From 27be5bc72855a0fbbdae230bc144624c9eb85f5e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michiel Van Der Kolk Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 20:50:03 +0000 Subject: Initial check in dumb 0.9.2 - has a few usages of floating point that should be rewritten to fixed point. seems to compile cleanly for iriver. git-svn-id: svn://svn.rockbox.org/rockbox/trunk@6197 a1c6a512-1295-4272-9138-f99709370657 --- apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt | 406 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 406 insertions(+) create mode 100644 apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt (limited to 'apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt') diff --git a/apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt b/apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..eff4b8ded8 --- /dev/null +++ b/apps/codecs/dumb/release.txt @@ -0,0 +1,406 @@ +/* _______ ____ __ ___ ___ + * \ _ \ \ / \ / \ \ / / ' ' ' + * | | \ \ | | || | \/ | . . + * | | | | | | || ||\ /| | + * | | | | | | || || \/ | | ' ' ' + * | | | | | | || || | | . . + * | |_/ / \ \__// || | | + * /_______/ynamic \____/niversal /__\ /____\usic /| . . ibliotheque + * / \ + * / . \ + * release.txt - Release notes for DUMB. / / \ \ + * | < / \_ + * | \/ /\ / + * \_ / > / + * | \ / / + * | ' / + * \__/ + */ + + +****************************************** +*** DUMB v0.9.2, released 2 April 2003 *** +****************************************** + +Yes, there really has been a release. This is not a day-late April fools' +joke. + +DUMB's full name has changed! The old "Dedicated Universal Music +Bastardisation" was rather silly, and not much more than a forced attempt at +finding words beginning with D, U, M and B. I spent weeks and weeks browsing +dictionaries and hopelessly asking others for bright ideas, until the +brilliant Chris "Kitty Cat" Robinson came up with "Dynamic". I decided to +keep the U as Universal, since a DUH struct can hold digital music in any +format. Now all that remained was the B, but it didn't take me long to come +up with Bibliotheque, which, despite looking French, is indeed considered an +English word by Oxford English Dictionary Online, to which my university has +a subscription. So there you have it - the name now makes sense. + +The two most significant additions to the project would have to be the new +thread safety (with an important restriction, detailed in docs/dumb.txt), and +the new build system. The silly 'makeall' and 'makecore' scripts are gone. If +you are a GCC user, all you need do now is run 'make' and 'make install', as +for other projects. You don't even have to run a 'fix' script any more! There +are some caveats, which are covered in readme.txt. If you use Microsoft +Visual C++ 6, you no longer need to obtain GCC and GNU Make - there is a +project file just for you. + +Huge thanks go to Steve Terry for testing on Windows XP - about five times - +and to lillo for testing on BeOS and Mac OS X. Thanks also to X-G for testing +on a Windows system that has consistently posed problems for DUMB's old +makefiles. + +There was a bug whereby al_poll_duh() would sometimes cause the music to +resume playing if you called it after al_pause_duh(). Whether this was DUMB's +fault for misusing Allegro's API, or a bug in Allegro, is unclear, but this +release makes it work. + +In one of my projects, I found that my AL_DUH_PLAYER stopped playing when +there were lots of other sound effects. In order to fix this, I programmed +DUMB to set the priority of the stream's voice to 255, the maximum. I also +added al_duh_set_priority(), so you can set the priority yourself if you need +to. + +The resampling code has undergone a transformation. The bad news is that the +linear average code is no longer in use. The good news is that where DUMB's +resamplers used to require three extra samples' worth of memory to be +allocated and initialised, it now copes with just the sample data. And it +does a very good job at bouncing off loop points and otherwise hurtling +around the sample. The resampling code is considerably more complicated, but +the code that uses the resamplers is considerably simpler - and if you +noticed a slight click in some bidirectionally looping samples, you'll be +pleased to know that that click is gone! + +I have also devoted some effort to optimisation. It seemed hopeless for a +while, but then I actually figured out a way of making it faster AND more +accurate at the same time! DUMB is now quite a bit faster than it was, and it +mixes not with 16-bit precision, but with 24-bit precision. (It used 32-bit +integers all along, but the difference is that it now makes use of 256 times +as much of the integer's range.) + +There have been the usual improvements to playback. The last release occurred +rather too soon after I had fixed the XM effect memories; EAx and EBx, fine +volume ramps, had been neglected. These are now handled properly. + +In previous versions of DUMB, muted channels in IT were actually played with +surround sound panning (where the right-hand channel is inverted). This has +been fixed, so muted channels will really be muted now. + +There were also some subtle problems with the way DUMB handled New Note +Actions for IT files. It turned out that, in all releases of DUMB so far, +pitch, filter and panning envelopes and sample vibrato were not being +processed for any note that