@DATABASE PictureManager.guide @NODE MAIN "PictureManager Professional" @NEXT "intro.hlp" @{FG shine} @{FG text} PICTURE MANAGER PROFESSIONAL V4.1@{FG shine} @{FG text} @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} The ultimate graphics administration tool ----------------------------------------- © 1994-97 by Juergen Schaefer - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DISTRIBUTION: Blittersoft 6 Drakes Mews Crownhill Industry Milton Keynes, MK8 OER Voice: +44-(0)1908-261466 United Kingdom Fax: +44-(0)1908-261488 ------------------------------- No guarantee of any kind is given that the programs described in this document are 100% reliable. You are using this material at your own risk. The distributor/author *can not* be made responsible for any damage which is caused by using these programs. PLEASE READ THE LICENCE AGREEMENT BEFORE USING THE SOFTWARE ! ------------------------------- @{U} @{UU} @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} @{" LICENCE AGREEMENT, Copyrights and trademarks " LINK licen.hlp} @{" Introduction - Installation - Getting Started " LINK intro.hlp} @{" The >> Program << Menu " LINK 001} @{" The >> Catalog << Menu " LINK 002} @{" The >> Entries << Menu " LINK 003} @{" The >> Extras << Menu " LINK 004} @{" The >> Arexx << Menu " LINK arx.hlp} @{" Paging " LINK bla.hlp} @{" The PopUp- Menus " LINK pop.hlp} @{" Image Processing " LINK bil.hlp} @{" Displaydrivers " LINK drv.hlp} @{" Graphics file formats " LINK gfx.hlp} @{" Keyboard controlling " LINK tas.hlp} @{" Important Notes and Hints " LINK tip.hlp} @{" Notes on Graphic Cards " LINK gra.hlp} @{" The Kodak ® PhotoCD " LINK pcd.hlp} @{" The Tools Directory " LINK tool.hlp} @{" Vector Graphics Support of PMPro " LINK vec.hlp} @{" LHA- / LZX Archives and PMPro " LINK arc.hlp} @{" Problems with specific applications " LINK prb.hlp} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "licen.hlp" @TITLE "Important stuff" @PREV Main @NEXT "intro.hlp" Licence, copyrights and trademarks @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ------------------------- Software and documentation is © 1994-97 by Juergen Schaefer All rights reserved. This manual and the software are copyrighted. They may not be reproduced in any form (wether partically or in whole) by any means of procedure, sent, multiplied and/or spread or be translated into another language. The author and distributor assumes no responsibility for damage, caused by or resulting from using the software, faulty copies or error in manual are to be led back. Opal.svdriver and the _SQ-operators © 1995 by Steve Quartly SuperView-Library ©1993-97 by Andreas Kleinert Merlin.svdriver ©1995 by Thomas Eigentler Viewtek ©1992-94 by Thomas Krehbiel reqtools.library ©1991-94 Nico Francois LHA ©1991-92 Stefan Boberg Installer © by Amiga International Amiga is a registered trademark of its owner Amiga, AmigaDOS, Kickstart and Workbench are trademarks This Software/document may contain other brand and product names which are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. LICENCE AGREEMENT ----------------- - Object of this contract is the use of the computer program PMPro including the manual as well as other material subsequently included with the software package. - The buyer does receive a non-transferable, non-exclusive right, to use the acquired product on a SINGLE computer - The user may produce only one copy for security only - The buyer is not allowed, to expel the acquired product, to rent, to offer sub-licences or in any other ways to put it at the disposal of other persons. - It is not allowed to change parts of the product, to modify or to re-assemble it. - The author / distributor does not guarantee that the product is suitable for the task anticipated by the customer. The author / distributor does not take any responsibility for any damage that may be caused. - Defects of the data carrier of the delivered product are removed by the suplier within a warranty period of six month from delivery. - The user is aware that under the present state of technoöogy it is not possible to manufacture faultless software. - Any violation of this licence agreement will be prosecuted under civil law. - The use of the software constitutes an agreement with these licence conditions. - If you should not agree with this licence agreement you have to return the product to the supplier immediately. @ENDNODE @NODE "intro.hlp" @TITLE "Introduction" @PREV "licen.hlp" @NEXT "001" Introduction - Installation - Quickstart @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} NOTE: Introduction ------------ Are you sometimes unable to find the correct graphics for a specific problem ? Do you sometimes lose the details of how your graphics are named and saved ? Wouldn't it be convenient to administrate, display, print, scan, process, convert and export these graphics with only one single application ? Do you often wish to you could convert your graphics archives from one format into the other automatically ? With the PictureManager professional you have a program which makes graphics administration as easy as possible. Additionally it offers powerful functions for graphics conversion, image processing. Fields of PMPro usage --------------------- PMPro is a visual database for bitmapped graphics of different kinds as well as IFF animation's. More than ever, in the age of CD-ROM and other large storage media, the user is confronted with large numbers of graphics. Also many programs supply large picture and clipart libraries which can be used for own purposes. To find the right graphic is most often nearly impossible, since the naming of the graphics usually does not tell a great deal about it! With PMPro you can comfortably manage your graphics, which are displayed as miniature pictures (thumbnails) on the screen. Using simple mouseclicks, you can display, print and even export these to programs like DPaint IV, PPaint and AdPro. An integrated image processing module and the possibility to convert graphics into other formats completes the package and makes PMPro a universal and irreplaceable graphics tool. PMPro offers many time saving features that are unique in one single package. Important Information --------------------- A great deal of care was taken during the creation of this manual and software. Nevertheless programming faults never can completely be excluded. Because of this, we cannot guarantee a 100% error-free working of the program on your computer system. The reasons for this are mainly the many different hardware configurations, which may not all be covered by testing efforts. Often the problem is not actually caused by Picture Manager but by errors of third party software or hardware. System Requirements ------------------- For working with the Picture Manager professional your Amiga needs to fulfil the following requirements: * OS 2.1 or greater * at least 3 MB FAST RAM * Hard disk Recommended : At least 4-8 MB FAST RAM and an 68020 (or faster). If your Amiga conforms to this requirements you may directly install the program. Installation ------------ Installation of the PMPro is quite easy and performed automatically when started by a double click onto the Install_HD icon on the program diskette. Just boot your Amiga as usual, then insert the disk and start the script. A requester appears, and the drive or drawer for installation of PMPro has to be selected. A directory "PicManager" will be created within the selceted destination, in which the program will reside. After completion of the installation you will have to reboot the machine to be able to work with PMPro. If you get an error during installation (can not compile script) please copy the "installer" from Disk 1 to your C:-Directory on your harddisk! Getting Started --------------- Now, double click on the program icon of PMPro within the drawer "PicManager" and select a screenmode within the requester that will appear. You should now take the time to correctly configure the program. Via "PROGRAM/DISPLAY/SETTINGS" you should specify the display driver you wish to use (if you have any troubles with this please see the corresponding chapter). To set up any connected CD-ROMs drive you have to use "PROGRAM/SETTINGS/PHOTO CD". Also other important configurations can be done in the PROGRAM/Settings-menu with its submenus and