1112 lines
45 KiB
Text
1112 lines
45 KiB
Text
Tux Paint
|
|
version 0.9.15b
|
|
|
|
A simple drawing program for children
|
|
|
|
Copyright 2005 by Bill Kendrick and others
|
|
New Breed Software
|
|
|
|
bill@newbreedsoftware.com
|
|
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/
|
|
|
|
June 14, 2002 - November 12, 2005
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
About
|
|
|
|
What Is 'Tux Paint?'
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint is a free drawing program designed for young children (kids
|
|
ages 3 and up). It has a simple, easy-to-use interface, fun sound
|
|
effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who helps guide children as
|
|
they use the program. It provides a blank canvas and a variety of
|
|
drawing tools to help your child be creative.
|
|
|
|
License:
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint is an Open Source project, Free Software released under the
|
|
GNU General Public License (GPL). It is free, and the 'source code'
|
|
behind the program is available. (This allows others to add features,
|
|
fix bugs, and use parts of the program in their own GPL'd software.)
|
|
|
|
See COPYING.txt for the full text of the GPL license.
|
|
|
|
Objectives:
|
|
|
|
Easy and Fun
|
|
Tux Paint is meant to be a simple drawing program for young
|
|
children. It is not meant as a general-purpose drawing tool.
|
|
It is meant to be fun and easy to use. Sound effects and a
|
|
cartoon character help let the user know what's going on, and
|
|
keeps them entertained. There are also extra-large
|
|
cartoon-style mouse pointer shapes.
|
|
|
|
Extensibility
|
|
Tux Paint is extensible. Brushes and "rubber stamp" shapes can
|
|
be dropped in and pulled out. For example, a teacher can drop
|
|
in a collection of animal shapes and ask their students to
|
|
draw an ecosystem. Each shape can have a sound which is
|
|
played, and textual facts which are displayed, when the child
|
|
selects the shape.
|
|
|
|
Portability
|
|
Tux Paint is portable among various computer platforms:
|
|
Windows, Macintosh, Linux, etc. The interface looks the same
|
|
among them all. Tux Paint runs suitably well on older systems
|
|
(like a Pentium 133), and can be built to run better on slow
|
|
systems.
|
|
|
|
Simplicity
|
|
There is no direct access to the computer's underlying
|
|
intricacies. The current image is kept when the program quits,
|
|
and reappears when it is restarted. Saving images requires no
|
|
need to create filenames or use the keyboard. Opening an image
|
|
is done by selecting it from a collection of thumbnails.
|
|
Access to other files on the computer is restricted.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Using Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
Loading Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
Linux/Unix Users
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint should have placed a laucher icon in your KDE and/or GNOME
|
|
menus, under 'Graphics.'
|
|
|
|
Alternatively, you can run the following command at a shell prompt
|
|
(e.g., "$"):
|
|
|
|
$ tuxpaint
|
|
|
|
If any errors occur, they will be displayed on the terminal (to
|
|
"stderr").
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Windows Users
|
|
|
|
[Icon]
|
|
Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
If you installed Tux Paint on your computer using the
|
|
'Tux Paint Installer,' it will have asked you whether you wanted a
|
|
'Start' menu short-cut, and/or a desktop shortcut. If you agreed,
|
|
you can simply run Tux Paint from the 'Tux Paint' section of your
|
|
'Start' menu (e.g., under "All Programs" on Windows XP), or by
|
|
double-clicking the "Tux Paint" icon on your desktop.
|
|
|
|
If you installed Tux Paint using the 'ZIP-file' download, or if you
|
|
used the 'Tux Paint Installer,' but chose not to have shortcuts
|
|
installed, you'll need to double-click the "tuxpaint.exe" icon in
|
|
the 'Tux Paint' folder on your computer.
|
|
|
|
By default, the 'Tux Paint Installer' will put Tux Paint's folder in
|
|
"C:\Program Files\", though you may have changed this when the
|
|
installer ran.
|
|
|
|
If you used the 'ZIP-file' download, Tux Paint's folder will be
|
|
wherever you put it when you unzipped the ZIP file.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Mac OS X Users
|
|
|
|
Simply double-click the "Tux Paint" icon.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Title Screen
|
|
|
|
When Tux Paint first loads, a title/credits screen will appear.
|
|
|
|
[Title Screenshot]
|
|
|
|
Once loading is complete, press a key or click on the mouse to
|
|
continue. (Or, after about 30 seconds, the title screen will go away
|
|
automatically.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Main Screen
|
|
|
|
The main screen is divided into the following sections:
|
|
|
|
Left Side: Toolbar
|
|
|
|
The toolbar contains the drawing and editing controls.
|
|
|
|
[Tools: Paint, Stamp, Lines, Shapes, Text, Magic, Undo, Redo, Eraser, New, Open,
|
|
Save, Print, Quit]
|
|
|
|
Middle: Drawing Canvas
|
|
|
|
The largest part of the screen, in the center, is the drawing
|
|
canvas. This is, obviously, where you draw!
