PC Media 7/PC MEDIA CD07.iso/share/os2/pmpant12/pmpaint.doc

Text File | 1991-07-13 | 15.3 KB | 340 lines

      PmPaint Version 1.11 (C)1991 by Mitchell Fisher    05-28-91



O V E R V I E W:
____________________________


      PmPaint is a very simple paint program for the OS/2 Presentation
Manager.  The purpose for this program was to aid in the developement of
graphic images (MetaFiles) for a game I am writing and planning to convert
to OS/2 - so this program is actually one of my many developement tools.
However, I find this program to be appropriate enough to send out for
other people to use since it may be useful to them.

      PmPaint allows the user to generate simple to complex vector images
consisting of lines and filled areas.  These images are stored in memory
in a special PmPaint format but when you save it you have the option to
save the Image as a metafile.  Note, however, that you cannot load the
metafile back into memory for re-editing so therefore the image is saved
as a PmPaint file as well.  Currently, the PmPaint files are actually
smaller in size than its associated metafile, however, you must use
PmPaint to view it and cannot access it throug OS/2 as easily as
matafiles.





F U N C T I O N S:
___________________________


      PmPaint is very simple to use, however, certain rules must be
understood before using the program.  First of all, the program does not
draw bitmap images - It draws VECTOR images which means your images are
made up of lines and filed areas (Similar to what a plotter does).

      However, do not think that this is a drawback - True it may be more
difficult to draw vector images but, generally, vector images will consume
much less memory than most Raster image.  Also, if this means anything to
your use of a paint program, vector graphics are somewhat faster to draw
than raster image in OS/2.

      Following is a description of the functions of PmPaint 1.11.  In the
future there are plans to enhance what functions there are and to add new
and more powerfull functions and to eventually exploit as many of the GPI
functions of the Presentation Manager as possible.

      Here are the graphic functions available through PmPaint 1.00:

            1. Line Drawing
            2. Moving Draw Position
            3. Filling in areas
            4. Creating curves
            5. Drawing lines via GpiPolyLine.
            6. Drawing Boxes
            7. Changing Colors
            8. Changing Fill Patterns.
            9. Deleting Items

      Furthermore, there are these operation functions:
           10 . Loading Pre-made graphics.
           11. Saving your work
           12. Drawing the graphic to the window size.
           13. Misc. functions

      NOTE:  Currently PmPaint does not support Line Width Sizes beyond
             the default which is 1 pel in width except in the use of Path
             Brackets.  Path brackets are not active in PmPaint Version
             1.11 but will be supported later versions.


      1. Line Drawing.
            Line drawing is the basis of PmPaint.  The mouse controls line
            drawing.  The Button 1 (Left Button) draws a line from the
            current draw position to the current mouse position.  The draw
            position is then set to the end of the line.


      2. Moving the draw position.
            To draw a line a draw position must be provided to start the
            line and the ending coordinates must be provided.  To set the
            draw position press Button 2 (Right Button).  Now the line can
            be drawn from the draw position to the mouse position.


      3. Filling in Areas.
            Filling in areas with PmPaint is similar to a tradition paint
            program - you create your figure, select a fill function, and
            click your mouse anywhere in the area to be filled.  If you
            left an open hole, TOO BAD - you might have just filled the
            entire screen.
            With PmPaint all you have to do is:
                  A. Position you drawing position to the place where you
                     want to start your filled area.

                  B. Select Begin area from the Special Drawing menu.

                  C. Draw your figure.  You do not have to end your figure
                     exactly at the start point since when you end the
                     area, OS/2 PM does it for you, by closing the figure
                     from the last point to the first point.

                  D. Select End Area from the Special Drawing Menu and
                     WHAM! you have a filled figure!

            Of course you can decide what color you want this figure to be
            and with what fill pattern.

            SPECIAL:  After beginning an area bracket, you can also begin
                      other graphic functions such as boxes or curves.
                      You must then end the special drawing function then
                      end the Area Bracket.  This will allow the creation
                      of filled Boxes, arcs and PolyLine shapes.


