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Last modified on 5 January 2009, at 12:21

Stream2

Revision as of 12:21, 5 January 2009 by Ygdrazil (Talk | contribs) (→‎= L-System)

Stream2 desktop

Stream2 was an operating system extension for the Amstrad CPC released by the german company Advanced Software Project (Ronald Heitmann and Martin Lancorn) in the middle of the 90ies. It contained a graphical user interface and a new file system called "Prem", which was part of its AMSDOS replacement "MoDOS". One of the most impressive parts of Stream2 was x-Plain, which was a module for rendering very fast vector-based graphics.

Stream2 was called "operating system", but due to the fact, that it was still based on the CPCs' own operating system, it was rather an extension like GEOS or MS Windows 3.11. The advantage of this concept was, that it is still possible to run Locomotive BASIC and a lot of old CPC software.

A big problem for the success of Stream2 was, that it was commercial software and copy-protected. Released in the middle of the 90ies, when most people weren't interested in spending money for CPC software anymore, it hasn't been sold very often.


Graphical user interface

The GUI of Stream2 contained most of the usual elements of a WIMP including fast proportional text routines.

MoDOS

MoDOS was a replacement of Amsdos and included a new file system called "Prem". Prem formatted 40 track discs with a capacity of 212KB (instead of 178KB). Similiar to the FAT format it was able to handle sub directories inside an unlimited tree structure. The below image shows the Stream2 desktop, while both drive windows are open. (Left: Prem formated disk, Right: Amsdos formated disk). Files could be copied seamless between the two formats.

Stream2 can work with both Amsdos and a Prem formatted disks. Left coloum shows a Prem formated disc(In drive A), while right coloum shows a Amsdos formatted disc(In drive B

x-Plain

X-Plain was the first and only (?) vector graphic description language for the Amstrad CPC. Like Postscript it was able to define complete printable pages, which could be scaled by any factor. It was quite fast and made true type like fonts possible on the CPC. There was a tool for converting bitmap graphics into vector graphics.

Applications

StreamWrite

  • Stream2 4.png
  • Stream2 5.png

CharTrace

  • Stream2 20.png
  • Stream2 21.png
  • Stream2 22.png
  • Stream2 23.png

StreamChart

  • Entering chart values

  • The different chart options in StreamChart.

  • All graphics are scaleable

  • Charts can be plotted both in 2D and 3D (pseudo)

  • Stream2 10.png

  • About StreamChart

L-System

  • Stream2 17.png
  • Stream2 18.png
  • Stream2 19.png


StreamFractal

  • Stream2 12.png
  • Stream2 13.png
  • Stream2 14.png
  • Stream2 15.png

LissaJous

  • Stream2 24.png
  • Stream2 25.png
  • Stream2 26.png

AddressManager

  • Stream2 2.png
  • Stream2 3.png

StreamTrace

  • A bitmap image has been loaded.

  • Select the region you want to have converted into vector format

  • Setting the parameters for the bitmap to vector conversion

  • About StreamTrace

  • The conversion is in progress

  • The result can be scaled as vector (Smiley)

  • Another example. Image of girl is loaded

  • Initiate conversion

  • The resulting vector image of girls face

Reversi

  • The game that came with Stream2

  • x-Plain bitmap converter