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- Alchemy Shell 1.6
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- A graphical shell for Image Alchemy 1.6
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- by Edwin Groothuis, Augustus 1992
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- «« What is Alchemy Shell?
-
- This program is a graphical shell for Image Alchemy 1.6 of Handmade
- Software. I wrote this shell because I was tired of searching for the
- correct parameters that Alchemy needed for correct conversion.
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- This program is shareware. It may not be spread without documentation
- or sold for more than US$ 3.-. It may be spread free via bulletin board
- systems, Internet or other public networks. If you distribute it as part
- of a shareware-disk, please let me know.
-
- For information about registering see below.
-
- «« What is required for Alchemy Shell?
-
- Alchemy Shells requires three things:
- o A IBM-compatible computer with compatible VGA-card. (This program uses
- videomode 12h. It's a standard VGA-mode)
- o A mouse and mousedriver. Most computers today have this.
- o The program Image Alchemy 1.6 (called ALCHEMY.EXE). Please put
- ALCHEMY.EXE and ASH.EXE in the same directory, since ASH.EXE searches
- for ALCHEMY.EXE only in the same directory as ASH.EXE is.
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- «« How to use Alchemy Shell?
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- To run Alchemy Shell, type ASH with as optional parameter the sourcefile.
- Now you get a graphical screen with several windows like this:
-
- ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
- ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
- │ A┌────────┐B┌───┐ ┌───────────────┬─┐K │
- │ Sourcefile └────────┘ └───┘ │J ├─┤ │
- │ C┌────────┐ │ │ │ │
- │ Destination └────────┘ │ │ │ │
- │ D┌─┬E┬─┐F │ │ │ │
- │ Colorbits └─┴─┴─┘ │ │ │ │
- │ G┌───┐ │ │ │ │
- │ XSize └───┘ │ │ │ │
- │ H┌───┐ │ │ │ │
- │ YSize └───┘ │ │ │ │
- │ I┌─┐ │ │ │ │
- │ Overwrite └─┘ │ ├─┤ │
- │ └───────────────┴─┘L │
- │ ┌────────────────┐ ┌────────────────┐ │
- │ │ G O │ │ CANCEL │ │
- │ │ M│ │ N│ │
- │ └────────────────┘ └────────────────┘ │
- │ │
- └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
-
- Legend:
- A: Click here to change the name of the sourcefile.
- After clicking the (old) name will disappear and you can enter a
- new name. Finishing with ENTER (accept name) or ESCAPE (keep old name).
- After typing 13 characters (=a complete filename) the inputline
- will automatic close.
- B: Browse for a file. See below
- C: Click here to change the name of the destinationfile. See also A.
- E: Selected number of colorbits. Possible are 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits.
- Some images require only 8 colorbits (like the GIF-format),
- some images can handle more colorbits (like the TIFF-format).
- D,F: Select previous or next number of colorbits.
- G: Click here for a new image-width. This can be up to 9999 pixels.
- (Note: The unregistered version of Image Alchemy can only handle up
- to 640x480 pixels).
- After clicking the (old) X-Size will disappear and you can enter
- a new X-Size. Finishing with ENTER (accept new size) or
- ESCAPE (keep old size). After typing four digits (=maximal number
- of digits) the inputline will automatic close.
- H: Click here for a new image-height. See also G.
- I: Click here if you want to toggle overwrite. Image Alchemy normally
- requires the parameter -o to overwrite. If you don't want to overwrite
- a old file, please click here. The "√" will disappear.
- J: List of new image-formats. Click on one to choose the new format.
- After clicking, the extension of the destinationfile will automatic
- be converted to the "normal" extension of that image-format.
- K,L: Click here for going higher or lower in the list. If you can't
- go any further, you'll here a beep.
- M: GO: start conversion and go back to dos.
- N: cancel: cancel conversion, go back to dos.
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- «« Browse for a file.
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- After clicking on B, a new window will appear:
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- ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
- ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
- │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
- │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────O┬───────────┤ │
- │ │S P├───────────┤ │
- │ │ ├───────────┤ │
- │ │ Q├───────────┤ │
- │ │ │ o k │ │
- │ │ ├───────────┤ │
- │ │ R├───────────┤ │
- │ │ │ cancel │ │
- │ │ ├───────────┤ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ │ │ │ │
- │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────┘ │
- └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- Legend
- O: Change the searchmask to *.*
- P: Choose a custommask (wildchards etc. are allowed). See alse A
- Q: Click here when you've choosen the correct file. On the mainwindow,
- the name of the sourcefile will change into the selected file and
- the name of the destinationfile with the correct extension.
- R: Click here to cancel the browse-menu
- S: Here are the names of the files in the current directory that
- match the gives mask. Click on one to choose.
-
- «« After typing GO
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- When you've clicked on GO, the graphical screen will disappear and the
- normal textscreen will appear. The program Image Alchemy is automatic
- executed with the selected parameters. When your image is converted, the
- normal dos-prompt will return. If Image Alchemy has found any errors, it
- is displayed on the screen by Image Alchemy.
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- «« Known bugs
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- o Sometimes Image Alchemy will give the warning "options -8, -c2 and -b
- assumed". This can happen if you're converting a image to black-and-white
- images like Postscript, HP PCL and Freedom of Press.
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- o Alchemy Shell doesn't do a detect for the mouse. Press ESCAPE if your
- mouse doesn't respond.
-
- «« Registering
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- You can register Alchemy Shell by filling in the registerform and
- sending US$ 15,- or more to
- "Alchemy Shell reg."
- p/a Edwin Groothuis
- Johann Strausslaan 1
- 5583ZA Aalst-Waalre
- The Netherlands
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- Please note
- o Cheques must be made payable to Edwin Groothuis
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- o Payment may be made by sending cash in an envelope (Use registered
- mail!) or by sending a Eurocheque (in Europe). If you send a cheque
- other than a Eurocheque add US$ 5,- for bank charges.
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- When you register, you get a registered copy with the next features:
- o real scrollbars at the new imageformats-selection
- o selection for number of colors (0 until 256)
- o return to Alchemy Shell after using Image Alchemy.
- o custom-preferences like: o establishing of default number of colorbits
- o sequence of new imageformats
- o default directory-mask
- o new features asked by other people who registered it
- o my infinite thanks
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- If you keep using this program, but don't want to register it, would
- you be so kind to send me a picture postcard of your town, village etc.
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- «« Ideas, hints, remarks, comments etc.
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- If you've a something to ask about Alchemy Shell, please don't
- hesitate and let me know. You can contact me at the following ways:
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- o E-mail : till june 1993: S89405079@hse.nl
- o Normal mail: See above at Registering
- o BBS : ECA-BBS phone +31-40-550352
- o Phone : Can't give you, because I'm never at home. Try by mail.
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- REGISTER FORM ALCHEMY SHELL 1.6
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- Name: ________________________________________________________
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- Address: ________________________________________________________
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- City: ________________________________________________________
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- State: ________________________________ Zip Code: _____________
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- Country: ________________________________ Phone: ________________
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- Date: _________________________
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- DISKFORMAT: o 3.5" DD o 5.25" HD
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- Do you want
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- to register Alchemy Shell 1.6 O
- to register the last version (if available) O
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- to be inquired when a new release of Alchemy Shell
- is released O
-
- a version with no 8086/8088 commands
- (this is nearly 1 Kb smaller of code) O
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- included a copy of Image Alchemy 1.6 (ZIPped) O
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-