******************************************************************************* Video Easel for Atari 8-bit Computers FAQ by BHodges Version 1.0 Created 12/23/09 This document Copyright 2009 by Brian Hodges. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ******************************************************************************* Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Overview III. Commands A. Life 1. Clear 2. Main 3. Factory At 4. Glider At 5. Big X At 6. Start 7. XY Cursor 8. IBeam At 9. Diag At 10. Row At 11. Vert At 12. Quad XY Cursor B. Reset Color C. Drawing D. Quad Drawing E. Clear F. Start G. Erase H. Painting IV. Game Review V. Version History VI. Contact Information ******************************************************************************* I. Introduction This is a FAQ for the Atari 8-bit Computer game Video Easel. It contains information on how to play the game and a mini-review. ******************************************************************************* II. Overview Video Easel is a drawing program consisting of three different modes in which you can create simple yet creative works of art. You can switch between drawing modes at will and since they all share the same canvas, if used properly, can create some interesting artwork! Before I go any further, it's important to note that Video Easel has no save feature :( ******************************************************************************* III. Commands Notes: To use a command, simply type the first letter of that command, then press RETURN. Press M at any time to return to the Main Screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Life ............................................................................... 1. Clear The Clear command will completely erase your canvas, be very careful with this command, there is no undo command! ............................................................................... 2. Main This command will take you back to the Main Screen. ............................................................................... 3. Factory At This command will insert a factory at the coordinates you enter. A factory is a grouping that will create two groups that bounce off each other repeatedly. These collisons result in gliders that will then travel northeast. After pressing F, enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate and press RETURN. ............................................................................... 4. Glider At This command will insert a glider at the coordinates you enter. A glider is a grouping that will slowing make its way across the screen. After pressing G, enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate and press RETURN. ............................................................................... 5. Big X At This command will create a giant X on the screen with the center at the coordinates you enter. If you place it near the edge, the remaining lines will loop over to the other side of the canvas. After pressing B, enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate and press RETURN. ............................................................................... 6. Start This will begin the life simulation. The current generation will be displayed in the lower left of the screen. As the generations progress, the groups will either grow or contract based on their surroundings. The simulation will continue until you interrupt it with another command. ............................................................................... 7. XY Cursor The XY Cursor command allows up to four players to draw simultaneously! You draw by holding down the button and moving the joystick. The line starts out as purple, if you draw over that line again, it will turn yellow, then blue, then black, then back to purple again. To erase, simply move your cursor WITHOUT holding down the button. ............................................................................... 8. IBeam At This command will insert an ibeam (capital I) at the coordinates you enter. After pressing I, enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate and press RETURN. ............................................................................... 9. Diag At This command will insert a diagonal onto your canvas. You can specify the location and length. After pressing D enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate. It will then ask for a length, input a number and then press RETURN. ............................................................................... 10. Row At This command will insert a horizontal line onto your canvas. You can specify the location and length. After pressing R enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate. It will then ask for a length, input a number and then press RETURN. ............................................................................... 11. Vert At This command will insert a vertical line onto your canvas. You can specify the location and length. After pressing V enter the X-coordinate, then a comma, then the Y-coordinate. It will then ask for a length, input a number and then press RETURN. ............................................................................... 12. Quad XY Cursor The Quad XY Cursor command let's you draw using the joystick just like XY Cursor, except here any action will be mirrored in the other three quadrants. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Reset Color I'm not exactly sure what this does, the only effect I see is that you can no longer draw with the cursor and the only way to undo this is to reset the Atari. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Drawing Drawing Mode allows up to four players to draw simultaneously! You draw by holding down the button and moving the joystick. The line starts out as purple, if you draw over that line again, it will turn yellow, then blue, then black, then back to purple again. To erase, simply move your cursor WITHOUT holding down the button. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. Quad Drawing Quad Drawing is almost identical to the normal Drawing Mode, except that any actions here will be mirrored in the other three quadrants of the canvas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E. Clear The Clear command will completely erase your canvas, be very careful with this command, there is no undo command! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F. Start The Start command is similar to the Painting command, except instead of using a predefined pattern, it uses whatever is on your canvas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G. Erase As far as I can tell, Erase does the exact same thing as Clear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. Painting The Painting command will cause the computer to paint the canvas using one of six predefined patterns. After pressing P, enter a number 1-6 and press RETURN to start painting. The computer will continue to paint until you interrupt it with another command. ******************************************************************************* IV. Game Review Released in 1979 for the Atari 8-bit Computers, Video Easel predates Mario Paint by over a decade. It was one of the first drawing programs available for a home computer and is also one of, if not the first video game that supported four player simultaneous play. There are three modes in Video Easel: Drawing allows you to draw freely, Painting, where the computer paints the screen automatically using one of six patterns, and Life, a primitive life simulation program. One interesting feature is that all three modes share the same canvas, so you can let the computer paint, then edit it in Drawing Mode, then use your artwork in Life Mode. Unfortunately, due to technology constraints, the palette is limited to only four colors. Another major drawback is the lack of a save feature, so once you turn off the power, your masterpieces are lost forever. Though dated, Video Easel can still provide you with an interesting diversion. It's definitely worth a look if you own an Atari 8-bit Computer. Pros + The life simulation is actually kind of engrossing. + One of the first drawing programs available for a home computer. + Up to four players can play simultaneously. Cons - No save feature. ******************************************************************************* V. Version History 1.0 12/23/09 Completed FAQ. ******************************************************************************* VI. Contact Information You can contact me at Bhodges080@aol.com I would appreciate hearing what you thought of this guide and any thoughts you have for improving it. Be sure to let me know if I have missed anything. ******************************************************************************* End