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Text File | 1994-06-30 | 15.3 KB | 328 lines

_____________________________________ / \ | DigiGraf !Help | |———————————————————————————————————————| | Purpose Art package | | Author Stuart Smith | | Version 1.40 (9th March 1994) | | Copyright © Stuart Smith 1994 | \_____________________________________/ Copyright ————————— • This program is freeware, and can thus be freely copied and used by all, provided the original code and all files in DigiGraf are preserved in whole. (The !Run file may be customized if necessary). No charge may be made for this program other than to cover media and distribution. DigiGraf may be distributed by PD libraries, magazine discs and bulletin boards, but you require permission (this is so I can send updates if necessary). I take no responsibility for any loss of data or damage caused by using this program. DigiGraf consists of: !Boot !Help !Run !RunImage !Sprites !Sprites22 Resources Resources directory DigiUtils Messages Prefs Sprites Templates Title WimpExt Notes ————— DigiGraf requires: • RISC OS 3. • 576k free memory, plus enough memory to enter MODE 15 (160k). (Not including memory to load sprites or draw files). • WimpExtension 1.67 • DigiUtils 0.02 (loaded automatically from the Resources directory). • If the DitherExtend module is present (eg from ArtWorks, Impression or AWRender), DigiGraf will take advantage of this to provide extended dithering. • DigiGraf supports !Help and Desktop !Boot file saving. • I have tried to make DigiGraf conform to the new Acorn NewLook style, however WimpExt dialogue/warning boxes still have the orange slab in colour. All other buttons slab in with the correct grey. The sprites '!digigraf²' are used by !DeskPatch to provide slabbed in filer icons - these can be deleted if you do not use DeskPatch. Icon ———— • Click select to enter DigiGraf (except when snapshot is in progress). • Drag sprite files to icon to load; select from menu to use with Sprite, SpriteEdit and SpriteDraw tools. • Use the Sprites -> Delete menu to delete the cut sprite or the loaded sprites, and thus free up memory. Note there is no checking - the sprites are deleted instantly. • If the first sprite in a sprite file is a MODE 15 size screen (any number of colours), you will be given the option of loading it automatically as a screen. • Loading a sprite file selects the first sprite in the file. NB : Non 256-colour sprites without palettes are assumed to have Desktop palettes. • Drag draw files to load and render; if the drawing screen has not been used the background will be cleared to white first. Once loaded and rendered the drawing menu appears. NB : • Sprites and text areas in draw files are not rendered. • Line styles (eg thickness, style, winding rule and cap) are not supported. • Only the bottom left corner of the drawfile is rendered, ie that portion visible on a MODE 15 screen, at 1:1 scale. (Resize drawfile first if necessary). Main menu ————————— Info - Display info box. Save - Display save box - type name and drag to filer window or application. Radio buttons allow the save of either the whole screen or the cut sprite. Sprites - List of loaded and cut sprites, also delete of cut sprite or loaded sprite file. Sprite labelled <Cut> is the sprite cut from the picture (if any). Font list - List of fonts. Enter text - Enter text to be used by text tool. Preferences - Save or load current setup. Saved setup is loaded at startup. Patterns are stored in the saved setup. Snapshot... - Display Snapshot dialogue. Show... - Open window showing main screen. (Needs to be in a 256-colour mode to display colours properly, in lower colour modes the best approximations to the colours are used). Click on this window to enter DigiGraf. Quit - Quit DigiGraf (with prompting to save screen if not saved, and prompting if Snapshot operation is in progress). Snapshot ———————— Snapshot delay - If No delay is set, the area will be cut out immediately, otherwise the snapshot will be delayed for the required number of seconds. • If Grab whole screen is set, the whole screen will be cut, otherwise the area to be cut must be selected in a similar way to cutting a sprite. • If Show timer is selected, a window showing the time left will be displayed, if a timed delay is selected. This window allows the operation to be cancelled, or the area cut out immediately. NB : While a timed snapshot is taking place, it is not possible to enter DigiGraf or select the Snapshot option from the menu. System tools ———————————— Undo (Green arrow) [backspc or F1 ] Clear screen - to current colour [ F2 ] Toggle main screen/doodle screen [ F3 ] Return to desktop (Acorn) [F12 or F4 ] Toggle dithering [ F5 ] Toggle x8 zoom on tools [ F6 ] Toggle patterns [ F7 ] Enter/Exit tool [space] Fill options ———————————— Graded - (To set a graded fill, draw the shape, click to set the start of the grade, the click to set the end. These points need not be on the edges of the object). The fill will be horizontal or vertical. Radial - (Draw the shape, draw the outer circle, then draw inner circle. The colours are graded between these circles). The fill will be circular. Outline - The shape will be outline only. Solid - The shape will be filled. Palette tools ————————————— Pick - Choose a colour from the screen. Mix - Mix the current colour with the selected one. Grade - Grade the current colour to the selected one. • Adjust on the palette brings up a colour picker - select the colour to edit, then drag the bars. Click on the grade to redraw it. Menu exits. • Click adjust on the drawing screen while the menu bar is present to pick a colour. Tools ————— Mark Use bumpers to select mark type: Freehand - Freehand lines (hold down select). Rubber band - Click to select start, click to select end. A straight line will be drawn between the two. Smooth - Click or drag to place points on the line (shown as circles). A smooth line will be drawn between them. Drag adjust on the circles to move points. Brush... - Draw with different brush shapes. Click on name to select brush and brush size. If join is selected, freehand line will be continuous (no gaps), or rubber band will continue from last point. Spray - Alter width and