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*************************** The Paint Studio ***************************** How to Use the Studio Lose the cursor? Click Both Buttons it will be homed. Important! Wrong Palette? Try Both Buttons inside live active window, (Picture's palette record is read), or above screen, window closed (default current menu palette). F3 Key to Clear Window with the L color. ESC (not saved) or F2(saves first reg.req.) to exit fast in case the Boss is coming. If you are starting a new picture, always use the New Pic Icon #47 first. This will create VCXTEMP.VCX (primary file), and VCXTEMP2.VCX (secondary file). See New Pic Icon for more information. Load the Primary File by Clicking Button 2 on the left scroll bar.(This is Redo when a VCX picture is active and Autosave is On ) Load the secondary file by Clicking Button 2 on the bottom scroll bar. (This is Undo when a VCX picture is active and Autosave or Reset is On) Autosave alternates between the primary and secondary after each tool operation and may be disabled in CONFIGIT. With Reset every time a tool is used the secondary file is updated. If you click Button 2 on the vertical scroll bar, the picture is reset to it's original form as it was on entry to the Paint Studio. PCX files default to Autosave. VCX files default to Reset. Override the settings with CONFIGIT or the AutoSave Icons. ********************* IMPORTANT! ****************************** (Registration Required) Saving Files ~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the current on-screen work has been updated to the Primary VCX, the word "Saved", will appear in the bottom left corner. If the file needs to be updated to be exactly as it is on screen, "Not Saved", will appear. If you are learning how to use the program, disable Autosave using Configit or F4. Use ALT-S to save changes to your work manually, or turn Autosave on with F5 or Autosave Icons. Autosave may write over your work. PCX originals are never altered unless you save as a PCX and write over an existing file. If you are doing important work, save as a PCX whenever you want to save the file. Always work on copies and save when you are satisfied. If you load a VCX from disk, by default it writes over it when it saves. (Autosave on) It saves between each tool useage. Again work on copies. As soon as you like what you have done use the Save button to make a good copy. There are three Autosave options 1)Full Autosave -alternates between the primary and secondary file. 2)Undosave -saves the secondary file. 3)Primary save -saves the primary file. If Autosave is disabled you are in scratch mode. If autosave is disabled you must save manually. Some Icons such as the Act2 Room, Cutting Room, Icon Stamp Draw Room, etc.. do not save the screen prior to drawing their menus if autosave is off. In the Paint Studio, the window is normally closed. When you save the picture, it is opened briefly, updated, then reclosed. Open the Window by clicking on the scroll bars. The Paint Studio uses 2 temporary files. One for redo, and one for undo. ALT-S saves whichever file was opened last. Text is never Altered by this program unless you delete the file. You can draw all over any text help file or any other text file but the program only saves graphic files. To save a screen of text you must capture the window or an area as a picture using any capture tool. If you protect a file it will not open into a window. Load any other file and choose unprotect. It unprotects all VCX and ANI only. If you protect a text file, you must go to DOS and enter the command attrib -r filename.ext see your DOS manual. Important! Always load the file into a window prior to using the Save Button to be sure you are saving the correct file. The Save Button knows which file was opened last, but you may not. Sometimes you must go to the Screening Room first and load the file into a window before you can save it with the Save button. If you get the message "This button only saves etc..." it is because several types of files have been opened lately and it is confused. Just go to the Screening Room and load the file (like any other file, by clicking on the name in the file area) You may now save it using the Save Button. The Save Button saves firts then makes a copy if you want. Autosave(F5) or ALT-S or Undosave or Primary Save, saves VCX files. Example: ALT-S, what you see is saved. Click on the vertical scroll bar. If the changes are still there you have the correct file. If not, click on the horizontal scroll bar. If that is correct then you may want to make a copy to prevent ruining it. Or, click on Save Button, choose VCX, name the new copy. Vertical Scroll Bar: Primary File Either VCXTEMP.VCX or the name of the VCX loaded from disk. Horizontal Scroll Bar: Secondary File Always VCXTEMP2.VCX F2 Key or ESC, OOPS! The Boss is comming. This program is configured for a two button mouse. Try the Mouse Set Icon #93 to determine Right and Left Mouse Button Setting. Depending on the user and your mouse configuration, left button could be right and vice versa, for the sake of this and other documents the Buttons are referred to as Button 1 and Button 2 . The MOUSE BUTTONS Icon that appears in the help menu has a 1 and 2 on the buttons and shows the current configuration. Beneath it is the current process delay in milliseconds. Important! A very fast computer with a 0 mouse delay will skip processes and could make operation difficult or impossible. If this happens reset the delay with the Mouse Set Icon. If this cannot be done, then delete C:\ANIPAINT\FILECFG.KEY and it will be replaced. Then set the delay using CONFIGIT. The Mouse Set Icon writes to FILECFG.KEY and takes precedence over CONFIGIT. I am partial to using the Right Mouse button as the Action button in graphic applications and have designed this program this way. Which configuration seems the most natural for you is the one you should use. It is then a matter of practice before it becomes an automatic process for you. Use CONFIGIT.EXE to test the mouse delay. It is critical to proper operation of the program. In the pop up menu of help an Icon appears showing the current mouse button configuration. (1 and 2, or 2 and 1) The Studio uses Icons to represent the tools that are available for your use. Key Functions *************** These are the keys available in the Paint Studio. The Cursor Keys Alone or CTRL-L or R Cursor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scroll Window Contents 1 Scroll Window contents 40 The PgUp and PgDn Keys ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scroll window contents 40 pixels or 1 page up and down The Home Key ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homes the current document. The F1 Key ~~~~~~~~~~ Help The same help that is available in the upper right hand corner. The F2 Key ~~~~~~~~~~ Instantly blank the screen to grey, and save the picture while masked. Then you are brought back to the File Screening Room and the picture is Flashed to notify you that the Picture has been saved under it's current name. Most probably a temporary VCX eg:VCXTEMP.VCX or VCXTEMP2.VCX on D: if available C: if not. Text Files are not altered. The F3 Key ~~~~~~~~~~ Clear the current window using the current Left Color. The F4 Key ~~~~~~~~~~ Turn Autosave Off (Bottom scroll bar is undo). The F5 Key ~~~~~~~~~~ Turn Autosave ON (Alternates saving between Primary and Secondary). The Esc key ~~~~~~~~~~~ Exit the current process in progress. If there is no process underway then you are transported back to the File Screening Room . The current picture stays as it appeared during the last undo or redo or save operation. The Space bar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interrupt the current tool or Icon process. ALT-C LOAD CLIP ART ~~~~~ ALT-D DOS Shell (reg. req.) ~~~~~ ALT-E LOAD POP UP CUT & PASTE POLY MENUS ~~~~~ (ACT2 anywhere animation) ALT-F Full Screen Off/On Toggle ~~~~~ ALT-L LOAD PRIMARY FILE (redo) ~~~~~ ALT-P Paste POINTS.PNT onto the screen without window. ~~~~~ ALT-S SAVE Current VCX ~~~~~ ALT-U LOAD VCXTEMP2.VCX (undo) ~~~~~ ALT-X EXIT ~~~~~~ Printing with SHIFT PRINT SCREEN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Use the Dos Shell Icon. 2) Enter the DOS Command: GRAPHICS 3) Type EXIT to leave the DOS SHELL 4) Choose Full Screen Icon 4) Press SHIFT and PRINT SCREEN at the same time. If your printer is on and ready it prints the screen. It only supports 320x200 mode in 256 colors. To Print in 640 x 480 you must switch to 16 color mode. Read your DOS manual for more information on the GRAPHICS command and your GRAPHICS.PRO file in your Dos path. A FAR BETTER way to PRINT is to EXPORT as a PCX and use your favourite printing program to print it. Your printing program must be able to read PCX files. Most good Word Processors can load a PCX for printing alone or in a document. If you have a Fax Card, your FAX software may support PCX. Print to a fax for laser quality without a laser printer. See your printing program documentation. See the end of this document for the Export PCX Icon. See PRINTQ&A.DOC for more info. Understanding Color Very Important!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This program uses 256 colors. These colors are called the palette. A standard VGA or SVGA monitor can display a maximum of 256 colors on the screen at one time. VGA in 320 X 200 resolution only. This program is designed for a SVGA display with resolution capabilities to 1200 X 1024. Providing your video card is capable and compatible with the available display drivers it will serve you well. 640x480 256 color resolution is recommended. Each dot or pixel on the screen can be one of 256 colors at any one time. A graphic picture is made up of these tiny dots like multicolored lights. Make a blue line, you are turning on a stretch of blue lights. Each color is made up of a red value, a green value, and a blue value. The higher the red/green/blue values the brighter the color becomes. The lower the red/green/blue value the darker the color becomes. Pure white has a red value of 255, a green value of 255, and a blue value of 255. Pure Black has red, green and blue values of 0. When you load a PCX picture made by a color scanner or another program, the colors that make up the picture are contained in palette information within the file. Whenever you load a PCX file, the palette is loaded along with the picture. However this can pose a problem because all screen colors are affected including the menu and Icon colors. If the PCX picture had an all black palette the screen would become all black leading you to believe a crash had occurred. Press F2 to reset to menu color. Many programs including this one must safeguard against this in some way. I have done this by reserving black and white for menu use. Other programs reserve the first 8 and the last 8. When the picture is first loaded it is in it's pure form for viewing. If the palette is a poor mixture of lousy color, so be it. If the screen goes black, press F2 to reset color or press escape to exit process, or move the mouse (invisible if black) over the top of the screen and click both buttons. The default palette will return. ( the current menu palette is the default) When you are in a graphic window you have the option of changing the palette with the color button. It has a maximum of palette choices as determined by your configuration file. ( See CONFIGIT.EXE to change the maximum number of menu palettes.) Palette choice 1 or Color 1 is the unaltered palette that was in the last PCX file when it was loaded into the program. If nothing happens but a click when set at 1 it is because there is no current VCX or PCX available to reset the palette to. No problem. Color 2 is a grey version of palette 1. This grey version may not be scaled. Meaning the colors may not get brighter as the color numbers (0...255) get higher. Color number 60 may be darker than color number 6. To change the image to a greyscaled image (color gets brighter as the color number gets higher) you must choose the Grey Scale Icon to convert the palette and picture, or Sort Color. ( see Grey Scale or Sort Color) Many of the tools in the Studio work better on a greyscaled image. Scatter and Blend just to name two. You will find out which by experimenting with the tools and alternating between a greyscaled palette and a normal palette. If you leave the window controls to start work on the picture you may see the picture change. The Paint Studio reserves white and black for it's Icons. The original palette from the PCX file may have color number 0 ( black) and color number 255 ( white) as the same color. If Studio did not alter these two palette colors the colors in the Icons may appear to be all white and indiscernible or all black or all green or whatever. If you can't see the Icon you don't know which tool does what. Some pictures will have no noticeable effect when white and black change, others will drastically change. If a drastic change occurs the image will not look right. To correct this you can choose the Swap Color Icon to correct the picture (see Swap Color Icon ) or use the Pencil Eraser( see Pencil Eraser) or override the changing of white and black. To override the Studio's need to reserve color 0 as black and color number 255 as white, click on the color button while in an active graphic window. The color button will be incremented by one. You may then cycle through all the palettes back to Color palette 1 or use the opposite mouse button. Once you have pressed this color button you automatically override the Studio. It will not alter the palette when you leave the window and enter Studio controls. Remember ! Both buttons above the top of screen - default menu colors. Click on the color button in a graphic window - override palette change. Bad Palette in PCX - F2 to reset to menu color. Color problem # 2. Example: PCX picture (A), a lovely yellow flower with 256 colors. PCX picture (B) a blue humming bird also 256 colors. Each uses all available colors, 256, the maximum number that you can display onscreen at one time. But you want to paste the bird on the flower and animate it. If you use the one palette then the other picture will become scrambled. Remember, the palettes are not in numerical order. The screen can display only 256 of a possible 65000+ colors! Most paint programs attempt to map the 2nd colors onto the first. This rarely works. Especially if the first palette is predominantly shades of one color. Such as the yellow flowers palette example above. You could reduce the first palette by half and the second by half but you lose picture quality on both. And what happens when you try to paste both on scenery. Do you reduce them again and again. One solution is to alter each color, mixing and matching by eye. This could take hours or days. The easiest solution is to greyscale both images. It's a little bit like black and white T.V. as opposed to Color T.V. but it works. Once the image is greyscaled you can use any scaled palette. To do this use the Grey Scale Icon.( see Grey Scale) If you plan to create an animation sequence that uses photograph quality PCX images then greyscale the image first. Use the Sort color Icon to allow better use of the tools such as Blend. If you are creating your own drawings, choose a menu palette to suit your needs. Most of the Menu Palettes are partially scaled as a compromise containing the primary colors and shades of one color. Once again, Bad Palette -Both mouse buttons over top of screen. Combining Photos-Greyscale the images. The Clip Count Number ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Located on the far left of the color bar, this number determines what the name of the current Clip Board (CLP#.VCX) is or will become. The next time you capture an area using any of the capture tools this number will be incremented by one prior to naming the file. Example: The number is 1. You use the Cut and Paste button. The Clip Count is increased to 2 and the captured area is automatically named CLP2.VCX and saved to D:\CLIPS if D: is available or C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not. note:CLP0.VCX is used by the Program internally. If you wish to overwrite the captured file, click button 1 on the clip count area and it is reduced by one. Then repeat the cut and paste. Again the number is automatically incremented and the captured area saved. When creating animation that is (320x200) the clip count is incremented by 20 the first time, if the count is less than 20 when you begin. This is intended to segregate the CLP#.VCX files you are using for ACT2 animation and the normal clip board files you are using as scratch pads. When you test run your ACT2 animation sequence the first frame will run from the clip count number you set. When it reaches the last frame number as set by the Size number on the extreme right of the color bar, the animated sequence will again start at the current clip count number. To load CLP0.VCX or to set the number to 0 use the Clipboard Icon. Set the Clip Count number to 1 then use the Clip Board Icon with the -1 on it. If the Count is 0 the captured image will be CLP1.VCX. See Animation for more information. Remember this number is the Clip Count number and is used extensively throughout the program. Very Important!: CLP#.VCX files are temporary files. And vulnerable to being overwritten at any time. To prevent this from happening, Save it under a different name by loading it into a window using the Paste Window Icon and using the save button. The Color Bar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Change the drawing color by clicking button 2 on the color bar. If sound is on you will hear a click. The color will appear in the Right color area to the extreme right of the color bar. At the top right the Right Color Number also appears. Now when you draw the outline color will be this color. Change the fill color by clicking button 1 on the color bar. If sound is on you will hear a click and the color will appear in the Left color area to the extreme left of the color bar. At the top left the Left Color Number also appears. Now when you paint the fill color will be this color. Press the scroll button above and to the left of the Color bar and the color scrolls. Button 1 scrolls left, button 2 scrolls right. The scroll button above on the extreme right has the same function. The default palette uses a combination of colors. The default palette Color 0 should be black. Color 255 white. When you first load Studio a 0 appears on the color # 0. You may change the default palette with the Menu Color Icon. Run CONFIGIT.EXE to add a saved palette to the program menu. You may also change the current draw and fill colors by clicking button 1 or button 2 anywhere below the color bar. The current draw and fill colors are also used by other Icons. Some Icon buttons have options that can exclude colors from their process. Example: Paste No Color #0. Suppose you want to paste a clipped area into your picture. If the clipped image has a black background you will not paste the black background of the clipped image onto your picture. If you want to paste the background then make the background another color other than color #0 or make another color number black using the Painters Palette Icon. Avoid drawing with color #0 because it is used for invisible backgrounds. See Understanding Color for more information on color. Only by practice will you learn all the effects that color has on each Icon button that uses color. The LEFT or Fill Color Area ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The area to the left of the color bar is the fill color area. The clip count number is also located in this area. The small sliver of color on the extreme left is retained for a short period to allow you to switch back to this color if you want to. The Fill Color area shows you which color is currently the fill color for use with painting tools. The Right or Draw Color Area ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The area to the right of the color bar is the draw color area. The Size number is also located in this area. The small sliver of color on the extreme right is retained for a short period to allow you to switch back to this color if you want to. The Draw Color area shows you which color is currently the draw color for use with drawing tools. The Size Number ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whenever the program needs to know the size of brush or box or line thickness you want to use. It gets this information from this number. Example: You click on the paint brush Icon. The cursor it uses is a rectangle. It determines how large a brush you want to use by the Size number. The size number is currently set at 10. It creates a rectangle cursor 10 dots wide 10 dots high. When you paint you will paint an area 10 X 10 each time you press button 2. The Size Number is initially set at 10. By clicking button 1 on the number, it decrements the size number by one. Click button 2 on the number, it increments the number by 1. Click to the right of the number and it increases and decreases by 10's. Almost every Icon Button uses this number for something. Mainly it determines the size of the cursor box and hence the size of area that the selected Icon Button will affect. When you are previewing ACT2 animation it determines the last frame you wish to preview from the Size Number. When you are setting the frame delay using the frame delay clock button, it uses the size number. Remember the number on the right is the Size Number. It is used extensively throughout the program. Only by practise will you learn the effect the size number has on each Icon Button. See each specific Icon for how they use the Size number. The Upper Scroll buttons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the Upper scroll buttons to scroll the Icons in the Icon Bar. The Icon Bar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click Button 2 on the Icon to activate the Icon. Click Button 1 on the Icon to see it's Icon number. Click Both Buttons on the Icon to get help from this file. Important! Every Rectangle cursor: gets wider when it moves past the active window to the right, gets thinner when it moves past the active window to the left, gets shorter when it moves above the top and longer when it moves below the active window. Even if there is currently no window mechanics visible. If there is no active window it uses the last window dimensions. You may find this annoying at first, but when you learn how to use this feature effectively, you will find it a real handy tool and time saver. Instead of exiting the current process and using a trial and error method of sizing the cursor by Size Number, you will learn to move in an arc from left outside to top to shrink the cursor and move in an arc from bottom to right to enlarge the cursor box. The size of the cursor box determines the size of area the tool will affect. Grow boxes and the various other cursors are not affected by this feature. The remainder of this help file is arranged in the order that the Icons appear, the first Icon being on the far left to the last Icon on the right. Number 1 is reserved for future use. #2 Alter Entire Palette ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This button is used to add Red Green or Blue to the palette. All colors on the screen are affected. If you want to save the changes use the Save Button and choose Palette. Button 1 to decrese color. Button 2 to increase color. Both Buttons to exit the process. #3 Copy and Paste Parts of the Current Palette ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Select the Left Color Number 2)Select the Right Color Number 3) Select Cut Paste Palette A menu appears with 2 options option 1: Copy colors from Left Color to Right Color option 2: Paste into current palette starting with the currently set Left Color #. TEMPMENU.PAL becomes the partial palette file containing only the colors from the Left Color Number to the Right Color Number. Choose the SAVE Button to save the combined palette. #4 The Palette Color Files ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press this button and you are transported to the Screening Room to retrieve a palette. When you have selected one you will be returned to the Studio. As soon as you click on a file name with the extension PAL the colors will change. Palettes are usually kept in the Palettes directory. If in the Screening Room you can't change to Files or Change directories, then press Cancel first. #5 The Pencil Eraser Color Replacer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Set the Size number at the desired cursor size. Set the Left or Fill color to the color you wish to replace. Set the Right or Draw color to the color you wish to change the Left to. Move the cursor over the area in the picture containing the color to replace and Click button 2. The fill color that is within the cursor rectangle is changed to the draw color. (floodfill tools sometimes flood over the wrong areas, so for a safer color fill use this tool). #6 The Painters Palette ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click button 2 on the color bar or click with the mouse cursor directly on the picture, to choose the color you wish to change. Then click button 2 again on the color you wish to add just as a painter would mix color on a palette board. You may pick color from anywhere on the screen. To undo the color, click several times on the original color on the color bar. It will revert back. Or reload the palette. When you are satisfied, click Both Buttons to exit the process. Experiment with it to see how it works. The color values are reported on the top of the screen for reference. Keep in mind they are only relevant to the current palette. Three buttons labled red green and blue add amounts of these colors. The results are immediate and the picture is instantly changed. To save the changes, press the Save button and choose Palette. Use the Picture Color Icon to write new palette info to a picture file. To turn a saved palette into a menu palette name it MENU#.PAL or 16MENU#.PAL for 16 color mode, where # is the next available menu palette number, then increase the maximum palette number in the Options menu of CONFIGIT. Look at the files in C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES to determine the next palette number. #7 Sort Color Important Icon ! ~~~~~~~~~~~ If you haven't read Understanding Color above, do so now. For best results follow these steps. 1) Load a PCX file from disk. 2) Go to Studio and click on Sort Color. This button first sorts the palette then it converts the image in the window from VCXTEMP.VCX to GREYTEMP.VCX on drive D: if available or C: if not. Pasting files loaded from disk onto existing pictures works best when the images have first been greyscaled. In this way they have a common palette. If you plan to paste into the picture and you sort the image in full color you will still have problems pasting images from disk. Use Greyscale on both images instead. Sorting a full color image will allow you to use some tools that otherwise will not work effectively. Scatter, Blend and Light/Dark for example. These are very useful tools. Once an image has been sorted you can use any scaled palette. Most of the menu Palettes are partially scaled. If you try to sort a scrambled image it will not be corrected. If the image is not correct before you sort it, it will not be correct after it is sorted. Try other palettes instead. The original PCX is unchanged and so is VCXTEMP.VCX. The new file is called GREYTEMP.VCX. If you want to undo the process, reload the original PCX or the first conversion, VCXTEMP.VCX. You may save the picture or palette with the Save Button. #8 Menu Colors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Button 2 Menu Palette Choice is incremented by one. When it reaches the maximum palettes number it repeats. Set maximum by running CONFIGIT.EXE; Menu palette names are MENU1.PAL ...MENUmax#.PAL. To add apalette to the menu palettes list, 1)Save your new palette as the next available palette number. example: THe current number maximum palettes is 15 Name your new palette C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\MENU16.PAL for 256 colors or C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\16MENU16.PAL for 16 color palettes. 2)Then run CONFIGIT.EXE and increase the maximum palettes number in the Options Menu to 16. Select the Menu Colors Icon to make a palette current, then every time you click BOTH BUTTONS ABOVE THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, THE SET MENU PALETTE RETURNS. #9 Swap Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Works the same way as the Pencil Eraser only, for convenience it affects the entire file, if it is a VCX. Use the Eraser Icon if not. 1)Set the Left or Fill Color - Color to replace. 2)Click on the color - The color is completely replaced in the entire file including any part not currently visible. This is the easiest way to create a White Page. 1) Choose New Pic to create a blank black page. 2) Set the Right Color as the desired page color. 3) Click on Swap Color Icon then Click on the page. Button 1 to exit the process. #10 Grey Scale Important Icon ! ~~~~~~~~~~~ If you haven't read Understanding Color above, do so now. For best results follow these steps. 1) Load a PCX or VCX file from disk. 2) Click on Grey Scale. This button first sorts the palette then it converts the image in the window from VCXTEMP.VCX to GREYTEMP.VCX on drive D: if available or C: if not. Pasting files loaded from disk onto existing pictures works best when the images have first been greyscaled. In this way they have a common palette. Greyscaling a full color image will allow you to use some tools that otherwise will not work effectively. Scatter, Blend and Light/Dark for example. These are very useful tools. Once an image has been converted (greyscaled) you can use any scaled or sorted palette, so switching palettes is a breeze. If the palette is not greyscaled or sorted the image will look incorrect. All pictures are made up of color values that are only relevant to their palette record. If you try to sort a scrambled image it will not be corrected. If the image is not correct before you sort it, it will not be correct after it is sorted. Try another palette instead. The original PCX is unchanged and either is VCXTEMP.VCX. If you want to undo the process, reload the original PCX or VCX. #11,#12, #13,#14, #15,#16, #17,#18 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important Group ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This group known as the Pixel Movers are invaluable tools for animation. They all move pixels in the direction of the arrows shown on the Icons except the last one in the group. When the last one is toggled on it excludes the Fill and Draw colors from the process. Easiest form of animation. Example: During Act1 or Act2 animation processes. Save frame 1. Use pixel mover. Save frame 2. Play back and affected area appears to move. One of many innovative ideas. #11 Down and to Left. #12 Down and Up to Left. #13 Down and to Right. #14 Up and to Right. #15 Down. #16 Up. #17 Right. #18 Left #19 Exclude Color Pixel Mover Toggle. When this button is on, two bars appear on the Icon. Left is the Fill color, right is the Draw color. Both will be excluded when you use any of the pixel movers. If you want to exclude only one color make Draw and Fill colors the same. Suppose you had a red, green and blue object on a yellow background. Choose red as the Fill color by clicking button 1 on red. Choose blue as the Draw color by clicking button 2 on blue. Then use any of the above Pixel Movers. Only the green and yellow would move. Experiment to see how it works. Very handy for animation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #20 Gradient Draw (Greyscale) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this button to add a distance effect, shade lines etc.. 1) Set Size Number. 