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[asymetrix]

I'm assuming your referring to "Scan to PDF convert to (Choose you format)" automation tools, that would be extremely handy for the entire Amiga community.
 

  Oooooo a documentation targeted project, I'm just gong to have to add that to my Looooooong term project list.

Scanning is no problem, I would like a formattable document format,easy to parse like .GUIDE ,but with TAGS/LINKS and header/footer,page margin, styles info.
So I can read the guide to fully formatted RTF/PDF without worrying about formatting.
RTF is worth considering too.

If it's not too much trouble, while your working through those mags and you happen across AMOS articles or tutorials, could you make a list of them. Issue# Page# sort of thing.

Consider it done.
Great you have some permissions, I may have ultimate Amos .. somewhere..

[MadAngus]

I'm now extending the search to add a couple of extra AMOS books so any help locating the authors would be appreciated.

Name   AMOS in Action: A Practical Guide to Mastering AMOS on the Amiga
Author   Anne Tucker and Len Tucker
ISBN-10   ISBN 074570221X
ISBN-13   ISBN 978-0745702216
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=074570221X

Name   Writing role playing games for Amos
Author   Dicon Peeke
ISBN-10   ISBN 0745702473
ISBN-13   ISBN 978978-0745702476
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Role-P.../dp/0745702473

Oh and add Peter J Hickman to the list. Author of the "All About AMOS" Newsletters. I've got Volume 1 issues 1&2 and Volume 2 issues 1&2 to convert to PDF. There were only three issues of this as far as I am aware, I don't have the third issue.

[MadAngus]

Update on the author search, I've located Stephen Hill via the publishers and they are forwarding the request for redistribution of the 'Amiga Games Maker's Manual'. So fingers crossed he is still at the address they have on record and the outcome is positive.

[MadAngus]

  Unfortunately at the moment I can't find any good leads to track down Anne Tucker and Len Tucker, Dicon Peeke and Peter J Hickman.

Two members of of UltimateAmiga (shock and amigaoneproductions) have stated in previous posts that they knew them and I have contacted them but they have not been active here for quite some time.

I've contacted  Aaron Fothergill and Phil South in the hope that they might have some information.

So if anybody else can provide a lead it would be appreciated

Unfortunately Kuma Publishing was dissolved around 1997 so that option is no longer available.


Anyway On a side note a little summary - AMOS reunited, sort of

François Lionet as you know gave his permission for the AMOS software and Manuals and runs a software development company Clickteam with Yves Lamoureux.

Aaron and Adam Fothergill have given permission to use and redistribute the TOME software and manual. Their running Strange Flavour Ltd. a small UK based independent games developer.

Phil South Author of Mastering Amiga AMOS has given his permission for his book. Now a full time writer, writing coach, building his own training business, Going Down Writing.

I've located Stephen Hill via the publishers and they are forwarding the request for redistribution of the 'Amiga Games Maker's Manual', he's somewhere in Canada.

Contacted Jason Holborn via YouTube Author of 'Ultimate AMOS', although I think he may be on a shipwreck dive somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic.

[MadAngus]

Update on the author search.

Found a good lead on Dicon Peeke and traced Dicon Peeke the graphic artist that worked for Level 9 Adventure games and I believe this is the same person that wrote the 'Writing role playing games for Amos'. I have no solid link but it seems to me that this has a high probability of being the correct person. I have contacted him to ask for confirmation of identity and permission. 

If anybody has the book could you let me know if there is a mention of Level 9 Adventure games in the book or a photo of Dicon in the book. Just for the sake of confirmation.

That just leaves Anne and Len Tucker and Peter J Hickman to find.

[MadAngus]

Document Update:

'AMOS Professional Quick Reference: Interface Programs and Interface Commands v1.00' has now been replaced with an updated Revision 3.00 release. get it from the download section.

AMOS Professional Quick Reference: Interface Programs and Interface Commands v1.00

[bruceuncle]

Erm, it's actually called "AMOS Pro V2.0 Interface Summary - Revision 3.00.pdf"   

This goes a bit further than a "quick ref" as so much of what's in the AMOS Pro Manual was out-of-date and some was downright inaccurate.  The built-in Help Files had more info, but even they weren't quite right.  Plus, the Interface sub-language (I've christened it "DBL", which I think may have stood for "Dialogue Box Language") has a few peculiarities that needed explaining in full.

No unwarranted criticism of the authors of the original AMOS Pro Manual intended, as a lot of stuff was changed at the last minute when AMOS Pro V2.0 was released.  They did a great job getting it all out there despite those changes.   

On the kitchen table at the moment is a DBL Editor, written in AMOS, intended to complement the Resource Bank Creator.  Refer to previous posts from me in this thread for an idea of what this does and roughly what it looks like (it's now got menus instead of being all-DBL for the user interface).

The "AMOS Pro V2.0 AMAL Summary" is nearly ready for release and follows the same format as the Interface one.  I will complete it when the DBL Editor program's finished.

An "AMOS Pro V2.0 Menu Summary" is sketched out but I won't be resuming work on it until the above two deliverables are finished.  Too many "irons in the fire" otherwise.

All the stuff learnt from writing these is obviously also being added into the main AMOS Pro Reference Manual.  The comparison between what's actually in AMOS, but got left out of the original Manual, is now complete - there's a couple in that latest download, for example.

