
1. Copy the file VGACADD2.VID to your Generic CADD directory
from your VGA Utilities Disk
2. Run CONFIG
3. Select "Select a Video Graphics Display"
4. Select the appropriate video driver
5. Select the appropriate resolution
6. Select "Exit to DOS"
7. Select "Y" to keep all changes
(If desired, the configuration procedure for Generic CADD 3.0 may be used
instead, to access more resolutions; however, only 2 colors will be available
in resolutions above 640x350)
Driver installation (Generic CADD 3.0)
1. Copy the files VGACADD3.VID, VGACADD4.VID and VGACADD3.COM
to your Generic CADD directory from your VGA Utilities Disk
2. Run VGACONF VGACADD3.COM to select the appropriate resolution
3. Run CONFIG
4. Select "Select a Video Graphics Display"
5. Select the appropriate video driver
6. Select the same resolution as chosen in step 2 above.
7. Select "Exit to DOS"
8. Select "Y" to keep all changes
9. Before running Generic CADD, you must first run VGACADD3.COM. This
occupies approximately 400 bytes of memory, and only needs to be done once.
If you intend to use Generic CADD frequently, it may be a good idea to put
VGACADD3 into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
(If desired, the configuration procedure for Generic CADD 2.0 may be used
instead, to avoid loading the resident driver; however, only 2 colors will be
available in resolutions above 640x350; furthermore, 640x480 resolution
cannot be used.)
To select a new resolution, repeat steps 2-9.
Driver installation (Generic CADD Level 3)
1. Copy the driver file VGACADD.VGD to your Generic CADD directory
from your VGA Utilities Disk
2. Run VGACONF VGACADD.VGD to select the appropriate resolution
2. Run CONFIG, and press Enter
3. Select "Select a Video Graphics Display"
4. Select the VGA video driver
5. Select "Exit to DOS"
6. Select "Y" to keep all changes
To select a new resolution, repeat step 2. If you run CONFIG after this
without repeating steps 4-7, CONFIG will still display the old resolution,
but the new resolution will be in effect.
The image-save (IS) and image-load (IL) functions are not supported, since
Generic CADD is no longer supporting these features. If these functions
are required, they may be accessed by installing the EGA or VGA drivers
supplied with Generic CADD.
The following colors are available:
(If black-on-white has been selected, colors Black and White are exchanged):
All 2-color modes:
0=Black, 1=White
All 4-color modes:
0=Black, 1=Green, 2=Red, 3=White
All 8-color modes:
0=Black, 1=Light Blue, 2=Light Green, 3=Light Cyan, 4=Light Red,
5=Light Magenta, 6=Light Yellow, 7=White
All 16-color graphics modes:
0=Black, 1=Blue, 2=Green, 3=Cyan, 4=Red, 5=Magenta, 6=Brown,
7=Light Grey, 8=Dark Grey, 9=Light Blue, 10=Light Green, 11=Light Cyan,
12=Light Red, 13=Light Magenta, 14=Light Yellow, 15=White
All 32-color graphics modes:
0=Black, 1=Blue, 2=Green, 3=Cyan, 4=Red, 5=Magenta, 6=Brown,
7=Light Grey, 8=Dark Grey, 9=Light Blue, 10=Light Green, 11=Light Cyan,
12=Light Red, 13=Light Magenta, 14=Light Yellow, 15=White, 16=Black,
16=Black, 17=Dark Aqua, 18=Dark Turquoise, 19=Dark Lime,
20=Dark Orange, 21=Dark Pink, 22=Dark Purple, 23=Dark Grey, 24=Grey,
25=Aqua, 26=Turquoise, 27=Lime, 28=Orange, 29=Pink, 30=Purple, 31=White
All 64-color modes:
Blues: 8=Dark, 1=Medium, 9=Bright, 49=Dim, 57=Light, 15=Pastel
Aquas: 17=Medium, 25=Bright, 11=Light, 43=Pastel
Cyans: 24=Dark, 3=Medium, 27=Bright, 35=Dim, 59=Light, 31=Pastel
Turquoises: 10=Medium, 26=Bright, 19=Light, 51=Pastel
Greens: 16=Dark, 2=Medium, 18=Bright, 42=Dim, 58=Light, 23=Pastel
Limes: 34=Medium, 50=Bright, 22=Light, 30=Pastel
Yellows: 48=Dark, 6=Medium, 54=Bright, 14=Dim, 62=Light, 55=Pastel
Oranges: 20=Medium, 52=Bright, 38=Light, 46=Pastel
Reds: 32=Dark, 4=Medium, 36=Bright, 28=Dim, 60=Light, 39=Pastel
Pinks: 12=Medium, 44=Bright, 37=Light, 53=Pastel
Magentas: 40=Dark, 5=Medium, 45=Bright, 21=Dim, 61=Light, 47=Pastel
Purples: 33=Medium, 41=Bright, 13=Light, 29=Pastel
Greys: 56=Dark, 7=Medium, 63=White, 0=Black
All 256-color modes:
0=Black, 1=Blue, 2=Green, 3=Cyan, 4=Red, 5=Magenta, 6=Brown,
7=Light Grey, 8=Dark Grey, 9=Light Blue, 10=Light Green, 11=Light Cyan,
12=Light Red, 13=Light Magenta, 14=Light Yellow, 15=White, 16-31 are
shades of grey, 16-254 are other IBM-standard colors, 255=White
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEM 2.2, 2.3, 3.0, 3.1, and Ventura Publisher 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 Driver.
Font selection instructions for all versions of GEM and Ventura Publisher
1. Determine what resolution you wish to use in GEM or Ventura Publisher
2. Determine what size of characters you wish to be used in system menus.
a.If you are using a resolution less than 350 lines (i.e. 640x200), you must
use the 8x8 (CGA) character font. You may also use this font for larger
resolutions, but the menus may be very small and difficult to read.
b.If you are using a resolution of 350 or more lines (i.e. 640x350), but less
than 400 lines, you must use the 8x14 (EGA) font. You may also use this
font for larger resolutions, but the menus may be small. For early
versions of GEM (before 3.0) and Ventura Publisher (before 2.0) which do
not support VGA, this is the largest font available.
c.If you are using a resolution of 400 or more lines (i.e. 800x600), and
are using a version of GEM (3.0 or later) or Ventura Publisher (2.0 or
later) which supports VGA, you may use the 8x16 (VGA) font.
