Amiga MA Magazine 1998 #7/amigamamagazinepolishissue1998.iso/www/haage&partner/orig/ds_sup01.lha/ReadMe.Now

Text File | 1995-10-08 | 15KB | 345 lines

CONVERT PRODRAW CLIP TO IFF DR2D
--------------------------------
THIS ARCHIVE CAN BE DISTRIBUTED AS LONG AS IT IS LEFT INTACT WITHOUT ANY
CHANGES! NO CHARGE ASIDE FROM A REASONABLE COPYING AND DISK FEE CAN BE
CHARGED FOR IT.

COPYRIGHT 1995 SOFT-LOGIK PUBLISHING CORP.


WELCOME
-------
Soft-Logik Publishing wrote this utility in 1992 for inclusion with the
now discontinued Art Expression. While the ProDraw Clip is no longer a
prominent Amiga drawing format, there may be some people out there who
could benefit by having this utility, so we decided to make it freely
distributable.


WHAT IT DOES
------------
Convert reads Professional Draw Clip files and converts them to the IFF
DR2D format. IFF DR2D files may be imported into PageStream, Art
Expression, TypeSmith, ProVector and other Amiga programs.


HOW TO USE IT
-------------
Double-click on the Convert program icon to open its requester. Click on
the top "Set..." gadget which will open a file requester to select a file
to convert. Alternatively, enter a complete filename to convert in the top
text gadget.

Click on the bottom "Set..." gadget to set an output path. The Convert
program will create separate files for each clip in the Professional Draw
Clip file and will append the clip name plus DR2D to the original filename.

Example: the file "Objects" contains two clips, Box and Circle. Convert
will create two files called "Objects.Box.DR2D" and "Objects.Circle.DR2D".

All Professional Draw options are translated in the conversion except
gradient fills and dashed lines.

Convert also has a batch mode. If you set the "Clip" text gadget to just a
path without specifying a ProDraw file, all the clips in that directory
will be converted when you choose the "Convert" gadget. Convert may also
be used from the shell.

Usage:   convert <filename> <destination directory>

Example: convert df0:drawing.clp ram:


INTERESTED IN DRAWINGS?
-----------------------
PageStream3 has overtaken Art Expression as the Amiga's best-selling drawing
program. In addition to its publishing features, we have added many features
found only in specialized drawing programs.

Versions of PageStream3 up to and including 3.0h have great basic drawing
features including an innovative Polygon tool which can be used to create
stars, sawteeth and 1970's wallpaper. (Well, it was innovative when we came
up with it, but MacroMedia Freehand has a similar tool now. Copycats!)

Versions of PageStream3 after and including 3.0i have an excellent Pen
tool which allows for the creation of any path. It's the easiest-to-use
drawing tool of any program we've ever tried. (Our programmers can even
draw with it, so it has to be good! ;-) The Reshape tool makes editing
complex paths in drawings a snap.

Sure, every program's authors say they have made drawing easy. It's hard to
explain in a text file, but here's a clipping from the PageStream3 help system
so you can read how it works:


PEN TOOL
--------
The Pen tool is used to draw line and curve path segments to make an
irregular path. The mouse pointer will change to a crosshair shape when
the Pen tool is selected.

Paths are a series of points connected by lines and curves. Curves are
defined by two curve handles (Bézier control points) which determine the
degree and depth of the curve.

SETTING THE CURRENT POINT

The first step in drawing a path is to establish the current point to
which you can add line and curve segments. You can set the current point
by starting a new path or by extending an existing path. After you set the
current point, PageStream will continuously draw a line from the point to
the crosshair position so that you can see how the segment would be drawn
if you were to end the segment at that position.

Starting a New Path: Position the crosshair at the desired start point of
the new path and click the mouse. A small handle will appear to indicate
that this is now the current point.

Extending an Existing Path: Position the crosshair over the endpoint of a
path. A handle will appear when you are within range of an endpoint. Click
the mouse button to set this as the current point.

DRAWING LINE SEGMENTS

To draw a straight line segment from the current point to another point,
position the crosshair at the desired point and click the mouse. The new
point will now become the new current point. Continue clicking the mouse
to create additional line segments.

If you hold down a Shift key before you click the mouse, PageStream will
constrain the line to horizontal, vertical or 45° line segments.

If the previous segment was a curve segment, you must click on the current
point before drawing a line segment. This is because you placed the first
curve handle for the next segment when drawing the previous curve.
Clicking on the current point will retract this curve handle and prepare
for drawing a line segment.

