Conference azur::mcc

4505.0. "Creating X11 Bitmaps for your map backdrops." by TOOK::BMURRAY () Fri Feb 05 1993 09:47

		Creating "bitmap" backdrops for your IMPM maps.
                ______________________________________________

There are two types of backdrop formats for the Iconic Map backgrounds; Vector
and Bitmap.  These instructions deal specifically with creating *bitmap*
backdrops.

The bitmap backdrops are created from X11 bitmap format files that you will
need to obtain or create.  Once you have the X11 bitmap format file(s) you
can load them into your map backdrop via the "Edit" menu and select "Backdrop
- Add or Modify" by selecting the X11 bitmap format file from the file selection
widget that pops up.

Now, there are many ways to create an X11 bitmap format file to read into your 
map backdrop but here are two ways:

(1) Use DECpaint to draw whatever you wish and SAVE the picture in X11 bitmap
format. Remember to only use two colors when drawing because X11 bitmaps can
only contain two colors, count 'em, two colors.  

(2) You can scan an image with a scanning device and create the X11 bit map
format file.  If you are using a PC with a scanner, one of the popular formats
is the .TIF format or the .GIF format.  You need to convert these .TIF and
.GIF formated files into X11 bitmap format before you can load them into the
map backdrop.  There is a shareware tool called "XV" by John Bradley
(University of Pennsylvannia) that will convert .TIF and .GIF file formats (as
well as many other formats) to X11 bitmap format. XV can be obtained  via
anonymous ftp on export.lcs.mit.edu, in contrib/xv-2.21.tar.Z, and 
contrib/xv-2.21*.patch. It is also available on VMS at anonymous ftp on
 sunfish.physics.uiowa.edu courtesy of Rick Dyson ([email protected]).


Here is an example of what you might do:

 - You have scanned an image and have a .TIF format file.  
 - Run XV.
 - Once you have the XV control panel up push the LOAD button
   and select the .TIF file.  It will then load in the .TIF file.
 - Now push the SAVE button and select the X11 bitmap format. You
   have now created the X11 bitmap format file.
 - In the IMPM select EDIT and then BACKDROP - ADD or MODIFY. When the
   file selection widget comes up select the X11 bitmap file you just created.
 - The backdrop will now load with the bitmap file. Remember, the X11 bitmap
   file will be two colors unlike the .TIF format file which can be many
   colors. If your .TIF file was more than two colors, when converted to X11
   bitmap format you will only have two colors.



-Bob Murray

I keep a copy of XV in CSOADM::ADMIN_DISK:[WX].

Lee


Directory ADMIN_DISK:[WX]

XV.DOC;5                246/246      3-DEC-1992 13:27:46.99
XV.EXE;5               1037/1038     4-MAY-1992 16:02:05.00

Total of 2 files, 1283/1284 blocks.

Files mentioned in .1 now live at CSOEA::WXDIR:.

Lee

    re .2
    
    What happened to the file XV.* ? I could not find them there.
    
    Thanks,
    Wichai, DC Thailand