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G4BLT > ARCHIM 28.04.95 17:20l 61 Lines 3424 Bytes #999 (0) @ EU
BID : 39938_GB7WRG
Read: GUEST
Subj: Draw_to_Sprite converter - progres
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Sent: 950427/1134 830@G4BLT.GB7WRG.#19.GBR.EU [Wakefield IO93gp]
There has been some debate, both here on Packet, and also on Internet in the
Acorn newsgroups, about a Draw_to_Sprite converter program. Well, here's an
update. First of all, there is some misunderstanding about what such a piece of
software is expected to do. I think it was Neil G4RQN who first raised this
issue, but I also had a need for the software, and have taken a keen
interest.
The object basically is to convert a Draw file into a Sprite file, which
could be displayed in Paint for example. The misunderstanding arises because
many people said "why not use the Snapshot facility in Paint?", failing to
appreciate that this limits the resolution of the resultant Sprite to that
of the screen display at the time of conversion. You can only capture what
you can see on the screen, so if you zoom so as to more or less fill the
screen, (allowing access to a directory to save the Sprite in), and this
does not reveal enough detail in the Draw file, then you are stuck!
In effect, what you need to be able to do, is to create a Sprite which is
bigger than the visible screen area, thus retaining more detail of the
original Draw file. The application called !DrawGrab, which has been
mentioned many times, fails to do this; you can still only capture what you
can see.
I have been testing two applications which *do* purport to fit the bill, and
one of them is looking very good. You can specify the effective resolution
of the resultant sprite, and the number of colours. I was able to create
some very detailed (and also rather large!) sprites of circuit diagrams,
with all the necessary detail retained. By comparison, a screen snapshot was
pretty hopeless!
When this program is beta tested and in a decent working state, I will let
you know the details. The author and I have been having a few problems,
because he has a Risc PC and I have an A5000, so some very neat ways of
doing things under RO 3.5 don't work under RO 3.10, and it's been something
of a process of trial-and-error to get it to work properly on my machine.
Anyway, it's paying off. It's so nice on Internet, to be able to receive an
application as a Spark archive UUencoded in a personal message, with no
slowness, and no bellyaching from George! ;->
Finally, some people asked "why do you need this application at all?". Well,
that's a fair question, and the answer for those involved only in Acorn
machines, is "you don't!". However, if I want to send a diagram or other
vector art picture to someone with, say, an IBM clone, then it's best to
send a GIF, TIFF or JPEG file (as required). Converting Paint Sprites to GIF
etc. is very easy, thanks to superb utilities like !Creator, even if the
author is an abusive nutter! (No kidding; you should read his rantings on
Internet, hi). Such bit-image formats are far more universal among radio
amateur computer users than vector Art/CAD formats, and there is no shortage
of utilities to display and manipulate them, across different platforms and
OSs. For example, the JVFAX software comes on disc with some very large and
detailed GIF files of the circuit diagrams for the interfaces; there is no
way I could produce something that good with Draw and Paint Snapshot, but
with this new application I certainly can, and have!
I'll keep you posted, and if anyone turns anything similar up, then please
let us know.
Bye
Rick G4BLT@GB7WRG.#19.GBR.EU Email: richard@waveg.demon.co.uk
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