PageStream's Preferences dialog box allows you to customize PageStream's many features. To display the Preferences dialog box, choose Preferences from the File menu. This section describes all of the options displayed in that dialog box. Also, it describes options specific to the Amiga version of PageStream.

How to Navigate in the Preferences Dialog Box The General Panel The Type Panel The Measure Panel The Drawing Panel The View Panel The Files Panel The Folders Panel The Toolbox Panel The Toolbar Panel Amiga System Preferences

How to Navigate in the Preferences Dialog Box

The Preferences dialog box has a list of Items for groups of preference options. Click an Item to view its panel of options.

When you have changed the needed preferences, click Use to use these new settings without changing your permanent settings, or click Save to change your permanent defaults. Click Save As to save the settings as a new preferences file that can be loaded later with the Load button.

All of the options of the Preferences dialog box are detailed in the following sections.

The General Panel

AutoSave

Select to have PageStream save your documents at regular intervals in case of a power loss or system error. Autosave does not save over your original document file. Instead it saves a temporary copy of the file in the folder path set in the associated Path text box.

Every

Enter the autosave time interval in minutes. PageStream will save the document at the end of this interval unless you are using the mouse or keyboard at that time. If you are busy, it will wait a short time before trying again. If you are still busy after that delay, it will save the document anyway.

AutoBackup

Select to have PageStream keep a backup copy each time you manually save your documents. The title of each backup copy has the original document's name, the suffix .bak and the backup number. For example, a report named Report would have backup copies named Report.bak1, Report.bak2, etc. Backup copies are stored in the folder path set in the associated Path text box. The file with the .bak1 extension is the most recent.

Keep

Enter the number of backup copies to keep. When a backup copy is made that exceeds the number of copies to keep, the oldest backup copy will be erased. If you specified three backups, the oldest one will be numbered filename.bak3 and the most recent filename.bak1.

Path

Enter the folder path to use for backups and the temporary autosave file.

Keep history

Select to save a revision log with documents when they are saved. The Revision History dialog box will open each time you save a document to make a revision log entry.

3D interface

Select to use greyscale dialog boxes instead of a black and white interface. (MacOS only)

Underscore shortcuts

Select to underscore the Command key shortcuts for dialog box controls. (MacOS only)

Undo

Select to enable the Undo and Redo features. If this is unchecked, these commands will not be available for use. The Undo and Redo features consume memory which you may not be able to spare.

Levels

Enter the number of levels of undo and redo to permit. Use this option to restrict how many actions you can undo. You can conserve memory by setting the undo levels to a low value. A value between 1 and 15 is sufficient for most uses.

The Type Panel

Smart dashes

Select to enable dash conversion. When this option is on, two dashes typed successively will be converted to an en dash, and three dashes will be converted to an em dash.

Regular Dash

En Dash

Em Dash

Smart bullets

Select to enable conversion to bullets. When this option is on, typing an asterisk will enter a bullet. Type two asterisks consecutively to enter a true asterisk when this option is selected.

Asterisk

Bullet

Smart single quotes

Select to enable conversion of single typewriter quotation marks to single typographic quotation marks. The first quotation mark typed will be an open quotation mark, and the next typed will be a close quotation mark. Also, if this option is checked, straight apostrophes will be converted to curly apostrophes.

Single Typewriter Quotation Mark

Single Typographic Quotation Marks

Smart double quotes

Select to enable conversion of double typewriter quotation marks to double typographic quotation marks. The first quotation mark typed will be an open quotation mark, and the next one typed will be a close quotation mark. The double typographic quotation marks inserted in PageStream depend on the language selected in the character attributes.

Double Typewriter Quotation Mark

Double Typographic Quotation Marks

CharSet

Choose the character set from the CharSet pop-up menu to be used for conversion from system character set to PageStream's Unicode character set. This translation table is used when typing and displaying text, batch adding and exporting words from the spelling and hyphenation dictionaries, is the default when import/exporting ASCII text and more. For more details on character sets see the Character Sets appendix.