3. Follow the installation for the specific application versions given below:
GEM Driver Installation
1. Install GEM normally by running GEMPREP.
a.If using the 8x8 (CGA) font, select the EGA 640x200 driver.
b.If using the 8x14 (EGA) font, select the EGA 640x350 driver.
c.If using the 8x16 (VGA) font, select the VGA 640x480 driver (GEM 3 and up).
2. CD to your GEM directory (normally \GEMAPPS\GEMSYS).
3. Delete any video driver files ("DEL SD*.*")
4. Copy the file SDVGAGEM.SYS from your VGA Drivers disk
5. Type "VGACONF SDVGAGEM.SYS" to configure the driver.
Set up the resolution and font you previously selected.
6. You may now run GEM at any time by typing \GEM
7. You may re-configure the driver at any type by repeating steps 2 and 5.
If you want to use a different font size, you must repeat steps 1, 2, and
5, but when running GEMPREP, re-installing the same version is much faster.
Ventura Publisher Installation
1. Install Ventura Publisher normally by running VPPREP.
a.If using the 8x8 (CGA) font, select the EGA 640x200 driver.
b.If using the 8x14 (EGA) font, select the EGA 640x350 driver.
c.If using the 8x16 (VGA) font, select the VGA 640x480 driver (VP 2 and up).
Select the 2-color (black+white) driver if you want to use only 2 colors;
otherwise, select the 16-color driver.
2. Ventura Publisher will create a file VP.BAT in your root directory.
Edit this file using any text editor. The last line will contain a piece
something like "/S=SD_EGAH5.EGA". Change this to "/S=SDVGAGEM.SYS".
3. CD to your Ventura Publisher directory (normally \VENTURA).
4. Delete any video driver files ("DEL SD*.*")
5. Copy the file SDVGAGEM.SYS from your VGA Drivers disk
6. Type "VGACONF SDVGAGEM.SYS" to configure the driver.
Set up the resolution and font you previously selected.
7. You may now run Ventura Publisher at any time by typing \VP
8. You may re-configure the driver at any type by repeating steps 3 and 6.
If you want to use a different font size, you must repeat steps 1, 3, and
6, but when running VPPREP, re-installing the same version is much faster.
Driver limitations
- The following modes should not be used when a monochrome adapter is present:
800x1200, 960x960, 1280x768, 1440x600, 1440x720.
- The following modes may draw circles incorrectly:
640x700, 640x800, 640x960, 800x880, 800x1200, 960x960,
(or any mode in which vertical pixels/inch has been manually set to a
value greater than horizontal pixels/inch)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GSS*CGI Driver.
Driver installation
1. Use CD to select the root directory of your boot disk
2. Copy the file VGACGI.SYS from your VGA Drivers Disk to your boot disk
3. Using any text editor, add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file on
your boot disk: DEVICE=VGACGI.SYS
4. Using any text editor, add one of the following lines to the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file on your boot disk:
SET EGA=MR3 (320x200 16 colors)
SET EGA=HR3 (640x200 16 colors)
SET EGA=HR4 (640x350 16 colors)
SET EGA=T640x480 (640x480 16 colors)
SET EGA=T800x600 (800x600 16 colors)
5. Re-boot your machine by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del
You may now run CGI applications. You may change the resolution at any type
by typing any one of the "SET EGA=..." commands described above.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lotus 1-2-3 1A, Lotus 1-2-3 2.0, and Symphony 1.0 Drivers.
Quick list of features
- Supports all text resolutions up to 132x120 and 100x150
- Automatically selects 120 column mode when 132 column mode is not available
- Optional feature to allow hardware underlining
Driver installation for Lotus 1-2-3 version 1A:
1. Install Lotus 1-2-3 normally for IBM color display
2. Copy the file VGALOT1S.DRV from the VGA Utilities Disk
to file TD.DRV on your hard disk
3. Type VGACONF TD.DRV to select the desired resolution
Driver installation for Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.0 or Symphony 1.0:
1. CD to your Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony directory
2. Delete the file SINGLE.LBR, if it exists
3. Copy the file VGALOT2S.DRV from the VGA Utilities Disk
4. Type VGACONF VGALOT2S.DRV to select the desired resolution
5. Type LOTUS to run 1-2-3 or ACCESS to run Symphony
6. At the main menu, select INSTALL
7. Select ADVANCED OPTIONS
8. Select ADD NEW DRIVERS
9. Select MODIFY CURRENT DRIVER SET
10. Select TEXT DISPLAY, and choose the VGA driver
11. Select GRAPHICS DISPLAY, and choose Enhanced Graphics Adapter
In 1-2-3, do not choose the 'Dual' version;
In Symphony, choose the 'Separate' version.
12. Return to menu
13. Save changes
Repeat steps 9-13 for each driver set that you wish to install
14. Choose a name for your driver set
15. Get back to the INSTALL main menu
16. Select CHANGE SELECTED EQUIP
17. Select SCREEN DISPLAY
18. Select EGA as primary display
19. Save changes
To use a new driver, type LOTUS driver-set-name or SYMPHONY driver-set-name.
(The driver-set-name is not needed if you used the default name in step 14.)
You may change the driver configuration at any time by typing
VGACONF driver-set-name.SET, avoiding the Lotus installation procedure.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proper Order for Loading TSRs and Device Drivers
For best results, terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs should be loaded
in a specific order. The following order is recommended:
Any extended-memory TSRs which support the VDISK memory allocation standard:
If VDISK.SYS is being used, these TSRs must be first, since VDISK
uses DOS interrupt 19(hex) to show that it is present, while many
other TSRs chain on interrupt 19 to intercept DOS soft reboots.
ROMLOAD.COM:
Video BIOS must be loaded before any other video-related TSRs.
RAMBIOS.COM, TEXTBIOS.COM, VGAFIX.COM, MULTIVGA.COM, IBM8X16.COM,
MAGNAVOX.COM:
BIOS extensions must be loaded early, but after BIOS.
VGAVESA.COM:
VESA extensions must be loaded early, but after BIOS and extensions.
TLIMODES.COM:
Tseng Labs modes must be loaded early, but not before VGAVESA.COM.
