Original Usenet thread from alt.ascii-art, started 7 Apr 2002.
_ _ _ _ _ _ | | | |___ ___ _ __ ___| |_ / \ _ __ ___| |__ (_)_ _____ | | | / __|/ _ \ '_ \ / _ \ __| / _ \ | '__/ __| '_ \| \ \ / / _ \ | |_| \__ \ __/ | | | __/ |_ / ___ \| | | (__| | | | |\ V / __/ \___/|___/\___|_| |_|\___|\__| /_/ \_\_| \___|_| |_|_| \_/ \___|
[info] alt.ascii-art FAQ v3.0.3.05 (draft)
alt.ascii-art
· 24 messages · 7 Apr 2002 - 15 Apr 2002
this is the Ascii-Art FAQ version 3 (draft)
based on an unfinished work by Matthew Thomas
(with some texts migrated from some older FAQs
written by Jorn Barger and Bob Allison)
it is the most recent (v3.0.3.05) publication
+------------------------------------------------
it is provided such that it may be helpful
+------------------------------------------------
changes from v3.0.3.04 are: mostly cosmetic to radical
with the questions/answers re-sequenced and renumbered
this is an unofficial faq:
o - Matthew Thomas didn't post it
o - it is not supported by Micro$oft
o - this is the only place you can find it
:-)
=======================================================================
| | : : :: \ \ ;;
J J : : :: \ \ ;;
L L : : __ _ _________ \ \ ;;
| | : : / |`| |`|___ ___|`-.\ \ ;;
J J : : / . | | | `-.| |`-. `-.`\ \ ;;
L L : : / /| | | | | | `-. `-\ \ ;;
| | : : / /_| | | | | | `-. \ \. ;;
J J : : / ___ | | | | | `-\ \`-.
L L : : / /`-.| | | |___ | | _ \ \-.`-._
| | : : /_/____|_|_|_____|_|_|_(_) _ \ \ `-._`:
J J : : |__________________________| `-. \ \-.,-'
L L : : _ _ _ _ _ ___ `-. `-. \ \ |
| | :_: /\(_ / ` | | _ /\ | ) | `-. `-. `-. \ \|
J J | | /--\_)\_,_|_|_-/--\|_\__|__ `-. `-._`-\ \
L L|_| |___________________________|`-. `-._ `-.\ \
| | | _____ ___ ___ `-.`-._ `-._ \ ,!`-.
J J | | ___|`/ _ \`-._/ _ \`--. `-._`--._`-'||`-'
L L | | |_ / /_\ \ / / \ \ `-._ `--. `-,+.`-._
__-------_ | _|`/ _____ \ \ \_/ /_._ `--._ `-.|X||-./
| |/|_|_./_/_____\_\_\_____/=\`-._ `-. |X||.|
| _,--------------.____ -========\_(A)`-.._ `-|X||\
Ool | _| ` |_`--. `-- |X||/
/VK | | | ALT.ASCII-ART: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / ||-.
========================================================================
[Subject:] (FAQ) Welcome to ASCII art
========================================================================
__ __ __ _,
\\ \\ / ___ '|| ___ ___ __ _ _ ___ _/|_ ___
\\ /\\ / //_\) || // \)// \\ ||'||'|| //_\) || // \\
\/ \/ \\__,_||_\\__,\\_//_||_||_||_\\__, \|_\\_//
___ ___ ____ ____
/\ (( / // | || || ___ _,_ _/|_
/_\\ \\ (( || || __\\'||\) ||
_/ _\\_/__)) \\__,_||_ _||_ ((_||_||_ \|_
Answers to frequently asked questions about ASCII art
Author: Matthew `mpt' Thomas (spiff @ 3dmail . com)
Version: 3.0.3.05
Last changed: 1999-05-15 mpt
Last changed: 2002-03-26 cjr
NOTE: Usenet discussion groups.
If you are new to Usenet, please read the messages in
news:news.announce.newusers before posting.
This FAQ may be posted to:
news:alt.ascii-art and
news:alt.ascii-art.animation
news:alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla
news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii
========================================================================
On the Web, the FAQ and other useful documents can be found in the
ASCII art Documentation Archive (ADA), at the following locations:-
========================================================================
*** There is a wealth of information about ASCII Art ***
*** in the ASCII Documents Archive ***
========================================================================
International Mirrors
========================================================================
http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland)
http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden)
http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK)
http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK)
http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware
[alternative free server sought for USA]
========================================================================
========================================================================
Contents
========================================================================
[1] What's alt.ascii-art?
[2] What is ASCII art?
[3] What does ASCII mean?
[4] Why do all the pictures look strange?
[5] What font do you use for ASCII art?
[6] What program do you use for ASCII art?
[7] How do I draw my own ASCII art?
[8] Can someone do me some kewl lettering?
[9] Where can I find Figlet's address?
[10] Can I copy or post that ASCII picture for myself?
[11] What way works best to ask for a picture of something?
[12] What should I know before posting to alt.ascii-art?
[13] What to NOT post to alt.ascii-art? [da roolz]
[14] How do I convert a picture or graphic to ASCII art?
[15] I have a picture or graphic and I would like it Asciified?
[16] What are ASCII art signature files?
[17] What is ASCII art animation?
[18] What does ObAscii mean?
[19] The ASCII Art Rough-Guide to m$.Outlook?
[20] Where can I find pictures/tutorials/infos/chatrooms/experts?
[X1] Historacle's What types of ASCII art are there?
[A1] The Ascii Art 10-Commandments
========================================================================
[1] What's alt.ascii-art? What's going on here?
========================================================================
You're probably reading this because it's been posted to
news:alt.ascii-art or news:alt.ascii-art.animation. If you're not,
jump in and take a look. In these Usenet groups people discuss
ASCII art, request ASCII art, post ASCII art, post improved versions
or variations of other people's ASCII art, and generally have fun.
========================================================================
[2] What is ASCII art?
========================================================================
ASCII art is any sort of pictures or diagrams drawn with the
printable characters in the ASCII character set.
(For a definition of ASCII, see Question 3.)
:-) Probably the most common ASCII art picture is the smiley (-:
but it can get a lot more sophisticated than that.
____
.-" +' "-. Here's a small ASCII picture of
/.'.'A_'*`.\ a snow-scene paperweight,
|:.*'/\-\. ':| drawn by Joan Stark:
|:.'.||"|.'*:|
\:~^~^~^~^:/ If this picture looks very strange and
/`-....-'\ you can't really tell what it is,
jgs / \ don't panic -- see Question 5.
`-.,____,.-'
People use ASCII art for a number of reasons. Here are some of them.
* It is the most universal computer art form in the world --
every computer system capable of displaying multi-line text can
display ASCII art, without needing to have a graphics mode or
support a particular graphics file format.
* An ASCII picture is hundreds of times smaller in file size
than its GIF or BMP equivalent, while still giving a good idea
of what something looks like.
* It's easy to copy from one file to another (just cut and paste).
* It's fun!
========================================================================
[3] What does ASCII mean?
