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-
- C L I P A R T I S T
-
- by Dick Heckert
-
-
- NOTE: This program is written for power users who have a C-128D with 64K
- video RAM and a 1351 mouse. I've asked Dick Heckert to do another version
- of CLIP ARTIST that works with a regular C-128 and joystick and/or keyboard
- and we'll publish that one when it's done.
-
- Most of the people I've talked with agree that Print Shop's graphic editor
- is adequate, but lacking in power. On LOADSTAR 64 we recently published
- some utility programs that allow a user to use hi-res graphics programs like
- DOODLE or OCP ART STUDIO to design Print Shop graphics. With CLIP ARTIST,
- you don't need these utilities or the graphics programs. CLIP ARTIST itself
- is a powerful graphics program, dedicated to the format and size of Print
- Shop images. The following documentation by Dick Heckert details how to use
- his GUI (graphic user interface) and this handy program.
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
-
- You can load Print Shop/PrintMaster or small Basic 8 brushes to the
- draw window and then edit or clip a portion to paste on the same or another
- image. You can overlay two graphics. You can flip or mirror the image --
- expand, shrink, rotate or move the image in the window. The size of the
- draw window will change to the correct size for the active format. Just
- click on the format you wish to load or save and it will be active until you
- change it or an image becomes too large to fit in the window.
-
- PrintMaster graphics use a mixture of lower/upper case for file names.
- Just use a filecopier to copy the files you want to work with to your CLIP
- ARTIST disk and then rename the files using all lower case characters.
- Enter DIRECTORY in direct mode and type RENAME "oldfilename" TO
- "newfilename".
-
- Click on QUIT to exit CLIP ARTIST and reset the computer. If your disk
- has an autoboot menu program it will be activated.
-
- DISK
-
- The program supports two disk drives (8 and 9) so you can load from one
- drive and save to another. Just click the drive number box and then click
- on LOAD or SAVE. If you want to see the directory of the active disk drive
- click on DIRECTORY. All files are shown unless you are in B8 brush format
- where only brush files are shown. If you load a graphic without clearing
- the draw window the second image will be added to the first. If you want to
- abort a load or save enter "x" for the filename. Images can be saved in 2
- block or 3 block Print Shop format or in a Basic 8 brush file. Sorry, no
- saves to PrintMaster format.
-
- MOVE
-
- The image in the draw window can be moved up, down, left or right by
- clicking on your choice. If you move part of the image out of the current
- window that part will be erased. A portion of the image can be moved by
- clipping, erasing, and then pasting in the new location.
-
- CORRECT
-
- This expands a 40-column graphic to the right to correct the aspect
- ratio for the 80-column screen. Print Shop basketballs will then be round
- on your monitor. Most images do not require this correction but it is handy
- when you need it. After correction you will be in the brush format.
-
- EXPAND
-
- You can expand your image by 2 or 3 times in the horizontal, vertical,
- or both directions. If the resulting image is small enough it will be
- returned to the draw window. Otherwise, you will be asked if you would like
- to save the large expanded image as a brush file. This file will be the
- expanded image from the other screen -- not the image in the draw window.
-
- SHRINK
-
- If you need a smaller version of a graphic image, click on SHRINK and
- then enter the x and y size ratios you would like - .5 for half size or .8
- for 20% reduction. The original pixel location will be multiplied by this
- number and then redrawn. This smaller image can then be clipped and added
- to another graphic or saved "as is" in any format.
-
- ROTATE
-
- This will redraw the image in the draw window at any angle from 0 to
- 180 degrees. The original image angle is 90 degrees. If you want it to be
- tilted to the right enter from 0 (horizontal right) to 89 degrees (slight
- right). Horizontal to the left would be 180 degrees. Some distortion
- results from the equal scale in the x and y directions in the new image.
- Just touch it up in ZOOM EDIT mode.
