Picplane installation and use.


Installation:
Unzip the file anywhere and it should create a folder PicPln.
Inside this folder is this file, the picplane.exe file, and two graphics files Sixplane.gif and Eightplane.jpg

Running picplane.exe will allow you to create files, and these will be created in the PicPln folder. They can then be copied to wherever you need them to go. It runs well on a computer running a 800 x 600 screen, but it will fit on a 640 x 480

What it does!
It has been produced as a utility for the makers of EAW aircraft selection screens.
It does not create the screens, but it allows you to create menu files which are used in conjunction with aircraft selection screens for offline play. 
These files are picplna.mnu, picplnb.mnu and picplng.mnu which correspond to the American, British and German choices respectively.
This ensures that the correct names appear as the mouse pointer passes over the various parts of the aircraft selection screen, so that if you have a Mosquito in place of the P38-H then the name Mosquito (or whatever you choose to call it) appears on screen.
The American and British screens have six planes, and the German has eight. There are also the names of the other two countries, and the Exit button. The plane names, countries, and exit names are completely editable
The screens are 640 x 480 pixels, and each aicraft/country/exit area is a rectangle defined by the position of its top left corner, its width and its height.
The utility allows you to load in a 640 x 480 *.bmp  *.jpg or *.gif version of your selection screen, select a plane, and define its selection area by clicking the mouse at the top left of the rectangle, dragging, and releasing the mouse button at the bottom right. The readings are stored, and recorded when the *.mnu file is made. 

Using the software:
Double click "picplane.exe"
This brings up the first window entitled "Aircraft Selection Screen Menu Maker".

First:
Select the country (USA, Britain or Axis)
This automatically puts the name of the normal corresponding screen file (picplna.pic if US), into a textbox,  and the list of names of planes which are in the standard slots that EAW uses, plus the names of the other two countries, and the word "EXIT".
Note that as there are only 6 US and British planes then the 7th and 8th row of boxes will  no longer be visible.

Now edit the names of the planes in the textboxes to the names you want to appear in their places on the selection screen. You can also edit the countries, and the word "EXIT" if you so choose.

Second:
When this is done select the type of file you want the file listbox to display. (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF or All). Clicking on the name of a file displayed will load it in, but it will not be visible at this stage. If you have selected USA or Britain you might go for the Sixplane.gif for a trial run. However, if you selected Axis then the "Eightplane.jpg" could be used.

However, be careful if using "All" because some files listed are not even graphics files, and some  (such as *.pcx and *.pic) are in a form that this software cannot display. This can cause the program to crash.

To bring up the chosen screen click on the name of the first item you want to set. The order is not important, but you must click on the original name to the left of the textboxes (underneath the words "Click the aircraft's"). 
The selection screen will appear and the name of the item will be displayed in the caption at the top of the screen (just in case you have forgotten which one it you chose). Hold the left mouse button down at the top left of the selection rectangle and drag it to the bottom right, then release. The rectangle will appear on the screen.
If you think you put it in the wrong area, then simply click and drag again. 
Clicking the left mouse button on any rectangle that you have made will delete it.

When it is OK then click the right mouse mouse button. This will bring you back to the first screen, and you will notice that the co-ordinates and size of the selection rectangle have been stored in the four boxes alongside the name of the aircraft country or exit item you just set the selection rectangle for.
Then, click on the name of the next item that you want to do, and so on until all nine (US/British) or all eleven (Axis) are done. 
When you have done the last item, if you do not want to do any more you can click on the close box  [X] at the top right of the window. Otherwise, click the right mouse mouse button. Either way you will be back at the first screen.


Finally:
Complete any futher editing of the names, then click the "Make  .mnu file" button.
This will create and save your "picplna/b/g.mnu" file in the current directory. It will also make a "picplna/b/g.txt" file which stores the names of the items, and the numerical values relating to the position and size of each rectangle. 
These readings can be loaded later if you click the "Load settings" button, after selecting the country.

To test it, copy the picplna/b/g.mnu file that you just made into your EAW directory and run the game.  When the selection screen for the country that you chose is visible then if you right click the mouse you should see the selection areas and the names you gave the items displayed precisely in the area that you set.






