★ APPLICATIONS ★ DIVERS ★ Create magnificent magnified characters ★ |
| Magnified Characters (Computing with the Amstrad) | Applications Divers |
. . . and give your display screens more impact with this great graphics utility by GLYNNE DAVIES AS its name suggests, this program allows you to design a screen of enlarged characters for use in titles or advertising media. The whole of the character set plus the graphic symbols can be used, or you can re-design a complete new character set. Magnified Characters is compatible with Easydraw - see Computing with the Amstrad, June 1985 - so you can display large text on designs created with that program. The sub-routine from line 820 can be used in your own program and a demonstration of this method is given in the title sequence. After the title sequence demonstration - which by taking out line 130 can be bypassed to allow quick access to the program - there are a series of on-screen prompts which should be dealt with as follows: Load character set Y/N: A special character set can be loaded into memory by selecting Y. This could have been designed using Character Maker - see Computing with the Amstrad, May 1985 - or re-defined with this program and saved to tape or disc. Easydraw format Y/N: If you select the Easydraw format the available screen is smaller, surrounded by a red rectangle. Both options can be loaded into Easydraw but if you have not selected the Easydraw format you may lose part of your characters. Enter Mode 0, 1 and 2: Any mode can be selected, but if Mode 2 is chosen you have only one plotting colour. Download screen Y/N: The program reserves 16k of memory for the screen display. If you have loaded the memory with a display you can reproduce it on the screen. Type in word: Type in a series of letters, or alternatively, by first pressing the small Enter key, the Ascii code above 126 and below 256 can be entered, producing the appropriate graphic character. When the word is complete press Enter. If Enter is pressed before a word is typed the message "Another word Y/N" will appear. If you reply N to this prompt the options load/save become available. Arrow keys - Enter: The arrow keys control a cursor showing where the top left of the first letter will be drawn. If this is moved to the far left of the screen the word will be drawn in the centre. When the position is correct press Enter. Scale 1 to N: Depending upon the length of the word a scale choice is given. Scale 1 is smaller than the normal character set and only readable in Mode 2, although this scale can be used for underlining. Slope Y/N: This option produces sloping characters. Shadow Y-N: If shadow is selected, the word can be drawn with a 3-D effect. The arrow keys are used to position the shadow, which can be set to any of eight positions. To produce a shadow above the word, press the up arrow key twice. A beep is made with each arrow key press and two beeps must be produced. Pen 0 to N: Choose the drawing pen number. If numbers 16 or 17 are chosen in Mode 0 these are multicoloured pens - 4 and 5 in Mode 1. When the shadow option is chosen a background - shadow - pen is also selectable. xt= yt= : As the word is drawn on the screen, the start position is displayed as xt and yt. Make a note of these positions if you are going to use the sub-routine at line 820 in your own program. Another word Y/N or D to delete word: Enter Y to draw another word, N to move on to the next options or D to remove the last word drawn. If D is selected the last word will be deleted. Save screen Y/N or F character save: Enter Y and the screen is saved into the reserved memory, N to move on or F to save to tape or disc the character set - file - that you have re-defined. An option to save the contents of the reserved memory is given after a screen save. Clear screen Y/N or R to re-define: Enter Y to erase the whole screen, N to move on or R to re-define a character. If R is pressed, prompts will ask for eight numbers from 0 to 255. Design the character you require on 64 square grid and then enter the eight numbers from top to bottom. As you enter the numbers the space is re-defined so you can see the build-up. If the shape is correct when finished ehter Y and enter the Ascii number of the character you wish to re-define. The space will clear to normal. Load to memory Y/N or C for characters: A previously saved screen from this program or Easydraw can be loaded into the reserved memory by Entering Y. N will move back to the main program or C will allow you to load in a new character set. The saved screen can be loaded on to the screen without a program using LOAD "filename",&C000. If you are going to use the sub-routine in your own program, build up the screen using this program making notes of the xt and yt positions, pens used and so on. Use the SYMBOL AFTER 32 at the beginning of your program and the sub-routine from lines 820 to 1 350 and follow the demonstration example. CWTA
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