旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � 複複 複複 複� 複複� � � 複複 � � � � � � � � 霜 輻 � � � � 複 白複� 白複� 白� 霜� 輻� � � � � � 霜 � � � � � � .00 � � 霜複� � � � � � � � 白複� � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� GRAFX 2.00 �96.1% - USER'S MANUAL - 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � CONTENTS � � 袴袴袴袴 � � � � - Presentation � � - Required equipment � � - Configuration files � � - Available options � � - Let's talk about $$$, baby � � - Drawing tips � � - Trouble-shooting/General hints/FAQ � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Presentation: 袴袴袴袴袴袴� This program is designed for drawing 256-color pictures in a huge range of resolutions (actually, there are 60 with some coming from the Amiga world). No one can contest that most of the beautiful GFX of the Scene were drawn on Amiga. But these GFX are in video resolutions that aren't the common PC modes. So we wanted to make the first paint program on PC that could visualize those pictures, and that could allow you, of course, to draw yours in the video mode that you want. This program was first shown at the Wired'96 where it met a big success (bigger than all our expects) so we hope you'll like it too. It's made up of many drawing tools, effects and menus. All the effects will work with any drawing tool. This software has been created for YOU, PC users who envy Amiga owners for their fantastic paint programs. This software doesn't pretend to replace the best programs on Amiga, but it modestly tries to fill the gap between PC and Amiga in the field of bitmap drawing. If you dream about a very useful option we haven't thought of yet, do not hesitate to tell us. If we also think it can be useful, and above all if it is possible to include it in the program :), then we'll implement it as soon as possible. Required equipment: 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� To run GrafX2, you'll need: - a PC (386DX or higher), - DOS 5 or higher (maybe it works with DOS 3.1 but we don't remember which functions of the INT 21h we use), - a VGA compatible video card (a VLB or PCI card is strongly recommended) - a mouse (and its driver), - 5 Megabytes of RAM (can work with less if you use the DOS4GW or Windows disk-cache). But if you want to use it more efficiently, you'll need: - at least a 486DX�66 (to improve global speed), - at least 8 Mb of RAM for grabbing very big brushes and to use multi-undo, - a VESA 1.2 (or later) compatible video card (to access more video modes). Configuration files: 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 GrafX2 needs two files to store its configuration: 'GFX2.INI' and 'GFX2.CFG'. GFX2.INI: 컴컴컴컴� This file contains the parameters defined in the settings menu and some others. You may edit this file with any standard ASCII editor. When you click on Reload in the settings menu, all the data contained in this file are restored. When you click on Save or when you quit the program with the Auto-save option on, all the current parameters are written into (updated in) this file. If you corrupted this file and don't manage to fix the problem, then delete it and run GFXCFG.EXE. It will automatically create a default initialization file when it is absent. GFX2.CFG: 컴컴컴컴� This file contains the keyboard configuration plus the state of the following variables in the program: � video modes � shade tables � stencil � mask � gradients All these variables are saved when clicking on the Save button in the settings menu or when exiting the program with the Auto-save option on. However, when you click on Reload in the settings menu, only the state of each video mode is restored. Note: the GFX2_FRA.CFG file is a default configuration file for AZERTY keyboards. If you have got an AZERTY keyboard, you may replace the GFX2.CFG file by GFX2_FRA.CFG. Important: from version 2.00 �95.5%, .CFG files will have ascending compatibility. This means that you'll be able to retrieve most of their contents from a release to another by copying your old .CFG file into your new GrafX2 directory and running GFXCFG.EXE. Indeed, this program will convert your old file for it is usable by the new version of GrafX2. But copying a .CFG file from an earlier version than version 95.5% won't work. Moreover, (I don't see why you would do that, but...) copying a recent .CFG file to an older version shouldn't work neither. Note: We highly recommand not to modify the keys related to the mouse emulation in the GFXCFG program because the values you could use may inter- fere with the keyboard shortcuts used in the menus. Available options: 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 The different options available in GrafX2 will be listed and detailed below. They will be described as follows: �袴袴箇袴藁串頰敲 �袴袴� � 1 � 3 � � triangular buttons will �1 / � � � � � be detailed like this: � / 2� 勁袴誥袴袴胱頰軒� 훤袴暠 � 2 � 4 � � � � � � 훤袴菰袴袴姦頰軒� 1 - Paintbrushes 2 - Adjust picture / Effects on the picture 3 - Hand-drawing 4 - Splines 5 - Lines 6 - Spray 7 - Floodfill 8 - Polygons / Polyforms 9 - Polyfills / Filled polyforms 10 - Empty rectangles 11 - Filled rectangles 12 - Empty circles/ellipses 13 - Filled circles/ellipses 14 - Rectangles with gradation 15 - Gradation menu 16 - Spheres / Ellipses with gradation 17 - Brush grabbing / restore 18 - Polyformed brush grabbing (lasso) / restore 19 - Brush effects 20 - Drawing modes 21 - Text 22 - Magnifier mode / Menu 23 - Pipette / Invert colors 24 - Screen size / Safety resolution 25 - Spare page / Copy current to spare 26 - Save picture / Autosave 27 - Load picture / Reload 28 - Settings 29 - Clear picture 30 - Help / Statistics 31 - Oops (Undo/Redo) 32 - Quit program 33 - Palette menu 34 - Scroll palette left / right 35 - Palette window 36 - Hide menu When you will use any drawing tool, left-clicking will draw with the Fore color while right-clicking will draw with the Back-color. When dialog boxes or windows will come on the screen, Cancel (or No) will always be emulated by the key, and OK (or Yes) by the key. In the different menus, the titles of the buttons that contain an under- lined letter can be emulated by pressing this letter on the keyboard. In some menus, you can select a color range in the palette. This means that you can click on a color and move the mouse to another by maintaining the button pressed to select a color range. 1 - Paintbrushes: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Displays a menu where you can choose the shape of your paintbrush. Paintbrushes are sorted by family. You can see some paintbrushes of the same family but with different sizes. There is at least one paint- brush from each family displayed in this menu. Here is the list of all the different paintbrush families: 栢栢栢� 栢� � � � � � � � � 栢栢栢� 栢栢� � � � � � � 栢� � � 栢栢栢� 栢栢栢� � � � � � � � � 栢栢� � 栢栢栢� 栢栢栢� � � � � � � 栢栢栢� 栢栢栢� 栢栢栢� � � � � � � � � 栢栢� � � � 栢栢栢� 栢栢� � � � � � � 栢� 栢栢栢� 栢� � � � � � � � � � Square Disc Sieve Sieve Diamond Random square disc shaped ______________________________________________________________ � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 栢栢栢� � � � � 栢栢栢� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Horiz. Vertical Slash Back- Cross X Cross + bar bar slash The 3 last paintbrushes in the menu belong to the "miscellaneous" family and their size cannot be modified. Right click: ============> Transforms your current user-defined brush into a paintbrush. This is actually a "monochromisation" of your user-defined brush. This means that every color of the brush that aren't the Back-color will be set to the Fore-color. But this option doesn't alter the brush: you'll just have to right-click on the "Get brush" buttons to get your brush back. Note: When you press (not in the menu) the key (default value), the current paintbrush becomes the smallest member of the "Disc" family: i.e one pixel. 