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- *************************** The Paint Studio *****************************
-
- How to Use the Studio
-
- If you are starting a new picture, always use the New Pic Icon #47 first.
- This will create VCXTEMP.VCX (primary file), and
- VCXTEMP2.VCX (secondary file). See New Pic Icon for more information.
-
- Load the Primary File by Clicking Button 2 on the left scroll
- bar.(This is Redo when a VCX picture is active and Autosave is On )
-
- Load the secondary file by Clicking Button 2 on the bottom
- scroll bar. (This is Undo when a VCX picture is active and
- Autosave or Reset is On)
- Autosave alternates between the primary and secondary after
- each tool operation and may be disabled in CONFIGIT.
- With Reset every time a tool is used the secondary file is updated.
- If you click Button 2 on the vertical scroll bar, the picture is
- reset to it's original form on entry to the Paint Studio.
- PCX files default to Autosave. VCX files default to Reset.
- Override the settings with CONFIGIT or the AutoSave Icons.
-
- This program is configured for a two button mouse. Try the
- Mouse Set Icon #93 to determine Right and Left Mouse Button
- Setting. Depending on the user and your mouse configuration, left
- button could be right and vice versa, for the sake of this and
- other documents the Buttons are referred to as Button 1 and
- Button 2 . The MOUSE BUTTONS Icon that appears in the help menu
- has a 1 and 2 on the buttons and shows the current configuration.
- Beneath it is the current process delay in milliseconds.
-
- Important! If you disable the program by
- eg: A very fast computer with a 0 mouse delay will skip
- processes and could make operation difficult or impossible.
-
- If this happens reset the delay with the Mouse Set Icon. If this
- cannot be done, then delete C:\ANIPAINT\FILECFG.KEY and it will
- be replaced. Then set the delay using CONFIGIT. The Mouse Set Icon
- writes to FILECFG.KEY and takes precedence over CONFIGIT.
-
- I am partial to using the Right Mouse button as the Action button
- in graphic applications and have designed this program this way.
- With the exception of loading files in the Screening Room.
- Whichever configuration seems the most natural for you is the one
- you should use. It is then a matter of practice before it becomes
- an automatic process for you. Use CONFIGIT.EXE to test the
- mouse delay. It is critical to proper operation of the program.
- In the pop up menu of help an Icon appears showing the current
- mouse button configuration. (1 and 2, or 2 and 1)
-
- The Studio uses Icons to represent the tools that are
- available for your use.
-
- Key Functions
- ***************
- These are the keys available in the Paint Studio.
-
- The Cursor Keys Alone or CTRL-L or R Cursor
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Scroll Window Contents 1 Scroll Window contents 40
-
- The PgUp and PgDn Keys
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Scroll window contents 40 pixels or 1 page up and down
-
- The F1 Key
- ~~~~~~~~~~
- Instantly blank the screen to grey, and save the picture while
- masked. Then you are brought back to the File Screening Room and
- the picture is Flashed to notify you that the Picture has been
- saved under it's current name. Most probably a temporary VCX
- eg:VCXTEMP.VCX or VCXTEMP2.VCX on D: if available C: if not.
- Text Files are not altered.
-
- The Esc key
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Exit the current process in progress.
- If there is no process underway then you are transported back to
- the File Screening Room . The current picture stays as it
- appeared during the last undo or redo or save operation.
-
- The Space bar
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Interrupt the current tool or Icon process.
-
- ALT-X EXIT
- ~~~~~~
- ALT-S SAVE Current VCX - Autosave On
- ~~~~~
- ALT-U LOAD VCXTEMP2.VCX
- ~~~~~
- ALT-L LOAD PRIMARY FILE
- ~~~~~
- ALT-C LOAD CLIP ART
- ~~~~~
- ALT-F Full Screen Off/On Toggle
- ~~~~~
-
- Printing with SHIFT PRINT SCREEN
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Use the Dos Shell Icon.
- 2) Enter the DOS Command: GRAPHICS
- 3) Type EXIT to leave the DOS SHELL
- 4) Choose Full Screen Icon
- 4) Press SHIFT and PRINT SCREEN at the same time.
-
- If your printer is on and ready it prints the screen.
- It only supports 320x200 mode in 256 colors.
- To Print in 640 x 480 you must switch to 16 color mode.
- Read your DOS manual for more information on the
- GRAPHICS command and your GRAPHICS.PRO file in your Dos path.
-
- A FAR BETTER way to PRINT is to EXPORT as a PCX and use your
- favourite printing program to print it. Your printing program
- must be able to read PCX files. Most good Word Processors
- can load a PCX for printing alone or in a document.
- If you have a Fax Card, your FAX software may support PCX.
- Print to a fax for laser quality without a laser printer.
- See your printing program documentation.
- See the end of this document for the Export PCX Icon.
- See PRINTQ&A.DOC for more info.
-
- Understanding Color Very Important!!
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This program uses 256 colors. These colors are called the
- palette. A standard VGA or SVGA monitor can display a maximum
- of 256 colors on the screen at one time. VGA in 320 X 200
- resolution only.
- This program is designed for a SVGA display with resolution
- capabilities to 1200 X 1024. Providing your video card is capable
- and compatible with the available display drivers it will serve
- you well.
- 640x480 256 color resolution is recommended.
- Each dot or pixel on the screen can be one of 256 colors at any
- one time. A graphic picture is made up of these tiny dots like
- multicolored lights. Make a blue line, you are turning on a
- stretch of blue lights.
-
- Each color is made up of a red value, a green value, and a blue
- value. The higher the red/green/blue values the brighter the
- color becomes. The lower the red/green/blue value the darker the
- color becomes. Pure white has a red value of 255, a green value
- of 255, and a blue value of 255. Pure Black has red, green and
- blue values of 0.
-
- When you load a PCX picture made by a color scanner or another
- program, the colors that make up the picture are contained in
- palette information within the file. Whenever you load a PCX
- file, the palette is loaded along with the picture. However this
- can pose a problem because all screen colors are affected
- including the menu and Icon colors.
-
- If the PCX picture had an all black palette the screen would
- become all black leading you to believe a crash had occurred.
- Many programs including this one must safeguard against this in
- some way. I have done this by reserving black and white for menu
- use. Other programs reserve the first 8 and the last 8.
- When the picture is first loaded it is in it's pure form for
- viewing. If the palette is a poor mixture of lousy color, so be
- it. If the screen goes black, press escape, or move the mouse
- (invisible if black) over the top of the screen and click both
- buttons. The default palette will return. ( the current menu
- palette is the default)
- When you are in a graphic window you have the option of changing
- the palette with the color button. It has a maximum of palette
- choices as determined by your configuration file.
- ( See CONFIGIT.EXE to change the maximum number of menu
- palettes.) Palette choice 1 or Color 1 is the unaltered palette
- that was in the last PCX file when it was loaded into the
- program. If nothing happens but a click when set at 1 it is
- because there is no current VCX or PCX available to reset the
- palette to. No problem.
- Color 2 is a grey version of palette 1. This grey version may not
- be scaled. Meaning the colors may not get brighter as the color
- numbers (0...255) get higher. Color number 60 may be darker than
- color number 6. To change the image to a greyscaled image (color
- gets brighter as the color number gets higher) you must choose
- the Grey Scale Icon to convert the palette and picture, or Sort
- Color. ( see Grey Scale or Sort Color)
-
- Many of the tools in the Studio work better on a greyscaled
- image. Scatter and Blend just to name two. You will find out
- which by experimenting with the tools and alternating between a
- greyscaled palette and a normal palette.
- If you leave the window controls to start work on the picture you
- may see the picture change. The Paint Studio reserves white and black
- for it's Icons. The original palette from the PCX file may have color
- number 0 ( black) and color number 255 ( white) as the same
- color. If Studio did not alter these two palette colors the
- colors in the Icons may appear to be all white and indiscernible
- or all black or all green or whatever. If you can't see the Icon
- you don't know which tool does what.
- Some pictures will have no noticeable effect when white and black
- change, others will drastically change.
- If a drastic change occurs the image will not look right.
- To correct this you can choose the Swap Color Icon to correct the
- picture (see Swap Color Icon ) or use the Pencil Eraser( see
- Pencil Eraser) or override the changing of white and black.
-
- To override the Studio's need to reserve color 0 as black
- and color number 255 as white, click on the color button while in
- an active graphic window. The color button will be incremented by
- one. You may then cycle through all the palettes back to Color
- palette 1 or use the opposite mouse button. Once you have pressed
- this color button you automatically override the Studio. It will
- not alter the palette when you leave the window and enter Studio
- controls.
-
- Remember !
- Both buttons above the top of screen - default menu colors. Click
- on the color button in a graphic window - override palette
- change.
-
- Color problem # 2.
-
- Example: PCX picture (A), a lovely yellow flower with 256 colors.
- PCX picture (B) a blue humming bird also 256 colors.
- Each uses all available colors, 256, the maximum number that
- you can display onscreen at one time. But you want to paste
- the bird on the flower and animate it. If you use the one
- palette then the other picture will become scrambled.
- Remember, the palettes are not in numerical order.
- The screen can display only 256 of a possible 65000+ colors!
- Most paint programs attempt to map the 2nd colors onto the first.
- This rarely works. Especially if the first palette is
- predominantly shades of one color. Such as the yellow flowers
- palette example above.
-
- You could reduce the first palette by half and the second by half
- but you lose picture quality on both. And what happens when you
- try to paste both on scenery. Do you reduce them again and again.
- One solution is to alter each color, mixing and matching by eye.
- This could take hours or days.
-
- The easiest solution is to greyscale both images. It's a little
- bit like black and white T.V. as opposed to Color T.V. but it
- works. Once the image is greyscaled you can use any scaled
- palette. To do this use the Grey Scale Icon.( see Grey Scale) If
- you plan to create an animation sequence that uses photograph
- quality PCX images then greyscale the image first. Use the Sort
- color Icon to allow better use of the tools such as Blend.
-
- If you are creating your own drawings, choose a menu palette to
- suit your needs. Most of the Menu Palettes are partially scaled
- as a compromise containing the primary colors and shades of one
- color.
-
- Once again, Bad Palette -Both mouse buttons over top of screen.
- Combining Photos-Greyscale the images.
-
- The Clip Count Number
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Located on the far left of the color bar, this number determines
- what the name of the current Clip Board (CLP#.VCX) is or will
- become. The next time you capture an area using any of the
- capture tools this number will be incremented by one prior to
- naming the file.
-
- Example: The number is 1. You use the Cut and Paste button.
- The Clip Count is increased to 2 and the
- captured area is automatically named CLP2.VCX
- and saved to D:\CLIPS if D: is available or
- C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not.
- note:CLP0.VCX is used by the Program internally.
-
- If you wish to overwrite the captured file, click button 1
- on the clip count area and it is reduced by one.
- Then repeat the cut and paste. Again the number is
- automatically incremented and the captured area saved.
-
- When creating animation that is (320x200) the clip count is
- incremented by 20 the first time, if the count is less than 20
- when you begin. This is intended to segregate the CLP#.VCX files
- you are using for ACT2 animation and the normal clip
- board files you are using as scratch pads.
- When you test run your ACT2 animation sequence the first frame
- will run from the clip count number you set. When it reaches the
- last frame number as set by the Size number on the extreme right
- of the color bar, the animated sequence will again start at the
- current clip count number.
- To load CLP0.VCX or to set the number to 0 use the Clipboard
- Icon. Set the Clip Count number to 1 then use the Clip Board Icon
- with the -1 on it. If the Count is 0 the captured image will be
- CLP1.VCX.
-
- See Animation for more information.
-
- Remember this number is the Clip Count number and is used
- extensively throughout the program.
- Very Important!: CLP#.VCX files are temporary files. And
- vulnerable to being overwritten at any time. To prevent this from
- happening, Save it under a different name by loading it into a window
- using the Paste Icon and using the save button.
-
- The Color Bar
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Change the drawing color by clicking button 2 on the color bar.
- If sound is on you will hear a click. The color will appear in
- the Right color area to the extreme right of the color bar. At
- the top right the Right Color Number also appears.
- Now when you draw the outline color will be this color.
-
- Change the fill color by clicking button 1 on the color bar. If
- sound is on you will hear a click and the color will appear in
- the Left color area to the extreme left of the color bar. At the
- top left the Left Color Number also appears.
- Now when you paint the fill color will be this color.
-
- Press the scroll button above and to the left of the Color bar
- and the color scrolls. Button 1 scrolls left, button 2 scrolls
- right. The scroll button above on the extreme right has the same
- function.
-
- The default palette uses a combination of colors. The default
- palette Color 0 should be black. Color 255 white. When you
- first load Studio a 0 appears on the color # 0. You may change
- the default palette with the Menu Color Icon.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE to add a saved palette to the program menu.
-
- You may also change the current draw and fill colors by
- clicking button 1 or button 2 anywhere below the color bar.
-
- The current draw and fill colors are also used by other Icons.
- Some Icon buttons have options that can exclude colors from their
- process.
-
- Example: Paste No Color #0. Suppose you want to paste a clipped
- area into your picture. If the clipped image has a black
- background you will not paste the black background of the clipped
- image onto your picture. If you want to paste the background then
- make the background another color other than color #0 or make
- another color number black using the Painters Palette Icon. Avoid
- drawing with color #0 because it is used for invisible
- backgrounds.
-
- See Understanding Color for more information on color.
- Only by practice will you learn all the effects that color has on
- each Icon button that uses color.
-
- The LEFT or Fill Color Area
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The area to the left of the color bar is the fill color area.
- The clip count number is also located in this area.
- The small sliver of color on the extreme left is retained for a
- short period to allow you to switch back to this color if you
- want to. The Fill Color area shows you which color is currently
- the fill color for use with painting tools.
-
- The Right or Draw Color Area
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The area to the right of the color bar is the draw color area.
- The Size number is also located in this area.
- The small sliver of color on the extreme right is retained for a
- short period to allow you to switch back to this color if you
- want to. The Draw Color area shows you which color is currently
- the draw color for use with drawing tools.
-
- The Size Number
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Whenever the program needs to know the size of brush or box or
- line thickness you want to use. It gets this information from
- this number.
-
- Example: You click on the paint brush Icon. The cursor it uses is
- a rectangle. It determines how large a brush you want to use by
- the Size number. The size number is currently set at 10.
- It creates a rectangle cursor 10 dots wide 10 dots high. When you
- paint you will paint an area 10 X 10 each time you press button 2.
-
- The Size Number is initially set at 10. By clicking button 1 on
- the number, it decrements the size number by one. Click button 2
- on the number, it increments the number by 1. Click to the right
- of the number and it increases and decreases by 10's.
-
- Almost every Icon Button uses this number for something. Mainly
- it determines the size of the cursor box and hence the size of
- area that the selected Icon Button will affect.
- When you are previewing ACT2 animation it determines the last
- frame you wish to preview from the Size Number. When you are
- setting the frame delay using the frame delay clock button, it
- uses the size number.
-
- Remember the number on the right is the Size Number. It is used
- extensively throughout the program.
-
- Only by practise will you learn the effect the size number has on
- each Icon Button. See each specific Icon for how they use the
- Size number.
-
- The Upper Scroll buttons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use the Upper scroll buttons to scroll the Icons in the Icon Bar.
-
- The Icon Bar
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click Button 2 on the Icon to activate the Icon.
- Click Button 1 on the Icon to see it's Icon number.
- Click Both Buttons on the Icon to get help from this file.
-
- Important! Every Rectangle cursor:
- gets wider when it moves past the active window to the right,
- gets thinner when it moves past the active window to the left,
- gets shorter when it moves above the top and longer when it
- moves below the active window.
- Even if there is currently no window mechanics visible.
- If there is no active window it uses the last window dimensions.
- You may find this annoying at first, but when you learn how to
- use this feature effectively, you will find it a real handy tool
- and time saver. Instead of exiting the current process and using
- a trial and error method of sizing the cursor by Size Number,
- you will learn to move in an arc from left outside to top
- to enlarge the cursor and move in an arc from bottom to right
- to shrink the cursor. The size of the cursor box determines the
- size of area the tool will affect.
-
- Grow boxes and the various other cursors are not affected by
- this feature.
-
- The remainder of this help file is arranged in the order that
- the Icons appear, the first Icon being on the far left to the
- last Icon on the right. Number 1 is reserved for future use.
-
- #2 The Light Bulb
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This button is used to brighten the palette.
- All colors on the screen are affected. If you want to save
- the changes use the Save Button and choose Palette.
- You may want to re-greyscale a scaled palette after this
- operation.
-
- #3 The Darkening Sky
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The opposite of the above. If you brighten the palette too
- much back it up with this button.
-
- #4 The Crayons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Press this button and you are transported to the Screening Room
- to retrieve a palette. When you have selected one you will be
- returned to the Studio. As soon as you click on a file name with
- the extension PAL the colors will change. Palettes are usually
- kept in the Palettes directory.
-
- #5 The Pencil Eraser
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Set the Size number at the desired cursor size.
- Set the Left or Fill color to the color you wish to replace.
- Set the Right or Draw color to the color you wish to change the
- Left to.
-
- Move the cursor over the area in the picture containing the color
- to replace and Click button 2. The fill color that is within the
- cursor rectangle is changed to the draw color.
-
- #6 The Painters Palette
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- In using other paint programs they all seem to use a sliding bar
- to adjust color. I find this contrary to the way people are
- accustomed to mixing color, so I created a more natural way to
- mix an individual color.
-
- Click button 2 on the color bar or click with the mouse cursor
- directly on the picture, to choose the color you wish to change.
-
- Then click button 2 again on the color you wish to add just as a
- painter would mix color on a palette board. You may pick color
- from anywhere on the screen.
- To undo the color, click several times on the original color on
- the color bar. It will revert back. Or reload the palette.
-
- When you are satisfied, click button 1 to exit the process.
- Experiment with it to see how it works.
- The color values are reported on the top of the screen
- for reference. Keep in mind they are only relevant to
- the current palette.
- Three buttons labled red green and blue add amounts of these
- colors. The results are immediate and the picture is instantly
- changed. To save the changes, press the Save button and choose
- Palette. Use the Picture Color Icon to write new palette info to
- a picture file. To turn a saved palette into a menu palette name
- it MENU#.PAL or 16MENU#.PAL for 16 color mode then increase the
- maximum palette number in the Options menu of CONFIGIT.
-
- #7 Sort Color Important Icon !
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you haven't read Understanding Color above, do so now.
- For best results follow these steps.
- 1) Load a PCX file from disk.
- 2) Go to Studio and click on Sort Color.
-
- This button first sorts the palette then it converts the
- image in the window from VCXTEMP.VCX to GREYTEMP.VCX on
- drive D: if available or C: if not.
-
- Pasting files loaded from disk onto existing pictures
- works best when the images have first been greyscaled.
- In this way they have a common palette.
- If you plan to paste into the picture and you sort the
- image in full color you will still have problems pasting
- images from disk. Use Greyscale on both images instead.
-
-
- Sorting a full color image will allow you to use some tools that
- otherwise will not work effectively.
- Scatter, Blend and Light/Dark for example. These are very
- useful tools.
-
- Once an image has been sorted you can use any scaled palette.
- Most of the menu Palettes are partially scaled.
-
- If you try to sort a scrambled image it will not be corrected. If
- the image is not correct before you sort it, it will not be
- correct after it is sorted. Try other palettes instead.
-
- The original PCX is unchanged and so is VCXTEMP.VCX.
- If you want to undo the process, reload the original PCX or the
- first conversion, VCXTEMP.VCX.
- You may save the palette with the Save Button.
-
- #8 Menu Colors
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Button 2 Menu Palette Choice is incremented by one.
- 2) Button 1 Menu Palette Choice is decremented by one.
- Set maximum by running CONFIGIT.EXE;
- Menu palette names are MENU1.PAL ...MENUmax#.PAL.
- To add apalette to the menu palettes list,
- 1)Save your new palette as the next available palette number.
- 15 palettes are included, so if you have not added
- one yet, the new name should be C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\MENU16.PAL
- for 256 colors or
- C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\16MENU16.PAL for 16 color palettes.
- 2)Then run CONFIGIT.EXE and increase the maximum palettes number in
- the Options Menu to 16.
-
- Select the Menu Colors Icon to make a palette current, then every
- time you click BOTH BUTTONS ABOVE THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, THE SET
- MENU PALETTE RETURNS.
-
- #9 Swap Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Works the same way as the Pencil Eraser only, for convenience it
- affects the entire file, if it is a VCX. Use the Eraser Icon if
- not.
- 1)Set the Left or Fill Color - Color to replace.
- 2)Click on the color - The color is completely replaced in the
- entire file including any part not currently visible.
-
- #10 Grey Scale Important Icon !
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you haven't read Understanding Color above, do so now.
- For best results follow these steps.
- 1) Load a PCX or VCX file from disk.
- 2) Click on Grey Scale.
-
- This button first sorts the palette then it converts the
- image in the window from VCXTEMP.VCX to GREYTEMP.VCX on
- drive D: if available or C: if not.
- Pasting files loaded from disk onto existing pictures
- works best when the images have first been greyscaled.
- In this way they have a common palette.
-
- Greyscaling a full color image will allow you to use some tools
- that otherwise will not work effectively.
- Scatter, Blend and Light/Dark for example. These are very useful
- tools.
-
- Once an image has been converted (greyscaled) you can use any
- scaled or sorted palette, so switching palettes is a breeze.
- If the palette is not greyscaled or sorted the image will
- look incorrect. All pictures are made up of color values that
- are only relevant to their palette record.
-
- If you try to sort a scrambled image it will not be corrected. If
- the image is not correct before you sort it, it will not be
- correct after it is sorted. Try another palette instead.
-
- The original PCX is unchanged and either is VCXTEMP.VCX.
- If you want to undo the process, reload the original PCX or VCX.
-
- #11,#12,
- #13,#14,
- #15,#16,
- #17,#18
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important Group ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- This group known as the Pixel Movers are invaluable tools for
- animation. They all move pixels in the direction of the arrows
- shown on the Icons except the last one in the group.
- When the last one is toggled on it excludes the Fill and Draw
- colors from the process.
- Easiest form of animation.
- Example: During Act1 or Act2 animation processes.
- Save frame 1.
- Use pixel mover.
- Save frame 2.
- Play back and affected area appears to move.
- One of many innovative ideas.
-
- #11 Down and to Left.
- #12 Down and Up to Left.
- #13 Down and to Right.
- #14 Up and to Right.
- #15 Down.
- #16 Up.
- #17 Right.
- #18 Left
-
- #19 Exclude Color Pixel Mover Toggle.
- When this button is on, two bars appear on the Icon.
- Left is the Fill color, right is the Draw color. Both
- will be excluded when you use any of the pixel movers.
- If you want to exclude only one color make Draw and
- Fill colors the same.
-
- Suppose you had a red, green and blue object on a yellow
- background. Choose red as the Fill color by clicking button 1 on
- red.
- Choose blue as the Draw color by clicking button 2 on blue. Then
- use any of the above Pixel Movers.
- Only the green and yellow would move.
- Experiment to see how it works. Very handy for animation.
-
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- #20 Gradient Draw (Greyscale)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this button to add a distance effect.
-
- 1) Set Size Number.
- 2) Choose Fill color.
- 3) Choose Draw Color.
- The effect begins at the Fill color and
- and increments color until it reaches the Draw color.
-
- Press button 1 and move in a horizontal direction.
- Press button 2 to exit process.
-
- A curious illusion of distance occurs when the color
- range is shades of blue.
-
- Experiment to see how this Icon works.
-
- #21 Grow Rectangle Draw
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Draw color.
- 2) Press Button 2 to anchor first point.
- 3) Hold button 2 and move to draw.
-
- Could be useful for drafting or other line drawings.
-
- #22 Gradient Grow Rectangle Draw (greyscale)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- 1) Set the Draw color.
- 2) Set the Size Number to determine delay of color change.
- 3) Press Button 2 to anchor first point.
- 4) Hold button 2 and move to draw.
- Button 1 to exit process.
-
- The gradient feature adds a 3 dimensional effect
- to line drawings when working with a scaled palette.
-
- #23 Rectangle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set Size Number.
- 2) Choose Draw color.
- 3) Button 2 to draw.
-
- Button 1 to exit process.
-
- Draws a box the size of the Size Number.
- Grows and Shrinks on edges.
-
- #24 Filled Rectangle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set Size Number
- 2) Choose Fill Color.
- 3) Choose Draw color.
- Button 1 to exit process.
- Draws a Filled Rectangle.
- You may set the fill style with the FIll Style Icon
- prior to choosing the fill color.
-
- #25 Blob Draw greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Choose the draw color.
- 2) Choose the Fill style and Color.