was forced into the background by a new note on +the same channel! This only affected IT files. Not only has this been fixed, +but envelope interpolation is much more accurate. Long trailing envelope- +driven fade-outs sound a lot better now! + +Since panning and filter envelopes are more precise, extra fields have been +added to the DUMB_IT_CHANNEL_STATE struct, used by +dumb_it_sr_get_channel_state(). These fields hold the 'decimal' parts of the +pan and filter cut-off. See dumb.txt for details. + +Mxx (set channel volume) now correctly only modifies the last note played on +the channel, not any previous notes that have been forced into the background +by New Note Actions, and filter effect processing is now closer to what +Impulse Tracker does. + +The XM loader was slightly flawed and could crash on files containing samples +with out-of-range loop points. One such file was given to me. This has been +fixed. + +Finally, the legal stuff. Julien Cugniere has been added to the list of +copyright owners. He deserves it, for all the work he did on the XM support! +And the licence has been changed. You are no longer required to include a +link to DUMB in a project that uses DUMB; the reasons for this relaxation are +explained in licence.txt. However, the request is still there ... + +As usual, enjoy! + + +********************************************** +*** DUMB v0.9.1, released 19 December 2002 *** +********************************************** + +Hi again! Lots to say this time, so I shall cut right to the chase. + +DUMB now supports Impulse Tracker's low-pass resonant filters! Huge thanks go +to Jeffrey Lim, author of Impulse Tracker, for giving me what information he +still had regarding the algorithm; to cut a long story short, modifying +ModPlug Tracker's source code (which is in the Public Domain) led to an +algorithm whose output matched Impulse Tracker's perfectly. + +Please note that ModPlug Tracker's filters as they stand do not match Impulse +Tracker's, and I have no interest in supporting ModPlug Tracker's variant +(especially not the integer rounding problems). Please see docs/modplug.txt, +new in this release, for details. + +Thanks also go to Fatso Huuskonen for motivating me to add filter support, +and providing me with several great IT files to test it with! + +The other important feature added for this release is click removal. Up until +now, DUMB has generated clicks when cutting notes, starting samples in the +middle, and so on. This version of DUMB will remove any such clicks. Note +that DUMB does not use volume ramps to accomplish this; the algorithm will +not take the bite out of the music! + +In other news, DUMB now supports sample vibrato for IT files, and instrument +vibrato for XM files. A slight bug in New Note Action handling for IT files +has been fixed; Note Fade will not break the sustain loops of the sample and +envelope, as it did before. Tremor handling (Ixy) had a strange bug in it, +which has been fixed. + +Support for XM files has been greatly enhanced. The XM envelope handling new +in the last release contained a huge bug, resulting in notes seeming not to +stop when they should; this has been fixed. Some XM files crashed DUMB, while +others failed to load; these problems have been solved. Effect memories now +work properly for XM and MOD files, to the best of my knowledge. Some other +differences between IT and XM have been accounted for, most notably the +Retrigger Note effects, Rxy and E9x. + +DUMB's sound quality and accuracy are not the only areas that have been +enhanced. The API has been expanded, at last. You can now detect when a +module loops, or make it play through just once. You can ask DUMB to inform +you every time it generates some samples; this is useful for visualisation. +For IT files, you can intercept the MIDI messages generated by Zxx macros, +enabling you to synchronise your game with the music to some extent. (There +is no such method for XM, S3M or MOD files yet; sorry. Also note that the +function will be called before you actually hear the sound; I cannot improve +this until DUMB has its own sound drivers, which won't be for a while.) You +can query the current order and row. Finally, operations like changing the +speed and tempo are now possible, and you can query the playback state on +each channel. + +Some parts of DUMB's API have been deprecated. Simple programs that use +Allegro will be unaffected, but if you get some compiler warnings or errors, +please review docs/deprec.txt. This file explains why those parts of the API +were deprecated, and tells you how to adapt your code; the changes you need +to make are straightforward. Sorry for the inconvenience. + +For various reasons, I have made DUMB's makefiles use different compiler +flags depending on your GCC version (unless you are using MSVC). There is no +elegant way of getting the makefiles to detect when GCC is upgraded. If you +upgrade GCC, you should execute 'make clean' in order to make DUMB detect the +GCC version again. Otherwise you may get some annoying error messages. (It is +wise to do this in any case, so that all the object files are built with the +same GCC version.) + +DUMB's example players have been unified into a single player called +'dumbplay'. The player has been enhanced to display messages when the music +loops, and when XM and MOD files freeze (effect F00; more information on this +in