Click on a title:
HELP ON HELP
THE DESKTOP
MEGASPRITES
ANIMATOR
ORGANIZER
FRACTAL TREES
WALLS
MEGASPRITES DETAILED MANUAL
The MegaSprites' screen
Using the mouse in MegaSprites
Selecting a color for brush, ellipse, fill area and others
Drawing
Editing
Changing the palette
To change a color in the whole drawing
Painting and special effects
Making a sprite
Making a standard icon
Making a sprite in ASCII files
Viewing sprites in memory
Summary of keyboard commands in MegaSprites
FORMATS OF SPRITES
FILE FORMATS
PROBLEMS

HELP ON HELP

Change line     CURSOR UP/DOWN
Change page     PAGE UP/DOWN
Start of help   HOME
End of help     END
Close window    ESC


THE DESKTOP

Each program of this software is represented by an icon and you
also can see than icons are affected to each sprite file in the
current directory, while they can fit in the available space on
the screen... To click on an icon allows loading the file.
One clicks once to put the cursor on an object, twice launch it.
The two mouse buttons equally can be used on menu or on command
icons. In other cases, they have not identical effect.
In a general manner the left button is for a single  act  while
the right button is for continuous act while held  down. Inside
drawing windows they have not same function at all.

The title bar

The  desktop  shows  on  the  title bar the name of the current
sprite  file. The button at right of the menu bar is similar to
the  ESC  key  for  the mouse, and allows to exit a process, to
close  a  window,  or to quit VTools. The button at left of the
title  bar is for displaying copyright and current version.


The menu bar

To  access menu, click on the menu bar or press ALT plus letter
which is underlined. Use cursor keys to select an option (up/
down) or change sub-menu (left/right).
Press ESC to exit a sub-menu, press ESC again to exit the menu.
Here  are detailed each function and its shortcut key.

FILE
Load work      l       Load previously saved work
               CTRL+l  Load work saved by CTRL+s
Save work      s       Save table of sprites, addresses, types,
                       automaton board.
               CTRL+s  Save addresses and sprite images in
                       separated files.
Directory      d       Open the directory window.
Set dir mask   x       Choose files to be displayed.
Set path       Home    Set drive and access path.
Load icon      i       Load a Window's icon.
Quit           q       Exit VTools.

SPRITES
MegaSprites    M       Sprite editor.
Automaton      A       Automaton assembler.
Organizer      O       Memory organizer.
Virtual trees  F       Editor for virtual trees.
Three-D view   T       Display sprites in 3D view.
Display all    ?       Display sprites in memory.

PALETTE
Change RGB      %      Change colors.
Load pal+RGB    r      Load colors.
Save pal+RGB    w      Save colors.

INFO
Help            F1     Help screen.
System          ~      Display formats, sizes, and so on...
Internal        b      Display internal sprite buffer.
Beeps on/off    -      Set/Reset sound.
Colors          o      Dialog box for color preferences.

QUIT
Quit           q       Exit VTools.
Restart        y       Restart program with default values.
Erase sprites  DEL     Erase all sprites in memory.

Other commands:
ENTER: execute an icon.
F3, ALT-x: Quit the program.


Dialog box for confirmation

When  a box asks for a Y/N answer, press the left button inside
the  box to respond 'Y', or click out of the box to say 'N' and
cancel. Sometimes, for security, keyboard is required and mouse
no allowed.


The windows

Some windows can be moved and have variable size. In this case,
there is a button at left on the title bar, with a 3D box insi-
de.
If  the window can be changed, press ALT-SPACE to enter editing
mode,  and then use the cursor keys to move the window, or hold
down  the ALT keys with the cursor keys to change the size.
These keys +, -, <, > also allow to change the size.
Press ENTER or ESC to exit editing mode.

Using a mouse, move it on the border of the window,  and  when
the mouse image is changed, press left button and drag to move
or change the size.

Press  the  right mouse button to exit the process, or click on
the ESC button at the top of the screen.

To change the colors, press ALT-b for the background, ALT-h for
the title bar.


