THE NEWSROOM SOFT DOCS


GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
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A newspaper is made up of many parts.  As you create the different parts of your
newspaper, you will need to save each of item to data disk.  Before beginning
work at The newsroom, be certain to have a least one data disk ready to store
your work.  The most convenient and easiest to use method, however, is to use
four different data disks.  This is because there are four specific areas where
you will be saving information.

1. banner data disk...used when in the banner work area
2. photo data disk...used when saving info in the photo lab work area
3. panel data disk....used when saving info in the copy disk work area
4. page data disk...used when saving info in the layout work area

To save your work, select the disk icon from any work area.  Enter a name with
up to eight characters and press the RETURN KEY.

SOUND ON/OFF
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On the Apple, pressing CTRL-A turns the audio on and off.

CURSOR MOVEMENT
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If you are using a joystick, orient it so that the cursor moves up when you push
the stick forward, the cursor moves left when you push the stick to the left,
etc.  Press a joystick button to make a selection, pick something up or drop
something.  When using any of the drawing tools, hold a button down to draw.

If you are using a Koala Pad, orient it so that the cursor moves up when you
draw up and so on.  Press a  joystick button to make a selection, pick something
up or drop something.  When using any of the drawing tools, hold a button down
to draw.

If you are using only the computer keyboard, use the following keys instead of a
joystick or koala pad:

Apple II+....use the ^IJKM keys to move the cursor (hold down the
             CTRL key while pressing I,J,K,M.
         ....use the ESC key to select something, pick something
             up, drop something or draw.
Apple IIE....
      IIC....use the arrow keys to move the cursor
         ....use the open/closed apple keys to select something
             pick something up,drop something or draw.

PICTURE MENU
------------
The Newsroom Menu makes it easy to get to any part of The Newsroom.  Moving the
joystick, drawing on the Koala Pad or pressing the cursor control keys causes
the names of the different options to flash.  You can select from the PHOTO LAB,
BANNER, COPY DESK, LAYOUT, WIRE SERVICE or the PRINTING PRESS.  When the name of
the desired option is flashing, select it by pressing a joystick or Koala Pad
button or the appropriate selection key on your keyboard.  You will be taken to
that part of the Newsroom office.

