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Pic-Magic

When backing up to a Hard Disk, we suggest that you make a partition on the Hard Disk of anywhere from 10 (ten) MB to 40 (Forty) MB. Then each Pic-Magic disk should be copied into its own drawer in the Partition.

Technical Explanations:
There are two major classifications for Computer Graphics on the Amiga at this time.  Joe's First Company Inc. has decided to add a third group in our definition which is Over-Screen Sized bit maps.

In our definition, we shall also assume that these graphics are two color only.  Let's say Black and White.

Screen Sized (or under Screen Sized) Bit-Mapped Graphics
The Screen Sized Bit-Map graphic type in one which is most commony found on the Amiga. This Bit-Map is simply just a bounded page of dots.  On this page, the computer keeps track of the background color (zero) as well as the foreground color (one.  A combination of foreground dots and background dots can soon develop into a graphics pattern of lines (proportionate delta x and y increments between points), arcs (proportionate delta x and delta y increments along each section of the curve) and of course dots.  However, the size of the graphic's Bit-Map on this bounded page is limited by screen resolution.  A screen graphic on this bounded page has an absolute Maximum page size (on a normally configured Amiga using DPint III).  In High Resolution Over Scan Mode of 704 horizontal dots and 480 vertical dots. (704 * 480).  This type of graphic format generally has the best screen appearance and is therefore perfect for Desk Top Video Applications.  Yet for the Desk Top Publisher, this graphic can seem to be very limiting.  The odds are good that most bit maps of this type of graphic will be no larger than two thirds the size of the overscan Page.  But let's use the overscan page size as the size of a hypothetical graphic that a publisher will want to import into their publishing program.  Let's also say that they are using a Hewlett Packard Deskjet in 300 Dots Per Inch (DPI) mode.  If they want a perfect hard copy of the graphic the maximum size of the printout can be 2.35 inches across (704/300=2.35) and 1.6 inches high (480/300).  If one wants to print larger, the graphics soon take on the appearance of computer graphics with ugly jaggles.

Over Screen size Graphics
These graphics are in bit-map form as well but they are not bounded by the screen size. These graphics are generally very large and only a fraction of their total page can be on the screen at one time.  This is the form that the Pic-Magic graphics are in because there can be more details with this type of bit-map when printing.  To see the whole image, one has to either print it to paper or shrink it down to a screen sized image.  When one is editing this graphic, they can scroll around the graphic page (in DPaint II) using the cursor keys.  (Consult the DPaint III Manual).

Structured Open Capsulated Graphics
The third type of graphic is quite different than the other two. This type of graphic is not confined by its page size and it is very easily re-sized.  All lines, points and curves in this graphic are defined as mathematical equations between two points all relative to each other.  The delta-x and delta-y space between dots will almost always be small.  The grpahic is not sent as a picture to the printer but as a series of mathematical equations as well as commands.  It is compatible with the PostScript printer language only and so ones choice of printer is limited.  There are Amiga PostScript emulators available so that one can use PostScript with normal dot matris, Ink Jet or conventional laser printers but as far as I know, this graphic can only be used for Desk Top Publishing and so we have not chosen to use this format in spite of its pluses and minuses.  As well, the larger bit-map format which we have chosen does allow large printouts of our graphics and so this aspect did not necessitate the use of Structured graphics.  So, a Desk Top Video Lab can still use Pic-Magic graphics as well as a desk top publisher.

And, with the current edition of Professional Draw, one can load in the Pic-Magic bit-map and trace over it to generate PostScript compatible encapsulated graphics.

Required Equipment
All most all of the Pic-Magic graphic images can be loaded into DPaint III with an Amiga 1000 with 512K.  These can be printed however this syste configuration limits the use of Pic-Magic graphics.

To Import these graphics into a publisher, or into DPaint III, one should be on any model of Amiga computer and have at least one meg of memory.  In this environment, one will be able to re-size the graphics, and use the graphics in a page layout.  The more memory, the more space there is for the use of more graphics in more complex page layouts.

With only 512K, one can print the graphics to the size they want but a page layout will most probability have to be attempted as a manual paste-up of the printed picture on a page of text.

As well, one must have a program into which one can load the Pic-Magic Images. These images are in IFF format and so DPaint III, PageStream, Professional Page, and many other programs can import them.

Mathematics from On-Screen Images to printed Hard Copies:

To keep the aspect ration of the printed graphic the same as the original graphic when re-sizing, one must make some simple calculations.

For sake of easily explaining this section, we will work through it with a sample graphic loaded into DPaint III:

Firstly, take the Dot Per Inch measure of your printer:
ex. 300 DPI (HP Deskjet)

Then determine the PAGE SIZE of your graphic (in the Picture pull down menu in DPaint III):
ex. For Carrier.Deck (DISK 3) Horizontal dots: 1520, Vertical dots: 754 (1520 * 754)

Now, divide the Horizontal dot value by the DPI measure of the printer to determine the MAXIMUM PERFECT PRINT SIZE in inches.
ex. Horizontal: 1520/300=5.07 inches.

Now do the same for the vertical dot value:
ex. Vertical: 754/300=2.51 inches.

Now, one has the ability to work out three print calculations:


The first is the RATIO of the Horizontal to the Vertical measure of the graphic.  This is calculated by dividing the Horizontal by the vertical:
ex. 5.07/2.51-2.02 (inches Horizontal for every one vertical).

