Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : RIPE154.ZIP
Filename : RIPE.DOC

 
Output of file : RIPE.DOC contained in archive : RIPE154.ZIP




ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ³ ³
³ Û Û Û Û Û ³ RIPe V1.54 - RIP editor Extraordinaire ³
³ Û Û Û Û Û ³ Ver. A ³
³ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ ³ ³
³ Û Û Û Û Û Û ³ USER DOCUMENTATION V1.0 ³
³ Û Û Û Û ÛÛÛÛÛ ³ ³
³ Û Û Û Û Û ³ Copyright 1994 SPEWsoft ³
³ Û Û ÛÛÛÛÛ Û ÛÛÛÛÛ ³ ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
































RIPscrip - The "Remote Imaging Protocol" language
Copyright 1992-1993, TeleGrafix Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

RIPscrip and RIP are trademarks of TeleGrafix Communications, Inc.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1994 by SPEWsoft, Adam Gott, and John Lagerquist
----------------------------------------------------------------------------










============================================================================
RIPe v1.54 - Legal stuff and warranty information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: SPEWsoft makes no warranties, either written or implied, as to
the suitability of this product. A shareware version of this product has
been released to the end user to determine the suitability of this product.
SPEWsoft warrants the disk on which this program is recorded (for the
registered version only) for a period of thirty days from the date of
purchase. This warranty applies only to the original purchaser.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This software is protected under federal copyright law. It is illegal to
make or distribute copies of the registered version of this software except
to make a backup copy for archival purposes only. Duplication of the
registered version of this software for any other reason including for sale,
loan, rental or gift is a FEDERAL CRIME. Penalties include fines as high as
high as $50,000 and jail terms of up to five years. Copyright violations
will be vigorously pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The shareware version of this program may be freely distributed provided it
remains in it's original, UNALTERED and UNMODIFIED state. Commercial
distribution of the shareware version of RIPe is permissible provided
SPEWsoft is notified in writing in conjunction with the initial offering.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This manual and the software described in this manual are copyrighted. All
rights reserved. No part of this manual or the described software may be
copied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or
machine-readable form (with exception to printing the documentation in it's
ORIGINAL and UNALTERED format) without the prior written consent of
SPEWsoft, 442 K Street, Idaho Falls, ID 83402.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the above, the software license for this product is NON
TRANSFERABLE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The registered version of this program (with all SAVE functions enabled) can
be obtained for $40 from: Adam Gott, 442 K Street, Idaho Falls, ID 83402.

This price is subject to change and is based on the current price as of
February 6, 1994. Please inquire for volume discounts to the above address.
============================================================================














-----------
<>I<> Index
-----------

I - Title Page - Legal 'Department' - Index
II - Overview
III - System Requirements
IV - Installation
V - General Operation
VI - Icon Editor
VII - Button Editor

A - Command Summary
B - Hot Keys
C - Command Questions and Answers









---------------
<>II<> Overview
---------------

Why RIPe? As if you didn't know! What other good RIP graphics editors are
out there that don't cost $200? None. RIP is the wave of the future, if
not already here, and we thought a good editor was needed that provided a
myriad of features for a reasonable price. Hence RIPe (short for RIP
editor)...


Special features include:

o %100 compatibility to the RIPSCRIP standard (v1.54). This may cause
problems with some .RIP files created with certain RIP editors
but everything created with RIPe will work with RIPTERM or RIPPAINT.

o User interface similar to AUTOCAD (TM), allowing for ease of use and
a maximum learning curve for those experienced with other graphics
programs. If you have used any graphics program in the past, RIPe
should be easy for you to master! Most people familiar with
the 'mouse environment' should be able to start RIPe and begin using it
without ever looking at the documentation (but please do!).

o RIPe supports generation of THREE DIMENSIONAL spheres and cylinders
with the greatest of ease. These objects are generated using polygon
commands for increased transmission speeds over standard data links.

o Full function icon editor, including the ability to 'capture' icons from
ANY 16 color .PCX file. The Icon Editor also gives you the ability to
take complete control over your icons, including some powerful commands
that (to date) have not been implemented on ANY RIP paint program.

o Full function Button Designer, including a real time representation of
the current button that is being edited. This helps to make it easier
to use the very complicated RIP button system with a minimum of
frustration.

o 'Snap' commands that really do make it a snap to locate precise locations
on designated objects. Snap commands supported include the center of
lines, ends of lines, line intersections, or the center of circles.

o Real time mouse pointer position information that gives you the ability
to take precise control over your drawings. This also includes polar
coordinates.

o When you select your text style, you are shown a graphical representation
of nearly every font and size that you can select. This should help to
eliminate the hit and miss style of text and size selection so often
encountered in other programs.

o RIP command lister that provides ENGLISH style listings of the current
RIP file being edited. This lister also includes a simple editor that
can be used to edit the individual RIP commands.

o Keyboard entry of RIP object coordinates will make it easy to place
RIP objects at any desired position.





---------------------------
<>III<> SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
---------------------------

To run RIPe you will need all the following:

Computer and related parts (keyboard, monitor,
plugs, etc...)
1 megabyte Extended RAM with 540k free conventional
EGA graphics card
1 Floppy drive (hard drive highly recommended!)
Mouse


RIPe has been successfully tested on the following systems:

486/40 486DX2/50 486/40 386/40
DOS 6.0 OS 2 WIN 3.1 DOS 6.2
4 Megs RAM 16 Megs RAM 4 Megs RAM 4 Megs RAM





------------------
<>IV<> INSTALLATION
-------------------

After unzipping RIPe to your hard drive you should have the following files
(files preceded by an asterisk are REQUIRED for running RIPe):

* RIPE.EXE - The executable RIPe file.
RIPE.CFG - Configuration file that stores default directories.
RIPE.DOC - Documentation file for RIPe. (THIS FILE!)
RIPE.FIL - User defined fill patterns for RIPe.
RIPE.LSY - User defined line styles for RIPe.
* RIPE0.MAP - Graphics information for the INFO command.

RIPEVIEW.EXE - .RIP viewing program, version 1.54.
????????.RIP - sample .RIP files

After installing RIPe to your hard drive you should probably set the default
directories first. You will also have to set an environment variable, RIPE,
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. To do this load AUTOEXEC.BAT into your favorite
text editor and insert the following line:

SET RIPE=c:\graphics\ripe

Of course the directory information will have to be changed to fit your
particular situation.

Start RIPe by typing 'RIPE' at the DOS command prompt (followed by ENTER).
At startup, RIPe is in the 'Command Mode' and the menu bar is visible at the
top of the screen. Use the mouse to position the yellow selection bar at
the far left side of the screen (the FILE menu) and click the left mouse
button. Now use the mouse to position the yellow selection bar at
DIRECTORIES and click the left mouse button again.

At this point a popup will appear that displays four directories, a RIP
directory, an ICON directory, a PCX directory, and a BUTTON directory.
The RIP directory is the storage location for your .RIP files. The ICON
directory is the storage location for your .ICN files (if you are using
RIPTERM it is usually best to use the \RIPTERM\ICONS directory here).
The third directory (optional) is the location of your PCX files that you
wish to use with the ICON EDITOR. The BUTTON directory stores the button
formats created by the BUTTON EDITOR.

