SlowMo v2.00

What is SlowMo?

SlowMo is a utility which can give you slow motion in another program at the touch of a button. It is especially suited to games and could be just the thing you need to get through the 'impossible' bits.

What can SlowMo do?

• SlowMo can be used with most games.
• Slowmo provides slow motion which can be turned on and off DURING a game.
• SlowMo features variable speed slow motion which can be adjusted whilst the game or other program is running.
• A Pause facility gives you time for a breather.
• Freeze allows you to freeze the action and leave the computer, e.g. to answer the 'phone or get a drink.
• All facilities are available on a single keypress. The keys used can be assigned by you.
• Special settings for each game can be saved and reloaded automatically.

How to use SlowMo

SlowMo is a pop-up utility (TSR) which is installed under Dos. Once installed, it sits around in the background waiting to be activated when you hit a special combination of keys on the keyboard (the 'hotkey' combination). When you give the correct key combination SlowMo is made 'active' and will respond to the action keys chosen (see Action Keys below). Using the same 'hotkey' combination again will make SlowMo 'inactive'. SlowMo can also be removed from memory altogether.

To Make SlowMo Ready for Use

SlowMo is made ready in Dos (not via Windows) as follows.

Either

Change directory to the directory where the SlowMo distribution files were installed

eg. cd \SlowMo

Or

Add the directory where the SlowMo files were installed to your path (in your Autoexec.bat file)

eg. path=c:\SlowMo

Then load SlowMo by typing its name

eg. SlowMo

A screen showing the default key assignments and allowing you to change the options will be displayed. Details of using this sceen are given in the section Options Screen below.

SlowMo can also be asked to load settings which have been saved to disk. If there is a file called 'SlowMo.cfg' in the directory you are currently in, SlowMo will take its initial settings from that file. If you wish to take settings from a file with a different name type the name of the file after SlowMo

eg. SlowMo zool.key

How to Remove SlowMo

SlowMo may be removed so that it is no longer sitting in background waiting to be activated.

SlowMo is removed in Dos as follows.

If the directory where the SlowMo distribution files were installed is not in the path change directory to the directory where SlowMo is installed

Type SlowMo /r

To Activate SlowMo

Once SlowMo has been made ready it can be activated over another program at any time by using a special key combination as follows.

Hold down the left Shift key and at the same time hit the Caret (^) key (or 6 on the alpha keypad). Two rising bleeps will be heard to indicate that SlowMo is now 'active'. If no bleep is heard SlowMo is unable to activate. The reason for this will be one of the following.

Some games programs take control of the timer interrupt which SlowMo needs to be able to pop-up.

The recommended procedure for using SlowMo is to activate it from DOS immediately prior to running the game or other software which requires SlowMo (see Recommended Procedure below). If you wish to use a Caret (^) character while you have SlowMo waiting in the background you can still use the right shift key and caret.

To Deactivate SlowMo

If you have made SlowMo active and then decide you wish to deactivate it use the same hotkey combination i.e. Hold down the left Shift key and at the same time hit the Caret (^) key (or 6 on the alpha keypad). Two falling beeps will be heard to indicate that SlowMo has been deactivated.

One reason for deactivating SlowMo is when you have just returned to DOS from a game. While SlowMo is active it is occasionally possible for keystrokes not to be registered by DOS.

Options Screen

When SlowMo is first installed an options screen is displayed which allows you to configure SlowMo's operation to your requirements. Each feature is shown on a separate line and has a number of items which may be configured. Each feature is automatically assigned a default key and other items are assigned a default value. The following features can be configured:

Slow Motion

Hit the assigned key to switch slow motion on or off. The initial speed can be adjusted. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled so that no key will switch slow motion on or off. Even if the slow motion key is disabled the program can still be configured so that when SlowMo activates it will immediately give slow motion without the need to hit another key (see Slow Immediately below).