|
|
|
|
[(Canvas)]
|
|
|
|
Right Side: Selector
|
|
|
|
Depending on the current tool, the selector shows different
|
|
things. e.g., when the Paint Brush tool is selected, it shows
|
|
the various brushes available. When the Rubber Stamp tool is
|
|
selected, it shows the different shapes you can use.
|
|
|
|
[Selectors - Brushes, Letters, Shapes, Stamps]
|
|
|
|
Lower: Colors
|
|
|
|
A palette of available colors are shown near the bottom of the
|
|
screen.
|
|
|
|
[Colors - Black, White, Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple,
|
|
Brown, Grey]
|
|
|
|
Bottom: Help Area
|
|
|
|
At the very bottom of the screen, Tux, the Linux Penguin,
|
|
provides tips and other information while you draw.
|
|
|
|
(For example: 'Pick a shape. Click to pick the center, drag, then let go when it
|
|
is the size you want. Move around to rotate it, and click to draw it.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Available Tools
|
|
|
|
Drawing Tools
|
|
|
|
Paint (Brush)
|
|
|
|
The Paint Brush tool lets you draw freehand, using various
|
|
brushes (chosen in the Selector on the right) and colors
|
|
(chosen in the Color palette towards the bottom).
|
|
|
|
If you hold the mouse button down, and move the mouse, it
|
|
will draw as you move.
|
|
|
|
As you draw, a sound is played. The bigger the brush, the
|
|
lower the pitch.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Stamp (Rubber Stamp)
|
|
|
|
The Stamp tool is like a rubber stamp, or stickers. It lets
|
|
you paste pre-drawn or photographic images (like a picture
|
|
of a horse, or a tree, or the moon) in your picture.
|
|
|
|
As you move the mouse around, an outline follows the mouse,
|
|
showing where the stamp will be placed.
|
|
|
|
Different stamps can have different sound effects. Some
|
|
stamps can be colored or tinted.
|
|
|
|
Stamps can be shrunk and expanded, and many stamps can be
|
|
flipped vertically, or displayed as a mirror-image, using
|
|
controls at the bottom right of the screen.
|
|
|
|
(NOTE: If the "nostampcontrols" option is set, Tux Paint
|
|
won't display the Mirror, Flip, Shrink and Grow controls for
|
|
stamps. See the "Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Lines
|
|
|
|
This tool lets you draw straight lines using the various
|
|
brushes and colors you normally use with the Paint Brush.
|
|
|
|
Click the mouse and hold it to choose the starting point of
|
|
the line. As you move the mouse around, a thin 'rubber-band'
|
|
line will show where the line will be drawn.
|
|
|
|
Let go of the mouse to complete the line. A "sproing!" sound
|
|
will play.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Shapes
|
|
|
|
This tool lets you draw some simple filled, and un-filled
|
|
shapes.
|
|
|
|
Select a shape from the selector on the right (circle,
|
|
square, oval, etc.).
|
|
|
|
In the canvas, click the mouse and hold it to stretch the
|
|
shape out from where you clicked. Some shapes can change
|
|
proportion (e.g., rectangle and oval), others cannot (e.g.,
|
|
square and circle).
|
|
|
|
Let go of the mouse when you're done stretching.
|
|
|
|
Normal Mode
|
|
|
|
Now you can move the mouse around the canvas to
|
|
rotate the shape.
|
|
|
|
Click the mouse button again and the shape will
|
|
be drawn in the current color.
|
|
|
|
Simple Shapes Mode
|
|
If simple shapes are enabled (e.g., with the
|
|
"--simpleshapes" option), the shape will be
|
|
drawn on the canvas when you let go of the
|
|
mouse button. (There's no rotation step.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Text
|
|
|
|
Choose a font (from the 'Letters' available on the right)
|
|
and a color (from the color palette near the bottom). Click
|
|
on the screen and a cursor will appear. Type text and it
|
|
will show up on the screen.
|
|
|
|
Press [Enter] or [Return] and the text will be drawn onto
|
|
the picture and the cursor will move down one line.
|
|
|
|
Click elsewhere in the picture and the current line of text
|
|
will move there, where you can continue editing.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Magic (Special Effects)
|
|
|
|
The 'Magic' tool is actually a set of special tools. Select
|
|
one of the "magic" effects from the selector on the right,
|
|
and then click and drag around the picture to apply the
|
|
effect.
|
|
|
|
Rainbow
|
|
This is similar to the paint brush, but as you
|
|
move the mouse around, it goes through all of
|
|
the colors in the rainbow.
|
|
|
|
Sparkles
|
|
This draws glowing yellow sparkles on the
|
|
picture.
|
|
|
|
Mirror
|
|
When you click the mouse in your picture with
|
|
the "Mirror" magic effect selected, the entire
|
|
image will be reversed, turning it into a
|
|
mirror image.
