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VGA ToolPaint Version 1.00

Copyright (c) 1991
by Andrew Currier
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Programmed in
Borland Turbo C++ Version 1.01
Copyright (c) 1990 by Borland International, Inc.
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Page 1






ABOUT VGA ToolPaint

This program came about when I felt the need to create my own VGA paint
software to fit my own needs. Hopefully, what I have created is a simple
way of making your own dazzling VGA graphics for your programming or
application needs.


CONTENTS

The Painting Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Color Wheel ......................... 3

The Drawing Window ...................... 3

The Main Menu ........................... 3

The Color Indicator ..................... 3

The Parameter Modifier .................. 3

The Color Set ........................... 3

Menu Functions And Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Arc ..................................... 4

Ellipse ................................. 4

Line .................................... 4

Pieslice ................................ 4

Pixel ................................... 4

Rectangle ............................... 5

Image ................................... 5

Load .................................... 5

Save .................................... 5

Font .................................... 5

Clear ................................... 5

Exit .................................... 5

Scale ................................... 6

Fill .................................... 6

Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Page 2






THE PAINTING ENVIRONMENT

The Color Wheel

The color wheel is the bar of assorted colors bordering the entire screen.
It displays every one of the 245 colors available to the user. Based on the
standard color wheel, it contains 12 shades of 18 separate colors. In
addition to the basic colors, there is also a gray scale, and shades of flesh
tones. Colors are arranged in sets of 12 shades, starting chronologically
from the brightest shade and going to the darkest shade of each color. There
are, however, 16 shades of gray and 16 of flesh tone.

The Drawing Window

This is the area in the center of the screen, bordered by the color wheel and
Menu Bar, in which pixels are placed to form an image. The functions
selected from the Menu Bar may be used here, provided that a mouse is
installed. Click on the mouse's left button to execute any one of the
functions.

The Main Menu

The Main Menu, or Menu Bar, is the area on the screen in which each of the 13
functions may be selected for use on the Drawing Window. Simply click on the
desired two letter symbol, and a box will appear around it.
The Menu Bar looks something like this:

Ar El Ln Pi Px Re Im Ld Sv Ft Cl X Sc Fill

A description of each function is given later in this documentation.

The Color Indicator

This is the area in the lower left of the screen. It displays the current
drawing color and its associated number.

The Parameter Modifier

In the lower right region of the screen, a number is displayed atop a certain
word or symbol. The word or symbol represents a parameter used in the
functions such as arc radius or rectangle height. Click on arrows next to the
number above the word to cycle through its possible values. Click on the word
itself to cycle through parameter names associated with the current menu bar
selection.

The Color Set

In the center of the lower part of the screen is located the color set. When
you first start to use ToolPaint, this set will not exist - merely a small
rectangular box will appear. To select a color to be in the color set, click
the right button of the mouse on the desired color. This color will now be
represented by another small rectangle, to the left of the open one described
earlier. To select more colors (a maximum of 50), simply repeat this
procedure, and more colors will start to line up in the color set. To empty
the color set click, with the left button, on the open rectangle to the left of
the set. The colors you select for the color set are used in the Pixel
function described later.

Page 3






MENU FUNCTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS


The Menu Bar mentioned earlier and its abbreviated symbols control basic use
of the drawing tools. Click on the desired symbol to select it. Now you may
click on the Drawing Window to use the selected function. Use the Parameter
Modifier to change any related variables.


Symbol: Ar Name: Arc
Description: Use this function to draw arcs on the Drawing Window. You may
select the arc's radius, start in degrees, and end in degrees using the
Parameter Modifier area.
Related Parameters: Radius, Start, End.


Symbol: El Name: Ellipse
Description: Draw ellipses using this function.
Related Parameters: Xds (X Radius), Yds (Y Radius).


Symbol: Ln Name: Line
Description: Use this function to draw lines on the screen. To start a new
line, first move the mouse outside of the Drawing Window, then click on the
desired location inside the window. Hold down the button to draw a smooth
line. To draw a polygon, click on the desired locations to make strait
sides. To make a filled shape, click on the Fill function described later,
drawing lines until you return to the start location (the location in which
the line was started after the cursor moved inside the Drawing Window).
Related Parameters: none.


Symbol: Pi Name: Pieslice
Description: This will produce pieslices of desired Radius, start
in degrees, and end in degrees.
Related Parameters: Radius, Start, End.