2) Choose Fill color. 3) Choose Draw Color. The effect begins at the Fill color and and increments color until it reaches the Draw color. Press button 1 and move in a horizontal direction. Press button 2 to exit process. A curious illusion of distance occurs when the color range is shades of blue. Experiment to see how this Icon works. Try using it on a picture, then changing colors and going over the same area. Works best in 640x480 256 color mode. #21 Grow Rectangle Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Draw color. 2) Press Button 2 to anchor first point. 3) Hold button 2 and move to draw. Could be useful for drafting or other line drawings. #22 Gradient Grow Rectangle Draw (greyscale) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Draw color. 2) Set the Size Number to determine delay of color change. If set to 1, it changes quickly to next color, if set to 100 it will draw many rectangles prior to changing to the next color. 3) Press Button 2 to anchor first point. 4) Hold button 2 and move to draw. Button 1 to exit process. The gradient feature adds a 3 dimensional effect to line drawings when working with a scaled palette. #23 Rectangle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set Size Number. 2) Choose Draw color. 3) Button 2 to draw. Button 1 to exit process. Draws a box the size of the Size Number. Grows and Shrinks on edges. #24 Filled Rectangle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set Size Number 2) Choose Fill Color. 3) Choose Draw color. Button 1 to exit process. Draws a Filled Rectangle. You may set the fill style with the FIll Style Icon prior to choosing the fill color. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special Pair! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #25 Blob Draw greyscale optional ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Choose the draw color. 2) Choose the Fill style and Color. 3) Button 2 draws a filled blob. 4) Button 1, Gradient fill towards centre. Move the mouse at the same time and the blob moves as it draws. Both buttons to exit process. Has a 3 dimensional effect when using a scaled palette. #26 Son of Blob Draw greyscale or partially scaled palette ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A tool for the imagination. Use it to get ideas for drawings or to add scenery, (3d rocks etc..) or for shade or shadow. 1) Set the Size Number (magnetic sensitivity 30 min) 2) Choose the L (Fill) color. 3) Choose the R (Draw) Color. 4) Button 2 draws lines. 5) Button 1, Gradient fill towards centre. Move the mouse at the same time to guide the gradient and fill the blob. The lines move magnetically towards the cursor. 6) Button 2, draw more lines. The gradient effect is from the L color to the R color. Both buttons to exit the process. Has a 3 dimensional effect when using a scaled palette. Creates gradient images, curves, shadows, etc. #27 Air Brush Spray Paint Gradient optional ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Size Number 2) Choose Fill color 3) Button 2 start the sprayer. Important! Each time you press Button 2 the color is increased by one. Each time you press button 1 the color is decreased by one. if you want only one color press button only to activate. Press both buttons to exit procedure. Real nice for shading and graphic art. It takes a bit of practice to master. #28 Paint Brush ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set Size Number. 2) Choose Fill style and color. 3) Button 2 paints area in cursor box. Button 2 to exit process. The same as Filled Rectangle only has no outline color. #29 Pencil Draw greyscale optional ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Select Size Number. 2) Select Draw Color. 3) Button 2 to draw lines free hand. Button 1 to exit process. Draws with Size # of lines +1 deep at a time. The line below and each consecutive line will have a color decremented by 1. In other words it gets brighter towards the top of the line. Giving a gradient effect. #30 Sketch Draw greyscale optional ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Select the Size Number. 2) Select Draw color. 3) Select Fill color 4) Button 2 anchors point and draws lines. 5) Button 1 moves anchor point. Both buttons to exit process. One of my favourite buttons for drawing. When the Size Number is greater than 1 it will draw Size # of lines deep. If the color number of the Draw color is Greater than the color number of the Fill Color it will decrement the color by 1 . If the color number of the Fill color is Greater than the color number of the Draw Color it will increment the color by 1 . If the Fill color is the same as the Draw color it will neither increment or decrement the color. Draw > Fill, Color - 1 Fill > Draw, Color + 1 Or in other words, the color changes from the Draw color towards the Fill color. Draw = Fill, Color remains the same. This button takes a lot of practice to master. Also makes a good eraser. Experiment with it to see how it works. #31 Point to Point Filled Polygon Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Choose the Draw color 2) Choose the Fill Color 3) Button 2 to draw lines from point to point. 4) Both buttons fills the polygon with the current Fill style and color. Button 1 exits the process. Important!! A fast way to erase an area. 1) Choose the Draw and Fill colors as the background color of your picture. 2) Outline the area. 3) Both Buttons to fill the area with background color. Erase complete. note: Maximum of 6000 points to ensure memory compatibility. That's plenty. If you need more reselect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPORTANT ICON ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #32 Vector Grid Object Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unlike other grids that are precicely x units by y units, with nothing in between, this grid is visible but only snapped to by Button 1 (move pen) or Space Bar (end of line). it also carries a variable grid on the anchor box cursor. This tool has many complex features. The only Vector file you can add to or create with AniPaint is POINTS.PNT on D: if D: is available C: if not. If it exists it is added to, if it does not it is created. To add lines to an existing Object (PNT file): 1) Use the LOAD button 2) Select Picture 3) Select Vector 4) Enter the file name with extension PNT to work on. (Objects directory has examples) It will be copied onto POINTS.PNT replacing POINTS.PNT if it exists. You may now add to or edit the object. When you are finished, use the Save Button to save POINTS.PNT under another name. This protects your work and provides better program control. To start a new Object or PNT file if POINTS.PNT already exists: 1) Load POINTS.PNT into a window with the POINTS.PNT Icon #34. 2) Select the right corner light button and choose Delete, OK A new file will be created when you start to draw with this Icon or the next one. The idea is to draw lines that are recorded in a file that you can load into a window, edit, or covert to a bitmap or use in presentation etc.. The grid lines and grid dots are not recorded in the file. Press 1 to paste the horizontal grid lines onto the page. Press 2 to paste the vertical grid lines onto the page. To trace clip art or convert Bitmap graphics to a vector object first load the clip or bitmap into a window, then select this Icon or the next. The next Icon is a freehand vector tool without grid. To use this -snap to grid- vector tool: You must be within 10 pixels of the point to snap to it. 1) Select a Draw (Right) color 2) Select a Size Number (extreme right). This determines the size of the horizontal grid spacing (minimum 10 automatic) 3) Select a Clip count Number. (extreme left) This determines the size of the vertical grid spacing (minimum 10 automatic) The variable grid on the anchor box cursor is incremented by the amount (start of line minus end of line divided by Size number) both horizontally and vertically. example:Clipcount (vertical grid spacing) is set to 20 Size Number is set to 40 ( horizontal grid spacing) Therefore the horizontal variable grid dots will divide the distance between start of line to end of line by 40. Leave dots all over the place, it does'nt matter, the only time that lines are recorded using the vector tool is when you press Button 2 to start or end a line. The tool snaps to grid to the left, so place the cursor arrow to the right of the intersecting grid lines and press Button 1 (start of line) or Space Bar (end of line). The drawing is completely editable in a window so don't worry about a few unwanted lines or mistakes that you may make. To draw lines and record them creating a vector object: 1)Click Button 2 or Space Bar to snap to a start point if you want. Even if you do not, your start point where the cursor arrow was when you pressed Button 2 is now registered and you may snap to it later, providing the grid spacing is far enough away from an intersecting point to allow it. Intersections and variable grid dots take precedence over line start points. That is why it is always best to snap to a start of line and end of line. So the corners will meet when you come back to complete the rectangle, triangle or whatever. 2)Continue moving to new locations and clicking Button 2 to draw lines. To move the pen to a new location, Click Button 1. You may now move anywhere and start a new line. Remember if you are using the "snap to" functions and precision is important, snap to each point, start of line and end of line. (Button 1 and Space Bar) In high resolution this is more important because you can not see one dot or pixel clear enough to meet the corners by eye. 3)Both Buttons to exit the process. 4)Select another draw color and repeat steps 1 to 3 The old line start and end points are now gone. You can not snap to the old points. You can only snap to the new start and end of line points, or grid line intersections. This all seems incredibly complicated when you read it but is incredibly easy when you use it. I love this tool. I am currently working on a 3 dimensional equivalent, this tool only addresses two dimensions on a flat plane. If you wish to use perspective you may calculate it yourself using the grid coordinates that are displayed continuosly on the bottom scroll bar. Although the coordinates are calculated to numerous decimal places, they are rounded off to simplify matters. It is sufficient for tracing and simple CAD applications. That is why the coordinates are partially unstable, varying continuosly by one or two pixels. The grid however does not vary so trust the grid rather than the coordinate ruler. Important! The grid uses a lot of conventional memory. For compatibility reasons it will not extend beyond your convention memory into EMS or XMS. It will only draw a grid with as many points as it can. In high resolution, a grid spacing of 10 will not fill the window. Use a higher grid spacing to reduce the number of points and fill the entire window. The grid does not extend to the edges of the window. Lay out grid dots if you need to work close to the edge. To recap the above: New Object: Delete the old POINTS.PNT, new one is created. Load Object: Use the Load Button. Snap to corners: Space Bar or Buton 1 start of line, Space Bar end of line. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Special Magnetic Lines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This tools has two special line options. 1) Magnetic Curve ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press Button 2 on the start point for curve. Move mouse cursor to end of curve and Press C on the keyboard. The hypotenuse line (angular bisection) becomes an editable curve line. The higher the Size Number, the more points it will have. Minimum of 10. Optimum 20. You may now move the line points by pressing Button 2 within Size number of pixels from the line points. Click above a point, the cursor becomes magnetic and the line moves up. Click below a point, the cursor becomes magnetic and the line moves down. It takes a bit of practice but when you learn it's properties it can be used to put a line, any shape, anywhere on the screen. To record the line to the vector file: Move the cursor away from the line out of magnetic range and Click both buttons. Repeat moving and saving the line with Both Buttons if you want. Click Button 1 to exit back to the vector grid draw. 1) Magnetic T Square Line ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press Button 2 on the start point for line1. Move mouse cursor to approx end of line and Press T on the keyboard. The hypotenuse line (angular bisection) becomes an editable line The higher the Size Number, the more points it will have. Minimum of 10. Optimum 20. Make the hypotenuse horizontal, you get a horizontal line. Make the hypotenuse vertical, you get a vertical line. Make the hypotenuse angular, you get a multy stage line that seeks to 90 degree angles or to straigten itself out. You may now move the line points by pressing Button 2 within Size number of pixels from the line points. Click above a point, the cursor becomes magnetic and the line moves up. Click below a point, the cursor becomes magnetic and the line moves down. Amazingly it always seeks to square itself. The ends shrink and grow magnetically. It takes a bit of practice but when you learn it's properties it can be used to put a line or series of lines the same size in series. The line appears to roll up and down seeking to follow the magnetic cursor. To record the line to the vector file: Move the cursor below and away, or above and away from the line out of magnetic range and Click both buttons. Repeat moving and saving the line with Both Buttons if you want. If you keep the cursor away from the ends of the line, it will roll horizontaly or vertically true.( depending on if the line is vertically or horizontally oriented at the time) Click Button 1 to exit back to the vector grid draw. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The location where you draw is recorded to POINTS.PNT and may be edited by loading your drawing into a vector window. Icon #34 To paste POINTS.PNT onto a page use ALT-P ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPORTANT ICON ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #33 Point Draw or Trace to Disk Freehand Vector Graphics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Draw color. 2) Set the Size Number. This is the horizontal grid divisor. 3) Set the Clip Count Number. This is the vertical grid divisor 4) Button 2 draws lines in the current draw color. 5) Button 1 to lift pen. 6) Both Buttons to exit process. This Icon writes the lines to the file POINTS.PNT on D: if D: is available, C: if not. If it exists it is added to, if it does not yet exist it is created. In the rectangle cursor there are small marks that constitute a grid. Unlike the other grid which divides the Window, this grid divides the distance between points allowing for more flexibility. To leave horizontal grid marks, press H, to leave Vertical grid marks, press V. These marks are slightly offset. To snap to one of these points, press the Space Bar. The hypotenuse is used for special Magnetic Lines To use the special Magnetic Lines see Vector Grid above. Magnetic Lines work for both Icons. You may also snap to any point in the current series of points in the same way. They snap to the actual point, not the offset. You must be within 10 pixels of the point to snap to it. This makes it easy to meet lines at corners. Important! If you draw a line and want to lift the pen, you must click Button 1 on the new point prior to clicking Button 2 to draw the line, or you may have lines interconnecting the previous and next lines. To edit your new object, load it into a window with the next Icon, then use the Options in the window menu bar buttons. Use this icon to trace clip art, create Objects, do freehand architectural drawings, etc. See the previous Icon. Use the Save Button and choose vector PNT file, then name the new file. To start a new vector object, load POINTS.PNT with the next Icon, then click on the upper right light button and choose Delete. Now when you draw lines a new POINTS.PNT will be created. see SCREENRM.DOC for more information. Press 1 to paste the horizontal grid lines onto the page. Press 2 to paste the vertical grid lines onto the page. To paste POINTS.PNT onto a page use ALT-P ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #34 Load POINTS.PNT if it is Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have been tracing clips or making a vector object and want to load the object into a window to edit it, then Click on this Icon. POINTS.PNT will be loaded into a Vector Graphic Window. POINTS.PNT is a temporary file that is written when you use the Point Draw or Trace Icons #33 or #34. To edit the object select the Image Button and select one of the options there. Hide all 1 color, Unhide all, Step Edit Point and Delete All 1 Color. To remove lines permanently, use Delete All 1 Color or Step Edit. For Step Edit use Button 2 for next line, Button 1 for Previous, and Both Buttons to delete the line. With a fast computer and small mouse set delays you will remove many points per button press. Use arrows for a slower more careful edit. Up arrow, Down arrow, and Delete Key do the same. Use Delete All 1 Color to delete a series of lines. Click Button 2 on the square that corresponds to the set of lines. A number appears on some or all of the lines associated with the series. Try to Click on the square, not the number as the choice is determined by the color of the square. If you click on the white number nothing will happen unless you have 256 series of lines in which case the line series associated with the white squares would be deleted because the color sampled when you clicked would be white as the text is white. The deletions are permanent but not removed from the file until it is saved with the save button. see SCREENRM.DOC and two previous Icons for more information. #35 The Camera ~~~~~~~~~~~ Click Button 2 to save the area inside the window as it appears at the time. The file is named the next Clip Count Number. eg: Clip count number is 6, file will be named D:\CLIPS\CLP7.VCX if drive D: is available or else it will be named CLP7.VCX on the C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS directory. Use the Clip Board in the Cutting Room instead, when you are there. #36 The Load the Current File Again Window ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reactivates the current window. If you want to use the window controls on the current file you can reactivate it with this Window Icon. #37 Paste Copy Options ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A menu appears with options to Flip, Rotate 45 degres, mirror etc. In a Window under Image, the picture can be rotated 90 degrees. Here, a clip can be rotated 45 degrees. Select an option and the current clip is made available for pasting, if a clip corresponding to the Clip Count number exists. #38 Paste To Window ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The current Clip Board File is opened into it's own window. If there is a Clip corresponding to the Clip Count Number available. #39 Copy Rectangle Grow Box ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A rectangular area is Clipped to a Clip Board file corresponding to the next Clip Count Number. The original is unchanged. 1) Button 2 to select first corner. 2) Both Buttons to copy area to file. 3) Button 1 when done to exit process. If you press both buttons a second time, the last dimensions are used. Even if you abort the process, the Clip Count will be incremented by one. #40 Copy Poly ~~~~~~~~~~ Button 2 to mark the area. Both Buttons to complete the polygon and capture the area inside to a file. The area is surrounded by a black background. Black is ommitted when you paste it with Button 2 or choose the Paste Options Icon. Even if you abort the process, the Clip Count will be incremented by one. #41 Copy and Paste Rectangle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Button 2 to anchor first corner. 2) Both Buttons to copy the area inside the rectangle. 3) Button 2 again to paste or paint with clip or Button 1 to exit process. Copies the area to the next Clip Board as determined by the Clip Board Count + 1. Important! :Only the area inside the dimensions of the primary file is saved so if you paste outside of this area, it is not saved between undo and redo. Capture window with Camera and Paste to window with Icon #38 or choose New Pic or Resize Icon, and resize the page, then paste the clip onto the new file. Even if you abort the process, the Clip Count will be incremented by one. #42 Gradient Flood Fill Vertical greyscale if R Color <> L Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Left Fill color. 2)If the Right Color is the same as the Left Color Gradient is turned off. The single color is used. 3)Click Button 2 on the area to be filled. Move Mouse sideways to speed up fill Alternate with Space Bar to Stop Fill 4)Space Bar if filling, then Button 1 to exit process. For patterns use the Poly Fill Icon or Flood Fill Icon or Bluescreen a clipped pattern. (marble or brick etc..) #43 Clip Art Libraries ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important! If you wish to paste 256 color Clip Art without the background, set the left (fill) color to the background color. Then when you paste the stamp with button 2 it will only paste the image, not the background as well. Toggle between 256 color or 2 color Clip Art with the 256 color button. 256 color Clip Art may not look correct in 2 color mode. 1) For 2 color Clip Art, set the Left Color as the Background color of the clip if you intend to paste the background as well as the line drawing. 2) Set the Right Draw color to the desired line color. 3) Set the size number to the desired zoom factor. (5 is the Maximum, adjustable in the Clip Art controls) 4) Activate Clip Art Icon 5) Use Buttons on right hand side of Clip Art to change color, or change Libraries. 6) On the Left side of the Clip art window are scroll buttons. 7) Press Button 2 to scroll to the next row. 8) Press Button 1 on the Scroll Buttons to move up or down a bit if necessary. 9) Click Button 2 on the Clip Art Picture using the magnify glass as the cursor. A rectangle appears around the cursor location. 10) Button 2 pastes just the draw color on your picture. Both Buttons paste the draw color and the background. (If you have a black background and black draw color you will not be able to see the stamp if you press Button 2 only. Black on black) Stamp the clip onto the window as many times as you want. 11) Click on the Done Button Top Right Corner to exit the current process. See Icon Stamp Draw Room and New Icon Stamp Icon #67 for information on creating your own Clip Art Libraries. You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a rather complicated task. You need to create a blank then paste onto it. Then save it as C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP#.VCX where # is the next available library number. Then increase the max stamps number in the Options Menu of CONFIGIT. (maximum 3 libraries until registered) To paint with a stamp: ( patterns, tiles, bricks, backgrounds etc) 1) Stamp onto page. 2) Capture stamp with Copy Rectangle Icon. 3) Choose Bluescreen Icon #44 Sherlock the File Finder ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Select Icon with Button 2. 2) Enter a Search Pathmask. (eg: *.PCX) Searchmode is activated and the hard disk is searched for all File Names matching the pathmask. #45 Scenery For Act1 Animation See ANIMATE.DOC for more info. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Click Button 2 on the Icon. 2) Move the rectangular area cursor over the area of the picture that you want to use as the first backdrop, then click Both Buttons to blow up area into the Cutting Room. You Are transported there as well now under it's control. For on the spot animation, use this Icon then after you have created an ACT1 animation, use the Presentation Icon to paste the animation back onto the scenery. See Presentation in SCREENRM.DOC or the last Icon in this file. Also see below. #46 The Cutting Room see CUTTNGRM.DOC for information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Act1 Animation is created in this room. It has it's own icons as well as the other Upper Icons that appear in the Icon Bar. Only the file ACT1.ANI can be created or added to but you may reload and edit any ACT1 animation file. The Screen is NOT CLEARED moving between the Cutting Room and the normal Paint Studio Controls.It is a little messier this way but it also allows you to move freely back and forth without changing your on-screen work. Get help on individual Icons in the Cutting Room by clicking Button 2 on the Help Button in the cutting room bottom left hand corner. Read about ACT1 animation in ANIMATE.DOC There are many ways to create effects once you know how. Help is available in the cutting room. #47 New Pic Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By default the page is black. To get a white page see below. Start a New VCX Picture. If you press Button 1 you will accept the default shown. If you press Button 2 you will have to enter new sizes. If you press enter you will use the previous size. Example 1: The previous size was 200x128. It asks, Enter a Width <640>: You press enter alone. The new size is 200x128. Example 2: The previous size was 200x128. It asks, Enter a Width <640>: You press Button 1. It asks, Enter a Height<400>: You press Button 1. The new size is 640x400. Otherwise: 1) Enter a Width, 4000 maximum. 2) Enter a Height. 3) VCXTEMP.VCX and VCXTEMP2.VCX are created on D: if available C: if not. Draw, Paste etc.. onto the new file. Then choose SAVE to rename the file. Undo and Redo use these two files. Autosave alternates between the two. If you have a slow computer or are creating ACT2 animation you may want a size of 320x200. It is not mandatory to use a picture size of 320x200 when creating ACT2 animation. No matter what size of page you are using, it saves 320x200 in the top left corner when you save an ACT2 frame. Important! Undo and Redo only save what is inside of the page dimensions. For a page color other than black: After creating a new pic, 1) Set the Right (draw) color to the desired page color. 2) Select the Swap Color Icon #9. 3) Click Button 2 on page. Color black is replaced by the Right (draw) Color. Now Click Button 2 on the Bottom Scroll Bar to load the secondary file. Repeat steps 1 to 3. Both Primary and Secondary are now the desired color. Caution: Do not be too hasty to change the picture from the default Black. If you make the page all white it is harder on the eyes and many processes can exclude Black #0. You are denying yourself those options when you change the picture color and it slows the performance of the program slightly. However, if you find that you are continuously losing part of your picture because you can not tell the edge of the current page, you may want to use this option. The Clear Icon only alters the current window, the Swap Icon changes the entire file. #48 Show the Previous Clip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The previous clip appears in the top left window corner. Use this to screen ACT2 Animation sequences that are 320x200 or to review any clips that you have made. #49 The Action Icon See ANIMATE.DOC for more info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the Action Board to Copy the Area Top Left window corner to 320 dots to the right and 200 dots down. ( 320x200) It Captures ACT2 animation Frames. Incrementing the clip count by twenty if the clip count is less than twenty to separate Clip Board Files for scratch work. It keeps track as well of the last frame number. #50 Show The Next Clip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For screening the next frame in the sequence, or any Clip Board file, as determined by the Clip Count Number. #51 Show ACT2 Fast Full Screen Animation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you weren't in 320 x 200 mode you will be. Watching whatever clip is in line from the LEFT Clip Count Number to the Right Size Number. Once the clip count reaches the Size Number in the animation sequence, the count starts over again at the clip count number. If you have disabled mode switching in CONFIGIT you must be in 320x200 mode to use this Icon. 1)Button 1 to slow down. 2)Button 2 to speed up. 3)Both Buttons to exit process and return to normal mode. Remember!: Set the Right Size Number to the Last Frame and the Clip Count Number to the FIRST FRAME. Both Buttons when Done. If not, you will hear a series clicks to notify you that it cannot find a file. Turn Sound Off if it annoys you using the Mouse Set Icon. Sound is important because it gives you more awareness of the program operations. See Mouse Set Icon for info on sound. #52 ACT2 Delay Clock ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Right Size Number 2) Click Button 2 on clock and delay is set to the amount of milliseconds shown on clock. #53 Combine Files ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Import a list as an ASCII file or use the File List Icon to create one. 2) Follow ongoing instructions to combine files such as to create a New Knowledge Base. Essentially the same as Copy *.* filename.ext /b First it copies the files on the list onto a temporary directory, then copies all the files in that directory onto one file. Act1 animation cannot be made this way as other information is stored in the file between frames. The original files in their original directories are unchanged, only copies are made, combined, then the copies deleted leaving one large file. #54 File List Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Click on File List. 2) Previous list if it exists is erased and initialized. 3) You are transported to the File Screening Room. 4) Mark files and click on the Line Height Scale Button on the right side to append the names to SCRIPT.TXT. 5) When the list is complete, return to the Paint Studio and Press File List again to turn it off. 6) Combine all files on list into one file with previous Icon. May be used to create a new Knowledge Base etc. A list of file pathnames has many uses for someone who is an experienced computer user. Batch files etc. #55 Blue Screen ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Click Button 2 on the left top corner of your preferred location to begin replacing a color with the clip. Replace the color under the mouse cursor with the current clip board file beginning with the mouse location and repeating the image until it reaches the Right Window Edge, then it will start a new row. If the current clip is an image larger than the window, it will completely replace one color, effectively pasting a background around an image by replacing the one color background color with the clip. (Just like on T.V. the Six O'clock News'); If you need to, put a dab of the replace color in the top left corner of the window. Then click on that spot to get the bluescreen effect to begin closer to the left edge. Use this icon to Tile a page, or replace a color with marble or brick, or any pattern you can sample with any AniPaint capture tool. Try different effects like rotating the clip and capturing it rotated, then bluescreen it that way. Or bluescreen over bluescreen etc.. #56 Paste Together a New Clip Art Library ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The width is preset but the length can vary depending on the number you enter when prompted. If you are using 320x200 mode you may want to create your own width with the New Pic Icon. Any VCX can be a Stamp Library. Once the new blank is constructed you may paste clips onto the file and save the file with ALT-S. This will update the new file. Then use the SAVE button to rename the file. (Save VCX) Save as C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP#.VCX where # is the next available #. (maximum 3 libraries until registered) Stamps are kept in the STAMPS subdirectory. If you do not put them there they will not be loaded by the Clip Art Icon. Run CONFIGIT.EXE to add 1 to the stamp number in Options. As long as it is saved you can reopen it and add to it until the blank is full. Just load the STAMP#.VCX name of the file from disk. If your clip art is larger than the Clip Art Icon Window then do not add them to the library. Instead load them from disk as needed in the File Screening Room. Just load the Clip art file and Capture as many images as you want to make into current Clip Board Files. The Clip Count Number is automatically incremented each time. Then adjust the clip count number and paste your clips. Make stamps for the your library with the Icon Draw Room Icon #66. See New Icon Draw Room #66, New Icon Stamp Icon #67 and also see the Clip Art Icon #43 for more information. (maximum 3 libraries until registered) You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a rather complicated task. #57 Flood Fill ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a normal flood fill tool with the exception that the fill is only bound by one color. That color must be the right draw color. The Left Color is used for the fill. The Right Color is the outline or draw color. Set the pattern prior with the Pattern Icon if you wish. Be sure you press ALT-S prior to using this tool if autosave is disabled. If you select the wrong color as the outline or boundary color, it will paint over everything. #58 Gradient Shield scaled palette recommended. