Kosovo Orphans' Appeal Charity CD/KosovoOrphansAppeal.iso/archimedesworld_cd1/commercial/graphics/clares/compo/ReadMe

Text File | 1995-05-25 | 19KB | 507 lines

COMPOSITION DEMO
================

THE FULL VERSION OF COMPOSITION IS AVAILABLE FROM:

CLARES MICRO SUPPLIES
98 MIDDLEWICH ROAD
NORTHWICH
CHESHIRE
CW9 7DA

TEL:   [phone]
FAX:   [phone]
EMAIL: [e-mail]

PRICE ú169.95 inc VAT & Carriage

PROARTISAN 24 user's price ú85.00



INFORMATION
===========

This is the demonstration version of Composition,
the bitmap image composition package from Clares Micro Supplies.

This Demo version of Compo may not be totally up to date with the full
release version but it is sufficient to whet your appetite for the full
version. Features missing from the demo are -

* All methods of saving your work have been removed.
* The OLE feature has been disabled
* The word 'DEMONSTRATION' is printed over your work and
  cannot be removed. This also slows down the redraw speed of the program.

Hardware requirements
=====================

Compo requires an Acorn RiscPC with at least 8Mbytes of main memory. 2Mbytes
or more of VRAM is recommended. For serious use in creating A4 images, a
minimum of 16Mbytes of main memory is required and more is almost always
better!

YOU ARE ADVISED TO COPY THIS DEMO ON TO YOUR HARD DRIVE.

About Composition
=================

Compo is an image composition program for the Acorn RiscPC range of
computers. With Compo, you combine bitmaps, Draw files and ArtWorks files,
together on a canvas to make a composition. Each bitmap remains completely
independent from the rest. Links to art packages (such as ProArtisan24 from
Clares) allow you to edit any of the images making up your composition and
to see the results of your changes in the composition immediately. In
addition, the program allows a number of effects such as colour correction,
shadows, opacity, and tinting to be applied independently to each image.
Using these effects the images are rendered to the canvas on the fly so the
effects do not modify (and therefore damage) the original image data.

Compo is useful not only to the graphics professional. It also allows those
users with less artistic ability to produce complex graphical effects such
as true shadows and photo montages at the click of a button. Because the
images themselves are not modified you can quickly change the effect
settings until the desired result is achieved.

Example files
=============

Some completed JPEG files are included which illustrate the possibilities
available. Because of the size of Composition files, none are included with
this demo. The JPEG files may be viewed in Composition or ChangeFSI.

WHAT SHOULD BE ON THIS DISC
===========================

!CompoD
!TFonts
JPEG tutorial files: Bears, Bridge, Di, Flower5, Horse, Horse_Msk, JackN,
Leafy1, MDHB, Model4B
JPEG sample files: FrogonRock, HolSnap, Filters
ReadMe


Tutorial (Adapted from the manual)
==================================

This section begins with a tutorial which then carries on into a series of
worked examples of some of the program's features. The example files used
are on the disc and should be copied to a 'Tutorials' directory on the hard
disc for fast access.

The basics
==========

1) Load Compo in the usual way, by double clicking on the program icon.

If possible, select a desktop of 800 x 600 x 16 million colours or 1024 x
768 x 32 thousand. Both of these desktops are useful. The latter gives you
considerably more room to manoeuvre, at the expense of some detail in the
colour graduations. We do not recommend using the program with the desktop
in fewer than 32 thousand colours. At a pinch, 256 greys is usually better
than 256 colours.

NOTE: Compo runs slightly faster with the desktop at 16 million colours as
it stores everything to this colour depth internally.

2) Select the the Compo icon bar icon to open a canvas of the default size
and colour.

NOTE: Clicking Adjust on the program icon will open a window allowing you to
change the size and colour of the canvas to be created. NOTE: Dragging an
image onto the program icon before a canvas has been created will create a
canvas the same size as the image and then load it. This is useful if there
is to be one background image to your composition. However, this also
requires double the memory.

3) Open the directory containing the tutorial files.

4) Drag the file called 'Di' into the canvas window.

5) Change the window to full size by clicking on the toggle size window
gadget.

6) Select the image as you would in Draw - by clicking on it.

