All the stuff below is what I grabbed from Trixter's World Wide Web site:
http://www.mcs.net/~trixter/html/demos.html
                                       
Trixter is: Jim Leonard / trixter@mcs.com 

I have only included some links.  If you have internet access I recommend
visiting the site because it offers a lot of links to many other interesting
demo pages.

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TRIXTER                                       
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                               TRIXTER / HORNET
                                       
   "Trixter" is my demo scene "handle". I am heavily involved with the
   demo scene, having loved demos since 1990. I finally joined a demo
   group in 1995 called Hornet. You can visit the ftp demo site we manage
   to get lots of cool demos and music.
   
   Want to know what the demo scene is? Click here for the PC Demos
   Explained page. It describes what a demo is and defines some of the
   common slang. It also provides a brief history on demos and the Demo
   Scene.
   
   My productions to date have been: 
     * Chromatiks, the first PC multi-group music disk (creator, coder) 
     * Chromatiks 2, the third PC multi-group music disk (creator, coder)
     * GRIND, a MODplayer that displays people dancing to the music in
       real-time (creator, coder) 
     * MC2FIN, the Music Contest ][ final results intro (coder) 
     * WedTro, the first intro of the wedding of a demo scene member
       (creator, coder, me :-). 
     * Various intros for BBSes, like Digital Overdrive and Despair
       (coder) 

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   [HOME] [Glossary] [History] [Effects] [Music] 
   [HowToCode] [People] [Places] [Events] [Misc.] [PC Demos Explained] 
   
A Guide to the PC Demo Scene

  Featured in Wired Magazine, July Issue, 1995
  
   Welcome to the first home page where people can learn about demos, the
   demoscene, and get a definition of terms. You can also get sound clips
   of demo music styles, pictures of cool demo effects, and more. (For
   starters, a Glossary of terms is available.) 
   
   These pages are in constant flux; if something feels unfinished, wait
   about a week and then check back. If there's anything here that you
   feel I've left out or needs to be clarified, please email
   trixter@mcs.com to have your suggestion implemented as quickly as
   possible.
   
   One last thing: These pages contain some HTML codes specific to
   Netscape browsers, so for best viewing, Netscape 1.1 is recommended.
   
   This section's contents: (Use the buttons above to switch sections) 
     * What is a Demo? 
     * How to get Demos 
          + FTP sites 
               o Well-known sites 
               o Lesser-known sites (mostly mirrors) 
          + Best Demos 
          + Featured Demos 
     * Other demo-related pages 
       
   Note to demo-freaks: Here's a quick list of the cool hot-links in
   these pages that you might miss if you're not careful:
     * Examples of real-time effects. 
     * Music and art examples. 
     * Pictures of your favorite demo people. 
     * A comprehensive list of other demo-related pages. 
       
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
                               WHAT IS A DEMO?
                                       
   A demo is a program that displays a sound, music, and light show,
   usually in 3D. Demos are very fun to watch, because they seemingly do
   things that aren't possible on the machine they were programmed on.
   
   Essentially, demos "show off". They do so in usually one, two, or all
   three of three methods: 
     * They show off the computer's hardware abilities (3D objects,
       multi-channel sound, etc.) 
     * They show off the creative abilities of the demo group (artists,
       musicians) 
     * They show off the programmer's abilities (fast 3D shaded polygons,
       complex motion, etc.) 
       
   Demos are an art form. They blend mathematics, programming skill, and
   creativity into something incredible to watch and listen to.
   
   Grant Smith puts it another way:
   

        Jonny looks around, confused, his train of thought disrupted. He
collects himself, and stares at the teacher with a steady eye. "I want
to code demos," he says, his words becoming stronger and more confidant
as he speaks. "I want to write something that will change people's
perception of reality. I want them to walk away from the computer dazed,
unsure of their footing and eyesight. I want to write something that
will reach out of the screen and grab them, making heartbeats and
breathing slow to almost a halt. I want to write something that, when it
is finished, they are reluctant to leave, knowing that nothing they
experience that day will be quite as real, as insightful, as good. I
want to write demos."

