============================================================================= DREADLoC Design Crew Presents: A R T W O R X Version 0.60 (Beta) Written and Created by: HOOPTiE ============================================================================= LEGAL DISCLAIMER: DREADLoC Design Crew (refered to as "DDC") grants the Purchaser and the Purchaser accepts a non-transferable and non-exclusive license to use, on a single computer, ArtWorx and accompanying materials provided to the Purchaser by DDC. The Purchaser is hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into the memory of a single computer soley for the purpose of executing the program. DREADLoC Design Crew and its appointed associates reserves the right to terminate the license at any time without cause or warning if the Purchasers violates any of the licensing provisions. Purchaser agrees that the Software Products and accompanying materials are sole property of DDC and that DDC maintains title to and ownership of the Software Products at all times. Purchaser agrees to make no more than one (1) working copy and one (1) backup copy for personal use only. Except as indicated above, ArtWorx, its accompanying data files, and additional documents may not, in any part or in whole, be copied, reproduced, translated, or distributed to other parties. DREADLoC Design Crew makes no warantees or guarentees of any kind, expressed or implied, with respect to the quality, performance, accuracy, or fitness of ArtWorx and its accompanying materials for any particular purpose. DDC assumes no responsibility for any decisions made or actions taken on the part of the Purchaser because of the use of the Software Products. In no event shall DDC, or any of its representatives, be held liable for any loss of profit or any other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damage arising out of the use or inability to use this product -- even if DDC or an authorized agent of such has been advised of the possibility of such damages -- or for any claim by any other party. If you do not understand the terms and conditions of the above license, please consult your local attorney for a detailed explaination of them before purchasing an encoded key. --------------------------------------------------------------------PREFACE: ArtWorx was written with two design parameters: Exceed the existing ANSI line limit offered by other drawing programs and simplify the interface making it a more intuitive. When it was in the beginning stages, THEDRAW was used as the "standard" by which a comparison would be made since it is most likely the widest used and most stable drawing program currently out. While "ACiDDRAW" and "GUILEDRAW" both exceeded the 100 line limit and contained a few nice "gimmics"; neither of them were very stable and both lacked functionality. Hopefully, ArtWorx can conquer both arenas. --------------------------------------------------------------------FEATURES: Unlimited ANSI Lines: Artists are only limited by the size of their hard drive. 400 Line (64Kb) Buffer: Disk swapping is kept to a minimum by loading 400 screen lines at a time. 400 Line (64Kb) Clipboard: Artists will be able to cut and copy blocks of ANSI up to 400 lines long, then paste them anywhere in the ANSI. Simplified Menus: The number of keys used are NO WHERE NEAR the number of keys used in TheDraw. There are a total of 15 or so command keys. Intuitive Palette: The colors are placed in a logical order and all the needed information is placed on the screen. Normal/Windowed Scrolling: You can scroll through pictures normally (screen by screen) or windowed (the screen moves as the cursor does). View VGA: User have the ability to shrink the ANSI and view/scroll through it in VGA by setting the translated block size from 1 pixel per character upto 8 pixels per character. Transformations: Artists will be able to flip the blocks on the X or Y axis, change only selected colors or characters within the block, etc. -----------------------------------------------------------PROTOTYPE WARNING: If the version of ArtWorx is labeled as a *PROTOTYPE* or Beta version, this means that not all of the features have been implimented, and all the bugs have not been worked out. These are uncompleted versions, compiled in the interim for authorized Beta testers. As a result, they could seriously "suck" due to the lack of testing, etc. If you choose to execute these versions of ArtWorx, you assume all responsibility for any damage or loss of data that may be incurred. -------------------------------------------------------FRAGMENTATION WARNING: Each time