The directory

Press  'd' to display the current directory in a window.
The filenames has black letters, and sub-directories red letters.
Uses cursor keys or lift at right of the window to select a file
and to scroll.
Click on a drive icon or sub-directory to change it,  click   on
'..' to return at previous level. Click  on  a  sprite filename
(.SPR) or icon filename (.ICO) to load it.

To modify the window, press ALT-SPACE or click on borders.

Press ESC, or do a mouse click out of the window to close it.


File masking

The  directory  display allows use of a combination of masks by
file  type.  Press the 'x' key to open the dialogue box for the
selection.

The types and extensions are as following:
- Work:        Sprite files: SPR + WRK extensions.
- Screens:     PCX, VRT, VGA files.
- ICO:         Windows' icons.
- All files:   All files recognized by VTools.
- Directories: Sub-directories.

Click  on  the  1...5  button or type the number to set/reset a
mask. The program says 'YES', when files will be displayed.
Press HOME to restore defaults.
Press ENTER to close, or press 'd' to show the directory now.


To change drive and path

On  can set drive and path for files by a press on the 'p' key,
and then by typing the drive letter and the path.
Example:   A:\PIC


Dialog box for loading and saving sprites

Loading  and  saving  are done with a dialogue box, opened when
one  presses  'l' for loading, or 's' for saving (or CTRL-l and
CTRL-s to have the adresses in a separated file).

In this program, only the filename node is read by the program,
if an extension is typed the program removes it and replaces it
with SPR and WRK extension to save or to load the file.


The palette windows (RGB registers)

The % command opens the window for RGB registers changing, that
don't  affect the desktop's colors but those of the sprite edi-
tors only. There are two buttons to select the previous or next
colors and three bar to change the RGB registers.
The registers are temporary affected to the color 9.


The dialog box for colors

To  select  an item to change, use the vertical cursor keys. To
select the color, use the horizontal cursor keys.
Colors of some windows may be changed with the ALT-b key for the
background and ALT-h for the title bar, when the window is opened.
These color are saved with the file of sprites.


MEGASPRITES

BRUSH MOVE      Numeric keypad
COLOR           Cursor keys
BRUSH UP/DOWN   Space bar
BIG BRUSH       .
RUBBER ON/OFF   0
CLEAR DRAWING   DEL
UNDO            u
SELECT SPRITE   PAGE UP/DOWN
GET SPRITE      g
MAKE SPRITE     b  256 colors
                k  16 colors
                z  Packed
MAKE ICON       i
MAKE ASC IMAGE  j

REPLACE COLOR   c  then ENTER
LINE            l
RECTANGLE       r
ELLIPSE         e
REVERSE         ] Horizontal
                ~ Vertical
SPRAY           s
FILL AREA       f
SHADING         a     from left
                ALT-a from rigth

CUT & PASTE     /
                Tab change window
                Enter to paste
                Enter to keep
MERGE ONLY      @
MERGE & ROTATE  *
INSERT ROW      CTRL-r
       COLUMN   CTRL-o
DELETE ROW      CTRL-y
       COLUMN   CTRL-w
SIZE            < >  Width
                - +  Heigth
SCALE           w    Then:
                g   to keep
                Del to cancel
SET ANGLE       F7          -1
                CTRL-F7     -10
                ALT-F7      -90
                F8          +1
                CTRL-F8     +10
                ALT-F8      +90
                Angle will be used
                when merging sprite

CHANGE PALETTE  red:   ALT-r  R
                green: ALT-g  G
                blue:  ALT-b  B

QUIT to desktop   ESC
QUIT to tree      F
        organizer O
        animator  A
        3D        T


MOUSE

In the drawing window:
PUT CURSOR      Click right button
DRAW            Hold down left button

In the zoomed window:
GET COLOR       Click right button
DRAW            Hold down left button


MEGASPRITES DETAILED MANUAL
(Read it from the desktop)

The MegaSprites' screen

           Zoomed       Palette for 16 color sprites
           drawing         Inks for color making

Sprites    Normal
  in       sized         256 color palette
Memory     drawing

Width and height of the sprite are displayed below the image.
Number of the in sprite in the table is below this window and
available free space in memory is below the grey icons, that are
for special effects.
Below the inks for color creating are indicators:
-  at  left  the indicator for the brush up or down, nothing if
brush is up and a filled rectangle if brush is down.
- then is the rubber if rubber is on, otherwise nothing.
- at right a triangle is shown when one gets a color to copy it
elsewhere  in  the  palette, or there are two filled rectangles
when one does a color change in the image.

