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CGX Program
The CGX Program _ A Software Utility to Assist with CTV Graphics
by John Rusterholz
The CGX program is a Windows program designed to let you create, edit, transport and analyze your character graphics easily for use at CTV. By installing it on your home computer along with the free demo version of GenCG, you can quickly construct all of the CG pages for your show, preview them, and modify them to your liking. The native text file format then lets you transport them to CTV easily on a floppy disk for use there.
CGX runs under Windows95, Windows98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT. It is completely contained in the executable file called CGX.exe. Most importantly CGX comes with a comprehensive User Manual, which takes you through the process step by step, and explains every detail with numerous examples.
You can download the manual and CGX from the links below. The manual describes how to install CGX on your system, and also explains how to get a demo version of GenCG for you to use.
Examples of what you can do with CGX:
1. Compile: This takes a text file in a specific user-friendly format (called the CGX Language) and generates a .gcg file from it. A .gcg file is the binary format that GenCG uses to store its information.
2. Decompile: This takes a .gcg file, and extracts several different forms of text information from it. The default form is in the same language that CGX expects as input to a compilation. This allows you to start with some graphics produced on GenCG and convert them to text form. It also allows you to make changes to your graphics with extreme precision.
3. Editing: CGX includes a fully functional text editor for your convenience.
4. Make Macro: This takes a single page of a .gcg file, and produces a text macro. A macro is a template-like form from which other CG pages can be quickly generated having the identical layout, but different text.
5. Parade graphics: CGX has a special function just for parades. It takes a simple text listing of parade units, and generates a complete .gcg file. It also generates the spotter list in printer-ready format.
6. Page Listing: This function takes either a file in CGX language or an existing GenCG file and constructs a list of all the pages with their text. It makes for a quick index that is more convenient to use than the little GenCG images.
7. Transportation: Because CGX text files are typically 100 times smaller than GenCG files, they can easily fit on a floppy disk. CGX is installed on all CTV computers, so you can bring up your graphics instantly when you arrive.
Requirements:
x86/Pentium or equivalent
Windows95, Windows98, Windows 2000 or Windows NT
NOTE:
This program is not supported by CTV15, the NSCC or NSAC. Therefore all questions, comments and expressions of gratitude should be directed to Mr. Rusterholz. (651-483-5930 or 651-635-5320)