VGAMEM.COM:
VGA memory extender must be loaded after all BIOS, but before mouse.
MOUSE.COM (supplied by mouse manufacturer):
Mouse driver must be loaded after BIOS, but before VGAKEYS and drivers
Other hot-key programs, such as SIDEKICK:
Must be loaded after BIOS. Some may need to be loaded before VGAKEYS
to allow VGAKEYS to intercept hot keys.
VGAKEYS.COM:
Must be loaded after mouse (for zooming) and BIOS, but before drivers.
VGAADI.COM, TINYADI.COM, VGACADD3.COM, VGAVCAD.COM:
Resident device drivers must be loaded after all other video TSRs.
If any driver is to be unloaded after use, it should be the last TSR
loaded; if it is not, DOS may not be able to reclaim its RAM space.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VersaCAD Design 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4, and VersaCAD/386 5.4 Driver.
Quick list of features
- VersaCAD Design 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, and VersaCAD 386 5.4 all in one driver
- All 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 32-, 64-, and 256-color combinations are supported
- VGA driver supports dual-screen graphics, and dual-screen text modes
- Text may be displayed on internal video on PS/2, PS/2 model 30, Compaq
- Configurable background, border, crosshair, text and text background colors
- ENVIRO is only used to configure resolution and colors; all other
parameters (including the resolution) are set by the VGACONF utility.
- VGA supports hardware zoom (via VGAKEYS); (doesn't work well in modeling)
Driver installation
There is one driver VGAVCAD.COM which supports all resolutions and features.
Copy it, and one of the following configuration files to you VersaCAD
directory on your hard disk from your VGA Utilities Disk:
VGAVCAD2.CFG VersaCAD Design 5.2 or 5.3
VGAVCAD4.CFG VersaCAD Design 5.4
VGAVCAD3.CFG VersaCAD/386 5.4
This driver may be modified with VGACONF. To modify the driver, type
"VGACONF VGAVCAD.COM" and follow the prompts. Make sure the driver is
configured properly for "VersaCAD Design" or "VersaCAD /386".
The driver VGAVCAD.COM is installed in memory by typing "VGAVCAD". When it is
installed, it displays the selected drawing resolution, as well as the size of
the resident driver. This size is usually around 6K but may vary depending on
the mode and the number of displays configured. If the driver is already
installed, VGAVCAD says the driver is already installed, and does nothing
else. After running this command, the driver is available for use with
VersaCAD. If VersaCAD is going to be used frequently, it may be a good idea
to put VGAVCAD in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Once the driver is no longer required, it may be removed from memory by typing
"VGAVCAD -R". (NOTE: If other terminate-and-stay-resident programs have been
installed after VGAVCAD, the space formerly occupied by VGAVCAD will not be
available to DOS programs; thus, if you intend to remove the driver later,
it is a good idea to install VGAVCAD after all other resident programs.)
If the driver configuration is changed by VGACONF, the driver should be
removed and then re-installed to make the changes take effect immediately.
The first time VersaCAD is run, and whenever a new resolution is selected,
ENVIRO should be run to change the configuration. To run enviro, perform the
following steps:
- Start VersaCAD
- Type [E] at main menu to enter ENVIRO
- Type [S] to modify screen configuration
- If current selection is not VGA, type [V] to select VGA
- Press ENTER to select this entry
- Press ENTER at all the choices. If you want different values for any of the
configurable colors, press SPACE or BACKSPACE to use different values than
those given.
- The PALETTE value is used for text background color; (the value shown is
one greater than the actual color being used, to allow for black background
color 0, since VersaCAD doesn't allow a zero in this field.)
VersaCAD/386 Quick Render Module
The VersaCAD/386 Quick Render module does not use the regular VersaCAD VGA
driver; it uses a separate Hoops driver. At present, we do not provide a
VGA Hoops driver, so you will have to use the regular VGA Hoops driver which
comes supplied with VersaCAD/386. This driver provides a maximum resolution
of 640x480 in 16 colors.
The following colors are available:
(If black-on-white has been selected, colors Black and White are exchanged):
All 2-color modes:
0=Black, 1=White
(The background color may be selected from the first 16-color palette)
All 4-color modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green
(The background color may be selected from the first 16-color palette)
All 8-color modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green, 4=Blue, 5=Cyan, 6=Magenta, 7=Yellow
All 16-color dual-graphics-screen modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green, 4=Blue, 5=Cyan, 6=Magenta, 7=Yellow,
8=Grey, 9=Dark Red, 10=Dark Green, 11=Dark Blue, 12=Dark Magenta,
13=Dark Cyan, 14=Brown, 15=Dark Grey
All 16-color single-graphics-screen modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green, 4=Blue, 5=Cyan, 6=Magenta, 7=Yellow,
8=Olive, 9=Camel, 10=Sea-blue, 11=Violet, 12=Grey, 13=Maroon,
14=Orange, 15=Brown
All 32-color dual-graphics-screen modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green, 4=Blue, 5=Cyan, 6=Magenta, 7=Yellow,
8=Grey, 9=Dark Red, 10=Dark Green, 11=Dark Blue, 12=Dark Magenta,
13=Dark Cyan, 14=Brown, 15=Dark Grey, 16=Black, 17=Dark Aqua,
18=Dark Turquoise, 19=Dark Lime, 20=Dark Orange, 21=Dark Pink,
22=Dark Purple, 23=Dark Grey, 24=Grey, 25=Aqua, 26=Turquoise, 27=Lime,
28=Orange, 29=Pink, 30=Purple, 31=White
All 64-color modes:
Blues: 8=Dark, 1=Medium, 9=Bright, 49=Dim, 57=Light, 15=Pastel
Aquas: 17=Medium, 25=Bright, 11=Light, 43=Pastel
Cyans: 24=Dark, 3=Medium, 27=Bright, 35=Dim, 59=Light, 31=Pastel
Turquoises: 10=Medium, 26=Bright, 19=Light, 51=Pastel
Greens: 16=Dark, 2=Medium, 18=Bright, 42=Dim, 58=Light, 23=Pastel
Limes: 34=Medium, 50=Bright, 22=Light, 30=Pastel
Yellows: 48=Dark, 6=Medium, 54=Bright, 14=Dim, 62=Light, 55=Pastel
Oranges: 20=Medium, 52=Bright, 38=Light, 46=Pastel
Reds: 32=Dark, 4=Medium, 36=Bright, 28=Dim, 60=Light, 39=Pastel
Pinks: 12=Medium, 44=Bright, 37=Light, 53=Pastel
Magentas: 40=Dark, 5=Medium, 45=Bright, 21=Dim, 61=Light, 47=Pastel
Purples: 33=Medium, 41=Bright, 13=Light, 29=Pastel
Greys: 56=Dark, 7=Medium, 63=White, 0=Black
All 256-color modes:
0=Black, 1=White, 2=Red, 3=Green, 4=Blue, 5=Cyan, 6=Magenta, 7=Yellow,
8=Olive, 9=Camel, 10=Sea-blue, 11=Violet, 12=Grey, 13=Maroon,
14=Orange, 15=Brown; 16-255 are other VersaCAD colors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VGA Errors.