There are icons for the ten most usual functions:

#1 get image from the memory to the drawing window.
#2 clear the drawing.
#3 filling.
#4 the  rabbit  and  the  hat,  symbolize the 'undo' function,
   that comes back to past and restore image as before last act.
#5 cut and paste.
#6 change a color in the whole image.
#7 make a 32 x 32 icon from the image.
#8 make a 256 colors sprite from the image.
#9 make a compressed 16 colors sprite.
#10 return to the desktop.

There  is  also  a  panel  for special effects or other drawing
function:  shading,  rotating, brush width, ellipse, line, rec-
tangle, spray...


Using the mouse in MegaSprites

In the central window:
- press left button to draw. Click once or hold down it to paint.
- press right button to put the cursor at a location.

In the upper magnifying window:
- press left button to draw.
- press  right  button  to  get a color from the drawing.

In the left window on memory:
- press left button to view next sprite.
- press right button to view the previous one.

In the palette area:
press any mouse button to get the color.

On the bar of icons:
press any mouse button to execute the command.


Selecting a color for brush, ellipse, fill area and others

Use  cursor  keys  to move both in the 256 color palette and in
the 16 color palette, or click on a color. The current color is
designated by a rectangle above the palette.


Drawing

First  put  the  brush  down  by a press on the space bar. When
brush  is  down  a rectangle of current color appears above the
palette.  In the same manners, the rubber is set on or off by a
press on the '0' key.
Use the numeric keypad to move the cursor on the drawing, or to
draw if the brush or the rubber is down.

One can double the size of the brush by a press on the '.' key.


Editing

To edit the image, use these keys:
CTRL-r   Insert a row of pixels at cursor location.
CTRL-y   Delete the row.
CTRL-o   Insert a column.
CTRL-w   Delete the column.

<     reduce width (20 pixels min.).
>     increase width (80 pixels max.).
-     reduce height (20 pixels min.).
+     increase height (80 pixels max.).

Mirror functions:
] or [   horizontal mirror.
~        vertical mirror.

Undo:
One level undo is provided, type 'u' to restore the image. That
clears the result of any function having general effect. It's
easy to save the image (with the 'b' command), get it, remove
an useless sprite with the organizer.

Clearing the window:

Type CTRL-z or DEL.


Changing the palette

You  can  move  a  color from a number to another... Press 'o',
this holds the current selected color, a triangle appears above
the  palette,  move  now to a new location and press 'o' again,
this drop the color and the triangle disappears.

You may change basis components of a color to create one...
Click on the basis components above the palette, with the left
button to add to, the  right button to reduce an ink.
With the keyboard, press R, G, B (uppercases) to add ink to the
color, press ALT+r, ALT+g or ALT+b to reduce it.

The  palette  you create must allow inversion of color for some
drawing  function, this supposes colors with complementary num-
ber  (=complementary position in the palette) also have comple-
mentary display, so complementary of a clear color must be dark
and conversely...

The  palette  is saved in the WRK file, when sprites are saved,
or separately with the 'w' command at the desktop.


To change a color in the whole drawing

This changes all pixels of a color to another color.
Move the brush on a pixel having the color to be changed in the
image, and then select a color in the palette for the replacing
color, then  press 'c' to do the change.
The  two  colors, are displayed above the palette. At left, the
previous one, at right the new one.
You may again change the colors with cursor: up and down for the
previous, left and right for the new.
Press ENTER to do the change.

With mouse, one selects the icon #5, one gets if needed old co-
lor  with  left  button,  new  color  with right button and one
clicks again on icon #5 to do the change.


Painting and special effects

FILLING
Select  first  the color, set the brush up, move the cursor in-
side the area to fill, set the brush down, press 'f'.

Using mouse:
1) first get a color,
2)  set  the location inside the drawing, with right mouse but-
ton.
3) click on the fill icon, the third.


