@database MPaint.guide @remark $VER: MPaint.guide 2.0.8 SETENV HYPERPENS 21213001 @Index TheIndex @node Main "MicroPaint 2.0.8 © 1995-2000 by FR-Softworks" @{b}Start@{ub} @{" Installation " link Installation} @{" Using 'undo' " link undo} @{" Overview " link Ubersicht} @{" Effect Samples " link eff} @{" Passing Arguments to MicroPaint " link Argumente} @{" ToolTypes " link tt} @{" Using the Toolbox " link tb} @{b}Reference@{ub} @{" Menus " link Menus} @{" Supported File Formats " link formate} @{b}How to@{ub} @{" Tutorial " link tutor} @{" Tips & Tricks " link Tips} @{" Image Processing with MicroPaint " link improc} @{" History " link History} @{" Frequently Asked Questions " link FAQ} @{b}External@{ub} @{" Support and Utilities " link utils} @{" ARexx " link "ARexx_Commands.guide/MAIN"} @{b}Author@{ub} @{" Copyright " link Copyright} @{" Registration " link Regist} @{b}Internet@{ub} http://www.reibold-online.de @endnode @node Installation "Installing MicroPaint" Amiga OS 2.04+ is required (OS 3.0+ for datatypes support). Notice that only screen modes with up to 256 colours are supported at this moment. o You should have at least 512 KB of RAM. Large pictures with many colours and the "undo" feature will require additional memory. o You need amigaguide.library version 36 or above to be able to display the online documentation. » Run the Installer script supplied with MicroPaint to install the program. The following files will be copied: File Directory ----------------------------------- Program files Program directory CBSI C: cxb.library LIBS: Catalog files (*) LOCALE:Catalogs (*) The catalog files are optional. You do only need them if you want Micro- Paint to use another language than English. Notes: If MicroPaint doesn't start, try to copy »cxb.library« to your LIBS: directory. Due to the way Blitz Basic opens library files, MicroPaint cannot detect the absence of »cxb.library«. If MicroPaint opens a dialog box stating that your keyfile is corrupt, please contact the author in order to get a new one. @{b}Undo@{ub} This feature requires additional memory, because a copy of the entire screen must be kept. The "FASTUNDO" feature requires even more memory, because it uses a second screen to store the "undo" buffer. @endnode @node Ubersicht "Overwiew" @{b}MicroPaint has the following features:@{ub} o up to 256 colours (requires an AGA machine) o supports ECS and AGA o supports Intellifonts, styles, draw modes like inverse, colour fonts o supports all graphics modes except HAM o flexible spray tool o multi spray uses random colours o calibration tool: make yout pictures brighter, more green and so on o remap and revert pictures o convert to black and white o swap colours o print pictures o grab screens o cut, rotate, resize, and mirror brushes o edit, open, and save colour palettes o save a selected area of your pictures in .BMP format o supports datatypes o line styles o "character gap" definable: "abc" or "a b c" o show details about IFF files o view files o can be run on a "CyberVision" graphics board o localized o toolbox o can play animations o ARexx port "MicroPaint" o lists the last recently used files at the end of the Project menu o provides an AppIcon o "Mosaic" effect o clipboard support o standard brush size, shape, and line thickness are definable o supports macros o 3D text engine o the last saved version of the current picture can be recalled o configuration via ToolTypes o "undo" option o "Emboss" effect (relief and 3D) o Remove feature o colours can be picked o you can select the GUI font o HAM support o you may crop the image o display of the mouse coordinates o convolution filters o saves .BMP, .PGM, and .PPM files o includes a tool for converting .P?M to IFF ILBM files o saves .XPM files o Equalize tool o Magician ("Auto Enhance") @{b}The following features have not been implemented yet:@{ub} o support for graphic cards » Open @{" Demo.IFF " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Demo.IFF"} to see how the supported modes look like. » Have a look at @{" History " link History} to see which bugs have been fixed. @endnode @node Argumente "Passing Arguments to MicroPaint" @{b}Passing CLI Arguments@{ub} Call MicroPaint like follows: @{i}mpaint [file name]@{ui} MicroPaint will then try to open @{i}file name@{ui}. @{b}Passing Workbench Arguments@{ub} Two techniques are possible: 1. Create an icon for your picture file and change the "default tool" to "mpaint". MicroPaint saves icons automatically. 2. Hold down the shift key and click on the picture's icon. Then double click on the icon of MicroPaint. (If you have activated the Workbench menu item "Window/Show Contents/All Files", reverse the process, please.) @{b}How to Use the AppIcon@{ub} You can open a picture file by dragging its icon on the AppIcon of Micro- Paint, too. If the file is an animation, then MicroPaint will play it. Doubleclicking on the AppIcon brings the MicroPaint screen to the front. @{b}Remarks@{ub} MicroPaint will try to open the file in all cases. You will be asked which format the screen to be opened should have, but your answer is not really important because MicroPaint will open a new screen corresponding to the settings the graphics file contains. @endnode @node tt "ToolTypes" The following ToolTypes are recognized: ToolType Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASPECT Definition of the aspect ratio (defaults to 1.5) BRUSHPTR If this option is enabled, MicroPaint uses the current brush instead of the normal mouse pointer. (You have to MOVE the mouse when in "Points" mode to see the brush.) COORDINATES Enables the display of the mouse coordinates. DEPTH Definition of the screen depth in planes. The screen has max. 2^depth colours. (*) FAIL Might be needed by some old or slow Amigas. o mode names ("Lo Res" are shown as numbers o monitor flags are ignored o "undo" is disabled FASTUNDO Enables the faster version of the undo option which requires more memory. (Ensure that UNDO is enabled. This entry only determines which "undo" version has to be used.) FONT Selects the GUI font (default: "XEN.font"). If the font cannot be found, "topaz.font" (8 points) is used. FONTHEIGHT Sets the height of the GUI font (default: 8) in points. HEIGHT Definition of the screen height in pixels. (*) SCREEN Definition of the screen's mode id. (The mode id of the current screen can be obtained by the "Project > About" menu item. If this option is used, MicroPaint will not open its screen mode requester on startup. Hexadecimal values must be preceeded by a dollar sign ($). Leading zeros are ignored. $29004 equals $00029004. TEMP Definition of the temporary file (path and name). This defaults to "SwapFile" in the program directory. TOOLBOX Enables the toolbox. UNDO Enables the "undo" feature. See FASTUNDO for how to get a faster version of "undo". UNDOFILE Definition of the temporary "undo" file. This defaults to "T:UndoFile". WIDTH Definition of the screen width in pixels. (*) (*) This option must be used in conjunction with the SCREEN option. @endnode @node FAQ "Frequently Asked Questions" Q: I want to see the current brush instead of the standard mouse pointer. It would be easier to place a brush if I could see it this way. A: Enable the BRUSHPTR ToolType. Q: Where do the palette files come from? A: The following table shows the palette files shipped with MicroPaint. Palette Program ---------------------------------------------------- Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1.COL Macintosh System 7.5.1 ArtEffect ArtEffect 1.5 Brilliance.COL Brilliance 2.0 DPaint.COL Deluxe Paint 5.2 fxPAINT fxPAINT 1.0 imagefx.COL ImageFX 2.1 PerfectPaint Perfect Paint 1.1 PPaint.COL Personal Paint 7.1 Standard.COL Workbench 3.5 TVPaint.COL Tecsoft Video Paint 3.0 XiPaint.COL XiPaint 3.2 Q: If I set the background colour to black, the pointer disappears. A: This is caused by the AmigaOS. It uses fixed colour palette entries for its mouse pointer. (i) Change the colours used for the pointer via Commodore's "Pointer" preferences utility or (ii) edit the colour palette or (iii) open another colour palette, such as "DPaint.COL". Q: Where will the brush be placed when I hit the mouse button? A: Imagine a rectangle surrounding the brush. The mouse pointer indicates the upper left corner of this rectangle. Q: If "undo" is enabled, MicroPaint is too fast - I cannot alter the size of boxes, circles etc. A: MicroPaint stores the current screen when you hit the left mouse button. Just keep the mouse button down until the busy pointer disappears. After that you can move the mouse to alter the size of the object and then release the mouse button. Q: The toolbox disappears. A: Have a look at the description of the "Mode » Points" command. Q: When I select a menu item, parts of the menu do not disappear from the screen. A: Have a look at the description of the "Options » Show Toolbox" command. Q: When I switch to the Workbench screen, the window I selected is deacti- vated at once. A: Double click within the window to select it. Q: Running "Equalize" has no effect. A: