
     A      CCCC  IIIII  DDDDD      W       W   OOOO   RRRR   K  K  SSSS
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	DDDDD   R   R  A     A    W   W        V   2222 ..  000

	

	Welcome to the official help guide of Acid Works Draw v2.0 by Steve
Nunnally, the creator of Acid Works Software. Don't forget to look us up on
the internet. You can reach me at "nunnally@pinn.net". In this guide there
will be a breif decription of each command supported in AWDraw v2.0 and an
explanation on how to use each one. Enjoy!!!!!

'****************************************************************************

	   TABLE OF CONTENTS

 I..........................The "File" menu
   A..........................The new command
   B..........................Loading graphics
     1..........................Binary (.awd)
     2..........................Gifs
     3..........................Bmps
     4..........................The file loader
       a..........................File box  
       b..........................Dirs / drives box
       c..........................Current directory
       d..........................Current file
       e..........................Okay / Cancel
   C..........................Saving graphics
   D..........................The exit command
   E..........................The about box
 II.........................The "Palette" menu
   A..........................The reset command
   B..........................Loading Palettes
   C..........................Saving Palettes
   D..........................Changing Hues
     1..........................Redness
     2..........................Greeness
     3..........................Blueness
   E..........................The grayscale feature
   F..........................The randomize feature
   G..........................Using the default palette
   H..........................Palette rotation
 III........................The "Image" menu
   A..........................Pixelization
   B..........................Adding Noise
   C..........................Stretching Pictures
   D..........................Grid ON / OFF
 IV.........................The color setup
   A..........................The custom palette
   B..........................Selecting a color
   C..........................The palette setup & changing values
 V..........................Different mouse features
   A..........................The paint feature
     1..........................Brush shapes
     2..........................Brush sizes
     3..........................Anti-alaising
   B..........................The fill feature
   C..........................Color selection
   D..........................Basic shapes
     1..........................Line
     2..........................Elipse
     3..........................Circle
     4..........................Box
     5..........................Box filled
   E..........................Printing text
   F..........................Erasing
   G..........................The select feature
     1..........................Copying
     2..........................Pasting
 VI.........................Picture movements
   A..........................Rotating
   B..........................Flipping
   C..........................Shifting
 VII........................The picture enhancements
   A..........................Melting / Diffusing
   B..........................Inverting / Reversing
   C..........................Making plasma
   D..........................Adding Texture
   E..........................Blur / Sharpen
   F..........................Lighten / Darken
   G..........................Undoing Mistakes
 VIII.......................Misc
   A..........................Resizing
   B..........................Mouse coordinates
   C..........................Using .awd's in your programs
 IX.........................Conclusion

