AmyNews 3

UL on Synchron City 22/9 1994

@BEGIN_FILE_ID.DIZThis is AmyNews 3
A compilation of new hardwares and
softwares for the Amiga
***** PLEASE SPREAD THIS FILE *****
    _
 _ // AMIGA, You Know It Rules!!!
 \X/  Intel Inside! Idiot Outside :-)
 
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This is AmyNews 3.
New releases always from the start.
Amiga development continues as never befor.
These are only a fraction of what developers are developing for the Amiga
platform.

- A new version of landscape generating software, SceneryAnimator, is
  in it's beta testing period :-) 
  More about this wonderfrul new release in a later issue of AmyNews

- Terra Nova Development announces the availability of Magic Lantern 
  v2.0, the critically acclaimed 24 bit animation package for the Amiga.
  Magic Lantern version 2.0 allows users to create, edit and display 
  delta compressed animations in up to 24 bit color on all the popular
  true color display cards for the Amiga, as well as all the native 
  Amiga modes (including AGA). It will also play sound effects in either
  mono or stereo though the Amiga sound chip during animation play back.
  New features include virtual memory support; now animations can be as
  large as your hard disk, and Magic Lantern will still be able to edit
  and display them.  Double Time compression technology can double
  animation speed and reduce animation sizes by half.
  Another new compression technology has been added that can speed up
  some animations (especially those in 16 and 24 bit) by up to 25%, and
  reduce animation sizes by up to 20%.  Rebuilding animations has been
  optimized, and for large animations can be 75% faster.
  Direct support for the Retina Z3 has been added, resulting in
  animations that are up to 50% faster and 40% smaller for that card.
  Magic Lantern 2.0 still contains all the features of previous
  versions, including sound synchronization, enforcement of frame
  rates, full ARexx support, animation disassembly, palette changes and
  more.

- Sound/Noise tracker compatible module player for the Amiga, the D.A.S.
  ModulePlayer's long awaited version 3.4 will be out soon. The new 
  version has, among other improvments, support for 6 more module formats
  including TFMX Pro, TFMX 7V and C64 SID modules.

- Powerful spreadsheet for the Amiga, TurboCalc, will jump directly from
  version 2.1 to 3.0. Lots of improvments are promissed. The goal is to
  make it equal or better than microsoft excel. TurboCalc supports SYLK
  format and in it's current version it's much like Excel. If you are
  familiar with Excel then you are familiar with TurboCalc too.
  More about this superb product in a later issue of AmyNews ;-)

- This is for those of you who use the powerful Blitz Basic II (ASIC SW);
  Blitz User Magazine issues 6-10 (£15) are now available from:
  Guildhall Leisure Services
  Blitz Subscriptions
  Unit 15 Guildhall Industrial Estate
  Kirksandall
  Doncaster
  DN3 1QR
  England

- Pure Logic Software president Jason Freund annonce that they are and
  will be loyal to the Amiga users. Pure Logic Software is developing
  a major upgrade to the "On The Ball" (a personal information manager
  for ther Amiga). The upgrade is to be released Nov 1994.

- Questar Productions announces the availability of World Construction
  Set version v1.0. The World Construction Set is a so called terrain
  renderer or scenery generator/animator with promissing features.
  World Construction Set (WCS) is the next generation of computer
  terrain modeling software. WCS' powerful renderer sets new standards
  in photo-realism, producing images that are often mistaken for actual
  photographs. WCS' ecosystem modeling approach combines familiar 3D
  imaging techniques with Nature's own processes to deliver scenes of
  sublime beauty and lifelike detail to your Amiga.
  World Construction Set is like nothing you have seen befor!

- ADPTools Professional v1.0 is now out. It's a powerful FronEnd for the
  ADPro Professional (ASDG).

- Oxxi Inc reports that development of Oxxis superb multimedia package
  VideoStage Pro continues. Oxxi estimates a release date Fall (1994)
  for VideoStage Pro Plus, VSP+. VideoStage Pro in it's current version
  is a powerful multimedia authoring program desined to compete with
  the industry standard multimedia package SCALA InfoChannel. 
  VideoStage's impressive text animation capabilities also make it an
  amazing video titling tool when used with a genlock.  There is built-
  in control for ECS chipset genlocks, GVP's G-Lock, and Digital 
  Creations' SuperGen.

