Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1995-09.adf » !Regulars » Regulars/StarInfo/Salt/!DrawShape/!Help
Regulars/StarInfo/Salt/!DrawShape/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1995-09.adf » !Regulars |
| Filename: | Regulars/StarInfo/Salt/!DrawShape/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 096A bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
DrawShape
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by D. Salt
Version 1.05 (2 Feb 1995)
Takes path objects from Draw and moulds them to fit between two other paths.
How to use
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When DrawShape is loaded, it puts two icons on the iconbar. Both appear as
raised slabs.
The left-hand slab has on it two cyan lines, one above the other. This is
the mould icon.
The right-hand slab has on it a pair of compasses. This is the image icon.
It initially appears greyed out because DrawShape has no mould to use.
1. Select the two paths you wish to use as the template.
2. Export them to DrawShape (use 'Save selected'), dropping them on the
mould icon.
3. Select the paths (or path groups) you wish to mould.
4. Export them to DrawShape (save selected), dropping them on the image
icon. Or export the whole file if you want to process the whole file.
5. DrawImage will process the file, and exports the resulting file to Draw.
This can now be combined with the original drawing.
The two paths describe the upper and lower bounds of the moulded image.
Whichever is used as the lower bound must be 'in front of' the other path.
It is important that the paths used in the mould:
- are individual path objects;
- do not contain moves; and
- are not grouped together.
If the paths are rejected by DrawShape, you will be told why, and the
previous mould (if there was one) will be retained.
There is a maximum line segment length. This is currently defined the length
of the bounding box diagonal divided by the number of line/curve segments in
the upper part of the mould then by the number in the lower part. It is
limited to the range 0.1pt to 7.2pt (0.1in).
The main menu contains:
- Info
- Fast
This controls whether the screen is blanked while moulding. When on,
this option reduces the time taken by around 12%.
- Shortcut
This controls which of two line length calculation methods is used - the
slower one is much more accurate, but the faster method appears to have
little effect on the output quality. Using the faster method reduces
the time taken by around 45%.
With both options on, the time taken is around 49% of the time that
would otherwise be taken.
- Clear
This causes DrawShape to forget about the current mould definition.
- Quit
For details of the moulding process used, see Michael Attenborough's article
"Round the Bend" (AU December 1992).
00000000 20 44 72 61 77 53 68 61 70 65 0a 20 af af af af | DrawShape. ....| 00000010 af af af af af 0a 20 62 79 20 44 2e 20 53 61 6c |...... by D. Sal| 00000020 74 0a 0a 20 56 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 31 2e 30 35 |t.. Version 1.05| 00000030 20 28 32 20 46 65 62 20 31 39 39 35 29 0a 0a 20 | (2 Feb 1995).. | 00000040 54 61 6b 65 73 20 70 61 74 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 |Takes path objec| 00000050 74 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 44 72 61 77 20 61 6e 64 |ts from Draw and| 00000060 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 73 20 74 68 65 6d 20 74 6f 20 | moulds them to | 00000070 66 69 74 20 62 65 74 77 65 65 6e 20 74 77 6f 20 |fit between two | 00000080 6f 74 68 65 72 20 70 61 74 68 73 2e 0a 0a 0a 20 |other paths.... | 00000090 48 6f 77 20 74 6f 20 75 73 65 0a 20 af af af af |How to use. ....| 000000a0 af af af af af af 0a 20 57 68 65 6e 20 44 72 61 |....... When Dra| 000000b0 77 53 68 61 70 65 20 69 73 20 6c 6f 61 64 65 64 |wShape is loaded| 000000c0 2c 20 69 74 20 70 75 74 73 20 74 77 6f 20 69 63 |, it puts two ic| 000000d0 6f 6e 73 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 62 |ons on the iconb| 000000e0 61 72 2e 20 42 6f 74 68 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 20 |ar. Both appear | 000000f0 61 73 0a 72 61 69 73 65 64 20 73 6c 61 62 73 2e |as.raised slabs.