If you add a line segment by clicking on the opposite end of the path you
are drawing, the path will be closed with a line segment between the
current point and the other endpoint. A handle will appear when you are
within range of the other endpoint to close a path.

DRAWING CURVE SEGMENTS

To draw a curve segment from the current point to another point:

1. Drag out the first curve handle. Position the crosshair over the
current point. The handle will change to indicate that you are within
range. Press and hold the left mouse button. Drag the mouse in the
direction of the curve to drag out the first curve handle.

Note: Hold down a Shift key as you drag out the curve handle if you are
connecting to an existing segment and you want a smooth join; otherwise
you will get a corner join.

2. Drag out the second curve handle. Now move the crosshair to the desired
position of the curve. Drag away from this position to shape the curve.
Release the mouse button when the curve is the desired shape.

3. Continue the path.

The first curve handle of the next curve segment is automatically placed
to create a smooth join. If you want to continue by adding a curve
connected by a smooth join, just repeat step 2.

If you want to continue by adding a curve connected by a corner join,
repeat from step 1 and do not hold down a Shift key.

If you want to continue by adding a line, click on the current point to
retract the next curve handle and then draw a line segment.

ENDING AND CLOSING A PATH

To close the path, move the crosshair over the other endpoint and click.
If you were drawing a line segment, the path would be closed with a line.
If you were drawing a curve segment, the path would be closed with a curve
connected to the endpoint by a corner join. To close the path with a curve
tangent which is tangent to the first segment at the endpoint, move the
crosshair over the other endpoint and drag out a curve handle.

Click the right mouse button to end a path without closing it.

STARTING A NEW PATH

If you have drawn a path but not yet closed it, you cannot start another
path until you deselect the current point. You can do this by pressing the
space bar or changing to another tool and then reselecting the Pen tool.


MORE NEAT STUFF
---------------
If you made it throught all that, you will have realized that drawing is
simple with PageStream3's Pen tool. (Well, it is easier to draw rather
than read about it.) The Reshape tool works in a similar fashion, and
allows you to add and remove points, move point and curve handles, split
and join paths, and more. But wait, there's more! PageStream3 can even
Merge Paths and Split Paths to create composite paths. There are even
ARexx commands to make ProDraw-style compound and grid objects.


COOL TEXT EFFECTS
-----------------
If you buy the TextFX extension for PageStream3, you can bring text under you
spell. Warp it in shapes, bend it on curves or convert it to graphics with
TextFX. Here is how it works:

1.    Select the Text tool.
Create a frameless text object by clicking on the page

2.    Apply the desired attributes.
Set the font, size and any other desired attributes. It is highly
recommended that you change the Tracking table from Normal to None. This
will prevent letters from overlapping at large sizes. If you are placing
text on a curve instead of warping it in a shape, you should choose an
alignment method now. (You will almost always want to choose Center.)

2.    Choose the Object tool.
Click on the FX button in the Edit palette, or choose Object/Edit and then
click on the TextFX button in its requester. The TextFX requester will
open.

To warp text in a shape: Choose any of the left ten columns of icons for
the shape to warp in. (There are 50 warp shapes to choose from.)

To place text on a curve: Choose any of the rightmost column of icons.
(There are five curves to choose from, including the popular crest and
button text types.)

Click on Apply or Ok. The frameless text object will become a TextFX
object. You can now resize it with the Object tool but you cannot edit it
as text.

How to turn off a text effect, or edit a TextFX object's text:

1.    Select the Object tool.
Select the TextFX object. Click on the FX button in the Edit palette, or
choose Object/Edit and then click on the TextFX button in its requester.
The TextFX requester will open.

2.    Turn off the text effect.
Click on the top-left icon (the rectangle) in the requester. This is the
Off icon. Click on Ok. The TextFX object will become a normal frameless
text object again.

3.    Edit the text.
Edit the text as required, apply the desired attributes, and then reapply
the text effect.

TextFX options

Depending on the TextFX icon you select, one or more of the three checkbox
options below the icons will unghost:

DistortX: This warps the text horizontally instead of just vertically.
This is only an option for warp shapes that it would be applicable to.
This option will default to what we think is best, but you can change it
as desired. Even if it's unavailable, it will still be checked or
unchecked to show you what it's doing.

Bend Lines: Warping text in a shape normally leaves lines as line
segments. This does not always produce the optimal results for some
shapes. Turning Bend Lines on will dramatically slow down the creation of
a text effect, but will produce superior results. Hint: Leave this option
off until after you have achieved the exact effect you want.

