How to use CharacterShop

Introduction

1.       Canvas:CharacterShop canvas which you can draw ASCII Art on it.The default size is 40*60(Rows*Columns).You can change the size

by “File->New”.The Max size was supported is 80*128 (Rows*Columns).

2.       Frame Panel:Display thumbnails of frames.You can play or pause(stop) the animation as well as add or delete a frame.

3.       CharacterPicker: The character that you selected in here ,While the “Auto draw” button is not pressed,will be use when you draw.

4.       Color Picker:Select a color for you target ,which you select it in combo list, then press the “set” button.The target color will be change.

When the target content is “Font color” or “background”,it will be reflected in the top-left corner of canvas.

5.       Additional Tools:It will be describe in section “Additional Tools”.

6.       Control:Control the frames(animation) and zoom in or zoom out canvas.

7.       Base Tools: :It will be describe in section “Base Tools”.

Base Tools

1.  Default cursor:It do nothing.

2.  Select tool:Select and move a region.There are two modes to select,left click the black arrow to change it.

Select No BK:Select and move a region transparentize it background.

SelectBK: Select and move a region with it background.

3.       Type tool:type a character from key board;

4.       Freehand tool:Draw by the character that you selected(Custom draw) or by auto characters(if “Auto Draw” button is pressed).

When Custom draw there are ten modes to select(width 1-width 10).

5.       Erase tool:Erase content from canvas.The size of erase region is determined by the Freehand’s mode.

6.       Pick up tool:Pick up a character from canvas.

7.       Fill tool:Fill a closed region by the character that you selected.

8.       Line tool:Draw a character line by the character that you selected or by auto characters(if “Auto Draw” button is pressed).

The width of the line is determined by the Freehand’s mode.

9.       Curve tool:Draw a character curve by the character that you selected or by auto characters(if “Auto Draw” button is pressed).

The width of the curve is determined by the Freehand’s mode.

10.    Rectangle tool:Draw a character rectangle by the character that you selected or by auto characters(if “Auto Draw” button is pressed).

The width of the rectangle is determined by the Freehand’s mode.

11.    Ellipse tool:Draw a character ellipse by the character that you selected or by auto characters(if “Auto Draw” button is pressed).

The width of the ellipse is determined by the Freehand’s mode.

Additional Tools

1.       Seting:Set the Animation interval and whether play it repeatedly as well as undo redo  steps.

 2.       Image convert:

Main feature

1)      Open a image(format:.bmp,.jep,.gif,.png) convert it to text mode(colored or gray scale).

2)      Character set select:Select which character will be used when convert or select “Auto”,the CharacterShop will do it automatically.

When you select “Custom character” it will be disabled.

3)      Image adjust:You can adjust the image’s brightness,contrast,and saturation before you convert it.

Result like this:

3.       FigFont :Import FigFonts to you canvas.(All Fonts is collected from internet the copyright is belongs to the author)

4.       Symbol Lib: Import Symbols to you canvas.(All ASCII ART Symbols is collected from internet the copyright is belongs to the author)

PS:If you want to add you own ASCII ART Symbol to the Library.You need select a type for you symbol(it was find as a sub folder of “Slib”,If

there was not such a directory you may create it ).Then create a text file in this directory and name it with your symbol name, finally copy your

symbol to this text file.