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Text File | 1992-08-20 | 17KB | 356 lines

: : Black Belt Systems PI Module Execution Environment Document : Last Update: August 20th, 1992 : Software Revision Level: 1.12 : Document Revision Level: 1.12 : Document: Ben Williams : Software: Barry Chalmers, Ben Williams, : Pete Patterson : Operational Requirements: ARexx, Hard Disk, Level 9.11 s/w, ADOS 2.0 : Installation Requirements: 2 megs of ram, 1 meg of HD space, : ; REXX: already assigned. : User-Performed Tasks: After the install has completed, two : ; assignments must be added to the user's : ; user-startup file: : ; assign rxpi: rexx:rxpi : ; assign cmpi: c:cmpi : Additional Capabilities Provided by this PI System: --------------------------------------------------- Readers: Targa, JFIF/JPEG, IFF Palettes, RGB8, RGBN, ANIM OPT-5, PMBC, Raw, SHAM, DHR, ARZ0, ARZ1, AHAM, DKB Trace, NJPL (Mac or IBM a & b), UPB8, DEC "IRAW" format (1, 8 and 24-bit chunky format), Rendition-6rn, Rendition ALPHA-channel data, PCX files, Board Master PCB files Writers: Targa, JFIF/JPEG, RGB8, PMBC, Raw, VistaPro binary altitude maps, ANIM OPT-5, Rendition-6rn. Effects: Tesselate, Koch fractal Snowflake, Graph generation, Erode/Dilate, Detailed Histogram Reporter. Display: GVP IV24, DMI Resolver, Firecracker 24; Harlequin; also auto-display for FC24, DMI Resolver and Harlequin. Also BCD-2000A controller driver scripts for single frame recording animations from the IV24 board. Capture: None available from us at this time; note that an EPSON ES300c driver is available from: Metadigm at (714) 253 2828. The driver may be purchased as an upgrade from the ASDG ES300c driver, if you own it, or as a new product. Metadigm operates some rather strange hours at the time this was written, so don't discouraged if you don't get ahold of them on the first call - keep trying! We endorse this driver very highly; we use it every day. General: -------- Our image processing systems now have a means to handily call up any number of Public Interface modules using a convenient "list requester" type of environment. This document describes how to install the PI Executive environment, and how to run PI Modules from the new environment - which you'll find is extremely easy. Once you have the PI Execution environment set up and operating, we assure you that you'll be very pleased with the results. Performing the Initial Setup: ----------------------------- Before you begin, you should be aware that: ============================================ (a) The PI Executive will use about 3/4 of a meg of hard disk space (b) You'll need about 1.5 megs of free ram to execute "install-pi" (c) Installation replaces your Default macro file (but not your macros) (d) You probably won't need your old Default macro file anymore. (e) If you DO need your old macros, they will be renamed so that they have an extension of ".old" on them. They are still in S: (f) If you have been keeping your PI Modules in C: and REXX: as was previously suggested, you may delete these files once the installation is complete if you like, as they are no longer used. Take care not to delete these two new files, however: rexx:picmdpath rexx:launch.rexx (g) If you have your default macro file in the directory with the image processor, you're going to have to manually remove or rename the default file or the environment will not become active. The installation looks ONLY in the S: assignment for your default macro files. You can remove the local Default files either before or after installation, but you must do it before you execute the image processor or you won't be able to access the new features. If you miss this point, quit the image processor, remove the local Default file by CD'ing to that directory and typing this line: delete Default.#?mcr About the Install Script: ------------------------- The install script is a carefully commented AmigaDos shell script. If you are interested in (or concerned about) its operations, we encourage you to read the script. We have attempted to make the script reasonably intelligent about its installation capabilities; we understand that most people don't want to have the organization of their hard disk drive disturbed any more than is absolutely necessary. In the script itself, we use three commands in the script which you may not be familiar with. First is extract; this is an LHARC code extractor. Second is "ramfree". This is a command we have written to let us know how much available ram there is in your system. Lastly, we have "volfree", which tells us how much free space there is on a disk volume. Both ramfree and volfree are written so that they can be used easily in scripts as you see here. Feel free to use them for your own purposes, but they may not be re-distributed at this time. They are (c) 1992 Black Belt