Contents
Table of Contents

Menu Commands

File Commands

Edit Commands

Option Commands

Help Commands

How To...

Add to Coloring Book

Change Colors

Re-Coloring Pictures

Delete a Picture

Export Through Clipboard

Import From Clipboard

Kid Mode On/Off

Open Coloring Book

Place Text on Picture

Print Current Picture

Sound Effects On/Off

ArtWork

Coloring Books

Product Information

Coloring Books and Other Educational Products from MES


File Menu Items

File

The File menu is where all file related operations are accessed.  The options are:

(Hit Page PgDn for more information)

Note:  When Kid Mode is turned on some of the options below are substituted for another, See 	Kid Mode On/Off  for more details.

New

This option returns the user to a blank screen with no file association.  It is in effect a complete start-over option.

Open...

This menu option starts a dialog box for the user to choose a bitmap (*.bmp) file to open.  ColorBook also will open most Run Length Encoded bitmap files (*.rle).

Open Coloring Book...

This is ColorBook's coloring book option.  Choose this option to bring up a dialog box with drawings to color.  To open a picture, select a picture with the left mouse button and then press the OK button.  A shortcut is to double-click the picture you wish to open.

Save

This option saves a picture in bitmap format (*.bmp) in a file whose name is listed in the window title.  Please observe that only filenames of the form cbx.bmp, where x is a number, will be noticed by ColorBook's coloring book feature.  See the option File|Add Picture to Book  for more details.

Turn off File Compression to save in a format recognized by Paintbrush!!

SaveAs

This option saves a picture in bitmap format (*.bmp) in a file with the name you type into the dialog box.  Note that when Kid Mode is off you can choose the filename in which to save the picture.  If Kid Mode is on then both File|Save and File|SaveAs are identical to the File|Add Picture to Book option described below.  See option File|Save above for more details.

Turn off File Compression to save in a format recognized by Paintbrush!!

Add Picture to Book

This option adds the current picture to the coloring book.  This picture may then be used over and over again.  There is a limit of 40 pictures that may be saved using this option. The user must delete an existing picture in order to save a new picture after the limit of 40 is reached.

Print

This is the option to print the current picture.  ColorBook does print in color when attached to a color printer.  The picture is changed to monochrome shading when attached to a monochrome printer.

Turn off Kid Mode to Print!!

Quit

Choose this option to exit ColorBook.  Remember to save your work!!!


Edit Menu Items
Edit

The Edit menu is where all editing related operations are accessed.  The options are:

(Hit Page PgDn for more information)

Cut

This option is identical to the File|New option except that it puts the existing picture in the Windows Clipboard.

Copy

This option puts the current ColorBook picture into the Windows Clipboard.  Use this option to move your ColorBook pictures to other programs.

Paste

This option takes the contents of the Windows Clipboard and puts it on the ColorBook picture window.  ColorBook expands/shrinks the clipboard image as needed to fill the entire ColorBook picture window.

Clear Screen

This option clears the ColorBook picture window.  File name associations are unaffected.

Uncolor Picture

This option removes the color from the current picture.  This option may be used before adding a picture to the coloring book because it reduces the file size needed to store the picture.

NOTE: This procedure may take a few minutes,  this is the price ColorBook pays to accurately uncolor a picture.


Options Menu Items
Options

The Options menu is where all advanced operations are accessed.  The options are:

(Hit Page PgDn for more information)

Kid Mode

This option is intended to allow un-supervised use of ColorBook by new Windows users.  This option is the default option and is turned on when ColorBook is started.

Kid Mode keeps the ColorBook picture window maximized in order to discourage the user from switching to another application and inadvertently destroying important files or data.  This option may be disabled by choosing this option from the menu or by using the shortcut key sequence ALT-k.

See Kid Mode On/Off for more details.

Sound Effects

This option toggles the sound effects on and off.

Text in Current Color

This option allows the text placed by the text option to be the current color.

Change Text Font

This option allows the font to be changed from a dialog box.  All Fonts installed into Windows are available to ColorBook.

Lines in Current Color

This option allows lines to be drawn in the current color as indicated by the current color box in the upper left corner of the canvas.  The current color Box is the region of Blue in the picture below.

Choose Line Width and Color...

This option brings up a dialog box from which the line width and color may be changed.

Draw Color-Filled Objects

This option allows you to draw objects with interiors filled with the current color.

