==============================================================================
                         Makoto - Cute Image Viewer
                            1997  Dirk Krumbholz
                                   V 0.96
==============================================================================

Makoto is a fast image decoder for RiscOS 3.5. She was especially designed to
handle graphic formats often used to encode Anime pictures. She is also
capable of displaying animated/multiple image formats.

Her features are:
- Hand-written ARMcode for ultra fast image decompression
- Decoding while multitasking
- Interlace fading
- Much faster than ChangeFSI (even with disabled dithering)
- Lossless decompression
- Low memory requirement


Quickstart
----------
Makoto looks best in high or true color screen modes. Of course all the normal
things will work, i.e. to load a picture simply double click it or drag it to
the icon bar...

Data or DOS files can be identified on the fly. Makoto will filetype them, if
this option is enabled. On the other hand correctly typed files will be
checked for valid header information. If this check fails, the file will be
detyped i.e. it becomes a data file.

While she is decoding a picture, you can do whatever you like, except loading
another picture (there's no multithreading). Closing the window will abort the
loading process.

The zoombox lets you to zoom in and out, the info window provides information
about both the source and the created sprite. Makoto will fill in the fields
during the decoding process.

After the decoding is finished, you can save the created sprite. If Makoto
founds more than one image in the file, she will display an animated sequence.
ECC Animations are handled somewhat different.

You can load the next picture with a select click, or the previous picture
with an adjust click. These are relative to the directory where the loaded
picture is located.

Well, that's all.



The Info Window
---------------
Note: You can make the info window permanent by clicking on the info item
      instead of following the sub-menu pointer.
      
The fields in detail:
Name    - The filename
Type    - The type of the source, e.g. GIF
Frames  - The number of images found in the file. If there's only one, this
          box will stay empty. Brackets around this number indicate the
          compilation has failed due to memory shortage.
          
          'Running' means animating is done on the fly to save memory.
          'Stopped' means a running animation has ended, maybe normally.

Bytes   - The size of the source
BPP     - The color resolution of the source
Width   - The x-resolution of the image
Height  - The y-resolution ot the image
Bytes   - This time it's the size of the created sprite. It shows you how much
          disc space is needed, if you wish to save it.
BPP     - The color resolution of the sprite. 1 bpp refers to mode 25, 4 bpp
          to mode 27, 8 bpp to mode 28,..
Time    - This is the time that Makoto used to decode the picture. The multi-
          tasking will affect this value. So if you put some load on your
          machine, Makoto can become much slower.
          
          'Aborted' means the decoding ended due to an unexpected end of file.


Full Screen Display
-------------------
If you choose full screen from the main menu, Makoto enters fullscreen mode.
A suitable mode is choosen to display the picture. You can return by pressing
either ESC or F12 or a menu click.

The F1 key will invoke a small infobox showing the filename of the current
picture. Press F1 again to make it disappear.

In this mode <space> and <backspace> will also select the next and previous
picture.

Note: This mode is fully multitasking. If you are running a hotkey module task
that affects window control (e.g Cool Switch) don't invoke it in full screen
mode. The Wimp will not like that.


Slideshow Mode
--------------
If you try loading a directory, an archive or a filer selection, Makoto enters
the real slideshow mode. A demon is invoked which will either randomly select
pictures to be loaded, or load all pictures in sequence. You have to explicity
terminate the random mode by closing the display window.

The demon will travese all directories and imagefiles in depth-first order.
Files have to be typed correctly or they will be ignored. Autotyping is only
applied to filer selections.

A select click will select the next, an adjust click the previous picture.
The backward advance doesn't work in random mode for obvious reason. Again
this mode is fully multitasking, Makoto is still operational.

Note: Chance has no memory. So it is absolutly possible to see the same
picture four or more times behind each other.


The Choices Window
------------------
The window handling options define how Makoto will react when loading a file.
Tick them all to get ChangeFSI feeling.