========================================================================
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
7-bit as defined in ISO-646 is a basic set of 128 numbered symbols
which almost all kinds of computer can display. Here are the ones
that are used for ASCII art:
032 [space] 048 0 064 @ 080 P 096 ` 112 p
033 ! 049 1 065 A 081 Q 097 a 113 q
034 " 050 2 066 B 082 R 098 b 114 r
035 # 051 3 067 C 083 S 099 c 115 s
036 $ 052 4 068 D 084 T 100 d 116 t
037 % 053 5 069 E 085 U 101 e 117 u
038 & 054 6 070 F 086 V 102 f 118 v
039 ' 055 7 071 G 087 W 103 g 119 w
040 ( 056 8 072 H 088 X 104 h 120 x
041 ) 057 9 073 I 089 Y 105 i 121 y
042 * 058 : 074 J 090 Z 106 j 122 z
043 + 059 ; 075 K 091 [ 107 k 123 {
044 , 060 < 076 L 092 \ 108 l 124 |
045 - 061 = 077 M 093 ] 109 m 125 }
046 . 062 > 078 N 094 ^ 110 n 126 ~
047 / 063 ? 079 O 095 _ 111 o
There are other characters in the set (with the numbers 0 - 31 and
127), but they can do bad stuff to Usenet readers, so PLEASE DON'T
USE THEM in your pictures (except characters 10 and or 13 which
are used to insert a new-line by a variety of Operating Systems).
========================================================================
[4] Why do the pictures look strange?
========================================================================
If one particular picture posted to this group looks faulty, but the
rest of them look fine, then its most likely a problem with that
particular picture, or with the poster's Usenet program. But if
*all* the pictures look bad, then your Usenet reader may be set to
display messages in a proportional font (see Question 5).
* If there are a lot of almost-blank lines in the picture, then
the message is probably suffering from `wrapping'. This
wrapping may be being done by your newsreader; see if it has an
option called `wrap long lines' or similar, and make sure it is
turned off. If this doesn't work, then the wrapping was probably
done by the news program of the person who sent the picture, in
which case there's not much you can do -- everybody else will be
seeing the same thing.
* If there are a lot of < and > symbols in the picture, with
words like HTML, FONT COLOR, B, I, and so on inside them, then
the picture has been sent in HTML format and your newsreader
does not understand HTML (most newsreaders don't).
========================================================================
[5] What font do you use for ASCII art?
========================================================================
ASCII art is created using a fixed-width font (like on a traditional
typewriter), because this is the only way to make it portable.
However, several Usenet readers now display messages in a
proportional font (where different characters are different widths).
To see what your program is doing, look at these two lines:
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW|
If they look the same length, you're using a fixed-width font and
all should be ok. If the second line is longer than the first, you
need to change your settings to use a fixed-width font.
In Netscape Messenger, this option is set in
Edit > Preferences > Mail & Newsgroups.
In Outlook Express, the option is set in
View > Options > Fonts (see Question 19)
In Forte Agent, the option is set in
Options > Display Preferences > Fonts
and Free Agent, the option is set in
Options > General Preferences > Fonts
The AOL newsreader can not, at the time of writing,
display Usenet messages in a fixed-width font at all.
Detailed information on how to configure other Usenet readers is
available at the:
ASCII-Art Documentation Archive (see the beginning of this FAQ).
If all else fails, copy the text of the picture from
your program and paste it into a text editor (such as Notepad).
It's a hassle, but at least you'll get to see the pictures.
========================================================================
[6] What program do you use for ASCII art?
========================================================================
You can create ASCII art in any text editor, [jorn barger]
such as Notepad in Windows,
SimpleText or BBEdit in MacOS,
nedit, vi, vim, or pico in Unix, _+m"m+_
BEd or AZ in AmigaOS, edit in DOS, Jp qh
or any of the various Emacs editors. O O
Yb dY
A 'quick-start' program for learning "Y5m2Y"
is JavE, a free Java program that can be
obtained from:- http://www.jave.de
Some editors have features which make them more
suitable for ASCII art than others, but that is
largely a matter of personal opinion. Features which
are both useful for ASCII art and available in many
text editors, include the following:-
* Overtype, also known as overstrike: removes the need for
you to constantly realign characters using the Backspace,
Space, and Delete keys. Try the Insert key if there is one
on your keyboard, or your program's Options or Preferences.
* Rectangular copy and paste: allows you to select rectangular
sections of text (not just rows or parts of rows). On programs
which have this feature, it is usually done by holding down a
key such as Ctrl while selecting text.
* Find/Change: allows you to change all the characters of one
value to another (eg change all the ~s to "s).
========================================================================
[7] How do I draw my own ASCII art?
========================================================================
Unfortunately, there aren't many text books on the subject. :-)
A good way to learn is to study how someone has made a picture.
What characters are chosen and how the characters are laid out.
How a texture is made.
#########::::::::::######## The best way to learn is to Practise.
##########::::::::######### Draw your cat, your toaster, your
###########::::::########## partner, your musical instruments,
###########,---.########### anything that will sit still long
##########/`---'\########## enough. Practice makes, if not
#########/ \######### perfect, then at least pretty good.
########/ \######## Whether you do small drawings (less
#######:`-._____.-':####### work involved) or large ones (easier
######::::: ( ) |::::###### to make recognizable) is up to you.
#####:::::: ) ( o:::::##### If you're interested in tutorials,
####::::: .-(_)-. :::::#### there are many available from the
###:::::: '=====' ::::::### ASCII-art Documentation Archive.
########################Mk#
_
A good way to begin drawing is to \`"-.
type a row of spaces for however ) _`-.
wide you want your picture, and , : `. \
then copy this row and paste it : _ ' \
for however many rows high you ; *` _. `--._
think the picture will get. `-.-' `-.
Turn Overtype on and place the | ` `.
cursor somewhere in the middle :. . \
and begin drawing. This can save | \ . : .-' .
using Delete, Backspace, Enter : )-.; ; / :
and Space-bar keystrokes. : ; | : : ;-.
Saving this empty `canvas' as a ; / : |`-: _ `- )
read-only file for future use can ,-' / ,-' ; .-`- .' `--'
save you even more time later. `--' `---' `---' bug
Another method is by tracing a picture either onto clear-plastic
and sticking it onto the screen then opening an editor to trace
under or using an editor which allows the loading of a background
image to trace over, a process known as `water-mark'.
You can also modify existing art. Take a piece of art you think
could be improved. Make a copy. Now work on it. When you are
good at that, try to improve a really good pic. Then see if you
can fix a damaged file. Now take some small pics and put them
together into a big composite image.
When drawing ASCII art be aware that there are a few characters
that differ in size, shape and position among fonts:
' apostrophe -- tilts southwest-northeast or vertical
^ caret -- differs in size and shape
~ tilde -- appears in the middle or top
I aye -- straight line in sans-serif, with strokes in serif
try using the vertical bar (|) instead.
# hash -- hash symbol on most, currency on some old computers.
========================================================================
[8] Can someone do me some kewl lettering?
========================================================================
There is a program called Figlet which does that sort of thing
automatically -- you type in `Jane Smith', and you get back
___ __,
( / ( o _/_ /
/ __, _ _ `. _ _ , / /_
_/_(_/(_/ /_(/_ (___)/ / /_(_(__/ /_
//
(/
in this and a whole lot of other fonts (see Question 9).
The ASCII art text produced by Figlet can be quite stunning,
so try it first before asking for help from the newsgroups.
If Figlet doesn't produce the kind of results you want, THEN post
to alt.ascii-art with your request. Make sure that you include:
* that you have already tried Figlet or don't have access to it
otherwise you will probably just get told to use it.
* a description of the kind of lettering you want, along with
any other symbols or logos which you would like incorporated
into it.
========================================================================
[9] Where can I find Figlet ?
