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-
-
- DDRAW.COM
-
- The file DDRAW.COM was compiled by Turbo v2.0 with an ending address of B000h.
- This should allow it to run on anything with a 64k (to start) CP/M 2.2 system.
-
- It compiled and runs fine on my KP10 with a very crowded high memory area
- (ZCPR3, screen dumper, etc.) and a 51k TPA.
-
- As Dan states in the DOC, this program is not finished yet. He has a planned
- improved pattern fill routine and a few other things to do (make it work with
- a printer other then a Gemini/Epson I hope...)
-
- Steve Sanders (Sysop)
- DataCOM Network RCP/M #1 & #2
- (813) 937-3608 300/1200
-
- DDraw
- copyright (c) 1984 by
- D. Griffith
-
- DDraw is a general purpose graphics/text utility designed for Kaypro'84
- models. DDraw can be described as a 'McPaint' for the Kaypro. I want to
- say that DDraw (and this documentation) is not nearly in its final form,
- so please do not compare it unfavorably to some of the drawing programs
- available for more graphicly oriented systems.
-
- The source to DDraw will be released (probably) into the public domain
- as soon as I feel it is complete. Any suggestions for features, improvements,
- etc., can be directed to:
- D. Griffith
- 912 Terra Mar Dr.
- Tampa, Fla., 33612
- or a message can be sent via modem on the Pro-Com 1 or 2 systems
- (813) 937-3608, (813) 937-6829.
-
-
- Drawing
-
- To draw something, simply type DDRAW at the CP/M prompt and press <RETURN>.
- The screen will clear and a graphic cursor will appear. Typing a '?' or 'H'
- for help will bring up a menu of commands.
- The numbers 1-9, not including 5, move the cursor in the direction
- relative to the 5 on the keypad. The 5 will toggle draw/erase mode. If you
- wish to position the cursor without drawing or erasing, press the B key to
- enter Browse mode, move the cursor as though you were drawing, then press
- B again to leave browse mode.
- To avoid having to hold down keys to move the cursor, a Repeat mode was
- added. By pressing the R key, all movement commands automatically repeat
- until either a key is pressed or the edge of the screen is reached (in non-
- wrap-around mode). Pressing R again puts the cursor back into a manual
- repeat mode.
- The cursor will default to stopping when the edge of the screen is reached.
- This can be changed by pressing the W key (to stop or start). At that time,
- when the edge is reached, the cursor wraps around to the opposite side.
- The screen can be entirely cleared by pressing ^C (hold down the CTRL key
- at the edge of the keyboard and press the C). If the screen was not saved,
- it is lost.
- Two features that make drawing a little easier is a line and circle drawing
- command. To draw a line, move the cursor to one end of the proposed line,
- press the L key, move the cursor to the other end and press L again. To draw
- a circle, move the cursor to the center of the proposed circle, press the C,
- move to a point on the edge and press C again. Either command may be aborted
- before it is drawn by pressing the space bar before pressing the command key
- the second time. Note that if you are in erase mode, a line or circle is
- erased at the indicated positions.
- Another useful feature is the status line. By pressing the S key, a
- status line indicating the cursor position will appear at the lower left
- of the screen. The first Y and X is a character position that can be used
- in programs. The second set, gY and gX are a graphics position that ranges
- from 0-99 for gY and 0-159 for gX.
- Yet another useful feature is the Text entry command. By pressing the
- letter T while in graphics mode, a letter-size cursor appears at the same
- (approximate) position of the graphics cursor. At this time, typing of
- text is allowed. The arrow keys (set up for WordStar or Kaypro) will move
- the cursor around th screen. The RETURN key will move the cursor to the
- beginning of the next line. To exit the text entry mode, press the ESCape
- key. Text (but not spaces) will overwrite graphics. This is not to say
- that any graphics you type over are lost; it is just that the text has
- priority. By typing spaces over text, any covered graphics will appear.
- One last command. ^U (hold down the CTRL key and press U) will refresh
- the screen. This is used whenever you have typed in the 80th column of
- the 24th line (the screen scrolls automatically) or when spaces have been
- typed over text to reveal covered graphics (they do not appear immediately).
-
-
- Subpictures
-
- It is often convenient to save a portion of a disply in a buffer and
- redisplay it at a different position. The subpicture commands allow this.
- I admit the commands are hardly mnemonic of their function, but I did not
- want to use multiple control codes at the time. That will probably change
- in later versions for ease of use. Regardless, the subpicture entry procedure
- is: move the cursor to the upper left corner of the block you wish to save,
- type ^B (hold CTRL key and press the letter B) begins subpicture entry.
- Follow it immediately my the number 0, 1, or 2 to tell which buffer you wish
- the image stored. Move the cursor to the lower right corner and press ^B
- again. The image will be stored. You may now continue with any editing.
- To recall an entered subpicture simply move the cursor to the upper left
- corner of where you wish it displayed and type ^R followed by the number 0,
- 1, or 2 depending on which picture you wish displayed.
- At the present time, the subpicture commands actually save a from the
- current character position (the YX in the status line) not the graphic
- cursor position (gYgX). This means that usually a little more will be
- stored and that the display may not start at precisely where the cursor is
- when the ^R command is entered. That will be remedied soon.
- Subpictures may be saved to disk for use in a later session by
- typing ^D and entering a filename. To reload a set, press the letter D
- and enter the filename you wish to restore. Note that executing a clear
- screen command (^C) does not destroy the subpictures stored in memory.
- A final note on redisplaying the subpictures: if the cursor is in erase
- mode, the subpicture will overwrite whatever is 'under' it. If the cursor
- is not in erase mode, the subpicture will me 'merged' with the graphics.
- Either way, any text will be overwritten and a screen refresh (^U) command
- should be issued.
-
-
- Printing
-
- Two methods are provided for displaying screen images on the printer.
- The first is solely for graphics. It prints (on a Gemini/Epson printer)
- a bit image of the graphic screen. To produce this print, type ^P. The
- other print will also copy any text to the printer. I know it works on
- the Gemini printers (not so sure about Epson). The command is ^O.
-
-
- Saving and Loading Screens
-
- To save a screen (graphics and text), type ^S followed by a filename.
- If the disk is read only, full, or the directory is full, an error will
- occur and the screen will be lost. To load a screen, type ^L followed
- by the filename. If the file does not exist, an error will occur.
- Provisions will be made in a revision to allow separate saving of text
- and graphics screens. This will allow text screens to be produced by
- other methods (word processors) then merged into the graphic screens.
-
-
- Miscellaneous
-
- A final command ^Q will exit DDraw without saving screens.
- If when asked for a filename (loading and saving), you wish to abort the
- command, simply press RETURN without entering anything.
-
-
- Note
-
- I believe I have covered all of the commands available as of
- December 1984.