- Silicon Prairie leading caching program for the Amiga, HyperCache 
  Professional version 2.0 is now out.
  HyperCache Professional can speed up data access by as much as 3000%
  on devices such as: SCSI & IDE hard drives, CD-ROM drives and floppy
  drives.

- Electronics Art reports that the paint program DeluxePaint version 5.0
  is under development. Among the new features Electronic Arts mentions:
  - ARexx - Full command set, recordable and saveable macros.
  - 24 Bit Backing Store - 24 Bit data creation, editing, loading,
    saving.
  - Multiple Palette Animation - Every frame can have a separate palette.
  - Variable Rate Animation - Every frame can have a custom frame rate/
    pause.
  - Texturing, Media libraries - Used in conjunction to create 
    naturalistic art.
  - Camera Moves - Create scrolling backgrounds, and camera zoom 
    animations.
  - Gradient Translucency - Create gradient translucency fades.
  - AnimBoard(tm) - Print animation storyboard in multiple layouts.
  - Soft Edge Airbrush - New editable Airbrush has a natural look and
    feel.
  - Creation and editing of larger than screen animations.
  - Move Requester Enhancements - Key Frame Animation, Animated Fades.
  Electronic Arts estimates a release date Fall (1994) for DPaint 5.0

- A new version of the communication program NComm version 3.05 is now
  released. The new version correct all known bugs and ads several new
  feature.

- UK based company Marpet Developments annons the release of, CD32 
  S-Port ($35 US). This hardware/software package Connects the CD32 to
  a 25 pin serial port via the keyboard port.

- "Paint Engine" is the new generation Paint/Processing package for the
  Amiga. It is the fastest image processor for the Amiga and comes with
  tons of feature. "Paint Engine" is in it's beta testing period. Beta
  testers claims that on Amiga 4000, "Paint Engine" does almost real-
  time image manipulation!!!  Read more about it's outstanding features
  in a later issue of AmyNews. Cybernetica will distribute 
  "Paint Engine". 

- Just a quick note; Barfly version 1.09 is the first Assembler/Debugger
  that currently supports the 68060.

- The standard mathematic program Maple V version 3.0 for the Amiga is
  under development. Maple V is expected to be completed this fall. 
  A Student Edition of Maple V, release 3, will be distributed by 
  Brooks/Cole.

- Dice C devlopment package for the Amiga is available now in a new
  version 3.0. For upgrade information contact:
  Obvious Implementations Corporation
  P.O. Box 4487
  Cary, NC 27519-4487
  USA

- HarmonySoft (Israel) announces the availability of the student's 
  version of Rashumon v3.0 for only $60. The student's version doesn't
  include the printed user manual.
  Rashumon is a multi-lingual word-processor for the Amiga. It supports
  multiple fonts (including Agfa Intellifonts), 256 colors for graphic
  objects and 8 colors for text and tables. it  has full Postscript and
  IFF support. One of the majour features in release 3.0 is Rashumons
  ability to output Scala Lingua script. Any document can be converted
  into Scala Lingua script format. The conversion includes: text (in any
  language), color, attributes, layout, line spacing, tab stops, IFF 
  brushes. Structured drawings (made by Rashumon's  Table Generator)
  aren't supported in Scala's current version but will be supported in
  next version.
  HarmonySoft sells fonts for many different languages.

- MainActor v1.55 is out now. It's mainly a bug fixed version.

- XEMrip.library for all XEM-compatible communication programs is due
  to immediate release. XEMrip.library gives your XEM-compatible terminal
  software like Term, XCOMM, Terminus etc to communicate with RIP based
  BBS system.

- The long-awaited book "Connect Your Amiga!" by Dale L. Larson, 
  published by IAM, Intangible Assets Manufacturing, ISBN 1-885876-02-5
  is finished. Special discounts are available for early orders.
  "Connect Your Amiga!" is 256 pages packed with information for 
  networking and for going online. From background information for the
  novice to networking hints and tips for advanced users, this book has
  something for every Amiga owner.

