Fantasm
HIGH SPEED POWERPC & 68K MACRO ASSEMBLER FOR MACINTOSH

Welcome to Fantasm's page. Here you can get some basic information, a look at some of the manuals and download a demo and some examples to try out. Please note that 5.1 is currently being released and a lot of this page is out of date. A demo of Fantasm 5.1 is now available for download (click the demo button further down the page).

Items marked with a * below require that Fantasm 5 is running on a PowerMac or PowerPC based clone Ease of use Fantasm 5 incorporates all you would expect of a typical project manager. It handles dependencies automatically. It handles multiple open projects simultaneously. It handles embedded projects*. It handles merged projects. It doesn't need file extensions. Via templates, it can set up new projects in seconds and creating new templates is a matter of clicking a button. Within a project you can set up user folders for groups of related files. It plays CD's, MOD's*, XM's*, s3m's*, MP3's* - it plays music whilst you work (Fantasm 5 comes with over 100 selected MOD's on the CD). Clear and logical documentation provides all you need to know, and overall index document allows you to find out about something in ultra quick time. Plus, all documentation is available from the "Help" menu. In short, it is simple to use. Oh, did we mention you have the choice of mutlitasking whilst your code is being built so you can fix the errors as soon as they come up? You don't have to wait. Modular Fantasm 5 (more specifically, Anvil) implements a complete plug in architecture with a publicly available API. Tools and plugs are loaded as needed, so if you don't use something, it won't use any memory. Anybody can write tools and plug ins. Speed and simplicity Not only does Fantasm 5 look good, but it performs good as well (Version 5.1 outperforms 5 by a factor of up to 8!). It can produce PowerPC shared libraries, meaning accelerating other projects (for example C or Pascal) is a doddle. It can export all global code symbols too*, so debugging in your low level debugger is much easier. It has in-built PowerPC processor emulation* to spot pipeline stalls based on dependencies and unit usage thus enabling you to produce the fastest PowerPC code with ease. OS calls are called in-line (no glue) thus saving at least two instructions on every OS call. The assemblers incorporate over twenty new directives making life even simpler - for example one can now define floating point constants*, use local labels and define local sections. There are new string handling directives for string extraction and concatenation, plus in-built variables such as the current build number, local date and time, size of structures (RS or Globoff size) and more. In-built directives and assembler instructions can be replaced with macros meaning you can write your own assembler/compiler if you really want too! In short it means you develop quicker and easier than ever before. Really. Backwards compatible... Fantasm 5.1 comes with a translation set that will auto-translate your 68K assembly language source code to a PowerPC fragment. Stable It is rare for Fantasm 5 to crash. Protection mechanisms include quadruple file save safety mechanisms, stack crash, infinite recursive message checking, code checksumming and a rigidly defined and applied API providing OS abstraction for tools. This all adds up to a very stable system.

What you need
In short, if you need to accelerate something, then this is what you need. If you need to write a game that'll run on even "low end" Macs, this is what you need. If you need to write real time code, this is what you need. If you like writing in a simple, elegant, friendly and fast environment, this is what you need.

What Fantasm 5 needs
A fast 030 or 040 based Mac or preferably a PowerMac or clone.
4 Megs of free memory to run and Build. More for more complex projects. CDROM drive required for installation.

What's on the CD?
Click here for CD information,

Pricing information

All prices are quoted in US Dollars and UK pounds and include postage worldwide.

There are three purchasing options:
1. Fantasm 5 - $122/£76. Full package for PowerPC and 68K development.

2. Fantasm 5 (full) (concession price) - $76/£45 If you are a full time student or under 18 or unemployed or on low income subsidies then you may pay this price and still get the full package. We require no proof of your status; we rely on your integrity and honesty as a fellow Macintosh supporter. This option is currently only available by using the "register" program included in the demo and emailing or sending it's output to Kagi.

3. Upgrade from Fantasm 4 to Fantasm 5 - $54/£32.

You can pay using the following methods:

a. Use the Register Fantasm program. It will accept cheques, cash or credit cards. Currently you need to use this method to get the concession price. You can email or send its output to Kagi.

b. You may order on-line if you have a credit card.

c. By filling out the form found in the demo and sending it to our postal address along with payment.

Site licensee enquiries should be directed to lightsoft@zedworld.demon.co.uk

Support policy
Fantasm 5 (not Lite version) also comes with a one year subscription to our upgrade service whereby we either email or send upgraded and new tools to you as they become available. If the size is relatively small we will email right to your mail box. In the case of a larger change, we will send you a new CD.

Availability and ordering
Fantasm 5.1 is now available. You can order either on-line (see link above) or via the Register program included in the demo. Payment by cheque( or check) is fine, but if the cheque is made out in your own currency (i.e. not pounds sterling) please add on the equivalent of three (3) UK pounds to cover conversion costs. Send your cheque to our normal address.

Demo
A new version 5.1 demo is available by clicking the demo link above. The demo has limitations imposed on it as follows:
1. Won't boot after 30 days.
2. No documentation is included with the demo but help is available from the Help menu and additional documentation is available for download by clicking the "Docs" link above.
3. Limited to the amount of code you can produce.
4. This is a 68K build - it is not FAT unlike the real thing.

Apart from that it is fully functional. Examples included.