Interchess version 2.1.6
Copyright (C) 1998-1999 Henry Wrightson
All Rights Reserved
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Chess Set Graphics
==================
The structure of the chess sets is a little missleading but has been created
thus to make the user interface more intuitive.  I will now explain how they
work.

Graphics Structure Explained
----------------------------
There is a directory under your Interchess install directory called Graphics
and within this directory are a set of further directorys that related to each
of the chess sets currently installed. E.g.

\program files
  \wrightsoft
    \Interchess
      \graphics
        \classic wood

This last directory, (classic wood in this example), represents the chess SET
and contains the board graphics and the icons for dragging and dropping pieces
on the board.

Now, at this point, you might presume that the board graphics and the set
graphics are held serperatly but you would be wrong.  Because of the way VB
combines transparant images, (eg board piece and chess piece), the quality is
not high enough so the only way is to combine the into one picture manually.
This means that you then have a graphics that has all the pieces displayed
on each of the black and white board squares, in one graphic.

So if, when you look in the chess set options you see several boards for the
classic wood chess set, these seperate boards actually relate to seperate
graphics that have the same chess set but a different board depicted on them.
This is why you cannot simply select any chess set with any board, if the
graphic contains both set and board has not been created, you cannot have that
combination.

The simplest thing is to open up the pictures, (JPG files), in an art package and
take a look for yourself.


Creating New Chess Sets & Boards
--------------------------------
All you need to do is create a set of icons, named as those that already exist are,
and at lease one jpg image, whos composition is identical to one of the orional sets.
Then create a directory inside the graphics directory and pop your files in there.
That's it, Interchess will pick it up from there.

Once you have created your new set, simply create a board graphics and paste your set
pieces onto this board graphic, then save it in your new folder.

You are not permited to create new sets or boards based upon those graphics surplied
with Interchess as they are covered by the copyright, but you are welcome, (and
encouraged), to create new ones.




The User Interface Graphics
===========================
These are held in a directory under your Interchess install directory called UI Graphics
E.g.

\program files
  \wrightsoft
    \Interchess
      \ui graphics

and with the exception of the splash screen which I will explain later are JPG files.
If you really want to customise the UI of Interchess, all you need do is open the
pictures in an graphics package and change them.  I suggest you don't because some of
the buttons and controls that appear on the forms are not actually buttons, they are
simply areas of the form graphic that have the button painted onto them already.

Because VB does a dreadfull job of converting a 16 bit per pixel image to an 8 bit per
pixel image, if you only have your computer set to 256 colours, the splash screen looks
bad.  So I've created two splash screen graphics, one for normal res mode and one for
hi-res mode.  Interchess will choose which one to display to I should mess with these
images...

Besides, ALL the graphics included with Interchess are protected under the Interchess
copyright so changing any of these things is Illegal...but then, when did that stop
anybody!


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4th September, 1999
Henry Wrightson
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Interchess@HappyValley.Screaming.net
Interchess@HenryWrightson.In2Home.co.uk
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