|
|
|
|
Flip
|
|
Similar to "Mirror." Click and the entire image
|
|
will be turned upside-down.
|
|
|
|
Blur
|
|
This makes the picture fuzzy wherever you drag
|
|
the mouse.
|
|
|
|
Smudge
|
|
This pushes the colors around under the mouse,
|
|
like finger painting with wet paint.
|
|
|
|
Fade
|
|
This fades the colors wherever you drag the
|
|
mouse. (Do it to the same spot many times, and
|
|
it will eventually become white.)
|
|
|
|
Darken
|
|
This dakrens the colors wherever you drag the
|
|
mouse. (Do it to the same spot many times, and
|
|
it will eventually become black.)
|
|
|
|
Chalk
|
|
This makes parts of the picture (where you move
|
|
the mouse) look like a chalk drawing.
|
|
|
|
Blocks
|
|
This makes the picture blocky looking
|
|
("pixelated") wherever you drag the mouse.
|
|
|
|
Negative
|
|
This inverts the colors wherever you drag the
|
|
mouse. (e.g., white becomes black, and vice
|
|
versa.)
|
|
|
|
Tint
|
|
This changes the parts of the picture to the
|
|
selected color.
|
|
|
|
Drip
|
|
This makes the paint "drip" wherever you move
|
|
the mouse.
|
|
|
|
Cartoon
|
|
This makes the picture look like a cartoon --
|
|
with thick outlines and solid colors --
|
|
wherever you move the mouse.
|
|
|
|
Fill
|
|
This floods the picture with a color. It lets
|
|
you quickly fill parts of the picture, as if it
|
|
were a coloring book.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Eraser
|
|
|
|
This tool is similar to the Paint Brush. Wherever you click
|
|
(or click and drag), the picture will be erased either to
|
|
white, or to the background picture, if you began the
|
|
current drawing with a 'Starter' image.
|
|
|
|
A number of eraser sizes are available.
|
|
|
|
As you move the mouse around, a square outline follows the
|
|
pointer, showing what part of the picture will be erased to
|
|
white.
|
|
|
|
As you erase, a "squeaky clean" eraser/wiping sound is
|
|
played.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Other Controls
|
|
|
|
Undo
|
|
|
|
Clicking this tool will undo the last drawing action. You
|
|
can even undo more than once!
|
|
|
|
Note: You can also press [Control]-[Z] on the keyboard to
|
|
undo.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Redo
|
|
|
|
Clicking this tool will redo the drawing action you just
|
|
"undid" with the 'Undo' button.
|
|
|
|
As long as you don't draw again, you can redo as many times
|
|
as you had "undone!"
|
|
|
|
Note: You can also press [Control]-[R] on the keyboard to
|
|
redo.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
New
|
|
|
|
Clicking the "New" button will start a new drawing. You will
|
|
first be asked whether you really want to do this.
|
|
|
|
Note: You can also press [Control]-[N] on the keyboard to
|
|
start a new drawing.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Open
|
|
|
|
This shows you a list of all of the pictures you've saved.
|
|
If there are more than can fit on the screen, use the "Up"
|
|
and "Down" arrows at the top and bottom of the list to
|
|
scroll through the list of pictures.
|
|
|
|
Click a picture to select it, then...
|
|
|
|
* Click the green "Open" button at the lower left of
|
|
the list to load the selected picture.
|
|
|
|
(Alternatively, you can double-click a picture's icon
|
|
to load it.)
|
|
|
|
* Click the brown "Erase" (trash can) button at the
|
|
lower right of the list to erase the selected
|
|
picture. (You will be asked to confirm.)
|
|
|
|
* Or click the red "Back" arrow button at the lower
|
|
right of the list to cancel and return to the picture
|
|
you were drawing.
|
|
|
|
'Starter' Images
|
|
|
|
Along with pictures you've created, Tux Paint can provided
|
|
'Starter' images. Opening them is like creating a new
|
|
picture, except that the picture isn't blank. 'Starters'
|
|
can be like a page from a coloring book (a black-and-white
|
|
outline of a picture, which you can then color in), or
|
|
like a 3D photograph, where you draw the bits in between.
|
|
|
|
'Starter' images have a green background in the 'Open'
|
|
screen. (Normal images have a blue background.) When you
|
|
load a 'Starter,' draw on it, and then click 'Save,' it
|
|
creates a new picture (it doesn't overwrite the original
|
|
'Starter,' so you can use it again later).
|
|
|
|
If choose to open a picture, and your current drawing hasn't
|
|
been saved, you will be prompted as to whether you want to
|
|
save it or not. (See "Save," below.)
|
|
|
|
Note: You can also press [Control]-[O] on the keyboard to
|
|
get the 'Open' dialog.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Save
|
|
|
|
This saves your current picture.