These errors are displayed during system power-up, as the message
"VGA ERROR 000x", followed by one long beep and three short beeps.
The following combinations are possible:
VGA ERROR 0001 - Memory test failed on monochrome adapter (alternate adapter)
VGA ERROR 0002 - Memory test failed on color adapter (alternate adapter)
VGA ERROR 0004 - Memory test failed on VGA adapter
VGA ERROR 0008 - Hardware malfunction on VGA adapter
Other error codes are combinations of the above. For example, error 0005
indicates memory errors on both the VGA and monochrome adapters.
If a memory error occurs on your non-VGA adapter, try that adapter alone in
the system without the VGA card and run the manufacturer's diagnostics. If
no errors occur, but errors occur when the VGA card is installed, consult
the technical support number included in your manual.
If a memory error occurs on your VGA adapter, try running the diagnostics in
VGA.COM; if errors persist, consult the technical support number included in
your manual.
Error 0008 should never occur. If it occurs occasionally, it should be
ignored. If it persists, try running the diagnostics in VGA.COM; If
errors are found, consult the technical support number included in your manual.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VGA Keyboard Utility VGAKEYS.COM, including Hot Zoom.
VGAKEYS is a resident program which captures certain key combinations and uses
them to perform basic video functions. The following key combinations are
supported:
Notes Keys Function
3 Shift-Alt- Tab Blank all displays (like screen saver)
1 Shift-Alt- Esc Clear Screen
1 Shift-Alt-Ctrl- Esc Clear Screen on all displays
1 Shift-Alt- 1-8 Change Page to 1-8
1 Shift-Alt-Ctrl- 1-8 Copy Screen to Page 1-8
1 Shift-Alt- -/=/<- Change Monitor to monochrome, color, or VGA
1,3,4 Shift-Alt-Ctrl- -/=/<- Copy Screen to monochrome, color, or VGA
2 Shift-Alt- PgUp/PgDn Increase/decrease background/border color
2 Shift-Alt-Ctrl- Pgup/PgDn Increase/decrease border color
2 Shift-Alt- -/+ Toggle background/border color intensity
2 Shift-Alt-Ctrl- -/+ Increase/decrease border color intensity
2 Shift-Alt-Home Toggle palette 'blue' bit (4-color graphics)
2 Shift-Alt-End Toggle intensity/blinking (text modes)
2 Shift-Alt-End Toggle palette intensity bit (4-color graphics)
1,5 Ctrl-Alt- 1-8 Zoom by a factor of 1x to 8x
5 Shift-Alt-Up Zoom in once (increase zoom factor)
5 Shift-Alt-Ctrl-Up Zoom back in to previous zoom factor
5 Shift-Alt-Down Zoom out once (decrease zoom factor)
5 Shift-Alt-Ctrl-Down Zoom out totally (zoom factor of 1x)
Notes:
1) Function uses keys on top row of keyboard.
2) Function uses keys on numeric keypad.
3) The inactive display is assumed to be in 80x25 text mode.
4) Screen is copied on a character-by-character basis. Colors are
preserved as much as is possible, although no provision is made
for translating EGA or VGA palette mappings.
5) Only 16- and 256-color EGA and VGA graphics modes may be zoomed.
Text modes and CGA graphics modes may not be zoomed.
In interlaced modes, odd zoom factors are not allowed (3x, 5x, 7x).
Whenever the mode changes, the display is totally zoomed out.
If a Microsoft (or compatible) mouse is installed, a zoomed display
will be panned to track the mouse position. This feature works in
conjuction with some applications (i.e. AutoCAD), but not with others.
In addition, a screen-saver option causes all displays to be blanked after
a specified number of minutes have elapsed without any keyboard or video
activity. The default value for this is 0, which means that the screen
savminutes have elapsed without any keyboard or video
activity. The default value for this is 0, which means that the screen
saver is disabled. The screen saver should not be used with mouse-driven
applications, since these normally involve little or no keyboard activity,
and video interactions are performed directly to the hardware, rather than
via BIOS calls. If VGAKEYS is run a second time, the screen-saver time
is changed.
Examples:
VGAKEYS Key functions, disable screen saver
VGAKEYS 5 Key functions, blank screen after 5 minutes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VGA RAM BIOS loaders RAMBIOS.COM, TEXTBIOS.COM, ROMLOAD.COM, VGAFIX.COM
The file RAMBIOS.COM is an resident program that speeds up some
applications. Any application software which uses BIOS calls to write
to the screen will run faster after RAMBIOS is installed. RAMBIOS is a
resident program that uses about 8K of system memory. It can be installed by
typing "RAMBIOS" to the DOS prompt. It may be installed at every power-up by
including a line containing "RAMBIOS" into the file AUTOEXEC.BAT, or a line
"DEVICE=RAMBIOS.COM" into the file CONFIG.SYS.
TEXTBIOS is used in exactly the same way as RAMBIOS, except that it only uses
3K of memory, and only speeds up operations in text modes (but not in graphics
modes).
ROMLOAD is similar, except it causes an entire copy of the BIOS ROM to be
loaded into ROM, and uses 32K of memory. ROMLOAD may not be used in
CONFIG.SYS. ROMLOAD has the following command-line options:
-L (load low) ROMLOAD is a normal TSR program.
-H (load high) ROMLOAD is loaded at the end of memory. This uses less RAM,
but is incompatible with some programs like Windows/386.
