@DATABASE akGIF_Documentation
@WIDTH 80

##
## For reading this file you may use :
##
##  Program-Name    available at
##
##  - AmigaGuide    (various Packages)
##  - MultiView     (Workbench)
##  - PowerGuide    (Aminet CDs)
##

@NODE MAIN "akGIF : Documentation"

                         akGIF.datatype V45.73

                             - DONATION WARE -

         © 2004-2007 by Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Kleinert. All rights reserved.

          Needs Kickstart V3.1 (NOT 3.0) & SetPatch 43.x & Pic-Dt 43.x

                     Release Date : 05.08.2007



                                @{"Copyright"           LINK Copyright}
                               @{"Disclaimer"           LINK Disclaimer}
                              @{"Distribution"          LINK Distribution}
                            @{"Usage and Notes"         LINK Usage}
                                 @{"Prefs"              LINK Prefs}
                            @{"Correspondence"          LINK Correspondence}
                            @{"Version-History"         LINK History}

@ENDNODE

@NODE "Copyright"

The akGIF.datatype in this version and its documentation files are
(C)opyright 2004-2007 by Andreas R. Kleinert. All rights reserved.

akDT_Installer by Robert C. Reiswig ©1996-1998.
If you wish to use any part of this installer you must ask. May not be
integrated/placed into any other package!

The patch files were created using the scompare SAS Binary File
Compare Program V6.50 which is copyright © 1992-1993 SAS Institute,
Inc. The spatch SAS Binary File Patcher V6.50 is copyright © 1992
SAS Institute, Inc.

Some of the mentioned names or products within this or other
documents may be copyrighted by companies or trademarks of companies
or persons.

Should any of the listed terms and clauses within this document not be
valid in conjunction with the law of certain countries this does not
affect the validity of the other clauses.

@ENDNODE

@NODE "Disclaimer"

The author takes no responsibility for any results of the use of this
program.
This software is provided "AS IS" and there is no warranty of any kind,
so that you use this software at your own risk.

The author reserves the right to discontinue development of the program.

@ENDNODE

@NODE "Distribution"

The akGIF.datatype in this version is freely distributable (DONATION WARE).
You may copy it, if the copyright notice is left intact and
all of its parts are included in the distribution.

This program may only be included in commercial packages or commercial
program collections with my written permission - ask for it.

This program may be put on public domain disks or included in public
domain disk libraries - when being distributed that way, it is allowed
to take a nominal fee including the costs for copying, without considering
that as "commercial" in the above mentioned sense.

This program may also be distributed via electronic mail and may be
put into mailboxes as long as the redistribution conditions are
respected in all points.

By using or distributing this program you automatically agree to
all of the above conditions and terms.

@ENDNODE

@NODE Usage "Usage and so on"

 Installation and Usage
 ----------------------
 Just install the datatype files to their appropriate directories,
 and copy the akGIFPrefs command to SYS:Prefs/Datatypes (optionally).

@ENDNODE

@NODE "Correspondence"

  ** General WWW Site is http://www.ar-kleinert.de **
   _________________________________________________________
  |      You may reach me the following way:                |
  |---------------------------------------------------------|
  |                  Dipl.-Ing.                             |
  |                  Andreas R. Kleinert                    |
  |                  Duesseldorfer Str. 114                 |
  |                  D-51063 Cologne                        |
  |                  Germany, Europe                        |
  |                                                         |
  |                  +49-221-2973442                        |
  |                  (also FAX + AM)                        |
  |                                                         |
  |                  Weekdays after 20.00h.                 |
  |                                                         |
  |         When calling via phone you may leave a message, |
  |         if I'm not available - but don't expect me      |
  |         calling back to USA, Australia, ... since       |
  |         german phone rates are HIGHLY expensive.        |
  |_________________________________________________________|

  EMail:

        Please ask before sending binaries!
        And please think twice before asking - my postbox
        is not unlimited in size.

           - Usenet
              >>>   info@ar-kleinert.de
                    Andreas_Kleinert@gmx.de

@ENDNODE

@NODE "Prefs"

  akGIFPrefs
  -----------
  akGIFPrefs is the Preferences Program for akGIF.datatype.

  GUI has been designed with StormWizard 2.0, so this program needs
  "wizard.library" V42+ (you can find a copy on Aminet under
  "biz/haage/WizardLibrary.lha" or even never versions under
  ftp.haage-partner.com).

  Icon by Bert Bosma <lmb@wxs.nl> (based on NewIcons).