| 00000100 0a 20 54 68 65 20 6c 65 66 74 2d 68 61 6e 64 20 |. The left-hand | 00000110 73 6c 61 62 20 68 61 73 20 6f 6e 20 69 74 20 74 |slab has on it t| 00000120 77 6f 20 63 79 61 6e 20 6c 69 6e 65 73 2c 20 6f |wo cyan lines, o| 00000130 6e 65 20 61 62 6f 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 |ne above the oth| 00000140 65 72 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 0a 74 68 65 20 |er. This is.the | 00000150 6d 6f 75 6c 64 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 20 54 68 65 |mould icon.. The| 00000160 20 72 69 67 68 74 2d 68 61 6e 64 20 73 6c 61 62 | right-hand slab| 00000170 20 68 61 73 20 6f 6e 20 69 74 20 61 20 70 61 69 | has on it a pai| 00000180 72 20 6f 66 20 63 6f 6d 70 61 73 73 65 73 2e 20 |r of compasses. | 00000190 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 69 6d 61 67 |This is the imag| 000001a0 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 49 74 20 69 6e 69 74 69 |e icon..It initi| 000001b0 61 6c 6c 79 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 73 20 67 72 65 |ally appears gre| 000001c0 79 65 64 20 6f 75 74 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 |yed out because | 000001d0 44 72 61 77 53 68 61 70 65 20 68 61 73 20 6e 6f |DrawShape has no| 000001e0 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 20 74 6f 20 75 73 65 2e 0a 0a | mould to use...| 000001f0 20 31 2e 20 53 65 6c 65 63 74 20 74 68 65 20 74 | 1. Select the t| 00000200 77 6f 20 70 61 74 68 73 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 73 |wo paths you wis| 00000210 68 20 74 6f 20 75 73 65 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 |h to use as the | 00000220 74 65 6d 70 6c 61 74 65 2e 0a 0a 20 32 2e 20 45 |template... 2. E| 00000230 78 70 6f 72 74 20 74 68 65 6d 20 74 6f 20 44 72 |xport them to Dr| 00000240 61 77 53 68 61 70 65 20 28 75 73 65 20 27 53 61 |awShape (use 'Sa| 00000250 76 65 20 73 65 6c 65 63 74 65 64 27 29 2c 20 64 |ve selected'), d| 00000260 72 6f 70 70 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 6d 20 6f 6e 20 |ropping them on | 00000270 74 68 65 0a 6d 6f 75 6c 64 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a |the.mould icon..| 00000280 0a 20 33 2e 20 53 65 6c 65 63 74 20 74 68 65 20 |. 3. Select the | 00000290 70 61 74 68 73 20 28 6f 72 20 70 61 74 68 20 67 |paths (or path g| 000002a0 72 6f 75 70 73 29 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 73 68 20 |roups) you wish | 000002b0 74 6f 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 2e 0a 0a 20 34 2e 20 45 |to mould... 4. E| 000002c0 78 70 6f 72 74 20 74 68 65 6d 20 74 6f 20 44 72 |xport them to Dr| 000002d0 61 77 53 68 61 70 65 20 28 73 61 76 65 20 73 65 |awShape (save se| 000002e0 6c 65 63 74 65 64 29 2c 20 64 72 6f 70 70 69 6e |lected), droppin| 000002f0 67 20 74 68 65 6d 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 6d |g them on the im| 00000300 61 67 65 0a 69 63 6f 6e 2e 20 4f 72 20 65 78 70 |age.icon. Or exp| 00000310 6f 72 74 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 6f 6c 65 20 66 69 |ort the whole fi| 00000320 6c 65 20 69 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 61 6e 74 20 74 |le if you want t| 00000330 6f 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 |o process the wh| 00000340 6f 6c 65 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 0a 20 35 2e 20 44 |ole file... 5. D| 00000350 72 61 77 49 6d 61 67 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 72 |rawImage will pr| 00000360 6f 63 65 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 2c 20 |ocess the file, | 00000370 61 6e 64 20 65 78 70 6f 72 74 73 20 74 68 65 20 |and exports the | 00000380 72 65 73 75 6c 74 69 6e 67 20 66 69 6c 65 20 74 |resulting file t| 00000390 6f 20 44 72 61 77 2e 0a 54 68 69 73 20 63 61 6e |o Draw..This can| 000003a0 20 6e 6f 77 20 62 65 20 63 6f 6d 62 69 6e 65 64 | now be combined| 000003b0 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e | with the origin| 000003c0 61 6c 20 64 72 61 77 69 6e 