Attributes

Click the Edit button in the Attributes group to set the default text attributes used when initially creating a text frame, frameless text object or table cell. The most important attributes most commonly set are the default Language (used for spell checking, smart typographic quotation marks, hyphenation, and page, date and time variables), Font and Size; but all default text attributes can be modified.

The Measure Panel

Relative to

Choose whether object coordinates are relative to the page or spread, if applicable. If you choose to measure relative to the page when viewing a spread, each page in the spread will have its own coordinates with which objects on that page are measured relative too; whereas, if you measure relative to the spread, all the objects in the spread will be measured together as if they were on one page.

Horizontal

Choose how to measure the horizontal direction of objects.

Vertical

Choose how to measure the vertical direction of objects. Choose Same As Horizontal to make the vertical measurement system always equals to the horizontal system.

Relative

Choose how to measure the non-directional parts of objects. i.e., the length of a diagonal line. Choose Same As Horizontal to make the relative measurement system always equals to the horizontal system.

Text

Choose how to measure text for type size, leading, etc.

The Drawing Panel

On double click

Select the action to be performed when you double-click in the window. Flash Screen will flash the screen to alert you that you double-clicked. Object Command allows you to choose from a list of selected Object menu commands to perform when you double-click on an object. Play Script allows you to choose an internal PageStream script to execute when you double-click on an object.

Do

This pop-up menu is visible only when Object Command or Play Script are selected from the On Double Click pop-up menu. When Object Command is selected, the Do pop-up menu lists Object menu commands. When Play Script is selected, the current internal PageStream scripts are listed.

Duplicate offset

Enter the default offsets to use for the Duplicate command.

Nudge amount

Enter the default nudge amount. Use the arrow keys to nudge the selected object(s) this amount; hold down a Shift key while using the arrows to nudge object(s) a tenth of the normal amount.

The View Panel

Rulers

Select to display rulers in new windows. Choose Show Rulers from the Layout menu to affect the active window.

Invisibles

Select to display invisible character codes in all windows.

Column outlines

Select to display non-printing column outlines in all windows.

Text frame links

Select to display non-printing text frame link identifiers in all windows.

Pictures

Select to display pictures in all windows. When this is deselected, pictures will be shown as a crossed box.

Drawings

Select to display drawings in all windows. When this is deselected, drawings will be shown as a crossed box.

View

Select the view magnification to set when a document window is first opened. If you choose the Other option, enter the actual magnification into the Other text box.

Min, max

Enter the minimum and maximum view magnification levels to allow. The absolute minimum view magnification is 5% and the absolute maximum view magnification is 3000%. MacOS may be unable to render some text and graphics at very high magnifications.

Display (guides)

Choose whether to display guides in front of or behind objects in all windows.

Page guides

Click the Browse button to change the color of page guides in all windows.

Browse Button

Margin guides

Click the Browse button to change the color of margin and column guides in all windows.

Browse Button

Show guides

Select to display guides in new windows. Choose Show Guides from the Layout menu to affect the active window.

Snap-to-guides

Select to snap objects to guides in new windows. Choose Snap-to-Guides from the Layout menu to affect the active window.

Display (grid)

Choose whether to display the grid in front of or behind objects in all windows.

Color

Click the Browse button to change the color of the grid in all windows.

Browse Button

Show grid

Select to display the grid in new windows. Choose Show Grid from the Layout menu to affect the active window.

Snap-to-grid

Select to snap objects to the grid in new windows. Choose Snap-to-Grid from the Layout menu to affect the active window.

Pasteboard

Click the Browse button to change the color of the pasteboard surrounding the page in all windows.

Browse Button

Page shadow

Click the Browse button to change the color of the page shadow in all windows.

Browse Button

The Files Panel

Show all files in file selector

Select to show all files, not just valid files, in file selectors.

Place graphic in center

Select to place and paste graphics automatically in the center of the screen. Otherwise, once a graphic is loaded or pasted in the document window, the mouse pointer will change to the paste cursor, allowing you to position and scale the graphic before it is placed in the document window.

The Paste Cursor

Automatic text frames

Select to force PageStream to create as many additional text frames as required when importing more text than will fit in the current series of linked text frames. PageStream will continue creating additional frames until the text fits into the series.