ELLIPSE/CIRCLE, RECTANGLE, LINE
Select first the color for the object to draw.
Type
- 'e' to draw an ellipse or a circle,
- 'r' for a rectangle,
- 'l' for a line.

To  move the object, use the cursor keys or the left mouse but-
ton.
To  change  the  size,  use  the '4', '6', '8', '2' keys or the
right mouse button. If a line, this changes the ending point.

Type  ENTER to draw the object according to the selected color,
or  press  ESC  to  cancel. For the mouse, the get icon does an
ENTER press.

SPRAY
Press 's' or click on the spray icon, the mouse pointer becomes
a spray and so remains until you press again on the spray icon.

SHADING
-  choose  a row in the palette, it will be displayed at top in
the 16 colors palette... The standard palette has at second row
a  gray  gradation that is a good example for the shading func-
tion.
- move the cursor on a color in the image.
-  press  'a'.  All areas with the chosen color have now grada-
tion, according to the row of the palette...
- press ALT-a to do shading from right to left.

SCALE
Press 'w', then the < >  + keys to change the size. Press ENTER
or click on the 'get' icon. The 'del' icon replaces ESC.

MERGING IMAGES
Press the '@' key to put the sprite in memory over the drawing.
Press  the  '*'  key to do it according to the current rotation
angle,  value of which being displayed below the window of dra-
wing, at right.

To change this angle, type:
F8               1 degree right.
CTRL-F8          10 degrees right.
ALT-F8           90 degrees right.
F7               1 degree left.
CTRL-F7          10 degrees left.
ALT-F7           90 degrees left.


CUT & PASTE
This function is similar to the previous one, but it works with
a part of the drawing, or a part of the sprite in memory.
Press  '/' . A rectangle is outlined upon the sprite in memory.
Press  the  TAB  key  to cut into the image or to return on the
sprite in memory.

Use  <, >, +, - to change size, and the cursor keys to move the
outlined rectangle.
Or put left mouse button down and drag to move and right button
to change size.
Now press ENTER or click on the first icon at bottom of screen.
The  cut  part of the image is now displayed inside the drawing
window, by inverting the colors...
Remember  than  if colors are not complementary in the palette,
you see nothing.

Now you can change the angle of rotation if you want.
- press a key of the numeric pad.
- or press +, - to change a single degree.
- or press < or > to change 10 degrees.
- or use same keys as for the previous function.
With  mouse, click on the icons that represent curved arrows at
left, to change the angle.

The  cursor  keys  or the left mouse button held down, allow to
move the part of image.

Press  ENTER  to paste or click on the icon #1 at the bottom of
screen.


Making a sprite

Various  kind  of sprites can be made from drawing according to
following commands:

b         256 colors sprite.
z         Z-RLE compressed 16 colors sprite.
k         16 colors sprite (Size in memory is reduced by half
          in relation to 256 colors sprite). As above, but no
          compressed.

When  making  any  16 color sprite or icon, the image must have
colors  of  a same row in the palette. The sprite has colors of
the  row of palette you select at the time you made it, not the
colors  you  use  when drawing it... The first color in this 16
colors palette is always the black background color.

A  16  colors  sprite  must  have even number of columns as two
pixels  are  stored into one byte. The program sets the correct
number of columns if needed.


Making a standard icon

When you want to create an icon for Windows, you must first set
the proper 32 x 32 pixels size.
Use  the  '<'  key  to  reduce  the width and '-' to reduce the
height, then draw the image.
The  black  color is a part of the displayed image, to make the
background,  use any color that is not in the first row at bot-
tom of the palette.
To  create the ICO file, press 'i', then give a 8 letters name,
without extension, and press ENTER.
The  image will also be stored as a sprite to be further edited.


Making a sprite in ASCII file

Type  'j'  and  give  a  8 letters name, without extension, and
press ENTER.
The  program will create a text file having ASC extension, that
holds a 16 color sprite, that you may insert directly into your
programs.  The  syntax  of the array is for the C language, but
you may be easily edit it to another one.
This command also add a sprite in memory.


