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________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 13: Painting Tools 213
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CHAPTER 13: PAINTING TOOLS
HyperPAD's painting tools let you create visually appealing screens
tailored to your audience's needs. The appearance of a pad is important
because a design that is carefully planned and pleasing to look at is
more effective in presenting information.
In this chapter, you'll learn:
0 The organization of the text screen.
0 How to select and use the painting tools.
0 How to use the tool box.
0 How each painting tool works so that you can modify your pages
and backgrounds.
0 Special tips describing how to use the painting tools more
effectively.
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THE PAINTING ENVIRONMENT
THE SCREEN
Each page is overlaid on top of a background, creating a composite
referred to as the screen. The screen is what you see when you look at
your computer display.
The screen is structured in composition, made up of a grid of rectangles
called character cells. Depending on your screen resolution, there are
normally 80 cells across and 25 cells down. Each cell contains
aaracterandnd an attribute.
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The previous illustration shows you how the screen is divided and how
characters and attributes fit into a character cell.
HyperPAD's painting tools allow you to add or delete characters and
attributes in the cells that make up the backgrounds and pages in a pad.
CHARACTERS AND ATTRIBUTES
As described above, each cell on the screen contains a character and an
attribute. The range of characters you can include in a cell is from 0
to 255 (known as ASCII values). For example, the character A is
represented by number 65. In Appendix 8 of the PADtalk Reference Guide,
there is a table showing all of the 256 characters.
The attribute portion of a cell is a number that represents a
combination of a foreground color and a background color. Attributes
range in value from 0 to 255.
When a character is placed inside a cell, it is displayed with the
foreground color of the attribute, while all other remaining space in
the cell appears in the background color.
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As you know, each HyperPAD screen is a combination of a page and
background layer. You may be wondering how elements on the background
are visible on the page.
Cells on the background are compared with the corresponding cells on the
page. If the page cell contains the transparent character, the character
from the background cell shows through. The same applies for the
attribute.
When a new page is created, all the cells on that page are filled with
the transparent character (ASCII number 0) and the transparent attribute
(7, or grey on black). Thus, the entire background shows through a newly
created page.
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The following illustration demonstrates how characters on the background
show through onto the page.
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In the next illustration, the background contains the character A and
the page contains the character B in identical positions. Notice that
the background character is not seen, as the page's character blocks it
from view.
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The next illustration demonstrates the difference between the
transparent character and the space character. It might appear to the
human eye that the space and transparent characters are the same;
however, as you can see from the illustration, that is not the case.
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CHARACTER CELL INFO
You can determine the contents of a character cell using the Character
Cell Info dialog box. This box describes both the character and the
attribute that currently occupy a character cell.
Use this command if you're having trouble determining whether a
character cell is transparent or contains a space, or if you want to
know the attribute within a cell.
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To access the Character Cell Info dialog box:
1. Place the cursor on the cell that you want information about.
2. Press F9.
The Character Cell Info dialog box, shown here, appears on-screen.
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THE PAINT ATTR AND ASCII CHAR
HyperPAD maintains a current character and a current attribute. As you
design your pages and backgrounds, you will constantly be changing the
values of these settings.
When you paint color on the page or background, you are really setting
the attribute portion of the character cell to the value of the Paint
attr. Similarly, when you use the Char Paint tool, you are really
assigning the character portion of the character cell to the value of
the ASCII char.
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To determine the Paint attr and ASCII char values:
1. Select a painting tool from the Tools menu.
2. Open the Workspace menu (ALT+W). The Workspace menu, shown below,
will be placed on-screen.
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Displayed to the right of the ASCII char and Paint attr commands are the
values of the current character and paint attribute.
3. To remove the menu from the screen, press ESC.
PAINTING UNDER THE MENU BAR AND THE STATUS BAR
When you begin using the painting tools, you may find it necessary to
use the screen areas normally hidden by the menu and status bars.
Because of this, HyperPAD gives you a way to quickly hide and show the
menu and status bars.
To toggle the menu and status bars on and off:
1. Press ALT+SPACE.
The menu and status bars will be removed from the screen.