Scale Text to Fit: Text placed on a curve will be placed with the
alignment set for the frameless text object. Scale Text to Fit overrides
the alignment and scales the text to fit the curve(s).

How to convert text to objects

Unlike Art Expression's text effect features, the text in TextFX objects
is not automatically converted to graphics. If you want to edit the
characters as paths, you must first convert the text to objects.

1.    Select the Object tool.
Select a frameless text object or a TextFX object. Any frameless text
object can be converted to graphicsnot just TextFX objects. Note that text
in text frames cannot be converted to objects.

2.    Choose Macros/Convert to Path
This command will convert the text to a path. You can now edit the shape
of the characters with the Reshape tool.


AREXX FANATICS UNITE!
---------------------
You can control TextFX (and PageStream3) via ARexx. While most programs
have ARexx ports, you haven't seen anything like this before. Here's the
syntax for the command responsible for TextFX:

Command: EDITTEXTOBJ

Purpose: Sets (edits) the coordinates of a selected frameless text object.

Syntax:  edittextobj [POSITION left/D top/D right/D bottom/D]
         [ROTATE angle/A | SKEW slantangle/A twistangle/A | SLANT angle/A |
         TWIST angle/A] [ABOUT pointx/D pointy/D | ABOUTCENTER]
         [CONSTRAIN | FREE] [PRINT | NOPRINT]
         [TEXTFX <SHAPE | PATH | NONE> [DISTORTX <TRUE|FALSE>]
         [BENDLINES <TRUE|FALSE>] [SCALETOFIT <TRUE|FALSE>] <TEXTFXPATH
          [ABOVEPATH | ONPATH | BELOWPATH]
          <[MOVETO pointx/D pointy/D] | [LINETO pointx/D pointy/D] |
          [CURVETO curvex1/D curvey1/D curvex2/D curvey2/D pointx/D pointy/D] |
          [ARCTO centerx/D centery/D radiusx/D radiusy/D startangle/A
          endangle/A slantangle/A twistangle/A] |
          [ARCNTO centerx/D centery/D radiusx/D radiusy/D startangle/A
          endangle/A slantangle/A twistangle/A] |
          [CLOSEPATH]>>>]
         [DOCUMENT name/S | WINDOW name/S | OBJECTID number/I]

Format:  Parameter   Values to enter
         POSITION    is the coordinates of the frameless text object.
         ROTATE      is the rotation angle.
         SKEW        is the slant and twist angle.
         SLANT       is the slant angle.
         TWIST       is the twist angle.
         ABOUT       is the rotation point.
         ABOUTCENTER rotates around its center.
         CONSTRAIN   toggles on the resizing constraint.
         FREE        toggles off the resizing constraint.
         PRINT       toggles on the print flag.
         NOPRINT     toggles off the print flag.
         TEXTFX      sets a TextFX shape or curve.
         SHAPE       sets a TextFX warp shape.
         PATH        sets a TextFX curve.
         NONE        specifies a normal frameless text object.
         DISTORTX    toggles horizontal distortion.
         BENDLINES   toggles curving of line strokes.
         SCALETOFIT  scales text to fit the TextFX curve.
         TEXTFXPATH  sets the warp shape or curve path.
         ABOVEPATH   sets text above a curve.
         ONPATH      sets text on (centered vertically) a curve.
         BELOWPATH   sets text below a curve.
         MOVETO      starts the warp shape or curve path.
         LINETO      adds a TextFX path line to the point.
         CURVETO     adds a TextFX path bézier curve to the point.
         ARCTO       adds a TextFX path arc counterclockwise to the point.
         ARCNTO      adds a TextFX path arc clockwise to the point.
         CLOSEPATH   closes the TextFX path.
         DOCUMENT    is the document name. (Default=current)
         WINDOW      is the window name. (Default=current)
         OBJECTID    is the number of the object to manipulate.

While the majority of PageStream3's ARexx commands are somewhat simpler,
you can see that we put a lot of effort into giving you total control over
the program. If you like ARexx, you'll love PageStream3.


THE END
-------
Well that's about it for our sneaky sales pitch archived in with the
Convert utility. ;-) If you would like more information on PageStream3,
TextFX or any other Soft-Logik program, email your mailing address to
[e-mail].

Sales (USA and Canada): 1-800-829-8608
Sales (International):    314-256-9595
Fax:                      314-256-7773
BBS (24 hours):           314-256-8971

Soft-Logik Publishing Corporation
315 Consort Drive
St. Louis, MO  63011  USA