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FAQ last updated on: August 7, 1995.                                    V1.00  
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              FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DARK ILLUSTRATED.       


`[ Introduction ]' 

 Distributed each month on The Official Dark Home-Page, Dark-affiliated 
 boards, and Dark Collections, this article is a documentation of questions 
 with answers for the cyberspace community.  This document includes 
 information pertaining to Dark Illustrated and various computer-specific art 
 forms in which the organization specializes.
   
 This list of Frequently Asked Questions is maintained by Carnifex (myself), 
 a member of Dark Illustrated's Senior Staff.  Please address all comments, 
 suggestions, etc. to my e-mail address: [fex@tlug.reptiles.org].  

 Special thanks to Desalvo, Elminster, and Preying Menace for their 
 insightful answers.  Acknowledgments are also extended to Acidic Soap, 
 Entropy, Ravage Bias, Rainmaker, and Tribe.  Their assistance with this FAQ 
 list has also been invaluable.
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

`[ Table of Contents ]' 

  SECTION 0.  "DRAMATIS PERSONAE".                          
     * 0.0  Listing of Dark Illustrated's active duty roster.

  SECTION 1.  GETTING STARTED.                                 
     * 1.0  What is the "art scene?"
     * 1.1  What is "ANSI?"
     * 1.2  What is "Vga?" 
     * 1.3  What is "RIP?" 
     * 1.4  Have any other art groups released a FAQ, like this one?

  SECTION 2.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT DARK ILLUSTRATED.
     * 2.0  So what is "Dark," anyways?  What's the background on the group?
     * 2.1  What does "Dark" mean, if anything?                           
     * 2.2  What is meant by a "Dark Collection?"

  SECTION 3.  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND OTHER INFO.
     * 3.0  How can I join Dark?
     * 3.1  How can my BBS become an official Dark distribution site?
     * 3.2  Who writes the Dark .NFO files?
     * 3.3  Where's the second disk of the Dark Collection: July 1995? 
            (archive name: DARK0795.ZIP)
        
  SECTION 4.  LIST OF FILES, ARCHIVES, AND WHERE YOU CAN GET THEM.
     * 4.0  Listing of commonly requested files & archives.

.............................................................................

`[ Answers ]'

SECTION 0.  "DRAMATIS PERSONAE".                          
Q0.0  (Listing of Dark Illustrated's active duty roster):
~~~~
      (A) Acidic Soap,                          (P) Predator,
      (C) Carnifex,                                 Preying Menace,
          Chemical Warfare,                     (R) Rainmaker,
      (D) Desalvo,                                  Ravage Bias,
          Drone-Fly,                                Red Rum,
      (E) Elminster,                                Rif-Raf,
          Entropy,                                  Riptide,
          Epitaph,                              (S) Scrupulous,
      (G) God-Fearing Athiest (The),                Shock Wave,
          Golgotha,                                 Spaceman Spiff,
          Green Hornet (The),                       Stardust,
      (H) Hemp Hoodlum,                             Sudden Impact,
      (I) Impact,                               (T) Tribe,
      (K) KillChild,                            (U) Undead Corpse,
      (L) Liquid Motion,                        (V) Village Idiot,
      (M) Maelstrom,                            (W) WatOr,
          Moby,                                 (X) Xeryrus,
          Morbid Fixation,                          Xypher Matryx,
          Morkai,                               (Y) Yggdrasil.
      (N) Neuropsychosis,
       

SECTION 1.  GETTING STARTED.                                 

Q1.0  (What is the "art scene?"):
~~~~
 In general, the art scene is a collection of groups that produce art in 
 several mediums.  The forms of art which are most commonly used are ANSI,
 Vga and RIP.  There is also PC music, which is composed in various formats
 such as .MOD and .S3M.  Another integral role in the art scene is that of 
 the programmers.  They are the ones responsible for making the different 
 programs such as application generators and programs to view the art created
 by the different groups.  These groups are a collection of people who enjoy 
 computer art, and who organize themselves in these groups and on occasion 
 release zip files of their specific groups art.  The art scene itself has 
 evolved over the years and has become very competitive at times.  Also, a 
 sort of hierarchy has developed, where certain established groups have been 
 dubbed the best groups in the art scene, and smaller groups striving to 
 achieve that level of achievement.

