ANSI View 3.0 Copyright 1993,94 Robert D. Bouman All Rights Reserved February 5, 1994 License Information : The ANSI View software package is NOT free. You are expected to register your copy of ANSI View within 30 days or cease all use of software. ANSI View is not to be included with any other software package unless permission is obtained in writing from the author. You may freely distribute the shareware version of ANSI View (in fact I encourage it) as long as all files included in the official release of ANSI View are included (see README.1ST for files comprising the official release of ANSI View). Shareware distributors may sell disks containing ANSI View as long as no fee is charged for the software itself, however, distribution fees and reimbursement for cost of media may be charged to end user as long as the fee does not exceed $5.00 (U.S. funds). Warranty Information: All measures have been taken to ensure that ANSI View is of the highest quality. However, the author takes no responsibility for any loss of equipment and/or loss of data resulting from the use of ANSI View and utilities. (See REGISTER.DOC for information on registering ANSI View) The Shareware Concept and What it Means to You. Shareware is a method of marketing and distributing software that requires almost no capital (money) on the part of the author to distribute his/her software product to potential customers. You may have downloaded ANSI View from an electronic BBS service or purchased a disk from a shareware distributor with ANSI View on it. Simply because you have a copy of ANSI View does not mean that you own it. In fact, after a reasonable trial period, you are encouraged to register your version of ANSI View. There are many benefits in doing so, here are a few; - By registering ANSI View you will receive a disk from the author with the registered version of ANSI View on it. The registered version comes with all annoying delays disabled as well as your name "branded" right into the program itself. - If you register, you will be automatically notified of future enhancements to ANSI View or related utilities. - By registering, you help to support an industry that provides thousands of new software titles to the public each year at very reasonable prices. The registration fee for ANSI View is $20. What is ANSI View? ANSI View is a DOS command line utility similar to XCOPY or MOVE that displays ANSI coded images on your computer screen. It does this with no assistance from the ANSI.SYS device driver. Those of you that keep ANSI.SYS installed for viewing ANSI graphics can now free your computer's memory from ANSI.SYS forever! Since ANSI View displays full color ANSI images and animation sequences, its possible uses are boundless. One great use for it that I have found is for viewing ANSI files from the MS-DOS Shell or MS Windows' File Manager. By simply associating files with the extension .ANS (see perspective manuals) with AV.EXE, you can view all your favorite ANSI files easily from within a graphical environment. Another great use for ANSI View is for setting up killer menu systems. See information on the /K switch for how this can be done. Of course, since ANSI View is not a memory-resident utility it does not re- map your keyboard for you as ANSI.SYS can. But, when it comes to displaying color ANSI graphics, ANSI View blows ANSI.SYS out of the water in both speed and usability. Requirements ANSI View requires : - IBM PC XT/AT compatible computer - DOS 2.0+ Optional : An EGA or VGA graphics card is required for the display mode altering programs 12R.EXE, 14R.EXE, 21R.EXE, 25R.EXE, 28R.EXE, 43R.EXE, and 50R.EXE. - INSTRUCTIONS - ANSI View is very simple to use, if you can copy a file from the DOS command prompt you can use ANSI View. The command line format of ANSI View is as follows; AV [] [] [ ] Specifications surrounded in "[]" are optional. In order for ANSI View to function, at least one file name must be provided on the command line. However, you may specify as many ANSI files as you wish at the command line and ANSI View will display them in the order they were given. DOS does unfortunately limit the total length of the command line to 128 characters long however. All DOS type wild cards can be used with ANSI View. This includes the characters ? and * wild card characters. For example; AV *.ANS *.TXT will display all files with the extensions .ANS and .TXT in the current directory. Also, there are four different command line switches that can be used with ANSI View to achieve desired results. They are; /P - Pauses after each image displayed. /C - Clears the screen before each image is displayed. /K - See description below. /S=0-9 - Alters the display speed; 0=fastest, 9=slowest /V=x - Forces AV to use either direct screen writes or to use BIOS screen writes. x=D is direct screen writes, x=B is BIOS screen writes. /COLOR=OFF - Displays ANSI files in black and white /? - Displays the help screen for ANSI View. **** Note: Beginning with version 3.0, ANSI View will now automatically detect which video adapter you have installed and configure itself accordingly. However, due