Drawing Fun

Sketch in nine colors

By ELRHEA M. BIGHAM

SYNOPSIS
Drawing Fun is a joystick drawing program that uses Graphics 10, a nine-color medium-resolution GTIA mode.  The program requires Basic and a joystick, and can use disk or cassette for storage.  It runs on all Atari computers manufactured after Jan. 1982.  The fill feature works somewhat differently with XL computers (sometimes fills left and right instead of right only).  If this proves to be a problem, use Translator.  Antic Disk Subscribers:  RUN "D:DRAWFUN.BAS"

This Graphics 10 drawing program requires that your computer have  the GTIA chip, which is likely if you purchased it after Jan. 1982.  If you're in doubt, type in and RUN the following:

10 GRAPHICS 10
20 GOTO 20

If the screen turns black, you have the GTIA chip.  If the screen stays blue, you must have one installed by a service representative to use this program.
   Type in the program and SAVE a couple of copies for backup.  Check it with TYPO, make any necessary corrections, plug in a joystick, and RUN it.
   When the program starts, a screen of instructions appears.  You can return to this screen at any time by pressing [CLEAR], but this also erases your  picture.  Press any key to start drawing.  You can change the current drawing color by pressing the joystick button.  Activate other commands with the following keys:
   [I] - moves the Cursor without drawing.  Press the joystick fire button to start drawing again.
   [CLEAR] - erases the screen and returns to the menu of instructions.
   [E] makes cursor an eraser.  Press the fire button to return to drawing mode.
   [TAB] - creates a special effect by rotating all eight colors through the Atari's color registers, something like a circular bucket brigade.  Press [TAB] again to stop the effect and return all colors to their original state.
   [C] - when you press this, the computer will automatically continue all moves you initiate with the joy-stick drawing is continuous.  Press [C] again to stop the automatic drawing.
   [F] - fills to the right.  This function fills one line at a time to the right of the cursor.  This works only over the background color (black).  Press [F] again to turn the fill off.
   [S] - save a drawing.  First you're prompted for a file name.  If you're using a disk, type in the full name, including "D1:".  The program appends the extender ".PIC." If you just press [RETURN], the program displays the current disk directory. (cassette users, type C:, then press [RETURN].
   [L] - load a saved drawing.  This works similarly to Save, above.  You needn't type in the .PIC extender when loading a file.
   NOTE: When you enter the Save or Load section, the current picture is erased.  You must reload it to continue working on it.  If you activate one of these, but decide not to use it, type in at least two characters, beginning with a number.  You'll be returned to the screen of instructions.

Listing: DRAWFUN.BAS Download