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Size Number 2) Create a Size Number sided filled gradient shield when you press Button 2 3) Press Button 1 to exit process. 4) Use blender to fill in if the palette is greyscaled. Hold Button 2 and move to relocate for next design. #59 Normal Circle Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Select the Right Draw Color 2) Select the Size number. 3) Click Button 2 to draw circle size number wide. #60 Gradient Globe Circle Scaled palette recommended. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Button 2 to draw globe: outside color = Left Fill Color Inside gets brighter with a scaled palette. 2) Button 1 to exit process. Finish it off with the Blend Icon if the current palette is scaled. #61 Filled Circle or Polygon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Right Draw Outline Color 2) Set the Left Fill Color and the Pattern Icon if desired. 3) Button 2 to anchor circle 4) Move mouse to position and size Circle 5) Both Buttons to Draw and Fill Circle 6) Button 1 to exit process Size number determines how many sides. Maximun 45. eg:Size number 8, draws octagon. Size number 30 and up draws circle. #62 Draw an Arc or half circle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The size number is 8 you get half an octagon. At size number 30 the polygon becomes an arc. 1) Set the Right Draw Color 2) Button 1 to anchor the arc. 3) Both buttons to draw the arc. #63 Draw and Fill an Arc ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The size number is 8 you get half an octagon. At size number 30 the polygon becomes an arc. 1) Set the Right Draw Color 2) Set the Left Fill Color 3) Button 1 to anchor the arc. 4) Both buttons to draw and fill the arc. 5) Button 1 to exit process. #64 Patterns For Filling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Select the Icon 2) Button 2 to select Fill Pattern Any button exits the process. The solid white pattern is the default. #65 Gradient Fill Area Horizontal greyscale if R Color <> L Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Set the Left Color 2) If the Right Color is the same as the Left Color Gradient is turned off. The single color is used. 3) Select the Icon 4) Fill with horizontal gradient colors 5) Move the mouse sideways to speed up the fill 6) Space bar to stop the fill. 7) Button 1 to exit process. When you are using it as a gradient fill and it does not fill the entire area, you have to resample the color in order to preserve the continuity of the gradient effect. (dark areas don't match with light areas) Exit the process and resample the color on the same level of gradient as that which will be the start of the next gradient fill. #66 Icon Stamp Draw Room ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The current screen is not cleared to allow you to paste an Icon into the small icon window or Picture into the Large draw area. If it is too messy and you can not clearly see the Icons ( eg: moving from The Cutting Room to New Button) then Press the Clear Screen Icon first or F3. In the Icon Draw Room, You draw with square blocks the size determined by the current setting under the Paint Brushes Icon. You may shrink and copy to the Icon window with the Arrows Toward I Icon. The Single Paint Brush Icon replaces the color that is under the mouse cursor when Button 2 is pressed. The Left Color is replace by the Right Color Both Buttons or Button 2 on DONE to exit process. Save to a file with the next Icon. These Icons can be used to paste into a CLIP ART Library. Make a bunch of them, then, in the Screening room enter the path *.ICO. Then load the icon and use capture to make clips of them. Then press Button 1 on the name of the clip one after another as they appear on the dormant file list. (below the directory area). This will allow you to paste the clip. You will see a rectangle with an X in it instead of the clip. Paste a bunch of them into a block on the right side of the screen beside the directory area. The standard in this program is 12 rows of 5, but if you are confined to 320x200 resolution make 12 rows of 2 or 3. (an area approx 80x50 each) Then use the capture button again to capture the block of stamps. Then go to the Paint Studio and create a blank Clip Art file using the New Clip Art Icon #56. Once you have a blank you can paste the block of icons onto the blank clip art using the Edit Button on the Window Menu. Then exit the window and choose the Autosave Icon #89. The name STAMP#.VCX should appear in the vertical scroll bar after it saves. You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a rather complicated task. (maximum 3 libraries until registered) Important! ANIPAINT.ICO, and ANICFGIT.ICO are Microsoft Windows Icons and are not AnIPaint compatible. They are for Windows Users to load the program. #67 New Icon Stamp Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Set the Size number. The Icon is saved as ICO#.ICO Where the name is determined by the Size number. While you have not pressed Button 1, Each time you click Button 2 the area inside the rectangle cursor is saved to a file. The Size number is then incremented by one. When you are done press Button 1 to exit the process. They are used to make stamps to include in your Clip Art Libraries. If you had a whole page of Icons in a PCX, you could make a clip art library from them by converting it to VCX and naming the file C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP#.VCX where # is the next available stamp number. If you have not made any new Stamp libraries yet you would name the file C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP4.VCX Run CONFIGIT to increase the stamps number. (maximum 3 libraries until registered) Once this is done the clip art can be loaded using the Clip Art Icon and selecting Library when it is loaded. These Icon Stamps can be created using the Icon Stamp Draw Room #66 above, or captured from any area of the screen. Although they are small in 1200x1024 mode they seem large in 320x200 mode. They are not compatible with Microsoft Windows or any other program that I am aware of. Important! You can not alter the Program Icons they are loaded from a program library file and must remain intact. See Clip Art Icon #43 and Icon Stamp Draw Room #66 for addition information. You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a rather complicated task. #68 The DOS SHELL This Icon temporarily suspends operation of the program while you escape to the DOS Command Line. If you do not know what that means then read your DOS manual concerning the "Command" command before attempting it. Important!! The command to exit a shell is EXIT . If you forget this you will be there for eternity or until you reset your computer. If the Shell does not work, you have not got enough available conventional memory. Free memory by optimizing your system. See your DOS manual. Load hi etc.. #69 The Tape Measure ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are doing any work that requires precision, then you may want to use this for measuring coordinates. Width, Height and the Hypotenuse are used to measure the difference between any two points. #70 The Magnifying Glass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Icon turns on the magnify cursor until you click Button 1 #71 Scatter The Color greyscale first for best results ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to mix color up in an area the size determined by the Size Number. 1)Set the Size Number 2)Select the Scatter Icon 3)Position rectangular box over area 4)Button 2 to scatter colors in the area 5)Button 1 to exit process All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges. #72 The Blender greyscale first for best results ~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to Blend the Color in an area the size determined by the Size Number. 1)Set the Size Number 2)Select the Blender Icon 3)Position rectangular box over area 4)Button 2 to Blend Colors in the area 5)Button 1 to exit process All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges. #73 Light and Dark greyscale first for best results ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to Lighten or Shade color in an area the size determined by the Size Number. 1)Set the Size Number 2)Select the Light Dark Icon 3)Position rectangular box over area 4)Press Button 2 to initialize 5)Button 2 to Lighten colors in the area 6)Button 1 to Darken colors Both Buttons to exit process All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges. #74 Magic Wand ~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this spray tool to spray edit photographic pictures. The color is automatically sampled. 1)Set the Size Number 2)Select the Icon 3)Button 2 to initialize 4)Move and spray the area in the direction of the arrow. Takes practice but works great. 5)Click Button 2 again to cycle through 4 different directions Both Buttons to exit process #75 The Clip Finder Board ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to temporarily travel back to the File Screening Room and retrieve a Clip from file. D: is searched if D: is available or else C: is searched. All clips are named CLP#.VCX and usually kept in the CLIPS directory. note:If D: becomes full automatic use of D: is disabled until you reload the program. So, if you have made a series of clips prior it will search C: instead of D:. Your clips on D: will not be found by this process. You will then have to manually switch drives by entering D: on the pathline area above FILES/DIRECTORY. Your clips will be in a subdirectory called D:\CLIPS. #76 3D Bar Gradient Option ~~~~~~ 1)Set the Left Fill Color and Pattern Icon if you want. 2)Set the Right Outline Color. This color is the first when you select gradient. The gradient option requires a scaled or partially scaled palette. 3) If you want a gradient filled 3D block set the Size Number to determine how many colors to skip as the gradient fill progresses. You will be prompted for: Width: the frontal width of the block. Height: The frontal height of the block. Depth: The number of lines or pixels deep. Gradient: The color gets brighter as it moves forward. With gradient, be sure to select the Right Draw color as the darkest of the shades you wish the block to use. example: You choose the first of 8 shades of green as your draw color. You select a Size Number of 1. Enter a depth of 8 when asked. The color will increment getting brighter as the block is drawn, giving the illusion of depth. If the Size number is 2, then it will stop at 16 colors from the Chosen Right Draw Color. Each shade will be 2 colors brighter than the previous one. If the Size number is 4 then every shade will be 4 colors brighter etc.. Use this Icon for dazzling 3D Bar Graphs. Use a graph similar to the 3DGRAPH.PNT vector object example included with this release. Just load 3DGRAPH.PNT into a window, and add the 3D bars. Perspective ~~~~~~~~~~~ If you choose perspective the front will be larger than the back. If the block is not gradient, you may rotate the block by bouncing the cursor off the walls of the window. The top and bottom edges of the window rotate the block vertically on a horizontal axis. The Left and Right window edges rotate the blockk horizontaly on a vertical axis. If gradient is on, the cursor will move but that it will have no effect on the block it will draw. #77 Shrink 10 % Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Set the cursor box size with the Size Number 2)Click Button 2 to shrink the area inside the box. All cursor boxes that don't anchor and grow, shrink and grow in contact with the window edges. #78 Rounded corners Rectangle Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Select the Draw Color 2)Select the Size numer for Width of box 3)Select the Clip Count Number for Height of box 4) Button 2 to draw a rounded rectangle. 5)Button 1 to exit process Shrinks and grows in contact with window edges. Occaisionally one of the lines may not be completely horizontal due to the ratios between width and height. To correct this move the cursor either to the right or left window edge. When the size changes the lines will be corrected. #79 Rounded corners Filled Rectangle Draw ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Select the Draw Color 2)Select the fill color and patttern if you wish. 3)Select the Size numer for Width of box 4)Select the Clip Count Number for Height of box 5) Button 2 to draw and fill a rounded rectangle. 6)Button 1 to exit process Occaisionally one of the lines may not be completely horizontal due to the ratios between width and height. To correct this move the cursor either to the right or left window edge. When the size changes the lines will be corrected. #80 Frame It ~~~~~~~~~ 1)Set the Right Draw color to the first gradient shade. 2)Set the Size number to the number of color shades to skip each time. 3)Enter a Width 4)Enter a Height 5)Enter a frame depth. 6)Button 2 to draw frame. The size number determines the design on the frame. Experiment with differrent size numbers to see the effect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important Icon! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #81 Lighten and Darken Polygon scaled palette recommended ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Set the Left Color to the desired brightness to add The first time you press lighten it will increment the color contained inside the polygon by this many colors. 2)Button 2 to Mark the area 3)Both Buttons to complete the polygon Important! It must first be initialized. 3)Button 2 to initialize 4)Button 2 again to lighten the area 5)Button 1 to darken the area 6)Both Buttons to exit the process Works well with practice. The best shade tool in the known universe. #82 Copy Grow 10% and Paste Polygon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Button 2 to Mark the area 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon 3)Button 2 to Paste 4)Button 1 to exit process Picture is pasted 10% larger #83 Enlarge Page ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Enter the Width and Height Picture on screen, in window, is captured and pasted on the new background. To Alter the Pictures Proportions, use a graphic window's zoom button, then copy an area. Paste the clip onto a background created with the New Pic Icon. To enlarge a picture's proportions zoom it out, then capture screen and then paste on new larger background. There is no option to save a Zoomed out picture as a new file, because a picture zoomed out at the power of 10 and saved in this way could hypothetically fill your hard disk. Anipaint has a maximum picture width of 4000 pixels and an undetermined maximum length. #84 Change Text Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Set the Size number to approximate height of text 2)Select the Right Color to the amount to brighten the color. 3)Button 2 to increment the color inside the Rectangular area by one. 4)Button 1 to decrement the color inside the Rectangular area by one. 5) Both Buttons to exit the process. Size the cursor area by bouncing the cursor box off the window walls. White and Black are not affected. #85 Create a Font ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Select the Icon 2)Select Font 3)Select Size 4)Select Shading if desired or Stretch 5)Toggle between front character and back character in the centre of the scroll buttons, if stretch is on. 6) Stretch and Shadow may be turned off and On by clicking Button 2 on the word Off or On in the boxes beside shadow and stretch. 7)When satisfied then choose OK 8)Name Font if you want to save it eg: NAME.FNT 9)The font becomes the current font either way. Choose Cancel to abort the process The color of the text is determined by the Right and Left colors when you type it. see next Icon below. Remember the color of the Font and shadow are relative to the current palette. The included Fonts are kept in the Fonts Subdirectory. When you name your Font, if you use the full path, C:\ANIPAINT\FONTS\fontname.FNT then the font will be put in the FONTS subdirectory. If you omit the full path and just enter the name fontname.FNT then your Font will be put in the ANIPAINT directory. (fontname is any valid name according to naming convention) Choose the next Icon to Write Text. Justify is unused and included only for future compatibility. The Font creator requires a screen resolution size of 640x480 to work. #86 Write Text Copy and Paste ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Select the Left and Right Colors 2)Select the Icon 3)Button 2 to anchor cursor and Write Text 4)Button 1 anywhere below window top to move to new location 5)Press enter for next line 6)Move mouse towards window top and it becomes an arrow. 7)Use the arrow to cut out the Text 8)Button 2 to Paste the Text 9)Button 1 to exit process In 320x200 mode you have not got enough pixels to use large fonts. #87 Retrieve a Font File ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You are transported temporarily to the File Screening Room to Retrieve a Font File. 1) For the Included fonts, Click Button 2 on the Fonts subdirectory, Then click on the word "Directory" in the FILES/DIRECTORY area to get the files. Load the Font like any other file with Button 1 . You will see the message "Font Loaded" if it is a valid AniPaint font file. Only AniPaint fonts are compatible with AniPaint. If you use Button 2 the file filename is marked but not loaded. Don't confuse Button 1 and Button 2. You may now choose Write Text to write to the screen with the chosen Font. When you save a font it is saved to the Anipaint directory unless you specify otherwise. If you want to retrieve one of these, omit switching to the Fonts subdirectory. If the Screening Room will not allow switching directories then press Cancel first. #88 Make Full Screen the Default (also ALT+F on the keyboard) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are drawing in 320x200 mode this will give you a larger work area. Toggle between On and Off. Status report is on Icon. Window controls are still available just outside the screen. It is a matter of practice and familiarity with the window controls to move the mouse just outside the screen to scroll and use the window Menu Buttons, zoom etc.. Click past their normal width and the window closes. Use the Cursor Keys and PGUP and PGDN to scroll if you find it easier. See the beginning of this file for more information on Keyboard Control. #89 Turn Auto Save On ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By default Auto Save is On unless disabled in the Options Menu of CONFIGIT. Some tools such as the Cutting Room turn autosave off. So once you are finished, if you want undo and redo again, you must use this Icon to reactivate it. If Autosave is disabled you may override the disabillity for one save by pressing this Icon. It will be only temporarily turned On. If You Override this with one of the next two Icons you may have to press this button to reactivate Undo and Redo The File is saved between processes to VCXTEMP.VCX (or Another VCX name if you loaded one from disk) and VCXTEMP2.VCX. The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves. D: is used if it is available. If you don't want to use Autosave then activate one of the next two Icons or disable it entirely in the CONFIGIT.EXE utility. If your computer is slow, autosave is a very slow process. If you have a 486 then it is a very useful option. The Left Vertical Scroll bar Loads the Primary file and the bottom horizontal scroll bar controls the secondary file. When Autosave is on the program alternates between the two. Undo - Load the one saved last. Redo - Load the other. This is an option that you should take advantage of. There are also keyboard controls for this. See the beginning of this document. #90 Save the Primary VCX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just as it says. The Primary file if it is a VCX will be saved in it's current state. The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves. #91 Save the Secondary VCX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just as it says. The Secondary file if it is a VCX will be saved in it's current state. The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves. #92 Reduce Color in the current VCX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A window menu pops up with 2 options. Option 1: Reduce range of color All color beginning with the Left Color Number and ending with the Right Color Number will be changed to the Right Color Number when you answer Yes. Option 2: Convert 256 color bitmap to 16 colors Reduces the color but maintains the color balance by greyscaling first, then reducing to 16 colors. 256 color PCX are automatically processed this way if you are in any 16 color mode, but this is the way to reduce a 256 color VCX to 16 colors. #93 Mouse Setup, Program Delays and Sound On/Off ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Each time this button is pressed the Mouse Buttons Trade names and operation is reversed. Button 1 becomes Button 2 and vice versa. Next you may set the delays Press Enter for the Default Settings shown in brackets <default> If the program is skipping right by a process then you may need to increase the delay. With a very fast computer, a 0 process delay could hypothetically disable the program. If this happens reset the delay with the Mouse Set Icon. If this cannot be done, then delete C:\ANIPAINT\FILECFG.KEY and it will be replaced. Then set the delay using CONFIGIT. The Mouse Set Icon writes to FILECFG.KEY and takes precedence over CONFIGIT. If the sounds are too long and noisy then it is a sign that you need to reduce the delays. The sounds should be low and quiet if configured properly. If the sounds are annoying then turn the sound off by answering yes. When something is wrong there are not always visual clues but there are always auditory clues. Even when something is wrong it is usually not serious because of the way errors are handled by the program. It has a built in recovery system. However if a file cannot be found the operation cannot be performed whatever that operation might be. You will hear a beep if sounds are on. Nothing may happen at all if sounds are disabled. #94 Cruise Disk ~~~~~~~~~~~ Choose a Drive letter eg C: or D: The entire disk directory is piped into a file and displayed in a window. #95 Picture Color ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Change the picture's palette colors to the current palette colors. If the palette is the same no change will occur. Answer yes and it is done. #96 Gradient Curves ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are 6 gradient curves. All of them toggle on and off using the numbers on the keyboard. 1)Set the Left Color Number as the first shade of the gradient effect. 2)Set the Size number A size of 10 produces a solid one color thin curve A size greater than 10 begins the gradient effect. A Size of 40 makes a nice gradient curve. 3)Hold Button 2 while drawing roughly the intended curve 4)Click Button 2 to release the line. 5)Move the mouse down and out to reorient the curve. 6)Click button 2 to draw the curve. or 7)Click Button 1 to track the curve. or Press a number from 1 to 6 on the keyboard to toggle the various curves off and on. They may be used together but some combinations will not be desireable. When you begin curve number 5 is on. It's opposite is curve number 4. Toggle 5 off and 4 on and then press Button 1. When the curve releases from the page it will orient itself opposite and upside down in relation to the previous curve. Some of these curves are self tracking, which means if you do not move the mouse but just alternate Button 1 and Button 2 the curve will be drawn then reoriented on the same directional plane along an imaginary line. When you select it's opposite as in the (5 and 4 example) it will go back the other way matching up with the previous curve giving you an S curve. The best way to use these curves are to experiment with them to see how they work. There are many effects that can be created with these curves. #97 Text Color ~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to change the default Text Color You have to go to the File Screening Room and load a Text Window before it will take effect. The change is temporary. The default colors must remain dominant due to the problems associated with different palettes. See understanding color. You can however alter the default palette by replacing MENU1.PAL or 16MENU1.PAL with your own creation. Be sure you know what you are doing first. If you ever really mess things up you can reinitialize the program with CONFIGIT.EXE #98 Convert VCX to Black and White 2 Color 1) Set the Size Number to the dividing Point. 2) Answer Y and it is done. First it is normalized if zoomed out, then greyscaled, then reduced to 2 colors. If you zoom in first you can create some effects. Color 128 is the middle. Every color higher than the Size Number will become White. Every color less than the Size Number will become Black. Experiment for best conversion. Click on the horizontal or vertical scroll bar to undo. #99 Reverse Color #0 with Color #255 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By default, color #0 is black, but you may want to reverse the colors for some reason. Invert 2 color images, for instance. The change is temporary, so save the palette if you want a permanent change. #100 Run DO1.BAT if it is Aavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have not yet created DO1.BAT then you will see the error message BAD COMMAND or FILENAME. No Problem. Use this Icon to run a batch file that you have created and named DO1.BAT. Important ! You will probably not have enough memory to do more than run simple utilities, such as a compression utility. If you do not have enough free conventional memory you will get an error message eg: Cannot Execute Optimize your system for maximum available conventional memory. A batch file is a file that can be used to run utilities, or do DOS commands etc. It is created with a text editor such as DOS EDIT. eg: MD C:\MYSHOW COPY ACT2.PAL C:\MYSHOW COPY D:\CLIPS\*.VCX C:\MYSHOW COPY PLAYACT1.EXE C:\MYSHOW save the file as DO1.BAT and when you use this Icon it will execute the commands contained in DO1.BAT Another example would be to use DO1.BAT to run a compression utility. Compress with DO1.BAT, Decompress with DO2.BAT (see below). See your DOS Manual on Batch Files. #101 Run DO2.BAT if it is Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have not yet created DO2.BAT then you will see the error message BAD COMMAND or FILENAME. No Problem. Use this Icon to run a batch file that you have created and named DO2.BAT. Important! You will probably not have enough memory to do more than run simple utilities, such as a compression utility. If you do not have enough free conventional memory you will get an error message eg: Cannot Execute Optimize your system for maximum available conventional memory. A batch file is a file that can be used to run programs, or do DOS commands etc. It is created with a text editor such as DOS EDIT. eg: MD C:\MYSHOW COPY ACT2.PAL C:\MYSHOW COPY C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS\*.VCX C:\MYSHOW COPY C:\ANIPAINT\PLAYACT1.EXE C:\MYSHOW save the file as DO2.BAT and when you use this Icon it will execute the commands contained in DO2.BAT See your DOS Manual on Batch Files. #102 ACT2 Room Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to work with your ACT2 Clips. Create SHOWIT.ACT an ACT script. ACT scripts are also created with the last Icon and the Presentation Button in the Screening Room. When you select this Icon, three clips are loaded into windows. The current Clip (as set by the Clip Count Number), the clip before the current one and the clip after. The current clip is loaded into the large window. Button 2 inside the ACT2 Room is the action button and Button 1 is the exit button. There is more help available in the room and in ANIMATE.DOC see SCREENRM.DOC for information on ACT scripts. #103 ACT2 Drive In Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Play the ACT2 Clips from the currently set CLIP Count Number to the Size Number in a Window. ACT2 can be played either full screen in 320x200 VGA (FAST320x200VCX) or in a window (ACT2NAME). When you use the command FAST320x200VCX in a script or use the Projector Icon #51, the clips are written directly to video memory using fast low level routines. When you use the command ACT2NAME in a script, or use the Drive In Icon, the clips are played using low level routines, but they are not written directly to video memory. On a 486 50mhz they are fairly fast. On a slower machine you may want to use the faster routines. Button 2 to start the clips and Button 1 to end the process. see SCREENRM.DOC for information on ACT scripts and see ANIMATE.DOC for information on ACT2 animation. #104 Load the Current Default Knowledgebase ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have a text file that contains information you reference regularly, you may want to make a copy of it and name it C:\ANIPAINT\HELPDOCS\KNOWBASE.DOC In this way whenever you need to open this file you can click on this Icon. You can create a large file of several small reference files by using the File List Icon and then Combine Files Icon. The first will create a list of pathnames and the latter will combine them into one large file. Then when you need to find information you can load the file with this Icon and use Cyberfind to find the information and clip text for inclusion in your work. Here is a brief scenario. You have lost some information in a group of 15 text files and the boss want's a report in 5 minutes. You quickly make a list of pathnames then combine the files, name the new file C:\ANIPAINT\HELPDOCS\KNOWBASE.DOC. (Full Pathname) Then you Click on the Knowbase Icon. Then Click on FIND and enter text to search for. Then if the list of paragraphs found is longer than 1 page, print the document with the Print Button in the Window Menu. Click on Find again and enter the line number. It goes to the information you seek. Once there you can quickly navigate the entire document by instantly referencing any text with the mouse. Or print from line to line to clip a report. Click on the first line to step back and forth between finds. (Next / Previous). If you have done this once, the second time will take less than a couple of minutes. If you don't know where your files are that contain the text that you are searching for, then use Searchmode to search your hard disk for similar filenames or use Cruise Disk and FIND to browse any drive. ***************** Very Important Pair ******************************* #105 Export to a PCX file format ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After you create a picture you may want to Print It. Use this Icon to change the file from VCX into a format that other programs can load. Load the image into your favourite printing program. The image is not compressed. It is saved as an uncompressed Version 5 256 color PCX This is the Best way to print Graphics. This program specializes in animation not printing. I do not have the time or resources presently to do a proper job of supporting the thousands of printers that are on the market today. You probably have a Word Processor that can print PCX or FAX software if you have a fax card to print to a fax.