PICEM is a general purpose picture view program which also allows you to adjust the brightness and contrast in your pictures and save them back out. PICEM is not shareware, it is freeware, meaning that you can copy and distribute PICEM on a non-profit basis (you cannot sell it). .PIC images are PC Paint and PICTOR images. PC Paint is published by MSC tech, (previously named "Mouse Systems"). PICTOR is the Paint program which is part of the GRASP package published by Paul Mace Software. .PCX images are PC Paintbrush format images. PC Paintbrush is published by Z-Soft. .GIF images are Graphics Interchange Format, a generalized picture format supported by Compuserve, The PICS Trilogy of Forums on Compuserve is one of the best places to obtain an assortment of image files including some stunning hiresolution 256 color images (ideal for VGA and SuperVGA cards). Keys available in PICEM when in the picture select list screen: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arrow keys - scroll around picture list to select picture filenames SPACE - mark/unmark image names for display * - mark all image names for display RETURN - display the current selected picture and any others selected with SPACE ESC - exit program Keys available in PICEM while viewing images: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arrow keys - scroll around picture (if image is larger than screen) * - reset to original contrast and brightness + - increase contrast, (bring out colors in a flat image) - - decrease contrast, (reduce washed-out dark colors in pale image) Ins - increase brightness, (bring up details hidden in darkness) Del - decrease brightness, (reduce the overexposed effect of a high contrast setting) 1,2...8,9,0 - set speed for +,-,Ins and Del, (how fast contrast and brightness controls function with 1 slowest and 0 fastest SPACE - skip to the next picture selected RETURN - exactly the same as SPACE TAB - Scale image to exactly screen size (great for large images that don't fit on screen, favorite of users of standard VGAs that use mode W for viewing 640x480 images) W - write picture to disk as BAS PIC GIF PCX or IMG BACKSPACE - display test pattern (in 256 color modes only) ESC - exit program Command line Parameters for PICEM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PICEM {/k /l /w:t /v:vmode{,xsize,ysize,vnum} /d:x,y /m /c} fname ... /k - do not wait for a keypress between pictures /l - display pictures in continous loop /s - scale all images to screen size (like TAB key) /w:t - Wait t number of 1/100ths of a second after each picture /n - Don't sort list of filenames /e - Don't clear screen on exit (leave image on screen) /d:x,y - set lower left hand coordinates to display picture /d - force centering of image (default) /m - multi-picture display prevents palette switch between display of multiple images /c - clear the screen /v:vnum vnum - BIOS video mode number to set (vmode defaults to 'L') this is the short order version of the full /v: option it is intended for SuperVGA modes. /v:vmode{,xsize,ysize,vnum} vmode - video mode most similar to the mode you are choosing: A = CGA 4 color N = Hercules InColor 720x348 16 color B = PCjr/Tandy 16 color O = VGA/MCGA 640x480 2 color C = CGA 640x200 2 color P = EGA/VGA 800x600 2 color D = EGA 640x200 16 color Q = EGA/VGA 800x600 16 color E = EGA 640x350 2 color R = S-VGA 640x400 256 color F = EGA 640x350 4 color S = S-VGA 640x480 256 color G = EGA 640x350 16 color T = S-VGA 800x600 256 color H = Hercules 720x348 2 color U = S-VGA 1024x768 2 color I = VGA 640x350 16 color V = S-VGA 1024x768 16 color J = EGA 320x200 16 color W = VGA 360x480 256 color K = AT&T/Toshiba 640x400 2 color X = S-VGA 1024x768 256 color L = VGA/MCGA 320x200 256 color Y = S-VGA 1280x1024 16 color M = VGA 640x480 16 color Z = S-VGA 1280x1024 256 color xsize - optional width of the video mode you have chosen in pixels ysize - optional height of the video mode you have chosen in pixels vnum - the BIOS video mode number for the mode you have chosen PICEM supports a wide variety of Video boards, with a primary emphasis on VGA/SuperVGA boards. On VGA boards PICEM defaults to /V:W which is 360x480 256 colors (a non-standard mode, but it's the best 256 color mode available on a standard VGA). On SuperVGA boards PICEM defaults to /V:R which is 640x350/640x400 256 colors on boards with only 256k, and /V:S which is 640x480 256 colors on boards that have 512k or more. Some boards such as the ATI and Orchid may be capable of 800x600 256 colors, but since many monitors will not handle this mode, I don't default to it, you can manually select it with /V:T. Also if your board has a odd resolution 256 color mode that you would like to take advantage of (such as the Everex 512x480 mode, or the Genoa 720x512 mode) you can manually override the BIOS mode used. For instance to set 512x480 on a Everex board we would do PICEM /V:0x15 (the 0x means hexidecimal, the way most bios mode numbers are written in manuals, the same number in decimal would be PICEM /V:21). here is a list of VGA Chipset producers and their BIOS mode numbers: =============================================================================== ACUMOS ------ width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x59 800 600 2 P 0x58 800 600 16 Q 0x5e 640 400 256 R 0x5f 640 480 256 S 0x5c 800 600 256 T 0x5d 1024 768 16 V AX=MODE =============================================================================== AHEAD ----- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x6A 800 600 16 Q 0x71 800 600 16 Q 0x74 1024 768 16 V 0x60 640 400 256 R 0x61 640 480 256 S 0x62 800 600 256 T 0x63 1024 768 256 X AX=MODE =============================================================================== ATI --- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x54 800 600 16 Q 0x65 1024 768 16 V 0x61 640 400 256 R 0x62 640 480 256 S 0x63 800 600 256 T 0x64 1024 768 256 X AX=MODE =============================================================================== CHIPS & TECH ------------ width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x70 800 600 16 Q 0x72 1024 768 16 V 0x78 640 400 256 R 0x79 640 480 256 S 0x7b 800 600 256 T AX=MODE =============================================================================== EVEREX ------ width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x01 752 410 16 0x02 800 600 16 Q 0x11 1280 350 4 0x12 1280 600 4 0x13 640 350 256 0x14 640 400 256 R 0x15 512 480 256 0x20 1024 768 16 V 0x30 640 480 256 S 0x31 800 600 256 T 0x32 1024 768 256 X AX=0x70 BL=MODE =============================================================================== GENOA GVGA ---------- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x7c 512 512 16 0x59 720 512 16 0x79 or 0x6a 800 600 16 Q 0x7d 512 512 256 0x5b 640 350 256 0x7e 640 400 256 R 0x5c 640 480 256 S 0x5d 720 512 256 0x5e or 0x6c 800 600 256 T 0x7f 1024 768 4 0x5f 1024 768 16 V AX=MODE =============================================================================== NCR --- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x59 800 600 2 P 0x58 800 600 16 Q 0x5e 640 400 256 R 0x5f 640 480 256 S 0x5c 800 600 256 T 0x5a 1024 768 2 U 0x5d 1024 768 16 V AX=MODE =============================================================================== OAK TECH -------- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x52 800 600 16 Q 0x53 640 480 256 S 0x54 800 600 256 T 0x56 1024 768 16 V 0x59 1024 768 256 X 0x58 1280 1024 16 Y AX=MODE =============================================================================== PARADISE -------- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x59 800 600 2 P 0x58 800 600 16 Q 0x5e 640 400 256 R 0x5f 640 480 256 S 0x5d 1024 768 16 V 0x5c 800 600 256 T AX=MODE =============================================================================== TRIDENT ------- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x5b 800 600 16 Q 0x5f 1024 768 16 V 0x5c 640 400 256 R 0x5d 640 480 256 S 0x5e 800 600 256 T AX=MODE =============================================================================== TRIDENT 8900 ------------ width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x5b 800 600 16 Q 0x5c 640 400 256 R 0x5d 640 480 256 S 0x5e 800 600 256 T 0x60 1024 768 4 0x5f 1024 768 16 V 0x62 1024 768 256 X AX=MODE =============================================================================== TSENG (Genoa, Orchid, Willow) ----- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x29 800 600 16 Q 0x37 1024 768 16 V 0x2d 640 350 256 R 0x2e 640 480 256 S 0x2f 720 512 256 0x30 800 600 256 T AX=MODE =============================================================================== TSENG 4000 ---------- width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x29 800 600 16 Q 0x37 1024 768 16 V 0x2d 640 350 256 0x2f 640 400 256 R 0x2e 640 480 256 S 0x30 800 600 256 T 0x38 1024 768 256 X AX=MODE =============================================================================== VIDEO7 ------ width height colors Direct Mode ----- ------ ------ ----------- 0x60 752 410 16 0x61 720 540 16 0x62 800 600 16 Q 0x63 1024 768 2 U 0x64 1024 768 4 0x65 1024 768 16 V 0x66 640 400 256 R 0x67 640 480 256 S 0x68 720 540 256 0x69 800 600 256 T 0x6A 1024 768 256 X AX=0x6f05 BL=MODE =============================================================================== For any bug reports I can be contacted on CIS (Compuserve) ID:73307,606 in the PICS Forum, To enter the PICS forum on Compuserve just type "GO PICS" from any prompt. John Bridges 10/9/1991 Bug fixes: 10/09/91 - /d:0,0 will now work (it used to center the image) 10/11/91 - /d with no colon resets to centering images and the /d: and /d parm can be mixed with filenames to display images at different positions. 10/12/91 - oops, the multiple /d: and /d parms were skipping filenames. 10/14/91 - /c is new command line option to force screen to clear. /m is new command line option to prevent palette change between images. the first /d: and /d parms MUST be just before the first filename after all other parms. This applies to all parms that can be mixed in with filenames (right now this is /d: /d /c and /m). @filename on the command line allows a list of command line parms to be read it from a file. New tiny version of picem called TPICEM.EXE is now available. It removed the image selection screen, the palette manipulation (brightness/contrast), the test screen, the help screens and the image save. 10/19/91 - support for OAK Tech OTI-077 chipset is in 10/24/91 - better accuracy and overflow checking in brightness and contrast control code, it's completely rewritten, much smoother. 10/25/91 - * key selects all pictures when in picture list display. 1/20/92 - new version number because support for ACUMOS and ATI are added, and some other library bugs are fixed. 1/24/92 - GIF load code corrected to handle extension blocks at the beginning of images.