Short guide to the archive "pnmview_grf.lha" ============================================== PURPOSE --------- "pnmview" is able to show PBM/PGM/PPM-images on the Graffiti video card. CONTENTS ---------- The archive should enclude the following files: pnmview (the executeable) pnmview.syntax (help file, german) pnmview.syntax_e (help file, english) pnmview.liesmich (german manual) pnmview.readme (this file) graffiti.library (copy it to LIBS:) If one of this files is missing, it would be better to get a full version of the archive, best you get it directly from my homepage. If you're missing the source code, I have to tell you that it will be included in a future release. The latest version you have to wait for is the final release of this program, V1.00. But if you can't wait, you have the choice to contact me ... COPYRIGHT ----------- All files in this archive (except "graffiti.library") are copyrighted, that means (c) Stefan Diener. It is not allowed to a) modify the archive and to distibute the modified form (It's especially not allowed to remove this notice !), b) use the program and the source code or parts of it for commercial purposes, c) distribute the archive or parts of it as part of a commercial product. Any exception requires my personal agreement. It is allowed (accepting the restrictions above) to use the program and the source code for non-commercial purposes for free. If the source code (or a part of it) is used in another application or a given program will be developed further the developer has to ensure that both in program and new source codes full credits to the original author are given. I would be very happy getting a notice about the new developments. That means that I'm expecting a short message, for instance a quite short e-mail. The author may change this copyright notice in further releases. GUARANTEE ----------- Just a joke ! No guarantee given ! There's no guarantee whether the program runs on your computer or that it will do the job you thought it should. No- body gives any liability for damages caused by proper or inproper use of the program. There's no guarantee that the program's output will be correct. No liability too. You are using the program at your own risk. BUT: I was heavily working to debug the program and I spent a lot of time for testing it. The chance of undiscovered bugs is still greater than zero. VERSION --------- This documentation is for version 0.01ß, written at the 27.Sep.97. If you're using a newer version of "pnmview" forget this file. APPEAL -------- As you may noticed this a beta version. So please don't expect to use a full working and 100% bug-free program. I want you to run the program and take a look for any errors appearing during runtime. Please report any errors to me and don't forget to mention your computer's configuration (model, CPU, OS, ...). I would be very glad getting a message from you, containing a bug report or any other suggestions ! Please note that I'm only able to improve the things reported to me ! INSTALLATION -------------- 1. Copy "graffiti.library" to "LIBS:". This is version 1.0 (12.Nov.96) of the "graffiti.library" shiped with the Graffiti-Utility Disk 1.4. (That's the version I got together with the video card ...) 2. It's better to create a new drawer for "pnmview", for example "DH4:Graffiti/pnmview". 3. Copy "pnmview" into this drawer. 4. You have to reate a directory called "help" into the drawer, in the example the new directory is "DH4:Graffiti/help". 5. Copy "pnmview.syntax_e" into the help-drawer and rename it to "pnmview.syntax" (important !). 6. Make an assign to the pnmview-directory named "STIMP:", in the example "Assign STIMP: DH4:Graffiti/pnmview". It would be better to fix this in your User-Startup. 7. You may add the path to your system's path: "path STIMP: add". Insert this line AFTER the "assign STIMP: ..." in your User-Startup. Please note that the "assign" and the "path ... add" commands require a reset of your Amiga now. Now you are ready. START THE PROGRAM ------------------- You can get the usage of "pnmview" by starting "pnmview" with the "-?" option: "pnmview -?". If no usage appers, it is possible that the installation was not succesfull or any other error appeared ... Sorry, but an automatic instal- lation is not available yet. Maybe this will change in future versions. I'm sorry, but this short manual will not bescribe how to use the program. You have to follow the help available by the parameter "-?". Further versions of this manual will include a full description of all available options. If you have any hard problems, contact me. Some hints for the "Syntax" line: - [parameter] means that this is an optional prameter. - | means excusive or, that means that you can only choose one option out of all parameters concatenated by |'s. - "default" means default value if you leave the optional parameter ;-) - Any values are to be placed directly after the introducing char, for instance: "-f32" is okay, but "-f 32" is wrong. - Every parameter has to be introduced by a "-" or "+". It is not possible to combine parameters after only one "-" or "+". - Conclusion: It's not possible to use file names beginning with a "-" or "+". Hint: Try software that makes "." and ".." useable (like "UnixDirs"). It makes it possible to write "./-file" instead of "-file-". That's it. RESTRICTIONS -------------- Only the binary versions of PBM/PGM/PPM-files are supported. That means that you can not use file with the markers P1, P2 and P3 (text versions). I decided to do so because all programs of the NetPBM package write binary files and the text versions have the big fault to produce unneccessary big files. In practice this is no real restriction. PLANS ------- All these things have to be done in future versions: - version for 68030 and FPU - text output directly onto the graffiti screen, for instance during loading the next picture or dithering - color reduction due median cut algorithm with/without Floyd-Steinberg- Dithering (Octree Color Reduction is too slow) - automatic installation (shell script or installer script ?) - support program's start via workbench - include a file requester - localize the program or translate it simply to english (?) - describe all parameters in the manual - more detailed manual - manual as AmigaGuide file - manual as HTML pages (in the archive and at my homepage) - release of the source code If you have more suggestions feel free to contact me. WHAT MEANS STIMP ? -------------------- If you read the installation part, you might be wondered by "STIMP". It's quite simple: "STefan's IMage Processing". Not surprising, isn't it ? You may wonder again: image processing ? Well, I want to publish some more programs in the way I did it with "pnmview". All these programs will work on PBM/PGM/PPM-images and will do some manipulations on images. When the source code will be released, a system to easily develop such programs for any image processing problem will be available. ENVIRONMENT ------------- Compiler: MaxonC++ 4.0 Light (05.11.96), Maxon Computer GmbH Computer: Amiga 1200, OS 3.0 Blizzard 1230 Mk. II with SCSI-Kit 68030 and 68882, 50 MHz Chip-RAM: 2 MB, Fast-RAM: 20 MB Graffiti video card (besides a CDROM and some harddisks ...) HISTORY --------- version 0.01ß (27.09.97) - first public release, beta version - short manual AUTHOR -------- name : Stefan Diener e-mail : sdiener@informatik.tu-clausthal.de WWW : http://www.math.tu-clausthal.de/~masd/index.html address : Bornrasen 12, D-99762 Osterode, Germany