No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/STFORMAT/STF09.MSA/SIDE_2_MANUAL_MAN_28

Text File | 1985-11-19 | 12KB | 402 lines

          Mode Descriptions

               Overview
    The basic modes are selected from
the block of 18 options located in the
top left of the Main Menu. Attributes
concerning these modes are mostly found
on appropriate Specboxes and also on
some of the 'static' options on the
Main Menu. Following shortly will be
detailed descriptions of how to use
each of the modes and all the options
which affect their output.
    Before that, however, it is
necessary to explain the general
aspects and procedures for using the
modes...
...naturally, you use the modes on the
work screens. On the whole, the left
mouse button is used to plot something,
whether it be a drawing primitive eg.
Mark or Sprite etc., or setting an
'elastic band'. The right button is
normally used to cancel an option such
as the last 'elastic band' point to be
set.
    Some of the modes will obviously be
easier to explain than others. In any
case it will be more self-explanitory
to try each of them out with the
various combinations of attributes to
see exactly what is possible. During
the explanations you will see the
letters 'L' and 'R' enclosed in
brackets (like so: (L) or (R). These
refer to which mouse button (Left or
Right) you must use to carry out a
function just, or about to be,
described in the text.

             Elastic Bands

    Elastic bands are simple skeletons
of where, say, a line is to be drawn.
In the case of a line, you must firstly
set a start point (left button). Then,
by moving the mouse about, you will see
the most simple kind of elastic band.
Basically, they are markers to show you
where the final pixels will be plotted.
Don't worry about them messing up your
picture - they wont, they-re just there
for a guide. You will find lots of
different elastic band shapes on Canvas
by using the various modes.

               Arc Mode

    An Arc is part of an elliptic
shape. Therefore the first input to be
made is where the centre of the ellipse
should be (L). An elastic ellipse will
then appear. Now you must select the
shape of the ellipse you want (L). You
will then see a line from the centre of
the ellipse to the perimeter. This line
marks the beginning (furthest
anit-clockwise) point of the Arc you
want. Move the cursor around the centre
then select the desired point (L). The
same procedure is then needed to select
the other end of the Arc (L). The Arc
is then drawn. Right button Cancels the
option at any time during the
procedure.
    The attributes which affect the
output of Arc are: Colour (MM), Rainbow
(MM), All Line Attributes (LS), Write
Mode (OS), and Regular (MM).

              Block Mode

    Block Mode is by far the most
complex mode since there are so many
ways of using it!  With the exceptions
of Outline, Replace, Swap, Cut, Copy
and Pattern, all Block Modes must first
have an image (rectangular portion of a
work screen) placed in a copy buffer.
Blocks can be of any size up to a whole
screen. To place something into the
buffer you must use the Cut or Copy
modes (the first 2 Block Modes). Then
you may place the image back on a work
screen using some of the other Block
Modes. The following list explains the
modes:

Cut: Select 2 opposite corners of a
rectangular portion of the screen
(L,L). A Bell should sound - this
indicates that the image has been
stored in the copy buffer. The image on
the work screen will then be erased to
the background colour.

Copy: Similar to Cut, except that the
image on the work screen is not
erased.

Paste: On entering the work screen you
will be able to see the current image
in the copy buffer. Move it to the
position on the screen which you want
it to be plotted at and press the left
button. You must release the button
before continuing.

Brush: Same as Paste except that you
needn't release the button. This allows
for a line of images to be drawn
quickly on the screen. Try it!

Outline: By selecting a rectangular
area (same way as Cut) (L,L), the whole
of the area will have a direct outline
performed on it. Note that the image
previously in the copy buffer will not
be affected in any way. The thickness
of the outline produced will depend
upon the Outline option on the Brush
Specbox (when you click on the Outline
Block Mode, the Brush Specbox
automatically comes up). The colour to
be outlined is the colour on the Rep
Colour (on Brush Specbox), and the
outline produced is of the colour on
the main Colour Bar (MM). Note that
pixels will only be plotted where the
background colour occurs.

Replace: Select the area in the same
way as Outline. Clicking on the Replace
Block Mode will automatically bring up
the Brush Specbox from where you must
choose which colour you want to replace
with the colour on the main Colour
Bar.

H-Wrink: Drag the image to a chosen
place (like in paste mode), then press
the left button. You will then be able
to select the width and height of the
wrinkle (L) using the laggy bands. This
mode produces a course (jagged) wrinkle
effect.

V-Wrink: Similar to H-Wrink.

H-Flip: Select the position of the
image (L). The image will then be
flipped.

V-Flip: Similar to H-Flip

H-Sheer: This option allows you to skew
the image horizontally. Select the
position as normal (L), then move the
cursor so that the laggy band is the
shape that you wish the image to be and
press the left button.

V-Sheer: Same as H-Sheer but vertical.

Resize: Select position as normal (L),
then move the laggy bands to the new
size you want and press the left
button. To give you a guide, the size
of the image as it is in the copy
buffer is also shown.

PResize: Similar to Resize, but keeps
the width and height ratios the same on
the new image as on the old one.

Pattern: Select an area in the same way
as Cut (L,L). An arrangement of the
image in the copy buffer will then be
drawn. If the area you selected was
twice as wide and twice as high as the
image in the buffer, then 4 images will
be plotted... and so on. Try it to see
what I mean!

Spin: Select the position as normal
(L). Spin the laggy bands too the
desired angle (any angle can be used)
and press the left button. Spin will be
slower and less accurate on larger
images, so it is best, where possible,
to stick to using this mode only on
small images.

