The Utilities Experience

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Text File | 1980-01-12 | 22KB | 451 lines

GGGGGG RRRRRR AAAAAA BBBBBBB II FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF GG GG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GG RRRRRRR AAAAAAAA BBBBBBB II FFFFFF FFFFFF GG GGG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GG GG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GG GG RR RR AA AA BB BB II FF FF GGGGGG RR RR AA AA BBBBBBB II FF FF © June 1992 by Bernstein Zirkel Softworks c/o Hartmut Stein Koelner Str. 7 W-5090 Leverkusen 3 - Opladen West-Germany 1. A short introduction ----------------------- GrabIFF is a program which allows you to grab IFF-pictures or -brushes from any screen, window or mousepointer provided that multitasking is not turned off. These IFF-files can then be loaded and edited by almost any paint program. You can either save the contents of a specific screen or window or just a portion of a screen. As an additional feature GrabIFF gives you the possibility to save mousepointers as IFF-brushes. GrabIFF will only work on Amigas with at least OS 2.04 installed. 2. What it does --------------- When GrabIFF is installed you can activate it by a specific combination of qualifier keys (these are control, caps lock, alt, shift and amiga). By default you just press the control key together with the left amiga key - an easy to reach combination. If you don't like this (or it collides with the hotkey of some other program you use) you can choose any combination you like. When GrabIFF detects this specified qualifier combination it draws a crosshair on the active screen. Now there are five different ways to continue: a) Grab the whole screen To grab the whole screen just hit the 's' (s = screen) key while still holding the qualifiers down. b) Grab the active window To grab the active window just hit the 'w' (w = window) key while still holding the qualifiers down. c) Grab the actual mouse pointer To grab the actual mouse pointer just hit the 'p' (p = pointer) key while still holding the qualifiers down. d) Grab any portion of the screen To grab a rectangular portion of the screen you should move the mouse to any one of the four corners of the desired rectangle while still holding the qualifier down. Press the left mouse button and hold it down. The crosshair becomes a rubberband. Now drag the mouse (still hold the qualifiers and the left mouse button down) to the opposite edge of the rectangle and release the mouse button. e) Cancel the operation To cancel the operation at any point just release any of the qualifier keys. As default GrabIFF saves the grabbed pictures to the RAM:-disk with the names 'GrabIFF.001', 'GrabIFF.002' etc. Grabbing windows is a bit complicated if these windows are overlapped by some other windows. If the window at the back is a super bitmap or smart refresh window, the hidden regions are saved by the layers.library and can be accessed without problems. If the window uses the simple refresh method (like Shell windows or the Workbench), the hidden regions will be redrawn by the application not until the window is revealed. That's why GrabIFF brings a window to the front before grabbing it. This works well with all windows except backdrop windows - these cannot be moved to the front. In this case you should first close all other windows which hide the one you want to grab. 3. Installation --------------- GrabIFF consists of two parts: the program 'GrabIFF' itself, which can be placed anywhere, and the handler 'GrabIFFHandler', which must be placed in the 'L:'-directory. Workbench-Users should click the 'InstallHandler'-Icon, which copies the Handler to the desired directory. Then you should move 'GrabIFF' to a suitable directory like 'Tools' or 'Utilities' where you can find it easily when you need it. If you want GrabIFF to be started automatically every time you start or reboot your amiga, you should place it into the 'WBStartup'-directory of your 'WB_2.x'-disk. To stop the program just start it again. Shell-Users can use the InstallHandler-Skript to copy the Handler to the 'L:'-directory (or just the 'Copy'-command...). Then copy 'GrabIFF' to your 'C:'-directory. To start GrabIFF just type 'GrabIFF' on the command line. You don't need 'Run' or 'RunBack', since it just installs the handler in the background and then returns to the Shell. To stop the program just start it again. 