elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) (05/08/88)
As a recent Amigan (1 week, as of this posting), I am astounded at the amount
of work you have to do to set up good-looking Intuition objects. For example,
if your menus don't turn out right the first time, the only thing left to do
is tweak the values, re-compile (grind-grind-grind), and try again... also a
good way to litter the floor with scraps of graph paper (you figure it
out).
A few questions: How much space do characters take up? What should be the
height of a menu item, and what should be the width (as a formula, perhaps: #
of character * <c>)? And, finally, the only way I can see to put little
graphic symbols up there (like an image of the ESCape key, for example), is to
have an Image menu item, or define an alternate character set (finally,
something familiar to me from the C-64 world!). IntuiText is bad
enough :-(. Am I overlooking something?
Are there tools to somewhat automate this process? I'd love to be able to
define and move menus around interactively, for example, and then have the "C"
declarations written to disk for me, ready to shove into my program.... and
gadgets -- gawd, what a nightmare, defining those things, especially choosing
correct placement within your window, and dealing with the more esoteric ones
(proportional gadgets, or custom Images, anybody?).
At the minimum, is there any way possible to get an Image out of a paint
program, besides picking the magnifying glass (or whatever), putting pixels on
graph paper, then converting pixels into numbers?
--
Eric Lee Green elg@usl.CSNET Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191
ihnp4!killer!elg Lafayette, LA 70509
"Is a dream a lie that don't come true, or is it something worse?"avery@puff.cs.wisc.edu (Aaron Avery) (05/08/88)
In article <4015@killer.UUCP> elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: >Are there tools to somewhat automate this process? I'd love to be able to >define and move menus around interactively, for example, and then have the "C" >declarations written to disk for me, ready to shove into my program.... and >gadgets -- gawd, what a nightmare, defining those things, especially choosing >correct placement within your window, and dealing with the more esoteric ones >(proportional gadgets, or custom Images, anybody?). You may want to check out a commercial program called PowerWindows, by INNOVATRONICS, INC. It does pretty much what you want, I think. >At the minimum, is there any way possible to get an Image out of a paint >program, besides picking the magnifying glass (or whatever), putting pixels on >graph paper, then converting pixels into numbers? Yes. A loooong time ago someone wrote a program which he called 'gi', probably for 'get image' which did just this. There's also a program called 'NGI', being marketed by National Pixel Products. Many of these types of tools exist, and it'll just take time to become familiar with what's available. I'd strongly suggest you find your nearest user's/developer's group, and also pick up some copies of Amazing Computing. -- Aaron Avery (avery@puff.cs.wisc.edu) ({seismo,caip,allegra,harvard,rutgers,ihnp4}!uwvax!puff!avery)
mrr@amanpt1.zone1.com (Mark Rinfret) (05/09/88)
In article <4015@killer.UUCP>, elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: > As a recent Amigan (1 week, as of this posting), I am astounded at the amount > of work you have to do to set up good-looking Intuition objects. For example, > if your menus don't turn out right the first time, the only thing left to do > is tweak the values, re-compile (grind-grind-grind), and try again... also a > good way to litter the floor with scraps of graph paper (you figure it > out). > ...more... Thought there are several PD programs out there which will do part of the job for you, I think you'll find that PowerWindows from Inovatronics to be well worth the investment. Though it's not perfect (I have version 2.0), it certainly takes a lot of the inertia out of starting an Intuition-based application. You'll still have to read and understand the details on the various objects and flags that Intuition defines/uses, but you won't have to micromanage the details as you find yourself doing now. I have no connection with Inovatronics other than as a (mostly) satisfied customer. Mark -- < Mark R. Rinfret, mrr@amanpt1.ZONE1.COM | ...rayssd!galaxia!amanpt1!mrr > < AMA / HyperView Systems Home: 401-846-7639 > < 28 Jacome Way Work: 401-849-9930 x301 > < Middletown, RI 02840 "If I just had a little more time...">
joe@cbmvax.UUCP (Joe O'Hara) (05/09/88)
In article <4015@killer.UUCP> elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: > >Are there tools to somewhat automate this process? I'd love to be able to >define and move menus around interactively, for example, and then have the "C" >declarations written to disk for me, ready to shove into my program.... and Take a look at Power Windows 2.0, a commercial product that allows you to interactively build and manipulate your windows, menus, gadgets. A paint program like DPaint II can be used to prepare custom-designed gadgets for use in Power Windows. (This is not a Commodore endorsement. I happen to use it personally and find it quite useful.) -- ======================================================================== Joe O'Hara || Comments represent my own opinions, Commodore Electronics Ltd || not my employers. Any similarity to Software QA || to any other opinions, living or dead, || is purely coincidental. ========================================================================
gsarff@ssdis.UUCP (gary sarff) (05/11/88)
In article <4015@killer.UUCP>, elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: > As a recent Amigan (1 week, as of this posting), I am astounded at the amount > of work you have to do to set up good-looking Intuition objects. For example, I think everyone was. > Are there tools to somewhat automate this process? I'd love to be able to > define and move menus around interactively, for example, and then have the "C" > declarations written to disk for me, ready to shove into my program.... and > gadgets -- gawd, what a nightmare, defining those things, especially choosing > correct placement within your window, and dealing with the more esoteric ones > (proportional gadgets, or custom Images, anybody?). > Eric Lee Green elg@usl.CSNET Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 > ihnp4!killer!elg Lafayette, LA 70509 > "Is a dream a lie that don't come true, or is it something worse?" get PowerWindows by Innovatronics (I think) you should find it advertised in amigaworld, amazing computer et.al. It is about $65. It does that, gadgets menus, windows, etc -> C code. You can draw and use your mouse, import iff brushes etc. They also have something called InovaTools 1 that is supposed to put a nice package around some of the graphics routines giving you a higher level of interface to the drawing routines in the amiga. I've never used it though. -- Gary Sarff {uunet|ihnp4|philabs}!spies!ssdis!gsarff To program is human, to debug is something best left to the gods. "Spitbol?? You program in a language called Spitbol?" The reason computer chips are so small is that computers don't eat much.