7) Drag the image with Select to another place within the window. If you
wish to abort after you have started moving the image, tap Esc with your
free hand. Use the arrow keys while holding down Select for fine
positioning.

8) Make a copy of the image by pressing Ctrl-C or clicking Menu and choosing
Select ë Copy from the menu.

The copy will be located to the right of and below the original and will be
automatically selected instead of the original - just like Draw. With regard
to selecting objects, Compo behaves like Draw in many other ways. Anyone who
has used Draw will be familiar with most of the available options and
shortcuts.

9) Ensure the the second copy of Di is selected (the one on top) and click
on the Opacity icon (2nd down in left column of the toolbar) to open the
Opacity dialogue box.

10) In the Opacity dialogue box, drag the slider to alter the opacity of the
image.

  ë Click on OK to update your changes.

  ë Choosing OK with Adjust will keep the dialogue box open. Choosing with
    Select will close it.

  ë If you drag the slider with Adjust rather than Select the image will
    update as you drag. This standard is used in most parts of the program
    when a value can be altered by slider.

  ë When working with large images it is best to use the Select-drag and
    then OK method rather than Adjust dragging.


11) Adjust drag the slider until the opacity reaches 50% and choose OK. The
top copy of Di is now 50% transparent. Check that you can still move it
around. Choose the opacity icon again and return the opacity to 100%.

12) Ensure that the top copy of Di is still selected and click on the mask
icon at the top left of the toolbar. A horizontal toolbar known as the Mask
toolbar will open at the bottom of the canvas window.

The Mask toolbar
================

13) Choose the Create... button in this toolbar to open a dialogue box which
allows you to create a number of simple masks. Choose Create within this
dialogue box (with Adjust) to create the default, a simple vertical fade.

The sprite will fade from completely transparent at the bottom to completely
opaque at the top. Play with the sliders in the dialogue box to discover
their relationship to the fade. You can Adjust drag the sliders to create
the mask interactively. Experiment with the other fades provided, by
clicking on the menu opener, choosing a fade from the menu and choosing
Create once more.

14) Choose the Edit... button in the mask toolbar. This opens the mask
editing window displaying the Blend mask for Di. The blend mask controls the
transparency of the sprite - as you have discovered. Pixels in the mask
which are black equate to completely transparent pixels in the sprite. Areas
of the mask which are white are completely opaque. Grey pixels range between
the two extremes.

15) Click Menu over this window and choose Clear to ë Black. The mask will
clear to black and the sprite will apparently disappear from the canvas.

16) Move over the mask edit window and drag with the mouse across it. As you
paint in the mask using the default circular drawing tool, related areas of
the sprite will appear in the canvas. Drag with Adjust over the mask to
remove areas of the sprite.

Most of the tools in the Mask edit toolbar have a small dialogue box
associated with them which allows you to change the characteristics of the
tool. Open a dialogue box by clicking Menu over a tool.

For example, click Menu over the circle tool, increase the size of the
circle using the bump arrows and choose OK.

To undo the last operation on the mask choose the undo button at the bottom
right of the Mask edit toolbar. Depending on the number of Undos configured,
it may be possible to undo more than one operation by clicking on this icon
again.

NOTE: If you are very short of free memory or the mask undo option in the
preferences window has been turned off then this button may do nothing.


Cutting out objects - Masking
=============================

1) Drag the file 'Flower5' into the main window, Select it and position it
overlapping the Di image.

2) Click on the Mask icon and choose the Edit... button in the mask toolbar.
The program will create a default (black) Blend mask and open the Mask edit
window onto it.

3) Choose the eye icon at the top left of the mask edit toolbar to open the
sprite view window.

4) Move over the flower in the sprite view window and click Select to add
pixels of a similar colour to the one you clicked on to the mask (you will
see the flower shape build up in the mask edit window, and simultaneously,
the flower will appear in the canvas window).

Move around the flower, clicking on the differently coloured features on
it's surface. If parts of the background appear in the mask ignore them and
carry on until most of the flower is selected, paying particular attention
to its edges.

5) Move over the background surrounding the flower and click Adjust to
remove pixels from the mask. Continue until you have the rough shape of the
flower in the mask edit window.

