[comp.sys.atari.8bit] Atari Artist & Movie Maker file formats wanted

jwn@cbuxb.UUCP (James Nippert) (01/06/87)

I'm submitting this again because the address may not have
been enough to get a reply back to me.

I want to use Atari Artist to draw pictures to use in
Movie Maker since Artist uses a tablet vs MMs joysticks.
To do this I need the save file formats for Atari Artist
and the background and character files for Movie Maker.

I'm modestly impressed with what Movie Maker can get out
of the 8 bitter, but changing disks and joystick drawing
are a pain.

Atari Artist does compression of the picture.

Jim Nippert

cbuxb!jwn

dlm@ho3cad.UUCP (01/07/87)

> I want to use Atari Artist to draw pictures to use in
> Movie Maker since Artist uses a tablet vs MMs joysticks.
> To do this I need the save file formats for Atari Artist
> and the background and character files for Movie Maker.

Anyone interested in this should go out and buy a copy of the January issue
of ANALOG magazine (#50).  THe article on page 33 described just what you 
need.

I am putting the finishing touchs on an ACTION! program to dump Atari Artist/
Micro-Illustrator files to an Epson printer.  I'll post it if there is 
anyone interested.

Daryl Monge
AT&T			Bell Labs

UUCP: ...!ihnp4!iheds!dlm		CIS: 72717,65

njd@ihuxl.UUCP (DiMasi) (01/14/87)

> > I want to use Atari Artist to draw pictures to use in
> > ...
> 
> ...
> 
> I am putting the finishing touchs on an ACTION! program to dump Atari Artist/
> Micro-Illustrator files to an Epson printer.  I'll post it if there is 
> anyone interested.
> 
> Daryl Monge
> AT&T			Bell Labs

I would be interested in seeing such a program posted.  I saw  an
article  in an earlier ANALOG issue that contained such a program
in BASIC, but so far I have not had the time to try to recode (or
even  redesign)  it  in  ACTION!  (I would also change it to work
with my Toshiba P1340  printer,  which  uses  Qume  type  control
codes, according to the manual.  Not exactly popular in the world
of Atari software, but it prints well.)

My current problem is that I >>do not even own<< the Atari  Touch
Tablet/Micro-Illustrator (or any other T/T or drawing software)!
I have only in the past 4  months  or  so  become  interested  in
owning  a  T/T  or  drawing software (having nearly abandoned all
ambition of writing my own s/w once  I  realized  what  all  was  
out there).

I had asked for an Atari T/T  for  Christmas  -  my  wife  and  I
exchanged  "wish  lists" - but my wife waited until the 11th hour
to try to get me one, and  after  getting  through  to  an  Atari
mail-order  place  in Columbus (from whom I had bought my 130XE),
was told that

	"there are no Atari  T/Ts  available,  because  Atari  is
	engaged  in  a lawsuit with the mfr. of the T/T..." (same
	goes for the Light Pen, but I don't care)  and
	" the T/T has not been available for several months."

If ever was heard a discouraging word...  Has  anyone  out  there
recently bought an Atari T/T? Is there no hope?  I haven't seen a
Koala Pad advertised for some  time,  so  I  wonder  if  THAT  is
available  anymore  either  (I  think  Toys R Us  and/or  Service
Merchandise locally used  to  carry  that  "pad").   The  January
ANALOG   article   mentioned  also  refers  to  a  t/t  called  a
"Powerpad".  Does anyone know anything about that t/t?

I would appreciate hearing  about  this  from  anyone  who  knows
anything  more.   PLEASE  reply  by  MAIL,  because I don't get a
chance to read news often enough as it is, and I  and  my  fellow
"ihuxl-ites" are being moved to a new machine this weekend.

Thanks in advance,
Nick DiMasi

(frusrated would-be "Atari artist")

ihnp4!ihuxl!njd (until 1/17 or 1/18, supposedly)
ihnp4!ihlpm!njd (after the move)

ekijak@ARDEC.ARPA.UUCP (01/30/87)

I recently saw a drawing-type tablet device for inputting sketches to a home
computer.  It had a drawing surface and mounted on it was a two-piece arm
hinged at the 'shoulder' and 'elbow'.  At the 'wrist' was a stylus which
you used to trace your sketch.  It was available for 8-bit Ataris and Texas
Instruments home computers.  The Atari version came with software contained in
a plug-in cartridge (ROM), so you didn't even need a disk drive!  The department
store selling it seemed to be trying to get rid of them and the price was
about $25.   I suspect the 2 'hinges' may have been connected to pots
(potentiometers - rotary variable resistors) that fed into the Atari's paddle
(joystick) inputs.  The software then computed the x,y coordinates of the
stylus from the angular rotation of the 'hinges' and the lengths of each arm.
This would let you draw a freehand line drawing, and then by using the stylus
as a pointer to a menu, perhaps color it.  The store is not near my home so
I'm not able to go back and get the name of the device and its manufacturer.