2 - Adjust picture / Effects on the picture: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Allows you to scroll the picture to re-center your graph for example. Any part of the picture that goes out of the image by a side comes back by the opposite one. It is assimilated to the drawing tools family. Right click: ============> *** Not implemented yet *** 3 - Hand-drawing: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Selects the current hand-drawing mode as the active drawing tool. There are 3 hand-drawing modes: - Continuous hand-drawing: as you move the mouse, the paintbrush is regularily pasted on the picture. This drawing tool allows to change the fore and back colors when being in use. - Discontinuous hand-drawing: as you move the mouse, the paintbrush is pasted on the picture every time a delay is passed (actually, the delay is 1 VBL (vertical blanking)). This drawing tool allows to change the fore and back colors when being in use. - Dot by dot hand-drawing: the paintbrush is only pasted at the position where you first clicked. Right click: ============> Toggles the different hand-drawing modes and activates, at the same time, the hand-drawing tool. 4 - Splines: 컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Selects the current curve-drawing mode as the active drawing tool. There are 2 different curve-drawing modes: - 4 control points curves: define the basic line like a classical line, then move, with the left mouse button, the inner control points to choose the shape of your curve. When the curve has the shape you want, click with the right mouse button to draw it definitively. - 3 control points curves: the same as above, but you'll have only one inner control point to place. Moreover, the spline will be traced just after placing this point. Right click: ============> Toggles the different curve-drawing modes and activates, at the same time, the curve-drawing tool. 5 - Lines: 컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Selects the current line-drawing mode as the active drawing tool. There are 3 line-drawing modes: - Classical lines: when first clicking on the picture, you'll define the start of the line. Maintain your click to choose the end of the line and release the mouse button to set it. - Knotted lines: works like classical lines, but the end of your line will automatically become the start of the next one. When you want to stop chaining lines, use the opposite mouse button. "The opposite button" means that if you started to draw lignes with the left button (Fore-color), you'll have to stop the procedure with the right button; and conversely. - Concentric lines: when first clicking on the picture, you'll define the center of the lines. In fact, the center is defined by the position of the mouse when you release the mouse button. Then you can draw lines from the center to the current mouse position by clicking. To stop drawing concentric lines, use the opposite mouse button. This drawing tool allows to change the fore and back colors when being in use. Right click: ============> Toggles the different line-drawing modes and activates, at the same time, the line-drawing tool. 6 - Spray: 컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Selects the spray as the active drawing tool. This drawing tool allows to change the fore and back colors when being in use. Right click: ============> Displays a menu where you can configure the spray: - Size: Defines the diameter of the circle in which will effectively fit the spray. - Delay: Defines the number of VBLs that will be waited for between two flows of spray. - Mode: Defines whether you want to use a monochrome spray or a multi- colored one. - Mono-flow: Defines the number of paintbrushes that will be pasted in the circle of the spray at each cycle. - Palette: Left-click on a color of the palette to see how much it will be used in the multicolored flow, and modify it by using the gauge on the right. If the flow of this color was equal to 0, then the "Init" value will be applied. Or set the flow of a color to 0 by clicking on it with the right mouse button. - Clear: Removes all the colors from the multicolored flow. Actually, this puts a 0 value in the use of each color. - Init: Allows you to define a value that will be set to the color you click on in the palette if its value is equal to 0. This permits to tag a set of colors more quickly. - +1,-1,x2,�2: Modify the values of all the tagged colors (and only them). Tip: If you often use the Shade mode, and are bored to click many times on a color to reach the color you want, you can define a spray with "Size"=1, "Mono-flow"=1, and "Delay"=2 (or more, according to your reflexes). And then, you'll just have to click a few hundredths of second to modify a color. 7 - Floodfill: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Selects the filler as the active drawing tool. The filler, as any drawing tool, will be affected by all the effects! Note that only the visible part of the picture will be filled (as every other drawing tools, the floodfill only alters the visible part of the picture; this avoids unwanted effects that wouldn't be controlled by the user). Right click: ============> Selects the color replacement as the active drawing tool. Any rule has its exceptions and this one doesn't depart from that. Indeed, this tool is the only one to be affected by no effect (except Stencil) and to be able to modify non visible parts of the picture. The function of this tool being replacing all the occurences of a color in the picture by another, if would have been a shame to limit modifications only to the visible part of the picture. 8 - Polygons / Polyforms: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Selects the polygons as the active drawing tool. This works just like knotted-lines but loops the extremities when you're finished. Right click: ============> Selects the polyforms as the active drawing tool. This works like a combination of free-hand drawing and knotted-lines. If you keep the mouse button pressed, you'll draw as if you were in free-hand drawing mode. And, if you release the mouse button, it will work like knotted lines. Click on the opposite mouse button (i.e.: click right if you started to draw with the left mouse button, and vice versa) to terminate the operation. The two extremities will be linked automatically. 9 - Polyfills / Filled polyforms: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Work exactly the same way as the polygons et polyforms above, but fill in the interior of the drawn shapes. 