
The  following  doc file was typed for your convenience  by  Sewer 
Rat.  For  a more comprehensive guide,  see the accompanying  145K 
Degas Elite manual also on this disk (Sewer Doc Disk Number 10).


                DEGAS ELITE QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE


MOUSE BUTTONS :
 
Right :  Toggle between selected work (drawing) screen and menu.

Left  : - Select menu item.
        - Double-click : Enter  set item dialog. Start draw, fill, 
                         circle, etc.
        - Second click : Set geometric form when defined

ALT+Left button :  Start block distort function after corners have 
         been moved.  Enter magnification mode after function  key 
         is pressed to select.


KEYS

ESC  : Select  crosshairs for block definition  ;  clears  current 
       block once you start to redefine a new block. Also used  to
       clear  a GEM item selector line or the current screen  name 
       line.  If block  is grabbed,  automatically  toggles  block 
       mode.

SHIFT+ESC : Sets   block   mode  to   polygon  block  rather  than 
       rectangular block.

RETURN : Set  (establish) block at current location.  Connect last 
       point drawn in polygon with first point.

UNDO : Stop  block rotation, skew, distort, undo last draw, return 
       picture to previous state, erase last block set,  terminate
       screen dump to printer.

HELP : Allows you to see the names of your workscreens, enter  new
       names or change existing names.


ARROW KEYS

Block  defined and block mode selected :  Flip block in  indicated 
direction.

Draw mode : Up/down cycle through colour choices, one colour right 
(up)  or  left (down) at a time.  Right/left cycle  through  brush 
choices in that direction, one at a time. Toggles draw mode.

Magnify mode : Move area under magnification in that direction.


FUNCTION KEYS : Enter magnification mode.

F1  : 3  times magnification
F2  : 4  times
F3  : 5  times
F4  : 6  times
F5  : 7  times
F6  : 8  times
F7  : 9  times
F8  : 10 times
F9  : 11 times
F10 : 12 times

Use the left mouse button to enter the magnified drawing screen.


ALT  :  When selecting/defining a block area,  this  toggles  Move 
block instead of copy.  When held down while defining a circle, it 
ensures the circle is 'perfect' rather than an ellipse when drawn. 
When held down while defining a box,  it creates rounded  corners, 
rather than square corners.

ALT : When changing or defining colours in the menu screen, if you 
click on a colour to change, then position the cursor over another 
colour,  hold the ALT key, then press the left mouse button. Degas 
Elite will make all colour between those two an intermediate shade 
between them.  ALT is also required with the left mouse button  to 
implement the distort feature.

ALT  :  If  held  down in block  stretch,  only  permits  vertical 
stretching.

ALT  :  If held down while loading the program,  it allows you  to 
select  how  many workscreens to assign.  If not  held  down,  the 
maximum available is assigned,  given the memory configuration and 
the desk accessories. Fewer screens allow more fonts to be loaded.

ALT  :  If  held  down while clicking on a box in  the  main  menu 
screen, it opens the feature's dialog box instead.

ALT+ARROWS  :  Moves the cursor one 'unit' in direction  of  arrow 
key, i.e. simulates mouse movement.

ALT+SHIFT+ARROWS  :  Moves cursor one pixel in direction of  arrow 
key, i.e. as above, but allows greater accuracy and control.

BACKSPACE and DELETE :  In text mode,  these erase the letters  to 
the left and right of the cursor respectively.  Also used to  edit 
the screen names.

CONTROL :  When filling an area,  holding CONTROL before  pressing 
the left mouse button fills the area with a solid,  rather than  a 
pattern.  Also,  when drawing a box,  polygon or a  disc,  Control 
fills the shape with a solid rather than a pattern.

CONTROL :  When held down in block stretch, it preserves the shape 
and 'scales' the block.

SHIFT :  When held down while defining a disc,  box or polygon  in 
pattern  mode,  it  adds an outline of the selected colour to  the 
shape. May also be used with Control and Alt keys.

