Desktop Publishing Demo Help
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Purpose
This helpfile will explain how to use the Desktop Publishing Demo. In itself, this demo is created to demonstrate the rich functionality of the DtpDocuments component. This component is available for developers that want to build in Desktop Publishing capability into their Delphi applications.

Features

·Add all kinds of shapes to the document: text, memo, bitmaps, metafiles, polylines, line segments, rectangles, squares, ellipses, etcetera. Have a look at the shape family for an impression.  
·The DtpDocument component can hold more than one page and provides thumbnail support for all pages.  
·The document (including all pages and all graphics) is efficiently saved as one file.  
·Each shape supports free rotation.  
·Shapes can be semi-transparent, on shape level (master alpha) as well as pixel level.  
·All shapes can be grouped. Groups can be rotated and grouped again.  
·The document can be printed.  
·The document supports very fast zooming and scrolling. This is achieved through smart caching of the shapes.  
·Each shape can be given a lot of different effects, among these:  
·shadow,  
·frame around shape,  
·brightness/contrast,  
·hue/saturation/lightness adjust.  
·Shapes have floating point precision in contradiction to most other graphical engines that have only integer precision. The shapes can be very accurately placed and sized on the document.  
·Shapes can have hints  
·Text and memo shapes can be edited in-document (even rotated)  
·The page settings can be done on document level for all pages or on page level.  
·The DtpDocument component implements full undo and redo functionality, up to a configurable limit. It uses an efficient way of storing this undo information so that it does not have to save the complete state each time.  

DtpDocuments component set
The demo is written around the DtpDocuments component set. This component set is available as compiled or source version for Delphi 5, Delphi 6 and Delphi 7, as well as soon for the .NET platform.

If you are a developer and want to try out the DtpDocuments set, then please visit our website
and download the trial version. The trial version also comes with complete project files (almost all source) of this demo.

Example applications
DtpDocuments can be used in a very diverse number of applications:

·Photo editors  
·Word-processors  
·Desktop Publishing and home publishing applications  
·Multipage print previews  
·Process visualisation  
·Reporting engines  
·CAD editors (2D)  
·Charting and organising applications  

The components are very extendable because they are fully object-oriented and cleanly written, well-structured and highly commented. MMX technology warrants superb rendering with full semi-transparency and anti-aliasing.

Getting started
In chapter 2 the screen elements will be explained. Chapter 3 will explain all menu and property edit panels in detail. Chapter 4 will describe some background information on the internal workings of DtpDocuments, such as software architecture and file format structure.


Contacting SimDesign
If you are interested and want more information you can contact SimDesign:

SimDesign B.V.
Hellevoetsluis
The Netherlands
web: www.simdesign.nl

email: info@simdesign.nl

phone: +31 181 337 577