The Main Menu Screen
Here is an illustration of the Main Menu Screen, with a typical Object image ready to be worked on. Please identify each of the areas of this screen, as they are described.
MAJOR OPTIONS
At the very top of the Main Menu Screen there is a horizontal line of large icons. These represent
all the major options for importing, handling and exporting Object images. At the far left is the
Object Editor identification logo, and then from left to right the icons are used to call up menus
for the following options: disc operations, image bank operations, grabbing images, hot spots,
palette colours, screen resolutions and animations. At the right-hand side of these icons, is the
[Quit] icon.
INFORMATION LINE
Immediately below the line of Major Options is the Information Line. This line provides a
running commentary on what is happening. It tells you how much memory is available,
reminds you of what operation is taking place and provides prompts to help create graphic
wonders.
DRAWING TOOLS
The third horizontal section from the top of the screen shows a line of smaller icons.
Each of these is used to provide one of the special drawing tools for creating and changing the appearance of Object images, and they are explained in detail, later in this Chapter.
MOUSE COLOURS
At the left-hand edge of the screen is a stack of small coloured blocks.
At the top of this stack are three double-height coloured blocks. The first two colour blocks show the colours currently under the control of the left and right mouse buttons, when used for drawing. The third double-height colour block shows the colour currently used when both mouse buttons are pressed at once, when drawing.
COLOUR PALETTE
The vertical display of all the colours in the current palette can be seen below the mouse colours.
The total umber of the palette colours depends on what sort of "resolution" is being used, and if
64 colours are available, then colours numbered from 32 to 63 will appear in order, side by side
of colours zero to 31. To select a colour, place the mouse pointer over your choice, and click
either the left or right mouse button to allocate that colour to that button. A third colour can be
selected by pressing both buttons, and it is used when both buttons are depressed. Obviously, if
you have a three-button mouse, choosing and using the third colour is easier. Select a pair of
contrasting colours now, such as white and bright red.
CURRENT DISPLAY
Now look at the vertical stack of zones at the right-hand side of the screen. At the top of this
stack, immediately below the [UNDO] icon, there is a square box which displays the "fill
pattern" currently available for use. Place the mouse pointer inside it now, and run through all
the available fill patterns, using the left button to move forwards and the right button to go
backwards through the list. This box is also used to display a read-out of the coordinates of the
mouse pointer when images are edited.
BANK DISPLAY
Beneath the Current Display box, the images in the current bank are displayed one on top of the
other, and the number of each image appears above it. Each image is shrunk in size so that all of
it may be viewed in its own rectangular display box. To select an image for attention, click the
mouse pointer on it, and you will see that its number becomes highlighted. Any image that is
currently being edited is marked with an asterisk star (*) in front of its number.
BANK SLIDER
To the right of the stack where the bank of images will appear, there is a vertical slider bar.
Because there can be hundreds of images in any one bank, and there can only be enough space
to view a few of them at a time, this slider is pulled up and down with the mouse pointer to
display other images in the bank. Use it now to view all the images currently loaded.
SCREEN SIZER
To the right-of-centre of the screen is a narrow vertical bar, which can be dragged to the left or
right using the mouse pointer, if you need to change the proportions of the Edit Screen. The
right-hand zone is the EDIT WINDOW, where images that are being edited are viewed in actual
size. The left-hand zone is the ZOOM WINDOW area, where you can view your work in close-
up, as it progresses.
ZOOM WINDOW
The Zoom Window displays a blow-up version of the image, allowing greater accuracy and ease
of use while editing. The zoom is normally set to double the size of the original graphics,
and there is an option to make this four times the size, which is explained later.
EDIT WINDOW
Like the Zoom Window, this is a work area. The mouse pointer changes to a cross when inside
either the Zoom or the Edit Window, and drawing operations will have the same result in both
windows no matter which one is being used.
VERTICAL ZOOM
On the right-hand edge of the Edit Window is a vertical slider bar. This indicates other available
areas of the image when the Zoom Window is unable to show the whole of what is inside the
Edit Window. By moving this slider up and down, the hidden areas may be displayed in the
Zoom Window.
HORIZONTAL ZOOM
This has the same function and operation as the Vertical Zoom, and moves the display
horizontally. The Horizontal Zoom slider is to be found at the bottom of the Edit Window.
OBJECT SIZER
The last feature of the Edit Screen takes up the smallest space on the screen, and it can be found
in the bottom right-hand corner of the Edit Window, where the vertical and horizontal sliders
meet. If you look at the Information Line, the size of the current image will be displayed there.
To change the size of an image, lock the mouse pointer on the small square Sizer gadget, and
drag it to a new position. The maximum sizes of Sprites, Bobs, Blocks and Icons are all detailed
in their appropriate Chapters, but boundaries should generally be kept as tight as possible, to
save memory.
Major Options
Here is a guided tour of all the Major Options featured in the Object Editor, as they appear from
left to right along the top line of the Main Menu. Please try out each option as it is explained, by
clicking the left mouse button on the appropriate icon. This will take you to the option's Sub
Menu.
