Eufloria Arts Project User’s Manual Version 1 10/06/11 Contents: Screen Layout 1.Work Area 2. Slider Bar 3. Main Menu a. Drawing Environment Selector b. Draw Function c. Index Number d. Coordinates Menu e. Palette Menu 1). Background 2). Alpha 4. Multi-Pad a. Exit b. Info c. Grid d. Clearing e. Reset f. Chain g. CChain h. Trace i. Align j. View k. Sample 5. Function Value Display Other Functions 6. Text File Button 7. Function or Array? Screen Layout 1. Work Area The large work area in the center of the screen is where you will be placing your drawings, or “shapes”. Once you have selected an option in the Main Menu, you can make adjustments to the shape in the Work Area. Left-mouse click to reposition your drawings instantly, or use the Left-mouse button to click and drag for finer control. When moving a shape, it will center itself around the position of the mouse cursor. Until the shape has been saved, you may change any of its adjustable parameters. Once you have positioned your shape and are satisfied with all of the variables, use your Right-mouse click button to save its position. The next shape for editing will be immediately drawn at these same coordinates. Once you have “saved” the shape’s position and parameters, it cannot be changed. However, you have the option of erasing a saved shape if you choose (see the Multi-Pad section). 2. Slider Bar The Slider Bar runs up and down the right side of the screen. Clicking the mouse in the Slider Bar area or dragging the bar up or down increases or decreases the active parameter. Depending on the chosen Shape Index and parameters, and the Main Menu options, the Slider Bar will control the shape’s Border, Width, or Size. If the Palette Menu is open, the Slider Bar will control the shape’s Alpha Values (See the Palette Menu section for more information). The Slider Bar will “remember” its position only when changing Drawing Environments, so moving from one Draw Function to another before saving your drawing may cause you to have to recalibrate when you return to the present function. 3. Main Menu The Main Menu area is in the upper left of your screen. This is where you will select your Drawing Environment and drawing tools. a. Drawing Environment Selector At the top of the Main Menu you have two options- ScreenDraw or LevelDraw (labeled “Screen” or “Level”). ScreenDraw allows you to draw shapes on the screen in fixed positions relative to the edges of your monitor. It uses a fixed coordinate system that does not change relative to what you are looking at in the game. This can be useful for creating an interface similar to that used in Roid Forge, Ring Designer, or the Eufloria Arts Project. LevelDraw allows you to draw shapes directly into the Eufloria map environment. Shapes drawn here will move when the map moves, and be subject to the zooming effects during game play. Toggling between these environments will not cause you to lose works-in-progress, but since the available options differ, you may wish to remain in one or the other for the sake of avoiding confusion. When changing from one Drawing Environment to another, the selected Drawing Function will be restored to its arbitrary Default values. b. Draw Function Below the Drawing Environment Selector is the Drawing Function Selector. This button allows you to toggle between the native Drawing Functions available to map-makers. Once you have selected your Drawing Environment, toggling through the Draw Function options will display a representative of that function in the Work Area. The Drawing Functions have multiple variables which describe the appearance of the object. At the bottom of the screen you will see these variables updated as you change them (see the Function Value Display section for more information). When toggling between the Drawing Functions, the Function’s coordinate variables will be restored to their arbitrary Default values. c. Index Number Below the “Draw Function” button is the Index Number selector. Except for the “DrawLine” function, the Draw Functions have several different “shapes” available. Use this button to toggle between the available shapes. As you toggle through the shapes, you will see the shape appear in the Work Area. d. Coordinates When you have chosen the object-type and ID number of the shape you would like to use, toggle the Coordinates Menu. Opening the menu, you will see several options:. If the selected object is defined by two different sets of points, you will see options for “1” and “2”. If not, the object is defined with just one set of coordinates. The first set we’ll refer to as “X1” and “Y1”, and the second set is “X2” and “Y2”. The “X1” button will allow you to adjust the first “X” coordinate value of the selected shape. The “X” coordinate is the horizontal position in the coordinate system. The “Y1” button will allow you to adjust the first “Y” coordinate value of the selected shape. The “Y” coordinate is the vertical position of the coordinate system. The “X1Y1” and “X2Y2” buttons allow you to adjust the X and Y values simultaneously. Note- In the ScreenDraw environment, the coordinate system starts at the upper left of the screen at coordinates X,Y where X=0, and Y=0. In the LevelDraw environment, the coordinate system starts in the middle at 0,0, and NEGATIVE X and Y coordinates extend to the left (for X) and upward for Y, whereas Positive numbers extend to the right for X and downward for Y. SNAP- The buttons in the “SNAP” section allow you to instantaneously align the first and second set of coordinates with each other. For example, hitting the “X1” button will instantly move the first X coordinate to the same X value as the second X coordinate. This is useful when trying to align the two values without relying on a steady mouse-hand! The “Default” button will restore the coordinates of the selected object to a position in which the object should be visible. You may have to adjust the slider bar or the background color