-O (overlay) If ROMLOAD has been previously used to load another ROM,
the new one replaces it; otherwise, this behaves like -L.
(This is the default.)
-W (warm boot) ROMLOAD does not test video memory. (This is the default.)
-C (cold boot) ROMLOAD re-tests video memory. This takes more time.
VGAFIX is a patch which corrects several known bugs in early BIOS versions
and updates their functionality to 1.11.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VGA Utilities CLR.COM, MULTIVGA.COM, VGAMEM.COM, VGAVESA.COM, MAGNAVOX.COM
Clear screen utility CLR.COM.
The program CLR.COM is used to clear the screen in any text or graphics mode.
It overcomes the following problems with the PC/DOS command CLS:
- CLS only clears 25 lines, leaving screens with more than 25 character rows
partially cleared.
- CLS always clears page zero, even if another video page is selected.
- CLS always does a full mode set when clearing in graphics modes.
These problems may be overcome by using CLR instead of CLS.
Also, if ANSI.SYS is installed, CLS no longer has these problems.
Multiple VGA Adapter Switcher, MULTIVGA.COM
The file MULTIVGA.COM is an resident program which permits switching between
multiple VGA/AD cards in the same system. The cards are numbered based on
the card-selection jumper. The card number is used by the utlity VGA.COM
to switch between different adapters.
Jumper position Card number
none #0
1 #8
2 #4
3 #2
4 #1
more than one jumper (reserved)
MULTIVGA is a resident program that uses about 1K of system memory.
It can be installed by typing "MULTIVGA" to the DOS prompt. It may be
installed at every power-up by including a line containing "MULTIVGA" into the
file AUTOEXEC.BAT.
VGA Memory Extender, VGAMEM.COM
The file VGAMEM.COM is a resident program that uses about 1K of system memory.
It reserves 96K of video memory on the VGA card for DOS applications,
extending the DOS limit from 640K to 736K. It can be installed by typing
"VGAMEM" to the DOS prompt. It may be installed at every power-up by
including a line containing "VGAMEM" into the file AUTOEXEC.BAT. While VGAMEM
is active, only CGA-compatible display modes (40x25 and 80x25 text, and
320x200x4 and 640x200x2 graphics) are available. VGAMEM must run in VGA
compatiblity mode. (If a monochrome card is in the same system, it should not
be used for output while VGAMEM is active, and only 64K of extra memory is
available to DOS).
VESA Super VGA BIOS Extensions, VGAVESA.COM
The file VGAVESA.COM is a program that supplies device-independant video
functions, as defined by the VESA organization. This permits use of VESA-
compatible applications and device drivers. VGAVESA is a resident program
that uses about 1.5K of system memory. It can be installed by typing
"VGAVESA" to the DOS prompt. It may be installed at every power-up by
including a line containing "VGAVESA" into the file AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Patch for Magnavox 6CM320 and 7CM320 displays, MAGNAVOX.COM
The file MAGNAVOX.COM is a resident program which uses 1/2K of system memory,
and provides correct video parameters for the Magnavox 6CM320 and 7CM320
displays for modes with 800x600 or higher resolution.
If you have a Magnavox 6CM320 display, run the MAGNAVOX program and set your
display type to NEC MultiSync 3D (via DIP switches, or the VGA utility).
If you have a Magnavox 7CM320 display, run the MAGNAVOX program and set your
display type to NEC MultiSync 2A.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VGA Utility VGA.COM.
The VGA.COM utility has been expanded.
The main menu contains the following functions. (Not all will be shown;
only those relevant to the current display adapter and mode):
C Set Compatibility Mode
This selects a menu allowing switching between different compatibility
modes, as well as booting diskette-based games in such modes.
G Set Graphics Mode
This selects a menu allowing selection of any graphics mode.
These modes are normally set for demonstration only; no applications
operate in these modes without their own drivers.
T Set Text Mode
This selects a menu allowing selection of any text mode.
These modes are normally set for demonstration only; most applications
operate in these modes with their own drivers, although some word
processors now have facilities to take advantage of high- resolution
text modes. Consult the instructions for your application.
This menu may have different options than in the manual, but the
differences are self-explanatory.
V Change Video Display Type
This selects a menu allowing switching of video display type. Use
this if your DIP switches are set wrong, or if you are using several
different types of displays with your VGA at different times.
R Read README file
This selection permits reading of the README file section by section.
A table of contents will be displayed showing the major sections
of the README file (excluding the installation sections, which
are duplicated by the Install menu). Pressing the letter associated
with a section will display that portion of the README file. The
Up, Down, PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End keys may be used to browse through
a section. The Ctrl-PgUp, Ctrl-PgDn, Ctrl-Home, and Ctrl-End keys
may be used to browse through the sections.
D Diagnostic Test of VGA Hardware
This selects a menu of various diagnostic tests.
B Color Bars
This displays a set of color bars in the currently-selected mode.
O Other Commands
This selects a sub-menu of other miscellaneous commands.
The Other Commands menu contains the following commands:
A Switch to Monochrome Adapter or Switch to Color Adapter
These switch between the VGA and non-VGA adapters.
M Switch to Internal Adapter or Switch to VGA Adapter
These switch between the VGA and internal video on a PS/2 model 30.
S Show Attributes As Shades Of Grey or Show Attributes As Colors
These allow video attributes to be shown as colors, or as shades of
grey (for that black-and-white look) on analog displays.
D Use 6-bit DAC or Use 8-bit DAC
These allow selection of analog lookup table precision if a BT478
DAC chip is installed. The default is 6-bit DAC.
(This feature is available only in surface-mount VGA/ADs)
B Force 8-bit bus interface or Allow 16-bit bus interface
Normally, the VGA/AD allows 16-bit memory accesses in all modes
except 2-color and 16-color graphics modes. Forcing 8-bit bus
interface causes 8-bit memory transfers. This is done automatically
by the BIOS if a separate monochrome or color adapter is in the same
system as the VGA, but should be set manually if multiple VGAs are
installed, or if garbage occasionally appears on the screen.
(This feature is available only in surface-mount VGA/ADs)
C Switch to another VGA card
If multiple VGA cards are installed, and MULTIVGA.COM is loaded,
this sub-menu allows switching between the different VGA adapters.
(This feature is available only in surface-mount VGA/ADs)
T Display Timing Parameters
This displays the timing information for the current video mode.
