Frozen Fish 1: Amiga/FrozenFish-Apr94.iso/bbs/alib/d8xx/d888/mainactor.lha/MainActor/Docs/MainActor.Doc

Text File | 1993-07-16 | 28KB | 844 lines

MainActor Documentation, 1993 Markus Moenig
-------------------------------------------

Content
-------

  Introduction

   1.1 Disclaimer
   1.2 Credits
   1.3 Introduction to MainActor
   1.4 Features of MainActor

  The Menus

   2.1 The Project Menu
   2.2 The Text Buffer Menu
   2.3 The Miscellaneous Menu
   2.4 The Arexx Menu
   2.5 The Windows Menu

    The Windows

     3.1 The Project Windows
     3.2 The Project Control Panel Window
     3.3 The Project View Settings Window
     3.4 The System Preferences  Window
     3.5 The MainActor Preferences  Window

1.1 Disclaimer
--------------


  MainActor is shareware. The program may be freely distributed and
  copied, as long as the following conditions are fulfilled:

  -The sales price must not be higher than the cost of an (empty)
   disk plus a nominal copying fee plus costs for shipping. The total
   price must not be higher than 6 US$ or 10 DM.

  -All parts of the program and the documentation must be complete.
   The distribution of single parts is not allowed.

  -MainActor or parts of it must not be sold in combination with
   commercial software or as parts of it.

  -Program and documentation must not be changed in any ways.
   The repacking of this distribution with different packers
   is however allowed.

  -The author is not responsible for misuse, or damage caused
   by MainActor.

  I ask everybody who uses MainActor on a regulary basis to register
  by paying the shareware fee ($50).

  See the Registration.doc file for more info.

  NOTE THIS MANUAL ONLY COVERS THE ENGLISH VERSION, IF YOU RUN MAINACTOR
  ON AN LOCALIZED SYSTEM, THE GADGET AND MENU NAMES MAY DIFFER.


1.2 Credits
-----------


  This package was developed by usage of the following products:

  -Dice, from Obvious Implementation Corp

  -Devpac 3.04, from HiSoft

  -WShell2.0 and Arexx, from Wishful Thinking Corp

  -TurboText from Oxxi

    -MultiTool II from Boris Jakubaschk

    and finally ToolManager from Stefan Becker.

  Thanks for producing high quality software for the best computer around.

  Thanks to all GAMMA and BETA testers, which are:

  Stefan Becker, Klaus Melchior, Boris Jakubaschk, Per Flodin and Joerg Gutzke.

  Special thanks to Sefan Becker for his Amiga knowledge, without
  him this project would not have been become possible.

  Thanks to Norbert Bogenrieder for the icons.


1.3 Introduction to MainActor
-----------------------------


  MainActor is a modular animation package for the Amiga. There exist four
  different kinds of modules

  1) Animation Loaders
  2) Animation Savers
  3) Picture Loaders
  4) Picture Savers

  this can change in the future.

  You can handle up to five projects; every project can have an animation or
  picture loader, as well as an animation or picture saver. This makes it
  possible to convert everything in any ways, the number of
  available modules can be easily upgraded.

  Look at the Modules.Doc for information and the capabilities of the
  different modules included in this release.


1.4 Features of MainActor
-------------------------


  Here is a list of the general features of the modules and MainActor, note
  that some specific features are only possible on specific module types.

  -Intelligent caching/tracking, MainActor can cache your animations and
   picture lists, if you have not enough memory it will directly access
   your data from any device. This makes it for example possible to
   create/edit/play a 400MB animation on your 2MB Amiga.

  -If you run OS 3.0 or higher, you will get an extra speed bonus on
   animations through the use of the new graphics routines.
   For OS2.0/2.1 users there are specific routines in the modules, which
   will give them the best playback speed possible on their system
   (and my knowledge :)).