in the PROGRAM-PMPRO ENVIROMENT menu. These are the most important settings to enable you to quickly get started. Configuration of popup menus, ARexx pulldowns or quick menus may be performed later after you get some experience using the PMPro. Now to get into the more interesting part! The program already includes two sample catalogues with some graphics and clipart from the public domain, so that you may immediately test some of the functions of the program. Select "Load Catalogue" to load one of the two demo catalogues. You may now simply perform a "learning by doing" process and test some of the functions. For example, activate the picture specific context (display graphics, image processing, etc.) by clicking once on a thumbnail on the screen. To begin with cataloguing of the example graphics, you should follow these steps: * Create a new catalogue via "Catalog/New" * Scan the complete drawer for graphics via "Expand/Whole Directory" * Should graphics be found, a window will list all of them * Select "expand". A status window will inform you of the current progress of cataloguing. * After a short time you will see the graphics in the form of miniaturised thumbnails on the screen You may now examine the Tools directory of PMPro, where you can find various useful programs for image processing, conversion and so on. Although being mostly easy and self-explanatory you should carefully read the rest of this manual to be able to use all of the functions and configuration features fully! And now: Enjoy using Picture Manager Professional! Working With Catalogues ----------------------- A catalogue is the central element within PMPro. It represents an individual user collection of thumbnails of different graphics and animation's. The number of catalogues is not limited, but a single catalogue is only designed to hold a number of up to 999 graphics. This is perhaps just a theoretical limit, since you may create an unlimited number of catalogues, anyway. Note: PMPro is an excellent tool for sorting and administrating your large archives of graphics and clipart, but it is only as efficient as you allow it to be for hierarchical orders. So you should make your catalogues context related and not too large - to prevent you from turning an undocumented picture chaos into a visually supported picture chaos! Product Overview ---------------- PMPro includes a number of possibilities for visually administrating, processing, scanning, printing and converting graphics. Following is a list of the most important features: * Recursively scans directories, Hard Drives, Bernoulli Drives, CD-ROMs, etc. for bitmap graphics and IFF animation's. * Recognises 40 graphics file formats (IFF, GIF, JPEG, TIFF, MAC-Pict, BMP, PCX, TARGA, PCD, IFF-DEEP, SGI, YUVN, PNG, PostScript, EPS, CDR and more) as well as IFF animation's (OPT5, OPT7 and Opt8). The VectorGraphics support requires Ghostcript V3.5 or higher. * Saves over 15 graphic file formats. Automatic conversion of graphics in any other file format with intelligent colour reduction is possible. * Kodak Photo CDs support * Displays up to 120 thumbnails per screen page, depending on selected screenmode and thumbnailsize * Additional Tools for image processing, conversion, PhotoCD access etc. are now included * Displaying of the thumbnails is possible in three sizes, in greyscales or in colours (Colour mode needs AGA-Chipset or an appropriate graphic card). * Supports resolutions up to 1280x1024 pixel with graphic cards. * Highest thumbnail-quality by dithering, high qualitiy scaling, contrast and brightness correction * Automatic duplication and reorganisation of image collections. * Powerful catalogue printing functions with direct support of TurboPrint professional * Scanner support via the ScanQuix 3 device * Direct LHA-LZX support. The PMPro recognizes all pictures which are stored in LHA-LZX archives. Also all functions like convert, process, print, view etc. are directly usable with such LHA-LZX archive-files * Pictures can be automatically stored in LHA-LZX archives * Display-Drivers for AGA, ECS, Retina, Picasso II, EGS, OPAL, Merlin, Picasso96 and CyberGraphX. * Displaying of all graphics also possible in a window on PMPro's main screen. * The use of external image viewers is possible, individually configurable for any graphic file format * Freely selectable screen mode via requester * Playing of IFF animation's (Opt5, Opt7 and Opt8). In low memory situations also directly from hard disk * Images can be exported directly to another programs like DPaint, PPaint, ADPro, ImageFX via one Mouseclick (freely configurable). * Possibility to print any graphic with direct support of TurboPrint. * Integrated 24 Bit image processing functionality, containing over 40 powerful functions and filters * Various searching and sorting functions * System-conforming GUI and requesters, in some areas, menus and screenlayout are freely configurable * Freely configurable toolbars (quickmenus) * Online Help and Guide File and much, much more... Service ------- Users of PMPro should contact Blittersoft for product news, as PMPro is under continuous development. @ENDNODE @NODE "001" @TITLE "The >> Program << Menu" @PREV "intro.hlp" @NEXT "002" The >> Program << Menu @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Programm/ @{" Settings " LINK 00.hlp} @{" Display " LINK 01.hlp} @{" Colorpalette " LINK 02.hlp} @{" Screenmode " LINK 03.hlp} @{" About " LINK 04.hlp} @{" Library " LINK 05.hlp} @{" PMPro Enviroment " LINK 06.hlp} @{" Quit " LINK 07.hlp} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "00.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Settings" @PREV "002" @NEXT "01.hlp" PROGRAM/SETTINGS @{" / " LINK 001} ================ Note: ===== The following functions allow changes within various program settings. These will be initialised each time the program starts by via reloading the configuration file. Should any settings be changed, the current configuration has to be saved via the SAVE function, so that the changed settings will be used when starting the application next time. The screen colours, however, can be directly changed in the menu SCREENCOLORS and saved within the configuration file. Display: ------- Opens a window and displays the current settings for the selected data path, DPaintIV, PPaint, active greyscale- palette, screen colours, etc. Data path: ----------- This function defines the directory from which PMPro loads, saves or creates new catalogues. A path requester appears which allows the user to set this data path. By default PIC_MANAGER:CATALOGS/ will be used. This function, though, is mainly for users of Bernoulli drives to allow saving of the often quite large catalogues onto such a medium. The internal hard disk which is usually faster will not be affected by this data and the remaining space may be used for more important data. NOTE: The Catalog/Load-function is able to handle multiple DataPath`s in an easy way. So please also read the chapter: "Catalog - Load" Screen Colours: -------------- A palette requester appears which allows the user to change the 4 screen colours to suit individual preferences. This is possible via sliders which allow changing of the R-G-B-parts of any given colour. The buttons have the following functions: - Save: Saves the current screen colours within the configuration file and closes palette requester. - Default: Resets screen colours to default values (grey, white, blue). - Use: Uses current screen colours and closes palette requester. - Cancel: Closes palette requester and restores screen colours which were active before calling this function. Greyscale palette: ------------------ A palette requester appears which allows the user to change and save the greyscale palettes (see function COLORIZE) to suit individual preferences. Colour numbers 0 to 3 (screen colour) are reserved and can only be changed via the function SCREENCOLORS. Sliders allow changing of the R-G-B-part of any colour (except the screen colours). The buttons have the following functions: - load palette : Loads selected greyscale palette (--> Cycle Gadget). - Save palette : Saves the current greyscale palette with the indicated name (--> Cycle- Gadget). - Range : Smoothes from the current colour to a destination colour (as selected after activation of RANGE). - Copy : Copies the