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GRABBER/PCX(tm) Version 2.00S Shareware Issue -------------------------------- The PCX Screen Capture Program for MS-DOS and IBM PC Compatibles DOCUMENTATION AND TECHNICAL NOTES May 14, 1994 Copyright 1987-1994 by Gerald A. Monroe All rights reserved. +-------------------------------------------------+ | Although they are shareware, GRPCX and this | | documentation file are copyrighted. They are | | not in the public domain and they are not | | "freeware." Please consult page 6 of the | | REGISTER.DOC file for important copyright | | information and license provisions. | +-------------------------------------------------+ Thank you for your interest in the GRABBER(tm) screen capture system! The GRABBER package is being marketed in this special form as shareware. This means you have the opportunity to use and evaluate it for 30 days before you decide whether to buy. If you continue to use GRPCX.EXE, GRABBER.EXE, any of its "offspring" programs, or any of the other programs in the GRABBER package beyond such 30-day period, then you are required to send your registration fee to the publisher according to the instructions in the REGISTER.DOC file. When you regis- ter, you will receive a copy of the latest release of the registered GRABBER package that you order. You may not continue using GRABBER beyond such 30-day period without registering. For registration instructions and a complete statement of your license to use this soft- ware, please consult the REGISTER.DOC file. Gerald A. Monroe P.O. Box 770906 Cleveland, Ohio 44107, U.S.A. CompuServe Mail: 72321,1257 Fax: (216) 521-6060 IBM and PC are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. MS-DOS and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Table of Contents Shareware Registration and License Information . . . . . . . 1 Overview of GRABBER/PCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 GRPCX's minimum requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How to install GRPCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 How to capture the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sounds generated by GRPCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 How GRPCX names files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 GRPCX configuration options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NOSOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NOMOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 CROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 NOCROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 GRAYSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 NOGRAYSCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 EGAFONT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 NOEGAFONT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COLORTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NOCOLORTEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 TEXTINVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 NOTEXTINVERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 NOVESA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 NOEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Special note for QEMM users . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NOUMB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NOSWAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 UNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 BATCHCAPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 INT=nn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 INT=off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Option Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 How to install GRPCX for your Super-VGA adapter . . . . . . 13 Capturing 8514/A graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 How GRPCX captures 4-color CGA graphics . . . . . . . . . . 16 How to control GRPCX's crop box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Compatibility with different text and graphics modes . . . 18 Using GRPCX with Microsoft Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Changing GRPCX's hotkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Calling GRPCX from your own programs . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Hotkey parameter code table (1 of 2) . . . . . . . . Appendix A Hotkey parameter code table (2 of 2) . . . . . . . . Appendix B GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 3 of 24 OVERVIEW OF GRABBER/PCX ------------------------ GRABBER/PCX, or "GRPCX," is a memory-resident screen capture program. It saves the images on your computer screen to files on your disk using the very widely supported .PCX graphics file format. Virtually all word processing, desktop publishing and graphics programs for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows-based comput- ers are compatible with the .PCX graphics format. GRPCX captures both pixel-based graphic images and charac- ter-based text images to .PCX files. GRPCX can capture any text image regardless of the number of rows or columns of characters it contains, and gives a perfect dot-for-dot rendering of every character, even if custom screen fonts, a 512-character set, or the split-screen capabilities of the VGA adapter are being used. GRPCX can also capture virtually any type of pixel-based graphic image that a standard VGA adapter can generate, even if the display is being run in a graphics mode which uses a non-standard resolution or color depth. GRPCX can also capture all of the most common "Super-VGA" graphics modes that are available on most brands of Super-VGA adapters currently available. With GRPCX, you can capture an entire text or graphics image, or capture only a part of the image by cropping out unwanted portions. Together with GRPCX, the GRABBER family of screen capture tools is the most powerful, most versatile and most reliable software screen capture system you will find anywhere. GRPCX'S MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ----------------------------- To use GRPCX, your computer system must have the following: 1. A VGA ("Video Graphics Array") video adapter that is 100% compatible with the original IBM VGA at the hard- ware register level. 2. The MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS operating system, Version 3.0 or later. Version 5.0 or later is recommended. 