  -Under OS 3.0 you will get the extra features of showing pictures or
   playing animations in a scrollable, resizable window on your MainActor
   or Workbench screen. The colors will be properly adjusted to your screen
   attributes.

  -The modules have play routines of their own, so it will be possible
   to redirect the input/output of special modules to graphic cards or other
   hardware.

  -The play routines support a timecode per frame option. A Sound Module
   (per frame) option will be there in one of the next releases.

  -MainActor has a totally user reconfigureable GUI. The settings of your
   sessions can be saved, this includes the size/position of windows
   as well as the status of the projects.

  -MainActor has an arexx port, nearly all functions can be accessed through
   it. You can for example scale or dither whole animations on the fly through
   the use of an image processor, scripts are included.

  -MainActor lets you setup and save nearly everything concerning the
   display mode for playing an animation or showing a picture.
   For example you can set the X/Y offsets, the display mode ID
   of your screen (view) and so on.

  -MainActor supports localization.


2  The Menus
------------

  Many of MainActors functions can be accessed through the menus, some
  function can only be accessed through them. When functions belong
  to a certain window, there will be a pointer to the appropiate
  section of the documentation.


2.1 The Project Menu
--------------------


"Open Project"

  will open a new project window. There are five possible
  project windows; if all windows have already been opened, a
  requester will inform you about it. -> "Project Windows"

  The attributes of the project windows will be set, according to the
  defaults selectable in the -> "MainActor Preferences Window".

"Project"

  consists of several submenu items, their functions
  are identical to the gadgets of the -> "Project Control Panel Window"

"Open Prefs"

  will open an asl-requester which lets you choose an MainActor
  Preferences file, saved with one of the two following menu items.

  When you have choosen a prefs file, the display AND all projects and
  their contents will be closed, MainActor will then be reopend with
  the settings of the preferences file.

  NOTE that you can also activate MainActor by simply clicking on the icons
  of the prefs files.

"Save Prefs As ..."

  saves your current setup of MainActor; nearly everything will
  be saved : the projects informations( All view settings,
  the actual project name, the size and position of all windows, the settings
  of the system preferences).

  An icon will be created for the preferences file.

  NOTE, you should save every setup used frequently !

"Save Prefs As Defaults"

  This will save your setup as the default preferences file, which will
  be automatically loaded when you start MainActor.
  The default preferences file is "MainActor:Prefs/Default_Prefs".
  Replace the default by your most used setup.

"Iconify"

  MainActor will be terminated and the MainActor icon will be placed on your
  workbench. If you want to reactivate MainActor, just click on the icon.

"About"

  Gives you some informations of the current version of MainActor.

"Quit"

  Will quit MainActor.

  NOTE, when you have projects loaded, they will be closed automatically.


2.2 The Text Buffer Menu
------------------------


  MainActor uses the -> "Text Buffer Window" for presenting feedback to the
  user.

"Print Buffer"

  Prints the informations stored in the Text Buffer Window.

"Save Buffer As ..."

  Let you choose a file, in which the contents of the Text Buffer Window
  will be saved.

"Clear Buffer"

  Will clear the Text Buffer Window and its buffer.


2.3 The Miscellaneous Menu
--------------------------

  The menu items of this menu will only be accessable when a
  project is loaded in the source project. The "Set Timecode" Item
  will only be activated if an animation project is loaded in the
  Source.

"Select All"

  This item will select all items (==Frames/Pictures) in your source project.

"Select Range"

  A requester will pop up, just enter the start/stop frame for the range of
  items to be selected.

"DeSelect All"

  This item will deselect all Items (==frames/pictures) in your source project.

"DeSelect Range"

  A requester will pop up, just enter the start/stop frame for the range of
  items to be deselected.

"Set Timecode"

  Enter the timecode in the requester which you want to be applied to
  all selected frames in the source project. Remember to hit return
  after you typed a new value into the integer gadget.
  The new timecode will be set immediately.
  All timecodes are entered in 1/60 of a second, MainActor calculates
  the right timecode for your vertical beam frequency itself.


