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**************************************************************************
* *
* TurboPaint *
* *
* Copyright 1992 R. Leinecker *
* SHAREWARE VERSION 2.2 *
* Published by GameBuilder, Box 312-T, Jackson OH 45640 *
* *
**************************************************************************
SHAREWARE NOTICE:
This is a shareware product. If you continue to use this product then you
should register it by sending the registration fee of $25 to GameBuilder,
Box 312-T, Jackson OH 45640.
In return you will receive a registered version of TurboPaint that includes
super VGA, a printed manual, a disk of fonts, a disk of outstanding graphics
for use in TurboPaint, a coupon worth a $10 discount for GameBuilder, and a
FREE animated adventure game. So register today. To print the order form type
PRINTORD to print this documentation type PRINTDOC.
INTRODUCTION
TurboPaint is a high powered, easy to use, painting and drawing program. It
has many of the features that other popular drawing programs have as well as
many unique features.
TurboPaint features all of the popular graphics modes including the MCGA
320x200 256 color mode. TurboPaint will work with a mouse or you can use
keyboard commands.
FILES
The following files are included:
TP.EXE -- this is the actual TurboPaint program.
TP.DOC -- the documentation file.
BDRV.PDT -- this is the printer driver file.
HLV24.GFT --- .GFT are font files of different text sizes and styles.
MIKER.ANM -- This is an animation example.
EGA1.PCX -- this is an EGA picture file.
Also included are files to print and read the documentation: PRINTDOC.BAT,
README.BAT, PRINTORD.BAT, ORDER.DOC and BROWSE.COM.
RUNNING TURBOPAINT
TurboPaint can be run directly from a floppy disk or you can install it on
your hard drive. To begin the program simply type TP and press the Return
key.
You can pass the video mode as a command line argument instead of using the
SETMODE menu. To do this, just type TP VIDEOMODE where VIDEOMODE can be
HERCULES, CGALOW, CGAHIGH, EGALOW, EGAMED, EGAHIGH, MCGA, or VGA.
If the aspect ratio of your mouse is incorrect in low-resolution modes, add /M
to the TP line in the batch file (TP /M). This is required if, for example,
you are drawing a line across the screen and you discover that you have to
move the mouse two pixels for every one pixel drawn. TurboPaint requires 512K
of free memory.
VIDEO MODES
The video modes that TurboPaint supports are Hercules 720x348, CGA 4-color
320x200, CGA 2-color 640x200, EGA 16-color 320x200, EGA 16-color 640x200, EGA
16-color 640x350, and MCGA 256-color 320x200, VGA 16 color 640x480 and Tandy
16 color mode. You must have a graphics card that supports the mode that you
want to use. The registered version supports 640x480x256 colors Super VGA.
It's possible that some EGA cards will work in the lower two EGA resolutions
and not the 640x350 EGA resolution. If you have a Hercules card and another
graphics card installed simultaneously, you can't change video modes from one
to the other while the program is running. You'll need to exit the program and
restart it in the mode that you want to use. Systems that combine video
equipment in nonstandard ways run an incompatibility risk, too.
If an error occurs during the initial program setup, the program will terminate
with a line notifying you of the error. If it occurs during a video mode
change after the program is up and running, an alert box will inform you of
the problem and return you to the previously selected video mode.
FILE FORMATS
TurboPaint supports PCX, LBM (IFF), and GIF file formats. When loading PCX and
IFF files, you must be in the same video mode as the picture file. It's not
necessary to change modes yourself from the menus: the program will look at
the file's video mode before loading it and ask you if you want to change to
the correct video mode. If you answer no, the loading procedure is aborted.
You can load GIF graphics into the current video mode regardless of the mode in
which it was created. The colors will require adjustment for EGA. Graphics
changed to Mono and CGA modes will require touching up.
MOUSE OPERATION
You can select all of the main menu options by moving the cursor to the proper
button and pressing the left mouse button. You are then shown a list of
additional options for the chosen menu item. These may be selected by
clicking the left mouse button. This will sometimes result in an additional
dialog box of choices. A few minutes of experimentation will make you familiar
with these operations.