ArtWorx starts, a temporary swap file is created which will be a minimum of 64Kb and can exceed 1Mb depending on the setting of the CONSTRAINT value. If you are using any version of MS or IBM DOS, including version 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2, your hard drive will eventually become severely fragmented. It is STRONGLY recommended that SCANDISK and DEFRAG (or other commercial equivolent software) is used at least once per week if ArtWorx is used regularly on DOS machines with a FAT file system. If you continue to use ArtWorx without using SCANDISK and DEFRAG over an extended period of time, your hard drive will crash severely and most data will be lost. If this should happen, you'll be "suckin", wishing that you spent the $69 on OS/2 Warp - the superior operating system. -------------------------------------------------------------------LICENSING: ArtWorx is *NOT* Shareware, FreeWare, Public Domain, or a free program. Users are authorized to use the unregistered version distributed via bulletin board systems for a period of 30 days; after which, the copyright laws require the user to register the software by purchasing a personally encoded key. NORMAL REGISTRATION: Under normal circumstances, users may purchase a registration license for $30.00. When new versions are released, upgraded keys can will be created. Registration costs can be reduced or waived subjectively in lieu of "services rendered" by HOOPTiE on a "one by one" basis. DEVELOPMENTAL LICENSE: Anyone who is directly involved in the development of ArtWorx, including Prototype and Beta testers, will receive a fully registered program and encoded key free of charge. Developing licenses are terminated when subsoquent Prototype, Beta, or Public version are released. Qualifying for developmental licensing is a totally subjective process performed only by HOOPTiE. Qualifying for one version or developmental period is NOT automatic qualification for subsoquent versions or periods. DISTRIBUTING LICENSE: SysOps who wish to volunteer their bulletin boards as a distributing site for ArtWorx or any other of DREADLoC Design Crew's creations can qualify for a "Distributing License" by meeting the following criteria. All of the information is subject to verification; and, meeting the criteria is NOT a guarentee that a distributing license will be granted. o Actively be running a BBS for at least one year. o Either run a network and impliment a "DREADLoC Design Crew" echo or participate in a network that has this echo present. o Have a special file area where all available DDC creations are kept for free download by all users. In this area, none of the files should have file points and users should not be docked time for downloading the file. o A FREQ (File REQuest) is implimented in the Front-End Mailer with the magic name "ARTWORX" for users not wishing to log onto your board to get the latest version of ArtWorx. Each user is responsible for the security and fitness of his or her encoded key. If a registered copy of ArtWorx is found on bulletin board systems or anywhere else other than the user's personal computer, the licensed user of the registered key will be held responsible and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To register ArtWorx a money order or casher's check for $30 must must accompany the registration form to the following address: DREADLoC Design Crew 10501 Cuesta Brava El Paso, TX 79925 915-592-8126 (Voice) -------------------------------------------------------------COPY PROTECTION: ArtWorx is protected with a state-of-the-art protection scheme in which each registered executable is encrypted by a unique, personal encoded key. If user "X" attempts to run user "Y"'s copy with his key, it will not work. Accordingly, all personal information (name, address, board name, handle, and phone number) are all encoded in each key and executable for software tracking purposes. To ensure that false keys are not made or existing ones are not altered, the decrypting process is not included in any of the distributed programs. While ArtWorx is in it's Beta testing stages, registration keys will not be issued; and, all features will be enabled. Testing will end with the official release of Version 1.00 (currenly in version 0.70). ------------------------------------------------------------REGISTERED USERS: Registered users will gain the following functions: - Save ANSI file - Multiple screen layers (upto 4) - Load and Save Renegade, PcBoard, and OBV/2 specific format screens. - Receive 25% off all other DREADLoC Design Crew