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2006-10-19
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.IF DSK1.C3
.CE 2
*IMPACT/99*
by Jack Sughrue
BANNERMAKING
.IF DSK1.C2
Before I begin discussing
BETTER BANNERS I must offer an
apology or two to my non-99er
friends: Yes, there is nothing equal
to PRINT SHOP for our computer.* I
went out on a limb describing how
much better off I am to have GRAPHX,
TIARTIST, CSGD, BETTER BANNERS,
FUNLPLUS!, FONTWRITER, and lesser
graphic/text programs than those poor
slobs with Apples, Commodores, IBMs.
I'm not. They have PRINT SHOP and
I don't. PRINT SHOP by Broderbund
does everything. And does it
wonderfully easy. And lets you DO
anything you want. Quickly,
efficiently, joyfully!
I only hope that with GENEVE (or
whatever it is called these days) the
TI community will finally get
something as good as (or even almost
as good as) PRINT SHOP. It and its
companions deserve to be exactly what
they are: the most popular utilities
EVER for home (and now office and
school) computers.
Having said all that (with a tear
or two in my eye for having admitted
that in ONE area, at least, the Apple
or Commodore may be better than TI),
I am hoping, still, that after
ASGARD's COMPANIONS, Chris
Faherty's ARTIST stuff, Dave Rose's
CSGD programs, and Peter Hoddie's
wonderful FONTWRITER our world will
begin to open to us.
Now BETTER BANNERS and BANNER
GRAPHICS. Even as a distinct banner
program it does not equal that
miniscule portion of PRINT SHOP.
However, it IS the best banner
program for the TI, providing you
make some immediate and large
modifications.
Because of TICOMP's massive and
ridiculous protection scheme, BETTER
BANNERS is initially a chore, rather
than the reasonably good banner
program it could be.
To get enough different
graphics it really pays to buy both
BETTER BANNERS and BETTER
GRAPHICS. BB comes with Set 1. BG
includes Sets 1, 2, 3, and 4. Though
graphics come in two sizes (the small
size graphics are horribly deformed
but you wouldn't be apt to use those
on banners anyway), there is only one
font style no matter which set you
use.
Like all good printer software,
BB lets you establish your printer
setup and permanently (or
temporarily, which is an advantage,
as you will see) onto your disk.
I have a Gemini 10X. Code #35
remains undefined in this program,
fortunately, so I change it to 239
(the solid block) to make it work
well. It does, but I also try 173
(the empty diamond), 175 (the empty
block), 230 (the double solid block),
and so on to see what the new designs
will look like. Some are better
suited to certain graphics and some
make the single font provided look
different (so does removing the
default for line spacing). Thus, I
was glad the program failed to
redifine graphics on the Gemini. It
gave me lots of flexibility.
Because I am irresistibly drawn
into making changes on programs to
see what will happen, I am taking a
big risk with BB. For example, all
the printer changes must be made
without the write-protect tab on the
disk, obviously.
But you are told often and in no
uncertain terms not to attempt to
make a backup as this will "RESULT IN
THE LOSS OF DATA AND VOID YOUR
WARRANTY" even though only one disk
comes with your $20 cost.
This is one of those programs (as
many graphics programs have to be)
that requires getting into and out
of the disk often. This one is more
dangerous and considerably more
annoying than most because you
MUST transfer your graphics sets
onto the BB disk WHICH DESTROYS THE
SET ON THE BB DISK! (Believe it or
not!) So you must first be certain
you have a working data disk. BUT
WITH THIS PROGRAM THERE IS NO SUCH
THING! (Again, believe it or not!)
[I told you this was a
protection-crazy program.] Graphics
data may only be saved on the BB or
BG disks themselves. Each time you
make a new design you may save it
only by replacing an existing design
in the set on the BB disk. This
means you should print out the
lengthy code of the design you are
replacing and save it on paper for
future use. Then you must destroy
ANOTHER design to retype this coding
back in. Very, very cumbersome.
Although I can't suggest you do
anything that might destroy your disk
or void your warranty, I know what I
would do if I wanted a pretty good
banner program for the TI. I'd buy
both disks and some odd-colored blank
disks (like yellow Sentinel or Fuji).
