

                *--==ðð  FABRIC On-line Help  ðð==--*


Select a topic from the top menu, from the list below, or press a
function key. Press Esc or click the right mouse button to leave Help.


What is Fabric?
Function Keys
Mouse Operation
Panning the Screen
Fabric Specifications
Registration & License
Command Line ParametersNEW:  (F3)

Erase the threading, treadling, and tieup to start a new design.
Fabric will prompt the user to make sure that this is what is
desired.OPEN:  (ctrl+F4)

Load a design from disk into Fabric.

When Open is selected, Fabric prompts for a filename or a mouse
click.  The file you specify will be loaded in memory as it was saved
to disk.

By default, Fabric searches for the file in the directory DESIGNS, a
sub-directory to the Fabric installation directory. You can specify
to search another directory if you like. For instance A:\fabs\myfile
will search for the file myfile.fab in the A:\fabs directory.

Any file extension specified will be ignored.

If you specify the path without a filename, for instance A:\fabs\
(notice the trailing \), then Fabric will display a list of design
files in that directory.

If instead of typing a filename you clicked the left mouse button, a
listing of all the design files in the default directory will appear.
Select a file by clicking on its name.

After a file has been successfully retrieved, the directory from
which it came will become the default design directory.

If the design has changed since last Save, then Fabric will ask if it
should discard those changes before opening the new file.SAVE:  (F4)


Save the current design to disk. Everything associated with the
design is saved, namely the threading, treadling, tieup, number of
shafts and treadles, type of shed, and the palette.

The first time the Save function is selected, Fabric will prompt for
a filename to save the design under. It then works identically to the
Save As function.

After the file is succesfully saved, the filename will appear at the
far right on the menu bar. Clicking on it will have no effect.

The second time on the Save function is selected, the file is
automatically saved with the name assigned. To change the name of a
design before saving it, see Save As.

When the design is succesfully saved to a directory other than the
default directory, the new directory becomes the default design
directory from where all subsequent Save and Open operation will
work.SAVE AS:


Give the design a new name and save it. Otherwise identical to Save.ERASE WEB:  (F2)


Erases the drawdown area of the screen.PUSH TO DOS:


Temporarily leave Fabric to go to DOS. You can now run another
program or perform other tasks that you would normally do at the DOS
prompt. The memory available to programs at this point is somewhat
reduced because Fabric is still loaded in memory.

After you finished the DOS session, type EXIT to return to Fabric
where you left it.QUIT:  (Esc)


Terminates Fabric. If the design has been changed since it was last saved,
Fabric will ask if you really want to discard the changes and quit. Press
Y, y, Enter, or click LEFT to discard the changes.

If you want to save the changes, press any other key or click RIGHT to go
back to Fabric to save the design.SETUP:


Change the setup of the simulated loom, or change how Fabric works.

The number of shafts and treadles used in the loom can be changed
here. Click on shafts or treadles selection bars to change the
settings.

Change loom to rising or sinking shed. The option button can be set
to either rising or sinking shed.

At the Mousehand option buttons, the buttons on the mouse can be
transposed. Some left-handed users may prefer to use the right button
instead of the left and vice versa.

The printer can be connected to one of the printer ports LPT1, LPT2,
or LPT3. Pick the one you have connected your printer to from the
option buttons Printer Port.

Fabric will wrap long lines at the number of characters specified in
the Printer Width input box. Set this number to the number of
characters per line your printer is currently set to. Changing this
number will not automatically change the printer's setting. Click on
the number and start typing, press Enter when done. Click right or
press Esc to abort changes. The most common number here is 80, but if
your printer can do compressed printing then numbers like 134 will
work better. The minimum is 50, maximum 999.

To save the changes click the left mouse button on the OK button. To
discard changes, click the Cancel button or press Esc.WEAVE:  (F5)

Fabric makes a drawdown.

Sometimes, threads that have just been erased can remain on screen
after Weave. In those cases, press F2 to clear the drawdown then
select Weave to make a new drawdown.ZOOM:


Magnify or shrink a certain area of the design. This will give more
or less detail on the screen.

The following zoom functions are available:

Zoom All:
Shows the entire design on screen. No work can be done at this
zoom-level, but it gives a good idea of how the fabric will turn out.
Also, it can be used to quickly move from one area of the design to
another.
Click a button to make the mouse cursor visible, then use the mouse
to indicate a window to zoom in on. See also Zoom Window.

Zoom Maxwork:  (F10)
Zooms out to the largest level possible to work in. The current
center of the design is maintained, if possible.