( Laser printer alternative ). If you are using Microsoft Windows you can import the image into the supplied paint program and print it using the Print Manager. I have tested the PCX compatibility with many other programs. The only ones that cannot load this PCX format are programs that do not handle PCX files correctly. They have problems with other PCX files created with other programs as well. The PCX files created are not compressed because you can achieve greater compression by using PKZIP on an uncompressed PCX. In my tests I acheived a 10% increase in compaction by not first compressing the PCX with run length encoding. The market is full of compaction programs. There is no benefit from compressing an image twice. If you do not have a compression utility there are many available free of charge for private use. PKZIP by PKWARE is my current favourite. They deserve a plug from me because in my opinion they have done an excellent job in creating their product. Reliable, fast and efficient. The fact that they are known throughout the world is testimony to this fact. If you do not have a compression utility, ask a friend they will have one, or if you have no friends, then consider joining a Bulletin Board. They all use compression to transfer files via a modem. If this is all Greek to you, you have a long way to go. Don't despair, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Personal Computing is a new science, we are all beginners. As soon as you think you know something, they change it anyways. #106 Create a Presentation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Create Stunning Presentations with: Text in a window where you want it, a Graphic VCX Background and animation anywhere on the screen at the same time. This Button writes a sample Script for you to learn to do it with an ASCII TEXT Editor. This is a command language and you may use the commands listed when the file is made. 1) First Create or Choose a Background Picture 2) Create ACT1 animation in the Cutting Room 3) Find the text you wish to display and make note of the names of all three files. Picture background, ACT1 and Text 4) Select the Icon and Enter the Names. Same as pressing Presentation in the Screening Room. To create animation on a spot on a full screen picture, first capture the area to animate with the Scenery Icon. Then create your animation and paste it on the exact same spot using this Icon. The x and y coordinates will be listed in SHOWIT.ACT the temporary act file created with this Icon. You have a chance to rename it when you are done. You will know that you are on the exact spot when the image in the act1 you are about to paste completely cancells out the image on the full screen picture and it becomes a black block the size of Act1 animation. (100x80) The utility PLAYACT1 is not included with this release due to size constraints but you can get it by request when you register this version if you do not already have it. It plays ACT scripts independant of AniPaint. see ANIMATE.DOC for more information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Object of this program is to either load an existing file in the Screening Room and then edit it, or draw a picture yourself. Once you have a picture you can add captured text for Desk Top Publishing, or you can create an animation file, or you can animate it as a series of clips, or you may create a Presentation file that combines a Text Window with a Graphic Background and Isolated animation sequences. Animation is done by creating a series of frames, then playing them back quickly. If you find they are not fast enough try animating ACT2 animation in full screen 320 x 200 mode. You can create an animation file that you can give to someone else. Providing they have at minimum a VGA IBM compatible computer system. Wish someone happy birthday, ask someone to lunch, create an advertisement, make a full length animated cartoon, or movie, use them for employee training etc. Use your Imagination. Digitized Art is the wave of the future. This program is designed with the fewest possible restrictions on it's use. I am sure you will find ways to use it that I never dreamt of. AniPaint (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie of Lake Cowichan B.C. Canada PKZIP is the property of PKWARE It is my hope that this program will -like a message in a bottle- travel and be used throughout the world. We live in a wonderful age of Global Communication, let us hope that technology will bring the world together in peace instead of breaking it to pieces as our forefathers almost did. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************** CyberFind ****************************** Cyberfind is an intelligent search utility. Rather than search the next instance of the word, (which in a large document can take a long time if the reference you seek is the 47th instance of the word), Cyberfind clips paragraphs to a temporary file called TEMP.LST. Then you choose the instance you want, and go directly there. If you combine a group of files into a Knowledgebase, then your reference material will be easily accessed whenever you want it. See STUDIO.DOC for more info on the Knowbase Icon. The Knowbase Icon loads C:\ANIPAINT\HELPDOCS\KNOWBASE.DOC if you have created it. Cyberfind is very simple to use once you get the hang of it. Manual Use of Cyberfind ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Click Button 2 on FIND in a text window. 2)Select Subject Button. 3)Enter a word or words to search for. The word is referenced in the document and all references are clipped to TEMP.LST. Next TEMP.LST is loaded and you see the paragraphs. Under each paragraph is ###***> and a line number. 4)Select Find again and Click on the Go to Line # button. 5)Enter the line number of the paragraph and the document is once again loaded into the window only now it is at the line # you entered. If there are more than 1 page of clippings use Refine Search. Or print TEMP.LST to view them better. If automatic Cyberfind is Not disabled you may also use the mouse. Do not be too hasty to disable automatic Cyberfind, once you figure out how it works, you can manipulate files very quickly with the mouse. Refine Search Button ******************** If you have searched for a word and found a lot of references to that word, you may want to search TEMP.LST for a second word that will narrow the list of paragraphs down. eg: You search for the word "disk" and you get floppy disk and a number of other things. Refine the search with the word "hard". Now only the references to "hard disk" are left. Convert Document **************** Most Word Processors add hidden codes to a text document to tell the program what font to use, how many spaces in a Tab, if a picture is in the document etc. Fine if you are viewing the file with that program. If you want to view that file with another program, the other program has to know what those codes are and what they mean. Each program uses the hidden codes according to their format. However, with thousands of word processors each adding codes their own way it is virtually impossible to decipher them all. An easier way is to save the file in the other program as an ASCII file ( a plain text file without the hidden codes). With Convert you may remove the hidden codes in a word processor document and convert it to ASCII text. You will not have the same document with the same fonts or anything else, but you will have the text, providing the file is not encrypted or compressed. This program will not change the original but will make a file called TEXTCNVRT.DOC. On D: if D: is available C: if not. Do with it as you will. This program does not edit text. There are word processors out there better suited for this job. Text is best handled in text mode not graphics mode. (When you are working with a DOS application. Microsoft Windows does a superb job of simulated text mode, while in graphics mode.) The use of text in this program is for reference or cutting and pasting into a picture. See your DOS manual on ASCII text if you are not totally familiar with it already. What the heck is a knowledgebase? ********************************* A knowledgebase is an Artificial Intelligence term for all the collected information on a subject or subjects. Usually it is formatted into categories such as Class, Member Hierarchy etc. eg: MARE:HORSE:BOVINE:MAMMAL:LIVING THING Do you see the connection. A Mare is a horse which is in the family Bovine which is in the Class Mammal which is a living thing. The way we look at the world is thus, either something is whole, or it is a part, or it is a general term or it is a specialized term. (Whole/Part, Gen/Spec) Studies have shown that the brain can handle three groups of three things at a time, so to manipulate a vast amount of information the brain breaks the information down and classifies it into categories. Then it references the material with other similar things. With Cyberfind it uses any text document as a knowledgebase. It is not a true knowledgebase in the pure sense of the word, but it is a fast cheap substitute. It cannot make suggestions based on the information there. It is up to you to decide what is important and what is not. It clips everything it thinks may be the information you seek and lets you decide. What about CASE Sensitivity? **************************** Cyberfind simultaneously searches all CAPITALS, the first letter Capitalized and no capitals at all. If the word is fishBowl with the B capitalized it will not find it. To search every word with every possible capitalized situation takes far too long and speed is essential. To overcome this, search fish or bowl by themselves and it will find it. Remember If you start a search with a smaller word you can always refine the search. If you are a communications fanatic like I am, you will greatly benefit from the following. Place all your file lists and phone numbers obtained from BBS's in one large file. Now whenever you need information on any subject you search that file. It will always come up with something, if you are on enough Bulletin Boards. If you are not familiar with communications and Bulletin Boards or BBS's then you should be. A BBS is a private or public library of programs and other information files that can be accessed by a Modem and a telephone line. You call up, get access, then request the computer on the other end to send you the file or complete program. Information on any subject at anytime, anywhere in the world. Just think, a hundred years ago you would have had to send someone on a horse. Using Cyberfind with the Mouse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Line up the left side of the cursor box on the first letter of the word you want to reference and Click Button 2. If the left side of the cursor box is not on the first letter of the text you wish to search, it will not work. All paragraphs containing the word, or part word, are clipped to TEMP.LST. Under each paragraph is ###***> and a line number. PGDN or click Mouse Button 1 on any line that does Not contain ###***>, to see the next page of clipped paragraphs. 2)Click Button 1 on the line containing ###***> to go directly to that line number in the original document. The most common errors occur when the cursor inside the box or the cursor box itself are not correctly lined up on the word or line. It takes a little practice to get the feel of it. I recommend you do not disable sound while you are learning to use Cyberfind because you will hear a click when you click the mouse on the line # if you are using it correctly. If you want to reference more than one word at the same time, use Cyberfind manually. See above. If you find Cyberfind an unnecessary pain in the butt, then disable Automatic Cyberfind by running CONFIGIT.EXE. then choose Options. Problems with Cyberfind ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you do not line up the cursor precisely it will not work. Practice, you will get it. If it takes too long, then the size of the document is too large for the speed of your computer. Get a faster system or divide the file into smaller files. Why does Cyberfind find three instances of the same word? It searches three case types: All Capitals. First letter capitalized No capitals. When it is initializing, it may search all three. Just ignore the other two. Make sure you are using the proper mouse buttons! Button 1 scrolls the screen unless you click it on a line containing ###*****> then it goes to the line number. Important: You will hear a beep or a click as it does this if you have done it correctly. Providing you have not disabled sound. Button 2 references the word unless you have already referenced it, and the file TEMP.LST is in the window already. Or if you do not line up the cursor properly. In that case it gives you the message "Line up the cursor" and puts the line containing the word you tried to search at the top of the window. Learn how to use it and you will find it a very effective tool for getting that elusive information off your hard disk and onto the screen. Cyberfind (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie AniPaint (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ********************* Printing Questions and Answers ******************** How do I print different fonts? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Set the font size style NLQ, Draft, Doublestrike, etc using the printers controls on the printer. See your printer manual or experiment with it. or Create a picture and use any graphic font. See below on printing graphics. How do I Print Graphics? 1)Shell to DOS. 2) Enter the DOS command GRAPHICS 3) Type EXIT to Return to the program 4)If you want to print larger than 320 x 200 then change to 16 color mode. 5) If you want to print in 256 color mode you must use 320x200 and print with landscape orientation. 6)Make the Picture Full screen by clicking on the upper left corner button. 7)Hold the SHIFT button and press Print Screen. If your printer is supported by DOS it will print. Read your DOS manual regarding the GRAPHICS command and see your GRAPHICS.PRO file in your DOS Directory. Is there A Better Way to print graphics? Yes. Export the image as a PCX with the second last Icon in the Paint Studio. Use your favourite Printing program that supports your printer. Almost all good word processors support the PCX format. Another way, if you have a FAX CARD, is to print to your Fax or to someone else's with your fax software. Good substitute for a laser printer. Why do I keep getting error messages when I try to print. check Paper check connections LPT1 check printer On check available memory (Beside Files/Directory in the File Screening Room) The Graphics command uses memory. See Optimizing your system in your DOS MANUAL. load hi or remove other memory resident programs. If printing is interrupted it will abort. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If all else fails go to DOS type : Copy FILENAME.EXT>PRN Filename is the file you want to print. Prints Text only. Export PCX, that's the key to printing with this program. AniPaint (c)1994 Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% *************************** The Screening Room ************************* Important! If you do not have a fast computer (50 mhz +) see Speeding up the Program at the end of this Document. I have tried to make the program useable by anyone, however, if you do not know the basics, such as that you have to press enter on the commandline at DOS to do DOS commands, then you had better read your DOS Manual first. It's only about 1000 pages and makes for nice light reading <grin>. How to use the Screening Room ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have two cursor options as set by CONFIGIT. The ball cursor for fast machines, window cursor for slower machines. If you lose the cursor off screen click Both Buttons. The mouse cursor is not confined in order to allow the freedom necessary to paste pictures larger than the screen, or partially outside the screen. The current mouse button settings are shown in an Icon when you click on Help. In this and all other documents, Button 1 and Button 2 refer to Mouse Button 1 and Mouse Button 2. Which is which depends on how you have set the mouse. Use the Mouse Set Icon to reverse the Buttons if you wish.(who's on first?) ! Remember! If you lose the mouse cursor click both buttons. PathMask Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click on "Pathmask" and choose a file extension. *.PAL :Palette colors. If the new palette differs from the existing one, the colors will change. *.FNT :Loads a Text Font for use in the Studio. note: While in a Text Window you may also alter the Font and it's size. If the loaded file is not a graphic picture, you are in a Text Window. See Window Action demo for more information. *.PCX :Load a graphic picture with this extension. The original is unchanged and a new file called VCXTEMP.VCX will be created. Use a 256 color mode when loading PCX Important!: Not all PCX formats are supported. Specifically, Version 5, 256 colour pictures are supported. However, Screening Room will attempt to load any file. Some may be converted to 2 colors.If you are in 16 color mode it will greyscale and reduce 256 color PCX automatically to 16 colors. Very Important!!: PCX files carry palette information. This palette becomes the current palette. If the palette is all black the entire screen will become all black. If this happens, move the mouse over the top of the screen and click both buttons or hit escape. The standard menu colors will return. you may then load a different palette. *.VCX :This program uses the extension VCX for 256 colour graphic pictures. These files also carry palette information. To date they are not compatible with other programs to my knowledge. note to programmers: For information on the file header see REGISTER.DOC. *.ANI :This program uses the extension ANI for animation files. ACT1.ANI is created on drive D:\ if D:\ is available. Otherwise it is created on drive C: . You may then process the file into a Presentation combing a full screen VCX with animation and a Text Window. See Presentations. *.* :Any other file in the current directory. Other Extensions that you may enter on the Path Line *.ACT Presentation files use ACT as the file extension for script files. Any ASCII editor can create an ACT script. See Presentations for more info. *.CFG Work space files use this extension. The workspace is automatically saved each time you exit, but if you want to return to a work space that you had a week ago, it must first have been saved using the Save Button. The file list is saved as well, so if you have deleted files that are on the list after you save the work space, they will not be found. *.PNT The Point Trace Icon uses PNT as it's extension. See STUDIO.DOC. VERY IMPORTANT!! *.DOC In the HELPDOC subdirectory are the documentation files that accompany this program. Don't move them or you will disable your help buttons. If they are lost, reinstall the program or write me for a complete copy. The program will attempt to load any file. if it does not recognize the format it will load it as text. When you click on the PathMask button it toggles between file extensions and the normal 4 button state.( Path, Paint, Capture and Clear Desk). After you have chosen a path or entered one on the Path Line above it, the available files with the selected extension will appear in the directory area. You may then click on the file to load it into a window. Files with the extension PAL or FNT will not be put into a window. See Window Actions demo. Dormant Files List: Below the directory area is the dormant file list area. Small rectangles beside the file names contain the window number. The most recent file name rectangle is a different colour. If you click Button 2 on the rectangle it will reload into a window. If the file is a graphic picture (VCX), you may paste it without window mechanics by clicking Button 1. By experimenting you will soon learn how this works. To view the picture as you paste, use the Paint Studio or Edit in a Graphic Window instead. If your system is capable of high resolution, you may want to do your paste up in higher modes 1024x768 or 1200x1024 if your machine has the capability. See your monitor documentation. If you save the workspace, the dormant file list is saved as well. However if you delete files then reload the workspace, those file names may appear on the list but they will not be found. FILES/DIRECTORY: Click on the word FILES to toggle between files and DIRECTORIES. When you exit the active window it is placed on the dormant list below the directory area. Click on the small box beside the filename to reload the file. If the wrong file loads, either the cursor was not lined up correctly or the list is wrong. If so use the Clear Desk button to start a new list. If a lined box appears the image will be loaded without window mechanics. This is useful for pasting into other files. CAPTURE:If the current window is in TextMode, A ruled, growing box appears to allow you to capture any area on the screen. The file will be saved as a numbered CLIP file such as CLP2.VCX. Subsequent Captures are saved automatically CLP3.VCX...CLP4.VCX ...etc. Important!: During the creation of ACT2 animation files, if the current clip count is less then 20, then the clip count will be incremented by 20. It will use CLP21.VCX ... CLP22.VCX etc. for it's frame count. For more information see ANIMATE.DOC. As a rule, (pun intended) Capture also functions very well as a measuring stick for desktop publishing. Click once to anchor it then Both Buttons to capture area. X: Anchored Left Horizontal Position. Y: Anchored Top Vertical position. X2:Right Horizontal position. Y2:Bottom Vertical position. Width: Box Width. Height: Box Height. Line Height Scale: On the extreme right is a scale showing the line height of the current text font. This is a handy tool for paste up in desk top publishing. If it is in the way toggle it off by clicking Button 2 twice on the small S button above it. In the Paint Studio the File List Icon uses the Scale button as well to append marked files to SCRIPT.TXT The File List Icon is useful for creating a list of file path names to create a knowledgebase etc. An Experienced user would use this list in a batch file or combine ACT scripts to make a series of Presentations into one ACT file. etc. See File List in STUDIO.DOC Clear Desk: Returns the Screening Room to it's initialized state. It will also attempt to create a new blank picture when you return to the Paint Studio. This will erase your previous work in the two files VCXTEMP.VCX and VCXTEMP2.VCX. To prevent this press ESCAPE when you are prompted for Width and Height. Important!: The dormant list of file names is also reset. If you wish to clear the desk and retain the list, use the Cancel button on the top row instead. Remember if things get muddled, Cancel. If that is not sufficient, Clear Desk. Occasionally you may have trouble changing paths or directories or drives. If this happens choose Cancel then Clear Desk. SearchMode:The green light beside FILES/DIRECTORY is a toggle between normal FileMode and SearchMode. Enter a search path on the Path Line above it or Button 1 to accept the current path. Drive C: will be searched for the matching file or files. Example: To search the entire C: drive for all PCX files click Button 2 on the Green Light. It says choose path eg:*.PCX Click Button 1 to accept the path. While in Searchmode the name scroller will operate 9 at a time as well as 1 at a time. Also the alphabet file name search scroll bar will operate on each directory found separately in directory order. Alphabetical Name Search Scroll Bar: If you have a large number of files in one directory, a fast way to find a specific file is to click Button 2 twice on the letter which corresponds the closest to the first letter of the name. Then scroll down to it. System Information: The small black square beside FILES/ DIRECTORY pops up a window containing the free space on C: and D: if available. Also the free Conventional Memory. If this number is too low the program will not operate correctly. Free up memory by optimizing your system. See your Dos manual for details. Examples: Load DOS into High memory. Remove memory resident utilities. Vector Graphic Objects ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you load an AniPaint file with the extension PNT it is loaded into a window, with controls specifically for vector graphics. These Objects are created in the Paint Studio with the Point Draw and Trace Icons. When you draw with these Icons only the file POINTS.PNT is written to on D: if D: is available C: if not. Copy another Vector Object onto POINTS.PNT to add more lines to Objectname.PNT. Then save using the Save Button. If POINTS.PNT does not exist it is created. If it exists, it is added to. To begin a new vector object, delete POINTS.PNT by loading it into a window and using the right corner light button, then choose delete and OK. These files contain a record of points and color. When they are drawn on the screen they connect these points. In essence, it redraws the object in the same way that it was created. You may Hide a series of lines, Replace the hidden lines, Step through and edit the object one line at a time, or Delete a series of lines. These options are contained in the Image Button in the window menu bar. Hide a Series of Lines ********************** Select the option, then click Button 2 on the color corresponding to the lines you wish to hide. Each time you draw with the Point Draw and Trace Icon, the edit color is incremented by one. When you select Hide a Series, it shows you the edit colors associated with each draw color. The reason for this is if you make several drawings on one page, and you want to hide some of the objects, it will hide all lines that correspond to that edit color. eg: You set the draw color to blue #10 and draw some lines. Inside POINTS.PNT (the temporary vector file) it records the Draw color you are using, and the X,Y, coordinates of the lines you are drawing, and assigns a color to represent that series of lines. This edit color will distinguish these lines from the next series of lines you add, even if the next series of lines use the same draw color as the first. Now when you hide a portion of your drawing, or page of drawings, you click on the edit color which represents the series of lines that you wish to mask. Even if you save the object using the Save Button, the lines remain hidden in the new drawing until you unhide them with the Unhide All Option. You may hide up to 255 separate series of lines before the edit color will repeat. The Unhide Option ***************** Select this option to reveal the series of lines that were temporarily masked using the option above. All series of lines that were masked are now revealed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important Tip! A good way to create an interesting animation sequence, Slide Show or Presentation could be to make a detailed line drawing, then alternate hiding series of lines and capturing the window using the Camera Icon. In this way you can show details as you wish. Then arrange the clips as an ACT Script. Use BACKGROUNDNAME and READAKEY to create a Slide Show. For example: You create a complex industrial design, architectural drawing etc.. In a demonstration you step through the design reducing the complexity. Make charts and graphs grow before your eyes, etc.. Remember to save and include the palette. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important!! No PALETTE information is recorded in these files. The line colors are relative to the current palette. see Understanding Color in STUDIO.DOC Step Edit Object **************** Use this option to permanently remove unwanted lines. No lines are showing, Click Button 2 to display the next line from point to point. Click Button 1 to back up. ( limited to a few backup points) Click Both Buttons to remove the line. Caution on a fast machine it could fly through erasing numerous or all remaining lines. Keyboard control is safer for important drawings. Or Up arrow : next line; Down Arrow : previous line. Delete Key : Delete line. Position is reset to first point each time you load the file. Changes are permanent but not removed from the file until you choose the Save Button, and save as a Vector PNT file. All vector files in this program use the extension PNT and are not compatible with any other program to date. Delete a series of lines ************************ Similar to masking a series above except the series of lines is permanently erased. The points are not removed from the file until you save the object with the Save Button. This reduces the size of the file by removing the redundant points. Sample Objects ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THe Subdirectory C:\ANIPAINT\OBJECTS is created by Configit when you install the program. Sample Objects are included there, you may make more. For more Information on Vector Graphics see The Point Draw and Trace Icon, or The Grid Vector Draw Icon, or The Load Points.PNT Icon, in STUDIO.DOC Optimizing Program Performance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Very Important!! This program uses a large amount of disk space. If you run out of disk space the program will not operate correctly. If you have extended memory create a Virtual Drive D:. The operation of the program will be enhanced. Consult your DOS manual for information on Ramdrives. You will have to add a line to your CONFIG.SYS file. Example: device=ramdrive.sys 4096 512 /e creates a 4 meg ramdrive with 512 byte sector size in extended memory. With limited memory you may not have a large enough number of allowed file entries in the root directory of D:\. VERY VERY IMPORTANT!! When you shut off or reset your system all data on drive D: is permanently erased. If you have a registered copy of AniPaint then you will be prompted "Backup D: C:\_DBACKUP?: Y or N" when you exit the program. Answer Y and all files on D: including subdirectories will be copied onto the directory C:\_DBACKUP. Use the Load Button to restore the backup onto D:. The result is reported in the file LOG.TXT. If you have a problem read this file. If D:\ is not available, or is disabled with the disable ramdrive option in CONFIGIT, C: will be used for temporary files. No speed differential may be noticed on a fast modern computer. A Dos Shell is available in the Studio and the Top Right corner of the Screening Room. You will probably not have enough memory in the shell to do more than enter DOS commands on the DOS command Line. See the "Command" command in your Dos Manual for information on the Dos Shell. The Path Line: Click Button 2 on the Path Line to enter a Path or Change Drives. Example: D: changes to drive D:\ A: changes to drive A:\ B: changes to B:\ Be sure the drive is ready first! or you will get the error message . Abort/Fail/Retry. Example path: *.PCX or FILENAME.VCX or A:\*.