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PRISM, V1.10, copyright (c) 1990, by David Gerrold

The amazing VGA palette editor!
You can choose from 262,144 different colors for your text mode screens!

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WHAT IS PRISM?

Prism is a shareware utility that will allow you to reset
the color attributes on your VGA screen. Instead of having
to use DOS's 16 garish colors, you can create more pleasing
palettes of colors for use with ANY non-graphics program.


HOW DO YOU USE PRISM?

Create a subdirectory on your hard disk called PRISM.
Copy the files on this disk into the PRISM subdirectory.

Add the PRISM subdirectory to the PATH command in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file...

or

...simply copy the P.BAT file to a subdirectory on the DOS path.
(P.BAT will allow you to access PRISM from any directory,
even if the PRISM subdirectory is not on the path.)
If you have a subdirectory where you store all your
utility programs or your batch files, this is the perfect
place to install P.BAT.


TO LOAD PRISM

1) Just enter:

PRISM

or

P { if you have installed P.BAT }

You will enter the PRISM editor. PRISM's online help system
will show you how to use the program. It's easy and fun. You
can edit any of the 16 color attributes, mix them up, or restore
them to their original values. You can save a palette file to
disk or load a previously edited palette file.

PRISM does not blink onto your screen like other programs. It
dissolves in. If you want to change the rate of the dissolve,
you can use the Options/Dissolve Rate command from PRISM's main
menu.

If you want to disable the dissolve altogether, add a '/d' to
the command line when you enter the name of the program:

PRISM /d

or

P /d


2) Or, you can enter:

PRISM

or

P

and PRISM will load that palette file as the active palette,
without entering the editor.


3) Or, you can enter:

PRISM

or

P

and PRISM will load the palette file as the active palette,
and then chain to the program. When the program concludes
PRISM will restore the previously active palette.


4) Or, you can enter:

PRISM

or

P

If a palette has the same name as a program, PRISM will
load the palette first, and then chain to the program.
When the program concludes PRISM will restore the previously
active palette.

If you want to load a palette that has the same name as
a program, but you do not want to load the program, just
enter:

PRISM /n

or

P /n

The '/n' command tells PRISM not to load the program.


IS THIS ALL THE DOCUMENTATION THERE IS?

Of course not.

PRISM contains nearly 60K of help screens. Enter the PRISM
editor and press to get to the Help Index.
PRISM's help screens will teach everything you need to know
to use the program effectively. You will be creating bright
new colors for your VGA system within minutes.


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PRISM IS SHAREWARE!

You are free to give copies of PRISM to friends and associates. You are
invited to post it on BBS systems and distribute it to users' groups. You
must distribute the entire source file, PRISM110.EXE.

PRISM110.EXE is a self-extracting archive. It contains the following files:

README -- this file.
PRISM .EXE -- the amazing VGA palette editor.
P .BAT -- a batch file for using PRISM from any subdirectory.
PDEMO .EXE -- a self-running demonstration which will display all
palette files in the same subdirectory.
* .PAL -- a variety of palette files demonstrating some of
the palettes you can create with PRISM.


If you find PRISM useful, you are requested to send $25 to:


David Gerrold, The Brass Cannon Corporation
9420 Reseda Blvd. #804, Northridge, CA 91324-2932.


PRISM was written in Turbo Pascal 6.0, from Borland International.
PRISM also makes use of the Object Professional library from TurboPower Inc.
Source code for PRISM is available for $50. ($25 of every source code
purchase will be donated to the AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES. Thank you.)

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ATTENTION MANUFACTURERS!

WHY NOT BUNDLE PRISM WITH YOUR VGA SYSTEMS?

Let your users experience ALL the power of their VGA cards!
Contact The Brass Cannon Corporation for licensing information.
9420 Reseda Blvd. #804, Northridge, CA 91324-2932

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Gerrold is a contributing editor and columnist for PC-Techniques
Magazine. He has been using and writing about computers since 1969.

In his other life, he also writes science fiction novels and scripts for
television. He is the author of WHEN HARLIE WAS ONE, THE MAN WHO FOLDED
HIMSELF, and A RAGE FOR REVENGE. He has written scripts for THE TWILIGHT
ZONE, LAND OF THE LOST, and STAR TREK ("The Trouble With Tribbles").


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