                               DeskPic
                               -------

                      The picture on the desktop
                      --------------------------


DeskPic is freeware. That means you have the program
Friends, acquaintances, etc. can pass on. There can be NO
Changes are made to the program or this text
without consultation with the author.

Any commercial use of this program, as well as a
Passing this program against a fee, as it is eg at
PublicDomain dealers is prohibited and will be included
Violation accordingly pursued by the police.

I give no guarantee that DeskPic is also on your computer
works properly or does not cause any damage
(which, however, NEVER happened to me).
I tested DeskPic with a TT, and TOS3.06 in all
built-in solutions and in conjunction with a matrix
Graphics card, as well as on a MEGA ST with TOS 1.03 and there
built-in resolutions.
I therefore assume that it will run with all the resolutions
which support 1, 2, 4, and 8 bitplanes.
For me, DeskPic also works with MiNT0.95 and the
Color mode of the matrix graphics card _einwandfrei_.


INTRODUCTION
------------
This is an incomplete program documentation, more
Explanations become with appropriate resonance or desires
hinzugef gt. Personally, I don't like it at all
Write instructions and have this info in a very short time
written, so that stilitic errors quite occur (:-).

The idea for this program came to me when I had a beautiful day
at work the activity of XLOADIMAGE (with the parameter '-
onroot ') on a SUN.
There it was actually possible during the normal
Working with the XWindows gray desktop background
could change the self-selected image. Because the whole thing is on
IBM-compatible computers with Windows fkt., It should not
Problem is synonymous with ATARI computers something similar
program.
Which brings us to the current task of DeskPic. It should
decorate the otherwise desolate desktop background with
Verschnern pictures.

As soon as I heard about Karsten Isakovic, he started
something already works in the way the thought fell into it
back to some darker regions or my gray cells.
After a longer wait no improvement or my desire
I managed to make something of my own in this
to program the direction, but not to publish yet.

But now some people are interested in this utility
"Hello Christian and Peter, you are meant." and
besides, already another utility emerged in the direction
which, however, did not meet my demands, it became slow
Time to submit my utility to the public on which I am
sporadically improve something from time to time.


REQUIREMENTS
------------
DeskPic should be installed on any ATARI ST / STE or TT series computer
function. A special version for computers with FPU as
TT does not exist as it uses virtually no floating points
and a special version for CPUs> = 68020 just once
8% speed advantage when loading images.
I do not know if it will work correctly with MultiTos
say with certainty.
DeskPic works in all known resolutions, as long as
the number of colors does not exceed 256.
In addition to fkt. DeskPic also in TrueColor mode
Graphics cards or matrix and spectrum, taking as TrueColor format
24-bit Targa images can be loaded. The memory consumption
but this is enormous.


Supplied files:
. \ deskpic \ auto \ deskpic.prg The program for the AUTO folder
. \ deskpic \ deskpic.acc The Accessorie
. \ deskpic \ deskpic.inf An example file as an example

The program "DESKPIC.PRG" installs itself resident in the computer
using XBRA identifier and cookie entry. The identifier is in
both are 'DEPI'. The VDI, BIOS and (using the
File 'deskpic.inf'), the GEMDOS vector and the system
Vector or etv_term.

The accessorie 'DESKPIC.ACC' is the corresponding accessory to
the resident part and communicates with a cookie entry
this. The accessorie allocates resident memory depending on
current screen resolution varies. To calculate
The memory consumption is as follows:
"((XSolution + 7) / 8) * YSolution * NumberofBitplanes".
At a resolution of 1024 * 768 in 256 colors (8 bitplanes)
so are 786432 bytes for the background picture alone
allociert.
In addition, about 150KB are needed for DeskPic itself,
As a result, there is quite a bit of storage for this utility
should have, if you still agree with his calculator
because to work.


INSTALLATION
------------
Copy the file DESKPIC.PRG to your Auto folder (A
special order of the programs contained therein is not
relevant).
The Accessory DESKPIC.ACC should be in the directory for your
Accessories (usually the root of Lauwerk C).
Reboot your computer (cold or warm start).


SERVICE
-------
The operation of the Accesories is actually very easy, yet
Here is the description:
If you have selected the Accesorie entry named DeskPic,
a dialog box appears, showing the interface to the user
represents.

In the box with title 'background' there are 2 switches
to be found, which have the designation 'on' and 'off'.
If you select the 'On' switch, the background image is displayed.
If you choose the 'Off' switch, the background image will not be
shown.