Viewing sprites in memory

The  window  at  left shows sprites in memory, one uses PAGE UP
and PAGE DOWN to select next or previous one in memory.  Or one
puts  the  mouse  pointer into this window and presses the left
button  to view the next sprite or the right button to view the
previous one.

Type  'g'  to copy the sprite from memory to the window of dra-
wing.
To  compare  the  images,  type @ to put one over the other and
type u to restore the drawing.
The Organizer displays full description of each sprite in memo-
ry.



ANIMATOR

Summary of commands:

F1      This help screen.
PAGES   Select a sprite in memory.
Cursor keys Move to a location on the board.
0..9    Put a symbol at cursor location.
ENTER   Put an ellipse on the board.
DEL     Erase current cursor position
x       Clear the whole board.
i       Interpret the automaton and animate it. Move first
        the cursor at start of the sequence.
z       Run the automaton in VGA 19, 256 colors.
m       Execute step by step the automaton.
r       Read an automaton, displays it starting at current
        cursor position.
w       Write an automaton in a file, starting at cursor.
#       Put/Remove the grid.
n       Refresh the screen.
HOME    Go to the start of the board.
END     Go to the end of the board
<       Scroll the board 20 columns left.
>       Scroll the board 20 columns right.
+       Slow down the animation.
-       Speed up the animation.
p       Switch between editor palette or standard one.
ALT-b   Change the panel command color.
ALT-j   Change the board color.
ALT-n   Change the text and line color.
ALT-o   Change the border.
O       Organiser.
M       MegaSprites.
T       Three-D viewer.
F       Virtual tree editor.
q       Return to desktop.

MOUSE ON THE COMMAND PANEL
Click on a symbol to get a link.
Click anywhere to drop it and get the current sprite number.

MOUSE ON THE ASSEMBLY BOARD
The mouse becomes a pencil when holding a sprite number and
a cross when holding a symbol.
Press the left button to put link or sprite number, and the
right button to move the cursor at mouse pointer

Detailed manual

This program allows to make automatons that are sequences  of
sprites that composes an animation.
On the board, an automaton is a sequence of ellipses  with
number of sprites inside them, ordered by arrows.

Animation  can  be  shown  in  the  window at the middle of the
screen, or in full screen with VGA 19. At right of this window,
nine  symbol  represent different available links. At right are
shown the sprites in memory.

To  execute  a  sequence,  press  'i' or 'z' to view it in full
screen.  The interpreter reads on the board from left to right.
It  can  go up or down, but it respects following priorities if
several  arrows  start  of  the  same  ellipse: right, then up,
otherwise down.


Making and editing automaton

One  selects a sprite in memory with PAGE UP/DOWN keys, and one
presses ENTER to put an ellipse at cursor location, holding its
number.

The keys to put arrows are these:
0: a horizontal line, the symbol to go right.
5: a vertical line, to go up or down.
1, 3, 7, 9: symbols to change direction.
2,  6, 8: add '>' to the lines, that is for better comprehensi-
bility but have no utility for the interpreter.

The DEL key erases an ellipse.

To  save an automaton, move the cursor at the first ellipse and
press  'w'. To load it, move the cursor at a location and press
'r'.

To change the sprite, click on the PAGE UP/DOWN keys at left of
sprite  in  memory, with left button to scroll one at the time,
right button to a fast scroll.

The horizontal lift allows to scroll the board of automatons.

Automatons  are saved in files with the AUT extension, that the
program adds to itself. The board is saved into the WRK file.


ORGANIZER

This  utility  allows to change order of sprites in memory, de-
lete  one, convert the format, display the detailed description
and test the integrity.

Icons

CNVRT   Convert selected sprite to selected format.
ENTER/ESCAPE  Replace the Enter and Esc keys.

Keyboard commands of the organiser

PAGES   Select a sprite in memory.
HOME    Go to the first sprite in memory.
END     Go to the last sprite in memory.
m       Go to the move mode. Use PAGE UP/DOWN to select a
        new location, press ENTER to move or ESC to cancel.
DEL     Delete displayed sprite.
t       Change current format for converting.
!       Convert displayed sprite to current format, and
        replace it.
b       Display x 4 a Z-RLE sprite.
z       Display on VGA 19 screen, if format is compatible.
p       Switch between editor palette or standard one.
A       Assembler.
M       MegaSprites.
T       Three-D Viewer.
F       Virtual Tree Editor.
Q, ESC  Return to desktop.