2. Press ALT+SPACE to place them back on-screen.
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SELECTING A PAINTING TOOL
HyperPAD provides many tools for you to select from when you paint. This
section describes the various methods used to select a painting tool.
The easiest way, of course, is to select a painting tool from the Tools
menu. However, when you're painting, you're constantly changing from
tool to tool, making menu selection tedious. HyperPAD provides you with
both shortcut keys and a tool box for quick tool selection.
HYPERPAD TOOLS
HyperPAD provides you with a palette of tools from which you can pick in
order to paint on the page or background. The available tools are
summarized in the following table.
Tool: Shortcut key: Purpose:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Text CTRL+T Adds text
Paint CTRL+P Adds color
Erase CTRL+E Removes attributes and characters
Line CTRL+L Draws single or double lines
Mark Block CTRL+M Marks a block that you can move, copy,
and, and paste or perform a block
command on
Char Paint CTRL+H Paints with the current ASCII character
Selector CTRL+S Manipulates buttons and fields
Browse CTRL+B Allows you to use the pads
THE TOOL BOX PALETTE
Using the tool box popup window, mouse users can quickly select a
painting tool.
To display the tool box, select the Tool Box command from the Workspace
menu (ALT+W, T).
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The tool box will now stay on-screen until you close it.
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To move the tool box using the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer on the border of the tool box and drag it to a
new location, then release the button.
Selecting a tool from the tool box:
Click the mouse on the tool you want to select.
A triangle will appear next to the tool you selected, indicating that it
is the current tool.
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE TOOL BOX
Double-clicking the mouse on different tools in the tool box provides a
convenient shortcut for many of the painting commands.
0 You can change the current paint attribute by double-clicking
on the Paint tool in the tool box. When you do, the Paint
Attribute dialog box is displayed, letting you pick from the
available attributes.
0 By double-clicking on the Char Paint tool in the tool box, you
can set the current ASCII char, which, when combined with the
Char Paint tool, lets you paint characters on the screen.
0 The line type can also be toggled (between single and double
lines) by double-clicking on the Line tool.
REMOVING THE TOOL BOX
The tool box can be removed from the screen by selecting the Tool Box
command from the Workspace menu (ALT+W, T). You can also click the mouse
on the close box on the upper left corner of the tool box.
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USING THE PAINTING TOOLS
Before you can begin painting, check to make sure the user level is set
to painting or higher. As you proceed through this chapter, you may find
it helpful to try out the described procedures. If you want to follow
along, you should create a new pad on which to practice so that you
don't have to worry about changing an existing pad.
USING THE KEYBOARD AND THE MOUSE
The following table describes the various methods used to move around
the page or background while working with the painting tools. When
you're painting, the cursor location is displayed on the status bar.
Key: Moves the cursor:
------------------------------------------------------
Up arrow Up one line
Down arrow Down one line
Left arrow Left one character
Right arrow Right one character
HOME To the left edge of the screen
END To the right edge of the screen
CTRL+Up arrow Up two lines
CTRL+Down arrow Down two lines
CTRL+Left arrow Left four characters
CTRL+Right arrow Right four characters
To use the mouse to position the cursor, simply move the pointer to
where you want the cursor and click the right mouse button.
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APPLYING A PAINTING TOOL
All of the painting tools are used the same way. When you're painting,
you are free to move the cursor anywhere on the screen using the keys in
the preceding table. To apply a tool, you move the cursor the same way
but with the SHIFT key held down.
To use a painting tool with the keyboard:
1. Select the painting tool you want (use one of the shortcut keys
described earlier).
2. While holding down the SHIFT key, move the cursor using the arrow
keys.
To move the cursor faster while applying a painting tool, hold down
CTRL+SHIFT while moving the cursor with the arrow keys.
To use a painting tool with the mouse:
Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse.
To paint in a straight line, hold down the SHIFT key while dragging the
mouse.
As an example, suppose that you wanted to draw a box:
1. Press CTRL+L to select the Line tool.
2. Move the cursor to where you want one of the corners of the box to
be located.