* etc. If you get an error message either make the drive ready or choose fail, then type C: <enter> I often let DOS handle the error reporting, it messes up the screen but it does it so well. Why duplicate code. The Path line is also used for user input to name files when prompted. Scroll buttons located on both ends of the Path Line are used if the path is longer than the Path Line area. Important! Occasionally when in the Studio you will be brought to the Screening Room to retrieve a file. For Example: To load an additional font or palette. A conflict may arise between the current path and the path needed. The Studio may persist and you will have to either press the "Cancel" or the "Clear Desk" button or use the Path Line to change the drive or directory. Exit: You may be prompted to be sure everything is OK prior to exit. Such as, are the files saved. This program uses many temporary files so if you lose a file it may be found saved on D: if available, or C: in the current directory. Load: Choose an option and load the file. Save: Choose an option and save the file. This program is extremely disk intensive. It uses a virtual disk on D: instead of conventional or extended memory and falls back to the hard drive when it's full whenever possible. The reason for this is hard disks are much larger than available memory. It will use a Ram Disk D: if you make one available. See your DOS manual for information on VIRTUAL DRIVES. The exception to this is the program itself. It will load it's overlay file in EMS if LIM standard EMS is available. Saving Pictures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important!: Although I refer to text windows as being in Text Mode, in reality it is simulated textmode. This program operates entirely in Graphics mode. The only true text mode is the DOS Shell and CONFIGIT. This program was designed to create pictures and animation. You cannot edit text. There are may fine word processors available that deal with text. They have spell checkers, thesauruses, and all the other necessary tools for editing text. For Beginners: When your computer is in Graphics mode it uses pixels ( or dots) to address the screen. For instance, when in text mode you would refer to a column and row. One column being 1 text character wide and 1 row being one text character high. In graphics mode the rows and columns are determined by how many pixels from the top left of your screen. In 320 X 200 resolution you have 320 dots wide by 200 dots high. If you think of pixels as tiny lights capable of turning on in 1 of 256 colors you will have a better understanding. See Understanding Color in STUDIO.DOC. This program uses temporary files and writes over the same file names each time. Any time you capture an area, the program names it according to the current Clip Count. The clip count starts at 1 and will increment each time until the drive is full. When you are creating an ACT2 animation series in The Paint Studio, (320 X 200), if the Clip Count is less than 20 it will be incremented by 20. Example: Current clip count is 19 the clip count will now be 39. This is to segregate your animation clips from your scratch work. You may override this at any time by incrementing or decrementing the Clip Count button manually. The number on the extreme left in the color bar in the Paint Studio is the current Clip Count. See Capture or Clip Count in STUDIO.DOC for more information. Technical note: Sometimes, when a clipped file is larger than available conventional memory you will not see the picture you are about to paste. Instead, you will see a rectangle with X's in it that is the size of the picture you are about to paste. This is to allow the greatest compatibility between systems that may or may not have EMS , XMS, working in Microsoft Windows, working in DOS real mode or the myriad of platforms and conversions for other systems. So... when you choose Save Picture it merely renames the current file. This program can handle very large pictures by using virtual memory. However as the size increases operational speed decreases. I recommend working in 640 X 480 mode and using higher resolutions for cutting and pasting. Very Important! As Graphic Windows can Zoom in and Out, when a picture is saved, it remains at the original size. If not, one picture zoomed far enough out could totally fill your hard drive. Try to work with files no larger than the screen resolution you are working in. Convert large files to Clip Board files, then save under another name if you want. Or paste smaller files onto a large blank created with the New Pic Icon. Temporary Files: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are the TEMPORARY file names this program uses and their description. If drive D: is available it will be used, otherwise drive C: will be used. If D: is available they will be erased when you shut off or reset your computer. If C: is used they may be overwritten. ACT1.ANI: Sequential animation file created in the cutting room. if this file exists it is added to. If it does not exist it is created. You may do many weird and wonderful things with these files. 100 X 80 zoomable upward. See ACT1 in STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC or the HELP Button in the Cutting Room. CLP#####.VCX: Captured areas of the screen. These files Carry palette information and are zoomable. GREYTEMP.VCX: When you sort the color of a picture in the Paint Studio, this file is created. See Understanding Color in STUDIO.DOC. POINTS.PNT: This file is a record of points created when you draw lines with certain tools. See the Point Trace Icon in the Studio. DIRTEMP#.TXT:Used by Screening Room to store the current directory lists. ZOOM#.VCX: Used by the Studio for scenery and various occasions to cache temporary information to disk in between zooms. TEMP.PAL: When you load a 256 color PCX file the palette is saved during it's conversion to VCX under this name. Known mostly throughout the program as Color Palette #1. GREYSCAL.PAL: When you load a 256 color PCX file the palette is automatically converted to greyscale and saved under this name. Known mostly throughout the program as Color Palette #2. It is not sorted. See Understanding Color. note:If you choose the color button in a window and nothing happens at COLOR 1 or COLOR 2 other than a click, it is because these files do not exist. They are only created by loading a PCX file. No problem. See Understanding Color for more information. TEMP.VAL: Used for program operational purposes. TEMP.LST: The Cyberfind clip board. see Cyberfind. Remember: These files evaporate -if D: is available- when you shut off or reset your system unless you copy them to C: and change the name or use the Save Button. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPORTANT! Although many other programs use these same extensions for their own purposes, they are not compatible. Only by Exporting as a PCX can another program use a file created by AniPaint as of the time of this writing. WARNING!!! If you attempt to load a file with the extension PAL or FNT or VCX or PNT or VAL or ANI that was not created by AniPaint, you may have to reboot your system causing loss of your currently unsaved work. Some safeguards are in place but they are not fool proof. Do so at your own risk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Resolution Buttons: At the bottom of the Screening Room are Buttons which - if you have the hardware installed and the appropriate monitor and mode switching is not disabled -will change the current screen resolution. If your system does not have this capability { sigh } the text may get larger but that is all. You need a SVGA monitor, a Paradise,Trident or VESA compatible Video Card with at least 1 meg of on board memory for Christmas. While you are at it, get a 486 66 mhz with a 210 meg hard drive, 8 meg of extended memory, a graphic excelerator card, a tape drive for backing up your animated movies and a sound board. If you are still using a 286 with VGA, it's O.K. see speeding up the program. The 286 is a fine machine. If you are still using an XT with a CGA I'm sorry you cannot use this program. I still have an old XT Turbo as well, it makes a fine paper weight. The Alternate File List Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have poor eyesight or are working in modes 1024x768 or higher, you may have difficulty seeing the file names in the directory area. If this is the case, use this button to view the list full screen in large text. If you are in 320x200 mode this is the only dormant list you have. If the Files/Directory toggle is currently set to Files the filenames of the current directory are shown. If the Files/Directory toggle is currently set to Directory the filenames of the Dormant File List are shown. Click Button 2 on the file name to retrieve the file or Button 1 to return to the normal screen. The Consecutive Load Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the Bottom Left of the Screening Room is a light button that is green when Files/Directory is set to Files and Blue if not. If the Light Button is Green then you may click Button 2 on it to consecutively load and view all marked files in the current Directory. Another way to do this is to 1) Use searchmode to search your disk. 2) Click Button 1 on the area right of the alphabet list in the Directory area. All files are marked and the consecutive load option is activated. It only operates this way while searchmode is active. The Presentation Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click Button 2 on this button or use the last Icon in the Paint studio to combine a full screen VCX with an ACT1 animation series, and a text window. Once you have followed the ongoing instructions, you will be shown the script file that has been written. These script files are ASCII text and may be altered at any time. Just use any word processor or text editor and save as an ASCII file. ( no hidden codes) See your DOS Manual on ASCII files for more info. Once you have a script you may play it at any time by loading the file like any other in the Screening Room, by clicking Button 2 on the file name. The utility called PLAYACT1.EXE is not included in this release due to size constraints but you can request on for free when you register. Playact1 is a stand alone player that has a powerful script language and is used to play ACT script files independent of this program. Suppose you wanted to give an animation series to someone that did not have Anipaint, you could give them all the files contained in the script, the script file (ACT extension) and the player to view them.( PLAYACT1.EXE) (better still, give them an entire, original, unregistered copy of AniPaint) The command syntax for Playact1 is: PLAYACT1 <NAME.ACT> <VGA>or<SVGA><SVGA2><SVGA3><SVGA4><SVGA16> Inside ScriptFile the script command syntax is: COMMANDNAME:COMMAND Available commandnames are: SETPALETTENAME: Load an AniPaint Palette file. ACT2 needs this. ACT1FRAMEDELAY: Delay between ACT1 animation frames. READAKEY: Get keyboard or mouse activity. TIMEDELAY: Also for delay between ACT2 animation frames. ZOOMFACTOR: Size multiplier for ACT1 Animation ACT1POSX: ACT1 Left Starting Point ACT1POSY: ACT1 Top Starting Point TEXTFILESTARTX: Left Text Window Starting Point TEXTFILESTARTY: Top Text Window Starting Point TEXTFILEENDX: Right Text Window Ending Point TEXTFILEENDY: Bottom Text Window Ending Point WINDOWFONT#: A Number from 1 to 10 WINDOWFONTSIZE#:A Number from 1 to 10 ACT1BACKGROUNDCOLOR#: A Number from 0 to 255 (for solid background) BACKGROUNDNAME: Name of full screen *.VCX ACT1NAME: Name of ACT1 Animation File *.ANI TEXTFILENAME: Name of Text File to display 1 page *.* LIVEDOCFILENAME: Allows user to PGUP and PGDN etc. *.* TEXTLINE#:Text file is opened at this line number in a closed window. FAST320x200VCX: 320x200 ACT2 animation frame filename. *.VCX FAST320x200VCX can only be played in 320x200 VGA resolution ACT2POSX: ACT2 Left Starting Point ACT2POSY: ACT2 Top Starting Point ACT2NAME: 320x200 ACT2 animation anywhere. *.VCX Important! SVGA 256 color mode, any resolution, required for ACT2NAME: REPEATSTART: Marker of place to start repeating until ESC. REPEATEND: End of repeat marker. (goes to REPEATSTART) Important! REPEATSTART and REPEATEND suspend palette changes until the command SETPALETTENAME is encountered to prevent screen flash between short animation sequences that repeat. ACT1NOCOLOR#: Will not cover this color with ACT1 animation. It will play around it. eg:one color text on location OBJECTPOSX: Left start position for vector object OBJECTPOSX: Right start position for vector object OBJECTNAME: Name of vector object to draw on the screen *.PNT TEXTFONT#: Raw Text font from 0 to 10 TEXTSIZE#: Raw Text Size from 0 to 10 TEXTATX: Raw Text Left start point TEXTATY:Raw Text Top start point RAWTEXT: Simple text output at specified location RAWTEXTCOLOR#:Makes the Raw Text this color. NOPALETTE: Prevents VCX or ANI from loading their palette Short animation sequences flash slightly when they load their palette. More noticable when it repeats. This solves the problem. Use SETPALETTENAME: without a palette name to turn palette load back on. CLEARIT: Clears the screen. Comments are allowed on a line by themselves. ALL COMMANDS MUST BE IN CAPITAL LETTERS any commands below this line are ACTED upon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may set the repeat markers anywhere below the line. It will play the script, and when it reaches REPEATEND in will go back to REPEATSTART and play until the user presses the ESC key. When you use the Presentation button, an ACT file is created. You may add to it or make one yourself with an ASCII editor. Important! If you do not enter the screen resolution it will default to autodetection. Not quite want you wanted if the files in the script are 256 color high resolution VCX or ANI files. Not all computers support all the available screen resolutions. It may not work on some computers. You should not use it on a monitor with less that VGA capabilities . Not everyone would know to enter PLAYACT1 /h for help on the DOS commandline. So include instructions to users that are unfamiliar with Anipaint. SVGA16 is VESA 16 color 800 x 600. Many computers support the VESA standard. So most SVGA monitors should be able to use this high resolution if they have the memory. 16 color modes are about 10 times slower than SVGA 256 modes. If you want it to show in high res 256 colors, create the images in 256 color mode. If you want it to show 16 color images, create the images in 16 color mode. Important note! 256 color photographic images will not look correct when viewed in 16 color mode. Test the script in 16 color mode before you give it to the world and adjust the color and palettes or provide viewing instructions. Convert 256 color photographic images to 16 color by being in 16 color mode when you load the PCX. Try all the palettes in the Palettes subdirectory until you find one that is suitable for your image, after conversion. WOOD.PAL is a good scaled palette in shades of brown. There are an unlimited number of uses for these scripts. Make a movie, make a slide show, make a dictionary, use them for instruction, for business shows, for showing off your artistic talents, send a moving message, etc etc etc.... There are several ACT scripts included to illustrate ACT scripts. SVGADEMO.ACT, VGADEMO.ACT and 16DEMO.ACT are 3 scripts I have made to illustrate ACT animation. Load an ACT script into AniPaint like any other file, or use PLAYACT1 to play the script. I could not include any ACT2 animation with this release because of the size of the files. Each frame is more than 64,000 bytes. This release is meant to be transferred via modem in a reasonable period of time. Make a series of ACT2 clips yourself and try to make your own script. It may be challenging at first, but if you persevere you will get it. Try making copies of the included scripts and editing out the ACT1 filenames and replace them with ACT2 commands. If you don't have Playact1 then load the ACT file in the Screening Room like any other file. First it will play the script then it will load the text. Important!!! If you want speed, you are far better off to create ACT2 animation sequences in VGA 320x200 256 color mode. These are assembler routines that throw images directly into video memory. The majority of computers in use today (at the time of this writing) are below 33 mhz. To properly view ACT1 animation you need a 50 mhz system. Keep this in mind if you are appealing to a large audience with your presentation files, or they are intended for varied machines. You can play ACT2 animation anywhere on the screen. The commands ACT2POSX , ACT2POSY, TIMEDELAY, SETPALETTENAME and ACT2NAME, are all you need. A new room called the ACT2 Room has been created to make script writing a snap. Check it out. Requires a medium fast machine. PLAYACT1.EXE may be freely distributed for private use but remains the intellectual property of Rick Sobie. Speeding Up the Program ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This program was designed for use with a modern computer with plenty of memory and disk space, and at least a speed of 50 mhz. It can still be used by a 286 16 mhz, although not as effectively. If you have a slower machine, follow these guidelines and you will get more enjoyment out of this program. For slower machines: Use ACT2 animation in 320x200 mode instead of ACT1 animation that is created in the Cutting Room. See STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC for information on ACT2 animation. You may create ACT1 in the Cutting Room then convert ACT1 to ACT2 animation. ACT1 animation when used with any 16 color palette may be too slow unless you have a very fast machine. Used with a 256 color palette, it is faster, but still requires a computer speed of about 50 mhz to look real. Set all animation delays to 0 whenever possible. ~~~~~~~~~ Important!!! Do not set mouse delays to 0 or you may disable the program. Use CONFIGIT to determine your optimum mouse delay. Or, set mouse using the Mouse Set Icon in The Paint Studio. Pictures that are zoomed out scroll much faster in a graphic window. Use zoom as much as possible. To clear the screen press F3 To save the screen press ALT-S To undo Press ALT-U To load the primary file press ALT-L To quickly load the vector file POINTS.PNT hit F3 then ALT-P CTRL-R Arrow, CTRL-L Arrow, PGUP, PGDN all scroll screen contents faster than mouse control. If screen refresh is too slow for you interupt it with space bar. Caution! don't interupt a save in progress or the file may be incorrect. Confine your Knowledgebase files to a small size. 200 k is probably about maximum for a slow machine. Searching and scrolling large text files is too slow if the file is too large. Work in 320x200 VGA 256 color mode as much as possible. Refreshing the screen at high resolution with a slow system can seem like an eternity. (1200x1024 is over 1,200,000 bytes, 320x200 64,000) Avoid using the pathmask *.* Be more specific *.DOC it will take less time for the program to manage the file list. Work with smaller pictures. Choose the New Pic Icon and enter the size 320 wide by 200 long and work in VGA 256 320x200 mode. Select Full screen in the Paint Studio to have a larger work area. Use the cursor keys or PGUP or PGDN to move the picture around at full screen. Cut up larger files into a manageable size. You can convert a large image by zooming it in, then choosing the Edit button and capturing the window contents. Then save the Clip Board file under another name. Reduce the size of an Image before you greyscale it. Cut up your Clip art files into smaller files. The Clip art size, is only the suggested size. It is loaded like any other graphic VCX. However to stamp the clips using the Clip Art Icon in the Studio, each stamp should fit in the clip art window. If you are working in 320x200, Icon size stamps are best. They are 32x32 and can be made using the New Stamp Icon. To reduce the size of the existing clip art library, cut and paste onto a blank made with the New Pic Icon. Select a width of about 200. Make as many Stamp Files as you want. Just increase the current Stamp Maximum Number in CONFIGIT Options Menu. Clip Art Libraries are named according to number. eg: C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP1.VCX C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP2.VCX C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP3.VCX ... (maximum 3 libraries until registered) Name your clip art libraries this way and and you will be able to switch libraries, while under the controls of the Clip Art Icon. Rember to set the Size Number before pressing the Clip Art Icon. Clip art is zoomable according to the Size Number. The New Clip Art Icon has a preset width, so use the New Pic Icon instead, to make small width blank clip art libraries. Use the scroll bars to scroll images instead of the scroll buttons. The scroll bar moves the image 1/20th it's width or height and the scroll buttons move it 1 pixel and 40 pixels depending on which Mouse button you use. Disable UNDO REDO. When Auto Save is activated ( by default) it saves the image between each operation. A very time consuming endeavour for a slow machine. The convenience of being able to UNO and REDO may not be worth the sacrifice in speed. Run CONFIGIT.EXE to disable AUTOSAVE. You will have no UNDO capabilities but you may still use the capture tools such as the camera,to save the screen. Or use the Autosave Icons manually. If you are running this program under Microsoft Windows, try exiting windows and running the program at DOS. It may speed the drivers up considerably. The file ANIPAINT.PIF is included for you to use. Check this file to be sure it is set correctly for your system. Try optimizing your system. If you have a bit of extra memory it may be used by the program to load it's overlay into EMS. see your DOS manual on Optimizing your System. If you have a SVGA avoid using the 16 color modes. They are at least ten times slower. If all these measures do not help I am sorry. To create a modern program that is geared for an old machine is not logical. Save your money and buy a modern machine and run AniPaint the way it was intended to be used. You won't be disappointed. I hereby apologize for any incorrect information or grammatical errors that may or may not be present. There is always someone who says "Yeah the program was great, but I found a spelling error in the Documentation". I claim literary license. See README.1ST for licensing and disclaimers. Anipaint (c) 1994 Rick Sobie. Playact1 (c) 1994 Rick Sobie Configit (c) 1994 Rick Sobie Cyberfind (c) 1994 Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% *************************** The Cutting Room ****************** This Document is also loaded by the Lower HELP Button in the Cutting Room.(if you are not there now) Important! The Cutting Room Only saves frames to ACT1.ANI on D:\ if D: is available, C: if not. If you want to add frames to an existing animation, or start a new sequence, see below. The Cutting Room Icons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you lose the cursor, click Both Buttons and it will be homed at the top of the Animation Window. To load the Current VCX into the Work Window, press ALT+L. Then use ( CTRL+ -> ), (CTRL + <- ), (PGUP), and (PGDN) to position the image in the Work Window. The Arrows Away From I Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to Zoom the Image in the small Animation Window into the Large Work Window. Under the Icon is a toggle to exclude the currently set Left Color and Right Color ( as set by clicking on the color bar).If the toggle is ON ,it excludes these colors. Click Button 2 on the small rectangle containing Off to turn this feature on and Click on it again to turn it off. The Clear Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click Button 2 on the Icon to clear the screen. Under the Icon is a toggle. Set to Both, it clears both windows. Set to small, it clears only the animation window, and set to Large, it clears the Large Window. The Arrows Towards I Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to Shrink the Image in the Large Work Window into the small Animation Window. Under the Icon is a toggle to exclude the currently set Left Color and Right Color ( as set by clicking on the color bar). If the toggle is ON then it excludes these colors. Click Button 2 on the small rectangle containing Off to turn this feature on and Click on it again to turn it off. The Zoom and scroll Buttons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use these Buttons if you have selected the Scenery Icon prior to entering the Cutting Room. The Scenery Icon Captures the screen and blows up a portion of it into the Work Window and sits waiting to be called by either the scroll buttons to the left of the animation window or the Zoom button. When you use the Zoom button you may zoom out on the scenery that you captured and thereby view more of the scenery. Ideally, you should capture the centre of an area of scenery in the largest screen resolution your machine can manage. In this way, you can zoom in and out with the zoom button to give the effect of distance. Used in conjunction with the scroll buttons beside the animation window, you are able to Pan and Zoom like a video camera. Experiment with it to see how it works. First capture an area with the Scenery Icon, then try the zoom and scroll buttons. Once you have a scenery captured you can superimpose an image onto the scenery. 1) Load or draw an image in the large work window. 2) Use the zoom and scroll buttons to position the captured scenery in the small animation window. 3) Click on the rectangle area below the Arrows towards I Icon, to exclude color. It should read On. 4) Select both right and left colors as the background color of the image in the large work window. 4) choose the Arrows towards I Icon to shrink the image into the animation window. Because you have excluded the background color, only the image itself is copied into the small window thereby superimposing it on the scenery. 5) Choose the Act1 action board to capture the frame. Alternate with the Zoom and Scroll buttons, then superimpose the image again, save the frame again. There are many special effects that can be added to your animations in this fashion. If you hear a beep when you click on Zoom or the scroll buttons, it is because you have not captured any scenery yet. No problem. If sound is disabled you will hear nothing. I do not recommend disabling sound, if you want a more quiet sound then reduce error delays with the Mouse Set Icon. The scenery Icon is also used to locate ACT1 animation on a full screen Picture. Use the Presentation button to paste your animation on the exact location on the page. The Color Button ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The same button that is on the Menu Bar of any Graphic Window. Cycle through the palettes by clicking Button 2 on the Color Button until you find one that suits you. You may add new palettes to Color Buttons by replacing one of the existing menu colors in the Palette Directory or by installing a new menu palette using CONFIGIT.EXE. Color Number 2 on this button reads the palette from the current ACT1.ANI animation. Color number 1 is the greyscaled version of the last PCX that you loaded. It is GREYSCAL.PAL on D: if D: is available or C: if not. The remainder of the color numbers in this button are the menu colors found in C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\MENU#.PAL. To add or replace a menu color on this button: Replace any MENU Color in this directory with another ANIPAINT palette or use CONFIGIT to change the MAXIMUM menu color number. Then name your new palette the next number in sequence. The Animation Window ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you Click on the Action Board anything presently appearing in the Animation Window is captured as an ACT1 frame. If you click on the Animation Window just prior to clicking on the Projector Icon you will be transported to 320x200 mode for viewing of your current ACT1 animation sequence. Both Buttons at the same time brings you back to normal 640x480 mode. The Clip Board Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appearing on the Clip Board is the Current Clip Count Number as set by clicking Button 2 on the Clip Count area to the left of the color bar in the left color rectangle. When a clip is captured using any capture tool, this number is automatically incremented prior to capture. If you click on this Icon you will load the pop up cut and paste menu. You may convert ACT1 animation to ACT2 animation with one of the options there. If you have a slow machine this will require patience. If you have VGA only, go to 640x480 mode, load the ACT1 series to convert into a window. Use the Color Button in the window to change the palette if you want. Capture frames by the EDIT Menu button or press ALT+E on the keyboard. If the Clip Count number is less than 20, it will start at 21 and increment automatically. After you capture the ACT2 frame, Click on FRAME. The next ACT1 frame will be displayed in the window. Continue switching frames and saving ACT2. Then go to the Paint Studio and set the Left Clip Count to 21 and the Right size number to 21+ the number of frames you made.