213 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
213 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
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ANSI Music - The Technical Details
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ANSI is an acronym for "American National Standards Institute" and
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actually has little to do with this "ANSI music" stuff. However, the
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American National Standards Institute defined a set of codes for
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terminals to provide a standard for cursor control. This was expanded to
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include graphics modes and color with the release of the ANSI.SYS device
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driver. It wasn't actually ANSI who expanded the set of codes to include
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the graphics, which are specific to IBM compatible computers with
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certain video adapters, but the name ANSI stuck. The original purpose of
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ANSI cursor control was to give mainframes a way to control the cursor
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on various terminals connected to them. The purpose of the ANSI.SYS
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driver was to give programs a simple and compatible way of controlling
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the video screen. However, it seems that the only real use for ANSI has
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been to give BBS's the ability to control the screen colors and cursor
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positioning. This even led to a new artform, but let's not even think
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about that. It's too much like Art Deco. In CGA color, no less.
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The ANSI.SYS driver also includes provisions for redefining keys
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on the keyboard. This can be used for character translation or to create
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simple macros. It has even been used to create trojan text files that
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redefined your keys to destroy data (i.e. your enter key becomes "DEL
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*.* <return> Y <return>"). Watch out for this kind of thing. It's not
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hard to do.
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Now I said that the actual "ANSI" organization had little to do
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with "ANSI music." The reason that the music codes were given the name
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"ANSI" is because they start with the same escape sequences. All ANSI
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codes start with <esc>[ as do the music codes. What I mean by <esc>[ is
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the escape character (27 decimal, 1E hex) and the open-bracket
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character. Now, on to the REAL details of ANSI music.
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As I just got through saying, ANSI music starts with the
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characters <esc><open-bracket>. An ANSI music sequence ends with the
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character <control-N> (14 decimal, 0E hex). In between, the commands are
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exactly the same as those used for the "PLAY" command in BASIC. Now you
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can just look up the PLAY command and you know most everything you need
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to know about ANSI music. But for those of you still confused, I'll
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summarize the PLAY commands and give a few examples and pointers. Here
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we go:
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The PLAY commands are pretty simple. This info was taken from the Tandy
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BASIC reference manual, but the Tandy-specific commands are not
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recognized by ANSI music and will be left out. Here we go again:
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A - G Plays the notes corresponding to the notes A-G on the musical
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scale. A # or + after the note makes it sharp, and a - makes
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it flat.
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Ln Sets the duration of the notes that follow. n is a number from
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1 to 64. 1 is a whole note, 2 is a half note, 4 is a quarter
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note, 8 is an eighth note, etc.
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On Sets the current octave. There are 7 octaves, 0 through 6. The
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default octave is 4. Each octave starts with C and ends with B.
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Octave 3 starts with middle C.
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Nn Plays a note. n is in the range 0 to 84. Instead of specifying
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the note's letter and octave, you may specify the note's number.
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Note zero is a rest.
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Pn Plays a rest (if that's the right terminology). n is the same as
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for the L command, but specifies the length of the rest.
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. Plays the note as a dotted note. You music buffs know that means
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that the note is one half it's length longer when dotted. Place
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the dot after the note, not before it. More than one dot may be
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used after a note, and dots may be specified for rests.
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MF, MB I'm not sure these options work. Music Foreground and Music
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Background. Supposedly these options will let you specify
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MF and have the computer stop whatever it's doing and play
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the note, while MB lets the computer do whatever it was doing
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and play the note at the same time, kind of lo-tech multitasking.
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The default (for BASIC anyway, and it seems for ANSI-music) is
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Music Background.
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MN "Music Normal." Each note plays 7/8 of the duration set by the
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L command.
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ML "Music Legato." Each note plays the full duration as set by the
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L command.
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MS "Music Staccato." Each note plays 3/4 of the duration set by the
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L command.
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That's it for the basic set of commands. There are other options
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in BASIC that are unusuable in the ANSI music, such as the X command
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which lets you include a variable name in the play command, where a
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string variable name is given and the string contains a series of play
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commands. Another command which is usable only on a Tandy or other
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computer with the TI sound chip (the PCjr, for instance) is the V
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command, for setting the volume of the sound. Now for some examples.
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<esc>[cdefgab<control-n> plays the notes "cdefgab" (the entire octave) on
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the default octave 4.
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<esc>[l4al2cl8e<control-n> plays a quarter-note A, a half note C, and an
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eighth-note E. Not too musical, but an
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example nonetheless.
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I'm not one for giving too many examples, I think that's plenty
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for you to get the basic idea. Try it in BASIC before you try it as an
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ANSI code in a message/picture. Just type PLAY "ABCDE" <return> and put
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whatever you like in the quotes. That's the easiest way to work out the
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notes and get the timing right before you blast it up to your favorite
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BBS.