3. Hold down the SHIFT key while using the arrow keys to outline your
box.
HOW PAINTING AFFECTS OBJECTS
Painting occurs on the page or background layer behind all of the
buttons and fields. Even though you're unable to see your screen
modifications, they are indeed happening behind the objects. Use the
Selector tool to move objects out of the way so you can see beneath
them.
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SELECTING THE PAINT ATTRIBUTE
The following tools use the current paint attribute:
0 Paint tool
0 Mark Block tool
To change the current attribute:
1. Select a painting tool. (Use the shortcut keys described above.)
2. Choose the Paint attr command from the Workspace menu (ALT+W, P).
The shortcut for this command is + (on the numeric keypad).
The Set Paint Attribute dialog box appears, displaying a palette of
colors. This dialog box lets you pick an attribute from a list of all
possible combinations. Each column contains a different background
color, and each row shows a different foreground color.
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3. To select an attribute:
With the keyboard: Use the arrow keys to move the double box until it
surrounds your choice and press ENTER.
With the mouse: Place the mouse cursor on your choice and click the
left mouse button.
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Once you select a paint attribute, it appears next to the Paint attr
command on the Workspace menu. Your selection remains the current paint
attribute until you select another.
CHANGING COLORS USING ACCELERATORS
When you begin modifying and creating pads, you may find yourself
constantly switching between a number of paint attributes. HyperPAD
makes it easy! You can assign accelerator keys to up to 10 different
paint attributes. Then, once you've selected a painting tool, you can
quickly switch between colors without accessing the dialog box.
To assign accelerator keys to paint attributes:
1. Select a painting tool.
2. Choose the Paint attr command from the Workspace menu.
The Set Paint Attribute dialog box appears on-screen.
3. Use the arrow keys to select an attribute.
4. Hold down ALT and press the number (0 through 9) to be used as the
accelerator key.
A list of the available accelerator keys (ALT+1, ALT+2 . . . ALT+0)
appears in a column to the right of the palette in the Set Paint
Attribute dialog box. As you assign attributes, the attribute appears
next to the corresponding accelerator key.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make additional assignments.
When you assign accelerator keys to paint attributes, they remain active
(even after you exit HyperPAD) until you select other paint attributes
to take their place.
USING THE PAINT ATTRIBUTE ACCELERATOR KEYS
After you've assigned accelerator keys to the attributes you use most
often, you can select them using the ALT key:
1. Select a painting tool.
2. Hold down ALT and press the number corresponding to the attribute
you want (0 through 9).
The paint attribute you assigned to that accelerator key becomes the
current paint attribute and appears next to the Paint attr command on
the Workspace menu.
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PICKING UP AN ATTRIBUTE
If the attribute that you want to paint with is already on the screen,
you don't have to pick the attribute over again. HyperPAD provides a way
that you can "pick up" the attribute off the screen, making it the
current attribute.
To "pick up" an attribute off the screen:
1. Move the cursor to the character cell with the attribute you want to
use.
2. Press CTRL+ - (on the numeric keypad).
UNDO
The Undo command, on the Edit menu, allows you to recover the screen
before the most recent painting change. After you've selected Undo, you
can reselect it to recover the screen before you originally selected
Undo--in effect, undoing the Undo.
THE PAINTING TOOLS
The painting tools allow you to add attributes to the pages and
backgrounds in your pads. Use the painting tools to draw page layouts
and lay out your screen, including such components as the border, the
background color, the title bar, the message line, and any other
information that will make the page more intuitive.
Each of the painting tools is used the same way, following the
procedures described in the previous subsection, "Applying a Painting
Tool."
THE PAINT TOOL
The Paint tool allows you to add attributes to the pages and backgrounds
in your pads. This tool paints using the current attribute, which
appears next to the Paint attr command on the Workspace menu.
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THE TEXT TOOL
The Text tool allows you to type text directly on the pages or
backgrounds in your pads. You can actually type text on the screen while
using any of the painting tools. The following keys can be used while
typing text.
Key: Function:
----------------------------------------------------------------
DEL Deletes the character under the cursor.
BACKSPACE Deletes the character to the left.