THE KEYBOARD DRIVER
The keyboard mouse driver is a direct replacement for Microsoft compatible
mouse drivers. It doesn't provide the complete gamut of mouse functions, but
fills the bill for TurboPaint's needs. Thus if you don't have a mouse then
you can use the following keyboard commands to draw with.
To move the mouse, press the cursor (arrow) keys. The driver is ballistic; the
longer a key is pressed, the faster the mouse moves. If your keyboard has two
right-arrow keys (one on the numeric keypad and one elsewhere) use the key on
the numeric keypad.
The equivalent of the left mouse button is the 5 key. To press the left mouse
button, press the 5 key. To unpress the left button, press the 5 key again.
It's not as easy to use as a real mouse because you have to remember to
unpress the button. If the keyboard mouse driver doesn't seem to work
correctly, try pressing the 5 key. The Delete key is equivalent to the right
mouse button. It also needs to be unpressed just as the 5 key or keyboard left
mouse button.
If you're in the drawing window and press the Tab key, the mouse pointer will
jump over to the toolbox. Another press of the Tab key and the mouse pointer
will be back where it was.
To select choices from the main menu you must first press and hold down the
ALT key. You'll notice that the menu will then have a letter highlighted for
each choice. To select that choice hold the ALT key down while pressing the
highlighted letter. You can the use the arrow keys to select you next menu
item.
******************************************************************************
SELECTING A COLOR AND A DRAWING TOOL
******************************************************************************
When the program first runs, you'll see a rectangle to the right side of the
screen that contains icons and rectangles with the drawing colors. These are
called the tool selector and the color palette and are used to select the
drawing tool and color. The tools are as follows: Row 1 Straight line,
Pixels, Irregular lines, airbrush, text, fill, block (scissors), and paste.
Row 2. Unfilled rectangle, filled rectangle, undo, eraser, unfilled circle,
filled circle, filled circle, polygon, and rays.
To select a drawing tool, point to the desired tool and click the left mouse
button. It will be highlighted so that you can see the currently selected
tool. To select a drawing color, point to the desired color and click the left
mouse button. You'll see a wide border around the currently selected drawing
color.
If you're in MCGA mode, only 16 colors are displayed but you can scroll through
all 256 colors. Do this by clicking the right mouse button on either the right
or the left side of the color palette. Clicking on the right side moves to the
right through the palette; clicking on the left moves to the left through the
palette.
You can move the toolbox to the left side or remove it completely if you find
this more convenient. To move or remove the tools, choose the 'Desk' pulldown
menu and select the appropriate entry for the desired action. The F10 key will
turn the menus and toolbox on and off, too. The following section will
describe the use of each drawing tool.
LINES
To draw lines, first select the tool at the top left corner of the tool
selector. Once it's selected and you can see that it's highlighted, you're
ready to draw lines. Begin by pointing the mouse at the starting point of your
intended line and pressing the left mouse button. Make sure that you keep the
left button pressed while you are drawing the line.
Now, with the left button still pressed, move the mouse pointer to where you
want the line to end. Release the left mouse button and your line becomes part
of the picture.
Choose the 'Set' pulldown to find the two line options. To change the line
width, select the menu entry labeled 'Line Width.' A dialog box will appear
that displays the current line width. To increase the width of the line,
click the left button on the line. To decrease it, click the right button on
the line. The maximum width is eight and if you exceed this amount, the
program will return to a width of one. If you decrease the line width past
one, the program will set the line width to eight.
To change the line pattern, choose the entry in the 'Set' pulldown labeled
'Line Style.' A Dialog box will appear with eight line patterns. To choose
one of these, click the left mouse button on it. The line style affects all
line and rectangle operations except the free-hand drawing tool. If you make
a mistake while drawing, you can usually undo it, if you haven't done anything
else. Undo your mistake by pressing Esc.
RECTANGLES
Drawing filled and unfilled rectangles follows a procedure similar to drawing
lines. With the rectangle tool selected, move the mouse pointer to either
the upper left or the lower right corner of the rectangle. While holding the
left mouse button down, move the mouse pointer to where the opposite corner of
the rectangle should be. Release the left mouse button to complete the
rectangle.