current colour to a selectable destination colour. - Swap : Swaps the current colour with a selectable destination colour. DPaint IV / Personal Paint: --------------------------- A file requester appears which allows the user to select the executable program DPaintIV / Personal Paint. This is important to inform PMPro where these programs can be found. When working with wrong settings, these functions can't be accessed from the POP-UP menu. The given default settings DPAINTIV:DPAINT / PPAINT:PPAINT will not have to be changed with correctly installed DPaintIV and Personal Paint. Load: ----- Loads the settings from the saved configuration file. Save: ----- Saves the current settings to the configuration file. Default: -------- Resets the current configuration to default values: - Data path : PIC_MANAGER:Catalogs - DPaintIV : DPAINTIV:DPAINT - PPaint : PPAINT:PPAINT - Greyscales : Grey 1 - Screen colours : grey, black, white, blue - Dither Thumbnails: active - Printer Check : active - Photo-CD : Drive cd0:, Size: 384x256 Pixel Printer Check: -------------- With this function you may turn off the checking of the printer's parallel port before printing. This may sometimes be necessary with network printers or serial interface cards. If your printer is connected with the parallel port of your Amiga, you should always leave the Printer Check active. Generate Catalog: ----------------- Besides the extremely improved thumbnail quality through interpolation, multi-step contrast and sharpness adjustment, PMPro also offers the unique support of LHA/LZX archives, which can be found on various CD-ROM series (like e.g. Aminet). The Packer LZX V1.21 has not been included because of legal reasons, but you can find it on many CD-ROM series and on Aminet. Just copy it to your C: directory. The LHA packer has been included with PMPro, so that there are no more installation steps to perform. Please also read the chapter about LHA-LZX support. Now let's continue with the functions of this menu: - Scale quality: Besides fast, but somewhat worse quality, you may now select precise and best scaling for the thumbnail generation. It offers two stages, for 24 Bit graphics or for all colourdepths of the graphics. But please note that with the setting for 1..24Bit graphics (even those with only 2 colours) will at first be transformed to 24 Bit, which of course does require more memory. - Dithering: Thumbnail quality in most cases can be increased by activating Floyd-Steinberg dithering. With Clipart-Graphics (with only 2 or 4 colours) dithering should be turned off. - Sharpening and contrast improvement: This may also be activated for thumbnail generation. Increasing it slightly, in small amounts often gives the best results. In combination with high quality scaling and Floyd dithering you will get excellent thumbnail quality. Comparisons show, that even thumbnails in 24 Bit colourdepth will not give more improvements, so such an option will not be missed (remembering that such thumbnails would require a lot more of hard disk space). - Autoborder: On CD-ROMs there are often graphics which have a single-coloured border (most often black) around them. When scaling these graphics to smaller sizes, a large area of the thumbnail will become black, which caused the actual graphics to become nearly invisible. When activating the Autoborder function, the ugly single-coloured area will automatically be removed, so that the original graphics will be visible. - Checking LHA-LZX Archive: with this option being activated, PMPro will automatically examine archives of type LHA or LZX when scanning directories and will catalogue the graphics archived in these. Of course you may as well just select a single LHA archive to be examined. More information can be found in the chapter about LHA and LZX archives. Please note, that this function must explicitly be activated to make PMPro scan archives automatically! - Close main screen: When memory is available in large amounts, the main screen of PMPro may now be kept open when expanding the catalogue. While cataloguing, the current thumbnail will now be immediately displayed on screen and you may visually follow catalogue creation. Photo-CD: --------- Before cataloguing Photo-CDs you have to specify the correct drive within the corresponding input field. This function allows the configuration of cataloguing and displaying of graphics of a Photo-CD. The following settings have to be made: * CD-ROM Drive: Enter the name of the CD-ROM drive (e.g. "cd0:", "cd1:" ...) * Size : This function allows to determine the size of the graphics when being displayed on the screen. Sizes possible are: 192x128, 384x256 and 768x512 Pixel * OK : Uses the changed settings. For a permanent change within the configuration file use the function SETTINGS/SAVE. * Cancel : Leaves the menu without keeping any of the changed settings. External programs (User-PopUp): ------------------------------- This function allows the configuration of the second popup-menu (called via user-popup within the popup-menu or via pressing the left mouse button over a thumbnail) to suit your own needs. You may assign any function to each of the eight buttons. The user-popup is already pre-configured for the use of AdPro, ImageFX and DPaintV. WinView will also allow the user to display the selected graphics within a window on the PMPro screen. The directory Rexx1 of the PicManager-drawer contains many example scripts, which are easily (without programming knowledge) adjustable for your programs. The following sample script should explain how you can create your own ARexx scripts: /* ** EXPORTS A PICTURE FROM PMPro into ADPro ** (c) 1995 J. Schaefer ** NOTE: If you write your own ARexx-script to export pictures ** from PMPro to any program, change the file- ** and path-name of the picture to PicManFile ** (See below, CASE SENSITIVE) */ ADDRESS "ADPro" ADPRO_TO_FRONT LOADER "UNIVERSAL" PicManFile EXIT 0 Within this example a graphic will be exported to ADPro and the ADPro screen will be put to the front. It is important to mention that ADPro has to be started before trying to export a graphic to it. Now the description of the script: The first statement (ADDRESS "ADPro") is for supplying the ARexx port the name of the selected program. Please adjust this one. The second command puts the ADPro screen to the front. This function would also have to be replaced by the appropriate counterpart of the program the script is being written for. The next statement is perhaps the most important one. Here the specified graphic will be loaded into ADPro. Replace the graphic's name within the load command with "PicManFile" (it is necessary to remember case-sensitivity). PictureManager professional will replace this dummy name by the name of the selected graphic later (included in double quotes) and afterwards execute the ARexx Script. This allows selection of any external program from outside of PMPro and exporting graphics to it. Should the program only be started from CLI and not include ARexx capability, this will also be possible. In such a case you have to replace ADDRESS "ADPro" by ADDRESS "COMMAND". The next line will then have to contain a CLI-command (see script WinView.rexx in the Rexx1-drawer as an example). It is also possible to automatically process the graphic after it is exported to other programs. See Script "ADPro_DeepPress.rexx" within the Rexx1-directory. VECTOR FORMATS: --------------- In this menu you may set may set all necessary preferences for the vector file formats like PS, EPS, CGM etc.. Postscript Options ------------------ - Ghostscript: select the program Ghostscript here - Colourdepth: select, which colourdepth should be used for importing Postscript files. 8-Bit will usually suffice. - Resolution: Which resolution (dpi - Dots per Inch) should be used for importing. The default value of 73 dpi usually complies to the screen resolution and should not be increased too much. - Activate: Should this module be activated (see note) ? Amifig / GPlot / EPS --------------------- - Select GPlot: select the program GPlot. - Activate: Should the GPlot module be activated (see note) ? - Select fig2dev: select the program fig2dev (which comes with Amifig) - Activate: Should the Amifig module be activated (see note) ? - load EPS: This function determines whether loading an EPS graphics imports the preview header or an interpretation by Ghostscript. - save EPS: Determines the resolution which is being used for saving EPS graphics. Saving EPS graphics does not require Postscript and thus is always available, even if Ghostscript has not been installed. PLEASE READ ALSO THE CHAPTER "Vector Graphics Support of PMPro" @ENDNODE @NODE "01.