As the AMOS Pro Reference Manual is such a loooong task, I'll see if MadAngus is agreeable to releasing some sections as "drafts samples" so's you can see what's coming.  These may look a bit strange as, although any section from a single topic upwards can be extracted already formatted from the database, each extract comes with a contents and indexes.  Even if it's just a single instruction!  These are used by me to debug and check stuff.  Cross references to other topics will also lead nowhere where they point to a topic that's not in the extracted section.  And I definitely won't waste any time neatly paginating them either as that's just a waste of time until the final publication's ready (it's the only formatting that has to be done manually).  If that idea's approved, look out for some samples after the stuff above's been completed and released.

Now, where's my stress ball got to?  Ah, I think I see MadAngus playing with it...   

[MadAngus]

Throws stress ball at bruceuncle, misses, should have gone to specsavers.

Done, the download has been renamed and the description modified.

As the AMOS Pro Reference Manual is such a loooong task, I'll see if MadAngus is agreeable to releasing some sections as "drafts samples" so's you can see what's coming.

Well hell yeah, gimme gimme, I want some.

I'm in a funny mood today, can't find my dried frog pills.

Definitely go for it.

Big thumbs up bruceuncle. 

[MadAngus]

The book permissions have moved to a new thread -> "The Great Amiga Author Hunt"

[MadAngus]

@Bruceuncle
I've created a seperate thread for the discussion of hacking, updates and future versions of AMOSPro for Amiga 68k here -> AMOSPro Evolution

So any discussion not related to documentation can take place there. If need be it can be cross referenced.

[MadAngus]

I just want to add a note here about the lack of this projects progress on my part.

Basically it was down to moving house. I was meant to get the keys at the end of January, notice that is when progress started to crawl.
    Well after packing just about everything up I was then told there would be a delay. This delay lasted until the 25th of July when I actually moved into the house, until then I had been climbing over boxes for 6 months.
    Even though I had moved in there was still a lot of work to do as the council made a piss poor job of their work (plastering, joinery, electrics, etc.) which I had to remedy. Oh! and there was the unpacking, changing address's/new contracts with companies, getting settled in etc.
    So here we are up to present day and I thought I'd add this note as I don't want anybody to think that this project had been abandoned an any way.

     Anyway, although I've still got work to do in the house I have got the ball rolling again on the manuals and I'm back typesetting.

[bruceuncle]

The new series of Dr Who was (is) great.  However, my brochitis got complicated by a very nasty virus has had me "laid up" (as me dear old mum used to say) for a while.

MadAngus, your output and enthusiasm are without peer.  Compared to the little I can get done in between jobs (work and home  ) you're way ahead.  So don't go self-castigating when it's just not warranted.  But keep us updated on the details of the battles with council, etc.  They add a little of the "life' that's sometimes lacking in a forum  .

And thanks for setting up the new thread - A Mission Statement will be forthcoming in the usual "real soon now" timeframe.  Great news on that thread.  Will keep all available appendages crossed and hope like hell.

[MadAngus]

"self-castigating" - Had to look that up.

I'm wasn't actually doing that, although I see your point and thank you for the concern. 

Hope the chest is better.

To all.

That post was more of a customer service statement. Think of it as explaining to the customer that the server broke down and then how the server broke down. There is quite a few people that pop in for a view to see how things are going and End-Users/Customers do like to kept up to date. Anyway, by letting those interested know the reasons for my lack of progress also let's them know that it is still worthwhile keeping their eye on the project.

So you know where I'm coming from and why the statements made were made I've added below a typical project progress pattern as seen from the End-User/Customer point of few.

Most projects follow a pattern:
1.) Acknowledgement -"Nice idea, best of luck".
2.) Passing interest - "Things are happening on that project, I'll keep my eye on it".
3.) Possible usage - "It's now more than a few bits and pieces, I'll see if I can make use of it".
4.) Progressive Usage - "Seems the project has progressed, but does it have the features I need".
5.) Definite Usage - "I can now make use of this project, but is it worthwhile contributing a suggestion or maybe even some source code". see 8.)
5.) Wider Audience - "The word of mouth is that this project is worth taking very seriously, but does it have an adequate documentation and support framework ".
7.) Mass Audience - "Is this project at least comparable to the commercial equivalent, what does it have that would convince me to change".
8.) Future Audience - "Is this project known to have a reputation for listening to End-User needs and requirements and actually take them on board".

This project is in the 'passing interest' phase and I want to ensure that the End-User can be confident that their points of few as listed above are being met. I consider this necessary to guarantee the success of the project.

So by informing the End-User of the situation we keep the passing interest alive and thus bring those End-Users with us to the next phase.

My mind works in mysterious ways, it's a mystery to me how it works.

[MadAngus]

bruceuncle could you, if/when you have the time, select your posts from here that should be moved to the 'AMOSPro Evolution' thread.
[Edit] Had a look myself and there is only 5 posts that I think should be moved. All others are heavily related to the AMOS docs.
The starting post is > Here < and continues down to where i stated that I had started a new AMOSPro Evolution thread. Unless you can think of a good reason they shouldn't be moved, I'll move them after you have replied to this post.

I will be moving 'The Greate Amiga Author Hunt' posts from here to that thread.
[Edit] Scrubbed, just checked the posts all the Author hunt books in this thread are AMOS related, in that case the posts stay put.

As I'm back in business working on my projects I expect a release of the 'AMOS Club Newsletters Volume 2' in 3-4 weeks maximum.

[bruceuncle]

select your posts from here that should be moved to the 'AMOSPro Evolution' thread.

Fine by me.  I haven't had breakfast yet and the wife is getting anxious in case she starves to death.  So I'll leave selection to your (better) judgement.

Spring has sprung in Aus.  So 32ºC today and another sojourn into the backyard jungle to try to tame it.  A losing battle so far.  But breakfast first.