        Silence. The class and the teacher stare at Jonny, stunned. It
is the teachers turn to be confused. Jonny blushes, feeling that
something more is required.  "Either that or I want to be a fireman."

                                        - Grant Smith, 
                                                14:32, 
                                                21/11/93

    
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                               HOW TO GET DEMOS
   
FTP sites
   
  Well-known sites
  
    These anonymous FTP sites are the best places to get demos and demo-related
    information.
     * ftp.cdrom.com Home base for the demogroup Hornet--an extremely
       diverse site offering music, graphics, magazines, programming
       info/source code, etc. A one-stop-shop--and highly recommended. If
       you have to visit only one site, make it this one (or, if you're
       not in North America, visit its mirror, ftp.luth.se).
     * ftp.mpoli.fi (Has very many demos, including some of the great and
       nostalgic early demos.) 
       
  Lesser-known sites (mostly mirrors of ftp.cdrom.com)
     * ftp.luth.se 
     * ftp.sun.ac.za 
     * ftp.uwp.edu 
     * wuarchive.wustl.edu 
     * Ribic's Demo FTP Site 
     * Ribic's Demo FTP Site (Alternate) 
   
Best Demos

  Some of the most well-known demos can be retrieved directly from this list
  simply by clicking or selecting any item.
  
    Key: SB means the demo supports the Sound Blaster, and GUS means the demo
    supports the Gravis Ultrasound.
     * Unreal / Future Crew (SB / GUS) Size: About 1.5 meg. 
     * Panic / Future Crew (SB) Size: About 1.0 meg. 
     * Second Reality / Future Crew (part 1) (SB / GUS) Size: About 1.5
       meg. 
     * Second Reality / Future Crew (part 2) (SB / GUS) Size: About 1.0
       meg. 
     * Crystal Dream / Triton (SB) Size: About 1.0 meg. 
     * Crystal Dream ][ / Triton (SB / GUS) Size: About 2.2 meg. 
   
Featured Demos

  This section holds demos that deserve special attention: They are unique in
  one or several ways. You may retrieve any item on the following list simply
  by clicking or selecting its highlight. 
     * Show / Majic 12: A surprising newcomer (at the time), Show
       performs most of its effects in the full framerate on a 386-40,
       borrowing many tricks the coder learned on the Amiga. The graphics
       are good, and the music is reminiscent of Amiga demos with good
       design. (GUS) Size: About 0.6 meg. 
     * Verses / EMF: Overall, has nice design, as well as the warping
       face of Bill Gates. ASM'94 winner. (SB / GUS) Size: About 0.6 meg.
     * Project XYZ / Orange: The first demo to incorporate truly fluid
       motion-blur. (GUS) Size: About 0.5 meg. 
     * No! / Nooon: Very good coding; has great shaded texturemapped
       objects. (SB / GUS) Size: About 1.5 meg. 
     * Symbology / Admire: This 64K intro has excellent design, as well
       as good coding. A bouncing plasma-cube on a 3d landscape; and one
       of the best tunnels in the scene. (SB / GUS) Size: About 1.3 meg. 
     * The Real Thing / Capacala: The beginning of this demo is very fast
       and hard--you either love it or hate it. It's included in this
       roundup because it has a good middle part where the display a
       rotating cube that is rendered with all the common effects, from
       light-sourced shading, to transparant Gouraud shading. Size: About
       1.0 meg. 
     * Legend / Impact Studios: (Part 1) This demo, while not having
       original effects, is so well optimized that it runs in the full
       framerate on a 286! The art and music are very good. (GUS) Size:
       About 1.2 meg. 
     * Legend / Impact Studios: (Part 2) (GUS) Size: About 0.4 meg. 
     * Dimension / Realtech: Great sound setup and demo options: You can
       run the demo in either high or low res, with or without aliasing.
       Texture-mapping is shaded and very fast. Size: About 1.0 meg. 
     * DOPE / Complex: This demo, while slightly mis-stating its effects
       (it states 7800 polys at one time when there's only about 1000;
       also, environment maps are used instead of light sources), is a
       jaw-dropper when it you first see it. The music is quite good.
       (GUS) Size: About 0.9 meg. 
     * The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly / Surprise! Productions: This demo
       not only uses the VGA hardware to run at the full framerate in
       most effects, but has excellent design as well. (GUS) Size: About
       0.6 meg. 
     
