@database MakeAnim7.guide

@node Main "MakeAnim7 Documentation"

                              MakeAnim7
       (A utility to convert animations into ANIM7 animations)

                     Written by Thomas Krehbiel
                             March 1993



INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~

   The ANIM7 format proposed by Wolfgang Hofer (see accompanying
spec file) provides MUCH better animation playback speed, which is
especially needed for AGA-mode animations.  The tradeoff is a larger
animation file (ie. the compression isn't as good).

   So, here is a little utility to convert your existing animations
into ANIM7 animations in a fairly straightforward manner.  MakeAnim7
can also read the ANIM8's that come from MorphPlus, so you can (and
should, since ANIM7 is much better) convert them too.

   (This program requires 2.04, BTW.)


DISTRIBUTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
   MakeAnim7 is public domain.  Do with it what you wish.


USEAGE FROM SHELL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1> MakeAnim7 [SHORT|LONG] [anim_file1] [anim_file2] [anim_file3] ...

   Each file will be recompressed as an ANIM7 and saved out with the
same filename plus a "7".  So, recompressing "mine.anim" would result
in "mine.anim7".

   If no files are given, a file requester is presented (see below).

   The SHORT option forces SHORTWORD compression.

   The LONG option forces LONGWORD compression.


USEAGE FROM WORKBENCH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Double-click the (wonderfully artistic) icon.  Select one or more
animation files from the resulting file requester.  Watch it go.

   Files are renamed as above.

   You can use the tooltypes SHORT or LONG to force shortword or
longword compression.


TECHNICAL NOTE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   MakeAnim7 will always use longword encoding where possible.  I determine
whether it's possible or not by the width of the animation; if the
resulting width (plus word alignment) "fits" in an integral number of
longwords (without overlap), then longword encoding is used.  This may
or may not be the "correct" way to do it, but it sounded good at the time.

   You can override this behavior by using the SHORT or LONG arguments.
I leave it as an excercise for the reader to determine which one is
better.  I also don't make any guarantees about the functionality of
forcing shortword or longword compression.  If you're not sure, don't
touch it.

@endnode