Use the mouse to position the yellow selection bar to the desired directory
that you wish to change and click the left mouse button. Now enter the
desired path in the format '\graphics\ripe' (or whatever directory you have
decided to install RIPe).

RIPe will save your choices in RIPE.CFG. You should never have to reenter
these directories again unless you have changed them. If you decide not
to set the directory defaults, RIPe will put (and look for) everything in
your RIPe directory. To erase ALL directory defaults, delete the RIPE.CFG
file from your RIPe directory.





-----------------------
<>V<> GENERAL OPERATION
-----------------------

RIPe operations are very similar to other programs run by mice, but there
are a few minor differences as noted throughout the text. Generally, the
LEFT mouse button is used to select an item, place an object, or define a
position, and the RIGHT mouse button is used to abort a command and call
the menu.
Instead of using a mouse 'pointer' like most other programs, RIPe uses
AUTOCAD (TM) style crosshairs to pinpoint the current location on the screen.
The status bar provides an indication of the current screen location in
unit PIXELS (remember, the RIP screen is 640x350 pixels).

RIPe operations are generally through two different 'modes,' MENU MODE and
DRAWING MODE. When RIPe is initially started it defaults to MENU MODE. In
MENU MODE the various RIP commands can be selected. In DRAWING MODE the
RIP commands that are selected in MENU MODE can be positioned and drawn.

In most cases MENU MODE can be activated by clicking the RIGHT mouse button.
If a RIP command is currently being placed on the screen it may be necessary
to press the ESCAPE (labelled ESC on most computers) key to first back out
of the RIP command before clicking the right mouse button.

The majority of the manual will be found in Appendix A, which provides a
detailed alphabetical listing of all RIPe editor commands.


Status Bar
----------

As you move the mouse around, you may notice that the status bar moves to
the top of the screen when the crosshairs are near the bottom of the
screen (and, conversely, the status bar moves to the bottom of the screen
when the crosshairs approach the top of the screen). This is done
to allow full use of the graphics screen while providing a continuous
indication of the status of many of the various RIP settings.

Included in the status bar are the following items: Line Style, Draw Color,
Draw Mode, Paste Mode, Fill Color (and pattern), X and Y positions, Theta
angle, and Radius. Not all of these functions are active all the time,
in fact most are not. Line Style and the colors are
the only continuously active items.


Artifacts or jumbled screen
---------------------------

If ever you should notice that your screen doesn't appear to have the
correct display (there may be some extraneous graphics at some position on
the screen), select REDRAW in the FILES menu and the screen will be redrawn,
erasing any random graphics (or artifacts) while keeping the RIP picture
intact. If there was a problem with the program it should be corrected now.
If there are still some artifacts on your screen it is probably due to the
RIP file itself.


'Clicking' a button
-------------------

Many times throughout this text you will be asked to click a mouse button.
To do this (can there really be any left who don't know how to do this?)
quickly press and release the required mouse button (left or right).


Selecting a 'region'
--------------------

Appendix A will many times ask for a 'region' to be selected with the mouse
or the keyboard. To do this with the mouse, use the mouse to position the
crosshairs to the upper left corner of the region that you wish to select
and click the left mouse button. Then use the mouse to move the crosshairs
to the lower right corner of the region that you wish to select and click
the left mouse button again. The region is now selected.

This can also be done with the keyboard, look at the status bar. On the left hand
side of the status bar will be a prompt to enter (X, Y) coordinates. Enter
the desired coordinates of the upper left and lower right points of the
region that you wish to select in the format X, Y.


Selecting a 'point'
-------------------

There are many different ways to select a point. You can select points using
the mouse or the keyboard. Using the keyboard you have a number of choices
including direct or relative coordinates. These can be further expanded to
include polar or Cartesian coordinate entry.

To use the mouse simply move the on screen cursor to the desired screen
location and press the click mouse button. The X and Y coordinates are
continuously updated on the right hand side of the status bar.

To use the keyboard refer to the status bar. A prompt will appear similar
to (X, Y) near the left side of the status bar. Enter an X coordinate and
a Y coordinate separated by a comma (if three digits are entered for the X
coordinate a comma will be automatically inserted). If the X coordinate is
less than three digits a comma will have to be manually entered to separate
the X and Y coordinates.

A number of different relative coordinate options are available. The center
point of a circle can be selected by pressing 'C' and moving the crosshairs
within proximity of the desired circle. The end or middle point of a
line segment (arcs are not line segments!) can be selected by pressing 'E'
or 'M' respectively and positioning the crosshairs within proximity
of the desired segment and point. Finally, the point at which two lines
intersect can be selected by pressing 'I'.

Polar coordinates may also be used. If a point has already been selected,
a relative polar coordinate may be selected by pressing 'R' and then 'P'.
You will then be prompted for the radius and the angle (zero degrees is to
the right).

Finally, Cartesian coordinates can be used. After selecting the first
point, press 'R' and press 'C' for Cartesian. You will then be prompted
for an X and Y offset.


ARRAYS, MOVE, COPY and ERASE
----------------------------

These commands work well and will provide the user with some very powerful
editing commands that should save the user much time once the commands
are mastered. They should be considered much the same as 'cut and paste'
mode on other graphics (and text) editors.

There is presently a 1000 item limit for all of these commands.





------------------
<>VI<> Icon Editor
------------------

The ICON EDITOR is a powerful editor including features never before included
in ANY RIP editor.

After selecting the ICON EDITOR command in the ICONS menu, RIPe will execute
the ICON EDITOR by displaying the ICON EDITOR menu. The commands in the
ICON EDITOR are accessed in the same manner as the commands in the RIPe main
menu. Most, if not all, commands are self explanatory with exception given
to the following:

MENU COMMAND DESCRIPTION
---- ------- -----------

FILE NEW Erases the current icon in memory, if any, and
prompts the user to select the new icon size (using
the mouse). A box will appear in the upper left
corner of the screen. This box can be sized as
desired and is a representation of the icon size
that will be edited. Maximum icon size to perform
all icon editor functions is 150 x 100 pixels.
Larger icons can be edited with some commands though.

FILE LOAD PCX Prompts the user to select a .PCX file (16 colors
only!). Preferred size is 640x350 or smaller but
a picture larger than 350 lines can be loaded and
will be truncated. After the picture is loaded it
will be displayed on the screen. Use the mouse to
select a region of the .PCX that you wish to capture
as an icon.

CUT N/A Use this to reduce the size of an icon by trimming
any extraneous pixels from the edges of the icon.
After selecting the command use the mouse to select
the region of the icon that you wish to KEEP.

SCALE N/A Use this to SCALE an icon. This will reduce the
size of the icon without trimming the edges (as the
CUT command does). Use the mouse to draw a box in
the shape the you wish the icon to be transformed.
Pay special attention to keeping the proper
proportions, if desired.