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USING ANSI-MUSIC WITH WWIV 4.10
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You have two options. Use the full-screen editor known as FSED13
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(the full-screen editor used by most WWIV systems, if not all of them)
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or use the //UPLOAD command at the main menu to upload your creations. I
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prefer the FSED method, since it allows for musical macros and other
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annoying tricks like that. To use the //UPLOAD method, you must first
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create your message with music and all with some off-line text editor
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that lets you put the escape character in a file by hitting <esc> or
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<control-[>. You'll end up with something that looks like an arrow
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pointing to the beginning of the line if you did it right. Then put an
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open-bracket, the series of PLAY commands, and the <control-n>. You'll
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notice that the <control-n> character is in fact... TWO CONNECTED
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MUSICAL NOTES! Pretty witty of the designer, eh? Anyway, place this file
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in your upload directory, call your favorite WWIV system, type //UPLOAD
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at the main menu, and upload the file you created like you would any
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other uploadable file. Your next message (posted or e-mailed) will
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contain that text, and the codes for the music.
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To use FSED13, it's a bit easier. The backslash key will let you
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enter the hex value of any character, and it'll send that character in
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the message without interpreting it in any way. Therefore, an escape can
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be created by typing \1b and a control-N is \0e. That way you can,
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without ever logging off the system, type:
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\1b[cdefgab\0e
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and it'll send the notes "cdefgab" as music. Incidentally, you don't
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actually see the \1b on the screen, but if you hit backslash, it should
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let you type the two hex digits without displaying them. That's how you
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know if it's working properly. And that's all there is to the FSED method.
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On my comm program, the music codes are not hidden, and I have
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to manually add normal ANSI codes to hide them. The ANSI code for
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"invisible" is:
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<esc>[8m The "m" has to be lowercase.
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Using FSED, that can be entered as \1b[8m
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The command for "Normal text" is <esc>[0m (\1b[0m for you FSED users).
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So, using FSED, you would probably do something like this:
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\1b[8m\1b[cdefgab\0e\1b[0m
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If you don't use the ANSI hide and unhide commands, you will see a bunch
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of your notes on the screen, which looks mighty ugly.
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*********** Closing Comments ***********
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I only know of two major comm programs that support ANSI music:
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TeliMate and Qmodem. I personally prefer TeliMate. If we (the collective
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we, that is) spread the use of ANSI music, hopefully the makers of other
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comm programs will incorporate this feature. If the makers of Telix and
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Procomm included this, that would cover 95% of IBM compatible BBS'ers. A
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new version of Telix is due out in a few months and I'm hoping this new
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version will add ANSI music. I gave up Procomm years ago, so I don't
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really know when a new version of that's due out, but it still seems to
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be the most common terminal program around. Still, TeliMate is gaining
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popularity for its mouse support and multitasking ablility (I wrote most
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of this document while downloading a 371k file at 1200 baud), and Qmodem
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is pretty popular already.
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If I was inaccurate, unclear, or otherwise confusing or wrong,
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or if you simply have comments, I can be reached through your local
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WWIVnet board by e-mailing 1@4353. I am the sysop of the Non-Smurf WWIV,
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a not-too-spectacular but loads of fun BBS in Greenfield, MA.
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413-772-2716. If you can't possibly reach me by WWIVnet and really want
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to tell me something, my address is:
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Mike Barnard
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24 Temple Ave.
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Greenfield, MA 01301
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That's all for today, boys and girls. Please distribute this
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file as widely as possible, upload it to as many BBS's as you can
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possibly call, and help spread ANSI music mania. Hell, go as far as to
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make it a trendy element of pop-culture that never loses it's appeal,
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like the Rolling Stones or bright neon signs. So long, and have fun.
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Another file downloaded from:
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<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>ͻ
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<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Cheez Whiz BBS Ǯ<><C7AE><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>ͼ
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(408) 363-9766
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"Where the conversation flows like liquid cheese"
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A file/message base BBS like you've never seen before! With the
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emphasis on knowledge, free exchange of ideas, thoughtful insights,
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obscure/esoteric information, and libelous speculation regarding
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Madonna. It's all here, and it's all free for the taking. No 900
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numbers, no salesman will visit your home. One of the last few free
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things left in America.
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Zardoz - Sysoping for your pleasure
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A list of other NIRVANAnet systems
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<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>Ŀ
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<20> Just Say Yes 415/922-2008 Freedom of Speech <20>
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<20> Rat Head 415/524-3649 Bad Crazyness and Wild Stuff <20>
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<20> &TOTSE 415/935-5845 Screaming Electrons <20>
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<20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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