World of Video/World of Video.iso/gfxprograms/animtools/flaminator/flaminator.readit

Text File | 1995-02-13 | 16KB | 318 lines

Carmen Rizzolo proudly presents...


                              FLAMINATOR! v1.5

           [first 'a' pronounced as in 'flask' and 'flatulence']


                An Arexx script for OpalPaint v2.3 or higher.

                 READ THE FIRST BIT OF "Flaminator.oprx" for
                         changes in recent versions.


-- INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------

    Greetings yet again!  Here's another time saving utility for your
OpalPleasure.  This is a shareware release, but not crippled in any
way.  If you use it in a project that you earn money off from, I ask
for a $15 shareware fee.  Is that so much?  If you're using it for
fun, I say have at it!  This one is on me!
    Let me say that you *MUST* read this documentation if you intend
to use the script.  It's feature packed, and not all of it is
explained from using the script itself.  Nuff said.

-- WARNING ----------------------------------------------------------

    Contents extremely flammable.

-- WHAT IT DOES -----------------------------------------------------

    FLAMINATOR takes care of the drudgery of creating and animating
flames, explosions and similar special effects.  The 'look' that
FLAMINATOR creates can be anywhere from movie-like to cartoonish.
    FLAMINATOR can take a single image, and create animated flames on
top of it, or add flames to an existing animation.

-- INSTALLATION -----------------------------------------------------

    Really simple.  Use a shell window or your favorite directory
utility.  Copy the file "Flaminator.oprx" and the
"FlaminatorDefault.TXT" files into your "OpalPaint:Rexx" drawer.  The
two drawers included in this archive (Torch & TorchPics) are filled
with ready-to-go sample images, so you can run the script right away
to see how it works.. But be sure to read the rest of this
documentation first!!!!!

-- OPERATION --------------------------------------------------------

    When you first run the script, you'll be greeted with a prompt,
and an opportunity to bail out.  Click on OK to continue here.

    Next you'll be asked to choose a "BACKGROUND source method."
Background simply means it's the ray-traced or painted images
that the flames are placed on top of.
    The STATIC method will use one image as a background source, add
multiple flame images and save out multiple images of the flames on
the single image.
    The ANIMATED method will add the flame images on top of an
existing series of background frames.  The animation frames will
either be overwritten in favor of the new images, or the changed
images can be saved into a seperate drawer so you can decide if
you like the changes before overwriting your originals.
    The CURRENT method is very similar to the STATIC method.  But
it will use whatever image is CURRENTLY loaded in OpalPaint and uses
that as it's background images.  If you only want flames on a black
background, just clear the screen before you run FLAMINATOR and
choose the CURRENT method.  When the script is done, your original
background image can be found, unscathed, in your RAM disk in a
drawer called 'Method2.'  When you use the CURRENT method, you should
make certian that your flame images are the same as, or similar
to, your current background image resolution.

    The next part of the script asks you for your choice of a flame
colour.  You currently have 7 choices.
    The first colour is "normal."  The Normal colour goes from
white, to yellow, to orange, to red, to dark red.  Just like
your typical flame.
    Yellow flames is MOSTLY yellow, but it tints it orange as it
diminishes in intensity.
    Red flames are pretty much that, red.  There is a little orange
in the second-brighest area of the flame.  All flames are pure white
at it's most intense area.
    Blue is usefull for gas fires.. Like a raging pilot light!  Yeah!!
    Green and Purple were added just for fun.. Maybe you'd like a
purple dragon to exhale purple fire!  Ya never know.  If you know
Arexx, you can always add your own colour sets, or, ask me if you've
got a request.  I've though about adding a continually phasing random
colour set, maybe in a later date for those who register.
    The Custom flame lets you draw your own conclusions.  Use the four
sets of RGB sliders below to make your own range of flame colours.

    Next is your choice of "Flame Size."  Although the flame's
physical is roughly based on the flame's source image, the SIZE
value can give it different "looks."  The lower numbers are good
for small sources such as matches and torches.  The highest numbers
give a "raging" or "roaring" quality to it, best for larger sources
such as bon-fires or nuclear blasts.

    Next comes the smoothing value.  The higher the better here.
You have a choice of 1, 2 or 3.  Three takes the longest time.

*** NEW in v1.1b *** Smoothing efficiency is greatly improved.
Only a smoothing value of 1 is needed.  2 is optimal, 3 is more than
you'll ever need.

    Intensity is basically how many times the flame is stamped
on the background image.  An intensity of 1 is sufficient for most
applications.  If the background is mostly a bright image, the
flame might appear transparent and look like a poorly superimposed
effect.  In such cases, try 2.  On the other end of the spectrum,
the higher the flame intensity, the more 'cartoonish' the flame will
appear.