CTRL+DEL Deletes all characters to the end of the line.
TAB Moves the cursor to the next tab stop.
CTRL+D, CTRL+Y Deletes the line with the cursor.
INS Toggles Insert mode.
ENTER Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line.
ENTERING SPECIAL CHARACTERS
While you're designing the pages and backgrounds for your pads, you may
find it necessary to insert characters that you can't type on the
keyboard. You can place any ASCII character on the screen, including
line-drawing characters and international characters. You can select
from 255 characters using the Set Paint Character dialog box.
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To choose an ASCII character:
1. While the Text tool is active, position the cursor where you want
the character to be inserted.
2. Press the PLUS key on the numeric keypad.
The Set Paint Character dialog box appears on-screen:
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3. To insert a specific character:
With the keyboard: Use the arrow keys to highlight the character you
want to select, then press ENTER.
With the mouse: Place the pointer over the ASCII character you want to
select and click the left mouse button.
The ASCII character you selected will be inserted at the cursor
location.
INSERT MODE
The Text tool behaves differently depending on the Insert mode
(accessible from the Workspace Options dialog box). If Insert mode is
set, then the characters you type will replace those already on the
screen.
If Insert mode is not set, then the characters you type will push the
other characters on the line off the end of the line.
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USING EXTENDED ASCII CHARACTERS AS THE END OF LINE
As you type text when Insert mode is not set, characters to the right on
the same line are pushed right up to the end of the line. The end of the
line is determined by setting an option in the Workspace Options dialog
box (called "Use extended ASCII characters as end of line"). If this
option is not set, the characters are pushed off the right edge of the
screen and cannot be recovered.
If this option is set, the end of the line is determined by the first
character that is not a letter, punctuation mark, space, or digit. This
option is especially useful for typing text inside a painted box.
THE ERASE TOOL
The Erase tool can be used to clean up any mistakes you may have made.
It erases both the character and attribute portions of the character
cell, replacing them with the transparent character (character 0) and
the transparent attribute (7). Thus, when you use the Erase tool on the
page, characters and attributes from the background will show through.
When you use the Erase tool, only the paint and characters on the
current page or background will be deleted.
THE LINE TOOL
The Line tool allows you to add single and double lines to the pages and
backgrounds in your pads. Using the Line tool, you can create boxes,
charts, and borders easily without having to worry about line
intersections.
LINE TYPE
As noted above, you can use the Line tool to draw both single and double
lines. To toggle the line type, select the Line Type command from the
Workspace menu (ALT+W, L). A sample of the current line type appears
next to the Line Type command in the menu. With the keyboard, you can
quickly change the line type using the following keys:
Key: Line Type:
------------------------------------------
CTRL+= Double
CTRL+- Single
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THE MARK BLOCK TOOL
The Mark Block tool is used to perform a painting operation on a
rectangular area of the screen. This helps speed the painting process by
relieving you of the tedious job of painting large areas of the screen
using the other painting tools.
The Mark Block tool makes creating boxes easy. First, you select an area
of the screen where you want to place the box, press P to paint it, then
press B to draw a box in it. There are many painting operations that can
be performed on marked blocks.
When this tool is enabled, the commands on the Block menu are carried
out on the entire block.
You can also copy and paste blocks on the same screen or different
screens. This allows you to grab screen designs from other pads, like
the Ideas pad that comes with HyperPAD, and use them in your own screen
layouts.
To use the Mark Block tool:
1. Select Mark Block from the Tools menu (CTRL+M).
2. To mark an area:
With the keyboard: Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the area
you want to select. While holding down a SHIFT key, press the arrow
keys, dragging the outline until the area you want to select is within
the outline's boundaries.
With the mouse: Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the area
you want to select. Press the left mouse button and drag the mouse until
the outline surrounds the area you want to select.
Once a block is marked, you can perform the functions described in the
following subsections. If you want to cancel the marking, just press
SPACE or click the mouse outside the boundaries of the block.