Some colours of the picture are near black (white). @endnode @node Menus @{b}MicroPaint features the following menus:@{ub} @{" Project " link Projekt} File operations like open, save, print; LRU files @{" Mode " link Modus} Tools selection @{" Tools " link Tools} Calibration, effects, new CLI, help @{" Brush " link Pinsel} Mirror, rotate, resize, clipboard @{" Macro " link Macro} Record, execute, open, save @{" Options " link Optionen} Font, palette, line style, toolbox, HAM @endnode @node Projekt "Project" New... This command clears the screen using the current background colour. Note: The background colour can be changed by altering the RGB values of colour #0. Open... This command reads a picture and lets you open a compatible screen. The default file name extension for picture files is ".IFF". HAM files are opened correctly if the HAM support has been enabled via the Options menu. Otherwise, an AA picture is assumed. Optionally, you may keep the current screen. The picture might be loaded partially only in this case, and the screen will not be cleared. However, the colour palette of the picture will be used in *all* cases. If the selected file is an animation, then MicroPaint will play it. If necessary, MicroPaint will use OS 3.X datatypes to open the picture. The utility @{" NewConvert " link newconu} is used to convert datatypes to standard IFF-ILBM files. The picture will be converted using a temporary file in the current directory. MicroPaint lists the last recently used files at the end of the Project menu. Note: A new "undo" buffer will be created if the "Fast Undo" option is enabled. The update of the screen contents can be delayed by this process. See @{" Supported File Formats " link formate}. Save This command saves the current picture. Save As... This command saves the current picture and allows you to select a new file name via an ASL file requester. See @{" Supported File Formats " link formate}. Convert to This command acts like "Save As". The file is saved in the desired format and the correct extension is added to the file name if necessary. See @{" Supported File Formats " link formate}. Last Saved... This command allows you to revert to the last saved version of the current picture and can be used to undo unwanted alterations of the graphic. Delete... This command allows you to delete a file. Details... This command shows width, height, depth and display mode of an IFF file. The display mode is shown as a view mode ID an as a string (for example "00000000 - LoRes"). Datatype pictures will not be converted by this function. MicroPaint displays a warning if it is not able to open the picture without conversion. View... This command uses SYS:Utilities/MultiView to display the file. This is usefull to see if all necessary datatypes have been installed correctly. Note: Ensure that MultiView is running on its own screen. Format... This command allows you to select a new screen mode view an ASL requester. The depth must not exceed 8 bit planes in MicroPaint. The current picture can be kept. It will be saved to a temporary file during this operation (use the command Options/Swap File to select a file name.) MicroPaint will crop the picture if necessary. Using swap files allows you to convert pictures easily from one screen mode to another. Note: Enable the "Force HAM screens" option to be able to open a HAM screen. Note: A new "undo" buffer will be created if the "Fast Undo" option is enabled. The update of the screen contents can be delayed by this process. About This command displays copyrights, version number, and revision date. Additionally, the following details are shown: o current file name or "unknown" o current screen format o current paint mode o currently used colour (register #) o current view mode id (hexadecimal number and string) o free memory (chip and fast) Print... This command prints the pictures using the printer currently selected in Preferences. To get an acceptable result, do not select the black/white option in Preferences. Select grey scale or colours instead. MicroPaint uses the "SYS:Tools/GraphicDump" command for printing. Do not switch to other screens while MicroPaint is printing. A message box will be displayed when the picture has been printed. Quit... This command quits the program. 1..5 The file listed in the menu will be opened - see above for details. @endnode @node Modus "Mode" @{i}All paint modes except multi spray use the current colour. "Line[s]" and "Box" use the selected line style and thickness. Most modes use the "rubber band" technique to show a preview. Note: You can select the paint mode via the toolbox, too. The associated icon will be highlighted and the corresponding menu item will be checked, too. The toolbox will be deactivated temporarily while you are painting. @{ui} Points This mode draws single dots as long as the left mouse button is held down (using the current brush). » Hit the left Amiga and Alt keys simultaneously to plot a single dot. If no brush is defined, the standard brush size and shape definition is used. These definitions can be changed via the "Options" menu. Note: If the standard brush size is too small, the brush shape "Circle" can lead to unexpected results. If the "BRUSHPTR" ToolType has been activated, the current brush is shown when the mouse is moved. Note: In this case, you should not move the mouse when you are hittung the right mouse button and the mouse pointer is near the top of the screen. Otherwise strange things might occur. Free This paint mode allows you to draw free hand figures. Line Click at the start position and move the mouse pointer to the end of the line, and release the mouse button. Lines Click at the start point of the line, release the mouse button and click at the end of the line. This will be the start position of the next line. Box Click at the start point, move the pointer to the opposite corner of the box and release the mouse button to draw a rectangle. Filled Box This mode allows you to draw filled boxes (see above for details.) The line pattern is used to fill the box. Ellipse Move the mouse pointer to the middle of the ellipse to be drawn, hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse to any direction to define the radius. Filled Ellipse This mode draws filled ellipses (see above.) Circle This paint mode allows you to draw circles using the technique described above. If the circles are not round, select the command Aspect Ratio of the Options menu to fix this. Filled Circle This command draws filled circles. Text... This opens a small window enabling you to edit up to 255 characters. The text will be added to the picture when you select the close gadget. Use the command Options/Font... to select font, text colour, and draw mode. The "character gap" can be defined by using the corresponding command in the Options menu. Note: If enabled, 3D text will be generated. Fill This paint mode fills areas surrounded by lines, boxes or anything else. Spray This paint mode works like an air brush. This mode can be configured by using the corresponding menu item of the Options menu. Multi Spray This mode is like the one explained above but uses all colours. @endnode @node Optionen "Options" Font... This command calls the ASL font requester and lets you select font, text colour and draw mode. The font size is limited by the window height only. (Font sizes of 500 points have been tested success- fully.) Palette Edit: You may select the colour to be used. The "Colour Editor" allows you to alter the red, green, and blue RGB values of the cur- rently selected colour. "Reset" restores the last recently used colours. "Swap" allows you to swap colours. "Range" allows you to create a colour range. Open: This command opens a palette file. Save: This command saves a palette file. Default: This command opens the palette file "Standard.COL" which is located in the main program directory. Notes: o The background colour can be changed by altering the RGB values of colour #0. o Open the palette window via the toolbox. Spray Settings... You can specify the "spray delay", the "spray dis- tance" and the "spray density". The distance is measured from the mouse coordinates. The density is the number of points to be drawn. The "spray delay" is used to make the spray function slower and is computed at the program start. Aspect Ratio... If circles are not displayed correctly, you may have to alter this value. The correct value depends on your monitor. Swap File... This command lets you specify the file name for the temporary swap file which is used to store the cur- rent picture if you change the screen format. The file name defaults to "SwapFile". Line Style This command allows you to choose a line style. If you press the "Define..." button, you can define your own line style. Simply type a 1 for a point which should be set, and a 0 otherwise. You can state up to 16 digits. Input Line style ------------------------------------------------ 1111111111111111 Default line style (---). 1010101010101010 A line made up of separated points (. . . ). 