- 3) Button 2 draws a filled blob.
- 4) Button 1, Gradient fill towards centre.
-
- Both buttons to exit process.
- Has a 3 dimensional effect when using a scaled palette.
-
- #26 Paint Brush
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set Size Number.
- 2) Choose Fill style and color.
- 3) Button 2 paints area in cursor box.
-
- Button 2 to exit process.
- The same as Filled Rectangle only has no outline color.
-
- #27 Air Brush Spray Paint greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Size Number
- 2) Choose Fill color
- 3) Button 2 or Button 1 start the sprayer.
- Important!
- Each time you press Button 2 the color is increased
- by one.
- Each time you press button 1 the color is decreased
- by one.
-
- if you want only one color press button only to activate.
-
- Press both buttons to exit procedure.
-
- Real nice for shading and graphic art.
-
- It takes a bit of practice to master.
-
- #28 Clear Window
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Choose the Fill style and color.
-
- Everything below the color bar is cleared and
- the background is painted the chosen Fill style
- and color.
-
- #29 Pencil Draw greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select Size Number.
- 2) Select Draw Color.
- 3) Button 2 to draw lines free hand.
- Button 1 to exit process.
-
- If the Size Number is greater than 1 then you will
- draw with Size # of lines deep at a time. The line
- below and each consecutive line will have a color
- decremented by 1.
- In other words it gets brighter towards the top of
- the line. Giving a gradient effect.
-
-
- #30 Sketch Draw greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select the Size Number.
- 2) Select Draw color.
- 3) Select Fill color
- 4) Button 2 anchors point and draws lines.
- 5) Button 1 moves anchor point.
-
- Both buttons to exit process.
-
- One of my favourite buttons for drawing.
-
- When the Size Number is greater than 1 it will
- draw Size # of lines deep.
- If the color number of the Draw color is
- Greater than the color number of the Fill Color it will
- decrement the color by 1 .
-
- If the color number of the Fill color is
- Greater than the color number of the Draw Color it will
- increment the color by 1 .
-
- If the Fill color is the same as the Draw color it
- will neither increment or decrement the color.
-
- Draw > Fill, Color - 1
- Fill > Draw, Color + 1
- Or in other words, the color changes from the Draw color towards
- the Fill color.
- Draw = Fill, Color remains the same.
-
- This button takes a lot of practice to master. Also makes a good
- eraser. Experiment with it to see how it works.
-
- #31 Point to Point Filled Polygon Draw
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Choose the Draw color
- 2) Choose the Fill Color
- 3) Button 2 to draw lines from point to point.
- 4) Both buttons fills the polygon with the
- current Fill style and color.
- Button 1 exits the process.
- Important!! A fast way to erase an area.
- 1) Choose the Draw and Fill colors as the
- background color of your picture.
- 2) Outline the area.
- 3) Both Buttons to fill the area with
- background color. Erase complete.
-
- note: Maximum of 6000 points to ensure memory
- compatibility. That's plenty. If you need more reselect.
-
- #32 Curve 1 greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select Size Number
- 2) Select Draw color.
- 3) Use Button 2 to draw a few points. (see note below)
- 4) Button 1 frees the line and turns it into a two part
- whip curve. It remains anchored at point 1.
-
- Move the mouse to the left.
-
- 5) Each time Button 1 is pressed a point is removed.
- 6) Button 2 draws the curve Size # of lines deep. The
- color decreases above the middle line and decreases
- below the middle line.
-
- Both Buttons exit the process.
-
- Important! To keep the curve manageable use only 4 or 5 points.
-
-
- Used with a scaled palette it can be used to make arms and legs
- for animation.
-
- #33 Whip Line Curve 2 greyscale optional
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select Size Number
- 2) Select Draw color.
- 3) Use Button 2 to draw a few points. (see note below)
- 4) Button 1 frees the line and turns it into a whip curve.
-
- Move the mouse to the left.
-
- 5) Each time Button 1 is pressed you may track to
- another location.
-
- 6) Button 2 draws the curve one line thick.
-
- 7) Both Buttons to draw the curve Size # of lines deep. The
- color decreases above the middle line and decreases
- below the middle line.
-
- Move the mouse above the current window , Button 1 to exit.
-
- Important! To keep the curve manageable use only 4 or 5 points.
-
- I could probably write volumes on this one but instead,
- experiment with it and you will find out how it works.
-
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPORTANT ICON ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- #34 Point Draw or Trace to Disk
-
- 1) Set the Draw color.
- 2) Set the Fill Pattern Icon and Left Fill Color.
- 3) Set the Size Number. < 10 >
- 4) Button 2 draws lines in the current draw color.
- Both Buttons to exit process.
- Loads into it's own window.
- For Practice write your name and then apply all the buttons
- in the active window. Change patterns size and color and
- try again.
- If you draw with black Draw color on a black background
- you are wasting disk space. It is invisible.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- #35 The Camera
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click Button 2 to save the area inside the window as it appears
- at the time. The file is named the next Clip Count Number.
- eg: Clip count number is 7, file will be named D:\CLIPS\CLP7.VCX
- if drive D: is available or else it will be named CLP7.VCX on the
- C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS directory. Use the Clip Board in the Cutting
- Room instead, when you are there.
-
- #36 The Load the Current File Again Window
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Reactivates the current window. If you want to use the window
- controls on the current file you can reactivate it with this
- Window Icon.
-
-
- #37 The File Cabinet
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You are transported back to the screening room. Has the same
- effect as CANCEL except the file is saved as the current file
- name first if it is a VCX.
-
- #38 Paste To Window
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The current Clip Board File is opened into it's own window. If
- there is a Clip corresponding to the Clip Count Number available.
-
- #39 Copy Rectangle Grow Box
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- A rectangular area is Clipped to a Clip Board file corresponding
- to the next Clip Count Number. The original is unchanged.
- 1) Button 2 to select first corner.
- 2) Both Buttons to copy area to file.
- 3) Button 1 when done to exit process.
-
- #40 Shrink Rectangular 10%
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Size Number to determine size of area to affect.
- 2) Adjust size by bouncing off walls of window.
- 3) Button 2 to shrink area inside cursor box by 10%.
-
- #41 Copy and Paste Rectangle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Button 2 to anchor first corner.
- 2) Both Buttons to copy the area inside the rectangle.
- 3) Button 2 again to paste or paint with clip
- or Button 1 to exit process.
-
- Copies the area to the next Clip Board as determined by the Clip
- Board Count + 1.
-
- Important! :Only the area inside the dimensions of the primary
- file is saved so if you paste outside of this area, it is not
- saved between undo and redo. Capture window with Camera and Paste
- to window with Icon #38 or choose New Pic and resize, then paste
- the clip onto the new file.
-
- #42 Gradient Flood Fill Vertical greyscale if R Color <> L Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Left Fill color.
- 2)If the Right Color is the same as the Left Color Gradient is
- turned off. The single color is used.
- 3)Click Button 2 on the area to be filled.
- Move Mouse sideways to speed up fill
- Alternate with Space Bar to Stop Fill
- 4)Space Bar if filling, then Button 1 to exit process.
-
- For patterns use the Poly Fill Icon.
-
- #43 Clip Art Libraries
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Left Color as the Background color of the clip if you
- intend to paste the background as well as the line drawing.
- 2) Set the Right Draw color to the desired line color.
- 3) Set the size number to the desired zoom factor. (5 is the
- Maximum)
- 4) Activate Clip Art Icon
- 5) Use Buttons on right hand side of Clip Art to change color,
- or change Libraries. ( Only one is included, you may make more)
- 6) On the Left side of the Clip art window are scroll buttons.
- 7) Press Button 2 to scroll to the next row.
- 8) Press Button 1 on the Scroll Buttons to move up or down a bit
- if necessary.
- 9) Click Button 2 on the Clip Art Picture using the magnify glass
- as the cursor. A rectangle appears around the cursor location.
- 10) Button 2 pastes just the draw color on your picture.
- Both Buttons paste the draw color and the background.
- (If you have a black background and black draw color you will not
- be able to see the stamp if you press Button 2 only. Black on
- black)
-
- Stamp the clip onto the window as many times as you want.
- 11) Click on the Done Button Top Right Corner to exit the current
- process.
- See Icon Stamp Draw Room and New Icon Stamp Icon #67 for information
- on creating your own Clip Art Libraries.
-
- You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before
- you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a
- rather complicated task.
-
- #44 Sherlock the File Finder
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select Icon with Button 2.
- 2) Enter a Search Pathmask. (eg: *.PCX)
-
- Searchmode is activated and the hard disk is searched for all
- File Names matching the pathmask.
-
- #45 Scenery For Act1 Animation See ANIMATE.DOC for more info.
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Click Button 2 on the Icon.
- 2) Move the rectangular area cursor over the area of the
- picture that you want to use as the first backdrop, then
- click Both Buttons to blow up area into the Cutting Room.
- You Are transported there as well now under it's control.
- see below.
-
- #46 The Cutting Room see CUTTNGRM.DOC for information
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Act1 Animation is created in this room. It has it's own icons as
- well as the other Upper Icons that appear in the Icon Bar.
-
- The Screen is NOT CLEARED moving between the Cutting Room
- and the normal Paint Studio Controls.It is a little messier this
- way but it also allows you to move freely back and
- forth without changing your on-screen work.
- Get help on individual Icons in the Cutting Room by clicking
- Button 2 on the Help Button in the cutting room bottom
- left hand corner. Read about ACT1 animation in ANIMATE.DOC
- There are many ways to create effects once you know how.
- Help is available in the cutting room.
-
- #47 New Pic Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Start a New VCX Picture.
- 1) Enter a Width, 4000 maximum.
- 2) Enter a Height.
- 3) VCXTEMP.VCX and VCXTEMP2.VCX are created on D:
- if available C: if not.
- Draw, Paste etc.. onto the new file. Then choose SAVE to rename
- the file. Undo and Redo use these two files. Autosave alternates
- between the two.
-
- #48 Show the Previous Clip
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The previous clip appears in the top left window corner.
- Use this to screen ACT2 Animation sequences that are 320x200 or
- to review any clips that you have made.
-
- #49 The Action Icon See ANIMATE.DOC for more info
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use the Action Board to Copy the Area Top Left window corner to
- 320 dots to the right and 200 dots down. ( 320x200)
-
- It Captures ACT2 animation Frames.
- Incrementing the clip count by twenty if the clip count is
- less than twenty to separate Clip Board Files for scratch work.
- It keeps track as well of the last frame number.
-
- #50 Show The Next Clip
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- For screening the next frame in the sequence, or any Clip Board
- file, as determined by the Clip Count Number.
-
- #51 Show ACT2 Fast Full Screen Animation
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you weren't in 320 x 200 mode you will be. Watching whatever
- clip is in line from the LEFT Clip Count Number to the Right Size
- Number. Once the clip count reaches the Size Number in the
- animation sequence, the count starts over again at the clip count
- number. If you have disabled mode switching in CONFIGIT you must
- be in 320x200 mode to use this Icon.
- 1)Button 1 to slow down.
- 2)Button 2 to speed up.
- 3)Both Buttons to exit process and return to normal mode.
-
- Remember!: Set the Right Size Number to the Last Frame and the
- Clip Count Number to the FIRST FRAME. Both Buttons when Done. If
- not, you will hear a series clicks to notify you that
- it cannot find a file. Turn Sound Off if it annoys you
- using the Mouse Set Icon. Sound is important because it
- gives you more awareness of the program operations. See Mouse Set
- Icon for info on sound.
-
- #52 ACT2 Delay Clock
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Right Size Number
- 2) Click Button 2 on clock and delay is set to the amount of
- milliseconds shown on clock.
-
-
- #53 Combine Files
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Import a list as an ASCII file or use the Script or New
- Knowledge Base Icons to create one.
- 2) Follow ongoing instructions to combine files such as to create
- a New Knowledge Base. Essentially the same as Copy *.*
- filename.ext /b
- First it copies the files on the list onto a temporary directory,
- then copies all the files in that directory onto one file.
- Act1 animation cannot be made this way as other information is
- stored in the file between frames.
- The original files in their original directories are unchanged,
- only copies are made, combined, then the copies deleted leaving
- one large file.
-
- #54 Script Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Click on Script.
- 2) Previous list if it exists is erased and initialized.
- 3) You are transported to the File Screening Room.
- 4) Mark files and click on the Line Height Scale Button on the
- right side to append the names to SCRIPT.TXT.
- 5) When the list is complete, return to the Paint Studio and
- Press script again to turn it off.
- 6) Combine List into one file. May be used to create a new
- Knowledge Base. Use Presentation Button to create an ACT
- script. A list of file pathnames has many uses for someone who is
- an experienced computer user. Batch files etc.
-
- #55 Blue Screen
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Click Button 2 on the left top corner of your preferred
- location to begin replacing a color with the clip.
- Replace the color under the mouse cursor with the current clip
- board file beginning with the mouse location and repeating the
- image until it reaches the Right Window Edge .
- If the current clip is an image larger than the window, it will
- completely replace one color, effectively pasting a background
- around an image by replacing the one color background color with
- the clip. (Just like on T.V. the Six O'clock News');
-
- #56 Paste Together a New Clip Art Library
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The width is preset but the length can vary depending on the
- number you enter when prompted.
-
- Once the new blank is constructed you may paste clips onto the
- file and save the file using the SAVE button. (Save VCX)
- Save as C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP#.VCX where # is the next available #.
- Only one clip art library is included but you make as many
- as you want. If you have not made any yet, then the name should be
- C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP2.VCX. Stamps are kept in the STAMPS
- subdirectory. If you do not put them there they will not be
- loaded by the Clip Art Icon.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE to add 1 to the stamp number in Options.
- As long as it is saved you can reopen it and add to it until the
- blank is full. Just load the STAMP#.VCX name of the file from disk.
- The standard used in the program is 12 rows of 5 images. If your clip
- art is larger than the Clip Art Icon Window then do not add them
- to the library. Instead load them from disk as needed in the File
- Screening Room. Just load the Clip art file and Capture as many
- images as you want to make into current Clip Board Files.
- The Clip Count Number is automatically incremented each time.
- Then adjust the clip count number and paste your clips.
-
- Make stamps for the your library with the Icon Draw Room Icon #66.
- See New Icon Draw Room #66, New Icon Stamp Icon #67 and
- also see the Clip Art Icon #43 for more information.
-
- You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before
- you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a
- rather complicated task.
-
- #57 New Knowledge Base
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Hard Drive C: is searched for all files that look like text
- or they may have text in them.
- Once you have the list you can edit it with an ASCII text editor.
- Convert questionable files that may contain a large number of
- extended or special characters with Find in a Text Window.
- (see CYBERFIND.DOC) Then choose the Combine Files Icon #54 to
- combine the files. Try to limit the size of each Knowledge Base
- to 1 meg unless you have a very fast computer.
- Once you have constructed your Knowledge Base, Technical
- Information you may need to construct a presentation is
- available, easily found. Any lists of phone numbers or glossaries
- or reference files of any kind are available to you instantly.
- Computer Bulletin Boards are a good unlimited source of information
- files for you to assemble Instant Reference Knowledgebases.
- They are yours to keep for reference or delete on a project per
- project basis. If you name your knowledgebase
- C:\ANIPAINT\HELPDOCS\KNOWBASE.DOC you will be able to use Icon #104
- at the end of Icon Bar to load it. That Icon loads the default
- knowledgebase file if it exists.
-
- #58 Gradient Shield
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Size Number
- 2) Create a Size Number sided filled gradient shield when you
- press Button 2 3) Press Button 1 to exit process.
- 4) Use blender to fill in if the palette is greyscaled.
- Hold Button 2 and move to relocate for next design.
-
- #59 Normal Polygon or Circle Draw
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select the Right Draw Color
- 2) Select the Size number. approx 30 for circle, 8 for octagon 4
- rectangle, 3 triangle, etc..
- 3) Click Button 2 to draw circle.
- A size number more than about 40 is totally unnecessary and time
- consuming.
-
- #60 Gradient Globe Circle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Button 2 to draw globe: outside color = Left Fill Color
- :Inside gets brighter with a scaled
- palette.
- 2) Button 1 to exit process.
- Finish it off with the Blend Icon if the current palette is scaled.
-
- #61 Filled Circle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Right Draw Outline Color
- 2) Set the Left Fill Color and the Pattern Icon if desired. 3)
- Button 2 to anchor circle
- 4) Move mouse to position and size Circle
- 5) Both Buttons to Draw and Fill Circle
- 6) Button 1 to exit process
-
-
- #62 Draw an Arc or half circle
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Right Draw Color
- 2) Button 1 to anchor the arc.
- 3) Both buttons to draw the arc.
-
-
- #63 Draw and Fill an Arc
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Right Draw Color
- 2) Set the Left Fill Color
- 3) Button 1 to anchor the arc.
- 4) Both buttons to draw and fill the arc.
- 5) Button 1 to exit process.
-
- #64 Patterns For Filling
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Select the Icon
- 2) Button 2 to select Fill Pattern
- Any button exits the process.
-
-
- #65 Gradient Fill Area Horizontal greyscale if R Color <> L Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Set the Left Color
- 2) If the Right Color is the same as the Left Color Gradient
- is turned off. The single color is used.
- 3) Select the Icon
- 4) Fill with horizontal gradient colors
- 5) Move the mouse sideways to speed up the fill
- 6) Space bar to stop the fill.
- 7) Button 1 to exit process.
-
- #66 Icon Stamp Draw Room
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The current screen is not cleared to allow you to paste an Icon
- into the small icon window or Picture into the Large draw area.
- If it is too messy and you can not clearly see the Icons
- ( eg: moving from The Cutting Room to New Button)
- then Press the Clear Screen Icon first.
-
- In the Icon Draw Room, You draw with square blocks the
- size determined by the current setting under the Paint
- Brushes Icon. You may shrink and copy to the Icon window
- with the Arrows Toward I Icon. The Single Paint Brush Icon
- replaces the color that is under the mouse cursor when Button 2
- is pressed. The Left Color is replace by the Right Color
-
- Both Buttons or Button 2 on DONE to exit process.
-
- Save to a file with the next Icon. I originally planned to allow
- the user to add Icons to the Icon Bar, then define the button as
- a DOS command. The complexity of this opened the door to too many
- possible user errors for inexperienced users, and the Icons in
- the Bar are essential to program operation, so, instead you can
- use them as stamps. Perhaps in a later version I will
- reinstitute this option if I receive enough requests. For now,
- to do DOS commands, write batch files and use the DOS Shell.
- For information on the DOS Shell see your DOS Manual.
-
- These Icons now can be used to paste into a CLIP ART Library.
- Make a bunch of them, then, in the Screening room enter
- the path *.ICO. Then load the icon and use capture to make
- clips of them. Then press Button 1 on the name of the clip
- one after another as they appear on the dormant file list.
- (below the directory area). This will allow you to paste the
- clip. You will see a rectangle with an X in it instead of the
- clip. Paste a bunch of them into a block on the right side
- of the screen beside the directory area. The standard in this
- program is 12 rows of 5, but if you are confined to 320x200
- resolution make 12 rows of 2 or 3. (an area approx 80x50 each)
- Then use the capture button again to capture the block of stamps.
- Then go to the Paint Studio and create a blank Clip Art file
- using the New Clip Art Icon #56. Once you have a blank you can
- paste the block of icons onto the blank clip art using the
- Edit Button on the Window Menu. Then exit the window and choose
- the Autosave Icon #89. The name STAMP#.VCX should appear in the
- vertical scroll bar after it saves.
-
- You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before
- you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a
- rather complicated task.
-
- Important! ANIPAINT.ICO, ACTPLAY1.ICO and ANICFGIT.ICO
- are Microsoft Windows Icons and are not AnIPaint compatible.
- They are for Windows Users to load the program.
-
- #67 New Icon Stamp Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Set the Size number. The Icon is saved as ICO#.ICO
- Where the name is determined by the Size number.
- While you have not pressed Button 1, Each time you click
- Button 2 the area inside the rectangle cursor is saved to
- a file. The Size number is then incremented by one.
- When you are done press Button 1 to exit the process.
- They are used to make stamps to include in your Clip Art Libraries.
-
- If you had a whole page of Icons in a PCX, you could make a
- clip art library from them by converting it to VCX and naming the
- file C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP#.VCX where # is the next available
- stamp number. If you have not made any new Stamp libraries
- yet you would name the file C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP2.VCX
- Run CONFIGIT to increase the stamps number. Once this is done the
- clip art can be loaded using the Clip Art Icon and selecting
- Library when it is loaded.
-
- These Icon Stamps can be created using the Icon Stamp Draw Room #66
- above, or captured from any area of the screen.
-
- Although they are small in 1200x1024 mode they seem large in
- 320x200 mode. They are not compatible with Microsoft Windows or
- any other program that I am aware of. These Icon Stamps are raw
- bitmaps. They carry no palette information.
- The Stamp Library included is 2 color clip art because I had
- to limit the size of the package and 2 color clip art is a
- much smaller file. However, clip art in AniPaint can be 256
- colors.
- Important! You can not alter the Program Icons they are loaded from a
- program library file and must remain intact.
- See Clip Art Icon #43 and Icon Stamp Draw Room #66 for addition
- information.
- You should become familiar with all aspects of the program before
- you attempt to make your own Clip Art Library because it is a
- rather complicated task.
-
- #68 The DOS SHELL
-
- This Icon temporarily suspends operation of the program while you
- escape to the DOS Command Line. If you do not know what that
- means then read your DOS manual concerning the "Command" command
- before attempting it.
-
- Important!! The command to exit a shell is EXIT . If you
- forget this you will be there for eternity or until you reset
- your computer.
-
- If the Shell does not work, you have not got enough available
- conventional memory. Free memory by optimizing your system. See
- your DOS manual. Load hi etc..
-
- #69 The Tape Measure
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you are doing any work that requires precision, then
- you may want to use this for measuring coordinates.
- Width, Height and the Hypotenuse are used to measure
- the difference between any two points.
-
- #70 The Magnifying Glass
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This Icon turns on the magnify cursor until you click
- Button 1
-
- #71 Scatter The Color greyscale first for best results
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to mix color up in an area the size determined by
- the Size Number.
-
- 1)Set the Size Number
- 2)Select the Scatter Icon
- 3)Position rectangular box over area
- 4)Button 2 to scatter colors in the area
- 5)Button 1 to exit process
- All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and
- grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges.
-
- #72 The Blender greyscale first for best results
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to Blend the Color in an area the size determined
- by the Size Number.
-
- 1)Set the Size Number
- 2)Select the Blender Icon
- 3)Position rectangular box over area
- 4)Button 2 to Blend Colors in the area
- 5)Button 1 to exit process
- All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and
- grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges.
-
-
- #73 Light and Dark greyscale first for best results
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to Lighten or Shade color in an area the size
- determined by the Size Number.
-
- 1)Set the Size Number
- 2)Select the Light Dark Icon
- 3)Position rectangular box over area
- 4)Press Button 2 to initialize
- 5)Button 2 to Lighten colors in the area
- 6)Button 1 to Darken colors
-
- Both Buttons to exit process
-
- All rectangle box cursors that do not anchor and
- grow, shrink and grow by bouncing off the window edges.
-
- #74 Magic Wand
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this spray tool to paint with an area that is sampled
- opposite it.
- 1)Set the Size Number
- 2)Select the Icon
- 3)Button 2 to initialize
- 4)Move and spray the area in the direction of the arrow.
- Takes practice but works great.
- 5)Click Button 2 again to cycle through 4 different directions
-
- Both Buttons to exit process
-
- #75 The Clip Finder Board
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to temporarily travel back to the File Screening
- Room and retrieve a Clip from file. D: is searched if D: is
- available or else C: is searched. All clips are named CLP#.VCX
- and usually kept in the CLIPS directory.
-
- note:If D: becomes full automatic use of D: is disabled until
- you reload the program. So, if you have made a series of clips
- prior it will search C: instead of D:. Your clips on D: will
- not be found by this process. You will then have to manually
- switch drives by entering D: on the pathline area above
- FILES/DIRECTORY. Your clips will be in a subdirectory called
- D:\CLIPS.
-
- #76 Filled Polygon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Set the Left Fill Color and Pattern Icon if you want.
- 2)Set the Right Outline Color
- 3)Button 2 to draw from point to point
- 4)Both Buttons to Fill
-
- Set both Right and Left Colors to the background to use as
- an eraser.
-
- #77 Copy Polygon Shape to Clip Board
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Select the Icon
- 2)Button 2 from point to point to mark the area to be copied
- 3)Both Buttons to Complete the Polygon and Capture the contents
- inside the Polygon to the next Clip Board file as determined by
- the Clip Count Number.
