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Amiga Plus Special 5
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Amiga Plus Sonderheft 1996 #5.iso
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imagedesk304
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autocat
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instructions.doc
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1996-03-13
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***********************************************************************************
* *
* A U T O C A T *
* *
* AREXX-Enhancer for Reinhard Haslbeck's ImageDesk *
* *
* Automatized Browser for Catalogs *
* *
* INSTALLATION- AND OPERATIONMANUAL *
* *
* by Ulrich Röcher *
* *
***********************************************************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction of AUTOCAT
2. Requirements for using AUTOCAT
3. How it works
4. Installation of an ImageDesk-AUTOCAT-System
5. Functions and Features
6. Legality
7. The Author
PREFACE
Due to an error in earlier versions of AUTOCAT it was not possible to start
AUTOCAT from the tooltypes or by command-line parameter. This has been fixed in
this archive's version of AUTOCAT. Both should work now.
This version of AUTOCAT has been adopted for ImageDesk 3.0. If you want to use
it on an ImageDesk version prior to 3.0, you have to delete or command out the line
SETSPREFS THUMBSORT FALSE
in the first part of AUTOCAT.
1. INTRODUCTION OF AUTOCAT
Reinhard Haslbeck has written with his program 'ImageDesk' a real good piece of
software for the Amiga. ImageDesk catalogizes and organizes electronical saved
pictures in a nice and handy way. ImageDesk reads most of the common formats of
graphic files, displays them at a good speed. It produces thumbnails (small copies
of the original pictures) to give an overview and this way eases the selection
of requestet pictures. It runs on AA, on different types of graphics boards and
on Frank Mariak's/Thomas Sontowski's Cybergraphics-RTG-Software. ImageDesk offers
an AREXX-Port with full functionality.
On the other hand the selection and moving through collections of catalogs sucks;
every catalog has to be loaded manually with its full filename. The size of the
catalogs has to match the size of the screen, if you do not want to select the
requested range of thumbnails yourself.
AUTOCAT was written to improve this. It automatizes the handling of the catalogs
completely. You can move forward or backward through any number of catalogs with
any number of thumbnails no matter how many thumbnails your screen can display.
The catalogs can be organized like the filing system on your harddisk; i.e. you
can generate thematical organized sub-directories, which you can select or leave
as you want. All these movements are done by single mouse-clicks - just the way
you click a thumbnail for watching the picture behind it. It is not needed to
provide file-names. AUTOCAT sorts all catalogs of a sub-directory before dis-
playing them. This way you can influence the display-order of your catalogs.
Since this sorting is done dynamical at every program-start, new catalogs can
easily be added to existing catalog-directories. AUTOCAT recognizes and works
according to the settings of your system (screenmode, viewer, thumbnail-size ..)
and changes itself only those parameters it needs for its own operation.
2. REQUIREMENTS FOR USING AUTOCAT
Well, just the same as for ImageDesk: At least 8-Bit display modes on your system,
which means AA or a graphics-board. According to the manual of ImageDesk at least
4 MB of contiguous memory for the generation of the thumbnails.
To be able to use AUTOCAT, you will need the *** registered *** version of Image-
Desk. AUTOCAT does NOT run on the unregistered version. You need at least version
1.6 of ImageDesk or Version 2.02 and up. Attention! AUTOCAT does not run on the
Versions 2.0 or 2.01 of ImageDesk! On your machine there must exist the file
"rexxsupport.library" in the directory "libs:" (Belongs to Amiga Operating System).
3. HOW IT WORKS
Easy! Reinhard Haslbeck has luckily given ImageDesk lots of formats for graphic
files. That way one of that formats can be used as a command-format instead of
a display format, so that clicking on a thumbnail with a command-format does not
result in displaying a picture but executing an AREXX-Action. E. g.: If BMP was
choosen as the command-format, then clicking on a BMP-thumbnail will not display
the picture but execute a command like "display next thumbnail page" or "display
thumbnails of catalogs in sub-directory". You will have to accept the small dis-
advantage, that you can no longer use all graphic formats at one time, but I
regard this as acceptable since you can choose the command-format yourself. The
default command-format of AUTOCAT is BMP, Important to know is that the AREXX-
program isn't executed the whole time AUTOCAT is running, but only when actions
are performed. This way a lot of processing time is saved. Important values are
temporarily saved by AUTOCAT in RAM.
