------------------------------------------------------------------------------ README file for Hypervisual Blockworks Version: 1.00 (English) Copyright © 1994-97 Rubem Pechansky. All rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Description 2. Installing Hypervisual Blockworks 3. Instructions 4. Hypervisual Blockworks permanent model contest (don't miss this one!) 5. Distribution 6. What is Hypervisual 7. Some ideas for future enhancements 8. Release notes 9. How to contact us 1. Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hypervisual Blockworks, the FREE virtual building toy, simulates building blocks that can be stacked and grouped in infinite ways. The design of its basic parts is loosely inspired in Fischertechnik, the amazing German building toy that was quite popular in Europe in the early and mid 70's. * Extremely simple to use and intuitive -- made with children in mind * Use as many pieces you want from a set of 119 carefully drawn parts * Includes several example models ready to be loaded and modified * Runs on Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 * Absolutely free -- no strings attached 2. Installing Hypervisual Blockworks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Installation is quite straightforward: 1. Unzip all files to a directory of your choice (if you have the self-install option, this was already done for you). 2. We recommend setting your display to 1024 x 768 or the maximum available pixel resolution. Follow the instructions in the Windows documentation. 3. In Windows 95, you can easily create a shortcut to Hypervisual Blockworks by dragging BLOCKWK.EXE to the desktop. The following files are included: blockwk.exe Main executable file readme.txt This file default.blw Default model with basic instructions 6crusadr.blw 640 x 480 Battleship model 6house.blw 640 x 480 House model 6maze.blw 640 x 480 Maze 6shuttle.blw 640 x 480 Sci-fi shuttle model 6truck.blw 640 x 480 Small truck model 8buildng.blw 800 x 600 Building model 8gdarche.blw 800 x 600 La Grande Arche, La Défense, Paris 1bridge.blw 1024 x 768 Bridge model 1crane.blw 1024 x 768 Crane model 1useless.blw 1024 x 768 Useless machine model 1droid.blw 1024 x 768 Droid model 1skyscrp.blw 1024 x 768 Skyscraper model 3. Instructions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When entering Hypervisual Blockworks, we reccomend you to hide the caption and menu bars by pressing the space bar. Pressing the space bar again restores the caption and menu bar. The included model files begin with a number to show the minimum required resolution, so 6 means 640 x 480, 8 means 800 x 600 and 1 means 1024 x 768 pixels. You can open models on a lower resolution; However, you won't be able to see the whole model. Please note that if you open a higher-resolution model and subsequently save the file you lose the remaining blocks forever. This means that if you open this newly saved model at a higher-resolution mode you will notice that some of the lowest and rightmost blocks are gone. Building models is very simple: the most basic thing to know is that you can pick any block by clicking the building block box and then click the workplace to leave it in the position desired. There are up to two building block layers, so you can stack one block in front of another. The very first block in the box is blank so you can use it as an "eraser" block. Here's the complete list of commands: To: Mouse/menu Keyboard Pick up a building block Click the building block box Draw a block on the workplace Click or drag workplace Swap front/back block Shift-click or drag workplace Erase background block Shift-right-click or drag workplace Erase a block Right-click or drag workplace Begin a new model File, New Ctrl+N Open an existing model File, Open Ctrl+O Save model File, Save Ctrl+S Save using different name File, Save As Exit File, Exit Alt+F4 Edit text & text position Edit, Text Ctrl+T Scroll model right Edit, Scroll, Right Right arrow Scroll model left Edit, Scroll, Left Left arrow Scroll model up Edit, Scroll, Up Up arrow Scroll model down Edit, Scroll, Down Down arrow Show/hide building block box Options, Show Building Block Box Show/hide grid display Options, Show Grid Ctrl+G Show/hide menus & captions Options, Show Caption & Menu Spacebar Get help (open this file) Help, Contents F1 Contact us Help, About 4. Hypervisual Blockworks permanent model contest ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hypervisual runs a permanent model contest. The prize is quite simple: the best models will be selected and included in the next release of Hypervisual Blockworks! Winners will always be credited and the selection will be made according to the age of the participants. Please note that THERE IS NOT ANY PRIZE OR MONEY INVOLVED! This contest is just for fun of it. To enter the contest, do the following: 1. Using any ZIP file creation tool (WinZip, Pkzip), create a ZIP file from your .blw model file (or files). 2. Create a new message with the following information: Your name Your age Your country of origin Your e-mail A brief description of the model 3. Use "Blockworks contest" as the subject for the message 4. Attach the new ZIP file to the message. 5. Send the message (with the model attached) to: blockworks.contest@hypervisual.com You can download new models, take a look at the finalists' work, get the latest information and get new versions of Hypervisual Blockworks at: http://hypervisual.com/english/blockworks We are looking forward for your models! 5. Distribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hypervisual Blockworks is a Windows 3.1 application, which runs under Windows 95 as well. Hypervisual Blockworks is freeware. No registering or payment of any kind is necessary and nobody can charge for the software or include it, or part of it, in a commercial product. You may copy and distribute this program as long as the copyright notice remains intact and all files are kept together in their original self-extracting EXE file or ZIP archive. 6. What is Hypervisual ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hypervisual is a graphic design studio specialized in digital interactive media. Located in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Hypervisual offers high-quality solutions in several digital formats, ranging from quick presentations to huge multimedia projects on CD-ROM with Internet upgrades. Hypervisual works for companies interested in the Brazilian and South American markets. These include some of the biggest companies in southern Brazil. The Hypervisual team is able to communicate in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French. More information can be found at: Internet: http://hypervisual.com/english E-mail: hyper@hypervisual.com Phone: +55 (51) 311-1009 Fax: +55 (51) 311-3499 7. Some ideas for future enhancements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Many more block types, grouped into different (and organized!) boxes * Graphical menus and buttons * 256-color / true-color blocks (currently blocks are just 16-color!) * More than two stackable blocks * Mouse cursors reflecting the action being done * Block dragging in real-time * Edit functions including copy, paste, and undo (won't they spoil the fun?) * Move and merge block functions * Background images such as landscapes, seascapes, spacescapes... * Simple animation * A Hypervisual Blockworks screen saver 8. Release notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 08/11/97 Version 1.00, build 8 First public release of Hypervisual Blockworks. 9. How to contact us ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your suggestions, comments or questions are welcome. You can reach us by: Internet: http://hypervisual.com/english/blockworks E-mail: blockworks.support@hypervisual.com Fax: +55 (51) 311-3499 Hope you enjoy Hypervisual Blockworks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ End of file ------------------------------------------------------------------------------