========================================================================
The Figlet home page is at:- http://ianchai.50megs.com/figlet.html
and links to the FTP site:- ftp://ftp.internexus.net/pub/figlet/
where you can download versions of the program or source-code
for many different platforms.
You can run Figlet on the Web by going to one of the following sites
and choosing your text and options on the Web page. Different sites
offer different options (e.g. multiple fonts at once, justification,
and limited line length). Some of these sites also provide an e-mail
Figlet service for people with browsers which don't support forms.
* http://www.surfplaza.com/figlet/
* http://home.cern.ch/~rigaut/FigletJava.html
* http://schnoggo.com/figlet.html
* http://www.inf.utfsm.cl/cgi-bin/figlet/
* http://saigon.mit.edu/dinhyen/figlet/figlet.html
* http://www.ifi.unizh.ch/cgi-bin/bwagner/FIGLET/figlet.pl
* http://www.se.cuhk.edu.hk/~mcchau3/cgi-bin/express.html
* http://www.webserve.com/gateways/figletgateway.pl
========================================================================
[10] Can I copy or post that ASCII picture for myself?
========================================================================
.
/ \ Don't assume that if somebody posts
| | something to a Usenet group, that gives
|.| you the right to use it however you like,
|.| copyright laws still apply.
|:| __ For more information, see the article:-
,_|:|_, / ) Copyright Myths FAQ:
(Oo / _I_ `10 big myths about copyright explained'
+\ \ || __| in news:news.announce.newusers.
\ \||___|
\ /.:.\-\ It is also available at:-
|.:. /-----\ http://www.clari.net/brad/copymyths.html
|___|::oOo::|
/ |:<_T_>:| Generally, ASCII artists don't mind
|_____\ ::: / if you copy their pictures and
| | \ \:/ re-post them or put them on your own
| | | | Web site, as long as you don't
[nosig] \ / | \__ make any money out of them.
/ | \____\
`-'
Here are a few important considerations:-
* If the picture contains a few letters in one corner which don't
seem to be part of the picture, they're the artist's initials.
DO NOT remove these initials -- would you cut away the part of
a Van Gogh painting containing his name? Leaving the initials
on is a small price to pay for being able to use the picture
for free.
* If you're going to use a picture in your signature file, or in
a place (such as a log-in screen) which means you're going to
be using it a lot, you should really e-mail the artist (or post
to the newsgroup, if you don't know their address) and ask for
permission, because otherwise people may get the mistaken
impression that you were the one who drew the picture.
* If you find a picture you want to use, or post, but it doesn't
have initials on it, a common method of marking has been to use
the tag: Unknown. More recently the tag: [nosig] is being used.
As for posting other people's ASCII art,
after a discussion in news:alt.ascii-art _ ___
the following rules were agreed upon: #_~`--'__ `===-,
1. If an ASCII ART picture has initials `.`. `#.,//
on it, leave them on when posting it ,_\_\ ## #\
2. If an ASCII ART picture doesn't have `__.__ `####\
initials on it, mention that you ~~\ ,###'~
didn't draw it when posting it. \##'
3. If somebody posts a picture without [nosig]
initials and you have an original copy
with initials on, feel free to re-post the original version.
* The re-post ought not to be taken personally, as we all
know that ASCII art often loses proper credits.
Responses to the re-post are not necessary.
One contributor, name of Krogg, suggested the following:
1.) Ultra polite:...ya make yer own ascii and use it.
2.) Very polite:...Ya contact the author and ask if ya
can use it...
3.) polite:...Ya use it but you keep the Credits
in there like they should be.
4.) rude:...Ya use it and strip credits.
5.) Very rude:...Ya use it and claim that it Is
_Your_ very own creation...
You choose ... I think the default choice is #3 but you should
make up yer own mind....
========================================================================
[11] What way works best to ask for a picture of something?
========================================================================
Give your request the subject: `REQ:' or `[req]'
Whatever you're looking for a picture of, in the message describe
more exactly what you're looking for. Generally, the more specific
you are, the more likely you are to get some response.
If you just say something like:
`can someone draw me a fish, please'
then you may not get many replies, because people may not know
what size or feel they're wasting their time by drawing something
you won't want. If you don't have Web access, mention this fact,
otherwise you may get replies consisting only of URLs for the
kind of pictures you're looking for.
If someone is rude back to you directly, then please be patient,
since it may just be a troll trying to wind you up.
[if you have a picture and want it Ascii-fied see 14 and 15]
========================================================================
[12] What should I know before posting to alt.ascii-art?
========================================================================
It doesn't matter if your ASCII art isn't particularly good; we'd
like to see it anyway. We won't be rude about it (although you'd
better tell us what it is, or we might ask :-), but if it shows
potential, you may find that other people will `re-diddle' it --
change a few characters, make it a bit better, and re-post it.
HOWEVER, there are a few things you should check before you
post to news:alt.ascii-art any piece of ASCII art
(see also Question 13).
* Are you sending it as PLAIN TEXT? Some news programs,
particularly those built in to Web browsers, read and write
messages in HTML (HyperText Markup Language, the language which
Web pages are written in). HTML allows colours and (using
JavaScript) animations in ASCII art, but few newsreaders
support it, and those which don't will show a whole lot of
garbage text with your picture hidden inside it.
So if you have one of these HTML-sending programs, then select
the option which tells it to send messages as PLAIN TEXT only
and turn off "send MIME message".
If you have a picture which uses HTML for a particular
feature (such as colors or animation), put it on a Web page
and post the URL of the page to alt.ascii-art
* Is it under 72 characters wide? Most news readers can only show
lines which are under either 72, 76, or 80 characters wide, so
if your picture is wider than 72 characters it may get wrapped
[see Question 4]. Also remove any unnecessary space characters
from the end of each line of the picture, to prevent lines from
being too long (and getting wrapped) without your realizing.
* If it IS over 72 characters wide?
Then a warning in the subject line [wide:110] or whatever the
original picture width and Check Your Post Output Line-Wrap
settings. [see section: More Outlook]
Previous versions of this FAQ used a system to prefix posts
such as: [pic] [info] [req] [big] which may be used as a guide
when providing warnings.
* Have you used any TAB characters or Control Codes?
Inserting control codes (ASCII characters 0 to 31) in a picture
can sometimes achieve interesting effect on your computer screen
or news reader, such as reversing text or changing its colour.
DO NOT post any of these pictures to news:alt.ascii-art, post to
news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii instead for two reasons:-
1. the effects that the control codes have on your news reader
are almost certainly going to be different from those on
the thousands of other news readers that other people use
2. on some news readers, control codes can cause messed up
displays, messages not appearing, or (in some cases) the
news reader crashing.
* If your first line starts with one or more spaces, stick a
dummy line (such as -- or .) above it, to prevent the spaces
from being ignored by your news program (this only applies to
some news programs, and only to the first line of the
message).
If you're not sure about whether your message will turn out ok,
post it to a test group (such as news:alt.test or news:misc.test)
first and make sure (using a different newsreader, if you can) that
you can read it ok.
[See Question 10 for advice on posting someone else's ASCII art.]
========================================================================
[13] What to NOT post to alt.ascii-art? [da roolz]
========================================================================
ASCII art is a very simple medium.
