@database "DIYreko.guide" @author "TONID (Tomasz Nidecki)" @(c) "Copyright © 1995 Tomasz Nidecki" @$VER: DIYreko.guide V2.0 (3/4/95) @node Main "DoItYourselfREKO" @{b} DIYreko V2.0 (enhanced) @{ub} (Do-It-Yourself-reko) (C)1995 by Tomasz Nidecki (TONID) (Modified 3/7/99 by Cary Driscoll) @{"Introduction" link Introduction} @{"Requirements" link Requirements} @{"Installation" link Installation} @{"Usage " link Usage} @{"History " link History} @{"Author " link Author} @{"Copyright " link Copyright} @{"Disclaimer " link Disclaimer} @endnode @node Introduction "Intro to DIYreko" DIYreko stands for Do-It-Yourself-reko. It is an @{"ImageFX" link ImageFX} @{"Arexx macro" link Arexx}, which makes a @{"REKO cardset" link REKO} almost automatically, saving you lots of time and work. Before you attempt using DIYreko, please make sure you read the @{"Requirements" link Requirements}, @{"Installation" link Installation} and @{"Usage" link Usage} parts of this guide. @endnode @node Requirements "Requirements for DIYreko to run" @{b}You will need the original DIYreko2_0.lha archive. This archive only replaces some of its files.@{ub} First of all, there is just no way you can use this program unless you have @{"ImageFX version 1.5 to 2.6" link ImageFX}. Second of all, there is no need for you to use DIYreko, unless you have @{"Reko-Productions Klondike-Deluxe-AGA 1.3 or Klondike II/III" link REKO}. You will not be able to use the macro, unless you have the program "reko" in your path (Klondike puts this program in C: upon installation, so if you installed it using the supplied script, there is no need to worry, but just to be sure check your C: directory and see if a program called "reko" is there). Third of all, I wouldn't use DIYreko (heck, I wouldn't even use ImageFX) if I had less than 4 MB fast and 2 MB chip. If you have Klondike III you do not need an AGA computer to use Reko's Klondike. But do not attempt to use this macro on anything less than an Amiga with 6MB RAM, and a hard disk of course. @{b}ImageFX and this "enhanced" macro will eat up a total of about 4 MB.@{ub} If you want DIYreko to work perfectly you will need at least 2MB free space on one of your partitions and your RAM perfectly cleaned of all commodities and useless programs. You might try it without cleaning the memory, but you might be unpleasantly surprised... A helpful thingy would be having a program called Flush in your path. It will help DIYreko get more memory, however, the macro will work fine even without it. Flush can be found on Aminet - it is an extention to avail flush, but it actually defragments your memory at least partially, which sometimes helps when you need that extra few kilobytes. I know these are strong requirements, but, as we say in Poland, @{"..." link life}. The creation of a cardset using DIYreko on my system takes less than half an hour. I suppose if you don't have a 68881 like I do, it will take just a bit longer (I'm not even sure if ImageFX uses the 68881). @endnode @node Installation "How to install DIYreko" Installation of DIYreko is easy. The program has been archived so that if you unpack it directly to the ImageFX: directory, it will put everything in its place. However, it would be safer if you unpack it for example to RAM, and then move the whole directory tree to your ImageFX directory. First, though, make sure you received a legal version of the archive by examining its @{"contents" link Contents}. @{b}An assign for "ImageFX:" is required.@{ub} @endnode @node Usage "How to use DIYreko" Now, brace yourself for a bit of reading. This might be a bit long, but make sure you read it all before you attempt to do anything with DIYreko. Before you use DIYreko, you must prepare a series of images from which the cards must be made. My suggestion is, pick the images, arrange them in the right order, crop them and scale to the correct format before you use DIYreko. The macro automatically scales the images if they are not in the correct format, but it's safer to do it yourself (speeds up DIYreko's work and lets it use less memory). Attention: depending on which version of Klondike you use, you must decide upon making a short cardset, extended one (extra 4 cards) and super-extended one (extra 4 cards and preferences cards). Klondike 1.3 loads all three types, but its "reko" command can only create a short cardset, I believe, and even if it could create