1111111100000000 A dashed line (- - ). Character Gap... This command lets you specify the "gap" between individual characters (from 0 to 32767 points ). The default value is 0 (zero). This feature can be very usefull for birthday invitations cards and so on... Animation... This command allows you to define the animation speed, which defaults to 5. This value defines the delay between two frames and is measured in 1/50 seconds. Brush Size.. This command allows you to define the size of the standard brush (in pixels). Note: If the standard brush size is too small, the brush shape "Circle" can lead to unexpected results. Line Thickness.. This command allows you to define the line thickness in pixels. This value is used by the paint modes "Lines[s]" and "Box". The aspect ratio is taken into conideration. Brush Shape This command allows you to select the brush shape: "Circle" or "Square". The aspect ratio is taken into conideration. Note: If the standard brush size is too small, the brush shape "Circle" can lead to unexpected results. 3D Text Settings... This command allows you to alter some parameters of the 3D text engine: o text colour o outline colour o magnification factor o character gap o shadow depth The option "3D text active" is used to switch the 3D text engine on (or off). The option "Perspective view" will generate a 2D text output with shadows only if it is disabled. Suggestion: Apply the "Emboss" effect to your 3D texts! Undo Settings... This command allows you to enable (disable) the "undo" button and to define the location of the swap file. o everything you draw and the commands of the "Tools" menu can be undone o use a fast device like "RAM:" to store the "undo" file Refer to @{" Using 'undo' " link undo} for details. The standard version of "undo" uses the swap file to store the current picture. "Fast Undo" saves the colour palette to this file. If you disable the "undo" feature, the buffer or swap file repectively will be deleted. A new "undo" buffer will be created if the "Fast Undo" option is enabled. The update of the screen contents can be delayed by this process. HAM Settings... This command allows you to enable or disable the HAM support of MicroPaint. option result --------------------------------------------- Enable HAM6 If the picture has six bitplanes (64 colours), a HAM screen is used. Enable HAM8 If the picture has eight bitplanes (256 colours), a HAM screen is opened. Force HAM screens If you select a screen depth of 6 or 8 bitplanes, a HAM screen is opened. If your Amiga does not have the AA chipset, Micro- Paint enables HAM6 and forces HAM screens. Magician... Use this command if you want to set the number of passes "Remove feature" and "Equalize" are run. You may also enable Savitzky-Golay in order to get smoother pictures. Select Printer... This command runs "SYS:Prefs/Printer". Refer to your Workbench manual for details. Printer Setup... This command runs "SYS:Prefs/PrinterGfx". Refer to your Workbench manual for details. Starting with Amiga OS Release 3.5, the "PrinterGfx" preferences editor is replaced by the "Size" page of the "Printer" preferences. To change the graphics options, select the "Settings" page. Show Toolbox This command opens the @{" toolbox " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Toolbox.IFF"} or hides the associated window. If the toolbox cannot be created, the current screen might be too small. Note: MicroPaint creates a temporary file called »T:ToolBox.ICL« which contains the toolbox definition. Use a utility like "SnoopDOS" to check if the file could be created successfully. (The toolbox will be hidden by MicroPaint if this is required by an operation.) The toolbox should be deactivated before executing a macro. Note: The toolbox cannot be displayed if the "Points" mode and the "BRUSHPTR" ToolType are active. (Otherwise, parts of the screen might be covered by parts of the toolbox when the mouse is moved.) Show Coordinates This commands opens a window which contains the current mouse coordinates. @endnode @node Tools "Tools" @{i}If the "FASTUNDO" version of the "undo" feature has been enabled, none of the following effects can be undone. MicroPaint will create a new "undo" buffer in this case, however.@{ui} Calibrate... This command brings up the "Calibration requester". "XXX times brighter": The current contents of the colour registers will be multiplicated with this value (or divided by it if you specify a negative number). The default is "1" (no change). "Alter components": You can specify the colour components which should be affected by the calibration process. The default is "RGB" (all components are affected). "0 components := ": Registers which current content equals to zero are set to this value. The maximum value supported by MicroPaint is "15". The default value is 0. "Registers XX to XX": The colour registers affected by the operation. This defaults to all registers. The calibration settings can be stored and retrieved. Click on "OKAY" to perform the calibration. Swap Colours... This command swaps the contents of two colour registers. Colour Range... This command allows you to create a colour range between two colour registers. If you set one register to white and the other to black, the picture is converted to grey scale. Screen Grabber You can grab a screen of another program which is actually running. The following features are available: o open a new screen (according to the grabbed screen) o scale the picture to fit on the current screen If you do not accept the new screen format, the current picture will be preserved. MicroPaint can grab HAM screens. Note: A new "undo" buffer will be created if the "Fast Undo" option is enabled. The update of the screen contents can be delayed by this process. Remap... Points of a specified colour will be drawn in the other colour specified. Pick Colour... This command allows you to get information about the colour of a pixel. When you click on a pixel, a dialog box with the following information is displayed: o X position o Y position o colour (register) If you select the "Pick" button, this colour will become the active colour. Convolution... This command allows you to define and execute a convolution filter. @{" Convolution " link convolve} filters may be loaded and saved, too. @{i}Effects@{ui} Grey Scale... The colour palette of the current picture is converted to grey scale. The brightness of the colours will be preserved. This process cannot be undone. Revert All colours will be reversed. This can be undone be calling this menu item once more. Negative This command creates the negative of the current picture and can be undone by calling this menu item once more. Monochrome... This command converts the current picture to monochrome. The default threshold value is 10. Mosaic... This command converts the current picture to something similar to a mosaic. The size of the tiles to be created can be changed (default: 5 pixels). Note: Values below 2 are ignored. The tile size must not exceed the size of the current screen. Emboss... This command converts the current picture to something similar to a relief. The brightness difference (delta) between the pixels can be altered. The "emboss" process changes the colours of all pixels according to the brightness difference between the current pixel and the pixel left and above. Brightness difference New pixel colour --------------------------------------- + delta darkest colour - delta brightest colour else background colour The colour of the graphics objects will be preserved if the "Keep objects" option is enabled. The colours stated above are swapped if "reverse direction" has been selected. Note: If some objects have not been processed, their brightness might be the same as the brightness of the background colour. Try to alter the delta value in that case. Rem. feature... This command allows you to remove isolated pixels from your picture. Pixels which are not surrounded by the background colour will not be removed. Isolated pixels might have been created by scanning a document or by converting a picture file. Equalize... This command tries to stretch the colours used by the pictures. Bright colours will become brighter until one colour is "like" white. Dark colours will become darker until one colour is "like" black. "Equalize" is of use for pictures generated by a scanner device and for enhancing ancient graphics. Magician... This command acts like an "Auto Enhancer". It runs the following effects several times in order to repair the picture: o Remove feature o Equalize o Savitzky-Golay The Magician may be configured via the "Options" menu. Savitzky-Golay is a convolution matrix similar to a weighted average which provides the best results in enhancing pictures with isolated pixels. New CLI... This command opens a new CLI window. Play Anim... This command plays the selected animation file using the @{" playanim " link playanim} utility. Execute ARexx s. This command allows you to execute an ARexx script. The default filename extension is ".mprx". The ARexx port is called "MicroPaint". Refer to the "ARexx Commands" documentation for details. Help... This command displays the online documentation using the amigaguide.library directly. @endnode @node Pinsel "Brush" @{i}Select the »Points« tool to use a brush!