Zoom In:  (F7)
Zooms in (magnifies) the design by a factor of two. The current
center of the design is maintained.

Zoom Out:  (F8)
Zooms out (shrinks) the design by a factor of two. The current center
of the design is maintained, if possible.

Zoom Window:  (F9)
Lets you specify an area to zoom in on. Click the left button and a
box will be drawn on screen. One corner is fixed at the location of
the click. Move the mouse to expand/contract the box until it frames
the area you want to zoom in on. Click the left button again, and the
zoom is performed. At any time before the last left click, click
right to abort the function.

Zoom Center:  (F6)
Position the mouse cursor at the desired center of the image, and
click the left button. The screen 'pans' (moves sideways and up/down)
to center the image at the cursor.BLOCK:


Perform varius operation on a block (group) of threads, either in the
threading or in the treadling of the design.

The following block functions are available:

Erase:  The block is erased. The threads erased will leave a void
where they used to be.

Delete:
The block is deleted. The sequence of threads is adjusted such that
the threads to the right of the block (or below if in the treadling
sequence) are moved on top of the deleted threads.

Insert:  Push threads aside to insert new ones. Threads will move to
the right (or down if in treadling sequence) to make room for a
number of new threads equal to the number of threads in the selectad
block.

Move:
The block is moved to have the leftmost thread (or upper if in
treadling sequence) where indicated. The destination can be either in
the threading or treadling sequence regardless of from where the
block came from. The block is then deleted.

Copy:
Like Move, but the block is not deleted.

Repeat:
The block is repeated in the direction indicated, the number of
times indicated.

Mirror:
The block is mirrored to the side indicated. All but the center
thread in the resulting pattern are mirrored.


The block is specified in to steps, the same for all Block functions.
First click the mouse on the thread you want to be at the start of
the block, either in the treadling or the threading grid. The
selected end or pick will be highlighted. Then click the mouse on the
last thread you want in the block. All threads in between, including
the two threads, will be highlighted. The order in which you pick the
threads is not important.

At any time during this operation, you can zoom and pan the image
using the function keys. See Function Keys for more information.

The block functions are only available to registered users.PRINT:


At this selection Fabric will make a printout of the design. This is
a printout of the tieup, threading, and treadling sequence which is
helpful when you set up your loom and when you weave. The 15
different colors of the palette are represented as letters from 'a'
to 'o', where the first color in the palette has the letter
designation 'a' and the last color 'o'.

See Setup for how to set up Fabric for your printer.HELP:


This selection will start the online help system, which you are
currently using. Each command has a brief description of its function
and use.

When the Help funcion is selected, a menu of topics and the normal
menu line will appear on the screen. Select with the mouse which
topic you want to read about. Click right or press Esc to terminate
Help.PALETTE:


Each thread used in Fabric can be selected from a palette of 15
colors. The current palette is visible on the far right on the screen
while designing a pattern and when editing the palette.

When Palette is selected from the menu, the palette editing screen
appears. The current color is selected by default for editing. Choose
any other color from the palette to edit by clicking the left mouse
button on the desired color.

Each palette slot can be modified to one out of 262,144 colors (VGA
monitor), or one out of 64 colors (EGA monitor).

Each color is composed of three base colors; red, green, and blue. To
increase the content of any of the base colors, click the left mouse
button on the corresponding bar. The bar will now extend a little
bit, and the sample color square under the bars will take on the new
color mix. To decrease the content of any of the base colors click
the right button instead.

The background color can be changed just like the palette colors. To
select it for editing, click on the "Background" button.

To the right and left of the base color bars are six "speed arrows".
Click on any of them to fully extend/reduce the corresponding bar.
This is useful to quickly change a base color to the opposite
magnitude.

Click on the OK button to save the changes made to the palette, to
discard changes click on the Cancel button instead.WHAT IS Fabric?

Fabric is a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program for weavers who want
to preview a pattern before weaving.

Fabric automates and speeds up the tasks involved in making a
drawdown. Drawdowns were traditionally done on graph paper with
colored pencils to see what the pattern would look like when woven.

Fabric is not a complete replacement for a test weave. Designs can
sometimes look a little different when woven than they do in a
drawdown. This is because of texture of the fabric and tendencies of
some threads to overlap others. Computerized drawdowns are useful to
experimemt with different patterns before they are test woven.

By using a computer, the drawdown can quickly and easily be editied.
This makes it possible to experiment with different design ideas in a
"try-it-and-see" manner.

When you are done designing on the computer, Fabric can generate a
printout of the pattern.

