FAQ

Where is the Paypal button ?

Programming is a great satisfaction and earn money with Amiga programming would be great ! The idea of money behind that is here if I consider all the hours spent to work on PointRider.

But I think the status will be giftware because I like surprises and this is a unique opportunity to receive things from all over the world : stamps, chocolate, ... and if you want to send money, feel free !

I certainly will add a Paypal button but if you have few money and want to help developers, I am sure other guys will appreciate your money too :)

What will be the status of PointRider ?

Please read my plans for the Amiga about PointRider with the blog and the roadmap. If you think something is wrong, just tell me.

In mid-2006, PointRider is still beta and the most important is too see the content of the files correctly. More will be bonus.

PointRider has not really an Amiga style ? No GUI, no appicon, no tooltypes, ... Why ?

The main goal during the development at a beta level is to bring the main features and to keep it as more portable as possible to find the help of the development tools of Linux and Windows ?

Then, some nice Amiga features could be added. Note that an Hollywood module is planned thanks to Andreas.

Where is the 68k version ?

Some people already asked me to create a 68k version ... At the moment, my main goal is to improve it and a 68k requires time and missing libs (SDL_ttf). PointRider needs power too and I don't think it will be fast on a 68k Amiga. Except under emulation of course but emulation was useful waiting for PPC machines. Now we have them and I consider the future of the Amiga is associated to OS4 and MorphOS.

And AROS ? And other alternative OS ?

I don't have a usable AROS environment but I am not against the idea of an AROS port even if I don't completely understand the benefit of AROS and all efforts put in it. But I have much respect for the work done.

What a shame to use Windows for the development ?

You can trust me, I am a true Amiga user and programmer but we have to be realist and see we miss development tools. If Windows can make me more efficient and can help to release PointRider earlier, so I will use it. Definitely for the Amiga !

What means the assertion that tells "add_bbdlist > 0" ?

The PPS format is very complex. Big PPS files use an additionnal list of so called "Big Block Depot" that is not supported at the moment (I didn't have files with). This is fixed in the beta 2.

And what about Word and Excel ?

Don't expect something from me about Excel support but I think I will release an OLE library that will allow anyone to extract data, write loaders, ... Word is a different case because I already have a knowledge of this format and other DTP formats. If there are needs for a viewer or filters, why not ?