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Miscellany/PathMerge/!PathMerge/!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 » Recent acquisitions » Acorn ADFS disks » adfs_AcornComputing_199402.adf » 9402 |
| Filename: | Miscellany/PathMerge/!PathMerge/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0B35 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
Duplicates
There is 1 duplicate copy of this file in the archive:
- Archimedes archive » Acorn Computing » 1994 02.adf » 9402 » Miscellany/PathMerge/!PathMerge/!Help
- Recent acquisitions » Acorn ADFS disks » adfs_AcornComputing_199402.adf » 9402 » Miscellany/PathMerge/!PathMerge/!Help
File contents
_____________________________________________________________________________
PathMerge
version 1.01 (11 Oct 1993)
written by David Thomas
for Acorn Computing � 1993
_____________________________________________________________________________
Purpose __________________________________________________________________
PathMerge is a utility for combining the individual paths (lines, curves
and moves) in a Draw file to make a single path containing all the elements
of the individual paths. So, for example if you were to create two separate
curves in Draw and then run the resulting file through PathMerge, you would
end up with a single object containing two curves separated by a move.
Although it doesn't sound particularly amazing it's highly useful for
creating unusual objects. One such object is a mask (a shape with a bit cut
out) which is hard to create 'by hand' in Draw.
PathMerge is also useful for saving space on Draw files (at least ones
which don't need to be coloured), see the supplied demo files 'Demo3a' and
'Demo3b' for an example.
Usage ____________________________________________________________________
When you have a file you want to process drag it to the PathMerge icon on
the icon bar and a save box will pop up. Drag the file icon to a directory
viewer (or type in a filename and click 'OK') and after a short-ish delay
the file will appear in that directory.
Clicking with Adjust on the icon bar icon will open the last save box (if
there was any).
The output file from PathMerge will be stripped of all non-path objects and
will contain a single path object made up of every path object from the
input file. This object will inherit all it's characteristics from the
first path PathMerge finds in the file (looking at the original in Draw,
this will be the path object at the 'back' of the picture), so if the first
path is coloured red-on-green with a dashed outline then the output object
will be too.
Example of use ____________________________________________________________
Say, for example, you wanted an ellipse with some transparent text inside
it (so the background shows through the letters). You would do this;
1. Load up Draw, create an ellipse (it must be filled) and the text.
2. Convert the text into a path by using the 'Convert to path' option.
3. Position and/or resize the text and ellipse to your preference.
4. Save the file.
5. Drag the saved file to the PathMerge file on the icon bar.
6. Save the file and then load it into Draw.
Now, whatever you place this object over will show through the text (if the
object is not on top then use the 'Front' option).
NB: If you're not using Risc OS 3 then use FontDraw, FontEd or similar to
turn the text into a path.
00000000 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |________________| * 00000040 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 0a 0a 20 |_____________.. | 00000050 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | * 00000070 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 | PathMerge.. | 00000080 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000090 20 20 20 20 20 20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 31 2e | version 1.| 000000a0 30 31 20 28 31 31 20 4f 63 74 20 31 39 39 33 29 |01 (11 Oct 1993)| 000000b0 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |.. | 000000c0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 77 72 69 | wri| 000000d0 74 74 65 6e 20 62 79 20 44 61 76 69 64 20 54 68 |tten by David Th| 000000e0 6f 6d 61 73 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |omas. | 000000f0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 66 | f| 00000100 6f 72 20 41 63 6f 72 6e 20 43 6f 6d 70 75 74 69 |or Acorn Computi| 00000110 6e 67 20 a9 20 31 39 39 33 0a 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |ng . 1993.