10 - Empty rectangles: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Any click: ==========> Selects the empty rectangles as the active drawing tool. Set a corner of a rectangle. Maintain the click to move the opposite corner and release the mouse button to set it definitively. 11 - Filled rectangles: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Any click: ==========> Selects the filled rectangles as the active drawing tool. Works like an empty rectangle. 12 - Empty circles/ellipses: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Selects the empty circles as the active drawing tool. Position the center of the cercle and maintain the mouse button to select its radius. Right click: ============> Selects the empty ellipses as the active drawing tool. Position the center of the cercle and maintain the mouse button to select its dimensions. 13 - Filled circles/ellipses: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Work like empty circles and ellipses. 14 - Rectangles with gradation: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� *** Not implemented yet *** 15 - Gradation menu: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Any click: ==========> Opens a window where you can define the way gradations are processed. The different sections of this menu are: - Direction (arrow): Switches the direction of the gradation. - Dithering method: Toggles the 3 following methods: - No dithering - Basical dithering - Enhanced dithering - Mix: Mixes the gradation with a more or less random factor. - Palette: Select a color range to build a gradation. - Index scroller: Defines the current gradation among a set of 16 that will be memorised. 16 - Spheres / Ellipses with gradation: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Selects the spheres as the active drawing tool. Position the center of the sphere and maintain the mouse button to select its radius. Then place the spot-light. Right click: ============> Selects the ellipses with gradation as the active drawing tool. *** The current version of this tool isn't the right one; *** *** so we'll explain how to use it when it will be done *** If you trace a sphere or an ellipse with gradation with the right mouse button, the result will be the same figure filled with the Back-color. 17 - Brush grabbing / restore: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Engages a brush grabbing. Click on a corner of the rectangle containing the brush then maintain the click to define the opposite corner of the rectangle. Release the mouse button to grab the brush. Performing this operation with the right mouse button will erase the area where the brush was grabbed with the Back-color. Right click: ============> Restores the old brush. 18 - Polyformed brush grabbing (Lasso) / restore: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Grabs a brush of any shape by defining a polyform (please refer to section 8 for more explanations). Right click: ============> Restores the old brush (same as above). 19 - Brush effects: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Any click: ==========> Displays a menu where the following options are available: - X: Flip-X. - Y: Flip-Y. - Rotate by 90�: Rotates the brush by an angle of 90 degrees. - Rotate by 180�: Rotates the brush by an angle of 180 degrees. - Rotate by any angle: *** Not implemented yet *** - Stretch: Triggers an interactive operation that enables you to stretch the brush. For this, start by placing the upper-left cornerof the brush with the left mouse button (if, at this moment, you press the right button, the operation will be cancelled). after that, you can place the opposite corner as many times as you need, then validate with the right mouse button when you are satisfied. If you place this point at coordinates inferior to the ones of the first point, the brush will be inverted. Meanwhile, you can press the following keys whose effects are: 'D' : double the brush in X and Y 'H' : reduce the brush by half in X and Y 'X' : double the brush in X 'Shift+X': reduce the brush by half in X 'Y' : double the brush in Y 'Shift+Y': reduce the brush by half in Y 'N' : restore the normal size of the brush (can be useful because it's the only way for cancelling) - Distort: *** Not implemented yet *** - Outline: This option permits to draw the outlines of the brush with the Fore- color. - Nibble: This option "nibbles" the outlines of the brush. It's in some way the opposite effect of the Outline option. - Recolorize: Remaps the brush so that it looks like it would in the spare page, using the current palette. - Get brush colors: Transfers the spare page's colors used by the brush to the current palette. - Brush handle: Allows you to choose where to place the handle of the brush. - Load / Save: load or save a brush from disk. 20 - Drawing modes: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� This button opens a menu where you can switch on or off the different drawing modes. ([F1]-[F9] keys correspond to the 9 buttons) In this menu, the "All off" button switches all the drawing modes off. The [Del] key is the keyboard shortcut for this button. The "Feedback" button is only used in "Shade", "Quick-shade, "Transpa- rency" and "Smooth" modes. When it is set, it means that the _current_ state of the picture has to be taken into account for the effect instead of the state in which the image was when you started to click for drawing. The best, as often, is that you try by yourself with and without Feedback to see the difference. The other buttons are the following: * Shade mode / Menu: -------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Shade mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define one table of shades within a range of 8 memorised by the program. The different sections of this menu are: - Palette: You can define in it the color blocks that will be inserted into the table of shades. - Scroller: Used to change flick through the tables of shades. - table of shades definition area: The 512 squares should be widely sufficient to define the different shades since every 256 colors of the palette cannot be present more than once in each table. - A window (on the top-right side) permits to visualize the different shades defined in he current table. - Copy: Copy the contents of the table in a buffer. (Each time you open this menu, the current table is automatically transfered into this buffer). - Paste: Copy the contents of the buffer above in the current table. - Clear: Reset the "shades" table. - Insert: Used to insert the block selected in the palette at the cursor's position in the table of shades. IF you click with the left mouse button on this button THEN IF a block of more than one color is selected in the table THEN It is deleted and the block defined in the palette is inserted. ELSE The block defined in the palette is inserted at the postion just before the selected square. END IF ELSE The block defined in the palette is inserted by erasing the colors following the beginning of the bloc selected in the table. END IF - Delete: Delete the block selected in the table. - Blank: Follows this algorithm: IF you click with the left mouse button on this button THEN Replace the block selected in the table by blank squares. ELSE