- 4) Then paste it to a new location if you want or
- 5) Press Button 1 to exit the process.
- Either way once you complete the polygon it is saved.
-
-
- #78 Copy Rotate and Paste Polygon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Button 2 to Mark the area
- 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon
- 3)Button 2 to Paste
- 4)Button 1 to exit process
-
- #79 Copy Flip and Paste Polygon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Button 2 to Mark the area
- 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon
- 3)Button 2 to Paste
- 4)Button 1 to exit process
-
-
- #80 Lighten and Darken Polygon scaled palette recommended
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Set the Left Color Number to the desired brightness to add
- 1)Button 2 to Mark the area
- 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon
- 3)Button 2 to initialize
- 3)Button 2 again to lighten the area
- 4)Button 1 to darken the area
- 5)Both Buttons to exit the process
- Works well with practice.
-
-
- #81 Copy Mirror and Paste Polygon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Button 2 to Mark the area
- 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon
- 3)Button 2 to Paste
- 4)Button 1 to exit process
-
-
- #82 Copy Grow 10% and Paste Polygon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Button 2 to Mark the area
- 2)Both Buttons to complete the polygon
- 3)Button 2 to Paste
- 4)Button 1 to exit process
-
- Picture is pasted 10% larger
-
- #83 Enlarge Background area or Crop Picture
-
- 1)Enter the Width and Height
- Picture on screen, in window, is captured and pasted on the new
- background.
- To Alter the Pictures Proportions, use a graphic window's
- zoom button, then copy an area. Paste the clip onto a background
- created with the New Pic Icon.
- To enlarge a picture's proportions zoom it out, then capture
- screen and then paste on new larger background. There is no
- option to save a Zoomed out picture as a new file, because a
- picture zoomed out at the power of 10 and saved in this way could
- hypothetically fill your hard disk. Anipaint has a maximum
- picture width of 4000 pixels and an undetermined maximum length.
-
- #84 Change Text Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Set the Size number to approximate height of text
- 2)Select the Right Color to the amount to brighten the
- color.
- 3)Button 2 to increment the color inside the Rectangular area by
- one.
- 4)Button 1 to decrement the color inside the Rectangular area by
- one.
- 5) Both Buttons to exit the process.
- Size the cursor area by bouncing the cursor box off the window
- walls.
-
- #85 Create a Font
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Select the Icon
- 2)Select Font
- 3)Select Size
- 4)Select Shading if desired or Stretch
- 5)Toggle between front character and back character
- in the centre of the scroll buttons, if stretch is on.
- 6) Stretch and Shadow may be turned off and On by
- clicking Button 2 on the word Off or On in the boxes beside
- shadow and stretch.
- 7)When satisfied then choose OK
- 8)Name Font if you want to save it eg: NAME.FNT
- 9)The font becomes the current font either way.
- Choose Cancel to abort the process
-
- The color of the text is determined by the Right and
- Left colors when you type it. see next Icon below.
- Remember the color of the Font and shadow are relative
- to the current palette.
-
- The included Fonts are kept in the Fonts Subdirectory.
- When you name your Font, if you use the full path,
- C:\ANIPAINT\FONTS\fontname.FNT then the font will
- be put in the FONTS subdirectory. If you omit the
- full path and just enter the name fontname.FNT then
- your Font will be put in the ANIPAINT directory.
- (fontname is any valid name according to naming convention)
-
- Choose the next Icon to Write Text.
- Justify is unused and included only for future compatibility. The
- Font creator requires a screen resolution size of 640x480 to
- work.
-
-
- #86 Write Text Copy and Paste
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Select the Left and Right Colors
- 2)Select the Icon
- 3)Button 2 to anchor cursor and Write Text
- 4)Button 1 anywhere below window top to move to new location
- 5)Press enter for next line
- 6)Move mouse towards window top and it becomes an arrow.
- 7)Use the arrow to cut out the Text
- 8)Button 2 to Paste the Text
- 9)Button 1 to exit process
- In 320x200 mode you have not got enough pixels to use large
- fonts.
-
- #87 Retrieve a Font File
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You are transported temporarily to the File Screening Room
- to Retrieve a Font File.
- 1) For the Included fonts, Click Button 2 on the Fonts
- subdirectory, Then click on the word "Directory" in the
- FILES/DIRECTORY area to get the files. Load the Font like any
- other file with Button 1 .
- You will see the message "Font Loaded" if it is a valid AniPaint
- font file. Only AniPaint fonts are compatible with AniPaint.
- If you use Button 2 the file filename is marked but not loaded.
- Don't confuse Button 1 and Button 2.
-
- You may now choose Write Text to write to the screen with the
- chosen Font. When you save a font it is saved to the Anipaint
- directory unless you specify otherwise. If you want to retrieve
- one of these, omit switching to the Fonts subdirectory.
-
- #88 Make Full Screen the Default (also ALT+F on the keyboard)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you are drawing in 320x200 mode this will give you a larger
- work area.
- Toggle between On and Off.
- Status report is on Icon.
- Window controls are still available just outside the screen.
- It is a matter of practice and familiarity with the window controls
- to move the mouse just outside the screen to scroll and use the window
- Menu Buttons, zoom etc..
- Click past their normal width and the window closes.
- Use the Cursor Keys and PGUP and PGDN to scroll if you find it easier.
- See the beginning of this file for more information on Keyboard Control.
-
- #89 Turn Auto Save On
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- By default Auto Save is On unless disabled in the Options
- Menu of CONFIGIT.
- Some tools such as the Cutting Room turn autosave off.
- So once you are finished, if you want undo and redo again,
- you must use this Icon to reactivate it.
- If Autosave is disabled you may override the disabillity for
- one save by pressing this Icon. It will be only temporarily
- turned On.
-
- If You Override this with one of the next two Icons you may have
- to press this button to reactivate Undo and Redo
- The File is saved between processes to VCXTEMP.VCX (or
- Another VCX name if you loaded one from disk) and
- VCXTEMP2.VCX.
- The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves.
-
- D: is used if it is available.
- If you don't want to use Autosave then activate one of
- the next two Icons or disable it entirely in the CONFIGIT.EXE
- utility. If your computer is slow, autosave is a very slow
- process. If you have a 486 then it is a very useful option. The
- Left Vertical Scroll bar Loads the Primary file and the bottom
- horizontal scroll bar controls the secondary file.
- When Autosave is on the program alternates between the two.
- Undo - Load the one saved last.
- Redo - Load the other.
- This is an option that you should take advantage of.
- There are also keyboard controls for this. See the beginning of
- this document.
-
- #90 Save the Primary VCX
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Just as it says. The Primary file if it is a VCX will be
- saved in it's current state.
- The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves.
-
- #91 Save the Secondary VCX
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Just as it says. The Secondary file if it is a VCX will be
- saved in it's current state.
- The file name appears in the Scroll Bar when it saves.
-
-
- #92 Reduce Color in the current VCX
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- All color beginning with the Left Color Number and
- ending with the Right Color Number will be changed
- to the Right Color Number when you answer Yes.
-
- #93 Mouse Setup, Program Delays and Sound On/Off
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Each time this button is pressed the Mouse Buttons Trade
- names and operation is reversed. Button 1 becomes Button 2
- and vice versa.
- Next you may set the delays
- Press Enter for the Default Settings shown in brackets <default>
- If the program is skipping right by a process then you may
- need to increase the delay.
- With a very fast computer, a 0 process delay could hypothetically
- disable the program.
- If this happens reset the delay with the Mouse Set Icon. If this
- cannot be done, then delete C:\ANIPAINT\FILECFG.KEY and it will
- be replaced. Then set the delay using CONFIGIT. The Mouse Set Icon
- writes to FILECFG.KEY and takes precedence over CONFIGIT.
-
- If the sounds are too long and noisy then it is a sign that you
- need to reduce the delays. The sounds should be low and quiet if
- configured properly.
- If the sounds are annoying then turn the sound off by answering
- yes.
- When something is wrong there are not always visual clues but
- there are always auditory clues. Even when something is wrong it
- is usually not serious because of the way errors are handled by
- the program. It has a built in recovery system. However if a file
- cannot be found the operation cannot be performed whatever that
- operation might be. You will hear a beep if sounds are on. Nothing
- may happen at all if sounds are disabled.
-
- #94 Cruise Disk
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Choose a Drive letter eg C: or D:
- The entire disk directory is piped into a file and displayed in a
- window.
-
- #95 Picture Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Change the picture's palette colors to the current palette
- colors. If the palette is the same no change will occur.
- Answer yes and it is done.
-
- #96 Copy and Paste Parts of the Current Palette
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- 1)Select the Left Color Number
- 2)Select the Right Color Number
- 3) Select Cut Paste Palette
- TEMPMENU.PAL becomes the partial palette file
- containing only the colors from the Left Color Number
- to the Right Color Number.
- When this palette is loaded, the copied colors will replace the
- same color numbers in the current palette.
- Load the target palette then load TEMPMENU.PAL
- Choose the SAVE Button to save the combined palette.
-
- #97 Text Color
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to change the default Text Color
-
- You have to go to the File Screening Room and load a Text
- Window before it will take effect.
- The change is temporary. The default colors must remain dominant
- due to the problems associated with different palettes.
- See understanding color.
- You can however alter the default palette by replacing MENU1.PAL
- or 16MENU1.PAL with your own creation. Be sure you know what you
- are doing first. If you ever really mess things up you can
- reinitialize the program with CONFIGIT.EXE
-
- #98 Load ACT1.ANI if it is Available
-
- If you have been working on clips or text and want to return to
- the ACT1 animation you were working on, then Click on this Icon.
- It is provided for convenience.
-
- #99 Load POINTS.PNT if it is Available
-
- If you have been working on clips or text and want to return to
- the Tracing you were working on, then Click on this Icon.
- It is provided for convenience.
- POINTS.PNT is a temporary file that is written when you use
- the Point Draw or Trace Icon #34
-
- #100 Load VCXTEMP.VCX
-
- If you have been working on clips or text and want to return to
- VCXTEMP.VCX, then Click on this Icon.
-
- It is provided for convenience. If the current Primary
- file is VCXTEMP.VCX it may also be loaded with the scroll
- bar that bears its name. The name is visible after it saves.
-
- VCXTEMP.VCX is a temporary file used by the program for Undo and
- Redo.
- By default Autosave alternates between this file or another VCX
- name and VCXTEMP2.VCX
- see below
-
- #101 Load VCXTEMP2.VCX
-
- If you have been working on clips or text and want to return to
- VCXTEMP2.VCX, then Click on this Icon.
-
- It is provided for convenience. If the current Primary
- file is VCXTEMP2.VCX it may also be loaded with the scroll
- bar that bears its name. The name is visible after it saves.
-
- VCXTEMP2.VCX is a temporary file used by the program for Undo and
- Redo.
- By default Autosave alternates between this file or another VCX
- name and VCXTEMP.VCX see above.
-
- #102 Load the Text Clip Board into a Text Window if it exists.
-
- There is only one Text Clip Board. It is TEMP.LST
- It contains the excerpts that were clipped from the last
- Find operation using the hypertext approach or manually
- by selecting the Find Button in a Text Window.
-
- #103 Load the Current Graphic Clip Board
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to load the current Graphic Clip Board as
- determined by the Clip Count Number.
- If one is available.
-
- #104 Load the Current Default Knowledgebase
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Name the knowledgebase you use most often KNOWBASE.DOC, and put
- it in the C:\ANIPAINT\HELPDOCS subdirectory. In this way you can
- load it fast, without having to search for it in the screening
- room. A Knowledgebase can be created using Icon #58. This Icon
- searches your entire hardrive for text files, and creates a file
- list for use with the Combine Files Icon. see Create
- Knowledgebase Icon #58 for information. A good test sample would
- be to combine all the help document files in the HELPDOCS
- subdirectory. To do this, first use the Script Icon #54 and then,
- combine files with the Combine Files Icon #53. Enter the name
- SCRIPT.TXT when asked for a file list.
- For more information see Script Icon or Combine files Icon.
-
- ***************** Very Important Pair *******************************
-
-
- #105 Export to a PCX file format
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- After you create a picture you may want to Print It.
- Use this Icon to change the file from VCX into a format that other
- programs can load.
- Load the image into your favourite printing program.
- The image is not compressed.
- It is saved as an uncompressed Version 5 256 color PCX
-
- This is the Best way to print Graphics. This program specializes
- in animation not printing. The next version of AniPaint may have
- better printing support. It seems repetitive to me at this time.
- I do not have the time or resources presently to do a proper job
- of supporting the thousands of printers that are on the market
- today. You probably have a Word Processor that can print PCX or
- FAX software if you have a fax card to print to a fax.( Laser
- printer alternative ). If you are using Microsoft Windows you can
- import the image into the supplied paint program and print it
- using the Print Manager.
- I have tested the PCX compatibility with many other programs. The
- only ones that cannot load this PCX format are programs that do
- not handle PCX files correctly. They have problems with other PCX
- files created with other programs as well.
- The PCX files created are not compressed because DOS 6 has
- automatic compression and the market is full of compaction
- programs. There is no benefit from compressing an image twice. If
- you do not have a compression utility there are many available
- free of charge for private use.
- PKZIP by PKWARE is my current favourite. They deserve a plug from
- me because in my opinion they have done an excellent job in
- creating their product. Reliable, fast and efficient. The fact
- that they are known throughout the world is testimony to this
- fact. If you do not have a compression utility, ask a friend they
- will have one, or if you have no friends, then consider joining a
- Bulletin Board. They all use compression to transfer files
- via a modem. If this is all Greek to you, you have a long way to
- go. Don't despair, the journey of a thousand miles begins with
- the first step. Personal Computing is a new science, we are all
- beginners. As soon as you think you know something, they change
- it anyways.
-
- #106 Create a Presentation
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Create Stunning Presentations with:
- Text in a window where you want it, a Graphic VCX Background and
- animation anywhere on the screen at the same time.
- This Button writes a sample Script for you to learn to
- do it with an ASCII TEXT Editor. This is a command language and
- you may use the commands listed when the file is made.
- 1) First Create or Choose a Background Picture
- 2) Create ACT1 animation in the Cutting Room
- 3) Find the text you wish to display and make note of the
- names of all three files. Picture background, ACT1 and Text 4)
- Select the Icon and Enter the Names.
- Same as pressing Presentation in the Screening Room.
-
- The utility PLAYACT1 that comes with this release plays these
- ACT scripts independant of AniPaint.
-
- see ANIMATE.DOC for more information or type PLAYACT1 /h
- for help. PLAYACT1 should be in the C:\ANIPAINT directory.
- If it is not, it may be a good time to try Sherlock the File
- finder Icon #44 to find it. Enter PLAYACT when prompted for a
- pathmask.
- If it is not with this release, you have a copy of this program
- that is incomplete and you should write to me to get a complete copy.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- The Object of this program is to either load an existing file in
- the Screening Room and then edit it, or draw a picture yourself.
-
- Once you have a picture you can add captured text for Desk Top
- Publishing, or you can create an animation file, or you can
- animate it as a series of clips, or you may create a Presentation
- file that combines a Text Window with a Graphic Background and
- Isolated animation sequences.
-
- Animation is done by creating a series of frames, then playing
- them back quickly. If you find they are not fast enough try
- animating ACT2 animation in full screen 320 x 200 mode.
-
- You can create an animation file that you can give to someone
- else. Providing they have at minimum a VGA IBM compatible
- computer system. Wish someone happy birthday, ask someone to
- lunch, create an advertisement, make a full length animated
- cartoon, or movie, use them for employee training etc. Use your
- Imagination.
- The utility PLAYACT1 is yours to freely give away for private
- use. It remains the copyright property of the author, Rick Sobie.
- It plays ACT scripts independent of AniPaint. Type PLAYACT1 /h
- for help.
-
- Digitized Art is the wave of the future. This program is
- designed with the fewest possible restrictions on it's use. I am
- sure you will find ways to use it that I never dreamt of.
-
- AniPaint (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie of Lake Cowichan B.C. Canada
-
- It is my hope that this program will -like a message in a bottle-
- travel and be used throughout the world. We live in a wonderful
- age of Global Communication, let us hope that technology will
- bring the world together in peace instead of breaking it to
- pieces as our forefathers almost did.
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- ************************** CyberFind ******************************
-
- Cyberfind is an intelligent search utility.
- Rather than search the next instance of the word, (which
- in a large document can take a long time if the reference
- you seek is the 47th instance of the word), Cyberfind clips
- paragraphs to a temporary file called TEMP.LST.
- Then you choose the instance you want, and go directly there.
-
- If you combine a group of files into a Knowledgebase, then
- your reference material will be easily accessed whenever
- you want it. See STUDIO.DOC for more info on the Knowledgebase
- Icon. As a sample you could combine all the help docs in the
- HELPDOCS directory. Use the Script Icon then Combine Files
- Icon.
- The Knowbase Icon searches your entire disk for text filenames.
- Then puts the names into a list file.
-
- Cyberfind is very simple to use once you get the hang of it.
-
- Manual Use of Cyberfind
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1)Click Button 2 on FIND in a text window.
- 2)Select Subject Button.
- 3)Enter a word or words to search for.
- The word is referenced in the document and all
- references are clipped to TEMP.LST.
- Next TEMP.LST is loaded and you see the paragraphs.
- Under each paragraph is ###***> and a line number.
- 4)Select Find again and Click on the Go to Line # button.
- 5)Enter the line number of the paragraph and the document
- is once again loaded into the window only now it is at
- the line # you entered.
-
- If there are more than 1 page of clippings use Refine Search. Or
- print TEMP.LST to view them better.
- If automatic Cyberfind is Not disabled you may also use the
- mouse. Do not be too hasty to disable automatic Cyberfind,
- once you figure out how it works, you can manipulate files
- very quickly with the mouse.
-
- Refine Search Button
- ********************
- If you have searched for a word and found a lot of references to
- that word, you may want to search TEMP.LST for a second
- word that will narrow the list of paragraphs down.
- eg: You search for the word "disk" and you get floppy disk
- and a number of other things.
- Refine the search with the word "hard". Now only the
- references to "hard disk" are left.
-
- Convert Document
- ****************
- Most Word Processors add hidden codes to a text document to tell
- the program what font to use, how many spaces in a Tab, if a
- picture is in the document etc.
- Fine if you are viewing the file with that program. If you
- want to view that file with another program, the other
- program has to know what those codes are and what they mean. Each
- program uses the hidden codes according to their format. However,
- with thousands of word processors each adding codes their own way
- it is virtually impossible to decipher them all. An easier way is
- to save the file in the other program as an ASCII file ( a plain
- text file without the hidden codes).
-
- With Convert you may remove the hidden codes in a word
- processor document and convert it to ASCII text. You will not
- have the same document with the same fonts or anything else, but
- you will have the text, providing the file is not
- encrypted or compressed.
- This program will not change the original but will make a
- file called TEXTCNVRT.DOC. On D: if D: is available C: if not. Do
- with it as you will.
- This program does not edit text. There are word processors
- out there better suited for this job. Text is best handled
- in text mode not graphics mode. (When you are working with a DOS
- application. Microsoft Windows does a superb job of
- simulated text mode, while in graphics mode.)
-
- The use of text in this program is for reference or cutting and
- pasting into a picture.
- See your DOS manual on ASCII text if you are not totally
- familiar with it already.
-
- What the heck is a knowledgebase?
- *********************************
-
- A knowledgebase is an Artificial Intelligence term for all
- the collected information on a subject or subjects.
- Usually it is formatted into categories such as Class, Member
- Hierarchy etc. eg: MARE:HORSE:BOVINE:MAMMAL:LIVING THING
- Do you see the connection. A Mare is a horse which is in the
- family Bovine which is in the Class Mammal which is a living
- thing.
- The way we look at the world is thus, either something is
- whole, or it is a part, or it is a general term or it is a
- specialized term. (Whole/Part, Gen/Spec)
- Studies have shown that the brain can handle three groups
- of three things at a time, so to manipulate a vast amount of
- information the brain breaks the information down and
- classifies it into categories. Then it references the material
- with other similar things.
- With Cyberfind it uses any text document as a knowledgebase. It
- is not a true knowledgebase in the pure sense of the word, but it
- is a fast cheap substitute.
- It cannot make suggestions based on the information there. It is
- up to you to decide what is important and what is not.
- It clips everything it thinks may be the information you seek and
- lets you decide. If it finds no matches it does some
- minor adjustments to the word and searches again. (fuzzy logic)
-
- What about CASE Sensitivity?
- ****************************
- Cyberfind simultaneously searches all CAPITALS, the first
- letter Capitalized and no capitals at all.
-
- If the word is fishBowl with the B capitalized it will not
- find it. To search every word with every possible capitalized
- situation takes far too long and speed is essential.
- To overcome this, search fish or bowl by themselves and it
- will find it.
-
- Remember If you start a search with a smaller word you can
- always refine the search.
-
- If you are a communications fanatic like I am, you will
- greatly benefit from the following. Place all your file lists and
- phone numbers obtained from BBS's in one large file.
- Now whenever you need information on any subject you search that
- file. It will always come up with something, if you are on enough
- Bulletin Boards.
- If you are not familiar with communications and Bulletin
- Boards or BBS's then you should be. A BBS is a private or
- public library of programs and other information files that can
- be accessed by a Modem and a telephone line. You call up, get
- access, then request the computer on the other end to
- send you the file or complete program. Information on any
- subject at anytime, anywhere in the world. Just think, a
- hundred years ago you would have had to send someone on
- a horse.
-
- Using Cyberfind with the Mouse
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Line up the left side of the cursor box on the first
- letter of the word you want to reference and Click
- Button 2. If the left side of the cursor box is not on the
- first letter of the text you wish to search, it will not work.
-
- All paragraphs containing the word, or part word, are clipped to
- TEMP.LST.
- Under each paragraph is ###***> and a line number.
- PGDN or click Mouse Button 1 on any line that does Not contain
- ###***>, to see the next page of clipped paragraphs.
- 2)Click Button 1 on the line containing ###***> to go
- directly to that line number in the original document.
- The most common errors occur when the cursor inside the box or
- the cursor box itself are not correctly lined
- up on the word or line.
- It takes a little practice to get the feel of it.
- I recommend you do not disable sound while you are
- learning to use Cyberfind because you will hear a click
- when you click the mouse on the line # if you are using it
- correctly.
-
- If you want to reference more than one word at the same time, use
- Cyberfind manually. See above.
-
- If you find Cyberfind an unnecessary pain in the butt, then
- disable Automatic Cyberfind by running CONFIGIT.EXE. then
- choose Options.
-
- Problems with Cyberfind
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you do not line up the cursor precisely it will not work.
- Practice, you will get it.
-
- If it takes too long, then the size of the document is too
- large for the speed of your computer. Get a faster system or
- divide the file into smaller files.
-
- Why does Cyberfind find three instances of the same word?
- It searches three case types: All Capitals.
- First letter capitalized
- No capitals.
-
- When it is initializing, it may search all three. Just ignore the
- other two.
-
- Make sure you are using the proper mouse buttons!
-
- Button 1 scrolls the screen unless you click it on a line
- containing ###*****> then it goes to the line number.
- Important: You will hear a beep or a click as it does this
- if you have done it correctly. Providing you have not
- disabled sound.
-
- Button 2 references the word unless you have already
- referenced it, and the file TEMP.LST is in the window already. Or
- if you do not line up the cursor properly.
- In that case it gives you the message "Line up the cursor"
- and puts the line containing the word you tried to search at the
- top of the window.
-
- Learn how to use it and you will find it a very effective
- tool for getting that elusive information off your hard disk and
- onto the screen.
-
- Cyberfind (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- AniPaint (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- ********************* Printing Questions and Answers ********************
-
- How do I print different fonts?
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Set the font size style NLQ, Draft, Doublestrike, etc
- using the printers controls on the printer.
- See your printer manual or experiment with it.
- or
- Create a picture and use any graphic font. See below
- on printing graphics.
-
- How do I Print Graphics?
-
- 1)Shell to DOS.
- 2) Enter the DOS command GRAPHICS
- 3) Type EXIT to Return to the program
- 4)If you want to print larger than 320 x 200 then change to 16
- color mode.
- 5) If you want to print in 256 color mode you must use 320x200
- and print with landscape orientation.
- 6)Make the Picture Full screen by clicking on the upper left
- corner button.
- 7)Hold the SHIFT button and press Print Screen.
- If your printer is supported by DOS it will print.
- Read your DOS manual regarding the GRAPHICS command and see your
- GRAPHICS.PRO file in your DOS Directory.
-
- Is there A Better Way to print graphics?
- Yes.
- Export the image as a PCX with the second last Icon in
- the Paint Studio. Use your favourite Printing program that
- supports your printer. Almost all good word processors
- support the PCX format.