    Next, you enter the pathname to the BACKGROUND source images.
Do not include the filename.  Your Background source images *MUST* be
inside a drawer, and not on a main directory of a disk.

    For example, if your source BACKGROUND image(s) are in a drawer
named "furnace" and that drawer is on a HardDrive called "Work"
you would type (not including quotation marks) "Work:furnace/"
    If your images are in a drawer named "furnace" and that drawer
is in a drawer named "pics" which is in a disk named "DH0" you would
type "DH0:pics/furnace/"
    Whew!!  Sorry I didn't use proper commas, but I didn't want
commas (which would normally go inside quotes) to confuse you.
    If you're using the "STATIC" method, with one source BACKGROUND
image, you *MUST* have an image in your drawer that is called
"pic.0001" or you'll have problems.  More on your image's filenames
later...

    Next you give a directory for the FLAME source images.  The
same rules apply here.  Don't specify filenames, just the paths.

    Next you enter the starting FLAME frame number.  If your
flames begin with "pic.0005," just enter "5"  Not "0005," or
"pic.0005."

    Then the ending FLAME frame number is given.  Same thing here.
If your last frame is "pic.0012," just give me "12"

    Next you can do one of two things.
    If you're using the "STATIC" background method, you give a
pathname for your destination images.  Same rules as mentioned above.
    If you're using the "ANIMATED" background method, you have two
choices.  You can tell it to overwrite your BACKGROUND source images
as it adds the flames, or you can have it save the changed frames
into a seperate directory.  This way is reccomended, because you can
double-check that you like the changes, and replace your originals
with them at your leisure.

-- MORE INFO ABOUT OPERATION ----------------------------------------

    As you might have already guessed, FLAMINATOR does require TWO
sets of images.  One for the BACKGROUND, another to define the
FLAMES.  The FLAME images can be simple two-colour pics, made with
a non-opal paint program.  They could also be made with OpalPaint.
It really doesn't matter.  The FLAME pics should be the same
resolution as the BACKGROUND images.  If your BACKGROUND images are
HIGH RES - OVERSCAN, you should start your paint program up in that
mode when you make the FLAME pics.  You can use this script any way
you choose, but here's what to do for most cases:

    Create your single BACKGROUND image or series of BACKGROUND
images.  If your source BACKGROUND image(s) are not in an interlaced
resolution, you may want to launch a small program to force your
workbench to flicker.  This is a shareware program, so I can't
include any such program here without first hunting down it's author.
Find me and ask me for one if you don't have one (Address below).
    Using OpalHot Key, load the first BACKGROUND image.  If you are
planning on using the "STATIC" method, of course, this is all you're
ever need to load.  Use the F2 and/or F3 keys to place the OpalVision
display BEHIND your workbench, so it shows through your workbench
background colour.  Consult your manual if you need help operating
OpalHotKey.
    With the OpalVision display still in the backdrop, launch your
favorite paint program (Well, second favorite anyway, this technique
won't work easily with OpalPaint).  Remember to open it up in the
same resolution as your BACKGROUND image.  Have I harped on this
enough?  Paint with extreme prejudice.  You don't know what to paint?
Well, let's see if I can help.

    Youre mission here is to paint solid-white where your flame is
to appear.  Different techniques and stroke thicknesses can
ultimately produce drastically different results.  You can make
your flames flicker during the course of your animation, tips
breaking off at the top and eventually fizzling to nothing.
Creativity and artistry can help here, but it's not absolutely
required.  Expiramentation is suggested, however.  This script
doesn't do EVERYTHING for you, just the parts that can be automated.
Using OpalHotKey to load each frame of an animated BACKGROUND into
the backdrop can allow you to paint your flame frames with little
guesswork.  The whole process may remind you of cel-animation
techniques for flickering type fire.  When you SAVE your FLAME
images, do so in a format like the following:

    pic.0001, pic.0002, pic.0003, pic.0004, pic.0005, etc...

    If you're using Deluxe Paint, you can create your frames via
an ANIM.  Then when you're ready to save the individual frames,
use the PICTURE; SAVE pulldown, add "pic.0" for your filename, and
use the "FRAMES x to x" feature.  Deluxe Paint will then save your
animation as individual frames, adding a "001" to the "pic.0"
filename you specified.  If there are some FLAME-frames that
don't actually *HAVE* any white flame in them, you can delete them
from your list of images.  The script will happily skip FLAME files
that are missing without getting upset.