MIRROR These commands perform various mirroring commands
on the icon, as described in the menu.

ROTATE These commands will allow you to rotate the icon
in 90 degree increments.

PENSIZE Use this to select a pen size from one to ten pixels.
This pen size will be used for all freehand drawing
commands.





---------------------
<>VII<> Button Editor
---------------------
RIPscrip buttons are probably the most complex items in the entire protocol.
It will normally take a lot of trial and error to get the desired effects
for each button. The RIPe button designer should be a great help in this
area by displaying a facsimile of the currently selected button style.

There are three basic styles of buttons:

Icon buttons - created using a user specified icon for the button face.

Clipboard buttons - use the current contents of the clipboard for the
base image of the button. If there is no image in the clipboard,
the button is not drawn.

Plain buttons - these are the most common of buttons and consist of a
plain surface filled with a solid color (a bar actually).

Button 'effects' may then be applied to each of the button styles to further
customize each button to the user's tastes. The following is a list of all
button effects as they appear in the button designer and a description of
each:


WIDTH - Refers to the fixed width of PLAIN buttons only. If this
is set to a non-zero value ALL plain buttons will be this
size. If this is kept at zero the button size is defined
when the button is actually placed.

HEIGHT - Same as WIDTH. Refer to the description of the WIDTH
effect above.
LABEL POSITION - This determines the position of the button label (if one
is used). The default is in the center of the button.
To place the label in a different position left click on
the desired box in this section of the screen.

DROPSHADOW - This will place a dropshadowed version of the label
LABEL (again, only if one is used) on the button. This is used
to give the label the illusion of depth.

VERTICAL - This is used to include the vertical descenders in the
CENTER calculations for vertically centering labels. Labels
will normally be centered by ignoring the vertical
descenders (the parts of letters that descend below the
imaginary guideline... letters y, p, g, etc.).

RIGHT JUSTIFY - If this option is enabled, any TOP, CENTER or BOTTOM
oriented labels will be justified at the right edge of
the button.

LEFT JUSTIFY - Same as RIGHT JUSTIFY. Refer to the above description
or RIGHT JUSTIFY for further information.

UNDERLINE - This will underline the first appearance of the hot-key
HOTKEY (when selected) using the UNDERLINE COLOR.

HIGHTLIGHT - This will highlight the first appearance of the hot-key
HOTKEY (when selected) using the UNDERLINE COLOR.

BEVEL - This will cause a beveled edge effect to be created
around the outside edge of the button that is a selected
number of pixels thick. The button to the right of the
BEVEL selection box is used to enter the bevel size.

CHISEL - This displays an image on top of the button that gives
the visual impression of an indentation to the inside
of the button's border.

RECESSED - This displays a recessed bevel around the button to
further enhance the three dimensional effect of the
button.

INVERTABLE - This will make the button invert itself when it is
clicked. It is only active when the button is a mouse
button. This is useful to further enhance the three
dimensional button effects.

SUNKEN - This will draw an inverted bevel one pixel to the inside
of the button border.

RADIO GROUP - This will define the button as belonging to a group of
buttons where only one of the buttons can be clicked at
the same time. When a radio button is selected, any
other radio button in that group that was selected is
de-selected. The box to the right of the RADIO GROUP
checkbox should be used to enter the group number.

CHECK BOX - This is similar to the RADIO GROUP, but in a CHECK BOX
GROUP GROUP more than one button may be selected at the same
time.

MOUSE BUTTON - This makes the button a clickable mouse region. This
command will normally need to be set for most button
designs. Selecting this option also enables many of the
other options. If this option is NOT selected all
buttons drawn are NOT selectable and are shown only for
'looks'.

RESET SCREEN - Selecting this option will cause the GRAPHICS WINDOW to
AFTER CLICK be reset after the button is selected. This in effect
performs a screen clear.

COPY TO - This option will copy the button to the clipboard after
CLIPBOARD it is initially placed on screen. The label is NOT
copied to the clipboard! This can speed up button
drawing a considerable ammount.

USE HOT ICON - This option is used only with ICON BUTTONS and is used
to display an alternate icon when the button is selected
via the RIP terminal.

EXPLODING ICON - This will cause the button to 'zoom out' when it is
selected on the RIP terminal. RIP terminals are not
required to support this feature but most do support it.
It gives the effect of the button zooming out to a new
screen.

COLORS - The colors are selected in the same manner as selecting
colors with the rest of the program. Clicking on the
desired box will display a color select pop-up in the
middle of the screen. Use the mouse to move the
selection box to the desired color and click the left
mouse button to select.

LOAD - This will bring a pop-up the file select screen and is
used to load a previously saved button style.

SAVE - This command is used to save the currently selected
button styles for later retrieval.

EXIT & ABORT - These commands are used to exit the BUTTON DESIGNER.



For further description of the button commands and style refer to the
RIPSCRIP protocol definition.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX A - COMMAND GUIDE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


The following Appendix is an alphabetical list of ALL RIPe commands and
a brief description as to the usage of each command. The format is simple
and should be easy to understand for anyone, but here is a sample command
definition to further clarify things:


Command: CIRCLE (Command Name) Uses: (Refer to Uses Definitions)
Menu : LINES (Menu Location)
Hot-Key: C (Hot-Key for command)

Following the above section there will be a brief description of the
command, mouse usage, keyboard usage and notes or comments about this
command.

Uses Definitions
----------------

Draw Color - if this is present then the current draw color
is used, normally as the outline for objects.

Line Style - If this is present then the current line pattern
(or style) is used to draw the object.

Line Thickness - If this is present then the current line
THICKNESS is used to draw the object. This
does not necessarily go hand in hand with
USES LINE PATTERN.

Fill Style - If this is present then the fill pattern is
used to fill this object.

Write Mode - If this is present then the current WRITE MODE
is used for drawing this object (WRITE MODES
are further explained later in this section).

Font Style - If this is present then the current FONT SIZE
and STYLE is used for text in conjunction with
this object.

Clipboard - If this is present then the clipboard is either
utilized or modified.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: ARRAY Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: ALT + A

This command is used to create an array of an object (or objects) using a
mathematical pattern that is user defined.

After selecting this command you need to select a region that is to be used
for the array with either the mouse or the keyboard. You will then be
asked a series of questions dealing with the array such as number of rows
and columns and spacing between everything. The array will then be drawn.

Experiment and you will come up with some interesting patterns.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: BAR Uses: FILL STYLE
Menu: SOLIDS
Hot-Key: B

This command draws a filled rectangle at a desired position on the screen,
with no border.

To draw a bar using the mouse, move the crosshairs (using the mouse)
to the desired upper left corner of the bar and click the left mouse
button. Then move the crosshairs to the desired lower right corner of the
bar and click the left mouse button again. This can be repeated as
often as desired.

To draw a bar using the keyboard, manually type in the upper left
X and Y coordinates of the starting point of the bar (separated by a
comma) and press enter. Now manually enter the lower right X and Y
coordinates of the ending point of the bar (again separated by a
comma) and press enter.