|
|
|
|
If you haven't saved it before, it will create a new entry
|
|
in the list of saved images. (i.e., it will create a new
|
|
file)
|
|
|
|
Note: It won't ask you anything (e.g., for a filename). It
|
|
will simply save the picture, and play a "camera shutter"
|
|
sound effect.
|
|
|
|
If you HAVE saved the picture before, or this is a picture
|
|
you just loaded using the "Open" command, you will first be
|
|
asked whether you want to save over the old version, or
|
|
create a new entry (a new file).
|
|
|
|
(NOTE: If either the "saveover" or "saveovernew" options are
|
|
set, it won't ask before saving over. See the "Options"
|
|
documentation.)
|
|
|
|
Note: You can also press [Control]-[S] on the keyboard to
|
|
save.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Print
|
|
|
|
Click this button and your picture will be printed!
|
|
|
|
On most platforms, you can also hold the [Alt] key while
|
|
clicking the 'Print' button to get a printer dialog, as long
|
|
as you're not running Tux Paint in fullscreen mode. See
|
|
below.
|
|
|
|
Disabling Printing
|
|
|
|
If the "noprint" option was set (either with
|
|
"noprint=yes" in Tux Paint's configuration
|
|
file, or using "--noprint" on the
|
|
command-line), the "Print" button will be
|
|
disabled.
|
|
|
|
See the "Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
Restricting Printing
|
|
|
|
If the "printdelay" option was used (either
|
|
with "printdelay=SECONDS" in the configuration
|
|
file, or using "--printdelay=SECONDS" on the
|
|
command-line), you can only print once every
|
|
SECONDS seconds.
|
|
|
|
For example, with "printdelay=60", you can
|
|
print only once a minute.
|
|
|
|
See the "Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
Printing Commands
|
|
|
|
(Linux and Unix only)
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint prints by generating a PostScript
|
|
representation of the drawing and sending it to
|
|
an external program. By default, the program
|
|
is:
|
|
|
|
lpr
|
|
|
|
This command can be changed by setting the
|
|
"printcommand" value in Tux Paint's
|
|
configuration file.
|
|
|
|
If the [Alt] key on the keyboard is being
|
|
pushed while clicking the 'Print' button, as
|
|
long as you're not in fullscreen mode, an
|
|
alternative program is run. By default, the
|
|
program is KDE's graphical print dialog:
|
|
|
|
kprinter
|
|
|
|
This command can be changed by setting the
|
|
"altprintcommand" value in Tux Paint's
|
|
configuration file.
|
|
|
|
For information on how to change the printing
|
|
commands, see the "Options" documentation.
|
|
|
|
Printer Settings
|
|
|
|
(Windows only)
|
|
|
|
By default, Tux Paint simply prints to the
|
|
default printer with default settings when the
|
|
'Print' button is pushed.
|
|
|
|
However, if you hold the [Alt] key on the
|
|
keyboard while pushing the button, as long as
|
|
you're not in fullscreen mode, a Windows print
|
|
dialog will appear, where you can change the
|
|
settings.
|
|
|
|
You can have the printer configuration changes
|
|
stored by using the "printcfg" option, either
|
|
by using "--printcfg" on the command-line, or
|
|
"printcfg=yes" in Tux Paint's own configuration
|
|
file ("tuxpaint.cfg").
|
|
|
|
If the "printcfg" option is used, printer
|
|
settings will be loaded from the file
|
|
"userdata/print.cfg". Any changes will be saved
|
|
there as well.
|
|
|
|
See the "Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
Printer Dialog Options
|
|
|
|
By default, Tux Paint only shows the printer
|
|
dialog (or, on Linux/Unix, runs the
|
|
"altprintcommand", e.g., "kprinter" instead of
|
|
"lpr") if the [Alt] key is held while clicking
|
|
the 'Print' button.
|
|
|
|
However, this behavior can be changed. You can
|
|
have the printer dialog always appear by using
|
|
"--altprintalways" on the command-line, or
|
|
"altprint=always" in Tux Paint's configuration
|
|
file. Or, you can prevent the [Alt] key from
|
|
having any effect by using "--altprintnever",
|
|
or "altprint=never".
|
|
|
|
See the "Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Quit
|
|
|
|
Clicking the "Quit" button, closing the Tux Paint window, or
|
|
pushing the [Escape] key will quit Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
You will first be prompted as to whether you really want to
|
|
quit.
|
|
|
|
If you choose to quit, and you haven't saved the current
|
|
picture, you will first be asked if wish to save it. If it's
|
|
not a new image, you will then be asked if you want to save
|
|
over the old version, or create a new entry. (See "Save"
|
|
above.)
|
|
|
|
NOTE: If the image is saved, it will be reloaded
|
|
automatically the next time you run Tux Paint!
|
|
|
|
NOTE: The "Quit" button and [Escape] key can be disabled
|
|
(e.g., by selecting "Disable 'Quit' Button" in
|
|
Tux Paint Config. or running Tux Paint with the "--noquit"
|
|
command-line option).