2.4 The Arexx Menu
------------------


  Look at the Arexx.Doc for more informations of MainActors Arexx capabilities.

"Start Arexx Script"

  Will let you choose an Arexx script, which will then be executed.


2.5 The Windows Menu
--------------------


  This menu will let you open/close the different MainActor windows
  by simply selecting the desired Menu Item.


3 The Windows
-------------


  All windows, except the project windows, can be opened/closed
  using the windows menu.


3.1 The Project Window
----------------------


  A new Project Window will be opend by selecting the "Open new Project" Item
  in the Project Menu.

  You can open up to five Project Windows, the number of your Project Window
  will be displayed in the title bar, in front of the project name, like
  "1: HAM8_Animation". If no project is loaded, the title is "Unused Project".

  If you have loaded a project, you can find further informations about it
  in the screens title bar (when the Project Window is activated).
  (CPF stands for Color per Frame, CPA for Color per Animation).

  The Project Windows are mainly controlled by the ->"Project Control Panel"
  Window.

  The first Gadget is the

"Project Mode Gadget"

  Depending on your projects mode, it will be labeled "Source Project",
  "Destination Project" or "DeActivated Project".

  -The Source Project

   You can only have one source project. This is the project on which all
   actions from the -> "Project Control Panel" will be executed. The gadgets
   of the Project Control Panel and the Project View Settings will be
   setup, according to the source project.

  -The Destination Project

   This is the project into which all selected data from the source project
   will be appended through the "Append" gadget of the Project View Settings
   Window.

   There can only be one Destination Project.

  -The DeActivated Projects

   These projects are waiting to be switched into the source or destination
   mode. There can be more than one DeActivated Project.


  You can change the project mode by clicking on the Project Mode Gadget,
  for example if you click on the source projects "Project Mode Gadget",
  it will changed into the destination project and the former destination
  project will changed into the source project.

  If you click on a DeActivated Projects "Project Mode Gadget", it will
  change into the source project.

  If only one Project Window is open, you cannot change the "Project Mode
  Gadget".

  NOTE that everytime you switch on the source project, the gadgets in the
  "Project Control Panel" and the "Project View Settings" Window
  will be adjusted to the settings of the new source project.

"Caching"

  This is a simple toggle gadget. If it is checked, it means that your
  Project is cached or is going to be cached in Ram.

  If you have not enough Ram, you will have to disable it. That means that
  for example animations will be directly played from your harddisk, which
  will be much slower than playing them directly from Ram.

  Note that you can only toggle the status of the "Caching" gadget when
  the project window is unused. As soon as you load a project, it will
  become 'ghosted'.

"Select Load Module"

  When clicking on this Button Gadget, a requester will appear in which
  you can select the loader module.

  The cycling gadget in the requester will let you switch between "Picture
  Loaders" or "Animation Loaders".

  When hitting the "Load" Gadget in the "Project Control Panel" Window,
  MainActor executes the animation/picture loader you have selected for
  the source project.

  For further informations look at the "Load" gadget of the "Project Control
  Panel".

  The name of the current loader module becomes visible in an text gadget directly
  under the "Select Load Module" gadget. Next to the name is a small recessed
  box with an "A" or "P" in it. They stand for "A"nimation or "P"icture loader.

  Note that the "Select Load Module" gadget will be ghosted as soon as you
  load a project.

"Select Save Module"

  When clicking on this Button Gadget, a requester will appear in which
  you can select the saver module.

  The cycling gadget in the requester will let you switch between "Picture
  Savers" or "Animation Savers".

  When hitting the "Save" gadget in the "Project Control Panel" Window,
  MainActor executes the animation/picture saver you have selected for
  the source project.

  For further information look at the "Save" gadget of the "Project Control
  Panel".

