CARDENG: A post card engine as a freeware ..............
         release 1.0
         By Paul-henri FERME
         paul_henri@compuserve.com


Overview:
---------

This engine will help in compiling a nice electronic postcard with animated
bitmap(s) and background sound(s)that you can send over the internet . It
contains a set of objects that will enable you to:
       - Load and use bitmap,midi and wav file directly from resource
                  ==> only one single exe to send
       - Perform simple bitmap animation
                  ==> Direct API calls for fast and very compact code.
       - Display text as a rolling Banner


It includes a set of fast and compact objects and a template application. There are
no components to load. You need to load into the resource file (Cardres.rc)
your own bitmaps and midi files in compress format, modify userpar.pas and
recompile careng.dpr.

I also include in the package a software to convert a GIF to a bitmap.
You need a software to modifiy and create your own bitmap.I am using paintshop
pro: It is cheap, easy to install and very powerfull.

Please check the comments in userpar.pas  and check for the cardeng.txt for
detailed help.

Getting started
---------------

Configuration: This program is to be compiled with delphi 1.0.
               The EXE file it produces can be run on both win95 and 
		win31 environment.


1) Get one or several background bitmaps (one per screen, all the same size);
2) Get some nice bitmaps for your sprite or better some gif files.
3) Convert you gif to bitmap via the provided testgif.exe software.
    use "save as bitmap" menu
4) Compress you bitmaps to a zzz file using the provided compr.exe software
5) modify cardres.rc to include all your zzz files as window resources.
6) run brcc , the Borland resource compiler to compile your cardres.rc to cardres.res
7) Open Cardeng.dpr with delphi 1.0.
   Then modify userpar.pas to use those bitmaps. Check the example file
   for reference.
8) Compile and run CardEng

Important note: All objects are non visual objects and you need some pascal object
                basic knowledge to build your own card. You will only  have to modify
                userpas.pas and recompile . The rest of the code is included for
                reference.

Important note:
---------------

Bitmaps are limited to 1,4 or 16 bits per color. 24 bits bitmaps are not supported.
   Neither is the OS2 special bitmmap format, but who cares about that one any more...


All comments, suggestions, bugs report are welcome.Please send me a copy of any post card
generated using cardeng to paul_henri@compuserve.com. 

Freeware by
paul_henri@compuserve.com
feb 1998