an extended one, it would only show the basic cards. In all cardsets you must have the following cards prepared (Attention: substitute the string "Card" at the beginning of each file by any string you want, for example I used "Orient" for my Orient.REKO): /* excerpt from Reko.doc supplied with Klondike II/III */ Number of cards . . . : 55 (CARD00 - CARD54) 59 (CARD00 - CARD58) Extra in Klondike II 68 (CARD00 - CARD67) Extra in Klondike II All 3 types of cardsets work in Klondike II. The order of the cards : CARD00 = REKO-Production card (Please mention REKO-Productions in this one) CARD01 = Only a border to show an empty place on the table CARD02 = The back of your pack of cards CARD03 = Ace of Clubs CARD04 = Ace of Diamonds CARD05 = Ace of Hearts CARD06 = Ace of Spades CARD07 = Two of Clubs . . . . . . CARD53 = King of Hearts CARD54 = King of Spades CARD55 = Most left botpic > Please mention CARD56 = Middle left botpic > REKO-Productions CARD57 = Middle right botpic > in one of these CARD58 = Most right botpic > four cards. CARD59 = Prefscard 1 (General) CARD60 = Prefscard 2 (Prefs) CARD61 = Prefscard 3 (Resolution) CARD62 = Prefscard 4 (Select) CARD63 = Prefscard 5 (Miscellaneous) CARD64 = Prefscard 6 (Music) CARD65 = Prefscard 7 (Level) CARD66 = Prefscard 8 (Confirm) CARD67 = Prefscard 9 (About) /* end of excerpt */ ATTENTION: @{b}Do not@{ub} make Card00 for Soliton cardsets. It isn't needed. If you do make it, it will be ignored. ATTENTION: You do @{b}not@{ub} have to make Card01. If you like, the script can make its own card to show an empty space on the table. This can be preferable because some cardsets contained a picture in this place, and it confused a player a lot, since one never knew if the place was empty or was it a card laying there? ATTENTION: You do@{b} not@{ub} have to make cards 55 to 58,@{b} if@{ub} you will make a logo or a picture which is four times as wide as a card and as tall as a card (352 pixels by 130 pixels) and save it as "CardPad". DIYreko will automatically cut the logo in four parts and save them as cards 55 to 58. ATTENTION:@{b} Do not@{ub} make cards 59 to 67. DIYreko uses a file instead called "CardPrefs", and with the help of ImageFX2, it adds a texture to it.@{b} Those who have older versions of ImageFX will need to supply the card "CardTexture" which is basically a picture of the texture you want added to the CardPrefs. Those with ImageFX2+ can also use CardTexture if they wish.@{ub} Example CardPrefs are supplied in this archive. These files contain the correct frames. If you set up the frames incorrectly, the prefs might not work as you expect!!!. Therefore refrain from experiments until you understand the way the macro works. ATTENTION! When the Soliton cardset is completed, ImageFX will present you with a requestor for saving the cardset. @{b}Do not cancel@{ub} it or the buffer, and your cardset, will be cleared away, and you'll have to run the script again. I would suggest saving the file as ILBM. Then after the script has finished cleaning up after itself you can reload the new cardset and decide what datatype compatible format you want it saved in. Ouff, after all those "attentions" I'm feeling a little dizzy. Okay, so let's see what will we need: For REKO cardsets you will need a directory containing: Card00, (Card01), Card02 ... Card54, (Card55 ... Card 58) OR (CardPad), CardPrefs, (CardTexture), CardSymbols, (CardFrame) About the two last files: These are also included in this archive as examples. They contain the frame to be used around all cards and symbols to be put on these cards in the top right and bottom left corners. For Soliton cardsets you will need: (Card01), Card02 ... Card54, CardSymbols, (CardFrame) About the format of all the non-typical files: The included frames are 88x130 and contain a@{b} black@{ub} background (@{b}NECESSARY!!!