Like

If Like Last Frame is selected, PageStream will duplicate the last text frame on the next available page and flow the overset text into it. If Like Master Page is selected, PageStream will create a text frame on the next available page matching the margins and number of columns of that page's master page.

Select text on paste

Select to cause imported or pasted text to remain selected for further editing.

The Folders Panel

Documents

Enter the default folder for opening and saving document files.

Text

Enter the default folder for inserting and exporting text files.

Graphics

Enter the default folder for placing and exporting graphic files.

Scripts

Enter the default folder for scripts.

Scratch

Enter the default folder for virtual memory scratch files.

PDF

Enter the default folder for saving PDF files.

The Toolbox Panel

Format

Select a toolbox layout.

Horz, vert

Enter the default corner radii for rounded boxes.

Start, end

Enter the default arc and pie starting and ending angles. These options apply to arcs and pies only; not actual ellipses.

Drag zoom

Choose whether to drag the magnified area from the upper left or the center. Holding down the shift key while draging the area to magnify will toggle the drag zoom mode temporarily.

Increment

Enter the default increment for the Magnify tool. When you click on the screen with the Magnify tool selected, the magnification will be changed by this percent. 100% is equivalent to no change; 200% would double the magnification. Do not enter an increment of less than 101%, because you can hold down a Shift key while clicking on the screen to reduce magnification.

Background

Select the default text column frame background. Use the Line & Fill command from the Object menu to change an existing text frame.

Radius

Enter the default radius of the alternate points for polygons, as a percentage of the actual radius.

Pre-rotate

Enter the default angle at which a polygon should be rotated before being drawn.

Angle

Enter the default angle at which the alternate points of a polygon should be deflected from the actual points, from 0 to 100%. 50% is centered between points.

Gutter

Enter the default gutter space between columns in a text column frame.

Sides

Enter the default number of sides for polygons, from 3 to 999.

The Toolbar Panel

Commands

Select a command or script to add to the toolbar.

Tools

Select a command or script to remove from the toolbar, or to move to a new position on the toolbar.

Insert space

Click to insert space after the selected command or script in the Tools list.

Up

Click to move the selected command or script upwards in the Tools list.

Down

Click to move the selected command or script downwards in the Tools list.

Reset to defaults

Click to reset the toolbar to PageStream's defaults.

Script

Select a script for a selected script in the Tools list.

Amiga System Preferences

PageStream for Amiga has additional preferences options which can be accessed from the System Preferences submenu in the File menu.

Font preferences

• Installed Font Drawers: This lists the drawers of fonts that have been added to PageStream. Fonts in these drawers are available for use in PageStream. If you change the fonts in a drawer, you must select the drawer from this list and click Update.
• Add: Click to add a new font drawer to PageStream. A file selector will open. Use it to open a drawer containing the fonts you wish to add. Click on Add in file selector to add the path to the Font Drawers In Use scrolling list.
• Remove: Click to remove the selected font drawer from the Font Drawers In Use scrolling list. The fonts in this drawer will no longer be available for use in PageStream.
• Update: Click to check the selected font drawer for new or changed fonts. This is equivalent to removing the drawer and re-adding it. You must use this option whenever you change the fonts in a drawer.
• Maximum Memory to Use: Enter the maximum memory that PageStream should use to cache fonts. Rasterizing a bitmap character from an outline font can be slow, so PageStream uses a cache to store bitmap characters to increase the speed of subsequent uses of the same characters. If the cache is set to zero, PageStream will have to generate a bitmap each time you type a character. In general, increasing the size of the cache will decrease the time it takes to display text on screen and to print text to non-PostScript printers. Increasing this value to 500K is recommended if you have enough memory and use non-PostScript printers.
• Maximum Size to Cache: Enter the maximum size of characters to cache in pixels. Because small characters are used more frequently than large characters, it is not important that headline size type be cached. However, increasing this value will improve non-PostScript printing speed. If memory permits, increase this value to 200 pixels.

