home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Archive Magazine 1996
/
ARCHIVE_96.iso
/
discs
/
mag_discs
/
volume_9
/
issue_08
/
breakwell
/
!Redraw
/
!Help
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1995-01-01
|
9KB
|
282 lines
****************************************************************************
* !Redraw Vector Graphics File Convertor *
* Version 2.13 *
* Author David Breakwell *
****************************************************************************
Background
----------
The excellent !Translator and !ChangeFSI exist to enable the conversion of
Sprites from many formats to the standard Archimedes format. No single
piece of software exists however for the potentially more useful Vector
file formats that exist on other machines. !Redraw attempts to address
this need.
Vector file formats are superior to Sprites in that they are totally
rescalable without loss of detail or Éjaggiesæ.The Archimedes has its
own !Draw standard which is supported by many applications.
!Redraw
-------
!Redraw supports the Windows Metafile Format (WMF), which is quite
common on PCs, the old chesnut - BBC Spool Format, HPGL - the standard
plotter language and Computer Graphics Metafiles (CGM), GEM vector and EPS.
Other formats such as WPG will follow when I can locate a
description of the file formats. If anyone can help then I would
be most grateful. In addition save routines going from !Draw format to
the other formats will be added (eventually!).
To load a file it must have the correct file type:
Windows Metafile Format 000 \
BBC Spool Format 004 |- These may change
GEM Vector Format 005 |
PIC Format 006 /
CGM Format 405 NCS Designated
HPGL CAE Acorn Designated
EPS FF5 Acorn Designated
It can then be dragged to the Icon Bar or the open Draw window (they
are not loaded from a double click as they should be regarded as 'resource'
files that any application should be able to use). The file is then
automatically converted to !Draw format. It can be saved in memory to
another application or to disc.
WMF Handling
------------
At present the program allows for the following object types:
Å Circles and Ellipses
Å Paths (filled and unfilled)
Å Pen and Brush styles
Å Rectangles
Å Origin and Extent shifts
Å All other objects are skipped
This appears to give very good results on all WMF files tested including
those created by Corel Draw. The program will also cope with WMF files
saved from the windows clipboard as CLP files (it removes the header
information added by the Clipboard). A single option is available from
the icon bar menu which alters the way Thin lines are dealt with by !Redraw.
If some lines from the drawing are missing or extra lines appear in the
illustration then try altering this option. The conversion involves two file
scans so be patient!
BBC Spool File Handling
-----------------------
At present the conversion deals with
Å Solid Lines and moves. At present dotted lines are made solid.
Å Relative and absolute plots
Å Circles
Å Arcs, sectors and segments
Å Triangles and Rectangles
Å Text printed at the Graphics Cursor (VDU 5)
Å GCOL (All options are treated as option 0)
Å CLG and CLS
Å Single Point Plots (PLOT 69)
Å Other Objects are skipped
At present there is no support for graphics windows and origin changes.
There is only limited support for ellipses. Options are available from the
icon bar to ignore CLG and CLS, to create a black background for the file
and for the default mode to select if no mode statement is present in the
file. The conversion seems to work quite well.
HPGL Handling
-------------
The program copes with the most used HPGL commands:
Å PA,PD,PU Draw and Move Commands
Å CI Circle
Å Scaling and Resizing
Å Simple text labels
This range is currently being expanded and the complex scaling routines
enhanced. The Icon Bar Menu allows the Paper Size and Pen width to be
changed. More complicated text handling may be added under RO3 using text
at angles etc.
CGM Handling
------------
The program copes with simple CGM Files and converts:
Å Header Information
Å Pen and fill attributes
Å Paths and Polygons
Å Scaling
ÅáBoth Palette and RGB Colour notations
This is based on a simple analysis of CGM files seen by the author and
may not be totally correct when compared with more complicated files or
the ANSI/ISO specification for this file type. If anyone has the full
document then I would be very interested in seeing it and enhancing
!Redraw as necessary to match. Having said that the program seems to cope
quite well. A special Mono mode is selectable when colour is handled
incorrectly.