  The name of the current saver module you see in an text gadget directly
  under the "Select Save Module" gadget. Next to the name is a small recessed
  box with an "A" or "P" in it. They stand for "A"nimation or "P"icture saver.

  Note that the "Select Save Module" gadget will only be accessable when
  a project is loaded.

"The Scrolling Frames/Picture List"

  This scroll gadget, will let you choose the frames or pictures you want to
  execute a certain operation on.

  If you have an animation loader for this project window, the scroll list
  will show you the numbered Frames of the Animation with their timecodes.

  If you have a picture Loader, the scroll list will show you the names of the
  pictures you have loaded without their Path.

  Just (de)select the frame/picture by clicking on its text. The scroll list
  will automatically scroll up/down if you select an item at the border.

  At the ->"Main Actor Preferences" Window you can select, how many items
  shall be displayed in the scroll list. You can also select a special
  Font for it. (The default is Topaz 8 for the font and 8 for the number
  of items who shall be visible).


3.2 The Project Control Panel Window
------------------------------------


  This window executes its functions on the actual Source Project Window.

"Load"

  If you have an animation loader selected for the source project, an
  qequester will appear in which you have to select an animation of
  the appropiate type.

  If you have an picture loader selected, the first requester will
  ask you about the first Picture, after selecting this
  picture the second qequester will ask you about the last picture.
  MainActor will now alphabetically sort the pictures and load them.
  For example, if you have a picture list:
  Amiga_Pic.00001
  Amiga_Pic.00002
  .
  .
  Amiga_Pic.00155

  and select Amiga_Pic.00055 in the first requester and Amiga_Pic.00100 in the
  next, all pictures from Amiga_Pic.00055 to Amiga_Pic.00100 will be loaded.
  The second requester is optional, that means you can abort it by clicking
  on "Cancel" if you just want to load one picture.

  The "Load" gadget is only available if you have not loaded a project into
  the source project yet.

"Unload"

  Is the gadget directly under the "Load" gadget. It will unload the current
  project of the source project.
  It is only available when you have loaded a project in the source project.

"Play"

  Is next to the "Load" gadget. It is only available when you have loaded
  an animation project in the source project.

  If you play your animation on a screen, there are two routines available.
  MainActor checks automatically if you run an OS Version lower than
  OS 3.0 and will play it the old fashioned way. If you have OS 3.0 or
  higher you will profit from the new double buffering routines.

  The following keys can be used to control the playing of the animation:

  ESCAPE OR A MOUSEBUTTON will abort playing the animation

  SPACE will stop playing the animation. While the animation is stopped
  you can use the TAB key to flip to the next frame.

  RETURN will enable the timecodes you see in the scroll list of the
  source project and which you can change (These timecodes are default).

  The cursor keys scroll the display, the offset changes will be shown in
  the "Project View Settings Window".

  The function keys are used to set the frame rate (and override the defaults,
  you can reactivate them by pressing RETURN).

  Funtion Key                            Framerate

  F1                                     1  /60 Second
  F2                                     2  /60 Second
  F3                                     3  /60 Second
  F4                                     4  /60 Second
  F5                                     5  /60 Second
  F6                                     10 /60 Second
  F7                                     20 /60 Second
  F8                                     40 /60 Second
  F9                                     60 /60 Second
  F10                                    120/60 Second

  If you have activated the "Frame Info" option in the ->"View Settings
  Control Window", you can cycle the color of the info text using
  the buttons "N" and "M" up and down.

  Note that the animation will be played according to the settings of
  the ->"Project View Settings" Window.

"Show"

  Is the gadget under "Play". It will display all the frames/pictures you have
  selected in the source projects scroll list.
  This gadget is available for both animation and picture projects.

  The following keys can be used to control the showing of the pictures:

  ESCAPE OR A MOUSEBUTTON will abort showing the pictures.

  SPACE  will show the next pictures you have selected

  The cursor keys scroll the display, the offset changes will be shown in
  the "Project View Settings" Window.