(Usually the Clipcount number before you changed it to 21). With a reasonably fast computer you can convert ACT1 to ACT2 in the Cutting Room with the Clip Board Icon. When you select Convert to ACT2 it captures the small animation contents to the next available Clip Count number. The same format of incrementing automatically is used each time the area is captured. If the current clip count is less than 20 it is incremented by 20. A 320x200 background is added to ensure that the size of the frame is 320x200, an absolute requirement for ACT2 animation frames. You may set the left (fill) color and fill style (The Fill Style Icon) prior to capturing the ACT2 frame. Once captured, you may edit the ACT2 frame with any of the tools by loading it into a window using the Paste Icon. Use the Bluescreen Icon to add a background picture to the frame if you want. Alternate between the small rectangular area below the Projector (in the Cutting Room), this loads the ACT1 frames into the small animation window, and the Convert ACT2 button, found in the Clip Board Icon. The advantage to converting is ACT2 animation plays back faster, and at full screen 320x200 resolution. The disadvantage is that they can not be zoomed. The remaining options in the Clip Board Icon are self explanatory. If you need help, see the Cut Poly Icon in STUDIO.DOC The Crayons ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Icon saves the current palette to the current ACT1 animation sequence file. Replace the ACT1 palette by making a different palette the current palette using the color button, then click on this Icon with Mouse Button 2. The Story Board ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have made a few clips you can load the frames in series, into the large work window. They are positioned 5 across by 5 long. First set the start frame you want loaded into the story board by clicking below the projector Icon. When the story board loads it will start with this frame number. Click Button 2 on a frame in the large window and it loads into the animation window. Click button 1 and the frame in the animation window replaces the frame you clicked on. When the cursor is a magnifying glass this option is activated and the Story Board is active. The Action Board ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quiet on the set, roll em. Click Button 2 on the Icon to save the frame as the next in the series. Important!!: ACT1 animation uses the temporary file called ACT1.ANI. If it exists it is added to. If it does not exist it is created. If you are starting a new sequence and ACT1.ANI already exists, 1) Go to the Screening Room 2) Load ACT1.ANI into a window (It will be on D: if D: is available or on C: if not. 3) Select the window's right corner light button and delete the file. 4) Return to the Studio and begin your animation. ACT1 will be recreated. Once you have created a sequence and you want to save it. You cannot save an ACT1 animation in the Paint Studio. You must be in the Screening Room and ACT1.ANI must be the current file. If you are using D: 1)Press ESC to go immediately to the Screening Room 2)Enter D: on the pathline 3)Click on the word Directory to get files 4)Click Button 2 on ACT1.ANI (it loads into a window) Try out the sequence if you want. 5)Click outside the window. (It closes) 6)Click on the Save Button and select Save ACT1 7)Enter a new name for the ACT1 sequence you created a new copy under a different name is created. If you are using C: omit the reference to D: If you want to load an ACT1 sequence previously saved under another name then you must select the Load Button to add to that sequence. You may use the story board and replace frames, edit frames, swap frames etc. but you can not add to it. You must copy the previous file onto ACT1.ANI using the Load Button to make it current for adding to. This may seem awkward but there are very good reasons why AniPaint reserves temporary files for some processes. Better program control, working on copies protects your valuable work, faster process execution, less File I/O errors, better memory control etc... So.. when you use the Load ACT1 option, the previously saved animation sequence is copied onto ACT1.ANI. Now when you choose the Action Icon in the Cutting Room the frame is added to ACT1.ANI. Again when you are done Save the sequence under the original name or choose another name, but keep the same extension .ANI All ACT1 animation must have the extension ANI or it is not considered an ACT1 animation file. To review the above: New Sequence: Delete the old ACT1.ANI Load Sequence: Choose Load Button. Save Sequence: Screening Room, ACT1.ANI in Window then choose Save button. If you follow this format, you will not confuse the program, and you will work on copies, keeping your originals intact. Under the Action Board is a rectangle showing the current frame number when the sequence is played or the frame is captured to ACT1.ANI. Important!! Load ACT1.ANI into a window like any other file by clicking on the name as it appears in the directory area. When you load a previously saved ACT1 sequence, use the Load button. It copies the old sequence onto ACT1.ANI. Example: You save a sequence using the Save Button and call it NEWNAME.ANI. Then the next day you want to add more frames to NEWNAME.ANI so you use the LOAD Button It says One File Copied if everything is O.K. It has copied the contents of NEWNAME.ANI onto ACT1.ANI. Now you may add to, or edit ACT1.ANI. If this is not clear read it again until it is. If you do not follow these rules you may confuse the program or yourself. The Projector Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The projector plays the current animation sequence in the animation window. It will play the current ACT1 sequence that you load from disk, or ACT1.ANI depending on which is the most current. Even though it may play any ACT1 file, you cannot edit the file until you load ACT1.ANI. A bit of confusion may arise if you are viewing a sequence and start saving frames. The frames will only be added to the file ACT1.ANI, not the animation sequence that you loaded from disk. If it is confused or cannot find the sequence then you will get the message File ACT1.ANI Not Found. If you Click Button 2 on the Animation Window just prior to selecting the projector, you will be transported to 320x200 mode for viewing. (providing mode switching is not currently disabled in CONFIGIT.) Click Both Buttons to return to normal mode. Under the Projector Icon is a rectangle. When you Click Button 2 in this area the next frame is shown in the window. If you Click Button 1 in this rectangle then the previous frame is displayed in the window. Use this area to Step back and forth to test parts of your sequence or to load frames for capture to ACT2 animation conversions. This is also the first frame number that will be displayed by the story board. The Clock Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to set the delay between frames in milliseconds. 100 is about right for my computer, yours may be different. Once an ACT1 sequence is in a window, as loaded in the Screening Room, you may adjust the delay using the options menu button. If you want to vary the delay for more realistic animation then use an ACT Script with different ACT1FRAMEDELAY's between different ACT1 sequences. Remember an ACT1 sequence can be only one frame if you want. See Presentations for more information on ACT scripts in STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC The Scrolling Icons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These three Icon areas contain all the Icons in the upper Icon Bar. For convienience you can scroll these Icons and use them without leaving the Cutting room. Apply any tool to the Large Work Window. However, if the tool requires going to the Screening Room it will be suspended unti you press DONE. Use them on your image in the Large window then Shrink the image into the small animation window using the Arrows Towards I Icon. You cannot directly apply these tools to the small animation window while in the Cutting Room. You must first press DONE, then you may work on it like any other picture. Remember to set the Size Number before using any tool. Rectangular Box Cursors shrink and grow when in contact with the Large Window edges. The DONE ICON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Esc takes you immediately to the Screening Room. If you are in EGA mode you will not see the Bottom Icons, there is not enough room on the screen. Just press ESC when you want to exit. The Lone Paintbrush Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to replace any color in the Large and small windows with the Right Color. (the color to the extreme right of the color bar) 1) Select a Right Color 2) Select the Lone Paintbrush Icon 3) Click Button 2 on the color to be replaced in the Large Work window. The color touched is swapped with the Right Color. This is not a flood fill tool. The Paint Brushes Icon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use this Icon to draw with blocks that are immediately reflected into the animation window. The size of the block is determined by Clicking Mouse Button 1 or 2 on the Paint Brushes Icon. The size number of the blocks is shown in the rectangular area below the Icon. (1..3) A size of 1 shows up in the animation window as a dot pattern for use as shading. Size 2 and up shows up as solid. Here is the tricky part: Once you press this Icon you are in Block Draw mode. Before this, you could select a Right and Left Color by clicking directly on the color in the large work window. However, once you activate the Block Draw, you have to set the Right and Left Colors by clicking on the Color Bar. Button 1 draws blocks in the Left Color and Button 2 draws blocks in the Right Color. To return to normal mode (not Block Draw) select another Icon or click both buttons at the same time. The Block Draw option will be deactivated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Cutting Room is capable of many things and takes practice to master. Create ACT1 animation then share it with your friends. Give the player, PLAYACT1 along with the sequence and they will be able to view them even if they do not have AniPaint. You must now register to receive the player Playact1. You can use CONFIGIT to create an unregistered copy of AniPaint, or give your original compressed copy. You will have hours of fun creating your own movies. AniPaint (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie PLAYACT1 (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ****** Help Index ******* Like all AniPaint Text Files, All words can be instantly referenced by clicking Button 2 on the word, Then click Button 1 on ###***> to go directly to the corresponding line#. The Find button operates the same way without use of the mouse. If automatic is disabled in CONFIGIT you must use Cyberfind manually. If you are using 320x200 mode this document is half width to allow better viewing. Enter the key word you want to search with the Find Button. With Cyberfind indexing is unnecessary. For lack of a better name I called it Help Index. It really isn't indexed at all. (literary license) Palette ~~~~~~~ * What is a palette A palette is a record of Red Green and Blue Values that when mixed together in varied amounts create the drawing and painting colors. * Load a palette from disk To load a palette from disk either 1) In the Studio Click on the crayons then click button 1 on the file name in the screening room. 2) From the Screening Room Change to Palettes subdirectory Choose pathmask *.PAL Click button 1 on the filename * Create a new palette Either cut and paste from existing palettes or use the Palette Icon to blend each individually. Use the Light Bulb Icon or Dark Sky Icon to lighten or darken. If satisfactory click on save * Alter an existing palette First load a palette from disk or load a picture containing palette information. Then do same as above. * Cut and Paste palette colors 1)Use the CutPaste Palette Icon. It saves the colors from the lowest color number to the highest color number to TEMPMENU.PAL. Then paste the palette beginning with the current Left color. * Capture a palette from a picture In the Screening Room 1)Load the picture. 2)Exit the window. 3)Select *.PAL as the current pathmask. 4) Choose Save Button then choose Save Palette under new name. * Change the Current palette Either 1)Load new palette. or 2)Choose color button in graphic window. or 3)Load Picture or 4)Click both buttons above top of screen. or 5)Use Icons to Alter Palette or 6)Use Menu Colors Icon * Change a picture's palette record Select the Picture Color Icon to write the current palette to the current picture file. * Greyscale a palette Choose the Grey Scale Icon. GREYTEMP.VCX will replace the current picture. A color sorted copy of your picture with 256 shades of grey. * Sort palette colors Same as above. The colors are sorted but not changed to grey. * Change one palette color Choose the Painters Palette Icon #6 Choose the color to be altered. Blend color by clicking on colors. * Change the default Menu palette 1) Rename MENU1.PAL 2) Rename your new palette MENU1.PAL * Add a menu Palette Run CONFIGIT.EXE Change Maximum Menu Palettes Rename your palette MENU?.PAL where ? is the new maximum. * Finding a lost palette In a graphic window, click on COLOR and cycle through all the palettes. If it is not found try loading each palette from disk. If still not found, rename your current picture and reload the original from disk. * Saving a palette to disk Choose the Save Button then choose Save Palette. * Prevent Palette changing In a graphic window press Button 1 on Color. Palette changes. Press Button 2 palette changes back. Once the Color button is pressed the program will not alter the palette. * 16 color palette Vga monitors can only show 256 colors in 320x200 mode.In 640x480 use the palette files with 16 in the name. Read manual. Color ~~~~~~~ Understanding Color see STUDIO.DOC. * What are color numbers Each color is assigned a number from 0 to 255. Located in the STUDIO top left corner - when you click Button 1 on any color - is the LEFT Color number. Click Button 2 to change the Right Color number shown top right. * Why does white/black color change White and black are reserved by the program as White #255 Black #0 to maintain readability of Icons and text instructions. See understanding color and below. * Override white/black picture changes In a graphic window, click on Color. Override is now on. * 16 colors The maximum # of colors for a VGA monitor in 640x480 mode. * 256 colors The maximum # of colors for SVGA in this program. * Color changes between programs Some programs reserve colors for program menu use etc. Some programs use the palette record differently. Trial and error is the only way to find out which. * Blending colors in palettes Use Painters Palette Icon #6 Follow instructions. * Blending Colors in pictures Set the Size Number Use the Blender Icon #72 or the Light Dark Icon #73 or Magic Wand Icon #74 or the Cut and Paste Light Dark Icon #80 * Why screen goes black Improper palette record. Click both buttons above top of screen if this happens see understanding color. * Why is background black Many of the tools can omit color #0 in their processes. eg To Paste an image onto scenery. * Why is Color #0 special It is the first color number. when black, it has no value. 0 red 0 green 0 blue. see above. * Why does the picture color scramble A picture is only relevant to it's palette record. see understanding color. * Reducing picture's colors Choose Reduce Color Icon #92 Follow instructions * Increasing pictures colors Set size number Use the Blend Icon #72 * Swapping Colors Choose Eraser Icon #5 or Swap Color Icon #9 * Left color ( fill color ) Button 1 sets the Left Color used extensively by the tools. * Right Color ( draw color) Button 2 sets the Right Color. * Lighten a color If greyscaled: Use the Light Dark Icon #73 or Shade Poly Icon If not greyscaled: Lighten with the Palette Icon #1 * Darken a color Same as above * Chiaroscuro ( light and shadow) da Vinci first developed the use of light and shadow in his painting style. As color gets brighter it appears closer. Farther away things get darker. Shadows are actually shades of purple in bright light. * Painting with light Use the Light Dark Icon #73 with any scaled or sorted palette. * Adding shadows Scaled or sorted palette: Choose the Shade Poly Icon. Set the L color small color # Button 2 then repeat Button 1 until desired darkness. Normal palette: Choose color, or blend palette color with purple, pick tool and paint area. * Removing color Use eraser Icon #5 or Swap Color Icon #9 or Reduce Color Icon #92 * What is Bluescreen Replacing a picture color with the current clipped image. Only the one color is replaced. * Changing clip art colors Set the Right color and left color prior to pressing Clip Art Icon #43 or press RC or LC after. * Changing text colors Choose the Text Colors Icon #97 or Swap Color to change captured text. * Changing Font colors Select Right Color and Left Color prior to selecting Text Icon #86 or create a font using Font Icon #85 then choose darker for darker shadow. The Text Color Icon brightens and darkens the area inside the rectangular cursor if the palette is scaled, and changes colors completely if not scaled. * Icon colors Color numbers 197 to 255 and 0 to 8 are primarily the Icon Colors. * Window colors Clicking on the Color Button in a graphic window cycles through several palettes to the maximum menu palette + 6. Run CONFIGIT.EXE to increase the maximum and add palettes. Loading / Saving Files ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * What is a PCX A PCX is a common picture file format. It carries palette information and a bitmap. Use this format for exporting a picture to another program. * What is a VCX Similar to a PCX, this program uses VCX as it's own picture file format. Not compatible with other programs to date. * What is an ANI This program uses the extension ANI for all ACT1 animation files. Not Compatible with any other program to date. * What is a Bitmap A bitmap is a record of pixel color values as they appear in a picture. May be compressed and carry palette information. * What is a raw bitmap An uncompressed bitmap without palette information. * What is a file header At the beginning of a binary file is a reference to how the binary information is to be interpreted. * What is compression Generally, if two or more consecutive bytes are the same, a marker is used in their place to reduce the size of a file. * Viewing file details Click on the Top Right corner light button in any window. Choose cancel. * Deleting files Click on the Top Right corner light button in any window. Choose Delete then OK * Protecting files Click on the Top Right corner light button in any window. Choose Protect then OK * Renaming files Choose the Save Button or use the Dos Shell to do it manually. * Temporary files This program uses many temporary files. The word TEMP is in the filename. See Screening Room * Finding files Click on Sherlock Icon #44 enter a pathmask. * What is a pathmask A pathmask is the known part of an unknown file name. eg: *.PCX will find all PCX files see your DOS Manual * Importing Files This program can Import PCX files from other programs. * Exporting Files Save as a PCX with the Export PCX Icon #105 * Reading a Text File Load a text file from disk. Use the Find Button in a text window to convert the document if it contains hidden codes. TXTCNVRT.DOC is created. * Loading fonts Choose pathmask *.PAL Load file, palette will change if it is different from the current. * Saving fonts Use the Font Icon #85. Create font. Choose OK Press Y or click on YES to save font. * Viewing a Picture file Load a PCX or VCX or ANI from disk. * Saving a Picture Choose the Save Button. Select VCX Picture. or Choose the Export PCX Icon #105 * Saving a Palette Choose Save Button to save to disk or Picture Color Icon #95 * Saving an Animation File Choose the Save Button then select ACT1 animation. * Saving the Work Space Choose the Save Button then select Workspace CFG . * Creating a Presentation File Choose the Picture Animation Text Icon #106 and follow instructions. It Combines a full screen picture with an ACT1 animation and a text window. or Use the Presentation Button in the Screening Room * Creating a File List Use the File List Icon #54 then in the Screening Room repeat marking files and clicking on the Scale button to automatically append file names to SCRIPT.TXT. When done press File List Icon again to View SCRIPT.TXT . * Combining Files Create a list of file Pathnames with an ACII text editor or use the File List Button. Then answer Yes to process or use Disks Icon #53 to combine then name file. or Use the DOS Shell then the DOS copy command. See your DOS manual for information on the copy command. * Creating a Knowledge Base An Anipaint Knowledge Base is unique because no formatting is required. Any file that contains text can be added to the knowledge base. Use the Combine Files Icon and follow instructions. Similar to File List. * Adding to a knowledge Base Combine files one of which will be your existing knowledgebase. Use Combine Files Icon Follow instructions. * Adding to Clip Art Library An Anipaint clip art file is a VCX that is approx 576 x ? There are approx. 5 images approx 100x80 per row. You may make them any length. 100 rows of 5 is ok but operation is slowed. Run CONFIGIT.EXE to increase the Maximum Clip Art number. Then Rename your VCX to STAMP?.VCX where ? is the new maximum number. * Converting file formats PCX files are automatically converted to VCX when they are loaded. The original is unchanged. VCX can be converted to a 256 color PCX ver 5, uncompressed using the Export PCX Icon #105 Convert text in a text window with the Find Button. * Running CONFIGIT.EXE In the Anipaint Directory type CONFIGIT at DOS. Using a Scanner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Best way to use scanner The best way to use a scanner with this program is to exit the program. Use the Dos command- line scanner software that came with the scanner. Or Windows, if available. Save the file as a PCX. Reload Anipaint, load the new PCX. This will provide the greatest amount of available memory to the scanner and memory will not be used by the program. More memory = larger picture = better resolution. * How to Import Scanned Images Scan as a PCX. Load the PCX into Anipaint (use a 256 color mode when loading). * Improving Scanned Images If the image is a 2 color black and white scanned image, load into Anipaint, then use the Blender Icon #72 to increase color depth. * Converting to clip art Select New Clip Art Icon #47 Width: 576 (suggested) Height: 719 (suggested) Paste clipped images onto picture. ALT-S save screen 5)Drawing Pictures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Easiest methods The easiest is to first trace an image with the Vector Icon. Then capture the trace with #35 the Camera Icon, or start with Clip Art #43 and go from there to the Blender #72 and the Light Dark Icon #73. Remember to set the Size number first. * Recommended methods Each user will in time, and with practice develop their own favourite tools and techniques. I generally start a picture with lines then develop the image with light and shadow. I prefer to use a scaled palette. (The color # gets higher as the shades of one color get brighter) Shading and light provide depth. Given a total choice of 256 colors on screen at one time, the best depth is achieved with a scaled palette. It depends entirely on what style of image you hope to achieve. If you were animating a cartoon you would use a wide variety of bright colors. If you are looking for realism, the easiest way is to use a scaled palette. Any of the tools that shade or lighten work best with a scaled or sorted palette. Therefore I recommend you start with a scaled or partially scaled palette. The best tool for drawing lines is the sketch tool. Set the size number to 1. Then draw the image, alternating the right and left mouse buttons. One to move, the other to draw depending on how the mouse is set. Don't try to be perfect. Change the color to the background color to remove the unwanted lines after. Practice, Practice, Practice. Painting Pictures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Easiest Methods The easiest is to start with clip art and use the Eraser or Paint Brush or Poly Line Fill Icon #76 to fill in the color. * Recommended methods I recommend using the Poly Fill Icon #76. Set the left fill color, the Pattern Icon #64 and the right draw color, then draw and fill the area.In confined spaces use the Eraser Icon #5 to replace the color. Right Color replaces Left. Cutting and Pasting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Combining Pictures Read Understanding Color First. If you Understand that... 1)Each photograph you load wants to use all the available colors. (256). 2) Each set of 256 colors (palette) is different. 3) To combine 2 pictures they must share the available colors. Then you begin to see the need to greyscale photographic images. In this way they can share a palette and maintain their color balance. If the images you wish to combine were created with the same palette there is no problem. Therefore either sort and reduce the color, Icon #7 and Icon #92 (a painstaking chore) or greyscale photographic Images. If you load a 256 color PCX in 16 color mode, it will be converted to 16 colors.(greyscale) * Cut Polygon There are many tools to cut and paste. The best are available in the graphic windows when you load a VCX. Choose the Edit button. The same can be accessed in the CUTTING ROOM, choose the Clip Board and Icons #77 to #82 in the STUDIO. * Cut Rectangle If you want to cut a square area use any of the Cut Rectangle Icons or choose Capture in a Text Window or in the Screening Room. They also have a coordinate ruler. X Y coordinates The standard is that X is the horizontal Left edge. Y is the vertical Top edge. X2 is the horizontal Right edge. y2 the Bottom edge. XY Left Top Corner X2 Y2 Right Bottom corner XY X2Y2 The hypotenuse or angular bisection from Left top corner to Right Bottom Corner. Z would be the depth. This program deals only in two dimensions at this time. Depth is achieved with light rather than perspective, although you may use perspective by calculating it yourself. * Clip Count Number The left number in the left color square (left edge of the color bar) is the clip count number. Unlike most programs that only allow you to work with one cut image at a time, this program lets you use as many clips as you have disk space. Each time you cut an image the number is incremented by one. Pasting does not change the number. You can manually change the Clip Count at any time by clicking the mouse on the Clip Count Number. If you lower the number, Check to be sure you don't write over a needed clip the next time you cut an area. Save the clip with the Save Button if you want to be sure this won't happen. * Finding a clip Use Icons #48 and #50 to view the previous and next clips. Use Icon #75 to find them on C: in the current directory or use searchmode with the path set at CLP*.VCX. * Saving a clipped Image Use the Save Button then choose VCX or use the Dos Shell and rename or copy command. Or Export as a PCX with Icon #105. * Painting with clips (Bluescreening) In television and the movies they use a process called Bluescreening to superimpose an image on a screen background. The news and weather often use this. The background is a blue screen and using trick photography anything blue is replaced by another image. The same principal applies to Icon #55 except any color, not just blue can be replaced by the current clipped image. If you clip an image full window with the Camera Icon #35 you can replace any background color with the image. Press Bluescreen then click the mouse in the top left corner of the window.If necessary put a dab of the color there first. If the clipped image is smaller than the window it will be repeated as many times as it takes to fill the screen. Paste no black #0 A great advantage to pasting images onto backgrounds is the ability to paste just the image, not the black background that surrounds the clip. Depending on the palette you are using black may not be color #0 However by default, it is. It is the color number 0 that determines whether or not the color is pasted, not the actual color itself. The palette you are using may have white as color #0. In this case no white would be pasted. Color # 0 is marked on the color bar when it is to the left of centre. Animating Pictures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have an image, the best part and most fun, is to bring it to life with animation. If you have a slow machine ( less than 33 Mhz) see Other below. * Fastest Methods Five minute animation: 1) Set size number. ( 1 2 or 3) 2) Click on Clip Art. 3) Select image and paste on the right side of window. 4) Select Cutting room Icon #46 5)Click on the Icon with the arrows pointing toward the I to load the image into the animation window. 6) Click on the Delay Clock (100) 7) Click on the action board to save first frame. 8) Select the Size number ( 100) 9) Select one of the Pixel Mover Icons #11 to #18 and apply to an area of the image that you want to move. 10) Load the image into the animation window again with the arrows towards I Icon. 11) Save frame 2 with the action board again. 12) Click on the movie projector. The image moves back and forth. Repeat steps 10 ... 13. * Other Methods If you do not have a fast machine, you can animate full screen in 320 X 200 mode. These routines access video memory directly. They only work if the image is exactly 320 x 200. If you have a series of VCX clips 320x200 1) Set the Clip Count number to the first frame clip number. 2) Set the Size number to the last 3) Select the Movie Projector Icon 4) The video mode is changed to 320 X 200 and the images are thrown onto the screen. Click mouse button 1 to slow down mouse button 2 to speed up. Set the Delay Clock Icon #52 first if you want. Both Buttons or any key to stop the show. Using Scenery The Scenery Icon #45 captures and blows up an area the size of the large work window and delivers you to the Cutting Room. 1)Make a scenery picture as large as you can. Highest capable resolution full screen if you want. 2)Select Scenery Icon. 3)Capture a small area of it. In reality the whole image is captured but only 100 x 80 shows at one time. 4)In the Cutting Room you may now use the Zoom and Scroll buttons to move the scenery in the Animation window. This will give the effect of movement, panning etc in your animation. 5)Create or clip an animated figure. 6) Click on the area just below the Arrows Toward I Icon. This activates color omission. The Left color and right color are now omitted when the image is reduced and loaded into the animation window. Make the Left and Right color the same color as the background. 7)Paste the image onto the scene using the Arrows Toward I Icon. 8) Set the Delay Clock. 