6) Use the circular brush in the mask edit window to white out the few
remaining black pixels within the flower. Use the same tool or the edge
cutters with Adjust to remove white pixels remaining in the background.

7) To smooth the transition between the flower and what it is on top of,
paint with the Feather tool around the edges of the mask or click Menu and
choose AntiáaliasáëáSmootháëáAll levels

8) Close the mask window and move the flower over the Di image. Try
adjusting the flower's opacity.

Simple composition (assumes carrying on from above)
===================================================

1) Press Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-X to select and delete all of the images in
Compo.

2) Load the Bridge file into the main window.

3) Select it, and press Ctrl-I to open the info window. Enter 0 into each of
the writable position icons and press Return.

4) Load the Bears file and position it below the bridge.

5) Choose Edit...in the mask toolbar.

6) Choose the eye icon in the Mask edit window toolbar to open the Sprite
view window.

7) Click over the bears in the Sprite view window until they appear solid in
the mask. Remove anyáof the background from the mask with the drawing tools
and/or by Adjust clicking over it in the sprite view window.


The completed mask
------------------

8) Select the Feather tool and Click Menuáover it. Decrease the feather size
to 8 pixels using the bump arrows and choose 'Silk' strength by clicking
over the menu opener and choosing it from the menu which appears. Choose OK
to close this dialogue box.

Drag around the top edge of the bear shapes in the Mask edit window to
smooth the edges of the mask. If the relevant area of the canvas is visible
you will be able see the results of your changes as you work.

When you have gone around the edges of both bears click Menu over the
Feather tool again, set the strength to Deluge! and the size to 32 pixels.
Wipe the pointer repeatedly across the bear's reflection at the bottom of
the mask to darken and blur it. Finally, Click Menu over the Feather tool
again and Choose strength Darken. Drag over the land at the left of the mask
a few times to darken and blur the edge.

Tints
=====

1) Open a new canvas and load the file called JackN. Select it and position
it conveniently.

2) Choose the Apple in the main canvas toolbar to open the Tint dialogue box
for this sprite. This is the standard Acorn Colour Picker as described in
your User Guide.

3) Choose blue from the default palette and click on OK. The sprite will be
strongly tinted towards blue.

4) Click on the Mask icon and change the mask to be modified to Tint mask by
clicking on the righthand bump arrows in the Mask toolbar. Choose Edit...
This allows you to view the mask which will be created.

5) Choose the Create... button to open the default fades dialogue box.

6) Choose the points icon (the lower one) in this dialogue box. The Mask
fade points dialogue box will open. Choose the Sprite button in this
dialogue box to display a small version of the sprite. By default, there is
one fade point in the middle of the area. If you choose Create (with Adjust
to keep the dialogue box open) a simple circular fade is created in the tint
mask. You can drag the fade point around, double click in the area to create
more points and click Adjust over a point to toggle it from white to black.
Black points 'pull down' the mask at that point.

When you choose Create, the mask which is made, is determined by the
position and colour of the points in this window. If it becomes difficult to
see the points over the sprite then click on the Sprite button again to hide
the sprite.


7) To concentrate the tint around his eyes for example, move the point
already present to the left eye, double click Select over the right eye,
double click Select over his chin (and then click Adjust over this point),
double click Select over the middle of his forehead (and then click Adjust
over this point).

8) Finally, choose Create.

More flexible fades may be created by using the Graduated fill tool in the
Mask editing window.

Shadows
=======

1) Press Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-X to select and then delete all of the images.

2) Load the Leafy1 image and, if necessary, move it to the bottom left of
the canvas.

3) Load the Horse image. Because a suitable mask called Horse_msk exists in
the same directory it will automatically load to the Horse's blend mask.

4) Position the horse on the path near to the bottom of the image.

5) Press Ctrl-S to turn on a simple shadow effect.

6) Choose the Shadow icon at the top right of the main toolbar to open the
shadow dialogue box.

7) Turn on the Pseudo 3D option and click on OK with Adjust.

8) Alter the writable X shear value using the bump arrows or keyboard to
0.50

9) Click OK with Adjust.

10) Use the bump arrows to reduce the X and Y offsets to zero.

11) Click on the Colour menu opener to open a colour selector, choose a
darker grey and then click OK with Select.

Text
====

1) Press Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-X to select and then delete all of the images.