- Long-awaited raytracing program, LightWave 3D version 4.0 is now under
  development. LightWave 3D v4.0 will be priced at $995.95. Owners  of
  the current standalone  version, LightWave 3.5 for the Amiga, will be
  able to upgrade to version 4.0 for $149.95.
  LightWave has been used on TV shows like seaQuest DSV, Babylon 5, Star
  Trek : The  Next Generation, Robocop, Viper, Unsolved Mysteries, and
  Weird Science to produce the final special effects shown on air. 
  Babylon 5 won an Emmy last year for its LightWave produced graphics, 
  and the Video Toaster also won an Emmy, due in part to its LightWave
  3D system.
  LightWave 4.0 includes a number of  new features, including inverse
  kinematics for character animation. There will also be a new plug in
  filter system that will allow users to add features like real world
  physics or advanced animation features. LightWave Modeler will also
  feature multiple undo and redo, and Metaform, which allows simple
  creation of organic and aerodynamic objects.

- The long awaited Image processing program for people on low budget,
  ImageStudio v1.0 is now out.

- The new Wacom ArtZ (graphic tablet) is now out. Wacom sells drivers
  for the Amiga. A new minor update to TVPaint will support all features
  of the new Wacom ArtZ.

- Oxxi reports that the long awaited text editor TurboText TT is now
  finaly out in version 2.0! upgrade fee for current owners is 20$

- Just for your information: Lightwave and Amiga has being used to render
  the USS Pasteur in the final episode of STING. ;)

- CrosMAC by the Consultron, the maker of CrosDOS, is released now.
  CrossMAC will enable you to access a 1.44MB drive and any other Mac 
  formatted drive. AmigaDOS 2.0 or better is required. For price and
  more information contact: Consultron, 11280 Parkview, Plymouth, MI
	48170, USA , Phone 313 459 7271

- Creative Focus at 1-(607)-648-4082 does Canon BJC-600 drivers for the
  Amiga.

- The new version of EGS-TV, the video editing software for EGS and VLab
  framegrabbers is out now :)
  EGS-TV is a superior product for all Amiga EGS system and works as a
  front-end for the V-Lab digitizer. Using EGS-TV powerful AREXX port
  you can i.ex. grab sequences with precise control and it sports a 
  'Blue-box' facility for integrating backgrounds behind your foreground
  subjects. For more information contact Helmut Hoffmann at:
  [email protected]

- Term v4.1 is now out. It's maily a bug fixed version of version 4.0

- Creative Focus Box 580 Chenango Bridge, NY USA, annonce the release of
  a bug fixed version of their Super_DJC3 driver. The upgrade fee is 0$

- Manuel Lemos of Upper Design (Portugal, yes they develop high quality
  Amiga softwares even in Portugal) head programmer of one of the most
  powerful recovery softwares for the Amiga, "Upper Disk Tools" version
  1.01 is working on objetcs that will improve your DTP/Word Peocesser
  software. Among long awaited objects, he mentions a very powerful
  "Equation Editors" and "Bibliography database". The estimated release
  date in Dec 1994.
  "Upper Disk Tools" is a very powerful Amiga program for recovering bad
  harddrives etc. It is the first Amiga program that uses the WorkBench
  (TM) mecanism for it's GUI. If you know how to use Workbench and icons
  you already know how to use "Upper Disk Tools".

- Apex Software's Forge texture generation program for the Amiga is now
  avaiable to all multimedia creators. Forge is an awesome addition to 
  any LightWave animator's digital toolchest.
  Forge is a texture rendering and animation program.  Simply plug in 
  the textures, change the settings and render previews until you're 
  ready to render a final image.   That final image is loaded into 
  LightWave as an Image Map for use like any other.   Simple enough,
  right?  But Forge goes far beyond this basic need. 

- Pester CeV Design (US) is working on their low cost trapdoor to Zorro
  bus expansion system. Using it, you'd have the equivalent of an Amiga
  4000 platform to build on for less than a grand invested.

