3D Images/3D Images.iso/programs/amiga/macromaker/macromaker.readme

Text File | 1995-01-12 | 15KB | 434 lines

MacroMaker version 2.0

Introduction

   With the addition of Arexx to the Amiga's operating system, a
very powerful macro language is now at the disposal of the Amiga
user. Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of this, is the fact that
in order to make use of it you must take the time to learn Arexx.
This task is confounded by the fact that each new software product
that implements Arexx support adds a list of new commands to the
language.
    For the graphic artist, animator, desk top publisher one of the
most important program with arexx support is "Art Department Professional".
The arexx support in "ADPRO" gives you the ability to automate your
graphic processing. To make this task easier I created MacroMaker 2.0!
    While this manuel will take you through the workings of MacroMaker
it is in no way going to replace you ADPRO MANUEL! I strongly recommend
you familiarize yourself with both the ADPRO AND AREXX manuals.


Lets get Started:

    When you first load MacroMaker you are greeted by the opening screen.
From here just click the left mouse button to enter the Macromaker program.

    On the left hand side of the MacroMaker Main screen you will see a
column of buttons. These buttons bring up the options you can use to create
your arexx scripts. These options will appear in the window on the right
hand side of the screen in the form of a list. To choose the option just
double click you left mouse button on the option of your choice from that
list. If a window appears and there is a button with the name of that
parameter that button MUST be toggled on in order for that parameter
settings to be inserted into your script. If just the name appears than
that parameter will automatically will be set to the setting shown,
choosing the close gadget will cancel the operation.


The Arexx scripts that are created all will have a break on Control C. In
other words if you wish to stop the script at any time all you have to do
is press the control key and the C key at the same time. This will interupt
the script and cease all activity.



RENDER OPS


Balance

   This brings up a window that allows you to choose the Red, Green, Blue
settings as well as the Contrast, Brightness and Gamma Settings. When you
are satisfied with your choices click you left mouse button on OKAY.

Dither

    This Brings up a window that allows you to choose the dither options
allowed in Adpro.

Palette

    This Brings up a window that allows you to choose the palette options
allowed in Adpro. (Refer to your ADPRO Manuel For Info On Palette Options)

Palette_Load

    This Brings up a requester that allows you to choose a palette to load
into Adpro.

Palette_Save

    This Brings up a requester that allows you to save a palette from Adpro.

Render_Type

    This Brings up a window that allows you to choose how Adpro will render
that image. ie Ham, 16color, Extra Half Bright, etc.

Screen

    This Brings up a window that allows you to choose the screen type Adpro
will use to render the image. ie. Hi-Res, Interlace, Overscan, etc

WB_Palette

    This tells Adpro to use the Work Bench Palette.

Load_As_Portrait

    This tells Adpro to load the Image as a portrait

Load_as_landscape

    This tells Adpro to load the image as a landscape


GET INFO

    Here is one of the more interesting features of MacroMaker. Arexx and
Adpro allows you to as information about an image or settings and place
that information in a variable. You can then use the Variable to create
conditional statements. These Statements will be covered later in the
"IF/Then/Else" Section. Each time you create a variable it will appear in
the "IF THEN ELSE" window along with the value it represents. This is to be
used later in your statements. There are two exposition to this.

OKAY1

    IF you want to inform the user of your arexx script that something went
wrong, you can use the OKAY1 requester. When you double click on OKAY1 a
requester asks you for a message. This message will be displayed when an
error in the preceding command occurs. For example lets say you go to load
a picture and Adpro for some reason cannot load that file. You can have the
requester inform you that this condition has happened. Once you have been
informed and acknowlege the requester the arexx script will exit.

OKAY2

    The OKAY2 requester in Adpro, will allow your script user to choose an
action to take. Here again a requester comes up that allows you to enter
The message you want to display. The script line is typed into the
MacroMaker Edit screen in the lower half. You must then choose the actions
you want to take if the answer is yes, use the Else button and then choose
the action to take if the answer is NO. THIS MUST BE FOLLOWED BY THE WORD
"END"!

USER DEFINED

    This will allow you to create your own Variables and assign a value to
them. You will have a choice of Text, Numeric or conditional.

