SSVDOS.DOC

    SSV:

         NAME
                  ssv - generate an image of an Imperial subsector

         SYNOPSIS
                  SSV [datafile]

         DESCRIPTION
                  ssv is a DOS VGA/SVGA datafile imaging utility. ssv
                  allows VGA/SVGA users to display a datafile describing an Imperial
                  subsector, and review data about listed worlds in the subsector.

         REQUIREMENTS
                   DOS or DOS-box under MS Windows or OS/2 2.0.  8086+ processor.
				   (I hope -- hasn't been tested except on a 486).  Standard VGA
				   (only part of map shows, but it is scrollable -- slowly) or VESA
				   compliant SVGA card capable of 800x600 resolution, or one of
				   any ET4000 based, ATI VGA Wonder+, Diamond Flower Instruments,
				   Everex EVGA, Paradise VGA Plus, Trident 8900 VGA or Video 7
				   VEGA VGA cards.  And a mouse or other pointing device that uses
				   the standard mouse-type interface.

				   SSV will attempt to initialize in an 800x600 mode.  It is possible to
				   force it into a particular mode by setting the
				   environment variable FG_DISPLAY.  FG_DISPLAY takes the following
				   values, among others:

				   FG_8514A     IBM 8514/A mode
				   FG_TIGA      TIGA 2.0 for Texas Instruments TMS340-based adapters
				   FG_VESA5     VESA mode 0x105, 1024x768 x256 colors
                   FG_VGA12     IBM VGA mode 0x12, 640x480 x16 colors (only part of map
                   shows)
                   FG_VESA1     VESA mode 0x101, 640x480 x256 colors (only part of map
                   shows)


         DATAFILE FORMAT
                  The format of a sample datafile is shown below:

@SUB-SECTOR: The Narrows  SECTOR: Corridor
#
# Trade routes within the subsector
#src. dst.  X Y dst. offsets
$2710 2511  0 1
$2710 2908  0 0
$2908 2806  0 0
$2806 2906  0 0
$2908 3208  0 0
$3208 3508  1 0
#
#--------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6---------7
#PlanetName   Loc. UPP Code   B   Notes         Z  PBG Al. Star(s)
#----------   ---- ---------  - --------------- -  --- -- ---------
Ackaeck       2502 B586757-9  H Ag Ri              314 Vh K7 V
Kidagir       2503 X242324-5    Lo Ni Po        R  522 Vh M8 V
+ 2 -1
PLUNGE        2505 B2409CC-E  H Hi In Po De        824 Vh G7 V
Jed           2506 C757863-6  C                    913 Vh M4 V G1 III
Chosen        2603 C534544-8    Ni                 303 Vh M1 V
   .
   .
   .

          Each line is read from the file in turn.  The first charcter
          of the file (the tag) determines what the data on that line
          represents.

          #    The line is a comment.  Ignore it.

          @    The line names the SECTOR/SUB-SECTOR for the file.
               Display this information across the top of the map,
               after dropping the tag.

          $    The line contains a segment in a trade or X-boat route.
               The first 2 fields are the beginning and ending hex
               locations.  The last 2 fields are offsets for the
               the end location if it is outside the border of the
               sector currently being displayed.  If this type of
               segment is being entered, the segment end that is
               INSIDE the subsector must always be listed first.
               The offets indicate in which direction the destination
               is off the map, but are not required to indicate how
               far.  For the X coordinate, -1 is to the left and 1 is
               to the right.  For the Y coordinate, -1 is up (this is
               X Windows, remember?) and 1 is down.  Segments with
               both ends outside the subsector cannot be used.  All
               4 fields MUST appear in the columns shown.

           +   The line contains additional traffic and facilities modifiers
               for the world in the preceding line.  The first integer is
               is the traffic bonus/penalty; the second integer is the
               facilities bonus/penalty.  This is useful to correct for
               "off-the-map" adjacent worlds, war zones, etc.

