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The 640 MEG Shareware Studio 2
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The 640 Meg Shareware Studio CD-ROM Volume II (Data Express)(1993).ISO
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READ.ME
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1992-12-14
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****************************************************************************
* *
* Please read the GIFREED.DOC for complete instructions on GIF-REED. *
* *
*******************************************************************************
******************* [ Important..... Please Read........] ******************
You should ALWAYS delete your GIFV.CFG file before loading
any New version of GIF-REED in case the formats for the CFG
file differs from your old one. Once in the program, reset
all the switches the way you want them. Then use ALT-U to
save out your NEW configuration. It's NOT that big of a deal
to do, so just do it to it! Otherwise your system may LOCK-UP
upon loading GIF-REED!
****************************************************************************
GIF-REED History of changes:
NEW this 3.07 version 12/15/92:
Fixed bug in mouse selection of picture file. If the files list is
larger than what will fit on a screen and you point to an invalid
area(blank entry) in the files list, the program would attempt
to load a file that doesn't exist. It's now fixed to just beep!
Changed version number scheme to X.0X instead of X.X! In otherwords
instead of version 3.7 it's 3.07.
NEW this 3.6 version 12/14/92:
Fixed bug in writing files. If the disk was full NO error message
was displayed. Now you will get a "Error Saving File!" message!
Fixed a RENAME bug where the file would NOT only be renamed but also
placed in the different directory! This would occur if the default
directory was different from the file you were renaming! NOW the
renamed files are NOT moved!
Fixed small bug in the mouse operation. In the file menu, if you were
to position the mouse just right(on top of a un-highlighted filename)
and then you were to move the cursor with the arrow keys to highlight
the filename. Then when you moved the mouse away from the filename
the OLD un-highlighted character underneath the mouse cursor was what
got restored. This now works properly.
NEW this 3.5 version 12/08/92:
Added mouse support for answering Yes No questions. Click the left
button for Yes and the Right button for NO. If you click the middle
button it's like pressing ESCAPE!
Added the "A" command while viewing a picture. This adjusts the colors
in the IMAGE so that it will be loaded with Windows and NOT have the
image distorted. See following comment about Windows! The "A" command
sorts the colors by usage in the picture. Then it takes the 16 least
used colors and replaces them with the closest color match it can find.
This way the TOP 16 colors in the color map are NOT used!
Added a NEW feature to the PRO GIF-REED which allows you to change a
color in the picture to any other color in the color map(256 choices).
This way you can force certain colors in the image and also get RID of
certain colors. By changing a color in the image you effectively are
removing the usage of the OLD color. If you get RID of at least 16
colors in any image, they can be properly displayed in Windows. Of
course you would have to sort the color map(S while viewing) first
before saving the BMP file out. This is because Windows grabs the top
16 out of the 256 colors of ALL images and makes them unusable. Just
press "C" while the mouse is on top of a color in the color map while
pixel editing the picture! "C" means change this color to a NEW color!
Added support to click on drive letters!
Fixed tiny bug where if you tried to write out many files(with the W
command while viewing) after a while, the program would bomb out because
of NOT enough file handles. This is now fixed!(Most people would have
never noticed it!)
Added support for *.?
Added ADJUST-FOR-WINDOWS to script language! (See above comment
about the "A" command!
You can use the *.? in the script language with the CHANGE-PATH
command!
Added support for *.?
This allows you to specify ALL pictures in a directory. In other-
words, you may have a bunch of BMP and GIF and PCX and PIC files
in a SINGLE directory. Instead of specifying MANY(4) directory
paths, you can now just use one. For example:
C:\PICTURES\*.?
This can now be used instead of:
C:\PICTURES\*.GIF
C:\PICTURES\*.BMP
C:\PICTURES\*.PIC
C:\PICTURES\*.PCX
This way you save on your usage of the paths list.
NEW this 3.4b version 12/05/92:
Added support for Subdirectory changes through the menu. You can now
click on or press RETURN on a subdirectory and you will be shown the
new subdirectories list of files. The 1st file path of the 6-20 file
paths available will change to reflect the NEW directory that you
choose. You can see this for yourself by pressing ALT-F after changing
to a different subdirectory. The subdirectories are indicated by a
name inside of "[]". For example "[ GIFS ]" would indicate that
you could switch to a directory called GIFS.
NOTE: If you have specified more that one(1) file path then each time
you press return to load up a different subdirectory, you will STILL
see the files from the 2nd, 3rd and so on paths in ADDITION to the
files in the new path you have just chosen.
