THE DTS WWWCOMPANIONLESS THAN FOURMONTHS OLD AND

THE DTS WWW IS FAST BECOMING AN
ESSENTIAL SATURN DEVELOPMENT TOOL

Despite the inherent benefits of the World Wide Web, it is often
quite easy to overlook nuggets of information or shortcuts that would
make a trip through a site more enjoyable and efficient. Considering
the size of the Developer Technical Support World Wide Web
Environment, we felt that an overview was appropriate to illuminate
the nooks and crannies of a very large site. So, using the mostperfect interface known to man, paper and ink, we would like tointroduce the DTS WWW Environment Companion.

Basic Requirements
Viewing this site is by no means a major technological accomplishment. All you need are the basics: Internet access through an ISP(Independent Service Provider), which does not include America
Online, Compuserve or Prodigy. These services currently do nothave browsers that are able to handle complex web environments.
As far as modems go, 28.8 is highly recommended. 14.4 kbs will dothe trick, but it will be considerably slower while the site is downloading. Browsers you ask? Netscape Navigator is the recommended application. Microsoft Explorer will work and at thisprinting shows no significant differences. If you want to download
and view documentation, only one plug-in is required, Adobe
Acrobat. Once in the DTS WWW site, there are several links to the
Adobe download site. Acrobat will allow you to view all PDF(Portable Document Format) documents. PDF Documents can bedisplayed and printed from any computer - Macintosh(R),Windows(R), DOS, or UNIX(R) - regardless of the fonts or software
programs used to create the original.
continued on page 4

V O L U M E

3 ,N O . 8-J u n e / J u l y

1 9 9 6

DEVELOPERS
BECOMING SMUG
SATURN MASTER USER’S GROUPGROWS TO REFLECT THE
SATURN’S DEVELOPMENT SURGE

SMUG is moving along at a rapid pace now
boasting over 64 members worldwide. SMUG
stands for the Saturn Master User’s Group andis an e-mail forum where questions can bethrown out and answered through the experience of other developers. SMUG is a list server

QSound - an overview......................... 3

where you may e-mail SMUG directly and themail will explode to all users worldwide. Remember, SMUG is a service provided by de-

DTS WWW Environment ..................... 4

velopers and for developers, and although
SEGA assists in its administration, it does not

Tech Bulletin Index .............................. 5edit submissions or responses. Take advantage of the chance to talk directly to other de-

SEGA Profile - Roger Hector ............... 5velopers and be SMUG about it. To get yourname added to the SMUG server, send an email saying “I want to be

Animetix Feature ................................. 6

SMUG” tomerritt@sega.com. After your status as a registered Saturn developer is verified, you will
be added to the list.

STAMP R.I.P.
FAX MACHINE D.O.A.

MAKE ANOTE

E-MAIL B.M.O.C
TIMES ARE CHANGING AND THATMEANS EVERYONE NEEDS

all tech bulletins
now available
on theDTS WWW(www.dts.sega.com)

A MODEM

More and more announcements will be leaving DTS via e-mail only as we create a second
list called SEGA_SEZ. This list will include
announcements about DTS events, Web Updates, etc. But we can’t reach you if you don’t
have your e-mail address on file with us. If
you’re not sure, or if you’re sure we do not
have

DevelopMental is published monthly by the SEGA Development Technical Support
Department. 150 Shoreline Dr., Dept. 448, Redwood City, CA 94065. Send all generalinquiries, letters and submissions to the address above or dts@sega.com

youre-mail,

send

it

in

to

maramba@sega.com and then you too
can hear what SEGA_SEZ.

QSOUND
an overview

TIPS AND TRICKS FROM ONE OF
SEGA’S LEADING VENDORS

Q When I compile any of the SBL6.0 samples, the compilation
process fails at the link stage. How can I fix this?