@{ui} Cut... Move the mouse pointer to the upper left corner of the area you wish to become a brush. Drag the mouse to the lower right corner of the desired area while holding down the left mouse button. This is similar to drawing a rectangle. Clear The current brush is deleted without a warning. Open... This command lets you load a brush from disk. The colour palette of the brush will not be used. Animated brushes are not supported by MicroPaint. If you try to open an anim brush, an error message is generated ("No IFF file"). Save... The current brush is stored on the disk. Brush Size The following options are available: Double X, Double Y, Double X+Y, Half X, Half Y, and Half X+Y. Mirror This command mirrors the brush horizontally or vertically. Rotate You can rotate the brush by 45 or 90 degrees orby a user- defined value. Save S. As BMP...You can save a section of the picture in the common BMP format by selecting the desired area with the mouse and chosing a file name via an ASL requester. The resulting file will be uncompressed and with 256 colours. Notes: Commodore's BMP datatype is somewhat faulty, because it cannot open pictures which had less than 256 colours before converting them to BMP. You can use Personal Paint or XView to deal with BMP files, for instance. Crop Selection You can crop the image by drawing a rectangle around the parts to be preserved (like cutting a brush). Anything out- side the selection will be erased. MicroPaints opens a new screen for the altered picture. The "undo" buffer is cleared by this command. Note: If the new screen is too small, the user interface might look strange. Copy to Clipb. You can save the current brush to the clipboard (unit 0) for an exchange with other programs. Paste f. Clipb. You can load a brush from the clipboard (unit 0). Clear Clipboard The content of the clipboard (unit 0) is cleared. @endnode @node Macro "Macro" Record The following key strokes, mouse moves, etc. are recorded until the "Stop" command is selected. Notes: - use key strokes rather than mouse buttons - close windows by moving the mouse pointer into the upper left corner of the screen before hitting the mouse button; - use the maximum screen size and depth to avoid problems with other screen resolutions; - do not use the toolbox; - hit the left Amiga key and v simultaneously (or left Amiga and b respectively) rather than clicking on the "Ok" or "Cancel" buttons; Stop Stops the recoding of the current macro. Execute The current macro is executed. MicroPaint opens a requester after terminating the macro. The toolbox should be deactivated before executing a macro to ensure that the whole screen is accessible. Open... You can load a macro file (.mac). Save... MicroPaint adds the extension ».mac« to the selected filename. @endnode @node Tips "Tips & Tricks" @{" Convert a Picture into Another Screen Format " link bs} @{" Rotate / Mirror Text Lines " link tr} @{" How to Use the Colour Palette of Brushes " link pf} @{" Macro Problems " link makropl} @endnode @node makropl "Macro Problems" @{b}Windows Cannot Be Closed@{ub} Move the mouse pointer into the upper left corner of the screen before clicking the left mouse button. This is necessary to avoid problems with other screen resolutions, because macros use the current position of the mouse pointer. @{b}The Macro Does Not Terminate@{ub} Macros should be recorded using screens with maximum size and depth. Some operations need a long time if big screens are used. Thus the Amiga might be busy when the macro wants to terminate and ignores this command. The recommended technique might result in a waste of time if low screen resolutions are used. @endnode @node bs "Convert a Picture into Another Screen Format" This is quite easy. Simply perform the following steps: 1 Start MicroPaint and open the picture. 2 Press the left Amiga key and 'm' to see the Workbench screen. 3 Load MicroPaint and grab the screen of the MicroPaint picture. 4 Now you can exit the MicroPaint program loaded in step #1. @endnode @node tr "Rotate / Mirror Text Lines" Convert the text line to a brush and mirror / rotate the brush! 1 Cut the text line using "Cut" in the "Brush" menu. 2 Perform "Mirror" or "Rotate" on the brush. 3 Use "Mode/Points" to put the text on the screen. @endnode @node pf "How to Use the Colour Palette of Brushes" Use the Command "Options/Palette»Open..." to load the colour palette of the brush. Note: This will affect the whole picture! @endnode @node History "History" @{b}Version Remarks@{ub} 1.7.3 First localized version. 1.7.4 Introduction of GadTools menus. 1.7.5 Introduction of the toolbox. The menu items and the documentation have been revised. 1.7.6 MicroPaint can play animations now. Old versions could not be used as default tool in icons - this has been fixed. 1.7.7 The online help is displayed by calling the amigaguide.library directly now - Multiview is no longer needed and thus the online documentation can be displayed on systems using Workbench 2.x, too. 1.7.8 The ARexx port "MicroPaint" has been implemented. 1.7.9 All external files (mouse pointer, toolbox) have been inegrated into the executable file. The creation of filled circles and ellipses is much faster now. 1.8.0 All event handlers (menu, gadgets, ARexx) have been rewritten. The brush handling has been optimized. The toolbox will be deactivated while you are painting. 1.8.1 The last recently used files are listed at the end of the Project menu. 1.8.2 The screen grabber has been revised. MicroPaint has been optimized. Screens are scaled with more precision now. 1.8.3 The palette requester uses the "gadtools.library" now. 1.8.4 The error checks of the Blitz Basic 2 run-time library have been disabled. All errors are handled by Micropaint now. The handling of the toolbox has been optimized. 1.8.5 ARexx scripts can run from within MicroPaint. An AppIcon is pro- vided. The "locale.library" support has been rewritten from scratch. (Numbers are localized, too.) The name of the current view mode is displayed now. 1.8.6 ARexx commands can provide a result using the ClipList of the ARexx interpreter. (The commmand FILENAME returns the name of the current file, for example.) The handling of the .LRU file has been improved. 1.8.7 Circles and ellipses are filled correctly now, even if they cover other parts of the picture (the preview is filled, too). A new effect called "Mosaic" has been introduced. Clipboard support has been added. Standard brush size and shape are definable. The line thickness can be defined. AGA is fully supported now. 1.8.8 Macros are supported now. 1.8.9 Results are passed to ARexx via a RexxMsg structure instead of using the ClipList. Thus the execution of ARexx commands is much faster now. 1.9.0 A 3D text engine has been added. The area behind the toolbox is filled correctly. 2.0.0 alpha The last saved version of the current picture can be recalled by the new menu item "Project/Last Saved". The Palette Editor provides access to the "Swap" and "Range" dialog boxes now. New ToolTypes can be used to alter some preferences of MicroPaint. The palette window can be opened via the toolbox. An "undo" option has been introduced. (The new features have been suggested by Jen Allen - Thanks!) beta A progress indicator has been introduced. A new effect allows you to convert the current picture to a "relief". The "remove feature" removes isolated pixels. final The "emboss" effect can preserve the colours of the graphics ob- jects. A "Fast Undo" feature has been added. The palette window will be opened immediately even if the "undo" feature has been activated. ARexx scripts and documentation have been revised. MicroPaint's user interface has been improved - the dialog boxes contain "Ok" and "Cancel" buttons. The "emboss" effect did not use the "Delta" value - fixed. All effects use the "graphics.library" directly. All palette files have been fixed. The Amiga 500 Index value of »CBSI« is more accurate. The calibration settings can be stored and retrieved. BMP files are created faster now. MicroPaint requires the new »cxb.library«. Due to a new startup code, MicroPaint no longer crashes if you don't select a screen (previous versions ran in the background, doing nothing but consuming CPU time). You can pick a colour now. You can select the GUI font MicroPaint uses. HAM is supported. The checks for IFF files have been improved. The current brush can be displayed instead of the mouse pointer. 