ArtWonk Packages

Packages

Packages are thematic groups of Functions, Macros and Patches created and maintained by individual authors. They are not simply examples; rather they are the extended works of individuals, and include substantial documentation to provide you with comprehensive and comprehensible tools for your own advanced algorithmic composing.

To access Package documentation, go to the Help menu on the top Main Menu bar. If any Packages have been installed, you will see a "Packages" submenu directly under the "Online Manual" choice. This will not be visible if optional Packages have not been published with your sofware version or if you have not created or installed any Packages yet.

When Packages are made available by their authors, we post download links or reference links to them, or included them with the ArtWonk install download. Contact us if you are interested in publishing a Package you have created.

Using Packages

To use a Package Patch or component module (Macro or Function), simply create it in the usual way with the Module menu that pops up when you right click on the Workspace background. The component will be in the Packages submenu under Macros or Functions. Package Patches are found in the Patches\Packages directory. Help for Packages are in the Help menu, under Help\Packages. If the Patch includes any support data it will be in a Packages subfolder under the Array, Data, or Names folders.

Installing Packages

1. Copy the unzipped Package folder - which will be a uniquely named folder containing sub folders for Help and any mix of Patches, Macros, Functions, and possibly associated Data, Array or Name files - to the Package source folder, in the same location as the Help, Settings, and other support folders.

2. Run ArtWonk. From the Main Menu, run Options/Install Packages. The popup dialog will show source Packages, including the one you just copied to the Package Source folder, in the left pane. Installed Packages, if any, will be in the right pane. Select the package in the left pane and it will install.

How to create your own Package

1. Decide the unique name you want to use for your package and create folders with that name. For example for a Package named "MyPackage," you would create some combination of the following folders:

...\ArtWonk4\Patches\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Macros\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Functions\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Data\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Array\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Names\Packages\MyPackage\
...\ArtWonk4\Help\Packages\MyPackage\

You do not need to create folders for components you aren't supplying in your Package. For example if you only plan to create one or more Patches for your Package, then you do not need to create the Macros and Functions folders or the support folders (in fact, using Packages is a great way to contribute a large and well documented single patch). You do, however, need to create the Help folder as it is what triggers ArtWonk to recognize the package.

2. Place your Patch, Macro and Function files and any support files in the respective Package folders. If you wish you can create sub folders to group files. ArtWonk will treat the subfolders as menus and the Macro .awm and Function .awf files as menu items, just as it does for regular Macros and Functions.

3. Create a Help .htm file named "help.htm" and place it in its Package folder. This can be as elaborate as you like, with multiple .htm files and supporting graphics files. Place them all in the main folder or make sub folders for them. As long as you link them through the main "help.htm" file, they will all be accessible to ArtWonk Help.

4. As soon as you have placed your Package Help folder and file, your Package will show up in the ArtWonk Package structures, and you can test and edit the Package components as needed.

5. When you are ready to pack your Package into a single distribution folder, use the ArtWonk Options/Install Packages dialog to pack all the folders of your Package into a single Package deployment folder in the Package source folder in the ArtWonk4 main program folder: ...\ArtWonk4\Packages. Your Package will be visible in the right pane, labled "Select to Update/Pack Package." The packed Package will show up in the left pane.

6. Once you have your Package packed into a single folder, you can zip it for downloading by right clicking on the folder name in the Windows Explorer and selecting the context menu "Send to...Compressed (zipped) folder." If you like, you can send this to Algorithmic Arts (support@algoart.com) for possible inclusion in our Package library.