If you're drawing with a filled rectangle, you may want to change the fill
pattern. To do this, choose the 'Set' pulldown and select the 'Fill Style'
entry. A dialog box will appear with eight choices. Choose one by clicking on
it with the left mouse button. The fill pattern will apply to all filled
tools.
CIRCLES and ELLIPSIS
To draw a circle or an ellipse, first point to the center of the figure you
want to draw, then press the left mouse button and stretch the shape to the
desired dimension. Moving the mouse in the X and Y directions will stretch the
ellipse in that dimension. Circles will remain perfectly round regardless of
the position of the mouse pointer.
RAYS AND POLYGONS
To draw a set of rays, position the mouse at the origin. Hold down the left
mouse button and move the pointer to the end of the first ray. Keeping the
left button pressed, press the right button to place this ray in the picture.
Now move to the endpoint of the next ray and click the right mouse button. Do
this until all of the rays have been drawn then release the left mouse button.
Only the last ray drawn can be undone.
Drawing polygons is similar to drawing rays. Position the cursor, press the
left mouse button, and move to the first vertex. Click the right mouse button
while pressing the left button. Move to each vertex and press the right
button. Only the last polygon side drawn can be undone.
FILLING
To use the fill tool, position the mouse pointer at the position where you want
to fill. It will continue filling the screen until it meets the selected fill
color. If you try to fill a shape that is not completely closed, the fill tool
will fill the entire screen with the selected color.
PIXELS
There are two tools for drawing pixels. The second tool in the first column of
the toolbox draws a single pixel. The third tool in the first column draws a
set of pixels. To draw a single pixel, select the single pixel tool, position
the mouse pointer, and click the left button.
To draw a set of pixels, select the free-hand drawing tool, and position the
mouse pointer. Hold the left button down as you move the mouse pointer
wherever you want to draw. When you are done, release the left mouse button.
THE AIRBRUSH
The airbrush tool allows you to blend colors and soften edges. To use this
tool, select the airbrush icon in the tool selector. Position the mouse cursor
and hold down the left mouse button. The slower you move the brush, the
thicker the texture appears.
You can change the airbrush attributes. To do this, choose the 'Set' pulldown
and select the 'Airbrush' entry. A dialog box will appear that will let you
set the airbrush size and flow.
CUT AND PASTE
To cut a block, select the scissor tool icon. Position the mouse pointer at
the upper left corner of the rectangle that you want to cut. Hold the left
mouse button down and drag the box until the image you want to capture is
framed by the rectangle. Release the left mouse button and it will be copied
into the clipboard buffer.
There are two options when you cut from the screen. You can copy from the
screen (leaving the screen intact) or you can cut from the screen (removing
the rectangle and the background from the screen). To change options, choose
the 'Set' pulldown and select the 'Block' entry. If you have Remove Block set
to no, the screen won't change when you cut. If it's set to yes ,the portion
of the screen that you cut will be removed.
Once a section has been cut or loaded from disk, it can be pasted on the
screen. Select the paste tool icon and position the cursor. Pressing the left
mouse button will cause the tools to disappear. As long as you hold the left
mouse button down, you can move the block. To place it in the picture, release
the left mouse button.
There is a limit due to memory considerations on the size of the image that you
cut in the higher EGA modes and MCGA. If you cut an image that is larger than
the available memory allows, you'll get a message to that effect.
ENTERING TEXT
To put text in your picture, select the text tool icon. Position the mouse
pointer and click the left button. The tools will then disappear. There are
two ways that you can enter text, free form or formatted.
To enter text in a free form manner, simply type the text. You can move the
mouse anywhere on the screen and the text will follow. This method is good if
you're trying to fit text into a picture.
If you want to enter multiple lines of text, it's better to press the left
mouse button once more where you want the text to start. The mouse will
disappear and a text-type cursor will appear. Type your text and press Enter
at the end of each line. The cursor will then go to the beginning of the next
text line, ready for you to type it in. When you're finished typing, you can
move the text anywhere on the screen. Click the left mouse button to place the
text. Click the right mouse button to exit from text entry.
You can also use different text styles and sizes by loading in other text
fonts. To do this select Load Font from the Extra menu. You will then be given
a list of fonts in the current directory. You can load one or more of these
fonts into memory. Then you can select the Text option from the SET menu
option and choose a different font to use with the Text Tool.