    A more detailed Description of the If then Else statements are covered
in your Arexx manual.


Loaders


    Here you choose which load format you wish Adpro to use when loading an
Image

Backdrop

    This loader brings up a window that allows you to choose the file size
of the image as well as whether it is color or Grey scale. The four boxes
in the center of the window allow you to set the color of the four
quadrants that Adpro will use to gradiate between.

Backline

    This Loader Brings Up A window That allows you to choose the file size
of the image as well as whether it is color or grey scale. The three boxes
in the center of the window allow you to set the color of the three quadrants
that ADpro will use to gradiate between. Position is the position of the
Middle Color in respect to the start and end colors. Direction is the
Direction of the Color gradiatant.


Framegrabber

    This loader controls the Framegrabber's digitizing capabilities. A
window appears allowing to choose how the Framegrabber will digitize the
image.

IV24

    This Loader brings up a window that allows you to choose where in the
IV24 buffer the image will appear and how much of the image will be loaded
in.



Savers

    This sets the Save format Adpro will use to save your image. In the
case of the Display boards (FC24, A2410, IV24, Etc), You will be given
options that will control that particular board. You MUST Toggle the button
with the Option Name on it to the ON position for that Option to be
inserted in your script.

    For the other Savers you are presented with a window that will allow
you to choose the type of image to save. For Example in the IFF saver you
have the option to save a file as RAW(24bit IFF), Image (Render IFF) or
Screen. The Impluse saver will allow you to save as RGBN (12Bit) or RGB8
(24 Bit).


Operators

    Here is where you choose what to do to your image once it is loaded
into Adpro. When you double click on the operator of choice you are either
given a Window or series of windows asking you for the parameters you wish
to attach to that operator. Again if there is a toggle button for a
parameter, that button MUST be toggled ON for it to take effect.

    Please refer to your ADPRO manual for specific information about the
operators and their parameters.

Colorize Operator

   The Colorize operator follows the syntax of in the adpro manual. The
"OTHER GRAY" is equal to the "F" varable. If you do not select the
"OTHER GRAY" button than the "F" Varable will be assigned -1(pass thru)




Routines


Load_File

    This or course will create the routine to load a file into Adpro. This
is done with Error Checking.

Save_File

    This will create the routine to Save a file from Adpro

Batch_Load_Save

    Here is a very useful feature of MacroMaker! This will create the
routine that will allow you to load a directory of files into Adpro and
save them out to a different directory. When you use this option you are
presented with a Requester asking you for a name to give the operator call.
You Must enter a name into the request with NO SPACES! This is used by the
routine to call the operators to use on each image loaded. You will be
brought to a Operator call screen (very similar to the main screen, but
with some options not available) where you will choose the actions to take
on each of the loaded images.


File_Under_Batch

    This routine will allow you to place a chosen picture under a directory
of files. First a window will appear to name the operator call, next you
are asked for the Left/top, Mix, transparent color of the composted file.
*See Batch_Load_Save*

File_Over_Batch

    This routine will allow you to place a chosen picture under a directory
of files. First a window will appear to name the operator call, next you
are asked for the Left/top, Mix, transparent color of the composted file.
*See Batch_Load_Save*


Render_From_File

    This is a special routine that will load an image in and determine from
the file's width and height what the Image should be render at. For example
if the image is 736x482 it will render the image as Hi-Res, Overscan 16
Colors. If it is 320x400 it will render an image as low-Res, Interlace,
Non-Overscan, Ham. Etc

Compost_New_file

    This Routine will give you the ability to "compost" a new file on top
of the loaded image. You will be given a series of windows that will let
you choose the Left/Top, Transparent Color, Mix that will be used to
compost the image on top of the loaded image.

Dos_Command

    This routine will allow you to enter a DOs Command. Here you can run a
separate program from you arexx script. For example let say you are
creating a script that will take a directory of 24bit images and jpeging
them to save on harddrive space. You can use the dos command to delete the
file once it has been saved as a jpeg file.


MAKEANIM

    This routine allows you to batch process a series of selected frames
using the Getfiles command in adpro. A list is then created in ram: called
filelist which is then used by the public domain utility "MakeAnim".