-
- DRAW
-
- The draw menu includes all the tools you will need to make your own
- small graphics. LINE allows you to draw from point to point until you click
- the right mouse button. Set the pointer to the first point with the left
- button and then stretch out the rubber band line to your second point. When
- it looks right, click the left button again and that line will be drawn. If
- you want to continue, just stretch out another line and press the left
- button. To abort at any time, press the right mouse button. To get out of
- line mode and back to the menu, press the right button again. This releases
- the pointer from the draw window and allows you to click on the menu boxes
- again.
-
- RAY
-
- The tool for Rays allows you to set the origional point with the first
- left button, click, and then stretch out and draw a series of lines from the
- same point. Press the right mouse button to abort a series and press it
- again to return to the menu or start a new series of rays with the left
- button.
-
- BOX
-
- BOX will help you draw a rectangle by clicking the left button for the
- first corner, stretching out the box until it looks right and then clicking
- the left button again to draw the box. Again click the right button to
- abort if the box doesn't look right.
-
- OFFSET BOXES
-
- Offset boxes (vertical or horizontal offset) are drawn by clicking the
- left button for the first corner, clicking left to set the opposite corner
- and then stretching the box image for the offset. The images in the menu
- box show how the finished box will look.
-
- CIRCLE
-
- The CIRCLE tool will draw a round circle on the screen after you set
- the center with the first left button, click, and stretch out the radius by
- moving the mouse to the right. The pointer then returns to the center and
- allows you to float the circle to the exact location. Another left button
- click draws the circle.
-
- ELLIPSE
-
- The ELLIPSE mode works a little differently. The first click sets the
- upper left corner of a box which will define the limits of the ellipse.
- Then stretch out the box and click again to draw the ellipse within the
- limits.
-
- FREEHAND
-
- In Freehand mode the little pointer (shown in the menu box) can be used
- to draw any shape you like by holding down the left button while you move
- the mouse. Click the right button to return to the menu.
-
- ERASE
-
- The Eraser turns off pixels in the same manner the Freehand mode turns
- them on. Locate the eraser pointer and press the left button. Pixels under
- the pointer are turned off. You can move the mouse while holding down the
- left button to erase a larger area. Right button returns you to the menu.
-
- PAINT
-
- Be careful with PAINT. Move the pointer to an area completely
- surrounded by lines and then click the left button. The enclosed area will
- be filled. If your area is not completely enclosed the paint will leak out
- and fill the window. A safety box is drawn around the draw window during
- painting to prevent painting the whole menu.
-
- CLEAR
-
- CLEAR will erase everything in the active draw window. This clear tool
- will expand to the larger window used by the brush format or will erase only
- the small window defined by 2 block.
-
- Remember, in general, the left button initiates an action and the right
- button returns you to the previous mode or to the menu. If the pointer will
- not move out of the draw window and you want the menu, press the right mouse
- button.
-
- BRUSH
-
- The brush tools allow you to use the Basic 8 commands to manipulate the
- image in the draw window. CLIP copies that portion of the draw window
- defined by clicking the left button, stretching open a box and clicking the
- left button again. This area is saved to a buffer to be PASTED to the draw
- window later. After clicking on PASTE in the menu, a floating image of the
- clipped buffer will appear in the draw window. Move the mouse to position
- the image and click the left button to paste it. The MIRROR option flips
- the draw window right to left. FLIP flips the image upside down and REVERSE
- turns all on-pixels off and all off-pixels on. ZOOM puts you in the pixel
- edit mode where clicking the left button on the expanded image reverses a
- single pixel. Press the right button to return to the menu screen.
-
- Commodore 128 is a trademark of Commodore Business Machines Print
- Shop is a trademark of Broderbund Software PrintMaster is a trademark of
- Unison World Inc. DOODLE is a trademark of Omni Unlimited. The OCP ART
- STUDIO is a trademark of Rainbird Software.
-
- RH
- **** End of Text ****