@{ub}) REKO and Soliton cardsets can use the same frames even if the cardsets' cards differ in size. The script will use the frame to construct a temporary one of the proper size. Symbols must be (13 * symbol width)/(4 * symbol height), where width and height can be any number as long as it's small enough to fit on the card. There are two examples included for each color, and they contain smaller symbols to put on a frame and bigger ones, if you don't use a frame at all. You do @{b}not @{ub}have to supply the files CardFrame and CardPad. In the first case, you might select@{b} not@{ub} to use a frame from DIYreko requester, and in the second case you@{b} must@{ub} have cards 55 to 58 prepared then. If you're building a short or extended card set, you@{b} do not@{ub} need CardPrefs. However, you@{b} do@{ub} need CardSymbols, as without them DIYreko will@{b} not@{ub} run. Now for some tips, if you decide on changing the files like Frame or Symbols. DIYreko treats black as transparent, so if anything is black in the files CardSymbols, CardFrame and CardPrefs, it will be treated as transparent. If you need to have black colour (and you need it at least for the symbol) on the screen use the folowing colour components: Red 5, Green 5, Blue 5.@{b} Do not@{ub} use any other combinations - this one is used later in rendering of a cardset in order to make it one of the base colours. You might notice here a slight change from the previous version of DIYreko, but this is due to the fact that ImageFX2 does not differ between colours with components 0/0/0 and 0/0/1 (the latter one was used in DIYreko1.x) Finally, you read through all this, and you want to start DIYreko. Fine. Run ImageFX, click on the Arexx button, and select DIYreko.ifx from the file requester. In a while, a requester will appear, and it will contain the following: Card basename: - put your exact path and card basename here. For example if you have your source cards in a directory called sys:cards, and the cards are called Test00 .. Test67, put the following string in this requester: "sys:cards/test". Numbers and names like Frame or Symbols will be appended to this basename by DIYreko. Temporary dir: - put a name of a directory on your HD where you have at least about 2 MB free space. This will be used by DIYreko to store temporary files. You may have some files there already, they will not be erased unless they're called __DIYreko#?... The best place to use is one of your Trashcan directories.@{b} Do not@{ub} use RAM as your temporary directory, unless you have at least 8 MB RAM. Destination file: - put exact path and destination name of your ready reko cardset, for example: "sys:reko-productions/cards/mycardset.reko". The created .REKO file will be copied to this filename, overwriting any previous file with that name, so be warned! Texture file: - This cycle gadget only appears if you are using ImageFX2+. It allows you to choose to use either a texture file or CardTexture. If you choose to use a texture, you will then be presented with a requestor pointing to "ImageFX:Textures/" which contains the file of your choice. Users of older versions of ImageFX will need to use CardTexture. Background Set: You will here have a choice of five standard backgrounds (cards for each supplied in this archive, too!): three standard REKO backgrounds, my favourite background, and a black one, if none of the above fit you. You may also choose a custom background, where you give the background colours below: Custom Background: R G B: Three colour components of your custom background colour. Do not fill if using one of the standard backgrounds. Use any other favourite pastel colour if you like, but you might have to adjust the cards to fit it. Render mode: This version of DIYreko allows, thanks to a suggestion from Paul Hernik, to create 256 and 16 colour cardsets. Choose the one that fits you. 256 and 16 colour sets are dithered using Floyd-Steinberg. Enhance pictures? - if this checkbox is checked, pictures will be enhanced using a neat little trick. This idea was taken from Thomas Krehbiel's Snapshot.ifx distributed with ImageFX 1.50. Believe me, if you scaled large pictures you@{b} will@{ub} need this to make them appear sharper and more colourful, so don't be afraid to use this! Use frame? - if this checkbox is checked, all cards will have a frame put over them. If not, only the symbols will be put on the cards. If you're using example files, use Symbols-example1 with a frame and Symbols-example2 with no frame (remember to rename them to CardSymbols or something like that). If I were you, I'd use a frame - it looks nicer that way. Use pad? - if this checkbox is checked, cards 55 to 58 are ignored, and instead a file called CardPad is used. This file contains a wide picture (352 by 130 pixels), which is cut into four parts and saved as Card55 to Card58. However, the original cards are not replaced (DIYreko uses its temporary dir to perform