10 Transferring files between platforms

You may wish to transfer documents between RISC OS and Windows. Fireworkz documents can easily be transferred between the two platforms, but there are some potential problems which you should watch out for.

Before you transfer files

You may wish to transfer documents between RISC OS and Windows. Fireworkz documents can easily be transferred between the two platforms, but there are some potential problems which you should watch out for.

Before copying a file, you should check for the following:

Fonts

Fireworkz stores the fonts used in documents internally by their PostScript name, if there is one, rather than any platform- or vendor-specific name. If most of the fonts you use on both platforms are standard fonts with analagous PostScript names, you should find that the correct fonts are used.

For example, documents which use the RISC OS fonts Trinity and Homerton will be displayed in Times New Roman and Arial, the equivalent standard Windows fonts.

If your documents use non-standard fonts which do not have a direct equivalent on your other systems, another font will be substituted. Inevitably, this will mean that your text is reformatted.

Height and width

Fireworkz allows you to stretch and shrink type using the Width option in the Text section of the Style editor. Unfortunately, if this option has been set in RISC OS, it will mean that with some fonts, Windows will not display the text at the correct height or width.

Ideally, you should turn this option off in all text before transferring files.

Pictures and charts

Charts and pictures which are embedded within documents will be transferred along with the text and the rest of the document. Fireworkz will interpret and display most embedded picture files, and also more complex pictures such as pictogram charts which are effectively a Draw file containing embedded sprites or further Draw files.

Referenced pictures will usually be transferred or translated. However, you must first make sure that the file names of referenced pictures can be understood by both systems. You will also need to make sure that in both the original and the copy that all the files are in the same directory: this makes it much easier for Fireworkz to find the files.

Databases

Fireworkz for Windows will not understand any databases inserted into Fireworkz Pro documents. All database areas of such documents will be ignored.

Transferring files from RISC OS to Windows

The process of transferring files to Windows is quite simple. The work needs to be done at the RISC OS end, so if you are going to be sent files and do not have access to an RISC OS computer, make sure that the person sending the files has a copy these instructions.

  1. Check the document for any of the potential problems outlined above. These problems apply to transfers in either direction.
  2. Either place a DOS format floppy in your floppy drive, or mount a PC or other server disc across your network.
  3. Copy the files on to the disc.
  4. You will need to rename the file in order to change its type. Select the file in the directory display and press Menu (the middle mouse button). Choose Rename file from the menu which appears.
  5. Add the extension /FWK, for example FILENAME/FWK. This will be interpreted by Windows as FILENAME.FWK.
  6. Dismount the floppy disc by choosing Dismount from the floppy disc menu. You must do this to ensure that all the data is correctly written onto the disc.

You can now take the file to a Windows computer.

Transferring files from Windows to RISC OS

To transfer files from Windows to RISC OS:

  1. Check the document for any of the potential problems outlined above. These problems apply to transfers in either direction.
  2. Save the file in a location which your RISC OS computer can access (for example on a DOS format floppy disc, or on a network server accessible to both types of machine).
  3. Select the file in the directory display on the RISC OS desktop.
  4. Press Menu (the middle mouse button) and choose Set Type from the menu which appears.
  5. Change the file type to Firewrkz.

You will now be able to use the file in RISC OS.

Transferring to and from RISC OS under emulation

If you use VirtualAcorn you can ease the filename mapping process somewhat. In Windowed mode, go to Tools – Options and alter the list of HostFS Extensions. Add a mapping between RISC OS file type "BDF" (Fireworkz) and DOS extension "fwk".