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/***************************************************************\
** **
** Name :- Peri v1.000-BETA **
** **
** Author :- Gregory A. Kendall, Brendallson Software **
** **
** Date :- 25 April 1988 **
** **
** Updates :- 25-Apr-88 Creation and Debug **
** **
\***************************************************************/
Peri v1.000-Beta Manual
by Gregory A. Kendall
Program written by Gregory A. Kendall
25 April 1988
Table Of Contents :----------------------------------------------
I. Introduction
A. About this program and Tracer3d
B. ShareWare and Brendallson
II. Getting Started
A. The Peri Environment
B. BackUp Disks
III. Peri Options
A. The LOAD Option ( -l )
B. The SAVE Option ( -s )
C. The PEBF Option ( -e )
D. The RELOAD Option ( -r )
E. The QUIET Option ( -q )
F. Constant
G. AutoExtrusion
H. The X-Axis and Y-Axis
I. The Z-Axis
J. Advice
IV. Operation
A. Running Peri
B. Setting the Origin
C. Entering Points
D. Quitting Peri
E. The PEBF file
F. The VScape Geometry File and Polygons
V. Updates and Brendallson
A. What's in store for v1.+++
B. Disclaimer
C. Afterword
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
I. Introduction:-------------------------------------------------
A. About Peri and Tracer3d
Let me start off by welcoming you to the world of Peri.
This program is a VideoScape3D ( Aegis Development ) Geometry
File Utility. While you wait for the next version of VScape3D,
here is a program that allows you to load an IFF image, trace the
outline of a pre-existing object, and create the POINTS section
of a VScape object geometry file. This saves you from having to
type in a long series of numbers that describe the X, Y, and Z
coordinates of each point.
Peri v1.000-BETA is based loosely on Tracer3D by Jim Wamsley
and Bob Castro. It was written at the request of Bob Castro who
was a member of AUGA ( Athens Georgia Amiga Users Group ). This
BETA version of Peri does the same job as the last version of
Tracer3D and a bit more. I am sure you will agree that this is a
much better way to go about setting up VScape3d object files than
hand typing them.
The BETA version does not contain the routines for
completing the geometry file by editing polygons. The full
release version of this program will include those routines;
however, that version of Peri will not be ShareWare. Please read
over the Updates section of this manual for more information on
the full release version of Peri.
I strongly suggest reading this manual from cover to cover.
It contains much insight into the workings of Peri and the hows
and whys of its operation.
B. ShareWare and Brendallson
This BETA version of Peri is the Great Experiment on the
part of myself and Brendallson Software. I release this version
as SHAREWARE for the purpose of test-marketing this product. If
response is too low, the project will be scrubbed and I will not
release the full-release version at all. The ShareWare cost of
Peri is $15 dollars. Please send all ShareWare contributions to
the following address:
Gregory A. Kendall
ATN/ Brendallson Software
522 Neese Road
Woodstock, Ga. 30188
All checks should be made payable to Gregory A. Kendall. If you
happen to live in Athens (Georgia), you can reach me on the
LifeSupport BBS for AUGA (HANDLE: Percy). As I said, if response
is not high enough, this program will be scrubbed by Brendallson
Software and myself.
II. Getting Started :--------------------------------------------
A. The Peri Environment
After De-Arcing this program, you should have the following
files:
Peri : the program itself
Peri.Doc : this doc file
environment : batch file for Peri environment
Peri.info : icon for Peri
Tardis : a DPaint IFF file
First, we must talk about the Peri Environment. The first thing
you need to do is to format a blank disk. You can also install
the disk and set it up with all of the files needed for a
workbench disk if you want this to be a boot disk. Then move all
of the files listed above onto the RAM: disk. From here it is
easy: Just EXECUTE the "environment" batch file. This batch will
set up the disk in DF0: with the proper directories and such that
define the Peri Environment. Make sure that the disk in DF0: is
the one that you want to set up!!!! Also, note here that the
batch file will copy the various Peri files to the correct places
on that disk.
When the "environment" batch file is done, you are ready to
start with you Peri project. If you set Peri up on a workbench
disk, then you will want to reboot the system with that disk at
this time.
B. BackUp Disks
At this time after you have set up the Peri Environment, it
would be a good idea to back up the Peri disk. This is to
provide a good way to recover from a disk crash. If you don't
want to tie up a disk just for a Peri backup, then I suggest at
least keeping the Peri.Arc file intact.
III. Peri Options :----------------------------------------------
A. The LOAD Option ( -l )
The load option is where you enter the name of the IFF
picture file that you want to work from. This parameter MUST
include the full path name of the file intended.
You can also specify this option on the command line by
using the -l option flag. The format is -lFILENAME on the
command line and Peri inserts FILENAME in the Load field.
B. The SAVE Option ( -s )
The save option is where you enter the name of the VScape
Geometry file you wish to create. Again, this must be a full
path name of the file you wish to create.
Also, you can specify this option on the command line by
using the -s option. The format is -sFILENAME and Peri inserts
FILENAME in the Save field.
