HamLab Version 1.1
Configuration File Format

(c) Copyright 1990, 1991 J. Edward Hanway
All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

The HamLab configuration file is a text file which HamLab uses to determine
what input filters it has available, as well as other miscellaneous
configuration options. Each time HamLab is run, it looks for the
configuration file in the following places, in order:

	HamLab.config	(in the current directory)
	DEVS:HamLab.config
	S:HamLab.config

FILE FORMAT

In the configuration file, A '#' denotes that the rest of the line is a
comment.  Blank lines and lines starting with a '#' are skipped.  All other
lines must contain one of the following commands:

Cache12Bit	size (32 bit signed value)

	This specifies the maximum size, in bytes, of HamLab's 12-bit
	temporary data that will be kept in RAM. If an image requires more
	room than this value, it will be kept in a temporary file (in
	whatever directory you specify with TempPath).  Some useful values
	to use here are:
		0	-- always use a file
		-1	-- always try to keep it in memory
		130000	-- try to keep 320 x 200 and smaller in memory

ColorFile	"file name"

	Specifies the name of the default color response curve file that is
	loaded whenever HamLab is started.  The file must be in the
	directory specified by ColorPath.
	
ColorPath	"disk path"

	Specifies the default directory where color response curve files
	are kept. (You can load/save color response curves from/to any
	directory; this is just the default value.)
	
ConstrainedScale 0/1
FastAnalyze	0/1
FixBackground	0/1
FreezePalette	0/1
Interlace	0/1
SHAM		0/1
UsePipes	0/1

	These (optional) lines specify the initial values for HamLab's
	options.
	
Hsqueeze	0/1 (*)

	HSqueeze is obsolete in version 1.1 and will be ignored. Use
	"XScale 50%" instead.

DitherType	0-6

	Specifies the initial dithering option. The possible values are
	as follows:
		0 -- no dithering
		1 -- Serpentine Floyd-Steinberg 4 term error diffusion
		2 -- Serpentine Jarvis, Judice, & Ninke 12 term error
		     diffusion
		3 -- Serpentine Stucki 12 term error diffusion
		4 -- 4x4 Dispresed Dot Ordered Dither
		5 -- Random Dither
		6 -- 4x4 Spiral Clustered Dot Ordered Dither 

FilterPath	"disk path"

	Specifies the disk path where the filter programs can be found.

Format		"matchstring" "filtername"

	One of these lines must be present for every input filter. The
	first string is the pattern which identifies that type of file.
	The second is the name of the filter program.

Gamma		x.y

	Specifies the initial Gamma value.  The value must be a value
	between	0.1 and 9.9, and must be in the following exact form:
	digit, decimal point, digit.
	
InPath		"disk path"
OutPath		"disk path"

	These set the initial directories for the input and output file
	requesters. (Of course, you can read and write from/to any
	directory; these are just for convenience.)

TempPath	"disk path"

	Specifies the disk path where any temporary file(s) will be
	created.

XScale		num[%]
YScale		num[%]

	These specify the initial scaling values.  If the number is
	followed immediately (no spaces) by a percent sign, it is a
	percentage, otherwise, it is a fixed size.

	
SUGGESTED CONFIGURATIONS

If you've got memory to burn, leave UsePipes turned off, set TempPath to 
RAM: and set Cache12Bit to -1. This will keep both 24-bit and 12-bit
temporary images in memory.  Beware, though, a 640 x 480 image will take
up about 1.5 MEGS just in temporary files.

If you're short on memory, turn UsePipes on, set TempPath to a disk
directory (a hard disk is nice, but not necessary) and set Cache12Bit to
something low, like 0.  This will eliminate the 24 bit file and keep the
12-bit temporary file on disk.  If you then save a picture without
displaying it first, then HamLab will only need a few lines of the picture
in memory at a time.

Setting TempPath to a RAM disk may be useful.  Even though that means that
temporary files will be kept in RAM, they won't require one huge continuous
chunk of memory.
 
Setting a TempPath is important, even if you set Cache12Bit large enough
that temporary files are normally kept in memory.  If HamLab cannot
allocate a large enough chunk of memory for the image, it will
automatically use a file instead.