                      Cross-Stitch Designer
                      Shareware Version 2.1c
                    
          Copyright 1993 By HobbyWare All Rights Reserved
                              7/19/93

Cross-Stitch Designer is a Windows 3.1 program that allows you to
design Cross-Stitch patterns.  A pattern is drawn with the mouse
by placing stitches on a pattern displayed on the screen.  The types
of stitches supported include full, half, quarter, and outline 
stitches.  The colors of these stitches can be selected from the DMC
thread list or from a list of custom thread colors that you provide.
A pattern can be printed at any time in either the stitch mode or a
symbolic mode where symbols are used to represent the various thread
colors.

To use Cross-Stitch Designer, you will need a mouse, a VGA graphics 
adapter, and a printer.  In addition to the basic 16-color VGA
adapter mode, this program supports the 256 color mode.  This mode 
allows pure colors to be displayed instead of the dithered colors 
produced with the 16 color mode.  Obviously, for a program such 
as Cross-Stitch Designer, thread color representation is very
important.  Thus, to get the most from this program, it is
recommended that an adapter that supports the 256 color mode be used.

The following files should have been provided with your copy of 
Cross-Stitch Designer:
        xstitch.exe  - Program file
        xslib.dll    - Program library file
        xstitch.hlp  - Help file
        manual.wri   - User's Manual, in Microsoft Write format
        sharew.prn   - Explanation of Shareware & Licensing
        threads.cus  - Custom thread list
        threads.dmc  - DMC thread list
        default.pal  - Default thread palette
        empty.pal    - Empty thread palette
        lamb.pat     - Example pattern
        pitch.pat    - Example pattern
        prayer.pat   - Example pattern
	tiger.pat    - Example pattern (imported from a bitmap)
        readme.txt   - This file
        register.txt - Registration form

To install Cross-Stitch Designer, create a directory (such as 
'\XSTITCH') and copy all of the above files into it.  Next, add a
program item for Cross-Stitch Designer to one of your Windows 
program groups.  If you need more assistance in installing Cross-
Stitch Designer, then please read the provided User's Manual.  
This manual can be viewed and/or printed using Microsoft Write
which is a simple word processor provided with windows.  

An example pattern is provided with Cross-Stitch Designer.  To
load this pattern, select the FILE:OPEN menu item and then select
the "pitch.pat" file located in the Cross-Stitch Designer directory
(that you created).

To get on-line help information, select the HELP:INDEX menu item.
This will activate the Cross-Stitch Designer help window.   

 

Cross-Stitch Designer is distributed using the shareware distribution
method.  This method allows you to try-out this program before 
buying it.  If you are not a registered user of Cross-Stitch Designer,
you may evaluate the program for up to 15 days.  If you find this program 
useful and/or you use this program after the trial period, you are 
expected to register your copy.  To register, please send a $30 
check or money order and the registration form to:
        HobbyWare
        9686 Spruce Lane
        Fishers, IN 46038

The registration form is contained in the file called "register.txt".
Please print this file and fill-in the blanks when you register.  If
you have any comments or suggestions regarding the program, please 
include them on this form.

As a registered user, you will receive the following benefits:
        Free copy of the next version of the program (if any)
        Telephone support
        Notification when future versions become available       

Please also read the file SHAREW.PRN for a more detailed 
explanation of the licensing requirements of this program.

As a recipient of a 1993 Shareware Industry Award for Cross-Stitch 
Designer, we are committed to providing you with a quality program
at a very affordable price.  This, in addition to the try-before-you-
buy advantage of shareware, makes this program the best tool for
designing cross-stitch patterns.

All questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome from both 
registered users and those evaluating the program.  Please send
these to the above address.  Also, you can currently receive 
support directly from the author via the GENIE BBS and Compuserve.
On GENIE, this support is provided under the GENIE Hobby Roundtable,
category 34, topic 8.  On Compuserve, send mail to the author at 
71543,1504.

Thank you for using Cross-Stitch Designer.  I look forward to
hearing from you.

R. Scott Horton
HobbyWare


______________________________________________________________
Last-Minute Release Notes

A problem related to the bitmap conversion feature has been
noticed.  This problem causes the colors of a bitmap to sometimes
be imported incorrectly.  To work around the problem, always open
the Windows Clipboard viewer before running Cross-Stitch Designer.
Leave the Clipboard viewer open and non-iconized while you are
importing bitmaps.  Of course, if you do not plan to import any
bitmaps, then it is not necessary to open the Clipboard viewer.



