dxpaint(1X) dxpaint(1X)
Name
dxpaint - DECwindows bitmap editor
Syntax
dxpaint [ options ]
Description
The dxpaint application allows you to create and edit bitmap images (for example, simple sketches or pictures). These images are treated
as a collection of pixels. By using different drawing tools, you can edit pixels to create lines, shapes, and text. The resulting bitmap
image can then be saved as a file, printed, or copied to another application.
For the bitmap image, the standard file format is Digital Document Interchange Format (DDIF). Therefore, you can also project these images
on your display with the DDIF Viewer.
The dxpaint window offers a variety of art tools and basic shapes. For example, you can work with a pencil, a paintbrush, a can of spray
paint, or a paint bucket. The current tool is highlighted. To make a tool current, click on it. Only one tool on the tool palette can be
active at a time and that tool remains active until you make another selection.
Options
-bd color Specifies the color of the window's border (color displays only). The default is the window border color specified by
Session Manager.
-bg color Specifies the color of the window's background (color displays only). The default is the window background color spec-
ified by Session Manager.
-d dispname Specifies the display screen on which dxpaint displays its window. If the display option is not specified, dxpaint
uses the display screen specified by your DISPLAY environment variable. The display option has the format host-
name:number. Using two colons (::) instead of one (:) indicates that DECnet is to be used for transport. The default
is :0. For more information, see
-display dispname This option is the same as the -d option.
-fg color Specifies the color of the window's foreground (color displays only). The default is the window foreground color spec-
ified by Session Manager.
-fn font Specifies the font used as the output font in digital mode. Any fixed-width font can be used. The default is 6x10.
Menus
The dxpaint application contains the following menus:
File
Edit
Options
Font
Customize
File Menu
The File menu contains the following items:
Open... Displays a dialog box in which you specify the file to open. The dialog box displays the names of the graphics files
in the current directory. To specify a graphics file not listed, type the file name.
Save Saves the picture in the current file. If no file exists, dxpaint displays a dialog box that prompts for the file name.
Save As... Saves the picture in a file whose name you specify.
Print Prints the picture using the values previously set in the print dialog box. If this is the first print request, the
Print dialog box is displayed.
Print ... Displays the Print dialog box (which allows you to specify a printer, output format, and so forth) and prints the pic-
ture using these settings. The output format can be ANSI2 (sixel) or PostScript. If you are using an LA50 printer,
you must specify an aspect ratio of 2:1.
Quit Quits the current dxpaint session and closes the dxpaint window. If no changes were saved, dxpaint displays a Caution
dialog box.
Edit Menu
The Edit menu contains the following menu items:
Undo/Redo Undoes or redoes the last paint operation.
Cut Clears the selection from the drawing window and copies it to the clipboard.
Copy Copies the image selected from the drawing window onto the clipboard.
Paste Pastes an image from the clipboard into the drawing window.
Clear Erases any area previously selected with the selection box or scissors tool.
Invert Creates a negative image of the selection by displaying it in reverse video.
Crop Repositions the selection in the upper left corner of the window and discards the rest of the painting.
Scale... Displays a dialog box that lets you scale a selection. Enter a number less than 100 to shrink the selection or a num-
ber greater than 100 to expand the selection.
Select All Selects the entire contents of the drawing window.
Scale Picture... Displays a dialog box that lets you scale the entire picture. Enter a number less than 100 to shrink the picture or a
number greater than 100 to expand the picture.
Options Menu
The Options menu contains the following menu items:
Brushes... Displays a dialog box that lets you choose the size and shape of the paintbrush.
Line Width... Displays a dialog box that lets you choose the line thickness for the shape to be drawn with the selected tool. This
affects lines, arcs, ellipses, circles, rectangles, squares, strokes, and polygons.
Patterns... Displays a dialog box that provides a selection of designs that you can use as border and fill patterns. The fore-
ground, background, and "none" patterns are always available. Click on the button at the top left of the dialog box to
signal a change in the border pattern; click on the button at the top right to signal a change in the fill pattern.
Next, click on any of the patterns (including foreground, background, and "none") to select it as the border or fill
pattern.
Edit Pattern... Displays a dialog box that lets you modify an existing pattern. Before choosing this menu item, you must indicate
whether you are customizing a border or a fill pattern by clicking on the appropriate button in the Patterns dialog
box. Next, choose the pattern to edit. The dialog box contains a magnified version of the pattern you chose (16 pix-
els by 16 pixels).
Opaque Prevents background shapes from showing through the clear areas of patterned objects in the foreground. Opaque is the
default.
Transparent Allows background shapes to show through the clear areas of patterned objects in the foreground.
Grid On/Off Turns a fixed snap grid on and off. This is used in alignment.
Zoom On/Off Magnifies a portion of the picture. Displays a magnifying frame and a Zoom window. Drag the frame to the portion of
the picture to be magnified and release MB1. The framed image appears in the Zoom window and is magnified eight times.
To close the Zoom window, display the Options menu and choose Zoom Off.
Full View... Displays a dialog box that shows the entire picture in smaller scale. Using this dialog box, you can select a portion
of the picture to edit or you can crop the picture.
Font Menu
The Font menu contains the following items:
Family Allows you to choose from Courier, Times, and Helvetica fonts.
Size Specifies the point size. Choose from 10, 12, 14, 18, and 24 points.
Style Specifies normal, italic, or bold typeface.
Customize Menu
The Customize menu contains the following items:
Picture Size... Displays a dialog box that lets you change the size and output resolution of the picture. The maximum picture size is
2550 x 3300 pixels, which is 8 1/2 x 11 inches at 300 dots per inch. The minimum picture size is 10 x 10 pixels. You
can choose a predefined size or select Non-Standard and supply the width and height of the picture in pixels, inches,
or centimeters. You can choose a predefined resolution or select Non-Standard and supply the resolution in dots per
inch.
X Defaults
The dxpaint application uses the values in the .Xdefaults file when you logged in and uses the appropriate resource specification to cus-
tomize the appearance or characteristics of its displayed dxpaint window. The format for a resource specification in the .Xdefaults file
is:
[name*]resource: value
name Specifies the application name or the name string that restricts the resource assignment to that application or to a component of
an application. If this argument is not specified, the resource assignment is globally available to all X applications.
resource Specifies the resource.
value Specifies the value that is to be assigned to the resource.
For more information, see
Because each toolkit-based application can consist of a combination of widgets (for example, push buttons and a scroll bar), you can form
the name string by adding widget class and name identifiers to the string. For further information about adding class and name identi-
fiers, see
For dxpaint, the available class identifiers are:
paint
main_menu_bar
paint_v_scroll_bar
paint_h_scroll_bar
For dxpaint, the available name identifiers are:
dxpaint
The general resources available for dxpaint can be found in
Each specification included in the .Xdefaults file for the translations resource modifies a key setting for the editor that dxpaint uses.
For more information about key and mouse specifications in the file, see
Files
~/.Xdefaults
/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/DXpaint
See Also
X(1X), dxwm(1X),
DECwindows Desktop Applications Guide
dxpaint(1X)