  Note that the frames/pictures will be shown according to the settings of
  the ->"Project View Settings" Window.

"Save"

  Is the gadget next to "Play".

  If you have an animation saver activated in your source project, it will
  ask you about the name of the new animation. Then it will build up the new
  animation in the appropriate animation Format. It will only save the
  frames you have SELECTED in the source projects scroll list. If you
  just want to convert or resave the animation, you have to select all
  the frames in the scroll list.

  If you have a picture saver activated in your source project, a requester
  will appear in which you have to select the directory and the base name
  of the Pictures.

  Example, you have activated an animation loader and a picture saver
  and loaded an animation. The animation is called "Example_Anim". Now
  you select the first ten frames of the animation and click on the
  "Save" gadget. In the requester you type "Ram:" for the Directory and
  "Example_Pics" for the Base Name.
  The ten pictures will then be saved as
  Ram:Example_Pics.00001
  Ram:Example_Pics.00002
  .
  .
  Ram:Example_Pics.00010

  This is also valid if you have a picture loader and a picture saver.

  If you have a picture loader and an animation saver, some more
  gadgets will appear and ask you for some specific attributes
  of the new animation: "Palette per Picture" and "Looping Animation".
  If you have an animation loader and saver the saver module
  will only ask, if you want to have a looping animation, the color
  per frame setting will be set according to the source animation.
  (You could change this by executing the "Save" function through
  an arexx script).

  The following combinations are possible:

    Animation Loader and Animation Saver
    Animation Loader and Picture Saver
    Picture Loader and Animation Saver
    Picture Loader and Picture Saver

  In this way, you can easily convert any picture/animation format into any
  picture/animation format.

"Append"

  You can append the frames/pictures you have selected in the source project
  to the destination project. The destination project has to be an animation
  project.

  NOTE, the source projects animation saver has to belong to the
  destinations loader module. (For Example the IFF-Anim5 loader and saver).
  The destination project must NOT to be cached.

  Some Animation Types have to fulfill some other attributes, for example
  the Anim5 format can only append to non-looping animations.
    When you want to append frames to a loop Anim5 animation, just resave it
    and select NO in the loop animation requester, then append the frames.

    If you want to add a loop to a non-looping animation, just append
    two pictures which are identical to the first two, then reload the
    animation.

  Look at the Modules.DOC information about the specific attributes of
  the modules.


3.3 The Project View Settings Window
------------------------------------


  With the "View Settings Window" you can setup the "Show Pictures" / "Play
  Animation" output; it can be set for every project, its content
  will be saved when saving the preferences.

"Frame Info"

  This switch (when activated) will give you informations about the
  current frame while playing animations.
  If playing on a screen you will see the info on the top right edge
  of the screen.
  When you see no info text, use the "M" and "N" keys while playing
  to cycle the color of the info text up and down

  When playing in a window, the windows title text will display the
  infos for the current frame when "Frame Info" is enabled.

"Display Mode"

  This cycle gadget will let you choose between the screen and window
  mode. In the screen Mode the animation/pictures will be shown on
  a screen (view) of its own.

  In the window mode the animation/pictures will be shown in
  a resizeable, scrollable window on your MainActor screen.
  THIS OPTION IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON SYSTEMS RUNNING OS3.0+.
  Note, the more colors the MainActor screen can display
  (->"System Preferences Window"), the better is the dithering of
  your frame/picture. If you show a 256 color picture on a 4 Color
  screen, you will be disappointed by the result.
    The timecodes of the animation will be ignored, the animation
    will be displayed as fast as possible.

"Select Display"

  You can choose the resolution/view mode of your animation/picture
  with this gadget (makes only sense in the screen mode).
  Note, this will override the old value, if you resave the animation/
  pictures, the new value will be saved.

"X/Y Offsets"

  With these two integer gadgets, you can select the offsets for
  showing animations/pictures (again, this makes only sense in the
  screen mode). If you scroll a frame (while playing an animation or
  showing a picture), the values of the gadgets will immediately be set
  up to the new values.


