Tripex2.92 (25.7.2000) - ben.marsh@tripex.co.uk

+ Requirements
    - A computer, ideally with a processor (233MHz+) and an operating 
      system (Windows 95/98/2000). Some memory is also often handy 
      (32mb?).
    - A monitor, or acute sense of touch
    - DirectX 7.0 (3D accelerator recommended)
    - Winamp

+ Installation
    - Run vis_tx292.exe, a self extracting archive. The files need to be 
      copied into the Winamp directory (in the Plugins subdirectory) which 
      is automatically detected.
    - To execute the plugin, press Ctrl+P to open the Winamp preferences
      dialog, and go to the 'Visualisation Plugins' section. Select
      'Tripex2' from the list and press 'Start'.

+ What's new in 2.92?
    - Fixed config save problem (setting all effect's preference to
      zero).

+ What's new in 2.91?
    - Lightsphere has a nice texturey effect
    - Removed metaball flashes, because it looked a bit daft
    - Added support for bilinear filtering (enabled by default)
    - Added new effect (light tentacles)
    - Messages are displayed when keys are pressed
    - Lightsource textures now require use the entire texture area
    - Changed texture for lightsource
    - 3D effects should be a fair bit faster
    - Fairness setting is better, now ranges from completely random to 
      completely deterministic
    - Frame rate limiter, to help stop big changes in frame rate while
      fading (use up/down arrow keys)
    - Fix for Voodoo3 cards not working when windowed
    - Website is accessible through http://www.tripex.co.uk

+ Keys
    - f4: Toggle Fullscreen/Windowed
    - b: Toggle bilinear filtering
    - h: Toggle holding the current effect (prevent it from changing)
    - up/down arrow keys: Change maximum framerate
    - left/right arrow keys: Change between effects
    - 0-9: Display custom message

+ Frequently Asked Questions
    + Why does tripex not show up in the plugins list when i go 
      into winamp?
    - It's probably due to a dependency problem. Make sure you have
      DirectX 7.0a or later installed, then go into the preferences 
      dialog in Winamp, select the 'plug-ins' section and click 
      'Flush plug-in name cache'.

    + Where can I get DirectX 7?
    - Go to www.microsoft.com/directx.

    + Haven't I seen that effect in a demo before?
    - A few bits are heavily influenced (read: gratuitously copied, 
      badly) from certain demos, most notably 303/Acme (the tentacles) 
      and Stash/The Black Lotus (the bumpmapped sphere). Praise these 
      people.

    + The water effect in the title bar of the config box is better than
      the rest of the plugin. Can you make something that'll do it for every
      window?
    - Yeah, I'm working on it. I've got something which just about works, 
      but I won't release it until it causes slightly fewer major system 
      crashes.

    + It REALLY slows down when it fades between effects, what can I do 
      about it?
    - Not a lot - when it fades between effects it has to calculate and 
      draw twice as much, so it naturally halves the speed. You can turn 
      off the cross fading by unchecking the 'Crossfade between effects'
      box in the 'General' panel of the config box. Alternatively, you can 
      change the maximum frame rate for the whole plugin using the up and 
      down arrow keys, so that it always runs at half speed.

    + How can I use my own textures?
    - Use the textures panel of the configuration dialog. Textures should 
      be square, and 256x256 pixels (other sizes may work depending on your
      3d card, but width and height are often required to be powers of two).
      There are four types of textures used, wrappable textures (which should
      tile together), environment maps, light sources (the image used as a 
      sprite in the light sphere, light ring and light tentacle effects), and
      bumpmaps (probably the wrong terminology, but the wrappable texture used
      for the back of the sphere in the bumpmapping effect. The actual bump map 
      is calculated from the difference in intensities from this texture).

+ Thanks to everyone that's helped me with testing, particularly:
    - Darryl Sperber
    - Richard Henson

+ Disclaimer 
No warranty, either explicit or implied is provided with this software. 
If you decide to use this program, you acknowledge that if all hell 
breaks lose, it's your own fault for downloading untrustworthy, badly 
written software off the internet. 

+ License
It's free. Don't sell it at all, unless you give me big wedges of cash. 
EMail me first.

+ Copyright
The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of 
CompuServe Incorporated. 
GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of CompuServe Incorporated.
Tripex2 code (c)2000 Ben Marsh. 'Flesh' and 'Forest' textures by Dr 
Zeus, all other textures are believed to be in the public domain - 
please contact me if this is not the case. 