This command should be used in lieu of using a rectangle and a fill
command whenever possible for efficiency and speed.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: BEZIER Uses: DRAW COLOR WRITE MODE
Menu: LINES LINE PATTERN
Hot-Key: Z LINE THICKNESS

This command allows you to place bezier curves in your drawings using
four control points. Two points are end points and two points are mid
points that allow you to 'bend' the curve to a shape of your liking.
To place a Bezier curve, use the mouse to position the crosshairs at the
desired starting location and click the left mouse button. Then position
the crosshairs at the desired ending position and click the left mouse
button. A straight line will be drawn that has two markers on it. Use
the mouse and left button to 'grab' and 'stretch' the curve using the two
markers (to drag the markers, you must continuously hold the left mouse
button in the in position). When the curve has reached the desired
position, click the right mouse button to finish the curve.

Manual text entry of bezier midpoints is not possible.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: BUTTON DESIGNER Uses: NONE
Menu: BUTTONS
Hot-Key: F5


This command calls the button designer. The button designer is discussed
in the main section of the documentation.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Command: CIRCULAR ARC Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: A

This command draws a circular arc at the desired screen location.

To place a circular arc using the mouse, position the crosshairs on the
desired center point of the circle from which you wish to extract the
arc and click the left mouse button. Next, use the mouse to set the
desired radius of the circle and click the left mouse button again. Now
select the starting angle of the arc using the mouse and the guideline
that is connected to the center of the circle (press the left mouse button
to select the starting angle). Finally, use the mouse to select the
ending angle of the arc and press the left mouse button.

To place a circular arc using the keyboard, manually enter the X and Y
coordinates of the desired center point of the circle from which you wish
to extract the arc (remember to separate the coordinates by a comma).
Next, enter the desired radius of the circle. Finally, enter the starting
and ending angles of the arc.

The starting and ending angles of all arcs (elliptical as well) are as follows:

1. All angles start at 0 degrees and rotate
90 COUNTERCLOCKWISE to 360 degrees.
|
| 2. If starting and ending angles are the same
180 ------------ 0 NOTHING is drawn.
|
|
360 3. ARCs can NOT go through 0 degrees (I.E.
from 340 degrees to 45 degrees). To do
this you need to draw two arcs.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: CLOSED POLYGON Uses: DRAW COLOR WRITE MODE
Menu: LINES LINE PATTERN
Hot-Key: P LINE THICKNESS

This command draws an X sided polygon (where X is between 3 and 512) on
the screen.

To place a polygon using the mouse, position the crosshairs at the desired
starting point and click the left mouse button. Repeat this procedure as
many times as necessary until the desired polygon is on the screen and
click the right mouse button to finish the polygon (this also draws the
'connecting' line - the line that connects the last point to the first).

It is imperative that you do not use more than 512 segments on polygons,
if you do, strange things may happen.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: COPY Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: ALT + C

This command is used to capture a region on the screen and copy all RIP
commands which are entirely contained in this region.

After selecting this command, use the mouse to select the region to be
copied. You will then be prompted for 'base point'. This will be the
reference point for the MOVE. Position the crosshairs to the desired base
point and click the left mouse button. A graphical representation of most
of the RIP commands to move will be shown as the mouse is moved across the
screen. Click the left mouse button when the objects are at the desired
location.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: CURSOR SNAP Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: F7

Use this command in conjunction with the DISPLAY GRID command to place the
cursor into 'snap' mode. What this means is that the cursor will only
position at the various points of the grid for as long as this mode is
enabled.

To exit cursor snap mode, select CURSOR SNAP again.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: CUT ICON TO CLIPBOARD Uses: CLIPBOARD
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: DEL(ETE)

This command will allow you to cut an area of the screen to the clipboard
for use as an icon.

After selecting this command, use the mouse to select the region you wish
to cut. Now move the pointer to the lower right corner of the region that
you wish to cut and click the left mouse button again. The region will now
be pasted to the clipboard.

You can use this icon in a couple of different ways. You can paste it
FROM the clipboard using the PASTE ICON FROM CLIPBOARD command (INSERT)
or you can save and edit it with the icon editor.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: DEFINE TEXT WINDOW Uses: NONE
Menu: WINDOWS
Hot-Key: CTRL + T

This command allows you to define a text window that will display all
ANSI/ASCII text coming through (I.E. all NON-RIP text) in a certain
region on the screen. The text window boundary will be displayed as a
dotted purple line. Do not confuse this with RIP (or graphical) text
that is placed with the PLACE TEXT command (in the TEXT menu)!

To enter the coordinates of the TEXT WINDOW with the mouse, select the
TEXT WINDOW option on the WINDOWS menu. You will first be prompted to
enter the text size and screen size via a pop-up menu in the center of
the screen. Next, a (temporary) grid will be displayed on the screen
that simulates the various character locations on a full text screen.
Use the mouse to select the upper left boundary of the text window and
click the left mouse button. Then position the mouse at the desired
lower right boundary of the text window and click the left mouse button
again.

To enter the coordinates of the TEXT WINDOW with the keyboard you will
first be prompted to select the font and screen sizes via a pop-up menu.
You will then enter the upper left X and Y coordinates (separated by a
comma) and then enter the lower right X and Y coordinates (again separated
by a comma).

It is a really good idea to completely disable the text window if you are
not planning on using any ASCII/ANSI text. This prevents extraneous
characters from garbling your RIP picture (which happens to almost every
picture on FIDONET!). If you don't want to disable it entirely, at least
SET it. This will prevent the screen from scrolling if it receives too
much extraneous text.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: DIRECTORIES Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: CTRL + D

Use this command to set the default directories for ICONS, .RIP files,
.PCX files (for capturing to .ICN), and BUTTONS.

After selecting this command a pop-up menu will appear in the center of the
screen. Use the mouse to position the yellow selection box to the desired
default that you wish to change and click the left mouse button. You will
then be prompted to enter the path to the selected items. The format for
this should be similar to:

\graphics\ripe\icons or d:\graphics\ripe\icons

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: DISPLAY GRID Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: F6

This command displays a user definable 'grid' of pixels to aid in placement
of RIP graphics.

After selecting this command you will be prompted to enter the X and Y
spacing of the grid pixels. The color select pop-up menu will then prompt
you to select the color of the grid.

To remove the grid, select DISPLAY GRID again and the grid will disappear.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: DRAW COLOR Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: COLOR
Hot-Key: ALT + D

This command allows you to change the drawing color, which is used for
nearly every other RIP command (lines, circles, rectangles, polygons, etc.).
After you select this command a pop-up will appear in the center of the
screen. Use the mouse to position the yellow box on the color that you wish
to use as the current drawing color and click the left mouse button. To
verify that this worked look at the bottom status bar and verify that the
draw color has changed.

The DRAW COLOR always defaults to WHITE when starting a new RIP graphic.
This is the RIPSCRIP default.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: ELLIPSE Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: E

This command draws an ellipse (oval) at the desired screen location. It
is very similar to the CIRCLE command.