BANNER WORK AREA
----------------
The banner is the place where a newspaper identifies itself by printing the
paper's name. Most likely you will want to name your newspaper with some great
big letters..you may also want to add smaller letters for a slogan..To do this,
first select the crayon icon at the left side of the work area.  The graphic
tools window will appear.  Move the blinking box cursor to the font that you
wish to use and select it by pressing a joystick or koala button or the
appropriate key on your keyboard.  Then select the exit option and the graphic
tools window will disappear. Your cursor will now be a block the size of the
font you selected.  Move the cursor to where you want to type the letters ad
drop it there by pressing the selection button or key.  You are now in text mode
and can begin to type. If you type an incorrect letter use the cursor keys to
move the cursor to it.  Then type a new letter over incorrect letter.  In this
part of the Newsroom, new text simply replaces old text.  This differs from the
word processing at the Copy Desk which includes insertion and deletion of text.
Use the RETURN key to start a new line.  It will begin directly below the
designated starting point of the text.  For apple II+ owners, use CTRL-R as a
carriage return rather than the Return key..if you press return, the cursor will
move straight down!!! To get out of the text mode, press the selection button or
key again.  You are now in cursor mode instead of text mode and can move the
cursor anywhere in the work area and over to the icons.  By pressing the
selection button or key while in the work area, you toggle between text mode and
cursor mode.  The cursor mode allows you to select where you want to place
letters on the banner and the text mode allows you to type the letters in. If
you wish to add art work to your banner, select the Clip Art icon at the left
side of the work area.  If you have not done so, the program will instruct you
to insert one of the disk sides with clip art in a disk drive. A list of clipart
pages will appear on the screen.  Move the selector bar up and down the names
until you find the page of clip art you want to load in.  Then select that page
by pressing the selection button or key.  that page of clip art will be
displayed. If you select another page of clip art, the display area will be
cleared and the new page displayed. If you wish to see clip art from a different
disk side, substitute the new disk side for the old one in the drive and then
select the new disk option from among the list of pages.  The list of old pages
will disappear and be replaced by the list of the new pages. If you wish to
return to the banner work area without any clip art, select the cancel option
from among the list of pages. When you find a piece of clip art you want to use
in the Banner work area, move the cursor onto that particular piece and select
it by pressing the selection button or key.  You will find yourself back in the
work area dragging the piece of art around with your cursor.  Move it to where
you want it and then drop it..If necessary, pick it up again and drop it in a
different spot. If you move the piece off the left border far enough, it will
eventually disappear. Please note that many of the clip art pieces can't
completely fit in the banner work area.  Position the pieces as you like,
however, and the portions that don't fit in the work area will be there when it
is printed out.  Thus you can select a large piece of clip art, such as a woman
and position it so that only her head is in the work area. You can return to the
library of clip art as often as you like to get additional pieces and then
position them as you wish. Flip the clip art using the FLIP Icon which is only
present when a piece of clip art is in the work area. You can modify the clip
art or create your own using the different Graphic Tools provided by the
Newsroom.  to use these tools, select the 'crayon icon'.  The Graphic Tools
window will appear. In addition to the fonts, you can select from ten different
Drawing Pens.  To use a pen, first select it and then exit the Graphic Tools
window.  the cursor is now the shape of the selected pen.  When a joystick
button, Koala Pad button or open/closed apple key is held down, the pen will
draw in the work area.  (Apple II+ keyboard only users pleases note: Use the esc
key to toggle draw on/off after a pen has been selected.) If you wish to erase
something, go back to the Graphic Tools window and select the Eraser.  Whatever
pen is active now will erase instead of draw. There are also additional tools
beside the Eraser.  These things...such as Lines, Circles, and Boxes must be
selected and then exit the Graphic Tools window.  You can return to normal
drawing by selecting the Draw option from the Graphic Tools window. Any of the
ten Fill Patterns can be used to automatically fill any enclosed area with a
pattern.  Position the cursor inside any enclosed area and press a selector
button or key.  The patterns are all black and white but may appear colorful
depending upon your type of computer and monitor. The final option available in
the Graphic Tools window is the Hand.  It enables you to pick up and reposition
a piece of clip art.  The final position of any piece of clip art, however,
should be determined prior to modifying the piece since the Hand can move only
the piece of clip art, not any mods made to it.  Therefore position the pieces
of clip art carefully before you make any changes to them. If you need to
magnify a portion of the screen to get better detail, select the magnifying
glass icon.  Move the rectangle over the area you want magnified...hit the
button...and the area will then be magnified so you can turn individual pixels
on or off.  As you edit, you can watch the results of your changes in thee
display rectangle at the bottom of the screen.  When finished editing, you can
select either the Cancel option, which returns you to the work area with no
change to the edited area, or the Exit option, which returns you to the work
area with your changes displayed. If at any time you make a mistake, choose the
OOPS icon.  Whatever you did last will be gone...this includes fills, drawings,
lines, boxes...even your last oops!!! Be certain to save your banner to a data
disk before you return to the Newsroom Menu.  If you do not save it, your work
will be lost.  If you have not finished the banner, save it anyway, for you can
load it again another time to work on. It is a good idea to save all your
banners on a banner data disk.  To do so, select the Disk Icon.  Enter a name
with up to eight characters and press the  RETURN key.  Try to give the banner a
name that will help you remember what it is.

     ICONS IN THE BANNER WORK AREA ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Face icon....lets you select from the clip art library.
The flip icon...lets you flip clip art
The crayon icon...produces the graphics window
The magnifying glass icon...lets you magnify work
The oops icon....allows you to undo work
The garbage can icon...clears work area
The disk icon....load or save banner
The menu icon...returns you to the Newsroom menu

