                        KIDS TYPE FULL DOC`S
                      =======================      TYPED BY SHARD
                                                       03-11-93

BEFORE YOU START
================

Before  using  any of the programs, please make backup copies of your disks
and  lock  away  your master disks.  That way, if you ever damage your disk
you can always make a fresh working copy.

Computer Viruses
----------------

Sharing  disks with friends has become the major cause for the rapid spread
of  computer  viruses.   Some of these are fairly harmless but nevertheless
annoying.   Others  are  very  nasty  and  will  show varying symptoms from
diskettes   not   loading  unless  not  write  protected,  diskettes  being
destroyed,  programs  not  loading  or  crashing.  Once you have a virus in
amongst  your  disks  they  are  difficult  to  get rid of, not to say time
consuming.   imagine  spending  hours creating a story only to lose it all.
Imagine collecting a years worth of data for a project and losing all that.
Don't  risk  it.   Be extremely careful who you take disks from.  And don't
give  disks  away.  If you already have a virus in amongst your disks, your
friends will not thank you for corrupting their disks

NOTE:
----

If  you  have  a 512K Amiga with an additional external disk drive, you may
have  to  disconnect  that  drive  before you can load some of the enclosed
programs.

TERMINOLOGY
-----------

In  this document, to click on something means to move the mouse pointer to
and item and then press the left mouse button.  To double click is to press
the left mouse button twice rapidly.

Some  of  the  programs take quite some time to load, please be patient and
NEVER take a disk out if the green disk light is on


Loading Kids Type
=================

KidsType  is  designed to load itself or to be loaded from a standard Amiga
Workbench  by  "double clicking" on the KidsType icon.  Simply turn on your
machine and put in your working copy of your KidsType disk.  Once Kids Type
is  loaded,  it  is  a good idea to put in a seperate data disk on which to
save your stories.

NOTE:
-----

If  you have a 512k A500 Amiga with an additional disk dive you may need to
switch off the external drive before running KidsType.

Keymap 
------

If  your  Workbench  is  a  version  before 1.3 you may need to change your
keymap  to  the 1.3 GB version.  A copy of this is provided on the KidsType
disk  and should be incorporated in your Workbench setup by transferring it
to your Devs:keymaps subdirectory and using "Setmap GB".  If you fail to do
this you may find that the <Help> key is inoperative.

Preferences Settings
--------------------
 
KidsType will not alter your Amiga preferences settings on startup, but you
will find it nicer to use if you set your Preferences Key Repeat Speed fast
and  the  Key  Repeat  Delay  fairly  short.   Set  the  Mouse Double-Click
Detection at the upper end of its range.

Printers
--------

The  Devs/Printers directory on your KidsType disk must contain the correct
diver for your printer.  If you are having printing trouble check to ensure
that the correct diver is present.  If not you should install the necessary
driver in Kids Type:Devs/Printers by copying the appropriate file from your
Workbench  disk  or  Extras  disk.   Of  course  you  also have to set your
"Preferences" to reflect the new printer driver

GETTING GOING
=============

Having  loaded the program you are ready to type.  Go ahead and experiment.
We  recommend you format and use separate "WORK" disks to save your stories
on - don't save stories to the program disk.

Over-typing or inserting
------------------------

When  you first load KidsType, it is in "over-type" mode, that is to say if
you  position  the  cursor back over some of your typing and start to type,
your original work will be over- written.

Clicking  on  the  "INSERT"  action  box in the middle of the bottom of the
screen  alters  the  way  the  program handles typing in the middle of your
story.  (Notice that the action box changes its label to "OVER" to show you
what  you  can  choose  next).   In  "insert" mode, your new typing will be
forced  into  your  story,  pushing  your  existing typing further down the
screen.   Clicking  on  the  "OVER"  action  box  again  flips  back to the
alternative mode.

Adding pictures or graphics
---------------------------

Having  typed some text, "click" on one of the small pictures at the top of
the  screen.  The picture you have chosen will become attached to the mouse
pointer.  Position the pointer anywhere in the typing area and click again.
Notice  how the picture gets dropped into the screen at that position.  Now
click  on  one of the up/down arrows at the side of the pictures and notice
the  new  set  of  graphics.   (It  also  restores the mouse pointer to its
original  shape).   Continue  clicking  on  the  arrows  to explore all the
different character sets.

N.B.   The letter associated with the picture is used as an ordinary letter
when speech is being used.  See the instructions on speech mode.