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Display" @PREV "00.hlp" @NEXT "02.hlp" PROGRAM/DISPLAY @{" / " LINK 001} =============== You can determine which display driver should be used for showing graphics with the following functions. PMPro supplies display drivers for most of the available graphic cards (ECS, AGA, Merlin, Picasso II, Retina, EGS and CybergraphX). But please note that the display drivers are selectable for only those which corresponding with the hardware that is present in the system. Should your graphic card include special display utilities, e.g. for GIF, JPEG or IFF, you may use these via the function "external viewers". Configuration: -------------- You may select the preferred display driver and configure it via this menu . The following settings can be made : * select display driver Here you select the display driver module that you want to use. Further information on the modules are described within chapter "display drivers". * configure display driver Some drivers allow specific settings which are made here. They are described in the chapter "display drivers". * 24BIT display Here you can specify which colour depth should be used for displaying 24BIT graphics (24BIT, Greyscales, HAM, 256 Colours etc.). Should you own a graphic card module 24BIT should be kept. When using AGA- older ECS drivers you can specify the preferred colour depth for displaying 24BIT graphics. But it has to be mentioned that displaying in 256/16 Colours takes some amount of CPU time as a high quality colour reduction will be applied. So don't use this function when you just want to take a quick look at your graphic or want to do a kind of dia-show (HAM or greyscales would be better here). Note: This function only concerns the function Display (Pop-Up-Menu) and Dia-Show but not the function Display within image processing menu. * 8BIT display Just like with 24BIT displays you may specify here which colour depth should be used for graphics with 256 colours. This function, though, is mainly for Amiga's which neither include a graphic card nor the AGA chipset (ECS-driver) to allow displaying of 256 colour graphics. Should your machine contain the AGA chipset or a graphic card you should always select Keep to prevent unnecessary loss in image quality. Your settings will be stored via the Save function and will also be present after starting the program next time. These settings will also be used by the program MultiConvert and may also be saved and or modified from there. Information: ------------ An information requester will be opened with current settings about the selected display driver. Please note that AGA and ECS drivers will also show up 24BITOPERATOR=ExtractGrayScales. This does not concern displaying graphics (PopUp-Menu and Dia-show) but instead only applies to the image processing menu. 24BIT graphics (if no graphics card driver is selected) will always be displayed there in greyscales. See also chapter "image processing". NOTE: The select menu for display drivers only indicates such ===== drivers for which the necessary hardware has been installed. For example, a Picasso-Driver will not appear if no Picasso has been installed in the system. External Viewers: ----------------- This function allows binding of viewers which take over displaying of graphics (not with Slide-show). So you have a simple method of displaying graphics in 24BIT on your graphic card. This is useful as viewer programs which have been especially designed for graphic cards often work faster and more effectively than PMPro's display modules. To use external viewers with PMPro you must copy them (e.g. Showiff, Showgif and Showjpeg for Picasso II) to the directory "Viewers" in the PMPro path. In addition, care has to be taken so that the display program is able to be CLI-started with the graphic's name as a command line parameter. Now start PMPro and select the function "Display/external viewers". You may now select a specific external viewer for any of the supported graphic file formats. Please take the following steps: 1.) Select the file format (IFF, GIF, etc.) to which the new settings should be applied within the ListView "Graphicformat". 2.) Within the ListView "Viewers" select the preferred external viewer (or INTERNAL for the internal viewer) for this graphic file format. 3.) When selecting an external viewer the string gadget "command line" shows up the name of the display program with the addition "FILE$". "FILE$" is a variable which will be replaced with the graphic's name when calling the viewer. After FILE$ there may follow additional CLI-options for the specific viewers. You have to confirm your selections with RETURN! 4.) This has to repeated for the other graphic file formats. The separate functions: - Save: Saves the current setting. These will be available with every new run. - Load: Loads the settings from the configuration file. - Use: Uses the changed settings without saving these to the configuration file(s). After leaving the program, these will be lost. - List: Shows the current settings of the viewers within a window. - Cancel: Quits the menu without keeping any of the changed settings. @ENDNODE @NODE "02.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Colorpalette" @PREV "01.hlp" @NEXT "03.hlp" PROGRAM/COLORPALETTE @{" / " LINK 001} ==================== With colourised catalogues the user is able to change a palette according to his prefernces and save it. This is possible via EXTRAS/TOOLS/COLORFILTER. Switching between the standard palette and the USER-palette is possible via COLORPALETTE. @ENDNODE @NODE "03.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Screenmode" @PREV "02.hlp" @NEXT "04.hlp" PROGRAM/SCREENMODE @{" / " LINK 001} ================== - Select ------ A screenmode requester appears which allows the user to change the selected screenmode (e.g. from DBLPAL to NTSC). This function will always put the first catalogue page to the front since the number of thumbnails per page may be subject to change!!! Should the Autostart function be active the newly selected screenmode will be kept for the next program run. The following modes are recommended (please also take a look into chapter notes/hints): - PAL:HighRes Interlaced / DBLPAL:HighRes no-flicker - NTSC:HighRes Interlaced / DBLNTSC:HighRes no-flicker - EURO72:Productivity - MULTISCAN:Productivity - any screen modes of graphic cards (Picasso, Retina etc.) - Autostart --------- Should this function have been activated (by check mark) the current screenmode will be saved in AUTOSTART.PREFS in the program's path. With the next program run a screenmode requester will no longer appear and the program will start automatically within the mode which has been saved within AUTOSTART.PREFS. When deactivating Autostart the screenmode requester will again appear to allow the user to freely select a screenmode. NOTES: With a corrupt AUTOSTART.PREFS the program ------ may not, under certain circumstances, be started when the corresponding screen cannot not be opened. An error message would appear: ERROR 55: screen can't be opened! ERRORCODE: xxx (or similar) In such a case delete the file AUTOSTART.PREFS from the PMPro's program directory. After that the screenmode requester will appear again to select a valid mode. @ENDNODE @NODE "04.hlp" @TITLE "Program/About" @PREV "03.hlp" @NEXT "05.hlp" PROGRAM/ABOUT @{" / " LINK 001} A window appears in which the following information is displayed: - program version - free chunk of CHIP memory - free chunk of FAST memory - free space on the data partition of your hard-disk - installed processor - operating system version - chipset (AGA, ECS or Original) - current screenmode (PAL:HIRES, PICASSO:800x600 etc.) - Copyright information ============= @ENDNODE @NODE "05.