The extremely flexible nature of the Saturn Custom

A

To ensure proper compilation and linking of the SBL6.0 samples

Sound Processor (SCSP) allows for a wide variety ofwith GCC, replace your ../../segasmp/lib/saturn.lnk with the up-

audio processing algorithms to be applied to music anddated link file called LINK.ZIP. This file can be found on thesound effects created for the Saturn. In addition to

DTS WWW and BBS.

effects such as reverberation and chorusing, the
QSound positional audio algorithms are available, al-Q

lowing sounds to be placed around the listener, well

How can frames be manually changed on Saturn, allowing
frame rates less than 60/second to be manipulated?

outside of the space between the speakers creating a
3D-like soundscape. This article describes the steps

A

required to create sounds that can take advantage of

FCM and FCT. To erase, write a “transparent poly” the size ofthese algorithms. Like the rest of the Saturn soundthe screen.

tools, using QSound requires coordination between thesound designer and the programmer. In this issue,Q

we’ll look at what is required from the sound designer:ning.”The QSound DSP module is available in eLinker.

A

eLinker is an enhanced version of the standard DSP

a status of no sequence playing.

reverb and other algorithms that are in Linker, with theaddition of the QSound and other modules. QSound
is available in 4 and 8-input versions. Each input can

Q

the

sound

designer

or

game

A

ule. This is done easily, in the same way that reverb

This might be a memory address conflict. The only freeaddress that works is B000.

programmer. The first task for the sound designer is tocreate a DSP program that includes the QSound mod-I’m having problems hooking up the Hitachi I/F board in anIntel brand motherboard.

be assigned a different position in space around thelistener independently and can be updated dynamically

The library routine getseqstat can not be called too quickly
after the sequence has just been started, because it will return

linker and is available from DTS. It provides all theeitherWhen the routine getseqstat is called immediately after a sequence has been started, I get a status of “no sequence run-

DSP Linker

byUse auto triggering, then manually change frames via the bits

Q

In the SND_CtrlDirMidi Function (page 23 of ST-135-R3) there
is a seq_no parameter which is the “Sound Control Number”.

and other effects are created:

Is this the same parameter that is used in the Sequence func-

Start up eLinker

tion?

Create 4 input modules
Set the input sources to channels 1,2,3,4 (for example)
Select “Effect Modules...” from the Window menu
Select the module QSound4
Create 2 output modules

A

Seq_no is the Sound control number. Up to 127 direct Midicommands can be fired off on each sound control number (vs.
1 sequence). It is a good idea to keep the Direct Midi com-

Set the outputs to channels 0 and 1 (for example)

mands to one specific sound control number. Seq_pri refers

Connect the 4 inputs to the 4 QSound4 inputs

to the priority level of that Midi direct command, 0 being theConnect the 2 QSound4 outputs to the 2 outputs

highest.

Link and Download
See “QSOUND” continued on page 6
3

THE DTS WWWENVIRONMENTACCESSDue to the level of secure material in this site,
we thought it prudent to
FRAMES

have certain security measures in place.

Not since New Coke and colored

The first line of defense is password pro-contact lenses has a technology

tection. All developers using the site must

been met with such mixed emo-

be registered with DTS and be issued ations. Yet, here at DTS we haveusername and password. All nonregis-a reason for their use as well as

tered members wishing to have access tosome features that allow for their

the site may submit their pertinent infor-

removal. First, the reason. Con-

mation through the “non-member” areasidering the amount of informa-found on the entry page of the site. Thetion that needs to be distributed

second line of defense is the reissuing ofto the developer, Netscapepasswords and usernames every 90

Frames were an ideal way to in-days. These steps along with a few others that we won’t mention will go a longway in ensuring our work along with yours
stays secure.

Never consider the DTS WWW
finished. Check the front page at least
every three days to see what’s been
added.

crease navigability and information on a given page.

The

Sidebar is reserved for latebreaking news and importantdata that needs to be in plain
view of the user. The bottom

PDF Documents are currently being
used for documents found inDocumentation and Hardware.
Back issues of the DTS newsletterare in PDF as well.

If you do not have the Adobe
Acrobat plug-in you can get it fromthe DTS WWW site or at http://
www.adobe.com/Acrobat/
readstep.html

navigation bar is there for thereasons of ease of navigationand convenience. Having these
two areas independent of the
Use this button!
This is a direct
link to thewebmaster. It is
located in eachsection of the site.
Gripe, suggest orcompliment,
doesn’t matter.
We love to hearfrom ourdevelopers.

main area relieves the user fromspending most of their time
scrolling and sifting through longlists of information.