Editor preferences

• Text Editor Script: Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and the insertion point is in an article. Scripts are provided for PageLiner and TurboText.
• Picture Editor Script: Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and a bitmap picture is selected. A script is provided for BME.
• Drawing Editor Script: Enter the full path and name of the ARexx script to execute when Send to Editor is chosen and a drawing is selected. A script is provided for ProVector.

Screen preferences

• Type: Choose the type of screen on which to open PageStream. Choose Workbench to run PageStream on the Workbench screen. Choose New Public to create a new, custom, public screen. Choose Existing Public to run PageStream on an existing public screen, and enter the name of the screen into the associated text box. New Public is the preferred screen for using PageStream because PageStream can use all of the colors of the screen, unless you open other applications on the screen.
• Mode: Click to open the Screen Mode requester if New Public is chosen from the Type pop-up menu. Choose a screen mode from those available. If you enter a size larger than the physical screen, PageStream will create an autoscrolling virtual screen. If you create a screen that is too small for PageStream's interface, PageStream will force the creation of an autoscrolling virtual screen. Set the number of colors to a value between 4 and the maximum supported by your Amiga. If you have CyberGraphX installed with a compatible graphic card, PageStream can be used in modes of up to 16 million colors. The number of colors on screen does not affect how your documents will be printed.
• Font: Click to open the Screen Font requester. Choose the AmigaOS font to use for PageStream's menus, window titles, and requester titles; the font is only used for requester titles, not requester control labels.
• Display DPI: Enter the resolution of your monitor. Standard NTSC displays are 65x55 dpi (dots per inch), whereas standard PAL displays are 65x70 dpi. If you have modified your screen setup, use a large screen monitor, or have a graphic card in your Amiga, you may need to alter these values. To determine the values to use, measure the height and width of the visible display with a ruler, and convert this value to inches, if required. Divide the number of pixels horizontally and vertically by this value to find the display DPI. Enter the results into the X and Y text boxes.
• Center windows on screen: Select to center requesters on the visible screen. This is useful for virtual screens, but you may need to deselect this option if you use a graphics card.
• Show free memory: Select to display the total amount of free memory at the top of the PageStream screen. The memory, date and time display is a separate window which is always shown on top of other windows on the screen. You should not use these options if you run PageStream on a Workbench screen narrower than 800 pixels, because their display will conflict with the Workbench title display.
• Show date: Select to display the date at the top of the PageStream screen.
• Show time: Select to display the time at the top of the PageStream screen.

Installing fonts for use with PageStream Amiga

PageStream for Amiga supports four font systems: Compugraphic Intellifont, PostScript Type 1 (Windows or MS-DOS format), TrueType (Windows format only) and PageStream DMF.

PageStream does not use the Amiga's built-in font system because AmigaOS doesn't offer the features required by a desktop publishing program.

Compugraphic Intellifonts are common on Amiga computers. Compugraphic fonts have one file per style and weight. These fonts usually have a .type or .lib file extension. You can use any Compugraphic Intellifont with PageStream, although not all Intellifonts can be printed to PostScript.

Windows and MS-DOS PostScript Type 1 fonts are the most common font format for desktop publishing. You need two files per style and weight. The font outline file usually has a .PFB file extension and the font spacing file will have either an .AFM or .PFM extension. (Do not use both.) If optional bitmap screen font files are present, they will usually have .ABF or .## extensions. Macintosh PostScript fonts must be converted to Windows or MS-DOS format prior to use with PageStream.

The PageStream (SoftLogik) font format is an older system which was developed for the original version of PageStream. These fonts have three files per font. The font outline file usually has a .DMF file extension, the font spacing file has a .FM extension, and bitmap screen font files have .##I or .##H extensions. Obsolete .PS and .PSF files can be deleted.

To install fonts for use with PageStream for Amiga, copy them to a directory and then choose the Fonts command from the System Preferences submenu from the Project menu. Click on the Add button. Open the file selector to the directory so that the fonts are listed. Click OK.

AmigaOS includes 3 fonts: Times, Triumvirate and LetterGothic. The Times and Triumvirate fonts are also included with PageStream and are a special version of the fonts designed to match those used in PostScript printers, so you cannot add your Amiga's Fonts:_bullet_outlines directory.

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