FRACTAL TREES

This  program  mathematically calculate form of trees and paint
them on the screen.
Their parameters are saved in a 16 bytes file that the user can
display, with the tree function, in its programs.

In  the  editor, there are commands to change sizes and command
to change characteristics of trees.
In  a general manner, one use lowercases to reduce a parameter,
and uppercases to increase it, for command that have a horizon-
tal lift on the panel.

Press F1 for help screen.
Press ? to know numerical values of parameters.
To speed up the changes on bars, type a number, from 1 to 9.

Commands for sizes:
s     size of the whole tree.
r     random number to determine the whole tree.
t     height of the trunk.
u     length of the branches.
w     width of trunk and branches.

Commands for characteristics:
l     drawing leaves or not.
b     branching or not for the trunk.
m     multiple branches at same level or not.
h     straight trunk or not.
f     fractal characteristic: branches have same
      form than the trunk.
c     conical form.

The  trunk can be gray or brown (n), leaves are green or snowed
(v).

To  save  parameters,  type  'p', then give a name, the program
adds  to the TRE extension. To load a tree, press 'g' and gives
the name without extension.


WALLS

This  utility allows  to display the objects you create with
MegaSprites with a three-d view.

The  bar of icons at bottom display these function from left to
right:
#1   Set the corridor view.
#2   Set the front wall view.
#3   Get the previous image.
#4   Get the next image.
#5-8 Change the size.
#9   Go to MegaSprites.
#10  Return to the desktop.

Above  the  bar  of icon is an indicator that shows if the view
display an image or only the structure of scenery.
If  you  wish  to change the size of the scenery, set first the
view  to  the green lines for faster display. That be done by a
click on the indicator.

Keyboard commands:

g         Get the image to the view.
DEL       Remove the image from the view.
e         Set the corridor view.
f         Set the front panel view.
PAGE UP   Next image.
PAGE DOWN Previous image.
<         Reduce the width.
>         Increase the width.
-         Reduce the height.
+         Increase the height.
M         Go to MegaSprites.
ESC       Return to the desktop.


FORMATS FOR SPRITES

All  formats  but  MS are for displaying sprites from bottom to
top of screen.
Coordinate of sprite, but special F and EAS, are
- 0..639 x 0..479 on VGA 18 and SVGA,
- 0..319 x 0..199 on VGA 19.
Size  is  limited only by editors, 80 x 80 with MegaSprites and
VGA 18 sprite editor, 320 x 200 with Screen Maker.

Encoding  use  either  bitmap: 16, 256, Z16 or bit planes: F16,
MS,  EAS.  Bit planes encoding displays very fast on VGA 18 (or
VGA  16-EGA) screen resolution. Bitmap is an universal encoding
that displays on MCGA, VGA, SVGA with appropriate functions.
Principle of bitmap is to store all bits of a pixel into a byte
of  memory,  while  bit  planes encoding stores image by screen
planes.


The 256 colors format.

It's  a  universal  format  to display sprites with all VGA and
SVGA screen modes. Each pixel is coded with one byte, according
to the bitmap encoding.
In VGA 19 these sprites can be displayed very fast.

 Header:
 Byte 0: height, from 1 to 200.
 Byte 1: unused
 Byte 2-3: width from 1 to 320.
 Byte 4: format code 1.
 Byte 5: unused


The 16 colors format.

A universal format for VGA and SVGA. No compressed. The palette
number  allows  on  256 color screen to display the same sprite
with  different  sets of colors. It uses bitmap encoding with a
byte holding two pixels.

 Header:
 Byte 0:   height, from 1 to 200.
 Byte 1:   unused
 Byte 2-3: width from 1 to 320.
 Byte 4:   format code 5.
 Byte 5:   palette row number.

The 16 colors Z-RLE format.

