This document is the user guide for DRAW version 2.8, a shareware graphical bitmap editor for the Psion Series 3a palmtop computer, dated 22 August 1995.
DRAW v1 for the Series 3 is also available. Contact the author for more information.
Introduction
DRAW is a bitmap editor designed to be easy to use, yet powerful enough to provide your image editing requirements. The main direction of the software design is a requirement to match the ease-of-use of Psions built-in applications.
If you do need a bit of assistance, DRAW has on-line help. This user guide, coupled with the on-line help, should answer all your questions. If you do have any further questions, please contact me and I'll try to help you out.
DRAW has some useful bitmap editing features :
* can create, view, edit and print PIC bitmaps
* has a real-time zoom facility
* line, box, circle and ellipse with variable-width lines
* flood fill an area with a pattern, or from the clipboard
* scroll bars and undo
* can create icons
* allows cut, copy and paste to a bitmap clipboard.
Requirements
DRAW is written for the Psion Series 3a. It requires 76K of disk space (67K without on-line help) for a full install. Though if you load the example bitmap as well, you'll need about 110 K. When running, it needs about 59K of system memory, plus system memory for two copies of the image being edited. So to edit a screen-sized image, you'll need about 96K free. If free memory is a bit tight, you can switch certain features off, and will only need about 77K to edit a screen-sized image. (See the FAQ section below.)
Installation
DRAW is a fairly standard Psion application; just copy the files listed below to your Series 3a, then install with Psion-I from the system screen as normal.
To copy the files from a PC with RCOM, there is an install script named INSTALL.SCR. To use it from a DOS prompt:
* CD to the directory containing INSTALL.SCR
* start RCOM
* at the >> prompt, type "call INSTALL.SCR"
It will copy all the files into the internal drive of the Psion.
File (size) Description Destination
-------- ---------- ----------
DRAW28.OPA (63601) Main application \APP\
DRAW2HLP.RSC (9101) Help resource file \APP\DRAW2
DRAW2.PAT (5140) Fill pattern file \APP\DRAW2
EXAMPLE3.PIC (30032) Optional sample bitmap \PIC\
DRAW28.WRD (27289) User guide \WRD\
INSTALL.SCR (209) RCOM script -
The following files may also be created by DRAW at some point:
DRAW2.INI (181) Initialisation file \OPD\
DRAW2.REG (~50) Registration file \OPD\
You can delete all program files from previous versions of DRAW, or leave them installed if you wish to run more than one version.
To uninstall DRAW, remove the above files, the \PIC subdirectory and any DRAW files in the \OPD directory.
Registration
DRAW is shareware, which means you get to try the application before you pay for it. It does _not_ mean DRAW is free. You may use DRAW for a limited evaluation period (30 days) after which you must register the software. To register, send
10 to the Chocolate Island address below.
When you register, you will receive a registration code which will unlock the software and disable the save nag screen delays. Also, as a registered user, future upgrades to DRAW will be free (apart from small postage and packing costs for a disk if necessary).
When registering, you must remember to include your name as it is to appear on the registration details (maximum 32 characters including spaces), and the version number of DRAW (e.g. 2.8). Please give details of anything you like or dislike about the app, and where you obtained it.
You will be sent a registration letter containing information about any upgrades and changes made to the current version along with an encrypted registration code by return of post (or sooner if you include an e-mail address). You enter the code at the Register prompt (Psion-Shift-Q). The code is then saved in \OPD\DRAW2.REG on the default drive. This file must be present in \OPD on a local drive every time DRAW is used. When a valid registration code is found in this file, the annoying nag screens at startup and when saving are disabled. Note that the DRAW2.REG file is unique to you and must not be distributed to other people.
When sending payment if you have a British bank account, you may send a cheque payable to "Rick Andrews". For European users, payment is acceptable by Eurocheque - value
10. For American users (or anywhere else in the world) you can send US$20. Though please be careful when sending cash notes through the post.
Alternatively, you can register on-line with CompuServe. GO SWREG and use registration ID 7028.
Note to registered users: Registration codes from earlier versions of Draw are not compatible with Draw 2.8 due to technical reasons. Existing users of Draw v2 should have received a _free_ updated registration code automatically. If you're a registered user and you haven't yet received a Draw 2.8 code, please contact the author, quoting your name and serial number.
DRAW Contact Address:
Rick Andrews
Chocolate Island Software
16 Alpine Street
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 2QA
England
E-mail: rick@cix.compulink.co.uk
CompuServe ID: 100676,120
This program is copyright (c) Rick Andrews 1992-1995. It is a Chocolate Island Software program. Disassembly or reverse translation of this program is prohibited. This software is provided as is, without any warranty of any kind. The author shall not be liable for any loss of data or damage arising from the use of this software.
Using DRAW
Create new files from the System screen, the same way as standard Psion applications. Move the graphics cursor `+' around the screen with the arrow keys; use the Control and Psion key to increase the movement.
Use Enter or Space to set a pixel in the colour selected by the diamond key. Select a drawing tool using a hot-key or the menu. To highlight an area, use a shift key whilst moving, then Delete to cut, `Copy' to copy graphics back in etc. Use the diamond key to draw in black, grey or both. The tools operate in the selected colour too.
Selecting `Zoom' (or pressing Tab) shows a window containing a magnified image of area around the cursor. As you move around and make changes to the bitmap, the Zoom window is updated automatically. Use `Zoom in' and `Zoom out' to change the magnification. Selecting `Icon' allows the top left 48x48 pixels of the bitmap to be edited in a magnified window.
If you make a mistake, use `Undo' to reverse the last change made, or `Revert' to lose all changes made.
If the bitmap is too large to fit on the screen, a part of it is displayed, with scroll bars across the bottom and right-hand side of the screen to show which part of the bitmap is visible.
As DRAW has a few user-configurable options, the preferences are kept in an initialisation file \OPD\DRAW2.INI on the default disk. It is created and updated automatically by DRAW, and is not text based. If you believe the INI file is corrupted, you can safely delete it as a new one will be created as DRAW exits.
The DRAW menu allows operation of the main commands. Use the menu to choose the operation, or use the hot key listed alongside the command :
n - New file.
Choose the height and width of the new bitmap, and whether the grey plane is to be used. Bitmaps with a grey plane are twice the file size of those without.
o - Open file.
Load a PIC bitmap file. Will normally load both black and grey planes of a multi-plane bitmap, but can be set to load either. See `File defaults' in `Set Preferences' option.
O - Open special.
Load a special file. At the moment, the only special file is a screendump, which always sits in the root directory of the internal drive. To take a screendump, hit Psion-Shift-Control-S in any application. This information will be prompted by the Open S
(.txt)