Allow Coloring with Black

This option allows coloring with the color BLACK.  In normal operation ColorBook does not allow this color to be used because the borders of the pictures are black.  If the user changes the border color then the coloring feature will not work correctly.

Warning!!!: this option when activated may result in unexpected behavior.  Be sure to save your work before activating this feature!!!!!!!!

Make Your Own Color...

ColorBook comes with 54 pre-defined colors.  However, the user may want to mix their own custom color and replace a pre-defined color.  By using this option the user can re-define all 54 colors if desired.

The custom colors are not saved when the user quits ColorBook.

Restore Colors to Default

This option restores all 54 top menu colors to the pre-defined default.  See the Choose Custom Colors... option for more information.

File Compression

This option turns file compression on and off.  Picture files are compressed when the check mark appears by the menu item.  This is included because Window's Paintbrush can not read a compressed file.  Therefore, to save a file in Paintbrush format turn file compression off.


Help  Menu items
Help

The Help menu is where instructive information is contained.  The options are:

Contents

This option is the option your are now using.  It may be invoked at any time by pressing the  F1  function key.

Help on Help

This option invokes Window's instructions on how to use the HELP utility.

More Coloring Books from MES

This item prints an order form containing ordering information for additional coloring books for this program along with ordering information about other products from MES.

View description of other MES software...

This option invokes Windows WRITE editor with a file containing descriptions of other educational software available from MES.  Remember to exit WRITE before returning to ColorBook.

About ColorBook

This option brings up a dialog box with the current version number.


How to Add to Coloring Book
Add to Coloring Book

ColorBook comes with one 40 page coloring book of pre-drawn images.  These images are in such a form as to be unchangeable by the user.  That is why ColorBook allows for an additional 40 images to be added in a second book by the user.

This is accomplished by choosing Add Picture To Book from the File menu.  ColorBook will take the current picture on the screen, create a miniature image from the it and save both the normal size and miniature images to your disk drive.  At one point during this process you will need to press the OK button on a preview of the miniature image.

There is no option to abort this procedure during the preview.  However, if you change your mind you may delete the coloring book entry from the Coloring book dialog window.

For Best results you may wish to un-color the picture before you add the picture to the coloring book.


How to Change Available Colors
Change Colors

The color selections may be changed one by one if the user wishes to have a shade not included in the original selections.  This is accomplished by choosing the Options|Make Your Own Color item from the options menu.  Then place the mouse cursor over the color to change.  Press the right mouse button to bring up a dialog box in which a custom color may be mixed.  Press the OK button to replace the old color with the new color.   To turn off this option choose Options|Make Your Own Color so this menu item appears unchecked.

Note these custom colors exist only for the current session, when ColorBook is exited all previous custom colors are lost.


How to Change Colors
Re-Coloring Pictures

Changing the color of a picture is the purpose of ColorBook.  In this respect ColorBook has a great advantage over traditional paper coloring books.  To change a color from the existing color to another color merely select the new color, choose the crayon tool, place the tip of the floating crayon on the color to change, then press the left mouse button.


How to Delete a Picture
Delete a Picture

Only user-drawn pictures may be deleted!  To delete a user-drawn picture select Open Coloring Book either with the open book icon in the side menu or from the file main menu.  Select a user-drawn picture by single-clicking on the miniature icon and then select the delete button in the bottom of the dialog box.  You will be prompted to confirm deletion of the file.  Choose OK to delete the picture or Cancel to not delete the picture.  The dialog box will then redisplay itself to reflect the deleted item.


How to export through the Clipboard
Export through the Clipboard

To include images from ColorBook in your other Windows programs you may use the Windows Clipboard.  This allows you to take the entire drawing area (excluding the top and side menus) and paste it into other programs such as your favorite word processor, etc.  ColorBook exports both device dependent and device independent bitmaps when this option is chosen.

To export a picture that is currently in the ColorBook picture window choose Edit|Copy from the Edit main menu.  Then switch to the program where you want to place the picture and choose Paste from that program's edit menu.


How to Import from Clipboard
Import from the Clipboard

To include images from your other Windows programs in ColorBook you may use the Windows Clipboard.  This allows you to take images from other painting programs or any other Windows or DOS program that displays an image and import it into ColorBook for alteration and/or saving.  ColorBook will import both device dependent and device independent bitmaps.