*****************************************************************************
MAIN MENU ITEMS
*****************************************************************************
At the top of TurboPaint's screen you will see a list of main menu items that
can be selected by using the mouse or the ALT key combinations. These
selections are: DESK, FILE, SET, VIDEO, and EXTRA. Each of the main menu items
also has a number of options underneath them. This section will discuss each
option. Each of these options may be chosen by selecting the main menu
choice, and moving to the option using the arrow keys or mouse pointer then
press the enter key or clicking the left mouse button.
DESK
The DESK menu option contains options for erasing pictures, moving the
Toolbox, Quiting TurboPaint, or getting Program information. To use any of
these options simply place the pointer on the button and click or press
return.
FILE
This Main Menu item contains many options for file manipulations and printing.
Pic Type -- used to select the file format of the picture that you wish to
draw. The most popular formats are PCX, LBM, and GIF files.
Load or Save Pic -- are used to load a picture from disk or save a picture to
disk. You are given a screen which lets you choose the disk drive and then
gives you a list of the files that match the current Pic Type.
Load Image -- This feature enables you to load picture images without the
color palette information. The picture will take on the current color palette.
Load Palette -- This lets you load in a color palette from another picture to
replace the palette of the picture you are currently working on.
Delete File --- used to erase files that you no longer need.
Save and Load Animation -- used to save or load an animation file that you
have created using the Animation option from the EXTRA menu. These files are
used in the GAMEBUILDER development system or by experienced programmers.
Save Mask -- this is used to create a mask file for programs created with
GAMEBUILDER or with programs that you have written. A mask file allows special
effects such as enabling an animation to move behind the mask area. A mask
file is created as follows: First draw the picture that you wish to mask in
then save it. Then paint the area you wished masked in black and all other
areas in a color other than black. Then save this as a mask file.
Masked file Format
2 byte integer -- width of screen
2 byte integer -- height of screen
2 byte integer -- Video mode (same as for animation files)
The mask data follows the above codes. Each scan line has a width /8 bytes of
mask data. There are as many scan lines of data as the height of the screen.
Place Pic -- This enables you to position pictures that are larger that are
larger than the screen. This will enable you to display and change a
particular portion of a picture that is larger than TurboPaint's screen
display.
Printer Options -- the last 6 options are used for printing pictures. They
enable you to select the printer port, printer type, orient the picture on the
page, invert the picture, and select the size (scale) of the printed picture.
You'll have to experiment with the picture scaling. For many printers the
default option may be too small. To change the scaling hold down the left
mouse button on the rectangle inside the dialog box. The drag the box to the
size you want. When you are done press Return or click OK.
SET
This Main Menu option is used to set the options for many of the ToolBox
tools.
Airbrush -- Used to select the size and flow of the airbrush.
Block -- used to select the type of block that you want to cut and paste with
the scissors tool.
Colors -- This is used to change the colors that are displayed on the toolbox.
The colors may be changed by moving the slider bars to change the mix of three
primary colors that make up the color you wish to change.
Mirror -- You can cause TurboPaint to mirror all of your drawing in vertical,
horizontal, or both vertical and horizontal directions. To do this, choose the
'Set' pulldown and select the 'Mirror' entry. You can set vertical,
horizontal, or both. Most drawing operations will then be mirrored in the
specified direction(s).
Text -- This option is used to select a text font for use with the Text
tools option. First you must use LOAD FONT from the EXTRA menu option and
load in the fonts that you wish to use. Then use Text to select the one of
the fonts.
Shadows -- You can shadow many of the drawing functions. Do this by choosing
the 'Set' pulldown and selecting the 'Shadow' entry. There is a color selector
that lets you set the shadow color. The grid of nine squares is where you set
the relative position for the shadow. The numbers (1-4) let you set the
distance of the shadow from the original shape. Finally, you can turn the
shadow on or off. The shadow attribute works with lines, rectangles, squares,
circles, and ellipsis.
Fill Style -- This feature enables you to change the style of fill that is
used by the FILL tool. You are given 6 different fill types to choose from
and you can also modify any of these styles.