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                           OTHER DEMO-RELATED PAGES
                                       
   Other demo related WWW pages exist, as well as pictures of your
   favorite demo people.  
       
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GLOSSARY                                       
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   [Home] [GLOSSARY] [History] [Effects] [Music] 
   [HowToCode] [People] [Places] [Events] [Misc.] 
   
                            GLOSSARY OF DEMO TERMS
                                       
   Please keep in mind that this document is still growing; as such,
   there are probably going to be missing definitions, links, or
   explanations, so be patient. Also, if you have anything to contribute,
   please do, to trixter@mcs.com.
   
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
Demo Types

   Demo: A a program that displays a sound, music, and light show,
   usually in 3D. Demos are created by coders, graphicians, and musicians
   all in the same demo group.
   
   Mega-Demo: A demo that is very large, with many parts.
   
   Intro: A demo that is small, usually no larger than 64K. Intros
   usually have no more than 5 effects in them, and are usually used to
   introduce something new, like a demo competition, a new group, or a
   BBS.
   
   Texttro: Am intro that is quite small, with lots of text and few
   effects; usually made for small announcements.
   
   Dentro: An intro whose sole purpose is to offer a preview of an
   upcoming demo that's not yet finished.
   
   Wedtro: An intro whose sole purpose is to announce the wedding of a
   demo scene member. (Only one to date is Trixter's WedTro)
   
   Babytro: An intro whose sole purpose is to announce the birth of a
   demoscene member's child. (Only one to date is Nostalgia's BabyTro)
   
    
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People involved with Demos

  For pictures of your favorite demo people, click here.
  
   Coder: Person who programs the demo. There are usually more than one
   per demo group, and they usually split the duties: One will package
   the whole demo, another will do the sound/music routines, and they all
   usually contribute to the effects.
   
   Graphician: (Also called a graphcs artist) Someone who draws the
   graphics for a demo. Usually responsible for coming up with a logo as
   well, and an ending ANSI screen. Click here for an example of some of
   the fantastic art created by graphicians.
   
   Musician: Person who writes the music. Music is almost always written
   in a MOD-like format or a variant of it, and is composed in a tracker.
   
   SysOp: The System Operator of the Group's BBS, if they have one. The
   SysOp is responsible for making the group's latest productions
   available.
   
   Courier: (Also called a "spreader") A Courier copies (or "spreads")
   the demo around to other people and other BBS's, so that many people
   can view the demo. Couriers are usually freelance, but some belong to
   a group.
   
   Demo Group: A group of Demo coders, graphicians, and musicians
   organized under one name. Some of the most popular groups are Future
   Crew, Triton, and Renaissance. The diskmagazine Imphobia regularly
   reports on the top groups. so look there for the most current
   statistics.
   
   Sattlelite Crew: A group of Demo coders, graphicians, and musicians
   that help to complete another demogroup's production without actually
   belonging to that demogroup. Usually these people are members from a
   friend demogroup, or independent people.
   
   Scene Member: Anyone who's contributed something to the demo scene.
   
  Demo-related groups
  
   ANSI Groups: Groups of people who draw graphics for BBS's, but the
   graphics they draw are entirely made up of ASCII and extended ASCII
   text characters. (This is so the graphics can be displayed in text
   mode, or conviently transmitted via a BBS while on-line.) ANSI is the
   term given the standard color and positioning codes that are embedded
   in pictures to give them color, etc. Recently, ANSI groups have been
   drawing pictures for demo groups. Click here for an example of ANSI
   Art.
   