Pause

Hold the assigned key down to pause the game. The game continues when the key is released. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Freeze

Hit the assigned key once to freeze the game. The game stays frozen until the same key is hit again. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Reset Speed

Hit the assigned key to reset the speed to the initial speed setting. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Faster

Hit the assigned key to increase the slow motion speed. If you hold down the 'faster' key the speed increases more quickly. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Slower

Hit the assigned key to decrease the slow motion speed. If you hold down the 'slower' key the speed decreases more quickly. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Sound

When you take any action with SlowMo you can hear a beep or click to indicate that SlowMo has responded. Hit the assigned key to switch sound on or off (it defaults to on). A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disable so that no key can switch sound on or off. You can still configure SlowMo so that sound is either on or off immediately (see Sound Immediately below).

Report

Hit the assigned key to see SlowMo's current speed setting. It is best to use this after leaving a game, having adjusted the speed setting to your requirements. The speed setting can then be set before running the game again. A custom key can be assigned or the option can be disabled.

Active Immediately

Setting this option on makes SlowMo active immediately i.e. you don't have to use the Hotkey combination to activate it, in fact the next use of the Hotkey combination would deactivate SlowMo.

Sound Immediately

This option defaults to 'on'. Setting it off makes SlowMo silent. The next hit of the 'sound' key would then switch sound on.

Slow Immediately

Setting this option on switches on slow motion as soon as SlowMo is activated. This option defaults to 'off'.

Screen Keys

The following keys are used to operate the Options Screen:

Right Arrow   Select the next configurable item for this feature
Left Arrow    Select the previous configurable item for this feature
Up Arrow      Select the previous feature
Down Arrow    Select the next feature

Space         Change the value of this item

              The procedure for assigning a custom key is:

              Highlight appropriate Custom Key field
              Hit space
              Hit key required

+             Increase slow motion speed
-             Decrease slow motion speed
Shift + or -  Change slow motion speed quickly

              The procedure for changing the slow motion speed is:
		
              Highlight the Speed field
              Hit space
              Hit + and - as necessary
              Hit space

F10           Save current settings to file.  By default SlowMo will save the
	      current settings to a file called 'SlowMo.cfg' in the current
              directory.  If you loaded SlowMo specifying a settings file then
              saving the current settings will overwrite that file.

Enter         Finish changing options and install SlowMo

Escape        Quit without installing SlowMo

Action Keys

Once activated the various features can be used by hitting the assigned Action Keys as described above. The default settings for these are as follows:

Right Shift  Slow Motion
Control      Pause
Alt          Freeze
Faster       Numeric Keypad +
Slower       Numeric Keypad -
Reset Speed  Backspace
Sound        Tab
Report       F4

Recommended Procedure

The following is the recommeded procedure for using SlowMo.

• Change to the directory of the game or other program you wish to run.
• Install SlowMo into memory (specifying settings file if necessary).
• Activate SlowMo by using the hotkey combination.
• Start the game.
• Use SlowMo's action keys as necessary during the game.
• Quit from the game.
• If you want to record the slow motion speed hit the Report key now.
• Deactivate SlowMo by hitting the hotkey combination.
• If you wish, remove SlowMo from memory by typing SlowMo /r.

If you need to change the SlowMo keys for a particular game you might find it easier if you store the game in its own subdirectory. Save the settings for SlowMo by hitting F10 while on the menu. From now on, if you install SlowMo from the game's subdirectory the appropriate key settings will be loaded automatically.

Memory

Some games require a large amount of base memory to run and will not run once SlowMo has been installed. If this happens it may be possible to make additional base memory available by using a special boot configuration. To do this you would need to make special version of your config.sys and autoexec.bat files. Things you can do include loading DOS into upper memory (high) and removing drivers such as disk cacheing and ram disk. Your operating system manual should give details of how to boot the system leaving maximum base memory available to your programs.

You can also load SlowMo into high memory to leave extra base memory.

Known Bugs

There is a conflict between SlowMo and the Trident 8900 display card using a 16-colour driver under Windows. This causes the screen to be largely shown in black & white. There is no conflict under DOS or with a 256-colour driver.