===========================================================================
                           PROGRAB release 1.1.0

              by Giobbe Skywalker ( a.k.a. Giorgio Beccalli )
===========================================================================
USER MANUAL                                                    October 1997
===========================================================================





INTRODUCTION
============
Sorry for my VERY bad English, nevertheless I'll try to be clear.

ProGrab  is  a TSR screen grabbing program. It saves captured images to TGA
files.  It is based on the ability of  the  PC  to  relocate  IRQs  to  any
interrupt.

This is the SHAREWARE evaluation copy. This means that  you  can  copy  and
distribuite this program, but you can't modify it. If after 30 days you are
still using it, you are obliged to register.



FEATURES
========
It  has been coded in 100% assembly language, so it uses only less than 3kb
of memory.

It can capture screen from almost any game or program running in:
. Standard VGA 256 color mode.
. Non-standard  VGA  256  color  modes ( like 360x480 ) including  hardware
  split screen.
. All super-vga VESA ( up to 2.0 ) 256 colors modes.
. [ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] Super-vga VESA 15-16K COLORS modes.
. [ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] All super-vga VESA TRUE COLORS modes.


[ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] You can freely define the  base  interrupt  for
relocated IRQs; this is helpful with same programs.

[  REGISTERED  VERSION  ONLY ] ProGrab is able to capture also the hardware
virtual screen.



LIMITATIONS
===========
ProGrab  cannot capture text, monochromatic or 16 colors modes.

Even if I don't consider it a limitation, ProGrab can only   produce   .TGA
files. This is due to 2 factors:
. It  is  an  "easy to code" format, and this  let me produce a VERY  small
  TSR.
. It is the only PC graphic format ( excluding TIFF ) which covers 8 up  to
  32 bits images.

Unfortunately,  there are a few games and programs which do not let ProGrab
work properly. If you find one of them, make me know ( see PROBLEMS ).



SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
===================
An AT 286 with a colour VGA and DOS 3.1 or higher. That's all.



FILES
=====
The original package files are:
file-id.diz       Description for BBSs
prograb.txt       This manual
prograb.com       ProGrab TSR
history.txt       History

Please  distribuite the ENTIRE package, possibly with the name pgrab###.zip
( ### = version ).



INSTALLATION
============
Copy all files into a directory.




USAGE
=====
At the DOS prompt ( NOT under a shell ) type  "prograb",  followed  by  the
switches  you need ( see SWITCHES for more info ). Now ProGrab is loaded in
memory.

When you push CTRL and Scroll-Lock keys together, you hear  a  sound  which
indicates that ProGrab has started his work.

Then, at the end of the work, you should hear a second sound. If it  has  a
high  pitch,  the image has been created; otherwise same error occurred. If
you don't hear  a  second sound, the system crashed ( push the RESET key ).
ATTENTION: on slow PCs, the work could take over 30 sec. ( for example with
a 1024x768 screen ).
Tip: before capturing images, load a disk-cacher program; this will greatly
improve performances in VESA grabbing.

The  TGA  output  files  are  named  00000000.tga  to  99999999.tga  (  are
100,000,000 files enough for you? ).



SWITCHES
========
/U Unload ProGrab from memory.

/R Show informations about registering ( obviously  this  switch  has  been
   removed from the registered version ).

/I [ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] Set the base interrupt of relocated IRQs. It
   needs  a sequence of eight UNUSED interrupts, so be careful if you don't
   want system crashes.
   Syntax: "ProGrab /Id8". The default is 50 and works fine with almost all
   games. If you should have problems with a game, try using  this  switch.
   Attention:  you can't change the value when it is already loaded. Unload
   it and then reload with the new value.

/A [ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] Capture virtual page. Same games have a work
   area wider than the visible one; with this switch, ProGrab captures all.



WINDOWS(c) AND WINDOWS95(c) USERS
=================================
Don't  run  ProGrab  under Windows(c), because it is a shell with low level
control over the machine, and the grabber interferes with it.

If   you   have   loaded   ProGrab   BEFORE  running Windows(c), it will be
deactivated ( it will not answer also under DOS ),  even  if  it  is  still
loaded in memory. This is not a problem: at the DOS prompt, just unload and
reload it.



PROBLEMS
========
If  you  have  problems,  suggestions or you want to contact me, e-mail to:
giobbe.s@flashnet.it



REGISTERING
===========
Registering,  you  will  receive  a  full  options  version ( see above for
[ REGISTERED VERSION ONLY ] features ) with a specific manual including "in
deep" discussion about IRQs relocation and interrupts.

Send the order to:

        Giorgio Beccalli
        via Altamura, 10
        20148 Milano, Italy

writing  NAME, ADDRESS and ( if you want ) something about yourself.
Include 10 U.S. Dollars ( +4 for postage ).

If  you  already  are a registered user, you can obtain the last registered
version paying only 3 U.S. Dollars ( +4 for postage ).



CREDITS
=======
Programming and design:  Giobbe Skywalker
Thanks to:               All guys of area 60