   Music Groups: Groups of people who compose music. 90% of the music
   composed is tracked with a tracker; the rest is either MIDI or another
   music format. Probably the most well-known music group is the KLF.
   
    
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Gatherings:

   Demo Competition: A large gathering of people and groups who create or
   enjoy demos. There are usually competitions for best demo, best music,
   best graphics, etc. The two biggest competitions are usually Assembly
   and The Party.
   
   Demo Compo: A slang term for a Demo Competition.
   
   Demo Party: A Demo Competition with less emphasis on competing and
   more emphasis on having fun (not to say that competitions don't have
   fun--they do, but Demo Parties are much smaller.)
   
   Demo Scene: The entire organization of all people, groups, and
   productions associated with demos.
   
   Scene Member: A member of the demo scene.
   
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
Magazines and Collections

   Disk Mag: An electronic magazine that focuses on the entire demoscene,
   having articles about creating demos (coding, music etc.), the latest
   parties (with reports from scene members), interviews with scene
   members, and typically some 'weird stories'.
   
   MusicDisk: A collection of music from a demo group, or several demo
   groups. Usually released when the group's musicians produce more music
   that the entire group produces demos. Music disks are subject to
   design, just like demos, and usually have graphics or other
   information with the songs.
   
   Music Pack: A collection of music from a demo group or a lone
   scenemember that is usually just the music and a player (in other
   words, no design at all).
   
    
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Graphics Terms

   VGA: Video Graphics Array. The current graphics standard that demos
   are programmed in. Its default resolutions/colors are 320x200x256 and
   640x480x16.
   
   Tweaked Video Modes: video modes that are made possible by "tweaking"
   (reprogramming) the VGA card's registers. Tweaked video modes have a
   difficult to work with memory structure, but the advantages outweigh
   that problem. For instance, tweaked video modes offer the following:
   
     * Multiple resolutions, like 320x240 (square aspect ratio) and
       360x480 (high resolution) in 256 colors. 
     * Multiple video pages. 
     * Total control over write planes, so that when you write out one
       pixel, you actually write out four. This is FAST and great for
       polygon fills (which are crucial to 3D graphics, the cornerstone
       of demo effects). 
     * The ability to set the display start address anyhere you want.
       This lets you scroll the screen in any direction smoothly, at the
       full frame rate. 
       
   Mode X: A common tweaked video mode. Mode X is the most common video
   mode used in demos, with 320x240 resolution, over 3 video pages, and
   pixels with a square aspect ratio.
   
   Mode Y: A common tweaked video mode. Mode Y has four video pages and a
   resolution of 320x200.
   
    
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Demo Elements

   Design: In the ever-more competing demo world, design is probably the
   most important element of a demo. Design is, literally, how the demo
   is designed. A good design shows the parts of the demo leading into
   one another smoothly or cleverly, so that the flow of the demo is not
   interrupted. Design is also responsible for how the graphics elements
   are arranged.
   
   Examples of *bad* design: 
     * All of the pictures are displayed in the center of the screen with
       a black background. Boring. 
     * The sections between parts of the demo say things like "Here comes
       the shadebobs", "Here comes the dot-tunnel", "Here comes the
       Vector World", etc. 
     * Misspelled text, lots of swearing, gore, etc. 
       
   Realtime: The term given to effects that are being calculated by the
   computer's cpu as you are seeing them (as opposed to pre-calculated,
   which is considering cheating by some scene members). Real-time
   effects that look good are the result of well-structured or clever
   programming.
   
   Effects: A graphical effect that is usually cool to watch. Some older
   common effects were plasmas, dissolves and fades, and sinuses; many
   common effects are texture mapping, Gouraud and Phong shading, and
   motion blur. Many effects can be combined, like a bitmap that both
   rotates and zooms in and out at the same time. Effects are almost
   always calculated realtime.
   
  For various examples of real-time effects, click here.
  