docs/howto.txt). + +Finally, as noted on DUMB's website, the release notes from the last release +were inaccurate. It has been verified that DUMBOGG v0.5 does still work with +that release, and still works with this release. The esoteric DUMBOGG v0.6 +has not been created yet, since DUMBOGG v0.5 still works. + +Please scroll down and read through the indented paragraphs in the notes for +the last release; they are relevant for this release too. + +That's all folks! Until next time. + + +******************************************* +*** DUMB v0.9, released 16 October 2002 *** +******************************************* + +MOD support is here! DUMB now supports all four of the common module formats. +As usual, there have also been some improvements to the way modules are +played back. Most notably, handling of tone portamento in IT files has been +improved a lot, and XM envelopes are now processed correctly. + +The other major change is that DUMB now does a dummy run through each module +on loading. It stores the playback state at thirty-second intervals. It stops +when the module first loops, and then stores the playback time. This results +in a slightly longer load time and a greater memory overhead, but seeking is +faster (to any point before the module first loops) and the length is +calculated! duh_get_length() will return this and is now documented in +docs/howto.txt and docs/dumb.txt. + +DUMB's build process has been changed to use 'mingw' wherever it used +'mingw32' before; some directories have been renamed, and the 'fix' command +you had to run for MinGW has been changed from 'fix mingw32' to 'fix mingw'. + +Last time, I directed you to scroll down and read the notes from a past +release, but ignore this point, and that point applies to something else, and +so on. Did anyone do so? Well, if you're reading this at all, you probably +did. Nevertheless, this time I shall be much less confusing and restate any +relevant information. So the least you can do is read it! + +- If your program ever aborts with exit code 37 while loading an IT file, + PLEASE LET ME KNOW! The IT file in question has a stereo compressed sample + in it, and the format is unspecified for this case (Impulse Tracker itself + doesn't use stereo samples at all). I will need the IT file in question, + and any information you can give me about how the IT file was created (e.g. + what program). (If you don't get to see an exit code, let me know anyway.) + +- If your program ever outputs a line resembling "Inst 01 Env: 0,64 8,32 + 15,48" to stderr while loading an IT file, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! You have an + old IT file (saved by an Impulse Tracker version older than 2.00), and + support for such files is STILL untested. + +- Not all parts of DUMB's API are documented yet. You will find some + functions in dumb.h which are not listed in docs/dumb.txt; the reason is + that these functions still need work and will probably change. If you + really, really want to use them, talk to me first (IRC EFnet #dumb is a + good place for this; see readme.txt for details on using IRC). I intend to + finalise and document the whole of DUMB's API for Version 1.0. + +There have been some changes to the naming conventions in DUMB's undocumented +API. DUMBOGG v0.5 will not work with this and subsequent releases of DUMB; +please upgrade to DUMBOGG v0.6. These changes should not break anything in +your own code, since you didn't use those parts of the API, did you ;) + +There is still a great deal of work to be done before DUMB's API can be +finalised, and thus it will be a while before DUMB v1.0 comes out. It should +be worth the wait. In the meantime, there will be 0.9.x releases with +additional functionality, improved playback, and possibly support for some +extra file formats. + +Finally I should like to offer an apology; there is a strong possibility that +some of DUMB's official API will change in the near future. There will not be +any drastic changes, and the corresponding changes to your source code will +be simple enough. If I didn't make these changes, DUMB's API would start to +become limited, or messy, or both, so it's for the better. I apologise in +advance for this. + +Now scroll down and read the notes for the first r... oh wait, we already did +that. I guess that's it then. You can stop reading now. + +Right after you've read this. + +And this. + +Off you go. + +Bye. + + +******************************************** +*** DUMB v0.8.1, released 11 August 2002 *** +******************************************** + +This is a minor release that fixes a few bugs. One of these bugs, however, +was pretty serious. dumb_register_dat_xm() was never coded! It was prototyped +in aldumb.h, so code would compile, but there would be an unresolved symbol +at the linking stage. This has been fixed. + +Platforms other than Unix did not have a working 'make veryclean' target; +this has been fixed. In addition, the makefiles now use 'xcopy' instead of +'copy', since on some systems GNU Make seems to have trouble calling commands +built in to the shell. + +Contrary to the errata that was on the DUMB website, the makeall.sh and +makecore.sh scripts actually DID install in /usr. This has now been +corrected, and regardless of whether you use these scripts or call make +directly, the files will now be installed to /usr/local by default. + +The XM loader used to treat stereo samples as