THE PHOTO LAB AREA
-------------------
The Photo Lab allows you to create your own photos for inclusion in your
newspaper.  It is similar to the Banner work area in that it provides you with
the library of clip art and the different graphic tools..once the art work for
your photo is complete, you can "crop" it so that the photo contains exactly the
art work you desire and has the proper dimensions.  A photo is added to the
newspaper in the Copy Desk.  There it can be combined with text and/or
additional photos and positioned in one of the panels.  A photo can be as small
as you like or as large as the photo Lab work area. To choose a piece of clip
art, choose the clip art icon at the left side of the work area.  Move the
selector bar up and down the names until you find the page of clip art you want
to load in.  Then select that page by pressing the section button or key.  That
page of clip art will be displayed.  If you select another page of clip art, the
display area will be cleared and the new page displayed.  If you wish to see
clip art from a different disk side, substitute the new disk side for the old
one in the disk drive and then select the NEW DISK option from among the list of
pages..the list of old pages will disappear and be replaced with a list of new
pages.  If you wish to return to the Photo Lab without any clip art, select the
CANCEL option from among the list of pages.  When you find a piece of clipart
you want to use in a photo, move the cursor onto that particular piece and
select it by pressing the button or key.  You will find yourself back in the
photo lab dragging the piece of art around with your cursor.  Move it to where
you want it and then drop it..pick it up again if you want and reposition it. 
If you move t piece off the left border far enough, it will eventually
disappear.  You can return to the library of clip art as often as you like to
get more. Flip the clip art left to right or right to left using the flip icon. 
To do so, select the flip icon, which is only present when a piece of clip art
is in the work area.  It will begin to blink when you select it, indicating that
it is active.  Then select the piece of art you wish to flip.  It will flip
automatically, and if you wish, flip the piece back to its original position
with the OOPS ICON.

You can modify the selected clip art or create your own using the different
graphic tools provided by the newsroom.  To use these tools, select the crayon
icon.  To begin you can select the drawing tools and other stuff just like you
did in the banner area.  Using text to add a cutline....this enables you to put
text with the art and then take a photo of it...for use later in your
layout...If you wish to add a cutline to a photo, do so while in the Photo Lab,
because you will not be able to do so when at the copy desk.  Be sure to include
the cutline as part of the photo when you define the photo with the camera icon.
To do so, move the blinking box cursor in the Graphic tools window to the font
style or letters that you wish to sue and select it by pressing the selection
button or key.  The exit the window.  Your cursor will now be a block the size
of the font you selected.  Move the cursor to where you want to type the letters
a drop it there by pressing the button or key.  You are now in the text mode and
can begin to type.  If you type an incorrect letter, use the cursor keys to move
the cursor to it.  The type a new letter over the incorrect letter.  In this
part of newsroom, text is treated as part of the photo and simply replaces any
old text it is entered over...This differs from the word processing at the copy
desk which includes insertion and deletion options. Use the RETURN key to start
a new line.  It will begin directly below the place where you started your first
line. (apple II+ owners use the control-r instead of the return key, for if you
press the return key the cursor will move straight down) To get out of the text
mode, press the selection button again. You are now in cursor mode instead of
text mode and can move the cursor anywhere in the work area or over ot the
icons.  by pressing the selection button while in the work area, you toggle
between the text mode and the cursor mode.  The cursor mode allows you to select
where you want to place the letters on the photo and the text mode allows you to
type the letters in.

To take the snapshot...or your 'photo'...you are ready to define it.  To do this
choose the camera icon.  Move the cursor to one of the photo's corners and drop
it.  Continue to move the cursor until the rubber band lines are positioned
where you want them..This process is similar to the automatic box option in the
graphic tools window, but you will notice that the camera icon is blinking when
it is active.  Be sure to include the cutline ( if you have one) in the cropping
of the photo. When the photo contents are framed to you liking, press the
selection button, the snapshot will be taken and everything within the borders
will become the photo.  If you are not happy with it, select the photo camera
icon again and do it again.  VERY IMPORTANT...... Be certain to save your photo
on a data disk, by selecting the disk icon...and give it a name that you will
remember.


COPY DESK AREA
--------------
In the copy desk area you write the copy for your newspaper. You will work on
one panel at a time by combining text with photos developed in the photo lab
work area.