NEW this 3.4 version 12/03/92:
Support for .PIC files
Added mouse support to start SLIDE show. Just click on the word "GO:"
on the bottom right hand side of the screen!
Allow writing GIFS with comments added to it! (GIF 89a)
Fixed typos!
Allow sorting by DATE/TIME.
Much faster sorting!(Noticed when file list grows past 512 items). It's
now about 50 times faster! It sorts 2000 files in less than a second!
Loads files from the file list faster!(Instantaneously) It reads in the
file directory list and displays it to you immediately. Then in the
background, it reads in the file info that gets displayed on the screen
such as X and Y resolution of the picture, the file score & category.
If you tell GIF-REED that you want to do a REPORT(F8) or you want to
sort on something other than filename, size, date or path then whatever
file information hadn't been read in by that time will be read in at
that moment in time. This would be the only time you would have to wait
for the file info to be read in. NOTE: Once it's read in you won't have
to wait anymore for sorting or printing reports (of course!).
Made program need less memory:
1. NON-REGISTERED 344K minimum 408K maximum
2. REGISTERED 292K minimum 356K maximum
3. PRO GIF-REED 348K minimum 508K maximum
If you have less than the specified above, the program will STILL load
and do things, but if you do an operation that needed more memory then
the program will abort out of the process.
NEW this 3.3 version 12/01/92:
Skipped version because of beta testers!
Fixed bug in AUTOMATIC Video Detection Setup(stupid error because of
the EGA support I added earlier!) It now works properly!(Sorry!)
NEW this 3.2 version 11/30/92:
Uploaded to CompuServe!
Made it so that if an image has TOO large of a width (X resolution)
then it won't load! This prevents lock ups when loading images that
are outside the limits of the program!
You can now use *.* for global image searches instead *.GIF etc...
For example:
GIFV D:\PICTURES\*.*
This would load EVERYfile from the PICTURES directory. If you have
.EXE and .COM files they will be skipped. In fact any file that can
NOT be determined will be skipped!
Made 3 different versions:
1. NON-REGISTERED version (Free)
256 files
350K Required to run!
2. REGISTERED version ($25)
* No annoying screens
* Partial(limited) script language
* Print images to HP compatible printer.
* Saving current default settings to a configuration file.
* XMS can be used as the Picture Buffer for faster operations.
* Personalized Slide shows via limited script language!
* Allows more than 40 entries in the File Description DataBase
* DOS/BOSS key to temporarally shell to DOS at ANY TIME!
* You can MIRROR, FLIP or ROTATE the images on your screen.
* Up to 512 files!
* Up to 2048 dot(pixel)width on files
* Up to 1024 dot(pixel)width for SCREEN resolution
* Up to 6 Directory Paths!
* Requires 320K memory to run at full capacity!
3. PRO version ($49.95)
* Pixel Editing (Image editing!)
* Full Script language (extra commands)
1. System
2. GOSUB
3. ECHO
4. FILE-COPY
5. FILE-MOVE
6. FILE-RENAME
7. FILE-DELETE
8. SORT-COLORS
9. EGA-MODE
10. VGA-MODE
11. EGA-COLOR-ADJUST
12. KEEP-SCREEN-SIZE
13. WRITE
14. PRINT
* Box & Lines
* Fill BLOCKs out of the image with a selected color
* Up to 2048 files!
* Up to 8192 width on files
* Up to 2048 dot(pixel)width for SCREEN resolution
* Up to 20 Directory Paths!
* Requires 490K memory to run at full capacity!
Added script commands:
EGA-MODE
VGA-MODE
EGA-COLOR-ADJUST
KEEP-SCREEN-SIZE
Added system variables
IMAGE_COLORS
FILE_NAME
V_#
Improved script commands:
SET
ECHO
If you try to run a script file with a command in it that your are
NOT registered to use, then the program will pop up a message.
Renamed CREDITS.DOC to MONEY.DOC
Added GIFV.SLT and GIFV.SLU to package!
Added # of color on the file status line in the file list menu next to
the files X & Y resolution!
Allow mouse clicking on the "VGA:" or "EGA:" title on the resolution
modes line.
If you ran out of TEMP space on your TEMP drive then instead of getting
an error message "Error saving picture" and then EXITING the picture,
NOW the program issues the error message and CONTINUES with the
viewing of the program. The error NOW indicates that you CAN'T restore
to the PREVIOUS picture if the change you make to the picture (trim)
is NOT to your liking!
Screen display is now faster when moving pictures around on the screen!
Fixed temp space full bug. If you ran out of temp space, the temp file
created wouldn't be erased. It is now erased because the file wasn't
complete anyhow!