To transfer an image from a DOS program to ColorBook you must display the DOS program in a Window.  Then choose Edit|Mark from the Corner Window Menu and use the mouse to select the image.  Then choose Edit|Copy from the DOS programs corner menu.  After this is done switch to ColorBook and Choose Edit|Paste.  This will take the contents of the Clipboard and stretch/shrink it so that it fits ColorBook's picture window exactly.  By turning Kid Mode on or off the user can re-size an image by experimenting with the ColorBook Window size that produces the desired result.


How to use Kid Mode
Kid Mode On/Off

Kid Mode is a feature that keeps the ColorBook window full-sized to discourage small children from tampering with important programs and/or data.  To toggle this feature on or off choose Options|Kid Mode from the options menu or use the accelerator key sequence ALT-k.  A message dialog box will inform you whether Kid Mode is on or off, hit the return key or click the OK button to dismiss the message dialog.

In addition to the above features, Kid Mode also alters some entries in the file main menu to simplify the use of ColorBook for new users.  Below is a description of the file menu when Kid Mode is on:

Print is disabled, turn Kid Mode off to print.

Open Coloring Book is substituted for New and Open.

Add Picture to Book is substituted for Save and SaveAs.

Turning Kid Mode off will return the menu to normal operation.


How to Open Coloring Books
Open Coloring Book

To open the coloring book click the book icon at the bottom of the side menu or choose File|Open Coloring Book from the main menu.  Either operation brings up a dialog box containing miniature images of the pages.  To color one of these pictures select it and then the OK button at the bottom of the dialog.  You may also double-click the picture you wish to color and it will be opened.

To access the user drawn coloring book select Next Book.  To return to the original coloring book just select Next Book button again.  In this manner you can swap from one book to  another.

This version of ColorBook has been programmed to accept and manage up to 10 coloring books with no additional updates except for the purchase of additional coloring books.  Contact MES for availability.


How to Place Text on Picture
Place Text on Picture

To place text on the picture select the 'A' icon near the bottom in the side menu.  A dialog box will appear with a place to type the text into.  The backspace key allows you to correct mistakes if needed.  After typing the text choose the OK button to dismiss the dialog box.  The cursor will change to an 'A' when the cursor is over the picture window.  Press and hold the left mouse button and a floating rectangle will appear in the size required to hold the text.  Release the mouse button to place the text where the rectangle is positioned.

To change the font choose Options|Change Text Font...  from the options menu.


How to Print Pictures
Print Current Picture

ColorBook has the ability to print what the user colors.  If a color printer is available ColorBook will print in color.  ColorBook will operate with most any printer that can be installed in Windows.  In the case of a monochrome printer ColorBook will translate colors other than black to a gray shading pattern when printed.

An interesting use of ColorBook is that you may print the un-colored images so the pictures may be colored with real crayons.

Note:  Kid Mode must be turned off in order to print!


Sound Effects
Sound Effects On/Off

ColorBook provides simple sound effects for entertainment.  The sound effects may be turned off by selecting the speaker tool or by choosing the Options|Sound Effects from the main menu.  When sound effects are on, the speaker tool is inverted so that the status of the sound effects may be seen at one glance.


Source of Coloring Boooks
Coloring Books

ColorBook comes with one 40 page coloring book of pre-drawn images for your coloring pleasure.  In addition ColorBook provides for a user drawn 40 page coloring book as well.

The ColorBook drawings were drawn by hand by Evelyn White and later scanned into electronic format.  Ms. White is a public school Art instructor in Tazewell TN who also has a thriving artistic career.  She works in calligraphy, oil painting and freelance art from her studio.  If you would like to see more of Ms. White's artistic work write to:

Evelyn White

1508 Tazewell Rd.

Tazewell, TN 37879

ph (615) 626-9106

Also see:

Help|More Coloring Books from MES


Other Educational Products from MES
Coloring Books and Other Educational Products From MES

ColorBook comes with one book of 40 pictures to color.  MES supplies additional coloring books for your coloring pleasure.  At this time two additional coloring books are available, this number may increase in the future. For ordering information  print out the order form by selecting the Help|More Coloring Books from MES menu item located in the help menu.

In addition, MES offers educational software for both DOS and Windows environments.  To view a brief description of the software available at this time choose the Help|View Description of Other MES Software... menu item.

You may write to MES at the following addresses:

U.S. Mail: 	Motes Educational Software

P. O. Box 575

Siloam Springs AR, 72761

Electronic Mail:	73757,1111       on CompuServe

or from Internet	73757.1111@compuserve.com