In this release of ICONVERT (1.49) only the PC Paint and TIFF conver- sions are not active. Iconvert Release 1.49 Copyright 1987,1988 by John Paul Michalski Infinity Engineering Services P.O. Box 812 Chandler, Az 85244-0812 All Rights Reserved 1 Introduction ------------ ICONVERT is a graphics format conversion program, which means ICONVERT allows graphics created in one type of software to be used in another. An example is to use PrintShop icons in Printmaster. In fact this program is an outgrowth of a Public Domain program I wrote for converting PrintShop to Printmaster to Fontasy formats. Though the concept is based on my earlier program, ICONVERT is really a totaly different program, with many new conversions and functions. ICONVERT FILES: This release supports conversions TO/FROM ASCII (8x8 and 8x14) BASICA BLOAD (Color and Hires) DOODLE (CBM) Dr Halo II First Publisher (ART and MAC) FONTASY (Block and Pic) GEM GIF IFF NEWSMASTER NEWSROOM MACPAINT PC PAINTBRUSH (Clip and Pic) PRINTMASTER (IBM and CBM) PRINT SHOP (IBM and CBM) RLE WINDOWS PAINT In addition ICONVERT contains the following features ViewMode - previewing graphics - marking graphics for latter conversion. - modifying color conversion map Conversion - unattended converesion of up to 255 files. - clipping of graphics - converting color to mono - color seperation - mirroring - flipping - inverting (negative) - double width File Maintenance - copy files - delete files - move files - rename files 2 System Requirements ------------------- IBM compatiable PC,XT or AT 256K min. memory CGA or Hercules display adapter DOS 2.x or greater (DOS 3.x recommended) 2 floppy drives and/or HardDrive ICONVERT will work on a floppy only system, but was written to be used with a hard drive. The program does not support disk swapping. You can change disks, as long as the program and the seven overlays aren't moved. The program will not prompt for a disk change nor will it realize that a different floppy is in place. Getting Started --------------- ICONREAD.ME - this file ICONVERT.COM - the main program ICONVERT.000 ICONVERT.001 ICONVERT.002 ICONVERT.003 - overlay files ICONVERT.004 ICONVERT.005 ICONVERT.006 ICONVERT.007 ICONVERT.008 The main program and the nine overlay files must be in the same directory (on the same disk) to run. To run just type ICONVERT You can run ICONVERT from any directory by adding the path : \path1\path2\ICONVERT Once the program starts it will check that the overlay files are in the same directory as the main program. If they are not found the program will terminate. IF found you will be presented with the option menu. 1: Convert Graphic 2: View Graphic 3: Change Defaults 4: File Maintenance 5: Disclaimer 0: Exit to DOS 3 ICONVERT is a menu driven program. By just following the prompts you should be able to navigate the program with no problems. The manual that will be forth coming will contain greater detail for each function. 0: Exit to DOS -------------- Entering '0' at the main menu will terminate the program and return you to DOS. 5: Disclaimer ------------- This displays the program copyright notice and trademark declaration. Your license number can also be found here. 4: File Maintenance ------------------- The options are: Directory - list any directory Copy - copy files from one directory, or disk, to another Delete - delete files Move - move files from a directory to another. Actually only the file- name is moved. Rename - rename files. File maintenance can be selected to work with only certain types of files, marked files (marked in ViewMode) or all files. 3: Change Defaults ------------------ ICONVERT uses a set of default parameters for each type of conversion. Source file extension, Target file extension, Source file directory and Target file directory are all preset. This option allows you to modify any of these defaults and save them into file that will be used when next running ICONVERT. NOTE: due to the fact that PrintShop,PrintMaster,NewsMaster and Newsroom require specified filename extensions changing the default extension is not allowed. The Source and Target directory can be changed. 2: View Graphic --------------- ViewMode is the second most useful option in ICONVERT. You can use it to preview files to see how the graphic looks before converting. It also allows you to see what happens when you convert using the Invert, Mirror or DoubleWidth options. 4 When entering ViewMode you are presented with a list of the availiable formats. After selecting a format, the program will then search the directory,set up under main menu option 3, and show you what files are availiable to view. After selection the program switches to graphic mode and shows the first file. The following commands are used in the graphic mode: ,'0' - Exit graphic Mode - advance to view next graphic - backup to view previous graphic Cursor Keys - Move around picture in large steps Cursor Keys - Move around picture in small steps - Invert picture - Double Width of picture - Mirror picture - Flip picture - Show full view of picture - Adj. color map '+' - Mark file '-' - Unmark file Marking a file (+) creates a file that can be used instead of individually selecting files before converting. It also will save any options currently selected in ViewMode (invert,mirror,double width and current color map). Each file can be marked up to 5 times thus allowing different options for the same picture. If a file is in color, the picture is first converted to black and white before conversion. A color map is used to convert colors to paterns. The ColorMap can be changed under main menu option #3 or from the ViewMode. Modifying the ColorMap in ViewMode allows each picture (if marked) to have a different color conversion. Since each picture can be marked 5 times you can create color seperation. In addition the adj. color map option has predefined color seperation options. 1: Convert Graphic ------------------ When selected you are prompted to select which file format you which to convert from. Next you choose what format to convert to. The program finds the available source files and you are given the option of converting all files, selected files, or from a marked file (if any). After selecting the source files the program creates target filenames for each one. The program will check the target directory to make sure that no file there has the same name. If it finds a duplicate name it will modify the target name until it doesn't. This can sometimes cause some pretty odd filenames. After all of the target names have been created you are given the option of accepting the default name or changing the name. 5 A third option allows setting up the format for the target file (invert, mirror, ect.). Included in the format menu is the option to select Multiple. PrintShop and PrintMaster waste a lot of file space when converted to Newsroom (not too much) or MacPaint (lots). To offset this ICONVERT will place multiple PrintShop/PrintMaster icons in each file. For Newsroom this is 6 icons and for MacPaint it is fifty. Newsroom icons are seperate clips when used in Newsroom. The 50 icons in a MacPaint format would need to be clipped out by whatever application is using the file. The Multiple option will override the default and create a seperate file for each icon. One advantage of going seperate files is that the clip function will not work in Multiple mode. ICONVERT will allow up to 255 files to be converted unattended. After approving the target name the conversion takes place. If the size of the source graphic is larger than the max size allowed for the target you are asked how to clip it. The two options are AutoClip and GraphicClip. AutoClip will clip out a portion of the source file the max size allowed by the target file. The start points (TOP,CENTER,BOTTOM - LEFT,CENTER,RIGHT) are preset by you in main menu option #3. You can also change the AutoClip start point from the clipmenu. GraphClip allows you to see exactly what you are clipping and also choose to clip a smaller area then the max allowed. When selecting the GraphClip option the program goes into graphic mode and displays the source graphic. A blinking box (the size of the max allowed for the target) shows where you are. Using the cursor keys for large steps, cursor keys for small steps, move the upper/left corner of the box to the place where you want to start clipping. will lock the upper/left corner in place and move the view to the lower/right corner of the clip. Use the cursor keys to set the lower/right corner. will lock in the lower/right corner and invert the picture showing what area you will clip. one more to start clip. If you feel that you have made a mistake before the final use the key to back up a step. The following are additional functions while in GraphClip: '0' - Exit back to ClipMenu - Invert picture - Double Width of picture - Mirror picture - Flip picture - Show full view of picture The function keys - have no effect after the upper/left corner has been locked. This covers the very basics of using ICONVERT. Go thru the program and try the different menu options and experiment. Much effort has gone into trying to make the user interface as easy as possiable and still leave much flexibility. 7