It is primarily of interest when attaching non-standard video
displays to the VGA adapter. To test compatibilty with a display
in question, first select a text or graphics mode from the main
menu, and then select this option to show that mode's parameters.
The diagnostic menu contains the following functions:
A All diagnostics marked with a '*'
This performs several diagnostics at once.
B* Basic board test
This checks the VGA hardware, and video memory.
C* Color test
This displays 64 colors for calibrating analog and digital displays
K* Color cube
This displays a cube for calibrating analog displays (127 different
colors) and digital displays (37 different colors)
D* DIP switch test
This displays the status of the DIP switches on the VGA adapter.
E* Character set test
This displays the three VGA character sets (8x8, 9x14, 9x16)
N NTSC color pattern
This displays the standard NTSC color bars for calibrating displays.
V Show BIOS ROM version information
This displays information about the BIOS ROM on the VGA adapter.
This includes the BIOS version and date, and hardware options.
This also shows a list of supported display types.
S Show summary of errors
This displays a list of all errors found in the diagnostics so far
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Windows 1.0, 2.0, 2.10, 2.11, Windows/386 2.0, 2.10, 2.11 drivers.
Quick list of Features for Windows drivers
- One Windows 1 driver provides all resolutions in 8 colors except 1024x768
- One Windows 1 driver provides 1024x768 resolution in 8 colors
- One Windows 2 driver provides all resolutions in 8 colors
Driver installation for Windows 1.0 for all resolutions except 1024x768
1. Make copies of your Windows SETUP and BUILD disks. DO NOT MODIFY YOUR
ORIGINAL DISKS. If you like, copy both onto one high-density disk.
2. Make room on your copy of the Windows SETUP disk by deleting one or two
unneeded drivers (such as ATTDEB.DRV and ATTDC.DRV)
3. Copy the file \WINDOWS1\VGAWIN1.DRV from you VGA WIndows Diskette to
on your duplicate SETUP disk.
4. With your duplicate SETUP disk in drive A, configure the driver by
typing "VGACONF A:VGAWIN1.DRV" and following the prompts.
5. With your duplicate BUILD disk in drive A, type the following commands:
COPY A:EGAHIRES.LGO A:VGAWIN1.LGO
COPY A:EGAHIRES.GRB A:VGAWIN1.GRB
6. Install Windows using your duplicate disks instead of the original ones.
To re-install with a different resolution, repeat steps 4 and 6.
Driver installation for Windows 1.0 for 1024x768 resolution
This is the same as installation for other resolutions except you should use
the name VGAWIN17 instead of VGAWIN1 in steps 3, 4, and 5. In step 4, you
may use VGACONF to change any parameters except the resolution.
Driver configuration for Windows/286 and Windows/386 2.0, 2.10, and 2.11
The multi-resolution driver is initially configured for 800x600, but may be
changed with VGACONF. To modify the driver, copy the files VGAWIN2.* to
your hard disk or another floppy disk. DO NOT MODIFY YOUR ORIGINAL VGA
DRIVERS DISKETTE. Type "VGACONF VGAWIN2.DRV" and follow the prompts.
When finished, press F10 to save the changes.
Driver installation for Windows/286 2.0 and 2.10
1. Install Windows from the distribution diskettes by running SETUP
2. When prompted for display type, press the End key to get to the bottom
of the list, and select "Other".
3a. Either: Insert the VGA Drivers Diskette and type "A:\WINDOWS2"
3b. or: Insert the floppy with your configured driver and press Enter
3c. or: Type the name of the hard disk directory where the driver is
4. Select the appropriate driver
5. When prompted for fonts, use EGA fonts for resolutions with less than
400 lines, and VGA fonts for resolutions with 400 lines or more.
6. Complete the rest of the Windows installation normally
Driver installation for Windows/286 2.11
1. Install Windows from the distribution diskettes by running SETUP
2. SETUP will automatically determine which equipment it thinks you have.
When it asks you if this selection is ok, press the End key to get to the
display driver (VGA) and press Enter.
3. When prompted for display type, press the End key to get to the bottom
of the list, and select "Other".
4a. Either: Insert the VGA Drivers Diskette and type "A:\WINDOWS2"
4b. or: Insert the floppy with your configured driver and press Enter
4c. or: Type the name of the hard disk directory where the driver is
5. Select the appropriate driver
6. When prompted for fonts, use EGA fonts for resolutions with less than
400 lines, and VGA fonts for resolutions with 400 lines or more. You may
even want to try 8514A fonts for resolutions with 600 lines or more.
7. Complete the rest of the Windows installation normally
Driver installation for Windows/386 2.0, 2.10, and 2.11
This is the same as installation for Windows/286, except the
drivers are in directory A:\WIN386 instead of A:\WINDOWS2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Word Drivers.
Microsoft Word and Microsoft Mouse.
There are problems causing strange colors when using early versions of Word
with VGA. If you have a version earlier than 4.0, you should upgrade to 4.0.
There are similar color problems when using early versions of Microsoft Mouse
driver software. If you have a version earlier than 6.24B, you should upgrade
to 6.24B.
Microsoft Word and IBM-style 8x16 characters
IBM8X16.COM is a utility which allows use of IBM-style 8x16 and 9x16
characters. This is necessary when using subscripts, superscripts, or small
caps in Word. If the BIOS has been loaded into RAM (i.e. via ROMLOAD), the
character set in the RAM-resident BIOS is modified. Otherwise, IBM8X16
becomes a resident portion of DOS and occupies approximately 5K.
(NOTE: This is not needed if you are using Word 5.0 with the driver provided)
Driver installation for Word 5.0
1. CD to your Word directory
2. Copy the file VGAWORD.VID from your VGA Utilities Disk to file SCREEN.VID
3. When in Word, select 'Options' and 'screen mode'. Type F1 to see modes.
This is the same as the normal Word VGA options, except there are many
more modes to choose from.
