GFX GRAPHICS SYSTEM FOR BBS'S The New Standard for Bulletin Boards Toronto, Canada ROBERT DEW PC Canada, one of the most progressive bulletin board systems in North America has announced it's new GFX graphics system. Designers Doug Peel (SYSOP) and Mervyn Linden are providing users of Ontario- based PC Canada with full color VideoText like system graphics on their IBM PC's using a convention similar to terminal emulation. The new GFX graphics system went on-line July 14, 1984 and has been greeted by an overwhelming response by the PC community. The system requires two drivers, one at the bulletin board and one at the users PC. The driver consists of three "files", a .DOC file (instructions on how to use), a .COM file (the actual driver) and a .LIB file. Peel emphasises that it is not based on the NAPLPS convention. Once the user has downloaded these files from PC Canada he or she simply loads their communications program (PC-TALK3, Cross- talk, etc.) using a slightly different syntax (A>GFX PC-TALK3.EXE) and log on to PC Canada in the usual manner. The speed of transmission is fast. The average full screen is locally generated from instructions sent down the phone line that take only 1 second to complete. Before the signals have even completely finished being received the color system goes to work. (At 300 baud there is a delay of about 2 seconds.) At the present time there is an on line demo of the system and the log on screen. In the near future we can expect to see menu structures using icons where the user just touches a number corresponding to a picture they want to use. The system requires that the user have an IBM PC or IBM XT (jr is not supported yet) and a color graphics card attached to an RGB color monitor. Amber monitors will work except that colors will be represented as shading if supported by the particular manufacturer. GFX will likely be quickly adopted by systems across the United States from the authors who will both screen SYSOP's and charge a $100.00 fee for use of the service. Don't, however, expect to see 100 services offering GFX tomorrow. It is expected that the first system to adopt GFX in the U.S. will be Gene Plantz's multi-user BBS in Chicago. Peel expects Gene to be set up by late August. Peel added "IBM came to us (in Canada here) and they want to buy this system from us to use and we wouldn't sell it." In order to use GFX you will need to download the library GFX.LBR which contains the following files: (Use LAR to break them out) Name Index Length (128 byte blocks) Directory 0 2 gfx.doc 2 77 gfx.lib 79 16 gfx.com 95 68 gfxnews.doc 163 37 ----------------------------- Total blocks 200 Library gfx.lbr has 8 slots, 0 deleted, 4 active, 3 unused Read the DOC file and then call one of the BBS's listed at the end of the DOC file after installing GFX. Be prepared for some real razzle dazzle graphics over the phone! Will Carlton (DalTex RBBS-PC) ile after installing GFX. Be