I'd put the protect tab on BB
and, using TRACKCOPY, make four
copies of BB. (Flippying the disks
will mean only two blanks are
required.) Then I'd put the codes I
want on each one. It takes less than
a minute. Then I'd load up BANNER
GRAPHICS and transfer Sets 2, 3, and
4 to three of these BB copies. Set 1
is already on all copies to start
with. As you transfer each set of 15
graphics to a copy of BB, the set on
BB will be eliminated. The process
takes about an hour and a half! But
it's worth it. Otherwise, I can only
use the set presently on the untabbed
BB or take the half hour EACH TIME I
USE THE PROGRAM FOR EACH DIFFERENT
GRAPHIC FROM A DIFFERENT SET. (To
put five different graphics onto one
or five banners would take a minimum
of two-and-a-half hours, even though
the graphics print out in a few
seconds.)
However, with copies I can
interchange even from different sets
by reloading (40 seconds) from inside
the menu, I have a program with
excellent features and, for the most
part, reasonably good graphics.
I would then put my original BB
and BG disks safely away in case of
future problems or warranty
replacements . Then I can fiddle
with the backup disks to my heart's
content without fear of expensive
losses.
Once I have safely transferred my
graphics sets, I can now explore the
BB potential. I put 239 for the
ASCII prompt. Then I put 27, 65, 7,
27, 69 for line spacing (tight) and
dark print (emphasized). Then I put
PIO for my printer.
It then gives me a menu. I
Select large graphics. Small are
awful! I am given a list and choose
number (say 2 for Heart) of graphic.
I may then write a lengthy banner
message putting a SHIFT/2 wherever
you'd like the graphic(s) to appear.
This is a really nice feature (and
one that PRINT SHOP doesn't have
yet for the banner part of their
program; nor does it have the speed
of printout that BB does).
I think if I were marketing BB
and BG, I'd recall them all from
dealers and put out BB #1 with Set #1
and Font #1. Then I'd put out Set #2
with BB #2 AND Font #2 (another
different font). The same with 3
and 4 and, hopefully, 5 and so on.
Each time a new set is developed with
a new font, then a new disk can be
made. Each could sell for $7.95
(about the cost of BB and BG right
now for all four sets). It would be
in a considerably more convenient
format, and there would be no need
for the ridiculous protection that
presently prevents the BEST features
of BB from being accessed.
I'd also write some documentation
which would include a page of reduced
illustrations of each graphic. This
graphic program comes with NO
illustrations and NO catalog of the
sets. The ONLY way to find out what
is on the disks is to print out all
60 illustrations (about 5 hours), as
there is no screen showing. Samples
and listings are essential to the
continued marketing success of this
product.
The documentation is poor (is
almost not existent beyond protection
warnings). This article explains
both BB and BG better than anything
that comes with the programs.
For those of you who already have
the free banner programs that come
with FUNLPLUS! or the Boston
Computer Society PD disks, you may
still want BB and BG. BETTER
BANNERS is different from these.
The first offers multiple sizes and
fonts and an easy (though limited)
graphics maker, the second vertical
banners. BB compliments, rather than
competes with, these programs.
In spite of the overall
negativism which seems to pervade
this article, I would recommend the
programs based on the understanding
that modifications really are
necessary to make them efficient,
practical, and fun.
*NOTE BY AUTHOR - In the months
and months that have gone by since
this article was first appeared in a
few newsletters, nothing has changed
with BETTER BANNERS. But a lot has
changed within our artist software.
BB is no longer even a good buy in
its present form. There are so many
incredible banner programs on the
market that accept CSGD or TIARTIST
or GRAPHX pix and fonts (as well as
such wonderful programs as Rodger
Merritt's PICTURE IT, MAX-RLE,
PICASSO v2, and so many more) that BB
is no longer in the running. But our
TI is drawing ever closer to that
PRINT SHOP friendliness.
[Jack Sughrue, Box 459,
E.Douglas, MA 01516]
If any newsletter editor prints
thse articles, please put me on your
mailing list. Thanks - Jack
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