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Library" @PREV "04.hlp" @NEXT "06.hlp" PROGRAM/LIBRARY @{" / " LINK 001} =============== This function shows information about the available Objects, Operators and Displaydrivers. Library-Info: ------------- This function shows up all available display drivers, image processing modules, and graphic file formats. Information about the graphic card modules is limited to those which are present within the system (i.e. without an EGS-System the related EGS driver will not appear).. @ENDNODE @NODE "06.hlp" @TITLE "Program/ReqTools-Requester" @PREV "05.hlp" @NEXT "07.hlp" PROGRAM/PMPro Enviroment @{" / " LINK 001} ======================== This menu offers a lot functions concerning usage and user friendliness. - The number of catalogue entries can be freely set from 1000 to 9999 entries each catalog. You have to take care that on low memory systems the maximum catalogue is not set too high. For this reason you should avoid making catalogues too large. - Handling of Mouse buttons (long and short click) now can be freely set. Instead of popup-menus the mouse buttons may receive new meanings like mark, show, etc. - You may select between file requesters based on Standard ASL Requester or ReqTools-Library - The graphics user interface can now be switched from fixed style to a window-oriented surface. This window-oriented surface offers the following features, which become most useful with higher resolutions (on graphic cards): 1. The thumbnail window becomes freely sizeable and moveable, so that the PMPro can be adjusted to your graphics card resolution easily. 2. The new command control window now contains functions for marking of pages as well as quickly changing mouse button actions. Also, a page may quickly be accessed, by simply typing the page number in the appropriate number gadget. 3. The information window (function: PopUp/Information), which displays graphics information has been slightly changed for the window-oriented surface and now can be kept open at all times (asynchronously), while the data of the currently selected thumbnail will be immediately displayed there. 4. Any opened quick menu windows no longer hide thumbnails below them, since your window can be freely positioned on the screen. There is no rule as to which surface design is better. It is mostly a matter of personal preference. Some users prefer window-oriented displays, which nevertheless may become confusing, depending on the number of opened windows. Others prefer a structured/ordered view. We decided to offer both, to allow you to select your favorite view! When leaving this menu, all settings will be saved automatically, so that these will be available with the next program start. @ENDNODE @NODE "07.hlp" @TITLE "Program/Quit" @PREV "06.hlp" @NEXT "001" PROGRAM/QUIT @{" / " LINK 001} ============= Leaves PMPro. Should the RAMDISK be active when leaving, the catalogue will be erased from it and any changes will be lost. So with an activated RAMDISK, select RAMDISK --> CATALOG before exiting. If any changes were made the RAMDISK catalogue will be saved. @ENDNODE @NODE "002" @TITLE "The >> Catalog << Menu" @PREV "001" @NEXT "003" The >> Catalog << Menu @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Catalog/ @{" Load " LINK 10.hlp} @{" Expand " LINK 11.hlp} @{" New " LINK 12.hlp} @{" Delete " LINK 13.hlp} @{" Rename " LINK 14.hlp} @{" Copy " LINK 15.hlp} @{" Validate " LINK 16.hlp} @{" Optimize " LINK 17.hlp} @{" Update " LINK 18.hlp} @{" Print " LINK 19.hlp} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "10.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Load" @PREV "002" @NEXT "11.hlp" CATALOG/LOAD @{" / " LINK 002} After selecting this function a file requester appears which shows all catalogues present in the data path. You are also able to handle multiple Data-Paths´s in an easey way via the Cange-Folder function. - Load : Loads the selected catalogue (alternatively a catalogue may be loaded by double clicking on its name). - Print : Uses your printer for generating a list of all available catalogues. - Append : Concatenates the selected catalogue to the active one. - Cancel : Leaves the requester without doing any further actions. - Change Folder: Since many users of PMPro have spread their catalogues over various directories, partitions, exchange media, etc. the handling of catalogues might have been too complicated in the past: the data path always had to be changed in the past. The load requester for loading catalogues now has some useful additional functions. The new folder-change function offers a sub-menu, which displays all definded / available data paths. There you may add new drawers (data paths), as well as delete present ones. So there is the possibility to sort catalogues by theme into different disk areas, partitions etc. without having to change the preset data path each time. One mouse click will suffice, and any catalogues of the corresponding data path will be presented to you. Notes: ------ * Should a AGA chipset (or adequate graphic card) not be present the colourised catalogues cannot be loaded. They will not be displayed in the file requester. * For using colourised catalogues on graphic cards you have to select a screenmode from the graphic card when starting the program. Usually OS3.0 or greater will be required for this (see chapter graphic cards). * Appending will only be possible, if 1.) Before LOADING, a catalogue has been active 2.) Both catalogues are of the same type 3.) Both catalogues contain at least one entry * Active RAMDISK only allows APPEND @ENDNODE @NODE "11.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Expand" @PREV "10.hlp" @NEXT "12.hlp" CATALOG/EXPAND @{" / " LINK 002} ============== This function expands the active catalogue by one/several graphics. Please read also the chapter "Settings - Generate Catalog". Note: When cataloguing several graphics from the LOGFILE the procedure can be aborted via the CANCEL-button. Cataloguing the remaining graphics may then be continued later by the function READ LOGFILE. During the cataloguing of graphics a window displays information about them (size, number of colours, etc.) The different functions: ======================== selected files: --------------- The file to be catalogued is selected with the file requester. If it is not a graphic file, the program returns to the main screen and reports a corresponding error message. When expanding a catalogue with single files, multi-selection of files is also possible by pressing the SHIFT-key. Should multiple files have been selected, these will be added to the logfile. In the logfile menu (see related chapter) you now have the possibility to take the selected files for the current catalogue. Also, all other functions of the logfile menu will be available. whole directory: ---------------- By using the path requester a directory is selected which searches for bitmapped graphics. All graphics located will be listed in a LOGFILE. The presented LOGFILE-Menu then allows cataloguing of all of the detected graphics. This procedure will be explained more detailed later in this text. whole directory plus subdirectories: ------------------------------------ This function is the same as "whole directory" with the exception that all sub directories of the selected path will be scanned recursively for graphics. Thus this function allows the user to search through whole partitions of hard drives or whole CD-ROMs for graphics. It will also write all the graphic file names into a LOGFILE (--> the LOGFILE-MENU). The presented LOGFILE-Menu then allows cataloguing of all of the detected graphics. Reading content of Logfile: --------------------------- If available, this function allows the user to read the Logfile's content and catalogue the listed files. The Logfile-Menu: ================= The LOGFILE-Menu supplies useful functions for cataloguing of graphics. These are in detail: - Expand: catalogues all graphics listed in the logfile. - Update: Removes all graphics from the logfile which are already in the active catalogue. This easily helps avoiding duplicate entries. - Sort: Logfile entries will be sorted alphabetically in ascending order. This should always be called before cataloguing. - Information: Displays information about the selected graphic file (type, size, colour depth, etc.) - Remove: Removes the selected graphic file from the LOGFILE. Sorting the logfile after removals is recommended. - Delete file Deletes the current logfile. - Print: Sends the logfile content to an attached printer. - View: Displays the corresponding graphic. Also called by double-clicking onto the graphic's name. Note: The Close-Gadget (or ESCape key) ends the ----- LOGFILEMENU. But data will not be lost. By calling READ LOGFILE it is possible to restore the logfile at any time to catalogue its content. PhotoCD: -------- This function reads PhotoCD-contact sheets from CD-ROM (configuration can be done first via PROGRAM/SETTINGS). A requester window appears and only parts of a photo CD may selected for scanning by selecting the start and end picture. The program is also able to read Portfolio Photo-CDs. Scanner: -------- PMPro now directly supports the ScanQuix3 scanner.device. You are now able to directly scan graphics via the drivers of ScanQuix3 into PMPro's image processing menu, which allows easy changing of the graphics as required (more than 40 operators like colour reduction, scaling, various filters and so on). Simply save it in one of the 15 PMPro supported output formats when finished. After saving it will automatically be added to the active catalogue. Note: ScanQuix3 must be installed on your Amiga to use this function! @ENDNODE @NODE "12.