Tslide 1.0
 2000 Stephan Haugh, England
stephan_haugh@hotmail.com



PURPOSE
This class is an TImage extension to support AutoCAD slide files. This allows slides 
to be loaded into a TImage's picture. It also means there will be a preview for slides
in the TOpenPictureDialog.



IMPLEMENTATION
This unit is based on Colin Patrick Sarsfield TDxf, which can display a DXF file.
It has been changed to display AutoCAD slides instead.
At the moment the unit supports only level 2 slides written on INTEL-based machines.
The unit has been developed and tested under Delphi 3, there is no reason why it 
shouldn't work in other versions as well. Please try and  tell me.


INSTALLATION
You don't have to install anything. Just include it in your uses statement.


If you wish to have slide support at design time, follow these steps:

Verify that you do not have any other SLD libraries installed. Since Tslide registers 
itself with the TPicture class as a SLD handler, it will conflict with any other 
SLD libraries that do the same thing. If you do not have another SLD library installed,
you can skip this step.  To verify that you don't have another SLD library installed 
you can create a new form, add a TImage component to it and click on the Picture 
property in the "Object Inspector".  If the "Load Picture" dialog already has the 
"SLD" file type listed or you are able to load and display a SLD file, you do have 
another SLD library installed and will need to do something about it.  

			
To install Tslide selct "Install Component" from the "Component" menu... 	
Specify SLDimage.pas as the Unit file name. If the SLDimage unit isn't in the 
library search path, you can use the Browse button to specify where it is located. 	
Specify the package to add SLDimage to in the Package file name field. Unless you 
prefer another package, I recommend that you use the dclusr30.dpk package which is 
reserved for "User's Components". 	
When you close the "Install Component" dialog, the package will be recompiled and 
installed for you. Please note that Tslide will not show up on your component palette 
since it is not a component. 

To verify that Tslide is now available at design time, you can create a new form, 
add a TImage component to it and click on the Picture property in the 
"Object Inspector". The "Load Picture" dialog should now have a "AutoCAD slide" 
file type and if you load a SLD file it should be displayed by the TImage component.	


TEST1.DPR
You should have downloaded a test application with this package. Open test1.dpr and 
run it. It will first open a PictureOpenDialog and you can select a graphic, 
including AutoCAD slides. You will have a small preview, and you can also press the 
little PREVIEW button in the top right corner. Select a file and it will be loaded
into your TImage. Try and resize the window. Double clicking the image will open
another PictureOpenDialog.


LICENSE AGREEMENT
Permission to use, copy, and distribute this software for any purpose 
and without fee is hereby granted.
I makes no warranty, including but not limited to any implied warranties 
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, regarding 
the software and accompanying materials.  The software and accompanying 
materials are provided solely on an as-is basis.

In no event shall I be liable to any special, collateral, incidental, 
or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of the use 
of the software or accompanying materials.

This code had been released into the public domain.


Please give me feedback if you do further development or successfully compile 
the unit in other versions of Delphi.