      4. Drawing Curves.
            PmPaint 1.11 has a very simple way to draw curves:
                  A. Position you drawing position to where you want to
                     start the curve.

                  B. Select Begin Fillet under the Special Drawing menu.

                  C. Draw you lines ending at points where you want curves
                     to be drawn.

                  D. Selecr End Fillet under the Special Drawing menu and
                     BEHOLD! a curved line...

            Curved lines or Fillets as they are called can be any color
            and can also be used inside an Area Bracket.  To use inside
            and Area:
                  A. Begin the Area.

                  B. Begin a Fillet wherever in the area bracket you want
                     it started.

                  C. Draw your figure.

                  C. End the Fillet.  The image you have drawn will
                     dissappear.  Don't worry, it's not really gone.

                  D. End the Area.  Now your invisible line reappears with
                     the Fillet drawn as well.

            IMPORTANT:
                  The way a Fillet is implimented in GPI, it must have an
                  array of points to draw.  Since that method of storing
                  points is not used by PmPaint, a limitation of 255
                  points has been set for each Fillet drawn.  Any points
                  added after 255 are not drawn as part of the Fillet.  A
                  high tone will be generated for every point set after
                  255.

            PmPaint version 1.01 and above support the Arc command that
            allow the creation of an arc which is much more asymetric
            than the fillet.  The same procedure is used to create an arc
            as is s fillet, however, three points ar necessary.


      5. Drawing lines with PolyLine.
            PmPaint supports two types of drawing modes, one as the
            default by just pointing and clicking the mouse without
            selecting any options, and two - the PolyLine.

            A PolyLine is a GPI function that draws several line segments
            given an array of points.  PolyLine is much faster at drawing
            several contiguous line segments than drawing a single line at
            time with the default draw mode.  To start a PolyLine just
            select Begin PolyLine from the Special Drawing menu and draw
            the figure as you would normally.

            Note, however, that you cannot move the draw pointer while in
            a PolyLine mode, if you do the point you move to will act as
            just another point at which to draw to and a line will be
            drawn to it - Remember a PolyLine is a CONTIGUOUS set of
            lines.

            When done drawing the PolyLines, select End PolyLine to end
            the use of the PolyLine function:

            PolyLine can be used inside an Area Bracket as well.  Just
            follow the steps outlined in for Fillets but instead of using
            the Fillet, us the Begin and End PolyLine functions.

            IMPORTANT:
                  The way a PolyLine is implimented in GPI, it must have
                  an array of points to draw.  Since that method of
                  storing points is not used in PmPaint directly, a
                  limitation of 255 points has been set for each PolyLine
                  figure drawn.  Any points added after 255 are not drawn
                  as part of the PolyLine.  Also, the End PolyLine command
                  will not automatically be set for you at this limit. A
                  high tone will be generated for every point set after
                  255.


      6.  Drawing Boxes
            PmPaint allows a very easy and simple way to draw boxes.
            First, move the mouse pointer and mark the location where you
            would like to place the LOWER LEFT corner of the box (Select
            the location by moving the draw position to that location).
            Next, select "Begin Box" from the menu.  Notice that your
            location you selected is marked with an "x".  Now either draw
            a line or move the draw position to where you would like to
            have the TOP RIGHT corner of the box.  Now, select "End Box"
            from the menu and - bingo - a box.  You can also use the box
            command within an area bracket to get a filled box.  The box
            command will not within Fillets, Poly Lines, or curves.


      7. Changing Color.
            To change the color of the current draw pointer just select
            the color you like from the Color menu.  When you change the
            drawing color, the Fill Patterns window will reflect your
            color choice by changing the color of the current fill
            pattern.

                NOTE:  The older versions of PMPAINT (Prior to 1.11)
                       added a color command to the list of commands
                       stored in the picture whether the previous commands
                       was setting the color also, however, PMPAINT
                       version 1.11 and above will not do this.  If the
                       last command selected was to change the color, then
                       the old node is updated instead of a new one added.