Line Style and Width -- These two features enable you to change the
characteristics off the LINE tool. You can make lines of different widths or
dashed lines.
Borders -- Lets you select the kind of borders for circles and rectangles.
Swap Pages --TurboPaint gives you 2 separate pages to draw on. This is a big
help when you are cutting and pasting from one picture to another. You can
change from one page to another by pressing J or selecting swap pages.
Eraser Shape -- This feature lets you change the size and shape of the ERASER
tool.
Draw Changes -- This feature lets you substitute one color for another color
in your drawing. This is useful for erasing a section of the drawing with
another color.
****************************************************************************
EXTRA
****************************************************************************
Inverting and Reversing Blocks
If you have a block in the clipboard, you can invert it vertically or reverse
it horizontally. Choose the 'Extra' pulldown and select the 'Invert Block' or
the 'Reverse Block' entries. The screen will blank, then the image will be
pasted on the screen, and you'll see the image being transformed. Once the
procedure is finished, the screen will be restored and the new image will be
in the clipboard. Select the paste tool to place the block on the screen.
Stretching and Rotating Blocks
You can use these two features to make quick changes in a Picture Block. Here
is how to use them.
1. Cut out a picture Block.
2. Select Rotate from the EXTRA menu.
3. You are shown a small square that encloses the Picture Block. By moving the
mouse you can rotate the Block to any desired location.
4. Press the F1 key to save the new rotated Block into the clipboard.
5. Move the mouse pointer to the location in the picture that you want the new
Block located. Then click the left mouse button.
The Stretch Block works in a similar manner except that you can shrink or
expand the block to a different size.
Loading Fonts
You can load any GEM font for use in the TEXT tool. To do this, choose the
'Extra' pulldown and select the 'Load Font' entry. Highlight the font you want
to load in the file selector. The system font is resident when TurboPaint
runs. Remember that loading fonts uses memory. You can't load an unlimited
number of fonts. If your system is close to the memory limit, other operations
might be affected if you load too many fonts.
To set the font that you will use, choose the 'Set' pulldown and select
the 'Text' entry. To cycle through the loaded fonts, click the left
mouse button inside of the text box. You can select different styles of
each font by clicking the right mouse button in the text box. TurboPaint
includes several extra fonts, these have a file extension of .GFT.
Load and Save Object Files
Object files are special animation files created by TP and they can be used in
GAMEBUILDER or can be integrated into programs that you write. Object files
are created by simply drawing a picture, cutting out the block to be used as
an Object, and then saving that block using the SAVE OBJECT option. These
object files can then be put onto the screen using the LOAD OBJECT option and
the PASTE tool. Object files have the following format:
5 byte signature
2 byte integer -- video mode same as described below for animation files.
2 byte integer -- flag used by TurboPaint.
2 byte integer -- image width.
2 byte integer -- image height.
Then the image data follows. Each image is an integer with the width, integer
with the height, and the bitmap data. For EGA and VGA modes each scan line
contains four sets of data, one for each of the bit planes.
Mouse x/y
This option displays the x and y values for the current location of the
mouse. It changes as you move the mouse (or pointer) across the screen.
Undo
This is used to undo the last drawing changes.
Cycle
This option will quickly cycle the screen through all the colors that are
available for the current graphics mode.
Animation
This option is used to create animation files for use in GAMEBUILDER or other
programs that you write. Here is how to make an animation file.
1. Draw the item that you wish to animate.
2. Cut out a block that contains the item to be animated.
3. Select Animation from the Extra menu.
4. Insert the Block into the animation file.
5. Return to drawing mode and make another picture that has some movement
change in comparison to the first picture. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the
new drawing.
6. Save the animation.
For an example load in the animation file called miker.anm -- then select
animation from the EXTRA menu. Listed below is the file format for animation
files.
2 byte integer -- video mode (0=Hercules, 1=CGALow, 2=CGAHigh, 3=EGALow,
4=EGAMed, 5=EGAHigh, 6=Tandy, 7=MCGA, 8=VGA
2 byte integer -- Number of Animations
2 byte integer -- Animation x coordinate
2 byte integer -- Animation y coordinate
2 byte integer -- Animation delay
Then for each image there is a two byte integer with the size of the image in
bytes followed by the image data. Each image is an integer with the width, and
integer with the height, and the bitmap data. For Monochrome, CGA, Tandy, and
MCGA the data is straight forward. For EGA and VGA modes each scan line
contains four sets of data, one for each bit planes.