SHIFT  :  When  held  down  in  block  stretch,  it  only  permits 
horizontal stretching.

NUMBERS  :  1  to 8 - jump to the workscreen of  that  number,  if 
available.

NUMBER 0 : Return to the main menu screen

TAB :  Toggle animation on/off (first the colour group must be set 
in the main menu screen).

+/- :  In magnify mode,  move magnification level up or down  one, 
respectively.


KEYBOARD COMMAND CHOICES :
(Remember that many of these toggle other modifiers)


A : Select airbrush
B : Toggle block or brush mode
C : Select circle
D : Select draw
E : Select eraser
F : Select frame
G : Select polygon
H : Select shadow
I : Select disk
J : Not Used
K : Select K-Line
L : Select line
M : Select mirror
N : Toggle snap on/off
O : Select outline
P : Select point
Q : Not Used
R : Select rays
S : Select stipple
T : Select text
U : Not used
V : Not used
W : Select slowdraw
X : Select box
Y : Not used
Z : Select fill


CONTROL + KEY

Control+C   : Toggle change mode
Control+I   : Toggle animation
Control+M   : Select smear mode
Control+N   : Select normal mode
Control+P   : Select pattern mode
Control+S   : Select solid mode
Control+Y   : Select colour cycle mode
Control+ESC : Enter selected drawing screen
 

FEATURE :     MODE :      WORKS WITH :

Brush         Solid or    Eraser,  Draw,  Point, Stipple, Line, K-
              pattern     Line, Polygon, Rays, Circle, Frame, Slow
                          Draw, Snap, Cycle, Smear, Change

Block         Solid only  Eraser,  Draw,  Point, Stipple, Line, K-
                          Line,  Rays,  Circle,  Frame,  Slowdraw, 
                          Snap

Cycle *       Solid       Stipple,  Line,  K-Line,  Rays,  Circle, 
                          Frame,  Outline, Airbrush, Mirror, Snap, 
                          Slowdraw,  Draw,  Point,  Polygon, Disc, 
                          Box

              Pattern     Draw ,  Point,  Stipple,  Line,  K-Line, 
                          Polygon, Rays, Circle, Disc, Frame, Box,
                          Airbrush, Mirror, Shadow, Slowdraw, Snap

Change *      Solid or    Draw,   Point,  Stipple,  Line,  K-Line, 
              pattern     Circle, Frame, Airbrush, Mirror, Shadow,
                          Slowdraw, Snap

Smear         Solid or    Draw,   Point,  Stipple,  Line,  K-Line, 
              pattern     Circle, Frame, Airbrush, Mirror, Shadow,
                          Slowdraw, Snap

*  Cycle,  change,  animation and colour fills do not function  in 
monochrome.


Solid  and  pattern  have two  different  meanings.  With  drawing 
features  such as lines,  circles and stipple,  solid means  solid 
colour  and pattern means the pattern showing in the pattern  box. 
With mono fills and such objects as disc and box,  however,  solid 
means  that  the fill overpaints everything below it  and  pattern 
means that the pattern below shows through.


DEGAS ELITE FILENAME EXTENDERS :

.PI1 : low resolution picture
.PC1 : low resolution compressed picture
.PI2 : medium resolution picture
.PC2 : medium resolution compressed picture
.PI3 : high resolution
.PC3 : high resolution compressed picture
.BL1 : low resolution block
.BL2 : medium resolution block
.BL3 : high resolution block
.BRU : brush shape file
.FIL : mono fill pattern file
.FI1 : colour fill pattern, low-res
.FI2 : colour fill pattern, medium-res
.ICN : icon file
.PRT : printer driver file
.PIC : Koala pad (8-bit) picture
.IFF : IFF (Amiga) format picture
.NEO : Neochrome format picture

Note : ALT represents the ALTERNATE key.



Well, that concludes the quick reference guide to Degas Elite. For 
those of you requiring an extensive manual,  see the  accompanying 
145K Degas Elite manual on this disk.
 
        

     