to the vast variety of video adapters in use today, ANSI View also allows you to manually select how it displays images on the screen. See below for more details. Examples; (1) AV *.ANS /P (2) AV /P *.ANS (3) AV OPENNING.ANS /P MYMENU.ANS (4) AV OPENNING.ANS /P /C MYMENU.ANS (5) AV PICTURE.ANS /V=B /COLOR=OFF (6) AV PICTURE.ANS /V=D /P (7) AV PICTURE.ANS /S=9 In example 1, all files with the .ANS extension will be displayed with a pause message between each file. The user must press a key to view the next image. Example 2 is exactly the same as the first. The difference is that the /P switch is at the beginning of the command line sequence instead of at the end. This demonstrates that ANSI View does not require that the switches be placed in any particular order, they may be mixed throughout the command line if the user prefers. Example 3 shows how more than one file is specified on the command line. Again, switches may be placed anywhere in the command line sequence. Example 4 illustrates how the /C switch is used to clear the screen before each file is displayed. Example 5 shows how ANSI View can be set to write to the screen using BIOS instead of directly to the video screen. This is somewhat slower than the direct method, but is compatible with nearly every video system in use today. This example also shows how ANSI View can be configured to display ANSI pictures in black and white. Example 6 shows how ANSI View can be set to write to the screen directly. This is a much faster method than using the BIOS method but may be prone to compatibility problems. Example 7 demonstrates how the display speed of ANSI View can be altered. /S=0 is the fastest (default), while /S=9 is the slowest. This switch can be useful if ANSI View is run from a very fast computer in which case the on-screen animation appears too rapidly on the screen to follow. This feature is also useful for following exactly how a particular image is animated. Keys used in ANSI View

- Pauses image display on screen, pressing

again will "unpause" the frozen image. - Pressing the while the computer is drawing an ANSI image on the screen will skip to the next file or exit the program. - Will abort ANSI View. Returning Key Strokes to Batch Files By using the /K switch and a prompt message, it is possible to return a keystroke value to a calling batch program for use with the ERRORLEVEL batch command. First I'll present an example then discuss its workings. Example: AV TESTMENU.ANS "Please make selection from menu : " /K The ingredients necessary for AV to return a keystroke properly are the /K switch and a file name. A prompt message is optional. ANSI View will not return a key stroke if a file name is not given on the command line. When the /K switch is used, the last item in the command line is used for the prompt message (excluding any switch options that may follow). In the above example, the message surrounded in quotes is used and not the /K. Messages requiring more than one word must be surrounded in quotes in order for ANSI View to properly interpret the message. Prompt messages need not be surround in quotes, however, if they consist of only one word. The example below will produce proper results also. Example: AV TESTMENU.ANS Selection? /K This example will display the file TESTMENU.ANS and then display the message "Selection?" at the bottom of the image. After the user has pressed the desired key the program will terminate setting the errorlevel to the value of the key that was pressed. For a broader example of the process, see TESTMENU.BAT for an example of a menu system based around ANSI View. One last note on the /K switch. It is possible to specify more than one file name with the /K switch. The prompt message will appear only after the last file has been displayed. Adjusting the Line Height Included with the ANSI View package are seven utilities designed to adjust the character height of EGA/VGA display terminal types. The names of the utilities and their function are given below. Name Function Hardware Required ------ ---------- ------------------- 12R.EXE Set screen to 12 chars. high VGA 14R.EXE Set screen to 14 chars. high VGA 21R.EXE Set screen to 21 chars. high VGA 25R.EXE Set screen to 25 chars. high (ALL video adapters) 28R.EXE Set screen to 28 chars. high VGA 43R.EXE Set screen to 43 chars. high EGA/VGA 50R.EXE Set screen to 50 chars. high VGA ANSI View has been configured to work within these video modes. There may be times when the standard 25 line screen is not big enough to hold the needed menu or other ANSI image so the higher number of lines per screen can become very useful. Also, the visually impaired will welcome the larger letters provided by 12R.EXE and 14R.EXE for working within the DOS command line or ANSI View. If you have any comments or suggestions, I would be very happy to hear from you. I can be reached at the following locations: Robert D. Bouman 94 W Roosevelt Ave. Zeeland, MI 49464 - or - The Dutch Ghetto BBS Phone - (616)772-0347 VNET address - 255@6160 User account #255, Robert Bouman Thank you for interest in ANSI View! Robert D. Bouman