Preferences
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The Prefs panel lets you make alterations to the way your software runs, and change the interface to suit your needs. Most of the settings on this panel have to be saved before taking effect. |
Kill registry
keys. This small button in the upper right corner of the Prefs panel kills
values set in the system registry making it easier to fix problems that might
occur due to the registry becoming corrupted.
PD Stores
the position of every tool panel when you exit the program. It is possible
for these settings to become corrupted in the registry, so deleting them may
solve errors with starting the program.
Memory
options determines how many megs of ram to set aside for the multiple undo
buffer. If you're using a machine with less than 64 megs, consider setting this
to a lower value. PD doesn’t otherwise require a huge amount of ram,
so if you have plenty, then set this to a higher value and you'll be able to
have more undos. For video resolution images, 16-20 megs will often be
plenty, but for higher resolution images, you might consider using a higher
value. Beware though, that the program will allocate out whatever value
you give it, so using a value that is too high will effect your systems
performance. You'll have to save the settings if you want to keep it.
The setting will take effect the next time a new buffer is created.
This setting
forces plugins that open panels to use PD's main window as a parent window.
Otherwise, windows can float outside of the application and even stay open when
PD is minimized. This feature is only available for Windows NT, 2000 and XP.
This setting
lets you start the program without being asked for a buffer size at startup.
Default resolution lets you specify the size of the buffer you would like when
the application starts up.
Default resolutions
You can edit your default resolutions from the Prefs panel. These are the
resolutions that are displayed when you start the program (if you do not have
the 'Bypass buffer size requester' checkbox checked.) They are also
displayed when you select a new buffer size or when you resize a buffer.
The format is as follows:
"320 X 200 - NTSC" A string that is displayed. This string can be
anything enclosed in quotes, but this format is recommended.
Follow the string with a comma, the width, then the height (in pixel) like
this: ,320,200
Startup plugin
are plugins you select to run at startup. For instance, you could run the Color
Mixer plugin if you liked using that feature a lot. A plugin could in theory be
any executable file, so long as it was named correctly, but usually programs
written specifically for PD would be more appropriate.
To add a plugin at startup, click the
button and select a
plugin from the list that is presented. To delete a plugin, select it from
the list on the Prefs panel, and click the
button.
Remember that your settings on this panel have to be saved to take effect.
A Startup
Well File is the color scheme (Well) that is loaded in the bottom of the tool
panel at startup. You can alter the well at any time with Drag and Drop,
or by loading or creating a new one, but this lets you load a custom Well file
at startup.
To save a well file, right click on the Mixer button on the bottom of the tool
panel, or use the 
Save well option under the utility menu.
Smooth scaling
applies bilinear filtering and halftone dithering if appropriate to the screen
refresh when working on a zoomed image. The result is a smoother, nicer looking
image at the expense of slightly slower refreshes. Internally, the screen
refresh takes place on integer boundaries, so there may be some artifacts when
painting while scaled, but they clear up aftarward.
Spline based
input smoothes the input from a mouse or tablet as you are drawing, to reduce
segmentation caused by low sample rates of the input device. If this
option is not checked, you may experience straight, segmented lines instead of
smooth ones. This usually happens with more with tablets, which often have
a slower sampling rate than mouses.
Background bitmap allows you to select a Windows bitmap (BMP) or Jpeg file as a
new backdrop. MDI stands for multiple document interface. Panel bitmap Sets a
new bitmap as a texture for panels. These settings will take effect
without saving, but you must save them if you want them active next time you
start the program.
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These settings let you alter the appearance of
your interface. Shine color - the color used on the 'shine' side of a 3d
button. A highlight. |
