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PL.HLP
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1991-12-04
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PL.HLP : Help file for Piclab 1.91
Compiled 12/3/91
~MAKEPAL
Syntax: MAKEPAL
Makes a palette appropriate for the NEW buffer. Operates on only
true-color images. The variable PALETTE determines the number of
colors in the new map, and the MAKEPAL command picks that many colors
to best fit those in the image.
The MAP command must be used to map the image onto the palette.
~EGAPAL
Syntax: EGAPAL
Makes a 16-of-64-color palette appropriate for the NEW buffer.
Operates on only true-color images. This is designed primarily for
reducing full-color images to a form better suited for display on
an IBM EGA or similar device.
The MAP command must be used to map the image onto the palette.
~MAP
Syntax: MAP
Maps NEW buffer onto the current palette. Operates only on true-color
images, and produces a color-mapped image. The variable DITHER
determines whether each pixel is simply mapped onto the nearest color
in the map, or whether dithering is used to achieve a more accurate
mapping. DITHER defaults to ON, and is recommended for most uses.
The MAKEPAL command should be used to create the best possible palette
for the image before mapping, but any palette may be used for special
purposes such as mapping several images to the same palette.
~PLOAD
Syntax: PLOAD file [offset [count]]
Loads a MAP file into the current palette. First argument is the name
of the MAP file which is assumed to be in the PICDIR directory. If a
second argument is given, the palette is loaded starting at that index.
If a third argument is given, only that many colors are loaded.
MAP files are plain text files that contain the RGB values for each
palette index on one line.
~PSAVE
Syntax: PSAVE file [offset [count]]
Saves a MAP file from the current palette. First argument is the name
of the MAP file which is assumed to be in the PICDIR directory. If a
second argument is given, the palette is loaded starting at that index.
If a third argument is given, only that many colors are loaded.
This can be used to save a palette created with MAKEPAL so that it need
not be calculated again, or so that it can be used with other images.
MAP files are plain text files that contain the RGB values for each
palette index on one line.
~GRAYPAL
Syntax: GRAYPAL file [offset [count]]
Makes the specified MAP file the default colors used when displaying
monochrome images or full-color images on a VGA. The default colors
are equivalent to GAMMA1.MAP, but GAMMA2.MAP and PSEUDO.MAP can be
useful in some situations.
MAP files are plain text files that contain the RGB values for each
palette index on one line.
~UNMAP
Syntax: UNMAP
Produces a true-color image from a color-mapped one. This must be done
before applying true-color transformations such as rescaling. After
transformations have been performed in true-color, the image may be
reduced to a color-mapped one again with the MAKEPAL and MAP commands.
~HELP
Syntax: HELP [subject]
Looks like you have figured this one out already.
~CALL
Syntax: CALL program [args]...
Calls the external program named by its first argument passing along
any subsequent arguments to that program. Many programs do not
release all of the memory given to them when they terminate, so
Piclab will reserve a large portion of memory for itself before
calling a program. If you do not have much more memory than Piclab
reserves, this may result in the program not being able to run in the
memory left.
If this is a problem, you can use the DOS or SHELL commands to exit
to DOS with all of the free memory available.
~CANCEL
Syntax: CANCEL
Cancels the most recent operation. If there are point
transformations pending that have not yet been saved with the
TRANSFORM command, these are cancelled and no changes are made to the
edit buffers. Otherwise, the NEW and OLD buffers are exchanged.
There are some operations (like SAVE) that do not alter the edit
buffers. If one of these operations was the last one performed, UNDO
will undo the operation before that. No arguments.
~UNDO
Syntax: UNDO
Cancels the most recent operation. If there are point
transformations pending that have not yet been saved with the
TRANSFORM command, these are cancelled and no changes are made to the
edit buffers. Otherwise, the NEW and OLD buffers are exchanged.
There are some operations (like SAVE) that do not alter the edit
buffers. If one of these operations was the last one performed, UNDO
will undo the operation before that. No arguments.
~SHELL
Syntax: SHELL [command]
Calls up the DOS command line. All available memory is released to
DOS when this command is given, and is reclaimed when DOS is exited.
For this reason, some programs that cannot be CALLed may be run from
with DOS.
Any arguments to this command will be passed to the system as a
command line, and will cause it to return immediately after the
command is done. One particularly useful action of this program is
"SHELL COPY /B PDAT PRN", which copies the print file to the printer.
"SHELL DIR" can be used to view file directories when you want to see
all files, not just pictures.
~DOS
Syntax: DOS [command]
Calls up the DOS command line. All available memory is released to
DOS when this command is given, and is reclaimed when DOS is exited.
For this reason, some programs that cannot be CALLed may be run from
with DOS.
Any arguments to this command will be passed to the system as a
command line, and will cause it to return immediately after the
command is done. One particularly useful action of this program is
"DOS COPY /B PDAT PRN", which copies the print file to the printer.
"DOS DIR" can be used to view file directories when you want to see
all files, not just pictures.
~QUIT
Syntax: QUIT [flag]
Exits Piclab. If there is a point transformation pending, it must be
cancelled or saved before exiting. If the exit command is given any
arguments, it exits immediately regardless of pending transformations.
Inside a program, QUIT merely sets a flag so that Piclab will exit after
the program is complete.
~EXIT
Syntax: EXIT [flag]
Exits Piclab. If there is a point transformation pending, it must be
cancelled or saved before exiting. If the exit command is given any
arguments, it exits immediately regardless of pending transformations.
Inside a program, EXIT merely sets a flag so that Piclab will exit after
the program is complete.
~LIST
Syntax: LIST [item]
If given without an argument, shows what things may can be listed.
If one of these things (e.g. FORMATS, COMMANDS, BUFFERS) is given as
an argument, the appropriate items are listed. Especially useful are
LIST COMMANDS if you forget the name of a command you are looking for
and LIST BUFFERS to check the size and format of the image in the OLD
and NEW edit buffers.
~PAUSE
Syntax: PAUSE [time]
With no arguments, Piclab waits for a key to be pressed before
continuing. If one argument is given, Piclab waits for that number
of seconds (but will break early if a key is pressed). This is for
use within programs.
~PRINT
Syntax: PRINT [x-offset [y-offset]]
Prints the image in the NEW buffer into the file specified by the
PRINTFILE variable. The current setting of the PRINTER variable
determines what codes are sent to the file.
For hard-to-explain reasons, the current release of Piclab does not
allow the use of a device name such as PRN in the PRINTFILE
variable. Images must therefore be printed to disk and copied to the
printer with DOS.
If arguments are given, the first two are used as the X and Y offsets
of the first dot to print on the first page of output.
~RUN
Syntax: RUN program [ECHO]
Takes one argument--the name of a text file containing Piclab
commands. These are interpreted as if they had been typed from the
command line, but they are not echoed, and messages are turned off
while a program runs. If a second argument to the RUN command is the
word ECHO, messages are not turned off.
A