density. Fill types: Radial - a radial spray pattern will result. Graded - random spray of grade start and end colours. Outline - colours selected from screen. Solid - spray of current colour. Shapes - Use bumpers to select shape. If outline option selected the will be outlined as follows: +———————————+—————————————————+————————————————————————————+ | Fill type | Normal | Outline [Outline] | +———————————+—————————————————+————————————————————————————+ | Solid | Current | Grad start [Grad end] | | Outline | Current | Current | | Radial | Grad start->end | Grad start->end [Current] | | Graded | Grad start->end | Grad start->end [Current] | +———————————+—————————————————+————————————————————————————+ If inner circle on radial circle is finished with adjust, a logarithmic scale will be used (sphere effect). Drawing a triangle with radial fill selected results in a Gouraud-shaded triangle, the colours at the three points being the current colour, grade start and grade end. Area - Draw freehand area (or click to draw straight lines). Click menu when finished. If outline is selected, and a graded fill used, the shape will be outlined in the current colour. (Radial fill doesn't work). Effects - Choose width of tool. Use bumpers to select tool: Wash - Mix screen colours with current colour. Texture... - Click on the name to choose the texture, menu exits this dialogue. Draw to texture the screen colours. Blur - Smooths and blurs colours (anti-aliasing effect). Replace - Replace grade start colour with grade end colour. RGB edit.. - Use to change RGB composition of colours. Click on the name to bring up the RGB edit dialogue: The dialogue shows the effect on the Red, Green, Blue and Tint components of the colour, the options being in the order least then most significant bits. Use select to move towards setting, adjust to move towards unset. Menu exits. The options are: / - this part of the colour will be inverted. € - this part of the colour will be set. ? - this part of the colour will be unchanged. x - this part of the colour will be unset. NB : If all the options are either € or x (ie no ? or /), a particular colour will be chosen (it will not be affected by that underneath). In this way any of the 256 colours in the MODE 15 palette could be chosen. Trace - Draw rectangle to trace. If fill is set to outline, the area will be outlined in the current colour or pattern. Any other fill results in the tracing being in the grade start colour, with all other colours set to the grade end colour. Grey - Make colours greyscale. Emboss - Convert area to embossed effect (greyscale). Cycle - Cycle colours on screen. Pixelate - Draw rectangle to select area. Use mouse to choose grid size. Click to pixelate the grid. Stipple - Randomise tint of colours on screen (texture effect). Grey conv. - Convert greyscales to scale of current colour; from black, through the colour to white. Fill - Solid fills only. Beware of using this - the code is VERY buggy. Sprite - 'Cut' - Cut shape from screen. Once the area is selected, click select on colours to be made trasparent, adjust unsets them (all colours are initially solid). Cutting a sprite automatically selects this sprite. Menu then cuts. 'Any Cut' - Select sprite rectangle, the choose area in a similar way to area tool. Menu cuts. Pointer is limited to sprite rectangle. If shape is selected, the sprite will be drawn in the current colour. The sprite used is the selected sprite in the menu (see above). Use bumpers to change sprite scale. Hold down 'C' to centre sprite (useful for loading pictures). ** Click menu to draw with the current sprite. SpriteEdit - X flip, Y flip the selected sprite. Tile - display tile dialogue: Click on the DigiGraf icons to toggle the x-flip and y-flip. Click Tile to tile the current sprite across the screen, flipped in the same way as the four icons. Click Cancel or press menu to abort the operation. Unset mask - make all colours solid. Set mask - choose mask colours from palette, select = transparent, adjust = solid. Menu exits. ** Click menu to draw with the current sprite. SpriteDraw - Choose drawing type to draw sprite onto screen: Pencil - Draw sprite onto screen. Spray - Spray sprite onto screen. Line Follow - Draw lines, length and spread set by mouse speed. NB : SpriteDraw only functions correctly with 256-colour sprites. Magnify - Select on picture = choose area. Select on blown-up view = draw. Select on palette = choose colour. Press <shift> to switch sides. Magnification is x4. Text - Choose font from menu, type text into box in menu. Draw rectangle bounding box. (radial fill isn't supported). Select alias option to use grade start colour for outline font, anti-aliased to grade end colour. Pattern - Choose ECF pattern from selection of 16. Click 'Make...' to design pattern - select colour from palette (current colour is shown in a bar below the pattern), then draw the pattern. Menu exits. Use Grab to grab an area of screen for use as a pattern. NB : • Clicking menu (ie drawing) selects the make pattern option. • Patterns are saved in the preferences file (use Setup -> Save menu option). Drawing ——————— • Click menu to remove menu bar, or start drawing below the bar. • Clicking menu opens the menu bar, or the menu bar may reappear after the drawing operation finishes. Finally ——————— • I suggest the best way to understand DigiGraf is to use it - try out the different tools and styles in different combinations. • I have created many example pictures and sprites using DigiGraf, all compressed - if these are not included in the release, and you want a copy, write to me enclosing a SAE and a blank disk for a copy. • I welcome bug reports, improvements to DigiGraf, any PD stuff, and letters. Future versions of DigiGraf may be compatible with HiRes square-pixel modes (eg MODE 21), so any help in this area would be welcome. • Write to me at: • Stuart Smith 16, Foyle Road, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, HANTS SO53 4QP PS : Look out for the DigiGraf scroll-text in this package :-) PPS : DigiGraf the Next Generation is in development - it will be a hi-res 24-bit desktop application, with all effects working with all tools. PPPS : I'm looking for a job as a programmer (please).