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/New" @PREV "11.hlp" @NEXT "13.hlp" CATALOG/NEW @{" / " LINK 002} =========== This function allows the creation of a new catalogue. Within the string gadgets a catalogue-name and optionally a description has to be entered. The input has to be confirmed by pressing RETURN. The Cycle gadget allows the selection of a catalogue-type. The following types are available for selection: - Greyscale, thumbnail size 80 x 64 pixel - Greyscale, thumbnail size 120 x 96 pixel - Greyscale, thumbnail size 144 x 112 pixel - Coloured, thumbnail size 80 x 64 pixel - Coloured, thumbnail size 120 x 96 pixel - Coloured, thumbnail size 144 x 112 pixel Pressing OK creates the new catalogue (if not already there), ABORT cancels the function without creating a new one. Notes: ------ * coloured catalogues are only possible with AGA CHIPSET or graphic card. * the catalogue name has to correspond with AmigaDOS naming conventions (e.g. not containing ":" or "/"). * the catalogue name is limited to 20 characters, the catalogue description is limited to 40 characters. * This function is not available with RAMDISK active. @ENDNODE @NODE "13.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Delete" @PREV "12.hlp" @NEXT "14.hlp" CATALOG/DELETE @{" / " LINK 002} ============== Deletes the current catalogue from the hard disk. All catalogue files (.image, .index, .cat) will be removed and are unrecoverable from the disk. Before deletion a safety requester asks whether you really want to remove the catalogue. After deletion an active catalogue no longer exists so that either one has to be loaded or a new one has to be created. Note: This function is not possible with RAMDISK active. @ENDNODE @NODE "14.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Rename" @PREV "13.hlp" @NEXT "15.hlp" CATALOG/RENAME @{" / " LINK 002} ============== This function changes the name of the current catalogue. It is also possible to change the catalogue description. If a catalogue with the same name (as the renamed choice) already exists, renaming is not possible. Note: This function is not possible with RAMDISK active. @ENDNODE @NODE "15.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Copy" @PREV "14.hlp" @NEXT "16.hlp" CATALOG/COPY @{" / " LINK 002} ============ This function copies the current catalogue. A menu appears in which a catalogue name and optionally a description can be specified. After selecting OK the current catalogue will be duplicated. Note: This function is not possible with RAMDISK active. @ENDNODE @NODE "16.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Validate" @PREV "15.hlp" @NEXT "17.hlp" CATALOG/VALIDATE @{" / " LINK 002} This function validates the active catalogue. After execution a text display appears which reports on the status of the catalogue. This validation report can also be printed on a connected printer. * Data integrity of catalogue files ------------------------------- Usually catalogue files cannot contain less entries than the catalogues own entries. But if under certain circumstances like hard disk errors etc. the .index or .image files contain less data records than the catalogue contains entries, the validate function tries to repair the catalogue files. This operation may cause some entries to be lost. The following validation report will contain information about the status of the catalogue files. * too much memory used within the data path ------------------------------------------ A check is made to see whether catalogue files use more memory than they actually need according to the number of catalogue entries. See also OPTIMIZE. * duplicate entries ----------------- Should graphics have been catalogued twice (or more often) these will be reported after validation. By using ENTRIES/SEARCH the duplicate entries can be searched for and then removed from ENTRIES/SEARCH and ENTRIES/FOUND...) * changed graphics ---------------- This functions checks whether graphics have been modified after cataloguing. Should such changes be detected the validation report will show the corresponding entries. UPDATE allows the user to automatically catalogue these graphics again. * availability of all the catalogued graphics/animation's ------------------------------------------------------- A check is made to see whether all catalogued graphics are still available in the data paths. Deleted graphics will be listed in the validation report. UPDATE allows removing of these entries from the catalogue. @ENDNODE @NODE "17.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Optimize" @PREV "16.hlp" @NEXT "18.hlp" CATALOG/OPTIMIZE @{" / " LINK 002} ================ Rewrites all entries of a catalogue in a new and optimised order. By doing this the catalogue itself will also be optimised (see also VALIDATE): * Speed of accessing single data records -------------------------------------- After having been sorted, access times for single data records may cause quite slow screen display of thumbnails. Other functions accessing the data records may also be slowed down. After execution of OPTIMIZE the records will be written in ascended and sorted order to the catalogue files corresponding to the selected order of sorting. * too much memory used for catalogue files -------------------------------------- Since deletion of data records only means removing entries from the index of the catalogue but not from the catalogue file itself, the data will still be remaining physically within the files. So it may happen that catalogue files use more space on the hard disk than is actually needed (see VALIDATE). This space will be released after doing an OPIMIZATION. @ENDNODE @NODE "18.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Update" @PREV "17.hlp" @NEXT "19.hlp" CATALOG/UPDATE @{" / " LINK 002} ============== The following changes to the active catalogue can be applied via this function: * Removing of missing graphics ---------------------------- Should the files of catalogued graphics no longer exist in the data path these entries will be removed from the catalogue. But it has to be mentioned that missing a whole medium (like a non-inserted CD-ROM, Disk, etc.) as well would cause these entries to be removed. Thus to protect your data a requester will always appear to get an explicit confirmation for removing of entries (see also VALIDATE). * cataloguing changed graphics again ----------------------------------- Should graphics have been changed after cataloguing all these entries will be catalogued again (see also VALIDATE). Note: Should missing graphics have been removed after execution of UPDATE, OPTIMIZE should also be done to allow the release of possible unrequired hard disk space and allowing faster access to the data records if selected sorting is used. @ENDNODE @NODE "19.hlp" @TITLE "Catalog/Print" @PREV "18.hlp" @NEXT "002" CATALOG/PRINT @{" / " LINK 002} The catalogue will be printed graphically together with the thumbnails on printers with graphic capability. A menu also appears where parts of the catalogue to be printed may be specified via starting and ending page. One single page will always be used for putting, depending on the catalogue's type, 24 resp. 40 entries onto it. This form of printing catalogues only produces high quality when using Laser or inkjet printers. But various utilities (e.g. TurboPrint) may also greatly increase the quality of printing. Quite amazing results are possible on laser printers or colour printers like HP-Inkjet, Epson Stylus colour etc.. Should TurboPrint 4.0 or greater be installed to your system, its PrintManager will be automatically started in the background for high quality printing the catalogue. @ENDNODE @NODE "003" @TITLE "The >> Entries << Menu" @PREV "002" @NEXT "004" The >> Entries << Menu @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Entries/ @{" Sort " LINK 20.hlp} @{" Search " LINK 21.hlp} @{" List " LINK 22.hlp} @{" Marked " LINK 23.hlp} @{" Detected " LINK 24.hlp} @{" Mark all " LINK 25.hlp} @{" Mark page " LINK 26.hlp} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "20.