______________________________________________________________
Revision History
  VERSION 2.1c
   1.  Fixed problem with thread list that caused colors in the
       list to sometimes be displayed incorrectly.
   2.  Improved color handling to update the colors of a 
       pattern without redrawing the pattern when another running
       application that uses the color palette is selected.  
       This improvement also results in a reasonable display
       of the current pattern when another application is selected
       as long as the colors in the Windows palette are reasonably
       close to those colors needed for the pattern.
   3.  Changed the method of marking a selected region to use
       a solid, two pixel wide box instead of the single-pixel-
       wide dotted box.  The solid box should be easier to see in
       most all situations.
   4.  Fixed problem that caused a pattern to be cleared if the
       bottom left palette box was deleted.
        
  VERSION 2.1b
   1.  Changed darkness of dotted grid lines to ensure they are
       visible during print-outs.

  VERSION 2.1a
   1.  Fixed bug that caused the cursor to be left as an hourglass
       after converting a bitmap.

  VERSION 2.1
   1.  Improved zoom-in/out capability (both zoom-out to see
       most/all of a pattern and zoom-in based on a selected region).
   2.  Horizontal & vertical flipping of a region (can be used to 
       mirror a region also).
   3.  Improved bitmap-to-pattern conversion (faster, uses exact 
       region size; displays percent complete, can abort conversion
       in progress).
   4.  Added capability to enlarge or reduce pattern size after 
       initial creation (can directly specify new size, change size
       to currently used size, or change size to include only the
       currently selected region).
   5.  Added standard Windows printer setup dialog.
   6.  Added printing of a selected region.
   7.  Added printing of selected pages.
   8.  Added page numbers and pattern name to print-out.
   9.  Added function key support for selecting thread colors and 
       stitches.
   10. Added 'solid' view mode (displays a stitch using a filled
       square instead of a cross stitch).
   11. Fixed problem in printing to certain printers (HP Deskjet 5XXC
       and Postscript).
   12. Added status bar (shows selected color name & number, color
       used for the stitch under the cursor, mouse coordinates, 
       region size).
   13. Added support for deleting the selected thread color from the
       palette and/or pattern.
   14. Added the remaining DMC threads to the thread list for a total
       of 360.
   15. Revised DMC thread list to use the standard color names.
   16. Revised tool bar to be horizontal and located under menus.
   17. Created separate tool icons for quarter and half stitch tools.
   18. Increased stitch thickness for print-outs so that stitch is
       distinguishable from grid.
   19. Added function key/short-cut key support.
   20. Changed file open/save dialog boxes to use the standard Windows
       dialog boxes.
   21. Changed font selection dialog box to use the standard Windows
       dialog box.  This change includes the support of bold and
       italics characters for the symbolic mode.
   22. Changed symbolic mode to use maximum character width instead
       of average width when calculating grid size to prevent wide
       characters from being clipped.  
   23. Widened thread name fields of the Select dialog box so that all
       of the thread name is visible.
   24. Moved font selection for information print-out from under the
       threads menu to the Information dialog box.  


  VERSION 2.0
   1.  Added selectable font and font size for symbolic display
       and information print-out.  
   2.  Added support for 256 color VGA mode.
   3.  Revised pattern file and palette file to save font name 
       and size used for symbolic mode.  
   4.  Revised pattern and palette file to save the selected 
       symbol for each palette color.
   5.  Revised pattern file format to save the definitions of
       those threads used in the pattern.
   6.  Revised file open to automatically update the thread list
       if a color specified in a pattern is not in the list.
       If the thread is listed but has a different color definition,
       then the user is prompted to select either the color 
       currently in the thread list, or the color in the pattern.
   7.  Revised pattern information print-out to only list threads
       used in the pattern.
   8.  Added more DMC thread definitions for a current total of
       230 colors.
______________________________________________________________


                      DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

      THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE  SOLD "AS IS" AND  WITHOUT
      WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE  OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY
      OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  BECAUSE
      OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND  SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO
      WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY  BE PUT, NO WARRANTY  OF FITNESS
      FOR  A  PARTICULAR  PURPOSE  IS  OFFERED.    GOOD  DATA
      PROCESSING  PROCEDURE  DICTATES  THAT  ANY  PROGRAM  BE
      THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING
      ON IT.   THE USER MUST ASSUME  THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING
      THE PROGRAM.    ANY LIABILITY  OF  THE SELLER  WILL  BE
      LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF
      PURCHASE PRICE.