- Jim Drew of Utilities Unlimited International, inventer of the Amiga
  Emplant technology is announcing "The Edge" (Electronic Display 
  Graphics Emulator), the next generation graphic board for any Zerro 
  III Amigas. "The Edge" features:
  64 bit wide Cirrus Alpine graphics processor interfaced to a Zorro III
  slot. It supports the Industry standard ARGB. "The Edge" is backwards
  compatible with any Cirrus 54xx series processor, meaning that you can
  use the EGS Spectrum or Picasso II software with it but "The Edge" 
  will of course have it's own (fast) WB emulation/mode promotion 
  software. It uses 72 pin SIMMs (up to 8 megs via two SIMMs), and will
  retail for ~$299 w/0k RAM.  With video speed equal to the PowerMAC's 
  PDS video board, it is fast. 640x480x32 bit animations in realtime 
  by just moving the data to the board. Up to 80 megapixels per second,
  and the blitter can move entire offscreen bit maps into the viewing 
  area without any glitches in the display. It's also very fasstttt.

- DIAVOLO backup software for the Amiga version 1.7 is now out. It's by
  far the most user freindly and system freindly backup software for the
  Amiga. Media Disk is the new distributer of the DIAVOLO in the USA.

- Interworks ethernet-based, Peer-to-peer Networking solution, Enlan-DFS
  now new version 2.0 is now out

- Several new PIMs for Image Master R/t are now availble from Karl 
  Bellve at University of Maryland at Baltimore, Dept. Of Physiology
  They are mainly used for scientific image analysis. Email him at
  [email protected] to obtaine the PIMs. They are free.

- Version 4.2 of the Shuttle Tracking Program, SatTrack is out now. It
  allows you to track the position of the shuttle to see the laser 
  flashes that it will be projecting on the earth during the mission.

- I had a fresh FAX from the Blue Ribbons president concerning their
  continuing support of the Amiga products. Most important points in the
  fax are: "We are loyal to the Amiga platform. All our multiplatform 
  softwares like our "Bars & Pipes professional" are constructed for the
  Amiga first. Then we port our softwares to other platforms. The 
  multitasking nature of the Amiga, makes this computer number 1 source
  for the music and midi. We did a lot of improvments to the Track 
  Window Menu, Edit Window, Song Construction Window, Metronome, 
  printing, Tool and Accessories sections in the version 2.5 of the 
  "Bars & Pipes professional" but the development continues and we are
  designing the next majour update to the "Bars&Pipes". The new version
  will amoung other things support the MacroSystems Toccato"

- Ameristar ethernet cards are available again, through CEI US.

- EGS, Enhanced Graphics System, is now available for all Amiga non-EGS
  graphic boards. GVP German distributor, DTM, Fax #: 06127-66276, Price
  200DM

- MacroSystem Develpment Inc is working on it's 68060 version of the
  "Warp Engine". 

- A student edition of Maple V for the Amiga is under development. 
  Source, Bob Evans, the Director of Electronic Publishing at 
  Brooks/Cole.

- Awared winner professional CAD package for the Amiga, XCAD - 3000,
  will soon come in a new version (this info directly from one of the
  XCAD programmers). XCAD - 3000 in it's current version is up to 15
  (yes 15) times faster than AutoCad on IBM PC platform. XCAD - 3000
  was the winner of CADEX US 1993.

- Long awaited Aminet CD 4 is now ready for shipping

- A new bug fixed version of the Desktop Magic (Media Disk) is under
  development. 

- LHA v3.0 (the release version is probably named v3.1) is under beta 
  testing. It features amoung other things, a very user configurable GUI
  and up to 35% better compression ratio.

- Long awaited TurboText TT version 2.0 is under development. This info
  directly from TT's auther. TT v2.0 will be a majour update with lot of
  of new feature.

- Digital Soundtrack (Visual Inspiration) let you add samples sound, 
  Midi songs and ST mode to your videos. Features include a preview 
  mode, jog and shuttle controlls, and PIP picture-in-picture support
  for majour video boards. Digital Soundtrack supports various single-
  frame controllers like AmiLink and PAR (Personal Animation Recorder).

