ReadMe File for

ClipShop(C) CopyLeft Bill Buckels 1999
A.K.A.
"Ye Olde Clip Shoppe" (C) CopyLeft Bill Buckels 1999
All Rights Reversed.

Version 1.1 First Release

Program Description
-------------------

ClipShop is a simple "Old PrintShop" Graphics Utility Program that
allows you to view "Old PrintShop" ClipArt (.DAT and .NAM Files) in
Windows, and to Copy the current Clip to the Windows ClipBoard. You can
then Paste the Clip into your favorite Windows Paint Program or Word
Processor. You can choose a copy command from a variety of 3 clipboard
copy commands. Each of these 3 commands are used to get different
proportions for the appearance of the ClipArt graphic.

ClipShop also reads "New PrintShop" ClipArt (.POG and .PNM Files), "Old
PrintMaster" ClipArt (.SHP and .SDR Files), and "Old PrintPartner"
ClipArt (Uncompressed .GPH Files), and allows you to copy these to the
Windows ClipBoard the same way as the "Old PrintShop" Clipart (.DAT and
.NAM Files).

ClipShop will "export" an entire library of ClipArt from "Old
PrintShop", "New PrintShop" and "Old PrintMaster" ClipArt libraries to a
Windows .BMP file. This can be particularly useful to people who want to
print-out hardcopy "catalogs" of all of their "Old Clipart".

A number of basic editting commands are also available for ClipArt
libraries that use the small picture format (88 x 52 "Old PrintShop",
"New PrintShop" or " Old PrintMaster" graphics). This support was
included in ClipShop mainly to allow you to create custom ENGLISH
vocabulary lesson plans for use in the METOO(C) Children's Program and
other Teacher's Choice Programs that use the "Old PrintShop" graphics
format. METOO(C) and other Children's Programs are available from the
Teacher's Choice Website at:

http://www.escape.ca/~bbuckels/kidstuff

CLIPSHOP(C) is distributed as FreeWare with Open Source, OnLine Help,
and a User's Manual.

Installing and Running ClipShop
-----------------------------

Install ClipShop by "UNZIPPING" ClipShop.ZIP complete with pathnames to
the drive of your choice. If you decide to install ClipShop to Drive C:,
ClipShop will be installed into the directory C:\ClipShop.

Start ClipShop by clicking on ClipShop.EXE.

Additional Files
----------------

ClipShop comes with an "Old Printshop" Sample Graphics Library called
GRSCHOOL.DAT. The GRSCHOOL.DAT file will be installed into the directory
C:\ClipShop\GRSchool.

When you start ClipShop, use the "Load" Command [F1] to
open the GRSCHOOL.DAT file and Copy Clip Art Graphics to the Windows
clipboard.

The ClipShop User's Guide
-----------------------

The ClipShop User's Guide is provided in two formats, as a Windows Help
File which is available from within ClipShop, and in HTML format. An
Internet Browser like "Microsoft Internet Explorer"tm or "Netscape
Navigator"tm is required to use and to print the HTML Version of the
ClipShop User's Guide.

The ClipShop User's Guide in HTML format will be installed into the
directory C:\ClipShop\ClipUser. After installing, "Click-on"
C:\ClipShop\ClipUser\index.htm to begin.

Please see the ClipShop User's Guide for information not included in
this ReadMe.

The ClipShop User's Guide is "bundled" with ClipShop, and is installed
with ClipShop as noted above. It is also available for viewing online at
"The ClipShop Connection" on the Teacher's Choice WebSite:

http://www.escape.ca/~bbuckels/kidstuff/clipshop/clipuser

Licence Agreement
-----------------
ClipShop A.K.A. "Ye Olde Clip Shoppe"
(C) CopyLeft Bill Buckels 1999. All Rights Reversed.

ClipShop(C) is distributed as FreeWare with Open Source.

You have a royalty-free right to use, modify, reproduce and distribute
this program and its source code and associated files in any way you
find useful, provided that you agree that Bill Buckels has no warranty
obligations or liability resulting from said distribution in any way
whatsoever. If you don't agree, remove ClipShop.Exe and all associated
files from your computer now.

