What should have been in the LZH file:

    READTHIS.1ST   This file.
    DMJ_GIFþ.TOS   The program, version 3.0.
    DMJ_GIFþ.MAN   The complete documentation for DMJ GIF.
    DMJ_GIFþ.HLP   The online help file.
    DMJ_GIF.SPC    A Spectrum picture.
    EXAMPLE.GIF    A GIF file for you to play with.
    SPU2SPC.PRG    A program to convert SPU pics to SPC.
    SPC2PI1.PRG    A program to convert Spectrum pictures to DEGAS low res.
    SPC2PI3.PRG    A program to convert Spectrum pictures to DEGAS high res.
    SPC-3375.PRG   A program to view STe Spectrum pictures on an ST.

You should print out the file DMJ_GIFþ.MAN.


Shareware notice:

This program is Shareware.  If you like it and use it, please send
$15 to this address:

    Damien M. Jones
    PSC 8 Box 657
    APO AE 09109

If you live in Europe, this address will reach me faster:

    Damien M. Jones
    P.O. Box 657
    6545 Lautzenhausen
              Germany

And if you don't want to mess with US Dollars, then DM25 or œ10 is acceptable.

In return for registering this program, you will receive a printed manual and a
registered version of the program.  Registered versions of DMJ GIF are twice as
fast as unregistered versions, and are not to be distributed.  You will also
receive free updates to the program.


Revision history:

Version 3.0 (this version):

o A new interface was placed on the program.  Because of this, the
  program no longer runs in low resolution.  Scream if you want low
  res support back...
o The speed of the dither analysis was increased slightly.
o The speed of the GIF loader was increased phenomenally.
o The speed of conversion (for registered versions only) was doubled.
o The speed of the Spectrum plotter (for old dither modes) was increased.
o Two more dither modes were added (one slower than the old ones).
o The ability to set the default palette was added.
o The ability to save certain preferences was added.
o The ability to selectively convert portions of the GIF (mapping) was added.
o The ability to convert to DEGAS or Tiny was added.
o The ability to convert in color, grey scale, or monochrome was added.
o The ability to magnify images smaller than 320x200 was added.
o The ability to convert batches of GIF's, and load and save those batch
  lists, was added.
o The ability to convert GIF files larger than available memory was added.
o The ability to view pictures (both ST and STe) from inside DMJ GIF was
  added.
o The problem of memory attrition (the more GIF's you converted, the less
  memory you had) has been totally eradicated.
o More information is available for each GIF.
o The screen no longer turns to mush during a conversion.
o Aborting a picture is no longer automatic; an alert box will now
  request confirmation.  The Peek function was also added here.
o Help was added.
o A bug in both SPC2PI1 and SPU2SPC causing the destination path
  to be reset to the current source path when "Cancel" was chosen
  from the second file selector has been fixed.  The path now
  remains what it was.
o SPC2PI1 now informs you of the percentage of the picture that is
  covered in the 16 colors it selects.
o SPC-3375 now allows slideshowing of STe Spectrum pictures.
o SPC2PI3 was added to convert Spectrum pictures to monochrome.

Version 2.01:

o A minor bug causing the "Use STe palette" prompt to not have a
  default when using an STe was fixed.  It now will default to the
  appropriate choice, depending on what computer you are using.

Version 2.0:

o High dithering was added.
o STe 4,096 palette support was added.
o The plotter routine has been accelerated, so pictures take
  less time to convert.
o Scaling factors are now checked.
o The program automatically suggests the best dithering mode.
o The display has been cleaned up a little.
o SPU2SPC was included.
o You can now abort conversions while the GIF is being unblocked.
  In the previous version you had to wait until the unblocking
  was finished.
o The B program (for handling interlaced GIF's) mentioned in
  the 1.0 documentation was incorporated into the main program,
  eliminating the need for a second program.
o A major bug causing pictures saved in compressed (.SPC) format
  to be saved incorrectly has been fixed.

Version 1.0:

This was the original release of the program.  It was written mainly to test
the technique of floating-point raster conversion, and because I was disgusted
with GIF converters for the ST.  Of course, all 1.0 versions have major bugs...
and this one wasn't even finished!


A note about version 3.0:

I knew when I started writing 3.0 that I wouldn't be able to add all of the
things I wanted to with the current program.  So I started completely from
scratch.  The most important feature, believe it or not, is the new interface;
I couldn't imagine trying to modify the old one to permit all of the new
features.  It just wasn't possible.  In creating this new interface, I have
tried to prevent the program from asking stupid questions (like whether to view
single pictures or the batch list, when no pictures are in the batch list).  So
if the documentation says you'll get a prompt, and you don't, it's most likely
because one of the choices from that prompt would be senseless.

The program consists of almost completely new code.  It's a lot cleaner, which
means two months from now, when I've completely forgotten what I was doing with
DMJ GIF, I can come back to the code and pick it up again without too much
difficulty.  So I'll be able to add even more to the program... However, before
you start stockpiling your GIF's waiting for the new version, let me point out
that it is highly unlikely that any new version will do a better conversion
than this one.  It might do it faster, but I honestly doubt a better conversion
can be done without resorting to a higher screen resolution.  (Perhaps some
ambitious TT programmer would like to make a Spectrum mode for the TT's
640x480x16 mode?  640x480x4096 sounds pretty good...)

One thing I most definitely will be adding is new picture formats.  IBM PCX and
Amiga IFF (both of which I have partial information for already) come to mind;
TT Prism Paint pictures would be nice too.  And I'd like to be able to save in
these formats as well.  But I will NOT make any promises on when these things
will be available!

Those of you who may have heard that this version of DMJ GIF would be faster,
well, I *do* have a version that is twice as fast.  This version is only
available to registered users.  It's only $15 to go twice as fast.  In all
honesty, I didn't think I was going to be able to do it.  So I concentrated on
putting the rest of the features of DMJ GIF 3.0 in, and left the speed increase
to last.  And I just barely had enough time to double the speed of the
program.