Colour Dump

CITDUMP ------- CITDUMP is a screen dump, hopefully with a difference. It produces dumps in either black and white shading, or in colour, with a choice of no less than nine different formats. In addition, it allows the dump to be framed, either directly adjacent to the picture dump, or spaced about 2mm. therefrom. In colour and Mode 0 dumps this frame may be in any colour. An extra colour has been provided, namely brown (sort of) which is designated as colour 8. This colour is not available in black and white shading. A few years ago, when it was being reviewed by Acorn User, I bought myself a Citizen Swift 240C 24-pin colour printer. I have never regretted it. It has amazing capabilities, and was, I believe, remarkable value for money. No doubt the printer has been superseded, but I would expect that any replacement would respond to the same codes. The printer claims to work on ESC P2 codes, which are in Epson emulation. I would expect that CITDUMP would work with any other 24-pin machine using ESC P2, or using Epson emulation. I have not had the opportunity to test CITDUMP on any other printer, so just don't know. However, ribbon colour selection is by a special Citizen code (ESC &72) which may differ on other makes of printer. The black and white dumps may work on a non-colour printer. For some time I have been trying to incorporate a pause feature which would stop moving graphics (e.g. games) in midstream, so that the screen could be dumped or saved (a la Screen Thief) before continuing. So far I have only succeded in halting moving text. Any help on this feature would be warmly welcomed. THE FORMATS ----------- Code V/H H. Width (in.) V. Length (in.) Position on Page ---- --- -------------- --------------- ---------------- VLN V 6.4 8.88 Central P V 7.11 8.88 Central I V 4.26 5.33 Top of page, centred S V 2.84 3.55 Top of page, centred M V 1.42 1.77 Centred near top of page H H 7.11 5.68 Centred near top of page D H 5.33 4.26 Top of page, centred SH H 3.55 2.84 Top of page, far right MH H 1.77 1.42 Centred near top of page VLN V(ertical) L(arge) Narrow ----------------------------- This is the default format, and none of V,L,N need be entered. It is the traditional screen dump format. P P(roportional) ------------------ A little wider than the default, giving a 5 x 4 format, and true circles. I I(ntermediate Vertical) --------------------------- A smaller vertical format, suitable for greeting card inserts if printed on A4 paper. S S(mall Vertical) -------------------- A still smaller vertical format, suitable for greeting card inserts printed on standard 11" paper. H H(orizontal) ---------------- The largest horizontal format possible on 11" x 8 1/2" paper. D D(ual) ---------- This format may be used to print two horizontal dumps on to one sheet of standard 11" x 8 1/2" paper. SH S(mall) H(orizontal) ------------------------ This will just squeeze on to the right-hand side of a standard sheet, leaving enough room on the left to (computer) print a message on the left, so giving a completely computer produced greeting card insert. M and MH M(iniature) and M(iniature) H(orizontal) --------------------------------------------------- Suitable for cataloguing. A standard page will easily hold 15 of these dumps. MARGINS ------- Although each format is provided with its own default margins, these may be changed at will. To change the top margin, enter "txxx" where xxx is inches times 180. So entering "t200" will give a top margin of 1 1/9 inches. To change the left-hand margin, enter "mxxx" where xxx is inches times 120. So entering "m200 will give a left margin of 1 2/3 inches. Naturally, margins are additional to whatever the printer regards as zero. COLOUR RENDERING ---------------- In black and white graphic dumps, grey scales are printed roughly in proportion to brightness on the screen, except that in ALL modes, black is left unprinted, and white is printed black. To exchange black and white, so that the dump matches the screen, enter R. Any colours may be exchanged using the X parameter. X followed by pairs of numbers exchanges the first number (as it appears on the screen - the internal palette is taken care of) by the second - e.g. HRX3416 will produce a horizontal dump, with black and white reversed (to agree with the screen) and with yellow replaced by blue, and red by cyan. The above example will produce a black and white shaded dump. To produce a full colour dump, simply add the parameter C - e.g. CHRX3416. (BEWARE! Use of the R parameter may