67 2e 0a 0a 20 54 68 |al drawing... Th| 000003d0 65 20 74 77 6f 20 70 61 74 68 73 20 64 65 73 63 |e two paths desc| 000003e0 72 69 62 65 20 74 68 65 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 61 |ribe the upper a| 000003f0 6e 64 20 6c 6f 77 65 72 20 62 6f 75 6e 64 73 20 |nd lower bounds | 00000400 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 65 64 20 69 |of the moulded i| 00000410 6d 61 67 65 2e 0a 57 68 69 63 68 65 76 65 72 20 |mage..Whichever | 00000420 69 73 20 75 73 65 64 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 6c |is used as the l| 00000430 6f 77 65 72 20 62 6f 75 6e 64 20 6d 75 73 74 20 |ower bound must | 00000440 62 65 20 27 69 6e 20 66 72 6f 6e 74 20 6f 66 27 |be 'in front of'| 00000450 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 70 61 74 68 2e | the other path.| 00000460 0a 20 49 74 20 69 73 20 69 6d 70 6f 72 74 61 6e |. It is importan| 00000470 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 61 74 68 73 |t that the paths| 00000480 20 75 73 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 | used in the mou| 00000490 6c 64 3a 0a 20 2d 20 61 72 65 20 69 6e 64 69 76 |ld:. - are indiv| 000004a0 69 64 75 61 6c 20 70 61 74 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 |idual path objec| 000004b0 74 73 3b 0a 20 2d 20 64 6f 20 6e 6f 74 20 63 6f |ts;. - do not co| 000004c0 6e 74 61 69 6e 20 6d 6f 76 65 73 3b 20 61 6e 64 |ntain moves; and| 000004d0 0a 20 2d 20 61 72 65 20 6e 6f 74 20 67 72 6f 75 |. - are not grou| 000004e0 70 65 64 20 74 6f 67 65 74 68 65 72 2e 0a 20 49 |ped together.. I| 000004f0 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 61 74 68 73 20 61 72 65 20 |f the paths are | 00000500 72 65 6a 65 63 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 44 72 61 77 |rejected by Draw| 00000510 53 68 61 70 65 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |Shape, you will | 00000520 62 65 20 74 6f 6c 64 20 77 68 79 2c 20 61 6e 64 |be told why, and| 00000530 20 74 68 65 0a 70 72 65 76 69 6f 75 73 20 6d 6f | the.previous mo| 00000540 75 6c 64 20 28 69 66 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 |uld (if there wa| 00000550 73 20 6f 6e 65 29 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 72 |s one) will be r| 00000560 65 74 61 69 6e 65 64 2e 0a 0a 20 54 68 65 72 65 |etained... There| 00000570 20 69 73 20 61 20 6d 61 78 69 6d 75 6d 20 6c 69 | is a maximum li| 00000580 6e 65 20 73 65 67 6d 65 6e 74 20 6c 65 6e 67 74 |ne segment lengt| 00000590 68 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 63 75 72 72 65 |h. This is curre| 000005a0 6e 74 6c 79 20 64 65 66 69 6e 65 64 20 74 68 65 |ntly defined the| 000005b0 20 6c 65 6e 67 74 68 0a 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 62 | length.of the b| 000005c0 6f 75 6e 64 69 6e 67 20 62 6f 78 20 64 69 61 67 |ounding box diag| 000005d0 6f 6e 61 6c 20 64 69 76 69 64 65 64 20 62 79 20 |onal divided by | 000005e0 74 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 6c 69 |the number of li| 000005f0 6e 65 2f 63 75 72 76 65 20 73 65 67 6d 65 6e 74 |ne/curve segment| 00000600 73 20 69 6e 0a 74 68 65 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 70 |s in.the upper p| 00000610 61 72 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 |art of the mould| 00000620 20 74 68 65 6e 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 6e 75 6d | then by the num| 00000630 62 65 72 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6c 6f 77 65 72 |ber in the lower| 00000640 20 70 61 72 74 2e 20 49 74 20 69 73 0a 6c 69 6d | part. It is.lim| 00000650 69 74 65 64 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 72 61 6e 67 |ited to the rang| 00000660 65 20 30 2e 31 70 74 20 74 6f 20 37 2e 32 70 74 |e 0.1pt to 7.2pt| 00000670 20 28 30 2e 31 69 6e 29 2e 0a 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 | (0.1in)....The | 00000680 6d 61 69 6e 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 |main menu contai| 00000690 6e 73 3a 0a 20 2d 20 49 6e 66 6f 0a 20 2d 20 46 |ns:. - Info. - F| 000006a0 61 73 74 0a 20 20 20 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 