Test reports

2. Software test: graphic system 'SuperViewII' (by Sven Droege)

Requirements:

• Kickstart 2.04 (Kickstart 3.0+ for improved presentation recommended.)


• PowerPC processors are supported

• none

Size resp. components of the software:

• Support of various external devices like scanners/printers


• Support of any common output device (graphics board/AGA/ECS/Window)


• Many operators for manipulating of graphics


• Support of many file formats


• Intense support of the routines for displaying graphics of the operating system


• Support of Datatypes


• Writes graphics as C-source code


• Can be used as Commodity


• Integrated screen grabbing tool (up to 24bit)


• Graphic user interface (can be switched off)


• Very good locale support


• Some utilities (picture viewer)

First, the 9 archives should be unarchived into a directory. A very good script for the Commodore installer installs the complete SViewII package (or only parts of the package) on hard disk. The section "Installation" of the Amiga guide manual clearly describes, how the optiaml configuration can be found, where to find which library etc.

With SViewII the user gets a package, which allows to view, to convert and to edit graphic files of various formats.

SViewII (currently) supports these formats:

• IFF-ACBM


• IFF-ILBM


• IFF-DEEP


• IFF-FAXX


• IFF-PBM


• IFF-RGB8


• IFF-RGBN


• IFF-RGFX


• IFF-YUVN


• JPEG (JFIF v6)


• IMG (GEM Graphics)


• Windows,OS/2 BMP


• TIFF


• PCX


• EPS (Header/PS)


• MacPaint MAC


• PNM (PBM,PGM,PPM)


• PhotoCD


• WPG (WP Bitmaps)


• Atari Degas


• C64 (Koala, Doodle)


• Spectrum ZX


• TIM


• XWD


• FBM


• Mac PICT-2


• SGI


• Windows Icon


• CDR-Previews


• QRT/POV Raytrace


• SVG


• Targa


• Pictor/PCPaint


• SunRaster


• UtahRLE


• PNG


• CVP (passphoto)


• Amiga Icons (WB/Magic/New)

In addition SViewII makes use of these formats using third party programs:

• AMF


• DXF/AutoCAD (tm)


• FIG


• CGM


• IFF-DR2D


• IFF-DRSD

• Postscript (TM) Ghostscript


• WPG-Vector


• WMF

SViewII offers these modules for picture editing:

• Dither24Bit
  
• 24BitToHAM


• HilbertDither256


• ExtractRed


• ExtractGreen


• ExtractBlue


• XOR


• ExtractGrayScales


• TopToBottom


• LeftToRight


• Rotate


• Scale50


• AnyTo24Bit


• Crop


• CallPNM


• OptimizePalette


• RotateFree


• PaletteDither


• Blur


• Sharpen

Additional modules from other authors:

• SQBentley
  
• SQTiling


• SQThreshold


• SQOilPaint


• SQMosaic


• SQEmboss


• SQSlicing


• SQDiffuse


• SQContrast


• SQSharpen


• SQBlur


• SQDeep_Press

The first impression is not very good (at least with the test configuration; see above), because SViewII needs very long for the startup, because any present operator and module is loaded. There are start icons for the deired configuration (for AGA or CyberGraphX), but they don't speed up the start process very much.

After that the graphical user interface opens (if you want).

Using the interface you can control any operation:

• Using "Medium" the input/output device can be selected (that is HD, Clipboard or a mounted device).


• Using this medium you can load/save, view or edit files


• "Screenmode" allows to set the screen size for the viewing of the pictures, if a screen has been set for output.


• There are four index card objects, driver, operators and screens. Using these index cards you can control any function.

  For the contents of the index cards there are four gadgets, which can be used for changing the contents of the cards.

  Using "SVInfo" you get informations about the import filters. Using "?" it is possible to set the methods how the filter handles the file.

  Using "Add" new filters, drivers or operators can be added. Using "Remove" filters, drivers or operators can be removed.

But not the interface alone allows using SViewII. SViewII offers an ARexx interface, which allows to control many actions (like e.g. converting of whole file lists) automatically.

Or you can control SViewII using the CLI.

So a general controlability is guaranteed, so anyone can access the possibilities, SViewII offers.

From time to time additional operators and drivers will be added. So there is a driver available, which allows to import GL based data (OpenGL data to AmigaMesaRTL).

• extensive manual as AmigaGuide file


• very good help system


• many, many import- and export filters


• many operators for picture editing


• Modularity/expandability

• Sometimes hesitant in speed


• Interface limited to the functions

Who already knows the various Datatypes of Andreas Kleinert, knows that the author has a knowledge of graphics on the Amiga. SViewII unifies any possibilities of the Datatypes of A. Kleinert and offers in addition very much options of modification. The flexible handling of SViewII either using the graphical user interface or the CLI is quite welcome.

SViewII can be downloaded directly from the author:

Sven Droege <sven.droege@UniBw-Hamburg.DE>«