3.4 The System Preferences Window
---------------------------------


  These window will handle everything concerning the outer appearance
  of MainActor.

"Select Font"

  Choose your font for MainActor. This font will then be used for
  all windows, gadgets, menus. Only the list items of the
  project windows will be displayed in a different font, you can select
  it in the ->"MainActor Preferences Window".

  The actual font and its size are displayed beneath the gadget.

  The "Select Font" gadget is not activated when you clone the workbench
  screen (->"Screen Size").

"Select Display"

  ONLY AVAILABLE AT OS 2.1 +

  Choose your display mode for your MainActor screen. The current display
  mode is displayed beneath the gadget.

  This gadget is only activated when

  a) MainActor has a screen of its own

  and

  b) you dont clone the workbench screen (->"Screen Size").

"Use own Screen"

  If enabled, MainActor uses a screen of its own, if not, MainActor
  will use the workbench screen.

"SHANGHAI Windows"

  If enabled, MainActor uses the SHANGHAI public screen mode, that means
  that for example shell windows will automatically pop up on the MainActor
  screen.

  This gadget is only activated when you run MainActor on a screen of its
  own.

"Screen Size"

  You can choose MainActors screen size and its overscan mode with
  this cycle gadget. The screen size of the current mode is displayed
  in the two integer gadgets to the right of the "Screen Size" gadget.
  The screen size depends on the screen mode you selected with the
  "Select Display" gadget.

  "WorkBench"

   Clones the workbench screen properties (screen size, overscan mode, display
   mode, font).

  "Custom"

   Enter MainActors screen size in the two integer gadgets to the right.

  "Standard"

   Use the standard screen size, without overscan ( for Example 640 * 512)
   in Pal: HighRes Interlace).

  "Text Overscan"

   The normal overscan mode the workbench uses.

  "Video Overcan"

   Tries to open as big a screen as possible. Flickers on normal displays
   at the right border.

  "Max Overscan"

   Slightly smaller than the "Video Overscan" mode, but as useless on
   normal displays due to its flicker.


  This gadget is only available when you have enabled the "Use own Screen"
  gadget.

"Palette Size"

  Select the colors of your palette with this gadget. The value left
  to the slider gadget shows the current colors available on your
  MainActor screen.

  This gadget only makes sense if you display pictures or play animations
  in the window mode. More colors == better dithering of your frames/
  pictures. (the window mode is only available under OS 3.0 +).

  This gadget is only activated when

  a) MainActor has a screen of its own

  and

  b) you dont clone the workbench screen (->"Screen Size").

"Use System Preferences"

  If you want to activate the changes you have made to your display,
  just click on this gadget.


3.5 The MainActor Preferences Window
------------------------------------


  This window lets you choose/enter some special MainActor attributes.


"Select Default Load Module"

  Lets you choose the default load module. Everytime you open
  a new project window, the default load module will be the one
  choosen for this new projects load module.

"Select Default Save Module"

  Lets you choose the default save module. Everytime you open
  a new project window, the default save module will be the one
  choosen for this new projects save module.

"Select List Item Font"

  Choose the font for your list items in your project windows,
  this font must have a fixed with, the current font and its
  size are displayed to the right of the gadget, (the default
  is topaz.font 8).

"Number of List Items"

  You can enter how many list items will be displayed in the
  project windows with this integer gadget.

"Use MainActor Preferences"

  When activated will enable the changes made to the MainActor
  preferences.


3.6 The Text Buffer Window
--------------------------


  This window shows and buffers messages for feedback of the user.
  If the window is activated, you can use the cursor up/down
  keys to scroll the text one line up/down.
  Control+cursor up/down will move to the start/end of the buffer.

  You can also use the scrollbar to scroll through the buffer.

  Look at the "Text Buffer Menu" for more functions concerning
  the text buffer.