To draw an ellipse using the mouse, position the crosshairs at the desired
center position and click the left mouse button. Now use the mouse to
enlarge the ellipse to the desired position and click the left mouse
button.

To draw an ellipse using the keyboard, enter the X and Y coordinates of
the desired center point (separated by a comma) and press Enter. Then
enter the X radius and Y radius of the ellipse.
The X and Y radii are half of the width and height respectively.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: ELLIPTICAL ARC Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: S

This command draws an elliptical arc (similar to the CIRCULAR ARC command
but shape is elliptical) and is included only for completeness. In our
practice we have found it much easier to use a BEZIER CURVE instead of an
elliptical arc, but your mileage may vary.

To place an elliptical arc using the mouse, position the crosshairs on the
desired center point of the ellipse from which you wish to extract the
arc and click the left mouse button. Next, use the mouse to set the
desired proportions of the ellipse and click the left mouse button
again. Now select the starting angle of the arc using the mouse and the
guideline that is connected to the center of the circle (press the left
mouse button to select the starting angle). Finally, use the mouse to
select the ending angle of the arc and press the left mouse button.

To place an elliptical arc using the keyboard, manually enter the X and Y
coordinates of the desired center point of the ellipse from which you wish
to extract the arc (remember to separate the coordinates by a comma).
Next, enter the X and Y radii of the ellipse. Finally, enter the starting
and ending angles of the arc.

Refer to the CIRCULAR ARC section for more general info about drawing
arcs. The point to remember here is that an arc can NOT cross 0 degrees
(again this is a RIPSCRIP limitation, not ours!). Zero degrees is
to the right!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: ERASE Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: ALT + E

This command is used to ERASE the RIP commands from a selected screen area.

After selecting this command it will be necessary to select the region of
the screen that you wish to erase using either the mouse or the keyboard.
All of the RIP commands in this region will then be deleted.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: EXIT Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: F10

This command will exit from RIPe to DOS (or whatever you happened to be
using for an OS when you started this program). If you have any RIP
commands in memory you will be asked if you would like to save them to a
file before the program exits.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: FILL COLOR Uses: FILL STYLE
Menu: COLORS
Hot-Key: ALT + S

This command is exactly the same as the DRAW COLOR command but it lets you
change the FILL COLOR.

Refer to the DRAW COLOR command for further details.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: FLOOD FILL Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: SOLIDS FILL STYLE
Hot-Key: F

This command performs a flood fill of an area surrounding the starting X
and Y coordinates. The fill goes in all directions up to the DRAW COLOR.

To perform a flood fill using the mouse, position the crosshairs to the
desire point of origin and click the left mouse button. A flood fill
will be performed, starting at that point and moving outwards in all
directions up to, but not including, the currently selected draw color.

To perform a flood fill using the keyboard, enter the X and Y coordinates
of the position of origin (separated by commas) and press Enter.

Don't forget to make sure you have your colors properly selected,
especially the DRAW COLOR. If the DRAW COLOR is improperly set, the flood
fill will probably not do exactly what you intended (ALT + U is next).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: ICON EDITOR Uses: CLIPBOARD
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: F4

This command calls the ICON EDITOR. The ICON EDITOR is discussed in the
documentation.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: INFO Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: F1

This command will display an info box when selected. Included in the info
box is the program's serial number (if registered), the present .RIP file
in memory (if any), and the number of RIP commands comprising the current
file in memory.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: INSERT RIP SCRIPT Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: CTRL+I

This command will allow you to append a .RIP file to the end of the .RIP
file that currently resides in memory. This does load the file into memory
and is different from the RIPSCRIP command of the same name.

File selection here is exactly the same as LOAD. Refer to LOAD for further
details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: LINE Uses: DRAW COLOR WRITE MODE
Menu: LINES LINE PATTERN
Hot-Key: L LINE THICKNESS

This command will allow you to draw a line at a desired position on the
screen.

To draw a line using the mouse, move the crosshairs (using the mouse) to
the desired starting point of the line and click the left mouse button.
Then move the crosshairs to the desired ending point of the line and
click the left mouse button again. This can be repeated as often as
desired.

To draw a line using the keyboard, manually type in the X and Y coordinates
of the starting point of the line (separated by a comma) and press enter.
Now manually enter the X and Y coordinates of the ending point of the line
(again separated by a comma) and press enter.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: LOAD Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: F3

This command will allow you to LOAD a .RIP file. Before using this command
you should set your default directories with the DIRECTORIES command
(CTRL+D).

After selecting this command a pop-up menu will appear in the center of the
screen with a list of files in alphabetical order that are in the default
RIP directory. If there are too many files in this directory the menu will
be divided into multiple pages, accessible by left clicking on either the
page up or down icons on the left side of the popup or by clicking directly
on the scrolling position bar. Use the mouse to position the yellow
selection bar at the desired file and click the left mouse button to load
that file.

You may also position the selection bar at the .. or any directories that
appear in the list to change directories and load a .RIP file from a
different directory.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: LOAD ICON Uses: CLIPBOARD
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: I

This command is used to load a RIP icon (.ICN) and place it on the screen
(and optionally on the clipboard). It is a good idea to set the default
directory using the DIRECTORIES command before using this command.

After selecting this command you will be asked if you would like to copy
this icon to clipboard IN ADDITION to pasting it on the screen. If you
are planning on using this icon multiple times you should select Y and
copy the icon to the clipboard. A pop-up menu will appear in the upper left
corner of the screen. This list is similar to the list in the LOAD
command and should be used as such. Refer to the LOAD command for further
details.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: MOUSE FIELD Uses: NONE
Menu: BUTTONS
Hot-Key: M

This command is used to set an active mouse region. This region will be
used on the remote terminal. When the region is left button clicked on the
remote terminal the host command (as specified here) is returned to the
controlling terminal.

After selecting this command use the mouse to select the upper left and
lower right coordinates of the mouse field (the keyboard can be used here
as well). You will then be asked if you want to invert this region and if
you want the region to zoom after it is 'clicked' on the remote terminal.
Last but by far the least you will be asked for the host command to send
when this region is 'clicked' on the remote terminal.

Up to 255 mouse regions can be active at one time.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: MOVE Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: ALT + M

This command is similar to the COPY command except that the original
contents of the selected region are erased (hence we call it the MOVE
command!).

Refer to the COPY command for details on usage of this command. It is
imperative that you select all points of the objects that you are
intending to move, especially for bezier curves. Failure to do this may
result in strange effects.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: NEW Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: ALT+N
This command erases the current .RIP file in memory and resets all
parameters to their default value. If you have anything in memory you will
be presented with an option to save the current file before it is erased.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: OPEN POLYGON Uses: DRAW COLOR WRITE MODE
Menu: LINES LINE PATTERN
Hot-Key: ALT+P LINE THICKNESS

This command draws an X sided polygon (where X is between 3 and 512) on
the screen but does not draw the last line that connects the last point
to the first point.

An open polygon is created exactly the same way as a closed polygon. Refer
to the CLOSED POLYGON command for information on creating an open 'polygon.'