Choosing words
--------------

KidsType contains a list of 100 words that you can scroll through, pick out
your  choice  and drop the word into your story.  Click on the lower middle
action box ("PROMPT") at the bottom of the text screen.  (Notice it changes
to say "PICTURES").

Now  press a keyboard key, eg H, to start displaying the list of words, (eg
starting  at  words  beginning with H), or click on the picture letter H at
the top of the screen.

Click  on the up and down arrows at the top of the screen to scroll through
the  list.  Click on the word you want and it is automatically dropped into
your story wherever the cursor is currently positioned.

Click  again  on  the  middle bottom action box, now labelled "PICTURES" to
return the pictures.(See the end of the manual to see how to alter the word
list)

FUNCTION KEYS
=============

The function keys have special editing functions as follows;

F1 - Insert one space into line of text at cursor position.
F2 - Insert one line of spaces into text.
F3 - Insert a previously deleted and saved line into text.
F4 - Insert one screen of spaces into text.
F5 - Delete and save the current line.
F6 - Delete current screen.
F7 - Clear current screen.

ACTION BOXES
============

An  Action  box  is an area on the screen at which you can point the mouse,
click the left mouse button and cause something to happen.

(Top Left)
HELP - Lists the function key uses.
GAME - Starts the spelling game

(Top Right)
UPPER (SPEAK) - Enables speech output.
LOWER (QUIET) - Stops speech output.

(Bottom Middle)
UPPER - toggles type modes
        INSERT or OVERTYPE
LOWER - toggles WORDS/PICTURE mode

NB  In  "Text  reading"  mode, clicking on the "QUIET" gadget will stop the
reading at the end of the current line.

Colour Selection and Colour Adjustment
--------------------------------------

There  are  eight  coloured  gadgets to the left of screen Point to one and
click the left mouse button - it will be highlighted.

On  the  right of the screen are "R", "G", and "B" action boxes which alter
the Red, Green and Blue components of the currently selected colour.  Click
on  one  of  these and the value of that colour component alters.  Continue
clicking and watch the result.

Clicking  on  the  "*"  gadget  will  toggle the colour status between your
latest altered colour settings and the original KidsType colours.

Colour selections may be saved and loaded using Menu options.

Scrolling
---------

At the bottom of the text area are six arrows which allow rapid movement up
and down your document - three for up and three for down

The smallest arrow - move through the text line by line
The middle arrow   - move screen by screen
The largest arrow  - move to the start or end of the text


MENU OPTIONS
============

To  highlight the menu items, hold down the right mouse button and move the
mouse  pointer to the top of the screen.  Moving the pointer across the top
of  the  screen  pulls down the vaious menus.  Having pulled down any given
menu,  move  the pointer down the menu until the item you want.  Letting go
of  the  right  button activates that item.  That might simply set a status
(as  in  turning  sound  on  or off) or it might cause a sequence of events
(like saving your story).  The menus are as follows:

Project Menu
------------

Sound
Turn sound on or off

Print Text
Prints  from current cursor position onwards.  Printing may be cancelled by
pressing  "Esc"  (If your printer supports it, the story will be printed in
"Double-Width" mode)

Dump Screen
Uses   "GraphicDump"   to  carry  out  a  simple  screen  dump.   See  your
"Preferences"  Documentation  for  details  of the various graphic printing
options

Clear Text
Gives an option to clear the current story.

Quit
Gives an option to quit the program.

Filing Menu
-----------

Load
Allows loading of a previously saved KidsType story.

Save
Saves  the  current story with its original name, and creates a ".BAK" file
if the name already exists.

Saveas
Saves the current file after prompting for a story name.

Load Colours
Loads a previously saved colour selection.

Save colours
Saves your current colour selection.

NB.   All options other than "SAVE" bring up a requester which will display
and  allow  you  to  review  disk  contents  Filenames  may  be selected by
scrolling  through  the directory display and clicking on the selected name
as usual.

Pressing "OK" will complete your filename selection

Pressing "Cancel" will return you to KidsType and abort the operation

Speech Menu
-----------

WOMAN Sets voice simulation to "Woman`s Voice"
MAN   Sets voice simulation to "Man's Voice"
ROBOT Sets voice simulation to "Robot`s Voice"

ACCOMPANY    Toggles    speech    system    between   "Recite"   mode   and
"Accompany/pronounce" mode See below.

SPEECH SYSTEM
=============

Recite  Mode  (This  mode is operative when the program starts).  Place the
cursor  anywhere  on  the line of text where you want the reading to begin,
then click on the upper "SPEAK" gadget (top right of the screen).

