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E G A C O L O R I N G B O O K REFERENCE MANUAL Shareware Version 1.0 David C. Swope 3753 Tango Drive North Bend, OH 45052 This manual and the EGA COLORING BOOK program are (C) Copyright 1990 by David C. Swope All rights reserved ------------------------- INTRODUCTION -------------------------- EGA COLORING BOOK is a computer coloring book. It allows children to use over 500 colors and patterns to color the pictures. Children, age 3 and up, will enjoy bringing the pictures to life with color. Very young children will need adult assistance to use this program. EGA COLORING BOOK will only work on EGA or VGA equipped systems. In addition, the display adapter must have at least 128K of display memory. Use of a mouse input device is optional but recommended. ---------------------------- LICENSE ---------------------------- EGA COLORING BOOK is NOT public domain or free software. This program is distributed as "Shareware". EGA COLORING BOOK is (C) Copyright 1990 by David C. Swope. All rights reserved. The owner of EGA COLORING BOOK, David C. Swope, permits the copying and transfer of the SHAREWARE VERSION of the EGA COLORING BOOK program to others, under the following conditions: 1. No fee shall be charged for copies of any portion of the EGA COLORING BOOK program, its documentation, or other information contained on the EGA COLORING BOOK diskette. A charge for the copying service and media is allowed as long as this charge does not exceed $8.00. 2. The recipient receives an unmodified copy of all the EGA COLORING BOOK files, including this document. 3. Any copy of EGA COLORING BOOK transferred to another may contain only the seventeen files listed here: ECB.EXE, ECBMAN.DOC, ECBTITLE.001, ECBTITLE.002, ECBFONT.000, ECBCOLOR.DAT, ECBPALC1.DAT, ECBPALC2.DAT, ECBPALC3.DAT, ECBPALC4.DAT, ECBPALC5.DAT, ECBPALT.DAT, JUNGLE.PIC, SEASHORE.PIC, UNDERSEA.PIC, DUCKPOND.PIC and SHIP.PIC. Additional files which are supplied to registered users may not be transferred to others without the written consent of the author. Any copy of EGA COLORING BOOK sold or copied in such a manner as to violate the above conditions shall be subject to a royalty fee of $50.00. The author encourages the copying and transfer of the program to others so that it may be evaluated by as many interested users as possible. After the evaluation period, it is expected that the users either register their copy of the program or discontinue using it. ------------------- REGISTRATION INFORMATION -------------------- The cost of user registration is $16.00. This registration fee provides you with the following benefits: 1. It licenses you to operate the EGA COLORING BOOK program on any computer at a single location. You may have copies on more than one computer as long as there is no possibility of it being used in more than one place at the same time. You may make copies of the EGA COLORING BOOK commercial version for backup purposes only. 2. It provides you with a set of 10 additional pictures to be used with the EGA COLORING BOOK program. It will also provide you with the commercial version 1.0 of EGA COLORING BOOK. 3. It will put you on the mailing list to receive information about additional picture sets and EGA COLORING BOOK updates when they become available. The additional picture sets and updates will only be available to registered users. They will not be included in future shareware versions of the program. It is planned to release the pictures in sets of 15 at a cost of $10.00 per set. Mailings will also inform you when other programs by the author are released. 4. It will provide you with information on how to report problems or get assistance from the author. Educational institutions may reduce the registration fee to $12.50 if five or more registrations are purchased. If more than one registration is purchased then only one copy of EGA COLORING BOOK will be mailed. The user may make the additional copies of the EGA COLORING BOOK diskette. Students may be given copies of the program for home use as long as the rules outlined in the LICENSE section are followed. Remember that only the shareware version may be copied and given to others. I encourage you to support the "Shareware" method of software distribution by becoming a registered user. Every registration received will help convince the author to produce more pictures and to enhance this program in other ways. A registration form is provided at the end of this document. Whether or not you decide to register your copy of the program, the author would like to receive your comments and constructive criticism on the program. These same comments will also be used when designing other children's programs in the future. -------------------------- DISCLAIMER --------------------------- EGA COLORING BOOK is supplied as is. No representation of any kind is made as to the use and/or suitability of this program for any purpose. David C. Swope assumes no liability for any damages direct or consequential, which may result from the use of this program. The author of EGA COLORING BOOK reserves the right to update the contents of the EGA COLORING BOOK program and its associated documentation at his discretion and without the consent of or any obligation to any registered users. ---------------------- REQUIRED EQUIPMENT ---------------------- EGA COLORING BOOK will run on most IBM or compatible computers with EGA or VGA graphics capability (with 128K or more of video memory), at least 256K of RAM (at least 199,900 bytes of free RAM after DOS and all TSR programs are loaded), PC-DOS or MS-DOS 2.1 or greater and one disk drive. A hard disk and mouse are optional. However, use of a mouse is recommended. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. PC-DOS is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation. ------------------------ GETTING STARTED ------------------------ Before attempting to use the EGA COLORING BOOK program, please make a backup copy of the EGA COLORING BOOK diskette. Consult your DOS manual for instructions on performing this procedure. The EGA COLORING BOOK program will write color data files to the current directory during operation. Therefore, be sure to keep a backup copy of the original disk. Also, the disk that EGA COLORING BOOK is being run from must not be write protected. If your system includes a mouse input device, then the mouse driver must be installed before the EGA COLORING BOOK program is run. Consult your mouse user's guide for instructions on loading the mouse driver. EGA COLORING BOOK will only operate in one graphics mode: 640 X 350 16 colors VGA or EGA adapter. In order to run the EGA COLORING BOOK program the picture and support files must be in the current directory so they can be used by the program. The necessary files are described below. ECB.EXE The EGA COLORING BOOK program. ECBMAN.DOC This document. ECBTITLE.001 Title screen data. ECBTITLE.002 ECBFONT.000 Graphics text font. ECBCOLOR.DAT Palette data. ECBPALC1.DAT ECBPALC2.DAT ECBPALC3.DAT ECBPALC4.DAT ECBPALC5.DAT ECBPALT.DAT JUNGLE.PIC Picture data. SEASHORE.PIC UNDERSEA.PIC DUCKPOND.PIC SHIP.PIC The EGA COLORING BOOK program will create files with the same names as the picture data files but with the extension "COL". These files contain data which describes how you last colored the picture. Since the EGA COLORING BOOK program writes these files, the disk that you are running the program from must not be write protected. All but one of these files must be located in the same directory. The file which is not needed is: ECBMAN.DOC. To install the program on a hard disk, simply copy all needed files (see above) to a single directory on the hard disk. To run the program, set the current directory to the directory in which the files are located. Type "ECB" (do not type the quote characters), and press the <ENTER> key. After the program is loaded, a title page will appear. When you are ready to begin the program, press any key. -------------- USING THE KEYBOARD MOUSE SIMULATOR --------------- If your computer system does not include a mouse input device then it will be necessary for you to read this section. If you have a mouse then you can skip this section. This section describes how to use the KEYBOARD MOUSE SIMULATOR to imitate real mouse input. It does not describe how that input affects the EGA COLORING BOOK program. Please refer to the USING EGA COLORING BOOK section for that information. If EGA COLORING BOOK does not detect the presence of a mouse driver, then it will use the KEYBOARD MOUSE SIMULATOR. All mouse functions needed by the program are provided by the simulator. THE MOUSE CURSOR The simulator's mouse cursor is an arrow. It is similar to the real mouse cursor, but smaller. The cursor was made smaller to provide for fast cursor movement. MOVING THE MOUSE CURSOR <up arrow> - move up. Remember that use of <down arrow> - move down. these keys on the <left arrow> - move left. numeric keypad will <right arrow> - move right. require <Num Lock> <Home> - move up and left. to be turned off. <PgUp> - move up and right. <PgDn> - move down and right. <End> - move down and left. Pressing these keys alone will cause the mouse cursor to move a distance which corresponds to the current mouse movement increment (this will be explained in a moment). If the <SHIFT> key is held and these keys are pressed, then the mouse cursor will move one pixel in the selected direction. In addition, if the <SHIFT> key is held and the <5> key on the numeric keypad is pressed, the mouse cursor will jump to the center of the screen. The speed of mouse cursor movement is controlled by the current mouse movement increment. Currently two speeds are provided. If the "+" key is pressed, then the increment will be large and the mouse cursor can be moved quickly. If the "-" key is pressed, then the increment will be somewhat smaller causing the mouse cursor to move more slowly. Typically, the user will toggle between the two speeds depending on how far the mouse cursor must be moved. Remember to use the <SHIFT> key if small adjustments to the mouse cursor position are required. PRESSING THE MOUSE BUTTONS The simulator imitates a two button mouse. To click the left mouse button, press the <Ins> key, the <ENTER> key or the <SPACEBAR>. To click the right mouse button, press the <Del> key. -------------------- USING EGA COLORING BOOK -------------------- EGA COLORING BOOK is very easy to use. Before we get into the details, I would like to make some general comments about the mouse cursor. 1. While you are moving aroung the screen, you will notice that the mouse cursor will change depending on the current screen location. It changes so that it will always point toward the nearest corner of the screen. This allows you to easily point to any screen location. 2. The mouse cursor hotspot is at the very tip of the arrow's point. The hotspot is the actual screen position you are clicking on when you press the left mouse button. 3. At some points in the program, the mouse cursor will be restricted to a portion of the screen. This is true when making a menu selection or a new picture selection. 4. The phrase "Click the left mouse button on the command target ..." means to move the mouse cursor so that the hotspot is over the command target on the screen and then press and release the left mouse button. After starting the program and pressing a key at the title screen prompt, EGA COLORING BOOK will display a picture. If this picture has been previously colored, the program will use the coloring data (stored in the .COL file) to recolor the picture. When the recoloring step has been completed, the command entry area (referred to as the CEA for the remainder of this document) will be displayed over the left side of the picture. THE COMMAND ENTRY AREA (CEA) The CEA is a rectangular shaped box. The lower four fifths of this area is dedicated to displaying the active color palette. The top portion contains command targets. The available commands are described below. MOVING THE COMMAND ENTRY AREA 1. In the upper right corner of the command entry area is a command target that has arrows pointing left and right. Clicking the left mouse button on this command target will move the CEA to the opposite side of the screen. This is useful to move the CEA out of the way when coloring. Pressing the <F10> key is a keyboard shortcut for this command. 