-
- Another way, if you have a FAX CARD, is to print to your Fax or
- to someone else's with your fax software. Good substitute for a
- laser printer.
-
- Why do I keep getting error messages when I try to print.
-
- check Paper
- check connections LPT1
- check printer On
- check available memory (Beside Files/Directory in
- the File Screening Room)
- The Graphics command uses memory.
- See Optimizing your system in your DOS MANUAL.
- load hi or remove other memory resident programs.
- If printing is interrupted it will abort.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If all else fails go to DOS type :
- Copy FILENAME.EXT>PRN
- Filename is the file you want to print.
- Prints Text only.
-
- The next release of AniPaint will have more complete
- Printer support.
- To date I do not have the resources to do a proper
- job of supporting the thousands of printers on the
- market today. Export PCX, that's the key.
- AniPaint (c)1993 Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- *************************** The Screening Room *************************
-
- Important! If you do not have a fast computer (50 mhz +) see
- Speeding up the Program at the end of this Document.
-
- I have tried to make the program useable by anyone, however, if you
- do not know the basics, such as that you have to press enter on the
- commandline at DOS to do DOS commands, then you had better read your
- DOS Manual first. It's only about 1000 pages and makes for nice
- light reading <grin>.
-
- How to use the Screening Room
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You have two cursor options as set by CONFIGIT.
- The ball cursor for fast machines, window cursor
- for slower machines. If you lose the cursor off screen
- click Both Buttons. The mouse cursor is not confined
- in order to allow the freedom necessary to paste pictures
- larger than the screen, or partially outside the screen.
-
-
- The current mouse button settings are shown in an Icon
- when you click on Help. In this and all other documents,
- Button 1 and Button 2 refer to Mouse Button 1 and Mouse
- Button 2. Which is which depends on how you have set the
- mouse. Use the Mouse Set Icon to reverse the Buttons if
- you wish.(who's on first?)
- Remember! If you lose the mouse cursor click both buttons.
-
- PathMask Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click on "Pathmask" and choose a file extension.
- *.PAL :Palette colors. If the new palette
- differs from the existing one, the
- colors will change.
- *.FNT :Loads a Text Font for use in the Studio.
- note: While in a Text Window you may also alter the Font
- and it's size. If the loaded file is not a
- graphic picture, you are in a Text Window.
- See Window Action demo for more information.
-
- *.PCX :Load a graphic picture with this extension.
- The original is unchanged and a new file
- called VCXTEMP.VCX will be created. Use a 256
- color mode when loading PCX
-
- Important!: Not all PCX formats are supported.
- Specifically, Version 5, 256 colour pictures
- are supported. However, Screening Room will
- attempt to load any file. Some may be converted
- to 2 colors.
-
- Very Important!!: PCX files carry palette information.
- This palette becomes the current palette.
- If the palette is all black the entire
- screen will become all black.
- If this happens, move the mouse over
- the top of the screen and click both buttons or
- hit escape. The standard menu colors will return.
- you may then load a different palette.
-
- *.VCX :This program uses the extension VCX for 256 colour
- graphic pictures. These files also carry palette
- information. To date they are not compatible with
- other programs to my knowledge.
- note to programmers: For information on the file header
- see REGISTER.DOC.
-
- *.ANI :This program uses the extension ANI for animation
- files. ACT1.ANI is created on drive D:\ if D:\
- is available. Otherwise it is created on drive
- C: . You may then process the file into
- a Presentation combing a full screen VCX with
- animation and a Text Window. See Presentations.
-
- *.* :Any other file in the current directory.
-
- Other Extensions that you may enter on the Path Line
-
- *.ACT Presentation files use ACT as the file extension
- for script files. Any ASCII editor can create
- an ACT script. See Presentations for more info.
-
- *.CFG Work space files use this extension. The workspace
- is automatically saved each time you exit, but if
- you want to return to a work space that you had
- a week ago, it must first have been saved using
- the Save Button. The file list is saved as well,
- so if you have deleted files that are on the list
- after you save the work space, they will not be
- found.
-
- *.PNT The Point Trace Icon uses PNT as it's extension.
- See STUDIO.DOC.
-
- VERY IMPORTANT!!
- *.DOC In the HELPDOC subdirectory are the documentation
- files that accompany this program. Don't move them
- or you will disable your help buttons. If they are
- lost, reinstall the program or write me for a
- complete copy.
-
- The program will attempt to load any file. if it does
- not recognize the format it will load it as text.
-
- When you click on the PathMask button it toggles between
- file extensions and the normal 4 button state.( Path, Paint,
- Capture and Clear Desk).
- After you have chosen a path or entered one on the Path
- Line above it, the available files with the selected
- extension will appear in the directory area.
- You may then click on the file to load it into a window.
- Files with the extension PAL or FNT will not be put into a
- window. See Window Actions demo.
-
- Dormant Files List: Below the directory area is the dormant
- file list area. Small rectangles beside the file names
- contain the window number. The most recent file name
- rectangle is a different colour. If you click Button 2
- on the rectangle it will reload into a window.
- If the file is a graphic picture (VCX), you may paste it
- without window mechanics by clicking Button 1.
- By experimenting you will soon learn how this
- works. To view the picture as you paste, use the Paint
- Studio or Edit in a Graphic Window instead. If your system
- is capable of high resolution, you may want to do your
- paste up in higher modes 1024x768 or 1200x1024 if your
- machine has the capability. See your monitor documentation.
- If you save the workspace, the dormant file list is
- saved as well. However if you delete files then
- reload the workspace, those file names may appear
- on the list but they will not be found.
-
- FILES/DIRECTORY: Click on the word FILES to toggle between files
- and DIRECTORIES.
-
- When you exit the active window it is placed on the dormant
- list below the directory area. Click on the small box beside the
- filename to reload the file. If the wrong file loads, either the
- cursor was not lined up correctly or the list is wrong. If so use
- the Clear Desk button to start a new list.
- If a lined box appears the image will be loaded without
- window mechanics. This is useful for pasting into other files.
-
- CAPTURE:If the current window is in TextMode, A ruled, growing
- box appears to allow you to capture any area on the screen.
- The file will be saved as a numbered CLIP file such as
- CLP2.VCX. Subsequent Captures are saved automatically
- CLP3.VCX...CLP4.VCX ...etc.
-
- Important!: During the creation of ACT2 animation files, if the
- current clip count is less then 20, then the clip count
- will be incremented by 20. It will use CLP21.VCX ... CLP22.VCX
- etc. for it's frame count. For more information see
- ANIMATE.DOC.
-
- As a rule, (pun intended) Capture also functions very well as
- a measuring stick for desktop publishing.
- Click once to anchor it then Both Buttons to capture area.
- X: Anchored Left Horizontal Position.
- Y: Anchored Top Vertical position.
- X2:Right Horizontal position.
- Y2:Bottom Vertical position.
- Width: Box Width.
- Height: Box Height.
-
- Line Height Scale: On the extreme right is a scale showing the
- line height of the current text font. This is a handy tool for
- paste up in desk top publishing. If it is in the way toggle it
- off by clicking Button 2 twice on the small S button above it.
- In the Paint Studio the Script Icon uses the Scale button
- as well to append marked files to SCRIPT.TXT
- The Script Icon is useful for creating a list of file
- path names to create a knowledgebase etc. An Experienced user
- would use this list in a batch file or combine ACT scripts to
- make a series of Presentations into one ACT file. etc.
- See Script in STUDIO.DOC
-
- Clear Desk: Returns the Screening Room to it's initialized state.
-
- Important!: The dormant list of file names is also reset.
- If you wish to clear the desk and retain the list, use the
- Cancel button on the top row instead.
- Remember if things get muddled, Cancel. If that is not
- sufficient, Clear Desk. Occasionally you may have trouble
- changing paths or directories or drives. If this happens
- choose Cancel then Clear Desk.
-
- SearchMode:The green light beside FILES/DIRECTORY is a toggle
- between normal FileMode and SearchMode. Enter a search
- path on the Path Line above it or Button 1 to accept
- the current path. Drive C: will be searched for the matching
- file or files.
- Example:
- To search the entire C: drive for all PCX files click Button 2 on
- the Green Light. It says choose path eg:*.PCX Click Button 1 to
- accept the path.
-
- While in Searchmode the name scroller will operate 9 at a time
- as well as 1 at a time. Also the alphabet file name search
- scroll bar will operate on each directory found separately in
- directory order.
-
- Alphabetical Name Search Scroll Bar: If you have a large number
- of files in one directory, a fast way to find a specific file
- is to click Button 2 twice on the letter which corresponds the
- closest to the first letter of the name. Then scroll down to
- it.
-
- System Information: The small black square beside FILES/
- DIRECTORY pops up a window containing the free space
- on C: and D: if available. Also the free Conventional
- Memory. If this number is too low the program will
- not operate correctly. Free up memory by optimizing
- your system. See your Dos manual for details.
- Examples: Load DOS into High memory. Remove memory
- resident utilities.
-
- Optimizing Program Performance
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Very Important!!
- This program uses a large amount of disk space. If
- you run out of disk space the program will not
- operate correctly.
- If you have extended memory create a Virtual Drive
- D:. The operation of the program will be enhanced.
- Consult your DOS manual for information on Ramdrives.
- You will have to add a line to your CONFIG.SYS file.
- Example: device=ramdrive.sys 4096 512 /e
- creates a 4 meg ramdrive with 512 byte sector size
- in extended memory. With limited memory you may not
- have a large enough number of allowed file entries
- in the root directory of D:\.
- VERY VERY IMPORTANT!! When you shut off or reset your
- system all data on drive D: is permanently erased.
- Copy the files you wish to save to Drive C: prior to
- shutting off your system or use the Save button
- on the top row of the screen.
- If D:\ is not available, or is disabled with the
- disable ramdrive option in CONFIGIT, C: will be used
- for temporary files. No speed differential may be
- noticed on a fast modern computer.
- A Dos Shell is available in the Studio and the Top
- Right corner of the Screening Room. You will probably not
- have enough memory in the shell to do more than
- enter DOS commands on the DOS command Line. See
- the "Command" command in your Dos Manual for information
- on the Dos Shell.
-
- The Path Line: Click Button 2 on the Path Line to enter a
- Path or Change Drives.
- Example: D: changes to drive D:\
- A: changes to drive A:\
- B: changes to B:\
- Be sure the drive is ready first! or you will get
- the error message . Abort/Fail/Retry.
- Example path: *.PCX
- or FILENAME.VCX
- or A:\*.* etc.
- If you get an error message either make the drive
- ready or choose fail, then type C: <enter>
- I often let DOS handle the error reporting, it messes up
- the screen but it does it so well. Why duplicate code.
-
- The Path line is also used for user input to
- name files when prompted.
- Scroll buttons located on both ends of the Path
- Line are used if the path is longer than the
- Path Line area.
-
- Important! Occasionally when in the Studio you will
- be brought to the Screening Room to retrieve a file.
- For Example: To load an additional font or palette.
- A conflict may arise between the current path and the
- path needed. The Studio may persist and you will
- have to either press the "Cancel" or the "Clear Desk"
- button or use the Path Line to change the drive or
- directory.
-
- Exit: You may be prompted to be sure everything is OK
- prior to exit. Such as, are the files saved.
-
- This program uses many temporary files so if
- you lose a file it may be found saved on D: if
- available, or C: in the current directory.
-
- Load: Choose an option and load the file.
-
- Save: Choose an option and save the file.
-
- This program is extremely disk intensive. It uses a virtual disk
- on D: instead of conventional or extended memory and falls back
- to the hard drive when it's full whenever possible.
- The reason for this is hard disks are much larger than available
- memory. It will use a Ram Disk D: if you make one available. See
- your DOS manual for information on VIRTUAL DRIVES.
- The exception to this is the program itself.
- It will load it's overlay file in EMS if LIM standard EMS
- is available.
-
- Saving Pictures
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Important!: Although I refer to text windows as being in Text
- Mode, in reality it is simulated textmode. This program
- operates entirely in Graphics mode. The only true text
- mode is the DOS Shell and CONFIGIT. This program was
- designed to create pictures and animation. You cannot
- edit text.
- There are may fine word processors available that deal
- with text. They have spell checkers, thesauruses, and
- all the other necessary tools for editing text.
-
- For Beginners:
- When your computer is in Graphics mode it uses
- pixels ( or dots) to address the screen. For instance,
- when in text mode you would refer to a column and row.
- One column being 1 text character wide and 1 row being
- one text character high.
- In graphics mode the rows and columns are determined by
- how many pixels from the top left of your screen.
- In 320 X 200 resolution you have 320 dots wide by 200
- dots high. If you think of pixels as tiny lights capable
- of turning on in 1 of 256 colors you will have a
- better understanding. See Understanding Color in STUDIO.DOC.
-
- This program uses temporary files and
- writes over the same file names each time.
- Any time you capture an area, the program names
- it according to the current Clip Count. The clip
- count starts at 1 and will increment each time until the
- drive is full.
-
- When you are creating an ACT2 animation series in
- The Paint Studio, (320 X 200), if the Clip Count is
- less than 20 it will be incremented by 20.
- Example: Current clip count is 19 the clip count
- will now be 39.
- This is to segregate your animation clips from
- your scratch work. You may override this at any
- time by incrementing or decrementing the Clip
- Count button manually. The number on the extreme
- left in the color bar in the Paint Studio is the
- current Clip Count. See Capture or Clip Count in
- STUDIO.DOC for more information.
- Technical note: Sometimes, when a clipped file is larger
- than available conventional memory you will not see
- the picture you are about to paste. Instead,
- you will see a rectangle with X's in it that
- is the size of the picture you are about to paste.
- This is to allow the greatest compatibility
- between systems that may or may not have
- EMS , XMS, working in Microsoft Windows, working
- in DOS real mode or the myriad of platforms and
- conversions for other systems.
-
- So... when you choose Save Picture it merely renames
- the current file.
- This program can handle very large pictures by using
- virtual memory. However as the size increases
- operational speed decreases. I recommend working
- in 640 X 480 mode and using higher resolutions
- for cutting and pasting.
-
- Very Important! As Graphic Windows can Zoom in and Out,
- when a picture is saved, it remains at the original
- size. If not, one picture zoomed far enough out
- could totally fill your hard drive.
-
- Try to work with files no larger than the screen resolution you
- are working in. Convert large files to Clip Board files, then
- save under another name if you want. Or paste smaller
- files onto a large blank created with the New Pic Icon.
-
- Temporary Files:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- These are the TEMPORARY file names this program uses and their
- description. If drive D: is available it will be used, otherwise
- drive C: will be used. If D: is available they will be erased
- when you shut off or reset your computer. If C: is used they may
- be overwritten.
-
- ACT1.ANI: Sequential animation file created in the cutting room.
- if this file exists it is added to. If it does not
- exist it is created. You may do many weird and wonderful
- things with these files. 100 X 80 zoomable upward.
- See ACT1 in STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC or the HELP
- Button in the Cutting Room.
-
- CLP#####.VCX: Captured areas of the screen. These files Carry
- palette information and are zoomable.
-
- GREYTEMP.VCX: When you sort the color of a picture in the Paint
- Studio, this file is created.
- See Understanding Color in STUDIO.DOC.
-
- POINTS.PNT: This file is a record of points created when you
- draw lines with certain tools.
- See the Point Trace Icon in the Studio.
-
- DIRTEMP#.TXT:Used by Screening Room to store the current
- directory lists.
-
- ZOOM#.VCX: Used by the Studio for scenery and various occasions
- to cache temporary information to disk in between zooms.
-
- TEMP.PAL: When you load a 256 color PCX file the palette is
- saved during it's conversion to VCX under this name.
- Known mostly throughout the program as Color Palette #1.
-
- GREYSCAL.PAL: When you load a 256 color PCX file the palette is
- automatically converted to greyscale and saved under
- this name. Known mostly throughout the program as Color
- Palette #2. It is not sorted. See Understanding Color.
-
- note:If you choose the color button in a window and nothing
- happens at COLOR 1 or COLOR 2 other than a click,
- it is because these files do not exist. They are only
- created by loading a PCX file. No problem.
- See Understanding Color for more information.
-
- TEMP.VAL: Used for program operational purposes.
-
- TEMP.LST: The Cyberfind clip board. see Cyberfind.
-
- Remember: These files evaporate -if D: is available- when
- you shut off or reset your system unless you copy them to
- C: and change the name or use the Save Button.
-
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- IMPORTANT! Although many other programs use these same
- extensions for their own purposes, they are not compatible.
- Only by Exporting as a PCX can another program use a file created
- by AniPaint as of the time of this writing.
-
- WARNING!!! If you attempt to load a file with the extension PAL
- or FNT or VCX or PNT or VAL or ANI that was not created by
- AniPaint, you may have to reboot your system causing loss of your
- currently unsaved work.
- Some safeguards are in place but they are not fool proof.
- Do so at your own risk.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Resolution Buttons: At the bottom of the Screening Room are
- Buttons which - if you have the hardware installed and
- the appropriate monitor and mode switching is not disabled
- -will change the current screen resolution.
- If your system does not have this capability { sigh } the
- text may get larger but that is all.
- You need a SVGA monitor, a Paradise,Trident or VESA compatible
- Video Card with at least 1 meg of on board memory for
- Christmas. While you are at it, get a 486 66 mhz with a 210
- meg hard drive, 8 meg of extended memory, a graphic excelerator
- card, a tape drive for backing up your animated movies and
- a sound board.
- If you are still using a 286 with VGA, it's O.K. see speeding up
- the program. The 286 is a fine machine. If you are still using an
- XT with a CGA I'm sorry you cannot use this program. I still have
- an old XT Turbo as well, it makes a fine paper weight.
-
- The next release of this program will support sound.
-
- The Alternate File List Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you have poor eyesight or are working in modes 1024x768 or
- higher, you may have difficulty seeing the file names in the
- directory area. If this is the case, use this button to view the
- list full screen in large text.
-
- If you are in 320x200 mode this is the only dormant list you
- have.
-
- If the Files/Directory toggle is currently set to Files the
- filenames of the current directory are shown.
-
- If the Files/Directory toggle is currently set to Directory the
- filenames of the Dormant File List are shown.
-
- Click Button 2 on the file name to retrieve the file or Button 1
- to return to the normal screen.
-
- The Consecutive Load Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- On the Bottom Left of the Screening Room is a light button that
- is green when Files/Directory is set to Files and Blue if not.
-
- If the Light Button is Green then you may click Button 2 on it to
- consecutively load and view all marked files in the current
- Directory.
-
- Another way to do this is to
- 1) Use searchmode to search your disk.
- 2) Click Button 1 on the area right of the alphabet list in the
- Directory area.
- All files are marked and the consecutive load option is
- activated. It only operates this way while searchmode is active.
-
- The Artificial Intelligence Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- In the Bottom Right Corner of the Screening Room is the AI
- button. Click Button 2 on the button to activate it.
- This program contains a built in Expert System used extensively
- for program control. You may access a small part of it manually
- by clicking on this button. If you are having problems this is a
- good place to start. It may help you determine what is going
- wrong.
-
- The Presentation Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click Button 2 on this button or use the last Icon in the
- Paint studio to combine a full screen VCX with an ACT1
- animation series, and a text window.
- Once you have followed the ongoing instructions, you will
- be shown the script file that has been written.
- These script files are ASCII text and may be altered at any time.
- Just use any word processor or text editor and save
- as an ASCII file. ( no hidden codes)
- See your DOS Manual on ASCII files for more info.
-
- Once you have a script you may play it at any time by loading the
- file like any other in the Screening Room, by clicking Button 1
- on the file name.
- A utility called PLAYACT1.EXE is included in this release to play
- ACT script files independent of this program.
- Suppose you wanted to give an animation series to someone that
- did not have Anipaint, you could give them all the files
- contained in the script, the script file (ACT extension)
- and the player to view them.( PLAYACT1.EXE)
- (better still, give them an entire, original, unregistered
- copy of AniPaint)
-
- The command syntax for Playact1 is:
-
- PLAYACT1 <NAME.ACT>
- <VGA>or<SVGA><SVGA2><SVGA3><SVGA4><SVGA16> Inside ScriptFile
- the script command syntax is: COMMANDNAME:COMMAND Available
- commandnames are:
- SETPALETTENAME: Load an AniPaint Palette file. ACT2 needs this.
- ACT1FRAMEDELAY: Delay between ACT1 animation frames.
- READAKEY: Get keyboard or mouse activity.
- TIMEDELAY: Also for delay between ACT2 animation frames.
- ZOOMFACTOR: Size multiplier for ACT1 Animation
- ACT1POSX: Left Starting Point
- ACT1POSY: Top Starting Point
- TEXTFILESTARTX: Left Text Window Starting Point
- TEXTFILESTARTY: Top Text Window Starting Point
- TEXTFILEENDX: Right Text Window Ending Point
- TEXTFILEENDY: Bottom Text Window Ending Point
- WINDOWFONT#: A Number from 1 to 10
- WINDOWFONTSIZE#:A Number from 1 to 10
- ACT1BACKGROUNDCOLOR#: A Number from 0 to 255 (for solid background)
- BACKGROUNDNAME: Name of full screen *.VCX
- ACT1NAME: Name of ACT1 Animation File *.ANI
- TEXTFILENAME: Name of Text File to display 1 page *.*
- LIVEDOCFILENAME: Allows user to PGUP and PGDN etc. *.*
- FAST320x200VCX: 320x200 ACT2 animation frame filename. *.VCX
- REPEATSTART: Marker of place to start repeating until ESC.
- REPEATEND: End of repeat marker. (goes to REPEATSTART)
- Comments are allowed on a line by themselves.
- ALL COMMANDS MUST BE IN CAPITAL LETTERS
- any commands below this line are ACTED upon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You may set the repeat markers anywhere below the line.
- It will play the script, and when it reaches REPEATEND in will
- go back to REPEATSTART and play until the user presses the
- ESC key.
-
- When you use the Presentation button, an ACT file is created. You
- may add to it or make one yourself with an ASCII editor.
-
- Important! If you do not enter the screen resolution it will
- default to autodetection. Not quite want you wanted if the files
- in the script are 256 color high resolution VCX or ANI files.
- Not all computers support all the available screen resolutions.
- It may not work on some computers. You should not use it on a
- monitor with less that VGA capabilities .
-
- Autodetection logic will look for a minimum 286 at runtime. If
- the system is less than 286 it will abort. Code is optimized for
- use on 286 and higher.
-
- Not everyone would know to enter PLAYACT1 /h for help on the DOS
- commandline. So include instructions to users that are unfamiliar
- with Anipaint.
- SVGA16 is VESA 16 color 800 x 600. Many computers support the
- VESA standard. So most SVGA monitors should be able to use this
- high resolution if they have the memory.
- 16 color modes are about 10 times slower than SVGA 256 modes.
-
- If you want it to show in high res 256 colors, create the images
- in 256 color mode. If you want it to show 16 color images, create
- the images in 16 color mode.
- Important note! 256 color photographic images will not look
- correct when viewed in 16 color mode. Test the script in 16 color
- mode before you give it to the world and adjust the color and
- palettes or provide viewing instructions. Convert 256 color
- photographic images to 16 color by being in 16 color mode when you
- load the PCX. Try all the palettes in the Palettes subdirectory
- until you find one that is suitable for your image, after conversion.
-
- There are an unlimited number of uses for these scripts.
- Make a movie, make a slide show, make a dictionary, use them for
- instruction, for business shows, for showing off your artistic
- talents, send a moving message, etc etc etc....
-
- SVGADEMO.ACT, VGADEMO.ACT and 16DEMO.ACT are 3 scripts I have made
- to illustrate ACT animation. Load an ACT script into AniPaint like
- any other file, or use PLAYACT1 to play the script. I could not
- include any ACT2 animation with this release because of the size of
- the files. Each frame is more than 64,000 bytes. This release is
- meant to be transferred via modem in a reasonable period of time.
- Make a series of ACT2 clips yourself and try to make your own script.
- It may be challenging at first, but if you persevere you will
- get it. Try making copies of the included scripts and editing out
- the ACT1 filenames and replace them with ACT2 commands.
-
- Important!!!
-
- If you want speed, you are far better off to create ACT2 animation
- sequences in VGA 320x200 256 color mode. These are assembler
- routines that throw images directly into video memory.
- The majority of computers in use today (at the time of this
- writing) are below 33 mhz. To properly view ACT1 animation
- you need a 50 mhz system. Keep this in mind if you are appealing
- to a large audience with your presentation files, or they are
- intended for varied machines.
-
- PLAYACT1.EXE may be freely distributed for private use but
- remains the intellectual property of Rick Sobie.