Bill Buckels
589 Oxford Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3M 3J2

Email: bbuckels@escape.ca
WebSite: http://www.escape.ca/~bbuckels

The opinions expressed in these articles belong to The Author, Bill
Buckels, and do not necessarily represent any official position of any
of the people or companies discussed.

The facts were gathered from a wide variety of sources and are believed
accurate. Any speculation or presentation by The Author is not intended
to represent any of the parties discussed in any "Bad Light". It has
been an "adventure" for everyone, including the users, and we have all
benefitted. The Author is supportive of the contribution to the quality
of home computing by all the parties discussed, and has nothing but the
greatest respect for all the Authors and Publishers of all the products
discussed. See the Dedications Topic.

ClipShop is not a derivative work of any other author and is the
exclusive property of Bill Buckels (the author). All methods are the
product of work and study by the author. They are reasonably trivial,
and no other person or especially any former employee of any of the
companies discussed in this document technically or otherwise advised
the author in any way.

The ClipShop Documentation is a complete work produced by Bill Buckels
(the author) and as such is the author's own expression and property.
Where the content is not the author's own, it is believed to be either
in The Public Domain or fairly used in an educational, non-derivative,
non-competitive and informative manner. If you use ClipShop or its
documentation in another work, you must agree that Bill Buckels has no
warranty obligations or liability whatsoever resulting from any
associated loss or damage.

ClipShop was not produced in anticipation of profit, except where The
Author's Shareware or WebSite is mentioned. Since The Author's ShareWare
has never generated revenue, and is primarily offered as a public
service, these references should be considered as sponsorship
references, and not as advertising. Especially, they are not meant to
offend anyone, nor to compete with the interests of the people or the
companies mentioned in this documentation.

The Following Products are Registered TradeMarks of Their Various
Publishers

Print Master (Now from The Learning Company)
The Print Shop (Now from The Learning Company)
Print Partner (from Acropolis Software)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
-------------------

Viewing and ClipBoard Copying

ClipShop is a simple "Old PrintShop" Graphics Utility Program that
allows you to view "Old PrintShop" ClipArt (.DAT and .NAM Files) in
Windows, and to Copy the current Clip to the Windows ClipBoard. You can
then Paste the Clip into your favorite Windows Paint Program or Word
Processor. You can choose a copy command from a variety of 3 clipboard
copy commands. Each of these 3 commands are used to get different
proportions for the appearance of the ClipArt graphic.

ClipShop also reads "New PrintShop" ClipArt (.POG and .PNM Files), "Old
PrintMaster" ClipArt (.SHP and .SDR Files), and "Old PrintPartner"
ClipArt (Uncompressed .GPH Files), and allows you to copy these to the
Windows ClipBoard the same way as the "Old PrintShop" Clipart (.DAT and
.NAM Files).

Export to Windows .BMP

ClipShop will "export" an entire library of ClipArt from "Old
PrintShop", "New PrintShop" and "Old PrintMaster" ClipArt libraries to a
Windows .BMP file. (Sorry, but no support for export of "Old
PrintPartner" in this version, but you can still copy "Old PP" Graphics
to the Windows Clipboard and save as a .BMP in Windows Paint.) This can
be particularly useful to people who want to print-out hardcopy
"catalogs" of all of their "Old Clipart".

Basic Editting Commands

A number of basic editting commands are also available for ClipArt
libraries that use the small picture format (88 x 52 "Old PrintShop",
"New PrintShop" or " Old PrintMaster" graphics). This support was
included in ClipShop mainly to allow you to create custom ENGLISH
vocabulary lesson plans for use in the METOO(C) Children's Program and
other Teacher's Choice Programs that use the "Old PrintShop" graphics
format. METOO(C) and other Children's Programs are available from the
Teacher's Choice Website at:

http://www.escape.ca/~bbuckels/kidstuff

Change Caption Text

ClipShop allows you to change the Captions for the Text Descriptions of
the ClipArt from "Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop" and "Old PrintMaster"
ClipArt libraries. This is especially useful when preparing vocabulary
Lesson Plans for use in the educational programs that use the "Old
PrintShop" Graphics Format (.DAT and .NAM) files.