- Ingenieurbuero Helfrich is making it's brand new Piccolo-SD64plus 
  graphic board. It features, 64bit-Blitter, Pixelclock 135 MHz, Zorro
  II/III autosensing. 

- PCTask (Chris Hames) v3.0 is under development. The new version is
  reported to be faster and supports all graphic boards available.

- Genie Tools, vol 1 (Shead Data Processing) collection for Aladdin 4-D
  offers a variety of tools including the TriSub and DoBeSphere 
  functions which let you create triangle-based spheres and the 
  LissaCurve control.

- Kermit Woodall of Nova Design, Inc. annons the development of ImageFX
  version 2.0. Tons of new features are promissed, among them Fractal 
  Painter.

- Migraph MS2400 Color Scanner (SCSI connection) + state of the art
  OCR software are now out. The package will turn the Amiga into a 2400
  DPI, 24 bit color scanning workhorse. Info Migraph

- TurboCalc v2.1 is out now. 

- The new version 2.1 of the powerfull MultiMedia authering program, 
  HELM is in the works.

- Check & Balance from AmiSoft is a new software that let you balans 
  your books and print out your checks.

- Awared winner Amiga dissassembler RESOURCE v6.0 is out now.

- A new improved version of ADPRO 24bit printer driver for the Primera
  color printers can be obtained directly from your Primera dealer or
  any dealer supporting ASDG products.

- Blitz Basic II version 1.9 and Bum 7 are out now.

- A wave of new softwares for the awared winner Amiga 3D software
  LightWave is here. Amoung others are "Newton's Law" - Cybernetica,
  PowerMacros - Cine Graphics and version 2.1 of Sparks - MetroGrafx.

- Long awaited upgrade to ProDraw (GoldDisk) is now here. Version 3.03
  fixes all known and unknown bugs under later OS version

- PageStream 3.0 is shipping now ;) Japp! Best DTP program ever

- SOFT-LOGIK gives now 3 kind of user support for it's products,
  more about them later in another message.

- SOFT-LOGIK is working on a rewrite of ArtExpression

- ProVector 3.0, from Stylus, Inc. in Colorado, in under beta testing.
  Among tons of new feature, it will export Adobe Illustrator (all
  versions). Stylus has worked close with SOFT-LOGIK to make the all
  new ProVector a good completation for PageStream 3.0

- Final Writer 3.0 is under Alfa testing. Woody Williams, SoftWoods
  President says it's a majour release and I see no reason to not
  belive him ;-)

- Pegger 2.0, Image Compression software, is now out ;) Much Faster

- CanDo 3.0 with a lot of new stuff is ready for release soon

- MaxDOS v2.0 from Media 4 Production is now out. It allows you to read
  warite Mac data using your Amiga.

- SAS C release 6.55 is due to be released very soon, among other news
  is the new optimizer for 68060. JAPP!

- Brilliance 2.1 is under development

- SoftWood is working on a new powerful Database program for the
  Amgia. They call it "Final Data".

- Utilities Unlimited is working on it's 68060 50 MHZ board.
  They are working on a multiCPU board for Zorro Amigas. The board
  can hold multiple numbers of CPU (up to 4 * 68060, now beat that!)
  RAM access is done in a 64 bit interleaved. This may change to 128.
  Burst is permanently on.

- Advanced Systems (Maker of Fastlane SCSI II board) are working on
  their new 68060 board that can hold multiple numbers of 68060. The
  board in modular and is ready for an ultrafast SCSI II fast&wide 
  controller, and ethernet board. It can hold up to 128 MB memory.

- Real 3D v3.0 is under development.

- TYPESMITH v2.5 is out now. Powerful font designer from SOFT-LOGIK.
  Among imptovments: It will convert MacBinary or PC TrueType fonts to
  any other format (PostScript Type 1 and Type 3, Intellifont, IFF RFF,
  DMF). Also, it can export any font as a high quality TrueType font
  with instructions (hints). Another nice new feature is the automatic
  point reduction algorithm which allows you to clean up badly designed
  fonts. The new overview printing feature prints complete character set
  tables to any printer.
 
 
 
There are more news but this was all for this time.
Have fun with your wonderful Amiga

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