|
|
|
|
In that case, the "window close" button on Tux Paint's title
|
|
bar (if not in fullscreen mode) or the [Alt] + [F4] key
|
|
sequence may be used to quit.
|
|
|
|
If neither of those are possible, the key sequence of
|
|
[Shift] + [Control] + [Escape] may be used to quit. (See the
|
|
"Options" documentation.)
|
|
|
|
Sound Muting
|
|
|
|
There is no on-screen control button at this time, but by
|
|
pressing [Alt] + [S], sound effects can be disabled and
|
|
re-enabled (muted and unmuted) while the program is running.
|
|
|
|
Note that if sounds are completely disabled (e.g., by
|
|
unselecting "Enable Sound Effects" in Tux Paint Config or
|
|
running Tux Paint with the "--nosound" command-line option),
|
|
the [Alt] + [S] key sequence has no effect. (i.e., it cannot
|
|
be used to turn on sounds when the parent/teach wants them
|
|
disabled.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Loading Other Pictures into Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
Since Tux Paint's 'Open' dialog only displays pictures you created with
|
|
Tux Paint, what if you want to load some other picture or photograph
|
|
into Tux Paint to edit?
|
|
|
|
To do so, you simply need to convert the picture into a PNG (Portable
|
|
Network Graphic) image file, and place it in Tux Paint's "saved"
|
|
directory. ("~/.tuxpaint/saved/" under Linux and Unix, "userdata\saved\"
|
|
under Windows, "Library/Preferences/tuxpaint/saved/" under Mac OS X.)
|
|
|
|
Using 'tuxpaint-import'
|
|
|
|
Linux and Unix users can use the "tuxpaint-import" shell script which
|
|
gets installed when you install Tux Paint. It uses some NetPBM tools
|
|
to convert the image ("anytopnm"), resize it so that it will fit in
|
|
Tux Paint's canvas ("pnmscale"), and convert it to a PNG ("pnmtopng").
|
|
|
|
It also uses the "date" command to get the current time and date,
|
|
which is the file-naming convention Tux Paint uses for saved files.
|
|
(Remember, you are never asked for a 'filename' when you go to Save or
|
|
Open pictures!)
|
|
|
|
To use 'tuxpaint-import', simply run the command from a command-line
|
|
prompt and provide it the name(s) of the file(s) you wish to convert.
|
|
|
|
They will be converted and placed in your Tux Paint 'saved' directory.
|
|
(Note: If you're doing this for a different user - e.g., your child,
|
|
you'll need to make sure to run the command under their account.)
|
|
|
|
Example:
|
|
|
|
$ tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg
|
|
grandma.jpg -> /home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/20020921123456.png
|
|
jpegtopnm: WRITING A PPM FILE
|
|
|
|
The first line ("tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg") is the command to run.
|
|
The following two lines are output from the program while it's
|
|
working.
|
|
|
|
Now you can load Tux Paint, and a version of that original picture
|
|
will be available under the 'Open' dialog. Just double-click its icon!
|
|
|
|
Doing it Manually
|
|
|
|
Windows, Mac OS X and BeOS users must currently do the conversion
|
|
manually.
|
|
|
|
Load a graphics program that is capable of both loading your picture
|
|
and saving a PNG format file. (See the documentation file "PNG.txt"
|
|
for a list of suggested software, and other references.)
|
|
|
|
Reduce the size of the image to no wider than 448 pixels across and no
|
|
taller than 376 pixels tall. (i.e., the maximum size is 448 x 376
|
|
pixels)
|
|
|
|
Save the picture in PNG format. It is highly recommended that you name
|
|
the filename using the current date and time, since that's the
|
|
convention Tux Paint uses:
|
|
|
|
YYYYMMDDhhmmss.png
|
|
|
|
* YYYY = Year
|
|
* MM = Month (01-12)
|
|
* DD = Day (01-31)
|
|
* HH = Hour, in 24-hour format (00-23)
|
|
* mm = Minute (00-59)
|
|
* ss = Second (00-59)
|
|
|
|
e.g.:
|
|
|
|
20020921130500 - for September 21, 2002, 1:05:00pm
|
|
|
|
Place this PNG file in your Tux Paint 'saved' directory. (See above.)
|
|
|
|
Under Windows, this is in the "userdata" folder. Under Mac OS X, this
|
|
is in "Library/Application Support/tuxpaint/" in your home directory.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Extending Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
If you wish to add or change things like Brushes and Rubber Stamps used
|
|
by Tux Paint, you can do it fairly easily by simply putting or removing
|
|
files on your hard disk.
|
|
|
|
Note: You'll need to restart Tux Paint for the changes to take effect.
|
|
|
|
Where Files Go
|
|
|
|
Standard Files
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint looks for its various data files in its 'data' directory.
|
|
|
|
Linux and Unix
|
|
|
|
Where this directory goes depends on what value was set for
|
|
"DATA_PREFIX" when Tux Paint was built. See INSTALL.txt for
|
|
details.