As you begin, you will find yourself in the copy desk work area with the icons
displayed at the left.  This work area represents one panel area.  the newsroom
enlarges the panel in this work area in order to maximize printer resolution
creating unusually sharp print outs..It also makes it much easier for you to
position your photos and edit your text.  When it prints out, it will be reduced
to its proper portion of the newspaper page. Do not let the panels restrict you
to writing stories which fit within one panel.  Remember to think of these panel
outlines as imaginary frames.  Your story can fill two panels or three or the
whole page.  If you fill one panel with photos and text but you have not
completed your story, select the disk icon and save this first panel to your
panel data disk.  Then select the garbage can icon and clear the work area so
that you can continue your story on a second panel.

Each newspaper page has from six to ten panels on it depending upon the type of
page:

-letter size page with a banner has six panels.
-letter size page without a banner has eight panels.
-legal size page with a banner has eight panels.
-legal size page with a banner has ten panels.

The cursor....
   
It will appear in one of three forms depending upon its location.  If the cursor
is in the icon selection area it is an arrow pointing to one of the icons.  If
the cursor is on the photo, it is a hand which can move and drop the photo, and
if the cursor is on text, it is a block the size of the font currently being
used.

Adding photos.....
     
If you want to add a photo to the panel you are working on, it is a good idea to
do it before adding text.  This makes it easier for you to see how much space is
left for text in he panel.  It is also a good idea to position the photo into
the corners or along the borders of the panel.  This generally allows
for more text to fit in the panel.

To load a photo from a disk, choose the disk icon, and then titles will appear,
choose the one you want and press the button or key to select it.  To position
the photo in the panel, move the cursor on the top of the photo, the cursor will
become a hand, and press the button to pick up the photo, and move the photo
with the joystick or cursor control keys.  Position it where you want it in the
panel and then drop it by pressing the selection button or key.

If you wish to remove a photo, pick it up and drag it off the left border of the
panel.  A photo can be repositioned at any time, even after text has been
entered...it is possible that some text might be lost if you do this.  If you
put the photo back in its original position, the lost text will reappear again
though. More than one photo can be placed in a panel and the photos may overlap
each other.

Adding text......

Only one of the small fonts and one of the large fonts can be used in any given
panel.  Assume you have entered text using the fonts Large English and Small
Serif.  If you then select Large Serif from the font window, large English text
already entered would automatically change into large serif.  Any text
subsequently entered would also be large serif.  The small text would be
unchanged.

While the cursor is in the text area, it can move only to where there is text. 
If no text has been entered, the cursor will automatically go the to uppermost,
leftmost corner available.  this position varies depending upon the presence of
any photos in the panel.

The copy desk has been designed for you to use large fonts for headlines and
small fonts for normal text.  If you intersperse large and small fonts
erratically, the results may be confusing and unsatisfactory.

If you want extra spaces between letters or words, use the space bar to add
then.  If you want extra spaces between lines, use the return key to add them. 
If you wish to begin typing in lower position than where the cursor is, use the
return key to move the cursor down the panel.

Do not use the return key when you come to the end of a line of text.  The copy
Desk will automatically determine for you when to begin a new line.  Use the
Return key only to start a new paragraph or add spaces between lines. (apple II+
people, use the control-r as your carriage return, the return key moves the
cursor straight down)

If you wish to break up long words so that part of it is on one line and the
other part is on another line, use a hyphen, and the copy desk will break the
word immediately after the hyphen and put the rest of it on the next line.  This
may often be necessary when adding text to narrow spaces between a photo and a
panel border.

Editing text......

It is very easy to edit your text in the Copy Desk work area.  You merely move
the cursor to where you want it and begin to insert or delete text.

TO INSERT..text, simply type, and the text you type will be entered wherever you
have positioned the cursor.You can insert a word by moving the cursor on top of
the letter in the word and typing in the letters. Don't forget a space if you
are adding the new word.

TO DELETE..text is just as simple as inserting it.  Simply use the delete key on
the apple IIe/c or if you own an apple II+ use the control-d.  If you wish to
replace existing text with different text, first move the cursor to the first
letter of the text to be deleted.  Next, delete the existing text and then
insert the new text.  You will not need to reposition the cursor before
inserting the new text.

Don't forget to save your panel when it is finished to your liking.  Store the
panels on a panel data disk and type in a name that you will remember when it
comes time to put the newspaper together using the layout section.