  Task (process) specific settings also can be done - either using
  the preferences program (which allows to select the corresponding
  process from a list as long as it actually is running at the same
  time) or by hand, following the scheme below:

                           OPTIONAL
  ---------------- task specific settings files -----------------------
  Settings specific to different caller programs may be created
  by copying the global settings from "Datatypes/akGIF.prefs" to an
  optional task-related prefs file called

            "Datatypes/akGIF.prefs_Tasks/TaSkNaMe"

  where "TaSkNaMe" means the name of the program as e.g. shown by
  a system monitor (for obvious reasons, this does work best with
  workbench programs, which don't require name patterns as some
  CLI programs might do, like for example "CLI(3):Work:Browsers/XWebber").
  So, with AWeb for example, you would just edit your global settings
  file and then do the following:

    MakeDir ENV:Datatypes/akGIF.prefs_Tasks
    Copy ENV:Datatypes/akGIF.prefs ENV:Datatypes/akGIF.prefs_Tasks/AWebIP"

     [... and the same for ENVARC: ...]

  After that, AWeb will ignore the global settings and fetch its own
  from the given file.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------

  Undocumented options (not available via akGIFPrefs):

   - CUSTOM_MODES=0x....
   - NOASPECT
   - DEBUG

@ENDNODE

@NODE "History"

 History
 =======
 V45.73 (5.8.2007):   - fixed bogus memory allocation (non-pooled)
                        (-> Thomas Klein)

 V45.72 (5.8.2007):   - added missing icons for prefs items
                        (-> Thomas Klein)

 V45.71 (4.8.2007):   - significant speedup in displaying tiled
                        "true color" images using some caching
                      - more memory-related optimizations

 V45.70 (1.8.2007):   - 68k: removed all V40 legacy code
                      - 68k: will not run with pic-dt < V43 anymore
                      - 68k: previously, V43-code was not used prior V44

                      - MOS: reverted to faster compiler settings

                      - memory-related optimizations
                      - added prefs program
                      - added "custom modes" support
                      - added configuration options for tiled loading,
                        tile section and anim loading

 V45.66 (23.7.2007):  - 68k: also uses new screenmode functions now
                      - 68k: 030/040/060 versions linked (wrong)
                             math library (with no effect)
                      - now uses asyncio.library if available
                      - now dynamically adjusts read-ahead buffers
                        depending on available system memory

 V45.65 (22.7.2007):  - address change

                      - fully reworked GIF parser
                      - improved error handling,
                        robustness and stability
                      - now supports tiled images (**)
                      - now supports "truecolor" GIFs,
                        i.e. tiled images with
                        different (upto) 256 color
                        palettes now are loaded as
                        single 24 bit image (**)
                      - GIF animations are treated
                        exactly the same way (unless
                        tiles are turned off, you
                        always get the last animation
                        screen as resulting image) (**)
                      - now supports image disposal
                        flags (where it makes sense,
                        i.e. in the context of tiled
                        images)
                      - fixed at least one more depth-
                        related bug (uncritical)
                      - various optimizations
                      - consumes more memory now;
                        reason is that optimizing the
                        new decoding routines for memory
                        usage would in turn make it harder
                        to support V40 in parallel to V43;
                        under MOS however memory usage
                        is not such a problem

                      - MOS: now uses global pooling
                      - 68k: now uses V43 methods if available

                        (**) currently tile support cannot
                             be switched off and anim handling
                             is not yet configurable; this may change

                        (***) yet no RGBA support for 24 bit
                              tiled images (losing transparency)

 V45.62 (25.5.2007):  - memory allocation routine now adapts itself
                        better to system config (pool adjustment)
                      - optimized pool configuration in general

 V45.57 (13.1.2007):  - MOS dt version ID still was 45.49 (updated)
                      - removed old workaround, which always
                        increased a depth of 1 to a depth of 2
                      - do not set interleaved flag when allocating
                        bitmaps of depth 1
                      - tested under MOS resp. WinUAE

 V45.55 (26.11.2006): - updated installer
                      - minor fixes in .guide

 V45.49 (24.3.2006):  - speed-optimized 68k version

 V45.46 (18.2.2006):  - prepared for OM_GET and DTA_Methods

 V45.31 (29.1.2006):  - fixed spatch problem, finally

 V45.30 (16.1.2006):  - various minor fixes
                      - now DONATION WARE (see www.ar-kleinert.de)

 V45.27 (24.5.2005):  - Installer fix (spatch was missing in c)
                        (Luke, Timo Hegemann)
                      - fixed AmigaGuide (space too much...)
                        (Timo Hegemann)
                      - 68k version now also uses memory pools

 V45.26 (14.5.2005):  - Installer fix

 V45.25 (13.5.2005):  - integrated MorphOS version
                      - small improvements

 V45.1  (08.07.2004): - first release

@ENDNODE