DOWN THE ROAD

It’s pretty safe to say this web thing is not a fad, so this site will be around for a while. In
order to keep it as fresh and useful as the day we fired it up, we have a few plans for it’s
future. A search engine is under construction and will be in place by the end of the summer.
A discussion area will be established to allow direct communication between developer
and Sega. An Audio section is also being developed and any input you would like to give in
it’s construction is welcome.
4

If you hate Frames that much, goahead and push them out of theway. All frames within the DTS
WWW are adjustable .

ROGER HECTOR
VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER
OF THE SEGA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

Since 1993, Roger Hector has served as Vice President
and General Manager of the Sega Technical Institute (STI).
Last February, Developer Technical Support (DTS) moved
Below is a comprehensive listing of all tech bulletins available. They can befound in the DOCUMENTATION component of the DTS WWW site.

under STI where it now resides.
Starting his career in the game industry in 1976, Roger
went to the only place that mattered then, Atari. Working#1 - Saturn CD Drive Duty Ratio Restrictions#2 - Pre-emphasis Prohibited#3 - Information Regarding CD Burning#4 - Saturn Software Development Standards#5 - Error Checking for Data Errors#6 - Saturn System Functions#7 - Saturn Disc Format Specification Change#8 - CD Communication Interface#9 - Size Value for Saturn Memory Manager#10 - SCU Specification Changes#11 - Disc Format Standards Specification Revision#12 - SCU DMA, Boot ROM, and Vblank Precautions#13 - VRAM Bank Splitting#14 - Use of VRAM for Bit Maps
#15 - VDP1 User’s Manual Correction#16 - SCU DSP Instruction Clarification#17 - Mission Stick Specifications#18 - Limitation of Default Interrupt Processing Routine#19 - GFS_Init Settings#20 - Program Library User’s Guide 1 Corrections#21 - GFS_Init and GFS_LoadDir Function Errors#22 - VDP1 and VDP2 Resolution Specification Changes#23 - VDP Interlace Settings#24 - Changing VDP2 Screen Resolution#25 - Palette Format Sprite Display#26 - Obtaining CD Directory Information#27 - Limitations in Monoral or Language Setting#28 - Using Dual CPUs on the SEGA SATURN#29 - Setting CD-DA Volume in Applications#30 - Temporary Files Created When Building Disc Image#31 - Changes in Area Symbols#32 - Differences in Sega Saturn Hardware and Peripheral Color/Form Factor#33 - Additional VDP2 Restrictions#34 - Sega Saturn Mission Stick Application Manual#35 - Change in the 1st Read File Load Area Size
#36 - Saturn Hardware Chip Initialization#37 - VDP2 Specification Changes#38 - Arcade Racer Application Manual#39 - Supplemental Information on the SCU-DMA Transfer Byte Count#40 - Additional Sega Saturn Compatible Peripheral ID Character Codes#41 - Saturn Stunner/Virtua Gun User’s Manual Version1.00#SOA-1 - GFS Library Usage#SOA-2 - Casting VDP1 Shadows on VDP2 Backgrounds#SOA-3 - SEGA Saturn CD Door-Open Standard#SOA-4 - Saturn System Disks#SOA-5 - VCD I/F Board Installation#SOA-6 - VDP2 Cycle Pattern Registers#SOA-7 - Sprite Transparency#SOA-8 - Saturn SCU DSP Tutorial#SOA-9 - Saturn SCU DSP Programmer’s Reference#SOA-10 - Saturn SCU DSP Demonstration Program#SOA-11 - VDP2 Rotating Backgrounds#SOA-12 - Security Codes in the IP.BIN Fileon such hits as Battlezone and Warlords, Roger became
head of Atari’s Corporate Researchand Development. Leaving Atari, he
pursued his entrepreneurial interestsand began his own coin-op and consumer game company, Sente Technologies. Catching the eye of AtariFounder, Nolan Bushnell, Sente Technologies was purchased by Bushnell in 1982 and was later
acquired by Bally in 1984.
As the industry began to gel for another renaissance,
Roger entered the doors of Electronic Arts and oversaw
production of such titles as Skate or Die and Michael Jor-dan Vs Larry Bird. From there he went on to help start theWalt Disney Software Company where he oversaw all product development of PC and cartridge software such as The