2.0.1 The image can be cropped. Palette files are saved in a format that can be read by DPaint now. The ARexx command CRSRSIZE can be used to set brush size and line thickness. The "asl.library" is called directly to be able to remove the MaximumHeight limit of 24 points. »CBSI« uses another method for calculating MIPS. MFLOPS are also calculated now. 2.0.2 The current mouse coordinates are optionally displayed in a window. The event handler of the toolbox had to be rewritten and is faster now. The "BRUSHPTR" ToolType doesn't make MicroPaint unstable any longer. (Unfortunately, the toolbox cannot be used in conjunction with the "BRUSHPTR" ToolType.) Brushes are saved with colour palettes now. MicroPaint uses the "clipboard.device" directly rather than a file called "CLIPS:0" to be compatible with Personal Paint. (Some programs use an incompatible method for acessing the clip- board. In this case, it cannot be used by MicroPaint.) MicroPaint is about 1 KB shorter due to optimzations. 2.0.3 The colour sliders of the colour editor cold not be used - this has been fixed by simplifying the event handler code. The new ToolType "FAIL" might be needed if MicroPaint is run on old (slow) Amigas. 2.0.4 The executable file is smaller by using constants instead of functions for boolean values. Use the "reverse direction" option of the "relief" tool to swap the colours MicroPaint uses to draw the shadow with. 2.0.5 Operations like Emboss and Negative sometimes corrupted the GadTools menu of MicroPaint and caused the program to throw Enforcer hits. The menu management has been rearranged to avoid this problem. The "Index" node of the AmigaGuide documentation file was inaccessible. The removal of the busy pointer ("Undo") caused MicroPaint to throw Enforcer hits. 2.0.6 Convolution filters have been introduced. The requester windows look nicer. Datatypes conversion is performed by the "NewConvert" utility and creates the temporary file in the current directory now. MicroPaint uses version 37.2 of »cxb.library«. MicroPaint and the new "cbsi" are compatible with Amiga OS Release 3.5. 2.0.7 The "PrinterGfx" preferences editor is replaced by the "Size" and "Settings" pages of the "Printer" preferences dialog if Amiga OS 3.5 is used. Files may be saved in BMP, PGM, or PPM format. A tool for converting .P?M files to IFF ILBM files has been included. The current picture may be converted to these formats via a new menu command. MicroPaint uses the utility mentioned above to open .P?M files. MicroPaint is able to print pictures. (The previous versions did not print pictures correctly.) The detection of IFF ILBM files has been improved. .BMP files are saved in a way which allows them to be read by Art Effect 1.5 and fxPAINT 1.0. (The length of the colour map has been changed.) Amiga Technologies´ datatype does not convert BMP files correctly. The documentation has been revised. If the width of a picture exceeds 640 pixels, "Super HighRes" is assumed. Files may be saved to XPM format for an easy exchange with Un*x / Linux machines. An "Equalize" effect stretches colour tables. The "Magician" effects acts like an "Auto Enhancer". A new "Effects" sub menu of the "Tools" menu has been created. 2.0.8 The progress bar has been improved. @endnode @node Copyright "Copyright & Liability" Copyright (C) 1995 - 2000 by FR-SoftWorks. *** BMP-Support: Portions (C) 1995 by Christopher Jennings, Enchanted Blade Associates. *** Datatypes-Support: (C) 1998 by Alexander Lärz. *** ppmtoilbm: (C) 1994 by Ingo Wilken The author shall not be liable for any damages caused by the usage of this program. This program must not be distributed, selled, disassembled, nor translated without the written permission of the author. You may distribute the demo version of MicroPaint. Ensure that you always distribute the whole archive, however. Write bug reports and / or suggestions to: Frank Reibold Ottberger Weg 13 D-31737 Rinteln GERMANY eMail: FR-SW@reibold-online.de Internet: http://www.reibold-online.de @{" SaveBMP Docs " link savebmp} @{" NewConvert Docs " link newconu} @{" ppmtoilbm Docs " link ppmtoilbm} @{i} Please @{" register " link Regist}! @{ui} Have fun! @endnode @node Regist "How to Register" Print the "regist_UK.frm" file, fill it out and send it to the author. The current price is $ 15.00 or something similar to this in another currency. I will then send you a keyfile which enables the save function. @endnode @node convolve "Convolution Filters" @{b}The Convolution Requester@{ub} upper upper upper Open... Use this requester to input, left pixel right pixel pixel left current right load, or save your pixel pixel pixel lower lower lower left pixel right pixel pixel Save... convolution matrix. ----------------------------------- Ok Cancel @{b}The Convolution pPocess@{ub} The following steps are performed: (1) The colours of the pixels around the current pixel are multiplied by their weight which is the value of the convolution matrix at the appropiate column and row. (2) The total sum of these values is calculated and divided by the sum of all values the convolution matrix contains. (3) The colour nearest to the value of step #2 is used for drawing the pixel. MicroPaint uses the red, green, and blue parts of the colours instead of the colour registers. @{b}Convolution Filters@{ub} MicroPaint includes these @{" filters " link eff}: Filter Description --------------------------------------------------------------------- Average The colour of the pixels will be the average of the pixels surrounding them. Blur The filter blurs the picture. Edge_Detect The shapes will be surrounded by lines. Emboss The picture will become a relief. Emboss_Low The picture will become a relief. Rise Shadows are added to all shapes of the picture. Savitzky-Golay This filter is similar to but more powerful than Weighted_Average. Sharpen_High The picture will be sharpened. Sharpen_Low The picture will be sharpened. Sharpen_Medium The picture will be sharpened. Standard The colours of the pixels will not be changed. Weighted_Average This filter is similar to Average. The colours of the pixels are weihgted according to their distance to the current pixel @{b}Notes@{ub} If the total sum of the values the convolution matrix contains is zero, then ist ist set to one for compatibility with Cloanto Personal Paint. MicroPaint uses a buffer screen which holds the original picture. If the amount of available graphics memory is insufficient, an error message will be displayed. @endnode @node newconu "NewConvert Documentation" MicroPaint uses this utility to load datatypes pictures. Original documentation: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short: V1.0 of the Datatypes-Pic-Converter Uploader: alexlaerz@t-online.de (Alexander Lärz) Author: alexlaerz@t-online.de (Alexander Lärz) Type: gfx/conv Kurz: V1.0 Datatypes-Bilder-Konverters Requires: OS 3.0 Version: 1.0 NewConvert is a small program to convert pictures to IFF-Standard with the help of datatypes. Usage: NewConvert had to be started from Cli. You have to define the source and the destinition. Note that NewConvert requires OS 3.0 or higher and a full installed packed of datatypes. Adress: Alexander Lärz Neustädter Str.45 07768 Kahla Germany E-Mail: alexlaerz@t-online.de Web-Site:http://home.t-online.de/home/alexlaerz/ __ / / __ / / Amiga forever... \ \/ / \__/ @endnode @node savebmp "Documentation for SaveBMP" MicroPaint uses these sub routines to save .BMP files. The generated files are not compressed and have 256 colours. Original documentation: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +++++++++++++++++;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; SaveBMP Routine for Blitz Basic II +++++++++++++++++;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 7 Contents 7 SECTION LINE Abstract ......................................... 17 Introduction ..................................... 23 SaveBMP .......................................... 42 Usage Notes ...................................... 56 IFF Conversion ................................... 78 Implementaion Notes .............................. 85 Copyright/Disclaimer ............................ 111 7 Abstract 7 The routine "SaveBMP" provided in SaveBMP.src can save a bitmap object in Blitz Basic as a ".BMP" file, the file format used by the OS/2 Presentation Manager and Microsoft Windows 3.x+ (including "Windows '95"). 7 Introduction 7 We all know that the best bitmap graphics editors are on the Amiga (it's too bad for them that the IBM version of DPaint died at "version 2 enhanced"). Games programmers for other platforms have used Amiga editors for years to great effect (Check the graphics files for the PC version of UFP: Enemy Unknown, for example. You'll notice they all end in ".LBM", as in IFF ILBM. They can be loaded directly into Amiga graphics editors!) It is very common for someone who uses both Amiga and PC systems to want to share data or work on a project for one platform with tools from another platform. This is often the case especially with graphical data. Since the Amiga relies upon the IFF ILBM standard and Windoze uses BMPs, it would be useful to have a routine that could create BMP files. This can cause problems when you want to send over a graphic, though, because virtually no applications in the IBM world support the IFF file format. The statement contained in the file SaveBMP.src does exactly this. 7 SaveBMP 7 The function will take any Blitz Basic "bitmap" object and write out an equivalent "BMP" file. As written, it uses the colour map of the currently used screen or slice for colour data. The calling sequence is as follows: SaveBMP{ofile.s, bmpobj.w, width.w, height.w, numcol.w} ofile The filename to use for the BMP file which will be written. bmpobj Number of the bitmap object to use. width Width of the bitmap, or highest x-coordinate to save. height Height of the bitmap, or highest y-coordinate to save. numcol Number of colours in the bitmap (and palette). 