|
|
|
|
By default, though, the directory is:
|
|
|
|
/usr/local/share/tuxpaint/
|
|
|
|
If you installed from a package, it is more likely to be:
|
|
|
|
/usr/share/tuxpaint/
|
|
|
|
Windows
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint looks for a directory called 'data' in the same
|
|
directory as the executable. This is the directory that the
|
|
installer used when installing Tux Paint e.g.:
|
|
|
|
C:\Program Files\TuxPaint\data
|
|
|
|
Mac OS X
|
|
|
|
Tux Paint stores files in your account's "Libraries" folder, under
|
|
"Preferences", e.g.:
|
|
|
|
/Users/Joe/Library/Preferences/
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Personal Files
|
|
|
|
You can also create brushes, stamps, fonts and 'starters' in your
|
|
own directory for Tux Paint to find.
|
|
|
|
Linux and Unix
|
|
|
|
Your personal Tux Paint directory is "~/.tuxpaint/".
|
|
|
|
That is, if your home directory is "/home/karl", then your
|
|
Tux Paint directory is "/home/karl/.tuxpaint/".
|
|
|
|
Don't forget the period (".") before the 'tuxpaint'!
|
|
|
|
Windows
|
|
|
|
Your personal Tux Paint directory is named "userdata" and is in
|
|
the same directory as the executable e.g.:
|
|
|
|
C:\Program Files\TuxPaint\userdata
|
|
|
|
To add brushes, stamps fonts, and 'starters,' create subdirectories
|
|
under your personal Tux Paint directory named "brushes", "stamps",
|
|
"fonts" and "starters" respectively.
|
|
|
|
(For example, if you created a brush named "flower.png", you would
|
|
put it in "~/.tuxpaint/brushes/" under Linux or Unix.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Brushes
|
|
|
|
The brushes used for drawing with the 'Brush' and 'Lines' tools in
|
|
Tux Paint are simply greyscale PNG images.
|
|
|
|
The alpha (transparency) of the PNG image is used to determine the
|
|
shape of the brush, which means that the shape can be 'anti-aliased'
|
|
and even partially-transparent!
|
|
|
|
Brush images should be no wider than 40 pixels across and no taller
|
|
than 40 pixels high. (i.e., the maximum size can be 40 x 40.)
|
|
|
|
Just place them in the "brushes" directory.
|
|
|
|
Note: If your new brushes all come out as solid squares or rectangles,
|
|
it's because you forgot to use alpha transparency! See the
|
|
documentation file "PNG.txt" for more information and tips.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Stamps
|
|
|
|
All stamp-related files go in the "stamps" directory. It's useful to
|
|
create subdirectories and sub-subdirectories there to organize the
|
|
stamps. (For example, you can have a "holidays" folder with
|
|
"halloween" and "christmas" sub-folders.)
|
|
|
|
Images
|
|
|
|
Rubber Stamps in Tux Paint can be made up of a number of separate
|
|
files. The one file that is required is, of course, the picture
|
|
itself.
|
|
|
|
The Stamps used by Tux Paint are PNG pictures. They can be
|
|
full-color or greyscale. The alpha (transparency) of the PNG is used
|
|
to determine the actual shape of the picture (otherwise you'll stamp
|
|
a large rectangle on your drawings).
|
|
|
|
The PNGs can be any size, but in practice, a 100 pixels wide by
|
|
100 pixels tall (100 x 100) is quite large for Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
Note: If your new stamps all have solid rectangular-shaped outlines
|
|
of a solid color (e.g., white or black), it's because you forgot to
|
|
use alpha transparency! See the documentation file "PNG.txt" for
|
|
more information and tips.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Description Text
|
|
|
|
Text (".TXT") files with the same name as the PNG. (e.g.,
|
|
"picture.png"'s description is stored in "picture.txt" in the same
|
|
directory.)
|
|
|
|
The first line of the text file will be used as the US English
|
|
description of the stamp's image. It must be encoded in UTF-8.
|
|
|
|
Language Support
|
|
|
|
Additional lines can be added to the text file to provide
|
|
translations of the description, to be displayed when Tux Paint is
|
|
running in a different locale (like French or Spanish).
|
|
|
|
The beginning of the line should correspond to the language code
|
|
of the language in question (e.g., "fr" for French, and "zh_tw"
|
|
for Traditional Chinese), followed by ".utf8=" and the translated
|
|
description (encoded in UTF-8).
|
|
|
|
There are scripts in the "po" directory for converting the text
|
|
files to PO format (and back) for easy translation to different
|
|
languages. Therefore you should never add or change translations
|
|
in the .txt files directly.
|
|
|
|
If no translation is available for the language Tux Paint is
|
|
currently running in, the US English text is used.
|
|
|
|
Windows Users
|
|
|
|
Use NotePad or WordPad to edit/create these files. Be sure to save
|
|
them as Plain Text, and make sure they have ".txt" at the end of
|
|
the filename...