2. Clicking the right mouse button at any time will toggle the display of the CEA. If the CEA is currently displayed, pressing the right mouse button will remove it from the screen. If the CEA is not currently displayed, pressing the right mouse button will put it back on the screen. This is useful to completely remove the CEA when coloring areas that extend behind the CEA or when you want to view your finished picture. Pressing the <F9> key is a keyboard shortcut for this command. SELECTING THE ACTIVE COLOR PALETTE Just above the display of the active color palette in the CEA are five command targets that contain colors made of various combinations of black and white. These command targets select the active color palette. When the program begins running, the default active color palette corresponds to the second command target from the left. Clicking on these command targets will change the active color palette and display the new set of colors available in the bottom of the CEA. The keys <F1> through <F5> are shortcuts for selecting the active color palette. The <F1> key corresponds to the leftmost command target and the <F5> key corresponds to the rightmost command target. Note that the "solid" colors appear in all five color palettes. You will need to experiment with these command targets until you become familiar with the colors available in each palette. SELECTING THE ACTIVE CRAYON COLOR Clicking the left mouse button on the desired color in the active color palette will make that color the active crayon color. The active crayon color is indicated by a white outline around the selected color's box in the active color palette display. THE "OOPS" COMMAND As you color the picture, EGA COLORING BOOK remembers how you have colored it. It keeps a list of "color commands" in memory. Clicking the left mouse button on the "OOPS" command target will undo the last color command. This is useful if you accidentally color an area that was previously colored. Clicking on the "OOPS" command target will restore the area to its previous color. You may use the "OOPS" command any number of times in a row. It will always undo the last color command on the list and then remove that command from the list. If the list is empty, then you will hear the error beep and no action will be performed. NOTE: If the CEA is on the screen when the "OOPS" command is requested it will be removed before the color of the area is restored. After the color of the area is restored, the CEA will then be displayed again. There are two shortcuts for the "OOPS" command. If you have a three button mouse, clicking the middle button at any time has the same effect as clicking the left mouse button on the "OOPS" command target. Also, pressing the <O> key is the keyboard shortcut for this command. You may use these two shortcuts for the "OOPS" command even if the CEA is currently not on the screen. THE "MENU" COMMAND Clicking the left mouse button on the "MENU" command target will cause the top portion of the CEA to be replaced with six new command targets. The use of these command targets is explained below. Pressing the <M> key is the keyboard shortcut for this command. You may use the keyboard shortcut to invoke the "MENU" command even if the CEA is currently not on the screen. THE "ERASE" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "ERASE" command target if you want to erase the colors from your picture. You may also invoke the "ERASE" command by pressing the <E> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "ERASE" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must invoke the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "ERASE" command. When this command is selected, you will be asked "Do you really want to erase the picture?". If you want to continue with the erasure then click the left mouse button on the "YES" command target. Click the left mouse button on the "NO" command target to abort the erase command. The keys <Y> and <N> may be used to indicate a yes or no response. THE "QUIT" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "QUIT" command target if you want to quit the program. You may also invoke the "QUIT" command by pressing the <Q> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "QUIT" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must invoke the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "QUIT" command. When this command is selected, you will be asked "Do you really want to quit?". If you want to exit the program back to DOS then click the left mouse button on the "YES" command target. Click the left mouse button on the "NO" command target to abort the "QUIT" command. The keys <Y> and <N> may be used to indicate a yes or no response. THE "PICTURE" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "PICTURE" command target if you want to select a different picture to color. You may also invoke the "PICTURE" command by pressing the <P> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "PICTURE" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must invoke the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "PICTURE" command. When this command is selected, you will be presented with a list of pictures to pick from. The desired picture can be selected by clicking the left mouse button on the picture's command target or by pressing the key on the keyboard that is indicated on the left side of the command target (keys <A> through <M>). The very last command target on the bottom of the screen will be -NO CHANGE-. You