                          SLICE_IT.TXT

SLICE_IT.EXE demonstrates how "BMP Tools F. P. C." can read one 
file to create the contents of another. It also illustrates how
an image manipulating program can dramatically enlarge the area
needed to contain a processed picture.

This is what I would call a linear expansion, because the original image
is not actually enlarged, but rather cut into many small pieces and
arranged in a specific pattern. I actually developed this technique of
image manipulation in 1986, using paper photo copies, a steal ruler and
a razor knife. It took days to slice the original picture first in one
dimension, put these slices together in the right order, photo copy that
and slice it in the other dimension, put that together and photo copy it,
and then put all the photo copied pages together into one large piece.
I only made two poster sized pictures this way before I decided it was
too much work.

Turning this analog paper cutting technique into a digital image processing
program was a very interesting experience. First, I developed a program
in MS Qbasic, but with the limits on the size of the resultant image,
this wasn't very practical either.

Finally, after developing "BMP Tools For Powerful Computers", I had 
an easy way to apply this process to an image, and get great results.
It even works in color, which was impossible with the original photo
copy method.

The files IMAGE_1.BMP, IMAGE_2.BMP and IMAGE_3.BMP, included in this zip,
are the example "before" pictures. Select them at the first prompt of the
program by their number only. SLICE_IT.EXE reads these image files so they
must all be in the same directory as SLICE_IT.EXE for this program to
work. SLICE_IT.BMP will be the result after the application is complete.

When the program is initiated it will ask for an "X Expansion Factor" 
and a "Y Expansion Factor". If you were to enter 5 for each of these 
then the resultant file would be 25 times (5 X 5) as large as the original
bitmap. The input for "X Pixels Per Slice" and "Y Pixels Per Slice"
controls the size of the individual pieces that are cut from the image file
and placed into SLICE_IT.BMP. To start off, try entering 3's at all four
prompts. Then try 3's for the expansion factors and 30's or 45's for the
pixels per slice. Usually whole numbers are entered at the expansion factor
prompts and integer multiples of the expansion factors at the pixels per
slice prompts. But, you can try all kinds of number combinations for unusual
effects. You can change the aspect ratio by entering unequal numbers for
"X Expansion Factor" and "Y Expansion Factor".

When the program is all done, open up SLICE_IT.BMP in your favorite
image editor. These pictures look best when printed large. If you can,
try printing one as a multiple page poster.
