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                             PCX KIT
                              v 4.0
                        by Peter Donnelly
                          CIS 76217,2177

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This is a set of tools for displaying PCX files in a Turbo/
Borland Pascal program, and for extracting images from PCX files
for use with the PutImage procedure/function.

              

The following display modes are supported for VGA cards:

       Mode      Resolution    Colors
       ~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~    ~~~~~~
       $0D       320 x 200        16
       $0E       640 x 200        16
       $10       640 x 350        16
       $12       640 x 480        16
       $13       320 x 200       256

The following modes are supported for Super-VGA cards with VESA
BIOS:

    *  $100      640 x 400       256
    *  $101      640 x 480       256
       $102      800 x 600        16
    *  $103      800 x 600       256
    *  $105     1024 x 768       256
    *  $107     1280 x 1024      256

  ( * Supported by registered version only. )


LIST OF FILES
-------------

clip.exe        Program to clip BGI images from a 16-color PCX
                file
clip.doc        Documentation for same
clipshow.exe    Program to review BGI images produced with
                CLIP.EXE
clipshow.doc    Documentation for same
pcx.pas         Fully commented Pascal unit for displaying PCX
                files in a variety of 16-color and 256-color
                formats
showpcx.pas     Sample implementation of PCX.PAS


REGISTRATION
------------

PCX.PAS is copyrighted and is being distributed as shareware.
Permission is granted for it to be copied freely, provided copies
are not sold for more than a reasonable disk-handling fee. If you
make use of the code in any program you write and distribute, you
are expected to pay the registration fee.

In return for the registration fee you will receive:

1. A copy of the latest version of the code, including additional
routines to display 256-color SVGA files on VESA-compliant video
systems.

2. The right to incorporate the code in any program.

To register, please send a check for $20 U.S. to:

        Skookum Software
        1301 Ryan Street
        Victoria BC
        Canada V8T 4Y8

You will receive a disk by airmail (3-1/2" unless otherwise
specified). If you prefer, we will send the package
electronically to a CompuServe address.

CLIP.EXE and its related files have been released into the public
domain.  These files may be used and copied freely.


WHAT'S NEW IN PCX.PAS 4.0
-------------------------

Earlier versions gained wide distribution, and judging from the
mail there is a large demand for at least 640x480 resolution in
256 colors. Now that the VESA standard is gaining acceptance, it
is possible to offer support for this and other Super-VGA modes.
As stated above, the routines for SVGA (other than 800x600x16
mode) are supplied to registered users only.

Extensive revisions have been made to the structure of the unit,
providing more routines to handle basics like file-opening and
error-checking. The unit now does more analysis of the PCX header
and will not let you do anything fundamentally wrong, like trying
to display a 256-color file in a 16-color mode. It will even set
the mode automatically if you prefer. Also, it's now smart enough
to display files that are less than the width of the screen.

The assembler code to read and display the files remains
fundamentally the same and is still in all likelihood the fastest
available. Adding support for files of less than screen width
made it necessary to degrade the performance somewhat, but with
today's hardware it shouldn't make a perceptible difference.

With CGA graphics having finally gone the way of the Studebaker
and CP/M, it seemed safe to drop support for 2-color and 4-color
modes. The EGA 16-color resolutions are still supported but only
for display on VGA cards, which handle the palette differently.

PCX.PAS no longer uses the Turbo Graph unit; it now does all its
own mode-setting and palette-tweaking.