The computer will recite your text, line by line, until there is no more to
read,  or  until you press the "QUIET" gadget which you will find below the
"SPEAK" gadget.

Accompany/Pronounce Mode
------------------------

In this mode the computer will pronounce each letter as you type it as long
as "SPEAK" is also activated.

To enable pronunciation, having selected "Accompany" via the "SPEECH" Menu,
simply click on the "SPEAK" gadget.

Pressing  "QUIET"  will  turn  off  the speech output, still leaving you in
"Accompany/Pronounce" mode.

Selective Pronunciation
-----------------------

Select  "Accompany/Pronounce"  mode  and  "SPEAK"  enabled.   Use the mouse
pointer to select individual words or letters for pronunciation.

Single clicking a letter will cause that letter to be pronounced

Double  clicking  on  a  letter  will  cause the whole word containing that
letter to be pronounced.

THE GAME
========

To start the spelling game, point to and click the left mouse button on the
"game"  action box (top left of screen).  Select any picture from the upper
display by pointing and clicking at it.

You can select pictures in any order (you may also move from your currently
selected picture to any other, returning to your initial selection later if
desired).   Correct  spelling  of  a name causes that picture to be removed
from  those still available, until ultimately the game is over when all the
alphabetical pictures have been finished

The game can be left at any time by pressing ESC

CHANGlNG THE CHARACTER SET SHAPE
================================

Big characters versus little characters
---------------------------------------

KidsType  gives  you  the  choice  of  using  fat or thin characters.  When
issued,  KidsType comes set up to use thin characters.  To change these for
fat  characters load your standard Amiga Workbench screen and carry out the
following:

Put  your  KidsType  disk  into  your  disk  drive  and double click on the
KidsType  disk  icon.   Double click on the "Graphics" draw in the KidsType
window.  Rename KTPICFONT to KTSMALLFONT.

(To  rename  an  icon,  click  on it once, move the mouse to the top of the
screen,  hold  down  the  right mouse button and move the pointer across to
pull  down  the  menus.   Keeping  your  finger  on the right mouse button,
position  the cursor over the "RENAME" line on the "WORKBENCH" menu and let
go  of  the  right button.  Using the Del and arrow keys, delete and change
letters to your new icon name and press the return key).

Now  rename  KTBIGFONT to KTPIDCFONT.  When you next load Kids Type it will
be  using  the  fatter  characters.   If  you  don`t like them, reverse the
process.    Rename   KTPICFONT  to  KTBIGFONT  and  rename  KTSMALLFONT  to
KTPICFONT.

MODIFYING THE PICTURES, THE GAME, THE FONT AND THE WORDS LIST
=============================================================

Modifying the Picture Font (Changing the pictures for the game)
---------------------------------------------------------------

If  you  feel confident to do so, you can alter the pictures and characters
to  your own needs.  Simply load the graphic font image into an art program
such as Deluxe Paint, and make your changes

The  font  image  file,  named KTPICFONT, is in the "Graphics" Directory of
your  KidsType  disk.   (Start  up  Deluxe  Paint  in  Low-Res and choose 8
colours)

Note  that  the  sizes  of  the  pictures  and  letter characters and their
positions  are of utmost importance.  BEFORE making any changes make a copy
of the original KTPICFONT file.

The  alphabet  pictures are associated with the game word list as described
below.   By  changing these (and the game word list) you can customise your
own word game.

When  you are satisfied with the results, all you have to do is replace the
original  file  with  your new version, HAVING SAVED A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL
FIRST !!!!!!!!

Modifying the Game Word Set:
----------------------------

The  "Words"  directory  on  your  KidsType  disk  contains  a  file called
"GameWords" which supplies a list of 26 words for use in the game.

Using  Kidstype,  this  file can be modified to relate to new pictures that
you may have designed.

The  format  of  the  GameWords file should be rigidly adhered to.  THIS IS
VERY  IMPORTANT.   Your  file  should be a simple ASCII file with 26 words,
each  having  a  "$"  sign  before  and  after,  and having no more than 12
letters.

Modifying the Word List
-----------------------

The  word list is held in the same format as the game word list.  It can be
altered  to  have your own list of words but must be in the same format and
MUST NOT contain more than 100 words.
 
 
              HAVE FUN GUYS AND REMEMBER ITS ALL FOR FUN 
                        aLL DoNE By SHaRD/N&B