EPS Files
---------
Redraw has an EPS convertor! It will cope with
AutoCAD, AI and Corel output. It does not always process colour
information correctly. Does a reasonable job on simple files.
Å lineto, moveto, curveto
Å fill, stroke, closepath
Å setrgbcolor, setcmykcolor, setgray
Å end
GEM Vector Files
----------------
Redraw also processes GEM Vector files and deals with:
Å Polyline and Polyfill
Å Rectangles
VERY basic!
PIC Files
---------
Redraw handles PIC files produced by Lotus 123 and other such programs.
Elements handled:
Å Polygons
Å Colour
Å Paths
Å Text and Fonts
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many thanks to Jon Ribbens the author of the WimpExt module
!Redraw is ⌐ David Breakwell 1993
!Redraw is **not** Public Domain and must not be distributed as PD.
!Redraw is not shareware. This program must not distributed.
All correspondance appreciated:
David Breakwell
22 Cobs Way
New Haw
Addlestone
Surrey
KT15 3AF
All normal disclaimers apply
Changes
-------
Version 1.8 - 22nd April 1993
Å Updated for WimpExt Module version 1.98
Å Better Memory Handling using WimpSlot rather than RMA
Allows Program to run better on smaller memory Acorns
Å 3D Windows and Icons
ÅáDragASprite Support using WimpExt
Å RISCOS 3 DOS Extension to RISCOS FileType Mapping
Gives PC Files the RISCOS FileType Sprites automatically.
Å Correction to BBC Spool File Bounding Boxes
Version 1.9 - 5th May 1993
Å HPGL File Conversion Added (see above)
Version 1.91 - 14th May 1993
Å HPGL Scaling routines rewritten
Å Pen Colour and width handling added for HPGL
Version 2.00 - 9th June 1993
Å CGM Vector format added - filetype 405 as used by NCS Shareware
Supported as per other files including DOS File extension mapping.
Version 2.01 - 12th June 1993
Å CGM Colour support corrected and correction made so that
ÉOpenæ paths remain so!
Å Export File Menu Added to allow for saving in formats other than
!Draw, these will be progressively added as time goes on.
June 26th 1993
Å Add HPGLPal file to program directory to hold the HPGL Pen Colours.
Standard desktop palette file. Pens start at colour 8 (Def:Navy).
Program used to use the current desktop palette.
Å Added Ability to load !Draw files ready to be exported as PC Files.
I'm not sure why it took so long to add this!
Version 2.02 - July 4th
Å Added Default Filenames to filer boxes
Å Corrected bug in load routine for Draw Files.
Å Added new HPGLPal file for plotter file rendering with better colours.
Å Started to program export routines. The routines do not support RAM
transfer as on smaller memory acorns space will be tight for big files!
Version 2.10 - August 10th
Å Started to add EPS files (AI output) for conversion. This may
not be easy so wish me luck!
August 13th
Å EPS works in a very basic way and will process AI or Corel output
files with some preprocessing by the user. I hope to remove the need
for preprocessing.
August 14th
Å The GEM Vector file format is finally added in a very basic form.
September 18th (back to Redraw!)
Å Corrected bug in WMF file identification
Å Started to add WMF Export routine
October 2nd
Å Improved CGM Path Handling
November 21st
Å Correct y dimensions in GEM format
Å Improve Screen redraw to clip rectangle (older versions of WimpExt did
not handle the clipping rectangle correctly).
Version 2.11
December 15th
Å Add CGM Mono mode to prevent problems with poor colour conversion
Å Improve CGM Path Handling
Å Change winding path rule for WMF files
Å Add PIC Handling
Version 2.12
Å Enhancements to EPS Handling
Version 2.13
Å Further Enhancements to EPS handling
Å Corrections to memory handling
Å Corrections to file loading
Å Remove the need for pre-processing of EPS files
Å Source type testing for EPS Files