3. At least 512Kb of random-access memory ("RAM"). Two megabytes (2Mb) or more is recommended. GRPCX will work with any computer having a microprocessor that is compatible with the Intel 8088 or 8086 chips. (This includes 80286, 80386, 80486, and Pentium chips.) GRPCX will work with either a color or monochrome display screen. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 4 of 24 HOW TO INSTALL GRPCX.EXE ------------------------- Since GRPCX is a memory-resident program, you must install it in your computer's memory before you can use it to capture screens. To install GRPCX.EXE in memory, enter the following command at the DOS prompt or in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: GRPCX [d:][\path] The "[d:]" parameter in the above example represents the drive letter, followed by a colon, of the disk drive on which you want to save your captured .PCX files. If you omit the drive letter, GRPCX will assume that you want to capture to the drive that is the default at the time the GRPCX command is issued. Hard disk drives and floppy drives are both acceptable. The "[\path]" parameter in the above example represents the name of the directory on the "[d:]" drive into which you want to deposit your captured .PCX files. For example, if you want to capture screens to a directory on your Drive C called "PCXFILES," you would enter: GRPCX C:\PCXFILES Note that you can include either the "[d:]" parameter or the "[\path]" parameter or both, but you must include at least one of these. After installing GRPCX in memory, you can change the drive and directory path to which your .PCX files are saved by issuing another GRPCX command which follows this syntax. HOW TO CAPTURE THE SCREEN -------------------------- To capture any screen, press the GRPCX "hotkey" combination, which by default is Ctrl-Alt-F1. That is, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys simultaneously, press the F1 key, then release all three keys. (You can change GRPCX's hotkey by following the instructions below on page 21.) SOUNDS GENERATED BY GRPCX -------------------------- GRPCX, by default, will make a series of clicking sounds on your computer's speaker to let you know that it is busy capturing the screen. If the screen is captured successfully, GRPCX will signal this by making a brief, ascending two-tone "chirp" sound. If a problem arises and GRPCX is unable to complete the capture GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 5 of 24 operation, it will signal this by making one single low-pitched beep, or a series of three low-pitched beeps. One low-pitched beep means GRPCX was unable to recognize the video mode in which the screen is currently running. This means that a Super-VGA image is being displayed, and (1) you have not told GRPCX what brand of Super-VGA adapter is installed in your system, and (2) there is no VESA BIOS extension present in the system. To solve this problem, see page 13 below. Three low-pitched beeps means that GRPCX was unable to finish the screen capture operation because of a problem in creating the .PCX disk file. This could indicate one of several specific problems, including: (1) the drive to which screens are being captured is full; (2) the drive is a floppy drive and its door is open or there is no diskette in it; (3) the drive is a logical drive created by SUBST or ASSIGN which existed when you originally installed GRPCX in memory but doesn't exist anymore; (4) the directory to which screens are being captured has no free entries in it; (5) DOS has no more file handles available -- increase the number of the "FILES=" parameter in your CONFIG.SYS file; or (6) there is a physical defect on the destination disk or a hardware defect in the disk drive hardware. HOW GRPCX NAMES FILES ---------------------- GRPCX automatically tries to detect the name of the program that is running when you tell it to capture the screen. If GRPCX is able to detect the program's name, it takes the first six characters of that name and adds (1) a two-digit number from "00" through "99", and (2) a file name extension of ".PCX". This is the name that will be assigned to the captured screen file. GRPCX always picks the lowest available two-digit number in the destination path. For example, if you are running a program called "WORDPROC.EXE" and there are already four files in the destination path named "WORDPR00.PCX" through "WORDPR03.PCX", then your next screen capture from that program will be called "WORDPR04.PCX". If there are already 100 files in the destina- tion path named "WORDPR00.PCX" through "WORDPR99.PCX", then your next screen capture from that program will be called "WORDPR00.PCX", and the contents of the original WORDPR00.PCX file will be overwritten and lost forever. If GRPCX detects that you are sitting at the DOS prompt when you request a screen capture, it will name the captured files MSDOS00.PCX, MSDOS01.PCX, and so forth. If GRPCX is unable to detect the name of the currently running program, it will assign the names SCREEN00.PCX, SCREEN01.PCX, and so forth. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 6 of 24 GRPCX CONFIGURATION OPTIONS ---------------------------- You can configure GRPCX's operation to your needs by using any of the following optional command-line switches. These switches may be used to configure GRPCX when you initially install it in memory, or after it is already installed in memory and you want to change its mode of operation. To specify any optional switches at the same time you are initially installing GRPCX in memory, be sure to include the switch names *after* the drive/path destination parameter on the GRPCX command line. For example: GRPCX C:\PCXFILES [option1] [option2] ... To specify any optional switches after GRPCX is already installed in memory, just include the switch names after GRPCX on the command line. For example: GRPCX [option1] [option2] ... Switch names may be entered in any combination of uppercase and lowercase characters. Option: SOUND ---------------- Use the SOUND option switch to enable GRPCX's use of sounds to indicate the progress of a screen capture operation. This includes the tick sounds generated during the screen capture, and the ascending two-tone "chirp" sound which indicates a successful capture. By default, these sounds are enabled. Option: NOSOUND ------------------ Use the NOSOUND option to disable GRPCX's use of sounds to indicate the progress of a screen capture operation. Note, however, that you cannot disable the low-pitched beeps sounds which GRPCX makes to indicate an error condition during the screen capture. Option: MOUSE ---------------- Use the MOUSE option to enable GRPCX's recognition of your mouse buttons, in addition to GRPCX's usual keyboard hotkey, for capturing the screen. To capture the screen using your mouse, press and hold both the left and right mouse buttons for about one or two seconds. This has the same effect as pressing the GRPCX hotkey on your keyboard. By default, the MOUSE option is disabled. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 7 of 24 Option: NOMOUSE ------------------ Use the NOMOUSE option to disable GRPCX's recognition of your mouse buttons for capturing the screen. This is GRPCX's default setting. Option: CROP --------------- Use the CROP option to enable GRPCX to capture only the part of the screen which you select. When crop is enabled and you request a screen capture, GRPCX does not capture the screen right away. Instead, it first prompts you to indicate which portion of the screen you wish to capture to a .PCX file by drawing a box on top of the current screen image, which you can move and reshape to your preference. Instructions for moving and reshaping this "crop box" are given below on page 16. By default, the CROP option is disabled. Option: NOCROP ----------------- Use the NOCROP option to disable GRPCX's "crop box" feature, which is described above under the "CROP" option. When CROP is disabled, GRPCX captures the entire screen image to a .PCX file and does not prompt you indicate which portion you wish to capture. This is GRPCX's default setting. Option: GRAYSCALE -------------------- Use the GRAYSCALE option to force GRPCX to convert all palette colors in the current screen image to evenly spaced shades of gray. For 16-color images, colors in the resulting .PCX file will be forced to 16 shades of gray. For 256-color images, colors in the resulting .PCX file will be forced to 64 shades of gray. The GRAYSCALE option functions on both charac- ter-based text images and on graphic-mode images. By default, this option is disabled, and captured .PCX files will retain all of the palette colors of the original image. Option: NOGRAYSCALE ---------------------- Use the NOGRAYSCALE option to prevent GRPCX from forcing all palette colors in the current screen image to shades of gray, and to cause captured .PCX files to retain all of the palette colors of the original image. This is GRPCX's default setting. Option: EGAFONT ------------------ Use the EGAFONT option to force GRPCX to use the standard EGA-style 8x14 character font that is built into your VGA adapter when capturing text-mode screens. This option is included so that a standard 80-column by 25-row text image (which is the most common type of text-mode image) can be captured to a .PCX file measuring an even 640 dots (horizontally) by 350 dots (verti- GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 8 of 24 cally). The 640 x 350 size is sometimes desirable because it happens to correspond to the dimensions of the standard EGA/VGA graphics mode 10 hex, and this makes it easy to view the entire captured .PCX image at once using popular DOS picture viewing utilities, without having to pan or scroll around the screen. Note that the EGAFONT option forces GRPCX to ignore any custom- ized screen fonts that may currently be active, and therefore it may cause the captured text characters to be rendered incorrectly in the .PCX file if you are capturing from a foreground program that uses customized screen fonts, a 512-character set, or the split-screen capabilities of the VGA adapter. The EGAFONT option has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. By default, the EGAFONTS option is disabled. Option: NOEGAFONT -------------------- Use the NOEGAFONT option to prevent GRPCX from forcing the use of your VGA adapter's built-in 8x14 character font when capturing character-based text images. When NOEGAFONT is active, GRPCX always captures text images using the actual character font data that is presently active. This allows an exact dot-for-dot rendering of each character in the captured .PCX file, even when customized screen fonts, a 512-character set, or the split-screen capabilities of the VGA adapter are being used. The NOEGAFONT option has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. NOEGAFONT is GRPCX's default setting. Option: COLORTEXT -------------------- Use the COLORTEXT option to allow GRPCX to retain the exact color palette of the original image when capturing character- based text screens. When COLORTEXT is enabled, color text images will be captured to 16-color .PCX files with a palette that matches the original image's palette exactly. The COLORTEXT option has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. COLORTEXT is GRPCX's default setting. Option: NOCOLORTEXT ---------------------- Use the NOCOLORTEXT option to force GRPCX to capture charac- ter-based text images to monochrome, or "2-color," .PCX files. This option is sometimes useful when you need to print a text- screen image using a low-resolution printer, or using graphics software which does a poor job of dithering colors for printing on a black-and-white device. When NOCOLORTEXT is active, none of the palette color information from the original text image will be retained in the captured .PCX file. The NOCOLORTEXT option has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. By default, the NOCOLORTEXT option is disabled. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 9 of 24 Option: TEXTINVERT --------------------- Use the TEXTINVERT option to force GRPCX to invert the black and white elements of a character-based text image that is being captured while the NOCOLORTEXT option is active. This creates, in effect, a negative of the monochrome .PCX image. This option is sometimes useful for improving the appearance of a captured text image that is being reproduced on a black-and-white printer. The TEXTINVERT option has no effect on text-screen captures unless the NOCOLORTEXT option is also enabled, and it has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. By default, the TEXTINVERT option is disabled. Option: NOTEXTINVERT ----------------------- Use the NOTEXTINVERT option to prevent GRPCX from inverting the black and white elements of a character-based text image (i.e., prevent it from making a negative) when the NOCOLORTEXT option is active. The NOTEXTINVERT option has no effect on text- screen captures unless the NOCOLORTEXT option is also enabled, and it has no effect at all when capturing graphic-mode screens. TEXTINVERT is GRPCX's default setting. Option: NOVESA ----------------- Use the NOVESA option to force GRPCX to ignore the existence of any VESA video BIOS extension that may be present in your system. Note that a VESA video BIOS extension is usually very helpful in allowing GRPCX to capture super-VGA graphics images properly, and if GRPCX detects one, it will attempt to use it unless and until you specify this option. This option is intend- ed to be used only if GRPCX is unable to capture super-VGA images correctly and you suspect that a faulty VESA BIOS may be causing the problem (yes, some of these exist). Please note, also, that this option cannot be reversed by using a "VESA" command-line option, because there isn't one. Therefore, if you use the NOVESA option, GRPCX will continue to ignore your VESA BIOS until you remove GRPCX from memory (by rebooting or using the UNLOAD option) and reinstall it again without the NOVESA option. Option: NOEMS ---------------- Use the NOEMS option to prevent GRPCX from using EMS expand- ed memory, such as the kind provided by the EMM386.EXE program supplied with DOS and by certain memory-expansion boards. If GRPCX detects that at least 32Kb of expanded memory is available when you initially install it in memory, then it will automati- cally allocate that amount of expanded memory to itself, and use the expanded memory to store most of its program buffers, unless you specify this option. If GRPCX is able to use expanded memory, then it will occupy only about 5,000 bytes of your system's precious memory below the 1-megabyte DOS threshold ("DOS memory"). However, if no expanded memory is available, GRPCX GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 10 of 24 will occupy about 21,000 bytes of DOS memory. The NOEMS option is not recommended unless, in contrast to the rest of us, you have DOS memory to burn and need to conserve expanded memory space for other programs. Note that the NOEMS option may only be specified when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory, and has no effect if you specify it after GRPCX is already installed. SPECIAL NOTE FOR QEMM USERS: The Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager (QEMM) Versions 6.0 and later include a special feature called "Stealth" ROM management which is partially incompatible with GRPCX. If GRPCX detects that QEMM Stealth has remapped your video BIOS segment (which is usually the segment at C0000h, but it can also be elsewhere), then GRPCX will auto- matically disable EMS usage as though you had included the NOEMS option on the command line. However, in rare situations, GRPCX might be unable to detect that QEMM Stealth has remapped your video BIOS segment. This may be the case if your system crashes when you attempt to capture the screen. To cure this problem, try using the NOEMS option when you initially install GRPCX in memory. You can still take advantage of GRPCX's EMS memory capability as long as your video BIOS segment is not one of the segments that has been remapped by QEMM Stealth. For instruc- tions on excluding the video BIOS segment from Stealth coverage, consult the description of the "XST:" option in your QEMM docu- mentation. Option: NOUMB ---------------- Use the NOUMB option to prevent GRPCX from using upper memory blocks (UMBs) to store its program buffers. (UMBs are regions of DOS memory above the 640Kb "conventional memory" limit and below the 1-megabyte threshold that can be made available with DOS versions 5.0 and later, on computers with 80386 or later processors.) When you initially install GRPCX in memory, it first looks for 32Kb of EMS expanded memory in which to store its program buffers, as described above under the "NOEMS" option. If GRPCX does not find 32Kb of expanded memory, it will then try to allocate an upper memory block of 24Kb to use for the same purpose. If a 24Kb UMB is available, GRPCX will reserve it for itself unless you tell it otherwise using this option. Note that the NOUMB option may only be specified when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory, and has no effect if you specify it after GRPCX is already installed. Option: NOSWAP ----------------- This switch tells GRPCX not to attempt to "swap" certain key regions of the MS-DOS kernel out of memory during a screen capture operation. By default, GRPCX will perform this swapping during a screen capture operation in order to reduce the delays between the time you press GRPCX's hotkey combination and the time GRPCX actually begins capturing the screen image. On rare GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 11 of 24 occasions, however, with some systems and with some software, this swapping activity can lead to a system crash. If your crashes for no apparent reason when you request GRPCX to capture the screen, try using the NOSWAP option on the command line. Note that the NOSWAP option is valid only when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory. If you use it after GRPCX is already resident, it will be ignored. Option: UNLOAD ----------------- Use the UNLOAD option if GRPCX has already been installed in your computer's memory, and you want to remove it from memory without rebooting the computer. Once GRPCX has been successfully UNLOADed, it releases all conventional and expanded memory that it was occupying, and that memory can be used by other programs. Note that you may not remove GRPCX from memory if, after you initially loaded it, you then loaded other memory-resident software which uses any of the same hardware or software inter- rupts used by GRPCX. Using the UNLOAD option in this situation will not work, and GRPCX will issue an informative error message to this effect. If you still want to remove GRPCX without rebooting, you must first, if possible, remove all memory-resi- dent programs installed after GRPCX in the reverse order in which they were originally installed, and then try the UNLOAD option again. Note that you should always be able to remove GRPCX from memory using the UNLOAD option if GRPCX was the last memory-resi- dent program you loaded into memory. OPTIONS: BATCHCAPTURE or BATCHCAPTURE:FILENAME ------------------------------------------------- These options tell a memory-resident copy of GRPCX to capture the current screen immediately. This is called a "batch capture" because the most useful way to use these options is in a batch file, when you want to capture the screen without having to stop and press a hotkey. If you use BATCHCAPTURE by itself, the captured screen will be given a file name according to GRPCX's default "serial number" scheme (see page 5 above). If you use BATCHCAPTURE: followed by a file name, the image will be captured to a file with the name you specify. The "filename" parameter may be any length, and may optionally include a drive or directory path specification. For example: GRPCX BATCHCAPTURE:C:\PICTURES\TESTPIC.PCX If the batch capture is completed successfully, GRPCX passes an errorlevel of zero back to the batch file which issued the BATCHCAPTURE command. If any error occurs, an errorlevel of 1 is returned. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 12 of 24 The BATCHCAPTURE options may be used only after GRPCX has been installed in memory. Also, any other configuration options which are specified on the same command line as BATCHCAPTURE will be ignored. OPTION: INT=nn ----------------- This switch tells GRPCX to attempt to use a particular block of interrupt vector numbers for relocating the IRQ0-IRQ7 hardware interrupts while GRPCX is resident in memory. The 'nn' in the string represents a two-digit hexadecimal number, which may be any one of the following: D8, D0, C8, C0, B8, B0, A8, A0, 98, 90, 88, 80, or 78. GRPCX will attempt to use the eight consecu- tive interrupt vector numbers beginning with the number you specify as 'nn'. (For example: INT=78 tells GRPCX to try allocating interrupts 78 hex through 7F hex, while INT=B0 in- structs GRPCX to try allocating interrupts B0 hex through B7 hex.) GRPCX will ignore your INT=nn request, and will not redirect the IRQ0-IRQ7 hardware interrupts at all, if either of the following is true: (1) the 'nn' number you specify is not included in the list above; or (2) GRPCX detects a possibility that one or more of the eight interrupt numbers in the block starting with 'nn' might already be in use by some other software in your system. If you do not specify the INT=nn option, and you do not specify the "INT=OFF" option (described below), then GRPCX will automatically search for a block of eight consecutive interrupts beginning with one of the interrupt numbers in the above list (searching in the order listed above), and will allocate the first free block it finds. The INT=nn option is valid only when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory. If you use it after GRPCX is already resident, it will be ignored. OPTION: INT=OFF ------------------ This switch tells GRPCX not to attempt to redirect the IRQ0- IRQ7 hardware interrupts to any other block of interrupt numbers from where GRPCX originally finds them. On most PC's, the IRQ0- IRQ7 hardware interrupts are almost always mapped to the inter- rupt vector numbers 08 hex through 0F hex. Using the INT=OFF option ensures that GRPCX will not attempt to disturb this mapping arrangement. If your system begins to crash for no apparent reason when GRPCX is loaded in memory, you should first try to use this INT=OFF option on the command line. Note that the INT=OFF option is valid only when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 13 of 24 If you use INT=OFF after GRPCX is already resident, it will be ignored. OPTION SUMMARY --------------- For your reference, here is a description of GRPCX's default configuration. This is how GRPCX will be set up if you do not specify any command-line options when you initially install GRPCX in memory: 1. Super-VGA logic: Generic VGA 2. Use VESA video BIOS calls: Yes, if a VESA BIOS is present at the time GRPCX is initially installed in memory; otherwise, No. 3. Allow captures using mouse buttons: No (NOMOUSE) 4. Use sounds to indicate capture progress: Yes (SOUND) 5. Convert color images to grayscale: No (NOGRAYSCALE) 6. Force the use of the EGA-style 8x14 character font for text screen captures: No (NOEGAFONT) 7. Retain color palette information for text screen captures: Yes (COLORTEXT) 8. Invert black and white elements (i.e., make a negative) of black-and-white text screens: No (NOTEXTINVERT) 9. Crop image before saving to .PCX file: No (NOCROP) 10. Load GRPCX into EMS expanded memory or a DOS upper memory block, if available: Yes 11. Enable swapping of DOS kernel: Yes 12. Redirect IRQ0-IRQ7 hardware interrupts: Yes, to the first available block of eight interrupt numbers as explained under "INT=nn" above on page 12. HOW TO INSTALL GRPCX FOR YOUR SUPER-VGA ADAPTER ------------------------------------------------ If you have a Super-VGA adapter that fully supports the VESA video BIOS extension, you should not need to configure GRPCX to capture your high-resolution Super-VGA images. Most Super-VGA adapters either have VESA compatibility built into the hardware, GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 14 of 24 or can be made VESA-compatible by loading a memory-resident VESA driver program supplied by the manufacturer. If your VESA BIOS takes the form of a memory-resident program and is not already built into your adapter, then you should make sure to load the VESA driver program *before* you initially install GRPCX in memory. GRPCX will not recognize a VESA driver that is loaded after it in memory. If you experience problems capturing Super- VGA graphic images with a VESA-compatible system, the following procedure may solve the problems. If you do not have a VESA-compatible video system, you must tell GRPCX which type of VGA chipset circuitry is used by your video adapter before it will be able to capture high-resolution Super-VGA graphic images. To configure GRPCX for your Super-VGA, include one of the following "@" parameters on GRPCX's command line. For example: GRPCX [other options] @CHIPTYPE Here are the VGA chipset names which GRPCX recognizes. Use one of these in place of "@chiptype" in the example above. @ATI ATI Technologies chips @VIDEO7 Video Seven chips @HEADLAND Headland Technology chips @PARADISE Paradise PVGA chips @WD Western Digital WD90C00 chips @TSENG3 Tseng Laboratories ET-3000 chip @TSENG4 Tseng Laboratories ET-4000 chip @STB4 STB adapters using the Tseng Labs ET-4000 chip @AHEADA Ahead Systems