-
-
- Speeding Up the Program
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- This program was designed for use with a modern computer with
- plenty of memory and disk space, and at least a speed of 50 mhz.
- It can still be used by a 286 16 mhz, although not as effectively.
- If you have a slower machine, follow these guidelines and you will
- get more enjoyment out of this program.
-
- For slower machines:
-
- Use ACT2 animation in 320x200 mode instead of ACT1 animation that
- is created in the Cutting Room. See STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC for
- information on ACT2 animation. You may create ACT1 in the Cutting
- Room then convert ACT1 to ACT2 animation.
- ACT1 animation when used with any 16 color palette may be too slow
- unless you have a very fast machine. Used with a 256 color palette,
- it is faster, but still requires a computer speed of about 50 mhz
- to look real.
-
-
- Set all animation delays to 0 whenever possible.
- ~~~~~~~~~
- Important!!! Do not set mouse delays to 0 or you may disable the
- program. Use CONFIGIT to determine your optimum mouse delay.
- Or, set mouse using the Mouse Set Icon in The Paint Studio.
-
- Pictures that are zoomed out scroll much faster in a graphic
- window. Use zoom as much as possible.
-
- Confine your Knowledgebase files to a small size. 200 k is
- probably about maximum for a slow machine. Searching and
- scrolling large text files is too slow if the file is too large.
-
- Work in 320x200 VGA 256 color mode as much as possible.
- Refreshing the screen at high resolution with a slow system can
- seem like an eternity.
- (1200x1024 is over 1,200,000 bytes, 320x200 64,000)
-
- Avoid using the pathmask *.* Be more specific *.DOC it will take
- less time for the program to manage the file list.
-
- Work with smaller pictures.
- Choose the New Pic Icon and enter the size 320 wide by 200
- long and work in VGA 256 320x200 mode. Select Full screen in the
- Paint Studio to have a larger work area. Use the cursor keys or
- PGUP or PGDN to move the picture around at full screen.
- Cut up larger files into a manageable size.
-
- You can convert a large image by zooming it in, then choosing the
- Edit button and capturing the window contents. Then save the Clip
- Board file under another name.
-
- Reduce the size of an Image before you greyscale it.
-
- Cut up your Clip art files into smaller files. The Clip art
- size, is only the suggested size. It is loaded like any other
- graphic VCX. However to stamp the clips using the Clip Art Icon
- in the Studio, each stamp should fit in the clip art window.
- If you are working in 320x200, Icon size stamps are best.
- They are 32x32 and can be made using the New Stamp Icon.
- To reduce the size of the existing clip art library,
- cut and paste onto a blank made with the New Pic Icon.
- Select a width of about 200. Make as many Stamp Files as
- you want. Just increase the current Stamp Maximum Number
- in CONFIGIT Options Menu. Clip Art Libraries are named according
- to number.
- eg:
- C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP1.VCX
- C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP2.VCX
- C:\ANIPAINT\STAMPS\STAMP3.VCX ...
-
- Name your clip art libraries this way and and you will be able
- to switch libraries, while under the controls of the Clip Art Icon.
- Rember to set the Size Number before pressing the Clip Art Icon.
- Clip art is zoomable according to the Size Number.
- Only one library is included with this release to minimize the size
- of the overall package. The New Clip Art Icon has a preset width,
- so use the New Pic Icon instead, to make blank clip art libraries.
-
-
- Use the scroll bars to scroll images instead of the scroll
- buttons. The scroll bar moves the image 1/20th it's width or
- height and the scroll buttons move it 1 pixel and 40 pixels
- depending on which Mouse button you use.
-
- Disable UNDO REDO. When Auto Save is activated ( by default) it
- saves the image between each operation. A very time consuming
- endeavour for a slow machine. The convenience of being able to
- UNO and REDO may not be worth the sacrifice in speed.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE to disable AUTOSAVE. You will have no UNDO
- capabilities but you may still use the capture tools such as the
- camera,to save the screen. Or use the Autosave Icons
- manually.
-
- If you are running this program under Microsoft Windows, try
- exiting windows and running the program at DOS. It may speed the
- drivers up considerably. The file ANIPAINT.PIF is included for
- you to use. Check this file to be sure it is set correctly for
- your system.
-
- Try optimizing your system. If you have a bit of extra memory it
- may be used by the program to load it's overlay into EMS. see
- your DOS manual on Optimizing your System.
-
- If you have a SVGA avoid using the 16 color modes. They are at
- least ten times slower.
-
- If all these measures do not help I am sorry. To create a modern
- program that is geared for an old machine is not logical.
- Save your money and buy a modern machine and run AniPaint
- the way it was intended to be used. You won't be disappointed.
-
- I hereby apologize for any incorrect information or grammatical
- errors that may or may not be present. There is always someone
- who says "Yeah the program was great, but I found a spelling
- error in the Documentation". I claim literary license.
-
- See README.1ST for licensing and disclaimers.
-
- Anipaint (c) 1993 Rick Sobie.
- Playact1 (c) 1993 Rick Sobie
- Configit (c) 1993 Rick Sobie
- Cyberfind (c) 1993 Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- *************************** The Cutting Room ******************
-
- This Document is also loaded by the Lower HELP Button
- in the Cutting Room.(if you are not there now)
-
- Important! The Cutting Room Only saves frames to ACT1.ANI
- on D:\ if D: is available, C: if not. If you want to add
- frames to an existing animation, or start a new sequence,
- see below.
-
- The Cutting Room Icons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you lose the cursor, click Both Buttons and it will
- be homed at the top of the Animation Window.
-
- To load the Current VCX into the Work Window, press ALT+L.
- Then use ( CTRL+ -> ), (CTRL + <- ), (PGUP), and (PGDN) to position
- the image in the Work Window.
-
- The Arrows Away From I Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to Zoom the Image in the small Animation
- Window into the Large Work Window.
-
- Under the Icon is a toggle to exclude the currently set
- Left Color and Right Color ( as set by clicking on the
- color bar).If the toggle is ON ,it excludes these colors.
- Click Button 2 on the small rectangle containing Off to
- turn this feature on and Click on it again to turn it off.
-
- The Clear Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click Button 2 on the Icon to clear the screen.
-
- Under the Icon is a toggle. Set to Both, it clears both
- windows. Set to small, it clears only the animation
- window, and set to Large, it clears the Large Window.
-
- The Arrows Towards I Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to Shrink the Image in the Large Work
- Window into the small Animation Window.
-
- Under the Icon is a toggle to exclude the currently set
- Left Color and Right Color ( as set by clicking on the
- color bar).
- If the toggle is ON then it excludes these colors. Click
- Button 2 on the small rectangle containing Off to turn
- this feature on and Click on it again to turn it off.
-
- The Zoom and scroll Buttons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use these Buttons if you have selected the Scenery Icon
- prior to entering the Cutting Room. The Scenery Icon
- Captures the screen and blows up a portion of it into
- the Work Window and sits waiting to be called by either
- the scroll buttons to the left of the animation window
- or the Zoom button.
- When you use the Zoom button you may zoom out on the
- scenery that you captured and thereby view more of the
- scenery.
-
- Ideally, you should capture the centre of an area of
- scenery in the largest screen resolution your machine
- can manage. In this way, you can zoom in and out with
- the zoom button to give the effect of distance. Used
- in conjunction with the scroll buttons beside the
- animation window, you are able to Pan and Zoom like a
- video camera.
- Experiment with it to see how it works. First capture
- an area with the Scenery Icon, then try the zoom and
- scroll buttons.
- Once you have a scenery captured you can superimpose
- an image onto the scenery.
- 1) Load or draw an image in the large work window.
- 2) Use the zoom and scroll buttons to position the
- captured scenery in the small animation window.
- 3) Click on the rectangle area below the Arrows towards
- I Icon, to exclude color. It should read On.
- 4) Select both right and left colors as the background
- color of the image in the large work window.
- 4) choose the Arrows towards I Icon to shrink the image
- into the animation window. Because you have excluded
- the background color, only the image itself is copied
- into the small window thereby superimposing it on the
- scenery.
- 5) Choose the Act1 action board to capture the frame.
-
- Alternate with the Zoom and Scroll buttons, then
- superimpose the image again, save the frame again.
- There are many special effects that can be added to
- your animations in this fashion.
-
- If you hear a beep when you click on Zoom or the scroll
- buttons, it is because you have not captured any scenery
- yet. No problem.
- If sound is disabled you will hear nothing.
- I do not recommend disabling sound, if you want a more
- quiet sound then reduce error delays with the Mouse
- Set Icon.
-
- The Color Button
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The same button that is on the Menu Bar of any Graphic
- Window.
- Cycle through the palettes by clicking Button 2 on the
- Color Button until you find one that suits you. You may
- add new palettes to Color Buttons by replacing one of
- the existing menu colors in the Palette Directory or by
- installing a new menu palette using CONFIGIT.EXE. Color
- Number 2 on this button reads the palette from the
- current ACT1.ANI animation.
- Color number 1 is the greyscaled version of the last
- PCX that you loaded. It is GREYSCAL.PAL on D: if D:
- is available or C: if not. The remainder of the color
- numbers in this button are the menu colors found in
- C:\ANIPAINT\PALETTES\MENU#.PAL.
- To add or replace a menu color on this button:
-
- Replace any MENU Color in this directory with another
- ANIPAINT palette or use CONFIGIT to change the MAXIMUM
- menu color number. Then name your new palette the next
- number in sequence.
-
- The Animation Window
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- When you Click on the Action Board anything presently
- appearing in the Animation Window is captured as an
- ACT1 frame.
- If you click on the Animation Window just prior to
- clicking on the Projector Icon you will be transported
- to 320x200 mode for viewing of your current ACT1
- animation sequence.
- Both Buttons at the same time brings you back to normal
- 640x480 mode.
-
- The Clip Board Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Appearing on the Clip Board is the Current Clip Count
- Number as set by clicking Button 2 on the Clip Count
- area to the left of the color bar in the left color
- rectangle.
- When a clip is captured using any capture tool, this
- number is automatically incremented prior to capture.
- If you click on this Icon you will load the pop up
- cut and paste menu.
- You may convert ACT1 animation to ACT2 animation
- with one of the options there.
- When you select Convert to ACT2 it captures the small
- animation contents to the next available Clip Count
- number. They same format of incrementing automatically
- is used each time the area is captured. If the current
- clip count is less than 20 it is incremented by 20.
- A 320x200 background is added to ensure that the size
- of the frame is 320x200, an absolute requirement for
- ACT2 animation frames. You may set the left (fill)
- color and fill style (The Fill Style Icon) prior to
- capturing the ACT2 frame. Once captured, you may edit
- the ACT2 frame with any of the tools by loading it into
- a window using the Paste Icon. Use the Bluescreen Icon
- to add a background picture to the frame if you want.
-
- Alternate between the small rectangular area below the
- Projector (in the Cutting Room), this loads the ACT1
- frames into the small animation window, and the Convert
- ACT2 button, found in the Clip Board Icon.
- The advantage to converting is ACT2 animation plays
- back faster, and at full screen 320x200 resolution.
- The disadvantage is that they can not be zoomed.
-
- The remaining options in the Clip Board Icon are self
- explanatory. If you need help, see the Cut Poly
- Icon in STUDIO.DOC
-
- The Crayons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Not to be confused with the Crayons in the Upper Icon
- Bar, this Crayons Icon saves the current palette to
- the current ACT1 animation sequence file. Replace the
- ACT1 palette by making a different palette the current
- palette using the color button, then click on this Icon
- with Mouse Button 2.
-
- The Story Board
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Once you have made a few clips you can load the frames
- in series, into the large work window. They are
- positioned 5 across by 5 long. Click Button 2 on a frame
- in the large window and it loads into the animation
- window.
- Click button 1 and the frame in the animation window
- replaces the frame you clicked on.
- When the cursor is a magnifying glass this option is
- activated and the Story Board is active.
-
- The Action Board
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Quiet on the set, roll em. Click Button 2 on the Icon to
- save the frame as the next in the series.
-
- Important!!: ACT1 animation uses the temporary file
- called ACT1.ANI.
- If it exists it is added to. If it does not exist it is
- created.
- If you are starting a new sequence and ACT1.ANI already
- exists,
- 1) Go to the Screening Room
- 2) Load ACT1.ANI into a window (It will be on D: if D:
- is available or on C: if not.
- 3) Select the window's right corner light button and
- delete the file.
- 4) Return to the Studio and begin your animation. ACT1
- will be recreated.
- Once you have created a sequence and you want to save it
- then
- 1) Go to the Screening Room
- 2) Load ACT1.ANI (on D: if available C: if not)
- 3) Select the Save Button, then ACT1 animation option.
- 4) Enter a new name for ACT1.ANI and a new copy under
- a different name is created.
- You cannot save an ACT1 animation in the Paint Studio.
- You must be in the Screening Room and ACT1.ANI must
- be the current file.
-
- If you want to load an ACT1 sequence previously saved
- under another name then you must select the Load Button.
-
- The previously saved animation sequence is copied onto
- ACT1.ANI.
- Now when you choose the Action Icon in the Cutting Room
- the frame is added to ACT1.ANI. Again when you are done
- Save the sequence under the original name or choose
- another name, but keep the same extension .ANI
- All ACT1 animation must have the extension ANI or it is
- not considered an ACT1 animation file.
-
- To review the above:
- New Sequence: Delete the old ACT1.ANI
- Load Sequence: Choose Load Button.
- Save Sequence: Screening Room, ACT1.ANI in Window then
- choose Save button.
-
- If you follow this format, you will not confuse the
- program, and you will work on copies, keeping your
- originals intact.
-
- Under the Action Board is a rectangle showing the current
- frame number when the sequence is played or the frame is
- captured to ACT1.ANI.
-
-
- Important!!
- Load ACT1.ANI into a window like any other file by
- clicking on the name as it appears in the directory area.
- If you attempt to load ACT1.ANI into a window using the
- Load Button the program will assume you are trying to
- make ACT1.ANI the current ACT1 animation sequence.
- So it will try to copy ACT1.ANI onto itself. If you
- are familiar with DOS you will know that this is not
- good. If you are not familiar with the DOS Copy Command
- read your DOS manual.
- When you load a previously saved ACT1 sequence, use the
- Load button.
- It copies the old sequence onto ACT1.ANI.
- Example: You save a sequence using the Save Button and
- call it NEWNAME.ANI.
- Then the next day you want to add more frames
- to NEWNAME.ANI so you use the LOAD Button
- It says One File Copied if everything is O.K.
-
- If this is not clear read it again until it is.
-
- If you do not follow these rules you may confuse the
- program or yourself.
-
- The Projector Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The projector plays the current animation sequence in
- the animation window, if ACT1.ANI exists, and you have
- followed the above.
- If it is confused or cannot find the sequence then you
- will get the message File ACT1.ANI Not Found.
- If ACT1.ANI is found then it will be played in the window.
-
- If you Click Button 2 on the Animation Window just prior
- to selecting the projector, you will be transported to
- 320x200 mode for viewing. (providing mode switching is
- not currently disabled in CONFIGIT.)
- Click Both Buttons to return to normal mode.
-
- Under the Projector Icon is a rectangle. When you Click
- Button 2 in this area the next frame is shown in the
- window. If you Click Button 1 in this rectangle then the
- previous frame is displayed in the window.
- Use this area to Step back and forth to test parts of
- your sequence or to load frames for capture to ACT2
- animation conversions.
-
- The Clock Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to set the delay between frames in
- milliseconds. 100 is about right for my computer, yours
- may be different.
- Once an ACT1 sequence is in a window, as loaded in the
- Screening Room, you may adjust the delay using the
- options menu button.
-
- If you want to vary the delay for more realistic
- animation then use an ACT Script with different
- ACT1FRAMEDELAY's between different ACT1 sequences.
- Remember an ACT1 sequence can be only one frame if
- you want.
-
- See Presentations for more information on ACT scripts
- in STUDIO.DOC or ANIMATE.DOC
-
- The Scrolling Icons
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- These three Icon areas contain all the Icons in the
- upper Icon Bar.
- For convenance you can scroll these Icons and use them
- without leaving the Cutting room. Apply any tool to the
- Large Work Window.
- You cannot directly apply these tools to the small
- animation window.
- Use them on your image in the Large window then Shrink
- the image into the small animation window using the
- Arrows Towards I Icon.
-
- Remember to set the Size Number before using any tool.
- Rectangular Box Cursors shrink and grow when in contact
- with the Large Window edges.
-
- The DONE ICON
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- There are only two ways out of the Cutting Room.
- Either Choose the Done Icon or press ESC. Esc takes you
- immediately to the Screening Room.
-
- The Lone Paintbrush Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to replace any color in the Large and
- small windows with the Right Color. (the color to the
- extreme right of the color bar)
- 1) Select a Right Color
- 2) Select the Lone Paintbrush Icon
- 3) Click Button 2 on the color to be replaced in the
- Large Work window.
- The color touched is swapped with the Right Color.
- This is not a flood fill tool.
-
- The Paint Brushes Icon
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Use this Icon to draw with blocks that are immediately
- reflected into the animation window. The size of the
- block is determined by Clicking Mouse Button 1 or 2 on
- the Paint Brushes Icon. The size number of the blocks
- is shown in the rectangular area below the Icon. (1..3)
- A size of 1 shows up in the animation window as a dot
- pattern for use as shading. Size 2 and up shows up as
- solid.
-
- Here is the tricky part:
- Once you press this Icon you are in Block Draw mode.
- Before this, you could select a Right and Left Color by
- clicking directly on the color in the large work window.
- However, once you activate the Block Draw, you have to
- set the Right and Left Colors by clicking on the
- Color Bar.
- Button 1 draws blocks in the Left Color and Button 2
- draws blocks in the Right Color.
-
- To return to normal mode (not Block Draw) select another
- Icon or click both buttons at the same time. The Block
- Draw option will be deactivated.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- If you find this all a little complicated remember you
- are making movies here. Imagine how difficult it is to
- use a real animation studio.
-
- The Cutting Room is capable of many things and takes
- practice to master. Create ACT1 animation then share
- it with your friends. Give the player, PLAYACT1 along
- with the sequence and they will be able to view them
- even if they do not have AniPaint. Better still, use
- CONFIGIT to create an unregistered copy of AniPaint,
- and give them the program as well. You will have hours
- of fun creating your own movies. You may even give up
- Television. I did.
-
- AniPaint (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- PLAYACT1 (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- ****** Help Index *******
-
- Like all AniPaint Text Files, All words can
- be instantly referenced by clicking Button 2 on
- the word, Then click Button 1 on ###***>
- to go directly to the corresponding line#.
- The Find button operates the same way without
- use of the mouse.
- If automatic is disabled in CONFIGIT you must
- use Cyberfind manually.
- If you are using 320x200 mode this document
- is half width to allow better viewing.
- Enter the key word you want to
- search with the Find Button. With
- Cyberfind indexing is unnecessary.
- For lack of a better name I called it
- Help Index.
- It really isn't indexed at all.
- (literary license)
-
- Palette
- ~~~~~~~
- * What is a palette
- A palette is a record of Red Green
- and Blue Values that when mixed
- together in varied amounts create
- the drawing and painting colors.
-
- * Load a palette from disk
- To load a palette from disk either
- 1) In the Studio
- Click on the crayons then click
- button 1 on the file name in the
- screening room.
- 2) From the Screening Room
- Change to Palettes subdirectory
- Choose pathmask *.PAL
- Click button 1 on the filename
-
- * Create a new palette
- Either cut and paste from existing
- palettes or use the Palette Icon
- to blend each individually.
- Use the Light Bulb Icon or Dark Sky
- Icon to lighten or darken.
- If satisfactory click on save
-
- * Alter an existing palette
- First load a palette from disk or
- load a picture containing palette
- information.
- Then do same as above.
-
- * Cut and Paste palette colors
- 1)Use the CutPaste Palette Icon.(#96)
- It saves the colors from the
- lowest color number to the highest
- color number to TEMPMENU.PAL. Then
- 2) Load any palette.
- 3) Load TEMPMENU.PAL
- The first palette colors are
- replaced by the clipped colors in
- TEMPMENU.PAL.
-
- * Capture a palette from a picture
- In the Screening Room
- 1)Load the picture.
- 2)Exit the window.
- 3)Select *.PAL as the current
- pathmask.
- 4) Choose Save Button then
- choose Save Palette under new name.
-
- * Change the Current palette
- Either
- 1)Load new palette.
- or
- 2)Choose color button in graphic
- window.
- or
- 3)Load Picture
- or
- 4)Click both buttons above top
- of screen.
- or
- 5)Use Icons to Alter Palette
- or
- 6)Use Menu Colors Icon
-
- * Change a picture's palette record
- Select the Picture Color Icon to
- write the current palette to the
- current picture file.
-
- * Greyscale a palette
- Choose the Grey Scale Icon.
- GREYTEMP.VCX will replace the
- current picture. A color sorted
- copy of your picture with 256 shades
- of grey.
-
- * Sort palette colors
- Same as above. The colors are sorted
- but not changed to grey.
-
- * Change one palette color
- Choose the Painters Palette Icon #6
- Choose the color to be altered.
- Blend color by clicking on colors.
-
- * Brighten the palette
- Choose the Light Bulb Icon #2
- Each time the palette gets
- brighter.
-
- * Darken the Palette
- Opposite of above. Use Icon #3
-
- * Change the default Menu palette
- 1) Rename MENU1.PAL
- 2) Rename your new palette MENU1.PAL
-
- * Add a menu Palette
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE
- Change Maximum Menu Palettes
- Rename your palette MENU?.PAL
- where ? is the new maximum.
-
- * Finding a lost palette
- In a graphic window, click on
- COLOR and cycle through all the
- palettes. If it is not found try
- loading each palette from disk.
- If still not found, rename your
- current picture and reload the
- original from disk.
-
- * Saving a palette to disk
- Choose the Save Button then
- choose Save Palette.
-
- * Prevent Palette changing
- In a graphic window press Button 1
- on Color. Palette changes.
- Press Button 2 palette changes back.
- Once the Color button is pressed the
- program will not alter the palette.
-
- * 16 color palette
- Vga monitors can only show 256
- colors in 320x200 mode.In 640x480
- use the palette files with 16 in the
- name. Read manual.
-
- Color
- ~~~~~~~
- Understanding Color
- see STUDIO.DOC.
-
- * What are color numbers
- Each color is assigned a number from
- 0 to 255. Located in the STUDIO top
- left corner - when you click Button
- 1 on any color - is the LEFT Color
- number. Click Button 2 to change the
- Right Color number shown top right.
-
- * Why does white/black color change
- White and black are reserved by the
- program as White #255 Black #0
- to maintain readability of Icons
- and text instructions.
- See understanding color and below.
-
- * Override white/black picture changes
- In a graphic window, click on Color.
- Override is now on.
-
- * 16 colors
- The maximum # of colors for a VGA
- monitor in 640x480 mode.
-
- * 256 colors
- The maximum # of colors for SVGA.
-
- * Color changes between programs
- Some programs reserve colors for
- program menu use etc.
- Some programs use the palette record
- differently. Trial and error is the
- only way to find out which.
-
- * Blending colors in palettes
- Use Painters Palette Icon #6
- Follow instructions.
-
- * Blending Colors in pictures
- Set the Size Number
- Use the Blender Icon #72 or the
- Light Dark Icon #73 or
- Magic Wand Icon #74 or the Cut and
- Paste Light Dark Icon #80
-
- * Why screen goes black
- Improper palette record.
- Click both buttons above top of
- screen if this happens
- see understanding color.
-
- * Why is background black
- Many of the tools can omit color
- #0 in their processes. eg To Paste
- an image onto scenery. Also when
- printing a picture, the background
- is not printed if black.
-
- * Why is Color #0 special
- It is the first color number.
- when black, it has no value.
- 0 red 0 green 0 blue. see above.
-
- * Why does the picture color scramble
- A picture is only relevant to
- it's palette record.
- see understanding color.
-
- * Reducing picture's colors
- Choose Reduce Color Icon #92
- Follow instructions
-
- * Increasing pictures colors
- Set size number
- Use the Blend Icon #72
-
- * Swapping Colors
- Choose Eraser Icon #5 or Swap Color
- Icon #9
-
- * Left color ( fill color )
- Button 1 sets the Left Color used
- extensively by the tools.
-
- * Right Color ( draw color)
- Button 2 sets the Right Color.
-
- * Lighten a color
- If greyscaled:
- Use the Light Dark Icon #73 or
- Light Bulb Paste Icon #80
- If not greyscaled:
- Lighten with the Painters Palette
- Icon #6
-
- * Darken a color
- Same as above
-
- * Chiaroscuro ( light and shadow)
- da Vinci first developed the use
- of light and shadow in his painting
- style. As color gets brighter it
- appears closer. Farther away things
- get darker. Shadows are actually
- shades of purple in bright light.