Animation Studio, and Mickey’s Castle of Illusion.
Joining Sega of America in 1992, Roger managed thedaily operations of STI which has produced the Sonic the

Hedgehog series on Genesis. Today, Roger is involved in
all things Sonic and even the new, yet to be released, coin
op title: Die Hard, as well as overseeing product development, acquisitions, testing and DTS.
Roger envisions a very bright future for DTS and Sega
overall. “[Sega’s] a solid organization dedicated to providing the very best in tech support. Relations with Sega ofJapan have never been closer, and Sega is actually utilizing it’s global technical

ROGER HECTOR

resources like neverbefore.”When asked what
keeps him sane outside of the workplace,
Roger responded appropriately, “There isnothing about thisbusiness that is sane.
I do however, try tospend as much time as
possible sitting on
my boat.”

VP/GM of STI

5

“QSOUND” continued from page 3

The 4 (8) QSound position values are set by sending a MIDI message (for example in the score) on a particular MIDI channel. MIDI

You now have a valid QSound DSP program. You should noticethat the QSound4 module uses 52 steps and 45 words of COEF
RAM, leaving some additional room for other effects if desired.

channel 1 always sets the QSound position of input #1, channel 2always sets the position of QSound input #2, etc. Note that the
MIDI channel of the MIDI message determines which QSound input position value is modified. This can cause some peculiar re-Tone Editor

sults if you are not careful. For example, if a particular sound is

The next step is to edit the tone banks to properly use the QSound
DSP module. This requires some non-intuitive settings from within
the Tone Editor, but it is relatively straightforward. As you recall,each layer within a tone bank can be assigned to a DSP effectrouted to QSound input #1 (as set in the Tone Editor), only MIDI
control #80 messages on MIDI channel 1 will change the locationof the sound. This is true even if the sound is played on another
MIDI channel.

input channel. Also, the effect send level and direct level can be
set. In order for a sound to be played and placed in space using
QSound, it must be routed to one of the four (or eight) inputs thatwere assigned when the DSP module was created.

For an example showing how sounds can be controlled using
QSound, on the June ’96 DTS CD, in “Other:QSound” directory isa full sound tool-based demonstration of QSound along with the
MIDI score that plays the demonstration.

In our example, these are inputs 1-4. This is done by setting theEffect Select in the layer window which will route the sound to oneof the 4 QSound inputs. The effects level is then used to control

For further information contact QSound Labs at:
403-291-2492 or www.qsound.ca

the master volume for the sound. Then, the direct level for thislayer must be set to 0. This is very important, since the QSound
DSP module handles all processing of the sound. If the direct

Next Issue: Addressing the QSound environment from a
programmer’s perspective.

level is not set to 0, the QSound process will not work properly. If
you do not hear any sound after setting the Direct Level to 0, the
QSound DSP program is not running. Go to the SoundSimulator
and make sure the QSound DSP program is selected. Finally, themixer for the tone bank must be set properly. Select the correct
mixer from the Display /Mixer menu. Open the mixer and set theoutput pan position for the outputs that were assigned in the
QSound DSP program (0 and 1 in our example). Set the Effect
PAN for channel 0 to full left and the pan for channel 1 to full right.
Set the Effect Level for each channel to the desired level (remem-

Animetix has announced that Sega of America will be dis-ber, the direct level is 0, so this level can be set high), but they

tributing its GAMUT-SG and GAMUT-SGm series of plug-must be set to the same value.

in applications for 3D Studio R4 and 3D Studio MAX. Sega
will be offering registered Saturn developers the option ofReviewing, the steps to edit a layer are:purchasing GAMUT-SG separately or bundled with

Set the Effect Select to the desired QSound input

Autodesk’s 3D Studio R4 rendering and modelling soft-Set the Direct Level to 0

ware. When GAMUT-SGm for 3D Studio MAX ships in

Set the Effect Send to the desired output levelQ3 of 1996, registered Saturn developers will also be able

Edit the Mixer

to purchase this product directly from Sega.