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Sort" @PREV "003" @NEXT "21.hlp" ENTRIES/SORT @{" / " LINK 003} ============ This function allows ascended sorting of the catalogue entries using different criteria. The following criteria is available for sorting: * by picture name * by source path * by source path and picture name * by file size * by screen mode * by creation date * by colour depth * by pattern text 1 * by pattern text 2 Selecting "no sort" will removed any sort criteria again. Accessing the single data records will then again be possible in the same order as these have been stored in the catalogue file. NOTE: Since access times for single data records may drastically ----- decrease after sorting, it is recommended to also select OPTIMIZE for files that areg kept permanently sorted. Should sorting be active, the current sort criteria will be applied after each change done to the catalogue (deletion of entries, etc.). This will be done as long as an OPTIMIZATION has been done or the sort option has been disabled again. @ENDNODE @NODE "21.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Search for" @PREV "20.hlp" @NEXT "22.hlp" ENTRIES/SEARCH FOR @{" / " LINK 003} The following functions allow searching specific entries within a catalogue and after that processing these via ENTRIES/DETECTED... Graphic names will be displayed as black typing on blue background for correctly identified matches. Should the entry also be marked, the filename is displayed as white typing on black background. So when browsing through the catalogue it's possible to visually check whether entries have been found and/or marked. * match patterns -------------- This is the most powerful search function. It allows free definition of search patterns of which up to three may be conjuncted logically. It works as follows: First select the area to be scanned within the LISTVIEW (screenname, colour depth, graphics type, etc.) After that the operator to be applied is selected for the search. After that the text to be searched for can be entered within the string gadget. Please follow these steps: -> Using the "=" operator the use of wildcards is allowed. These will not be applicable to numeric entries (like file size, date, etc.) -> For entering dates the following format is used: DD/MM/YYYY After having specified the search pattern either the search may be started or new search patterns may be added. Up to three may be logically conjuncted. Wildcards: With the "=" operator the use of wildcards is allowed. The following are supported: --> ?PATTERN All entries, which contain "PATTERN" as a substring somewhere. --> PATTERN? All entries, which begin with "PATTERN". The buttons have the following functions: SEARCH Searches entries by a previously defined search pattern. Entries which have already been found will then be lost. NEW Erases a search pattern and allows redefinition of it. CANCEL Leaves the menu without starting a search. -> Examples for search patterns: ============================= a) PICTURENAME=FANTASY? AND DEPTH=6 AND PATH=WORK:? Searches for all graphics, which are named beginning with fantasy and contain six bitplanes. These also have to be stored on volume WORK: b) DEPTH=4 AND FRAMES>1 AND GRAPHICSTYPE=IFF Searches all IFF animation's with a depth of four bitplanes. c) GRAPHICSTYPE=GIF OR GRAPHICSTYPE=JPEG Searches for all GIF and JPEG graphics. d) PICTURENAME>F AND DATE>10/05/1994 AND WIDTH>=640 Searches all graphics which are named with a first letter above "F" and have been created later than 10.5.94. The width has be larger than or equal to 640. * duplicate entries ----------------- All duplicate entries from the catalogue will be displayed. * missing entries --------------- All graphics which are no longer physically present on the volume will be displayed. NOTE: Searching will overwrite previously found entries! ===== @ENDNODE @NODE "22.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/List" @PREV "21.hlp" @NEXT "23.hlp" ENTRIES/LIST @{" / " LINK 003} ============ Lists all catalogue entries as a table on the screen. These may be sent to a connected printer via the PRINT-function. The user can select between one, two, three or four lines of text within the requester for defining the output format. The following information will be displayed for each of the catalogued graphics: * one line of text: filename, graphics type (IFF, ANIM, GIF etc.) width and height (pixel) colour depth (bitplanes) * two lines: filename, save path, graphics type file size (bytes) width and height (pixel) colour depth (bitplanes) * three lines: filename, save path, graphic type file size (bytes) width and height (pixel) colour depth (bitplanes) viewmode (HIRES, LACED, HAM etc.) creation date and time * four lines: just like with three lines but additionally with comment lines no. one and two. @ENDNODE @NODE "23.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Marked" @PREV "22.hlp" @NEXT "24.hlp" ENTRIES/MARKED @{" / " LINK 003} These functions allow displaying and processing of marked entries. A more detailed description can be found under ENTRIES/DETECTED. @ENDNODE @NODE "24.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Detected" @PREV "23.hlp" @NEXT "25.hlp" ENTRIES/DETECTED @{" / " LINK 003} These functions allow displaying and processing of previously found entries. Here is a description of the functions: * DISPLAY: Displays all found entries in a small table -------- within a window. Each entry can be clicked on with the mouse to show any graphic information and the specific thumbnail on the screen. The following additional functions are available: - View: Displays the corresponding graphics on the screen. - Remove: Removes the entry from the list of found entries. - Print list: Prints all found entries as a table (only picture name and file path) on a printer. - Cancel: Closes the window and returns to the main screen. * List: Shows all the found entries as a table on the screen. ----- The table can also be sent to a printer. The user can select between different output formats (see section ENTRIES/LIST). * Remove: Removes all found entries from the catalogue. ------- * Delete: Deletes all found entries from the catalogue and also ------- deletes the corresponding graphic files. DANGER: ALL THESE GRAPHIC FILES WILL BE LOST FOREVER. * Reset: The number of found graphics will be reset so that a ------ new run has to be started to search for specific entries. * Reverse: The status of all found entries will be inverted. -------- Entries which had been declared as being found will now be deselected and vice versa. * Slideshow: Creates a slide show from all found graphics. -------- A menu appears where a kind of slide show (delay between graphics, replay order, etc.) can be defined. * Export: Exports all the found entries to a new catalogue. ------- A menu appears for entering the catalogue name and an additional description of the newly created catalogue to which the entries have to be copied. * Reorganise: With the PictureManager professional it is possible ----------- to recopy your graphic archives, for example sorted by motives, on your hard disk automatically. For this, the functions MARKED/REORGANIZE and DETECTED/REORGANIZE are available. With MARK ALL you may quite simply prepare a complete catalogue for further processing (e.g. reorganise, convert, export, etc.) But now back to reorganisation: For