IF a block of more than one color is selected in the table THEN Insert blank squares to the left and to the right of the block. (this is useful for isolating a shade quickly) ELSE Insert blank squares to the left of the selected square. END IF END IF - Invert: Invert the order of the block selected in the table. - Swap: Allows you you move a block (this exchanges it with what is where you want to move it). - Undo: Cancel the last modification of the table. - The 2 numbers displayed on the right of these buttons are: (above) - the number of the color selected in the palette if only one color is selected. (below) - the number of the color contained in a square in the shades table if this square is the only one selected. - The "mode" button displays 3 different modes: "Normal": Shades in the range and saturates to its boundaries. "Loop": Shades in the range and loops if boundaries are passed. "No saturation": Shades in the range and doesn't saturate if boundaries are passed. If the Step (see below) is set to 1, this option does exactly the same as the Normal mode. - Set/Disable: If you want to define several shades in the same table but you'd like these shades not to be effective at the same time, you can mask (disable) some parts of the table so that they will be interpreted a blank squares. To do that, select a block in the table of shades and click on "Set". The block will be underlined with a white line; this means that it is disabled. - Clear/Enable: This does exactly the opposite as the button above. - Step: Defines the step of incrementation of the shade. The bigger, the faster you run through the colors of the shade. For example: if the step is 2 and that you have defined a shade with the colors 0,1,4,5,9 and that you click on a pixel of color 1, it will take the value 5 which is 2 positions next in the la table. (We are sorry for these technical considerations quite far from a purely artistic point of view; but know that this effect is really very useful and it is preferable that you understand its whole functionment if you want to fully take advantage of it). * Quick-shade mode / Menu: -------------------------- This drawing mode has about the same effect as Shade mode's except that it is faster to configurate but a little bit less powerful. When you draw on a color of the image which is between the fore- and the back-color in the palette, the color tends towards the fore-color (according to the step defined) if you draw with the left mouse button, or it tends towards the back-color if you are using the right mouse button. Left click: ============> Switches the Quick-shade mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu with a few parameters that mean exactly the same as in the menu of Shade mode. These parameters are the step and the loop/satu- ration mode (normal, loop, no saturation). * Stencil mode / Menu: ---------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Stencil mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define a stencil. The different sections of this menu are: - Clear: No color is protected. - Invert: Colors that were protected are unprotected and vice versa. - Palette: Select colors that should be protected with the left mouse button or unprotect colors with the right mouse button. * Mask mode / Menu: ---------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Mask mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can set the colors of the Mask. This menu works the same way as the one of the Stencil, so please refer to the Stencil paragraph to know how to use it. * Grid mode / Menu: ------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Grid mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define the grid parameters. These parameters are: - X,Y: Steps of the grid. - dX,dY: Offsets of the grid. * Sieve mode / Menu: -------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Sieve mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define the Sieve parameters. This menu consists in: - 16x16 drawing area: You can define a pattern in it (left click => white pixel / right click => black pixel). All the white pixels indicate that, when you'll draw, pixels will be applied on the picture at the corresponding positions whereas black pixels won't modify the picture: whites pixels are the "holes of the sieve". - 12 default patterns: They can be copied to the drawing area. - "Transfer to brush": Copies the pattern to the brush (white pixels => Fore-color / black pixels => Back-color). - "Get from brush": Puts the brush into the drawing area (back-color => black pixels / others => white pixels). - Scrolling 4-arrows pad: Scrolls the pattern in the drawing area. - Resizing 4-arrows pad: Defines the dimensions of the pattern. - Default-value (black or white square): Indicates which value must be inserted when you increase the dimensions of the pattern. - "Clear": Sets the whole pattern with the default value (see above). - "Invert": It... inverts :) ... black and white pixels. * Transparency mode (Colorize) / Menu: -------------------------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Transparency mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define the Transparency parameters. These parameters are: - Interpolation rate: Indicates the percentage of the applied color that will be considered upon the replaced color. - Interpolation method: Uses an interpolation algorithm to compute the color, according to the interpolation rate. - Additive method: Uses the lightest colors to choose the color to apply. For example: if you want to apply a color RGB:30,20,40 on a color RGB:10,50,20, the color applied will be the one, in the palette, that is the closest to the theoretic color RGB:30,50,40. - Subtractive method: uses the darkest colors to choose the color to apply. For example: if you want to apply a color RGB:30,20,40 on a color RGB:10,50,20, the color applied will be the one, in the palette, that is the closest to the theoretic color RGB:10,20,20. * Smooth mode / Menu: --------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Smooth mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define the Smooth matrix or choose one among the 4 ones predefined. The middle square represents the pixel on which you draw and the 8 others represent the neighbour pixels. Then, the point on which one draw will be replaced by the weighted average (according to values of each squares) of the 9 defined points. * Smear mode / Menu: --------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Any click: ==========> Switches the Smear mode. * Tiling mode / Menu: --------------------- See the Effects section of the internal help of GrafX2 to know what this effect does. Left click: ============> Switches the Tiling mode. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can define the Tiling parameters. These parameters are the offsets of the tiling. 