You can return to the Main Menu at any time, by clicking the left mouse button on the menu title icon, at the top left-hand corner of the screen, or by clicking the right mouse button anywhere along the top line of icons. For most other operations please use the left button, unless instructed otherwise.
As soon as you click on this Disc Operation icon, it reappears at the top left-hand
corner of the screen, and five new icons are revealed along the top of the screen.
From left to right, they perform the following wonders:
This prepares the Object Editor for loading a new range of images into the
Object bank. A series of messages is provided in the Information Line, to
assist you in making the right decisions. If the "Bobs.Abk" file is ready to be
accessed, click on this icon and then trigger the [YES] option.
This is used to insert a completely new bank of Object images at the position of
the selected Object in the current bank. Experiment with this option, and merge a
new bank of images with your existing Object images.
To save edited Objects, have a suitable disc ready in the disc drive, and click on this icon.
A file selector will be displayed if your Object bank has no name, and all instructions are
prompted on screen.
Similarly, only use a formatted work disc for this purpose. Unlike the [Save Bank]
option, when this [Save As] icon is chosen, a file selector will always be displayed
before the current Object bank is saved.
When this icon is selected, nothing is seen immediately, but the colour palette is
automatically updated to the colours of the new Object bank, whenever that bank is
loaded or merged.
When this Major Option is selected, you take control of all aspects of the Object
bank. The Bank icon moves to the top left corner of the screen, and the Major
Options top line is replaced by a series of eight new Bank icons, as follows:
First, highlight the Object you are interested in, by clicking the mouse pointer
over the appropriate image on the right-hand side of the screen. Now click on this
[Get Object] option, and the highlighted Object appears in the large Zoom
Window and the smaller Edit Window, ready to be worked on.
Once the appearance of the edited Object has been changed by flipping it on its
head, this option is used to put the Object back into its memory bank. It will go
back to its original location in the bank, if that location has been defined.
You can select a new Object to highlight simply by clicking on its image. Use this option
if you want to force the edited Object into the location that is currently highlighted in
the bank, and replace whatever is there. You will be asked to confirm your actions, just
to make sure.
This will erase the highlighted Object completely, so take care when using it. As a safety
measure, AMOS Professional will not be happy about deleting any Object that is not
currently displayed on screen, and even then it will ask you to confirm your wishes. Use
it now, and delete an Object.
This is an even more dramatic option than [Delete Object], because it erases all the
Object images in the entire memory bank. As usual, you will be asked to make sure of
your actions before you commit them. If you use the [New] option now, you will have to
load another bank before you can continue experimenting with Object images.
This option is enabled and disabled by clicking the mouse pointer over it, toggling it in
and out like a radio button. It affects the [AUTO-GET] feature, which automatically
places data into the memory bank by clicking twice on a stored Object image.
You may want to use this option to avoid accidentally grabbing hold of some garbage,
preventing it being automatically placed amongst your Objects.
While editing Object images, there are times when AMOS Professional tries to be helpful
by asking you to confirm your actions. For example, when you try to [ERASE] an Object
or use the [PUT TO] option. If these reminders cause any annoyance, you can click on
this icon to disable the Confirmation feature. To reactivate it, simply click on the icon again.
Once you are familiar with all of the Bank Operations, you can move on to the next
Major Option. The Grabber is used to grab images from IFF pictures, which are graphic
screen images saved in the special "Interchangeable File Format", as used by commercial
graphics packages like Deluxe Paint.
When this option is selected, you will be reminded to load an IFF file only, and a
suitable ready-made picture is provided for loading in the following file:
This works in the same way as the [Put Object To] option in the Bank menu. It
allows you to grab an image and put it into memory instantly, without having to
wander from one menu to another.
This time, when the file selector appears, you will be reminded to save any current
image in the editing area that has not been saved to the Object bank. Then the
name of a new picture to load may be selected.
This is an on/off option that is toggled by a mouse click. If it is on, the current palette will
automatically change to the palette used by the current picture. If it is off, no change to
the palette will be made.
This icon is linked to the next two icons, and the three of them act like radio station
selectors. In other words, only one can be pushed in at a time, and when any one is
activated, the other two will click off. With [Re-load Picture], the graphic image is
completely erased when you return to the Main Menu, allowing you to create more Objects.
This is also a memory saver. It takes the current screen picture, and packs it into a
memory bank using "fast RAM", which does not consume display memory. When you
leave the Grabber menu for the first time, this will take a little while to perform, as
AMOS professional searches for the most efficient way to save memory.
The next menu concerns setting up any hot spots for Objects. In most computer games
and in several types of practical programs, hot spots can be set up inside moving images
as coordinate reference points. When these coordinates are recognised, they are used to
trigger pre-set reactions. Because Objects can vary greatly in size, it is very useful to be able to
place a hot spot precisely. Once inside the Hot Spot menu, you can go straight into the Zoom or
Edit Window and use the mouse to place and set the coordinates.
If you click on this icon, so it looks as if it has been pushed in, any of the hot spot pre-
sets can be used to position a hot spot for the current image. If it is not used, you will be
in an automatic mode, which means that every image summoned by [GET OBJECT] into
the Edit Window will have a hot spot automatically set to the last pre-set position.