if it is not visible. The “Default” button will not change the previously selected color. Note- After you have completed adjusting a Coordinate Menu value, make sure to exit that value adjustment as the button will stay active until disengaged. e. Palette Menu Toggling the Palette Menu displays the colors available for selection in the Eufloria Arts Project. In the Drawing Functions, colors are defined by their RGB, or Red, Green, and Blue values. In Eufloria, these values range from “0”- no intensity, to “1”, or full intensity. So a value of “.5” would be half the color saturation as “1”. Combining these three colors together and different intensities allows you to create a full-spectrum of color. An RGB value of 0,0,0 will result in Black, and an RGB value of 1,1,1 will result in White. So, although there are only 70 color options offered in this menu, you may wish to create your own colors when you create your own map After you select a color, the object will now appear in that color. All future objects in the same Drawing Environment will be drawn in this same color. Once you save an object (with a right-mouse click), you cannot change that color regardless of your future choices. 1) Background The Background button allows you to choose a color for the screen background. The background will stay the chosen color as long as you remain in the Drawing Environments. However, the Background color values are not displayed, saved or recorded, so if you want to use them in your own map, you will have to record the color values used. See other documentation for more information about Background colors in Eufloria. 2) Alpha The Alpha values are the opacity values of each color- 0 = transparent, and 1 = fully opaque. Some objects have two alpha values. In these cases you can adjust each alpha value separately. You can also select a separate color for each alpha value, giving your object two different colors and opacity. Use the slider bar to adjust the opacity values when this option is selected and the Palette Menu is open. Once an object is saved the color and alpha values cannot be changed. 4. Multi-Pad The Multi-Pad is located in the lower left of your screen. The buttons on the Mult-Pad may appear, disappear, change appearance, or become inoperative depending on the current selections in both the Main Menu as well as the Multi-Pad. If a button is deactivated automatically, you will have to reactivate it at a later time if you wish to use it again. Some buttons can be clicked multiple times to access different features. Following is a list of Multi-Pad buttons and their function, although not all buttons will appear simultaneously. a. Exit The “Exit” button will exit the Eufloria Arts Project to the Eufloria Menu. You must click the button twice to complete the action. b. Info The “Info” button toggles the “tooltips” feature. This will provide a brief description of the user-interface when you mouse over a feature. When tooltips are activated, several extra buttons will appear in the Work Area to provide more information. Due to apparent memory limitations, Tooltips are not available with the simultaneous use of the Grid. Tooltips will be disabled if necessary, and continuous use of this feature may result in graphical failure. For this reason its continuous use is not recommended. c. Grid The “Grid” button toggles a grid overlay onto the ScreenDraw or LevelDraw environment One click will show a grid pattern, and a second click will show the grid’s coordinate values. d. Clearing When you “save” an object with a right-mouse click, the object will be permanently rendered in the Drawing Environment selected (Screen or Level). If you change the selected DrawFunction or Drawing Environment, the object will remain in memory. In other words, once you have “saved” a drawn object, it will remain in place regardless of future drawings. This allows you to build up a larger, more complex and coherent picture. Last- However, if you make a “mistake”, and do not like the appearance of a saved object, you can erase the object using the “Last” button.This will not affect any other saved DrawFunctions or any of the same DrawFunctions in the other Drawing Environment. You may continue hitting the “Last” button to sequentially “back up”, and erase all of the objects created in the selected Drawing Function. Even if you move to another Drawing Function or Drawing Environment, you can still return and use the “Last” button. Once an object is erased, it cannot be retrieved and must be redrawn. All- When you click the “All” button, ALL of the saved objects in the current Draw Environment (Screen or Level) will be erased. Once erased, the information is irretrievable. Level/Screen Clicking the “Level/Screen” button will erase ALL saved objects in whatever Drawing Environment is selected. For example, if you are in the “Screen” Drawing Environment, all saved objects in the “Screen” environment will be erased, but the saved objects in the “Level” environment will not be affected. e. Reset The “Reset” button performs the same action as the “Default” button in the Coordinates Menu, restoring the currently selected Draw Function to its default coordinate/width/size/border parameters. This will NOT change the previously selected color. f. Chain The “Chain” button will appear in the Multi-Pad when “DrawLine” is selected in the DrawFunction Menu, along with its associated tool buttons. When “Chain” is selected, you may now draw a series of “chained” lines linked together one after the other. This will allow you to create a sort of “freehand” drawing. Once the Chain button is selected, certain menu options are suspended. As you move your mouse into the Work Area, you will see a small red circle appear at the mouse pointer. This indicates that the Chain is ready to be drawn. Once you have initiated the chain, the circle will turn Green, indicating that the chain is in progress. Continue clicking around the screen to