*NOTE: You must have Makeanim in your c: directory for this routine to
work in Arexx.




FUNCTIONS

    Here is where you can use the user created functions! if you have certain
operations that you will use in your scripts over and over you can create
your own function calls and use them in your scripts. Just double click on the
function you wish to use and it will be inserted in your script.



MAKE FUNC CALL

    When you click on this button You will enter the Function Call Screen.
This screen is the same as all the other screens with the exception of the
ability to do batch file operations. Here you will create actions that you
feel you can use over and over again. You will find I have included two calls
for your to see. DCTV4bitos.rexx (creates DCTV pic 4 bitplanes overscan) and
DCTV3Bitos.rexx(creates DCTV pic 3 Bitplanes Overscan)




Exit ADPRO

    This button inserts the command that will quit ADPRO and remove it from
memory. No other Arexx commands will be Executed after this command.



Execute

    This button inserts the command that will Render the image to the
Render settings set. This command is automatically set in your script but
you may want to use it before the end of a operator call so here it is.


PAUSE

    This will allow you to place a pause in your script in Ticks
      *See your adpro manual for more info on pause*



MAKE SCRIPT

    This button takes you to The MacroMaker Save screen. Here you can
assign you Macro a ADPRO Name. First you choose the Key (ie Shift Key,
Amiga Key, Etc) then the Function Key you wish to assign this script to.
Then just hit the save button. The script is saved to your REXX assigned
directory ready for your use.

The Nameing of Arexx scripts are covered in your Adpro Manual.



Comment Field

    Here you can add your own comments to your scripts. Just type what you
want to appear as a comment and hit return. The comment will be inserted
into your script. Comments can make reading your scripts easier later on if
you forget what they were made to do.



IF THEN ELSE

    Here is where you can create conditional statements so you script can
decide on what to do based on parameters you set up. The IF THEN ELSE
window contains the variables you create with the Get Info commands as well
as RC (Arexx Error Codes) and Adpro_result (Adpro's return results). By
double clicking on the variable you want to use you are presented with a
window that allows you to choose the relation to the variable (ie Equal,
Greater Than, Etc) and the test value in either Numbers, Text or
True/False. Once you have the "IF" statement, you would then determine the
action Adpro will take if the statement is determined to be true. After
which the you must follow the Action with Either an END, ELSE IF, ELSE DO
statement.

Else if

    This command lets you test more than one condition. Place the cursor
over the variable in the "IF THEN ELSE" window and click on the "ELSE IF"
button. This will bring up the Relational window as it did when you double
clicked on the variable. The difference is "ELSE IF" will be inserted
before the condition instead of just "IF". If the "IF" statement is proved
to be false the script will then check for the next condition with the ELSE
IF statement and execute everything afterward if that statement proves to
be true.

Else DO

    If the "IF" condition Proves to be FALSE, The Else Do command will
execute it's commands.

EXIT

    EXIT will stop the arexx script from executing. No other commands will
be sent after this command.

END IF

    This command ends the IF statement and continues on with the rest of
the script. If the statements proves to be false arexx will skip over
everything between the If/ELSE IF and End Commands and execute everything
afterwards.


USE

    This will just insert the variable name. This is just in case you wish
replace a parameter of a command with the variable.




Example


If Var <= 736 THEN DO

ABS_SCALE 640 400

ELSE IF VAR >= 736 THEN DO

ABS_SCALE 320 400

ELSE DO

EXIT

END


    The above script test to see if the variable VAR is "Less Than or Equal
To" 736. If it is it scales the image to 640 x 400. If that statement if
false it then checks to see if the VAR is "Greater Than or Equal to" 736.
If this statement is true it then scales the image to 320x400. If neither
statement proves to be true the Arexx script stops with the Exit Command.

    Notice that the conditional statement ends the END Command. This is
very important. YOU MUST END EACH CONDITIONAL STATEMENT WITH AN "END"!

    Please refer to your Arexx manual for more information about
conditional statements.


    I hope this program becomes useful to you in creating your own arexx
scripts. I wrote this in such a way that it will be easy to upgrade as more
features are added to ADPRO.