There is a button in the framed picture entitled 'Picture'
find the name 'load'.
If this button is selected, a fileselectbox will open
Load image for the background.
Loadable file formats are:
.GIF GIF87a and GIF89a
.IMG monochrome IMGs and colored XIMGs
.PAC monochrome CITY pictures
.PI? Degas pictures (only unpacked DEGAS pictures)
.NEO Neochrome images
DOO doodle pictures
.TGA uncompressed 24-bit Targa images
If one of the above image formats has been selected, the
Mouse pointer in a floppy disk icon as long as the file is loaded.
The only exception is the GIF format, in which the
Mouse pointer turns into an animated slide rule as long as
the GIF image is loaded and unpacked.
If the selected image has been successfully loaded (when
Failure could occur below
was, then the background image was automatically turned on.
Otherwise, nothing changes to the settings and one
Error message appears.

The button labeled 'Save' will save that right now
loaded image in a quick loading format, which only in exact
the same resolution and with the same graphics card is loadable
or display the image correctly.
Who has finally desire after demm boats each unpacking
to wait for a GIF picture (:-).

Another button is found with the 'Info' label
if activated, another dialog box with some info on the
Program DeskPic outputs. This dialog box can be left
by mouse to mouse joins (;-).

The button labeled 'Save' saves the current one
Path and the name of the loaded image in a file called
'deskpic.inf', which allows the same picture after a reset
automatically log in as a desktop background.
If DeskPic is off at the time or backup, it is
after a corresponding inquiry also the currently active one
Program into a child or exception list whose data
also stored in the 'deskpic.inf' file.
In addition to the image name and program name, the
current screen resolution and the number of currently
saved active bitplanes.

The button labeled 'Exit' closes after it
Select the dialog box or DeskPic.

The last available button is the so-called Dragger.
If you select it and press the left mouse button, then
you can move the dialog box as with the well-known FlyDials.
Moreover, the next time you open the dialog box, this will appear on the
last open position.


ERLŽUTERUNGEN
-------------
If the 'On' switch is not in the DeskPic dialog box
is selectable, then no image has been loaded.

If there is not enough free memory, it will be missing
Dragger, and thus the possibility of moving the
Dialog box and the alert boxes or DeskPic not given.
In addition, when selecting the 'INFO' button, you only get one
Alertbox with a short info about DeskPic.

If you want an image that is narrower than the visible one
If the picture is scribed, the areas that remain otherwise will become free
would be patterned with the loaded image, so that eg at
Eschergrafiken not noticed that the actual picture is narrower
as the visible screen.
When an image is loaded, it is larger than the visible one
Screen is so only a fixed part
shown.
This subarea ranges in the horizontal from 0 to
horizontal screen resolution and in the vertical from 0 to
for vertical screen resolution minus the height of the menu bar.

If the 'SAVE' button is selected and there already exists one
File called 'deskpic.inf', so DeskPic tries the new one
added information at the beginning of the file. at
too little memory (if the info file is not completely in the
Memory can be loaded) is the new information to the
File appended.

The GFB image format:
---------------------
It's a format I use for the program
GemFrac had once been developed.
The following data can be found in this image forword:
  4 bytes identifier (GF25 in the present version)
  4 bytes Number of colors.
  4 bytes wide of the screen
  4 bytes height of the screen
  4 bytes Size of the buffer to allocate for the screen
    n bytes or graphics data, where n = ((image width + 7) / 8) * image height * plan,
    which agreed to the largest allocated buffer.
768 bytes color table => max. 256 colors.


The file DESKPIC.INF:
---------------------
If someone has this 'deskpic.inf' info file by means of an editor
I would like to change the format here, which only
Should contain ASCII characters and any keywords listed
must be separated by spaces:

Data for automatic on / off:
1st word: ID: "#noautoset"
2nd Word: Name of the cookie in the presence or DeskPic itself
          not in the GemDos trap latches and thus one
          automatic on / off is ignored.
3rd word: horizontal screen resolution in the DeskPic itself
          should not turn on / off automatically.
4th word: vertical screen resolution in DeskPic is not
          automatically turn on / off.
5th word: number of BitPlanes or a screen resolution in the
          DeskPic should not turn on / off automatically.
If at point 2-5 the identifier 'EGAL' is entered instead,
DeskPic accepts they are true in any case.
If there are problems with another TSR program
If a cookie is installed, it will be in the
Most cases solve the problem by using the 2nd word
Specifies cookie ID or the problem-preparing program or mine
give an exact error message.
If there should be problems with other programs or you have it
I do not want DeskPic to get into the GemDos stairs, so
you should use the 'do not care' identifier in the info file as the 2nd word
write.
NOTE: This should be tried in any case first, if
Problems with DeskPic, as this would cause the GEMDOS
Vector and the system are vector for etv_term _not_being.

Data for pictures:
1st word: Identifier "#image data:"
2nd word: absolute path of the image to be loaded incl. Image name.
          (Wildcards are not allowed).
3rd word: horizontal screen resolution in the picture
          should be loaded automatically.
4th word: vertical screen resolution in the picture
          should be loaded automatically.
5th word: number of BitPlanes or a screen resolution in the
          the image should be loaded automatically.
If at point 2 the identifier 'NO_PICTURE' is entered instead,
DeskPic does not display a picture after booting in this release
or a change of resolution.
If the identifier 'EGAL' is entered instead of point 3-5,
DeskPic accepts they are true in any case.

