Suzy B Software 2/Suzy B Software CD-ROM 2 (1994).iso/kids/smooth/draw.txt

Text File | 1995-04-27 | 8KB | 169 lines

                              Smooth Draw
                                ╜  1992
                            by Devin Balkcom
                            Version .8 Beta


SHAREWARE NOTICE

    This program is shareware.  If you use it, you are expected to
send a small donation to the author (me).  With enough donations,
I will be encouraged to add new features and fix bugs quickly. In
addition, registered owners of this program will get all new versions
via GEnie E-mail.  I do not plan to put any later versions into
the public domain, so if you are interested in updates, bug fixes,
and product support, I urge you to send in your small donation.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

    To run this program, you will need an Atari ST computer.  TT
resolutions are not supported, but the program should work fine
on a TT in the ST resolutions.  The program should also run on
a standard STe; however, I cannot guarantee this, and the extra
color capabilities will not be utilized.

KNOWN INCOMPATABILITIES

    Smoothdraw will not save files properly while the freeware
program DC Showit is active.  The commercial version, DC Shower,
may very well work, but I have no way of testing this.  To solve
this problem, change the .PRG extension in the auto folder to
.PRX, or delete the entire file.  Smoothdraw will probably not
work on non-standard resolutions.  Any extra color capabilities
you may have will NOT work.

PROGRAM OPERATION

    When you load smoothdraw, you will see a menu screen.  This will be
called the main menu.  There may or may not be a title, depending on the
resolution.  In the first two columns of selections, one item will be
selected, the Pencil tool.  These two columns are the tool selection
columns.  Use them to select a tool that you will use when drawing or
editing the picture.  The third column is a list of things that take
effect immediately when you click on them.  This includes selection of
different options and functions such as load, save, or quit.
    Experiment with each of the item in the left two columns.  Most
items are self-explanatory.  You can use the right mouse button to
switch between the main menu and the picture, called the canvas.
Pencil will allow you to draw free-hand, with the left mouse button pressed
down.  Brush is essentially the same, since I have not had the time to
implement this feature completely.  Then there are types of geometrical objects
that you can draw automatically.  For a circle or ellipse, click the left mouse
button at the center of where you want the circle.  Release
the button, and move the mouse away from this center point to determine
the radius (or radii).  Click the left mouse button again when you are
satisfied, or click the right mouse button to relocate the center.
For squares and rectangles, simply click at where you want one corner
to be.  Move the mouse to establish the side lengths.  Click again
when you are finished.  Once more, the right mouse button terminates
if you change your mind.  Filled objects are obviously filled with a
pattern.  These are also sometimes called 'paints'.
    With the spray brush, you can fill an area by depressing the mouse
button until the area is suitably filled.  The area is filled with
a specified fill pattern and with the specified color.  Other tools
include arcs, circular and elliptical, filled arcs, eraser, magnify,
and clipping tools.  You will need to try these out for yourself.

LOADING A PICTURE

Currently, the following picture formats can be loaded and edited:

    .PI?           Degas or Degas Elite
    .PC?           Degas compressed
    .NEO           Neochrome
    .BL?           GFA basic block
    .MUR           C.O.L.O.R Mural
    .DOO           Doodle
    .ART           GFA Artist
    .CL?           Smoothdraw clip form

To load a file, simply select the file you want to load with the file
selector after clicking on the LOAD function.  The file will only be
loaded if it has one of the above extenders.  If one of your files
has the wrong extender on it, Smoothdraw may crash, or it may load
the file incorrectly.  If you don't know, chances are that the file
is Degas or Neochrome.  I am working on a routine decompress .TNY
files also.  High resolution files can also be loaded if you are
in medium or low resolution.  Simply select the file, and the
conversion will be performed automatically.  Medium resolution
is HIGHLY recommended for this.  Do not be worried if it seems
to be taking a loooonnngggg time - it's supposed to.  (did I say
that right? ;^> )

SAVING A PICTURE

    To save a file, select the save function from the third column
near the bottom.  You will be presented with a box containing these
names:  Degas, GFA Basic Block, and Clip.  Degas is a regular Degas
uncompressed file.  GFA Basic Block is a raw data form, and a clip
is a part of the screen.  .MUR is the same as .BL1, and .DOO is the
same as .BL3.  If you select clip, you will be taken to the canvas,
where you can use the mouse to 'cut out' a rectangular portion of
the screen.  With all three formats, you will then be presented
with the GEM file selector, or if you have them, the UIS or the LGS.
Enter the name you wish to save under.  The ending (after the .) is
irrelevant, and will be ignored.  .PI?, .BL?, or .CL? will be added
to the filename automatically.  If you want to, say, change a .BL3
file to a .DOO file, you can do that later from the desktop, or
from the DOODLE program itself.

PRINTING

    Currently, Smoothdraw only prints to an EPSON compatible printer
from the monochrome monitor.  If you want to print to another printer,
you'll have to use the [ALT] + [Help] screen dump.  Or, if you're
registered, send me a list of your printer codes (from the manual),
and I might be able to create a print function for your printer.
No guarantees.

FONTS

    If you have GDOS, you can install it with an assign.sys file
with Smoothdraw.  Only screen fonts will be used, however.  Also,
you must make sure that the font disk is in the drive (or on the
hard disk) when you first load up.  Smoothdraw will work perfectly
with the old versions of GDOS.  Font GDOS has a few bugs, but
Smoothdraw will work with it, if you do not mind a little garbage
in the font display box on the main menu.  FSM GDOS with outline
fonts should work, but since I don't have it, I haven't tried it.

USING SMOOTHDRAW WITH GFA BASIC

    If you have GFA Basic, you may find the .CL? function of
Smoothdraw of great interest.  Using INLINE, you can imbed
CL? files directly into your program.  Like this:

INLINE addr,2056              'if the cl? file is 2056 bytes long
picture$=space$(2056)
BMOVE addr+2,v:picture$,2054  '2 bytes are length info

Press [Help] on the INLINE line to load the picture file.
picture$ can then be put anywhere on the screen, with PUT x,y.
This is how the version blurb and the title were created for
Smoothdraw.  This puts everything into one nice file.
WARNING: don't save this as a list file, or you will have to
reload the INLINE file.


TO REGISTER

    Send a check for $5 and the following information:

         Name
         Adress
         Any ideas for additions to the program
         Any bugs you have encountered
         GEnie mail address (If you have one)

If you have no GEnie account, also send a disk and a SASE disk-mailer.
Send any bug reports or suggestions to me at either of these locations.
(Whether you're registered or not)  If it's good and not to hard to add,
you may be registered for free.

My address:
              Devin Balkcom
              5371 Iron Pen Place
              Columbia, MD 21044

GEnie mail:   BALKCOM