9) Save frame with the Action Board Repeat moving the scenery with the scroll buttons and pasting your figure with the Arrows Toward I Icon. Arrows Away from I blows up the image into the large work area. Zooming In and Out ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Experiment to see how it works. Click Button 1 or 2 on Zoom in any graphic window. Click on zoom in the Cutting Room to zoom the scenery that you captured with the Scenery Icon. Scenery does not zoom out past 1. Act 1 animation does not zoom in past 1. It is small enough as it is. Improving Clarity Once you Zoom out past the power of 3 the image is no longer solid. This is to maintain a reasonable speed when the image is painted onto the screen. Remember this program can handle pictures 4000 dots wide by an incredible distance long. I have never tested the maximum length. Hypothetically you would run out of disk space with only one image on the disk. An image 4,000 x 12,000 at the power of only 10 becomes a staggering 40,000 x 120,000 or about 67 feet wide x 150 feet long. The image would require 4,800,000,000 bytes of free space uncompressed. It is for this reason that images are saved at their original size and not at their current zoom factor. You may save at any time but at the power of 10, 1 in 10 pixels are saved. This makes editing very forgiving. I recommend using images the size of the window you are using. Past the power of 3, if you use the Blend or Pixel Movers the black between the pixels will distort the image. To correct this, use the window scroll buttons to shift the pixels without clearing the screen between moves. Using this technique you will fill in the space between pixels. Or activate the Omit Color Pixel Toggle Icon #19 and set Left and Right colors to black # 0. Light and Dark does not effect color # 0 or color #255. However, the Blender and Scatter Icons affect all color numbers. If you zoom in however, and put a square block of color on an image, it becomes a line pattern when zoomed out. Practice and Experimentation are the key. To move around a large picture use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars. They are factored relative to the current zoom. So even if the image was 60 feet wide you would move 1/20 at each location on the bar. A marker is temporarily left on the bar as a place holder. Special Effects ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ghosting Images One of the benefits of zooming out and not filling in the area between pixels, is that this allows you to use that space for another image. You may, when you become adept at animation, simultaneously animate several files on screen at the same location at the same time. However more than 2 becomes confusing to the eye. I have not yet fully explored all the possibilities and combinations but the capability is there for you to explore. Gradient Effects By gradually increasing or decreasing the brightness on a horizontal or vertical plane depth is enhanced. Also it is always darker in the corner where the light is located getting brighter as you move away. Shadows get lighter on their outer edges. Only by experimenting with light and shadow will you develop a style that you can call your own. The tools are there. The proper way is what works for you. Experiment etc... see below Blending Edges Again following the same principals as above. Soften an edge with the Blender Icon #72. It only works on a scaled or sorted palette. With a mixed palette you get rainbows. By using the Blender in combination with the Light Dark Icon #73 and the Scatter Icon #71 and the Shade Poly Icon you have the capabilities to bring life into your drawings. The Pencil Icon #29 and The Sketch Icon #30 also are gradient when the size number is greater than 1 and the palette is sorted or scaled. The Blob Draw Icon #25 is gradient and moveable. Draw your blob, then click button 1 and it is gradiently filled toward the centre. Move the mouse at the same time and the blob moves. Two of the Filled Circle Icons are also gradient. Icon #58 and Icon #60. ( They are actually polygons the number of sides being determined by the size number setting).eg: Size number 8 =octagon At 30 they appear round. Press the space bar to paste the geodesic design. Touching up a photo If the photo is greyscaled it is easy to touch up photos with the Light Dark Icon #73 in combination with the Blender #72 and the Scatter Icon #71. Use the Scatter Icon on shades that are closely matched or it will throw dark colors all over. Remember with Autosave On you have undo and redo capability when working with a VCX image. Areas virtually disappear when you use the Shade Poly Icon. Incidentally this is the best tool for creating shadow with a scaled palette. Magic Wand Removing or touching up an area with a mixed palette such as in a full color photo has been done in the past with cut and paste tools. Now you can use this tool, if careful to cause areas to disappear. Set the size number (30) Press the Magic Icon #74 Move Mouse see cursor Click button 2 and paint with a sampled area opposite the spray. Click button 1 to change direction of spray. An arrow is provided to show where the spray will go. Works like magic. Better at zoom factor 2 . Fonts ~~~~~ Creating new fonts Virtually thousands of Font combinations are possible. Shading, Size, Stretching and depth in endless possibilities. Choose the Font Designer Icon #85 Push buttons, you will soon figure it out with the exception of the stretch and shadow scroll. In the centre of the four way scroll button is the Shadow Stretch toggle. Choose OK when done. You will be prompted to save to disk or not. Either way the font becomes the current font for use by the TEXT Icon #86. I have provided several examples. Fonts must have the extension .FNT The text windows are presently not hooked into these fonts. The text window fonts are the Copyright property of Borland International and have the extension .CHR Text windows are area formatted to allow Cyberfind to operate. It is a delicate operation requiring precision. You may change the font and it's size in a text window with the Font and Size buttons. Cyberfind returns to the machine standard 8x8 font in normal size because the characters are the most consistent in size. Loading fonts from disk Choose Font Files Icon #87 To load a font from disk just click on the name in the Screening Room. Nothing visible happens but the font is made the current font for use with the TEXT ICON #86. Compatibility The fonts you create are in no way compatible or useable in any other program unless they are in a picture and saved as a PCX. Borland fonts extension CHR are compatible with Borland Products. Changing Color Set the Left and Right colors to change the font colors that you make or that have the extension FNT. Text Color in Documents To change the Text window colors choose the Text File Color Icon #97. You may change any color including text in a picture with the Swap Color Icon #9 or the Eraser Icon #5. Adding Text ~~~~~~~~~~~ Easiest Methods Choose the Font Files Icon #87 to select a font. To include text in a picture set the left and right colors then use the TEXT Icon to type text. Then cut and paste onto the picture. Or Capture text in a text window and paste onto your picture. Fastest Methods Set the font style and size in a text window. Capture the text. Load your picture. Paste the text. Recommended methods Practice creating your own fonts and experimenting with the Right and Left Colors. Save every font you make that you like, naming them as descriptively as possible. Font files take up very little disk space. You will soon have a very extensive font library. To date, when you print from a text window the font is not used. You must manually set the font on your printer. Paste text into a VCX picture then Export as a PCX compatible and use your favourite printing program that supports PCX files. Capturing Text In a text window you can cut a rectangular area with the Capture button. You may also make the page current then exit the window and use any Capture or Cut Poly tool in the Studio. Pasting Text Treat the captured text like any other clip board VCX. The Clip Count Number is used the same way as any other clip in this program. AniPaint (c)1994 by Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ************************ Problems and Solutions *********************** Mouse Cursor Problems This program requires a mouse. It also creates it's own cursors. It hides the usual arrow. If you see the arrow during use of the program, your pointing device is not compatible with AniPaint. I have used a standard interupt 33 to hide the mouse cursor but it may not have any effect on your pointing device. Perhaps in a later version I will support your device but for now I am unable to accomodate you. The cursor arrow will overwrite the menus. Program Problems If you are having serious problems with the program I would appreciate hearing from you. Write me, or you can E-Mail me at EXEC-PC. Just leave a message for me and I will try to respond as quickly as possible. I can't fix a problem that I can't identify so please make note of the steps that you took prior to the problem and be sure to include your machine type and all other information that could be pertinent. If you have downloaded it from a BBS and you received error messages during download or if anything unusual happens during decompressing the program, you may have a corrupted copy. If it is a major defect, or ommission, chances are that someone has already brought it to my attention and I have corrected the problem already. Look for a newer version first and be sure you have read the documentation. File Problems 90 percent of all problems associated with computer programs occur with FILE IO (file in out). That is, opening & closing, writing to files, etc. Communication between the program and the hard disk. The reason for this is that many times situations occur that are beyond the control of the program. The user has as much control over the hard disk as most programs. They may accidentally delete needed files or put things in the wrong place, or configure their system in a way that makes program operation difficult or impossible. Read all documentation accompanying this program and you will have a far better understanding of how the program works and what may be wrong. Make sure your system is set up as it should be and that you have a complete copy of AniPaint and that all included files are there where they should be. See README.1ST Free Space You need free space to write information to a file. If you are like most people, you cram as much information onto your hardrive as possible and operated with a minimum of free space. It seems no matter how big your hard drive is it is never big enough. Programs not long ago could be put on a single 320 k floppy. Not any more. Now it seems they are 10 high density disks or over 10 million bytes. I am limiting my program to allow it to be transferred in a reasonable period of time by someone with an older modem . If it wasn't for this fact, I would include far more clip art and additional programming and utilities. Not to mention animation files which can grow to enormous size. Disk compaction helps, but again the information seems to expand to fit the available space. So to avoid problems, if you are not using information on your disk, compress it or back it up and make room. Ongoing maintenance in this area is essential to today's large programs. If you are using Microsoft Windows with disk swapping, you will need even more free space. It uses your disk to create EMS and XMS for use by this and other programs. Depending on how your _default.pif or programname.pif is set. Messing up needed files If you don't know what a file is, don't mess with it. Operation of the program can be Easily totally disabled if you remove or alter a file that the program needs to operate. If not totally, disabled then partially disabled to the point that figuring out what went wrong might be impossible. Keep a neat house. Try not to put your work files in with the program files. Use sub directories. The small inconvenience of switching directories is worth the effort. Stick to convention If a file is text, name it with some sort of text extension and stick to the same format. At least be consistent in naming the file extensions. This program, like most others, loads and handles files according to the last three characters. A PCX is not a PCX unless the extension is PCX. Archive attributes Dos provides several file attributes including READ ONLY. This program allows you to set files as read only by choosing the right corner light button, then choosing protect. The benefit is to provide a safety device to ensure the file will not be overwritten, or accidentally erased, and to protect it in the program from prying eyes. However, if you protect a file that the program needs to write over such as a temporary file, all operations that use that file will be disabled until you unprotect it. At DOS attrib -r removes the protection. See your DOS manual on the attrib command for more information. Recovering deleted files If you accidentally delete a program file, you must go immediately to DOS and use the undelete command to recover it. You will have to compare the list of needed files (README.1st) with the files that exist, to determine what files are missing and what the first letter in the name is. If you wait, the area on the disk will be used perhaps the next time the program writes to disk, in which case you will have to reload the entire program from your back up set. ( which I am sure everyone has) If you don't, you are out of luck plain and simple. It is time to call up a friend and get their copy. Keep that registration number in a safe place, you never know when you might need it. If the wrong file or files get altered, you will have to enter it again. Backing up your work Anything mechanical sooner or later breaks down. It seems that with hard drives the bearings wear out. Where there is any friction there is wear. As long as your computer is on, the disk is spinning, it is only a matter of time. If you have a 210 meg hard drive you probably don't still have just one 320 k floppy drive. Can you imagine backing up 210 meg with 320 k floppies? I highly recommend a tape backup if you are serious about graphics. I use one. It is not lightning fast but it is very easy to use and extremely convenient. I can back up my entire drive while I sleep or make small 20 meg back up sets in 3 or 4 minutes. Not only does it safeguard against disk failure but it protects me from myself as well. Accidental erasure, or if I get off on a wild tangent and decide later to scrap what I have done, I can go back to a point that I am happy with and not have to start all over. Back up your work, it is a chore but it is worth it. See your DOS manual. MS-DOS 6 has a new backup utility option. This program only saves files in a format that it creates, with the exception of PCX. If it does not recognize the format it loads it as text. For all I know there may be other VCX files out there. There most certainly are FNT, PAL and ICO files out there. THESE FILES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS PROGRAM UNLESS CREATED BY ANIPAINT. If you attempt to load a file other than PCX that was not created with this program, unpredictable results may occur. Be sure you have read all the documentation Compression PCX files as well as most older graphic file types use compression algorithms in their files. I do not. There are so many good compression utilities and disk compaction programs that it has become redundant. Speed is the key. An uncompressed file can be loaded faster because there are less steps involved in putting it onto the screen. If you have a fast computer with an excellerator card and tons of on board memory, you may not notice the difference. But if you don't even have SVGA, or are still using a 286, then every bit of speed counts. You may still find this program slow at any rate. If you do, then try to confine your graphic work to 320 x 200 mode. See speeding up the program at the end of SCREENRM.DOC. There are many fine compression utilities available including PKZIP that if you are familiar with communications you will no doubt already have. If not ask someone for a copy. One final note on compression, when you export a PCX from this program it is not compressed either. Compression schemes often change with new versions and I felt that I could extend the compatibility for years to come if I did not compress these files. In my own tests I have achieved a 10 % increase in compaction by using PKZIP on VCX as opposed to PCX. The run length encoding of PCX files is inferior to the compression of PKZIP. The program you load the PCX with, may not know the file is uncompressed. If you want to compress it after you load it into another program, just save the file with the other program. If you are working with a minimum of space, create Batch files that zip and unzip your files as you see fit. You can escape to the DOS shell in either the Paint Studio using the Dos Shell Icon, or use the upper right hand corner light button in the screening room. See your DOS manual on Batch Files and your compression documentation that accompanied the compression utility you are using. The two Icons RUN1 and RUN2.BAT can be user defined to automatically do your periodic maintenance and compression. Important note: If you have limited conventional memory, you will not even be able to use the DOS Shell, let alone any compression utility. Optimize your System first. You may check your available conventional memory by clicking on the little black box beside FILES/DIRECTORY in the Screening Room. To change drives, enter the command C: or D: or A: or B: on the pathline above it. If it doesn't change, press Cancel, then Clear Desk. If things are looking terribly wrong all of a sudden or acting very strange, you may have corrupted configuration files. Delete DRAWCFG.KEY and FILECFG.KEY and they will be replaced by new files when you next load the program. Test the mouse delay in CONFIGIT, then set the mouse delay using the Mouse Set Icon. The Mouse Set Icon takes precedence over Configit. If you disable the program with the Mouse Set Icon you will have to delete FILECFG.KEY in the C:\ANIPAINT directory. AniPaint (c) 1994 Rick Sobie PKZIP is the property of PKWARE. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<********* Graphic Drivers ***********>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In CONFIGIT, Choose a driver in the Graphics Drivers Menu then go to the Program Options Menu and Select that Driver as your default driver. Once you have done this, choose Save in the Program Options Menu. This information will be written into your user configuration file and, when you load AniPaint, that driver will be used. Once inside AniPaint you may switch drivers and modes if your system is capable of other drivers or modes. This program requires a minimum VGA adapter. If you have an EGA only, don't attempt to load a VGA driver, all the wishing and hoping in the world won't make it work. With the SVGA drivers, No checks are made to determine if you have a minimum VGA. So do not use them if you do not have at minimum, VGA capabilities. If you have a VGA or SVGA, you can use the EGA resolution as well. If you are experiencing problems switching drivers in the program, (especially the 16 color drivers), then set the driver in CONFIGIT.EXE, and don't change drivers in the program. Choose the Disable Mode Switching Option in CONFIGIT. This program was designed for 256 color use. It is possible to use it in 16 color mode, however it is slower. I mean SLOWER! Not just a little slower, a lot slower. If you have a fast machine, you get spoiled easy, and when you have to wait a little, it can be very annoying. If you still have a slow machine you may be used to waiting. The smaller the screen, the less information has to be processed. Try to confine yourself to a smaller screen unless you don't mind waiting a bit. See Speeding Up the Program in SCREENRM.DOC. If you have an SVGA with 1 meg of on board memory, then you are lucky, proving the card is compatible. With my Paradise compatible SVGA graphics adapter I can load any of these drivers, and switch back and forth from 16 color in any mode to 256 color in any mode. You should be able to do the same. I still find the 16 color drivers too slow to use for any length of time. ( If you are using Microsoft Windows, try running AniPaint from DOS instead.) If you have a standard VGA, I suggest you use 256 color 320x200 mode. It is fast . However it get's a little crowded since you are actually using only a tiny corner of the intended screen size. Find ways of working around this that work for you. Some tasks will require you to switch to either EGA 16 mode or VGA 16 mode because the screen just isn't large enough in 320x200. Don't try to switch to 1200x1024 if you don't have a machine that is capable of this resolution. If you attempt to convert 2 color PCX in 16 color mode it will not work. Use any 256 color mode first, then switch to 16 color if you must, and load the VCX conversion. VCX files are useable across any driver or mode. Although the palette record must be correct for the mode you are in. In 16 color mode, only the first 16 color numbers are used. If you are trying to view a 256 color photographic image in 16 color mode, it will not look correct. Convert the 256 color PCX using a 16 color resolution. All 256 color PCX files converted to 256 color VCX, are better converted in 256 color mode. The original is always unchanged any time a PCX is loaded. The IBM8514 is also available but you must enter the correct parameters on the command line. ANIPAINT /IBM8514 loads the driver for use with the program. My adapter can not use the IBM8514. The system locks up and I have to reboot. The same may happen to you if your graphic card is not compatible with it. This driver is supplied by Borland International and remains their property. You must enter the command ANIPAINT /IBM8514 <0> or <1> omit the brackets. 0 is 640x480 256 colors and 1 is 1024x768. If this is the driver you use all the time, create a batch file called PAINT1.BAT and PAINT2.BAT to save some key strokes eg: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At DOS type this C:\ANIPAINT>COPY CON PAINT1.BAT ANIPAINT /IBM8514 0 ^Z ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (don't type C:\ANIPAINT> that's the directory you should be in.) The ^Z is done by holding the CTRL key and pressing Z . Repeat the process for PAINT2.BAT and substitute the 0 for a 1. Now when you start ANIPAINT you will type PAINT1 or PAINT2 to load the Program. Once inside you will probably not be able to switch modes. Disable mode switching in CONFIGIT if you have any problems changing modes. See your DOS manual for more information on Batch Files. Use Autodetection for the ATT400 driver. If you have some type of special graphics card or high tech super driver, then one more possibility exits. Use the switch ANIPAINT /other You must have a vendor supplied BGI driver to use this option. A BGI driver is sometimes supplied with the board. It must have the extension .BGI and be put into the ANIPAINT directory. You will be prompted for it's name eg: FASTDRVR.BGI Then you will be asked for a valid graph driver number, and graph mode number to pass to this driver to initialize it into graphics. See your vendor supplied documentation for information. Trying to make a program that can be used by a wide range of machines is difficult to say the least. Only recently have the manufacturers got their act together and are starting to comply to a standard that is compatible. VESA is the standard but not all adapters are truly VESA compatible. The SVGA256 and VESA16 drivers are VESA compatible, so if you have a compatible card there should be no problem. If none of these drivers work for you I am sorry, consider upgrading your system, and when you do, be sure to ask if the graphics adapter is VESA compatible. Almost all graphic programs in the future will support VESA. AniPaint (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie CONFIGIT (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<************* ANIMATION *****************>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Important! If you have a system slower than 50 mhz , read Speeding up the Program at the end of SCREENRM.DOC. Use ACT2 animation instead of ACT1 animation. There are many types of animation and many things people refer to as animation from ANSI text to sprite animation in video games. This program uses animation the same way they do on T.V. and in the Movies. One frame at a time. You create a series of frames, then you play them back quickly. ACT2 Animation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ACT2NAME ACT2 animation can be captured in 200x320 or 320x200 anywhere on the screen. If you select 200x320 you will not be able to use the fast assembler routines (FAST320x200VCX see below). Use the ACT2 Drive-in Icon, or load an act script, or use the ACT2 Room to view the sequence. (resonably fast machine req.) To capture ACT2 that can be displayed anywhere, use ALT-E and choose Capture ACT2 Animation. FAST320x200VCX If you feel the need for speed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These routines write directly to Video Memory and because of this the file size must be 64776 bytes. 320x200=64000 bytes + 776 bytes for the file header. When you save as a FAST320x200VCX ACT2 animation CLIP, it is saved at 320 pixels wide by 200 pixels long. Easy Method *********** 1) Load any picture any size into a graphic window. 2) Clip or zoom or manipulate the image with the scroll bars or buttons until it is approximately 320x200 in the left top corner of the window. 3) Choose the Edit Menu button on the top row of the window. 4) Select Capture ACT2 animation. The area 320x200 in the top left corner is saved as CLP#.VCX where # is the next Clip Count number in sequence. It will be saved on D:\CLIPS if it is available or on C: in C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not. The Clip Count Number will be incremented by twenty if the current clip count number is less than twenty. This is to separate your scratch work clips from your animation clips. All clip boards use the Clip Count number to determine the name of the file. See Clip Count in STUDIO.DOC for more info. 5) Repeat steps 1 through 4 above. 6) When you have a few ACT2 Clips saved, go to the Paint Studio and set the Clip Count number (extreme left of color bar) to the number of the first clip that you made. 7) Set the Size Number (extreme right of the color bar) to the number of the last Clip that you made. Again, so I make myself clear, the first frame starts playing at the currently set Clip Count number and plays frames until it reaches the Size Number, then it repeats. In this case, if you have made no clips prior to starting this, the first frame will be 21 and the last will be 21 + the number of frames. Once you have done this Play back the series by selecting the Projector Icon #51. If you hear a series of clicks, either the Clip count number or the Size number are not set correctly and the routine cannot find one or more frames. If mode switching has been disabled in CONFIGIT.EXE you will first have to switch to 320x200 mode using CONFIGIT. If you have followed the instructions above and you have a system capable of VGA 320x200 mode in 256 colors (any standard VGA) then you will see the frames being played. If the frames are all the same it will appear as if nothing is happening. Use Mouse Button 1 to slow down the frames or Button 2 to speed them up. The default delay is 50 milliseconds or as set by the next Icon the Delay Clock #51. Set the Size Number, Click on the clock. That sets the delay time between frames. Once the sequence is playing you may still use the mouse to speed up or slow down. To exit the animation sequence, Click both mouse buttons at the same time. To vary the delay for more realistic animation, write a script and use the command TIMEDELAY: see ANIMATION SCRIPTS below or Presentations in SCREENRM.DOC for more information. Standard Method *************** 1) Go to the Paint Studio. 2) Draw or edit a picture until it is 320x200 3) Save the frame with the Action Icon #49 It keeps track of the frame number and is displayed on the Icon. 4) Use any of the tools to alter the image. 5) Click again on the Action Icon, the frame is saved. Remember only the area 320 pixels x 200 pixels in the left top corner of the window is saved. If you are in 320x200 resolution mode, the entire screen is saved. Continue altering, saving, redrawing etc until you have the series of clips that you require, then set the Clip Count number to the first clip frame number and set the Size number to the number corresponding to the last frame number. 6) Use Icons #48 or #50 to view the previous and next Clip Board files. 7)Load the clip into a window then choose the Save Button to rename it. To do this, go to the Screening room and change drives to D: if D: is available then switch directories to CLIPS, then enter CLP*.VCX on the pathline. If D: is not available then change directory to CLIPS and enter CLP*.VCX on the pathline. In the Paint Studio you may choose the ClipBoard Icon #75. It does the same thing for you using Searchmode. The directory list will appear in the Directory area. Then load the clips one at a time and save them one at a time using the Save Button. Once they have been renamed you can no longer play them in the Studio. You have to enter the names into a list or Script and play them back either in the Screening Room or with PLAYACT1 at DOS. When you create a Presentation using the last Icon in the Studio or the Presentation Button in the Screening Room it does not prompt you for ACT2 animation. It only prompts you for ACT1 animation because ACT1 animation is one file. If it prompted for ACT2 animation you would have to type in every file name in your sequence which would no doubt lead to too many errors. Instead I have created a Room to make this task easier. The ACT2 Room Important!! SVGA 256 color mode required. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remember! In the ACT2 Room, Mouse Button 2 is the enter or activity button and Mouse Button 1 instantly exits the ACT2 Room. When you enter the ACT2 Room, it automatically loads three clips into small windows, starting with the current Clip Count number - 1. If the Clip Count Number is 22, it will display Clip #'s 21,22, and 23 in a small window. Since the Current Clip Count (in this example) is 22, Clip # 22 will be put in a 320x200 window in the Left Top corner. If the Clip number is yet unused, it will say "Unused Frame". If the Clip is Larger or Smaller than 320x200, then an X will appear in its place, and the message "Not an ACT2 Clip" will appear below it. All ACT2 animation must be 320x200 because of the way these routines are optimized for speed. Use the Icons in the room to create an ACT script that can be played at any time. Keep in mind that if you are using a Ramdrive (recommended) then in order to save these clips, you must copy them to C: or they will evaporate when you shut off your computer. Suppose you wanted to save all the clips in D:\CLIPS. Use the DOS Shell or Exit to DOS and at DOS you first create a directory for them. Eg: C:\ANIPAINT> MD C:\MYSHOW This would create a subdirectory of C: called MYSHOW. Then you would issue the command: Eg: C:\ANIPAINT> Copy D:\CLIPS\*.VCX C:\MYSHOW All the Clips in D:\CLIPS would be copied to your new subdirectory. Be sure you have enough space on C:. If you are not using a Ramdrive D: , then your Clips will be in C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS. If you wish to save the sequence follow the same procedure as above only substitute C:\ANIPAINt\CLIPS\*.VCX. If you do not copy the files to somewhere else, they could be overwritten the next time you save an ACT2 Frame. Important!! ACT Scripts can be played by ANIPAINT or PLAYACT1. Either way they need to now where the files are, so if you copy *.VCX to another Directory, you will have to Edit the Script. Change all the listed Path Names to the New Directory. Use any text editor such as DOS EDIT or a word processor to edit the Script. It must be ASCII text (no hidden codes). Also, the palette that the sequence uses should also be copied to your new directory. If you used the ACT2 Room, the palette is saved as ACT.PAL on entry, and if you change the palette (using the Picture Color Icon) then ACT2.PAL is created. Both are put in C:\ANIPAINT. Remember! To play an ACT Script all the necessary files listed in the Script, must be available. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ How to Use the ACT2 Room Important!! SVGA 256 color mode required. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Requires a fast machine. see FAST320x200VCX below for slower machines. All ACT2 frames start above # 20. Remember! In the ACT2 Room, Mouse Button 2 is the enter or activity button and Mouse Button 1 instantly exits the ACT2 Room. The ACT2 Room writes the temporary script called SHOWIT.ACT. Treat it like any other ACT script. Special Functions ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ When you click on a small frame, the contents are transferred into the large window. When you click on the large window it is added to the script. Along with the currently set Time Delay. If you click on the word "Delete" in the script window, the line opposite the word is deleted from the script. Use the scroll buttons to scroll lines in the script. The 1- Clip Board Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to reduce the Current Clip Count by one and display the contents of the clip in the Top Left Corner. The 1+ Clip Board Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to increase the Current Clip Count by one and display the contents of the clip in the Top Left Corner. The Roll Em Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Three Clips , clip count-1, clip count, and clip count +1 are displayed in small windows, and Clip Count is displayed in a 320x200 window in the Left Top corner. The Director Speaks Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to fetch a clip that is not 320x200. The usual pop up clip menu appears with several self explanatory options. Since all ACT2 animation must be 320x200, this is the only way to bring a non ACT2 clip into the ACT2 Room. The Casting Call Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to load the Clip Art window. If you have created a number of characters, you may want to add them to a Clip Art Library, so you will be able to call on them at any time. See STUDIO.DOC for information on the Clip Art Icons. The Zoom and Draw Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to zoom the Current Clip out, and work on it using the Upper Icon Bar Tools. (provided for convienience) When you are finished editing the clip, click on the scroll bar (horizontal or vertical) to reload the clip to it's normal size. You may use the Edit Button in the active window to save the frame or save it using the ACT2 Action Board. You must save the ACT2 frame prior to returning to the ACT2 Room or the changes made will not be saved. Be sure to adjust the Clip Count number ( left of color bar) prior to saving the clip. The ACT2 Drive In Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This Icon displays the current script. It does not repeat because the command REPEATEND: is not added to the script until you exit the ACT2 Room. If you want to view the script with the sequence repeating, go to the Screening Room and load the file SHOWIT.ACT. SHOWIT.ACT is the temporary file created in the ACT2 Room. The ACT2 Room Action Board ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Unlike the other ACT2 action board in the Upper Icon Bar, this Icon lists the Clip Count Number it will save as. The other lists the current number but increments the number prior to saving the clip. When you click on this Icon the area 320x200 in the Top Left corner is saved. If the number showing in the Icon is 21, the name will be D:\CLIPS\CLP21.VCX if D: is available, or C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS\CLP21.VCX if not. If the file name is in use it is automatically overwritten. Use the scroll buttons beside the Icon to reduce or increase the Clip Count Number prior to saving the clip. The Clear Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to clear the area 320x200 in the Top Left corner. The Delay Clock ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to set the delay between frames. Click on it and the command TIMEDELAY: is added to the script. Use the scroll buttons beside the Icon to increase or decrease the delay. Outside of the ACT2 Room, the delay is set by first setting the SIZE Number to the correct amount, then clicking on the Delay Clock Icon in the Upper Icon Bar. If you want to quickly reset the delay to 0 in the ACT2 Room, just click the mouse on the delay number in the right side of the message bar. ( where the size number is usually located). If you have a slow system, you will want to keep this number at 0. If you want the script to pause, add several TIMEDELAY: commands in a row. The maximum for each delay is 6000 milliseconds.