'****************************************************************************

I. To make the file menu come up just click on the word "file" in the upper
   left hand corner. It contains commands for the main file service of Acid
   Works Draw.
 A. The new command clears the current pictue and keeps your width and height
    sizes. If you selected this by accident use the undo button to get your
    picture back.
 B. Select the "Open" option from the menu to open a picture you have on a 
    disk or your hard drive.
  1. The binary type files are the special type of file made just for this 
     drawing program. The extention on these files is .awd
  2. This will help you to load gifs, but note that they should not be
     interlaced and it helps if they're smaller than or equal to 50 by 50.
     If your gif wont load, I am sorry, there must be some reason, but I'm
     not there to help. 
  3. This is for loading bmps, the common windows format for graphic files.
     Note that your bmp files must be 8 bit!!! That means saved with a 256
     palette. Some windows bmps are, and all made with this program are as
     well.
  4. The file loader is to help make it easier for you guys to look for files
     on your hard drive or on a disk. It is a lot like the windows file 
     loader boxes.
   a. In the file box you will find al the files in the currrent directory
      that have the extension you selected (i.e. .awd .gif .bmp .pal etc)
      Use the scrolling arrows on the side to scroll up and down through the 
      files.
   b. In this box you will find the list of directories on the current drive
      source you are using and the list of drives avaible to find files on.
      You can scroll up and down this list with the arrow keys to the left
      of the box. If you are not in the base directory ".." will appear. 
      Click on that to go back one directory. When you click on another drive
      the program will first check to make sure there is a disk there. If 
      there is no disk it will not go to that drive.
   c. This is in the lower left hand corner of the file menu box. It tells
      you your current path for the drive you're on.
   d. If you have selcted a file the last selected file's name will appear
      under the File box. Until you have selected a file you cannot press
      the okay button, only cancel.
   e. Press okay once you have selected a file to tell the program to go
      ahead and load that file. Press cancel if you just want to exit the
      file menu system without loading a file.
 C. When saving you will first be prompted to enter the type of file you 
    wish to save (awd,gif,or bmp). Once you select one of those three you
    will be prompted to enter the name to save the picture as. Note you do
    not have to type the extension, in fact you cannot even press the period
    key, the program won't let you. If you decide not to save the picture
    just leave the prompt blank and hit enter. It will tell you that the file
    name is incorrect, just press any key and ignore that.
 D. The exit command does just what it says, exits. When you want to leave
    just select that option and wala, the program is ended. Any unsaved
    information is lost.
 E. The about box just tells the current version number, the name of the
    program, and the makers name, me. To exit the box hit the okay button at
    the bottom of the box.

'****************************************************************************

II. The palette menu is your main source for doing really cool stuff with the
    palette to help make your pictures the best they can be. Just click the
    word "palette" and up, or down rather, pops your menu.
 A. Use the reset command to set all the values of the palette back to the
    Acid Works Draw default color system. It is helpful to remember where
    this command is incase you turn all colors to black or something.
 B. Loadings palettes works the same way as loading files. The extension on
    the palette files should be .pal and SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED PREVIOUSLY
    FROM ACID WORKS DRAW, otherwise I cant guarentee that they will load
    correctly. But try anyways if you like, you never no. The most that'll
    happen is you get an error message.
 C. Saving palettes also works like saving files. Just type the name of the
    palette in the prompt that pops up, and remeber dont type the extension
    in. You can just select save instead of save as if you have alread saved
    your palette once and wish to save it again with the same name as before.
 D. Changing hues helps you to change a given value for all the colors at
    once instead of one at a time
  1. Redness either adds or subtracts red from all colors
  1. Greeness either adds or subtracts green from all colors
  1. Blueness either adds or subtracts blue from all colors
 E. This is a pretty cool feature. When you select this is takes all the
    current colors and changes their values to make them the equivalent that
    they would be in grayscale(4-bit) drawing mode.
 F. This is pretty neato. For every color it randomly picks a red, green, and  
    blue value to use so every color becomes a totally random color. Try it!
 G. By selecting the default option you reset all the colors to those that
    are default to screen 13.
 H. Wish all your colors were shifted one to the right? Want to watch the
    plasma you made in action? Well select this option. A little box will
    pop up with two little arrows in it. One for shifting the colors right,
    the other for left. When you are done rotating your palette hit the okay
    button.
   
'****************************************************************************
   
III. The image menu is for doing things to your image that could be
     considered effects, but are in this menu instead. The things in this
     menu tend to affect the actual picture less than the other graphic
     affects.
 A. This command makes the image more "blocky", it is an interesting effect
    intended to bring out the softer lines in your picture.
 B. This command adds random noise to your picture, it helps with making 
    better plasma and for creating nicely textured pictures.
 C. Stretching is so you can change the size of your picture and keep your
    whole image, unlike resizing which just cuts part of your image off.
    When you select stretch a like box will come up where you can change the
    height and width of your picture. When you're done choosing the new size
    just hit the okay button in the pop up window.
 D. Depending on whether or not the grid is already on this will either turn
    the drawing grid off, or on. When the program first starts the grid is on
    to help you see each pixel in your picture clearly. But you may find it
    easier with the grid off, try it yourself and you decide.