Data for programs:
1st word: identifier "#programmdaten:"
2nd word: absolute path of the program incl. Program name, or
          only the program name (wildcards are not allowed).
3rd word: horizontal screen resolution in which the rule fr
          the exception program should apply.
4th word: vertical screen resolution in the rule for the
          Exception program should apply.
5th word: number of BitPlanes in the rule for the
          Exception program should apply.
If the identifier 'EGAL' is entered instead of point 3-5,
DeskPic accepts they are true in any case.
Thus, one has the opportunity for his preferred
Screen resolutions automatically load different images
to let.
It is worth noting that DeskPic has the corresponding data
processed sequentially and at an entry with the identifier
"NO_PICTURE" for the current resolution all further data
Infofile ignored.
In addition, an attempt is made to double entry in the info file
prevent.
Example:
#noautoset: does not matter matter 4
#images: f: \ puzzle.gif never mind 4
#image data: e: \ pics \ dragon.gif 1024 768 8
#image data: e: \ pics \ img \ usr \ cool_dog.img it does not matter matter
#programmdaten: calamus.prg does not matter 8
#programmdaten: calamus never mind 4
#program data: charlimg.prg does not matter 8
#program data: charlimg.prg does not matter 4
#program data: studio.prg does not matter 8
#programmdaten: studio.prg does not matter 4
#programmdaten: titanen.prg it does not matter matter


PROBLEMS
--------
With some file formats, it can cause problems
in that they are not loaded under some resolutions
can be.

Exceptions are the file formats GIF87a, GIF89a and monochrome
IMGs which can be loaded in any resolution in DeskPic
works.
Colored GIF images are dithered in monochrome resolutions
However, the quality is not very intoxicating.
In such cases, I recommend the GIF image with another one
Dithering the program and transforming it into a monochrome IMG image.
In 4 or 16-color resolutions, GIF images become
basically shown in grayscale when the number of them in it
colors are larger than the reproducible colors.
Colored IMGs so-called XIMGs can only be used in resolutions
with the same number of colors or resolutions with a larger
Color number are displayed.
Colored DEGAS images and Neochrome images can only be found in the
Resolution in which they were generated or in
Solutions which have the same number of colors.
Targa images are only in TrueColor mode
Fractional graphic maps or matrix or spectrum in true color format
shown. In the color modes with up to 8 BitPlanes the
Targa images in grayscale and monochrome fashion become these
dithered.

If not enough memory, it may happen daž
some pictures can not be loaded, because on the one hand the
temporary storage for these images can not be created,
or for transforming from standard format to
device-dependent format or the VDI no memory is available.
The first case can be found in CITY images, the last case in GIF
Images and both can occur with XIMG images
occur.

If also XIMGs with 4 colors are displayed correctly loaded,
unfortunately I cannot judge, because I was not able to
with the programs available to me such a picture format
to create.


PROBLEM SOLVING ™ SOLUTIONS
---------------------------
So that people can use DeskPic, they can not
too much memory can call their own, I will possibly.
You may also want to publish a light version of DeskPic, where the
only loadable image format the monochrome IMG format and the .GFB
Format will be.

So that not the 16 before VDI given VDI colors when loading
GIF images (in the other image formats that's me too
consuming, if not almost impossible) to be destroyed (the
For example, in ANSI color graphics in mailboxes is otherwise right
bad), I will try in one of the next versions
Implement color adjustments, which then over another
Switch are accessible.

So that you can look at other parts of an image,
which is greater than the current image-shimmer resolution I will
most likely still one more way to install the one
Allow movement of this subarea. But then it has to
As a result, more memory is used in the short term.

If someone gives me a better working method for that
currently used dithering (eg, dithering using Floyd
Steinberg algorithm) as C source code
I like to include him in the program. Right now I have
more important to do (:-).

If somebody gives me an algorithm for color dithering as C
I can build source code to build this algorithm
Or course, love to enter and then implement
Loading routines for true color images.
In both cases I would be very grateful to the person, it would be me
save a lot of work.
By the way, I already have hints where I can get it
Algorithms for Colodithering (eg, in which
Documentation).




SCHLUžBEMERKUNG
---------------
Suggestions for improvement, wish lists, error messages, threats,
Praise or even donations are the following address
Send:



Norbert Marschalleck
Ehrenpfortensteig 4
W-1000 Berlin 28
Tel: 030/404 27 17 (19h-24h)
Account: 7774268 at Deutsche Bank AG, bank code 100 700 00

Mouse net: Norbert Marschalleck @ B
InterNet: nexus@cs.tu-berlin.de
          norbert@charly.ipk.fhg.de