Unfortunately, Word does not display the width of each mode, so these must
be inferred by context. The modes are divided in to 6 groups:
80-column wide text modes (varying from 25 to 120 lines)
100-column wide text modes (varying from 27 to 150 lines)
132-column wide text modes (varying from 25 to 120 lines)
80-column wide graphic modes (varying from 25 to 60 lines)
100-column wide graphic modes (varying from 27 to 75 lines)
132-column wide graphic modes (varying from 30 to 60 lines)
Note: Previewing the page before printing (ctrl-F9) always uses 800x600
graphics mode. If you have a low-frequency display (CGA, EGA, or
monochrome), or a VGA display without 800x600 capability, you will
probably get a more acceptable graphics display by using the SCREEN.VID
which comes with Word, rather than installing VGAWORD.VID.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1 Drivers.
Quick list of features
- All 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 64-, and 256-color graphics combinations are supported
- VGA driver supports dual-screen graphics
Driver installation for WordPerfect 5.0
1. CD to your WordPerfect directory
2. Copy the file VGAWP.WPD from your VGA Utilities Disk
3. Type VGACONF VGAWP.WPD to configure the driver
4. If desired, select a high-resolution text mode with VGA.COM
5. Type WP to start WordPerfect
6. Type Shift+F1 to enter Setup menu
7. Type 3 to enter Displays menu
8. Type 5 for Graphics Screen Type menu
9. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate driver, and press Enter
10. Press Enter twice to return to WordPerfect editing mode.
At any time, a new driver may be selected by repeating steps 4-10 above.
Once a driver has been installed, it may be re-configured via step 3 above.
Steps 4-10 need only be performed if the driver is being changed from
monochrome (2 colors) to color (more than 2 colors) or vice versa.
Driver installation for WordPerfect 5.1
1. CD to your WordPerfect directory
2. Copy the file VGAWP.VRS from your VGA Utilities Disk
3. Type VGACONF VGAWP.VRS to configure the driver's graphics mode resolution
If you wish to emulate underlining, enable 'hardware underlining' mode.
If you wish to emulate boldface, enable 'hardware boldface' mode.
If you wish to emulate hardware fonts, enable 'hardware fonts' mode.
4. Type WP to start WordPerfect
5. Type Shift+F1 to enter Setup menu
6. Type 2 to enter Displays menu
7. Type 2 for Graphics Screen Type menu
8. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate driver, and press Enter twice
9. (Skip step 9 if you are not using any of the hardware emulation features)
a. Type 1 for Screen Fonts menu
b. If you are using hardware fonts, select (5) 512 or (6) 256 character mode
If you are not using hardware fonts, choose which fonts you wish to use
c. Type 1 for Setup Colors menu
d. If you are using hardware fonts, type in colors from the table below
If you are not using hardware fonts, but are using hardware underlining:
1. Change any colors with a blue background (B) to black (A)
2. Change any colors with a blue foreground (B) to black (A) or white (H)
3. Change Underline color to blue foreground (B) on black background (A)
4. If you wish to emulate boldface, you may also wish to change colors
with red foreground or background (E), as these will be bright white.
e. Press F7 to save the changes
10. Type 3 for Text Screen Type menu
11. Use the arrow keys to select Tecmar VGA, and press Enter
12. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate resolution, and press Enter
13. If you are using hardware fonts, select Video Document Options, and
enable Text in Black and White; otherwise, text will be displayed as
green text on a blue background. Press F1 to return to previous menu.
14. Press Enter twice to return to WordPerfect editing mode.
At any time, a new graphics driver may be selected by repeating steps 4-8 and
14 above. Once a graphics driver has been installed, it may be re-configured
via step 3 above. Steps 4-8 and 14 need only be performed if the driver is
being changed from monochrome (2 colors) to color (more than 2 colors) or vice
versa. A new text resolution may be selected at any time by repeating steps
4-6 and 10-14.
Aspect Ratios
When viewing a document enlarged 200%, WordPerfect sometimes displays the
image in a slightly different location when scrolling than at other times,
causing lines which were originally only partly visible to appear broken.
If this effect is objectionionable, use VGACONF to set the aspect ratio
variables (dots per inch) both to 66.
Hardware Underlining
The VGA is capable of displaying two different fonts of 256 characters at the
same time. WordPerfect displays the regular ASCII character set, and another
character set of the user's choice. The WordPerfect Screen Fonts menu allows
the user to select a 512-character font, or to display an underlined,
italicized, or small-caps version of the regular font. The VGA hardware is
also capable of optionally underlining any characters. When Hardware
Underlining is selected, the driver underlines all blue-on-black characters.
(To make this readable, anything in blue is displayed in white.)
This feature allows a different secondary font to be used, permitting 512
characters with underlining, or underlining in conjunction with italics,
small-caps, or boldface.
Hardware Boldface
When only one of the VGA fonts is used, WordPerfect can display text in up
to 16 background colors and 8 foreground colors. Boldface text is normally
displayed as bright white foreground color, rather than normal dark white.
However, when two fonts are used, only 8 foreground colors are available, and
WordPerfect normally displays boldface text in red. When Hardware Boldface
is selected, the driver exchanges dark red (D) and bright white (P) colors,
so that boldface text looks correct when two fonts are used. If only one font
is used, the same effect can be obtained by setting the foreground color of
Bold to (D), and dark red is available as color (P), if needed.
Hardware Fonts
The VGA adapter is also capable of displaying 8 separate fonts in four colors,
rather than the standard 2 fonts in 8 colors. When Hardware Fonts are
enabled, four colors are available (black, red, white, and bright white),
and either 7 extra 256-character fonts (double-underline, italics, small-caps,
outline, subscript, superscript, small) or 3 extra 512-character fonts
(italics, superscript, subscript) are available. Hardware Fonts automatically
enables Hardware Underlining, so underlined characters are also available.
This feature requires the file HRF12.FRS (for 256-character fonts) or HRF6.FRS
(for 512-character fonts) provided on your WordPerfect diskettes. In order to
make these fonts correspond to their WordPerfect attributes, the following
foreground/background 'colors' should be assigned to each attribute:
[256 characters, 7 fonts] [512 characters, 3 fonts]
Attribute Foreground Background Foreground Background
Normal B C B C
Blocked H B H B
Underline B A B A
Strikeout A G A G
Bold H A H A
Double Underline J A B A
Redline B G B G
Shadow A B A B
Italics B D B D
Small Caps J D G E
Outline B E A H
Subscript J E B F
Superscript B F B E
Fine Print O F H D
Small Print J F G F
Large Print G A G A
Very Large Print G D G D
Extra Large Print G E G B
Bold & Underline P A H G
Other Combinations P G H G
Unfortunately, WordPerfect only permits selection of multiple fonts with
25-line text modes (80x25 and 132x25), so these features are somewhat
restricted in higher-resolution modes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WordStar Patch Utility WSPATCH.COM
WSPATCH.COM is a utility which modifies WordStar versions 3.20 and 3.30 to be
able to take advantage of all text modes. To modify your version of WordStar,
perform the following steps:
1. Only patch versions of WordStar which have already been installed.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PATCH YOUR ORIGINAL WORDSTAR DISKETTE.