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Sound Effects
|
|
|
|
WAVE (".WAV") files with the same name as the PNG. (e.g.,
|
|
"picture.png"'s sound effect is the sound "picture.wav" in the same
|
|
directory.)
|
|
|
|
Language Support
|
|
|
|
For sounds for different locales (e.g., if the sound is someone
|
|
saying a word, and you want translated versions of the word said),
|
|
also create WAV files with the locale's label in the filename, in
|
|
the form: "STAMP_LOCALE.wav"
|
|
|
|
"picture.png"'s sound effect, when Tux Paint is run in Spanish
|
|
mode, would be "picture_es.wav". In French mode, "picture_fr.wav".
|
|
And so on...
|
|
|
|
If no localized sound effect can be loaded, Tux Paint will attempt
|
|
to load the 'default' sound file. (e.g., "picture.wav")
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Stamp Options
|
|
|
|
Aside from a graphical shape, a textual description, and a sound
|
|
effect, stamps can also be given other attributes. To do this, you
|
|
need to create a 'data file' for the stamp.
|
|
|
|
A stamp data file is simply a text file containing the options.
|
|
|
|
The file has the same name as the PNG image, but a ".dat" extension.
|
|
(e.g., "picture.png"'s data file is the text file "picture.dat" in
|
|
the same directory.)
|
|
|
|
Colored Stamps
|
|
|
|
Stamps can be made to be either "colorable" or "tintable."
|
|
|
|
Colorable
|
|
|
|
"Colorable" stamps they work much like brushes - you pick the
|
|
stamp to get the shape, and then pick the color you want it to
|
|
be. (Symbol stamps, like the mathematical and musical ones, are
|
|
an example.)
|
|
|
|
Nothing about the original image is used except the transparency
|
|
("alpha" channel). The color of the stamp comes out solid.
|
|
|
|
Add the word "colorable" to the stamp's data file.
|
|
|
|
Tinted
|
|
|
|
"Tinted" stamps are similar to "colorable" ones, except the
|
|
details of the original image are kept. (To put it technically,
|
|
the original image is used, but its hue is changed, based on the
|
|
currently-selected color.)
|
|
|
|
Add the word "tintable" to the stamp's data file.
|
|
|
|
Sometimes you don't want the white or gray parts of an image
|
|
tinted (see for example the dry erase marker stamp in the
|
|
default stamp package). You can add the word "notintgray" to the
|
|
stamp's data file to accomplish this. Only areas with saturation
|
|
over 25 % are then tinted.
|
|
|
|
Unalterable Stamps
|
|
|
|
By default, a stamp can be flipped upside down, shown as a mirror
|
|
image, or both. This is done using the control buttons below the
|
|
stamp selector, at the lower right side of the screen in
|
|
Tux Paint.
|
|
|
|
Sometimes, it doesn't make sense for a stamp to be flippable or
|
|
mirrored; for example, stamps of letters or numbers. Sometimes
|
|
stamps are symmetrical, so letting the user flip or mirror them
|
|
isn't useful.
|
|
|
|
To make a stamp un-flippable, add the option "noflip" to the
|
|
stamp's data file.
|
|
|
|
To keep a stamp from being mirrored, add the option "nomirror" to
|
|
the stamp's data file.
|
|
|
|
Initial Stamp Size
|
|
|
|
By default, Tux Paint assumes that your stamp is sized
|
|
appropriately for unscaled display on a 608x472 canvas. This is
|
|
the original Tux Paint canvas size, provided by a 640x480 screen.
|
|
Tux Paint will then adjust the stamp according to the current
|
|
canvas size and, if enabled, the user's stamp size controls.
|
|
|
|
If your stamp would be too big or too small, you can specify a
|
|
scale factor. If your stamp would be 2.5 times as wide (or tall)
|
|
as it should be, add the option "scale 40%" or "scale 5/2" or
|
|
"scale 2.5" or "scale 2:5" to your image. You may include an "="
|
|
if you wish, as in "scale=40%".
|
|
|
|
Windows Users
|
|
|
|
You can use NotePad or WordPad to create these file. Be sure to
|
|
save it as Plain Text, and make sure the filename has ".dat" at
|
|
the end, and not ".txt"...
|
|
|
|
Pre-Mirrored Images
|
|
|
|
In some cases, you may wish to provide a pre-drawn version of a
|
|
stamp's mirror-image. For example, imagine a picture of a fire truck
|
|
with the words "Fire Department" written across the side. You
|
|
probably do not want that text to appear backwards when the image is
|
|
flipped!
|
|
|
|
To create a mirrored version of a stamp that you want Tux Paint to
|
|
use, rather than mirroring one on its own, simply create a second
|
|
".png" graphics file with the same name, except with the string
|
|
"_mirror" before the filename extension.
|
|
|
|
For example, for the stamp "truck.png" you would create another file
|
|
named "truck_mirror.png", which will be used when the stamp is
|
|
mirrored (rather than using a backwards version of 'truck.png').
