Pixmaped Help

# $Id: pixmaped-help.pod,v 1.5 1999/09/04 13:25:44 root Exp $

# Copyright (c) Mark Summerfield 1999. All Rights Reserved. # May be used/distributed under the GPL.

Press <Escape> or <q> to close this help window; scroll using the scrollbar, arrow keys, <PageUp> or <PageDown>.

Mouse

• Colour a pixel - Left clicking a square colours that square with the colour of the selected (sunken) palette button.

• Colouring many pixels - Dragging with the left mouse button down, colours all the squares the mouse passes over.

• `Grabbing' a pixel's colour - Right clicking a square `grabs' the square's colour (even transparent), and makes that colour the colour of the `grab palette' button (which is next to the transparent button). From then on left clicking a square will colour it in the `grabbed' colour. This means that it is rarely necessary to use any of the other palette buttons since you just right click existing squares that have the colours you want.

• Changing a palette button's colour - Right clicking any palette button including the grab palette button invokes the colour chooser dialogue which allows you to set the colour by name or RGB value.

• Seeing a pixel's colour - Middle click any square and the colour and coordinates will be shown on the status line.

• Setting the brush width - Right clicking the brush button pops up a menu offering the choice of medium or wide brushstrokes.

• Setting the rotation angle - Right clicking the rotation button pops up a menu offering the choice of rotations.

• Cutting an area - Press Ctrl-x or choose Edit/Cut from the menu, then drag out a rectangle with the left mouse button over the area to cut.

• Copying an area - Press Ctrl-c or choose Edit/Copy from the menu, then drag out a rectangle with the left mouse button over the area to copy.

• Pasting an area - After copying or cutting an area move the mouse to any point on the image and press Ctrl-v or choose Edit/Paste from the menu.

• Swapping colours - After clicking the swap colours button left clicking any colour on the image will cause all pixels that have the colour of the clicked pixel to have their colour changed to the current colour.

Keystrokes

• Ctrl-c After selecting copy you drag a rectangle with the left mouse button to mark an area which is then copied to the copy buffer.

• Ctrl-n Create a new wholly transparent image. You will be presented with the Preferences dialogue which allows you to set the initial width, height and zoom factor for the new image.

• Ctrl-o This will open an existing image file. You will be presented with a file selection dialogue from which to choose the file. Pixmaped can open .xpm; with GD.pm it can also open .xbm and .gif files; and with Image::Magick.pm Pixmaped can open all file formats supported by that module, including .bmp, .dcx, .dib, .ico, .pbm, .pcd, .pcx, .pict, .png, .ppm, .rle, .sgi, .tga, group 3 fax format, and if you also have ghostscript .eps, .pdf and .ps. If you have Image::Magick.pm you can also open gzip compressed files, e.g. image.gif.gz. Note that not all formats that can be read can be written and vice versa.

• Ctrl-q Quit Pixmaped (with prompt to save if necessary).

• Ctrl-s Save the current image.

• Ctrl-v Paste the copy buffer into the image where the mouse is pointing.

• Ctrl-x After selecting cut you drag a rectangle with the left mouse button to mark an area which is then cut to the copy buffer. (Pixels cut become transparent).

• [F1] Invoke this help window.

Status-bar

At the bottom of the main window is a status bar. It is divided into four sections which are described below in left to right order.

1. The first section is an actual size copy of the image at the time it was last opened or saved whichever is the most recent - for new images it will be blank until saved for the first time. Only .gif, .xbm and .xpm's are displayed here; to see other formats actual size set the Image/Zoom to Actual size. Note that sometimes transparent sections of gifs display in colour, but they really are transparent, for example when viewed in a Browser.

2. The second section shows the x and y coordinates of the mouse when it is over the canvas followed by the colour at that point. Note that `None' signifies transparent. This is no longer automatic - you must middle click a square to see the coordinates and colour.

3. The third section shows two status indicators: an asterisk `*' indicates that the file has been modified (and that undo is possible); a `P' indicates that there is an image fragment in the copy buffer which can be pasted into the image. Note that this only gets updated when the mouse is moved.

4. The fourth section provides brief information, for example, if you pass the mouse over any of the toolbar buttons a one line description of the function of the button is shown here.

Toolbar

To the left of the main window is a toolbar. Move the mouse over each toolbar button to see its function - descriptions appear in the fourth section of the Status-bar. Some buttons may be right-clicked, for example to change their setting - this is noted in the description.

File Menu

• New - This will create a new blank image. If you save it you will be prompted for a filename with the Save As dialogue.

• Open This will open an existing image file. You will be presented with a file selection dialogue from which to choose the file. Pixmaped can open .xpm; with GD.pm it can also open .xbm and .gif files; and with Image::Magick.pm Pixmaped can open all file formats supported by that module, including .bmp, .dcx, .dib, .ico .pbm, .pcd, .pcx, .pict, .png, .ppm, .rle, .sgi, .tga, group 3 fax format, and if you also have ghostscript .eps, .pdf and .ps. If you have Image::Magick.pm you can also open gzip compressed files, e.g. image.gif.gz. Note that not all formats that can be read can be written and vice versa.