2. Make sure you have a backup copy of the file WS.COM. If you are running
WordStar from a floppy disk, you may wish to make a backup copy of your
WordStar disk. If you are running WordStar from a hard disk, you may wish
to backup the file WS.COM by typing "COPY WS.COM WS.BAK".
3. Patch the file WS.COM by typing "A:WSPATCH WS.COM". This version of
WordStar is now ready for use.
The patched version of WordStar will now work correctly in all text modes.
Use VGA.COM to set a high resolution text mode (such as 132x60). WordStar may
display a warning message that high resolutions have not been fully tested,
but it will use the higher resolutions. Of course, the patched WS.COM will
still work correctly even if the Tecmar VGA is removed from the system.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenix, Unix, and OS/2 notes
These programs all run in protected mode, and expect the VGA adapter to be
attached to a PS/2 VGA or equivalent display. To run these programs, either
set the DIP switches on the VGA adapter to indicate a PS/2 display, or use the
VGA utility to change display type.
There appear to be some problems using the VGA with Xenix. These problems
have been fixed in BIOS versions 1.07 and later.
Under OS/2, the program selector and protected-mode screens display unreadable
characters. This program does not occur with the presentation manager or the
DOS compatibility box.
These problems are being examined and should be fixed soon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other software supporting VGA.
Other software support for 800x600 resolution in 16 colors.
- Computer Support Corporation; Diagraph, Picture Perfect version 4.0.
- Media Cybernetics; Halo III and other software supporting the HALO III
interface. Uses driver HALOTMAS.DEV. Select Tecmar EGA Master 800.
- RIX SoftWorks: EGA Paint 2005; Create file RIXVIDEO.DSC with G=16
- Any other software supporting Tecmar EGA Master 800 at 800x600
Other software support for Tseng Labs compatible VGA cards.
There are several application packages advertised as supporting extended
resolutions on any VGA card using the Tseng Labs VGA chip. Typical packages
of this type include Mod 5 emulation packages. If you have such an
application, and it does not operate correctly, try running the program
TLIMODES first. TLIMODES provides emulation for most Tseng Labs BIOS modes
used by such applications. Once run, TLIMODES will remain active until you
re-boot your machine.
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RELEASE NOTES FOR VGA SOFTWARE VERSION 1.11.
Use the VGA utility to browse through the README section by section.
Especially important are the section on the VGA driver configuration
utility VGACONF, the keyboard utility VGAKEYS (which provides hot-key
hardware zoom for most mouse-driven applications), and the installation
instructions for any applications you will be using.
VGA configuration utility (VGACONF).
If you are using an analog display, remember to set the graphics display
type to "Analog". In some drivers, this makes available more colors (or
grey scales), and is necessary if 1024x768 resolution is to be used.
Also, if an application version number appears in the configuration menu
(i.e. in the VersaCAD driver), make sure it is set correctly to correspond
to the version of the application you are using.
Most drivers support a wide range of resolutions. For best results, it
is a good idea to choose the largest resolution which looks good on your
display with an aspect ratio as close to square as possible (640x200,
640x350, 640x480, 800x600, or 1024x768), but other resolutions are also
available.
GEM and Ventura Publisher driver.
All resolutions are provided in 2, 4, 8, or 16 colors. When a VGA and a
monochrome display are in the same system, the following resolutions are
not available: 800x1200, 960x960, 1280x768, 1440x600, 1440x720.
Windows Windows/286 2.0, 2.10, 2.11 and Windows/386 2.0, 2.10, 2.11 drivers.
All resolutions are provided in 8 colors. All resolutions are available
except the following: 800x1200, 1280x768, 1440x600, 1440x720.
Under Windows/386, applications running in windows may only use graphics
resolutions up to 640x480, or text resolutions up to 80x43. Higher
resolutions (such as 132-column Lotus spreadsheets) display incorrectly.
The drivers do support hardware zoom, but since Windows intercepts all
hot keys, VGAKEYS is not informed of any zoom requests. This is
currently being looked in to.
NOTES FOR VGA OWNERS:
(The VGA is an 6-inch-long short card with one edge connector on the bottom)
All software and drivers described herein are applicable to the VGA, with
the following restrictions:
- The maximum resolution in 256-color graphics modes is 640x400 on low- or
multi-frequency displays, or 320x480 on high-frequency displays.
- The maximum resolution in 16-color graphics modes is 800x600 or 960x480.
- The maximum resolution in 4-color graphics modes is 800x1200 or 1440x720
on low- or multi-frequency displays, or 960x720 on high-frequency displays.
- 132-column text modes are only available on low- or multi-frequency
displays; on high-frequency displays, only 120 columns are available;
the text mode drivers (ANSI, Lotus 1-2-3, Word, WordPerfect, WordStar)
will automatically adjust for this.
- Multiple adapter support via MULTIVGA.COM is not available
- Graphics Master compatibility mode is not available
NOTES FOR THROUGH-HOLE VGA/AD OWNERS:
(The thwough-hole VGA/AD is an 11-inch-long card with two edge connectors on
the bottom and a feature connector on the top; all chips except the BT471
DAC and ET3000AX VGA chips are installed in holes through the card)
All software and drivers described herein are applicable to the through-hole
VGA/AD with the following restriction:
- Multiple adapter support via MULTIVGA.COM is not available
- Graphics Master compatibility mode is not available
NOTES FOR SURFACE-MOUNT VGA/AD OWNERS:
(The thwough-hole VGA/AD is an 11-inch-long card with two edge connectors on
the bottom and a feature connector on the top; only the BIOS ROM and memory
chips are installed on holes through the card)
All software and drivers described herein are applicable to the VGA/AD.
- Graphics Master compatibility mode is a factory-installed option
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Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.