4. INSTALLATION OF AN IMAGEDESK-AUTOCAT-SYSTEM
In the beginning a sub-directory-structure should be created for organizing your
catalogs, e.g. this way:
Picture-catalogs
/ / | \
nature house vacancies persones
/ | / \ / | \
flowers animals dream real anybody | scenes
friends
This structure can have any number of directories and be as deep as you want it
to be. It is possible to create catalogs, where normal thumbnails are mixed with
thumbnails leading to a different sub-directory. It is not necessary to create the
whole subdirectory-structure at once, more catalogs can be added even on running
AUTOCAT-system just as you need them.
It is recommended to start generating the catalogs with the deepest sub-direc-
tories; just let ImageDesk create its catalogfiles quite as normal in a size
making sense to you into the subdirectories you made above.
********************************************************************************
ATTENTION! YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE, THAT IN THOSE SUB-DIRECTORIES ARE ONLY (!)
CATALOG-FILES. ANY OTHER FILES (E.G. .INFO-FILES) WILL LEAD TO ERROR-MESSAGES
WHEN RUNNING THE SYSTEM!
AN AUTOCAT-SYSTEM MAY ONLY HAVE THUMBNAILS OF THE SAME SIZE! (IT IS POSSIBLE TO
CREATE MORE THAN ONE SYSTEM ON THE SAME DISK)
********************************************************************************
If you want to create the catalogs for the above-mentioned sub-directory 'nature',
you will have to do a little bit more of work, because the catalog-file will
have to have the hints to the two sub-directories.
Do as follows: Just select from the two picture-collections typical representa-
tives and change their formats to the wanted command-format. I do presume here
for easier explanation that this is BMP; just go on reading if you want to know
how to create another command-format. For changing the picture formats, you
can use e.g. AdPro, but you will also find appropriate programs in PD-collections.
Those pics changed to BMP *** MUST *** have exactly the name of the sub-directo-
ry they hint to (Regard capital letters!). At last you create a catalog-file
from this two pictures. This catalog file has to be in the directory "nature".
The BMP-pictures can afterwards be deleted; they are no longer needed.
It is no problem to put further catalog-files in the sub-directory nature, whose
thumbnails represent in the normal way other pictures, e.g. which show other
parts of nature. Since the catalog files are automatically sorted displayed,
the position and the order of the thumbnails on the screen can be controlled.
As you have done with the sub-directory 'nature', you will have to do with all
other sub-directories in your system.
There is only one exception of this rule: When creating the catalogs for the
root-directory 'Picture-catalogs', there names *** HAVE TO BE *** 'Head.cat',
'Head.cat.1', 'Head.cat.2' and so on. There number is theoretically unlimited
(think about the sorting time), but AUTOCAT won't accept other names. The
creation of the 'Head.cat'-files has to take place the same way like explained
above.
When this has been done, you will have to do the following to finish the
installation:
- You have to copy the 5 'Command.cat.#'-files from the AUTOCAT-archive to
the directory where the Head.cat-files are placed.
- If you wish an automatic load of the main picture catalog at every start
of ImageDesk, you have to write the line 'REXX=:ImageDesk\Rexx\AUTOCAT1.IDesk'
in ImageDesk's tooltypes, i.e. AUTOCAT is started by executing of the program
'AUTOCAT1.IDesk'.
= You have to do the following changes within the AUTOCAT1.IDesk file yourself:
(Please do it on a copy of AUTOCAT)
(The lines mentioned can easily be found in the code; they are at the beginning
just below the header)
- In the line beginning with 'CDIR="work2:Kataloge/"'.... you *** MUST *** insert
in the part within the quotation marks the path of your catalog root-directory.
(This is the directory where you have copied the file 'Command.cat') Do not
forget the slash '/' at the end of the path!
- In the line beginning with 'CTYP="BMP"' you have to set the desired command-type,
so if you want a different command-type then BMP, write it down here. If you
change this, please regard the notes further down in the instructions. If you
accept the BMP-command-type, let this line unchanged.
When you have checked this, all values are set and your ImageDesk-AUTOCAT-System
should work.
If you like a different command-type then BMP, you should do the following:
- Set the CTYP line as described above. The system will accept the following
values: IFF, GIF, JPG, PCX, BMP, PCD, PNM, TGA. These signs have to be written
*** exactly *** like shown, so regard the writing of the capital letters!
- Sorry, but this is less convenient: You will have to create new files
'Command.cat.#'. 'Command.cat' are standard ImageDesk catalog-file with three
entries 'Zurück' (German for beginners: 'Back'), 'Hoch' ('Up'), 'Weiter' (Next).
The Command.cat files have to be different in their thumbnail-size:
Command.cat.6 for 60 x 60 pixel-size, Command.cat.8 for 80 x 80 and so on.
You vill have to create new thumbnails; they will have to have the new
command-type. Watch the size of the thumbnail-setting on your system!