There are nine icon boxes, each showing the position of a pre-set hot spot. If the Auto
option is off, you may select the hot spot of the current Object by clicking on any one of
these pre-sets. They are, in order of appearance, Top Left, Top Centre, Top Right, Centre
Left, Dead Centre, Centre Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Centre and Bottom Right.
This Major Option is used to mix new colours for your Object images to use. As soon as
this icon is selected, a large colour requester display appears over the Edit Screen,
alongside the vertical display of all the colours in the current palette. The colour
requester looks like this:
This is the menu which controls the screen colour resolutions. It defines the number of
colours used by Object images, which may have to be adjusted to suit various screen
formats. To see how powerful it is, have some high-definition IFF images displayed in
the Edit Window, before you start experimenting.
This is a very powerful option. If it is on, any Object taken from the bank will
change the current palette to its own resolution preference. If the option is off, the
number of colours remains unchanged.
This is also an on/off switch, which selects the current screen mode, with the
maximum number of colours in high resolution being 16. Everything else in the
program remains unchanged, except for these colour resolutions.
A choice of six options is available, instantly selecting the number of colours displayed
on the Edit Screen, as follows: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64.
AMOS Professional allows you to test an animated movie sequence of the Object images
which are currently loaded. This is extremely useful, as well as very entertaining.
As you might expect, the white flag icon gives up the Object editing process and
surrenders to your next bout of programming. In case you forget to save anything to be
used in the future, AMOS Professional will offer a timely reminder.
Click on this icon now, and experiment by clicking the mouse button in the editing
window, to plot single pixels. Then keep the button held down, and move the mouse
around at different speeds to see the different effects that can be achieved.
This offers a continuous solid line plot. The speed of mouse movement
makes no difference at all to its usage.
Before this drawing tool can be used effectively, you should design it for yourself! First of
all, set the size and positioning of your own "line" by clicking anywhere in the Edit
Window, holding down the mouse button, dragging it and then letting go.
Now use your own shape to paint and draw with. Further along the line of drawing icons, you
will see how the [MODE] button changes certain drawing operations. If it is selected and used
with [DRAW], then lines are drawn as soon as the mouse button is released.
This is an extremely simple option. Click the mouse button to set any corner of a box, keep
the button held down while the diagonally opposite corner is located, then let go. One box
appears, ready to be used as a brush, or pasted again as many times as you like, by moving the
mouse and clicking a button.
This works in exactly the same way as [BOX], except that ellipses do not have corners. Set
the boundary points of your ellipse as described above, or create circles by making the two
radii of the ellipse equal.
To set different spray effects, click the right mouse button on this icon. This will reveal a
selector menu for customising the air-brush spray can. Both the "power" of the jet and the
width of the spray nozzle can be adjusted from 1 up to 100, and the [OK] button is used to exit
from the selector to commence spraying.
Set up diagonally opposite corners of a bar in the usual way, and then release the button to
fill it with the current colour, or selected pattern. The outline of the bar can be toggled off
and on by clicking on the border section of the current Pattern Display window.
This is a dramatic drawing tool! Position your paint roller cursor anywhere inside an
enclosed shape, and it will be filled with instant colour or pattern. New patterns can be
selected from the Pattern Display window.
This is used to copy a block of graphics from one Object to another. Click on, hold, move
and click off to open the box in your picture, ready for pasting.
Use this option to grab the previous block that has already been copied, and restore it to
any position within the editing area. Try cutting and pasting a few blocks now.
All the time this option is off, colour zero of the block which is being edited will be
transparent. If you click the [OPAQUE] button on, colour zero is filled by the colour under
the control of the right mouse button.
Everyone makes mistakes, and this option is the one that clears all of your current efforts
away, leaving a blank Edit Window. Everyone makes several mistakes, and the [UNDO]
icon is provided to bring it all back again!
After selecting this option, grab the image in the Edit Window with your mouse and scroll
it anywhere you want. Release the mouse button to leave the image at its new position.
This not only scrolls the image, but also wraps it back around itself when you hit the
borders of the Edit Window.
One click will cause an instant flip over the vertical axis of the Object image, and another
click will flip it again. This technique works equally well on graphic blocks.
This is very similar to the last option, and reverses the image around its own horizontal
axis.
This is used to rotate the entire Object image through ninety degrees clockwise. It takes a
few seconds to compute the new image, and can be used again to keep the rotation going,
all the way back to the original image.
If an image is too large to fit inside the Edit Window, select this icon and then use the
mouse to drag the image into view.
Click on this icon to double the size of the graphics in the Zoom Window to four times the
size of the original image. Click it again to return to an image twice the size of the original.
Remember that the relative sizes of the Zoom and Edit Screens can be adjusted by dragging the
central Screen Sizer bar to suit your needs.
Every click on this icon selects the next colour in the palette for use with the framework
graphics of the Edit Screen.
This up/down toggle sets the mode for certain drawing operations. Up gives Mode I,
where an Object is drawn as soon as you release a mouse button. Down selects Mode 2,
where you set the shape of a brush before using it for drawing.
This is the fail-safe icon, allowing you to scrap the last drawing procedure, or cancel a
[CLEAR] operation.