Q1.1  (What is "ANSI?"):
~~~~
 In terms of the 'scene', an ANSI is the manipulation of the standard ASCII
 character set, along with the use of colour (or otherwise) to produce 
 realistic or abstract pictures on the screen.  An ANSI is limited to the
 ASCII character set and a text only video mode.  ANSI's are most commonly
 drawn using the set of block characters: "°, ±, ², Û, ß, Ü, Ý, Þ, and þ".  A
 limited colour palette is available by using primary foreground colours along
 with background colours, and various ASCII characters.  

 As mentioned, ANSI artwork can either be realistic or abstract - moreso, it
 is clearly divided into two complementary forms, pictures and fonts.  A
 picture is just that - a picture.  A font, on the other hand, is a strict
 word, title, phrase, etc.  It is usually limited to letters and/or numbers.  
 Fonts can also be drawn either realistically, or with a more abstract tone.

 Since an ANSI uses the standard ASCII character set, it is compatible with
 virtually all DOS-based computers, provided an ANSI driver such as ANSI.SYS 
 is loaded beforehand.  It is most commonly used on BBS's (Bulletin Board 
 Systems) as a way to effectively display colour and text at a very high 
 speed.  ANSI does not require a software specific terminal as with RIP (see 
 below) but is included as a terminal option with most terminal software 
 (such as Telix(tm), Procomm(tm), Telemate(tm), etc.)

Q1.2  (What is "Vga?"):
~~~~
 In terms of the 'scene', a VGA is generally known as any picture or graphic
 drawn with a computer paint, render, or other program, in any video mode
 (but most commonly, in the VGA (640x480x256) or higher (SVGA) video modes.)  
 Some of the more commonly used programs are Photoshop(tm), PhotoPaint(tm),
 3D Studio(tm), and Autodesk Animator(tm).  

 In general, the styles used to draw a 'VGA' are very diverse - but they can
 be divided into two large categories, rendered and non-rendered work. 
 Rendered work, as the name suggests, is art drawn with the aid of a 
 computer rendering program, such as 3D Studio(tm) or POV Raytracer(tm).  
 Non-rendered work is a hand-drawn, 'freestyle' form of drawing, which 
 encompasses everything from simple airbrushing to pixel by pixel drawing.

 A VGA is different from an ANSI in the fact that an ANSI is limited to the
 exclusive ASCII character set and text video mode - a VGA is limited only 
 to the confines of the program in which one draws.
                                    
Q1.3  (What is "RIP?"):
~~~~                                 
 A RIP is a picture drawn using the Remote Imaging Protocol.  The Remote
 Imaging Protocol, henceforth known as RIP, is a method devised by 
 TeleGraphix Communications, Inc.(tm) to display EGA quality graphics 
 (640x350x16) over standard telephone lines.  RIP was devised as a way to 
 eliminate the inherent limits of ANSI, and eventually, to send full 
 colour, high resolution VGA as a terminal.  RIP, as mentioned above, is the 
 primary RIP1 standard, which is limited to EGA quality.  However, it has 
 been rumored that a new RIP standard is to be released, which will allow a 
 maximum image quality of 640x480x16M, through JPEG(tm) compression.

 In terms of the 'scene', a RIP is a picture drawn in using the remote 
 imaging protocol.  A RIP is different from a VGA in the fact that only very 
 general paint functions are available - the structure of various shapes 
 (circles, polygons, squares, etc.) along with shading (specific halftone 
 like gradients) and pixel by pixel drawing.  Due to these inherent 
 limitations, the drawing of a RIP requires previous planning, as since the 
 protocol was designed to be displayed across phone lines, it is not 
 instantly displayed as with a VGA. Individual shapes are plotted according 
 to vectors, and these are used to comprise a picture.

Q1.4  (Have any other art groups released a FAQ, like this one?):  
~~~~
 Nope.  It pleases us to be the first, and we hope that this FAQ helps to put 
 "the Dark in a whole new light..."


SECTION 2.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT DARK ILLUSTRATED.             

Q2.0: 
~~~~
 Dark Illustrated is a non-profit, special interest group which supports
 various computer-specific graphic mediums such as ANSI and VGA artwork, in 
 addition to multimedia feature presentations.  Primarily based in the 
 416/905 (Toronto, Ontario) region, the organization features an enthusiastic 
 team of talented young artists.  

 Officially founded in 1993 by Black Widow, Dark first began releasing 
 compilations of its recent artwork in February, 1994.  To this day, Dark 
 Illustrated continues to provide a non-profit form of exposure through 
 bulletin board systems (BBS's), and the Internet.  

Q2.1  (What does "Dark" mean, if anything?):
~~~~
 Originally used as an acronym, the word "DARK" was once coined for "Digital 
 Artists of the Rare Kind."  The use of the acronym within the group declined 
 over time, however, and eventually became obsolete.
 