Symbol: Px Name: Pixel
Description: This will produce a variety of effects, each based on what can
be done using point plotting. If parameter Pixels is either 0 or 1, a
single colored pixel will be placed on the screen. If Pixels is greater than
1, an airbrush effect will be created in a single color, its size dictated by
the number Pixels. If Pixels has the word "set" printed to the right of its
number, a different type of airbrush effect will be created, size dictated by
the number Pixels, but not of a single color. It will use the color range
selected in the Color Set, randomly selecting these colors.
These previously mentioned effects occur if the parameter Pmode is set to 0.
If Pmode is set to 1, the effects remain the same, except they are only
performed if a motion is detected in the mouse cursor, and do not occur if the
mouse is at rest, even if the button is pressed.
If Pmode is 2, the effects remain the same, except, instead of an airbrush
effect for certain values of Pixels, a more solid effect is produced,
completely filling a designated area with pixels.
The parameter Dens affects the density of pixels plotted on the screen.
Stenc, if made "Y", will automatically disallow pixels to be plotted on the
current drawing color.
Related Parameters: Pixels, Pmode, Stenc, Dens.
Page 4






Symbol: Re Name: Rectangle
Description: This will place a rectangle on the screen of height Height and
width Width.
Related Parameters: Width, Height.


Symbol: Im Name: Image
Description: This function will load in a small graphic created with the Bit
Editor, currently not included in this package. Control which block will be
loaded in by changing the parameter Image. 15 pre-made blocks have already
been provided.
Related Parameters: Image (File definition).


Symbol: Ld Name: Load
Description: Use this utility to load in the desired screen of number File,
and of disk drive Drive. Click on the Drawing Window to execute.
Related Parameters: File (File definition), Drive (Disk Drive).


Symbol: Sv Name: Save
Description: To save your image to disk, select its allocation with number
File, and disk drive with number Drive. Click on the Drawing Window to
execute.
Related Parameters: File (File definition), Drive (Disk Drive).


Symbol: Ft Name: Font
Description: If you would like to place characters on the screen, this function
will do just that. Select from four different fonts - reg (regular), sans
(sans-serif), type (typewriter), and goth (gothic). To change font size,
modify Xsize and Ysize. To place text on the screen, move the mouse cursor to
the desired location, and input text through the keyboard.
Related Parameters: Font, Xsize, Ysize.


Symbol: Cl Name: Clear
Description: Select this to clear the Drawing Window. Click on the Drawing
Window to execute.
Related Parameters: none.


Symbol: X Name: Exit
Description: To leave VGA ToolPaint, select this symbol, then click on the
Drawing Window.
Related Parameters: none.












Page 5






Symbol: Sc Name: Scale
Description: For changing parameters concerning how the mouse translates to the
span of the screen, select this. Xscale and Yscale dictate to what nearest
number X and Y coordinates are rounded to when functions are being executed on
the Drawing Window. The parameter Show, if set to "Y", will automatically
display the current coordinates of the mouse cursor, the pixel color at those
coordinates, and will preview the space certain functions will take up in the
Drawing Window by showing a rectangle inside of which the current function will
be executed. To change the sensitivity of the mouse, that is, the ratio of
physical movement to screen movement, change the parameter Sens. A larger
number will produce greater sensitivity. Clicking on the right mouse button
when it is inside of the Drawing Window will toggle between the selected
sensitivity and a standard sensitivity which cannot be changed.


Symbol: Fill Name: Fill
Description: This is the Fill option, and it can be used with a variety of
functions to create solid shapes and areas.
Related Functions: Ellipse, Line, Pieslice, Rectangle.
Related Parameters: none.






































Page 6







REQUIREMENTS

Required for this software package:

VGA (Video Graphics Array) Card.

Microsoft compatible mouse.

Color monitor (8513 or 8514 compatible).





Suggested for this software package:

RAMDRIVE.SYS DOS utility (E:).

Extended memory.

Hard disk drive.









Thank you for selecting VGA ToolPaint.


























Page 7






DIAGRAM






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|| - D R A W I N G W I N D O W - ||
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|| |\ -MOUSE ||
|| | \.CURSOR- ||
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|| -COLOR BAR- ||
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| __ -MENU BAR- -PARAMETER- |
||Ar|El Ln Pi Px Re Im Ld Sv Ft Cl X Se Fill <| 10 |> |
| ~~ |
| [] 15 [| -COLOR SET- Radius |
|-COLOR INDICATOR- -PARAMETER NAME- |
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