I've been using PabloDraw, but being irritated by the fact that what I see in PabloDraw is oftentimes only lightly related to what I see when viewing the images on my Mystic BBS.

I also struggle with blinking characters (though I assume I'm just not seeing how to do it, rather that it being impossible, as copying and pasting works just fine) and creating animations (which I assume is actively impossible in PabloDraw, even though it does well in displaying them).

I'd use the in-Mystic editor (and have done so when touching up PabloDraw images), but it's... limited.

So what does everyone else use, and/or how do they deal with these issues?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

I also struggle with blinking characters (though I assume I'm just not seeing how to do it, rather that it being impossible, as copying and

The blinking characters occur if you use a bright colour as a background colour. In standard ansi this can't be done, but should look ok if you
enable "iCE" colours.

pasting works just fine) and creating animations (which I assume is actively impossible in PabloDraw, even though it does well in displaying them).

I don't think PabloDraw can be used for animations, you could try
TheDraw in dosbox (that's what most people used back in the day).

So what does everyone else use, and/or how do they deal with these
issues?

I use PabloDraw, the key is to not use bright colours for the
background, also don't draw in the 80th column. And don't use it to post
in a message base. You may also need to open it in a text editor and
delete the "SAUCE" lines at the bottom, I'm not sure if mystic filters
these out.

There is a new one called mobius which you might like. Or you could use TheDraw.

Andrew

--- MagickaBBS v0.13alpha (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Nocturnal - nocturnal.hopto.org:2023 (21:1/125)

The blinking characters occur if you use a bright colour as a background colour. In standard ansi this can't be done, but should look ok if you enable "iCE" colours.

I thought it'd be something like that, but whenever I right click on a bright color to choose it as the background, it goes to the dark version instead (e.g., brown instead of yellow), and while enabling "iCE" colors lets me use those combinations, when switching back to non-iCE it flashes the dark
version of the color.

I tried changing various things around (both with settings and Sauce), but haven't quite figured out how to make it work. Well, okay, making it flash _dark_ colors seems to work out. Just not the bright colors.

I don't think PabloDraw can be used for animations, you could try
TheDraw in dosbox (that's what most people used back in the day).

It's what I used back in the day, too. For some reason I figured someone would've wound up making an ANSI animation editor that works in a modern operating system, but maybe using TheDraw really is the best option.

I use PabloDraw, the key is to not use bright colours for the
background, also don't draw in the 80th column.

Okay, that's sounding like, "Draw in PabloDraw, fix elsewhere". I guess
that's about what I arrived at.

Thanks for all the tips and hints, regardless.

And don't use it to post in a message base.

...what happens if you use ANSI from it to post in a message base? I mean,
ANSI that you've checked to see if it looks okay in, oh, the ANSI gallery.

There is a new one called mobius which you might like. Or you could use TheDraw.

I'll have to take a look at Mobius. Thanks.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

...what happens if you use ANSI from it to post in a message base? I
mean, ANSI that you've checked to see if it looks okay in, oh, the ANSI gallery.

If you post it from the mystic message editor it will convert it fine,
however ANSIs often have lines longer than 80 columns (due to the ANSI sequences) mystic wraps messages longer than 80 columns and so they look
all mangled.

In TheDraw there is an option to save with a maximum width which will
make it look ok. Basically it mangles up the ANSI some more to fit in 80 columns (by using cursor movement codes to make it look right on screen,
ie that line didn't fit in 80 chars, get the next line move up and
across and append it..)

Andrew

--- MagickaBBS v0.13alpha (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: HappyLand - telnet://magickabbs.com:2023/ (21:1/126)

If you post it from the mystic message editor it will convert it fine, however ANSIs often have lines longer than 80 columns (due to the ANSI

Ah, okay. So the word wrapping is based on actual characters, rather than display characters. Gotcha. And thanks, didn't have any idea on that.

In TheDraw there is an option to save with a maximum width which will
make it look ok. Basically it mangles up the ANSI some more to fit in 80

It still feels wrong to me that the best ANSI editor appears to be a 20-year-old program that requires emulators to run.