          Any line in the file starting with a character other than
          those listed above is assumed to be an entry for a star system
          within that subsector and must be in the format shown above.
          Each star system entry contains (from left to right) name,
          hex location, UPP code, Base code, system notes, TAS zone code,
          pop. multiplier/asteroid belt/gas giant data, allegiance code,
          and star types.  These field MUST appear in the columns shown.

     AUTHOR
          The original xssv was developed by Mark F. Cook, Hewlett-Packard
          Company. ([email removed]).  Cynthia Higginbotham
          ([email removed]) modified it out of recognition as a DOS
          Super-VGA subsector viewer utility.  It uses the same file
          format, however.


Program:    SECTION

Description:

    Traveller Sub-Sector map data Formater.  Section takes a
datafile containing all UWPs for a given Imperium sector, and breaks it up
into 16 files, each file containing a header and 1 subsector of UWP data.
This pre-processing is done to general input files correctly formated for
use with the "ssv" utility [both the DOS ssv.exe and the X xssv versions.]

To use, invoke as follows:

    section [sector_datafile]

    Section will automatically produce 16 output files named sec_A through
sec_P.  Each file will contain, on the first line of it's header, the name
of the sector (using the name of the file given to section as a parameter)
and a dummy subsector name (using the name of the output file:  sec_A -
sec_P).  The user must manually edit in correct subsector names after the
16 subsector files are created.

    This program is designed to be a pre-formatter for the ssv (sub-sector
viewer) program and expects input files to be in the format of GEnie
traveller archive library Sector UWP files.  The DOS version requires that
the sector file be sorted in hex coordinate order.  If it is not, the DOS
command

    sort /+15 < [sector_datafile] > [sorted_sector_datafile]

should fix it up.


DESIGN NOTES

    I was going to put in some nice notes about why I designed this thing
the way I did, but the stupid editor crashed as I got most of the way
thru writing it, and I'm too mad to rewrite the whole damn thing. >:-(
    In addition to the subsector map on the left side of the screen, there
is an information panel on the right side of the screen, which displays
listed and derived information on any system you click on with the mouse
pointer.
    In the listed information, I include Zone: information.  That's not
news, but I assumed an extension to the G-A-R classifications: for Hard
Times, F=Frontier, O=Outlands, W=wilds.
    Derived information: I also calculate and display some statistics
derived from the listed stats.
    System Population: Calculated from population log in UPP and
population digit in PBG data.
    Exchange Rate: Value of local credit in Imperial credits.  Calculated
based on formula in Trillion Credit Squadron (TCS) campaign rules.  Table
extended where necessary.
    Naval Budget: Calculated based on the TCS formula for a peace-time
naval budget.
    Nominal Yard Capacity: Calculated from TCS formula for capacity of a
world's shipyards; Steve's house rules for Class B capacity (1/2 of
equivalent A yard).
    Estimated Traffic: Wildstar's traffic formula with fudge liberally
applied.  The "estimated" part means a 2d6 average roll of 7 was assumed;
worlds on the edge of the map will have distorted values, as NO
off-the-map worlds are assumed.  (Beyond the edge of the map is a formless
void; here be dragons....)  The "trade route" modifier is used if the
world is at one end or the other of a mapped trade route (i.e., you edited
the subsector data file to add one.)
    Probable Facilities: Again, using Wildstar's formulas.  "Probable"
means that another 2d6 average roll of 7 was assumed, plus the accumulated
assumptions from the "Estimated Traffic" value.  No modifications for war
zones were made, as there is as yet no way to list them in the standard
Sector listing.

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS

    - Different colored trade routes.  I plan to add another parameter to
the trade route line; color.  I would like to be able to differentiate
X-boat routes, Mains, Oberlindes, and Akerut trade routes, for example.
    - If and when we adopt wildstar's traffic-facility addition to the PBG
digits, modify section and ssv to recognize the variant files and use the
listed traffic & facility info rather than making up their own.
        - Suggested: be able to call up files for adjacent subsectors from
within SSV.
[DONE]  - Suggested: make map SCROLLABLE! (esp. for 640x480 displays)
        - I'm open to suggestions.
        - OS/2 version? Windows version?