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The block commands are summarized in the following table:
To: Press:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy the block CTRL+C or CTRL+INSERT
Cut the block CTRL+X or SHIFT+DEL
Delete the block DEL or E
Draw a box within the block B
Paint the block with the current P
attribute
Clear the block C
Opaque the block O
Fill the block with current ASCII char F
Shrink the block to enclose material T
Make a button and link it to the page M
UDOING A BLOCK COMMAND
If you make any mistakes manipulating a block, press CTRL+U to undo your
changes. This is especially handy when you experiment with different
block commands, finding the best color or position for the block. For
example, you might mark a block, paint it, draw a box inside it, and
then change your mind and press CTRL+U to undo it.
When you select Undo, the block is returned to its original position,
size, and content. The block will remain outlined so that you can
continue editing the same block.
MOVING A BLOCK
Use the arrow keys (and CTRL+arrow keys for faster movement) to move the
block anywhere on the screen.
If you're using a mouse, just place the mouse pointer within the outline
of the block, press the left mouse button, and drag the block to the new
location. If you hold down SHIFT while moving the block with the mouse,
HyperPAD leaves copies of the block all over the screen. This is useful
for painting patterns on a large area of the screen.
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You can leave a copy of the block on the screen at the current position
by pressing ENTER.
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COPYING AND CUTTING A BLOCK
You can cut and copy blocks to the clipboard, replacing what is
currently in the clipboard, using the Copy Block and Cut Block commands.
To copy a block using the mouse, hold down CTRL, then click the left
mouse button within the block and drag the copy to a new location.
ERASING A BLOCK
This command erases all of the characters and attributes within the
block, replacing them with the transparent character and the transparent
attribute.
If you erase the block accidentally, you can recover it using the Undo
command.
DRAWING A BOX WITHIN A BLOCK
The Box Block command creates a border around the block using the
current box style. The border is drawn within the confines of the
outline that defines the block.
To draw a box within the marked block:
1. Mark a block.
2. Press B to draw the box.
To change the type of border, select the Box Style command from the
Block menu. The dialog box that appears gives you 15 common border types
from which to choose. With the keyboard, use the arrow keys to select a
new border, then press ENTER. With the mouse, just click on the border
you want.
PAINTING BLOCK
If you want to paint a large area with the current attribute, use the
Paint Block command. This command changes all of the attributes within
the borders of the block to the current paint attribute.
If you want to change the color, press MINUS on the numeric keypad. This
changes the current attribute, leaving the outline unchanged so that you
can immediately paint the block again, by pressing P.
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OPAQUING A BLOCK
Oftentimes, a marked block contains transparent space. If the block is
moved to a new location, the characters and attributes behind the marked
block show through, making the information seem garbled. You can remedy
this situation using the Opaque Block command.
The Opaque Block command makes the block opaque, translating all
transparent characters to spaces.
CLEARING A BLOCK
Sometimes when you move a marked block, you may want the characters and
attributes behind the block to show through the empty spaces. In this
case, use the Clear Block command.
The Clear Block command makes all empty space in a block transparent by
replacing the spaces with the transparent character (0).
FILLING A BLOCK
Use the Fill Block command to fill the block with the current ASCII
character.
You can change the current ASCII character by pressing PLUS on the
numeric keypad and selecting a new character. Since the block remains
marked, you can immediately fill it again by pressing F.
TRIMMING A BLOCK
The Trim Block command allows you to shrink the block's boundaries so
that they enclose only the nontransparent data. HyperPAD computes the
minimum-size rectangle needed to enclose the nontransparent data and
reselects the block for you.
This command is useful if you were sloppy marking your block and you
accidentally enclosed some extra blank space. You could use the Trim
Block command to enclose only the data you initially intended.
MAKING A BUTTON
The Make Button command is used to create a transparent HyperPAD button
the same size as the marked area, then link the button to another page.
This command is useful in designing hypertext systems, which present
screens of information. Each screen contains links that go to other
screens containing related information. This type of system lets the
user browse through your data in an intuitive manner, selectively
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clicking on information of interest. In HyperPAD, a quick way to create
these links is to use the Make Button command.
To create a button from a marked block:
1. Mark a block.
2. Choose the Make Button command from the Block menu (ALT+B, M). The
shortcut for this command is M.