registrations. ---------------------------------------------------------MOUSE COMPATABILITY: In the past, I have CHRONICALLY had difficulty successfully interfacing programs I write with the mouse. This problem was most likely caused because I linked an old MS mouse driver .OBJ with the MS Quick Basic compiler. Since ArtWorx is written in C++ and the mouse calls are done through a general interrupt, these past problems should be resolved. HOWEVER, I have NO guarentee that they will (I never had a problem with the mouse, even when I used different ones with various drivers). For your reference only, I am using a $9.56 "Mouse Plus" with the latest "Mouse System Mouse" driver. For programming purposes, I am using the very FIRST MS Mouse User's Guide as a command reference. This book is SO OLD that it came with the CGA version of PC Paintbrush; the DOS EDIT and "PIANO" GWBASIC source code; makes references to Word Star, Visi-Calc, and Lotus 1-2-3 (ver 1.2); and doesn't mention WINDOWS a single time. ---------------------------------------------------------THINGS NOT INCLUDED: Even though ArtWorx has support for quite a few functions (with plans for even more), it will most likely NEVER support ANSIMATION. Since ArtWorx can edit such large pictures, I never intended for it to be used for single screen pictures (Beta 0.50 didn't support a constraint less than 400 lines). Unfortunately, ArtWorx is not designed to record key strokes; rather, it simply edits raw text screen data. Implimenting ANSIMATION at this point would be virtually impossible. One last thing that will never be implimented in ArtWorx is the BLINK function supported by ANSI.SYS. I realize that to make text blink is ONLY one bit in the attribute byte of any screen position; however, blinking is GAY. I can't stand ANSI's that use blinking foreground and background characters to produce actions (everyone has seen one, I am sure); and, I don't intend for ArtWorx to support that crap. Even though CornFlake insists that this will shut out a few potential registrators, I am not too worried - sometimes the priciple is worth more than the money. ----------------------------------------------------------------COMMAND KEYS: Alt-N NEW - Erase the current screen and create a new picture. Alt-L LOAD - Load a specific filetype into memory. Alt-M MERGE - merge an ANSI or ASCII/TXT file with the current picture. Alt-S SAVE - Save the current picture to disk ausing a specific filetype. Alt-V VIEW-VGA - Translate text characters which are 8x14 or 8x8 (depending on display mode) into a user-specified size on the VGA screen. Alt-T TRANSFORM - Fill the foreground or background with a a color or character, center a cut block or text within the highlighted area, flip the block on the X or Y axis, transform foreground, background, or characters from value to another. Alt-A ATTRIBUTE - Quick access to the text color palette based on the normal palette values, not ArtWorx's remapped palette. Alt-Q/X QUIT / EXIT - Both keys are used exit because CornFlake said so. Alt-B BUFFER - This command sets the buffer to the current Y position of the cursor and is used in conjunction with highlighted large blocks. Alt-R TRANSPARENT - This command toggles the TRANSPARENT switch. Opaque blocks are displayed EXACTLY as they are cut/copied. Transparent blocks show through blank areas. Blanks area are defined as black spaces or null characters. Alt-U UNDER_ANSI - This command toggles the UNDER_ANSI switch. When this is off, displayed blocks are shown as if they are above the screen; and, when this is on, displayed blocks are shown as if they are behind the screen. Alt-D DISPLAY_BLOCK - This command shows the block cut/copied to the clipboard while moving/scrolling through a picture. Alt-W WINDOWED_SCROLLING - This command toggles the WINDOWED_ SCROLLING toggle. When off, the picture only scrolls when the cursor attempts to move outside the limits of the screen. When on, the picture is scrolled with each movement of the cursor. -----------------------------------------------------------------ACTION KEYS: Ctrl-D Debug Information - This action changes the bottom line of the palette from the normal function key characters to a list of toggles and a compressed version of the function keys. ESC Escape toggles the Palette as well as exits from the Commands and Options Menus. Alt-SPACE Accesses the Commands Menu. F1 - F10 Displays one of ten characters in the current character set. ARROWS Moves the cursor in various directions. Shft-ARROW Highlights a block for Cutting/Copying, Tranforming, Filling, etc. Shft-DEL Cuts a highlighted block from the screen and places it on