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
Sound/Music Terms and Formats

   Music Module: (also sometimes called a MOD or MOD-like format) A song
   in one of the formats most used by demoscene musicians. Tracker: A
   program that allows you to compose music in a MOD-like format or a
   variant of the MOD format. Trackers have several advantages: 
     * They offer complete control over the music, even as far as editing
       the exact volume and pitch slide paramters. 
     * They use digitized instruments which are sampled from real
       instruments. The result is that the instruments are very
       clear-sounding and realistic. Another advantage of that is that
       you can digitize your own instruments. 
     * They have enhanced editing capabilities, like easily
       cutting/copying/pasting tracks. 
     * Because the composer has complete control over the playing
       parameters as well as the exact instruments used, music files
       created by trackers sound the same on all platforms (the digital
       instruments are included as part of the song file). 
       
   Because of their pattern-based format, MOD-type music files are fairly
   easy to program players for. They have some disadvantages, however: 
     * The structure of the music is very rigid--it lends itself to
       compose music that is 4/4 time only. (Composers have learned
       tricks around this, however, and managed to do triplets,
       syncopation, and jazzy rhythms--but it isn't as easy as other
       methods, like MIDI for instance.) 
     * Most trackers allow for computer keyboard input only; no musical
       keyboard can be used for input. 
     * Each track can only play one note, so chords must be entered
       manually on multiple tracks. 
       
   Still, the music created can be very stunning.
   
  For some musical examples, click here.
  
   Mixing: A technique to overcome the limitations of PC sound hardware.
   Normally, PC sound cards can output one or two channels of digitized
   sound, which isn't very useful if you want to play music with 8 or
   more channels. Mixing overcomes this limitation by utilizing the power
   of the computer to mathematically mix all of the channels into only
   one or two channels inside of the computer. The resulting channel or
   channels is then output through the sound card. (The number of
   channels in the output depends on whether the sound card is mono or
   stereo.) The quality of the output is usually excellent, but can
   depend on the number of channels being mixed and the speed of the
   computer. The only drawback to this system is that it steals time away
   from the CPU.
   
   Gravis Ultrasound: (Also called the GUS) A great sound card at a low
   price, the Gravis Ultrasound can play up to 32 digital channels at the
   same time, eliminating the need for mixing. This card has become the
   standard of the demoscene. (In fact, here's a comparison of its
   wavetable synthesis against a Sound Blaster for your listening
   pleasure, in both Microsoft .wav format and Sun/NeXT .au format.)
   There are three varities: The GUS, GUS MAX, and GUS ACE. The MAX is a
   normal GUS with cdrom and 16-bit recording facilities; the ACE is a
   GUS without any recording facilities. The GUS ACE is only $99, which
   makes it a great way to add wavetable to any existing sound card.
   
  Music file formats
  
   MOD: Amiga Protracker. The most popular music file format in the demo
   scene. Originating on the Amiga computer, MODs contain up to 4
   channels of music. Later PC implementations of the MOD format by
   Triton introduced 6 or 8 channels.
   
   STM: Scream Tracker. This music format was created by Psi / Future
   Crew. Very similar to the MOD format, it also contains up to 4
   channels.
   
   669: This music format was created by Tran, formerly of Renaissance.
   It was the first 5+ channel format on the PC; contains 8 channels.
   
   MTM: MultiTracker. A newer format created by StarScream / Renaissance.
   Supports up to 32 channels.
   
   S3M: Scream Tracker 3.0. A later modification of the STM format.
   Supports up to 16 channels; the tracker used to create these modules
   is possibly the best on the scene.
   
   FAR: Farandole Composer. Offers 16 channels.
   
   XM: FastTracker ][ format. Recently introduced, the XM format stands
   for eXtended Module and offers 16-bit sampled instruments, as well as
   instrument envelopes, MIDI keyboard input, and a great interface. Up
   to 32 channels.
    
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Programming Languages

   Pascal: A high-level language created by Niklaus Wirth.
   
   C/C++: A "middle-level" language created by K&R in 1970.
   
   Assembly: A low-level language that more than half of all demos are
   programmed in. Very tough to learn, but very fast and offers total
   control of the computer.
    