It is imperative that you do not use more than 512 segments on polygons,
if you do, strange things may happen.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: PASTE ICON FROM CLIPBOARD Uses: CLIPBOARD
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: INS(ERT)

This command is used to paste the contents of the clipboard as an icon
to the screen.

After cutting an icon to the clipboard (or copying an icon to the clipboard
when you load an icon) you can use this command to paste an icon at the
desired screen location. Use the mouse to position the crosshairs and
click the left mouse button to place the icon. You can also use the
keyboard to enter the X and Y coordinates to place the icon.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: PIXEL Uses: DRAW COLOR

Menu: LINES
Hot-Key: X

This command draws a single pixel at the current position in the current
draw color.

To place a pixel using the mouse, position the crosshairs to the desired
position and click the left mouse button.

To place a pixel using the keyboard, manually enter the X and Y coordinates
(separated by a comma) on which you wish to place the pixel. Press the
Enter key to place the pixel.

While it is theoretically possible to send out pictures using only pixels,
this practice should be avoided at all costs. To send one EGA screen
(640x350x16) it would send approximately 1.5 megabytes of information
across the communications line. This will end up being pretty slow in
most situations and pretty much useless for telecommunications work.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: PLACE BUTTON Uses: NONE
Menu: BUTTONS
Hot-Key: ALT + B

This command will allow you to place a button at any screen location using
the defaults from the button designer.

Generally you will have to use the mouse to size the button (some button
styles come presized) and enter the text for the button. Some buttons
will also require that you specify which ascii character should be sent
when the button is selected from the remote terminal.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: PLACE TEXT Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: TEXT WRITE MODE
Hot-Key: T FONT STYLE

This command will allow you to place text on the GRAPHICS WINDOW at a
desired location using the current text style and draw color. A box
will be drawn here to aid in text placement by showing the approximate text
size.

To place text, position the mouse to the desired location and press the
left mouse button. You can now enter your desired text. Press the ESC
key to end text entry.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: PRINT Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE MENU
Hot-Key: ALT + O

This command will allow you to print the RIP screen currently in memory
to LPT1.

After selecting this command you will be prompted to select either INVERTED
or NORMAL using the mouse. You should normally select INVERTED when you
are using a black background or the page will be mostly black.
This command does no dithering and will definitely be limited as to it's
usage.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: RECTANGLE Uses: DRAW COLOR WRITE MODE
Menu: LINES LINE PATTERN
Hot-Key: R LINE THICKNESS

This command draws a rectangle at a desired position on the screen.

To draw a rectangle using the mouse, move the crosshairs (using the mouse)
to the desired upper left corner of the rectangle and click the left mouse
button. Then move the crosshairs to the desired lower right corner of the
rectangle and click the left mouse button again. This can be repeated as
often as desired.

To draw a rectangle using the keyboard, manually type in the upper left
X and Y coordinates of the starting point of the rectangle (separated by a
comma) and press enter. Now manually enter the lower right X and Y
coordinates of the ending point of the rectangle (again separated by a
comma) and press enter.

If you want to draw a filled rectangle with the border the same color as
the fill color, use the BAR command as it is faster and more efficient.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: REDRAW Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: ALT+R

This command will redraw the current .RIP file in memory. This is useful
for those times when the program leaves artifacts (should be rare, we have
taken care of most of the problems) or if the file just bugs out for some
reason.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: RESET ALL WINDOWS Uses: NONE
Menu: WINDOWS
Hot-Key: CTRL + R

Use this command to reset all windows (graphics and text). This command is
by default inserted in the beginning of every RIP script and should
probably never have to be used. It is only included for completeness.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Command: RIP LIST Uses: NONE
Menu: RIP LIST
Hot-Key: NONE

This command calls up a special listing that displays the RIP file that is
currently in memory. The lister is divided into two sections. The left
hand side of the screen displays the RIP commands as they might appear in
ENGLISH. The right side of the screen includes scroll bars and buttons to
scroll the commands that are presently displayed on the screen. To move
around through the current RIP file in memory left click on the page up
or page down icons (the ones that look like arrow heads). It is also
possible to left click on the scroll bar at the desired position.

The RIP lister also offers some rudimentary editing functions including
CUT, COPY and PASTE. These commands can be used to delete RIP commands or
MOVE RIP commands.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SAVE Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: F2

This command will allow you to save the current .RIP file that is in
memory. If there is no filename selected you will be prompted to enter
a filename (no .RIP extension is necessary). If you have already selected
a filename (via LOAD) it will save automatically as that file. If you want
to save with a different filename, use SAVE AS.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SAVE (COMPACT) Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: F2

This command will allow you to save the current .RIP file that is in
memory. It is exactly the same as the SAVE command with one exception.
The .RIP file is compacted before it is saved. This saves a few bytes of
file and speeds up .RIP transmission. A maximum line length can also
be specified here.

Remember to always use this command before using .RIP pictures in
telecommunications. A normal SAVE saves each RIP command as a single line.
Using this command should provide a minimum ten percent efficiency increase.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SAVE AS Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: ALT+F2

This command will allow you to save the current .RIP file in memory to
disk. It will also force you to select a filename.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SAVE ICON Uses: CLIPBOARD
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: ALT + I

This command will allow you to save the contents of the clipboard to an
icon (.ICN) file.

After selecting this command you will be prompted for a filename (no
extension necessary) and the icon will be saved to your ICONS directory.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET BEZIER POINTS Uses: NONE
Menu: LINES
Hot-Key: ALT + Z

This command will allow to set the number of points used to draw a bezier
curve.

A bezier curve is drawn with a multitude of lines that are
connected to each other, end to end. These lines are drawn in the shape
of the curve that you select. If enough lines are drawn they will take on
the shape of a curve. This command sets the number of lines that are drawn
to form each bezier curve. The default is 50 and works well for most
applications but we have included this command for completeness.

The higher you set this number, the longer it takes to draw the curves.
There is no noticable difference on a 486/40 but on slower computers it
may matter (?).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET FILL STYLE Uses: FILL STYLE
Menu: STYLES
Hot-Key: ALT + F

This command allows you to alter the fill style (pattern) or define your
own patterns.

After selecting this command, a menu of available patterns will appear as
well as an option to create your own fill patterns. Use the mouse to
position the yellow selection box over the fill pattern that you wish to
use and click the left mouse button.

To create your own fill pattern, click on the USER FILL option and the fill
pattern editor will appear. Use the mouse to move the yellow box around
the box and click the left mouse button to toggle the status of the pixel
at this location. Hit the right mouse button to save the fill pattern
when you are satisfied with the pattern that you have created.

User created fill patterns will be saved in the ripe.fil file and can
be erased by erasing this file.

Please note here that fill patterns are one of the slower operations of
RIP and should be used with care. On slower computers it can take a LONG
time to render a lot of complex flood fills using different fill patterns.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET LINE STYLE Uses: LINE PATTERN
Menu: STYLES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: ALT + L

This command allows you to alter the line pattern and thickness.