______| 00000120 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |________________| * 00000160 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 0a 0a 20 50 75 72 70 6f 73 |_______.. Purpos| 00000170 65 20 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |e ______________| 00000180 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |________________| * 000001b0 5f 5f 5f 5f 0a 20 0a 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 |____. . PathMerg| 000001c0 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 75 74 69 6c 69 74 79 20 66 |e is a utility f| 000001d0 6f 72 20 63 6f 6d 62 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 |or combining the| 000001e0 20 69 6e 64 69 76 69 64 75 61 6c 20 70 61 74 68 | individual path| 000001f0 73 20 28 6c 69 6e 65 73 2c 20 63 75 72 76 65 73 |s (lines, curves| 00000200 0a 61 6e 64 20 6d 6f 76 65 73 29 20 69 6e 20 61 |.and moves) in a| 00000210 20 44 72 61 77 20 66 69 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 6d 61 | Draw file to ma| 00000220 6b 65 20 61 20 73 69 6e 67 6c 65 20 70 61 74 68 |ke a single path| 00000230 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 61 6c 6c 20 | containing all | 00000240 74 68 65 20 65 6c 65 6d 65 6e 74 73 0a 6f 66 20 |the elements.of | 00000250 74 68 65 20 69 6e 64 69 76 69 64 75 61 6c 20 70 |the individual p| 00000260 61 74 68 73 2e 20 20 53 6f 2c 20 66 6f 72 20 65 |aths. So, for e| 00000270 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20 69 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 65 |xample if you we| 00000280 72 65 20 74 6f 20 63 72 65 61 74 65 20 74 77 6f |re to create two| 00000290 20 73 65 70 61 72 61 74 65 0a 63 75 72 76 65 73 | separate.curves| 000002a0 20 69 6e 20 44 72 61 77 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 | in Draw and the| 000002b0 6e 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 73 75 6c 74 |n run the result| 000002c0 69 6e 67 20 66 69 6c 65 20 74 68 72 6f 75 67 68 |ing file through| 000002d0 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 | PathMerge, you | 000002e0 77 6f 75 6c 64 0a 65 6e 64 20 75 70 20 77 69 74 |would.end up wit| 000002f0 68 20 61 20 73 69 6e 67 6c 65 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 |h a single objec| 00000300 74 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 77 6f |t containing two| 00000310 20 63 75 72 76 65 73 20 73 65 70 61 72 61 74 65 | curves separate| 00000320 64 20 62 79 20 61 20 6d 6f 76 65 2e 0a 41 6c 74 |d by a move..Alt| 00000330 68 6f 75 67 68 20 69 74 20 64 6f 65 73 6e 27 74 |hough it doesn't| 00000340 20 73 6f 75 6e 64 20 70 61 72 74 69 63 75 6c 61 | sound particula| 00000350 72 6c 79 20 61 6d 61 7a 69 6e 67 20 69 74 27 73 |rly amazing it's| 00000360 20 68 69 67 68 6c 79 20 75 73 65 66 75 6c 20 66 | highly useful f| 00000370 6f 72 0a 63 72 65 61 74 69 6e 67 20 75 6e 75 73 |or.creating unus| 00000380 75 61 6c 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 73 2e 20 20 4f 6e |ual objects. On| 00000390 65 20 73 75 63 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 20 69 73 |e such object is| 000003a0 20 61 20 6d 61 73 6b 20 28 61 20 73 68 61 70 65 | a mask (a shape| 000003b0 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 62 69 74 20 63 75 74 0a | with a bit cut.| 000003c0 6f 75 74 29 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 68 61 |out) which is ha| 000003d0 72 64 20 74 6f 20 63 72 65 61 74 65 20 27 62 79 |rd to create 'by| 000003e0 20 68 61 6e 64 27 20 69 6e 20 44 72 61 77 2e 0a | hand' in Draw..| 000003f0 0a 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 20 69 73 20 61 |. PathMerge is a| 00000400 6c 73 6f 20 75 73 65 66 75 6c 20 66 6f 72 20 73 |lso useful for s| 00000410 61 76 69 6e 67 20 73 70 61 63 65 20 6f 6e 20 44 |aving space on D| 00000420 72 61 77 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 28 61 74 20 6c 65 |raw files (at le| 00000430 61 73 74 20 6f 6e 65 73 0a 77 68 69 63 68 20 64 |ast ones.which d| 00000440 6f 6e 27 74 20 6e 65 65 64 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 |on't need to be | 00000450 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 65 64 29 2c 20 73 65 65 20 74 |coloured), see t| 00000460 68 65 20 73 75 70 70 6c 69 65 64 20 64 65 6d 6f |he supplied demo| 00000470 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 27 44 65 6d 6f 33 61 27 20 | files 'Demo3a' | 00000480 61 6e 64 0a 27 44 65 6d 6f 33 62 27 20 66 6f 72 |and.'Demo3b' for| 00000490 20 61 6e 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 2e 0a 0a 20 55 | an example... U| 000004a0 73 61 67 65 20 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |sage ___________| 000004b0 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |________________| * 000004e0 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 0a 0a 20 57 68 65 6e |_________.. When| 000004f0 