'****************************************************************************
   
IV. This program has a fairly easy to use color system since everyone knows   
    the better colors you have the better your pictures look. There is a 
    custom palette, a nifty color selection box, and some excellent palette
    things.
 A. The acid works palette has been specialy designed to offer a wide range
    of colors. Each color hue has 8 individual colors starting off dark and
    becoming lighter as you go. This palette was stratigically made for the
    best possible selection of colors. You will find that this helps give
    you excellent results for blurring, lightening, and darkening.
 B. The color selection box is in the lower left hand corner. There you will
    find each one of the current 256 colors. There is also text telling you
    the current color number you are on, and a filled box to better show you
    what the color will look like when you are drawing. To select a color
    move your mouse of the color you wish to use and click the left mouse
    button. You will notice that there is a white box around the color you
    select so that you do not forget where the color was.
 C. The palette changing box is in the lower right hand corner. Whatever
    color you are on will have its red, green, and blue values in this box.
    To change one of the values just hit the plus and minus buttons. The
    palette change is automatically made. Remember that any changes made to
    the palette can be reset from the palette menu. And if you want to use
    the current palette in your program don't forget to save it so you can
    load it into your programs.
  
'****************************************************************************

V. The mouse is used to do all the differnt drawinf features in this program.
   All of the features except for select and paste are located in the middle
   of the screen. When the program starts off you are on the draw feature. To
   select a new feature you just click on it and you will notice the new
   features button indent. This is so you know which feature the mouse is 
   currently ready to do.
 A. The draw feature is for just plain drawing. Just move your mouse onto
    your picture an click the mouse, hold down the button if you want and
    draw all over the place. And don't worry about going out of the picture 
    bounds and pressing something you did't mean to because as long as you
    hold down the mouse button the program won't let you go out of the 
    picture boundaries.
  1. Your drawing brush starts out in the shape of a square. But what if you
     want it to be a circle, or line? Then click on the new shape you want
     and the box of the current selected shape will move to the new shape you
     selected.
  2. There are also different sizes for your brush. The default size is 1
     pixel. But you can change this up to 5 pixels wide. Just click on a 
     different square of the size you want and the selector box will move
     there.
  3. Anit-alaising  is quite the neato feature. This makes it so when you are
     drawing the pixels are automatically blurred to give your picture those
     proffesional look. When the program starts this feature is off, but turn
     it on by just clicking on the little box below the words "anti-alaising"
 B. The fill feature fills an open space in your drawing with your current
    color. This will stay inside the boundaries of any other color. You do
    not have to fill within the boundaries of a same color object like the
    QBasic PAINT command, i never liked how that worked.
 C. Color selection is so you can find out what color a pixel is in your
    picture and make it your new current color. Just click on a pixel when
    you're on this feature and your current color will become the color of
    that pixel.
 D. There are 5 different basic shapes to help you make better pictures. When
    you use these basic shapes click once on the pixel where you want the
    shape to start. Then you will notice that when you move your mouse the
    shape is drawn in so you can see what it would look like in your picture.
    If you choose to put the shape in your picture click the left mouse
    button when you have the shape set up like you want it to be, otherwise
    click the right mouse button to cancel.
  1. Line draws a straight line from one point to another.
  2. This draws an elipse centered between the two points.
  3. Does the same thing as elipse, but stays as a perfect circle.
  4. Box draws a rectangle from one point to another.
  5. Box filled draws a filled in rectangle from one point to another.
 E. Select the text feature for adding a real important part to cool pics,  
    text. Just select the point in your picture where you would liek the 
    text to begin and click the mouse. A prompt will pop up and ask you to
    input what you want to print on your picture. The program will
    automatically limit how many characters you can input according to your
    x position on your picture. When you're done typing just hit enter. If
    you decided you didn't want to put text just leave it blank and hit
    enter. It won't put any text on your picture. Note that the text is
    written in the color you are currently on.
 F. Erasing, you might ask why. This is so you can change one color to black
    and not worry about erasing the colors around a pixel on accident. This
    will erase only pixels of the color that you are currently on.
 G. Everyone knows the selection feature. Once you select an area on your
    picture, any effects applied to your picture will only occur inside the
    selected region.
  1. When you have an area selected just click the copy button so you can
     later paste it somewhere.
  2. To paste just select the paste feature (note you should have already 
     copied something with the selection feature) and click on the coordinate
     you wish to put the copied picture part on.
   
