ARTIS 3 DEMO NOTICE to English-speaking users: This READ_ME contains two sections. The first is a description of ARTIS 3 from Atari's International TOS Software Catalog (Winter 1992 edition). The second, entitled "Important Information..." is a verbatim translation of the German LIESMICH ("read me") file accompanying the ARTIS 3 DEMO. The third, entitled "English Users Guide" is an abbreviated guide to the icons on the main ARTIS screen. English-speaking users will likely want to print this file before attempting experimentation within ARTIS. ARTIS 3 DEMO is brought to you compliments of Atari Austria (ATARIAUSTRIA on GEnie), with translations and English instructions provided by D.A. Brumleve. From the International TOS Software Catalog: -------------------------------------------- ARTIS 3 is a powerful tool to create pixel graphics. The great number of functions helps you to create complex creative graphics within minutes. A set of special effects makes it easy to find new ideas by playing around with design. ARTIS 3 supports any resolution and color setup and accepts IMG / XIMG / TIFF / NEO / PIx files. Picture size is only limited by memory. Printer-drivers are included for HP Deskjet 500 Color, STAR LC-10 Color, all NEC-P6 compatible, all EPSON-FX compatible, HP Laserjet and ATARI SLM printers. Languages Available German Special Features Module extensions available Supports any resolution and color setup Compatability 1MB of memory required ST, STE, TT, Falcon Available from: ARTIS Software (W. Ante & A. Beza G.b.R.) Hohlweggasse 40 A-1030 Vienna AUSTRIA Phone: 011 43 179 80434 USAP Unternehmensberatung Im Langenfeld 5 W-6380 Bad Homburg GERMANY Price: DM 398.- (about $260) Important Information on ARTIS 3 DEMO: -------------------------------------- This diskette contains a limited version of the modular drawing program ARTIS 3. All functions for saving, printing, scanning, and calling modules of other programs are disabled. Pictures can be loaded, but a notice about the demo version will be placed over the picture. ARTIS 3 contains an online help system: if the mouse pointer is on top of a function icon, then you'll get a correct explanation of this function by pressing on the HELP key. [Note: these explanations are in German.] This sould give you an overview of the capabilities of ARTIS 3 even without a manual. ARTIS 3 automatically converts color pictures to the current resolution. You can thus load even 256-color pictures on a monochrome monitor. An important function should be explained here: In the color menu, you'll see (in color resolutions) a color sequence. The first color is always the currently-selected color. You can determine the last color by double-clicking on the desired color in the color array. The manual contains 141 pages, a graphics course, and a comprehensive index. ARTIS 3 comprises 3 diskettes with the program, printer drivers, and graphics. You can order the complete version directly from: ARTIS Software Hohlweggasse 40-54 A-1030 Vienna Austria Tel. 011 43 179 80434 English Users Guide: -------------------- ARTIS runs in all resolutions and supports all ST-family systems, right up to and including the Falcon030. You'll need a SYS folder containing the files in SYS.LZH; place the folder and all of the other ARTIS files within the same directory on your hard drive. The main screen of ARTIS consists of several rows of icons divided by an area in which text appears as you move the mouse over various icons. This text is telling you -- in German, of course -- the purpose of the icon currently under the mouse. This line of text is called the Function Description Area. The first row of icons at the top of the screen includes (from left to right): --Drawing Functions --Block Effects --Special Effects --Lasso/Clip Functions Clicking on these icons will enable the icon menus for the related functions. To the right of these icons appears a picture and the ARTIS name. If you click on the picture, you'll see copyright information regarding the program. The next four rows of icons represent various drawing functions. These are relatively self-explanatory, and experimentation will likely fill in any gaps. I'll comment here, however, on the left-most icons in the second, third, and fourth rows when the Drawing Functions are active (the default mode with the pencil icon in the upper left-hand corner selected). The program allows typing with the system font, FSMGDOS fonts, and Signum! fonts. If you don't have Signum! fonts or FSMGDOS in your system, these icons won't be of much use, but the system font (the top "Abc" icon) is available to all. Move between the drawing screen and the menu with the right mouse button. Choose a shape, say, a rectangle, and begin it by clicking the left mouse button. Move the mouse about to size the shape. Once you've got a shape the size you'd like it, place it on the drawing screen with the left mouse button; choose the right mouse button if you decide not to place the shape after all. Below the Function Description Area are a series of icons dealing with disk management and such. The first row contains the numbers 1-8; these are the various screens you can work on. Note that some of the screens may be disabled. By default you'll find yourself working on Screen 1 at first. At the end of this row, there's an icon image of a pointing hand. ARTIS allows work on pictures exceeding screen size. This function is employed to move about on a larger-than-screen picture. The second row under the Function Description Area contains the following icons (from left to right): --MultiTOS/ACC gives you access to the Desk menu. --08/15 reinstalls the standard settings in the program. --? lists the keyboard commands recognized by the program. --INV inverts the screen colors. --PRINT is disabled. --Both SAVE icons are disabled. --CLEAR completely erases the current screen picture. --MODULE would load various ARTIS modules, but it's disabled in the demo. The last row at the bottom of the screen contains (from left to right): --The first is Change Settings; this one lets you mess up everything that the 08/15 icon lets you restore. --The second is Choose Colors and Fill Patterns; it leads to a largely self-explanatory screen. Further information on this is in the "Important Information..." section above. --KILL really does let you delete files on your disk, so be careful! --SCAN is disabled. --The first LOAD icon is disabled, but the one on the right will allow you to load various formats; I tried GIF, PI1, and IMG files. --UNDO retracts your last drawing action. --END allows you to quit the program (choose "OK" to quit). One further comment on German: "Abbruch" means "Cancel", so it's a good one to commit to memory. Happy designing! --D.A. Brumleve