Re: A few Paintworks questions

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Anonymous <x.y@tennis.net> wrote:

>Please email me at adoyson@nccn.net if you can help answere these 
>questions.  I can't read everything that gets posted here.

I am sending a copy in email....

>I'm trying to convert a ton of APF graphics into a PaintWorks animation.  
>A ton = more than 500 graphics.  They are on an HFS HardDrive partition 
>(named HFS).  This is so I can store more than the 51 files you can have 
>with the ProDos FST.

This is a common misconception.  ProDOS can store more than 51
files, but it is just limited to 51 files in the root directory.  Make a
folder in the Finder and you store your graphics there....

Don't feel to bad, though.  I once read the feedback column of the
Script Central publication....in it, a user was complaining about
how he could not unpack the .shk files that made up the issue
disks.  HangTime, the editor, was stumped.  This otherwise skilled
programmer forgot about the 51 file limitation....obviously the user
had tried to unshk the issue onto the root directory of a ProDOS
partition.  According to the user in his letter, GSHK even gave the
"Volume Full" error that it always gives when hitting the 51 file
limit (the user did report his partition was not even half full)....

>I go into Paintworks, and choose COMPRESS into PaintWorks animation.  I 
>get the OPEN window, but the HFS partition does not show up in the list of 
>disks!  
>
>I tried sticking HFS.FST file in the PAINTWORKS\SYSTEM\FST directory, but 
>the HFS still does not show up while running Paintworks.

Here's the problem -- if you are trying to boot the version of
System Software on the PaintWorks disk, it is worth noting that
it is very old....System 5.0.2 at the very latest.  The HFS FST
is designed to work with System 6.0 or System 6.0.1.  It sorta
works with System 5.0.4, but even that's risky and Apple warns
users not to drop the HFS FST into System 5.0.4.  The HFS
FST probably won't work with System 5.0.2 at all....which is
what you see...

You need to boot System 6.0.1 and launch PaintWorks from
there for your HFS partitions to appear...

>Another problem I am having is I can't get PaintWorks to run from the 
>Finder.  I usually just boot the PaintWorks 3.5" disk, or copy the disk 
>into /RAM5, and double click *ProDOS* in /RAM5.  This is way faster than 
>waiting for SLOW disk access with the 3.5 drive.  If I launch PAINTWORKS 
>from the Finder, the computer crashes into the Monitor.

In the July 1992 issue of inCider/A+, the Apple Clinic has an
explanation for this problem.  According to the Clinic, PaintWorks
needs a lot of "page 0" memory....causing it to crash when
launched from Finder under System 5.0.4 or later.  You can alter
the program code to remedy the memory problem.

See below....

>QUESTION1) Is it possible to run PaintWorks from the Finder?  I tried 
>copying the files onto my HD, but I get a crash everytime I try to run it.

Yes; use a block read/write utility such as ProSel-16's Block
Warden module to search for the hex sequence C9 08 00 D0 CE
and replace the 08 with 7F.  This patch will allow the program to
be lauched from the System 6.0.1 Finder (and you to install the
program on the HD).

>QUESTION2) Is it possible to configure PaintWorks to recognize HFS 
>partitions?

Once you are running it from System 6.0.1, the HFS partitions will
show up....

>If this doesn't work for me, QUESTION3) is there another program to turn 
>APF graphics into Paintworks animations?  The program would preferably be 
>able to launch from the Finder, and *must* recognize HFS partitions.

Just about any GS paint program.  Platinum Paint 2.0 is probably
the most full featured, but some swear by DreamGraphix....the
latter has the ability to edit 3200 color pictures....