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Explore the World of Sof…ids' Graphics for Windows
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Explore_the_World_of_Software_-_Kids_Graphics_for_Windows_1995.iso
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HELP.TXT
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1992-11-05
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Mdraw V0.4d
Copyright 1992, by S. Mike Dierken
Mdraw - An object-oriented drawing package for MS-Windows.
CONTENTS
0 Introduction
1 The Mouse
2 The Keyboard
3 The Toolbar
3.1 The small arrow - Selector Tool
3.1.1 To select an object:
3.1.2 To select more than one object:
3.1.3 To add or remove objects from the selection:
3.1.4 To select the next object 'underneath' another object:
3.1.5 To resize an object
3.2 The box - Rectangle Tool
3.3 The circle - Ellipse Tool
3.4 The pie shape - Arc (Not completely worked out yet)
3.5 The hollow star - Polyline Tool
3.6 The solid star - Polygon Tool
3.7 The letter - Text Tool
3.8 The connected puzzle pieces - Join
3.9 The unconnected puzzle pieces - Un-join
3.10 The big arrow - Hyper jump
3.11 The little window - Edit note
3.12 The color pallete
4 Attributes
4.1 Fonts
4.2 Arrowheads
5 Order of objects
5.1 Move an object up
5.2 Move an object down
5.3 Move an object to the top
5.4 Move an object to the bottom
6 File output
6.1 Window Metafile
6.2 CGM
0 Introduction
Welcome to Mdraw, an object-oriented drawing package for MS-Windows.
This program is object-oriented in the sense that the objects you draw
may be moved or modified after you draw them. This is not a painting
program, but rather a drawing program. You do not 'erase' parts of your
drawing, but you can select and then delete the parts you have drawn.
This is also object-oriented in the sense that each object has attributes
that you may modify. For example, each object you draw has a color, and you
may change that color after you have drawn it. You may also 'join' multiple
objects together.
1 The mouse
Mdraw uses the mouse extensively. The left button is use for nearly every
operation. The right button acts like the selector tool.
The one exception that uses the right button for something else is to
terminate a polygon.
2 The Keyboard
There are several keyboard 'shortcut' keys available in Mdraw.
<shift><delete> Cut
<ctrl><insert> Copy
<shift><insert> Paste
<ctrl>-c Copy
<ctrl>-x Cut
<ctrl>-v Paste
<ctrl>-s Save file
<delete> Delete (NOTE: Does not make a copy)
<insert> Paste
<page-up> Scroll up
<page-down> Scroll Down
<arrows> Move selection up
<shift><arrows> Move selection by one pixel
<ctrl><up-arrow> Move selection higher in display list
<ctrl><down-arrow> Move selection further back in display list
<alt><up-arrow> Move selection to top of display list
<alt><down-arrow> Move selection to bottom of display list
3 The Toolbar
To draw an object on the screen, you select which tool you would like by
clicking on its icon from the toolbar (or selecting it from the 'Tools' menu)
When you draw an object, that object becomes the currently selected object
and any previously selected objects are deselected.
3.1 The small arrow - selector
This tool allows you to select objects from the workspace. In order to do
anything with or to an object, it must be selected. Once you have
an object selected, you may change its attributes (e.g. its color, or font).
You also need to select an object before moving or resizing as well.
Helpful hint:
The right button always acts like the 'selector' tool.
(unless you're already busy drawing or moving something)
3.1.1 To select an object:
Choose the selector tool (if it isn't already selected)
Click (button down and then button up) the mouse button on the
object you want to select.
3.1.2 To select more than one object:
Drag (button down, move the mouse) the mouse to draw
a rectangle that surrounds the objects you wish to select.
Release the mouse button
3.1.3 To add or remove objects from the selection:
Hold down the shift key, then click the mouse button on the object.
3.1.4 To select the next object 'underneath' another object:
Hold down the control key, then click the mouse button on the object.
(you may click several times to select an object further down.)
HINT: You may double-click the right button to select the next object
3.1.5 To resize an object
Press and hold the mouse button down in the little tiny black box in the
lower right of the selected object
Move the mouse (with the button still held down)
Release the mouse
3.2 The box - rectangles
To draw a rectangle:
Select the rectangle tool
Drag (button down, move the mouse) the mouse to draw a rectangle
Release the mouse button
3.3 The circle - ellipses
Select the ellipse tool
Drag (button down, move the mouse) the mouse to draw an ellipse
Release the mouse button
3.4 The pie - Arc
Select the arc tool
Drag (button down, move the mouse) the mouse to draw an arc
Release the mouse button
NOTE: The border is not yet perfect.
