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fastgif_ii_v1.08
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1993-06-21
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FastGIF II V1.08
(c) 1992,93 by Christophe PASSUELLO
-------------------------------------
FastGIF II is The GIF viewer. This new version has been rewritten, now
there is a real user interface, a file-requester, gadgets, and also
short-cut, now you can display picture in a screen as before and in a
WorkBench window, Multiple select is now implemented. FastGIF II takes
advantage of the new AGA chipset. It's always the FASTEST GIF viewer on
Amiga.
FastGIF II is now SHAREWARE, so if you use it often send me a contribution
of 10 US$ or 50 French Francs (bills only), you will receive the registered
version of FastGIF II with IFF saving. If you live out Europa add 4 US$
or 20 French Francs for mailing.
FastGIF can't be sold alone or in any package, but you can freely
distribuate it on PD's disks (like Fred Fish one) or on any BBS only if
complete and unmodified. Distribution of registered version is FORBIDEN.
DISCLAIMER
----------
The author isn't responsable of any damages resulting of FastGIF II use.
Before starting FastGIF II, you must be sure to have the Reqtools.library
and the iff.library (for registered version) in your LIBS: directory.
PRESENTATION
------------
FastGIF II displays pictures with more than 32 colors using gray-scale,
and using color if the picture don't have move than 32 colors. If you own
a new Amiga with AGA chipset (A1200 & A4000), display will use colors even
with a 256 colors picture. It allows now multiple selection for slide-show.
There is still some little problems with AGA chipset, when you use hires
switch during display the image may looks strange, these little problems
will be fixed as soon as i will receive docs about the new libraries of
WorkBench 3.0.
FEATURES
--------
- Now with a user interface, file-requester, iconify and so on.
- Very fast, mains routines are written using very highly optimised assembler
(twice faster than TurboGIF).
- It should be even faster with 32 bits cards because the assembly routines
are small enough to fit in the cache. (I suggest you to set on the cache
instruction using CPU or SetCPU).
- It displays GIF89a files.
- It works on NTSC or PAL.
- You can scroll picture.
- It handles corrupted GIF files.
- Completly multitasking.
- Multiple select for slide-show.
RUNNING FASTGIF II WITH CLI
---------------------------
Usage: FastGIF [-low] [-aga] -[agif] [-noreq] [-icon]
-low This can you help when you are low on memory, with this option
you can display a 640*512 picture with 512 KB CHIP and 512 KB
FAST. (May slow down decompression).
-aga Set this flag if you have a new Amiga with AGA chipset.
-agif Set this flag if the GIF pictures came from Amiga. It is used
to do a better guess of picture ratio. If the flag is not set
then FastGIF will use 1.3 as ratio aspect.
-noreq If you don't want requesters.
-icon Minimal use of memory when iconified.
You can set these options in FastGIF II using the Options Requester.
RUNNING FASTGIF II WITH WORKBENCH
---------------------------------
Just double-click on the FastGIF II 's icon. You can set the following Tools
Types before running (With Info item of WorkBench menu).
LOWMEM=ON This can you help when you are low on memory, with this
option you can display a 640*512 picture with 512 KB CHIP
and 512 KB FAST. (May slow down decompression).
CHIPAGA=ON Set this flag if you have a new Amiga with AGA chipset.
AMIGAGIF=ON Set this flag if the GIF pictures come from Amiga. It is
used to do a better guess of picture ratio.
ICONNFREE=ON Minimal use of memory when iconified.
NOREQUESTER=ON If you don't want requesters.
See Options Requester for more information.
These options can be set in FastGIF II using the Options Requester.
HOW TO USE FASTGIF II
---------------------
Once loaded, you can see 6 buttons and two text areas, the small one gives
information about the current file, the big one tells what FastGIF II is
doing. Underlined letter are short-cut.
I BUTTON LOAD
-------------
Opens a file-requester, if you choose a file it will be loaded in ram and
decompressed, picture size and so on will be printed on Information area.
You can now select more than one file, just press SHIFT key when clicking
on a filename. (You can also use the "All" or "Match" gadget).
If you wait until the file requester has scanned all the directory, the
next time you won't have to wait: the directory will be in the buffer.
II BUTTON VIEW
--------------
If the option No Requester isn't set, it opens a window with viewing options:
- You can choose between a screen and a WorkBench window for displaying
pictures. If you choose the WB window, the WorkBench must have enough
colors else the picture will be converted in gray-scale if the WorkBench
has at least 16 colors. With this mode 256 colors graphics cards that
emulate WorkBench may works (Tell me if it works)
- For screen display you can choose hires, interlace and overscan. Usually
you don't need to use this flags, since FastGIF set them regarding the
picture size.
- For gray-scale converted picture you can choose brightness and contrat.
Contrast can greetly improve the quality of picture (a value of 15 is
usually enough).
* Once the screen is displayed you can use the following keys:
L : switch Interlace
H : switch Hires
O : switch Overscan
ESC : close the screen
To scroll picture use cursor keys, with SHIFT scrolling will use 16 pixels
step, with ALT you to go to border of the screen. Click on right mouse
button to close the screen.
* Using WB window:
You can change window size, use scroller to scroll picture in window,
using the CloseWindow gadget or ESC key you will close window.
NOTE: If more than one file has been selected, FastGIF goes directly to
next file (Slide-show).
III BUTTON SAVE
---------------
WARNING! IFF saving is only available with registered version.
A requester let you choose options:
- You can choose to save the picture with all its colors (Without
conversion) or to convert picture to gray-scale (contrast and bright-
ness are those used in VIEW part.)
- Compression tells if you want to compress pictures, no compression is
useful if you power-pack pictures.
A filerequester let you choose the filename. If more than one file has been
selected and the No Requester option's it set then all files will be saved
into the save directory of the first file. (".IFF" will be added at the end
of the filename (".GIF" will be replaced by ".IFF")).
NOTE: the picture is saved with a 24 bits palette.
IV BUTTON ABOUT
---------------
Tells some info about FastGIF II.
V BUTTON OPTIONS
----------------
This will allow you set FastGIF II options:
- 256 Colors must be set to use 256 colors modes (You must have AGA chipset
or may be a 256 colors graphic card).
- Low memory may help you if you are low in memory.
- Will free memory used by current file when iconified, so once iconifed
FastGIF II will only use 40 KBytes of memory.
- Set Amiga pictures flags if your GIF files come from Amiga. It is
used to do a better guess of picture ratio.
- If No Requester is set, the View options are set by FastGIF and the
picture is displayed directly.
IV ICONIFY
----------
Just iconify FastGIF II.
TO DO
-----
- Using colors instead of grey-scale for pictures with more than 32 colors. ?
- Double buffering ?
AUTHOR
------
Send me any suggestion, bugs-report, flames, donations, etc....
I'am looking for docs about the graphics.library to use 24 bits palette,
to look for avaible displa