7 Usage Notes 7 [1] You can save only a rectangular area of the region from (0,0) to (x,y) instead of the full image if you use width=x and height=y. [2] The SaveBMP routine could easily be changed to save any aribtrary rectangle of the image by modifying the horizontal and vertical run loops. [3] The constant #BMPFH should be set to the number of the Blitz file object that you wish the routine to use when it writes the file. The SaveBMP.src file sets this to `0', but you can change it to any legal value. [4] The routine does no special conversion for HAM images, so they will not come out properly with this routine alone. [5] All images are saved as 256 colour uncompressed images; this is highly compatible with Windows, and many newer DOS applications, but tends to greatly increase the file size compared to the equivalent IFF file. [6] The source code is easy to follow and well-commented, and contains further notes on program operation and BMP file format. 7 IFF Conversion 7 It is especially easy to write an IFF -> BMP conversion program using this routine and Blitz's built-in IFF handling commands. This would be a good project for new Blitz programmers looking for something to increase there programming skills and/or familiarity with the language. 7 Implementation Notes 7 [1] A few words on 12 -> 24-bit colour conversion: Most programs that convert images from 12 -> 24-bit colour data do so incorrectly. In fact, even the IFF standard bungles this task. To see why, you first need to understand a few things about how the colours are stored. Recall that colours are coded as triplets of red, green and blue values. One pre-AGA Amigas, these colours are values from 0-15 (one hexadecimal digit), while on AGA and other 24-bit systems, they are values from 0-255 (two hex digits). So "pure white" on an old system is R=15=$F, G=15=$F, B=15=$F, and on an AGA system R=255=$FF, G=255=$FF, B=255=$FF. Most conversion software multiples a 12-bit value by 16, which effectively shifts the hex digit to the left, like this: R=240=$F0, G=240=$F0, B=240=$F0. While this simplifies conversion in general, it does not properly duplicate the original colours (colours become darker overall). What we want to do instead of shifting digits is to duplicate the digit, so that $F=$FF, $8=$88, and so on. The way to do this is to multiply by 16 and add the original value again: NewCol = Col * 16 + Col, or, in other words, to multiply by 17 instead of 16. [2] The code assumes that you were reading and writing with StdIn and StdOut (DefaultInput / DefaultOutput). You will want to adjust this for most applictaions. Sections needing to be changed are commented in the listing. 7 Copyright/Disclaimers 7 Software and documentation written by Christopher Jennings. Software and documentation copyright ) 1995 by Enchanted Blade Associates. This software and documentation ("the package") may be distributed freely. You are free to use the package in your own software, as long as credit is given to the author and copyright holder in your documentation and credits. Use of or reliance on this software is entirely at the risk of the user. I hope you enjoy and use this software. Comments and questions may be directed to: Christopher Jennings, Soft. Eng. Dept. Enchanted Blade Associates R. R. 4 Langton, ON Canada N0E 1G0 or to u9303286@muss.cis.mcmaster.ca or lynnjenn@village.ca I hope that this is at least somewhat lucid. As usual, it's a last-minute write documentation and do two other things at the same time job. END OF TEXT @endnode @node improc "Image Processing with MicroPaint" Yes, it's right: you can process images with MicroPaint very easily. This is done using the "Calibration requester" which resides in the "Tools" menu. The following examples may be usefull to you: The default values are: [1] times brighter Alter components [RGB] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] @{b}How to Correct a picture Which Is Too Dark@{ub} Enter the following values: [1.1] times brighter Alter components [RGB] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] This will make the picture 10 1ghter by increasing the RGB values of all colour registers. To make this undone, enter [-1.1] instead of [1.1] @{b}How to Increase the Blue Component@{ub} Enter the following values: [1.1] times brighter Alter components [B] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] As you see, only the [B] (blue) components are increased. @{b}How to Increase the Yellow Component of a Picture@{ub} Enter the following values: [1.1] times brighter Alter components [RG] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] This is somewhat tricky: yellow is the addition of red and green, so we changed the [R] and [G] components! @{b}How to Make the Background Lighter@{ub} Enter the following values: [1.1] times brighter Alter components [RGB] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [0] As you see, only register 0 (zero) is affected, because this holds the background colour. @{b}How to Correct a Very Dark Picture@{ub} Enter the following: [1] times brighter Alter components [RGB] Zero components := [3] Registers [0] to [max. colours] The colour registers containing the colour "black" are set to a dark grey. Hence, the picture is lighter then before. Other colours are not affected. @{b}How to Correct a Picture Which Is Too Green@{ub} [-1.1] times brighter Alter components [G] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] The green components are decreased by 10 %. @endnode @node tutor "Tutorial" We suppose that you can select menu items and that you know how to use a mouse. The required files are in the "Bilder" subdirectory. Note: If your Amiga does not support the AA chipset, open a new screen prior to opening the picture files. Select a "LoRes Lace" screen with 32 colours via the Project/Format... menu item. Then open the picture files, answering the question with "No". * @{i}Starting MicroPaint@{ui} Start MicroPaint by double-clicking on its icon. The program asks you to select a screen mode ("hires" is recommended for this tutorial"). Then an "Info" dialogue is displayed which you should cancel by clicking on "Ok". @{i}Opening a Picture File@{ui} Select the menu item "Project/Open..." an click on the file @{" Tutor1.IFF " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Tutor1.IFF"}. This picture shows Deluxe Paint with the image »Tut256.lores« opened and was created using MicroPaint's screen grabber. Answer the following requester with "Ok", and you will see king Tut on your screen. Remark: The picture can also be opended by dragging its icon on the AppIcon of MicroPaint. @{i}The Aim@{ui} The picture is somewhat too dark, and DPaints tool bar is annoying. We will corrrect this and convert the picture to Lores-Lace, too. @{i}Changing the Screen Format@{ui} Press the left Amiga key and 'm' to see the Workbench screen. Load a new copy of MicroPaint and select a lores-lace screen (320x400) with 256 colours. Select "Tools/screen grabber..." and grab the "Unnamed Screen: 320x200x256". Answer the following requesters with "Yes", "No", and "Yes". MicroPaint will then convert the image. Note: If your Amiga does not support the AA chipset, select only 32 colours. @{i}Image Processing@{ui} Select "Tools/Calibrate..." and enter the following values: [1.3] times brighter Alter components [RGB] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] (The image will become 30 % brighter.) Then enter the following values: [1.2] times brighter Alter components [RG] Zero components := [0] Registers [0] to [max. colours] (This will increase the yellow component of the picture by 20 %.) The picture is nicer now, isn't it? @{i}Getting Rid of DPaint's Tool Bar@{ui} Select the menu item "Brush/Cut..." and drag a rectangle around king Tut. Remember the position of Tutankhamun. Then select "Project/New..." and answer the requester with "Yes". Micro- Paint will clear the screen using the background colour. To put the king on the screen, move the mouse pointer to the remembered position and press the left Amiga key and the left ALT key simultaneously. The result is a simulation of a mouse click: you used the brush! You should call "Brush/Clear" to delete the brush, because we do not need it any longer. @{i}Saving Your Masterpiece@{ui} Use the "Project/Save as..." command to save the image as »TutAnchAmun.IFF«. You should compare it with @{" Tutor2.IFF " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Tutor2.IFF"} using "Project/View". @{i}The End@{ui} The tutorial ends here. You may now improve the picture using MicroPaints paint tools - what about a head line? @endnode @node utils "Support and Utilities" @{" Documentation for SaveBMP " link savebmp} @{" Documentation for NewConvert " link newconu} @{" Documentation for CBSI " link cbsi} @{" Documentation for iff_view " link iffview} @{" Documentation for playanim " link playanim} @{" Documentation for grabscreen " link grabscreen} @{" Documentation for ppmtoilbm " link ppmtoilbm} @endnode @node ppmtoilbm "Documentation for ppmtoilbm" Use "ppmtoilbm file.pnm >file.iff" to convert file.pnm to an IFF ILBM file which can be opened by MicroPaint. The original documentation follows. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ppmtoilbm(1) AMIGA (23 October 1994) ppmtoilbm(1) NAME ppmtoilbm - convert a portable pixmap into an IFF-ILBM, IFF-RGBN or IFF-RGB8 file SYNOPSIS ppmtoilbm [-ilbm|-rgb8|-rgbn [-ecs|-aga] [-ham6|-ham8] [-maxplanes|-mp N] [-fixplanes|-fp N] [-normal|-hamif|-hamforce [-hambits|-hamplanes N] [-deepbits|-deepplanes N] [-hires] [-lace] [-camg hexval] [-floyd|-fs] [-nocompress] [-cmethod method] [-mapfile ppmfile] [-sortcmap] [-mmethod method] [-maskfile pbmfile] [-transparent color] [ppmfile] DESCRIPTION Reads a portable pixmap as input. Produces an IFF-ILBM, IFF-RGB8 or IFF-RGBN file as output. Supported ILBM types are: Normal ILBMs 1-16 planes, with colormap. Amiga display mode Hold- any-modify (HAM) is supported, with 3-10 planes (including the 2 control planes). Deep ILBMs 3-48 planes, direct RGB encoding. Usually 24 planes are used (for 8-bit RGB values). Colormap files BMHD + CMAP chunk only, 0 planes. OPTIONS Options marked with (*) can be prefixed with a "no", e.g. '-nohamif'. Most options can only be used for IFF-ILBM files, if an option is usable with IFF-RGBN and IFF-RGB8 it is noted in the description. All options can be abbreviated to their shortest unique prefix. -ilbm | -rgb8 | -rgbn Write an IFF-ILBM, IFF-RGB8 or IFF-RGBN file. The default is IFF-ILBM. -maxplanes N Maximum planes to write in a normal ILBM. If the pixmap does not fit into N planes, writes a HAM file (if -hamif is used), 24bit file (if -24if is used) or aborts with an error. The default value is 5 planes (for backwards compatibility), minimum value is 1 and maximum 8. This option can be abbreviated to -mp. -fixplanes N If a normal ILBM is written, it will have exactly N planes, even if the number of colors would fit into fewer planes. This option can be abbreviated to -fp. -hamplanes N Set the number of planes (including the two control planes) for a HAM picture. The current Amiga hardware supports 6 and 8 planes, so for now you should use only these values. The default value is 6 (for backwards compatibility), minimum value is 3, maximum 10. -hambits N Set the number of bits for a color component or index value in a HAM picture. This is the same as -hamplanesN+2 -deepplanes N Set the number of planes for a deep ILBM. N must be divisible by 3. -deepbits N Set the number of bits for a color component in a deep ILBM. This is the same as -deepplanes3*N -normal Turns off -hamif, -24if, -hamforce, -24force, -deepif, -deepforce and -cmaponly and sets compression type to byterun1. This is the default mode for IFF-ILBM files. -hamif (*) | -24if (*) Write a HAM or 24bit file if the pixmap does not fit into the maximum number of planes as given by the -maxplanes option. -hamforce (*) | -24force (*) Write a HAM or 24bit file. -cmaponly Write a colormap file: only BMHD and CMAP chunks, no BODY chunk, nPlanes = 0. -ecs | -aga Set the appropriate -hamplanes and -maxplanes values for the Amiga ECS or AGA chipset. ECS values are used by default for backwards compatibility. -ham6 | -ham8 Write a HAM picture with 6/8 planes. -hires (*), -lace (*) Sets the HIRES and LACE bits in the CAMG chunk and adjusts BMHD.xAspect/BMHD.yAspect accordingly. Other bits might be set in the CAMG chunk depending on other options. These options can be used with IFF-RGBN and IFF-RGB8 files. -camg hexval Write a specific value into the CAMG chunk. The hexadecimal value can be given with or without a 0x prefix. Other bits might be set in the CAMG chunk depending on other options. This option can be used with IFF-RGBN and IFF-RGB8 files. -nocompress Do not compress the BODY chunk. Compression requires building the ILBM image in memory; turning compression off allows stream-writing of the image, but the resulting file will usually be 30% to 50% larger. This options affect only IFF-ILBM files, IFF-RGBN and IFF- RGB8 files are always compressed using a pixel repeat count. -cmethod method Select compression method. Default is byterun1. Setting method to none is equivalent to using a -nocompress option. method can be abbreviated to the shortest unique prefix. -mapfile ppmfile Use the colors in ppmfile as the colormap when writing a normal ILBM. The mapfile is a normal PPM image, it can be any shape, all that matters are the colors in it, and the order they appear in. If the colors in the input file do not match those in ppmfile , they are matched to a "best match". -sortcmap Sort the colormap. -mmethod method Select masking method. method can be none (no masking, default), maskplane and transparentcolor (only for normal ILBMs). lasso masks are are not supported yet. method can be abbreviated to the shortest unique prefix. -maskfile pbmfile Use a mask file to mark transparent pixels in an IFF- ILBM. If the -mmethod option is not used, masking method is set to maskplane. pbmfile is a normal PBM image, the same size (or larger) as the input file. A pixel value of PBM_WHITE in the mask file means the corresponding in the input file is considered to be transparent, PBM_BLACK indicates an opaque pixel (think of the input file casting a shadow on a white screen). In an IFF-RGBN or IFF-RGB8 file, the mask file is used to set the genlock bits. -transparent color Mark the given color as transparent. The color is specified as in ppmmake(1). If the -mmethod options is not used, masking method is set to transparentcolor. -floyd (*) | -fs (*) Use Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion for mapping the input colors to HAM or to the colors in a mapfile. The results are usually much better than without it, but it takes substantially more CPU time, so the default is off. BUGS HAM pictures will always get a grayscale colormap; a real color selection algorithm might give better results. On the other hand, this allows row-by-row operation on HAM images, and all HAM images of the same depth (no. of planes) share a common colormap, which is useful for building HAM animations. Not all IFF-ILBM types that are supported by can be generated with The number of options for this program is approaching the ls(1)-dangerlevel. REFERENCES Amiga ROM Kernel Reference Manual - Devices (3rd Ed.), Addison Wesley, ISBN 0-201-56775-X, Appendix A: Interchange File Format SEE ALSO ppm(5), ilbmtoppm(1) AUTHORS Copyright (C) 1989 by Jef Poskanzer. Modified 1993/1994 by Ingo Wilken (Ingo.Wilken@informatik.uni-oldenburg.de) endnode @node grabscreen "Documentation for grabscreen" This utility must be started via CLI and saves screens to IFF files. Grabscreen requires a file name as first argument and accepts a screen name as second argument (if no screen name is stated, the current screen will be grabbed). You can use "?" as file name to get some hints. @endnode @node iffview "Documentation for iff_view" This utility may be started via Workbench or CLI and displays IFF pictures. If no arguments are supplied, an ASL requester will allow you to select a file. To quit the program, hit a mouse button. @endnode @node playanim "Documentation for playanim" This utility may be started via Workbench or CLI and plays IFF animations. If no arguments are supplied, an ASL requester will allow you to select a file. A second argument defining the animation speed will be accepted, too. The animation speed defaults to 5. To quit the program, hit a mouse button. Only the DPaint III animation format (without colour palette changes) is supported. @endnode @node cbsi "Documentation for CBSI" CBSI is the "Crossbones System Information" utility. CBSI must be run in the CLI and displays the following if you call it with »?