4. Options ---------- There are lots of options which control the behaviour of GrabIFF. In the normal case you don't need any of those, so GrabIFF will work completely as stated above. The options are valid for both Workbench- and Shell-users. Workbench-users can enter the options as tooltypes (have a look at your Workbench-manual for more information about tooltypes), Shell-users enter the options as usual after the command's name. Upper and lower case are ignored. When started from the Shell with a '?' as the only argument, you will get a help string in the usual format for Shell commands (look at the Shell manual for more information). On Install GrabIFF. Off Remove GrabIFF. If neither 'On' nor 'Off' are given, the actual state of the program is inverted (that means: if it was off, switch it on, otherwise switch it off). Quiet Normally GrabIFF shows you a requester saying 'GrabIFF installed' on startup. This option diables the requester. Usage Show a requester with short explanations for the different options (better have a look at this file!). AskName Normally GrabIFF saves the grabbed files under the standardname 'RAM:GrabIFF' with extension '.000', '.001', '.002' etc. (see 'STANDARDNAME' option). If you specify this flag, every time you grab a file the program will ask you for the name to save this file under, using a standard ASL requester. CheckOff When GrabIFF saves a file, it normally checks if this file already exists. If it finds a file with this name and you specified the 'ASKNAME' option, it will ask you if you want to overwrite the old file. If not, the operation will be canceled. If you didn't specify 'ASKNAME', GrabIFF will try again with the next extension. That means: if 'RAM:GrabIFF.000' already exists, it will try to save it as 'RAM:GrabIFF.001' and so on. Use the 'CHECKOFF'-option to turn of the existence-check for files. CrosshairOff This option will turn the crosshair off, which by default appears when pressing the qualifier combination, thus disabling the option of grabbing any rectangle from a screen. This can be useful when you don't want GrabIFF to render anything into your screen. I offer this option because the crosshair leaves a trail of points when grabbing from the DPaint screen (all right, there is no need to grab something from the DPaint screen, since you can use DPaint's own grab facilities, but nevertheless - the option). The grabbing of complete screens, windows and mousepointers still works as explained above. PackOff By default GrabIFF trys to pack the ILBM files by use of the standard 'cmpByteRun1' encoding, which is understood by every program dealing with ILBM files. If you don't want your files to be packed, specify this option. FrontScreen Normally GrabIFF works with Intuition's active screen - this is the screen on which the currently active window is located. This behaviour is ok for almost any grabbing purpose. The only problem arises when trying to grab something from a screen without any window. You can't make this screen the active one, since you can't activate a window on it! In such a case you should use this option. GrabIFF will now work with the frontmost screen instead of the active one. Now bring your screen to the front and grab it! Icons If you want to access a file from the Workbench, the file needs an icon attached to it (or you should use 'Show all files' from the 'Window'-menu). Specify this option if you want GrabIFF to save an icon for every grabbed file. Verbose When this option is given, GrabIFF will show you a requester for evry saved file, telling you the name it was saved to, its size and its depth. Error=None|Beep|Window If an error occurs while grabbing (not enough memory, file could not be opened etc.), GrabIFF opens a requester telling you about the nature of the problem. If you specify 'None' for this option, errors will be ignored. 'Beep' will only force a short beep if any error is detected and 'Window' gives you the default setting. Standardname If you don't specify the 'ASKNAME' option, the files will be automatically stored with a standardname (defaults to 'RAM:GrabIFF') and a numerical extension. This option gives you the possibility to change the standardname to any path and filename you like. You should allways specify a complete pathname including a device specification (like 'RAM:', 'WORK:', 'DF0:', 'GRAB:'); otherwise the files will be stored to the directory which was the actual one when GrabIFF was started! Qualifier=nnn 'nnn' is a decimal number which describes the qualifier (qualifiers are: control, caps lock, shift, alt, amiga) used to activate GrabIFF (defaults to the control key in combination with