mono samples with the data for +the right channel positioned after the data for the left channel. This +generally resulted in an unwanted echo effect. This has been fixed. + +When playing XM files, specifying an invalid instrument would cause an old +note on that channel to come back (roughly speaking). Fast Tracker 2 does not +exhibit this behaviour. This has been fixed. + +The GCC makefiles used -mpentium, which is deprecated in gcc 3.x. This was +generating warnings, and has now been fixed. + +In XM files, the length of a sample is stored in bytes. DUMB was assuming +that the length of a 16-bit sample would be even. I had two XM files where +this was not the case, and DUMB was unable to load them. This has been fixed. + +In order to accommodate the extra part of the version number, +DUMB_REVISION_VERSION has been added. DUMB_VERSION has also been added in +order to facilitate checking if the version of DUMB installed is sufficient. +See docs/dumb.txt for details. + +As a last-minute fix, the XM "Break to row" effect is now loaded properly. It +was necessary to convert from binary-coded decimal to hexadecimal (those who +have experience with Fast Tracker 2 will know what I mean). In short, this +means the effect will now work properly when breaking to row 10 or greater. + +DUMB v0.8 had faulty release date constants; DUMB_MONTH and DUMB_DAY were +swapped! For this reason, DUMB_DATE should not be compared against any date +in 2002. This note has been added to docs/dumb.txt and also to dumb.h. + +Please scroll to the end and read the release notes for the first version, +DUMB v0.7. Most of them apply equally to this release. However, the +non-portable code was rewritten for DUMB v0.8, so that point does not apply. +The point about length not being calculated also applies to XM files. + +Enjoy :) + + +**************************************** +*** DUMB v0.8, released 14 June 2002 *** +**************************************** + +Welcome to the second release of DUMB! + +In addition to these notes, please read below the release notes for the +previous version, DUMB v0.7. Most of them apply equally to this release. +However, the non-portable code has been rewritten; DUMB should now port to +big-endian platforms. + +The main improvement in this release of DUMB is the support for XM files. +Enormous thanks go to Julien Cugniere for working on this while I had to +revise for my exams! + +There was a mistake in the makefiles in the last release. The debugging +Allegro interface library was mistakenly named libaldmbd.a instead of +libaldmd.a, meaning you had to compile with -laldmbd, contrary to what the +docs said. Apologies to everyone who lost sleep trying to work out what was +wrong! The reason for using libaldmd.a is to maintain compatibility with +plain DOS, where filenames are limited to eight characters (plus a three- +letter extension). The makefiles have now been changed to match the +information in the docs, so you may have to alter your project files +accordingly. + +The example programs were faulty, and crashed on Windows if they were unable +to load the file. It was also difficult to work out how to exit them (you had +to click the taskbar button that didn't have a window, then press a key). +They have been improved in both these respects. + +I have now added a docs/faq.txt file (Frequently Asked Questions), which is +based on problems and misconceptions people have had with the first release. +Please refer to it before contacting me with problems. + +Thanks to networm for touching up the Unix makefile and writing the +instructions on using it. + +Incidentally, today (Friday 14 June) is the Robinson College May Ball at +Cambridge Uni. God knows why it's called a May Ball if it's in June. I'm not +going myself (72 GBP, and I'd have to wear a suit, ugh), but with all the +noise outside I shall enjoy pumping up the speakers tonight! + + +**************************************** +*** DUMB v0.7, released 2 March 2002 *** +**************************************** + +This is the first release of DUMB, and parts of the library are not +crystallised. Don't let this put you off! Provided you don't try to use any +features that aren't documented in docs/dumb.txt, the library should be rock +solid and you should be able to upgrade more or less without problems. + +Here are some notes on this release: + +- There is some non-portable code in this release of DUMB. It is likely that + the library will fail to load IT files with compressed samples on + big-endian machines such as the Apple Macintosh. + +- If your program ever aborts with exit code 37 while loading an IT file, + PLEASE LET ME KNOW! The IT file in question has a stereo compressed sample + in it, and the format is unspecified for this case (Impulse Tracker itself + doesn't use stereo samples at all). I will need the IT file in question, + and any information you can give me about how the IT file was created (e.g. + what program). (If you don't get to see an exit code, let me know anyway.) + +- If your program ever outputs a line resembling "Inst 01 Env: 0,64 8,32 + 15,48" to stderr while loading an IT file, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! You have an + old IT file (saved by an Impulse Tracker version older than 2.00), and + support for such files is untested. + +- The length of IT and S3M files is not currently calculated. It is just set + to ten minutes. -- cgit v1.2.3