_ _ _ _
___ (~ )( ~) The following List of Items (~ )( ~) ___
/ \_\ \/ / should NOT be posted to \ \/ /_/ \
| D_ ]\ \/ the Usenet groups:- \/ /[ _G |
| D _]/\ \ / /\[_ G |
\___/ / /\ \ news:alt.ascii-art / /\ \ \___/
mark (_ )( _) news:alt.ascii-art.animation (_ )( _) JavE
~ ~ news:alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla ~ ~
news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii
NOTE: alt.binaries.pictures.ascii supports posting of ASCII
software tools or fonts (in ZIP format) and binary images
of ASCII or other FontSet (in GIF format) and any other
ASCII art related material, but no Spam, in relation to
discussions in the alt.ascii-art newsgroups.
-= List of Items =-
* Binaries, Trojans, Zombies, Virus, Spam.
* ANSI,`extended ASCII' or `high ASCII', and non-Western font art.
Many computer systems have an extended character set of 256 or
more characters, based on the ANSI, Unicode or BIG5 character
sets and having the first 128 characters possibly identical to
ASCII. These characters should not be used in ASCII art because
many types of computer system do not display them properly,
even those that do, do not display them in a standard way, for
example, the Windows ANSI character set is different to the
Macintosh ANSI character set. Capture and send a GIF of it to
news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii or put it on a Web page
instead, and post a reference to it to news:alt.ascii-art
* HTML art. HTML, the language used in Web pages, can be used to
add special effects such as colours, font size, and blinking
text to ASCII art, and HTML can be read by some Usenet readers.
However, to many they just appear as a jumble of <TAGS> and are
totally unrecognizable, so don't post HTML to Usenet. Put it on
a Web page instead, and post the address to news:alt.ascii-art.
See http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/9334/asciionpage.htm
for instructions on how to do this.
* ASCII art animated using Java or JavaScript.
This relies, not only on the newsreader being able to display
HTML, but also being able to run Java or JavaScript.
Put it on a Web page instead, and post the address to
news:alt.ascii-art.animation and news:alt.ascii-art
* Proportional Font ASCII art screws up on many readers' displays
Send a GIF of it to news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii or
put it on a Web page instead, and post a reference to it to
news:alt.ascii-art
Finally, do not use any control codes, non-ASCII characters,
or word-processor-type formatting in your pictures. These are
particular to your editor or computer system they will almost
certainly not have the intended effect on the systems the rest
of us use (they may even crash some Usenet readers).
========================================================================
[14] How do I convert a picture to ASCII art?
========================================================================
[14.1] programs:
There are computer programs available which convert graphics files
of a various formats (often GIF) to ASCII art. They go by names
such as ascgif, gifa, gifscii, and gif2ascii. Do a Web search for
any of these programs to find places where you can download them.
Try:
gopher://twinbrook.cis.uab.edu/1A/atools.70
ftp://ftp.simtel.com/.
http://www.jave.de/. <== new
Many think that you just put a GIF into a converter program and
out comes a perfect ASCII pic. Here are some things you can do
to improve the chances of getting a good conversion:-
o Use an 8 bit gray scale or color image instead of a 2 bit B&W.
o Use an image with a wide, even distribution of tones.
o Keep it simple, like a face or close-up of an object.
o Avoid busy backgrounds. Generally avoid bright backgrounds.
o Use an image that is tightly cropped, without a lot of waste.
o Be prepared to quickly run through a series of conversions,
you will probably not like 9 to 11 out of 12.
o It helps to do touch-up work on the converted picture,
concentrate on the focal points and important areas.
[14.2] tracing:
Another method is by tracing a picture, either onto clear-plastic
and sticking it onto the screen then opening an editor to trace
under or using an editor which allows the loading of a background
image to trace over, a process known as `water-mark'.
========================================================================
[15] I have a picture and I would like it Asciified?
========================================================================
In this case, post a request to news:alt.ascii-art asking for
someone to `asciify' it, but
>>> PLEASE DON'T POST THE PICTURE ITSELF <<<
to save downloading time for people reading the messages,
if possible give the URL (Web address) of the picture instead.
If you saw the picture on a Web page, you can find out its URL by
right-clicking on it (on the Macintosh, right-clicking,
Ctrl-clicking, or holding down the mouse button) and selecting
`Open this image' (or its equivalent for your Web browser), then
copy the URL from the Location bar to your news program (make sure
you copy it exactly).
If the picture is not on a Web site anywhere, put it up on your own
site (if you have one), or get a friend to put it up on their site,
and post the URL to alt.ascii-art. If you can't do this, post your
request to alt.ascii-art and wait for an artist to reply, then
e-mail the picture to them.
========================================================================
[16] What should I know about signature files?
========================================================================
A signature file (or `sig' for short; not to be confused with the
initials added to an ASCII picture) is a small, personalized text
file which an e-mail or news program can add to the end of every
message a person sends -- the equivalent of a letterhead for dead
tree (paper) mail (or snail-mail). Usually it contains little more
than the person's name, organization and e-mail address, maybe an
inspirational quote of some sort and some people like to incorporate
ASCII art into their signature files as well.
_ _ _ _ _ _ ___ ___ \|/ ____ \|/
| | | ___| | (_) \| | __/ __| @~/ ,. \~@
|_ _|___| |__| | .` | _|\__ \ /_( \__/ )_\ Mike
|_| |____|_|_|\_|___|___/[Figlet] \__U_/ Jittlov
lack of importance in relation to global warming, violence in
society, and so on, can be the subject of heated arguments. To be
brief, (almost) no-one will complain if your signature file is four
lines long or fewer -- and it is quite possible to draw good ASCII
pictures which are that small. Some examples are at:
* http://wwwtios.cs.utwente.nl/~kenter/sigs.html
* http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7373/sigs.htm.
Some e-mail/news programs don't allow you to have a signature file
which is longer than four lines, while others just complain. Five or
six lines may be acceptable, but any longer, and you're starting to
take the risk that your signature will be longer than some of your
e-mail messages; this wouldn't really make sense on paper, so it
isn't really acceptable in cyberspace either. The exception is in
messages posted to news:alt.ascii-art itself -- we're used to seeing
long sigs, so we won't complain.
But no matter what the length of your signature, make sure it's
fewer than 72 characters wide, otherwise it may end up a horrible
mess (see Question 8).
========================================================================
[17] What is ascii-animation?
========================================================================
An animated image produced by a sequence of changing ASCII pictures.
The speed will depend on the system you are using.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
o \ o / _ o __| \ / |__ o _ \ o / o
/|\ | /\ __\o \o | o/ o/__ /\ | /|\
/ \ / \ | \ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ascii-Animation transports vary a lot. The earliest known portable
types used the Control-Codes of the (often .VT or .ANS) terminal
screens for either `paging' or `direct cursor addressing'.
Sometimes found as c-code in .sigs, which, when compiled and run
produce moving patterns or images.
Most Web Ascii-Animation uses Java or Javascript.
* To find out how to animate ASCII art using JavaScript, see:-
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/4942/faq_hta.htm
http://llizard.crosswinds.net/ascii-art/animation/animlesson.htm
* To find out how to animate ASCII art using Java, see:-
http://www.jave.de/.
http://www.jave.de/javeplayer/.
========================================================================
[18] What does ObAscii mean?
========================================================================
ObAscii = Obligatory Ascii
Obligatory: [adj] compulsory (of a ruling) having binding force
Ascii: [slang] ascii-art picture
A funny way to remind people to put a drawing in their post.(b'ger)
This means an ascii in every post! (especially off-topic threads)
Failure to comply can result in flaming! This implys that if you
don't include an ascii in your post you deserve to get flamed!
It is to be a new ascii-art which takes longer but allows time to
collect your thoughts and gives bystanders something to look at.