(6 seconds). If you want an indefinite delay add the command READAKEY:. This will delay until a key is pressed or the mouse is clicked. The Menu Color Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to cycle through the menu palettes. The changes are instant. If you change palettes, remember to save the palette to the script using the Picture Color Icon. (see below). The Save Script Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Choose this Icon to rename the current script. The ACT2 Room automatically writes SHOWIT.ACT. If it exists it will be overwritten. If you want to save the script, use this Icon before leaving the ACT2 Room. Otherwise the next time you enter the ACT2 Room, SHOWIT.ACT is rewritten from scratch. ACT2 Position in Script ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If you choose this Icon, you will be able to choose the location where the ACT2 animation will be displayed on screen. click Button 2 to record the position to the script . Remember! In the ACT2 Room, Mouse Button 2 is the enter or activity button and Mouse Button 1 instantly exits the ACT2 Room. The Picture Color Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to save the current palette as C:\ANIPAINT\ACT2.PAL and the command SETPALETTENAME:ACT2.PAL is added to the script. Keep in mind if you want to save the script to show other people, you must include the file ACT2.PAL or the palette won't change. If you want more than 1 palette change, you must copy ACT2.PAL onto another name first. ACT2.PAL is written over every time this Icon is pressed. ACT.PAL is rewritten every time you enter the ACT2 Room and ACT2.PAL is rewritten each time you use this Icon. The ZAP Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Use this Icon to delete the current Clip. The Current clip is the clip corresponding to the current Clip Count Number. You will be asked for confirmation prior to deletion. Answer Y or N when prompted. The Done Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The sames as clicking Mouse Button 1. You exit the ACT2 Room. The screen is not cleared to allow you to work on the current clip if you wish to. The Help Icon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Help Icon Loads this file into a window. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may also add ACT2 animation to any ACT script file with an ASCII text editor or word processor that can export ASCII text. Just add the command ACT2NAME:framepathname, where framepathname is the valid path of the file. eg: C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS\CLP22.VCX See Presentation Button in SCREENRM.DOC for more information on ACT script files. FAST320x200VCX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Very Important!! All FAST320x200VCX animation sequences are played in 320x200 VGA resolution only. In the Paint Studio, if the current video mode is not 320x200 VGA it will be switched to it unless mode switching is disabled. If you mix ACT1 animation with FAST320x200VCX, separate them and put the FAST320x200VCX animation in a separate script. Then run them with a batch file. You may mix ACT2NAME ACT2 animation because it plays in any resolution, providing your machine has the capability. Also you must save the Palette of one of the frames and enter the command SETPALETTENAME:palettename.PAL where palettename is the name of a valid Anipaint palette file, before the list of ACT2 frames or the palette will probably not be correct. Be sure to include a copy of your palettename file, if you give the animation sequence, to someone, for viewing. Act1 animation sets the palette automatically but the FAST320x200 does not, as this again would slow things down.If you have more than one palette change, save the palette again and enter that name prior to the frame that uses a different palette. Use the command TIMEDELAY to set the delay between frames in the script. The maximum delay is 6000 milliseconds. So if you want it to delay for an hour between frames you will have to repeat the command many times in a row, the total adding up to the desired wait. To edit the sequence either set the clip count number manually to the corresponding frame number and write over it with the next clip or load the file into a window and click the right corner light button of the window and choose delete to destroy the frame. If you don't write over the empty clip you will hear a click every time that the projector Icon trys to play the frame. To edit a script just delete the line containing the name. Even if you are working in 16 color mode, the files will be 256 color VCX with palette information attached to the file. Any time you are in 16 color mode in this program you are using a 256 color palette but only viewing 16 of the 256 available colors. The benefit to this is you can create the files in any mode and then play them in 256 color 320x200 VGA mode when you want to view them. However depending on the palette the colors may or may not be correct. Check the palette colors first by loading one of your clips in 320x200 256 color mode. You can change the palette of any picture by using the Picture Color Icon #95 in the Paint Studio. Finally, if you are planning on sharing your animation with the world, keep in mind that although PLAYACT1 can use screen resolution to 1024x768, fewer computers are out there that support SVGA than support VGA at this time. Also there are fewer 50mhz computers than there are slow machines, so use ACT2 for speed. Draw backs ********** Act2 animation files are not compressed because of the need for speed. Compression slows things down too much by adding steps to the file handling routines. 10 ACT2 animation frames are 647,720 bytes. 100 frames are 6,477,200 bytes so watch your disk space. They play back faster if they are on D: because D: is a Virtual Drive On a fast modern system you may not notice any difference at all on C: or D:. Hard drive Access speed , size of cache etc.. are all determining factors. If you have made a series of clips that you want to share with the world, they compress very well with PKZIP. Just uncompress them before playing the script. I am providing a player free of charge with this release. It is called PLAYACT1.EXE It plays any ACT script and may be distributed freely for private use although I reserve all rights to it. If you load an ACT script file in the File Screening Room it will play the script then load the script into a window so that you can view the script. ACT scripts must have the extension .ACT . If not they will not play in the File Screening Room. If you want to combine FAST320x200VCX ACT2 with text in a presentation, you will have trouble fitting text onto the screen. Use ACT2NAME instead and display it in a window anywhere on the screen. You should have a fast machine to use ACT2NAME animation. Text in 320x200 mode is really crappy. There just isn't enough room to put text with a nice font onto the screen. You will either have to use the default system font or Font #2 (the small font) or create your own small font with the Font Creator Icon in the Studio. See STUDIO.DOC for more information. One way around this would be to create a batch file that calls Playact1 using different resolutions and different ACT script files. Using higher resolutions for text and perhaps some ACT1 animation and using 320x200 mode for ACT2 animation sequences. See your DOS manual for information on writing batch files. See the ACT2 Demo by clicking on Demos in the Screening Room and selecting ACT2 Demo. Due to the size of these files I could not include real samples with this package. However they will be created when you use the demo. The pixel mover Icon is loaded. Use Button 2 to move some pixels then click Button 1 to end the first process. Next the first frame will be saved for you and then another direction of pixel mover will be loaded. Again move some pixels by pressing Button 2 . Button 1 to end that process. Next the frame will be saved again for you and the process continues until 5 frames are done. Then when the fifth frame is saved it is played back for you. If everything is all right you will see the changes you made happen in sequence on the screen. If you have a real slow machine the animation may still not be fast enough for a realistic effect. If you have a reasonably fast machine the changes in frames will happen quickly. At least you will get an idea of the speed. To truly see the speed, create a character yourself and try it in the Paint Studio. You must be in a 256 color mode to use this demo. Clip Count numbers from 100 to 105 will be used on D:\CLIPS if D: is available or C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not. If these files already exist because you have previously made a hundred clips in one session (unlikely) and you need them, rename these existing clips that you have made prior to running the demo. Converting ACT1 to ACT2 animation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have a slow machine this will require patience. If you have VGA only, go to 640x480 mode, load the ACT1 series to convert into a window. Ignore the palette if you are converting 256 color sequences. The palette can be corrected if need be, back in 256 color mode. Use the Color Button in the window to change the palette if you want. Capture frames by the EDIT Menu button or press ALT+E on the keyboard. If the Clip Count number is less than 20, it will start at 21 and increment automatically. After you capture the ACT2 frame, Click on FRAME. The next ACT1 frame will be displayed in the window. Continue switching frames and saving ACT2. Swithch back to 320x200 VGA mode if you can. Then go to the Paint Studio and set the Left Clip Count to 21 and the Right size number to 21+ the number of frames you made.(Usually the Clipcount number before you changed it to 21). Even if you have a slow machine, you may wish to use the Cutting Room to create an animation sequence, then convert it to ACT2 320x200 to play it back quicker. To do this, create an ACT1 sequence of frames, then choose the clip board Icon in the Cutting Room. There is an option in the pop up menu that will capture the small animation window and save it as an ACT2 320x200 frame. A background is added to compensate for the difference in frame size. ACT1 is 100x80. Each time you save a frame the Clip Count is incremented. Alternate loading your ACT1 frame into the animation window and saving the ACT2 frame using the Clip Board Icon. When you are done, treat the clips like any other ACT2 frame. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ACT1 Animation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have a fast machine you will enjoy creating animated sequences using the Cutting Room. Advantages ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The advantage to using ACT1 animation is that the frames are Zoomable and they run in any resolution. Using the Story Board Icon you can trade frames with ease. In fact you can create an animated sequence of 100 frames in 15 minutes once you know how to use the cutting room effectively. ACT1 animated sequences can be incorporated into a Presentation with a Full Screen background and a text window. Change palettes at the touch of a button. Pan Zoom and many special effects including blurred movement can be used. You have complete control of the sequence in a window specially designed for them. Just load the ANI file into a window like any other file in the Screening Room. One advantage to their small size is that imperfections don't show up quite as much. You draw in the window zoomed out and the frame is shrunk when it is loaded into the animation window. All the tools you need are conveniently contained in the Cutting Room. Image ghosting, fades and multiple sequences at the same time are possible, not to mention the myriad of possible combinations that have not yet been explored. You can superimpose them on a background first created with the Scenery Icon. Another advantage is that all ACT1 frames are contained in one file. ACT2 frames are all separate files. Disadvantages ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They are not very big because even a 486 66mhz is not fast enough to manipulate a large ACT1 animation sequence. They do not use direct video memory access. They use high level routines. Switch resolutions to 320 x 200 and they seem larger, or zoom them out. They are not very fast for the same reason. Image quality becomes grainy at higher zooms in order to retain the speed and maintain their device independence. Use a solid black background behind a zoomed out ACT1 for best visibility. (If you were to create 100 frames full screen at 1200x1024 that would be 120 meg. Not very practical). Creating ACT1 Animation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whenever you create ACT1 animation it uses the temporary file ACT1.ANI on D: if available or C: if not. When you create the first frame with the Action Board Icon in the Cutting Room it looks to see if ACT1.ANI exists. If it does the frame becomes the next frame in the sequence. If ACT1 does not exist it creates it. If you want to begin a new sequence Save ACT1.ANI under another name with the Save Button (if you want to save a previously made sequence) and then delete ACT1.ANI by loading it into a window in the Screening Room and choosing the right corner Light Button. Then choose Delete. Now when you save the frame, ACT1.ANI is created from scratch and the frame becomes frame 1. To change or save the Palette to the file, use any Icon or Button that changes the palette, to make the palette you want, the current active palette. Then choose the crayons in the Cutting Room to write the palette info to the ACT1.ANI file. Only one palette is allowed per file. To change palettes in a sequence use an ACT script and create two different sequences, palette changes between ACT1 sequences. Easy Method SVGA 256 colors 640x480 mode *********** 1) Set the size number to 5 2) Choose New Pic Icon and set the height and width to the default 640x400; 3) Click on the Clip Art Icon 4) Select a clip art image and paste it on the right side of the current window. 5) Click on the Cutting Room Icon. 6) Click on the Arrows Towards I Icon to load the image into the animation window. 7) Click on the Action Board Icon and the first frame is saved. 8) Use any of the Pixel Mover Icons to move parts of the clip art image in the large window. 9) Again choose the Arrows Towards I Icon to load the altered image into the animation window. 10) Save the frame again with the Action Board Icon. 11) Test the sequence with the Projector Icon. You will see the image move in the animation window. If you click on the animation window and then on the projector you will be put into 320x200 mode for viewing. (Providing the Mode Switching Option is not set to Disable). Click both buttons to return to normal mode in the Cutting Room. The window is not cleared when you choose the Done Button to allow you the freedom to manipulate the window with the tools in the Upper Icon Bar. You must exit the Cutting room to use the Upper Icon Bar. However, Icon Bar tools are available in the Cutting Room in the three scrolling Icon areas. * You may Want a larger window to work with or * You may want to use Autosave or * You may want to go to the Screening Room to retrieve a file etc. If you want to load the current VCX into the Large Work window, press ALT+L on the keyboard. If a VCX file is current, the file will be loaded. ALT+C loads the Clip Art Window. Once you are familiar with the program, you could create a Clip Art library of characters. Then when you are making a sequence, you can capture any cast member, by clicking ALT+C and loading the Clip Art library containing the members of the cast. (See STUDIO.DOC on Clip Art Libraries.) When you want to go back into the Cutting Room just click once again on the Cutting Room Icon. To Exit the Cutting Room choose the Done Icon. The cutting room requires a screen size of at least 640x480 to operate correctly. If you lose the cursor, Click both buttons. If you have to exit fast then press ESC. ALT-X will exit the program or choose the Exit Button. The Cutting Room is a program all into itself. It has many small subtle features that take a while to understand and use correctly. There is a Help Button in the Cutting Room. Click Button 2 on it to get help on each Icon. Help on the three scrolling Icon areas is located in the Upper Icon Bar by clicking Both Buttons on the individual Icon that you want help with. If in the Cutting Room you will have to exit the Cutting Room in order to get this help. It is recommended that you at least become a little familiar with the Upper Icons before you use them in the Cutting Room. Using ACT1 in a script you can manipulate them easier. The script doesn't care how many frames there are. One frame is still ACT1 as far as it is concerned. So you can combine numerous sequences into a movie with special effects if you master both ACT scripts and the Cutting Room. The Presentation Button in the Screening Room or Presentation Icon in the Studio create scripts. Or you can create one with a word processor providing the file is plain ASCII text. Play ACT1 animation by loading the ANI file or ACT script file into a window or by using the stand alone player called PLAYACT1.EXE. Type PLAYACT1 /h at DOS in the directory containing PLAYACT1.EXE for help using PLAYACT1. It is not included with this shareware release but can be obtained by registration. The three uppermost Icons in the cutting room are The Arrows Away from I Icon, The Clear Icon, and the Arrows towards I Icon. They each have an option that you can click either ON or OFF. With the Arrows to and away Icons the toggles determine whether or not you want to omit colors when the image is shrunk into the Animation window or Expanded into the large window. In the Off state, all colors are transferred including the background. In the On state the Left and Right Colors are omitted. Click on the Color Bar to change the Right (Fill Color) and Left (Draw) colors. If you have not selected the Paint Brushes Icon then you may select the draw color by clicking on any color in the large window. If you select the Paint brushes icon then Button 1 draws blocks the size determined by Brush Size Number below the Brushes Icon and the color determined by the Right Color. Button 2 draws blocks in the Left Color. When you use this Icon the blocks are automatically transferred into the animation window at the same time. (The same way as in the New Button Icon) Use a brush size of 1 for shading. When you select another button or Icon the paint brush is deactivated. If you want to transfer the entire image in the large window to the small animation window then use the Arrows towards I Icon. The Paint Fill Icon is actually a Color Replacer and not a flood fill tool. Click Button 2 on the lone paintbrush and it is activated. Click Button 2 and it is deactivated. When active and Button 2 is pressed it replaces any color it touches with the Right Color. Once you have a few frames you can load the Story Board with the Story Board Icon. The Story board loads the Large window with the ACT1 frames. The cursor becomes the magnify cursor. When the magnify cursor is active, you can click Button 2 on one of the frames to reload the frame into the animation window. When you Click Button 1 on a frame the image in the animation window replaces that frame. Once you select another Button or Icon then the Story Board is deactivated. Once you have completed your session choose the Done Icon to exit the Cutting Room, go to the Screening Room, load ACT1.ANI into a window, (D:\ACT1.ANI if D: is available) and choose the Save Button, to save ACT1.ANI under another name. You may load an OLD ACT1 sequence back into the Cutting Room by using the Load Icon. Select Load ACT1 and enter the name of the ANI file you want to edit. It is then copied onto ACT1.ANI leaving the original unchanged. You may now load the Sorry Board or add another frame. See CUTTNGRM.DOC for more help. AniPaint (c)1994 Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% <<<<<<<<<<<<<<*********** Problem Finder *************>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is the file protected? If so enter the DOS command filename.ext ATTRIB -r at DOS Is a file lost? If so run CONFIGIT.EXE read docs find lost filename then enter the DOS command UNDELETE enter the lost first letter. DO IT NOW if it doesn't work reload your backup set. Is your Disk Full? Click on the little black box beside FILES/DIRECTORY in the Screening Room. If so then delete files and make space. Do you have enough memory? Does the Dos Shell Icon Work? if not you need more free memory. Remove all memory resident utilities in AUTOEXEC.BAT Optimize your system. See your DOS Manual. Are you having problems with drivers? If so run CONFIGIT.EXE check which drivers work. Avoid the 16 color drivers if they are causing problems. Try disabling mode switching in CONFIGIT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read ANIMATE.DOC concerning ACT1 animation Read CUTTINGRM.DOC concerning the Cutting Room. If ACT1.ANI exists it is added to if it does not then it is created. If you are having trouble erase ACT1.ANI on D: if D: is available and C: . Go to the cutting room and try again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read ANIMATE.DOC There is a possibility that the memory address is incorrect for your current machine and configuration. If so then run the program from DOS with a clean Boot. (Not Windows and no Memres utilities). ACT2 animation in 320x200 mode uses the standard VGA address. If you don't have at least a VGA monitor then forget about it it uses the standard VGA memory adress. ($A000) (See your monitor or graphics adapter card documentation .) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are having problems with your Draw Configuration File. Erase DRAWCFG.KEY and it will be replaced by a new copy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Paint Studio cannot operate without BIN4.FLE If this file is missing or corrupt you will have no Icons. Replace it from backup or use the DOS Undelete command if you accidentaly erased it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read STUDIO.DOC on the Clip Count Number. All clip boards use the Clip Count number. Clips are kept on D:\CLIPS if D: is available or C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read the first part of this Document. Read STUDIO.DOC on all Fill tools. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the program cannot communicate with the Printer. The printer is supposed to be connected to LPT1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The program will abort printing if you touch any key or it runs out of paper or if the Program receives any error message from the Printer at all. Read Printer Q&A and your Printers Manual under Trouble Shooting. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Screening Room cannot Operate without a Directory List. The only thing I can think of that would prevent this is a lack of Disk Space or Available Memory. See the beginning of this Document. ==================================================================== Tool Problems The most common tool problems are cursor problems. Run CONFIGIT.EXE and adjust the mouse. If you cannot find the cursor when you start a process try moving the mouse up, it may be below the screen, too low for your current resolution. If you cannot find the cursor at all then click Both Buttons. If you are not familiar with the way that all Box Cursors shrink and Grow at the edges then read STUDIO.DOC If the Fill tools are not working then again read STUDIO.DOC they are not like normal fill tools in other programs. If a tool is not working at all then reload your backup set. ====================================================================== AniPaint (c) 1994 by Rick Sobie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Click on a number then test drive to try it. This is a Window Demonstration file. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Exit a Window ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Move cursor over top of Window. 2) Click any Button. File Name Area #1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Located top left of window is the File Name Beside the Name are the Picture dimensions if the file has a VCX extension. To Move a Window: 1) Click Button 1 on Name. 2) Move mouse. 3) Click Both Buttons. To Resize a Window: 1) Click Button 2 on Name. 2) Move Mouse. 3) Click Both Buttons. To View File Details, Protect or Delete #2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click on the Upper Right hand corner light button. A Window Pops up With File Details and Buttons to Protect or Delete the File. See SCREENRM.DOC for more help on protecting. or See your Dos Manual This Window is On ( Light is Green or Blue). Too See a Window in an Off state (Light is Red), Click on #2 again. Scrolling Window Contents to the Left #3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click button 2 on the right bottom scroll button and text or graphics is scrolled one line to the left. If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll button will cause all the pixels to shift left one If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will not clear the screen first. Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and redraws the screen. Use arrow keys or Click button 1 and the picture is scrolled 40 lines and text is scrolled 25 lines (1 page); CTRL+ARROW key does the same. Load the Secondary Bitmap #4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you are in the Paint Studio, it uses 2 files. The second is VCXTEMP2.VCX. This file is like a backup and is used to undo mistakes. When you begin a new picture or load a picture this file is automatically created. Autosave alternates between this file and the primary VCX. Load this file by clicking Button 2 on the Horizontal Scroll Bar, when the window is in an off state. Click on the Vertical Scroll Bar to load the Primary VCX. See STUDIO.DOC for more information. The Bottom Scroll Bar #5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the window bottom is a bar that houses the Window Help Line and the Picture Positioner. The Window Help Line ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ongoing instructions can be found on the bottom bar when help is available. The Picture Positioner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the Window contains a Graphic Picture, if you Click Button 1 the picture is moved Right an amount proportional to the width of the window. If you Click Button 2 then the Picture is moved Left a proportional amount. 1/20 the width of WIndow. 1/20 the Picture Width. Invaluable when the Image is Zoomed Out! Scrolling Window Contents to the RIGHT #6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use arrow keys or Click button 2 on the second left bottom scroll button and text or graphics is scrolled one line to the right. Click button 1 and the picture is scrolled 40 lines or text is scrolled 25 columns to right. If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll button will cause all the pixels to shift right one. If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will not clear the screen first. Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and redraws the screen. Scrolling Window Contents UP #7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use arrow keys or Click button 2 on the left bottom scroll button and text or graphics is scrolled one line up. Use PGUP key or Click button 1 and the picture is scrolled 40 lines or text is scrolled 25 lines up. If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll button will cause all the pixels to shift up one. If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will not clear the screen first. Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and redraws the screen. Left Vertical Scroll Bar #8 ************************** For Pictures ~~~~~~~~~~~~ To quickly move to an area of a large picture, click Button 1 on the bar to move the picture down. Button 2 on the bar to move the picture up. A place marker is left temporarily. For Text ~~~~~~~~ To move down a large text file, Click button 1 on the left vertical scroll bar. The file is scrolled to the corresponding length of the file. Invaluable for manuevering around large files! Scrolling Window Contents Down #9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use arrow keys or Click button 2 on the left bottom scroll button and text or graphics is scrolled one line down. Use Pgdn key or Click button 1 and the picture is scrolled 40 lines or text is scrolled 25 lines down. If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll button will cause all the pixels to shift down one. If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will not clear the screen first. Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and redraws the screen. Full Screen window #10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Click on the left top corner button. The window is full screen. The controls are still there but they are just outside the screen. You may also use the PGUP, PGDN and cursor keys to move the window contents. See STUDIO.DOC To view text full screen wide, without scroll bars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Use arrow keys to move text to edges. 2) Use Pgdn or Pgup to read. ################################################## Click on #11 to activate Test Window. To Exit Any Window Click any Button outside the Window. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% This is a test Window. See STUDIO.DOC for ALT + Key controls. If you delete this file: 1)Use DOS undelete commmand to restore WINTEST.SHW or 2)Use the Install option in Configit to unpack Fonts, Palettes, Docs, Clip Art etc. Caution all existing files are replaced by originals including palettes. User Tip ~~~~~~~~~ If you are not using the keyboard, you are only using half the program. See Keyboard Control in STUDIO.DOC %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% * Text in a window with a choice of fonts. * Vector Objects wherever you want them. * Zoomable Animation 100x80 (ACT1) Send a sensitive note to someone special.