all actions). Try and use this option - it makes the cardset look much better. Cut edges? - if you want your card to resemble an actual card, the sharp corners have to be cut to resemble round ones like in a real cardset. This option does that by putting four pixels of background colours in the four corners of a card. Only cards and prefs cards will be affected by this - the pad cards and the empty space will not! Version - this is a cycler which lets you choose if you want a short cardset (55 cards), enhanced one (59 cards) or extra-enhanced one (68 cards). Attention! The cycle gadgets will "remember" their settings only if you are using ImageFX2+. Older versions will always be set to their initial positions, but other gadgets' values will be kept in the environment, and returned when you run DIYreko for the next time. Well, now all you can do is press OK, and the macro will start working. Feel free to sit by the screen and watch it go. If anything goes wrong a requester will appear, and the macro will clean up its temporary files and return control to ImageFX. However, if something really terrible happens and you cannot press any buttons on the ImageFX toolbox, do not panic, press ESC, then type unlockinput and press return. The buttons will work again. Upon succesfull completion, the macro will show a requester, and when you press okay, it will clean up after its execution. If you feel@{b} totally lost@{ub} now, just unpack the archive examples.lha which you will find in the directory /reko. It contains example source pictures based on the RED set, and containing except for a bunch of@{b} blank@{ub} cards also my picture and my logo. Test DIYreko using this source card set, and see how it works before you try it with your own source pictures. Do not be alarmed that most of the cards are blank - I did it to make the archive as small as possible. Well, feel free to try it now! Good luck! @endnode @node History "How old is DIYreko" This is an @{b}unofficial@{ub} release of DIYreko. It has been adjusted to work with both ImageFX1 and ImageFX2. I emailed Tonid but have heard nothing, so I went ahead and released this. @endnode @node Author "Who wrote DIYreko and why" My name is Tomasz Nidecki. I'm 23, Polish, married and living in Warsaw. I'm a student of Computer science, currently finishing my last year and earning a Masters Degree. I've been a journalist for Computerworld Poland for 2 years, and now are a consultant/database designer and systems analyst for Oracle Polska, a division of Oracle, the biggest database manufacturer in the world. I own an Amiga 1200 with 6MB RAM, 68881 Co-processor, 420MB WD-Caviar HD and an old Thompson monitor :( I also have a PC 486 DX2/66 with 8MB RAM, 540HD, and a 20-inch monitor... However the latter is slow as hell, and my wife uses it for graphics purposes, but she keeps telling me she liked the Amiga more... If you would like to contact me, which would be highly appreciated, as I like answering letters, please write to: Tomasz.Nidecki@p22.f52.n480.z2.fidonet.org or if you have FIDO: 2:480/52.22 You can also write to my old address, since my mail is forwarded to FIDO from there. However I do not guarantee how ling will that last. My old address is: tonid@falcon.mimuw.edu.pl I dislike snail-mail highly, so I won't give you my snail-mail address. If you got this program, you probably have access to Internet, FIDO or something similar, and if not, at least join FIDO (I hope everyone has a phone and can afford a modem right now, at least a 2400 baud - they cost just a couple of bucks!). DIYreko was written mainly for two purposes: one - to ease the creation of .REKO cardsets and in this way to let more Klondike users supply new cardsets for this great game, and two: to let ImageFX users learn from it and write other macros like this one for various purposes. If you would like to enhance this macro in any way, by translating the comments and this guide file to your native language, please let me know, as it will let more users learn from this program. I'm open to all suggestions and will try to answer every letter I get, as long as it's in my human powers... I have received minimal support for the first version of DIYreko, which scares me a bit. If you do use it, don't be afraid, I don't bite, so DO write to me, or I might become so sad, that I'll never make another version again. Your suggestions are highly