the left amiga key). The qualifiers have the following values: Left Shift 1 Right Shift 2 Caps Lock 4 Control 8 Left Alt 16 Right Alt 32 Left Amiga 64 Right Amiga 128 If you want a combination of qualifiers you simply add the values. WindowCode=nnn 'nnn' is a decimal number which specifies the rawkey code of the button you have to press in combination with the qualifiers to make GrabIFF save the actual window. This defaults to 17 which is the rawkey code for 'w'. If you don't know this codes, you should use the commodity window (see below) to alter the hotkey. ScreenCode=nnn This option works as the 'WINDOWCODE' option and sets the code for grabbing of screens. PointerCode=nnn This option works as the 'WINDOWCODE' option and sets the code for grabbing of mouse pointers. Cx_Priority=nnn The decimal number 'nnn' specifies the priority of GrabIFF's inputhandler. Cx_PopUp=yes|no Please enter either 'yes' or 'no' for this option. In the first case GrabIFF will automatically open its commodity window, where you can adjust all the settings by the use of gadgets. 5. Some examples ---------------- This are some examples for how to start GrabIFF from the shell. To use the examples from the workbench just enter every option as a single tool type in GrabIFF's info-window. GrabIFF On CrosshairOff FrontScreen Standardname=GRAB:NewGrab/XXX Start GrabIFF (or give an error message if it's just running). The crosshair is disabled and grabbing will take place in the frontmost (not in the active) screen. The grabbed pictures will be saved as 'GRAB:NewGrab/XXX.000', 'GRAB:NewGrab/XXX.001', etc. provided that there is a device named 'GRAB' which contains a directory name 'NewGrab'. GrabIFF Off Stop GrabIFF (or give an error message if it wasn't running yet). GrabIFF Qualifier=25 WindowCode=35 ScreenCode=53 PointerCode=21 Use the combination of the control key, left shift and left alt to activate GrabIFF. Screens can be saves with the 'b' key (Bildschirm), windows using 'f' (Fenster) and mousepointer using 'z' (Zeiger). GrabIFF On CX_PopUp=Yes Icons Start GrabIFF (if it wasn't running yet) and open up the control window. All new files will be accessable by Workbench, since GrabIFF now generates Icons. 6. Commodities -------------- GrabIFF can be controlled via the Commodities Exchange tool you find on your Workbench disk. It may be freely enabled, disabled or killed. When you use the 'Show'-Button (or the 'Cx_PopUp=yes' option an startup) GrabIFF opens a special window where you can control all the programs features. In the field labeled 'Grab-Codes' you can enter three different rawkey codes. The first one will make GrabIFF save the actual screen, the second the actual window and the third the actual mouse pointer. If you know the rawkey code of the desired key (an overview can be found in the Amiga Rom Kernel Reference Manual: Devices), you can enter it in the second row of string gadgets, labeled 'Code'. If you don't know the rawkey code (or if you are to lazy to search for it) you can enter the desired key itself in the first row of the string gadgets (labeled 'Key'). GrabIFF translates this key into the equivalent rawkey code (don't forget to hit 'Return' or 'Enter'). In the field named 'Qualifier' you can choose the combination of qualifiers which will activate GrabIFF. The third field gives you control over the other features of GrabIFF. The gadgets will be explained from left to right and top to bottom. The first first gadget lets you specify, whether GrabIFF should check for the existence of a file before saving it or whether files will be overwritten (see the 'CHECKOFF'-otpion). In the next gadget you can choose between saving files with a standardname or different names GrabIFF will prompt you for (see 'ASKNAME'-option). In the following string-gadget you can enter the standardname to use (see 'STANDARDNAME'-option). In the second row you can tell GrabIFF to compress the files, to save icons and to be verbose (see discussion of the options 'PACKOFF', 'ICONS' and 'VERBOSE'). The gadgets of the last row let you decide if you want to use the crosshair, whether GrabIFF should grab the active or the frontmost screen and how to handle any error (see options 'CROSSHAIROFF', 'FRONTSCREEN' and 'ERROR'). At the bottom of the window you find three more gadgets: 'Hide' closes the window, keeping GrabIFF still in memory, while 'Quit' closes the window and removes the program. The third button 'Save to Icon' is only available when the program was started from Workbench. In this case you can save the actual settings as tooltypes to GrabIFF's icon, so they will by active on the next start of the program. There's no service like this for Shell-users; you have to type it to the command line by yourself (I think Shell-users like typing, so this should be no problem for you...). 