====================================================================
The 1st ever! ObAscii :
====================================================================
[snip - .hdr of Matthew Thomas]
[snip - 3rd party flame ]
^
,' \
L""/ BOLLOCKS!!!
` |
J |
J L I am staying out of this as much as
| | . , possible, Colin, because I really ...
| | `v_L.'
// ,>'--\'_ :.
\`' \ - /-. [snip - rant/rave]
/ /`""| :.
),' `-
( ,-' \ Anyway, I think a lot of this
) ,' ,' h flaming would decrease if everyone
/ / / `)--.. was required to post a (different)
\/ / \ <) obligatory ASCII pic in each message
< , L<' -- at the very least, it would slow
F/ _/ ,' the flames down.
L ,-' \
| ___L So, to start the trend, here's my
/ ( F
J ___,' L ObAscii: the Statue of Liberty.
| ,' |
F ,' |
(_,--..__ mt-2|_
,' `"`--.._\
,' / \
/ (_
[snip - .sig of Matthew Thomas]
========================================================================
[19] The ASCII Art Rough-Guide to m$.Outlook?
========================================================================
Microsoft's Outlook Express program has a number of flaws, including
* deleting spaces from the beginning of lines, and
* inserting the word `file://' in unexpected places
which make it very difficult to send ASCII art properly. Whether
these are bugs or features we don't know, but we do know that
Microsoft would rather ASCII art as a medium just disappeared (see
http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,13735,00.html
for more information). A registry patch to fix some of the flaws
in Outlook Express is available from the ADA.
how to get rid of blue-lines in OE5:
1. Press the decode button twice when viewing a blue-struck image.
Because, after ROT13, OE will not parse links and so 2 x ROT13
returns everything back to normal, but without the blue lines.
2. Create a button in your toolbar so you can do it quickly.
In OE 5.5-6.0 the URL parsing code is slightly better and
doesn't foul as many images as previous versions.
How to stop Ms.Outlook giving wrapped output
or the ascii-art you are sending is wider than 72 characters:
1. Tools menu
2. Options
3. Send
4. Both of these Mail and News format
5. Plain text settings ____
6. Automatically wrap text at |____|
How to set your Outlook Express 6 to view ASCII art correctly:
1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS
2. Select the READ tab
3. International settings
4. Use default encoding for all incoming messages [tick]
5. Set the FONTS to display as western european.
set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to
LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER
6. Click OK, then OK again.
How to set your Outlook Express 5 to view ASCII art correctly:
1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS
2. Select the READ tab
3. Click the FONTS button near the bottom of the box
4. For the languages UNICODE, WESTERN EUROPEAN and USER DEFINED
set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to
LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER
5. Click OK, then OK again.
How to set your Outlook Express 4 to view ASCII art correctly:
1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS
2. Select the READ tab
3. Click the FONTS button near the bottom of the box
4. For the languages UNIVERSAL ALPHABET, USER DEFINED and WESTERN
set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to
LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER
5. Click OK, then OK again.
NOTE : If LUCIDA CONSOLE is not available as a font, pick another
from the list of available FIXED-WIDTH fonts.
Examples of fixed-width fonts 1. ANDALE MONO
commonly available with ms.windows: 2. COURIER NEW
3. LUCIDA CONSOLE
4. LUCIDA SANS TYPEWRITER
5. OCR A EXTENDED
If you have followed the above steps correctly, you should now
be able to view and create ASCII art as it should be.
========================================================================
[20] Where do I find ASCII art pictures, tutorials and information?
========================================================================
There are a number of ASCII art Usenet groups:-
news:alt.ascii-art
news:alt.ascii-art.animation
news:alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla
news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii
are English-speaking ones that are widely used.
alt.ascii-art [main ASCII art discussion group]
alt.ascii-art.animation [is about animating ASCII art]
alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla [off-topic follow-up troll-trap]
alt.binaries.pictures.ascii [ASCII art sofware/image drop-zone]
Also web.chatroom.info [description/links requested]
and web.webrings.info [description/links requested]
or web.IRCascii.irc [description/links requested]
Lots of ASCII artists put up libraries of their own and others'
ASCII art on their Web sites, as well as tutorials on how to draw
ASCII art:
The DMOZ Open Directory Project ASCII art sites
http://dmoz.org/Arts/ASCII/.
Allen Mullen has links to many of these sites at
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2695/links.htm.
The Ascii-Art Library at The Ascii-Art dot com at
http://www.ascii-art.de http://www.ascii-art.com
The Ascii-Art Document Archive (address as listed in the header)
[any more good/fresh pointers?]
========================================================================
[X1] Historacle: from the old-old FAQ v1.2 March 14, 1994
========================================================================
What types of ascii-art are there?
o Linedrawing - like stickmen
o Lettering - like Figlet does
o Grey scale pictures - These create the illusion of grey shades
by using letters for their light emitting value (assuming you
are viewing light letters on a dark background).
Here is an example of how they break down by light intensity:
Darker .'`,^:";~
/|\ -_+<>i!lI?
| /\|()1{}[]
rcvunxzjft
| LCJUYXZO0Q
\|/ oahkbdpqwm
Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ (Jorn Barger's light value scale)
o 3-D images - Can be viewable by people with similar vision in
both eyes. You try to focus as if you are looking at the back
of the monitor. The image should pop into focus and create a
3-D illusion. Other 3-D images are viewed by putting your nose
on the monitor glass.
o Geometric Article - Text is formed into meaningful shapes.
o Picture Poem - A geometric article that is also a poem.
o Page Making - Text and graphics are intermixed, as in a magazine.
o Picture Story - A story told with accompanying ASCII pictures.
o Color - You can view color ASCII pics, if you have a color screen
and 'ANSI' color compatible software, or Web access using HTML.
o Color Graphics - You can view color ASCII pics if you have color
o Animation - take a look at [dead-link snipped]
o Color Animation - take a look at [dead-link snipped]
o Scroll Animation - This is an animation that is made to be viewed
by scrolling down. The image plays out as the screen is redrawn
with the next 'page' of the image.
o Overstrike Art - It contains carriage returns without line feeds
at times. The print head can overstrike a line on the paper that
has already been printed on. This allows for darkening, and for
placing different characters at the same place on the paper.
This kind of art is obviously only printed.
=======================================================================
[A1]
-------------------THE ASCII ART FAQ TEN COMMANDMENTS-------------------
\\\\`///
/ _ _| 1. Thou shalt read the FAQ.
(\'('\/') 2. Thou shalt not remove the
______/( >(__ initials from any ASCII art.
/`- \ \_=__| `\ 3. Thou shalt not claim ownership
/ /__( _____\ _____ of someone else's ASCII art.
/_ \.____ ," "." ",__ 4. Thou shalt read the FAQ.
| / _\__/_ - / \ 5. Thou shalt ask permission
\/ /____ \ASCII ART FAQ /// before using someone else's
) / / \__\ - | ASCII art.
'-.__|_/ ///| I VI | 6. Thou shalt not sell someone
\_ | | | else's ASCII art.
| | II VII | 7. Thou shalt read the darn FAQ.
\ | | | 8. Thou shalt not post someone
/ | III VIII | else's ASCII art without making
\ | | | clear that you didn't make it.
