Step52: Utility disks

1992 | Tools

When creating demos, we need tools to simplify many tasks. Over time, I have gathered quite a lot of tools. Some were created and shared by demomakers, while others were more general tools. I have compiled the tools I have collected over time, and I'll explain a bit about the tools included.

Disk 1

The disk can be downloaded HERE.

ASMONE is the assembler tool used by many demomakers back in time. The tool before was K-SEKA. Very convenient tool because the text editor was inside the tool (ESC to switch from editor to command panel). It will be fully treated in article 55, as one of my favorite tool.

Disk Salv (1989)

This is a recovery tool for floppy disk. Can be useful to recover data on a damaged disk.

Aminet link.

Iff converter (1989)

A tool from group Kefrens. This tool can be used to convert IFF picture files to raw binary.

Power fonts (1990)

Another Kefrens tool. This one can be used to draw 16x16 or 8x8 pixels fonts.

Power Packer (1991)

This is a very useful tool for compressing executables. I guess quite all demomakers used that tool.

ReSource

This is a specific tool for desassemble code. This read opcode from memory and can write assembly source code. Of course this is raw source, maybe hard to understand, but in some case this can be useful for reverse enginering executables.

S.O.S (Save our Sources)

The SOS tool is a tool that can dump source code when the Amiga crashes. It is very useful when you forget to save before testing your code. The tool will parse the memory (which might not have been cleaned up between restarts of the machine). If the tool finds the marker (I think it's 'SOS'), it dumps the source code, allowing work to be restored. It is a last resort when code is lost after a crash.

The tool have been written by Corsair of Dragons.

I found the exact syntax in one of my source codes:

* SOS *
ORG $21000
LOAD $21000
...
...
* END *

Virus Checker

X-Copy Pro

Disk 2

The disk can be downloaded HERE.

Seka 3.2

Seem to be an improved version of K-SEKA 1.5b.

Disk Master 1.3

DISKMASTER is a file manager. It has 2 column. Very efficient for managing file and do quite lot of functions. Later there will be DIRECTORY OPUS, one of the most famous software on Amiga. Today, I'm still using the same kind of managment software on PC (TOTAL COMMANDER). This will fully described in article 55 (my favorite tools).

Mega Cruncher 1.2

Another crunch utility.

X-Copy

This is the version I used the most of that famous copy software. If you run it, you'll hear the final "ding" sound.

Disk 3 (music)

These are the music utilities I used a lot. That floppy disk have a nice bootblock. (See article 33 for more info about this)

The disk can be downloaded HERE.

Audio Master IV

This is a great sample editor tool.

Muzak Ripper

Utility to "rip" (save as module format) a music. These tool are checking memory and try to recognize music module data. Often, the memory is not cleaned when resetting after playing a demo, so data can be searched into memory. If you do not want your data to be ripped, you need to add code to clean memory when reset is done.

Noise Player

This is a player. A player can play lot of music format. I used a lot another one on A1200 (need to find the name, either EaglePlayer or DeliPlayer). This will be shown later.

Oktalyzer

8 voices tracker. Nice tool but mixing the voice take lot of CPU (and bring less quality to sound). So not sure if this have been use a lot in demos.

A sample song:

Protracker

This was the most used tracker software.

On the disk, I added a module as a sample. It is "Complications" by Danko.

Disk 4 (from Aces)

I found a disk from my friend Aces, so here it is.

The disk can be downloaded HERE.

Disk 5

This one is more recent (1993). There is a nice hires logo on the menu page. It can be launched on 1200 (not A500).

The disk can be downloaded HERE.

We can see more recent version of the tools already shown above. These tool will be detailled in article 55, my favorites tool.

Great game of that time

Pinball dreams (Mars 1992)

I played a lot that game, so nice musics, arts and perfect physic and gameplay.

Step51 Step53

About me

Hello. My name is Christophe KOHLER. Norn in 1973, I'm 50 year old (in 2024) and working as video game creator till 2000. When I was young, I've been involved in the Amiga demo scene during 9 years (from 1989 to 1998). I was 16 years old at the time and had really lot of fun using Amiga computers.
I took much pleasure writing these pages. First because it reminded some good memories. And secondly because I wanted to explain how the amiga computer worked and what have been our work on them.