Fullscreen zoom allows Makoto to scale down pictures, so they will fit the
choosen screenmode, i.e. she will ignore your zoom settings in fullscreen
mode and select her own.
          
Automatic filetyping is for Data/DOS files when they were successfully
recognised. This includes the automatic de-typing. Automatic filetyping is
only applied to files dragged from a filer window.



The image formats
-----------------
Makoto can understand the following image formats (in alphabetical order).
______________________________________________________________________________
ECC     Origin          unknown
        Colors          4 bpp palette
        Compression     yes
        Recognition     filetype &0c5
                        'ECCH'
Makoto tries to compile an animation sequence. If this fails (e.g due to
memory shortage) you still get an animation, but you will not be able to
save the whole sequence. Some animations require a large chunk of memory.
______________________________________________________________________________
GIF     Origin          Graphics Interchange Format
                        devised by and copyright of Compuserve Incorporated
        Colors          1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 bpp palette
        Compression     12-bit LZW
        Recognition     filetype &695
                        'GIF87a' or 'GIF89a'
Multiple images in a file are displayed animated. Interlaced pictures will be
faded in. GIF89a extensions are supported.
______________________________________________________________________________
JPEG    Origin          JPEG File Interchange Format
        Colors          8 bpp grey, 24 bpp true color
        Compression     Discrete cosine compression
        Recognition     filetype &c85
                        'JFIF'
Large files may require a huge chunk of memory. Progressive JPEGs are not
recognised unless a new version of the RiscOS JPEG module will handle them.
______________________________________________________________________________
MAG     Origin          developed on MAKI-chan NET
        Colors          4 bpp palette
        Compression     yes
        Recognition     filetype &0c4
                        'MAKI'
______________________________________________________________________________
PIC     Origin          developed by Yanagisawa Akira
        Colors          cached
        Compression     Outline
        Recognition     filetype &0c6
                        'PIC'
Remember, there are lots of files ending with .pic. But they sure aren't in
this format.
______________________________________________________________________________
PNG     Origin          Portable Network Graphics format
        Colors          1,2,4,8 bpp palette
                        24 bpp true color
        Compression     Deflate
        Recognition     filetype &b60
                        'PNG'
Only 4/8 bpp Palette and critical chunks are currently supported, but this
will change in future.
______________________________________________________________________________
Sprite  Origin          Acorn defined native image format
        Colors          1,2,4,8 bpp palette
                        15,24 bpp true color
        Compression     no
        Recognition     filetype &ff9
                        control block verification
Multiple images in a file are displayed animated. To work correctly all
sprites must have the same mode and resolution. Sprites with masks are
rejected. If the sprite is named '...delay...' then the string after delay
will be interpreted as an decimal number that specifies the time difference
to the next sprite in centiseconds.
_____________________________________________________________________________




Legal Notice
------------
This application is FREEWARE. The author retains copyright.
All the normal conventions and restrictions apply.

You may copy this application freely provided that the whole application
remains unaltered. You may not sell this application without permission from
the author. You may not distribute this application on any CD-ROM whithout
permission from the author.

This software is supplied 'as is'. No responsibility can be taken for any 
failure of the program, or any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly,
or not caused, by the software.

This application uses the WimpExtension module from Jon Ribbens of DoggySoft.
Try '*help wimpextension' for details.

The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of CompuServe
Incorporated. GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of CompuServe Incorporated.



Contacting me
-------------
Support is provided via e-mail.

You like Makoto? You have an idea for further improvement?
You have graphic files that won't work? You have a question? 

You can reach me at this adress:

e-mail: krumbh00@marvin.informatik.uni-dortmund.de



Other Products
--------------
For all Anime Otakus out there. Here is what you are desperatly looking for.

!RiscKiSS - Kisekae Set System
            The interactive 2 dimensional graphic format now ready to run
            on RiscOS with support for French KiSS animations.

!Mink     - Cute Startup Banner
            Get cheered up by Mink when booting your machine.

More to come...