63 6f |ast. This co| 000006b0 6e 74 72 6f 6c 73 20 77 68 65 74 68 65 72 20 74 |ntrols whether t| 000006c0 68 65 20 73 63 72 65 65 6e 20 69 73 20 62 6c 61 |he screen is bla| 000006d0 6e 6b 65 64 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 |nked while mould| 000006e0 69 6e 67 2e 20 57 68 65 6e 20 6f 6e 2c 0a 20 20 |ing. When on,. | 000006f0 20 20 74 68 69 73 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 72 65 | this option re| 00000700 64 75 63 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 6d 65 20 74 |duces the time t| 00000710 61 6b 65 6e 20 62 79 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 31 |aken by around 1| 00000720 32 25 2e 0a 20 2d 20 53 68 6f 72 74 63 75 74 0a |2%.. - Shortcut.| 00000730 20 20 20 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f | This contro| 00000740 6c 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 6f 66 20 74 77 6f 20 |ls which of two | 00000750 6c 69 6e 65 20 6c 65 6e 67 74 68 20 63 61 6c 63 |line length calc| 00000760 75 6c 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6d 65 74 68 6f 64 73 20 |ulation methods | 00000770 69 73 20 75 73 65 64 20 2d 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 |is used - the. | 00000780 20 20 73 6c 6f 77 65 72 20 6f 6e 65 20 69 73 20 | slower one is | 00000790 6d 75 63 68 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 61 63 63 75 72 61 |much more accura| 000007a0 74 65 2c 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 66 61 73 74 |te, but the fast| 000007b0 65 72 20 6d 65 74 68 6f 64 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 |er method appear| 000007c0 73 20 74 6f 20 68 61 76 65 0a 20 20 20 20 6c 69 |s to have. li| 000007d0 74 74 6c 65 20 65 66 66 65 63 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 |ttle effect on t| 000007e0 68 65 20 6f 75 74 70 75 74 20 71 75 61 6c 69 74 |he output qualit| 000007f0 79 2e 20 55 73 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 66 61 73 |y. Using the fas| 00000800 74 65 72 20 6d 65 74 68 6f 64 20 72 65 64 75 63 |ter method reduc| 00000810 65 73 0a 20 20 20 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 6d 65 20 |es. the time | 00000820 74 61 6b 65 6e 20 62 79 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 |taken by around | 00000830 34 35 25 2e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 57 69 74 68 20 62 |45%.. With b| 00000840 6f 74 68 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 6f 6e 2c 20 |oth options on, | 00000850 74 68 65 20 74 69 6d 65 20 74 61 6b 65 6e 20 69 |the time taken i| 00000860 73 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 34 39 25 20 6f 66 20 |s around 49% of | 00000870 74 68 65 20 74 69 6d 65 20 74 68 61 74 0a 20 20 |the time that. | 00000880 20 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 6f 74 68 65 72 77 69 73 | would otherwis| 00000890 65 20 62 65 20 74 61 6b 65 6e 2e 0a 20 2d 20 43 |e be taken.. - C| 000008a0 6c 65 61 72 0a 20 20 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 63 61 |lear. This ca| 000008b0 75 73 65 73 20 44 72 61 77 53 68 61 70 65 20 74 |uses DrawShape t| 000008c0 6f 20 66 6f 72 67 65 74 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 74 |o forget about t| 000008d0 68 65 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 |he current mould| 000008e0 20 64 65 66 69 6e 69 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 20 2d 20 | definition.. - | 000008f0 51 75 69 74 0a 0a 0a 20 46 6f 72 20 64 65 74 61 |Quit... For deta| 00000900 69 6c 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 75 6c 64 |ils of the mould| 00000910 69 6e 67 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 20 75 73 65 64 |ing process used| 00000920 2c 20 73 65 65 20 4d 69 63 68 61 65 6c 20 41 74 |, see Michael At| 00000930 74 65 6e 62 6f 72 6f 75 67 68 27 73 20 61 72 74 |tenborough's art| 00000940 69 63 6c 65 0a 22 52 6f 75 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 |icle."Round the | 00000950 42 65 6e 64 22 20 28 41 55 20 44 65 63 65 6d 62 |Bend" (AU Decemb| 00000960 65 72 20 31 39 39 32 29 2e 0a |er 1992)..| 0000096a
.