20 79 6f 75 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 | you have a file| 00000500 20 79 6f 75 20 77 61 6e 74 20 74 6f 20 70 72 6f | you want to pro| 00000510 63 65 73 73 20 64 72 61 67 20 69 74 20 74 6f 20 |cess drag it to | 00000520 74 68 65 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 20 69 63 |the PathMerge ic| 00000530 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 0a 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 62 |on on.the icon b| 00000540 61 72 20 61 6e 64 20 61 20 73 61 76 65 20 62 6f |ar and a save bo| 00000550 78 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 6f 70 20 75 70 2e 20 20 |x will pop up. | 00000560 44 72 61 67 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 63 |Drag the file ic| 00000570 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 61 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 |on to a director| 00000580 79 0a 76 69 65 77 65 72 20 28 6f 72 20 74 79 70 |y.viewer (or typ| 00000590 65 20 69 6e 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 6e 61 6d 65 20 |e in a filename | 000005a0 61 6e 64 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 27 4f 4b 27 29 20 |and click 'OK') | 000005b0 61 6e 64 20 61 66 74 65 72 20 61 20 73 68 6f 72 |and after a shor| 000005c0 74 2d 69 73 68 20 64 65 6c 61 79 0a 74 68 65 20 |t-ish delay.the | 000005d0 66 69 6c 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 |file will appear| 000005e0 20 69 6e 20 74 68 61 74 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f | in that directo| 000005f0 72 79 2e 0a 0a 20 43 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 77 |ry... Clicking w| 00000600 69 74 68 20 41 64 6a 75 73 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 |ith Adjust on th| 00000610 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 62 61 72 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 |e icon bar icon | 00000620 77 69 6c 6c 20 6f 70 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 |will open the la| 00000630 73 74 20 73 61 76 65 20 62 6f 78 20 28 69 66 0a |st save box (if.| 00000640 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 61 6e 79 29 2e 0a |there was any)..| 00000650 0a 20 54 68 65 20 6f 75 74 70 75 74 20 66 69 6c |. The output fil| 00000660 65 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 |e from PathMerge| 00000670 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 73 74 72 69 70 70 65 | will be strippe| 00000680 64 20 6f 66 20 61 6c 6c 20 6e 6f 6e 2d 70 61 74 |d of all non-pat| 00000690 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 73 20 61 6e 64 0a 77 69 |h objects and.wi| 000006a0 6c 6c 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 20 61 20 73 69 6e |ll contain a sin| 000006b0 67 6c 65 20 70 61 74 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 20 |gle path object | 000006c0 6d 61 64 65 20 75 70 20 6f 66 20 65 76 65 72 79 |made up of every| 000006d0 20 70 61 74 68 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 20 66 72 6f | path object fro| 000006e0 6d 20 74 68 65 0a 69 6e 70 75 74 20 66 69 6c 65 |m the.input file| 000006f0 2e 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 20 77 |. This object w| 00000700 69 6c 6c 20 69 6e 68 65 72 69 74 20 61 6c 6c 20 |ill inherit all | 00000710 69 74 27 73 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 69 73 |it's characteris| 00000720 74 69 63 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 0a 66 69 |tics from the.fi| 00000730 72 73 74 20 70 61 74 68 20 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 |rst path PathMer| 00000740 67 65 20 66 69 6e 64 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |ge finds in the | 00000750 66 69 6c 65 20 28 6c 6f 6f 6b 69 6e 67 20 61 74 |file (looking at| 00000760 20 74 68 65 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 69 6e | the original in| 00000770 20 44 72 61 77 2c 0a 74 68 69 73 20 77 69 6c 6c | Draw,.this will| 00000780 20 62 65 20 74 68 65 20 70 61 74 68 20 6f 62 6a | be the path obj| 00000790 65 63 74 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 27 62 61 63 6b |ect at the 'back| 000007a0 27 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 69 63 74 75 72 65 |' of the picture| 000007b0 29 2c 20 73 6f 20 69 66 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 |), so if the fir| 000007c0 73 74 0a 70 61 74 68 20 69 73 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 |st.path is colou| 000007d0 72 65 64 20 72 65 64 2d 6f 6e 2d 67 72 65 65 6e |red red-on-green| 000007e0 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 64 61 73 68 65 64 20 6f | with a dashed o| 000007f0 75 74 6c 69 6e 65 20 74 68 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 |utline then the | 00000800 6f 75 74 70 75 74 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 0a 77 69 |output object.wi| 00000810 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 74 6f 6f 2e 0a 0a 20 45 78 61 |ll be too... Exa| 00000820 6d 70 6c 65 20 6f 66 20 75 73 65 20 5f 5f 5f 5f |mple of use ____| 00000830 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f |________________| * 00000860 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 5f 0a 0a 20 53 61 79 2c 20 |________.. Say, | 00000870 66 6f 72 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 2c 20 79 6f 75 |for example, you| 00000880 20 77 61 6e 74 65 64 20 61 6e 20 65 6c 6c 69 70 | wanted an ellip| 00000890 73 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 74 72 61 |se with some tra| 000008a0 6e 73 70 61 72 65 6e 74 20 74 65 78 74 20 69 6e |nsparent text in| 000008b0 73 69 64 65 0a 69 74 20 28 73 6f 20 74 68 65 20 |side.it (so the | 000008c0 62 61 63 6b 67 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 73 68 6f 77 73 |background shows| 000008d0 20 74 68 72 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 6c 65 74 | through the let| 000008e0 74 65 72 73 29 2e 20 20 59 6f 75 20 77 6f 75 6c |ters). You woul| 000008f0 64 20 64 6f 20 74 68 69 73 3b 0a 0a 20 31 2e 20 |d do this;.. 1. | 00000900 4c 6f 61 64 20 75 70 20 44 72 61 77 2c 20 63 72 |Load up Draw, cr| 00000910 65 61 74 65 20 61 6e 20 65 6c 6c 69 70 73 65 20 |eate an ellipse | 00000920 28 69 74 20 6d 75 73 74 20 62 65 20 66 69 6c 6c |(it must be fill| 00000930 65 64 29 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 78 74 |ed) and the text| 00000940 2e 0a 20 32 2e 20 43 6f 6e 76 65 72 74 20 74 68 |.. 2. Convert th| 00000950 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 61 20 70 61 |e text into a pa| 00000960 74 68 20 62 79 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 |th by using the | 00000970 27 43 6f 6e 76 65 72 74 20 74 6f 20 70 61 74 68 |'Convert to path| 00000980 27 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 20 33 2e 20 50 6f |' option.. 3. Po| 00000990 73 69 74 69 6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 2f 6f 72 20 72 65 |sition and/or re| 000009a0 73 69 7a 65 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 61 6e |size the text an| 000009b0 64 20 65 6c 6c 69 70 73 65 20 74 6f 20 79 6f 75 |d ellipse to you| 000009c0 72 20 70 72 65 66 65 72 65 6e 63 65 2e 0a 20 34 |r preference.. 4| 000009d0 2e 20 53 61 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 2e |. Save the file.| 000009e0 0a 20 35 2e 20 44 72 61 67 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 |. 5. Drag the sa| 000009f0 76 65 64 20 66 69 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 |ved file to the | 00000a00 50 61 74 68 4d 65 72 67 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 6f |PathMerge file o| 00000a10 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 62 61 72 2e 0a |n the icon bar..| 00000a20 20 36 2e 20 53 61 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c | 6. Save the fil| 00000a30 65 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 6e 20 6c 6f 61 64 20 |e and then load | 00000a40 69 74 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 44 72 61 77 2e 0a 0a 20 |it into Draw... | 00000a50 4e 6f 77 2c 20 77 68 61 74 65 76 65 72 20 79 6f |Now, whatever yo| 00000a60 75 20 70 6c 61 63 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 6f 62 6a |u place this obj| 00000a70 65 63 74 20 6f 76 65 72 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 68 |ect over will sh| 00000a80 6f 77 20 74 68 72 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 74 |ow through the t| 00000a90 65 78 74 20 28 69 66 20 74 68 65 0a 6f 62 6a 65 |ext (if the.obje| 00000aa0 63 74 20 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 6f 70 |ct is not on top| 00000ab0 20 74 68 65 6e 20 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 27 46 | then use the 'F| 00000ac0 72 6f 6e 74 27 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 29 2e 0a 0a |ront' option)...| 00000ad0 4e 42 3a 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 27 72 65 20 6e 6f |NB: If you're no| 00000ae0 74 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 52 69 73 63 20 4f 53 20 |t using Risc OS | 00000af0 33 20 74 68 65 6e 20 75 73 65 20 46 6f 6e 74 44 |3 then use FontD| 00000b00 72 61 77 2c 20 46 6f 6e 74 45 64 20 6f 72 20 73 |raw, FontEd or s| 00000b10 69 6d 69 6c 61 72 20 74 6f 0a 74 75 72 6e 20 74 |imilar to.turn t| 00000b20 68 65 20 74 65 78 74 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 61 20 70 |he text into a p| 00000b30 61 74 68 2e 0a |ath..| 00000b35
.