« as argument: @{i} Crossbones System Information 1.0.7 Usage: CBSI [drive [buffer length]] CBSI examines your Amiga - for example CPU, FPU, display, operating system, and CPU speed. Additionally, the transfer speed of your hard disk drive can be measured. The block length defaults to 1 MB (the file created will consist of 8 blocks). @{ui} @{b}Sample Output@{ub} Crossbones System Information 1.1.4 Chip RAM: 1.815.184 bytes Fast RAM: 15.573.136 bytes Attn Flags: 1000000001111111 CPU: Motorola 68040 FPU: Motorola 68040 FPU Cache: INST: Cache Burst DATA: Cache Burst CopyBack VBL Frequency: 50 Hz Power Supply: 50 Hz EClock Frequency: 709.379 Hz VBR Address: $0704DBBC Operating System: Amiga OS 3.1 Kickstart: Version 40.68 Workbench: Version 40.42 SetPatch: Version 43.6 RevBits: 00011111 DMA: AA Alice Display: AA (M)Lisa Chip set: AA MIPS: 19,13187 Amiga 500 Index: 27,10358 MFLOPS: 4,799689 Device "hd1:": Buffer: 1.000.000 bytes Write file: 1.046 KB/s Read file: 1.208 KB/s Workbench Screen: $07043B58 Format: 640 x 256 x 256 Mode: $00029000 - PAL:HighRes @endnode @node tb "Using the Toolbox" The @{" Toolbox " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Toolbox.iff"} provides an easy access to all paint modes of MicroPaint. The following commands can also be called via the toolbox: o the palette window o the "undo" option Refer to @{" Using 'undo' " link undo} for details. Note: The "undo" button is grayed if the "undo" feature has been disabled. @endnode @node formate "Supported File Formats" MicroPaint is able to open files of the following formats: Format Remarks ---------------------------------------------------- Datatypes 2-256 colours IFF-ILBM 2-256 colours, halfbright, HAM Portable Grey Pixmap max. 256 grey shades or HAM *) Portable Pixmap max. 256 colours or HAM *) @{i} *) MicroPaint uses @{" ppmtoilbm " link ppmtoilbm} for converting .p?m to IFF ILBM files. The resulting .IFF files are opened after that. @{ui} MicroPaint is able to save files of the following formats: Format Extension Remarks ---------------------------------------------------------------- IFF-ILBM 2-256 colours Portable Grey Pixmap .PGM 256 grey shades Portable PixMap .PPM Truecolor (millions of colours) MS Windows Bitmap .BMP 2-256 colours X Window Pixmap .XPM 2-256 colours Example: To save a file in PPM format, name it "Toolbox.ppm", for instance. @{b}Notes@{ub} P?M files are used on Unix machines. X icons are stored in XPM format. P?M files have been tested with fxPaint 1.0. The XPM export has been tested with Gimp 1.0 for Linux and Electric Eyes (Red Hat Linux 6.1). Note that MicroPaint saves all graphics using two characters per pixel and with colour tables that might contain unused colours. The background colour may be defined to be "transparent". @endnode @node undo "Using 'undo'" @{b}How to Enable 'undo'@{ub} The "undo" option is activated via the "options" menu. MicroPaint offers two versions of 'undo': 'undo' version Remarks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Standard MicroPaint saves the "undo" buffer to an IFF file. This option is *very* slow, but it requires only a small amount of memory. Fast "Undo" The "undo" buffer is kept in a second screen. Thus you need a lot of graphics memory if you want to use this version of "undo". FASTUNDO is significantly faster than the standard version, but it is not able to undo the effects of the "Tools" menu. Note: This option has to be chosen via the ToolType FASTUNDO prior to enabling it via the "options" menu. Example: A "PAL: Superhighres Lace" screen with 1280x512 pixels and 256 colours requires twice 640 KB of graphics memory. @{b}How to Use 'undo'@{ub} MicroPaint acts like version 1.x if the "undo" option is disabled. The activation of the "undo" option slows MicroPaint down, because the current screen has to be saved to the "undo" buffer before drawing something or executing a menu command respectively. To draw an object, perform the following steps: 1 Select a paint mode (optional). 2 Move the mouse pointer to the position desired. 3 CLICK the left mouse button and HOLD it down as long as the busy pointer is displayed on the screen. (The busy pointer indicates that the "undo" buffer is saved.) 4 CONTINUE holding the mouse button down and move the mouse to alter the size or direction of the object. 5 RELEASE the mouse button. MicroPaint creates the graphics object. 6 To undo the result, simply click the "undo" button. @endnode @node eff "Effect Samples" @{b}Original Picture@{ub} @{" Original " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Original.iff"} @{b}Picture after Applying the Effects@{ub} @{" Revert " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Revert.iff"} @{" Negative " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Negative.iff"} @{" Greyscale " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Greyscale.iff"} @{" Monochrome " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Monochrome.iff"} @{" Mosaic " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Mosaic.iff"} @{" Emboss " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss.iff"} @{" Emboss (option 'Keep objects' enabled) " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss2.iff"} @{" Emboss (option 'reverse direction' enabled) " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss3.iff"} @{b}Pictures after Executing Convolution Filters@{ub} @{" Average " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Average.iff"} @{" Blur " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Blur.iff"} @{" Edge_Detect " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Edge_Detect.iff"} @{" Emboss " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Emboss.iff"} @{" Emboss Low " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Emboss_Low.iff"} @{" Rise " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Rise.iff"} @{" Savitzky-Golay " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Savitzky-Golay.iff"} @{" Sharpen_High " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_High.iff"} @{" Sharpen_Low " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_Low.iff"} @{" Sharpen_Medium " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_Medium.iff"} @{" Weighted_Average " system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Weighted_Average.iff"} @endnode @node TheIndex Index @remark Index created with 'mkagidx' (C) Captain CrossBones A @{"ARexx" link "ARexx_Commands.guide/MAIN"} @{"Average" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Average.iff"} B @{"Blur" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Blur.iff"} @{"Brush" link Pinsel} C @{"Convert a Picture into Another Screen Format" link bs} @{"Convolution" link convolve} @{"Copyright" link Copyright} D @{"Demo.IFF" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Demo.IFF"} @{"Documentation for CBSI" link cbsi} @{"Documentation for grabscreen" link grabscreen} @{"Documentation for iff_view" link iffview} @{"Documentation for NewConvert" link newconu} @{"Documentation for playanim" link playanim} @{"Documentation for ppmtoilbm" link ppmtoilbm} @{"Documentation for SaveBMP" link savebmp} E @{"Edge_Detect" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Edge_Detect.iff"} @{"Effect Samples" link eff} @{"Emboss (option 'Keep objects' enabled)" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss2.iff"} @{"Emboss (option 'reverse direction' enabled)" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss3.iff"} @{"Emboss Low" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Emboss_Low.iff"} @{"Emboss" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Emboss.iff"} @{"Emboss" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Emboss.iff"} F @{"filters" link eff} @{"Frequently Asked Questions" link FAQ} G @{"Greyscale" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Greyscale.iff"} H @{"History" link History} @{"How to Use the Colour Palette of Brushes" link pf} I @{"Image Processing with MicroPaint" link improc} @{"Installation" link Installation} M @{"Macro Problems" link makropl} @{"Macro" link Macro} @{"Menus" link Menus} @{"Mode" link Modus} @{"Monochrome" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Monochrome.iff"} @{"Mosaic" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Mosaic.iff"} N @{"Negative" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Negative.iff"} @{"NewConvert Docs" link newconu} @{"NewConvert" link newconu} O @{"Options" link Optionen} @{"Original" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Original.iff"} @{"Overview" link Ubersicht} P @{"Passing Arguments to MicroPaint" link Argumente} @{"playanim" link playanim} @{"ppmtoilbm Docs" link ppmtoilbm} @{"ppmtoilbm" link ppmtoilbm} @{"Project" link Projekt} R @{"register" link Regist} @{"Registration" link Regist} @{"Revert" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Effects/Revert.iff"} @{"Rise" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Rise.iff"} @{"Rotate / Mirror Text Lines" link tr} S @{"SaveBMP Docs" link savebmp} @{"Savitzky-Golay" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Savitzky-Golay.iff"} @{"Sharpen_High" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_High.iff"} @{"Sharpen_Low" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_Low.iff"} @{"Sharpen_Medium" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Sharpen_Medium.iff"} @{"Support and Utilities" link utils} @{"Supported File Formats" link formate} T @{"Tips & Tricks" link Tips} @{"Toolbox" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Toolbox.iff"} @{"Tools" link Tools} @{"ToolTypes" link tt} @{"Tutor1.IFF" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Tutor1.IFF"} @{"Tutor2.IFF" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Tutor2.IFF"} @{"Tutorial" link tutor} U @{"Using 'undo'" link undo} @{"Using the Toolbox" link tb} W @{"Weighted_Average" system "Utils/iff_view Pictures/Convolution/Weighted_Average.iff"} @endnode