For creating the thumbnails, create three graphic-files with
the intended symbols, convert them to the desired command-type and create a
new catalog-file. The graphic files have to be named 'Zurück', 'Hoch' and
'Weiter'. When making the catalog, be careful that the names are written cor-
rectly and that the order is the same then in the original command-file!
When finished, you can delete the original graphic-files, which are needed no
longer.
If you do not like the german-named switches 'Zurück', 'Hoch' and 'Weiter', you
should do the following:
- Create a new 'Command.cat' file like described above and name the thumbnails
as you like to do. When describing their function, I will presume, that you
have done this and named them 'Back', 'Up' and 'Next'.
- You have to edit the file 'AUTOCAT2.IDesk' using a standard text-editor.
You have to change the lines
'when iname="Weiter" then do'
'when iname="Zurück" then do'
'when iname="Hoch" then do'
Exchange the words in quotation marks with your values. It is very important,
that they are written the same way (watch capital letters) like they are writ-
ten in the Command.cat-file you created. Please do not change anything else
in the 'AUTOCAT2.IDesk' and use a copy of the file for changing the values!
How to install more than one AUTOCAT-System on the same Disk:
One AUTOCAT-System only allows you to use Thumbnails of the same size. If you do
have Thumbnails of different sizes, you will have to create different systems
like described above with different Head.cat directories. You have to create
more than one AUTOCAT1.IDesk-file, because each one must point to its own Head.cat
directory. You do not have to do further changes in AUTOCAT1.IDesk or to change
AUTOCAT2.IDesk. You can of course not have a mixed use of both systems!
5. FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES
After Installation the system AUTOCAT is started from ImageDesk by calling the
Function 'Project/Execute Arexx' and executing the file 'AUTOCAT1.IDesk'. If
you set up your system correctly, the header-thumbnails of your catalogs will be
displayed.
Like said above, this can be automatized by writing a line
'REXX=:ImageDesk\Rexx\AUTOCAT1.IDesk' into the tool-types of ImageDesk. This
should be considered especially when creating a picture-CD!
A running AUTOCAT has five functions:
- Click on any thumbnail: The picture will be displayed, if the thumbnail does
not point to another sub-directory.
- Click on a thumbnail representing a sub-directory: AUTOCAT goes to this sub-
directory, clears the screen and displays the first thumbnails of the first
catalog in alphabetical order. It loads as many thumbnails as will fit on the
screen.
- Click on an 'Up'-Thumbnail: (In the original version of the Command.cat file
this is a triangle with its top showing up): AUTOCAT changes to the parent-
directory, clears the screen and displays the first thumbnails of the first
catalog in alphabetical order. It loads as many thumbnails as will fit on the
screen. When you have reached the root-directory of your catalogs, only
the 'Head.cat'-files are loaded. The 'Up'-Thumbnail is displayed on the first
or second place on screen; if it does not come up, you are in the root-direc-
tory of your catalogs.
- Click on a 'Next'-Thumbnail: (triangle showing right in the original 'Command.
cat'-file) AUTOCAT clears actual screen and displays next thumbnails from your
catalogs until the screen has been filled. The 'Next'-Thumbnail is always
displayed buttom right on the screen; if not, there are no more thumbnails to
display.
- Click on a 'Back'-Thumbnail: (triangle showing left) AUTOCAT clears the screen,
and displays the preceeding screens again. The 'Back'-Thumbnail is always shown
top left on the screen; if not, you reached the beginning of your catalog-files.
AUTOCAT uses a dynamical display, i.e. the catalogs can be changed, deleted or
new ones can be added. When changing to the sub-directory the next time, the
actual version will be loaded. Because the catalogs are sorted alphabetical,
their name can be used to set the approximate position where the thumbnails are
displayed.
6. LEGALITY
AUTOCAT is Freeware. Every user can do with it what he likes to do. The Author
does not expect a gratification - just think anything nice about me! No - this
is not 'Thinkware' :-))
AUTOCAT may be distributed via the Aminet, the Fish- and other PD-CDs or any
mail-boxes. Reinhard Haslbeck may distribute the program together with the
registered version of ImageDesk.
The Author is not responsable for any losses, damages or any other disadvantages
coming from using AUTOCAT. Note that you are using it completely at your own
risk!
7. THE AUTHOR
If you want to contact me, write to:
Ulrich Röcher
Am Tretenberg 6
57080 Siegen
Germany
roecher@fts.uni-siegen.de
If anybody wants to know more about ImageDesk, write to Reinhard Haslbeck.
This is his adress:
Reinhard Haslbeck
Spirknerstr. 7
84137 Vilsbiburg
Germany
haslbeck@informatik.tu-muenchen.de
haslbeck@leo.org