11/15/91

BATCHPRO 1.0 by Matt Shaw,  ©1991 Matt Shaw and Virtual Image Labs

BATCHPRO is copyrighted, but freely distributable so long as NO fee is
charged other than a minimal disk duplication fee. 


System Requirements:
This program can only really be used if one has gobs of memory.  I
recommend 9 megs or more.  An accelerator, and of course the most
professional and well documented program for the Amiga, Art Department
Proffessional.  If you use graphics on the Amiga, AdPro is a must.

Why:
BP was designed for one purpose, I was sick and tired of converting tons of
24bit files back and forth from one format to another.  Imagine 1.1 IFF24
files work great in the Firecracker, but crash the machine when loaded into
ToasterPain, except if loaded and saved in Adpro first. This gets a bit old
when you have to load and save 1000 files in Adpro.  Fortunately, ASDG
added one of Adpro's most powerful features, it's AREXX port.  I wrote all
kinds of neat AREXX scripts to do all the conversions, finally I decided I
could use CANDO and make a much easier to use interface that would use
CANDO'S built-in AREXX ability to do all the work without even requiring
CANDO.  BP makes it almost sinfully easy to convert all your files to JPEG
compressed files and back.


How:
In order to use BP, you must have one assignment.  ADPRO: must be assigned.
ASDG recommends this, and BP requires it to find ADPRO and its loaders and
savers.  YOU MUST RUN ADPRO before running Batchpro.  If you don't, BP
will tell you it can't locate ADPRO, wait a few seconds and then exit.  If
Adpro is running, the Virtual Image Labs logo will appear and the version
of Adpro you have running will appear right above it.  

Step 1: Decide what the load and save formats should be.  If you are lucky
enough to have Adpro 2.0, I suggest UNIVERSAL Loader, it will load
everything I have ever asked it to.  BP defaults to UNIVERSAL loader and
IMPULSE saver.  To change either one, click on the field, clear it out
using Right-Amiga-X and type in a new one.  When you hit return, BP checks
to see if you have that loader/saver installed and tells AdPro about it.
If Adpro also finds it, a message flashes on the screen on the right side,
ADPRO OK., if not, ADPRO ERROR.  If it was ADPRO OK, flipping the screen
back to AdPro will show the loader/saver you have selected.  Some
loader/savers have optional parameters, you may add them in the Saver and
and Loader options lines.  Example, IMPULSE savers must specify RGBN for 12
bit files and RGB8 to save in 24bit color.  This is where you would usually specify things like IMAGE, RAW.  Since this version of BP doesn't yet
support Amiga screen IMAGE manipulation, RAW is automatically fed, don't
repeat it.  For Jpeg compression add the level number. There is also a
button for pushing Adpro forward so you can see what its set for.

Step2: BP has the ability to rename your files before saving them.  This is
done in the NameIN and NameOUT lines.  Any string inputted into the NameIn
line will be removed from the file name and the NameOut string will be
inserted.  Example: put "PIC." in the NameIn and put "ViolinJPEG." in the
NameOut line.  When the directory is loaded, an automatic name conversion
will be done on the output filenames. If nothing is in the NameIn line,
nothing will be done.  

Step3: Select an input directory by either typing in the path to it in the
Input Directory Path line or clicking on the button labelled Input dir.  Do
not specify any file name, just directories. BP will then load the
filenames it finds at that path, and make converted filenames based on your
NameIn and NameOut selections.  Select a path where the converted files
should go with the Output File Directory line or Output Dir button.  To
view/edit the lists, click on the View/Edit Filelists button.  You will see
a Hires-Interlace screen showing the input files on the left and the
resulting names on the right.  IMPORTANT:  BP always works on a one for one
name basis.  If you mess with the order delete names, do it on both sides.
Example, number 10 in the left list becomes number 10 in the right list.
If you delete number 8 on the left and not on the right, I can't be
responsible for the misnumbering that will result.  These features on the
bottom, like sort, delete, update, are for power users, use them at your
own risk.

Step4: Time for coffee.  Click back to the main files menu, check your
settings, hit Begin Conversion.  The BP screen will get real small on
Workbench to save memory.  It will show READY.  You have 2 buttons, ENGAGE
and STOP.  Hit engage to start the conversion, a small status display will
show you which file Adpro is processing.  To stop the process, click once
on the STOP button, it will stay high-lighted. Once Adpro finishes saving,
the process will stop. To restart, click the STOP toggle to un-hightlight
it and click engage.  This is not a pause (next version), this will start
from the beginning.

Enjoy, I hope this saves some time and effort.

Matt Shaw 

Future:
Next release version of BatchPro will have some really nice enchancements.
You will be able to do almost any combination of available Adpro operations on
the files before saving.  I have this mostly done, but am ironing out the
bugs.  I have also added a load configuration section so one doesn't have
to keep setting everything on every run.