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tips.txt
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1995-09-02
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Hints & Tips Compiled and maintained by Joe Connor
===========================================================================
o Important!
----------
Kandinsky uses the KNDINSKY.INF file to store your personal preferences
and password. If you're using a registered copy of Kandinsky be sure to
delete KNDINSKY.INF and the 'REG_ONLY' folder and contents before passing
copies of Kandinsky to other users.
o If you haven't already register!
--------------------------------
There are dozens of other Hints & tips detailed in the manual available
only to registered users. Only the most important ones are repeated here.
o Using the zoom tools with IMG 'psuedo' vector objects loaded
-------------------------------------------------------------
Kandinsky is designed to rapidly manipulate vector objects but if your
drawing includes any Image (IMG) format files you'll find the zoom
options (currently) slow to a crawl. When a zoom tool is used on an Image
containing bittmapped 'psuedo' objects Kandinsky has to recalculate the
images pixel by pixel. Where practical import IMG format files as late as
possible in the drawing process. Once loaded zooming out is considerably
faster than zooming in but if you have to zoom in be prepared for a
lengthy wait!
o Saving and printing
-------------------
Kandinsky takes advantage of GDOS, SpeedoGDOS and other GDOS replacements
to handle GEM Metafiles. To save and print you'll need to boot using GDOS
or equivalent and a suitable ASSIGN.SYS which includes a printer driver
and META.SYS.
o Setting the pixel width and height
----------------------------------
By default the pixel width and height are set to 372 micrometres. If
you're running at 640x200 resolution (ST Medium) you need to open the
'Screen' dialog from the 'Settings' drop down menu reduce the pixel width
to 169 micrometres.
o If you're NOT multitasking
--------------------------
- Use WINX, highly recommended, or:
- Set the following options to ease working with Kandinsky considerably:
From the 'Settings' Drop down menu option open the 'Window' dialog and
set the 'Dialogs in windows' OFF and 'Auto raise windows' ON.
- Install ICFS to iconify Kandinsky windows.
o To de/select more than one object
---------------------------------
Press the [Shift] key during object selection to add objects to already
selected object(s). If objects are selected and a new object is selected
without holding the [Shift] key down the currently selected objects are
de-selected.
o Why won't Kandinsky save my drawing?
------------------------------------
If you drawing has been changed since you last saved it an asterisk
appears before the filename in the window title bar eg '*TEST.GEM'. The
Save command can only be selected when a drawing has been changed, ie
when the '*' precedes the filename.
o Loading and using EasyDraw text objects in Kandinsky
----------------------------------------------------
EasyDraw text objects need to be converted to Kandinsky text objects
before they can be successfully edited. To achieve this:
- Select the text objects to convert using the Select tool followed by the
'Change to' option from the 'Object(s)' Drop down menu. A Pop-up menu
appears, select the 'Text' option and the object(s) will be converted.
o The right mouse button in Kandinsky
-----------------------------------
The right mouse button is also used extensively in Kandinsky. During
commands it's used to cancel most commands and between commands it's used
to display the settings dialog for the current command, if provided.
o Bold buttons
------------
Bold buttons contain pop-up menus. Left click and release over the button
to display the menu. Click on an option to select it or away from the
menu to close it without making a selection.
o How do I change the default zoom setting (and others) from 25%?
---------------------------------------------------------------
The initial zoom (and other defaults) are stored in the template GEM
file. Load in any template, select the desired default zoom value then
re-save the template using the 'Save as template...' option from the
'File' drop down menu.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compatibility
===========================================================================
Here's a list of known occurences, bugs and errors which you might
experience under certain circumstances.
- The Before Dawn Screen saver, is known to cause problems, I'm looking
into this. Try Darklord instead it's very nice :-)
- If you experience minor redraw problems, mouse droppings etc check the
XOR in design mode option is turned off (box cleared). If you're low on
memory you can leave this option on and press the [Esc] key to redraw the
screen and clear the garbage.
- SpeedoGDOS Error Messages -Scratch buffer problems
If the message 'GDOS error, not enough memory for scratch buffer' appears
during starting Kandinsky you have a faulty version of Speedo GDOS. This
is NOT a Kandinsky problem and is fixed in SpeedoGDOS from v4.2
(although this version also sufferes from other problems!).
You can avoid this error message by adding bitmap fonts for each driver
in the file 'ASSIGN.SYS', provided you've got access to the bitmap fonts.
Here's an example for 'ASSIGN.SYS' which removes the error message (you
need the font `atss12.fnt' for Screen, Metafile and Laser):
PATH = C:\GEMSYS
01p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
02p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
03p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12CG.FNT
04p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
05p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
06p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
07p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
08p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
09p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
10p SCREEN.SYS
ATSS12.FNT
21 SLM.SYS
ATSS12LS.FNT
31 META.SYS
ATSS12MF.FNT
61 MEMORY.SYS
- If you experience problems using large point sizes and SpeedoGDOS add a
larger point size to each font in your 'EXTEND.SYS'. SpeedoGDOS allocates
a scratch buffer just large enough to handle the largest point size
specified.
- First aid! Don't leave the 'Info' dialog by selecting 'OK' or 'Apply' if
no objects are selected, in some circumstances this can lead to a crash.
- Line patterns are not displayed properly depending on the line thickness
selected. This is due to a(nother) fault in TOS and unfortunately beyond
Kandinsky's control. The line styles and thicknesses are however
correctly exported to Postscript files so I'll leave this option active
in the hope that one day either Atari or NVDI will fix the problem.
- 'Let 'em Fly' should not be used with Kandinsky because LEF clashes with
the 'MyDials' (programmed by Olaf Meisiek) routines used Kandinsky.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st September 1995. To be continued...