"Demo 1" Thanks to Jose Ignacio Pertegaz (Artwork developed on Tracer 1)
"Demo 2" Simple filled Shape and bitmap shape demo
"Demo 3" Test demonstrating prototype multi-media player functions.
B. Download and expand the example movies from the Tracer web site (address below) and view them using the Apple Quicktime Movie Player.
C. Now try this worked example: "Triangle to Square"
1. Draw a triangle with the Line/Arc Pen tool (Menu Draw/Line Arc Pen) using double click or the SPACE bar to lift the pen between contours).
2. Move to frame 2 (using View Menu/Next Frame)
3. Draw a square with the pen tool (or any other shape you like)
4. Return back to frame 1 (using View Menu/Previous Frame)
5. Select the Morph option in the Morph menu, press "OK"
6. Watch Triangle morph to Square
Try the following: change one of the frame's colours; make both "Filled Shapes"; re-size, reposition, rotate, copy frames by drag and drop (select the Frame/Frame Overview menu option); insert curved lines (arcs); insert a nine-sided regular polygon; insert text shapes; save the morph results to file (by the Morph/Output-to-file command).
Read the "Tracer Help" under the HELP menu for a description of the controls.
Email etchelon@kagi.com for further support.
For printed help, a Simple Text version of the HELP is available at etchelon@kagi.com.
System Requirements
Etchelon Tracer requires a colour Macintosh. It will run on both 68nnn and PowerPC systems. Earlier version of Tracer have been developed on MacOS 7.5.5 through to MacOS 8.6. Tracer 3 has been tested on MacOS 7.6.1 and MacOS 8.6 and should run on earlier systems. It requires at least 1.5Mb of RAM but it has its memory set to 8Mb. If limitations within the software are stopping you, let me know and I'll see what I can do!
Bug reports are welcome. Please send them to etchelon@kagi.com
Bugs and Version History
New Features in Version 3.5.1
Flicker-free and faster updates during drawing and shape editting for both full screen and zoom mode.
Bitmap holes are displayed as a transparent shape. (This does not change function of bitmap holes during a Morph).
Bug affecting output of Reduced Size frames corrected.
Bug affecting grouped items during point-edit corrected.
Zoom Mode scroll improvements.
Update to Help Text.
PICTs-to-Movie program no longer supplied. QuickTime Player Pro has better functionality.
Version 3.5
Icons added to major Menus.
Trace Image Bugs corrections:
- Bitmap Shapes can be moved (with Trace Image) with arrow keys but, in keeping with other Trace Image/Bitmap
controls, NOT when SHIFT key depressed.
- Trace Image cannot be altered by bitmap shapes when in zoom mode.
- Trace Image bug after frame re-size corrected.
Version 3.4
New Colour/Fill Window
- Easy access, and direct selection of, dotted line and smooth shapes.
- Graphical buttons for Bitmap and Bitmap Hole Shapes.
- Information messages displayed when cursor over window buttons.
Smoother animation when using file/file sequence as background.
Version 3.3
Shapes and Vectors can now be grouped to form Objects.
- Group/Ungroup commands.
- Group candidates selected by dragged boxes while pressing SHIFT or selected/deselected by SHIFT click.
- One or more selected shapes and vectors can be changed by colour/fill/line type.
- Objects can be included within objects.
- Objects can be resized, repositioned, rotated and deleted like a normal shape or vector.
- Objects cannot have colour/fill changes but can still be subject to point-edit.
Shape/Object ordering: new send back/send forward commands.
Zoom improvements
- Zoomed Trace Image
- Zoom (Minus) now steps back rather than just ending zoom.
Freedom Pen resolution selectable from SHIFT Control Panel.
Cut/Copy shape or object including bitmap shapes and paste as image onto Trace Images.
- facility accessable after a SHIFT DELETE or SHIFT Edit Menu/Clear.
- Repositioning of pasted image allowed before being dropped on top of existing Trace Image.
- Tracer objects and shapes can be copied and pasted to other Mac applications via Clipboard.
SHIFT arrow keys for fast object repositioning.
Version 3.2
New facility: Morph Replay
- Morph capture at any point, replaces previous morph capture facilitiy
- After a morph, press the new morph replay icon to enter morph replay mode.
- replay mode also entered if numbers 1-9 pressed, representing 10-90% morph
- step forward or backward using icons.
- step forward or backward using +/- keys
- Use PASTE to save vector data to capture frame (default: frame no. 35)
- Exit replay mode by clicking pointer icon, CMND-W or ESC
New drawing command: OPTION-click allows the selection of objects underlying other objects.
Trace images saved in "Images" folder (if already created)
New Demo 3 demonstrating:
- Initial version of multi-media player functions
- Runtime hot spots and control functions
- Ability to link shapes with sequence controls (See Edit/Order... command and Order window)
Version 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3
Better low memory condition error handling
Lower case font added.
Indication to show amount of free memory (displayed when cursor on capcity indicator).
Version 3, 3.0.1
Bitmap shapes "lasso" the underlying Trace Images
- Bitmap shapes (and underlying bitmap) can be repositioned, rotated and re-sized
- Information Message and Cursor changes when Trace Image will be changed
- SHIFT during resize, rotate or reposition action stops the Trace Image being changed.
Predefined shapes can be drawn as Bitmap Shapes by selecting SHIFT when selecting control palette.
Version 2.0 to 2.5.1
Bitmap Morphing: Shapes can be inherit the underlying Trace Image bitmap.
Improved multi-layered animation facility: animation frames can be drawn over a moving background.
Option click on HELP window closes all HELP windows.
Licensing
Etchelon Tracer is licensed for use for 30 days after which time you should be expected to pay the registration fee. The registration fee is inexpensive and easily paid through the Kagi payment system which includes on-line payment. Registration information can be found in the file "Tracer Registration" in the "Other Programs" folder.
Etchelon Tracer can be freely distributed providing that this file and all programs are not changed and also included in the distribution. The correct operation of this program cannot be guaranteed.
New versions can be found at:
http://website.lineone.net/~andy.pritchard
Etchelon Tracer for Macintosh (c)1998 Andy Pritchard
