CompuServe Thread

Cross-DOS Amiga>PC

4 messages in this thread
#193179From: Mark SegallApr 18, 1995 11:51 AM
I'm looking for the most practical way (or ways) to get anims from platform to platform. Getting acquainted w/Animator (PC) and Director (PC & Mac) has sent me running back to DPaint (Amiga). I dusted off my old Amiga 2000HD and started looking for a way to start a project on the Amiga side, finish it on my PC or a friend's Mac. To date, I've been mailing Amiga IFFs and ANIMS to my own # on Compuserve and picking them up on the PC. Don't laugh, it's worked. The sneakernet software I've tried so far (PCMountAll, CrossDOS) hasn't. What's the obstacle? Is it my poor old system (Amiga2000HD) running old system software (AmigaDos 1.3)? Or my poor old (non-hacker) brain trying to issue AmigaDOS commands in their proper syntax? My Amiga drive REFUSES to read a PC disk. I'm tearing my hair out. HELP! What do I do first? Upgrade to 2.1? to 3.1? Buy the full Cross-DOS package from Consultron? Or something similar? Get null modem software and run a serial cable between the computers? Network the computers? Get a syquest? Find software that allows a PC to read Amiga disks? All advice appreciated. Expensive, simple solutions preferred over cheap, difficult ones… though a mid-priced, idiot proof solution would be ideal….
#193382From: Betty Clay/SYSOPApr 19, 1995 12:51 PM
Mark, The best thing would be to upgrade your Amiga. Systems beginning with 2.1 have CrossDOS built in, and they DO work. I suspect you are trying to read and write 1.44M floppies, and you have to use 720K on your Amiga because it does not have a HD floppy drive. The full CrossDOS package also works, but with 720K disks. —Betty
#193552From: Vincent J. KurdylaApr 20, 1995 2:19 PM
Hi. I was looking thru messages and saw your plight; thought I could suggest some stuff. The simplest way would be to use a null modem (also known as a LapLink serial ) cable. I used to do this with picture files and text between my IBM 286 PC and Amiga 3000. There should be a way of using Cross Dos with Workbench 1.3, but I can't help you there. I have used CrossDos on Workbench 2.04 on the Amiga 3000, and this works very well with the internal 3.5" drive. The only limit is you must format the IBM disks to 720 K (Format a: /f:720) for the Amiga to read them. I would bet someone out there has written a program to allow an IBM to read Amiga disks. I have a program for my IBM that allows me to read hi-density Mac disks, and this allows me to swap images with an artist friend who uses a Mac, and can read and save in .GIF format. Good luck. Hope I have been of some help
#193596From: Werner KazmierzakApr 20, 1995 6:43 PM
Vincent, no, it isn't possible for a PC to read Amiga formatted disks due to hardware restrictions. The PC controller needs a gap in each track (even if you play with 0000:007F), whereas the Amiga disks are formatted without a gap (using a kind of 'soft' gap to identify the start/end of the track). So you lost your bet. 🙂 – wkc – … via AP from Hamburg, Germany