I guess there was more demand back then.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

It still feels wrong to me that the best ANSI editor appears to be a 20-year-old program that requires emulators to run.

Depends on what you want to do with it I guess. I prefer PabloDraw as I
said. Mobius is a new one I mentioned that might be more to your liking.

I guess there was more demand back then.

And more people with time and motivation to code utilities for BBSing.

Andrew

--- MagickaBBS v0.13alpha (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: Nocturnal - nocturnal.hopto.org:2023 (21:1/125)

Depends on what you want to do with it I guess. I prefer PabloDraw as I said. Mobius is a new one I mentioned that might be more to your liking.

I suppose that's fair, and I don't recall TheDraw having the ability to have iCE colors, so there's at least some level of functionality that's favorable
to PabloDraw.

And more people with time and motivation to code utilities for BBSing.

Yep. It's different when it's the best game in town.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Hello Adept!

24 Oct 19 00:14, you wrote to apam:

It still feels wrong to me that the best ANSI editor appears to be a 20-year-old program that requires emulators to run.

Aciddraw/Thedraw in real dos, via a 256mb usb memory stick!

Makes copying to the bbs setup a breaz!



Vorlon


--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: Dragon's Lair ---:- dragon.vk3heg.net -:--- (21:1/195)

I prefer TheDraw myself...
I am more familiar with it as I've used the hell out of it...

The others are just fine... Just my Go-To is TheDraw

Gary Crunk - Another F-ing BBS : anotherbbs.dynu.net Port 23
Quazar BBS Door Game Server: quazarbbs.dynu.net Port 2323
300 F-ing Baud BBS: 300baud.dynu.net Port 2525

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Another F-ing BBS (21:4/126)

I prefer TheDraw myself...
I am more familiar with it as I've used the hell out of it...

Yep, it's what you're used to I guess.

Andrew


--- MagickaBBS v0.13alpha (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: HappyLand - telnet://magickabbs.com:2023/ (21:1/126)

http://www.ansigarden.com/

thanks

Manu Ngamotu
Nexus Computers BBS
telnet:120.29.1.69 Port 23

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Nexus Computers BBS (21:2/109)

I'd use the in-Mystic editor (and have done so when touching up PabloDraw images), but it's... limited.
So what does everyone else use, and/or how do they deal with these
issues?

I do almost everything in Mystic's editor these days and then if I need some super advanced stuff done I use a DosBox and either TheDraw, AcidDraw, or my own ANSI editor release for the ACiD 100 pack of Empathy. All DOS stuff though.

I don't disgree about it having some limitations, but I could use some feedback on what is missing that you'd like to see? For me the number one issue is that I need to finish the copy/move block options.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Cyberia BBS | cyberiabbs.zapto.org | San Jose, CA (21:1/120)

...what happens if you use ANSI from it to post in a message base? I mean, ANSI that you've checked to see if it looks okay in, oh, the AN gallery.

If you post it from the mystic message editor it will convert it fine, however ANSIs often have lines longer than 80 columns (due to the ANSI sequences) mystic wraps messages longer than 80 columns and so they look all mangled.

Thats only true if you're posting it as a text file with an automated utility.

Mystic's message editor *IS* an ANSI editor and you can upload an .ans file using /U and it will format it and save it to a message for you, and you can even edit it in-line within the message you're posting. But if you're automating a post via a utility then yeah then the 80 column thing applies.

In TheDraw there is an option to save with a maximum width which will
make it look ok. Basically it mangles up the ANSI some more to fit in 80 columns (by using cursor movement codes to make it look right on screen, ie that line didn't fit in 80 chars, get the next line move up and
across and append it..)

Mystic's ANSI editor also does this too.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Cyberia BBS | cyberiabbs.zapto.org | San Jose, CA (21:1/120)

I don't disgree about it having some limitations, but I could use some feedback on what is missing that you'd like to see? For me the number
one issue is that I need to finish the copy/move block options.

An undo function.

Don't get me wrong -- the ability to copy/move blocks is nice, having some
form of layers would be wonderful, and probably a bunch of things I'm not immediately thinking of.

But it's CTRL-Z not doing anything that is most of why I've used PabloDraw.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)