Fixed EMS bug where if you RAN out of EMS memory or EMS handles the
program would(could) do strange things(lock up!).
Fixed bug in GIF files that didn't have a global color map(rare case!)!
It now works properly.
EMS memory support is now better. Instead of allocating multiple 64K
blocks to load a picture, we now adjust the size of the current EMS
block. This way you won't run out of EMS handles on large images!
NEW this 3.1 version 11/15/92:
Added EGA support of 320x200 16 colors, 640x200 16 colors, 640x350
16 colors and 640x480 16 colors. The EGA support is NOT as fast as
the 256 color (VGA) support. It's just here so that if all you have
is EGA you can still make use of the program to do things with your
image files (even if it's just using the script language to process
you files.)
Fixed tiny bug where if you were adding text to a picture it was possi-
ble that once you started to move the text where you wanted it the text
would just dissappear as though you had pressed ESCAPE to abort the
text placement!
Fixed tiny bug in BOX making routine where if the picture was located
so the left edge of the picture was near the middle of the screen and
as you were drawing the box made the left edge of the BOX cross over
the left edge of the picture the BOX would leave REMNENTS behind on
the picture (nothing was hurt though).
Added ability to abort loading BMP Files as well as GIF files by
pressing the left or right mouse button or pressing PgUp or PgDn or
ESCape!
Added PCX file format for Reading and Writing(Very FAST)!
The "WRITE P" script command is now activated to write PCX files!
ALT-G now searches your drives for PCX files TOO!
Added BOX making capability! Just mark a box (like you would do to
do a trim) then press "B". Then pick a color, then pick a thickness
then wala, the box is now in the image!
Added LINE drawing capability. Just mark a very narrow box(1 dot tall)
and then finish like the BOX procedure above and then poof a line!
Added the ability to see if a color in the color map isn't currently
being used in the picture. It shows the color BOX with a little black
box inside of it with a white dot in the very middle of it.
You can now sort the color map WITHOUT adjusting the image itself!
You can now order the colors in the color map to your own liking! (Just
go into edit mode {E while viewing} and move the mouse on top of a
color in the color map that you want to move. Press DELete. Now move
the mouse on top a the color where you want to old color to appear and
press INSert!)
Fixed little stuff!
Updated DOCS.
NEW this 3.0 version 11/13/92:
Made program faster in general (when operating in graphics mode!)
Added SORT-COLORS to the script language so that you may re-write
all of your images with a sorted color map with the most used colors
at the front of the color map. This is great for images begin displayed
in Windows because Windows GRABS the TOP 4-16 colors in every images
color map for display purposes. This produces FUNNY looking pictures
if the picture used a lot of a particular color that Windows took and
changed to its own liking!
You can press "S" while viewing a picture to sort the color-map!
Full blown pixel editing and color editing.
You can now mark a block and fill it in with ANY color available in
the color map of the image!
Fixed tiny bug where if your box that you are marking started on the
TOP line or the LEFT edge of the screen you wouldn't see the entire
box being drawn on the screen!
Made some routines faster!
Fixed tiny bug where it was possible the files would not appear in
sorted order(rare!)
Updated DOCS!
NEW this 2.9 version 11/10/92:
Added pixel rudiments of editing capability!
NEW this 2.8B version 11/05/92:
Updated DOCS with new script commands!
******************************************************************************
S H A R E W A R E - C O N C E P T
===================================
GIF-REED is copyrighted software. However, you are encouraged to copy and
share the NON-REGISTERED version with anybody with the following in mind:
The NON-REGISTEREED version of GIF-REED may be copied freely and
given to others, as long as NO charge or renumeration of ANY sort
is required. If must be copied in its entirety with NO alterations
to the programs or DOC files. It may be distributed by modem, as
long as all files in the package are ZIPPED(or some equivalent)
into one file.
GIF-REED is NOT "FREE" software. If you use it past 30 days, you are required
to pay for it by registering it. Of course you can register it earlier.
********** Reasons To Register Today **********
When you received this copy of GIF-REED, no monies were paid to us. In order
for us to keep working on this product to make it better with more features,
we request that you register the program by paying for it. The registration
charge is very nominal $25 (The cost of ONE evenings entertainment!). If you
wish to order PRO GIF-REED the cost is $49.95 (The cost of ONE deluxe evenings
entertainment!).