7. Caveats ---------- Though I used this program for a couple of weeks without problems, there may be any number of lurking bugs in it. So if it low-level-formats your harddisk, makes your monitor explode into lots of little pieces, gobbles down your dog or drinks all the liquid from your neighbour's aquarium, making his goldfish gasping for water - please don't blame it on me! Following this comes some legal stuff which sounds very well to me. I took it from the readme file for Arq, which is a very, very, very good and useful program. Hi, Martin, if you would have mentioned your adress in this file, I would have sent you something for your work. But, maybe, you will find GrabIFF a bit useful, too... 8. Legal Stuff -------------- The author will not be liable for any damage arising from the failure of this program to perform as described, or any destruction of other programs or data residing on a system attempting to run the program. While the author knows of no damaging errors, the user of this program uses it at his or her own risk. 9. Credits ---------- Well, you may have noticed that GrabIFF looks a bit (or even a bit more) like Preben Nielsen's program PicSaver. I used this one for a short time and then wrote GrabIFF because there were a few things I didn't like about PicSaver. The first thing is this annoying window always popping up and asking me for a filename. I hated this! The second thing was its unability to grab graphics from screens without windows, which I needed while developing another program. The commercial program GrabbIt on the other hand was unable to grab portions of a screen or just windows, but saved its files with a standard name and a numerical extension and was able to grab graphics from raw screens. So I decided to put together all the good things from these two programs, added a few things and lots of options and there it is: GrabIFF. Ok, I have to confess that GrabIFF is a bit bigger than PicSaver (the GrabIFFHandler takes 14044 bytes, while the complete PicSaver only needs 4560 bytes on disk). But half of this (exactly 7668 bytes or 55%) disk space is wasted by the extensive stuff for the commodity window. If don't need this window and want to use a smaller version (6376 bytes of disk space) you can order it from me (see below). I'd like to thank Preben Nielsen for the ideas I found in PicSaver (thank you, Preben) and I'd like to thank the unknown author of GrabbIt (though I won't buy it, since I appreciate GrabIFF!). 10. Other Stuff --------------- This code and documentation are freely distributable and may be used, copied, modified, fed to your cat or whatever you like to do with it. It would be nice not to remove this text when copying the program, so other people will also be able to understand its meaning. If you have any questions, have ideas for special improvements (is there something else than screens, windows and mousepointers you wish to grab?), want to have a look at the sources of the program (rather undocumented, I'm afraid), want to order the smaller version of GrabIFF or if you just want to thank me for this wonderful little tool, you should send me some money (or other valuables), a self-adressed and stamped envelope (if you want response) and an empty disk (if you want the sources or the smaller version). GrabIFF was programmed using the Aztec C 5.2a compiler, but it should be compilable with any of the Aztec compilers. 11. An Apology -------------- I'm afraid I have to apologize for the sometimes extremly poor quality of this writing. When I left school, my English was very bad. Since then I improved it a little bit by reading, re-reading and re-re-reading the english Rom Kernel Reference Manuals for a long time and also placing them under my pillow to absorb them by osmosis (this joke © by Randell Jesup). I also tried this with my AmigaDOS manuals, but that gave me extremly horrible nightmares of terrible red monsters, at least ten foot tall, stalking me from the back while I was sitting at my computer trying to program something useful in combination with the dos, with the four green flashing letters of 'BCPL' on their chests and trying to beat me with their enormous global vectors. I woke up crying and all my sheets soken wet and I never tried this again...