When you select Make Button, HyperPAD presents you with a dialog box
telling you to navigate to the destination page and select one of the
choices. The destination page is the page that you want the button to be
linked to when it's selected.
3. Navigate to the destination page and select one of the following:
Press: To:
-------------------------------------------------------------
ALT+P Select the current page as the destination.
ALT+A Select the current pad as the destination.
ALT+C Cancel the command and return to the original page.
THE CHAR PAINT TOOL
The Char Paint tool allows you to paint with the current ASCII
character. Before you begin painting, you need to select a specific
character to paint with.
To choose an ASCII character:
1. Select the ASCII char command from the Workspace menu (ALT+W, A).
The shortcut for this command is PLUS on the numeric keypad.
The Set Paint Character dialog box appears on-screen.
2. To select an ASCII character:
With the keyboard: Use the arrow keys to highlight the character you
want to select and press ENTER.
With the mouse: Click the mouse on the ASCII character you want to
select.
The ASCII character you selected will appear next to the ASCII char
command on the Workspace menu.
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CHARACTER PAINTING THE EASY WAY
If you need to constantly switch back and forth between various ASCII
characters, you may find it tedious to use the ASCII character dialog
box. You can speed up selection of ASCII characters by assigning
accelerator keys to the characters you use most (up to 10 accelerator
keys can be assigned). These keys allow you to switch between ASCII
characters without using the dialog box.
To assign accelerator keys to ASCII characters:
1. Choose the Char Paint tool from the Tools menu (ALT+T, H). The
shortcut is CTRL+H.
2. Choose the ASCII Char command from the Workspace menu (ALT+W, A).
The shortcut is the PLUS key on the numeric keypad.
3. When the Set Paint Character dialog box appears, use the arrow keys
to highlight one of the characters to which you want to assign an
accelerator key.
4. Hold down CTRL and press the number (0 through 9) that you want as
the character's accelerator key.
A list of the available accelerator keys (CTRL+1, CTRL+2, CTRL+3,. .
.CTRL+0) appears in a column to the right of the character list. As you
assign accelerator keys, each character selection is placed next to the
corresponding accelerator key.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make additional assignments.
Accelerator keys remain operational until you replace them with other
characters (even if you leave HyperPAD).
To use the accelerator keys:
1. Select the Char Paint tool from the Tools menu (ALT+T, H). The
shortcut is CTRL+H.
2. Hold down CTRL and press the accelerator key (0 through 9)
corresponding to the character you want.
The character assigned to that accelerator key will be inserted into the
text and will become the current ASCII character.
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THE SELECTOR TOOL
The Selector tool allows you to modify the buttons and fields present on
backgrounds and pages. This tool is discussed in depth in Chapter 14,
"Manipulating Buttons and Fields."
PAINTING TOOL OPTIONS
HyperPAD offers many customization options that change the way the
painting tools are used, including the way attributes are placed on the
screen, automatic indenting when the ENTER key is pressed, and Insert
mode. Each option is accessible using the Options command on the
Workspace menu (ALT+W, O).
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Each option with an X between the brackets is active.
The following subsections describe each of the available options.
USE PAINTING TOOLS WITH CURRENT ATTRIBUTE
This option causes the current paint attribute to be used with every
painting tool. When you type text or draw lines, the characters are
placed on the screen using the current attribute.
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AUTOMATIC INDENTING
Automatic indenting only works with the Text tool. When this option is
selected, and the ENTER key is pressed while entering text, the cursor
moves directly under the leftmost (nonspace) character on the previous
line. This is helpful when you want to line up text or type into boxes.
Note: This capability is available only if you turn on the option
called Use extended ASCII characters as end of line.
USE EXTENDED ASCII CHARACTERS AS END OF LINE
Extended ASCII characters are nonletter, nondigit, nonpunctuation
characters that you can't normally type with the keyboard. Selecting
this option causes extended characters to act as the right margin of a
typing area when you're using the Text tool.
Note: In order for this option to have any effect, the Insert mode
(push characters right) option must also be selected.