Create and Add To ClipArt Libraries

ClipShop allows you to create new Clipart libraries in the "Old
PrintShop" format (.NAM and .DAT Files) or to add to existing libraries
in the "Old Printshop" format if they already exist. The idea here is to
load an existing library that was saved in the small picture format (88
x 52 "Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop" or " Old PrintMaster" graphics).
You then copy the current picture to the library of your choice, and if
the library doesn't exist, it will be created for you. Additional
picture libraries and The METOO(C) Children's Program and other
Teacher's Choice Programs that use the "Old PrintShop" graphics format
are available from the Teacher's Choice Website.

Delete From ClipArt Libraries

ClipShop allows you to delete Clipart Images from libraries saved in the
"Old PrintShop" format. (Other formats are not supported in this
version.) This feature was included in ClipShop mainly to allow you to
remove unwanted images and captions from custom vocabulary lesson plans
for use in the educational programs that use the "Old PrintShop"
Graphics Format (.DAT and .NAM) files.

ClipShop will not allow you to overwrite existing files without asking,
and it has another similar feature for users of Teacher's Choice
Children's Programs that needs to be explained.

Some Teacher's Choice Lesson plans use Bilingual Support which is not
provided in this version of ClipShop. If the .DAT or .NAM file that you
wish to modify may be linked to a BILINGUAL support library from
Teacher's Choice Productions, ClipShop will not allow editting, since
these files need to be synchronized. ClipShop is not guaranteed to
prevent editting from occurring, but reasonable steps have been taken to
catch these bilingual files and screen them out of ClipShop. You can
still load the .DAT and .NAM file and paste them onto the clipboard and
into new libraries, just not edit them.

ClipShop will tell you when a Bilingual Support file is suspected. You
can Work on a copy if you want to modify files when this happens, but it
is best not to overwrite or change the original since the program that
uses the bilingual file may not work correctly. The bottom line is that
ClipShop was never designed to edit these safely without affecting the
related files.

COMMAND DETAILS
---------------

Hot Keys - [F1] - [F10], [ESC], [Delete]

ClipShop's Menu commands are listed below. These commands all have "hot
keys", which are noted beside the command on the menu. This means that
you can press the "hot key" on the keyboard, and the command will
execute, the same way that it would from the menu. The "F KEYS"
(Function Keys) [F1] to [F10] are all used as "hot keys" in ClipShop.
Other keys used are [ESC] and [Delete]. (The [ESC] (Escape) Key can be
used at any time to quit the program.)

The File Menu

The File Menu contains the group of commands that are related to files.
A number of basic editting commands are also available from the File
Menu for ClipArt libraries that use the small picture format (88 x 52
"Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop" or " Old PrintMaster" graphics). This
support was included in ClipShop mainly to allow you to create custom
ENGLISH vocabulary lesson plans for use in the METOO(C) Children's
Program and other Teacher's Choice Programs that use the "Old PrintShop"
graphics format. METOO(C) and other Children's Programs are available
from the Teacher's Choice Website.

[F7] Load Library

The [F7] Command allows you to Load a Library in 1 of 4 Graphics Library
formats. The libraries supported are "Old PrintShop" (.DAT and .NAM
Files), "New PrintShop" (.POG and .PNM Files), "Old PrintMaster" (.SHP
and .SDR Files), and "Old PrintPartner" (Uncompressed .GPH Files).

[F8] Change Text

The [F8] Command allows you to change the Captions for the Text
Descriptions of the ClipArt from "Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop" and
"Old PrintMaster" ClipArt libraries. This is especially useful when
preparing vocabulary Lesson Plans for use in the educational programs
that use the "Old PrintShop" Graphics Format (.DAT and .NAM) files.

[F9] Save to Library

The [F9] menu command allows you to create new Clipart libraries in the
"Old PrintShop" format (.NAM and .DAT Files) or to add to existing
libraries in the "Old Printshop" format if they already exist. The idea
here is to load an existing library that was saved in the small picture
format (88 x 52 "Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop" or " Old PrintMaster"
graphics). You then copy the current picture to the library of your
choice, and if the library doesn't exist, it will be created for you.

