WARNING: using 8bit dithering generates, more or less quickly, an ID 33 error, this CAN corrupt the memory of other open apps. DO NOT USE THIS feature unless you have no important unsaved data present in other open apps.
Time crippling has thus been used on this beta in order to allow you to use and test this tool without me having to worry about potentially dangerous versions existing after Feb 15th 1996.
What does ShadowBox do?
It is a small tool for graphic artists who work with CMY tints, and is used to create new tints, lighter or darker, from an original tint. The darker tints are created without the use of black, thus reducing the risk of moirÄ, and just making for less dull colours.
How to use it?
It takes minimal memory and ressources (▒100K in size, and 150K in memory). It can be installed in the Apple menu and even left open permanently. When not in use it can sit in the top right-hand corner or at the bottom of your screen until needed.
On opening you will see the Work page
╩
[fig 1]
Click on the square aligned with the name of a colour and then drag your mouse to the left to increase the amount of that colour, to the left to decrease. Not all directions give the same degree of precision allowing you to move quickly (but roughly) to a degree, for example ▒70%, then swerve and get more precision for 72.50%. This may seem complicated to explain, but try it and you╒ll see it╒s rather intuitive.
This technique is used on all the mixing panes. The large square on the top right, shows the resulting mix.
The screen colours will be no more or less faithful than your screen. Always refer to printed process colour tables for more precise indications of results.
If you have doubts on the result of a click on a particular zone, hold the control key down and move the mouse over the area on screen. If a click, click/drag or whatever, will do something there a message will appear in the bottom pane of the window (replacing ⌐ Jonathan 1996) telling you what can or will happen.
╩
[fig 2]
This is a screen shot of the Preferences page. You get there by accident or by choosing the-exclamation- mark-in-a-square icon on the side. In fact you get around by clicking any of those four little icons.
The button titles are mostly self explanatory, and help also works on this page so I╒ll just give the breakdown on different points:
╤ remember window position
The person who passed you ShadowBox may have had a 25" screen and placed ShadowBox down next to the Trash can, so that when you open it on your 13"... you see nothing. In this case quit and relaunch it pressing the Apple/Command button. This will cause the default preferences to be used, and ShadowBox should then be just under the Apple in your menu bar.
ShadowBar keeps its preferences in itself, this is because I hate things hiding themselves in my System Folder, this also means that if you use it from a non-writable medium (locked floppy, CD-ROM, servers under certain conditions...) it may (or not, depending on the version) give you a message at closedown saying that it can╒t save the prefs.
╤ 8 bit dithering
If you use a 256 color screen, this option dithers the tint in order to give a better result than just the standard palette system. Or at least it will when I have weeded out that elusive ID33 error.
╤ on background
Controls the behaviour of ShadowBox when in the background.
╤ language
These are the only two languages that I speak... If you╒re interested in translating ShadowBox into your language, please don╒t run out and do it ╤ contact me and we╒ll chat it over.
╩
[fig 3]
Welcome to the heart of ShadowBox. This is the DarkerTint page. (The little sun icon is for the LighterTint page ╤ but you╒ve already figured that out). Your tint, defined on the Work page, will appear in the square. Click and move in the L-shaped area to increase or decrease the intensity, by the amount specified by the numbers on the bottom right. 0% is your original tint, and 100% is a pseudo-black, in so far as you can obtain black from 100%C + 100%M + 100%Y.
And before I forget, an option-click-n-drag anywhere on ShadowBox drags it round the screen.
The Future
The debugged shareware version of ShadowBox will have other features:
╤ a stable dithering mode for those of us with 256 colour screens (see below)
╤ shortcuts to get here and there
╤ better error handling (at the moment it just quits)
╤ a way of transfering data from ShadowBox to such useful tools as XPress¬ or Illustrator¬
╤ a rational cancel policy
and whatever else crosses my mind while I╒m finalising.
Version Info
Ñ version 0.9 beta - time limited free test version
released january 1996 - it seems that I have found and eliminated the cause of the ID 33 error. However use with precaution still, just in case.
Call for Entries
I would welcome all feedback, comments and suggestions on this tool. Especially from other graphic artists.
Do you find the click-n-drag value entering as easy as I do, or am I just twisted?
Would you like a wilder interface, or tamer, or more Mac standard?
What is SplashScreenWare?
If you would be interested in receiving info on, or a copy of, the stable version then e-mail me. It will be shareware, although those meritious will, of course, received pre-registered versions. And I also propose SplashScreenWare: you send me a splashscreen (PICT, 256 colors, palette system) and if I use it in one of my versions I send you a registered copy (don╒t forget to make sure that you have the right to use any art that you may use in your splashscreen).
ColorWorkShop¬
ColorWorkShop¬ is designed to be a related collection of small (cheap) tools for graphic artists. Let me know if you wish to be put on a mailing list for info and release dates. With luck, and a bit of work, tools should be released as shareware every couple of months. Registered users get discounts.
And if you have a specific need for a tool, mail me, you never know...
⌐ jonathan ß france ß january 1996
e-mail : format@dialup.francenet.fr
Blah-Blah-Blah
I have done my best to correct or document problems. If you do have problems using ShadowBox then contact me and we╒ll try and track things down together. Nevertheless, understand that this is not a guarantee nor a warranty, and that NOTHING can replace a good solid backup and archiving policy.
If you distribute copies of ShadowBox then please be so kind as to:
╤ not pass along a registered version
╤ not distribute it without the ╟LisezMoi/ReadMe╚ documents
╤ alter nothing in the version that you distribute