the clipboard for later use. DEL Deletes a highlighted block from the the picture. Ctrl-C Copies a highlighted block from the screen and places it on the clipboard for later use. Shft-INS Pastes a block from the clipboard onto the working area. Ctrl-HOME Incriment the character set back one set. Ctrl-PGUP Incriment the character set forward one set. Ctrl-RIGHT Incriment the foreground color forward one color. Crtl-LEFT Incriment the foreground color back one color. Ctrl-END Incriment the background color back one color. Ctrl-PGDN Incriment the background forward one color. ------------------------------------------------------------THE OPTIONS MENU: PALETTE VISIBLE: This is the same as the ESC key; it toggles whether the editing palette is visible or not. DEBUG INFORMATION: This displays program debugging information for developmental purposes. The only reason this is documented is so that it is not misconstrued as a bug or hidden feature. Users shouldn't have a use for this command. This can be toggled with Ctrl-D from the editing screen. DISPLAY BLOCK: This is identical to Alt-D from the editing screen; it toggles whether blocks on the clipboard are visible or not while moving the cursor. When option is ON, normal editing (typing, drawing, etc) is not allowed. 50 LINE MODE: This option toggles whether the screen is in 25 or 50 line mode. This is not switchable from the editing screen. WINDOWED SCROLLING: When this option is off, the cursor can be moved around the screen until an upper or lower boundry is exceeded. Only then will scrolling take place. When Windowed Scrolling is ON, the cursor remains in the middle of the screen and the scrolls with each upward or downward movement of the cursor. X-POSITION: Allows the user the option to enter a new X cursor position on the screen. Y-POSITION: Allows the user the option to enter a new Y cursor position anywhere in the ANSI. Once entered, the buffer is adjusted approriately. BUFFER: This is the same as the Alt-B (Set Buffer) command that adjusts the buffer to the current Y position. (See a later description for the implimentation of this option.) CONSTRAINT: This is the maximum number of lines you wish to have available for editing. This number is used to calculate the size of the swap file when beginning ArtWorx. The larger the constraint value, the larger the swap file will be. For example, 1600 lines requires 256,000 bytes; 2400 lines requires 384,000 bytes; and 7025 lines would require 1,024,000 bytes or approximately 1Mb of free disk space. VGA BLOCK SIZE: This option allows you to define the size of the blocks (measured in pixels) shown when the VIEW_VGA command is executed. The smallest block size is 1 and there is no limit on the largest size. Keep in mind that the pixel height of characters in 50 line mode is 8 x 8. TRANSPARENT: This option toggles whether blocks from the clipboard are transparent or not. Transparent areas are defined as null characters (char 0) or spaces (char 32). This option can be toggled with Alt-A from the editing screen. UNDER ANSI: This option allows users to paste blocks from the clipboard either "over" or "under" the existing data on the editing screen. It is simular to TRANSPARENT; however, the data on the screen is checked for blank spots rather than the block being pasted. This option can be toggled with Alt-U from the editing screen. SMART CR/LF: When text files (ASCII) are displayed on the screen, a CR/LF is added automatically if a character exists in the 80th column. If a CR/LF is added after that point, ever line of text will be followed by a blank line. For ASCII based art for bulletin boards, this won't due. When "Smart CR/LF", it detects if there will be an automatic CF/LF at the end of a line and adjusts omits addind a second one. FAR DATA: This option is SOLEY for C/C++ programmers who want to create a header files of an ANSI and include it in their program. Under normal circumstances, literal strings (included ANSI's) are stored as near data in DGROUP. This segment is not allowed to exceed 64Kb. Since there is NO need to have ANSI's in this segment (unless you are using a small memory model), it is easier to place the data in a FAR data segment of its own so that problems don't occure. When this option is on, variables are declared as FAR; and, when it is off, there are no segment modifiers added. ---------------------------------------------------------------FUNCTIONALITY: SCROLLING: As noted above, ArtWorx contains two different scrolling conventions. Normal scrolling is when the screen does not scroll until the cursor attempts to move out of