AUTOMATIC TOOL SWITCHING
This option allows mouse users to quickly change between the Selector
tool (which is used to manipulate buttons and fields) and a painting
tool. When this option is on and you select a button or field with the
mouse, the Selector tool is automatically activated. And when you click
the mouse button outside of any buttons or fields, the painting tool you
were last working with is activated.
This option is useful if you constantly switch between the Selector and
a painting tool.
INSERT MODE (PUSH CHARACTERS RIGHT)
When this option is on, the text that you type on the screen pushes the
remaining characters on that line to the right. When this option is not
on (overtype mode), the characters that you type replace those on the
line.
To toggle Insert mode on and off without accessing a menu, simply press
the INS key.
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PUSH CHARACTERS OFF EDGE OF PAGE
If you select this option, text will be pushed off the end of the line
(if Insert mode is also selected). For example, if there is a character
in column 80 on the line on which you are typing, HyperPAD will push the
character off the edge of the screen.
If this option is not selected, HyperPAD will beep instead of losing the
characters off the end of the line. Use this option if you're afraid of
losing characters off the end of your lines.
This option has no effect if Insert mode is not selected (because
characters aren't being pushed right).
PAINTING TRICKS
The following subsections describe techniques that will make painting
easier. Among the tricks are ways to view the page separated from its
background, view nontransparent elements on a page or background, and
delete and insert lines.
DISPLAYING ALL ATTRIBUTES
If you want to know what attribute is assigned to each cell on the page
or background, you can do so quickly.
When a character cell contains a space or the transparent character, it
is impossible to determine the foreground color, because the cell
appears as a block using the background color. This trick lets you
temporarily view the screen filled with characters so that you can
determine the foreground/background color combination being used in the
character cells.
To see all of the attributes on the screen:
1. Select a painting tool.
2. Press CTRL+A.
HyperPAD temporarily fills the screen with block characters in each
character cell. This allows you to examine the attributes assigned to
the cells.
3. Press ESC to return to what you were just viewing.
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VIEWING ONLY THE PAGE
As your pads become more complex, you may find it difficult to keep
track of what elements are on the background and page layers. Instead of
selecting the Background command from the Edit menu (ALT+E, B), you can
quickly view only the page elements by holding down both SHIFT keys. As
soon as you release the keys, HyperPAD will return to viewing both the
current page and its background.
HIGHLIGHTING OPAQUE
By holding down ALT+SHIFT, you can see all the elements on the page or
background that are not transparent. This technique is used to identify
which paint elements on the page will hide background elements and spot
the holes through which background elements will be seen.
INSERTING A ROW
The two key combinations presented below are used to insert a new line
on the paint layer.
To insert a line:
1. Position the cursor on the line before which you want to insert a
new line.
2. Press one of the following key combinations:
CTRL+I: Inserts a line above the cursor's position. The cells in this
line will contain the transparent character and attribute.
CTRL+SHIFT+I: Inserts a line above the cursor's position.
DELETING A ROW
You can delete a line anywhere on the screen, creating a blank line on
the bottom of the screen.
To delete a line on the page or background:
1. Position the cursor on the line to be deleted.
2. Press CTRL+D or CTRL+Y.
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OTHER PAINTING TIPS
0 To paint faster with the keyboard, hold down CTRL+SHIFT while
painting with the arrow keys.
0 To paint straight lines of ASCII characters, place the mouse
pointer where you want to begin painting, then hold down both the
SHIFT key and the left mouse button while dragging the mouse.
0 When the tool box is displayed, you can quickly access the Set
Paint Attribute dialog box by placing the mouse cursor on the
Tool Box's Char Paint command and double-clicking the left mouse
button.
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, you learned how to use HyperPAD's painting tools to
create attractive screen layouts for your pads. The first section
described the painting environment, including how the screen is divided
up into character cells. You learned all about the painting tools, which
allow you to manipulate the characters and attributes that make up these
cells.
At the end of the chapter, you learned how to control your painting
environment using the Workspace Options and picked up some productivity
tips that can help make the on-screen information more easily
understandable.