@DATABASE ArtConvert
@MASTER ArtConvert.guide
@$VER: ArtConvert.guide 1.4 (4.5.2000) (W) by Martin Steigerwald
@REM $Id: ArtConvert.guide 1.4 2000/05/04 14:22:05 helios Exp $

@NODE MAIN "ArtConvert"

@{b}ArtConvert 1.6 (4.5.2000) (W) by Martin Steigerwald@{ub}
- an ARexx script to automatically convert images with ArtEffect

        @{"Introduction"    LINK Introduction}
        @{"Legal stuff"     LINK LegalStuff}
        @{"Requirements"    LINK Requirements}
        @{"Installation"    LINK Installation}
        @{"Usage"           LINK Usage}
        @{"Known problems"  LINK Problems}
        @{"Future"          LINK Future}
        @{"History"         LINK History}
        @{"Author"          LINK Author}
        @{"Credits"         LINK Credits}

@ENDNODE

@NODE Introduction "Introduction"

This is a script that converts images given on the command line to a
certain resolution using ArtEffect 2.6, 3 or 4.

It can be used for converting a whole bunch of images in one go.

It has a nice ReAction/ClassAct GUI to set the options. It can accept
filenames, directory names and AmigaDOS patterns as sources and
autodetects which kind of source is given. The sources and the destination
directory can also be specified on the command line to allow integration
with file managers.

@ENDNODE

@NODE LegalStuff "LegalStuff"

The software is (W) 2000 by me Martin Steigerwald.

It is freely distributable. Haage&Partner may put it on their ArtEffect 4
CD-ROM. No other commercial distribution without my explicit permission.

There are NO WARRANTIES. Simply absolutely no warranties.

@ENDNODE

@NODE Requirements "Requirements"

@{b}Needed:@{ub}

- ArtEffect 2.6, 3 or 4

- AWNPipe: Is included with AmigaOS 3.5 AWeb SE and comes also with
  AWeb full version. You should also be able to find it on AmiNet.
  ArtConvert has been tested successfully with AWNPipe 2.44.

- ReAction or ClassAct GUI classes.
  AmigaOS 3.5 has ReAction included.

- Some images and an Amiga of course.

@{b}Recommended:@{ub}

- Some flexible file manager like Opus to use it with

@ENDNODE

@NODE Installation "Installation"

Make sure ArtEffect is properly installed. Note: Unless ArtEffect 3 or 4
itself ArtConvert needs the "ArtEffect:"-assign to load and find ArtEffect
when needed and to store its config file in "ArtEffect:Settings".

When your language is included: Copy the catalog to
»SYS:Locale/catalogs/your-language«.

To set it up in Opus, just make a button, a file lister menu entry or
define a context menu entry in your picture filetype that calls my script
as follows:

ARexx:      REXX:ArtConvert.rexx {d} {F}
Run asynchronously - if you like

First parameter is destination directory, second a list of files.

@ENDNODE

@NODE Usage "Usage"

Throw some images at it!

When you use AmigaOS 3.5 you can directly click on the ArtConvert.rexx
icon to start ArtConvert. Otherwise use the ArtConvert icon that will
utilize IconX to start the ARexx script.

Give it a source and a destination directory, set how you want to scale
pictures and there you go.

You can use it from the shell. To convert some pictures just type:

    ArtConvert.rexx <destination-directory> <some-files>

Use quotes for filenames containing spaces!

You can use three types of sources:

1) Files, like:             image.png
2) Directory, like:         HD:Images (Images has to be a directory)
3) AmigaOS patterns, like:  image#?.jpg

@ENDNODE Usage

@NODE Problems "Known problems"

The file requester for the source will not allow you to specify a
directory currently. But ArtConvert accepts directories as source. Select
a file of the directory in question with the file requester and delete the
file name from the string gadget afterwards. Or type in the name of the
directory by hand. Or use a filemanager to call ArtConvert with the right
parameters or use the shell.

ArtConvert accepts more than one source parameter. This is currently not
supported by the GUI. You may still give more than one source parameter
using calling ArtConvert from shell or a file manager.

As long as you leave the source gadget untouched ArtConvert will use that
mutiple parameters and save them in its config file. You can not type in
more than one filename into the string gadget as this gives errors.

There is no GUI to break the conversion process for now. Could come in
handy when you accidentally started converting a directory with 100
images. For now, open a shell and type "HI".

@ENDNODE

@NODE Future "Future"

Support for relative scaling using percent of size.

Nicer ReAction/ClassAct requesters and an progress gauge. With progress
gauge also add an ability to stop the conversion process from the GUI.
Could come in handy when you accidentally started converting a directory
with 100 images. For now, open a shell and type "HI".

Support for color reduction as soon as ArtEffect provides an ARexx command
for it.

Support for scaling that keeps the aspect ratio as soon as ArtEffect
provides an ARexx command option for it.

Maybe: Support for applying some effect plugins.

@ENDNODE

@NODE History "History"

revision 1.6
date: 2000/05/04 13:34:55;  author: helios;  state: Exp;  lines: +4 -2
- added Nederlands translation from Dirk Harlaar. Thanks Dirk!

revision 1.5
date: 2000/05/04 12:47:23;  author: helios;  state: Exp;  lines: +41 -26
- could leave the GUI locked. This should not happen anymore
  (Markus Nerding)
- actually checks whether a pattern really is a pattern before
  trying to list the directory.
- hopefully I didn't introduce new bugs

revision 1.4
date: 2000/05/04 01:05:51;  author: helios;  state: Exp;  lines: +9 -3
- opens rexxsupport.library if needed. This prevented it from
  running on a plain AmigaOS 3.5 system. On my usual system
  this library is already opened for rexx by other means.
- changed default image format from JPEG to ILBM

revision 1.3
date: 2000/05/04 00:33:26;  author: helios;  state: Exp;  lines: +5 -2
- OPTIONS FAILAT 30 ;-)
- Will quit if scanning the directory with C:List failed

revision 1.2
date: 2000/05/03 23:47:08;  author: helios;  state: Exp;  lines: +123 -58
- accepts shell parameters
- disabled adjust colors and keep aspect scaling as the ARexx port
  of ArtEffect v4 does not make this features possible yet.
- localized
- done german catalog
- added some more error messages
- various other changes

revision 1.1
date: 2000/05/01 21:49:42;  author: helios;  state: Exp;
Initial revision

@ENDNODE

@NODE Author "Author"

Contact me at:

Martin Steigerwald <m.steigerwald@haage-partner.com>

@ENDNODE

@NODE Credits "Credits"

Thanks to Alexander Pratsch and all the other people that made ArtEffect 4
possible. Its a great image manipulation program.

Thanks to all people at Haage&Partner.

Thanks to William H. M. Parker for AWNPipe that ArtConvert is using to
build up its GUI.

     AWNPipe:   Multifunction Device
     Author:    William H. M. Parker
     Version:   2.44 16 Mar 2000

Thanks to the developers of ReAction/ClassAct.

Thanks to all the translators:

Dirk Harlaar - Nederlands

@ENDNODE