Help on Using SPMake 13  v2.4

Ha Ha! Updated again.

Disclaimer (Press page down to skip)

Firstly, and foremostly, I'd like to thank you for using this.'This' is SPMAKE 13,
short for Sprite Maker 13. Before using this, read the disclaimer below. Note: 
By using the program, you agree to the disclaimer.

This software was built to make sprites,or pictures for your programs. 
Do not use it for anything else(the consequences aren't my fault). You 
aren't allowed to copy, commercialize, dissect or do anything else
detrimental to my image, SPMake 13's image or anybody else's image ( I 
mean to personal images, not sprites) or edit the program without my 
prior permission. Any and all damage that is caused by this program is 
none of my fault,but must be reported to me(except for known ones that 
are reported on my site). If you were to make a game with this software, 
email it to me or be kind enough to tell me where to get it. If it were 
commercialized(you sell the game) give me 10 percent of the profit(negotiable).
Do not ask for the source code. I won't give it(except for certain amounts of dole).    

I guess that's all for the disclaimer.


SPMake version 2.4 commands and hotkeys
----------------------------------------
(Note : Hotkeys are not case-sensitive)

New image              - Press n
(erases current image from grid and gets ready a clear grid)

Save image             - Press s
(saves image to disc as a .gfx file)

Load image             - Press l
(loads SPMake 13 image from disc. Has backward compatibility) 

Exit                   - Press q
(exits SPMake 13 )

Online Help            - Press h
(Views this helpfile while SPMake 13 is online)

Cycle through colours  - Press [ and ]
(Cycles through 256 colour palette in SPMake 13)

Flip image x-wise      - Press x
(Flips image on the X-axis)

Flip image y-wise      - Press y
(Flips image on the Y-axis)

Floodfill              - Press f
(Floodfills entire grid with selected colour)

Random pattern         - Press t
(Generates a random color pattern on the grid using colours 
above and below the selected color in the palette)

Toggle thumbnail       - Press o
(Toggles thumbnail on/off )

Change grid size       - Press g 
(Note: to change size use [ and ].Min size = 10)

Rotating images        - Press r
(Rotates image 90 degrees anti clockwise when pressed once)

Loading palette        - Press p
(More information below)

Update thumbnail       - Press u
(Updates the thumbnail. Use immediately after loading new image) 

Smooth out picture     - Press j
Antialiases picture. Effective with gradient palettes

Pixel command          - Press 1
(Left click to draw pixels, right click to select grid colour)

Box command            - Press 2
(Right click to begin, left click to finish. Click Opaque to make it 
Transparent and vice versa)

Line command           - Press 3
(Right click to begin, left click to finish.)

Ellipse command        - Press 4
(Right click to begin, left click to finish.)

Copy command            - Press 5
(Right click to begin, left click to finish. Saves image in memory to
be pasted)

Paste command          - Press 6
(Left-click to place. Places a copied image. Transparency affects 
this command)

Lighting command      - Press 7
(Left-click to place source. Requires a gradient palette. Shades the image with 
respect to the light source)

Box transparency       - Press a
(makes box transparent or opaque)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glad that grim hotkey list is over!

Anyway here are the controls.

To draw, choose a colour (shown by white box in palette) and click on the grid
To choose the colour, click on your choice in the palette or right-click on
the colour on the grid. If the program runs too slow off the thumbnail
( o to toggle)After years of exploration I found the UCASE$ command so all
keys are case-insensitive. When you start the program, your last drawn picture
is shown on the screen. If you drag a picture onto SPMake, it will start with
the dragged picture loaded (backward-compatible).

If you find any bugs, then bug me. Or contact me(see bottom of the page)

Loading pictures into Qbasic

Here is the code to load the pictures.

SCREEN 13
name$ = " "' replace with pictures' name w/o extension
OPEN name$ + ".gfx" FOR INPUT AS #1
INPUT #1, dummy$ 'version number
INPUT #1, xsize, ysize
FOR x = 0 TO xsize
FOR y = 0 TO ysize
INPUT #1, z
PSET (x, y), z
NEXT
NEXT

The keys have been fixed. Hooray! 
SPMake 13 now prompts the user if they are saving on an existing file and does not crash if you open a non-existent
file. Plus the weird line and ellipse commands have been fixed. Hooray!
----------------
The Palette     
----------------
Now SPMake13 allows you to load your own custom palettes. To make a 
palette SPMake-loadable set up the palette then use this code.

filename$ = "" ' give a name plus extension .pal
DIM pal&(255)
DEF SEG = VARSEG(pal&(0))
FOR col% = 0 TO 255
OUT &H3C7, col%
POKE VARPTR(pal&(col%)), INP(&H3C9)
POKE VARPTR(pal&(col%)) + 1, INP(&H3C9)
POKE VARPTR(pal&(col%)) + 2, INP(&H3C9)
NEXT
BSAVE filename$, VARPTR(pal&(0)), 1023

To load a palette:
DIM pal&(255)
DEF SEG = VARSEG(pal&(0))
filename$ = "" 'filename$ represents the palette file with .pal extension
BLOAD filename$, 0
FOR col% = 0 to 255
OUT &H3C8, 0
OUT &H3C9, PEEK(VARPTR(pal&(col%)))
OUT &H3C9, PEEK(VARPTR(pal&(col%)) + 1)
OUT &H3C9, PEEK(VARPTR(pal&(col%)) + 2)
NEXT

Code obtained from Virtua Soft.

To set up a palette use the PALETTE command. Read QB's help file for 
more information.

SPMake 13 v2.4 has backward compatibility with all previous releases of SPMake 13.
If you have any questions, bug reports, comments or suggestions, write to :
-shashiraja_1@hotmail.com
-shashiraja_1@yahoo.com
-sinaraju@tm.net.my (email here if you have attachments)
-ganesaraja12@hotmail.com (alternate email address 2 )
or write it out in the guestbook at the SPMake website 
www.geocities.com/shashiraja_1
SPMake version 2.3 was coded in QuickBasic 4.5 using Future Library
SPmake authored by Shashi Thura Raja and co-developed by Ganesa Raja
Heil VirtuaSoft and Future Software
Press Escape to go back to the grid