chip version "A" @AHEADB Ahead Systems chip version "B" @GENOA Genoa GVGA chip (used by 6000 series cards) @OAK Oak Technology OTI-067 chip @TRIDENT Trident chips @NCR NCR 77C22E chip You can specify an "@chiptype" parameter when you are initially installing GRPCX in memory, or you can specify one after GRPCX is already resident in memory. In many cases, but not all, the chipset names above will match the brand name of the adapter. For example, almost all ATI-, Video Seven- and Trident-brand adapters use chipsets which carry the board manufacturer's own name. However, you should note that this is not always true. Many Super-VGA adapters use chipsets that were manufactured by a source other than the company whose brand name is on the product. Such manufacturers (for example: STB, Orchid, Genoa and Everex) have not always produced their own VGA chipsets. Instead, they have built Super- GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 15 of 24 VGA adapters using chipsets from other sources, and have marketed the finished products under their own brand names. Therefore, this means that if you are not sure which type of VGA chipset is employed by your Super-VGA adapter, you should determine this by examining the Super-VGA itself, and looking for the name printed on top of the VGA logic chip. (Usually, the Super-VGA is a card in one of your computer's expansion slots, but sometimes it is a section of the computer's main system board itself.) The other way to determine which of these GRPCX configura- tion settings will work for you is by trial-and-error. If one setting does not work properly, try the next setting in the above list. (You can issue successive "@chiptype" commands from the DOS prompt, without removing GRPCX from memory and reinstalling it.) If you attempt to capture a Super-VGA graphic image and hear one single low-pitched beep, it means that GRPCX does not recog- nize or is not configured to capture the specific display mode in which the adapter is currently operating. This will happen if your video system is not VESA-compatible, and you have not configured GRPCX for the correct type of VGA chipset. You should also note that GRPCX cannot capture some 16-color Super-VGA images even though they are of common resolutions. Typical examples are ATI's video mode numbered 65h (used for 1024 x 768 x 16 on older VGA Wonder cards), and the 1024 x 768 x 16 and 800 x 600 x 16 modes on adapters, such as the Diamond Stealth and Orchid Fahrenheit, which employ the S-Cubed 86C911 chipset (a chip not supported directly by GRPCX but possibly by way of a VESA driver). GRPCX only captures 16-color modes which conform to the IBM-standard "four-plane planar" memory organization scheme, such as the one used by the standard 640 x 350 x 16 EGA graphic mode. Modes such as the ones mentioned above do not conform to the standard memory layout scheme, but use memory layouts unique to the particular board manufacturer. Therefore, they and similar modes cannot be captured by GRPCX. CAPTURING 8514/A GRAPHICS -------------------------- GRPCX is also able to capture high-resolution graphics from systems that are compatible with the 8514/A Adapter Interface, also known as the "AI". The AI is a graphics programming stan- dard that was originally invented by IBM for its 8514/A and XGA video adapters, and is now supported by several other video card manufacturers. The AI is similar to the VESA video BIOS exten- sion in that it takes the form of a memory-resident driver that other programs, like GRPCX, can call on to create and work with GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 16 of 24 high-resolution graphics. The AI supports screen resolutions of 640 x 480 and 1024 x 768 pixels, in either 16 or 256 colors. If your video adapter is part of the popular "Graphics Vantage," "Graphics Ultra" or "8514 Ultra" series of boards manufactured by ATI Technologies, then you can add AI compatibil- ity to your system by loading the HDILOAD.EXE program that is supplied with the board. AI drivers are also available for other non-IBM video adapters, such as the many Super-VGA boards which use the Tseng Laboratories ET4000 chipset or various "S-Cubed" chipsets. You do not have to configure GRPCX to capture screens from programs that use the AI for graphics output. GRPCX automatical- ly detects the presence of an AI driver when you initially install GRPCX in memory. Note, however, that GRPCX will not be able to capture AI-compatible graphics unless you load your AI driver (for example, HDILOAD.EXE) *before* you install GRPCX in memory. GRPCX will not recognize an AI driver that is loaded after it in memory. Some AI video adapters are compatible with the IBM 8514/A adapter at the hardware register level. These include, for example, the ATI adapters mentioned above. Some programs, including Microsoft Windows, work with such hardware-compatible adapters by writing directly to the hardware registers and bypassing the AI completely. GRPCX is not able to capture screens from such programs, and can only capture 8514/A graphics from programs that use the AI for screen output. HOW GRPCX CAPTURES 4-COLOR CGA GRAPHICS ---------------------------------------- Many software programs that accept .PCX files as input are not able to render the palette colors correctly if the .PCX file contains a straight 4-color palette. Therefore, when capturing 4-color CGA graphics modes from a VGA-compatible system (i.e., BIOS modes 4 and 5), GRPCX automatically converts such screens to 16-color .PCX files to ensure palette compatibil- ity with other programs. HOW TO CONTROL GRPCX's CROP BOX -------------------------------- When the CROP option is enabled (see page 7 above), you can move and reshape GRPCX's crop box on your screen by using the following keys: <Esc> . . . . . . . . . . Abort the screen capture and exit back to the foreground program. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 17 of 24 <Return> . . . . . . . . Accept the area enclosed or covered by the crop box, and begin captur- ing. <Left Arrow>, <Right Arrow>, <Up Arrow> or <Down Arrow> . . . . . . Move the crop box in the direction indicated, without changing the shape of the box. <Shift><Left Arrow> . . . Shrink the box horizontally. <Shift><Right Arrow> . . Expand the box horizontally. <Shift><Up Arrow> . . . . Shrink the box vertically. <Shift><Down Arrow> . . . Expand the box vertically. <Insert> . . . . . . . . Toggle between coarse and fine increments for moving or reshaping the box. <Home> . . . . . . . . . Move the box to the upper lefthand corner of the screen. <End> . . . . . . . . . . Move the box to the lower lefthand corner of the screen. <Ctrl><PgUp> . . . . . . Move the box to the upper righthand corner of the screen. <Ctrl><PgDn> . . . . . . Move the box to the lower righthand corner of the screen. <PgUp> . . . . . . . . . Move box to top edge of the screen. <PgDn> . . . . . . . . . Move box to bottom edge of the screen. <Ctrl><Left Arrow> . . . Move box to left edge of the screen. <Ctrl><Right Arrow> . . . Move box to right edge of the screen. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 18 of 24 COMPATIBILITY WITH DIFFERENT TEXT AND GRAPHICS MODES ----------------------------------------------------- GRPCX is designed to be compatible with "Standard," "Non- standard," and most "Super-VGA" video modes. Standard modes are those defined by IBM and supported by the IBM VGA video BIOS ("Basic Input-Output Services"), and they include the following: Mode Type X/Y Image No. of No. of Mode Resolution Colors ----- -------- -------------------- ------ 00 text 40 x 25 characters 16 01 text 40 x 25 characters 16 02 text 80+ x 25+ characters 16 03 text 80+ x 25+ characters 16 07 text 80+ x 25+ characters 2 ?? any other up to 256x256 chars. 2 or 16 text mode (defined by mfg'er) Mode Type X/Y Image No. of No. of Mode Resolution Colors ----- -------- -------------------- ------ 04 graphics 320 x 200 pixels 4 05 graphics 320 x 200 pixels 4 06 graphics 640 x 200 pixels 2 13 graphics 320 x 200 pixels 16 14 graphics 640 x 200 pixels 16 15 graphics 640 x 350 pixels 2 16 graphics 640 x 350 pixels 16 17 graphics 640 x 480 pixels 2 18 graphics 640 x 480 pixels 16 19 graphics 320 x 200 pixels 256 Non-standard modes are low- and medium-resolution graphic modes which are not supported by the IBM VGA video BIOS. They can be achieved on an IBM-compatible VGA adapter by specially programming the video hardware registers. Common non-standard video modes include 320 x 240 x 256 colors; 360 x 480 x 256 col- ors; 320 x 200 x 256 colors using four video "pages" for fluid animation purposes; and several others. GRPCX should capture them all. Super-VGA modes are high-resolution 16-color and 256-color graphic modes which are documented by an adapter's manufacturer but which do not have standard mode numbers assigned to them. Generally, any mode is called a "Super-VGA" mode in this manual if it has a resolution greater than 640 x 480 pixels in 16 colors, or greater than 320 x 200 pixels in 256 colors. The most common Super-VGA modes are the following: GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 19 of 24 * 16 colors: 800 x 16 1024 x 768 * 256 colors: 640 x 400 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 GRPCX is also designed to capture two other common Super-VGA resolutions: 1280 x 1024 in either 16 or 256 colors. However, GRPCX captures these two modes only if your system has a VESA- compatible video BIOS which is present in the system before GRPCX is installed in memory. GRPCX can capture other Super-VGA modes if your system is equipped with a video adapter that was manufactured using one of several brands of Super-VGA controller chips (see page 13 above). In addition, GRPCX is compatible with these modes on any Super- VGA adapter which fully supports the VESA video BIOS extension. GRPCX does not presently capture screens with more than 256 colors. GRPCX cannot capture 16-color Super-VGA modes which do not conform to the "four-plane planar" memory organization scheme such as the one used by the Standard mode 16 (10 hex) above. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 20 of 24 USING GRPCX WITH MICROSOFT WINDOWS ----------------------------------- GRPCX is designed to work with programs that run in "real mode" or "virtual 8086" mode under MS-DOS. If you are running an MS- DOS application in full-screen mode under Microsoft Windows, GRPCX should be able to capture screens from that application just as though you were running it outside of Windows. GRPCX is not specifically designed to capture images from the Windows desktop itself, or from MS-DOS applications which are running in a window instead of full-screen mode. However, you might still be able to use GRPCX to capture the Windows desktop. Note: Make sure you install GRPCX in memory *before* starting Windows. Also, make sure you use the INT=OFF command-line option (described above on page 12) when you initially install GRPCX in memory; if you don't, GRPCX will not allow Windows to load. While Windows is running, GRPCX automatically changes its hotkey combination to [Ctrl Shift]. When you exit Windows, GRPCX's hotkey combination reverts back to [Ctrl =] or whatever you may have changed it to be. Also, while Windows is running, GRPCX ignores the status of the CROP option and capture the entire screen image. When you exit Windows, GRPCX will resume following the status of the CROP option. Whether your offspring screens turn out correctly will depend on what type of video hardware is installed, which Windows video driver you are using, and what other memory-resident programs are also loaded. GRPCX has been known to work using the generic VGA video driver supplied with Windows 3.1 (640 x 480 x 16 mode), as well as with recent Super-VGA drivers for ATI VGA Wonder adapters and adapters based on the Tseng Labs ET4000 chipset (in the 640 x 480 and 1,024 x 768 x 256 modes). It may work with other Super- VGA cards. It will not work with XGA, 8514/A, ATI Mach-8, ATI Mach-32, S-Cubed, or other video coprocessor drivers. After GRPCX captures a Windows screen, it might upset the Windows video driver in such a way that garbage is left on the screen when you move the mouse, push menu items and buttons, or move graphic objects around. To cure this, exit back to DOS and restart Windows. Please note, again, that GRPCX is designed for use only in the MS-DOS environment, and is not supported by the publisher as a Windows screen capture program. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 21 of 24 CHANGING GRPCX's HOTKEY ------------------------ GRPCX allows you to change the keystroke sequence which activates the program, from the default Ctrl-Alt-F1 to almost any other sequence you choose. If GRPCX is already active in your computer's memory, you may tell the resident copy of GRPCX that you want to start using a different hotkey than the one it currently recognizes, and make the change become effective immediately. GRPCX also gives you the option of making your hotkey change permanent, by saving the new hotkey information back to the GRPCX.EXE file itself. When you use this option, the hotkey you choose will take effect automatically every time you install GRPCX in memory. Every GRPCX hotkey has two parts. We'll call them the "KEY" and the "SHIFT". The KEY can be an alphanumeric key such as the letter <A> or the number <4>, or a punctuation key such as the <;>, or a function key such as <F10>, <Esc>, <PgDn> or <Del>. In GRPCX's default Ctrl-Alt-F1 hotkey, the <F1> function key is the KEY part. The SHIFT part of your hotkey can be made up of any combina- tion of the following keys on your keyboard: <Shift>, <Ctrl>, and <Alt>. In GRPCX's default hotkey, the <Ctrl-Alt> keys are the SHIFT part. You can specify a GRPCX hotkey on the command line either when you are initially installing the program in memory, or when re-invoking GRPCX after it is already resident. Use this syntax: GRPCX [other options] KEY=kk SHIFT=ss [SAVEHOTKEY] "kk" represents a two-character KEY code. Valid KEY codes are listed in Appendix A of this manual. "ss" represents a two-character SHIFT code. Valid SHIFT codes are listed in Appendix B of this manual. The SAVEHOTKEY parameter is optional. When you include it on the command line together with the KEY=kk and SHIFT=ss parame- ters, it instructs GRPCX to save your new hotkey choice perma- nently to the GRPCX.EXE file. This way, your new hotkey will take effect automatically every time you reinstall GRPCX in memory, and you won't have to specify your new KEY=kk and SHIFT=ss parameters every time you restart the program. If you do not include the SAVEHOTKEY parameter, the hotkey you specify will be effective only for as long as the current copy of GRPCX remains resident in memory, or until you change it again with new KEY=kk and SHIFT=ss codes. GRABBER/PCX(tm) Documentation Page 22 of 24 PROGRAMMERS NOTE: CALLING GRPCX FROM YOUR OWN PROGRAMS ------------------------------------- If you are a programmer developing your own software, you can invoke GRPCX to capture the screen from within your own program, assuming that GRPCX is already resident in memory. This is accomplished by using GRPCX's external programming hook, which is really a customized call to Interrupt 16h, described below. You can write a routine to implement this hook in 80x86 assembly language or in any high-level programming language which supports BIOS-level interrupt calls. CUSTOMIZED INTERRUPT 16H TO INVOKE GRPCX, SERVICE 4750H -------------------------------------------------------- On entry: AX = 4750h DL = 0 (to check only if GRPCX is resident) DL = 1 (to capture the current screen) On return: AX = 5047h (if GRPCX is installed in memory) For DL=0 or DL=1: BL contains the logical drive to which the capture would be attempted (DL=0) or was attempted (DL=1). 0=default drive, 1=drive A, 2=drive B, and so forth. For DL=1: No --> Capture successful. ES:DX points to Carry an ASCIIZ string which contains the Flag [drive:][\path\]filename of the newly created offspring (drive also coded in BL). Carry --> If DX = FFFFh, then a capture attempt Flag failed due to a critical disk error or Set disk-full error on the logical drive encoded in BL. (Speaker beeped in either case.) If DX does not equal FFFFh, capture was not attempted. GRPCX was busy servicing a prior capture request, or some other disk I/O was occurring, or DOS was not in a re- enterable state. Try again momentarily. APPENDIX A ------------ These are the codes you may use with GRPCX's "KEY=kk" parameter to change its hotkey. See also page 21 and Appendix B. Key Code Key Code Key Code Key Code --------- --------- ----------- ------------------ A 30 1 02 F1 59 Keypad plus 78 B 48 2 03 F2 60 Keypad minus 74 C 46 3 04 F3 61 Keypad 5 76 D 32 4 05 F4 62 Print Screen 89 E 18 5 06 F5 63 Backspace 14 F 33 6 07 F6 64 Enter 28 G 34 7 08 F7 65 H 35 8 09 F8 66 I 23 9 10 F9 67 J 36 0 11 F10 68 K 37 F11 87 L 38 ` 41 F12 88 M 50 - 12 N 49 = 13 Tab 15 O 24 , 51 Esc 01 P 25 . 52 Ins 82 Q 16 / 53 Del 83 R 19 ; 39 PgUp 73 S 31 ' 40 PgDn 81 T 20 [ 26 Home 71 U 22 ] 27 End 79 V 47 \ 43 * 55 W 17 Up 72 X 45 Down 80 Y 21 Left 75 Z 44 Right 77 NOTES: To view this table on your screen, enter GRPCX KEY=? The asterisk key (fifth from the bottom in the third column) refers to the <*> key which is located next to the right-hand <Shift> on 83-key PC and PC/XT keyboards (which is also marked "PrtSc"), and also to the <*> key which is located on the numeric keypad of 101-key PC/AT and PS/2 enhanced keyboards. The <Print Screen> key (fourth entry in the last column) refers to the key which is labeled "Print Screen" on 101-key enhanced keyboards only. It does not refer to the "PrtSc" key on 83-key keyboards. The "Print Screen" key does not exist on non-enhanced keyboards. Do not specify KEY=89 unless your keyboard has a "Print Screen" key. <Up>, <Down>, <Left> and <Right> at the bottom of the third column represent the arrow keys. APPENDIX B ------------ These are the codes you may use with GRPCX's "SHIFT=ss" parameter to change its hotkey. See also page 21 and Appendix A. Combination Code --------------------------- No shift keys 00 Shift 03 Ctrl 04 Alt 08 Alt + Shift 11 Ctrl + Shift 07 Ctrl + Alt 12 Ctrl + Alt + Shift 15 NOTES: To view this table on your screen, enter GRPCX SHIFT=? If you wish to use a hotkey which does not include any of these shift keys (for example, <F10> or <Print Screen> alone), you may do so by specifying SHIFT=00 or no SHIFT= parameter at all. However, it is recommended that you include some nonzero SHIFT= parameter to avoid probable keyboard conflicts between GRPCX and other software in your system. The exceptions to this are the <Esc> and <Enter> keys. If you wish to use either of these in your GRPCX hotkey, then you must include some nonzero SHIFT= parameter. GRPCX does not distinguish between the left-hand and righthand <Shift> keys, which are present on all keyboards. Pressing the left <Shift> key has the same effect on GRPCX as pressing the right <Shift> key, and vice-versa. If you have an enhanced keyboard which has two <Ctrl> keys and two <Alt> keys, GRPCX treats the left and right members of each pair identically as well. ** End of GRPCX.DOC **