'****************************************************************************
   
VI. One thing helping with picture effects is movement, and Acid Works Draw   
    does not lack in movement effects.
 A. You can rotate either to the left or the right 90 degress at a time by
    pressing the little turning arrow buttons at the top of the screen.
 B. By pressing the flip buttons you can flip your picture over the x-axis
    or the y-axis.
 C. By using the little arrows at the top of the screen you can shift your
    picture one pixel at a time in any direction.

'****************************************************************************

VII. Picture enhancements are one of this programs specialties, it does   
     many different things. These are what truly sets this draw program
     appart from other draw programs.
 A. Melting and diffusing deal with changing the pixel arrangement in your
    picture. By pressing the melt button all the pixels will seem to slide
    or "melt". And diffuse scatters the pixels a little bit from their
    current position.
 B. These two commands, inverting and reversing, deal with changing out pixel
    colors with sort of "opposite colors". When you press the invert button
    all the colors in your picture are swapped with their opposites. And by
    pressing the reverse button it sort of takes a close relative color to
    the original color and swaps those out.
 C. Plasma is neato. It is a sort of blurring but a little different and
    cooler looking. When you make some plasma try rotating the palette, it
    looks really cool. Also plasma makes good backgrouns for Windows or your
    webpage.
 D. Texture gives your picture a more 3-d type look to them. Kind of makes
    things less boring. It randomly puts colors really close to the original
    colors to make some "texture".
 E. These are definetly some of the most useful features of this program.
    Blur helps to make your pictures smoother and more professional looking.
    It can make it look like you spent a long time drawing something when you
    actually didn't. And sharpen, which doesn't always works right, helps
    enhance the colors in your picture.
 F. These do just about what they say they do. Lighten lightens all of the
    colors in your picture, and darken darkens them all. Try them out, it's
    pretty nifty.
 G. This has got to be the most useful feature of this program. Make a
    mistake? Don't worry just hit the undo button. While it only does it once
    it is still really helpful. It can undo any graphic effect and when
    drawing it can do any one set of holding down the mouse button and
    drawing.

'****************************************************************************

VIII. These are just some misc. things that didnt really fit into the other  
      catagories so I put them here. :)
 A. The resizing box is near the middle of the screen and on the left side.
    Here you can resize your picture by just cutting off what was there.
    Remember that you can resize without cutting off part of your pic by
    using the stretch command in the image menu.
 B. When you move the mouse over the drawing area you will notice that the
    pixel coordinates you are on in your picture are displayed in the upper
    right hand corner. This is to help you put a pixel in an exact spot. Just
    another little something to help you, the user, out.
 C. This is an important matter. The pics you make are worthless unless you
    use them for something. If you are making pics for a game or something
    you need them in your programs don't you. Well a file called how2use.bas
    comes with Acid Works Draw, in this file it gives you the directions and
    SUBS for loading both your .awd pics and you palettes. Hope that helps 
    you.
 
'****************************************************************************
 
 
IX. In conclusion I just want to say I really hope you enjoy using this 
    drawing program. I made this for people to use, and thats what I want.
    So make pictures for whatever and have fun!! If you want to give me
    feedback email me or find my webpage on the internet. I wont give you
    the address cause it moves every now and then so it might not be at
    the address I would be giving you.

				Enjoy, 
				   
				   Steve Nunnally
				 Acid Works Software


























