*****The pngalpha library 2.0 (available on Aminet) is required to use
AmigaScrapbook 2.6 to its full extent!*****

Before using AmigaScrapbook 2.6, it is strongly suggested that you DOWNLOAD
JHEAD FROM OS4DEPOT (http://os4depot.net/share/graphics/misc/jhead.lha). Copy
the single tool called "jhead" (from the jhead archive) into the
"AdditionalPrograms" drawer in the main AmigaScrapbook drawer. Jhead is really
not required to run AmigaScrapbook 2.6, but it is a small enough tool that you
should not mind having it if you think that you might ever like to view the exif
information from your jpegs---particularly ones directly from your digital
camera. (If you already have jhead in your C: directory, just drop a copy into
the "AdditionalPrograms" drawer in the main AmigaScrapbook drawer.)

If you are already familiar with AmigaScrapbook, you do not need to read the
following text; but if this is your first time, you should definitely continue
reading.

AmigaScrapbook is not designed to be a basic picture viewer. For that I would
suggest using "PicShow" and "Thumbs." But what AmigaScrapbook is designed to be
is a program that makes it easy to display select pictures, annotate them, and
present them in an attractive way (if that makes any sense).

This archive contains the default version (1280x1024) of the main AmigaScrapbook
executable, as well as a 1024x768 version for those who cannot view the default
version on their monitors. You should be using a 32bit Screen Mode.

I know this seems like a long, and perhaps complicated ReadMe file, but
AmigaScrapbook is actually very easy to use once you know the rules.

Before you change anything in the archive, try running AmigaScrapbook first and
get a feel for what it can do.

When you run the AmigaScrapbook for the first time, it will take a while for it
to scale and save pictures that it will use in the future to speed things up.
You will notice that 8 pictures display as thumbnails on the screen (this is
because there are only 8 pictures in the "Pictures" drawer). Any number from 1
to 42 pictures can be displayed per Scrapbook (just copy your pictures into the
"Pictures" drawer). If you want to display more than 42 pictures, simply create
a new Scrapbook (copy the full contents of the archive to another drawer).

The "PersonalNotes" drawer can be used to store information about your pictures,
which can also be displayed with your pictures when the Scrapbook is running.
Understand that you do not need to attach a note to any of your pictures; but
the option is there if you choose to use it.
The name of each text file in this drawer must match the name of the picture
(MINUS THE EXTENSION) that you want connected with the note. If you examine the
examples included in the main archive, it should all make sense. You can define
the font name (specify the path if it is not in the default font drawer), the
point size, the font color, and the background color. Beneath the "DO NOT
ERASE!!!!" line, you can fill up your picture message with as many words and as
many lines as you like (just be sure to take your font point size into account,
and do NOT leave any EMPTY lines). It has been my personal experience that
unconverted TrueType fonts work best with AmigaScrapbook when it comes to
alignment and kerning (fonts with the .ttf extension). The colors for the font
and the background are defined in the HTML hexadecimal format. For example:
Black=$000000
White=$FFFFFF
Red=$FF0000
Blue=$0000FF
Yellow=$FFFF00

You will also notice a drawer called "MP3." You can leave this drawer empty if
you like, but if you want an mp3 to play while you are viewing your scrapbook,
just put it in that drawer.

The following drawers, "Brushes," "Thumbnails," "LargePictures," and "ExifData"
need to exist in the AmigaScrapbook drawer, but you should never need to access
the contents manually. (The contents of the "Brushes" drawer will remain
constant, and the contents of "Thumbnails," "LargePictures," and "ExifData"
update themselves based on the contents of the "Pictures" drawer.)

* IMPORTANT RULE TO FOLLOW:
All of your pictures must have a file extension (".jpg", ".iff", ".png",
etc.)---AmigaScrapbook needs to see the picture extensions.

* WHEN YOU FIRST RUN AmigaScrapbook WITH NEW PICTURES IN THE "PICTURES" DRAWER,.
. .
. . .you will see nothing but a black screen for a few seconds before you are
able to use the program further. This will only happen once (until you change
the contents of the "Pictures" drawer again). What is happening is that
AmigaScrapbook is generating a couple of other pictures for you to speed up
future usage.
Your pictures can be of any format for which you have the corresponding
datatype. The pictures can be masked using the pure BLUE color (like one of the
sample pictures does). PNG pictures may have an alpha-channel transparency (like
one of the sample pictures does). Simply add "Mask" or "Alpha" to the file name
just before the extention if you want to do this (see sample pictures). Remember
to have file extensions on all your pictures!

Well, that should be all that you need to know to get AmigaScrapbook 2.5 to work
for you. Remember to try the program as it is in the archive first before you
customize it.

Future:
*Any suggestions for enhancements are welcome.


History:
Version 2.6 (3/30/07):
*Further optimized the code resulting in better performance.
*Picture selection is now completely acurate also with pictures having masks and
alpha-channels.
*Added the option of using different backgrounds for the different parts of
AmigaScrapbook (see the "Backgrounds" drawer).
*Added the option of having multiple MP3s (stored in the "MP3" drawer) play in
succession.

Version 2.5 (3/17/07):
*Improved the code quite a bit.
*Added the option of doing a collage display.

Version 2.1 (7/10/06):
*Added a feature suggested by AlexC (dealing with font substitutions).

Version 2.0 (7/7/06):
*Improved the code quite a bit.
*Added the possibility of using exif data from jpegs.
*Changed the way AmigaScrapbook handles pictures with an alpha-channel or mask.

Version 1.4 (6/1/06):
*Fixed a glitch with the zoom and pan option combined with PNG pictures having
an alphachannel.

Version 1.3 (5/31/06):
*Improved the slide show feature in quite a few ways.
*Added an option to the preferences file to have it zoom and pan the pictures in
the slide show between the transitions if you want (default is set to "yes").
When zoom and pan is used, then the defined pause between pictures is not used
(though both lines still need to be present in the Preferences file).

Version 1.2:
Added a few fancier transitions to the slide show.
Fixed a bug that would prevent any pictures from displaying if more than 42
pictures were in the drawer. (42 is still the limit of pictures that can be
displayed per scrapbook, but now at least the first 42 will still show even if
there happens to be extra pictures in the drawer.)

Version 1.1:
Fixed a potential problem with the thumbnail creation.
Added background loading of pictures during the slideshow.
Added a version for 1024x768

Version 1.0:
First attempt.

*********** If you like this program and would like to drop me some e-mail or
PayPal encouragement (or if you have any suggestions to make this program
better) my e-mail address is: revbloedel()yahoo.com.***********