PiP_View V2.0
 =============


Description:
------------
  It`s just a short hack to display pictures with usage of the
  datatypes. Boring ? No ! It shows the pictures on the Workbench
  in a PiP-Window !

  PiP_View is Freeware. Use it at your own risk. And remember,
  check your datatypes ! Some buggy datatypes are around, and if
  you have crashes or incredible long loading-times, search the
  Aminet for better ones !


Changes to V1.1:
----------------

  - totally rewritten code
  - render.library and guigfx.library from Bifat/TEK Neoscientists aren't
    needed no more 
  - new datatypes-loader, now supporting nearly any IFF-Formats, including
    HAM, EHB and aspect ratio correct display of Lace- and Hires-pictures
  - 68k ASM optimized Hicolor-Dithering and interpolated scaling


Requirements:
-------------
  Any Amiga equipped with PicassoIV ( eventually also Retina BLT64 - 
  never tested), FPU or 68040/060, FastRam and a whole set of datatypes.
  Also lots of Ram are required, ofcoz this proggy is a memory-eater ;)
  But Guys with a GFX-Board should always have enough Ram...


Installation:
-------------
  Just copy the programm wherever you want, but best place is somewhere
  in your command-path, like "Sys:Utilities/" or "C:".


Workbench-Usage:
----------------
  Started by double-click from the workbench, the well known
  ASL-Filerequester pops up and lets you choose the picture.
  If you close the picture, the ASL-Requester comes again...
  Settings are taken from a settingsfile, see below.


CLI-Usage:
----------
  As parameters PiP_View only accepts filenames. The settings it still
  loads from the settingsfile.


The Menus:
----------
  Project:
    Open  - lets you select another picture
    About - short info about PiP_View
    Quit  - quit

  View:
    Zip Window    - resize the window to be maximized or not, same function
                    like the zoombutton from the window

    Scale to fit  - the Picture is scaled down or big to fit the maximum 
                    possible size, depending on the Size of your WB.

    Scale smooth  - if "Scale to fit" is activated, the Picture will not
                    only be scaled, also interpolated. Looks nicer, is a 
                    little bit slower.

    HiColorDither - PIP can only HiColor ( 5 bits red, 6 bits green, 
                    5 bit blue ), and this will dither the lost bits. 
                    Looks sometimes better, sometimes not...

    Save Settings - the state of the 3 above points is saved to
                    "envarc:PiPView.prefs".
                    The settings will be reloaded each time you start 
                    PiP_View.

Keys:
-----
  ESC - aborts the programm
 
  Cursorkeys - if the picture is bigger than the visible size of the window,
               you can scroll around.

  any other key - closes the programm or, if more than one picture are given 
                  as parameters, starts loading the next picture.  
                   



Some Words about Speed:
-----------------------

  Some datatypes are a little bit strange, like the GIF-Datatype i'm using.
  It decrunches the Picture planar into ChipRam ! You can get a little speed-
  up here,if you use MCP and his Memorypatch - just forbid PIP_View the 
  usage of ChipRam.

  On the other Hand, loading via Datatypes isn't that fast at all. If you 
  search a FAST viewer, try CyberView. But if you have a PPC-Board and some 
  nice PPC-Datatypes... but thats something i've never could test.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, thats all. Enjoy it :)

                              Dante/Oxyron