A primary window
The Artstream interface is based on the familiar floating palette design made popular by many Macintosh® applications. Those familiar with this type of interface will find many similarities, with one important difference. Because of the multi-tasking abilities of Unix, it is possible to have numerous applications running, and simultaneously visible. With this capability, it is necessary to distinguish which application is the destination for a user command. This is determined by the cursor focus, which is set according to which interface component currently contains the cursor. It is therefore important to consider the location of the cursor at all times during interaction.
In this style of interface there are three basic kinds of windows; a primary window, a support window and a dialog window. Using Motif conventions, Artstream maintains consistent usage rules and features for each of these window types.
A primary window |
A primary window in Artstream is always used to display a view of a document. This primary, or document window is distinguished by it's ability to terminate the application, along with it's ability to launch additional co-primary document windows. Using Motif controls, a document window can be either minimized or maximized. At least one document window is present while the app is running, and multiple views of multiple documents are possible. |
A support window  |
A support window or palette contains tools and controls that can be applied to any primary window. Using Motif controls, a palette window can be closed, or made invisible at any time. While visible, it's contents are always available unless dimmed by a context-sensitive operation. |
A dialog window  |
A dialog window is distinguished by one or more dismiss
buttons, such as OK or Cancel,
at it's lower right. It appears only when a reply is required. When a
dialog is posted, it maintains control, or blocks
the application until it is closed by a response to one of it's
dismiss buttons or the Motif
control. |
The toolbar is a support window that serves as the most central palette to the application.
Assign Story Put Gradient |
 |
Text Entry Get Ruler |
Each tool in the toolbar performs an action on either all
current selections, or the document view that is either currently, or
most recently in focus. There is always an active tool, indicated by
the highlight in the toolbar. A tool can be selected anytime, in the
absence of any blocking dialog. Certain tools, indicated by a small
"v" above the icon, perform an initial function for the first
button press after the tool selection, then another function for all
subsequent button presses with the tool. Along with cursor based entry,
most tools also support numerical entries, or the setting of tool
specific options, through a dialog. Those tools with dialogs are
indicated by a "..." below their
icon. Double clicking a tool with this indicator will launch it's
dialog. |
Documents
Document organization
A document is the product of an Artstream session that remains as a file on disk. Artstream creates a new, or opens any existing Artscript, (.asd), document. An Artscript document is comprised of one or more spreads, each positioned on a paste-board. A spread is a collection of pages. Each page contains any number of layers. Each layer contains any number of elements. The primary type of element is a shape element, A shape element may have an associated story element, which in turn may have text elements. Each element type (shape, story, and text), is comprised of a certain number of components. Each component can have certain attributes.
The overall organization of one or more documents can be controlled by the Object Manager Palette. A document view becomes current when its window obtains cursor focus. Information on the current view, indicating page number, pan and zoom position and page relative cursor position is continuously updated in the Info Palette. Pulldown menus with numerous options are attached to each view to allow many view or document specific options. These include view or document closure, view position, importing, printing, and many other options that apply to the associated view or document.
An element is the basic ingredient of a document. A shape is the primary element type, which can subsequently have a single story which in turn can have multiple text elements, (characters), applied to it. Each of these these elements, (shape, story, text) is managed by the set of element specific components, which in turn is comprised of a varied set of component specific attributes.
Summary of Element Hierarchy
Shape Element
Story Element
Text Element(s)
A shape element consists of one or more sets of control points for a Bezier curve joined into a resolution-independent contour which is either opened or closed. Control points form a contour. One or more contours comprise a shape. Multiple contours can be grouped together to form several types of composite-shapes.
A story element designates a shape as a potential recipients of body copy for a given story. A story element has a single flow component describing the story name, which is the source for body copy, and the flow sequence number, which tells the order in which it will receive text when other shapes reference the same story.
Two (single contour) shapes in a conceptual diagram, showing each with a story element referencing the same story.
Element creation, selection and modification are all enabled by tools provided in the Tool Palette. A shape element is created when one or more points are interactively assigned by any of several available creation tools, or numerically assigned using the associated Tool Dialog. The position of a shape's points can be freely manipulated either interactively, with certain edit tools, or numerically, by launching the Contour Dialog for a selected shape. Along with coordinate, (point), values, each shape element, and any associated story and text elements have certain components, for which there are many possible attributes.
A shape always has a minimum of 3 associated components; fill, stroke, and shadow. Optionally, a story element may be attached, which has 2 associated components; the source story name, and the flow sequence no. Also a story will then, have some associated text elements. Each text element, or character, in turn has the same fill, stroke and shadow components as a shape, with 2 additional components; paragraph and character.
In Artstream, each component has numerous possible attributes which are applied from various palettes includeing the paint, text and style palettes. In general, all attributes are applied on a shape-wide basis. Many paint attributes however can also be assigned on a per-point (vertex) basis, depending on the current selection mode.
An attribute is assigned to an element (shape, story or text) either by being in effect at the time of element creation, or by the selection of one or more elements then the assignment of one or more attributes.
The controls for all available attributes are all collected into either of two palettes, the Paint Palette and the Text Palette. A collection of attributes, may be assembled into a named style. All styles available to the document in focus are available in the Style Palette.
Last updated
