BGI Clone announcement
----------------------

I annouce that i plan to release the alpha version of my Graph unit soon.
It is a complete and independant rewrite of the original graph unit who comes
with Borland Pascal and C/C++ compilers.

My goal was:
1) compatible with original Graph unit.
     i think i succeed. to convince yourself compile and run bgidemo.pas
     please report errors you encounter.
     Frankly, since the algorithms and calculations are not exactly the same
     it may happens that a drawing is not the same pixel for pixel.

2) use existing BGI drivers and CHR fonts files.
     CGA,EGAVGA,BGI256,VESA16 and BIOS.BGI were tested.
     With some of the CHR files the witdh of char is not correct.

3) use with other non Borland compilers. Pascal and C.

4) to have a faster and smaller version.
     the code is 2K smaller, data is 200 bytes less and with the simplest
     program there is 10K more of free heap.
     but i have to rewrite some code to have a speed improvement.
     The speed limit come more from the driver itself.

5) to add some new features

6) remove limitations and correct bugs.
     you can register more than 10 drivers.
     i also introduced new bugs. <g>

7) have the source code.
     Well. for me only. i plan to release the source to registered users.
     there is the source from two or three procedures i stole from others
     authors. i have to rewrite these procedures before releasing anything.


The alpha version is for TP7/BP7 and Stony Brook Pascal +/16.
A version for Ansi C compiler (with a BGI driver for EGAVGA and some CHR
fonts) is planed shortly after the beta version for Pascal is released.

Overview of extended functions:

- register more than ten drivers or font files.

- several fonts loaded at the same time.
- clipping with text and putimage

- more than one driver active at the same time without loosing current
  settings. (ie: You can have two graphics monitor:8514 and VGA, a plotter
  and a laser printer. No need to do initgraph/closegraph)

- dynamic and automatic allocation of memory (floodfill and fillpoly can
  allocate up to 64K to their temporary buffer while default Buffer can be 0
  to save memory).

- Stand alone version: no need to load a bgi driver.
  VGA version. for user who want the smallest and fastest version.

Also i have written a BGI driver compatible with standard graph unit.
- Building a driver is very simple. no need to process the assembled file.
- new driver BIOS.BGI it is very slow but less than 3k and you have all the
  mode of CGA, EGAVGA, VESA16 plus mode 13h and VESA 256 colors modes.
- UVGA.BGI faster than BIOS.BGI same mode and in addition VESA 32K, 64K, 16M
  colors modes with Graph clone unit.

- More other things. Depend on users suggestions.


BGI Better Graphic Implementation

 Franck PISSOTTE [100117,200]
 Internet: 100117.200@compuserve.com

 Franck PISSOTTE
 61 Quai de la Seine
 75019 PARIS
 FRANCE
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