\_ | IV IX | 9. Thou shalt not assume that
\| | | ASCII art isn't art at all.
| V X | 10. Thou shalt read the FAQing FAQ.
|______b'ger______|
=======================================================================
|||| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
END O F T H E A S C I I A R T FAQ
|||| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
--
__ ___ __
:::/ |_ | .`)::
::( (-| | | <:::
:::\__|___|_|_\::
Hi Colin, On 07 Apr 2002 CJRandall wrote: > this is the Ascii-Art FAQ version 3 (draft) > based on an unfinished work by Matthew Thomas > (with some texts migrated from some older FAQs > written by Jorn Barger and Bob Allison) > it is the most recent (v3.0.3.05) publication > +------------------------------------------------ > it is provided such that it may be helpful > +------------------------------------------------ > changes from v3.0.3.04 are: mostly cosmetic to radical > with the questions/answers re-sequenced and renumbered > > this is an unofficial faq: [...] Well, it looks very much finished to me. How about making it more official? It doesn't look like Matthew is taking that responsibility for us. And in my opinion a FAQ is not an ordinary document but belongs to the subject it refers to, in this case a.a-a. If "we" decide to use your new version, with your name as (co-) author or maintainer then it would be official enough. I would like to see that happen as well as the replacement of the older version on web-pages. I only whish that more people would take part in this. _I_ do like your new version. It reads almost like a scientific document but that's OK. For more direct stuff we can always fall back and use the mini-FAQ. In a way I would like to see more examples for the different types of ASCII creations (e.g. diddles, line art, shading, etc.) but on the other hand the text is rather long already. In short: I give my OK and vote for ending the humble "not-official" ceremony right here. :) Andreas -- ________________________________________________ http://www.ascii-art.de
--(Once apon a time, in alt.ascii-art,)-- --(Andreas Freise said it like only they can.)-- > > Hi Colin, > > On 07 Apr 2002 CJRandall wrote: >> this is the Ascii-Art FAQ version 3 (draft) >> based on an unfinished work by Matthew Thomas >> (with some texts migrated from some older FAQs >> written by Jorn Barger and Bob Allison) >> it is the most recent (v3.0.3.05) publication >> +------------------------------------------------ >> it is provided such that it may be helpful >> +------------------------------------------------ >> changes from v3.0.3.04 are: mostly cosmetic to radical >> with the questions/answers re-sequenced and renumbered >> >> this is an unofficial faq: > [...] > > Well, it looks very much finished to me. How about making it more > official? It doesn't look like Matthew is taking that responsibility > for us. And in my opinion a FAQ is not an ordinary document but belongs > to the subject it refers to, in this case a.a-a. If "we" decide to > use your new version, with your name as (co-) author or maintainer > then it would be official enough. I would like to see that happen > as well as the replacement of the older version on web-pages. > > I only whish that more people would take part in this. _I_ do like > your new version. It reads almost like a scientific document but > that's OK. For more direct stuff we can always fall back and use > the mini-FAQ. In a way I would like to see more examples for the > different types of ASCII creations (e.g. diddles, line art, shading, > etc.) but on the other hand the text is rather long already. In > short: I give my OK and vote for ending the humble "not-official" > ceremony right here. > >:) > Andreas > > -- > ________________________________________________ http://www.ascii-art.de I can just picture the bottem of the FAQ now with each of its backers signitures on it. bug VK :F_P: -- +-(faux@fugozi)-(0.18|0.10|0.12)-(18:41|Sun Apr 07)-+ cat ~/.{sig,uin} It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. - Andrew Jackson UIN=66618055
On Mon, 8 Apr 2002 02:03:49 +0200, Andreas Freise <ad...@mpq.mpg.de> wrote: > >Hi Colin, > >On 07 Apr 2002 CJRandall wrote: >> this is the Ascii-Art FAQ version 3 (draft) >> based on an unfinished work by Matthew Thomas >> (with some texts migrated from some older FAQs >> written by Jorn Barger and Bob Allison) >> it is the most recent (v3.0.3.05) publication >> +------------------------------------------------ >> it is provided such that it may be helpful >> +------------------------------------------------ >> changes from v3.0.3.04 are: mostly cosmetic to radical >> with the questions/answers re-sequenced and renumbered >> >> this is an unofficial faq: >[...] > >Well, it looks very much finished to me. How about making it more >official? It doesn't look like Matthew is taking that responsibility >for us. And in my opinion a FAQ is not an ordinary document but belongs >to the subject it refers to, in this case a.a-a. If "we" decide to >use your new version, with your name as (co-) author or maintainer >then it would be official enough. I would like to see that happen >as well as the replacement of the older version on web-pages. > >I only whish that more people would take part in this. _I_ do like >your new version. It reads almost like a scientific document but >that's OK. For more direct stuff we can always fall back and use >the mini-FAQ. In a way I would like to see more examples for the >different types of ASCII creations (e.g. diddles, line art, shading, >etc.) but on the other hand the text is rather long already. In >short: I give my OK and vote for ending the humble "not-official" >ceremony right here. > >:) >Andreas I second that, and might I put it on one of my web pages?
CJRandall <col...@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk> wrote: > o Grey scale pictures - These create the illusion of grey shades > by using letters for their light emitting value (assuming you > are viewing light letters on a dark background). > Here is an example of how they break down by light intensity: > > Darker .'`,^:";~ > /|\ -_+<>i!lI? > | /\|()1{}[] > rcvunxzjft > | LCJUYXZO0Q > \|/ oahkbdpqwm > Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ (Jorn Barger's light value scale) Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.) .
On 9 Apr 2002, Jorn Barger wrote: > Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows > default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.) they don't count. they don't like ascii. besides, a microsoft os hasn't been shipped with monospaced fonts since windows for workgroups. -eric -- Eric Sherman eri...@doubtful.com Doubtful www.doubtful.com
On Sun, 7 Apr 2002 12:10:12 +0100, CJRandall <col...@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk> wrote: 8< >======================================================================== > International Mirrors >======================================================================== >http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) >http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) >http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) >http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) >http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware >[alternative free server sought for USA] >======================================================================== you can add in this address [ California, USA site, no spyware-cookies or java, just the faq] http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii-faq/ASCII-FAQ.txt
,---. /(/( Mon, 8 Apr 2002 02:03:49 +0200,
'--. \.--' . .\ wewi�rka znana te� jako Andreas Freise,
`-; < / wprowadza w �ycie plan podbicia �wiata
`v-.J-.J przy pomocy puszki mielonki konserwowej:
[...]
>short: I give my OK and vote for ending the humble "not-official"
>ceremony right here.
I agree. :)
Best regards/Pozdrowienia,
Blazej [bug]
--
#include <iostream>//GG1093730 +48608093718
int main() { int cast (1);/*ICQ:147041942*/
while(cast=1){std::cout<< "bugi@skrzynka.";
std::cout<<"pl www.bugi.of.pl ";}return 0;}
,---. /(/( Tue, 9 Apr 2002 11:09:39 -0400,
'--. \.--' . .\ wewi�rka znana te� jako Eric Sherman,
`-; < / wprowadza w �ycie plan podbicia �wiata
`v-.J-.J przy pomocy puszki mielonki konserwowej:
>> Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows
>> default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.)
>
>they don't count.
Why?
>they don't like ascii.
I like ascii-art.
>besides, a microsoft os hasn't been shipped with monospaced fonts since
>windows for workgroups.
Hmm... So how would you call Lucida Console for instance?