-
- * Painting with light
- Use the Light Dark Icon #73 with
- any scaled or sorted palette.
-
- * Adding shadows
- Scaled or sorted palette:
- Choose the Light Dark Cut Paste
- Poly Icon #80.
- Button 2 then repeat Button 1 until
- desired darkness.
- Normal palette:
- Choose color, or blend palette color
- with purple, pick tool and paint
- area.
-
- * Removing color
- Use eraser Icon #5 or Swap Color
- Icon #9 or Reduce Color Icon #92
-
- * What is Bluescreen
- Replacing a picture color with the
- current clipped image. Only the
- one color is replaced.
-
- * Changing clip art colors
- Set the Right color and left color
- prior to pressing Clip Art Icon #43
- or press RC or LC after.
-
- * Changing text colors
- Choose the Text Colors Icon #97
- or Swap Color to change captured
- text.
-
- * Changing Font colors
- Select Right Color and Left Color
- prior to selecting Text Icon #86
- or create a font using Font Icon #85
- then choose darker for darker
- shadow. The Text Color Icon
- brightens and darkens the area
- inside the rectangular cursor if
- the palette is scaled, and changes
- colors completely if not scaled.
-
- * Icon colors
- Color numbers 197 to 255 and
- 0 to 8 are primarily the
- Icon Colors.
-
- * Window colors
- Clicking on the Color Button in a
- graphic window cycles through
- several palettes to the maximum
- menu palette + 6.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE to increase the
- maximum and add palettes.
-
- Loading / Saving Files
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- * What is a PCX
- A PCX is a common picture file format
- introduced by ZSOFT. It carries
- palette information and a bitmap.
- Use this format for exporting a
- picture to another program.
-
- * What is a VCX
- Similar to a PCX, this program uses
- VCX as it's own picture file format.
- Not compatible with other programs
- to date.
-
- * What is an ANI
- This program uses the extension ANI
- for all ACT1 animation files.
- Not Compatible with any other
- program to date.
-
- * What is a Bitmap
- A bitmap is a record of pixel color
- values as they appear in a picture.
- May be compressed and carry palette
- information.
-
- * What is a raw bitmap
- An uncompressed bitmap without
- palette information.
-
- * What is a file header
- At the beginning of a binary file
- is a reference to how the binary
- information is to be interpreted.
-
- * What is compression
- Generally, if two or more
- consecutive bytes are the same, a
- marker is used in their place to
- reduce the size of a file.
-
- * Viewing file details
- Click on the Top Right corner light
- button in any window.
- Choose cancel.
-
- * Deleting files
- Click on the Top Right corner light
- button in any window.
- Choose Delete then OK
-
- * Protecting files
- Click on the Top Right corner light
- button in any window.
- Choose Protect then OK
- * Renaming files
- Choose the Save Button or use the
- Dos Shell to do it manually.
-
- * Temporary files
- This program uses many temporary
- files. The word TEMP is in the
- filename. See Screening Room
-
- * Finding files
- Click on Sherlock Icon #44 enter
- a pathmask.
-
- * What is a pathmask
- A pathmask is the known part of
- an unknown file name.
- eg: *.PCX will find all PCX files
- see your DOS Manual
-
- * Importing Files
- This program can Import PCX files
- from other programs.
-
- * Exporting Files
- Save as a PCX with the Export PCX
- Icon #105
-
- * Reading a Text File
- Load a text file from disk.
- Use the Find Button in a text
- window to convert the document
- if it contains hidden codes.
- TXTCNVRT.DOC is created.
-
- * Loading fonts
- Choose pathmask *.PAL
- Load file, palette will change if
- it is different from the current.
-
- * Saving fonts
- Use the Font Icon #85.
- Create font.
- Choose OK
- Press Y or click on YES to save font.
-
- * Viewing a Picture file
- Load a PCX or VCX or ANI from
- disk.
-
- * Saving a Picture
- Choose the Save Button.
- Select VCX Picture.
- or
- Choose the Export PCX Icon #105
- * Saving a Palette
- Choose Save Button to save to disk
- or Picture Color Icon #95
-
- * Saving an Animation File
- Choose the Save Button then
- select ACT1 animation.
-
- * Saving the Work Space
- Choose the Save Button then
- select Workspace CFG .
-
- * Creating a Presentation File
- Choose the Picture Animation
- Text Icon #106 and follow
- instructions. It Combines a
- full screen picture with an
- ACT1 animation and a text window.
- or
- Use the Presentation Button
- in the Screening Room
-
- * Creating a Script File
- Use the Script Icon #54 then
- in the Screening Room repeat marking
- files and clicking on the Scale
- button to automatically append
- file names to SCRIPT.TXT.
- When done press Script Icon again
- to View SCRIPT.TXT .
-
- * Combining Files
- Create a list of file Pathnames
- with an ACII text editor or use
- the Script Button.
- Then answer Yes to process or
- use Disks Icon #53 to combine
- then name file.
- or
- Use the DOS Shell then the DOS
- copy command.
- See your DOS manual for information
- on the copy command.
-
- * Creating a Knowledge Base
- An Anipaint Knowledge Base is unique
- because no formatting is required.
- Any file that contains text can
- be added to the knowledge base.
- Use the Make KnowBase Icon #57.
- follow instructions.
- Similar to Script.
-
- * Adding to a knowledge Base
- Combine files one of which
- will be your existing
- knowledgebase.
- Use Disks Icon #53
- Follow instructions.
-
- * Adding to Clip Art Library
- An Anipaint clip art file is a
- VCX that is 576 x 719. There are
- approx. 12 rows of 5 images
- approx 80x50.
- You may make them any length.
- 100 rows of 5 is ok but operation
- is slowed.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE to increase the
- Maximum Clip Art number. Then
- Rename your VCX to STAMP?.VCX where
- ? is the new maximum number.
-
- * Converting file formats
- PCX files are automatically converted
- to VCX when they are loaded. The
- original is unchanged.
- VCX can be converted to a 256
- color PCX ver 5, uncompressed
- using the Export PCX Icon #105
- Convert text in a text window
- with the Find Button.
-
- * Running CONFIGIT.EXE
- In the Anipaint Directory type
- CONFIGIT at DOS.
-
- Using a Scanner
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- * Best way to use scanner
- The best way to use a scanner
- with this program is to exit
- the program. Use the Dos command-
- line scanner software that came
- with the scanner. Or Windows, if
- available. Save the file as a PCX.
- Reload Anipaint, load the new PCX.
- This will provide the greatest
- amount of available memory to the
- scanner and memory will not be used
- by the program.
- More memory = larger picture.
-
- * How to Import Scanned Images
- Scan as a PCX. Load the PCX into
- Anipaint (use a 256 color mode
- when loading).
-
- * Improving Scanned Images
- If the image is a 2 color black and
- white scanned image, load into
- Anipaint, then use the Blender
- Icon #72 to increase color depth.
-
- * Converting to clip art
- Select New Clip Art Icon #47
- Width: 576 (suggested)
- Height: 719 (suggested)
- Paste clipped images onto
- picture.
-
- 5)Drawing Pictures
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Easiest methods
- The easiest is to first trace
- an image with the CAD Icon #34.
- Then capture the trace with #35
- the Camera Icon, or start with
- Clip Art #43 and go from there
- to the Blender #72 and the Light
- Dark Icon #73. Remember to set
- the Size number first.
-
- * Recommended methods
-
- Each user will in time, and with
- practice develop their own favourite
- tools and techniques.
- I generally start a picture with
- lines then develop the image
- with light and shadow.
- I prefer to use a scaled palette.
- (The color # gets higher as the
- shades of one color get brighter)
- Shading and light provide depth.
- Given a total choice of 256 colors
- on screen at one time, the best
- depth is achieved with a scaled
- palette.
- It depends entirely on what style
- of image you hope to achieve. If
- you were animating a cartoon you
- would use a wide variety of bright
- colors. If you are looking for
- realism, the easiest way is to
- use a scaled palette. Any of the
- tools that shade or lighten work
- best with a scaled or sorted
- palette.
- Therefore I recommend you start
- with a scaled palette.
- The best tool for drawing lines
- is the sketch tool.
- Set the size number to 1. Then
- draw the image, alternating the
- right and left mouse buttons.
- One to move, the other to draw
- depending on how the mouse is
- set.
- Don't try to be perfect. Change the
- color to the background color to
- remove the unwanted lines after.
- Practice, Practice, Practice.
-
- Painting Pictures
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- * Easiest Methods
- The easiest is to start with clip
- art and use the Eraser or Paint
- Brush or Poly Line Fill Icon #76
- to fill in the color.
-
- * Recommended methods
-
- I recommend using the Poly Fill
- Icon #76. Set the left fill color,
- the Pattern Icon #64 and the right
- draw color, then draw and fill the
- area.In confined spaces use the
- Eraser Icon #5 to replace the
- color. Right Color replaces Left.
-
- Cutting and Pasting
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- * Combining Pictures
-
- Read Understanding Color First.
- If you Understand that...
- 1)Each photograph you load wants
- to use all the available colors.
- (256).
- 2) Each set of 256 colors (palette)
- is different.
- 3) To combine 2 pictures they must
- share the available colors.
- Then you begin to see the need to
- greyscale photographic images.
-
- In this way they can share a
- palette and maintain their
- color balance.
-
- If the images you wish to combine
- were created with the same palette
- there is no problem.
-
- Therefore either sort and reduce
- the color, Icon #7 and Icon #92
- (a painstaking chore) or greyscale
- photographic Images.
-
- * Cut Polygon
- There are many tools to cut and
- paste. The best are available
- in the graphic windows
- when you load a VCX. Choose the
- Edit button. The same can be
- accessed in the CUTTING ROOM,
- choose the Clip Board and Icons
- #77 to #82 in the STUDIO.
-
- * Cut Rectangle
- If you want to cut a square area
- use any of the Cut Rectangle Icons
- or choose Capture in a Text Window
- or in the Screening Room.
- They also have a coordinate ruler.
-
- X Y coordinates
- The standard is that
- X is the horizontal Left edge.
- Y is the vertical Top edge.
- X2 is the horizontal Right edge.
- y2 the Bottom edge.
- XY Left Top Corner
- X2 Y2 Right Bottom corner
- XY X2Y2 The hypotenuse or angular
- bisection from Left top corner to
- Right Bottom Corner.
- Z would be the depth.
- This program deals only in two
- dimensions at this time. Depth is
- achieved with light rather than
- perspective, although you may use
- perspective by calculating it
- yourself.
-
- * Clip Count Number
- The left number in the left color
- square (left edge of the color bar)
- is the clip count number. Unlike
- most programs that only allow you
- to work with one cut image at a
- time, this program lets you use
- as many clips as you have disk
- space. Each time you cut an image
- the number is incremented by one.
- Pasting does not change the number.
- You can manually change the Clip
- Count at any time by clicking the
- mouse on the Clip Count Number.
- If you lower the number, Check to
- be sure you don't write over a
- needed clip the next time you cut
- an area. Save the clip with the
- Save Button if you want to be
- sure this won't happen.
-
- * Finding a clip
- Use Icons #48 and #50 to view the
- previous and next clips.
- Use Icon #75 to find them on C: in
- the current directory or use
- searchmode with the path set at
- CLP*.VCX.
-
- * Saving a clipped Image
- Use the Save Button then choose VCX
- or use the Dos Shell and rename or
- copy command. Or Export as a PCX
- with Icon #105.
-
- * Painting with clips (Bluescreening)
- In television and the movies they
- use a process called Bluescreening
- to superimpose an image on a screen
- background. The news and weather
- often use this. The background is
- a blue screen and using trick
- photography anything blue is
- replaced by another image.
- The same principal applies to Icon
- #55 except any color, not just blue
- can be replaced by the current
- clipped image.
- If you clip an image full window
- with the Camera Icon #35 you can
- replace any background color with
- the image. Press Bluescreen then
- click the mouse in the top left
- corner of the window.If necessary
- put a dab of the color there first.
- If the clipped image is smaller
- than the window it will be
- repeated as many times as it takes
- to reach the other side.
-
- Paste no black #0
- A great advantage to pasting images
- onto backgrounds is the ability
- to paste just the image, not the
- black background that surrounds the
- clip. Depending on the palette you
- are using black may not be color #0
- However by default, it is.
- It is the color number 0 that
- determines whether or not the color
- is pasted, not the actual color
- itself. The palette you are using
- may have white as color #0. In this
- case no white would be pasted.
- Color # 0 is marked on the color
- bar when it is to the left of
- centre.
-
- Animating Pictures
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Once you have an image, the best
- part and most fun, is to bring it
- to life with animation.
- If you have a slow machine ( less
- than 33 Mhz) see Other below.
-
- * Fastest Methods
- Five minute animation:
- 1) Set size number. ( 1 2 or 3)
- 2) Click on Clip Art.
- 3) Select image and paste on the
- right side of window.
- 4) Select Cutting room Icon #46
- 5)Click on the Icon with the arrows
- pointing toward the I to load the
- image into the animation window.
- 6) Click on the Delay Clock (100)
- 7) Click on the action board to
- save first frame.
- 8) Select the Size number ( 100)
- 9) Select one of the Pixel Mover
- Icons #11 to #18 and apply to an
- area of the image that you want
- to move.
- 10) Load the image into the
- animation window again with the
- arrows towards I Icon.
- 11) Save frame 2 with the action
- board again.
- 12) Click on the movie projector.
-
- The image moves back and forth.
- Repeat steps 10 ... 13.
-
- * Other Methods
- If you do not have a fast machine,
- you can animate full screen in
- 320 X 200 mode. These routines
- access video memory directly.
- They only work if the image is
- exactly 320 x 200.
-
- If you have a series of VCX clips
- 320x200
- 1) Set the Clip Count number
- to the first frame clip number.
- 2) Set the Size number to the last
- 3) Select the Movie Projector Icon
- 4) The video mode is changed to
- 320 X 200 and the images are
- thrown onto the screen.
- Click mouse button 1 to slow down
- mouse button 2 to speed up.
- Set the Delay Clock Icon #52 first
- if you want.
- Both Buttons or any key to stop the
- show.
-
- Using Scenery
-
- The Scenery Icon #45 captures and
- blows up an area the size of the
- large work window and delivers you
- to the Cutting Room.
-
- 1)Make a scenery picture as large
- as you can. Highest capable
- resolution full screen if you want.
- 2)Select Scenery Icon.
- 3)Capture a small area of it.
- In reality the whole image
- is captured but only 100 x 80
- shows at one time.
- 4)In the Cutting Room you may now
- use the Zoom and Scroll buttons
- to move the scenery in the
- Animation window. This will give
- the effect of movement, panning
- etc in your animation.
- 5)Create or clip an animated figure.
- 6) Click on the area just below
- the Arrows Toward I Icon. This
- activates color omission.
- The Left color and right color are
- now omitted when the image is
- reduced and loaded into the
- animation window.
- Make the Left and Right color the
- same color as the background.
- 7)Paste the image onto the scene
- using the Arrows Toward I Icon.
- 8) Set the Delay Clock.
- 9) Save frame with the Action Board
- Repeat moving the scenery with the
- scroll buttons and pasting your
- figure with the Arrows Toward I
- Icon. Arrows Away from I blows up
- the image into the large work area.
-
- Zooming In and Out
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Zooming to infinity
- No other program to my knowledge
- allows zooming to infinity in
- either direction as this does.
- (Actually not infinity because of
- integer maximums)
- Why you would want to zoom more than
- 20 times I don't know.
- You would be looking at one dot.
- Zoom in more than about the power
- of 10 and you need a microscope to
- see your picture. Again one dot.
- Nevertheless it's capable.
- However Image clarity suffers in
- either direction.
- Experiment to see how it works.
- Click Button 1 or 2 on Zoom in
- any graphic window.
- Click on zoom in the Cutting Room
- to zoom the scenery that you
- captured with the Scenery Icon.
- Scenery does not zoom out past 1.
- Act 1 animation does not zoom in
- past 1. It is small enough as it
- is.
-
- Improving Clarity
- Once you Zoom out past the power
- of 3 the image is no longer
- solid. This is to maintain a
- reasonable speed when the image
- is painted onto the screen.
- Remember this program can handle
- pictures 4000 dots wide by an
- incredible distance long.
- I have never tested the maximum
- length. Hypothetically you would
- run out of disk space with only
- one image on the disk. An image
- 4,000 x 12,000 at the power of
- only 10 becomes a staggering
- 40,000 x 120,000 or about 67 feet
- wide x 150 feet long. The image
- would require 4,800,000,000 bytes
- of free space uncompressed.
- It is for this reason that images
- are saved at their original size
- and not at their current zoom
- factor. You may save at any time
- but at the power of 10, 1 in 10
- pixels are saved. This makes
- editing very forgiving. I recommend
- using images the size of the window
- you are using. This program was
- designed to animate pictures not
- print wall murals on the sides of
- high rise apartment buildings.
- Past the power of 3, if you use
- the Blend or Pixel Movers the black
- between the pixels will distort the
- image. To correct this, use the
- window scroll buttons to shift
- the pixels without clearing the
- screen between moves. Using this
- technique you will fill in the
- space between pixels.
- Or activate the Omit Color Pixel
- Toggle Icon #19 and set Left and
- Right colors to black # 0. Light
- and Dark does not effect color # 0
- or color #255. However, the Blender
- and Scatter Icons affect all color
- numbers.
-
- If you zoom in however, and put a
- square block of color on an image,
- it becomes a line pattern when
- zoomed out.
- Practice and Experimentation are
- the key.
-
- To move around a large picture
- use the horizontal and vertical
- scroll bars. They are factored
- relative to the current zoom.
- So even if the image was 60 feet
- wide you would move 1/20 at each
- location on the bar.
- A marker is temporarily left on the
- bar as a place holder.
-
- Special Effects
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Ghosting Images
- One of the benefits of zooming out
- and not filling in the area between
- pixels, is that this allows you to
- use that space for another image.
- You may, when you become adept at
- animation, simultaneously animate
- several files on screen at the same
- location at the same time. However
- more than 2 becomes confusing to the
- eye. I have not yet fully explored
- all the possibilities and
- combinations but the capability is
- there for you to explore.
-
- Depth Perception
- "What fools the eye fools them all"
- If you are a creative genius or an
- Art Major you will no doubt have a
- better understanding than myself.
- Leonardo da Vinci developed a
- style of painting known as
- chiaroscuro which means light and
- shadow. His paintings are some
- of the best art mankind has ever
- created. Basically by using light
- you can accent the roundness of
- or depth of objects. For instance
- the cursor in the Screening Room
- and the light buttons throughout
- the program use this technique.
- They are not three dimensional
- although they fool the eye with
- the use of light. Rembrandt carried
- this further with his dramatic
- shadows and mysterious lighting.
- Late in the 19th century a group
- of painters in Paris became
- interested in experiments in the
- fiela of color and light. This
- group known as impressionists
- discovered that shadows are not
- grey or brown in bright light
- but actually purple. They used
- the entire spectrum to show the
- effect of light on an object.
- Yellow is the brightest color so if
- they wanted an area to come forward
- in a painting it was painted yellow.
- To show depth they added dark
- streaks or dots getting darker as
- they wanted the area to appear
- farther away. So to make a long
- story short, the brighter the
- color, the closer it appears and
- vice versa. By using a scaled
- palette this can easily be achieved
- with shades of one color.
- In a mixed palette you must use
- some imagination but the effect
- remains the same. Some day soon
- virtual reality will be as common
- as television. These principals
- will be in use there.
- Not in Leonardo's wildest dreams
- could he have foreseen that!
-
- Gradient Effects
- Using the same technique as above,
- by gradually increasing or
- decreasing the brightness on
- a horizontal or vertical plane
- depth is enhanced. Also it is always
- darker in the corner where the
- light is located getting brighter
- as you move away. Shadows get
- lighter on their outer edges.
- Only by experimenting with light
- and shadow will you develop a
- style that you can call your own.
- The tools are there. I will not
- restrict your creativity by telling
- you the proper way to use them.
- The proper way is what works for
- you. Experiment etc...
- see below
-
- Blending Edges
- Again following the same principals
- as above. Soften an edge with the
- Blender Icon #72. It only works
- on a scaled or sorted palette.
- With a mixed palette you get
- rainbows.
- By using the Blender in
- combination with the Light Dark
- Icon #73 and the Scatter Icon #71
- and the Light Dark Paste Poly
- Icon #80 you have the capabilities
- to bring life into your drawings.
- The Pencil Icon #29 and The Sketch
- Icon #30 also are gradient when
- the size number is greater than 1
- and the palette is sorted or
- scaled. The Blob Draw Icon #25 is
- gradient and moveable. Draw your
- blob, then click button 1 and it
- is gradiently filled toward the
- centre. Move the mouse at the same
- time and the blob moves.
- Two of the Filled Circle Icons
- are also gradient. Icon #58 and
- Icon #60. ( They are actually
- polygons the number of sides being
- determined by the size number
- setting).eg: Size number 8 =octagon
- At 30 they appear round. DO NOT
- SET THE NUMBER HIGH IF YOU HAVE
- A SLOW COMPUTER. You will be
- waiting a long time for 15 million
- lines to be drawn. Press the space
- bar to paste the geodesic design.
-
- Touching up a photo
- I can't imagine why so many men
- young and old have a hobby of
- touching up photos of beautiful
- women but it's a fact.
- If you fall into this category
- you will be interested to know
- this program has the necessary
- tools to do this.
- If the photo is greyscaled it
- is easy to touch up photos with
- the Light Dark Icon #73 in
- combination with the Blender #72
- and the Scatter Icon #71. Use the
- Scatter Icon on shades that are
- closely matched or it will throw
- dark colors all over. Remember
- with Autosave On you have undo
- and redo capability when working
- with a VCX image. Areas virtually
- disappear when you use the Light
- Dark Poly Icon #80. Incidentally
- this is the best tool for
- creating shadow with a scaled
- palette.
-
- Magic Wand
- Removing or touching up an area
- with a mixed palette such as in
- a full color photo has been done
- in the past with cut and paste
- tools. Now you can use this tool,
- if careful to cause areas to
- disappear. Half the fun is in
- experimentation so I will not
- go into great detail. I will
- tell you however how to use it.
- Set the size number (30)
- Press the Magic Icon #74
- Move Mouse see cursor
- Click button 2 and paint with
- a sampled area opposite the spray.
- Click button 1 to change direction
- of spray. An arrow is provided to
- show where the spray will go.
- Works like magic. Better at zoom
- factor 2 .
-
- Fonts
- ~~~~~
- On a more serious note there has
- been a lot of interest lately in
- Fonts so I created a fairly user
- friendly way for you to create
- your own fonts.
-
- Creating new fonts
-
- Virtually thousands of Font
- combinations are possible.
- Shading, Size, Stretching and depth
- in endless possibilities.
- Choose the Font Designer Icon #85
- Push buttons, you will soon figure
- it out with the exception of the
- stretch and shadow scroll. In the
- centre of the four way scroll
- button is the Shadow Stretch
- toggle.
- Choose OK when done. You will be
- prompted to save to disk or not.
- Either way the font becomes the
- current font for use by the
- TEXT Icon #86.
- I have provided several examples.
- Fonts must have the extension .FNT
- The text windows are presently
- not hooked into these fonts. The
- text window fonts are the Copyright
- property of Borland Internation
- and have the extension .CHR
- Used by permission as per licence.
- Text windows are area formatted to
- allow Cyberfind to operate.
- It is a delicate operation
- requiring precision and home made
- fonts don't measure up in all
- cases.
- You may change the font and it's
- size in a text window with the
- Font and Size buttons.
- Cyberfind returns to the machine
- standard 8x8 font in normal size
- because the characters are the
- most consistent in size.
-
- Loading fonts from disk
-
- Choose Font Files Icon #87
- To load a font from disk just
- click on the name in the Screening
- Room. Nothing visible happens
- but the font is made the current
- font for use with the TEXT ICON
- #86.
-
- Compatibility
- The fonts you create are in no way
- compatible or useable in any other
- program unless they are in a
- picture and saved as a PCX.
- Borland fonts extension CHR are
- compatible with Borland Products.
-
- Changing Color
-
- Set the Left and Right colors to
- change the font colors that you
- make or that have the extension
- FNT.
-
- Text Color in Documents
- To change the Text window colors
- choose the Text File Color Icon
- #97.
-
- You may change any color including
- text in a picture with the Swap
- Color Icon #9 or the Eraser Icon
- #5.
-
- Adding Text
- ~~~~~~~~~~~
- Easiest Methods
- Choose the Font Files Icon #87
- to select a font.
