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/////////// Revision 1.00 27-NOV-85
/////////// (Formatted for 80 columns)
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/////////// Beginner's guide to FANTAVISION
/////////// By Entity Dalpha for the RIPCO BBS 312-528-5020
///////////
Introduction:
-------------
This manual was prepared because of the overwhelming demand for
instructions to Fantavision. The information contained herein is
completely based on trial and error, and may contain in part (or in
whole) information you already know. If there is something I do not
mention that would be worth inserting into this document, please leave
E-Mail to Entity Dalpha (#225) on the Ripco BBS. You may distribute this
file as you please, as long as you give proper credit as to who wrote it
and where you got the file. I hate people who upload stuff and say they
wrote it. I really do. Well, on with the show....
Part I: The Fantavision screen
------------------------------
After booting the disk and selecting the proper input device, you will
be presented with the Main screen. We will review the screen part by part:
+ The top bar contains the control options. If you've ever used a Mac you
will be at home here. The FILE bar contains the commands for loading
movies, saving movies, formatting disks, clearing the memory, etc.
The EDIT bar contains commands that control the movie objects. More on
this later. The GOODIES bar contains options that let you mess with the
objects in certain ways. Selecting GOODIES, then selecting FLIP, for
example, will cause two more icons to appear on the top bar. Clicking
these icons will cause the objects selected to flip. More on this later.
SUMMARY OF COMMANDS AVAILABLE ON TOP BAR:
() FILE EDIT GOODIES Extra Icons
About FANTAVISION Load movie Undo Turn (causes) ( )
Save movie Cut Lean <- ->
Clear movie Copy Flip ^ <->
Load Bckgd Paste Squash v -> <-
Save Bckgd Clone
Clear Bckgd
Format disk
Quit
+ The right hand side of the screen is a graphic representation of the
movie memory. The number in the upper right hand corner is the current
frame. Fantavision works by animating the steps between the frames to
create a movie. Putting a box in one corner in Frame 1, then putting
the same box in the opposite corner in Frame 2 will cause Fantavision
to animate the box moving from one corner to another. This process is
known as 'tweening'. Goofing around with the sample movies should give
you a better idea of this. The long line with blank dots represents the
memory. As more frames are created, the green line will grow longer.
Every 8 frames fills another box. Pointing to any box will make a quick
jump to that frame. Clicking the up and down arrow boxes (above and below
the memory line) will jump you one frame at a time.
INTERLUDE: How Fantavision Works
--------------------------------
The other two sides really can't be explained well without an explanation
of how to create a movie with Fantavision. Basically, you will be drawing
objects, then moving them around frame by frame until you are done.
The basic drawing tool is the pencil, on the left side of the master screen.
With the Pencil you can put points on the screen and connect them to create
lines, boxes, polygons, etc. You then use the Clone function to move the
shape you created into the next frame. Now, with the Hand (below the
pencil), you can move the points around a bit. Fantavision will animate all
the steps in between the first and second frame to make a smooth motion.
You can keep cloning and shifting until you are happy with what you have.
Then click GO and watch the fun. A maximum of 32 points are available per
object, and you can have up to 8 objects on the screen at once. That's
256 points (what a math whiz). The bottom line controls how the points will
be used...
Part II: The Tools
------------------
+ The left hand side of the screen contains all of the tools necessary
to create & edit objects. The tool in use will be in reverse video.
- Pencil: Use this to put points down & draw lines. Your first click
will put one point on the screen. Holding the button down again
will let you 'rubber band' your next line. As soon as you let go of
the button the second time the point will be put down. Repeat these
steps to make series of points.
- Hand: The Hand is used to drag points around the screen. Move the
Hand on top of the point to move, then hold the button down. Drag
the point to where you want it with your mouse/stick/whatever, then
let go of the button to drop it.
- Finger: Clicking the finger in between two points will add one point
to the object, in between those two points. Very similar to the
hammer from Pinball Construction Set.
- Knife: Use the Knife to delete points. Move the Knife close enough,
then click the button to wipe out the point.
- Circle: You can use the Circle option to make easy circles. Hold
the button down, then move it to the proper diameter. Let go to
draw a circle. A circle can take 2,8,16,or 32 points, depending
on size. It will also be closed off. In other words, you can't go
back to the pencil and add more points to the object. You will have
to draw another object. (more on this later...again)
- Square: Makes easy squares. See Circle option for details.
- A: This is used for drawing text on the screen. Move the pointer to
where you want, and click the button. Start typing. When you are
through click the button to get your pointer back. Letters take up
a great deal of points in your objects, so remember you only have
256 points to work with.
- Broken Square: This is a very important option. This is used to
'lasso' objects so you can clone/copy/zap/whatever them. You can
grab an object by putting the pointer inside your lasso. Then hold
the button down and drag your object to a new spot. You lasso an
object by putting the pointer in a position a little ways away from
the object's corner, then clicking again and dragging the square so
that the growing square is around the whole object. A little
practice will help you out on this.
+ The Bottom Line contains the point options. The line can be broken into
5 zones, as shown in the following diagram:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
^ -- -- -- -- -- ------- Go 7 8 * z : 0 /\
1 !! !! !! !! !! ! ! O 4 5 6 / \ 0
v -- -- -- -- -- ------- squ 1 2 3 MM man /__\ \/
32p
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 1 : Z 2 : Z 3 : Z 4 : Zone 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 1 contains the color selection. Clicking the arrows will bring up new
boxes to pick from. Clicking the little boxes will chose that color and
cause it to appear in the big box. This big box contains the color the
points or objects/circles/squares will be. The 32p shows how many points
are in the object right now.
Zone 2 are the animation options. Clicking GO will animate the movie. I
have no idea yet what the globe and squares do. Something with page
flipping I think...
Zone 3 is the object selection box. When you are working with object 1,
for example, the number one will be lit up. This is also the way to
select different objects to work on. After drawing object 1, then click
number 2 to start editing object 2. The number of points currently in
that object will appear under the big color box. The object selector
also comes in very handy for 'lassoing' objects to be edited,cloned,etc.
If the lasso (broken square) icon is ON, then clicking the appropriate
object numbers in zone 3 will cause those objects to be automatically
lassoed. In other words, the lasso will form around all of the points in
that particular object. If more than one object is selected, all of the
points in those objects will be lassoed. This process can also be worked
in reverse. With the lasso icon on, lassoing a whole object will cause
that object's number to light up in zone 3. Using this process, you can
keep track of where each object is at any given time.
Zone 4 contains more animation options:
- The lightning bolt: I have no idea. Has something to do with page
flipping and page erasing.
- The comet makes all moving objects selected to leave a trace. In
other words, no erase-as-you-go animation.
- The sun/mountain has something to do with how objects pass by one
another, with no overlap. Still not sure on this one.
- The Running Man represents normal, clean animation.
To choose these options, click the appropriate animation icon after
selecting the correct object number in zone 3. Every object in every
frame may have different options selected. (In other words selecting the
Comet in frame 1 doesn't mean the comet will be on for all the other
frames. You have to select it yourself).
Zone 5 contains more point options:
- Clicking the Dot causes all points within that object to appear as
simple dots or circles depending on the number on the very far right
between the two arrows. Clicking these arrows changes the dot size.
- The hollow triangle causes all points to be connected with lines, in
the color selected.
- The Filled Triangle cause Fantavision to connect all points with lines,
then fill the object with the selected color. Be careful when crossing
lines, the program is very precise on how the object is put together
and filled.