Best regards/Pozdrowienia,
Blazej [bug]
--
#include <iostream>//GG1093730 +48608093718
int main() { int cast (1);/*ICQ:147041942*/
while(cast=1){std::cout<< "bugi@skrzynka.";
std::cout<<"pl www.bugi.of.pl ";}return 0;}
Hi, On 09 Apr 2002 MJP wrote: > On Sun, 7 Apr 2002 12:10:12 +0100, CJRandall <col...@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk> wrote: >>======================================================================== >> International Mirrors >>======================================================================== >>http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) >>http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) >>http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) >>http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) >>http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware >>[alternative free server sought for USA] >>======================================================================== > you can add in this address [ California, USA site, no spyware-cookies or java, just the faq] > > http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii-faq/ASCII-FAQ.txt The sites mentioned above hold a bit more than just the faq. Can you mirror the complete archive? It is not very big anyway. I believe the top link from Ilmari Karonen (aka itz) is the master. :) Andreas -- ________________________________________________ http://www.ascii-art.de
On Wed, 10 Apr 2002 19:26:15 +0200, Andreas Freise <ad...@mpq.mpg.de> wrote: > >The sites mentioned above hold a bit more than just the faq. Can you mirror the >complete archive? It is not very big anyway. I believe the top link from Ilmari >Karonen (aka itz) is the master. > >:) >Andreas > Understood, temporary folder made with all ada documents ( I added this version to the list, and kept the older but marked it as "old") this will be moved to http://www.bluedwarf.net/ada/ when I have time, currently in this folder: http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ I may add a link to JRO's tutorial on making ASSKEY if there are no objections. http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii/tutorial.html http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii/tutorial2.html I also note on the page giving a list of ASCII programs/utilities that javE is not listed and that page was last updated 1998. perhaps this page should be updated and the links on it tested. @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@!@!@@@ @@! @@! !@@ !@! @!@ !@! @!@ !@! @!@ !@! !@!!@!@! !@! !@! @!! @!@@!@! @!@!@!@! @!@ !@! @!!!:! @!@ !!@! !!@ !@@!@! !!@!!! !!!@!!!! !@! !!! !!!!!: !@! !!! !!! @!!! !!: !!: !!! !!: !!! !!: !!: !!! !!: !: :!! :!: :!: !:! :!: !:! :!: :!: !:! :!: :!: !:! :: :: ::: ::::: :: :: :::: :: :: :: :: ::: : : : : : : : : :: :: :: : : : :: .-========== .-' O ===== /___ === \_ | _____________________________) (_____________________________ \___________ .' `, ____________/ \__________`. |||< `. .' >||| .'__________/ \_________`._ ||| < `-..-' > ||| _.'_________/ \_________`-..|_ _ < > _ _|..-'_________/ \_________ |_| // \\ |_| _________/ .-\ // \\ /-. , . _.'.- `._ _.' -.`._ . , <<<<>>>> .' .' / '``----''` \ `. `. <<<<>>>> '/\` / .' .'.'/|..|\`.`. `. \ '/\` (()) ` / / .'| |||| |`. \ \ ' (()) /\ ::_.' .' /| || |\ `. `._:: /\ //\\ '``.' | | || | | `.''` //\\ //\\ .` .` | || | '. '. //\\ //\\ ` | `' | ' //\\ \\// \\// \/ MJP \/
Andreas Freise writes > >Well, it looks very much finished to me. [snip] well... there are still a few incomplete details ... > >I only whish that more people would take part in this. _I_ do like >your new version. It reads almost like a scientific document but >that's OK. For more direct stuff we can always fall back and use cheers Andreas yep ... that probly reflects my techno background ... sorry :) >the mini-FAQ. In a way I would like to see more examples for the >different types of ASCII creations (e.g. diddles, line art, shading, >etc.) but on the other hand the text is rather long already. In >short: I give my OK and vote for ending the humble "not-official" >ceremony right here. > thanks ... time will tell -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
Jorn Barger writes >CJRandall wrote: >> o Grey scale pictures - These create the illusion of grey shades >> by using letters for their light emitting value (assuming you >> are viewing light letters on a dark background). >> Here is an example of how they break down by light intensity: >> >> Darker .'`,^:";~ >> /|\ -_+<>i!lI? >> | /\|()1{}[] >> rcvunxzjft >> | LCJUYXZO0Q >> \|/ oahkbdpqwm >> Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ (Jorn Barger's light value scale) > >Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows >default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.) > that did occur to me when i pasted that section in ... perhaps i shall revise the text to use the terms: 'Stronger' and 'Softer' (intensity) in the hope that it'll apply in any situation (stronger == more pixels lit up; softer == less) -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
MJP writes >Andreas Freise wrote: >> >>The sites mentioned above hold a bit more than just the faq. Can you mirror the >>complete archive? It is not very big anyway. I believe the top link from Ilmari >>Karonen (aka itz) is the master. >> >Understood, temporary folder made with all ada documents ( I added this version >to the list, and >kept the older but marked it as "old") this will be moved to >http://www.bluedwarf.net/ada/ when I >have time, currently in this folder: >http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ ok ... which is the link you'd like displayed ? >I may add a link to JRO's tutorial on making ASSKEY if there are no objections. >http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii/tutorial.html >http://www.bluedwarf.net/ascii/tutorial2.html fine by me! ... anything that promotes ascii-art is worthwhile >I also note on the page giving a list of ASCII programs/utilities that javE is >not listed and that >page was last updated 1998. perhaps this page should be updated and the links on >it tested. > it is likely that the entire archive needs update/refresh >@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ >@@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ >@@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@@ @@! @@!@!@@@ @@! @@! !@@ >!@! @!@ !@! @!@ !@! @!@ !@! !@!!@!@! !@! !@! @!! >@!@@!@! @!@!@!@! @!@ !@! @!!!:! @!@ !!@! !!@ !@@!@! >!!@!!! !!!@!!!! !@! !!! !!!!!: !@! !!! !!! @!!! >!!: !!: !!! !!: !!! !!: !!: !!! !!: !: :!! >:!: :!: !:! :!: !:! :!: :!: !:! :!: :!: !:! > :: :: ::: ::::: :: :: :::: :: :: :: :: ::: > : : : : : : : : :: :: :: : : : :: > > .-========== > .-' O ===== > /___ === > \_ | >_____________________________) (_____________________________ >\___________ .' `, ____________/ > \__________`. |||< `. .' >||| .'__________/ > \_________`._ ||| < `-..-' > ||| _.'_________/ > \_________`-..|_ _ < > _ _|..-'_________/ > \_________ |_| // \\ |_| _________/ > .-\ // \\ /-. > , . _.'.- `._ _.' -.`._ . , > <<<<>>>> .' .' / '``----''` \ `. `. <<<<>>>> > '/\` / .' .'.'/|..|\`.`. `. \ '/\` > (()) ` / / .'| |||| |`. \ \ ' (()) > /\ ::_.' .' /| || |\ `. `._:: /\ > //\\ '``.' | | || | | `.''` //\\ > //\\ .` .` | || | '. '. //\\ > //\\ ` | `' | ' //\\ > \\// \\// > \/ MJP \/ nice totem -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
CJRandall wrote: > > Jorn Barger writes > >CJRandall wrote: > >> o Grey scale pictures - These create the illusion of grey shades > >> by using letters for their light emitting value (assuming you > >> are viewing light letters on a dark background). > >> Here is an example of how they break down by light intensity: > >> > >> Darker .'`,^:";~ > >> /|\ -_+<>i!lI? > >> | /\|()1{}[] > >> rcvunxzjft > >> | LCJUYXZO0Q > >> \|/ oahkbdpqwm > >> Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ (Jorn Barger's light value scale) > > > >Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows > >default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.) > > > that did occur to me when i pasted that section in ... perhaps > i shall revise the text to use the terms: 'Stronger' and 'Softer' > (intensity) in the hope that it'll apply in any situation > (stronger == more pixels lit up; softer == less) What about telling the reader both ways? Like this for example: Darker .'`,^:";~ Lighter bright /|\ -_+<>i!lI? /|\ dark letters | /\|()1{}[] | letters on rcvunxzjft on dark | LCJUYXZO0Q | bright background \|/ oahkbdpqwm \|/ background Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ Darker (Jorn Barger's light value scale) This will also remind people that Ascii art can be done black on white and white on black. Markus -- \-/ http://www.jave.de O_< Get JavE4.0 now! \-/ J|a|v|E /| J|a|v|E /-\ Ascii-Art for eyeryone / \ - for free! /-\