Q2.2  (What is meant by a "Dark Collection?"):
~~~~
 Each month, a compilation of recent artwork from Dark Illustrated is 
 released to the cyberspace community in the form of "Dark Collections."
 This artwork often takes the form of ANSI, RIP, and/or VGA graphics, as well 
 as various multimedia feature presentations.  The filenames of these  
 Collections are archived in [month/year] format "DARK[month]/[year].ZIP".  
 (Ie. DARK0895.ZIP)


SECTION 3.  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND OTHER INFO.

Q3.0  (How can I join Dark?):
~~~~
 Although Dark Illustrated is a group of mostly non-professional artists, 
 anyone is always welcome to submit an application to join the group.  As 
 with any job, an application requires a resume, a portfolio, and an 
 interview.  A much more detailed explanation of this can be found in the
 following paragraphs.

 The resume is not a resume in the standard, printed on paper sense - in
 this case, an application is filled out using the Dark Illustrated
 Application Generator (DARKGEN.EXE, found in any Dark Collection.)  The
 application contains the most basic information about the individual,
 such as name, telephone number, past experience, etc.  In this sense, it
 is much like an everyday resume.  It is not required for one to use the
 Dark Illustrated Application Generator when applying to join Dark -
 however, some sort of resume file must be included with any application,
 so the Senior Staff may reach the applicant(s).  This must include:
 
 Real name, alias, telephone number(s) along with the best time to call,
 an Internet e-mail address (if applicable), past and present drawing and
 art experience (any medium, computer or otherwise), and in the case of
 people already familiar with BBS's (Bulletin Board Systems), a BBS where
 one can be reached.
 
 The official application generated by the Dark Application Generator is
 in a generally foreign file format - however, any 'home made' file
 should be written in straight ASCII, 80 columns wide.
 
 The other portions of the application, being the portfolio and
 interview, are relatively self-explanatory - the portfolio being a
 collection of the applicant's best artwork, and the interview being an
 interview, over the phone, with the prospective member.
 
 A note on the portfolio: any number of pieces of artwork may be
 submitted, but keep in mind your own standards and those of Dark
 Illustrated as a whole.

 The artwork in the portfolio must be of a standard file format.  In the
 case of ANSI artwork (please refer to Section 1.1 for a definition of
 an ANSI) this should be saved as follows:

 Clear screen, 65 character line limit.

 In the case of artwork drawn using various paint programs (collectively
 known as 'VGA's' - refer to Section 1.2 for a definition of a VGA), the
 picture can be any video mode and any number of colours - however, for
 optimal compatibility, pictures should be in the following formats:

 Any picture drawn with 256 colours or less, any resolution - GIF(tm)
 (Graphic Interchange Format, (c) Compuserve), PCX(tm) (PC Paint), or
 BMP(tm) (Windows Bitmap).

 Any picture drawn with more than 256 colours, any resolution (15, 16, 24
 bit and above colour depth) - TGA(tm) (TrueVision Targa), JPG(tm) (JPEG),
 PCX(tm) (PC Paint), or BMP (Windows Bitmap).  In the case of JPEG(tm)
 saved files, a compression value acceptable for the picture submitted
 should be used.  Please use your own discretion - but if unsure, please
 use a value of 1.)

 In the case of animated artwork (any resolution, any number of colours)
 the work should be in AVI(tm) (Windows Audio/Video), FLI(tm) (Flick), or
 MPG(tm) (MPEG - Motion Pictures Experts Group), or MOV(tm) (Quicktime)
 format.
 
 In the case of music, any format one may use to compose may be
 submitted.  This would include .MOD, .S3M, .HSC, etc.
 
 Any form of written work should be submitted in ASCII form, 80 columns
 wide.

 To apply to join Dark Illustrated, one must have the application (or
 resume, whatever the case may be) along with the portfolio.  These files
 should be archived using PKZIP(tm), or failing that, LHArc(tm).  Other
 archive formats may be used, but keep in mind that they will not
 necessarily be supported.  The first, and best choice is PKZIP.  The
 archived file can then be delivered to the Senior Staff through any one
 of the following methods:
 
 1)  Uploading it to the World Headquarter BBS, Shadowdale.  In the shuttle
     logon screen, choose the "apply to Dark" option.  Shadowdale can be 
     reached by setting your terminal program at 8N1, with an ANSI (or 
     compatible) terminal, and dialing the number 416-267-5467.  Once 
     connected, a simple menu is available to upload the application.  This 
     is the most favorable approach.