C. The PEBF Option ( -e )
The PEBF option gives you the chance to set the name of the
PEBF file that Peri will use for your project. This option is
only available on the command line with the command -eFILENAME.
That format must be used. If you don't specify the name of the
PEBF for that project, Peri uses the default "Data/Peri.EBF".
This option is only made available for completeness. If is
recommended that you just use the default on this as the program
gives help if the default is used.
For more information on the help Peri gives to the default
file name refer to the RELOAD section of this chapter. Also, for
more information on what a PEBF file is, please refer to the PEBF
File section of the Operation chapter.
D. The RELOAD Option ( -r )
This option gives you the power to quit Peri ( for say,
lunch or bad weather ) and come back to where you left off. The
format of this command is -rFILENAME where FILENAME is the name
of an existing PEBF file. You need to use the full path name as
always.
As an added feature, if you used the default PEBF name
(discussed in the last section), you can either give the full
path name or use -r. ( yes, that is dash "r" period ). By
specifying -r. Peri knows that you want to reload the PEBF file
with the default PEBF name.
Please refer to the PEBF Option section and the PEBF File
section for more information. This option is only available on
the command line, not in the Peri Options Menu.
E. The QUIET Option ( -q )
By specifying QUIET option, you tell Peri that you don't
want to look at the two title screens that fade in and out at the
beginning of the program. When this option is specified, Peri
begins by displaying the Options Menu.
F. Constant
This option lets you re-define the scale of the picture. If
you want your VScape picture to be say twice as big as the
picture actually is on the screen, then specify a 2 in the
Constant slot. I regret that Peri does not yet support a
Constant scaling which would allow you to make the picture
smaller. That feature will be made available in the full release
version.
G. AutoExtrusion
Peri will automatically extrude a traced object into the
third dimension. An example of this type of work is a flat paper
logo. The logo can either be scanned into the Amiga with
Digi-View, or it can be traced "live" by pointing a video camera
at the artwork and using the Genlock to superimpose the picture
of the Peri loaded picture. For every point selected on the logo
with the left mouse button, a second point will be created behind
the first in the third dimension. When you are done, you
automatically have depth for half the work.
The default is +5. This is good for an object that rests on
the Z-Axis at 0. If you don't wish Peri to automatically extrude
the points, just select "x" for the AutoExtrusion value.
H. The X & Y Axis
These two options allow you to pre-set the origin that Peri
will work around. If you happen to know this value off-hand,
then you can enter these values in before the program starts to
enter points. If both of these values are left at the default 0
then you will be able to set the origin using the mouse.
I. The Z-Axis
This option allows you to change the Z-Axis coordinate of
the points you are entering. If you change this, be sure to set
the AutoExtrusion coordinate are affected by your new resting
position.
J. Advice
I would like to point out now that for 90% ( as stated by
Bob Castro ) of the projects you will do with Peri, the default
settings in the Options menu will suffice. The most changed
options will be the LOAD and SAVE options. Other than this I
recommend using the defaults. They are there for you change when
you need to, but are set so as to provide the best service for
now.
IV. Operation :--------------------------------------------------
A. Running Peri
To run Peri just type in Peri from CLI or click on the Peri
icon from WorkBench. I know that this type of advice is pretty
silly since you are probably using the Amiga for professional
purposes. However, this is included for those who might just
have purchased an Amiga and might not know all about it yet.
Please bear with me.
B. Setting the Origin
After you have entered your options and Peri has displayed
the picture, you are asked to enter the origin. Move the mouse
to the origin that you wish to use and click the Left Mouse
Button. All of the other points entered using Peri will be
determined by this point. The origin is the place on the screen
that you wish X=0 and Y=0 to be.
C. Entering Points
After entering the origin, Peri saves the origin in a PEBF
file and then starts displaying mouse location information and
the current point count. Notice that the point count is the
actual number of points entered unlike Tracer3D which did not
include the origin in the point count. Just move the mouse along
and enter the points you wish to have using the left mouse
button.
Let me point out now some difference between Peri and
Tracer3D.
When entering points in Tracer3D, you must be careful not
to move the mouse when entering a point or the drift could mess
up where you entered the point. In Peri this is not a problem.
Recall that Peri is written in C as opposed to Tracer3D's
AmigaBasic. C allows for more control in the processing of
Messages from the mouse so I have been able to avoid the problem
from Tracer3D.
Also, when the autosave feature of Tracer3D was working at
saving data to the disk, you could not enter points. This
resulted in points being selected wrong and sometimes it confused
Tracer3D. The author was aware of this limitation of AmigaBasic
and warned the user; however, that warning is NOT necessary for
Peri. If you get to going to fast and try to enter a point when
Peri is in the AutoSave routine, nothing happens. The messages
from those clicks during a write to a disk are ignored.
To avoid confusion later on when entering your polygon list,
you should try to choose the points on the picture in a clockwise
direction. This is not required since Peri lets you enter points
wherever you wish; however, Bob Castro, who works with VScape a
lot, says that less confusion results from a clockwise direction.
He reports fewer problems with using the Tracer3D generated files
with VScape when he used the clockwise method. The same applies
to Peri.