Digit: The image will be scanned in
blocks of the size determined on the
Grid Specbox. The most common colour of
pixel in each block will be used to
draw a rectangle covering all of the
pixels in that block. In artistic
terms, this mode produces a Block Image
output.

Swap: Similar to Replace, except that
as well as all pixels of the main
colour are swapped with the secondary
colour (Brush Specbox) they are also
swapped the other way around.

The Block Modes above which produce an
output on the work screen are affected
by the Write Mode (OS) attribute only.

               Box Mode

    Select a rectangular area of the
screen by using the left buttons and
guiding the laggy bands. Opposite
corners must be selected. The output is
affected by Colour (MM), Rainbow (MM),
Shadow (SHS), Mirror (OS) and Write
Mode (OS). When Solid is OFF the Line
options (LS) also affect it. When Solid
is ON, the Fill Pattern (MM) and
Rounded (MM) options affect it.

              Brush Mode

    Choose which type of Brush you wish
to use and it's Size from the Brush
Specbox. Pressing the left button
allows you to perform whatever function
you selected on the square area around
your cursor.
Fill Pat is affected by the Fill Pat
(MM) Options and Write Mode (OS).
Replace is affected by the Rep Colour
(BRS).
Outline is affected by the Rep Colour
and Outline thickness (BRS).
Smear simply swaps at random the
positions of all the pixels under the
brush.
Swap is affected by Rep Colour (BRS)
All of the Brush modes above are also
affected by Mirror (OS), Shadow (OS),
Rainbow (not Smear) (MM) and main
Colour (not Smear) (MM).

               Draw Mode

    This mode is the most basic mode.
Simply hold down the left mouse button
and move around to draw. The attributes
which affect the output are all the
Line options (LS), main Colour (MM),
Rainbow (MM), Write Mode (OS), and
Mirror (OS).

             Ellipse Mode

    First, select the centre of the
Ellipse (L). Now move the cursor until
the laggy bands are where you want
them. Click The Left button to plot the
Ellipse. The output is affected by
Colour (MM), Rainbow (MM), Regular
(MM), Write Mode (OS), Mirror (OS) and
Shadow (SHS). When Solid is OFF, the
Line options also affect it (LS). When
Solid is ON, the Fill Pat (MM) options
affect it.

               Fill Mode

    Performs a flood fill from a point
selected with the left button. Note
that Solid must be turned ON for any
output to appear. Related attributes
are Colour (MM), Fill Pat options (MM),
and Write Mode (OS).

               Grid Mode

    Select a rectangular area of the
screen using the left button (opposite
corners). A grid will then be drawn
consisting of rectangles of the current
grid size (GS). Other attributes are
Colour (MM), Line options (LS), Rainbow
(MM), Mirror (OS), Write Mode (OS), and
Shadow (SHS).

              K-Line Mode

    First select a start position (L).
Use the laggy band to position the end
point (L to select). A line will be
drawn between the 2 points with the
Line attributes (LS), Write Mode (OS),
Mirror (OS), Shadow (SHS), Colour (MM)
and Rainbow (MM) options affecting it.
The laggy band will now be from the
last point selected. This allows you to
draw joined lines without any fuss.

               Line Mode

    This mode is almost identical to
K-Line, except that the laggy band will
vanish after a line is drawn.
               Mark Mode

    When pressing the left button, the
current Mark is drawn with the size
selected on the Mark Specbox. Other
attributes are Colour (MM), Rainbow
(MM), Write Mode (OS), Shadow (SHS) and
Mirror (OS).

             Polygon Mode

    When 'User-Defined' (POS) is turned
OFF, the procedure to draw a polygon is
the same as for drawing an Ellipse. If,
however, 'User-Defined' is ON, You will
have to select where each of the points
of the polygon are to be (L). The
number of sides is determined from the
Angle & Sides Shifter on the Polygon
Specbox. All attributes are the same as
for Ellipse, except that Rainbow and
Regular have no effect on a
User-Defined Polygon.

               Rays Mode

    Select a point (L), then hold down
the left button while moving the mouse.
You will see that all the lines drawn
go from the current mouse position to
the original point. Attributes are the
same as for K-Line.

             Segment Mode

    Select the Segment in the same way
as Arc. Solid must be ON for an output.
Attributes are Fill Pat options (MM),
Colour (MM), Rainbow (MM), and Write
Mode (OS).

              Spray Mode

    This mode sprays pixels around a
point clicked on by the left button.
The Spray nozzle has the Attributes
selected on the Spray Specbox, Colour
(MM), Rainbow (MM), Write Mode (OS),
Mirror (OS) and Shadow (SHS).

              Sprite Mode

    Press the left button to draw the
current Sprite (SPYS) in the current
Colour (MM). Also affected by Rainbow
(MM), Mirror (OS) and Shadow (SHS).

               Text Mode

    Set the Text Effects, Size and
Angle you want from the Text Specbox.
Use the Left button to choose a
starting point for the text on the work
screen. The mouse cursor will vanish.
Type in some text. <BackSpace> deletes
the last character and <Escape> clears
all the text. Press <Return> to plot
the text onto the work screen. Other
attributes are Colour (MM) and Write
Mode (OS).

               Zoom Mode

    This mode is slightly different
from the other modes in that it does
not alter the work screen while
actually on it!  Drag the box to the
place on the work screen which you wish
to edit, and press the left button. You
will now enter the Zoom Studio Menu
Screen - see appropriate Description.