LAYOUT WORK AREA
----------------
Arranging the page is quite simple.  When the panels and the banner have been
made, they can be arrange onto a page in the layout area of newsroom.  If you
choose to lay out a page with or without a banner, the screen will ask you which
size of page you will be printing, legal or letter. Once the type of layout page
has been selected, insert the data disk on which you have saved the panels
designed for the page.  Use the joystick or cursor keys to blink the panel area
you wish to assign a panel to....then press the selection button. the program
will automatically display all of your panel titles found on the data disk in
the selected area.  Move the selector bar to make the different titles scroll up
or down.  When the title you want is in the selector bar, press the selection
button.  That panel will be assigned to the selected area and its title
displayed there.  If you do not see the title you want and wish to search for it
on a different data disk, insert the new data disk and select the NEW DISK
option from among the titles.  The new titles when then appear for your
inspection. Follow this procedure to assign a panel to each panel area of the
page.  If no panel is assigned to an area, that area will appear blank when the
page is printed out.

If you have selected to lay out a page with a banner, insert the data disk on
which you have stored the banner design for the page.  Use the joystick or
cursor keys to blink the banner area at the top of the page.  Then press the
selector button and the program will automatically display all of your banner
titles found on the data disk.  Select the desired banner in the same fashion
you selected panels. Save your layout to a page data disk.  Once the layout of a
page has been saved to a page data disk, all of the files necessary to produce
that page are stored together.  You will not need to search other data disks for
any of the necessary panels or banner.  This makes it very easy for you to
transmit or print the page. To save your layout to a page data disk, select the
Save option at the bottom of the screen.  You will then be asked to enter a name
for the page which can be up to 8 characters long.  VERY IMPORTANT....LABEL THIS
DISK AS A PAGE DISK......

At this point you will have to do some disk swapping.  Follow the directions on
the screen carefully and insert either the page data disk or the appropriate
data disk containing the panel or banner file being requested specifically.  It
is at this point that you will appreciate good data disk organization with
separate disks for each of the things that you have worked on...panel, photo,
and banner. If you decide to alter the page layout, insert your page data disk
and select the option to load a page from a data disk.  The page titles on your
page data disk will be displayed so that you can select one to be loaded.....be
sure to save your work again after you are done editing the page....once done,
you can use the Wire Service to call up the entire page and automatically
transmit it over a modem...(if you have one).

WIRE SERVICE
------------
You can use your modem to transmit the news, if you have one that is!!!  The
wire service allows you to transmit to and from incompatible computers....for
example...if you created a photo on an Apple IIE and then sent to an IBM PC
where text could be added to create a panel...The IBM PC could then send it to a
Commodore 64 where the panel could be added to a page...and so on...

To send or receive news, the two computers must be set up at the same baud rate.
 You can use the option 'change the modem setup' to configure your modem for
Newsroom.

It is easy to use...just follow the screen instructions carefully.  The program
will let you know when to dial or answer t phone, when a connection has been
established, when transmission is in progress and so on.  The only modems that
can be used are Hayes compatible at this point...

THE PRINTING PRESS
------------------
Once you have a page defined in the layout section, you can begin to roll the
printing presses!!!  Use the joystick to choose the option you want on the
screen.  The first screen will also display the current printer setup.  If this
is not correct, choose 'change the printer setup'.  Follow the instructions on
the screen to set up Newsroom for your printer.  If the printer fails to print
your newspaper or does not print it properly, you will have to do it
again...choosing some other options and then trying it again...follow these
instructions for the apple computer.....

1. Select the type of printer you are using.

2. The next screen will request whether or not you want uni--directional
graphics.  This mode of printing is slower but creates better printouts.

3. Then indicate which interface card you have and press the return key.  If you
do not see your card listed, try selecting the Apple parallel card.  (if you
have an apple //c..the program will automatically select the serial port.)

4. The next screen will request whether or not your setup requires an automatic
linefeed.  A linefeed is necessary if your printer overprints on the same line. 
a linefeed is not necessary if your printer double spaces the printout.

5. The last screen requests how much of an end of line delay your setup
requires.  If you do not know what this should be, accept the default by
pressing the RETURN key.