Additional picture libraries and The METOO(C) Children's Program and
other Teacher's Choice Programs that use the "Old PrintShop" graphics
format are available from the Teacher's Choice Website.

[Delete] Delete Current Clip

The [Delete] command allows you to delete Clipart Images from libraries
saved in the "Old PrintShop" format. (Other formats are not supported in
this version.) This feature was included in ClipShop mainly to allow you
to remove unwanted images and captions from custom vocabulary lesson
plans for use in the educational programs that use the "Old PrintShop"
Graphics Format (.DAT and .NAM) files.

[F10] Export Library to BMP

The [F10] command will "export" an entire library of ClipArt from "Old
PrintShop", "New PrintShop" and "Old PrintMaster" ClipArt libraries to a
Windows .BMP file. (Sorry, but no support for export of "Old
PrintPartner" in this version, but you can still copy "Old PP" Graphics
to the Windows Clipboard and save as a .BMP in Windows Paint.) Using the
Windows BMP file format is a more usual way to store images than the old
ClipArt format, and makes it easier to convert to other formats like
.GIF which may be preferred buy people on non-ibm computers.

Another possible use for an exported library in the Windows Bitmap
(.BMP) format is to provide a graphics catalog of the old ClipArt
libraries that you might have. You can then print these out using
Windows Paint. This can be useful when trying to find a specific image
for whatever reason.

[ESC] Exit ClipShop

The [ESC] (Escape) Key can be used at any time to quit the program.
(Careful about accidently hitting this key.)

The Toplevel "ToolBar" Menu

Most of the menu commands at the top of ClipShop's Menu Bar are not
pull-down menus, but commands. This is a primitive toolbar of sorts, and
makes the job of remembering the "hot keys" much easier, since they are
shown in plain view on their respective "toolbar" menu command. These
are the commands that are related to advancing/selecting an image and
copying an image to the Windows Clipboard.

[F2] Next Image

This menu command advances to the next image in the Clipart Library.
When it gets to the end, it starts at the beginning again. There is no
command for Previous image in this version of ClipShop, so if you
accidently go past the image that you wanted, you have to wait until you
have gone through the entire library again. (Sorry about that. Just
reload the library if this takes too long.)

A Variety of Copy Commands

You can choose a copy command from a variety of 3 clipboard copy
commands, [F3], [F4], and [F5]. Each of these 3 commands are used to get
different proportions for the appearance of the ClipArt graphic. Using 1
of the 3 commands, Copy the current Clip to the Windows ClipBoard. You
can then Paste the Clip into your favorite Windows Paint Program or Word
Processor.

[F3] Copy

The [F3] copy command will copy a 2X (double magnified) Clip to the
Windows Clipboard. 2X is generally about the right size in order to
properly see the clip in a Windows program. The graphics screens were
not capable of high resolution display when these clips were originally
created, so by magnifying them 2X, they appear as they were originally
intended (or close to it).

[F4] Thin Copy

The [F4] copy command will copy a 1X2 (double length) Clip to the
Windows Clipboard. 1X2 generally stretches the clip in a Windows
program. Sometimes the clip looks better at a 1X2 ratio.

[F5] Small Copy

The [F5] copy command will copy a 1X1 (to scale) Clip to the Windows
Clipboard. 1X1 is generally too small to see detail in a Windows
program. If you need a tiny clip, this is a good command to use. This is
actually the correct resolution for these, but this is too darned small
to see detail in a Windows program.

[F1] Help

If you are reading this, you obviously found the help command. Press
[F1] at anytime during the program to display the help file.

[F6] About ClipShop

This is pretty much what you might expect. A dialog is displayed with a
synopsis of ClipShop and directions to the Teacher's Choice Productions
WebSite.

File Formats Etc.
-----------------

ClipArt Library File Formats Revealed

All the Library File Formats supported by ClipShop are proprietary
unpublished formats, but are very simple to figure-out. These Library
File Formats all contain multiple graphics images, and text descriptions
for each image (usually in seperate matching files... see below).