- To include text in a picture
- set the left and right colors then
- use the TEXT Icon to type text.
- Then cut and paste onto the picture.
- Or Capture text in a text window and
- paste onto your picture.
-
- Fastest Methods
- Set the font style and size in a
- text window. Capture the text.
- Load your picture. Paste the text.
-
- Recommended methods
-
- Practice creating your own fonts
- and experimenting with the Right
- and Left Colors. Save every font
- you make that you like, naming them
- as descriptively as possible.
- Font files take up very little
- disk space. You will soon have
- a very extensive font library.
- To date, when you print from
- a text window the font is not used.
- You must manually set the font
- on your printer. Soon better
- Printer support will be finished
- and made available to Bulletin
- Boards around the world. At that
- time the cost of this program
- will dramatically increase.
- Fortunate are those that register
- now. For now, paste text into a
- VCX picture then Export as a PCX
- compatible and use your favourite
- printing program that supports
- PCX files.
- Almost all fine programs do.
-
- Capturing Text
- In a text window you can cut a
- rectangular area with the Capture
- button. You may also make the
- page current then exit the window
- and use any Capture or Cut Poly
- tool in the Studio.
-
- Pasting Text
- Treat the captured text like any
- other clip board VCX. The Clip
- Count Number is used the same
- way as any other clip in this
- program.
-
-
- Artificial Intelligence
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- What is A.I.
- Since Blaise Pascal first invented
- a calculator for his father, a
- calculator by trade ( That's right,
- people who's job it was to tally
- numbers were called calculators,
- and computers) people have been
- trying to make computers think
- for themselves.
- People have made them out of wood
- with buckets and gears and every
- kind of contraption. Computers still
- cannot carry on a very intelligent
- conversation, but they have come
- a long way from wood and buckets.
- Pascal incidentally was one of the
- great geniuses of all time. He
- along with a handful of free
- thinkers revolutionized
- the world. He makes for very
- interesting reading if you have
- the time to read about him. His
- accomplishments are wide and varied
- from mathematics to philosophy.
- (1623-1662) I continually come
- across his name. Some of his
- accomplishments include:
- Age 10: Propounded an acoustic
- theory in advance of the views
- entertained at his time.
- Age 12: Evolved geometry from his
- own reflections.
- Age 15: composed a treatise on
- conic sections still used today.
-
- An adding machine
- Atmospheric weight decreases at
- Altitude.
- Pascal's Law of fluid dynamics
- used today in hydraulic brakes.
- Theory of probability
- Pascal's Triangle
- etc... etc... etc...
-
- Incidentally this program is
- written in Pascal. No he didn't
- invent that, Nicholas Wirth named
- it in his honour.
- None the less that's how it all
- began a mere 350 or so years ago.
-
- Today we have psycho analyst
- programs, speech recognition,
- neural networks that mimic the
- human brain. Machines with
- capabilities far beyond the human
- mind. Hog wash you say? How fast
- can you calculate pi to 1000
- decimal places? or 100,000 and
- remember it. What good is it?
- Medicine, statistics, engineering,
- making life better for people like
- us.
- Artificial Intelligence is man's
- quest to expand his mind through
- machinery.
- The whole universe can be broken
- down to a series of two choices.
- Yes No, On Off, Big Small
- Whole Part, 0 1 .
-
- Words such as hierarchy, class
- and objects are used to catalogue
- the way we think. Without going
- into a lot of computerise I will
- simply state, it is an attempt to
- look objectively at the way we
- as human beings process information
- in our brains. And no I don't
- think some day Terminators will
- take over the world.
- But it will set a lot of people
- free from lives of drudgery.
- Shall we mourn the loss of an
- assembly line job.
- I say nay, let's rejoice!.
- The greatest advancements in
- civilisation come when people have
- time to think. It will set us free.
-
- What is an Expert System
- An Expert System in lay mans terms
- is the task of taking a persons
- knowledge and experience on a
- subject and putting that knowledge
- into a computer program to make
- that knowledge and experience
- available to anyone at anytime.
- An expert may leave a company or
- retire or become the competition
- or be at home sick or be on holiday
- or be in France, but with an expert
- system, the expert is available 24
- hours a day, can clone himself
- indefinitely, rarely complains
- or asks for a raise and in short
- is there with the information you
- need when you need it. Now, not
- next tuesday buried in a quagmire
- of secretaries and long distance
- telephone calls.
- I have included an expert system
- that I have created to try and
- make the learning of this program
- easier and to provide support
- that would ordinarily tie me up
- on the phone and prevent me from
- improving my programs. For the
- sake of this program I am the
- expert because I created it. I
- therefore know more about how it
- works than anyone else. So I have
- attempted to put this knowledge
- at your fingertips. If I hired
- support staff they would probably
- end up asking me anyway. I have
- eliminated the middle man saving
- both time and money. That is one
- example of how A.I. can benefit
- people.
-
- What is a Knowledge Base
-
- A knowledge base is a generic term
- for the catalogued information of
- the domain experts. Domain meaning
- problem domain. If there was no
- problem you would not need answers.
- A domain expert is generally someone
- in the trenches who is closest to
- the problem and deals with it on
- a daily basis.
- Knowledge base: Collection of
- knowledge.
-
- What is an Inference Engine
- An inference engine is -
- metaphorically speaking -
- the specific mechanical process
- involved in retrieving the
- information to solve the problem.
-
- What is Fuzzy Logic
-
- Loosely described, fuzzy logic is
- a term used to define a process
- an AI system uses to make a
- decision based on the available
- incomplete information. In other
- words the program makes a best
- guess.
-
- What good is it anyway
- In the past if a system did not
- have an answer that exactly matched
- the question put to it, it could
- not give any answer at all.
- By using fuzzy logic it is
- capable of analyzing more
- possibilities.
- It is already being widely used in
- all areas throughout the world.
- In Japan, people are so fastenated
- with gizmos and gadgets that they
- have vacuum cleaners and washers
- with built in fuzzy logic. It
- analyses the type of carpet, or
- fabric, the amount of dirt etc.
- and sets it operations accordingly.
- Optical recognition software and
- voice recognition software use
- fuzzy logic.
- Fuzzy logic is everywhere but not
- always evident to the user.
-
- What are the draw backs
- It's easier to make mistakes if you
- do not have all the necessary
- input. Nonetheless a best guess is
- often better than no reply at all.
-
- * How to interact with the AI
- component.
- In the bottom right corner of the
- Screening room is the AI button.
- Click once to turn it on.
- Simple.
- It is always on watching for errors
- but you may interact with it by the
- above.
-
- If you have the available disk space
- create a knowledge base combining
- copies of all the program
- documentation. In this way you
- will find answers to your
- questions fast.
-
-
- AniPaint (c)1993 by Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- ************************ Problems and Solutions ***********************
-
- File Problems
-
- 90 percent of all problems associated with computer programs
- occur with FILE IO (file in out). That is, opening & closing,
- writing to files, etc. Communication between the program and the
- hard disk. The reason for this is that many times situations
- occur that are beyond the control of the program.
- The user has as much control over the hard disk as most programs.
- They may accidentally delete needed files or put things in the
- wrong place, or configure their system in a way that makes
- program operation difficult or impossible.
- Read all documentation accompanying this program and you will
- have a far better understanding of how the program works and what
- may be wrong. Make sure your system is set up as it should be and
- that you have a complete copy of AniPaint and that all included
- files are there where they should be. See README.1ST
- A fatal error (crash) might happen due to lack of available
- memory, or memory conflict, or driver incompatibility. Just
- reboot if it should happen. This program has been thoroughly
- tested and does not crash when used correctly. Like every other
- program, everything in my power has been done to avoid a crash.
- Nonetheless Murphy's law works on computers as well as anything
- else.
- Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong it will and at the worst
- possible moment.
- If by chance a crash does occur you will find your work on C: if
- you do not use the ramdrive option. In fact everything will be
- the same as it was prior. If you use the ramdrive option
- then all temporary data is lost when you reboot. If your system
- is not fully compatible and this type of thing happens, then
- identify the problem by causing it to happen again, then write me
- a letter, if you cannot fix the problem yourself. Registered
- users only please. If you can live with it, then you may want to
- disable the ramdrive option in CONFIGIT.EXE to ensure that your
- work is not lost when it happens.
-
- Free Space
-
- You need free space to write information to a file.
- If you are like most people, you cram as much information onto
- your hardrive as possible and operated with a minimum of free
- space. It seems no matter how big your hard drive is it is never
- big enough. Programs not long ago could be put on a single 320 k
- floppy. Not any more. Now it seems they are 10 high density disks
- or over 10 million bytes. I am limiting my program to allow it to
- be transferred in a reasonable period of time by someone with an
- older modem . If it wasn't for this fact, I would include far
- more clip art and additional programming and utilities. Not to
- mention animation files which can grow to enormous size.
- Disk compaction helps, but again the information seems to expand
- to fit the available space. So to avoid problems, if you are not
- using information on your disk, compress it or back it up and
- make room. Ongoing maintenance in this area is essential to
- today's large programs.
-
- Messing up needed files
-
- If you don't know what a file is, don't mess with it.
- Operation of the program can be Easily totally disabled if you
- remove or alter a file that the program needs to operate. If not
- totally, disabled then partially disabled to the point that
- figuring out what went wrong might be impossible. Keep a neat
- house. Try not to put your work files in with the program files.
- Use sub directories. The small inconvenience of switching
- directories is worth the effort.
-
- Stick to convention
-
- If a file is text, name it with some sort of text extension and
- stick to the same format. At least be consistent in naming the
- file extensions.
- This program, like most others, loads and handles files according
- to the last three characters. A PCX is not a PCX unless the
- extension is PCX.
- You have 8 characters for a name and 3 characters for an
- extension. Use them as wisely as you can.
-
- Archive attributes
-
- Dos provides several file attributes including READ ONLY. This
- program allows you to set files as read only by choosing the
- right corner light button, then choosing protect. The benefit is
- to provide a safety device to ensure the file will not be
- overwritten, or accidentally erased, and to protect it in the
- program from prying eyes. However, if you protect a file that the
- program needs to write over such as a temporary file, all
- operations that use that file will be disabled until you
- unprotect it. At DOS attrib -r removes the protection.
- See your DOS manual on the attrib command for more information.
-
- Recovering deleted files
-
- If you accidentally delete a program file, you must go
- immediately to DOS and use the undelete command to recover it.
- You will have to compare the list of needed files (README.1st)
- with the files that exist, to determine what files are missing
- and what the first letter in the name is.
- If you wait, the area on the disk will be used perhaps the next
- time the program writes to disk, in which case you will have to
- reload the entire program from your back up set. ( which I am
- sure everyone has) If you don't, you are out of luck plain and
- simple. It is time to call up a friend and get their copy. Keep
- that registration number in a safe place, you never know when you
- might need it. If the wrong file or files get altered, you will
- have to enter it again.
- Backing up your work
-
- In 12 years I have never had a disk fail on me. However I have
- heard of it happening often. Anything mechanical sooner or later
- breaks down. It seems that with hard drives the bearings wear
- out. Where there is any friction there is wear. As long as your
- computer is on, the disk is spinning, it is only a matter of
- time. If you have a 210 meg hard drive you probably don't still
- have just one 320 k floppy drive. Can you imagine backing up 210
- meg with 320 k floppies? I highly recommend a tape back up if you
- are serious about graphics. I use one. It is not lightning fast
- but it is very easy to use and extremely convenient. I can back
- up my entire drive while I sleep or make small 20 meg back up
- sets in 3 or 4 minutes.
- Not only does it safeguard against disk failure but it protects
- me from myself as well. Accidental erasure, or if I get off on a
- wild tangent and decide later to scrap what I have done, I can go
- back to a point that I am happy with and not have to start all
- over. Back up your work, it is a chore but it is worth it. See
- your DOS manual. MS-DOS 6 has a new backup utility option.
-
- Where the problem may be
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- As creator of this program I probably have the best guess
- as to what may go wrong. If it is the fault of the program
- the problem may be in the file format. This program loads
- any file. This can be a dangerous proposition not knowing
- all the file formats that exist in the world.
- This program only saves files in a format that it creates,
- with the exception of PCX. If it does not recognize the format
- it loads it as text. For all I know there may be other VCX
- files out there. There most certainly are FNT, PAL and ICO
- files out there. THESE FILES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS
- PROGRAM UNLESS CREATED BY ANIPAINT. If you attempt to load
- a file other than PCX that was not created with this program,
- unpredictable results may occur.
- Be sure you have read all the documentation and know how to use
- the program correctly before you start swearing at me.
-
- Compression
-
- PCX files as well as most older graphic file types use
- compression algorithms in their files. I do not. There are so
- many good compression utilities and disk compaction programs that
- it has become redundant. Speed is the key. An uncompressed file
- can be loaded faster because there are less steps involved in
- putting it onto the screen. If you have a fast computer with an
- excellerator card and tons of on board memory, you may not notice
- the difference. But if you don't even have SVGA, or
- are still using a 286, then every bit of speed counts.
- You may still find this program slow at any rate. If you do, then
- try to confine your graphic work to 320 x 200 mode.
- See speeding up the program at the end of SCREENRM.DOC.
-
- Dos 6 has an automatic built in compression option, so for me to
- add compression routines to these files would not improve the
- disk compaction. There are many fine compression utilities
- available including PKZIP that if you are familiar with
- communications you will no doubt already have. If not
- ask someone for a copy. One final note on compression,
- when you export a PCX from this program it is not compressed
- either. Compression schemes often change with new versions
- and I felt that I could extend the compatibility for years
- to come if I did not compress these files. The program you load
- the PCX with, may not know the file is uncompressed.
- If you want to compress it after you load it into another
- program, just save the file with the other program.
- If you are working with a minimum of space, create Batch files
- that zip and unzip your files as you see fit. You can escape to
- the DOS shell in either the Paint Studio using the Dos Shell
- Icon, or use the upper right hand corner light button in the
- screening room. See your DOS manual on Batch Files and your
- compression documentation that accompanied the compression
- utility you are using.
-
- Important note:
- If you have limited conventional memory, you will not even be
- able to use the DOS Shell, let alone any compression utility.
- Optimize your System first. You may check your available
- conventional memory by clicking on the little black box beside
- FILES/DIRECTORY in the Screening Room. It has an A,B,C, or D in
- the box depending on the current drive. To change drives, enter
- the command C: or D: or A: or B: on the pathline above it.
- If it doesn't change, press Cancel, then Clear Desk.
-
- If things are looking terribly wrong all of a sudden or acting
- very strange, you may have corrupted your configuration files.
- Delete DRAWCFG.KEY and FILECFG.KEY and they will be replaced
- by new files when you next load the program.
-
- Test the mouse delay in CONFIGIT, then set the mouse delay using
- the Mouse Set Icon. The Mouse Set Icon takes precedence over
- Configit. If you disable the program with the Mouse Set Icon
- you will have to delete FILECFG.KEY in the C:\ANIPAINT
- directory.
-
-
- AniPaint (c) 1993 Rick Sobie
- PKZIP is the property of PKWARE.
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<********* Graphic Drivers ***********>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-
- In CONFIGIT, Choose a driver in the Graphics Drivers Menu then
- go to the Program Options Menu and Select that Driver as your
- default driver.
- Once you have done this, choose Save in the Program Options Menu.
- This information will be written into your user configuration
- file and, when you load AniPaint, that driver will be used. Once
- inside AniPaint you may switch drivers and modes if your system is
- capable of other drivers or modes.
-
- This program requires a minimum VGA adapter. If you have an EGA
- only, don't attempt to load a VGA driver, all the wishing and
- hoping in the world won't make it work. With the SVGA drivers, No
- checks are made to determine if you have a minimum VGA. So do not
- use them if you do not have at minimum, VGA capabilities. If you
- have a VGA or SVGA, you can use the EGA resolution as well.
-
- If you are experiencing problems switching drivers in the
- program, (especially the 16 color drivers), then set the driver
- in CONFIGIT.EXE, and don't change drivers in the program.
- Choose the Disable Mode Switching Option in CONFIGIT.
-
- This program was designed for 256 color use. It is possible to
- use it in 16 color mode, however it is slower. I mean SLOWER! Not
- just a little slower, a lot slower. If you have a fast
- machine, you get spoiled easy, and when you have to wait a
- little, it can be very annoying. If you still have a slow
- machine you may be used to waiting.
- The smaller the screen, the less information has to be processed.
- Try to confine yourself to a smaller screen unless you don't mind
- waiting a bit. See Speeding Up the Program in SCREENRM.DOC.
-
- If you have an SVGA with 1 meg of on board memory, then you are
- lucky, proving the card is compatible. With my Paradise
- compatible SVGA graphics adapter I can load any of these
- drivers, and switch back and forth from 16 color in any mode to
- 256 color in any mode. You should be able to do the same. I still
- find the 16 color drivers too slow to use for any length of time.
- ( If you are using Microsoft Windows, try running AniPaint from
- DOS instead.)
- If you have a standard VGA, I suggest you use 256 color 320x200
- mode. It is fast . However it get's a little crowded since you
- are actually using only a tiny corner of the intended screen
- size. Find ways of working around this that work for you. Some
- tasks will require you to switch to either EGA 16 mode or VGA 16
- mode because the screen just isn't large enough in 320x200. Don't
- try to switch to 1200x1024 if you don't have a machine that is
- capable of this resolution.
-
- If you attempt to convert 2 color PCX in 16 color mode it
- will not work. Use any 256 color mode first, then switch to 16
- color if you must, and load the VCX conversion.
- VCX files are useable across any driver or mode. Although
- the palette record must be correct for the mode you are in. In 16
- color mode, only the first 16 color numbers are used. If you are
- trying to view a 256 color photographic image in 16 color mode,
- it will not look correct. Convert the 256 color PCX using a 16
- color resolution.
- All 256 color PCX files converted to 256 color VCX, are
- better converted in 256 color mode.
- The original is always unchanged any time a PCX is loaded.
-
- The IBM8514 is also available but you must enter the correct
- parameters on the command line. ANIPAINT /IBM8514 loads
- the driver for use with the program. My adapter can not
- use the IBM8514. The system locks up and I have to reboot.
- The same may happen to you if your graphic card is not
- compatible with it. This driver is supplied by Borland
- International and remains their property.
-
- You must enter the command ANIPAINT /IBM8514 <0> or <1>
- omit the brackets. 0 is 640x480 256 colors and 1 is 1024x768. If
- this is the driver you use all the time, create a batch file
- called PAINT1.BAT and PAINT2.BAT to save some key strokes
- eg:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- At DOS type this
-
- C:\ANIPAINT>COPY CON PAINT1.BAT
-
- ANIPAINT /IBM8514 0
- ^Z
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- (don't type C:\ANIPAINT> that's the directory you should be in.)
- The ^Z is done by holding the CTRL key and pressing Z .
- Repeat the process for PAINT2.BAT and substitute the 0 for a 1.
- Now when you start ANIPAINT you will type PAINT1 or PAINT2
- to load the Program.
- Once inside you will probably not be able to switch modes.
- Disable mode switching in CONFIGIT if you have any problems
- changing modes.
-
- See your DOS manual for more information on Batch Files.
-
- Use Autodetection for the ATT400 driver.
-
- If you have a card capable of 1200x1024 256 colors you may enter
- the command ANIPAINT /SUPERHI on the DOS commandline.
- You need an SVGA with 1.2 meg of memory to use this driver. This
- will load the 1200x1024 256 color mode driver. It is not very
- practical because the text and Icons are quite small in this
- resolution but for paste up it may be what you want.
- Be sure your system is capable of this resolution or don't
- use it. Once inside the program you can switch down but not back
- up. You will have to exit and reload the program to switch back up
- to 1200x1024 256 color. A picture that is 320x200 seems like a
- postage stamp at this resolution.
- You can zoom it out to fill the screen though. One full screen
- picture is 1,228,000 bytes so have lots of disk space available.
-
- If you have some type of special graphics card or high tech
- super driver, then one more possibility exits.
-
- Use the switch ANIPAINT /other You must have a vendor supplied
- BGI driver to use this option. A BGI driver is sometimes supplied
- with the board. It must have the extension .BGI and be put into
- the ANIPAINT directory. You will be prompted for it's name
- eg: FASTDRVR.BGI
- Then you will be asked for a valid graph driver number, and graph
- mode number to pass to this driver to initialize it into graphics.
- See your vendor supplied documentation for information.
-
- Trying to make a program that can be used by a wide range of
- machines is difficult to say the least. Only recently have the
- manufacturers got their act together and are starting to comply
- to a standard that is compatible. VESA is the standard but not
- all adapters are truly VESA compatible.
- The SVGA256 and VESA16 drivers are VESA compatible, so if you
- have a compatible card there should be no problem.
-
- If none of these drivers work for you I am sorry, consider
- upgrading your system, and when you do, be sure to ask if the
- graphics adapter is VESA compatible. Almost all graphic
- programs in the future will support VESA.
-
- AniPaint (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- CONFIGIT (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<************* ANIMATION *****************>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-
- Important! If you have a system slower than 50 mhz ,
- read Speeding up the Program at the end of SCREENRM.DOC.
- Use ACT2 animation instead of ACT1 animation.
-
- There are many types of animation and many things people refer to
- as animation from ANSI text to sprite animation in video games.
- This program uses animation the same way they do on T.V. and in
- the Movies. One frame at a time. You create a series of frames,
- then you play them back quickly.
-
-
-
- ACT2 Animation If you feel the need for speed.
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- These routines write directly to Video Memory and because of this
- the file size must be 64772 bytes.
- 320x200=64000 bytes + 772 bytes for the file header.
- When you save an ACT2 animation CLIP it is saved at 320 pixels
- wide by 200 pixels long.
- (A file header contains the information as to how the data
- in the file is to be interpreted by the program. You need not
- concern yourself with this unless you are a programmer writing
- a program that can read these files. If you are, see file
- REGISTER.DOC)
-
- Easy Method
- ***********
- 1) Load any picture any size into a graphic window.
- 2) Clip or zoom or manipulate the image with the scroll
- bars or buttons until it is approximately 320x200 in the
- left top corner of the window.
- 3) Choose the Edit Menu button on the top row of the window.
- 4) Select Capture ACT2 animation.
- The area 320x200 in the top left corner is saved as CLP#.VCX
- where # is the next Clip Count number in sequence.
- It will be saved on D:\CLIPS if it is available or on C: in
- C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not.
- The Clip Count Number will be incremented by twenty if the
- current clip count number is less than twenty. This is to
- separate your scratch work clips from your animation clips.
- All clip boards use the Clip Count number to determine the
- name of the file. See Clip Count in STUDIO.DOC for more info.
- 5) Repeat steps 1 through 4 above.
- 6) When you have a few ACT2 Clips saved, go to the Paint Studio
- and set the Clip Count number (extreme left of color bar) to the
- number of the first clip that you made.
- 7) Set the Size Number (extreme right of the color bar) to the
- number of the last Clip that you made.
-
- Again, so I make myself clear, the first frame starts playing at
- the currently set Clip Count number and plays frames until it
- reaches the Size Number, then it repeats.
- In this case, if you have made no clips prior to starting this,
- the first frame will be 21 and the last will be 21 + the number
- of frames.
- Once you have done this Play back the series by selecting the
- Projector Icon #51.
- If you hear a series of clicks, either the Clip count number or
- the Size number are not set correctly and the routine cannot find
- one or more frames. If mode switching has been disabled in
- CONFIGIT.EXE you will first have to switch to 320x200 mode using
- CONFIGIT.
- If you have followed the instructions above and you have a system
- capable of VGA 320x200 mode in 256 colors (any standard VGA) then
- you will see the frames being played. If the frames are all the
- same it will appear as if nothing is happening.
- Use Mouse Button 1 to slow down the frames or Button 2 to speed
- them up. The default delay is 50 milliseconds or as set by the
- next Icon the Delay Clock #51.
-
- Set the Size Number, Click on the clock. That sets the delay time
- between frames. Once the sequence is playing you may still
- use the mouse to speed up or slow down.
-
- To exit the animation sequence, Click both mouse buttons at the
- same time.
-
- To vary the delay for more realistic animation, write a script
- and use the command 320x200FRAMEDELAY:
- see ANIMATION SCRIPTS below or Presentations in SCREENRM.DOC for
- more information.
-
- Standard Method
- ***************
-
- 1) Go to the Paint Studio.
- 2) Draw or edit a picture until it is 320x200
- 3) Save the frame with the Action Icon #49
- It keeps track of the frame number and is displayed on the Icon.
- 4) Use any of the tools to alter the image.
- 5) Click again on the Action Icon, the frame is saved.
- Remember only the area 320 pixels x 200 pixels in the
- left top corner of the window is saved.
