BIG Paint v0.05  FreeWare,  Copyright 1991-92 by L.G. Mears
                      release date 6-17-92

                            Larry Mears
                        11027 Crestfield Dr.
                      Huntsville, Alabama 35803

       My graphics research board BIG City BBS 205-880-9896
                Latest BIG and IG terminal versions.
                Also check GEnie for the "BIG STuff".

  *** Other related files available for download from 205-880-9896:
        BIG102.ZIP -- The BIG Terminal (shareware),  Yes it can display the
		      graphics drawn with BIGPAINT on-line!
	BF102.ZIP --  The BIG off-line viewer, displays graphics scripts of
                      any size off-line.  You pass it a filename(s) it does
                      it's thing.  Also good for testing graphics hand coded 
                      with a text editor ( the most effective way for special
                      effects ). Also in this ZIP is MS2BIG.EXE a ADLIB ROL
                      to BIG converter.  Adlib music on-line!
	ADPRO103.ZIP  A few files in this one are needed for ADLIB to BIG
                      conversion.




Distribute  at will but  include all files in the original ZIP file.

  BIG Paint (BP) is a command driven paint program.  BPs MAIN PURPOSE
is to "Paint" pictures for ON-LINE GRAPHICS that can be displayed with the 
BIG v1.02 graphics terminal.  The BIG terminal is VERY powerful and BP only
scratches the surface of it's power.  If you study the BIG doc's and get in
there with a text editor and work on the BIG graphics scripts you can add
special effects for color rotation, LOOPing line drawing commands BIT BLIT 
and such.  It's amazing but simple once you grasp the basics.
SYSOPS will find BP useful for creating WELCOME files and LOGON bulletins that
have PUNCH!!!  I have mods for WWIV 4.20 (see WWIV_BBS.TXT in BIG102.ZIP)
to MAKE WWIV BBS handle my Instant Graphics! terminals for both the MS-DOS clones
and the Atari ST.  With Remote Access BBS software you must issue a I#X>5,0: to
shut down BIG's ^S ^Q flow control, just add that in to the begining of a BIG
graphic and you should be able to UPLOAD it into a RA message base and see it
just fine from a Remote Access BBS.

 

Here are a few IMPORTANT tips for BP users:

1.  ALWAYS begin a painting with a "Issue Init" a FULL Init.

2.  Set up ALL "Operation Colors" and set your "Fill Pattern",
    "LINE and POLYMARKER Types", and "Text Effects" (font).

3.  For FILLs its best to LINE DRAW a closed area and then FILL it to the
    current LINE Color otherwise you can wipe out huge sections with a
    Fill leak, BUT you can always "Erase the Last Command" to fix it up
    and start over.

4.  EXITING OPERATIONS - Most commands EXIT to the MAIN menu by a
    BOTH BUTTON EXIT you do this by PRESSING the RIGHT mouse button first
    and holding it down then press the LEFT button.
 
5.  UPLOADed messages(BIG graphics) have maximum limits WWIV and RA MAX is 20000 bytes
    keep this in mind.

6.  You might be tempted to DRAW with the "POLYMARKER PLOT" but DON't do it!
    Use the "LINE DRAWING" instead it is a LOT more efficent, makes the drawing
    much smaller.

7.  Always END a painting with a short "Timed Pause" and then a FULL Init.

8.  Sometimes the mouse pointer goes koo-koo.  When this happens try the ESC
    key  or CLICK the LEFT mouse button 2 or 3 times and wiggle the mouse left
    to right real fast this will usually make it recover.  

9.  You can use the BF.EXE as a slide shower off-line.

10. When using the ARC and Elliptical Arc routines the RIGHT button will toggle
    between the starting and ending angles.