Markus Gebhard writes >CJRandall wrote: >>Jorn Barger writes >>>CJRandall wrote: >>>> o Grey scale pictures - These create the illusion of grey shades >>>> by using letters for their light emitting value (assuming you >>>> are viewing light letters on a dark background). >>>> Here is an example of how they break down by light intensity: >>>> >>>> Darker .'`,^:";~ >>>> /|\ -_+<>i!lI? >>>> | /\|()1{}[] >>>> rcvunxzjft >>>> | LCJUYXZO0Q >>>> \|/ oahkbdpqwm >>>> Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ (Jorn Barger's light value scale) >>> >>>Aren't 99% of readers going to be confused by this, since the Windows >>>default is dark-on-light? (I suggest switching 'Darker' and 'Lighter'.) >>> >> that did occur to me when i pasted that section in ... perhaps >> i shall revise the text to use the terms: 'Stronger' and 'Softer' >> (intensity) in the hope that it'll apply in any situation >> (stronger == more pixels lit up; softer == less) > >What about telling the reader both ways? Like this for example: > > Darker .'`,^:";~ Lighter > bright /|\ -_+<>i!lI? /|\ dark > letters | /\|()1{}[] | letters > on rcvunxzjft on > dark | LCJUYXZO0Q | bright >background \|/ oahkbdpqwm \|/ background > Lighter *WMB8&%$#@ Darker > > (Jorn Barger's light value scale) > >This will also remind people that Ascii art can be done black on white >and white on black. > >Markus ok ... solved -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
ok, so seeing on all the mirrors a link for an HTML version but no actual document, I decided to
make one:
http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ada_html_index.html
I notice that several of the links return 404, but I have left the information intact for the time
being.
I did make a minor change to the FAQ in that I moved the ool/vk pic to the top of the page for
esthetic reasons.
comments and other constructive input welcomed.
If there are no objections I will remove the dead links from the HTML version.
a pic:
.-.
,;' `:.
.:' _..._ `:.
.:' ,' (_) `. `:.
`:. .' .-. `. .:'
:: `;. ,'_) : : .-.\ ::
.:' :: .;-. `-' ( )\ `:. `:.
.:' .:' ( ) _ `-' ; :: `:.
:: .: `-;_ (_) ,-' `:. ::
`:. :' `'------' `:: .:'
`:. .:_..-"-.._ | | `:. .:'
_..-`:.:' | |'''''"-----.._ `:. .:'
/ | `'''---.:::'_
,' `. `:. `'
`. .MJP }/
`,-' (o))))))))<
^ " " " `
>>======================================================================== >> International Mirrors >>======================================================================== >>http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) >>http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) >>http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) >>http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) >>http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware >>[alternative free server sought for USA] >>======================================================================== You can also add this site http://votrezone.com/ada Robert
Robert writes >>>======================================================================== >>> International Mirrors >>>======================================================================== >>>http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) >>>http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) >>>http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) >>>http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) >>>http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware >>>[alternative free server sought for USA] >>>======================================================================== > > >You can also add this site >http://votrezone.com/ada > > > >Robert > ok ... what is it's location, please ? -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
MJP writes >ok, so seeing on all the mirrors a link for an HTML version but no actual >document, I decided to >make one: > >http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ada_html_index.html i kinda expected a link like this: http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/index.html > >I notice that several of the links return 404, but I have left the information >intact for the time >being. >If there are no objections I will remove the dead links from the HTML version. perhaps just replace them for now ? try them one more time ... if still return 404 then replace the link with: [dead link] -- __ ___ __ :::/ |_ | .`):: ::( (-| | | <::: :::\__|___|_|_\::
On Sun, 14 Apr 2002 08:45:22 +0100, CJRandall <col...@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk> wrote: >MJP writes >>ok, so seeing on all the mirrors a link for an HTML version but no actual >>document, I decided to >>make one: >> >>http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ada_html_index.html > >i kinda expected a link like this: >http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/index.html if you go to any of the pages listed in there, a link is on them for an HTML version. when you click on that link you get a page that says "The HTML version of the FAQ hasn't been made yet, but will be here, in the form of version 3 of the FAQ in both text and HTML format!" FEX this link: http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/aaafaq.htm the current path to the ADA on my site is http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ (index.html) the "pointy clicky" (the contents are linked to the respective section of the FAQ) is the URL http://www.bluedwarf.net/mikechat/ada/ada_html_index.html and if no one objects I will rename to "aaafaq.htm" >>I notice that several of the links return 404, but I have left the information >>intact for the time >>being. > > >>If there are no objections I will remove the dead links from the HTML version. > >perhaps just replace them for now ? >try them one more time ... >if still return 404 then replace the link with: [dead link] I will leave the links in with a comment [404]
On Sun, 14 Apr 2002 08:35:55 +0100, CJRandall <col...@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk> wrote: >Robert writes >>>>======================================================================== >>>> International Mirrors >>>>======================================================================== >>>>http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) >>>>http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) >>>>http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) >>>>http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) >>>>http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware >>>>[alternative free server sought for USA] >>>>======================================================================== >> >> >>You can also add this site >>http://votrezone.com/ada >> >> >> >>Robert >> >ok ... what is it's location, please ? I Think the server is in Calgary, Canada Robert, __ _[ ]_ <><> \/
On Sun, 14 Apr 2002 19:53:56 +0000 (UTC), Dr Scab <sca...@herpes.co.uk> wrote: > >Have you never heard of line wrap? > >What a fucking idiot... > > ; . |.|(|., _ .\ \ '/|)|',-' ., `.\ |.ooooooooo.i.-- ''`.dYY'```''''`YYb.'' dX` 'Xb .-.Xb wwWWw wWWww dX.-. ((@ 9X : O > < O : XP @)) U' Xb `--'| |`--' dX `U .odXb .-' `-. dXbo. dY'`` '-._.-' ''`Yb dX' _,ooo._ `Xb Xb d8 _|_ 8b dX 8b `Y8d8P' d8' Y8o_ ,dP' YY8ooooooooooooooMJP' __) (__ /,. , \ \\| |// (( _____ )) | Y | |__|__| (| |) || || _ /( )\_ _,--'' b d ``--.__ ,-'' ,/' `\, ``-. .-.-.-.-. /' `.\ .-.-.-.-. (_(_(_(___)' `(___)_)_)_)
On 13 Apr 2002 04:59:16 GMT, mik...@bluedwarf.spam.net (MJP) wrote: > >If there are no objections I will remove the dead links from the HTML version. > I have no objection. As I can see, some change have already been made at http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ ,,, asc...@VotreZone.com qo.op \-/
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