The latest version of this document can be found at www.broad.ology.org.uk/amiga/sketchblock/index.html

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SketchBlock 1.6 - Digital Sketching For The Amiga (SVN: 133:178M)

Welcome

Here we are at release number 6. Again a few new features, and some more bug fixes. See the Changelog for a complete list of changes and read on for an overview. SketchBlock is a developing sketching and painting package for AmigaOS. The project is in it's very early stages but is very bold in it's long term aims. What are those aims? To create a sophisticated application for digital painting, with full support for graphics tablets, layers, a wide variety of tools, configurable interface, full arexx script support, a plugin API and much more. The bias of SketchBlock will be towards painting and creating digital art rather than image processing, but it will likely be usable for manipulating photos too! Download From OS4Depot


Major Changes In SketchBlock 1.6

• New Tool Plugin: Smudge
  A new full blown plugin allowing smudging of existing painted marks. Plus two presets demonstrating it's use.
• Additional Layer Manipulation Commands
  
  • Merge Layers
  • Copy Layer
  • GetlayerInfo
  • ScaleLayer
• Project Manipulation Commands
  
  • GetProjectInfo
  • ResizeProject
• Custom Mouse Pointers
  Script and plugins can set custom mouse pointers to give better feedback on user input.
  Arexx commands for adding and changing pointers.
  • AddPointer
  • GetPointer
  • SetPointer
• New Wedges
  Three new standard wedge scripts which take advantage of the above functions to add ScaleLayer, MoveLayer and CopyBox (copies a box shaped section of a layer to a newlayer). functionailty to the GUI. Access via wedges menu by default.
• Clipboard Support
  Layers can now be copied to and from the system clipboard.
• New Preferences Options
  The 'staytop' / 'toolbox' status of the tools and layers window can now be set via the main sketchprefs file.
• Gadget Help
  Gadgets in the layers and tool window now gave gadget help text to make it easier to determine thier use. Gadget help may be enable or disabled via the GADGETHELP Arexx command.
  NB. If the layers and tools window are set to be toolbox windows then they will never become active, and the gadget help strings will never show.
• Improved Undo/Redo System
  There is now a "Master Undo Redo" control, which allows undoing of all actions in the order they were executed, as well as layer / project undo buttons which allow undoing og actions specific to that layer. This allows you to edit one layer, then edit another, then if you need to, and undo changes to the first layer without needing to undo changes to the second layer first, as you would have to do if there was only one undo / redo control. Scripts can now combine several actions into one undo / redo action, by calling the FixUndoLevel and ReleaseUndoLevel commands. This is demonstrated by the new ScaleImageWithContents.rexx script, accessable from the Image menu.
• Extended scripting in Menus
  As wellas Arexx commands and scripts in the menu definitions, it's now possible to add shell scripts by prefixing the script name with '. The ' is removed and the command executing using SystemTags() rather than ARexx and so any scripting language or even binary can be called. See the zoom.py for the new Zoom menu as an example.

Planned Features And Current Usage

Currently SketchBlock must be started from the Shell. True workbench support will be added later. In it's default setup SketchBlock now expects the SketchBlock: assign to point it's program directory. Some debug info will be printed to the console.

GUI

The GUI is currently divided into 3 windows, the default layout has one large window containing the Sketch, where sketching and other editing is done, and two other windows, Tools on the left and Layers on the right. These windows can be hidden or revealed at anytime by pressing the TAB key.

Sketch Window

This is where the main sketching action takes place, it should be fairly intuitive, simply click with the mouse and drag to paint. Less obvious will that you can pick a colour from the current pixel by pressing CTRL at the same time as you left click with the mouse (or stylus if you have a graphics tablet).

Gadgets And Controls

Window Title

The window title displays useful info about the project, such as project name, modification status, filename ect

Pick Colour

Press CTRL whilst left clicking with the mouse or graphics tablet stylus.

Zoom

The zoom gadget is at the bottom left of the Sketch Window, enter the desired zoom level in percent. The best graphical performance is obtained for multiples of 2. ie 25% 50% 100% 200% 400% etc but any zoom percentage may be specified.

Future Plans

This window will remain as simple as possible so as to give the largest sketching space. However, a popup with Zoom presets wouldn't go amiss!

Tools Window

Layers Window

Menus

Project Menu

The default project menu contains the following entries

New

Brings up the New Project Window to allow and new Sketch Project to be created

Open

Opens a requester to allow an existing sketch file to opened and loaded

Save

Save a sketch to it's file, if a new sketch, opens a requestor to allow a new filename to be selected

Save As

Save the active sketch to a new file

Save AS Brush

Save the project as a SketchBrush

Export As

Flatten the project and export as a 32bit ILBM to the filename chosen

Import

Import an image via the datatypes system

Close

Close the active sketch, if the active sketch has been modified since last save, a requester suggesting saving before closing will show

Quit

Quit the entire application, currently no waning requester is show (will be implemented later!)

Edit Menu

The edit menu privides entries control editing the project

Undo

Undo one action in the active layers undo stack

Redo

Redo one action in the active layers redo stack

Layers Menu

Window Menu

Presets

Wedges

The latest version of this document can be found at www.broad.ology.org.uk/amiga/sketchblock/index.html