dos animation

[aldero]

Hi,

a friend gave me an very very old computer (386 or older). It runs only in DOS.
As an artist I just want the computer to do something - for example flare like a fire.
I'm not so routined with Programming in DOS so I've found some adequate exe-files in the web, but they does not function on this old computer - they seem to be to new.
Other examplefiles from 1988-1990 did function - but they do not animate the monitor.

Did anyone have an idea, where I can find examplefiles from around 1989 that can simulate a fire on the monitor?
Did anyone have an idea how I can let the pc automatically type words and sentences for hours?

I'm very thankful for any advice.

Greetings,
Aldero

(sorry for my mediocre english)

[GuruGary]

For an animated fire on the screen, you can try using an animated GIF file like:
http://www.awesomebackgrounds.com/templates/as-fire-apb-anim-1.GIF
or
http://ddickerson.igc.org/animated-fire.gif may work on a black background
and then just find a DOS animated GIF viewer (http://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifutil.html).

For the typing words or sentences, you can do something with a batch file, or I think the BASICA and / or QBASIC programs came with DOS that you could probably use.  If the PC is REALLY slow, then a batch file may give you the results you are looking for.  If the PC is a 386 or faster, then it may scroll too quickly for what you are looking for, in which case a BASIC program should be able to do what you want.

For a batch file, you could do something like:

Code: [Select]

@echo off
:Sentences
echo Insert your own random, witty text here
echo Insert more random, witty text here
echo Just keep going with whatever sentences you want
goto Sentences

[aldero]

Hi,

thanks a lot for the answer.

The MS-DOS viewer (ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifutil/lxpic71.zip) gives an error "unsupported videomode" (this solution would have been great).
Meanwhile I found on http://www.masterric.de/?weda=Download.htm&sub=menu-Download.txt&PHPSESSID=a6dc9f1321d923bdd207967ac997a2ce the file "Feuer- Effekt". However the pc answered "numeric co-processor required".

At last I tryed a *.bat-file with 'echo' and 'goto' (now with '@echo off' it's much more better;-)

What I realy want is a programm that types the letters (on the cursor) like I would type it manually. With this solution I would be real pleased.

Greetings,
Aldero

[GuruGary]

I am sure there are animated GIF viewers for DOS that will work on your PC.  Just keep trying until you find one that works.

For the random text, do you just want letters that don't need to spell out words?  How fast do you want it to go?  It would be pretty easy to get random characters to go flying across the screen, but slowing it down may be tricky.

[aldero]

I'll keep on searching the right viewer (after this weekend ... the sun is shining and the weather is fine ;-)

The text-solution should funktion like I'm typing now my answer in this message box - letter for letter. I want to present an fastidiously, readable text - as part of an installation with video, pictures and other computers.

As far a computer does a minimum of 'autonomous' work, it will get asylum in my house.

Sunny greetings,
Aldero

[aldero]

Now I've tasted a lot of DOS-viewers however no one of them does function. If something happend at all there came messages like this:

• There is no vga on your system.
• Pictview requires at least 386 Prozessor
• v pic: You need an EGA with 128K ore more video memory to run this program

Probably this Computer is not in the condition to act with graphic.

I'm still searching a programming that types readable Text letter for letter.

[Arc]

Do you have any old computer parts? If you do, you should try and upgrade that beast! if not, you might be able to find some really cheap on ebay, if you do want to go anything graphical.



Viper

[aldero]

If no graphic is possible on this computer I can do without.

I prefer the above specified Text-Animation and am still searching for a solution (maybe in Basic?).