Contents
- Index
- Previous
- Next
F Record - Bitmap
It is possible to display an external bitmap image file (it must be a .bmp file) at a fingering position with the Bitmap fingering record. Character 5 is a B, indicating that this is a Bitmap fingering record.
Format:
FnndBfname[,a...a]
where
nn = version number (00-99). Number 00 is standard fingering
d = Display Indicator (d, h)
d = display
h = hide
fname = filename of the external bitmap file
a...a = optional alternate text if bitmap cannot be loaded - any alphanumeric characters
The total length of the record should not exceed 200 characters. Otherwise it will truncate without a warning or error condition (see Remarks & Hints).
Examples:
F05dbmylogo.bmp
F10dbhello.bmp,Greetings to you!
Description:
An external bitmap image file can be loaded and displayed at a screen display position. The bitmap is displayed at the top left hand corner of that position, with no stretching or compressing (i.e. it is displayed at its original size).
The image file must be in the same directory as the external fingering file that uses it. Therefore, it is not necessary to specify a path for it. It must be a .bmp filetype.
The size of one display position on the screen is 111x146 pixels. Therefore, if you want to completely fill a position, you would create a bitmap which is that size. For example, I created 9 bitmaps, each 111x146 pixels in size and used the following records to display them:
Nfn1
f00dbslot0.bmp
f05dbslot1.bmp
f10dbslot2.bmp
f15dbslot3.bmp
f20dbslot4.bmp
f25dbslot5.bmp
f30dbslot6.bmp
f35dbslot7.bmp
f40dbslot8.bmp
This resulted in the following display (all screen examples here are smaller than when the program is actually run, for easy viewing on the help screen):

The above demonstrates another characteristic - you can make a bitmap seem to have a transparent background (see the box with the number "2" in it above). You do this by making the background have the following color characteristics: R=192, G=192, B=192. This will give it the same color (grey) as the surrounding program display itself, and will therefore appear to be transparent (it really isn't - this is not like a transparent gif). The number "2" above appears to be alone in the middle of an empty box, whereas in fact the bitmap is like the others, but with a grey background.
A bitmap does not have to be 111x146. It can be essentially any size. It just starts to be displayed in the upper left corner of the display position it is in, and flows down and to the right. For example, you could display a bitmap that is 222x146 pixels wide with the following code (this image has a grey background):
Nfn1
f00dm
f10dbrecdr2.bmp
resulting in this:

If you want additional fingering records following such a bitmap, you must make sure that the program positions the later records in the correct screen postions. The program thinks that a bitmap, no matter how large, occupies one position, so, for example, if you added a fingering record after the 222-wide bitmap like this:
Nfn1
f00dm
f10dbrecdr2.bmp
f20d,c-,c-c-c-,c-c-,c-c-c-o-,o-,00
you'd get this display, which is clearly not what you intend:

You can handle this situation by using an empty Message record (see F Record - Message) to position the fingering record one position further along, like this:
Nfn1
f00dm
f10dbrecdr2.bmp
f15dm
f20d,c-,c-c-c-,c-c-,c-c-c-o-,o-,00
resulting in the correct display:

Alternate Text
After the bitmap filename on the F Bitmap record, you can optionally specify text that will be displayed if the bitmap fails to load. This is done by placing a comma (,) after the bitmap filename, followed by the text to be displayed. For example:
f04dbmybitmap.bmp,My bitmap failed to load!
If the bitmap fails to load, a normal Message (see F Record - Message) will be displayed with the supplied text.