the vertical bounds of the editing screen. Windowed scrolling is when the cursor remains in the verticle middle of the screen and the entire picture scrolls with the upward or downward motion of the cursor. While each method offers a slightly different "feel" to the program, it is primarily designed for the user's personal preference. DISPLAYING THE BLOCK: When a block is copied from the screen to the clipboard, is can be pasted anywhere in the file. Since would be difficult to visualize how the block appears, it can be displayed while moving the cursor. Note: When this option is ON, normal editing cannot be accomplished. When shown on the screen, both the "TRANSPARENT" and "UNDER ANSI" setting are calculated to illustrate exactly what the block will appear as when pasted. SETTING THE BUFFER: While the overall length of the ANSI is unlimited, ArtWorx can only work with 400 lines at any given time. Because of this, it is not possible to highlight blocks outside the limits of the 400 line memory buffer. Under normal circumstances, the buffer is adjusted in incriments of 200; and, it would be impossible to highlight a 10 line block that spanned line 399-409. To resolve this problem, users can set the memory buffer to any place they wish. This allows them to highlight a block of ANSI upto 400 lines in length. When WINDOWED SCROLLING is OFF, the buffer is set 5 lines back from the current Y position. When WINDOWED SCROLLING is ON, the buffer is set to 1/2 of the total lines available (ie 25 or 50 line mode). When attempting to highlight large blocks, it is more efficient to turn WINDOWED SCROLLING off so that less guess work is involved. To be perfectly honest, it would be nearly impossible to highlight a 400 line block of ANSI, especially with WINDOWED SCROLLING on. Conversely, 400 lines of ANSI is a HUGE area; and most likely, that size clipboard will never be fully filled. USING THE DEBUG INFORMATION: Originally, I used DEBUG_INFO for my own personal use; however, I found through using ArtWorx that you don't always know what toggles are set when editing your work. Therefore, I changed DEBUG_INFO to reflect the current toggles in the OPTIONS MENU that weren't obvious. The following is a list of the abbreviations and their meaning: Key: Normal ASCII scan code of the last key pressed. Ext: Extended ASCII scan code of the last key pressed. Blk: Current DISPLAY BLOCK status. Win: Currint WINDOWED SCROLLING status. Und: Current UNDER ANSI status Tns: Current TRANSPARENT status Buf: Indicates where the top of the memory buffer is. -------------------------------------------------------------TRANSFORMATIONS: Instead of having several different functions each with different menus, I elected to integrate all the alterations that could be made into one menu named TRANSFORMATIONS. All of the following alterations affect ONLY highlighted areas. FILL FOREGROUND: This command fills the foreground color of the FILL BACKGROUND: currently highlighted area or the clipboard. It does not alter the character occupying that space. Use the normal change color keys to change the fill color. DRAW BOX: This command will draw a box around the highlighted area or the last block copied to the clipboard using the current character set. There are no modifiers to this command; it may only be turned ON and OFF. FILL CHARACTER: This command fills all the characters in the highlighted area or clipboard with the selected character. To turn this option on, press 'C' over any character other than char 0 (NULL). To turn this option off, press 'C' over the NULL character or over the previously selected character. CENTER BLOCK: This option centers the displayed block in the center of the physical screen. CENTER TEXT: This centers each line of text within the highlighted area. FLIP X: This command flips the highlighted area on the X or FLIP Y: Y axis. TRANSFORM CHARACTER: This command searches for a specific character, TRANSFORM FOREGROUND: foreground, or background color in the highlighted TRANSFORM BACKGROUND: area or clipboard and changes it. ----------------------------------------------------------DISTRIBUTION SITES: "Big Jim's Software Castle" 915-821-3475 ----------------------------------------------------------------BETA TESTERS: Vengeance CornFlake ---------------------------------------------------------------------CREDITS: A special thanks goes out the the following people for their time, suggestions, or donations of hardware toward the development of ArtWorx: WildHare Hardware donations Homeless Joe Hardware donations Crystal Patience Holophax Because you're like cool and stuff