After selecting this menu option you will be presented with a list of
default line styles (and thicknesses) as well as the ability to add
your own user-definable line styles. Use the mouse to position the
yellow selection bar and click the left mouse button to select the desired
line pattern. If more line styles are available, select MORE to see the
next page of line styles.

To create your own line style, select USER STYLE and the line style
editor will appear. This is very similar to the fill style editor but
it only allows you to edit one line of pixels. Use the mouse to position
the yellow box to the pixel that you wish to change and press the left
mouse button to toggle the status of the selected pixel. When you are
satisfied with the results click the right mouse button to save the line
style.

User defined line styles will be added to the RIPE.LSY file and can be
deleted by deleting this file.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET PALETTE Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: COLOR
Hot-Key: ALT + Q

This command will allow you to alter the standard 16 color EGA (and RIP)
palette. You can select any of 64 colors for each of the 16 colors of
the RIP palette.

After selecting this option you will be presented with a box in the middle
of the screen. Use the mouse to position the yellow selection box around
the color that you wish to change and click the left mouse button. You
will now be presented with a set of 8 color boxes and a more button. Use
the mouse to cycle through the colors (select more to see more colors)
and click the left mouse button when you have positioned the yellow
selection box at the color that you wish to use for the replacement.

It is recommended that you keep all the colors different, especially
#1 and #15 (blue and yellow when defaults), to properly view the
RIPe menus.

You can use this command repeatedly at the end of your RIP scripts to
create a color cycling effect.

To change the background color, change color #0 (black when default).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET PLACEMENT MODE Uses: NONE
Menu: ICONS
Hot-Key: CTRL + M

This command sets the placement mode when placing icons.
Available choices are COPY, XOR, OR, AND, NOT. Copy is the default. When
using this mode icons are written directly as they exist. If something is
in the same position the icon OVERWRITES. The other modes use binary
comparators when placing icons. This documentation is not intended to be
a binary arithmetic manual. If you do not understand binary math you are
going to have to go to another source (or you could just experiment!).


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SET TEXT FONT/SIZE Uses: FONT STYLE
Menu: TEXT
Hot-Key: ALT + T

This command sets the font style, direction and size to use as the FONT
STYLE when writing text to the GRAPHICS screen (with the PLACE TEXT
command in the TEXT menu).

To set the font, size and direction, select SET FONT/SIZE on the TEXT menu.
A pop-up menu will appear in the center of the screen that will show you
a few characters from each font. Use the mouse to position the yellow
selection box at the desired font and click the left mouse button. You will
now be presented with the font size selection box. Move the mouse left
or right to select the desired font size and click the left mouse button
again.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SOLID CIRCLE Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: SOLIDS LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: CTRL + C FILL STYLE

This command will draw a solid (filled) circle at a desired position on the
screen with a desired radius. The guideline is also circular to allow for
easier placement (unlike some other RIP editors).

To place a circle using the mouse, position the crosshairs at the desired
center point of the circle and click the left mouse button. Now move the
mouse to the desired radius and click the left mouse button again to place
the circle.

To place a circle using the keyboard, enter the X and Y coordinates of the
center point (separated by commas) and press Enter. Enter the radius of
the circle and press Enter again to place the circle.

Remember that circles do NOT use the LINE STYLE at all, circles are always
drawn with SOLID lines.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SOLID CIRCULAR ARC (PIE) Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: SOLIDS LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: CTRL + A FILL STYLE

This command draws a filled circular pie slice at the desired screen
location.

To place a pie slice using the mouse, position the crosshairs on the
desired center point of the circle from which you wish to create the
pie slice and click the left mouse button. Next, use the mouse to set the
desired radius of the pie slice and the starting angle and click the left
mouse button again. Finally, use the mouse to select the ending angle of
the arc and press the left mouse button.

To place a pie slice using the keyboard, manually enter the X and Y
coordinates of the desired center point of the circle from which you wish
to create the pie slice (remember to separate the coordinates by a comma).
Next, enter the desired radius of the circle. Finally, enter the starting
and ending angles of the arc.

Refer to the CIRCULAR ARC section for more info on starting and ending
angles.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SOLID ELLIPSE Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: SOLIDS LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: CTRL + E FILL STYLE

This command draws a filed ellipse (oval) at the desired screen location.
It is very similar to the CIRCULAR DISK command.

To draw a filled ellipse using the mouse, position the crosshairs at the
desired center position and click the left mouse button. Now use the
mouse to enlarge the ellipse to the desired position and click the left
mouse button.

To draw a filled ellipse using the keyboard, enter the X and Y coordinates
of the desired center point (separated by a comma) and press Enter. Then
enter the X radius and Y radius of the ellipse.

The X and Y radii are half of the width and height respectively. Also,
the ellipse will also have an outline in the DRAW COLOR (different from
BAR).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SOLID ELLIPTICAL ARC (PIE) Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: SOLIDS LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: CTRL + S FILL STYLE

This command draws an elliptical pie slice similar to the ELLIPTICAL ARC
command.

To place an elliptical pie slice using the mouse, position the crosshairs
on the desired center point of the ellipse from which you wish to create
the pie slice and click the left mouse button. Next, use the mouse to
position the crosshairs at the desired starting angle and radius of the
pie piece and click the left mouse button. Finally, position the
crosshairs at the desired ending angle and radius and click the left mouse
button.

To place an elliptical pie slice using the keyboard, manually enter the
X and Y coordinates of the desired center point of the ellipse from which
you wish to create the pie slice (remember to separate the coordinates by a
comma). Next, enter the X and Y radii of the ellipse. Finally, enter the
starting and ending angles of the arc.

Refer to the CIRCULAR ARC section for more general info about arcs.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: SOLID POLYGON Uses: DRAW COLOR FILL STYLE
Menu: SOLIDS LINE PATTERN WRITE MODE
Hot-Key: CTRL + P LINE THICKNESS

This command draws an X sided filled polygon (where X is between 3 and
512) on the screen.

To place a polygon using the mouse, position the crosshairs at the desired
starting point and click the left mouse button. Repeat this procedure as
many times as necessary until the desired polygon is on the screen and
click the right mouse button to finish the polygon (this also draws the
'connecting' line - the line that connects the last point to the first).
The polygon will then be filled with the current fill color and style.

It is imperative that you do not use more than 512 segments on polygons,
if you do, strange things may happen.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: 3D CYLINDER Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: ALT + 2 LINE STYLE

This command will draw a three dimensional cylinder on the screen at the
desired location using a complex series of polygons.

To place a cylinder, use the mouse to position the pointer to the desired
center point and click the left mouse button.

You will next be prompted for three numbers. The best way to visualize
this is to think of a pencil. The first number, YAW, is used to rotate the
pencil on the X axis. The second number, ROLL, is used to rotate the
cylinder (think of it as being similar to turning the volume control knob
on your stereo). The third number, PITCH, is used to rotate the cylinder
on the Y axis.

For cylinders, do not enter values greater than eighty-nine degrees unless
you want some bizarre effects. Numbers larger than these cause the 'back'
of the cylinder to be displayed and the backs are not rendered. This can
be used for special effects but it is best left untouched. Since cylinders
are the same on both ends nothing greater than eighty-nine degrees should
be needed to achieve the desired position.