appreciated. Actually I have received a lot of mail congratulating me on the quality of my cardsets, so it seems people ARE getting these things after all :))) This version of DIYreko owes a lot to the support of Paul Hernik of MysticPL, known also as CBM80. He has tested the previous version, fixed some bugs in it that appeared when using it with ImageFX2, gave some interesting suggestions, implemented in this version, and overall has supported me a lot with the whole thing. I would like to send him a big THANK YOU here, and I'm hoping more people will involve themselves in DIYreko in future. If you would like to see some cardsets created with DIYreko, download Paul's Flowers.REKO and PhotoCD.REKO. @endnode @node Copyright "How to spread DIYreko" DIYreko belongs to a class of programs called RecognitionWare. This means that all you should do if using DIYreko is put a short string somewhere in your cardset saying it was made using this macro. To help you, I've included example cards which contain the right strings (see @{"contents" link Contents}). Also remember to mention @{"Reko-Productions" link Reko} in your cardset, as they asked for it as a recognition for their work on Klondike AGA. However, the nicest thing you could do is just send me a short email telling me you use or are going to use this program, and send me your cardset, too, no matter what it contains ;>, I would like to see it. I have received a lot of responses for my three cardsets: OrientReko, VallejoReko and BeautyReko, saying they have good quality. Now you can have similar quality using DIYreko, but please write to me (see @{"author" link Author}). If you really like DIYreko, please send me some pictures which I could use to make my next cardsets (the hornier the better), but first email me and consult it with me, please. And now for the legal stuff: DIYreko may be copied only if the following conditions are fulfilled: * DIYreko is left in its original archive form with no modifications or additions, please. * DIYreko is included on a public domain collection (Fred Fish, Aminet, etc.) and sold for the price of the media. * DIYreko is included in an unregistered or registered release of Reko-Productions Klondike (next versions). * DIYreko is included in a commercial version of ImageFX (if the creators of ImageFX get their hands on it, and decide to put it in the next release, they're allowed to do so, as long as the price of ImageFX will not be raised due to the fact that it contains this program). Attention: in the two last cases the archive may be distributed in a modified form - as part of the Klondike or ImageFX archive, automatically installed with any of these programs. I have no way of forcing these rules upon you, but the computer shareware community is such a place, that if you won't obey some simple rules, we would have great chaos, no Aminet, no Fish disks, and who would miss them the most? YOU WOULD! @endnode @node Disclaimer "It's not my fault you use DIYreko" STANDARD DISCLAIMER There is no warranty for the program, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Except when otherwise stated in writing the copyright holder and/or other parties provide the program "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the program is with you. Should the program prove defective, you assume the cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction. In no event unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing will any copyright holder, or any other party who may redistribute the program as permitted above, be liable to you for damages, including any general, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the program (including but not limited to loss of data or data being rendered inaccurate or losses sustained by you or third parties or a failure of the program to operate with any other programs), even if such holder or other party has been advised of the possibility of such damages. @endnode @node Contents This archive should contain the following (brief description later): help/DIYrekoEnh.guide help/DIYrekoEnh.guide.info rexx/DIYrekoEnh.ifx reko/RED/CardPrefs reko/RED/CardSymbols-example1 reko/RED/CardSymbols-example2 reko/RED/CardTexture reko/GREEN/CardPrefs reko/GREEN/CardSymbols-example1 reko/GREEN/CardSymbols-example2 reko/GREEN/CardTexture reko/BLUE/CardPrefs reko/BLUE/CardSymbols-example1 reko/BLUE/CardSymbols-example2 