21 - Text: 컴컴컴컴컴 *** Not implemented yet *** 22 - Magnifier mode / Menu: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Engages/Disengages the choice of the zoomed window. If you're already in magnifier mode, you'll return to normal mode. Right click: ============> Displays a menu where you can choose the magnifying factor. Note: When you are in Zoom mode, you can move the "split" bar by clicking on it and moving your mouse left or right while holding the mouse button down. 23 - Pipette / Invert colors: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Engages a color grabbing. Click on the picture to get the color of the pixel you're on. You can either get a new Fore-color or Back-color with respectively left or right mouse button. Right click: ============> Swap Fore-color and Back-color. The color currently pointed will be displayed in the tool-bar right after the coordinates. If you click outside the picture, the color 0 will be returned. 24 - Screen size / Safety resolution: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Displays a menu where you can define the size of your picture (up to 1024x768) by clicking in the boxes named "Width" and "Height"; and the resolution in which you want to draw (in the list). Clicking on a resolution button with the right mouse button will not only set the resolution of the screen, but also set the picture dimensions to the screen ones. Resolutions written in dark gray are VESA modes that aren't supported by your video card. If you have some modes like that, you should try to run a VESA driver such as Univesa or Univbe before running the program. If these modes still aren't available, then this means that your video card really doesn't support them. The small buttons on the left-hand side of the lines in the list of modes have been designed to allow you to disable some modes that are not supported by your card. So, the modes that you will disable won't be used when loading pictures with "Auto-set resolution" ON. When you click on one of these buttons, its color changes to one of the 4 following. The signification for each color of these buttons is: - Light gray: The video mode is OK. It can be used by the auto-set resolution option when you load picture, and you can select it in the menu of resolutions. - White: It works exactly the same as above. Moreover, it allows you to tag your favourite modes. Indeed, the huge number of video modes makes it more difficult to find the mode your want in the list; so you can tag your favoutite ones in white, so that it will be easier to locate them. (Note: you cannot disable the standard 320x200 mode) - Dark gray: It allows you to indicate which modes are not really perfect (flickering, not centered, etc...) but which can be used even so. The difference with the light grey button is that these modes won't be used by the auto-set resolution option. - Black: Use it for totally unsupported modes. Thus, these modes won't be selected the "auto-set res." and the program will prevent you from selecting them from the menu of resolutions. Right click: ============> Automaticaly switches to the 320x200 MCGA mode. 25 - Spare page / Copy current to spare: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Jumps to spare page. The current page is then considered as the new spare page, and the spare page considered as the new current page. Right click: ============> Opens a menu where you can choose whether you want to copy the whole picture (keyboard short-cut in this menu is [Return]), only the pixels, only the palette, or only some colors. In this last case, a second menu (stencil-like) will propose you to tag the colors you want to copy (they are all selected by default). Please refer to section "18 - Stencil" to know how to use this last menu. The last option the menu ("Copy palette and remap"), remaps the spare page with the current palette and replicates this palette to the spare page. This option is useful to quickly remap a picture with the palette of another. 26 - Save picture / Autosave: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Displays a fileselector where the following options are available: - Drives: Allow you to change the current drive. You can use + to change drives too. - Format: Allows you to choose the file format you want. (PAL and KCF file formats are "palette" files). - Filename: Allows you to give a new name to the picture. If no extension is given, the default (according to the format) will be used. - File-list: Allows you to flick through the disk tree or to overwrite an existing file. - Delete: Allows you to delete the item under the selection bar. If the item is a directory, it must be empty to be removed. - Save: Saves the picture with the current filename, with the chosen format and with the current comment (for PKM files). If the current filename represents a directory, you'll enter it. - Comment (Txt): If you're using the PKM format, you can type in a comment on your picture. Note: The Backspace key brings you directly to the parent directory. Type in the 1st lettets of a filename you are looking for to access it faster. Right click: ============> Save the current picture with its current filename, format and comment. If the file already exists, a confirmation box will appear. 27 - Load picture / Reload: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> This works the same way as Save. You'll have access in the format selector to a "*.*" filter. And of course, you won't be able to type in any comment. Right click: ============> Reloads the picture. If you want to load a picture and that you haven't saved the last modifications of the current picture, a confirmation box will appear. 28 - Settings: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Any click: ==========> Displays a menu where you can configure some miscellaneous elements of the program: - Gauge scrolling speed: Changes the delay the program waits for between two scrolls of a gauge (scroll-bar). - Preview delay: Changes the number of 18.2ths of second waited before a fileselector displays you the preview of the picture under the selection bar. - Mouse sensibility: Changes the speed of the mouse. - Show/Hide in file list: Defines whether some particular files or directories must be displayed by the fileselectors or not. - Show/Hide picture limits: Indicates if the picture boundaries must be displayed when you are in a resolution bigger than the picture. - Cursor: allows you to choose whether you prefer a solid cursor or a transparent cursor. - Maximize preview: maximizes the preview of the pictures so that it is as big as possible. If you're not in the same resolution as the picture's one, it can try to correct the aspect ratio, but if the picture does not fill the whole screen, it can be worse. - Auto-set resolution: sets the best resolution for the loaded picture. If you load a picture in a format that indicates the original screen size, it will use this value. - Coordinates: Choose if you want to display relative or absolute coordinates when using tools such as circles, rectangles, etc... for example, if you draw a circle: if coords are relative, the radius of the circle will be displayed, while in absolute coords, the coordinates of the cursor will be displayed. - Backup: when you'll save a picture over an existing file, the program will rename this file to "*.BAK" where * is the name of the picture without its extension. If the backup file already exists in the directory, it will be replaced. If you save a picture with the name of the backup file, no backup file will