2) Load the MDHB image, and, if necessary move it to the bottom left of the
canvas.

3) Choose the Text icon in the main toolbar (the two T's).

4) Choose Create in the text dialogue box to create the default text (the
word 'Compo') at the bottom left of the canvas. Move the text until it is
partly over building and partly over the sky behind.

You will notice that Compo anti aliases the text on a pixel by pixel basis.
Use the Zoom icons in the main toolbar to examine the effect in detail
before returning to normal size by Adjust clicking on the Current scale
icon.

Note: Change to 800 x 600 x 16 million colours to see the full image
quality. If the text does not appear anti aliased then select it, delete it,
run the supplied Tfonts utility (or use Configure to change the Font
settings) and recreate the text at the current pointer position by pressing
Ctrl-E.

5) Give the text a shadow by pressing Ctrl-S or by using the Shadow dialogue
box as described above.

6) Open the Opacity dialogue box and Adjust drag the slider down to 50%. The
shadow appears behind the partly transparent text giving a 'Glass text'
effect.

Text/Tints (assumes carrying on from above)
===========================================

1) Choose the text icon in the main toolbar to open the text dialogue box.

2) Change the Text colour to Black.

3) Change the Text size to 100 point.

4) Choose Create new. The new text is positioned in the bottom left of the
canvas.

5) Select the newly created text and open the Tint dialogue box by choosing
the Apple in the main toolbar.

6) Choose a red tint and click on OK.

7) Change to the Tint mask in the Horizontal mask toolbar.

8) Choose Create..., select the Vertical fade from the menu if it is not in
use and then click on Create in the Create mask dialogue box.

9) Repeat with the Circular fade.

10) Hold Ctrl down and drag Select over the text in the canvas to move the
Tint mask around behind the text.

Experiment with text. (Different angles, fonts, with a shaded box etc.)

Colour correction
=================

1) Press Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-X to select and then delete all of the images.

2) Load the image called sa22 which is one of those supplied with your
computer. You will find it in Images.00-49 on your hard disc.

3) Select this image.

4) Click Menu and follow Effects ë Scale ë

5) Select the first 'By' item and enter 0.5 into the dialogue box and click
on Scale.

NOTE: Compo's Scale feature uses ChangeFSI to resample from the original
image file. This provides a very high quality rescale at the expense of some
speed and with the requirements of enough free memory and hard disc space.
It is felt that image quality is of paramount importance in Compo and that a
fast rescale on the fly would not produce high enough image quality. Scale
is one of the very few effects in Compo which modifies the image data in
memory directly and therefore, has several important consequences.

6) Press Ctrl-C to create a copy of the rescaled image.

7) Position the images side by side and select the right one only.

8) Choose the Colour curve icon in the main toolbar (below the apple) or
press Ctrl-V.

9) Modify the curve so that the two middle red control points are now in
the top left corner. This should give a smooth curve.

10) Click on Set, to see your changes. Select Reset all to restore the
default.

Experimenting with masks
========================

1) Press Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-X to select and delete all of the sprites.

2) Load the Leafy1 image.

3) Select it, and ensure that the Blend mask is selected in the Mask
toolbar.

4) Drag the file called Model4B into the long box in this toolbar. After you
have done so, it's filename will appear within the box.

Notice how the Leafy1 image is restricted to the shape of the woman's head.
Click on Edit... in the Mask toolbar to see how the mask is constructed.

Compo can use just about any image as a mask. To load a file into a mask
simply drag its icon into the box in the toolbar. If the image you drag is
not suitable (a 256 grey level sprite) then Compo will load it and convert
it for you. Compo can recognise Sprite, TIF, GIF, JPEG, TGA, PCX, PhotoCD
and Clear files.

You can, of course, load an image to the Tint mask instead of the Blend mask
though the effect of this will not appear until there is a tint applied to
the sprite.

Images masked in this way often look good with a slight tint or shadow to
enhance details in the mask.

NOTE:

Rotating Draw & ArtWorks files
------------------------------

When loading Draw & ArtWorks files, specifying any rotation other than zero
will cause the item to be lost from view. We do not advise use of this
feature in this version.

You can overcome the above limitation by rotating the object in Draw or
ArtWorks prior to importing it into Compo.