 2)  Contacting a Dark Illustrated member directly, and submitting the
     application to him/her.
 
 3)  Through the internet.  This can be done in 2 different ways:
  (a)  Internet E-Mail.  The application can be UUENCODEd, and submitted
       as a series of messages, which will be then UUDECODEd and viewed.
       Please refer to e-mail contact addresses at the end of this document.
  (b)  IRC.  Members of Dark Illustrated can usually be found using the
       Internet Relay Chat, particularly #dark.  Once found, one can /DCC 
       their application to the member, who will relay it to a Senior Staff 
       member.

 4)  As a last resort, the application can be submitted through any Dark
     Illustrated Headquarter BBS.  Please note, however, that individual Dark
     Illustrated Headquarter BBS's have their own private policy - please
     observe individual BBS rules and regulations.

 Once the application has been submitted, a response is usually affected
 within 5 business days.  If you have submitted an application, and
 haven't been contacted by then, please renew contact and politely describe 
 your situation.

Q3.1  (How can my BBS become an official Dark distribution site?
~~~~
 On the subject of distribution sites, Dark Illustrated chooses
 individual BBS sites carefully, and not arbitrarily.  An official Dark
 Illustrated distribution site is much like the 'authorized IBM(tm)
 dealer', a BBS that both distributes productions of Dark Illustrated,
 and supports the group in both public relations and product support.

 The System Operator may contact Dark Illustrated with a message of 
 application, and a representative will usually call the BBS to view it 
 first-hand.  The message of application, like the Dark Illustrated artist 
 application, should include the following:

 BBS name, telephone number, affiliations, message networks, online
 storage, number of nodes, BBS software used, and any other pertinent
 information.

 As with a normal Dark Illustrated artist application, the applicant will
 usually be contacted within 5 business days of the initial
 representative contact to discuss the site application.

 Dark Illustrated distribution sites are not limited to BBS's, however.
 We're always interested in Internet-specific support, such as FTP sites,
 and/or links on the WWW.  E-mail any Dark Senior Staff member (addresses are 
 at the end of this document) for more information.

 Other methods are used and are available as distribution sites - shareware 
 distribution houses, software trees, etc.  In the case of these less 
 modem-intensive distribution methods, please contact a Dark Illustrated 
 member directly.

Q3.2  (Who writes the Dark .NFO files?):
~~~~
 With the exception of our "Best of Dark '94" pack, DARK1994.ZIP (which was 
 written by Desalvo), our "July '95 Collection", DARK0795.ZIP (which was
 written by Carnifex), and our "August '95 Collection", DARK0895.ZIP (also 
 Carnifex), the .NFO files have been written by Black Widow.

Q3.3  (Where's the second disk of the Dark Collection: July 1995?): 
~~~~
 We wish you good luck in finding in it!  (due to a printing error, the
 FILE_ID.DIZ listed the DARK0795.ZIP file as being "Disk 1 of 2", when in
 reality, it was just a single file.)
                                               

SECTION 4.  LIST OF FILES, ARCHIVES, AND WHERE YOU CAN GET THEM.

Q4.0  (Listing of commonly requested files & archives): 
~~~~
 Filename:      Description:

 DARK0294.ZIP - The February '94 Dark Collection (premiere)
 DARK0494.ZIP - The April '94 Dark Collection
 DARK0694.ZIP - The June '94 Dark Collection
 DARK0894.ZIP - The August '94 Dark Collection
 DARK0994.ZIP - The September '94 Dark Collection
 DARK1294.ZIP - The December '94 Dark Collection
 DARK0295.ZIP - The February '95 Dark Collection
 DARK1994.ZIP - The Best of Dark 1994 Collection
 DARK0495.ZIP - The April '95 Dark Collection
 DARK0595.ZIP - The May '95 Dark Collection
 DARK0695.ZIP - The June '95 Dark Collection
 DARK0795.ZIP - The July '95 Dark Collection
 DARK0895.ZIP - The August '95 Dark Collection
 DARK-FAQ     - Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Illustrated

 These files can be obtained from the Official Dark Home-page (currently 
 under construction), or from any BBS designated as an official distribution 
 site for Dark Illustrated (consult with the latest Dark .NFO file for 
 further details).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

---
Carnifex, Senior Staff of Dark Illustrated.
fex@tlug.reptiles.org
" ... tricks of the shade ... "