be created (of course!) ;). - Number of UNDO pages: indicates the total number of pages that GrafX2 will memorize. Each time you modify the picture, its current state is memorized in one of these pages. To flick through these pages, use the Oops button. The lowest value is 1 and the highest is 32, but unless you have a rather good quantity of RAM, you should put a low value (e.g. with 8 Megs and without disk-caching, the maximum value is about 3 or 4). - Adjust brush pick: This option is used when you grab a brush in Grid (Snap) mode. Then, the right-most and down-most pixels won't be picked up with the rest of the brush. This option has been made because, if people grab brushes in Grid mode, that's mostly when they want to grab sprites. For example: if you have 16x16 sprites on your page, you'll set the grid mode to 16x16. But the cursor will snap at points like (0,0), (16,0), (16,16) and so on... And the problem is that, from (0,0) to (16,16), there are 17 pixels! But if you keep the adjust-brush-pick option on, the unwanted pixels will be ignored. Moreover, this option adjusts the brush handle so that the brush still fits in the grid, instead of placing the handle in the center of the brush. - Font: determines if you want to use GrafX2 with a classical font, or another one a bit funnier. - Reload: loads the previously saved configuration. - Auto-save: means that the configuration will be automatically saved when you'll quit the program. - Save: saves the configuration at once. All modifications will be effective just after closing the menu. 29 - Clear picture: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Clears the picture with the color number 0. Right click: ============> Clears the picture with the Back-color. 30 - Help / Statistics: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Displays an info window where you'll find some credits, help about the credits, different effects, greetings, registering... Right click: ============> Displays a window where you'll find miscellaneous informations about the system. Note: you should take care to keep more than 128 Kb in order to let the program run in a proper way. 31 - Oops (Undo/Redo): 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Allows you to undo the last modification on the picture. Right click: ============> Allows you to redo the last modification undone on the picture. The maximum number of UNDO that you can perform can be defined in the settings menu. Undo/Redo aren't effective after page switching, picture loading and picture size modifications. 32 - Quit program: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Any click: ==========> Allows you to leave GrafX2. If there are unsaved modifications in the current or spare page, a confirmation box will ask you if you really want to quit GrafX2, if you want to save (Auto-save, no fileselector) or if you want to stay in GrafX2. 33 - Palette menu: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Displays a menu where the following options are available: - Palette: Allows you to choose a color-block to edit. If you click with the right mouse button, you'll choose a new Back-color. - RGB gauges: Allow you to modify the current selection. - "+" and "-": Allow you to lighten or darken the current selection. - Default: Restores the predifined GrafX2 palette. - Gray: Transforms the current selection into its gray-scaled equivalent. - Negative: Transforms the current selection into its reverse video equivalent. - Invert: Swaps the colors of the current selection so that the first colors become the last ones. - X-Invert: Works as above but modifies the picture so that it looks the same. - Swap: Swaps the current selection with another color-block. Click on the beginning of the new color-block. - X-Swap: Works as above but modifies the picture so that it looks the same. This may be useful if you want to sort your palette. - Copy: Copies the current selection to another color-block. Click on the beginning of the new color-block. - Spread: Computes a gradation between two colors. If your selection is only made up of one color, select the second color in the palette. Otherwise, the two colors used will be its extremities. - Used: Indicates the number of colors used in the picture. - Zap unused: Erases the unused colors with copies of the current selection. (The keyboard shortcut for this button is ). - Reduce: Allows you to reduce the palette to the number of colors you want (and modifies the picture). - Undo: Allows you to recover the last modifications made on the palette. If the last operation modified the picture, it won't recover them: you'll have to click on Cancel to do so. If you press , the program will replace, as well as possible, some unused colors by the four default colors of the menu. The image won't look altered because the modified colors (in the case they were used on a few points) will be replaced by the closest colors in the rest of the palette. This option is really useful when you modify the palette so that there are no colors that fit for the menu (eg: "Zap unused" while very little colors are used in the picture; or "Reduce" with a very small number of colors). If you press the key below or <,> (QWERTY), the menu will disappear and you will be able to pick up a color from the picture easily. Press to cancel. If only one color is selected (not a block), the <[> and <]> keys can be used to select the previous or next Forecolor (Backcolor if you press at the same time). Warning! If you press Undo after an action that modifies the picture (X-Swap, X-Invert and Reduce colors), the picture won't be remapped as it was just before this action. Only Cancel will. Right click: ============> Opens a menu from where you can access the following menus: - A menu in which you can select the colors that have not to be used for smoothing, for the transparency mode and for remapping. - A menu in which you can define color series. *** Not implemented yet *** 34 - Scroll palette left / right: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Left click: ============> Scrolls the palette window in the right of the menu. Right click: ============> Same as above, but faster. 35 - Palette window: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Left click: ============> Defines the Fore-color. Right click: ============> Defines the Back-color. 