lengthen the chain. Once you have completed the chain to your satisfaction, a right-mouse click will permanently render the chain on the screen. You may then begin another chain anywhere in the work area as before. g. CChain At any time during the chain process (while the circle is green), you can erase the current chain by hitting the “CChain” button. Then you are free to start the chain again. You may start and end the chain anywhere in the Work Area. If you are in the “Level” Draw Environment, you can use your scroll wheel or arrow keys to maneuver around the map, as the right mouse button is now reserved for the save feature. While the chain drawing is taking place, you can still access the Palette Menu, the Slider Bar, and most other functions. These changes will not affect previously rendered lines, but only future ones (see the “View” button below). You cannot change the Drawing Environment or access the Coordinates Menu during chain-drawing. The “Last” and “Level” clear buttons behave normally during “Chain” drawing. If you save multiple “shapes” in the Chain Drawing Mode, you can sequentially erased the objects with the “Last” button. The “Level” button will erase all objects in the current Draw Environment, including any chain drawings. When you are finished with your chain drawing and have saved your work with the right-mouse click, toggle the “Chain” button to return to normal “DrawLine” operations. h. Trace The “Trace” button will appear when “Chain” is selected. Toggling the “Trace” button will activate a thin line originating from the last click in the “chain” to the current mouse position. This allows you to see what the line placement will look like before you click. i. Align The “Align” button will overlay a set of crosshairs at the mouse position to aid in aligning your drawing. Repeated clicks will activate 45 degree and 30 degree crosshairs. j. View The “View” button appears when “Chain” is selected. Since the chain is not created until the mouse is clicked, you may not know what the line will look like until after the mouse is clicked. By selecting the “View” button, a preview line is rendered so that you can see the changes you make in the Palette menu or Slider Bar prior to making the next chain “click”. This is particularly helpful if you wish to make changes to the chain’s appearance mid- chain. As noted above, such changes will only affect future chain segments. In the “Screen” Drawing Environment, the preview line will appear at the bottom of the work area. In the “Level” Drawing Environment, the preview line will appear near the map center (coordinates 0,0). k. Sample The “Sample” button will open up the Sample Menu and only appears in the “Screen” Drawing Environment when the Coordinates and Palette Menus are closed. When activated, most features and menu options will be disabled. From the Sample Menu you can view some simple drawings created with the Eufloria Arts Project. These will demonstrate some of the variety of shapes and effects available to the map-maker, and hopefully inspire you to create your own illustrations for your next map! 5. Function Value Display Across the bottom of the screen is the Function Value Display. Here, you will see the currently selected DrawFunction, along with the values which make up its definition in computer code. The Function values will change as you make adjustments to the current drawing object. The displayed format is exactly how you should enter the Function into your program. Note- some Drawing Functions use a normal “R-G-B” format for their colors, whereas others use an “R-B-G” format. If this is the case, those entries will be displayed in Orange to alert you to the discrepancy/inconsistency. Other Functions 6. Text File Button The “Save” button is located in the lower left corner of the screen. When you click on the “Text File” button, a Directory is created on your “C” drive titled “EufloriaArtsProject”. In this directory, a text file will be created containing the code for each object you have drawn and stored in permanent memory. This way, as in the ROID FORGE and RING DESIGNER programs, you can cut and paste the text directly into your Eufloria map file. Each time you use this button, a new text file is created alongside previous files. The files are titled “Eufloria Canvas Session…”, followed by the “Session” number and the date and time. As long as you do not restart the program on the same date, previous files will not be erased. However, once the program is restarted on the same date, the previous files will begin to be over-written starting with “Session 1”. Once you have permanently rendered at least one shape on the screen with a right-mouse click, the center of the “Text File” button will light up indicating you have data to be written. Counter Next to the save button is a counter. This will show you how many “saves” you have performed since starting the program. 7. Function or Array? Adjacent to the Save Counter are two buttons- the “F” and the “A” buttons. Choosing “F” switch will save your drawing information in a Function Format. You can immediately copy and paste the text into your map without any alteration. As long as you put the commands in the proper area, they will immediately perform the desired actions. However, if you save a large number of “shapes”, perhaps a star field containing hundreds of stars- well, that will take up quite a bit of space in your program. Saving the data as an array will save a lot of room and make manipulation of the data much easier. Choosing the “A” switch will save your drawing information in Array format. Like the “F” switch, the arrays will be printed in a text file ready for copying and pasting into your map, without any alterations. If you like, you can save the data in one format, and then immediately save the data in the other format. This way, you can choose which type to use later. I hope you enjoy using the Eufloria Arts Project. Lost Seedling