ShowPics Version 3.?? Uses the ARP.library 18-Jan-90 John Matthews 4 Wadham Grove Tawa, 6203 New Zealand Phone (644) 327-805 Written in M2Sprint Modula 2 from M2S, Texas, USA Disclaimer: ----------- These programs are not promised to be perfect, nothing ever is, but they have been well tested. I take no responsibility for any problems caused by them, but don't expect there to be any. This program is hereby declared public domain and freely distributable as long as this documentation file is left intact and no charge is made FOR it. Let me know if you like it, or can suggest any improvements or bug fixes. ShowPics is a IFF display program for use from CLI or Workbench. It was designed out of necessity, combining features found in otherwise great programs which neglected some important features. - Overscan pictures. These are becoming more and more widespread, yet there are virtually no display programs which handle them. ShowPics does by offsetting the screen relative to the size of your standard Workench screen. It should work with both 50Hz and 60Hz refresh screens (256 & 200 lines respectively) and with MoreRows altered systems. - ShowPics also handles a bug in the system (listening Commodore?) which causes a problem with HiRes InterLace OverScan PAL pictures, unless they are offset far enough left. At about the 200th scanline, the system starts using the DMA channels for something, and the bottom part of the screen DISAPPEARS. Try moving the picture about with the arrow keys if you don't believe me. - What if we want to show multiple files, maybe from a file requester? - While we're at it, how about some (simple) script file support? ShowPics will display 1) a single picture, 2) a command line list of pictures 3) a SHIFT-Click Workbench list of pictures 4) a menu selected list of pictures 5) a script file of pictures Command Format: CLI: ShowPics - {WildCards and/or FileNames} [B] [S} [T=nnn] [D=nn] [R=nn] [B] - DoubleBuffered [S] - files are Script files [T=nnn] - Delay nnn seconds between pictures [D=nn] - Size of buffer to use in disk access [R=nn] - Number of times to repeat the pictures If no filenames are specified, a file requester allowing the selection of multiple files will appear. Click on all the files to display (they toggle), then click on OK. Workbench: Click on the first icon, then while holding down the SHIFT key, click on the rest, then double shift-click on ShowPics. Script file are designated type a FILETYPE=PICSCRIPT entry in its ToolType entries. Other ToolType entries affect behavior: BUFFERED[=FALSE] turns double buffering on, or off if =FALSE given CYCLE as above for colour cycling TIME=nnn specifies delay between pictures These default to OFF. When changed, by whatever method, they retain their values until something specifies them again. They can be set by ILBM icons, or PICSCRIPT icons. After a script, settings remain as they were at the end of the script, so script commands may alter settings FOR following pictures. --Press SPACE to move to next picture unless in Timed mode, in which case wait for nnn seconds. --Pressing ESC stops, after the picture being loaded if in double buffered mode. --Pressing the numeric keypad keys moves the screen. --Pressing TAB toggles colour cycling. ShowPics does not multitask only in that it uses lots of CHIP memory (mainly when in double buffered mode). If you avoid other programs requiring masses of CHIP memory while using, however, no problem. Script commands: Begin a line with a - (minus sign) and it will be interpreted as a command. -B+ Turns buffering on -B- Turns buffering off -Tnum Treats num as the future delay between screens -T- Switches to ESC key delay -Rnum Repeat the script num times -C[+] Turns colour cycling on -C- Turns colour cycling off Note: no spaces in commands Changes for Version 2.2: Blank screen between unbuffered screens. Reuse of screens, if all characteristics identical - ie. if you have a script of screens all produced to the same resolution the program does not need to keep opening and closing screens Abort function added, press left mouse button (then press it again to activate something and return the pointer) Changes for Version 3.0 ARP command line parsing, including wildcards. Better Workbench support, mixed ILBMs and Scripts Changes for Version 3.1 Added colour cycling. Changes for Version 3.2 Change from input handler to window. Bug fixes and improvements to FileRequester. Fixed bug in colour cycling.