Experimentation will probably be necessary here to get the hand of things.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: 3D CYLINDER (FILLED) Uses: DRAW COLOR FILL STYLE
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: ALT + 2 LINE STYLE

This command is identical to the 3D CYLINDER command in the LINES menu
except the surfaces of the cylinder are filled with the current FILL COLOR.

Refer to the 3D CYLINDER section for further details.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: 3D SPHERE Uses: DRAW COLOR
Menu: LINES LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: ALT + 1 LINE STYLE

This command will draw a three dimensional sphere on the screen at the
desired location using a complex series of polygons.

To place a sphere, use the mouse to position the pointer to the desired
center point and click the left mouse button. Next, use the mouse to size
a circle and click the left mouse button when the circle is the desired
size. The circle will be the outline of the sphere.

You will next be prompted for three numbers. The best way to visualize
this is to think of a globe. The first number, YAW, is used to rotate the
globe (think of the earth as it rotates from day to night to day). The
second number, ROLL, rotates the globe on the X and Y axis. The third
number, PITCH, turns the globe on the imaginary (or Z) axis. This is what
really gives it a 3D effect as the 'poles' rotate 'out' from the screen.
For PITCH, 0 is straight down, 150 is straight out, and 180 is straight up.

Experimentation will probably be necessary here to get the idea of
exactly what is required here.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: 3D SPHERE (FILLED) Uses: DRAW COLOR LINE STYLE
Menu: SOLIDS LINE THICKNESS
Hot-Key: ALT + 3 FILL STYLE

This command is identical to the 3D SPHERE command in the LINES menu
except the faces of the sphere are filled with the current FILL COLOR.

Refer to the 3D SPHERE section for further details.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: UNDO LAST Uses: NONE
Menu: TOOLS
Hot-Key: ALT + U

This command is used to delete the last RIP command from the current
drawing. Multiple usage of this command will continue to delete the last
command from the RIP drawing.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: VIEW Uses: NONE
Menu: FILE
Hot-Key: ALT+V

This command will allow you to view a .RIP file at any simulated baud rate
between 300 and 14400 baud (14400 is as fast as it gets, this also simulates
anything higher due to the graphics speed limitations of RIP graphics).

After selecting this command a pop-up menu will appear that lists the
selectable baud rates to simulate. Use the mouse to position the yellow
selection box at the desired baud rate and click the left mouse button.
The .RIP file IN MEMORY will now display (LOAD before VIEW!). At the
completion of the VIEW, click the right mouse button to return to the
normal RIPe editor.

Another benefit of this command is that you can view a .RIP file without
the menu bars covering up a portion of the screen.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Command: WRITE MODE Uses: WRITE MODE
Menu: STYLES
Hot-Key: ALT + W

This command allow you to swap between OVERWRITE and XOR writing modes.
If overwrite is selected then anything that you draw will be drawn on TOP
of any existing graphics (this is the default mode). XOR (Exclusive Or
for you computer junkie types) will draw only if nothing is present in
that particular screen location. If something is present in that screen
location, the resulting pixel status is NOT'ed with the original pixel
status.

To change modes, select WRITE MODE on the menu and a pop-up will appear
at the center of the screen. Use the mouse to select the desired mode and
click on the left mouse button to select it.

XOR mode is relatively tricky to those who do not understand binary
math. The basic use of this mode is to draw something and be able to
erase it by drawing the same thing in the same position. This
can serve as a primitive type of animation. Other interesting effects
can be achieved by experimenting with XOR mode.


APPENDIX B - HOT KEYS


FILE MENU LINES MENU
--------- ----------

F1 - Info L - Line
ALT+N - New R - Rectangle
ALT+R - Redraw P - Polygon
ALT+V - View ALT+P - Open 'Polygon'
F3 - Load X - Pixel
F2 - Save C - Circle
ALT+F2 - Save As E - Ellipse
ALT+F3 - Save (Compact) A - Circular Arc
CTRL+D - Directories S - Elliptical Arc
ALT+O - Print Z - Bezier Curve
CTRL+I - Insert RIP ALT+Z - Bezier Points
Exit - F10 ALT+1 - 3D Sphere
ALT+2 - 3D Cylinder

SOLIDS MENU COLORS MENU
----------- -----------

B - Bar ALT+D - Draw Color
CTRL+P - Polygon ALT+S - Fill Color
CTRL+C - Circle ALT+Q - Set Palette
CTRL+E - Ellipse
CTRL+A - Circular Arc
CTRL+S - Elliptical Arc
ALT+3 - 3D Sphere
ALT+4 - 3D Cylinder


STYLES MENU TEXT MENU
----------- ---------

ALT+L - Linestyle T - Place Text
ALT+W - Write Mode ALT+T - Font Style
ALT+F - Fillstyle
ALT+T - Font Style


BUTTONS MENU ICONS MENU
------------ ----------

ALT+B - Place Button DEL(ETE)- Cut to Clipboard
F5 - Button Designer INS(ERT)- Paste from Clipboard
M - Mouse Field I - Load Icon
ALT+I - Save Icon
CTRL+M - Set Placement Mode
F4 - Icon Editor


WINDOWS MENU TOOLS MENU
------------ ----------

CTRL+T - Define Text Window F6 - Display Grid
CTRL+R - Reset Windows F7 - Cursor Snap
ALT+C - Copy
ALT+M - Move
ALT+A - Array
ALT+E - Erase
ALT+U - Undo Last

RIP LIST MENU
-------------

NONE


APPENDIX C - COMMON Q&A




Question: I drew 4 (or 5 or 6 or...) spheres and tried to move (or copy or
array or delete) them and it didn't work, is this a bug?

Answer: No, remember what it is that makes up spheres and cylinders.
The problem here is that you are trying to move too many objects
at one time. The limit is 1000.


Question: I don't like the crosshairs. Is there any way to get a standard
mouse pointer?
Answer: No, the crosshairs are here to stay. After a while you will get
used to them and should find them better than the standard mouse
pointer. Sorry, but it is MUCH too late to change things like
this.


Question: None of the SAVE functions work. What am I doing wrong?

Answer: Select INFO from the FILE menu and look at the RIPe icon that
is displayed in the info box. If it says SHAREWARE then this
means that you haven't registered your program yet. The
SHAREWARE version of RIPe has all SAVE functions disabled to
protect our rights. We tried releasing software with no
delays and all functions operable and got zero registrations...







  3 Responses to “Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : RIPE154.ZIP
Filename : RIPE.DOC

  1. Very nice! Thank you for this wonderful archive. I wonder why I found it only now. Long live the BBS file archives!

  2. This is so awesome! 😀 I’d be cool if you could download an entire archive of this at once, though.

  3. But one thing that puzzles me is the “mtswslnkmcjklsdlsbdmMICROSOFT” string. There is an article about it here. It is definitely worth a read: http://www.os2museum.com/wp/mtswslnk/