36 - Hide menu: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Any click: ==========> Allows you to hide the menu. If you do this, take care to watch before the key to press to show the menu back (the default key is ). Let's talk about $$$, baby: 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� Please refer to the "Register?" section in the internal help of GrafX2. To sum up this section, let's just say that GrafX2 is freeware. But you can anyway send us money, graphics, or just a postcard to show us that we made a useful program. You must note that the version you have is already the "complete" version (the same as the registered version) so we won't send you any other copy of GrafX2. But if you register for one version, we'll consider that you won't have to register for the next ones. Drawing tips: 袴袴袴袴袴袴� This section deals with tips that can help you to draw some cool effects, or just to draw faster. Note that, in most cases, these tips only make a big part of the work and that you'll have to touch up in zoom mode if you want to draw a picture worthy of the name! ;) Moreover, if you've found out nice tips by yourself, and if you want to share them with the others, don't hesitate to tell us. Smear mode combined with concentric lines: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 By combining this effect and this drawing tool, you can spread an area from a central point. If you aren't in high resolution, it can be useful to switch on the transparency mode too (see next section). � A possible application is to draw fluffy hair. For that, you can choose one of the pre-defined paintbrushes loking like random points. According to the hair density you wish to obtain, you can choose a paintbrush with more or less points. Then, place the center of the concentric lines in the middle of the plush, and rotate the mouse around it keeping the mouse button pressed. With the same method, by turning around more, you can manage to give an explosion effect to an object. � You can also create easily and quickly sun rays with this method. For that, after having drawn the primary shape of the sun in the sky, choose a paintbrush according to the size of the rays you want (but a small one will often be prefered), and place the center of the lines in the center of the sun. Then trace the ray at the length you want. If you didn't take a big paintbrush, you'll be able first to draw an aura around the sun by rotating quickly, and then to add more important rays with precision. Smear mode combined with Transparency mode: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� This two drawing modes, once combined, permit to spread parts of the picture as fresh paint. It is recommanded to use the transparency method which consists in interpolating with an opacity of about 60% and the effects "Feedback" on. � As in the prvious section, it can be useful for drawing hair and especially eyelashes if you have got a good palette (i.e. a palette that contains color gradations between every colors you'll draw on during the operation. For drawing eyelashes for example, after having drawn the eye and the eyelid, trace a quite thick black line representing the base of the eye- lashes (this is that black line you'll spread out on the eyelid). Then, in smear+transparency mode, draw with the freehand continuous tool (with a small paintbrush: 1, 2 or 3 pixels wide according to what you draw: a face or a close-up on an eye) starting from the base of the eyelashes in giving their shape. You'll see your black bar looking more and more like eye- lashes. � One can also use these effects for mixing colors on the screen like paint. For example, if one want to draw a background made of abstract shapes composed of color mixings, one can proceed like what follows: - Define a palette containing a gradation between the different colors you wish to use . - Draw very vaguely the different colored areas with a big paintbrush (in normal mode). - With a smaller paintbrush, and with the spray, apply these same colors but lighter or darker on the previously defined areas. - Always with the same paintbrush in spray, but this time in smear mode (not necessarily with transparency... but why not?), mix all these colors on the screen to obtain a "multicolored pulp" vaguely conserving the different color areas. - At last, in Smear+Transparency mode, with a medium rounded paintbrush, hand-draw by whirling or making waves, etc... conserving the same movement to avoid breaks. This aims at eliminating the pixellisation made by the spray and giving the final mixed paint aspect. - Now, if it's ugly, it's either because my explanations are incomprehen- sible, or because you have no talent! :p Spray combined with shade mode: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � If you often use Shade mode, and you are tired of clicking plenty of times on a pixel for reaching the color you want, you can define a spray with "Size"=1, "Mono-flow"=1, and "Delay"=2 (or more, according to your reflexes). Then you'll just have to click a few hundredth of second for modifying a color. � With a wider diameter, it permits to add granularity to a texture, because placing lighter or darker pixels creates some ruggedness. Different textures appropriated to this effect are: sand, rock, etc... Of course, you'll need a color gradation corresponding to color of the texture. � You can also draw more elaborated textures - \ using a paintbrush of the shape of a small curve \ \ or line as these figures "try" to show. ;) ` \ Thus, you can create textures of straw, hair, | \ rock, marble (although hand-drawing would be more recommanded than spray for this last one). Shade mode used for replacing a color gradation by another one: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � If you drew something with colors belonging to a gradation and you'd like to replace all these colors by the ones of another gradation (with the same number of colors), proceed as follows: - Define these 2 gradations in the same shade table in the shade menu without separating them by a blank square. - Set the "no saturation" shade mode. - Define the step of the shade with the size of the two gradations (e.g.: enter 16 if each gradation contains 16 colors). - Now, you just have to draw on the area you want the colors to change (with the left mouse button if you placed the gradation to replace first in the shade table, or inversely). Spheres combined with additive transparency mode: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Starting from a dark background (if possible all of the same color), trace overlapping spheres with their lighting point at their center. You'll quickly obtain a "blob" effect. How to draw drops: 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 � Here is a fast and efficient method to draw drops. Just draw very bright pixels on the side of the drop where the main light is, and less bright ones on the opposite side. Then draw shadows according to the position of the light. Here are examples with a light 굇굇굇굇굇굇 굇굇굇굇 coming from the top-left corner. 굇굇굇굇굇굇 굇굇굇굇 (they are best viewed in 80x50 굇굇껑갚굇굇 굇方굇굇 text mode) 굇굉方갚굇굇 굇굅껐굇 굇글껐굉갚굇 굇굇갚굇 You may think that the smallest 굇굉굅께갚굇 굇굇굇굇 drop doesn't really look like a 굇굇굉旁갚굇 굇굇굇굇 drop, but draw it in graph mode 굇굇굅같굇굇 and you'll see it DOES look 굇굇굇굇굇굇 like a drop. 