Also, let me note here that the shape of the mouse you use
is important. I suggest using a cross-hairs design mouse image.
This allows you to get an intuitive feel for where the mouse is
actually pointing. Make sure that the hot-spot for the mouse is
in the center of the cross-hairs!!!!!!!
D. Quitting Peri
To quit Peri and/or finish your project, just click the left
mouse button on the window close gadget. You are then asked if
you really meant to select this option. If you choose CANCEL,
Peri pretends you never hit the close gadget so don't worry.
If you choose OK, then Peri finishes up the PEBF file and
then asks you if you wish it to create a VScape geometry file at
that time. If you are just quitting to go to lunch or something,
just choose CANCEL and you can pick up where you left off later
using the -r option. If you choose OK, Peri creates the file.
In either case, Peri exits and displays the settings of the
options you chose. This information is just for you to look at.
The discussion on the PEBF File in the next chapter will confirm
that all of this information is stored in that file. There is no
reason to remember this information. It is only displayed so you
can further guard against messups.
To save that information in a file, just use the UNIX
redirection provided on the Amiga. By using "Peri >ram:stuff" to
run Peri from CLI, that Amiga automatically saves the output
information at the end of the program to the file "ram:stuff".
Remember that in order to use this feature, the redirection
command MUST come before any other arguments you specify for
Peri.
E. The PEBF File
The PEBF file is a type of IFF file that I have come up with
for this specific purpose. It is a file in which the information
of points and options is stored for future reference. This
allows you to quit and restart later at the same place and guard
against power-failures that would destroy all of your work.
While you are entering points, Peri saves them to the PEBF
file ever 15 points. Please refer to the RELOAD and PEBF options
sections for more information.
As for reloading, the PEBF file contains ALL of your option
settings from before with the exception of the PEBF option set
with the -e command line flag. There is no perfectly standard
form to this file yet so I will refrain from explaining the
sections of this file. It is enough to know that this file is
created by Peri for your own good.
F. The VScape Geometry File and Polygon Listing
After you are finished with your Peri project, you are now
ready to put in the Polygon listing section of the VScape
Geometry file. Just get out your favorite text editor and edit
the saved file. You will see information in the following form
without the comments provided by me here:
3DG1
5 <-- number of points in file
0 0 0
2.5 1 0
2.5 1 5
This file was created with the default options in Peri.
Notice the autoextruded points after the points that I entered.
I only entered the origin and 2 other points.
The first section of the file says that this is a VScape
Geometry file ( 3DG1 ). The next entry is the number of points
in the file. Immediately following this is the point listing
that Peri generates.
Immediately after these points is where you will enter your
polygon list. Once you are done with this, you have a usable
VScape geometry file.
V. Updates and Brendallson :-------------------------------------
A. What's in store for 1.+++ ?
What is in store for the full-release version? Well, for
one thing: PolyGon Editing. You can also look forward to
point-deleting, file requesters, and possibly support for
overscan video.
The only problem with the full-release version of Peri is
that it is slated to be a Commercial Release and will NOT be
available through the ShareWare program. What does this mean?
Well, it means that most people will have to buy that program
from their Amiga Dealer. The good news is that those who respond
to the ShareWare add at the beginning of this doc will be able to
purchase the full-release for $15 as an update charge.
B. Disclaimer
This program carries no warranty implied or written. I have
tested it extensively and find no GURU bugs; however, they may
exist. Please write and tell me about the circumstances that
lead to a GURU error from Peri. I have taken great care to
provide a SOFTWARE ERROR free program, but I am not perfect. The
only support that I do offer is for BUG FIX UPDATES, and the
special purchase price of the full-release version to ShareWare
contributors to Peri.
C. Afterword
I would like to take this chance to thank you for trying out
Peri. I hope that the program will perform to your expectations
and I think you'll agree that this is a much better way to go
about setting up VScape Geometry files.
This program is from Brendallson Software and Gregory A.
Kendall. It has no affiliation with Aegis Development in any
way. Remember that Video Scape 3D is a copywrited program of
Aegis Development.
Thanks again for using Peri and feel free to drop me a line
concerning bugs, suggestions, and your ShareWare contribution.
You can find my address in the first chapter of this manual.
Special thanks go to Jim Wamsley, Bob Castro. and John
Lotshaw for development ideas and concept theory interfaces.
This program was written at the request of Bob Castro of Atlanta
Georgia.
Gregory A. Kendall,
Brendallson Software
The End
P.S. Please Note : As an added feature, I have added a way to find out just
what that last point you entered was. I figured that this would be
helpful for when you quit and come back later. The ESC key on the
keyboard toggles a circle that indicates the last point you entered
using Peri.
P.S.S I neglected to note in this doc that you can use any IFF picture file
for use in Peri with the exception of HAM pictures. As long as the
IFF file is an ILBM file, it could have come from DPaint, Digitizer,
or your grandmother. One of the nice features that I would like
to point out is that you can make a picture in DPaint, save it as
a brush for memory saving, and Peri will load it quite fine. I
included routines to handle the loading of Dpaint brushes to provide
a way to keep disk space as free as possible.