Systems. The Actual Installation: ------------------------ Depending on whether you're installing the PI Executive from the distribution disk, or from the PIEDIST.lzh file maintained as online support, you'll choose one of the following two procedures: "A" or "B". A: To perform the installation from the PI Distribution disk: ============================================================= 1 - Place the PI Distribution disk in the DF0: floppy drive 2 - Obtain a CLI/SHELL window 3 - Type the following lines into the SHELL window: cd ram: copy df0:Exec/#? TO ram: execute install-pi B: To perform the installation from the Distribution LHARC: =========================================================== 1 - Obtain a CLI/SHELL window 2 - Move the distribution LHARC (PIEDIST.lzh) into ram: 3 - Type the following lines into the SHELL window: cd ram: lharc e PIEDIST execute install-pi In either case, the installation procedure will ask you some very simple questions about your system processor and so on. You're expected to enter a Y or an N and then press the RETURN key to indicate your answer of Yes or No to the questions. Read the questions carefully before answering them; an incorrect answer here could cause problems later that will require a re-install to correct. You're done, almost, but... --------------------------- There are two "Assigns" required for this list system to operate correctly. The installation does make them for you, so it will run perfectly the first time. But as soon as you reboot or power down, those assigns are going to be lost. You need to add the following two lines to your "User-Startup" file in your s: directory to make sure that the assigns are made each time you initialize your Amiga: assign CMPI: c:cmpi assign RXPI: rexx:rxpi Finally, that's all there is to it - your PI Executive environment is now set up, ready to go. Operation: ---------- Inside the image processor, pressing function keys will provide you with specific lists of PI Modules, as follows: F1: PI Modules that can READ files, or read and write files F2: PI Modules that can WRITE files, or read and write files F3: PI Modules that create EFFECTS on images already present F4: PI Modules that can INPUT images from hardware devices F5: PI Modules that can OUTPUT images to hardware devices F10: PI Modules of ANY type - accesses all known PI Modules * The FKEYs F6, F7, F8 and F9 remain available for your use. Adding Future PI Modules from other manufacturers: -------------------------------------------------- To add any new PI Module (PIM), you'll follow these simple steps: 1 - Copy the ARexx portion of the PIM into RXPI: 2 - Copy the command portion(s) of the PIM into CMPI: 3 - Edit the file CMPI:list.list to activate the PIM (Each PIM .doc file should show you the single line needed) 4 - Print out the PIM documentation file for future reference The first two steps are basically self-explanatory. The third is easy to do, but you do need to understand what the file CMPI:list.list does for you. Essentially, the file CMPI:list.list is a list (no surprise, eh?) of the available PIMs you have installed. The list also contains "keywords" that indicate what "class" of PIM it is. We have currently defined the following classes of PIMs: 1 - Reader; these load various file formats 2 - Writer; these save various file formats 3 - Effect; these perform effects upon an already loaded image 4 - Capture; these retrieve images from peripheral hardware devices 5 - Display; these provide images to peripheral hardware devices At times, a PIM may fall into more than one catagory, particularly in the case of file handling PIMs. For instance, the JFIF/JPEG PIM can load and save JPEG files, so it is both a reader and a writer. We have configured the system so that the module will show in both lists in a clear fashion. When you add a PIM to the CMPI:list.list file, you add one line of text which names the ARexx script, describes the capabilties the PIM provides, and has the keywords which let the image processor know what class(es) the PIM falls into. Here's a possible list entry for the IFF Palette reader PIM as an example: "palrd", "IFF Palette Loader", load The first portion of the line ("palrd") is the name of the ARexx script without the ".rexx" extension and without any path. The extension ".rexx" is added to the end of this field automatically and the string "rxpi:" is used as the path. The second portion of the line ("IFF Palette Loader") is the description of the PIM's capabilities. This portion of the line actually appears in the list requester inside the image processor. The third portion of the line (load) consists of a keyword which defines the class which the IFF Palette reader PIM falls into; load is the keyword for a Reader. You can add comments to the list file on any line by simply beginning the line