The second is the DPaint III print dimensions:
Once can then take the Ratio measure and use it to print the graphic to the size they want it printed while still keeping the proportional ratio of X dots to Y dots accurate.  To do so, one must first determine the size in which they want the size of the horizontal column or the size of the vertical to be.

Lets say you arbitrarily decide that you want the final image to be 7.5 images across.  You can now calculate the proportionate X & Y inch measures.

To do so, multiply the number you want by the DPI measure of your printer:
ex. 7.5 * 300 - 2250 dots (Horizontal).

Now, to calculate the Vertical dot measure, divide this number by the Ratio you calculated above.
ex. 2250/2.02 = 1114 dots (vertical)

Now, when you print from DPaint III, you can type in the newly calculated Proportional Re-Sized Dot Measures (In the Print Menu, you must select DOTS vs. %), and the graphic page will be printed to the horizontal dimension you required and the Height of the graphic (Vertical Dots) will be proportionate to the horizontal.

The third is to use the Proportionately Re-Sized Dot Measures to calculate this number in inches (for Publishing programs that cannot accept % by % measures):

All you have to do in now divide each of these numbers by the Dot Per Inch measure of your printer:
ex. 2250/300=7.5 inches
    1114/300=3.72 inches

On-Screen Re-Sizing:
Through an application such as DPaint III, one can convert the Over-Screen Sized Bit-Maps of Pic-Magic which are ideal for Desk Top Publishing into Under-Screen Sized Bit-Maps which are required for Desk-Top Video.

To do so, in DPaint III, select Screen Format in the Picture pull down menu.  Click on Screen Format in the Picture pull down menu.  Click On Screen Vs. Sampe Page.  Then click OK.  A requester will ask if you do want the image shrunk to the new page size.  Select YES and the smaller image will appear.  If it is warped to the screen dimensions and either looks fat or skinny, then make a brush of the graphic and select STRETCH from the SIZE section of the BRUSH pull-down menu. Now use hold down the left mouse button and move it around until the Image looks normal once again.  Or you can use the brush shrink down methods.

Image Profile

Special Filler Graphics:
There are some graphics, such as Sir Pig and Natural Beauty which require the user to fill in some of the gaps.  This allows these graphics to be very versatile. There are brushes for these graphics which will fill in the gaps. Sir Pig has a flag and shovel that he can add to his staff.  Natural Beauty has a set of NB. ***brushes which will fill the gaps in her hands.  You can make your own filler graphics as well so feel free to experiment.

Sight Lines and Motion:
All of the graphics in the package draw the eye sheerly because of how they look. But on another level, these graphics all try and get the eye to do something else. Once they draw the eye to a spot, they direct it along a sight line.  A graphic like the Racing Car graphic draws the eye to a place on the page and sends it in a sweep from beside it (left) to below it.  This is something that one has to keep in mind.  Look how each graphic grabs the eye and try to determine where the graphic is Moving towards. The Racing Car looks as though it will hit the sweep space in any moment and so when the eye follows the sight line, it will instantly hit the important information (that you have strategically placed there).  Once that important information generates interest, the eye would then glance on the build up or less important and retain it all.

Amendment to Pic-Magic Manual Edition ONE:
The following two image files have both been moved from Disk Eight to:
    UncleSam's Hat - Disk 9
    Wolf - Disk 10

This move was done to accomodate some larger than initially planned file sizes on Disk Eight.  We hope that this has not caused any sort of inconvenience to you.  Our suggestion to make this move more accommodating is for you to write on your physical manual on the Disk Eight Image Name List or on the Images printouts themselves so that you can quickly retrieve these two images with the same ease as you could retrieve the rest.

Users with Amigas with Low Memory (512K)
To conserve precious chip memory, make sure that you import these graphics as two color bit maps only.  If you cannot load a graphic into the High Resolution Screen format choose Low Resolution.  This will conserve some more memory as well to conserve more memory, close other programs that you might have running concurrently because they too will use up a portion of your valuable memory.

Why Can't I See the Entire Graphic on the Screen:
Becasue of the sheer size of the graphic, one has to scroll around the Bit Map page to get to the part of the page that they wish to view or edit.  (Most programs will use the cursor keys or the mouse... Refer to the manul of the drawing program that you use).

In a publishing program such as PageStream or Professional Page, manually edit the size of the graphic (ex. In PageStream, go to View Full Page mode and then go to Edit Coordinates and let the program know that you want a resized graphic.  Refer to the Manuals of the Software you use.)

What are the Sizes of the Bit Maps?
Included in the package is a separate list of Bit Maps sizes.  The lists are arranged much in the same way as the manual.  Each Disk has its list on its own page and the images are listed in tAlphabetical Order.  The first number in the bracket is the Horizontal Dot Measure and the second is the vertical.  (ex. 1520 * 430).  The final number ex. 45.3 k indicates the file size of the Image on disk.

***These Horizontal and Vertical values are essential for those who use a paint or other graphics intensive program that requires one to physically make a page large enough for an over screen sized Bit Map.  In other programs such as DPaint III, the importation of such a Large Bit Map is automatic and the graphics page that the program will access will be Auto-configured as well allowing the Pic-Magic Bit-Map to go fit right on the page without any overlap (Graphics page in memory).

*** Refer to the Manual of your Graphics program to determine if you can load the Larger than Screen Sized Bit Mpas automatically or if you have to create a large enough page in memory for it prior to loading.

Users with One Meg or More Take Note:
Commodore has released the Super Agnus chip which will allow you to access up to one Meg of Chip Memory for graphics (Prior to now you could only access 512K).