Lektrogirl's Dummy Guide to Importing Bitmaps into Cebra Text.


1] Create a bitmap, or simple black and white picture in an image editor of your choice [e.g. Photoshop] It is a great idea to start with a small image. Once a picture is imported into Cebra text, a lot of detail is lost. So lets start with this image of a pigeon :


2] You need to copy the whole image to the computers clipboard. e.g. CTRL + C

3] Open Cebra Text and prepare your new document for importing a bitmap. To make things easy, from the "VIEW" drop down menu, select "Show Controls". This will reveal all the spaces that you use for entering the colour programming for each row in your teletext document.

4] Then, you need to program each row to be a graphics row. To do this, with the cursor [it will appear as a flashing white box] in the very first column, click the graphics button in the floating window for the colour of your choice. You only have eight colours to choose from! In my example, my graphics row will show green. Once I have clicked the graphics button, a block containing the graphics information should appear for the row as shown.

5] Now you need to program graphics information down the whole column. You can either reposition the cursor below your first graphic information block with the cursor keys or mouse. Then you click the graphics button for the second colour of your choice. In my example, every row will appear as green. However - you can make each row a different colour by changing your mind each time.

6] Now you need to change tools. From the "TOOLS" drop down window, you need to choose "Graphics Select".

7] Using your cursor, hi-lite the area where you want your image to appear. A simple tip is to try and keep your hi-lite area dimensions the same as your original image. For example, if your original image is a square, then hi-lite a square shape. If your original image is a rectangle, then hi-lite a rectangle. When importing bitmaps, Cebra text will distort the image to fit the area you hi-lite.

8] Then, from the "EDIT" drop down menu, select "Paste". [For some reason on my computer, the CTRL + V shortcut doesn't work though it looks like it should.] And voila! Your image will appear in your teletext document.

See how a lot of the original detail is lost? But this is still one pretty hot bird!

9] To save your document, under "FILE" select "Save As" and remember to save your file in the 971 format (*.TTV) for us to make things easier.

10] Then email your submission to vbi_microtel@lektrolab.com The whole process - from bitmap to teletext - will take only 15 minutes!!