• Save - This will save the existing image. If the image is new you will be prompted for a filename with the Save As dialogue.

• Save As - This will present you with a file selection dialogue. You select the path and enter the new filename to which the image will be saved. The file will be saved in the format determined by its suffix. Pixmaped can save .xpm and .ps files; with GD.pm it can also save .gif files; and with Image::Magick.pm Pixmaped can save all the file formats supported by that module including .bmp, .dcx, .dib, .pbm, .pcd, .pcx, .pict, .png, .ppm, .sgi, .tga, group 3 fax format, and if you also have ghostscript .eps, .pdf and .ps. If you have Image::Magick.pm you can also save gzip compressed files, e.g. image.gif.gz. Note that not all formats that can be read can be written and vice versa.

• Preferences - This will invoke the preferences dialogue; currently you can set the default image size for new images and the default zoom factor.

• Quit - This will quit the program. If the image has had unsaved changes you will be prompted for a filename with the Save As dialogue.

• 1..9 - Pixmaped remembers the last nine files opened or saved. By selecting one of these the file will be reopened. If the filename is (None) then the Open dialogue will be invoked.

Edit Menu

• Undo - Undo the last action. Everything can be undone back until the point where the file was opened or last saved whichever is most recent.

• Copy - After selecting copy you drag a rectangle with the left mouse button to mark an area which is then copied to the copy buffer.

• Cut - After selecting cut you drag a rectangle with the left mouse button to mark an area which is then cut to the copy buffer. (Pixels cut become transparent.)

• Paste - Paste the copy buffer into the image where the mouse is pointing.

Note that the copy buffer is preserved when you open an existing or create a new file, so you can open an image, copy part of it, then open another file and paste in the copied section. You can paste the copy buffer as many times as you wish.

Image Menu

• Actual size - show the image actual size.

• n x zoom - zoom to n times the image size.

• Resize - resize the image; the image may be made larger or smaller with any space inserted or removed from the side(s) the user specifies.

Options Menu

• Show Outline - Toggles between showing/hiding the grid outline.

• Paste Transparent - Toggles between pasting transparent and colour, and just pasting colour when pasting.

Help Menu

• Help - invoke this help screen.

• About - invoke Pixmaped's about box.

Preferences dialogue

This dialogue is invoked when you choose the File/New menu option (or press Ctrl-n) and allows you to change the width, height and initial zoom factor for the new image. (Images may be resized - see the Resize dialogue later.) This dialogue may be used on an existing image, but it is recommended that the Image menu is used for changing the zoom factor or size of an existing image. More preferences may be set in the preferences file described later.

Resize dialogue

This dialogue is invoked when you choose the Image/Resize menu option and allows you to change the width and height of an image. If you change the width of the image you may add/delete from the left, right or equally from both; similarly if you change the height you may add/delete from the top, bottom or equally from both.

Preferences file

Preferences should be set using the Preferences dialogue. User preferences are stored in ~/.pixmapedrc (PIXMAPED.INI under Win32).

Any preferences you change in this file take precedence over the default preferences. To reinstate a default preference delete or comment out (with #) the preferences you wish to reinstate - the next time you run the program the defaults will be back.

The preferences currently supported are listed below. They may be changed by the user unless specified otherwise.

• BRUSH_SIZE - `2' means medium (2 x 2 pixels) brush; `3' means wide (3 x 3 pixels) brush.

• DIR - This is the initial working directory.

• GRAB_COLOUR - The initial colour of the grab palette.

• GRID_BACKGROUND_COLOUR - The colour used by Pixmaped to signify transparent.

• GRID_HEIGHT - The default grid height for new images.

• GRID_OUTLINE_COLOUR - The colour used by Pixmaped between the grid squares.

• GRID_SQUARE_LENGTH - The zoom factor, 2 = 2 x, etc.

• GRID_WIDTH - The default grid width for new images.

• INSERT_TRANSPARENT - Toggle controlling whether transparent pixels when pasted override colours they cover or not.

• LAST_FILE - Should not be changed.

• LAST_FILE_n - The absolute paths and names of the nth file used; the last nine files opened or saved are listed here. (n is in the range 1..9.)

• PALETTE_n - The colour of the nth palette button. (n is in the range 0..7.)

• ROTATION - The default amount of rotation to use when the rotate button is clicked; valid values are 90, 180 and 270 degrees.

• SHOW_OUTLINE - Whether or not to show a grid outline; default is 1 (yes). Can be set by the Options/Show Outline menu option.

• SHOW_PROGRESS - This is for debugging; should normally be set to `0' since it slows things down considerably.

• UNDO_AFTER_SAVE - This permits undo after you save an image. (Note this only works within a session, not between runs.) To switch it off, and save a little bit of memory, set it to `0'.

Copyright

summer@chest.ac.uk

Copyright (c) Mark Summerfield 1999. All Rights Reserved.

Pixmaped may be used/distributed under the GPL.

cpanm pixmaped-help

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install pixmaped-help