| ★ HARDWARE ★ CRAYONS OPTIQUE ★ CRAYON OPTIQUE DKTRONICS/GRAPHICS LIGHT PEN DK'TRONICS ★ |
DK'Tronics - Graphics Light Pen (Popular Computing Weekly) | Graphics Light Pen (Home Computing Weekly) |
Who was it that said that there's a novel inside every one of us, just waiting to be written? Well, if that's the case then there ought to be a picture inside of each of us, just waiting to be drawn. The problem is, of course, while most of us can write - although the spelling might not be too good - drawing is another matter completely. Artistic ability seems often almost inversely proportional to programming skill. Maybe DK'Tronics' new light pen for the Amstrad could be the answer. Light pens work using the principle that each part of the TV screen is refreshed (or up-dated if you like) every 1/25th of a second - a ridiculously long time for a microprocessor. The processor calculates the time from the start of a new TV scan to the time the scan reaches and triggers the 'pen' sensor pointed at the screen. By calculating the time interval the micro can work out exactly where on the screen you are pointing. If you want to do something like drawing, then you are thrown on the mercy of the accompanying software and documentation. DK'Tronics seems though to have done a pretty good job with this package. The light pen plugs into an interface that itself slots into the disc drive port of the Amstrad. Don't worry, though -there is a piggy-back port on the back that supports a disc drive (if you have one) and a DK'Tronics speech unit at the same time. The first thing to do is load the software. This takes about four and a half minutes, but the cassette is totally unprotected, so it can be transferred to disc without too much bother. You are now ready to start. The program works by moving through a series of menu windows which start with Save/Load screen options, and go on through calibration of the pen to the actual graphics options - a total of eight in all. You soon get used to 'the system', but to help, the documentation provides a small Dow diagram. . . a nice touch. The basic Draw functions support ten colours with four drawing widths, plus an air-brush effect - more than enough for most dabbling. Slightly more advanced features include 'rubber banding' for drawing complex shapes, fills, circle and rectangle commands, copy and shrink options, plus text handling. A 'scratch pad' facility is useful, which allows you to create detailed drawings, and then reduce them down and use then on your opus. So far so good, and the documentation takes you through the program one step at a time. The last few pages of the manual give listings for dumping screens to DMP 1 or Epson compatible printers, with detailed advice on adapting them for other printers. Also, it gives valuable help on how to use Saved screens and/or the light pen in programs of your own. It's a pity that you have to type these routines in yourself though. If you want an artistic dabble on your Amstrad, then this is for you. But don't expect the level of detail and quality obtainable from a graphics tablet. John Cook , Popular Computing Weekly |
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