with an "*" (asterisk) character. You will also see lines in the CMPI:list.list file which begin with an "!" (exclamation point) character. These lines are text lines which are placed next to the list requester when it appears; generally, you won't want to change these lines, although you certainly can. Here are the three types of lines together: * comment line; has no effect and may contain anything ! appears on-screen, next to the list requester itself * the next lines add entries to the list requester "jpeg load", "JPEG/JFIF file load", load "jpeg save", "JPEG/JFIF file save", save RGBxr, "Impulse RGB8/RGBN file load", load eroder, "Erode (F/X)", effect imiv24r, "GVP IV-24 Display", display Examining the CMPI:list.list file will be instructive if you're interested in custom modifications. Note ---- Each new PIM that you obtain from us in the distribution archive or on an upgrade disk will have a section of the documentation devoted to it; the re-installation will replace the list.list file with a new one containing any new required lines. The only time this might be a problem is if you have a PI Module from another vendor, such as Metadigm's ES300c scanner driver software; these lines will be lost and you will have to add them yourself again for those aftermarket PI modules to be usable again. Removing PI Modules from the list: ---------------------------------- Edit the file "CMPI:list.list" and simply remove the single line that describes the PI Module you want to delete. This line will not begin with either a "!" or a "*" character. If you do not wish to remove the line, but only want to temporarily disable it, place an asterisk (*) before all other characters on that line, and the line will be treated as if it were a comment (that is, it will be ignored). Changes to the PI System since initial release: =============================================== 1.12 - August 20th, 1992 ------------------------ IV24 Display - Updated, portions re-written in assembler for considerable speed improvement; also an ARexx port was added to facilitate its use with single frame controller scripts. One ARexx command is supported, "QUIT". The port address is 'IMIV24'. This allows you to display an image and then kill it as soon as the single frame controller has recorded it. See the macros "setframe.rexx" and "postiv.rexx" in RXPI:, these go in the first and third script positions for the sequencer and/or the morph scripts. This script works with the BCD 2000A SF controller. Note that you must run the supplied (by BCD) BCDARexxHandler program for this script to work. DMI Resolver Display - Updated, crashing bug fixed. 1.11 - August 3rd, 1992 ----------------------- Board Master Reader - Added, reads any PCB file saved from Black Belt Systems own Board Master software. 1.10 - July 31st, 1992 ---------------------- PCX Reader - Added, reads 2-256 color PCX files. 1.09 - July 13th, 1992 ---------------------- NJPL Reader - Updated, now reads _many_ more formats HISTOGRAM Reporter - Added, provides detailed data in textfile 1.08 - July 6th, 1992 ---------------------- RGB8 Writer - Modified, saves later version RGB8 files for compliance with recent Impulse software 1.07 - June 21st, 1992 ---------------------- Rendition Writer - Added, Creates .6rn files Rendition Reader - Added, Reads .6rn files JPEG Reader - Modified, behaivoir on initial load improved 1.06 - June 3rd, 1992 --------------------- ANIM Reader - Updated. Reader for reading DCTV mode ANIMs ANIM Writer - Updated. Generates proper CAMG chunk 1.05 - May 13th, 1992 --------------------- IV24 Display - Updated, fix for 1.04 v which was broken. :^( 1.04 - May 12th, 1992 --------------------- NJPL Reader - Updated, now reads old IBM format files DMI Display - Updated, now has auto display IV24 Display - Updated, now handles PAL resolutions FC24 Display - Updated for compatibility with 9.11 Harlequin Display - Added, provides NTSC and PAL auto-display 1.03 - April 21st, 1992 ----------------------- NJPL Reader - Updated, now reads MAC format files FC24 Display - Updated, now has AUTO-redisplay capabilities IRAW Reader - Added, DEC computer image format RGB8 Writer - Added, Creates Impulse-compatible files Targa Writer - Added, Creates .tga files (3 types) VistaPro Altitude Writer - Added, Creates binary landscapes from any image Palette Reader - Added, Reads IFF format palettes two ways ANIM Reader - Added, Animations may be read frame by frame ANIM Writer - Added, Complete animations may now be generated NOTE: The ANIM writer is not (strictly) a PI module; instead, it is designed to operate with the sequence generator. There are three ARexx scripts which are used: "animwr1.rexx", "animwr3.rexx" and "animwr4.rexx". These are placed in the sequence generator's 1st, 3rd and 4th script positions. See the "i_addendum" file for details.