Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!uvabick!thomas
From: thomas@uvabick.UUCP (Thomas Fruin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Regions in PICT resources?
Keywords: MacDraw doesn't know what to do with 'em
Message-ID: <381@uvabick.UUCP>
Date: 30 Aug 88 18:21:49 GMT
Organization: uvabick
Lines: 36

Anyone come across this one?

I suppose it _is_ logical once you start thinking about it ... but MacDraw
does NOT understand the complete PICT format!  I mean, it knows how to handle
all those fancy PICT Comments, but it IGNORES regions!?~r

OK, you can take two views in this matter:   

1) Tech Note 27 (MacDraw PICT file format - you'll need the old version,
   the new version is obsolete, phone Claris) says MacDraw will read PICT 
   files.  These files consist of a 512 byte header which you can zero,
   followed by a PICT definition.  This definition is described in Tech
   Note 21 (QuickDraw's internal picture definition), and includes (of course)
   the Region.  So ... MacDraw should accept Regions.  It doesn't however.
   
   Recommended solution: update the Tech Notes to reflect this.

2) MacDraw is an object-oriented editor (sorry for the confusing usage of
   the word object-oriented, but it _is_ suitable) for graphics, that will 
   let you edit lines, polygons, ovals, arcs, and text.  As far as I can
   tell, it has _no_ provision for editing something called a region.  What's
   a region anyway?!

   Recommended solution: shrug shoulders, but don't spend an afternoon
   trying to get MacDraw (or SuperPaint or MacPaint etc.) to display
   the regions in the PICT file your application created.  Usually you can 
   manage things with polygons anyway.

Any other (more knowledgable?) views?

-- Thomas Fruin
 
   fruin@hlerul5.BITNET                     University of Leiden
   thomas@uvabick.UUCP                      University of Amsterdam
   hol0066.AppleLink
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