3.5 The hollow star - Polyline
To draw a polyline:
Select the polyline tool
Click where you want the starting point
Click where you want each intermediate point
Click the RIGHT button where you want the last point.
The polyline will NOT draw a line from the first to the last point.
The polyline will not be filled in with any color, and can't be
made to later on. (use the polygon tool for this)
3.6 The solid star - Polygon
To draw a polygon:
Select the polygon tool
Click where you want the starting point
Click where you want each intermediate point
Click the RIGHT button where you want the last point.
The polygon will draw a line from the first to the last point.
The polygon is filled in with the current color.
3.7 The letter - text
To add text:
Select the text tool
Click where you want the upper left of the text to go.
Type the text.
Click outside of the text entry rectangle
(but still within the Mdraw window)
HINT: You may paste text from the clipboard into this text entry rectangle
3.8 The connected puzzle pieces - join
This is not really a tool, but rather an action.
When you press this, the currently selected objects are joined together.
If only one object is selected, nothing happens.
3.9 The unconnected puzzle pieces - un-join
This is not really a tool, but rather an action.
When you press this, the currently selected objects are un-joined.
If there is no selection, nothing happens.
3.10 The big arrow - Hyper jump
This is not really a tool, but rather an action.
When you press this, you jump to the file that this object is linked to.
If the current file has changed, you are given the chance to save it.
If there is no link to another file, you are prompted for a filename.
If the file doesn't exist, it tries to jump anyway. (I'll fix this)
You may add or edit links through the 'Edit' menu.
HINT: You may double click the left button to activate the link
NOTE: The right button behaves differently when you double click it.
3.11 The little window - edit note
This is not really a tool, but rather an action.
When you press this, you invoke NOTEPAD.EXE and edit the file that
this object is attached to.
If there is no attached note, you are prompted for a filename.
You may add or edit notes through the 'Edit' menu.
3.12 The color pallete
To select a color:
Click the mouse on the square that has the color you want
If you have an object currently selected, it will change to that color
If not, the little box next to the pallete will change, showing
the current color.
4 Attributes
To change the attribute of an object, select that object (or select multiple)
objects, and use the Attribute menu to select the new attribute you want.
You may also use the pallete to change the objects color by selecting
the object, and selecting the desired color from the pallete.
4.1 Fonts
Text objects are drawn with a certain font and style. Fonts are things like
'Arial' or 'Times Roman'. Styles are things like 'Bold' or 'Italics'.
You may select different styles from the 'Attribute|Text' menu.
You may select different fonts and sizes from the 'Attribute|Text|Font' menu.
The font sizes in the Font dialog box that comes up may be selected from the
list, or you may type in an arbitrary number for the font size.
4.2 Arrowhead
The Polyline tool may optionally be drawn with an arrowhead at one end.
You may select this attribute from the 'Attribute|Polyline' menu.
5 Order of objects
As you draw objects, they are laid down on top of the older ones. You may
change which objects are on bottom and which are on top. To change the order,
use the 'order' menu or the keyboard shortcuts.
5.1 Move object up
Selecting this menu option will move the currently selected objects up one.
This may change what you see by hiding other objects.
HINT: You may also do this by pressing <ctrl><up-arrow>
5.2 Move object down
Selecting this menu option will move the currently selected objects down one.
This may change what you see by revealing other objects, or hiding the current
objects.
HINT: You may also do this by pressing <ctrl><down-arrow>
5.3 Move object to top
Selecting this menu option will move the currently selected objects to the top.
This may change what you see by hiding other objects.
HINT: You may also do this by pressing <alt><up-arrow>
5.4 Move object to bottom
Selecting this menu option will move the currently selected objects up one.
This may change what you see by revealing other objects, or hiding the
current objects.
HINT: You may also do this by pressing <alt><down-arrow>
6 File output
6.1 Windows metafile
You can 'export' your drawing to a Windows Metafile. There are two types
of Windows Metafiles: placeable and non-placeable. Placeable metafiles are
used in Word for Windows and other high-end packages.
6.2 CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile)
This is an ANSI psuedo-standard metafile format. The standard leaves room
for different ways of representing things, and I still have a ways to go to
get a useable format working.