reko/BLUE/CardTexture reko/BLACK/CardPrefs reko/BLACK/CardSymbols-example1 reko/BLACK/CardSymbols-example2 reko/TONID/CardFrame reko/TONID/CardPrefs reko/TONID/CardSymbols-example1 reko/TONID/CardSymbols-example2 Now a brief description: Directory help/ contains this guide and nothing but this guide. If you move it to ImageFX, it will be put aside of other help files for ImageFX for easy access. Directory rexx/ contains the actual macro, which should be put in ImageFX:rexx. The macro is richly commented and distributed in its source form, so don't hesitate to read it and learn from it. The reason I made this macro was not only to make .REKO creation easier, but to help various ImageFX users learn to control this powerful program using Arexx. Directory reko/ contains examples. Make sure you retain these, though, although at first they might look useless to you. DIYreko needs certain data files in correct formats in order to work, therefore you should at first use the given examples, and then, when you start understanding what the macro does, try and modify the examples using ImageFX or bitmap paint programs like Deluxe Paint. These examples are modified versions of the examples given by Reko-Productions with their Klondike II/III, and also contain my favourite colour sets - Black and deep red (excellent for erotic sets :)). Read @{"usage" link Usage} for further information on the correct formats, etc. @endnode @node ImageFX ImageFX (C) by Nova Design Inc. is a commercial product. It is the best image processor available (in my opinion), and can only be compared to AdPro. Unfortunately ImageFX is very expensive, and not many people can pay the price, therefore many pirate copies are going around and being used in maintaining a private collection of images, etc. I'm a user of ImageFX 1.50 from 1993 which is now considered legal in Poland. See, the parlament passed a bill a year ago, which states that any software installed before the bill comes into life will be considered legal unless used for commercial purposes. Therefore I'm refraining from upgrading, and I'm staying with the "legal" version 1.50. I have access to version 2.0 at a friend's place, and wrote this version of the macro with his help. I also heard that Reko-Productions have an AdPro macro and will release it with Kondike IV (together with some new games supporting the REKO format). @endnode @node Arexx Arexx is distributed as part of the new Commodore Amiga operating systems. It's a basic-like language that allows the user to control many programs at once, giving you the power no MS Windows could ever give (yuck!) Whatever you do, try and learn Arexx, at least by exactly examining this macro. You will be able to do things you never imagined you could do on an Amiga! I never used Arexx before I got ImageFX, and I learned it solely from the supplied macros, especially the one named Snapshot.ifx. If I could do this program after only two days (yes, I made this in two days, and never used Arexx before!), you should be able to do the same. @endnode @node REKO Reko-Productions is a dutch shareware-company (?) which makes the best version of Klondike I have ever seen. There are 3 versions of Klondike now available, although I have heard rumours about a fourth one (?!). These are: Klondike Deluxe AGA 1.3 and Klondike II Klondike III They differ mainly in some details (extended cardsets in the new version), but cardsets are backward-compatible (what a great art in making software! You rarely see this kind of thing nowadays). All three versions are available on Aminet sites everywhere. To contact Reko-Productions, write to: REKO PRODUCTIONS or REKO PRODUCTIONS p/a Remy Nusteling p/a Koos Roodbol Krommedijk 145 Hoekkamp 30 3312 LC Dordrecht 3343 CJ H.I.Ambacht The Netherlands The Netherlands Unfortunately they seem to have no Internet address :( However, they wrote to me, that they're buying a modem soon, and I hope they contact me then. These are great guys! I have received Klondike III by snail-mail from them just for sending them some cardsets. Please let them know you support them, and write, even if you dislike snail-mail as much as I do. @endnode @node Life As we say often in Poland: @{b} LAJF IZ BRUTAL AND FULL OF ZASADZKAS AND WPADKAS ;} @{ub} translation: life is brutal and full of traps and mishaps, winking happyface BTW the above has nothing to do with Polish spelling ;) @endnode