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Fonts
|
|
|
|
The fonts used by Tux Paint are TrueType Fonts (TTF).
|
|
|
|
Simply place them in the "fonts" directory. Tux Paint will load the
|
|
font and provide four different sizes in the 'Letters' selector when
|
|
using the 'Text' tool.
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
'Starters'
|
|
|
|
'Starter' images appear in the 'Open' dialog, along with pictures
|
|
you've created. They have a green button background, instead of blue.
|
|
|
|
Unlike your saved pictures, however, when you select and open a
|
|
'starter,' you're actually creating a new drawing. Instead of being
|
|
blank, though, the new drawing contains the contents of the 'starter.'
|
|
Additionally, as you edit your new picture, the contents of the
|
|
original 'starter' affect it.
|
|
|
|
Coloring-Book Style
|
|
|
|
The most basic kind of 'starter' is similar to a picture in a
|
|
coloring book. It's an outline of a shape which you can then color
|
|
in and add details to. In Tux Paint, as you draw, type text, or
|
|
stamp stamps, the outline remains 'above' what you draw. You can
|
|
erase the parts of the drawing you made, but you can't erase the
|
|
outline.
|
|
|
|
To create this kind of 'starter' image, simply draw an outlined
|
|
picture in a paint program, make the rest of the graphic transparent
|
|
(that will come out as white in Tux Paint), and save it as a PNG
|
|
format file.
|
|
|
|
Scene-Style
|
|
|
|
Along with the 'coloring-book' style overlay, you can also provide a
|
|
separate background image as part of a 'starter' picture. The
|
|
overlay acts the same: it can't be drawn over, erased, or affected
|
|
by 'Magic' tools. However, the background can be!
|
|
|
|
When the 'Eraser' tool is used on a picture based on this kind of
|
|
'starter' image, rather than turning the canvas white, it returns
|
|
that part of the canvas to the original background picture.
|
|
|
|
By creating both an overlay and a background, you can create a
|
|
'starter' which simulates depth. Imagine a background that shows the
|
|
ocean, and an overlay that's a picture of a reef. You can then draw
|
|
(or stamp) fish in the picture. They'll appear in the ocean, but
|
|
never 'in front of' the reef.
|
|
|
|
To create this kind of 'starter' picture, simply create an overlay
|
|
(with alpha transparency) as described above, and save it as a PNG.
|
|
Then create another image (without transparency), and save it with
|
|
the same filename, but with "-back" appended to the name. (e.g.,
|
|
"reef-back.png" would be the background ocean picture that
|
|
corresponds to the "reef.png" overlay, or foreground.)
|
|
|
|
The 'starter' images should be the same size as Tux Paint's canvas. In
|
|
the default 640x480 mode, that is 448x376 pixels. If you're using
|
|
800x600 mode, it should be 608x496. (It should be 192 pixels less
|
|
wide, and 104 pixels less tall than the resolution.)
|
|
|
|
Place them in the "starters" directory. When the 'Open' dialog is
|
|
accessed in Tux Paint, the 'starter' images will appear at the
|
|
beginning of the list with a green background.
|
|
|
|
Note: 'Starters' can't be saved over from within Tux Paint, since
|
|
loading a 'starter' is really like creating a new image. (Instead of
|
|
being blank, though there's already something there to work with.) The
|
|
'Save' command simply creates a new picture, like it would if the
|
|
'New' command had been used.
|
|
|
|
Note: 'Starters' are 'attached' to saved pictures, via a small text
|
|
file that has the same name as the saved file, but with ".dat" as the
|
|
extension. This allows the overlay and background, if any, to continue
|
|
to affect the drawing even after Tux Paint has been quit, or another
|
|
picture loaded or started. (In other words, if you base a drawing on a
|
|
'starter' image, it will always be affected by it.)
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Further Reading
|
|
|
|
Other documentation included with Tux Paint (in the "docs"
|
|
folder/directory) include:
|
|
|
|
* AUTHORS.txt
|
|
List of authors and contributors
|
|
* CHANGES.txt
|
|
Summary of changed between releases
|
|
* COPYING.txt
|
|
Copying license (The GNU General Public License)
|
|
* INSTALL.txt
|
|
Instructions for compiling/installing, when applicable
|
|
* OPTIONS.html
|
|
Detailed instructions on command-line and configuration-file
|
|
options, for those who don't want to use Tux Paint Config.
|
|
* PNG.txt
|
|
Notes on creating PNG format images for use in Tux Paint
|
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
How to Get Help
|
|
|
|
If you need help, feel free to contact New Breed Software:
|
|
|
|
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/
|
|
|
|
You may also wish to participate in the numerous Tux Paint mailing
|
|
lists:
|
|
|
|
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/lists/
|
|
|
|
|
|
$Id$
|