Set the 2 Effect Levels of the output channels to the desired level,
but they must be the same

Animetix is a privately owned software development com-

Set the Effect PAN for the first channel to full left, the second chan-pany based in Vancouver, Canada. The company has cre-nel to full rightated products for several organizations, including
Autodesk, Softimage, and Microsoft, as well as a number

Moving Sounds around using MIDIof plug-in products for 3D Studio.

Sega has set the QSound position parameter to Midi Controller#80. Valid data values range from 0 to 30. When set at 0, theAnimetix Technologies Inc. can be reached by phone at

QSound module will place a sound approximately 90 degrees to(604) 608 1941, by e-mail at adamw@axionet.com, or in-

the players left, over their shoulder. Likewise, when set to 30, theteractively via our web page at http:\\www.animetix.com.

sound will appear 90 degrees to the players right. Values outside

All trademarks are those of their respective holders.

of the range 0-30 can cause unpredictable results.

6

DOCUMENTATION
Listed below is the complete set of Saturn documentation as of July 19, 1996. If you wish to order a complete set of Saturn documentation, contact us bye-mail or use the Fax Back section on the last page of the newsletter. DTS e-mail: dts@sega.com / Fax: (415) 802-1717

Document Name

Document #SATURN PROGRAMMING MANUAL VOL. 1
Saturn Introduction Manual ......................................................................................................................... ST-155-062094
Sega of America-Introduction to Saturn Game Development ............................................................................. 13-Apr-94
Saturn Overview Manual(temporary version 1) ..................................................................................... ST-103-R1-040194
SCU User’s Manual ............................................................................................................................... ST-097-R5-072694
SCU Final Specifications: Precautions ........................................................................................................ ST-210-110194
SMPC User’s Manual ............................................................................................................................ ST-169-R1-072694
SMPC Sample Program User’s Manual ...................................................................................................... ST-214-111594
Saturn SCSP User’s Manual ................................................................................................................. ST-077-R2-052594
SEGA Saturn Dual CPU User’s Guide .................................................................................................. ST-202-R1-120994
SATURN PROGRAMMING MANUAL VOL. 2
VDP1 User’s Manual ............................................................................................................................. ST-013-R3-061694
VDP1 User’s Manual Supplement ....................................................................................................... ST-013-SP1-052794
VDP2 User’s Manual ............................................................................................................................. ST-058-R2-060194
SATURN DEVELOPMENT TOOLS MANUAL
Sega Saturn Software Development Standards ................................................................................... ST-151-R3-082295
Boot ROM User’s Manual ................................................................................................................... ST-079B-R3-011895
Disc Format Standard Specifications Ver.1.0 ........................................................................................ ST-040-R4-051795
Backup System Production Standard ......................................................................................................... ST-203-100494
Sample Game Program User’s Manual ................................................................................................ ST-159-R1-092994
Sample Data User’s Manual ................................................................................................................. ST-160-R1-092994
SATURN Demo - Demo File Loader Specifications Ver. 1.20 ............................................................... ST-250-R1-031296
SCU DSP Assembler User’s Manual ....................................................................................................... ST-240-A-042795
SCU DSP Assembler User’s Manual Addendum ............................................................................ ST-240-A-SP1-052295
SCU DSP Simulator User’s Manual ........................................................................................................ ST-240-B-042795
SCU DSP Simulator User’s Manual Addendum .............................................................................. ST-240-B-SP1-052295
CD Development Tool Description File ........................................................................................................ ST-211-110494
Virtual CD System User’s Manual ......................................................................................................... ST-129-R2-093094
Virtual CD Supplementary Manual ................................................................................................ ST-129-R2-SP1-061995
MPEG Stream Build Precautions .................................................................................................. ST-129-R2-SP2-082495
Virtual CD System (Release 3) Limitations ................................................................................................. ST-182-081294
Write Once CD-R System User’s Manual ............................................................................................... ST-201-B-092994
SH2 Dynamic Load Linkage Editor ................................................................................................... ST-019-R1-B-050994
Authoring Environmental Guide ............................................................................................................ ST-091-R1-062794
Saturn Author User ’s Manual ...................................................................................................................... ST-164-062794