Of course the REGISTERED version has some enhancements. The following
is a list of the advanced features you can do with the REGISTERED GIF-REED:
1. Print images to HP compatible printer.
2. Saving current default settings to a configuration file.
3. XMS can be used as the Picture Buffer for faster operations.
4. Personalized Slide shows through slide show script language!
5. Allows more than 40 entries in the File Description DataBase
6. DOS/BOSS key to temporarally shell to DOS at ANY TIME!
7. You can MIRROR, FLIP or ROTATE the images on your screen.
8. You can have up to 512 files in the files list to choose from
9. No annoying entry & exits screens such as this one.
Of course the PRO version has some other enhancements on top of the REGISTERED
version of GIF-REED. The following is a list of the advanced features you
have with PRO GIF-REED:
1. Image editor. You can change each DOT's color.
2. Full script language(Including WRITE & ADJUST-FOR-WINDOWS)
3. Draw boxes & lines onto image
4. Fill in boxes with any color onto image
5. You can have up to 2048 files in the file list to choose from
instead of 512 files.
6. You can load & display images with a width up to 8192 dots wide
instead of 2048
7. You can have screen resolutions up to 2048 dots wide supported
instead of 1024. If your VGA card supports it!)
8. You can have up to 20 input directory paths instead of 6
9. No annoying entry & exits screens such as this one.
******************************************************************************
GIFREED Version x.x
(C)opyright 1992, Software Matters INC.
(317) 253-8088
Contact: Davie Lee Reed
Software Matters INC.
6352 N. Guilford Ave.
Indpls, IN 46220
Any question or comments please call me at 1-800-25-FLASH and ask for:
Davie Lee Reed.
P.S. Thanks you trying this new program out and possibly helping me improve it.
P.P.S I have decided to leave in debug code which makes the program about 60K
bigger than it normally would be and it also makes it run SLOWER.
I have done this to ease in debugging the program. If an error occurs in
the program the debug code will spit out some important information such
as the program location and what type of error. If a RUNTIME error occurs
please report it to me A.S.A.P. along with the location and error code!
Gif REED is a GIF viewer for up to 256K colors only.
Currently the only automatically supported super vga boards supported are:
Orchid Pro Designer IIS board
Paradise VGA
ATI XL
Trident
Trident-New
Cardinal
Orchid Farhenheit 1280
ATI/Wonder
Video7
Video7B
VESA
There are a bunch more that are supported through direct hardware control,
but you have to set the GIFREED environment variable to indicate what board
you have. If the GIFREED variable is set to a board that is not hardware
directly supported by this program then the BIOS mode will be used for that
board. The BIOS mode is MUCH slower that hardware direct.
GifREED automatically looks for a VESA driver. This driver makes VGA graphics
handling a lot more compatible. If a VESA driver is found, it will be used,
even if your hardware is directly supported from the list above! If you find
that your VESA driver is BUGGY or doesn't seem to work, then try setting:
GIFREED=NOVESA
This forces GifREED to NOT look at the VESA driver. Also if you want to
force support for one of the following, you can set GIFREED to one of
the following:
TRI-OLD
TRIDENT
STB
STB4000
EVEREX
EVEREX678
AHEAD
ATI/WONDER
ATI/PRISM
CHIPTECH
DEFINICON
GENOA-A
GENOA-B
HEADLAND
ZYMOS
IMTEC
LOGIX
MAXXON
NORTHGATGE
OAK
ORCHF1280
ORCH-1
S3
TS3000
TS4000
TS4000HI
VIDEO7FAST
VIDEO7VRAM
VIDEO7
WD90C
Some of the above allow for direct hardware control with his program. The
others of course will default to using the BIOS, which is slow!
NOTE: TRIDENT Users;
If resolutions of 800x600 or higher seem to give you a checkered or
plaid type of display, try using the SET GIFREED command and pick
SET GIFREED=TRI-OLD and then SET GIFREED=TRIDENT and see which setting
gives you the desired results!
If you have a VESA driver for your VGA board, then GIF REED should work
perfectly fine with it. If your board is NOT listed above and you do NOT
have a VESA driver for it, call the VGA manufacturer and request the VESA
driver for it. MOST Manufacturers provide a VESA driver nowadays. By support-
ing VESA a very broad base of VGA boards may now use this program.
If order to run GIF REED, just type the following:
C>GIFV path1 path2 path3 path4 path5
For example:
C>GIFV F:\GIFS\GOOD\*.GIF F:\GIFS\BAD\*.GIF
C>GIFV F:\GIFS\GOOD\*.*
C>GIFV F:\GIFS\GOOD\*.?
Once in the program you can press F1 for help on using the program. Once you
are actually viewing a picture, you can press F1 to see help on how to
manipulate the picture.