The 3 - Main Library File Formats supported by ClipShop are the 88
pixels wide X 52 rasters high UNCOMPRESSED .DAT, .POG, and .SHP files
("Old PrintShop", "New PrintShop", and "Old PrintMaster" graphics
formats). There is not much different between these formats, except that
the .POG and .SHP files each have some extra information mixed in with
the graphics, and the .DAT file is raw. Other than that, they are all
identical.

These are really "File Pairs". Each file also has a matching caption
file of descriptions of the graphics that must be kept synchronized with
the graphics file. These files are .NAM (name) , .PNM (printshop name),
and .SDR (shape header) files and correspond with their partner files;
.DAT (data), .POG (printshop old graphics), and .SHP (shape) files.

The technical details of reading these files is already included in the
ClipShop Source Code, which is distributed with ClipShop. Please refer
to the source code for additional details if you are so inclined.

Acropolis Software of Fair Oaks, California, developed Print Partner as
a competing ShareWare product to PrintShop and PrintMaster. A Windows
ShareWare product competing against PrintShop and PrintMaster would be
difficult today, since TLC (The Learning Company) who now own both The
PrintShop and PrintMaster, distribute fairly recent (2 year old)
versions of PrintMaster on CD almost for free through their SoftKey
division. But in the DOS world it is/was different, and Acropolis
created a decent competing product that has been referred to as "The
Shareware Alternative".

If you want to see what Acropolis is up to now, or if you want to
download an Evaluation Version of PrintPartner v3.5 (still a DOS based
product), use the following URL to visit their website...

http://www.wwmen.com/acropolis

In an earlier version of PrintPartner, ShareWare Version 1.1
(distributed by Digital Horizons and perhaps others), a user had the
option of creating and saving custom graphics libraries in a
non-compressed format. Maybe this user library feature was in other
versions of Print Partner as well, but for sure it was in Version 1.1.

The support for PrintPartner is limited to this particular flavour of
non-compressed monochrome graphics (Version 1.1).

Print Partner graphics are variable size (not 88 x 52 like the others).
They stored their graphics name in the same file as the graphics (not in
a second file like the others) and they allowed longer names than the
others. Because they are just too different, only basic support for
Print Partner graphics is offered in this version of ClipShop.

This support was added out of tribute for the excellent aspirations of
Acropolis Software, whose ambitions were to single handedly provide a
better product than the other ones that were available for that time and
place in history, and to market that product (Print Partner) as
relatively inexpensive shareware.

Using the "Old Print Partner" (Version 1.1) Image Format

Print Partner offers a way to import graphics from other applications,
but no way to get them back out again (except by printing them, of
course). ClipShop solves this problem by allowing you to view graphics
libraries (.GPH files) created in Print Partner Version 1.1, and to copy
these to the Windows Clipboard, to Paste directly in other programs.

Since Print Partner version 1.1 was shipped with many very good
graphics, if you have these you may find this utility useful. That's
great if you do.

Raw black and white data (Type 1) is the only type of Print Partner data
storage that this program supports. Compressed black and white data
(Type 2) is not supported.

The Picture files that Print Partner 1.1 is shipped with (Standard.Gph)
are in Compressed Format (Type 2). You must convert these inside of
Print Partner in order to use them with this program.

In order to use this program to convert Print Partner files that have
been provided in compressed format you must do the folowing:

Resave Print Partner Files In Non-Compressed Format. Resave these in the
Print Partner Picture Maker editor by adding them to a New Library. The
new library will be saved as Raw data (Type 1). Now these can be used by
ClipShop.

Note: Files that have been converted from PrintMaster to Print Partner
using the pmtopp.exe utility that was shipped with Print Partner are
saved in non-compressed format and therefore can be used directly by
ClipShop.

Other Technical Drivel
----------------------

If you didn't get a copy of the source code with ClipShop, visit the
Teacher's Choice Website at http://www.escape.ca/~bbuckels and get the
latest version complete with source.

ClipShop is written in MSC. The code in this program is pretty well
commented and you shouldn't have much trouble reading it.

End of ReadMe