SEGA BASIC LIBRARY (SBL)
Saturn System Library User ’s Guide ver.1.0 ......................................................................................... ST-162-R1-092994
System Library User’s Manual .................................................................................................................... ST-162-062094
Program Library User ’s Guide 1 ............................................................................................................ ST-136-R2-093094
Branching Playback Library User ’s Manual ...................................................................................... ST-136-D-R2-082495
Program Library User ’s Guide 2 ............................................................................................................ ST-157-R1-092994
Program Library User ’s Guide 3 ............................................................................................................ ST-135-R4-092295
DLL Library User’s Manual .......................................................................................................................... ST-200-092994
External Specification Doc. Saturn Stream System .................................................................................... ST-098-031194
Saturn Software Library Release 3.01 Supplemental Disk ......................................................................... ST-208-110194
SATURN GRAPHIC LIBRARY (SGL)
SGL Developer’s Manual Tutorial .......................................................................................................... ST-237-R1-051795
SGL Developer’s Manual Reference ..................................................................................................... ST-238-R1-051795
SATURN GRAPHICS TOOLS MANUAL
3D Editor1.72US (ReadMe, Release Notes) ......................................................................................... SGT-DISK-102795
MapEditor1.81E (ReadMe, Release Notes, Basics) ............................................................................. SGT-DISK-102795
ScreenEditor 1.07E (ReadMe, Release Notes, Basics) ........................................................................ SGT-DISK-102795
QuickViewer 3.17US (ReadMe, Release Notes) ................................................................................... SGT-DISK-102795
Sega2DViewer 1.0US (ReadMe) .......................................................................................................... SGT-DISK-102795
SegaConverter 4.83E (ReadMe, Release Notes) ................................................................................. SGT-DISK-102795
SegaPainter 1.11US (ReadMe, Animation, Menu, Palette/Color, Tool Palette) ..................................... SGT-DISK-102795
SpriteEditor 1.36US (ReadMe, Release Notes, Basics) ....................................................................... SGT-DISK-102795
Saturn/32X Graphics References ver. 2.0 ............................................................................................. ST-124-R1-091394
SATURN SOUND TOOLS MANUALSound Development Manual ver, 1.1 .................................................................................................... ST-081-R5-062894
Saturn Sound Simulator Manual ........................................................................................................... ST-168-R3-011895
Wave Editor User’s Manual ................................................................................................................... ST-099-R1-042594
SCSP Waveform Editor Technical Specifications ........................................................................................ ST-067-121593
Tone Editor User’s Manual .................................................................................................................... ST-068-R1-042594
Tone Editor User’s Manual Addendum: File Format .................................................................................... ST-235-030795
SCSP/DSP Effect Module Specifications .................................................................................................... ST-069-121693
DSP Linker User’s Manual .................................................................................................................... ST-070-R1-031094
dAsms User’s Manual ........................................................................................................................... ST-228-R1-030595
Parameter Editor User’s Manual ........................................................................................................... ST-227-R1-030595
Saturn Sound Tools Manual Supplement .............................................................................................. ST-198-R1-121594
SATURN Sound Driver System Interface Version 3.03 ......................................................................... ST-166-R4-012395
Standard MIDI File: Converter Specifications ............................................................................................. ST-066-121593
Sound Programming Debugger User ’s Manual .................................................................................... ST-065-R1-031494
Microcomputing Developing Int. Environment for Macintosh ................................................................ ST-080-R2-050994
7

Status Check
In order to serve you better and refine our existing databases, we need to stay informed of any changes with our developersthat may affect the distribution of material from DTS. Please take a moment to fill out the information below and mail or fax
it to Sega @ (415) 802-1717, or e-mail us at <dts@sega.com>.
Company _______________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail address ___________________________________________________________________________________
URL ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Personnel no longer with your company who receive newsletter?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title changes of personnel who receive the newsletter.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Developer Technical Support
150 Shoreline Dr., Dept. 448
Redwood City, CA 94065

8