      8. Changing Fill Patterns.
            To change the fill pattern just click the Left mouse button
            on top of the Fill Patterns Window.  Pressing the Right mouse
            button (Button 2) will go to the previous fill pattern.  The
            visible pattern is what will be used for the next fill.


      9. Deleting Items.
            Deleting items in PmPaint is Primitive but effective. You can
            either delete the last line, Area, Fillet, or PolyLine you
            created by selecting the Options, Delete, Last Command
            function or by pressing Control-D.

            Any Area, Fillet, PolyLine or Box, that requires you to select
            a begin command on will be deleted from the start of that
            command (The Begin ??? Command) to the end of that command
            (The End ??? Command).

            Note: You cannot delete something whenever you have Begun an
            Area Bracket, Fillet, or PolyLine.  You must end the Bracket,
            Fillet, or PolyLine in order to delete it.

            A second way to delete something is to select the command to
            delete the last fill (CTRL-F) under the Options, Delete,
            Last Fill command.  When this is chosen the last thing that
            was filled (i.e an Area Bracket) will be deleted even if it
            was not the last command executed.


     10. Loading Pre-made graphics.
            To load Pre-Made graphics, just press Control-L or select LOAD
            from the File menu.  Only graphics with the .PMP can be
            loaded.  These files are special to the PmPaint program only.
            METAFILES CANNOT BE LOADED - sorry.  However, any files loaded
            as a PmPaint file can be saved as a MetaFile as well as the
            PmPaint file.

            After Loading a file, the mouse pointer will be positioned to
            the last location drawn.


     11. Saving your work.
            To save your work, just press Control-S or select SAVE from
            the file menu.  When you save, you have the options of saving
            a MetaFile of the drawing as well.  Note that the PmPaint
            format will always be saved and by checking the box for
            MetaFile save, you save a MetaFile as well.

            NOTE:  When saving or loading a file, DO NOT supply an
            extension after the FilName - PmPaint does that for you and
            assumes that the filename does not have an extension.  If you
            add an extension, the file will not be saved or loaded.


            IMPORTANT!
            PMPAINT supports the use of Long File names for use with the
            HPFS for saving and loading of PmPaint Files.

            Also, PmPaint version 1.10 and above uses list boxes for
            filenames and directories instead of having to enter the
            filename at a prompt.  However, PmPaint does not warn you if
            you are going to overwrite another file, you must make sure
            everything is alright before saving.


     12. Drawing the graphic to the window size.
            If you change the Window Size you can view what you have drawn
            to fill the entire window for VIEWING only.  Your graphic can
            be reduced or enlarged.  The original purpose of this was to
            aid in my design of the OS/2 game as described at the start of
            this document.  To view the picture at normal size, either hit
            CTRL-W again or adjust the size of the window so OS/2 can
            repaint your drawing to the original size.

     13. Misc. functions
            The miscellaneous functions include Hiding the Coordinate box
            and moving the mouse pointer to the current draw pointer.
            These functions should be self-explanitory.





T H E  F U T U R E
___________________________


      As stated above, PmPaint will feature more functions in the future
and try to exploit as many if not all of the GPI functions available to
the Presentation Manager.

      Furthermore, in the works are functions to draw circles, elipses,
arcs, etc. all with the possibility of being filled or not.  Also, I plan
to add features to change the line type.


Thank you for supporting PmPaint and registering the software.  There is a
lot of hard work that goes into a simple program such as PmPaint and to
register the software gives me the incentive to write more software for
OS/2 PM for all of you users out there.  All the programs written by me
and registered will always come with source code for you to learn from and
add to and experiment with.  If you have any questions or problems with
the programs, please correspond to me at the following address:

        Mitchell Fisher
        5914 West Golden Lane
        Glendale, AZ (USA)  85302
        [phone]