mike@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Mike Smithwick) (05/11/88)
[my line-eater can beat your line-eater!] In article <4015@killer.UUCP> elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: >As a recent Amigan (1 week, as of this posting), I am astounded at the amount >of work you have to do to set up good-looking Intuition objects. > > >Are there tools to somewhat automate this process? I'd love to be able to >define and move menus around interactively, for example, and then have the "C" >declarations written to disk for me, ready to shove into my program.... and >gadgets -- gawd, what a nightmare, defining those things, especially choosing >correct placement within your window, and dealing with the more esoteric ones >(proportional gadgets, or custom Images, anybody?). You've come to the right place my son. Run, don't walk, to your nearest Amiga dealer, and get yerself "PowerWindows II". This will do everything, (well nearly everything) that you would want for setting up Intuition windows. It will let you read in DPaint brushes, and convert them to gadget images, create screen palettes, function tables, custom window borders. It can build up virtually any kind of menu you want, interactively, including images instead of text. You can create one gadget, then clone it as many times as you like. They may be moved around dynamically, resized, repositioned and deleted on the fly. But wait! There's more! It has a nice set of options, that may be stored on disk for later use. Powerwindows generates source for Modula II, Lattice and Manx C, and assembly programs. It even has some built in memory optimization schemes. There are a few small problems, but they are far outweighed by the fun of building up a screen in minutes which would otherwise take hours by the squint-at-the-graph-paper-at-3-AM technique. I don't now what I'd do without my Powerwindows, buy yours today! *** mike *** [the above was a public service announcment by RSN Software, Inc.] -- *** mike (Cyberpunk in training) smithwick *** "Use an Atari, go to jail!" [disclaimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]
farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) (05/13/88)
In article <1684@puff.cs.wisc.edu> avery@puff.WISC.EDU (Aaron Avery) writes: >A loooong time ago someone wrote a program which he called 'gi', probably >for 'get image' which did just this. That was me. A crude effort, early in the game (it wouldn't read all IFF files, only DPAINT I brush files), but, I thought, worthwhile anyhow. >There's also a program called 'NGI', being marketed by National Pixel >Products. Hmm? I've seen a thing called NGI, which was my gi program hacked to produce a little more usable output. If this is the same NGI, then National Pixel Products is stomping all over my perogative as the original author of the utility. gi was intended to be freely distributable, and selling it under a different name seems a bit rude to me. Do you have more details? Or an address/phone for NPP? -- Michael J. Farren | "INVESTIGATE your point of view, don't just {ucbvax, uunet, hoptoad}! | dogmatize it! Reflect on it and re-evaluate unisoft!gethen!farren | it. You may want to change your mind someday." gethen!farren@lll-winken.llnl.gov ----- Tom Reingold, from alt.flame
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (05/13/88)
Let me put in a plug for Power Windows. It's not something I can really use much (imagine trying to use Power Windows for Browser :->), but for quick hacks... or for adding an intuition interface to UNIXoid programs... it's great. Of course the user interface is an aesthetic disaster. At least I think so, but then I'm an efette snob. I did get some good ideas from it. The creative use of images in proportional gadgets was pretty amusing. Took me a second to figure out what was going on in the "Battlefield". -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- "Have you hugged your U wolf today?" ...!bellcore!tness1!sugar!peter -- Disclaimer: These aren't mere opinions, these are *values*.
avery@puff.cs.wisc.edu (Aaron Avery) (05/16/88)
Sorry, Mike. I didn't mean to post semi-factual information. I just checked
the doc file and no, they're not selling it. They are distributing it with
source, and I believe it doesn't look anything like your 'gi' program any
more. I have their address if you want it. They're asking for money for
additional support and a more comprehensive incarnation of the disk -- or
something like that. Oh, this is about a program called 'NGI 1.2', for those
not following the discussion.
--
Aaron Avery (avery@puff.cs.wisc.edu)
({seismo,caip,allegra,harvard,rutgers,ihnp4}!uwvax!puff!avery)