- If you are in 320x200 resolution mode, the entire screen is
- saved. Continue altering, saving, redrawing etc until you have
- the series of clips that you require, then set the Clip Count
- number to the first clip frame number and set the Size number to
- the number corresponding to the last frame number.
- 6) Use Icons #48 or #50 to view the previous and next Clip Board
- files.
- 7) Once you have the series complete, if you want to save it you
- can go to DOS using the Shell or exit to DOS and rename the files
- to something other than CLP#.VCX If you don't, they will be
- written over the next time.
- or
- Load the clip into a window then choose the Save Button to
- rename it.
- To do this, go to the Screening room and change drives to D: if
- D: is available then switch directories to CLIPS,
- then enter CLP*.VCX on the pathline. If D: is not available then
- change directory to CLIPS and enter CLP*.VCX on the
- pathline. In the Paint Studio you may choose the ClipBoard
- Icon #75. It does the same thing for you using Searchmode.
-
- The directory list will appear in the Directory area.
- Then load the clips one at a time and save them one at a time
- using the Save Button.
-
- Once they have been renamed you can no longer play them in the
- Studio. You have to enter the names into a list or Script and
- play them back either in the Screening Room or with PLAYACT1 at
- DOS.
-
- To write a script you can use an ACII text editor or select the
- Script Icon #54 to create the file SCRIPT.TXT which is
- a list of file pathnames. See Script Icon in STUDIO.DOC
- for more information on the Script Icon.
-
- When you create a Presentation using the last Icon in the
- Studio or the Presentation Button in the Screening Room
- it does not prompt you for ACT2 animation. It only
- prompts you for ACT1 animation because ACT1 animation
- is one file. If it prompted for ACT2 animation you
- would have to type in every file name in your sequence
- which would no doubt lead to too many errors.
-
- You may however add ACT2 animation to any ACT script file
- with an ASCII text editor or word processor that can export
- ASCII text.
- Just add the command FAST320x200VCX:framepathname
- where framepathname is the name of the clip frame.
- See Presentation Button in SCREENRM.DOC for more
- information on ACT script files.
-
- Very Important!! All Act2 animation sequences are played
- in 320x200 VGA resolution only.
- If the current video mode is not 320x200 VGA it will
- be switched to it unless mode switching is disabled.
- So if you mix ACT1 animation with ACT2 separate them
- and put the ACT2 animation at the end because once it
- switches to 320x200 mode it will not switch back until
- you do so manually with the buttons at the bottom of
- the Screening Room.
- Also you must save the Palette of one of the frames
- and enter the command SETPALETTENAME:palettename.PAL
- where palettename is the name of a valid Anipaint
- palette file, before the list of ACT2 frames or the
- palette will probably not be correct.
- Act1 animation sets the palette automatically but the
- FAST320x200 does not as this again would slow things down.
- If you have more than one palette change, save the
- palette again and enter that name prior to the frame
- that uses a different palette.
-
- Use the command 320x200FRAMEDELAY to set the delay
- between frames in the script. The maximum delay is
- 6000 milliseconds. So if you want it to delay for
- an hour between frames you will have to repeat the
- command many times in a row, the total adding
- up to the desired wait.
-
- To edit the sequence either set the clip count
- number manually to the corresponding frame number and
- write over it with the next clip or load the file
- into a window and click the right corner light
- button of the window and choose delete to destroy
- the frame. If you don't write over the empty clip
- you will hear a click every time that the projector
- Icon trys to play the frame. To edit a script
- just delete the line containing the name.
-
- Even if you are working in 16 color mode, the files
- will be 256 color VCX with palette information
- attached to the file. Any time you are in 16 color
- mode in this program you are using a 256 color
- palette but only viewing 16 of the 256 available
- colors.
- The benefit to this is you can create the files in
- any mode and then play them in 256 color 320x200 VGA
- mode when you want to view them. However depending on
- the palette the colors may or may not be correct. Check
- the palette colors first by loading one of your clips
- in 320x200 256 color mode. You can change the palette of
- any picture by using the Picture Color Icon #95
- in the Paint Studio.
-
- Finally, if you are planning on sharing your animation with the
- world, keep in mind that although PLAYACT1 can use
- screen resolution to 1024x768, fewer computers are out there that
- support SVGA than support VGA at this time. Also there are fewer
- 50mhz computers than there are slow machines so
- use ACT2 for speed.
-
-
- Draw backs
- **********
- Act2 animation files are not compressed because of the need for
- speed. Compression slows things down too much by adding steps to
- the file handling routines.
- 10 ACT2 animation frames are 647,720 bytes. 100 frames are
- 6,477,200 bytes so watch your disk space.
-
- They play back faster if they are on D: because D: is a Virtual
- Drive On a fast modern system you may not notice any difference
- at all on C: or D:. Hard drive Access speed , size of cache etc..
- are all determining factors.
-
- If you have made a series of clips that you want to share with
- the world they compress very well with PKZIP. Just uncompress
- them before playing the script. I am providing a player free of
- charge with this release. It is called PLAYACT1.EXE It plays any
- ACT script and may be distributed freely for private use although
- I reserve all rights to it. If you load an ACT script file in the
- File Screening Room it will play the script then load the script
- into a window so that you can view the script. ACT scripts must
- have the extension .ACT . If not they will not play in the File
- Screening Room.
-
- If you want to combine 320x200 ACT2 with text in a presentation,
- you will have trouble fitting text onto the screen.
- Text in 320x200 mode is really crappy. There just isn't enough
- room to put text with a nice font onto the screen. You will
- either have to use the default system font or Font #2 (the small
- font) or create your own small font with the Font Creator Icon in
- the Studio. See STUDIO.DOC for more information.
- One way around this would be to create a batch file that calls
- Playact1 using different resolutions and different ACT script
- files. Using higher resolutions for text and perhaps some ACT1
- animation and using 320x200 mode for ACT2 animation sequences.
- See your DOS manual for information on writing batch files.
-
- Remember! With ACT2, If the current resolution is not 320x200 it
- will be changed to 320x200 so if you have included a background
- picture that is 1024x768 in a script after ACT2 animation, you
- are only going to see the top left corner of the background
- displayed.
- Put it first before the ACT2 sequence.
-
- See the ACT2 Demo by clicking on Demos in the Screening Room and
- selecting ACT2 Demo. Due to the size of these files I could not
- include real samples with this package. However they will be
- created when you use the demo. A simple series of balls are
- placed on the screen. Then the pixel mover Icon is loaded. Use
- Button 2 to move some pixels then click Button 1 to end the first
- process. Next the first frame will be saved for you and then
- another direction of pixel mover will be loaded. Again move some
- pixels by pressing Button 2 . Button 1 to end that process. Next
- the frame will be saved again for you and the process continues
- until 5 frames are done. Then when the fifth frame is saved it is
- played back for you. If everything is all right you will see the
- changes you made happen in sequence on the screen. Button 1 to
- slow down and Button 2 to speed up. If you have a real slow
- machine the animation may still not be fast enough for a
- realistic effect. If you have a reasonably fast machine the
- changes in frames will happen quickly.
- At least you will get an idea of the speed.
- You must be in a 256 color mode to use this demo.
- Clip Count numbers from 100 to 105 will be used on D:\CLIPS if D:
- is available or C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not.
- If these files already exist because you have previously made a
- hundred clips in one session (unlikely) and you need them,
- rename these existing clips that you have made prior to running
- the demo.
-
- Converting ACT1 to ACT2 animation
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Even if you have a slow machine, you may wish to use the Cutting
- Room to create an animation sequence, then convert it to ACT2
- 320x200 to play it back quicker.
-
- To do this, create an ACT1 sequence of frames, then choose the
- clip board Icon in the Cutting Room. There is an option in the
- pop up menu that will capture the small animation window and save
- it as an ACT2 320x200 frame. A background is added to compensate
- for the difference in frame size. ACT1 is 100x80.
- Each time you save a frame the Clip Count is incremented.
- Alternate loading your ACT1 frame into the animation window and
- saving the ACT2 frame using the Clip Board Icon.
-
- When you are done, treat the clips like any other ACT2 frame.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- ACT1 Animation
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- If you have a fast machine you will enjoy creating animated
- sequences using the Cutting Room.
-
- Advantages
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The advantage to using ACT1 animation is that the frames are
- Zoomable and they run in any resolution.
- Using the Story Board Icon you can trade frames with ease.
- In fact you can create an animated sequence of 100 frames in 15
- minutes once you know how to use the cutting room effectively.
- ACT1 animated sequences can be incorporated into a Presentation
- with a Full Screen background and a text window.
- Change palettes at the touch of a button.
- Pan Zoom and many special effects including blurred movement can
- be used.
- You have complete control of the sequence in a window specially
- designed for them. Just load the ANI file into a window like any
- other file in the Screening Room.
- One advantage to their small size is that imperfections don't
- show up quite as much. You draw in the window zoomed out and the
- frame is shrunk when it is loaded into the animation window.
-
- All the tools you need are conveniently contained in the Cutting
- Room.
-
- Image ghosting, fades and multiple sequences at the same time are
- possible, not to mention the myriad of possible combinations that
- have not yet been explored.
-
- You can superimpose them on a background first created with the
- Scenery Icon.
-
- Another advantage is that all ACT1 frames are contained in one
- file. ACT2 frames are all separate files.
-
- Disadvantages
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- They are not very big because even a 486 66mhz is not fast
- enough to manipulate a large ACT1 animation sequence. They do not
- use direct video memory access. They use high level routines.
- Switch resolutions to 320 x 200 and they seem larger, or zoom
- them out.
-
- They are not very fast for the same reason.
-
- Image quality becomes grainy at higher zooms in order to
- retain the speed and maintain their device independence. Use a
- solid black background behind a zoomed out ACT1 for best
- visibility.
-
- Creating ACT1 Animation
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Whenever you create ACT1 animation it uses the temporary file
- ACT1.ANI on D: if available or C: if not.
- When you create the first frame with the Action Board Icon
- in the Cutting Room it looks to see if ACT1.ANI exists. If
- it does the frame becomes the next frame in the sequence.
- If ACT1 does not exist it creates it. If you want to begin
- a new sequence Save ACT1.ANI under another name with the
- Save Button (if you want to save a previously made sequence) and
- then delete ACT1.ANI by loading it into a window in the Screening
- Room and choosing the right corner Light Button.
- Then choose Delete. Now when you save the frame, ACT1.ANI
- is created from scratch and the frame becomes frame 1.
- To change or save the Palette to the file, use any Icon or
- Button that changes the palette, to make the palette you
- want, the current active palette. Then choose the crayons
- in the Cutting Room to write the palette info to the ACT1.ANI
- file. I originally allowed different palettes in one file but
- changed it for technical reasons. Now, only one palette is
- allowed per file. To change palettes in a sequence use an ACT
- script and create two different sequences, changing palettes in
- the script in between ACT1 sequences.
-
- Easy Method SVGA 256 colors 640x480 mode
- ***********
-
- 1) Set the size number to 10
- 2) Choose New Pic Icon and set the height and width to the
- default 640x400;
- 3) Click on the Clip Art Icon
- 4) Select a clip art image and paste it on the right side
- of the current window.
- 5) Click on the Cutting Room Icon.
- 6) Click on the Arrows Towards I Icon to load the image into the
- animation window.
- 7) Click on the Action Board Icon and the first frame is saved.
- 8) Use any of the Pixel Mover Icons to move parts of the clip art
- image in the large window.
- 9) Again choose the Arrows Towards I Icon to load the altered
- image into the animation window.
- 10) Save the frame again with the Action Board Icon.
- 11) Test the sequence with the Projector Icon.
- You will see the image move in the animation window.
- If you click on the animation window and then on the projector
- you will be put into 320x200 mode for viewing. (Providing the
- Mode Switching Option is not set to Disable).
- Click both buttons to return to normal mode in the Cutting Room.
-
- The window is not cleared when you choose the Done Button to
- allow you the freedom to manipulate the window with the
- tools in the Upper Icon Bar. You must exit the Cutting room to
- use the Upper Icon Bar. However, Icon Bar tools are available in
- the Cutting Room in the three scrolling Icon areas.
- * You may Want a larger window to work with or
- * You may want to use Autosave or
- * You may want to go to the Screening Room to retrieve a file
- etc.
- When you want to go back into the Cutting Room just click once
- again on the Cutting Room Icon.
-
- To Exit the Cutting Room choose the Done Icon.
- The cutting room requires a screen size of at least 640x480 to
- operate correctly.
- If you lose the cursor, Click both buttons.
- If you have to exit fast then press ESC.
- ALT-X will exit the program or choose the Exit Button.
-
- The Cutting Room is a program all into itself. It has many
- small subtle features that take a while to understand and
- use correctly. There is a Help Button in the Cutting Room.
- Click Button 2 on it to get help on each Icon. Help on the
- three scrolling Icon areas is located in the Upper Icon Bar by
- clicking Both Buttons on the individual Icon that you
- want help with. If in the Cutting Room you will have to
- exit the Cutting Room in order to get this help. It is
- recommended that you at least become a little familiar
- with the Upper Icons before you use them in the Cutting Room.
-
- Using ACT1 in a script you can manipulate them easier.
- The script doesn't care how many frames there are. One frame is
- still ACT1 as far as it is concerned. So you can combine
- numerous sequences into a movie with special effects if
- you master both ACT scripts and the Cutting Room. The
- Presentation Button in the Screening Room or Presentation Icon
- in the Studio create scripts. Or you can create one with
- a word processor providing the file is plain ASCII text.
- Play ACT1 animation by loading the ANI file or ACT script
- file into a window or by using the stand alone player
- called PLAYACT1.EXE. Type PLAYACT1 /h at DOS in the
- directory containing PLAYACT1.EXE for help using PLAYACT1.
- If you don't know where it is, it might be a good time to
- try searchmode.
- The three uppermost Icons in the cutting room are The
- Arrows Away from I Icon, The Clear Icon, and the Arrows
- towards I Icon. They each have an option that you can
- click either ON or OFF. With the Arrows to and away Icons
- the toggles determine whether or not you want to omit
- colors when the image is shrunk into the Animation
- window or Expanded into the large window. In the Off state,
- all colors are transferred including the background.
- In the On state the Left and Right Colors are omitted.
- Click on the Color Bar to change the Right (Fill Color)
- and Left (Draw) colors.
-
- If you have not selected the Paint Brushes Icon then
- you may select the draw color by clicking on any color
- in the large window.
-
- If you select the Paint brushes icon then Button 1 draws
- blocks the size determined by Brush Size Number below the
- Brushes Icon and the color determined by the Right Color.
- Button 2 draws blocks in the Left Color.
- When you use this Icon the blocks are automatically transferred
- into the animation window at the same time. (The same way as in
- the New Button Icon)
- Use a brush size of 1 for shading.
- When you select another button or Icon the paint brush is
- deactivated.
-
- If you want to transfer the entire image in the large window to
- the small animation window then use the Arrows towards I Icon.
-
- The Paint Fill Icon is actually a Color Replacer and not a flood
- fill tool. Click Button 2 on the lone paintbrush and it is
- activated. Click Button 2 and it is deactivated. When active and
- Button 2 is pressed it replaces any color it touches with the
- Right Color.
-
- Once you have a few frames you can load the Story Board with the
- Story Board Icon. The Story board loads the Large window with the
- ACT1 frames. The cursor becomes the magnify cursor.
- When the magnify cursor is active, you can click Button 2 on one
- of the frames to reload the frame into the animation window. When
- you Click Button 1 on a frame the image in the animation window
- replaces that frame. Once you select another Button or Icon then
- the Story Board is deactivated.
-
- Once you have completed your session choose the Done Icon to exit
- the Cutting Room and choose the Save Button to save
- ACT1.ANI under another name.
-
- You may load an OLD ACT1 sequence back into the Cutting Room by
- using the Load Icon. Select Load ACT1 and enter the name of the
- ANI file you want to edit. It is then copied onto ACT1.ANI
- leaving the original unchanged. You may now load the Sorry Board
- or add another frame.
-
- Run the Cutting Room Demo for more help.
- AniPaint (c)1993 Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<*********** Problem Finder *************>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-
- Is the file protected?
- If so enter the DOS command filename.ext ATTRIB -r at DOS
-
- Is a file lost?
- If so run CONFIGIT.EXE read docs find lost filename then
- enter the DOS command UNDELETE
- enter the lost first letter. DO IT NOW
- if it doesn't work reload your backup set.
-
- Is your Disk Full?
- Click on the little black box beside FILES/DIRECTORY in
- the Screening Room. If so then delete files and make space.
-
- Do you have enough memory?
- Does the Dos Shell Icon Work?
- if not you need more free memory.
- Remove all memory resident utilities in AUTOEXEC.BAT
- Optimize your system. See your DOS Manual.
-
- Are you having problems with drivers?
- If so run CONFIGIT.EXE check which drivers work.
- Avoid the 16 color drivers if they are causing problems.
- When you load a 16 color PCX the program sometimes switches
- to 16 color mode temporarily. If this is causing trouble
- then avoid loading 16 color PCX. Use a conversion utility
- and convert them to 256 colors first.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Read ANIMATE.DOC concerning ACT1 animation
- Read STUDIO.DOC concerning the Cutting Room.
- ACT1 animation needs ACT1.ANI as the current window
- to operate. If ACT1.ANI exists it is added to if it
- does not then it is created. If you are having trouble
- erase ACT1.ANI on D: if D: is available and C: .
- Go to the cutting room and try again.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Read ANIMATE.DOC
- All ACT2 animation files must be 320x200 or it won't work.
- There is a possibility that the memory address is incorrect
- for your current machine and configuration. If so then
- run the program from DOS with a clean Boot. (Not Windows and
- no Memres utilities).
- If you don't have at least a VGA monitor then forget about it
- it uses the standard VGA memory adress. ($A000)
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- You are having problems with your Draw Configuration File.
-
- If you have messed with it you should'nt have.
- People who are trying to circumvent copyright protection
- often mess with their configuration files not realizing
- that no one is so stupid as to put registration info
- in a configuration file.
- Erase DRAWCFG.KEY and it will be replaced by a new copy.
- If you are trying to circumvent copy protection
- beware this program knows more about your computer than
- you do!. Save yourself some grief.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Paint Studio cannot operate without BIN4.FLE
- If this file is missing or corrupt you will have no Icons.
- Replace it from backup or use the DOS Undelete command if you
- accidentaly erased it.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Read STUDIO.DOC on the Clip Count Number.
- All clip boards use the Clip Count number.
- Clips are kept on D:\CLIPS if D: is available or
- C:\ANIPAINT\CLIPS if not.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Read the first part of this Document.
- Read STUDIO.DOC on all Fill tools.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The program cannot communicate with the Printer.
- The printer is supposed to be connected to LPT1 if
- you do not know what that means ask someone who does
- or read Printer Q&A near the end.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The program will abort printing if you touch any key or
- it runs out of paper or if the Program receives any
- error message from the Printer at all. If it didn't abort you
- would have to reset the computer if something went wrong.
- Read Printer Q&A and your Printers Manual under Trouble Shooting.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Screening Room cannot Operate without a Directory List.
- The only thing I can think of that would prevent this is
- a lack of Disk Space or Available Memory. See the beginning
- of this Document.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-
- ========================================================================
- Tool Problems
-
- The most common tool problems are cursor problems.
- Run CONFIGIT.EXE and adjust the mouse.
-
- If you cannot find the cursor when you start a process try moving
- the mouse up, it may be below the screen, too low for your current
- resolution.
- If you cannot find the cursor at all then click Both Buttons.
- If you are not familiar with the way that all Box Cursors
- shrink and Grow at the edges then read STUDIO.DOC
-
- If the Fill tools are not working then again read STUDIO.DOC
- they are not like normal fill tools in other programs.
-
- If a tool is not working at all then reload your backup set
- and try it again if that still doesn't work read the note at the
- bottom of this document.
-
- ======================================================================
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- If you cannot figure it out and you have read all documentation
- and tried all the demos then send a letter to me fully describing
- the problem and I will attempt to fix the problem. Send $10 for
- shipping and Handling.
-
-
-
- AniPaint (c) 1993 by Rick Sobie
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Click on a number then test drive to try it.
-
- This is a Window Demonstration file.
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- To Exit a Window
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Move cursor over top of Window.
- 2) Click any Button.
-
-
- File Name Area #1
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Located top left of window is the File Name
-
-
- Beside the Name are the Picture dimensions if the
- file has a VCX extension.
-
- To Move a Window:
-
- 1) Click Button 1 on Name.
- 2) Move mouse.
- 3) Click Both Buttons.
-
- To Resize a Window:
-
- 1) Click Button 2 on Name.
- 2) Move Mouse.
- 3) Click Both Buttons.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- To View File Details, Protect or Delete #2
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Click on the Upper Right hand corner
- light button.
-
- A Window Pops up With File Details and
- Buttons to Protect or Delete the File.
-
- See SCREENRM.DOC for more help on protecting.
- or See your Dos Manual
-
-
- This Window is On ( Light is Green or Blue).
-
- Too See a Window in an Off state (Light is Red),
- Click on #2 again.
-
-
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-
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- Scrolling Window Contents to the Left #3
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Click button 2 on the right bottom scroll button and
- text or graphics is scrolled one line to the left.
-
- If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll
- button will cause all the pixels to shift left one
- If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will
- not clear the screen first.
- Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and
- redraws the screen.
-
- Use arrow keys or Click button 1 and the picture
- is scrolled 40 lines and text is scrolled
- 25 lines (1 page); CTRL+ARROW key does the same.
-
-
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-
-
- The Current Window Number #4
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Everytime you open a file in the Screening Room,
- the window number is incremented by one.
-
- After you close the window, you may
- retreive the same file from the dormant
- list, by clicking on the file name that
- coresponds to the Window Number in
- the Screening Room.
-
-
-
-
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-
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-
-
- The Bottom Scroll Bar #5
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- On the window bottom is a bar that houses
- the Window Help Line and the Picture
- Positioner.
-
- The Window Help Line
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Ongoing instructions can be found on the bottom bar
- when help is available.
-
- The Picture Positioner
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- When the Window contains a Graphic Picture, if
- you Click Button 1 the picture is moved Right
- an amount proportional to the width of the window.
-
- If you Click Button 2 then the Picture is moved
- Left a proportional amount.
-
- 1/20 the width of WIndow.
- 1/20 the Picture Width.
-
- Invaluable when the Image is Zoomed Out!
-
- Scrolling Window Contents to the RIGHT #6
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Use arraow keys or Click button 2 on the
- second left bottom scroll button and text
- or graphics is scrolled one line to the right.
-
- Click button 1 and the picture is scrolled 40 lines
- or text is scrolled 25 columns to right.
-
- If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll
- button will cause all the pixels to shift right one.
- If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will
- not clear the screen first.
- Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and
- redraws the screen.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Scrolling Window Contents UP #7
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Use arrow keys or Click button 2 on the left
- bottom scroll button and text or graphics is
- scrolled one line up.
-
- Use PGUP key or Click button 1 and the picture
- is scrolled 40 lines or text is scrolled
- 25 lines up.
-
- If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll
- button will cause all the pixels to shift up one.
- If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will
- not clear the screen first.
- Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and
- redraws the screen.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Left Vertical Scroll Bar #8
- **************************
-
- For Pictures
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- To quickly move to an area of a large picture,
- click Button 1 on the bar to move the picture down.
- Button 2 on the bar to move the picture up.
- A place marker is left temporarily.
-
- For Text
- ~~~~~~~~
- To move down a large text file, Click button 1 on the
- left vertical scroll bar.
- The file is scrolled to the corresponding length of
- the file.
-
- Invaluable for manuevering around large files!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Scrolling Window Contents Down #9
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Use arrow keys or Click button 2 on the left
- bottom scroll button and text or graphics
- is scrolled one line down.
-
- Use Pgdn key or Click button 1 and the picture
- is scrolled 40 lines or text is scrolled
- 25 lines down.
-
- If the Window is a Graphic Picture then this scroll
- button will cause all the pixels to shift down one.
- If the picture is zoomed out more than 3 it will
- not clear the screen first.
- Both Buttons inside the window anywhere clears and
- redraws the screen.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Full Screen window #10
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Click on the left top corner button. The
- window is full screen.
- The controls are still there but they are
- just outside the screen. You may also use
- the PGUP, PGDN and cursor keys to move the
- window contents. See STUDIO.DOC
-
-
- To view text full screen wide, without scroll bars
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 1) Use arrow keys to move text to edges.
-
- 2) Use Pgdn or Pgup to read.
-
- ##################################################
- Click on #11 to activate Test Window.
-
- To Exit Any Window Click any Button outside the Window.
-
-
-
- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- This is a test Window.
-
-