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MacAttack II:

The Wrath of Macintosh

MacAttack II+ (V1.3) will allow conversion of MacPaint data files to geoPaint format as well as geoPaint to MacPaint format running under GEOS 64 or GEOS 128, in either 40 or 80 column mode.

Operation is simple: merely decide which conversion you wish to run and select from the Convert menu.

Selecting MACPAINT TO GEOPAINT opens a submenu with two choices: MacPaint (C=M) and Options.

Selecting MACPAINT will open a special file handling dialog box to allow you to select the file to convert. You may choose any of up to 250 of the first 250 NON_GEOS files on the currently open disk.

You may select the proper file in several ways: Use the scrolling icons (when there are more than seven files) to move along the list of names. The CURSOR UP/DOWN keys may also be used to move the file list up or down one name, the CURSOR LEFT/RIGHT keys to scroll the file list up or down a 'page' of seven names, the T/B keys to jump to the top or bottom of the file list, the INST (Insert/shift-DEL) key to select the first 250 file names, and the CLR (Clear/shift-HOME) key to deselect all file names.

You may start file conversions by clicking the OPEN icon or by hitting the RETURN key after the files have been highlighted.

Selecting OPTIONS will generate a new submenu with four choices:

COLOR: You will be presented with a series of two dialog boxes which will allow you to determine the foreground and background colors for the resulting geoPaint file. The choices remain in effect until changed manually.

The default state is BLACK on WHITE.

NOTE: The next three submenu choices toggle between two states. They operate in the same manner as the geoPaint color mode switch. In other words, the text in the menu describes the state that you will be toggling to, NOT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SWITCH!

DELETE ORIGINAL: You may decide to automatically delete the original MacPaint data file from the source disk.

The default state is to KEEP ORIGINAL.

PICTURE: LEFT: You may decide that you want to converted MacPaint image to be forced to the very left hand edge of the geoPaint file. Since a MacPaint file is narrower than a geoPaint file, you have this option for image placement.

The default state is to PICTURE: CENTER.

No MacBinary: When a Macintosh transfers a MacPaint file via modem, the terminal emulator will execute the equivalent of the GEOS 'CONVERT' and add a 128 byte MacBinary data header to the resulting file. If the file was transferred directly from a Macintosh system, this header will exist and must be taken into account.

Many MS-DOS programs can use and/or generate MacPaint formatted files, but have no need for the MacBinary header (a Macintosh only structure). If you are importing one of these files, you will not need to skip the 128 MacBinary header.

Virtually all files you encounter WILL have the MacBinary header attatched.

The default state skips the 128 byte MacBinary header.

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Selecting GEOPAINT TO MACPAINT opens a submenu with two choices: GeoPaint (C=G) and Options.

Selecting GEOPAINT will open a special file handling dialog box to allow you to select the file to convert. You may choose any of up to 250 of the first 250 APPL_DATA (filtered for geoPaint) files on the currently open disk.

All of the file selection features of the MacPaint to geoPaint section apply here as well.

Selecting OPTIONS will generate a new submenu with two choices.

STARTING COLUMN: You may wish to select a new starting column for the read of the geoPaint file.

Since MacPaint files are only 72 bytes (cards) wide, as opposed to a geoPaint's 80 byte width, you must decide what column you wish to start reading the geoPaint data from.

All images are read in byte sized segments, so you have the option to start reading anywhere from column zero through column eight.

The default starting COLUMN is 0.

The next submenu choice toggles between two states. It operates in the same manner as the geoPaint color mode switch. In other words, the text in the menu describes the state that you will be toggling to, NOT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SWITCH!

No MacBinary: If you are going to transfer your MacPaint files directly to a Macintosh computer via modem, you will need the complete MacBinary data header on the files.

Many MS-DOS programs are able to read MacPaint files directly, but do not need the MacBinary header on the file. Selecting No MacBinary will skip the addition of this data header.

Virtually all files you encounter WILL have the MacBinary header attatched.

The default state includes the 128 byte MacBinary header.

Also included under the FILE menu selection is QUIT (C=Q), INFORMATION (C=I), and access to upto eight desk accessories.

Thanks to Ed Flinn of CompuServe's CBMART forum for asking me to release this version.

Joe Buckley

464 Beale St.

W. Quincy, MA 02169-1307

71570,2600 (CompuServe; GEOS Section Leader, CBMPRG)