produce an awful lot of black background, unless the background is white, when R is a must). FRAMES ------ Any graphics dump may be surrounded by a thin touching frame with the f(rame) parameter. Addition of s(paced) will space the frame from the main dump by about two millimetres. N.B: Frames are external to page positions defined by chosen or default horizontal margins, unless they would come off the left or right edges. In that case, the margins are automatically altered to leave room for the frames. SCREEN MODES ------------ CITDUMP recognises four sets of circumstances. (1) Non-graphics modes 3, 6 and 7. (2) Mode 0 (which is subjected to a finer scan than other graphic modes). (3) Graphic modes 1, 2, 4 and 5 dumped in black and white. (4) Graphic modes 1, 2, 4 and 5 dumped in colour. (1) Non-gaphic modes 3, 6 and 7 --------------------------- If CITDUMP recognises one of the above screen modes then it switches to a simple alpha dump, using whatever font happens to be current in the printer. ANY mode can be diverted to this alpha dump by using the T(ext) parameter. (2) Mode 0 ------ Mode 0 screens are, by default, printed in black and white, the opposite from the screen. Use R to reverse the colours. However, they may also be dumped in (one) colour, and may be framed by the same or a different colour. First, use the C parameter. Follow the C immediately by a colour number 0 - 6 or 8 (not 7 which gives an error message) and the dump will be in that colour. Add a colour number after f and the frame will be printed in that colour. e.g. C6HREf8sm0t0 will print a horizontal dump in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Black on the screen will be printed cyan, the white will not be printed at all, and the whole will be surrounded by a spaced frame printed in brown. (If colour numbers are not included, the default black will be used). WARNING! In mode 0, the M formats can only read alternate groups of points. This may result in thin lines being lost. Use of the A parameter will force the reading of the alternative sets of points, which may be advantageous in some cases. (3) Modes 1, 2, 4 and 5 (black and white) ------------------------------------- This is the default dump if the C parameter is not used. However, the M and MH formats are not large enough to allow for grey shading - so any colour other than the background will be printed black. Judicious use of the X parameter should enable any colour to be printed, or not. (4) Modes 1, 2, 4 and 5 (colour) ---------------------------- Even the smallest formats can be dumped in full colour. Use the X parameter to change any screen colour to another (including brown). Use f to draw a touching frame, suffixed by colour number, and then by s if a spaced frame is required. PARAMETER SUMMARY ----------------- V - Vertical format (Default) A - Alternative points L - Large " ( " ) (Mode 0 M only) N - Narrow " (VL " ) C - Colour (+ optl. col. for Mode 0) P - Proportional " (VL only) T - Text I - Intermediate " (V) X - Ex-change colour a to b (X a b) S - Small " (V & H) t - Top margin (inches * 180) M - Miniature " (V & H) m - Left margin (inches * 120) H - Horizontal " f - Frame (+ optl. col. - use C) D - Dual " (2 H/page) s - Spaced frame (must include f) R - Reverse black & white + - Increase line spacing by 1/180" E - Eject paper when complete - - Decrease line spacing by 1/180" Parameters may be entered in virtually any order, and separated by spaces, or not, at will. There must, of course, be a space between the call *DCIT and the parameters. There are a few parameter orders which will produce an erroneous "Input Error" message, and it is best to stick to a standard order: (C)(col. no. for mode 0)(FORMAT)(R)(A)(X..)(E)(f.)(s)(t..)(m..)(+/-). If conflicting parameters are entered then it is the last entered which prevails. USING CITDUMP ------------- The minimum requirements to run CITDUMP are EITHER sideways RAM, OR shadow mode plus ADFS (DFS will not load screens into the shadow screen). NORMAL RAM 10 *SHADOW ---------- 20 MODE 3:HIMEM=&2000 30 *LOAD CITCODE 2000 CITCODE loads at &2000. 40 INPUT "Parameters: "data$ Use a short program 50 MODE X:VDU 19,whatever such as: 60 *LOAD picture FFFE3000 70 CALL &2000,data$ 80 END SIDEWAYS RAM ------------ 10 MODE X:VDU 19,whatever Load CTZCODE into SRM 20 *LOAD picture 3000 (check *H.DCIT) 30 *DCIT (parameters) Call with *DCIT: 40 END FINALLY ------- That's it. I hope that some of you will be able to use this program, and will enjoy doing so. Arthur Adams (K8C) February 1997.