Fabric is shareware, not freeware, see REGISTRATION for details.FUNCTION KEYS:


Esc
Escapes back to previous function/screen. At the main screen Esc
terminates Fabric. See also Quit.

Arrow Keys
Pans the screen up, down, left, or right, half a screenfull at the
time. The zoomlevel remains the same.

F1
Invokes the online help system as does the Help menu selection.
Further, F1 is context sensitive. That means that Fabric will give
you help with the function you are currently working with, e.g.,
Palette editing or Block functions. See also Help.

F2 
Erases the drawdown area of the screen. It does not effect the
design in any other way. See also Erase Web.

F3
Erases all of the pattern, including drawdown area, threading,
treadling, and tieup. It does not alter the palette and the setup. A
warning message is issued before the erasure. See also New.

F4
Save the design. See also Save.

ctrl+F4
Opens a design file previously saved to disk. See also Open.

F5
Weave. Makes the draw-down.

F6
Zoom Center: Centers the image at the mouse cursor, keeping the same
zoom level.

F7
Zoom In: Magnifies the image 2 times at the current center of the
image.

F8
Zoom Out: Reduces magnification of the image 2 times at the current
center of the image.

F9
Zoom Window: Frame a "window" of the image which to magnify.

F10
Zoom Maxwork: Gives the lowest magnification possible to work in.
Keeps the current center if possible.

ctrl+F10
Print: Make a printout of the pattern. See also Print.MOUSE OPERATION:


To colorize a square on the grids, position the mouse cursor on the
square and click the left button. To erase a square click the right
button instead.

On the threading and treadling grids, the current color of the
palette is used. The palette is at the far right on the screen. The
current color is indicated by . To select a different color from the
palette, position the mouse cursor on the desired color and click the
left button.

To select an item from the menu on the top line, point the mouse to
the item and click the left mouse button. If the menu item has
sub-itmes, a pull-down menu will appear. Click the mouse on the
desired sub-item (or drag the mouse with the button pressed) and
release the mouse. The selection is complete upon release of the left
button.

To escape from an undesired menu, click the left button outside the
pull-down menu.

Many functions can be escaped by clicking the right button.PANNING THE SCREEN:


When the drawdown area is visible, the cursor arrow keys will pan the
screen (move sideways or up/down), half a screenful at a time. The
zoom level is unaffected by panning.

Panning the screen has the same effect as selecting Zoom Center,
indicating the extreme left, right, up, or down.FABRIC SPECIFICATIONS:


Fabric can work with a design 640 ends wide and 480 picks long.

The maximum number of shafts is 16, the maximum number of treadles is
32.

The palette has 15 colors plus the background color, all of which can
be edited according to the VGA or EGA standards.

Fabric is designed to run on IBM PC/AT compatible computers with DOS
operating system.

A VGA or EGA monitor, and a Microsoft compatible mouse are required
to use Fabric.

For running the demonstration files, a mouse is not required.REGISTRATION AND LICENSE:

You are entitled to use Fabric for 60 days free of charge. If you
after this period want to continue using Fabric you must pay the
registration fee. It is currently $20 in U.S. funds. 

By registering Fabric you and all members of your household are
entitled to use this and all future and past shareware releases of
Fabric without any extra payment. Further, registration unlocks the
Block functions on the main menuline. Upon registration, you will
receive instructions on how to make your copy of Fabric registered.

You are free to distribute Fabric to friends, Bulletin Board Systems
or any other way you want, provided that you charge no fee for doing
so. A small, reasonable charge for the distribution media (e.g.
diskette) is allowed.

Send payment to:
Bjorn Jansson
7422 N.E. 145 Street
Bothell, WA  98011
U.S.A.

For further details, see the manual (FABRIC.DOC) and the registration
form (REGISTER.FRM).COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:


When starting Fabric, additional information can be given on the
command line. The syntax is as follows: 

FABRIC [/option] [path][file] [/option]

Items in [] are optional.

path Path can be either a fully qualified path, i.e.
A:\fabric\designs\, or a relative path such as ..\mydir\. If the
relative variety is used, the path is relative from the DESIGNS\
directory, which is the default design directory, a sub-directory
under the Fabric installation directory. A path must end with a \. If
a path is specified but no name, Fabric displays a list of design
files in that directory.

file
File is a name of a Fabric design file to load upon startup. Any
extension specified is ignored. All design files must have the .FAB
extension, which is assumed.

/option
The only option available to unregistered users is /ega. This option
forces fabric to use EGA display even if it detects a VGA display. 