Magnify
You can magnify by choosing the 'Extra' pulldown and then selecting the
Magnify option or you can press F1 key. The tools will disappear and you'll
see a rectangle appear on the screen. Position the rectangle so that it frames
the region you want to magnify. Then click the left mouse button.
At the far left side of the screen you'll see the chosen section of the
picture in the actual size and to the right of that you'll see the magnified
version. To draw, just click inside of the rectangle that contains the
magnified version. You can still use any of the Tools when you are in the
Magnify mode. You can pick different colors at the far right side of the
screen. If you're drawing in MCGA mode, you can use the right mouse button to
scroll through all 256 colors. To quit and go back to the full screen, press
the right mouse button. The Esc key will undo any drawing while you're in
magnify mode.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
If you have problems that cannot be answered from this manual then use your
modem to call the GameBuilder BBS at 614(988)-2307 (1200/2400 Baud). Leave
a message with your question. You can also send the question by mail. Our
support phone line is open evening hours 7 to 9 pm EST at (614)988-2331
**************************************************************************
REGISTER TURBOPAINT
**************************************************************************
TurboPaint is Shareware. If you continue to use the program you should
register it. The registration price is $25. WHen you register you will
receive a new version of TP that adds SUPER VGA in 640x480 with 256 colors!,
an additional disk of fonts, a disk of great graphics in .pcx format, a
printed manual, a coupon worth a $10 discount off the GAMEBUILDER DEVELOPMENT
system, and a FREE animated adventure game. To order print and order form
simply make sure that your printer is ready, exit this document, and type
ORDER.
***************************************************************************
ORDER GAMEBUILDER
***************************************************************************
GameBuilder is a fabulous new program that allows you to create your own fully
animated Adventure games (and other programs) without any programming! That's
right! Now you can have some fun and creating professional games, educational
programs, presentations, etc.
GameBuilder supports many graphic modes including CGA, Tandy, EGA, and MCGA
256 colors. Gamebuilder allows you to move an animated character (of your own
creation) across many background screens. You can get and use objects, add
position activated events, sound and music, points scored, win and lose
screens, a full word parser, and much more. In summary GAMEBUILDER can help
you to unleash your creativity even if you can't program.
GameBuilder Pro cost $50 and comes with a printed manual, sample EGA game, an
unrestricted distribution engine for your programs, and a disk full of
graphics. Order today, who knows you may even start your own software company.
To order print the order form by using the command ORDER.
*****************************************************************************
OTHER PRODUCTS
*****************************************************************************
QUEST FOR GOLD -- this is a great EGA graphics adventure game. Can you find
the hidden treasure and avoid the Pirates? $16
NAME THAT BIRD -- a great Bird identification program. Fun and educational.
Has 256 color pictures of common birds and questions about them. $16
BOOKS
CASH FROM YOUR COMPUTER -- details over 1100 ways to make money with your
computer. $18
HOW TO PROFIT WITH SHAREWARE -- Tells how to set up your own shareware
company. $10
*****************************************************************************
ORDER FORM
*****************************************************************************
Please Print Send check, money order, or MC/Visa card
NAME _________________________________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS _______________________________________________________
City ________________________________ ST ____________ ZIP ____________
Phone # _______________________________
MC or Visa # _____________________________________ Exp.Date ____________
Signature __________________________________________________________
Product Cost Quantity Total
TurboPaint $25
GameBuilder Pro $50
Quest For Gold $16
Name That Bird $16
CASH FROM YOUR COMPUTER $18
HOW TO PROFIT WITH SHAREWARE $10
Sub Total___________
Add $2 for 3 1/2 disks (720K only) ___________
Ohio Residents add 6% sales tax ___________
If ordering TurboPaint and GameBuilder Pro subtract $10 ___________
Send orders to GameBuilder, Box 312-T, Jackson OH 45640
phone orders MC or Visa only (614)988-2331