A universal format for VGA and SVGA. Image is coded with an RLE
compression  algorithm  that  allows  a  display with same fast
speed than no compressed sprite. Compression can divide size by
5  or  more,  depending of complexity of the image. The palette
number allows on 256 color screen to display a same sprite with
different sets of colors. Use bitmap encoding.

Header: as above, with format code 4.

The F16 (fast) format.

It  is  a  format  for VGA 18, that displays sprites very fast,
with  no  boundary,  so horizontal coordinate is in range 0..79
and not 0..639. Use bit planes encoding.

 Header:
 Byte 0:   height, from 1 to 200.
 Byte 1:   unused
 Byte 2-3: width from 1 to 80.
 Byte 4:   format code 6.
 Byte 5:   unused.

The EAS (Easy) format.

This  format  allows  to  make  sprite  with variable number of
screen  pages, from 1 to 4, and so displaying animation without
erasing background. Uses bit planes encoding.
 Header:
 Byte 0:   height, from 1 to 200.
 Byte 1:   unused
 Byte 2-3: width from 1 to 80.
 Byte 4:   format code 3.
 Byte 5:   unused.


MS

Format to display sprites from top to bottom of screen. It uses
bit planes encoding.
 Header:
 Byte 0: height, from 1 to 200.
 Byte 1: unused
 Byte 2-3: width from 1 to 320.
 Byte 4: format code 2.
 Byte 5: unused.


Icons.

When  icons are packed in a single file, they use the 256 or 16
colors format or compressed Z-RLE format.
They also can be saved into an ICO file with Windows' format.
Functions of the library in the registered version that display
icons  use  color 9 as background color and don't put it on the
screen, that is for rather display the 0 color that corresponds
to the more useful black color.


FILE FORMATS

Extensions  are  entirely managed by the program. If user gives
an  extension when asked for a filename, the program removes it
and puts the proper extension. Each type of file has its proper
extension.

SPR  Sprite table. Can hold relative addresses of sprites, or
     no.
WRK  Work file, it is created when saving sprites and it holds
     preferences, palette, board of automatons.
ADR  Addresses of sprites in the table. Generated by a CTRL-s.
PCX  Picture file, the standard format.
VRT  Picture file, more compressed format with fast display.
VGA  Picture file with no header, no compressed.
PAL  Palette. Bytes 0 to 767 are RGB registers, byte 768 is
     unused, bytes 769..784 for colors 0..15  of the VGA 18
      palette.
AUT  Automaton. Each sprite number use two bytes. Bytes 0 et 1
     of the file hold the number of sprites.
TRE  Tree file, holds 12 parameters, one byte each.
ICO  Standard Windows' (c) icon file.
ASC  Sprite saved as ASCII file.


PROBLEMS

UNDO exists. Type 'u' to restore image as before the last act.

BLACK SCREEN
If  you  load a previous work and the WRK file has been corrup-
ted,  the  color  registers  can be erased, type 'y' to restore
standard palette, or load a previously saved palette.

NO ELLIPSE, RECTANGLE, LINE, PASTE...
The  ellipse  starts with color complementary to background co-
lor, if background has color 0, and is black, complementary co-
lor is 255, and if it is black also, you see nothing. This pro-
blem  disappears by making a palette with complementary colors,
that is generally the case when using gradation.

COLORS OF SPRITE...
Remember than when ones makes a 16 colors sprite with MegaSpri-
tes,  colors  of  the sprites are those or current 16 color pa-
lette (at top of screen), not colors used when drawing. This is
a voluntary feature that allows to use different sets of colors
with a same drawing...

WIDTH OF SPRITES...
The  16 color sprites must have even width. The program automa-
tically corrects that and add a column if needed.

WORK CAN'T BE LOADED
This  can occurs if you save sprites with CTRL-s (addresses and
raw  data  in separated files) and then load file with 'l' (ad-
dresses  and  raw  data  in same file). Remember 'l' matches s,
CTRL-l matches CTRL-s.
The  memory  buffer for the table of sprites has variable size,
that  depends  of  the  available conventional memory, 640Kb or
less. By adding resident program it may occurs the memory buffer
has too reduced to load a file of sprites.

CTRL-c  The control-c interrupt is disabled, however some mouse
drivers can thwart that, so try to avoid type that.