should click the left mouse button on this command target or press the <N> key on the keyboard if you change your mind and want to keep the same picture you have been using. If there are more pictures available than can fit on the screen (which will be the case if you register!), then the second last command target will be -MORE-. You can click the left mouse button on this command target or press the <M> key on the keyboard to provide a list of more pictures to select from. If you select a new picture and that picture has been previously colored, then EGA COLORING BOOK will "recolor" the picture after it is loaded. You may then erase the colors from the picture or continue coloring where you left off last time. THE "MODE" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "MODE" command target if you want to change the mode of the CEA display. You may also invoke the "MODE" command by pressing the <M> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "MODE" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must invoke the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "MODE" command. When this command is selected, you will be asked "Should the palette disappear after a color selection?". If you would like the CEA (including the color palette display) to disappear after each color selection then click the left mouse button on the "YES" command target. If you do not want the CEA to disappear after a color selection then click the left mouse button on the "NO" command target. The keys <Y> and <N> may be used to indicate a yes or no response. If you select the "YES" command target, then the CEA will be removed from the display each time you select a new color to use. When in this mode, either the right mouse button or the <F9> key must be used to restore the CEA to the screen in order to make a new color selection. THE "RECOLOR" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "RECOLOR" command target when you would like the picture to be erased and recolored. You may also invoke the "RECOLOR" command by pressing the <R> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "RECOLOR" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must invoke the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "RECOLOR" command. This command was included for two reasons. The first reason is that during the recoloring, redundant color data is removed from the "color command" list. The other reason is that my three year old daughter likes to watch the "computer" color the picture. The EGA COLORING BOOK may automatically execute this command if the color command list becomes too large to fit in memory. This should only happen if you color a lot of areas that have already been colored before. If this should happen, the program will put a message on the screen before it begins the "recoloring process". The message will ask you to press a key when ready. After you press a key, the program will begin the "recoloring process". The only problem caused by recoloring is that the "OOPS" command will not restore an area's previous color any longer (the area will be colored white). This is because the "RECOLOR" command has determined that the previous coloring of an area was redundant and has removed it from the "color command" list. The "OOPS" command will operate properly for any new "color commands" added to the list after the recoloring process has completed. THE "CANCEL" COMMAND Click the left mouse button on the "CANCEL" command target if you want to cancel the "MENU" command. You may also invoke the "CANCEL" command by pressing the <C> key on the keyboard. Using the keyboard shortcut for this command will only work when the "CANCEL" command target is on the screen. In other words, you must have invoked the "MENU" command prior to requesting the "CANCEL" command. When this command is selected, the "MENU" command will be cancelled and the top portion of the CEA will be restored. COLORING THE PICTURE Once you have selected the desired color, you can then "color" an area of the picture. To color an area, simply move the mouse cursor to point at the desired area and click the left mouse button. You may color over an area that has already been colored. If the mouse cursor is pointing at the outline of an area (the black lines making up the picture) when the mouse button is clicked, then you will hear the error beep and no coloring will be done. Each time you color an area the "color command" is added to the list in memory. Eventually, this list may become full if you color a lot of areas that have already been colored. Please see the description of the "RECOLOR" command above for information about this situation. ---------------------------- SUMMARY ---------------------------- Happy coloring! Thank you very much for evaluating EGA COLORING BOOK. I hope to hear from you soon. EGA COLORING BOOK REGISTRATION FORM (please print) NAME _________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ________________________________ STATE ________________ ZIP ______________ TYPE OF COMPUTER (PC, XT, AT, etc.) _________________________________________________________________ DISPLAY ADAPTER (VGA, EGA, etc.) _________________________________________________________________ HOW DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR COPY OF EGA COLORING BOOK (Friend, BBS, etc. - If BBS please indicate the name) _________________________________________________________________ Unit Qty Price Total ___ EGA COLORING BOOK registration(s) $16.00 _____________ If 3 1/2" disks are required then add additional media cost $1.50 _____________ Outside US orders add additional shipping cost $7.50 _____________ Ohio residents only - 5.5% sales tax _____________ Total _____________ All prices are in USA currency only. Make checks payable to David C. Swope. Please send this form and your registration fee to: David C. Swope 3753 Tango Drive North Bend, OH 45052 Please write comments or suggestions on the back of the form. Thank you very much.