============================== R8Paint V1.4 Readme.txt file ============================== 1. Shareware Concept Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are required to register it (or purchase the licensed version if there is one). Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and retail software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like retail authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's retail or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is lower, prices are lower also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS (INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE) ARE PROVIDES "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FURTHER, BADGERBYTES SOFTWARE DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE, OF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS, OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. IF THE SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE YOU, AND NOT BADGERBYTES OR ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. THE ABOVE IS THE ONLY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, THAT IS MADE BY BADGERBYTES, ON THIS BADGERBYTES PRODUCT. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY BADGERBYTES, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY AND YOU MAY NOT RELY ON ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. NEITHER BADGERBYTES NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS PRODUCT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT EVEN IF BADGERBYTES HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. This Limited Warranty shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia. 2. Installing R8Paint Before you can use R8Paint you have to decompress it into a directory of your choosing. I suggest using \R8PAINT. Use PKUNZIP 2.04 or QUINZIP or another compatible decompressor. Using DOS or the DOS PROMPT in Windows: C:\> cd \ C:\> mkdir r8paint C:\> cd r8paint C:\R8PAINT> pkunzip a:\r8paint (or wherever the ZIPped file is) C:\R8PAINT> dir The files you then have in the directory are: R8PAINT.EXE The executable R8PNT01.HLP The help file README.TXT This file ORDER.FRM Order form, for you to print and fill out PALETTE.R8 A texture file that shows all the colours in the palette If you are using a Windows-based decompressor, first use File Manager to create the \R8PAINT directory then un-zip into there. Then, whether using DOS or Windows, delete the R8PAINT.ZIP file. Next, in Windows, move the R8PAINT icon into a suitable program group (for instance, Games) by dragging the file R8PAINT.EXE from File Manager into the group box. Then R8PAINT may be started, by double-clicking on the program icon. On some 640x480 pixel video adapters, it may not be possible to see the bottom line of the zoomed texture area. If this is the case, try re-installing your video adapter driver with smaller fonts, if that option is available. 3. History V1.0 Initial release V1.1 Uses an INI file to store the texture file path, and the palette file name. Adds a "Fill Entire File" command and a "Change a Colour" command. Checks the length of the texture file before trying to read it. V1.2 Adds an "Undo" function to the Edit menu. Adds an "Open Palette File" function to the File menu, to allow you to change the palette file without editing R8PAINT.INI. Adds to the File menu the filename of the last texture file that was edited. Adds display of the value of each pixel the cursor touches in the zoomed window. V1.3 Adds drag-and-drop capability - drag a texture filename from File Manager and drop it on an open R8Paint window. Also accepts a command line now, so you can use File..Associate in File Manager to associate the extension R8 with R8Paint, then just double-click on an R8 file to start up R8Paint and read that file. R8Paint also supports lower-resolution displays (by reducing the size of the main texture display) and displays with only 16 colours (by dithering the display of the palette and the zoomed texture file). Another minor addition is a 3rd entry in the "Open" dialog box's File Types. This entry will show up if you have been using texture files with other than the ".R8" extension, so you don't have to use the "All files" option and wade through hundreds of files. V1.4 Adds a display of the X and Y position of the cursor, at the bottom of the screen. Fixes a bug that caused occasional General Protection Faults when using some video adapters. 4. Texture and palette files It is assumed that you are somewhat familiar with Microsoft Flight Simulator 5, and the way it handles scenery (if not, refer to FS5STRUC.TXT, and the documentation supplied with BGLGEN and BGLCOMP, two excellent scenery compilers. These can be found in the FSFORUM on Compuserve, and at ftp.iup.edu). Texture files are 256x256 pixel files which FS5 uses to "paint" the ground (and other things like building sides and signs). Some texture files are meant to be replicated in the X and Y directions to form quilt-like patterns, and others are meant to be seen in one particular location only (like the photo-realistic Meigs runway area supplied with FS5). Each pixel of a texture file is an 8-bit quantity that has no inherent colour of its own, but is used as an index into a palette file. The palette file determines the colour of the pixel. FS5 (and FS5A) use several palette files - the most commonly-used one is FS5.PAL (or FS5A.PAL) but others are used for certain locations on the globe (for instance, Meigs has its own). FS5 makes some changes to the palette files internally. For instance, palette locations 128..191 seem to have no relation to what you see while running FS5 (at least none that I can see). Colours in the range 160..175, normally shades of light blue, change to various shades of pink around dawn and dusk. These are presumably used for clouds. Also, all colours except 116..127 get darker as the "sun" gets lower and then turn into various shades of red at "night". Keep all this in mind when designing texture files. If you want to experiment with these effects yourself, you can use the file palette.r8 supplied with R8Paint. Rename an existing texture file, to preserve it, then copy palette.r8 to the texture file's original name. Run FS5 at a location that uses that texture file. You will see a 16x16 pattern of squares. The top left square is palette colour 0 and the bottom left square is palette colour 255. Be sure to copy the saved texture file back to its original name when you are done. R8Paint gives you a way to create your own texture files, or to modify texture files. To get the most out of it, you will also need to create your own scenery files and use BGLCOMP to "compile" them. However, if you just want to make a mod to an existing texture file and not change the location in which it is used, R8Paint on its own will do the trick. 5. Distributing R8PAINT You are encouraged to pass a copy of the shareware version of R8Paint along to your friends for evaluation. If you do so, you must provide them with the entire set of R8Paint shareware files. These are: R8PAINT.EXE R8PNT01.HLP README.TXT ORDER.FRM PALETTE.R8 6. Registering your copy You may use the shareware version of R8Paint for a 30 day trial period. If you would like to continue to use it after the 30 day trial period, you are required to register the program with BadgerBytes Software (via Coyote Electronics, the distributor). Only a nominal fee is being charged for this program. If you have any suggestions for future enhancements or additions that you would like to see made to R8PAINT, please pass them on to me and I will try to accomodate. To register, print ORDER.FRM, fill in the blanks, and send a cheque or money order to: Norm Campbell Coyote Electronics Inc. 11174 Canyon Crescent Delta, British Columbia Canada V4E 2R8 Please direct any communication to me via Compuserve, user 71572,2600 (or 71572.2600@compuserve.com on the Internet).