굇굇굇굇굇굇 If you don't trust me, then know that it's by looking at Lazur's graphs that I found this method. And in a general way, it's always good to study the work of the best artists to learn new techniques. Trouble-shooting / General hints / FAQ: 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴� * Video card problems: - If your video card is not VESA compatible in hardware, you should try to run a VESA driver such as Univesa or Univbe. - If your card is VESA compatible but doesn't display the screen correctly in VESA resolutions, that's probably because they don't fulfil all the criteria that we expect. The explanation is that, for a better efficiency, we have had to neglect some specificities on some video cards. However, we always try to improve the compatibility with any kind of the VESA standard in each new version. - If you have an ATI Mach 64 video card (e.g. ATI Xpert), you should use the m64vbe TSR supplied with the card to fully support our fancy XVESA modes by typing "m64vbe vga". * Memory problems: - Since the 94.666% version, we use the EOS dos-extender Copyright (c)1996 Eclipse instead of the usual DOS4GW. The reason is that it is much smaller in disk space (a smaller zip should please your phone bills) and in memory (so you'll be able to run GrafX2 with more device handlers using conventionnal memory). In addition, this dos-extender is inside the main file, which reduces the number of files (your FAT will be happy for that). The backdraw is that this dos-extender doesn't manage disk-cache. So, if you haven't at least 8 Megabytes of RAM, you'll have to use the batch file GFX2_MEM.BAT . Notice that: - you'll have to configure this file according to the location of some files in the tree of your hard-disk(s). - you'll have to have the file DOS4GW.EXE somewhere in the tree of your hard-disk(s). - you'll need at least 16 Megabytes of free space on your current hard-disk. If you ever encounter problems using GrafX2 (with at least 8 Megabytes of RAM) that would vanish using GFX2_MEM, we would thank you to let us know. EOS is a shareware dos-extender, with very interesting libraries for music, graphism, ... for Watcom, Tasm or Masm applications. If you want more informations on its features or its libraries, don't hesitate to contact us in order to be put in relationship with its authors. The above command can allow you to access a greater number of UNDO pages in the Settings menu. You'll discover that this is generally more annoying than interesting because at the beginning of any modification on the picture, your hard drive will be accessed to swap memory. So why do we speak about this here ? Well... it's a hint to use more features of GrafX2. Of course, the best way to use this feature would be to have a lot of memory, but not everybody has got 32 Megabytes of EDO-RAM ;). - Warning, the EOS dos-extender can hang sometimes when Cubic Player (and probably some other programs exited with a dos shell) is running. You can press Ctrl+C and try again, which has much chances to work. Or, if the problem persists, you can avoid it by launching GFX2_MEM followed by the /novm parameter in lower case (gfx2_mem /novm). This will allow you to listen to your favourite modules while drawing. Great! ;) Note that, in most cases, everything works fine without this last method; and that, anyway, this problem only occurs at the launching of the program, so don't worry when it succeeded. * Sound card problems: Q: No sound comes out from my Ultra-maxi-sound-blaster-galaxy-64-3D-pnp, so what can I do? A: Well... You must understand that this program is not a soundtracker nor a music-player :) ... So if you want some music, you'll have either to play modules with a good player that can run background (with a DOS shell), or to switch your Hi-Fi on. * Miscellaneous: - To run GrafX2 under Windows NT, you'll need the DOS4GW.EXE program. Then, you'll just have to run this program followed by the pathname of GrafX2. Example: type "dos4gw gfx2" if you are already in the directory containing GrafX2 and that the path to dos4gw.exe is in the "path" environment variable. - If you fucked up the GFX2.CFG file and that GrafX2 uses it as is, with an incorrect behavior, don't hesitate to erase GFX2.CFG and to re-run GFXCFG to create a new correct one. Indeed, the only tests of validity we do on the configuration file are checking its size and its version number. - It may happen that you get a version already configured by one of your friends who could have used some "Windows 95" keys while you haven't got such keyboard yourself. In this case, you'll have to reconfigure these combinations using GFXCFG. * Frequently asked questions: Q: How can I set the dimensions of the picture? A: We thought it was obvious that you had to click in the areas were the dimensions are written in the resolution menu (Width & Height) but many people asked this question (?!). So, to sum up, everywhere you'll see a value or text written in black in a sort of encrusted area, this means that if you click on it, you'll be able to modify its value. Moreover, if you want the picture dimensions to be the same as the ones of the screen, you just have to right-click on the resolution in the list. Q: Where can I get the latest version of GrafX2? A: Read the end of the SNSTDSGN.NFO file (hoping that you're one of those who delete all the files that don't seem interesting, or at least that you kept the ZIP on a disk). :) Q: How can I make the brush become monochrome, and how can I get it back to its normal state? A: You can do it (assuming that you haven't modified the default keys) with the keys + to make the brush become monochrome, and + to get the multi-coloured brush back. Q: Why is the tool bar at the bottom of the screen instead of at the right side such as Deluxe Paint (copyright Electronic Arts)? A: Well... GrafX2 IS NOT Deluxe Paint! We know that you are used to Deluxe Paint but you'll have to get used to GrafX2! ;) If you really can't stand using GrafX2 like this, then you'll have to wait for GrafX3 but we probably won't release it before year 2000! Actually, the main reason why we put the tool bar with such a basical aspect is that it was easier (therefore faster) to redraw the whole screen just by telling the routine where to stop (where starts the tool bar). Moreover, one of the best Amiga paint programs (Brilliance) has got the tool bar at the bottom of the screen too. Q: Why aren't the hidden parts of the picture filled when I use the "Flood fill" tool ? A: For the simple and "quite" good reason that it is preferable that the user controls perfectly what he is drawing. Thus, he won't see too late that he has fucked up a part of his picture. The other tools work the same way. Q: Is it possible to launch the program in a different resolution than 320x200 ? A: Yes, you just have to type GFX2 at the DOS prompt. Type GFX2 /? to get the list of all the video modes. Q: Is it normal that some buttons don't work (e.g.: the Text button) ? A: Yes, this is because we haven't had the time to make them (I remind you that GrafX2 is still at a Beta version state). However, here is the list of the buttons that don't respond in GrafX2: - Grad. rectangles - Text - Effects on the picture - and the 2 following buttons in the "Brush effects" menu: - Rotate by any angle - Distort Q: How can I contact you? A: Actually, this is not really this question since those people managed to contact us ;) but... * Snail mail: GUILLAUME DORME (Robinson) KARL MARITAUD (X-Man) 15, rue de l'observatoire 10, rue de la Brasserie 87000 LIMOGES (FRANCE) 87000 LIMOGES (FRANCE) * E-mail: (Should work at least until July 1998) dorme@alphainfo.unilim.fr maritaud@alphainfo.unilim.fr * IRC: (too much) often on #demofr, #pixel and #coders Do not hesitate to contact us; we love that! :) We'll try to reply to every e-mails (if any answer is needed), and also to certain normal letters (Yes of course, we won't ruin ourselves for stamps just to say "Thanks for writing!" :)).