    The following information is for using the "STATIC" method
only!!
    There is an extra special feature I added for those of you
who only want to use a single BACKGROUND image for your FLAME
images.  This feature allows you to create up to 5 images that
can be changed in the course of your FLAMES animation.  Here's
how it works:

    Create a single BACKGROUND image.  Save it in your BACKGROUND
images drawer as pic.0001
    In OpalPaint, use the BALANCE DrawMode, *SLIGHTLY* tweek
the CONTRAST and BRIGHTNESS values upwards.  ZAP the image and
save the changed image as pic.0002
    Now, when you're animating your FLAME images, you can add
special graphics coding in your images to tell the script which
BACKGROUND image you want it to load.  For the dimmer image in
my example, place a SINGLE pixel if the far, upper-left hand
corner of the screen.  One pixel in the corner will tell the
script to load BACKGROUND image "pic.0001" when adding that flame
frame.  For FLAME images where the flame is more abundant, more
light would be cast, and you'll want the brighter of the two images.
For the FLAME pictures with more concentrated flames, add *TWO*
pixels in the far, upper-left hand corner of your FLAME image.  One
pixel in the far, far corner, another just to the right of that one.
The script will then look for a BACKGROUND image called "pic.0002"
    You can specify up to 5 of these "variant" BACKGROUND images in
"STATIC" method.  Of course, you don't have to limit your variant
images to just CONTRAST and BRILLIANCE adjustments.  How about
painting cast-shadows that shift from side to side as the flame
dances on it's wick?  I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.
    If you don't want to use this special feature, you don't have to.
just ignore the corner.  Don't put any pixels in it if you don't want
to.  If your flames accidentaly jump into that corner, it's OK.  As
long as you only have "pic.0001" in your BACKGROUND source drawer,
it'll only load the one image.  HOWEVER, if you are taking advantage
of this feature, pay special attention so that your flames do NOT
enter the row of 5 pixels.  If you want "pic.0001" to be loaded as
your BACKGROUND image, but a piece of your flame is overlapping the
fifth pixel, "pic.0005" will be loaded instead.  Of course, if the
script can't find "pic.0005" it will load "pic.0001" by default.
Catching on?

-- BUGS AND OTHER FUN THINGS ----------------------------------------

    It seems that everything is not fine and dandy in destructo-land.
This script will crash OpalPaint once in a while as of this writing.
    There is another weird thing going on.  It seems that I have
spotted a bug in OpalPaint.  After using the DIFFUSE DrawMode from
the script, then called up the SMOOTH DrawMode, a cross-hatching
type texture appears.  I tried doing the operation manually with
the same bizarre results.  Those amazing guys at OpalTech are
working to squash these bugs, and should be fixed by the next version
or two.  If it's something that's wrong on *MY* end, please let me
know and I'll do whatever possible to fix it as well!

*** NEW in version 1.1b ***  The cross-hatched effect is gone.

    Logo-Maniacs!  Think of how this script can help you create some
fairly fantastic flaming font effects!  Fun!

    Using very low flame size settings could possibly produce some
nice laser effects.  I haven't actually tried this, but it could be
worth a try.

-- WHERE TO REACH ME ------------------------------------------------

    You can E-Mail me on The OpalVision BBS.  My handle there is
"CarmenR"  The number is [phone] -or- 9543
    You can E-Mail me on AmigaNonymous BBS.  Use my full name
there when getting to me.  "Carmen Rizzolo"  The number to
AmigaNonymous BBS is [phone] -or- 2375 for high speed modems.
    You can reach me on the InterNet as [e-mail]

-- THANKS! ----------------------------------------------------------

    Very, VERY special thanks go out to Greg Niles of OpalTech.  His
help with Arexx commands in OpalVision were invaluable.  Thanks also
to Martin Boyd for his amazing programming and juggling skills.
    Thanks to Marlin Schwanke for his Arexx help as well.

-- WHERE TO MAIL THINGS ---------------------------------------------

    My [physical] address is

         Carmen Rizzolo
         Att: Flaminator
         4820 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. #5
         San Diego, CA.  92117

    Send a Check or money order of $15.00 [more will not be argued
against] to register.  If more updates to FLAMINATOR are made [bug-
fixes, feature requests, etc..]  You will be mailed a disk with the
new version, as well as any other fun stuff I can cram on the disk.
More than one upgrade would require you sending me a blank disk with
return postage or another Check for $5.  But don't go sending me
blanks unless you know there's another version to be had, or, unless
you're just a generous person by nature. :)  If you have any
questions, call me during business hours at [phone].

-- OTHER TECH STUFF -------------------------------------------------

    OpalVision, OpalPaint and any others I've missed are trademarks of
Opal Technology PTY. LTD.
    Deluxe Paint is a trademark of Electronic Arts.
    Flaminator is ©1993 Carmen Rizzolo
    Arexx is a tradmark of William S. Hawes
    Carrot is a good source of beta-carrotine