copying specific (or all) graphics of a catalogue to another directory, mark these or search for these - e.g. all graphics with automobile motives in it - via the function SEARCH PATTERN. After that use MARKED/REORGANIZE or DETECTED/REORGANIZE. A menu appears where the following settings have to be done: At first select a directory to which the chosen files should be copied to. By deactivation of the switch "Display error messages" you may suppress error messages during the copy procedure. In such a case, graphics already present will be overwritten without any further requests. If this is not wished to be done, the switch should be kept activated. By activating the switch "Take new data" the destination path of the graphic will be added to the current catalogue. With this action, PMPro will only use the new graphics for any further access. The last switch "Delete source graphics" will delete the original graphic without the possibility of ever getting it back (danger!). Hint: When reorganising your graphic archives on hard disk with this function, you should for safety reasons not immediately delete the source graphic. Sometimes hard disk errors may cause data to be lost. It is better to use "CATALOG/COPY" for creation of a duplicate catalogue and then reorganise the graphics (without deletion). Then take over the copies into the duplicate catalogue. Should all graphics have been recopied successfully, reload the original source catalogue. Now you may delete the recopied source graphic from there (via MARKED/DELETE or DETECTED/DELETE from the popup menu). * Convert: With MARKED/CONVERT or DETECTED/CONVERT you may -------- convert huge numbers of graphics into other graphic file formats automatically or for example apply just a colour reduction from 24BIT to 256 colours to these. After having called one of the two functions, a menu appears in which the following settings have to be made: * The directory where you wish to save the new graphic. * With the switch "take new data" the source graphic data will be replaced by those of the newly created graphic (path, name, type, colour depth, etc.) within the catalogue files. After that a second menu appears where a graphic file format and colour depth for the source files can be selected (please note, that not all of the possible graphics file formats support all colour depths). The switch "display error messages" will show any error messages during the conversion procedure (e.g. not enough memory) and warnings (request whether existing graphics should be overwritten). When disabled, graphics will always be overwritten. Also, no messages about any occurred errors will be indicated. The last switch "Delete source graphics" will delete the original graphics without a possibility of ever getting it back (danger!). When converting your graphic archives on hard disk with this function, you should for safety reasons not immediately delete the source graphics but instead do this when all graphics have been processed successfully. Example: With this function you may easily and very comfortably convert all graphics of a PhotoCD into IFF graphics with 256 Colours. In this special case you would have to do the following: Create a catalogue and read the PhotoCD by starting Expand/PhotoCD. Then select: * Entries/Mark all * Marked/Convert with the following switches: - display error messages - take new data - no deletion of original graphics - output format IFFCompByteRun1 and 256 Colours After entering the save path you have to start the conversion procedure. This will certainly take some time, since every PCD-graphic will have to be passed through a high quality colour reduction including dithering. After the conversion procedure has finished, all the PCD-files will have been stored as IFF-files on your hard disk. The new catalogue will from now on (via activation of "take data") access these IFF-graphics. You may now view, print, etc. your graphic whenever you want even without having the corresponding PhotoCD in the drive. * Add to LHA: ----------- This function allow you to archive (or add to an archive) a number of marked/found graphics with LHA. So you have an easy way to store / archive your favorite pictures into one LHA-Archive! @ENDNODE @NODE "25.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Mark all" @PREV "24.hlp" @NEXT "26.hlp" ENTRIES/MARK ALL @{" / " LINK 003} ================ Marks all entries of the catalogue. This will be needed for e.g. automatic conversion of all catalogued graphics of a catalogue into another graphic file format or for other types of image processing, reorganisation etc.. @ENDNODE @NODE "26.hlp" @TITLE "Entries/Mark page" @PREV "25.hlp" @NEXT "003" ENTRIES/MARK PAGE @{" / " LINK 003} ================= Marks all entries of the current page. This will be needed for e.g. automatic conversion of all catalogued graphics of a catalogue into another graphic file format or for other types of image processing, reorganisation etc.. @ENDNODE @NODE "004" @TITLE "The >> Extras << Menu" @PREV "003" @NEXT "arx.hlp" The >> Extras << Menu @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Extras/ @{" Colorize " LINK 30.hlp} @{" Slideshow " LINK 31.hlp} @{" Scanner " LINK 32.hlp} @{" Tools " LINK 33.hlp} @{" IFF-Pages " LINK 34.hlp} @{" RAM-Disk " LINK 35.hlp} @{" Quickmenus " LINK 36.hlp} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "30.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/Colorize" @PREV "004" @NEXT "31.hlp" EXTRAS/COLORIZE @{" / " LINK 004} Allows selection of a colour table when displaying grey-scaled thumbnails. This makes it possible to display the icons scaled in colours other than grey. Note: ----- * The single colour palettes may be edited, changed and saved within the menu SETTINGS/GREYSCALES. * When starting the program, the greyscale table from the configuration file will be loaded. * The active colouration is indicated by a checkmark within the pulldown menu. * The function EXTRAS/TOOLS/COLORFILTER allows modifying the active greyscale palette (contrast, brightness, gamma, etc.) and saving it as 'USER2'. * This function is not applicable for coloured catalogues. @ENDNODE @NODE "31.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/Slideshow" @PREV "30.hlp" @NEXT "32.hlp" EXTRAS/SLIDESHOW @{" / " LINK 004} ================ Displays all catalogued graphics in form of a slide show. A menu appears where the following parameters may be specified: - Number of repeats: This slider gadget defines how often all graphics ------------------ should be displayed until the slide show should end automatically. With 0 set, the slideshow will run continuously. - Delay: Defines the pause (in seconds) until the next ------ graphic is loaded. - Order: The graphics may be displayed in forward, backward ------ or random order. Should RANDOM have been selected, the slide show will never end (as if the number of repeats had been specified with "0"). Note: ----- * Should the graphic actually be an animation, it will be displayed at maximum speed until the next graphic is loaded. * By pressing the left mouse button the slide show may be interrupted before the end. It has to be noted that the mouse button must be held down until the main screen appears again. @ENDNODE @NODE "32.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/Scanner" @PREV "31.hlp" @NEXT "33.hlp" EXTRAS/SCANNER @{" / " LINK 004} ============== PMPro now directly supports the ScanQuix3 scanner-device. You are now able to directly scan graphics via the drivers of ScanQuix3 into PMPro's image processing menu, which allows easy changing of the graphics as required (more than 40 operators like colour reduction, scaling, various filters and so on). Simply save it in one of the over 15 PMPro supported output formats when finished. Note: ScanQuix3 must be installed on your Amiga to use this function! @ENDNODE @NODE "33.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/Tools" @PREV "32.hlp" @NEXT "34.hlp" EXTRAS/TOOLS @{" / " LINK 004} ============ - Initialise grey-scales ---------------------- This function allows resetting of all greyscale tables (COLORIZE) to their initial values. This may be useful when having changed these via CONFIGURATION/GREYSCALES but wanting to get the original colours back. Those palettes changed via CONFIGURATION/GREYSCALES will then be lost. - Colour filter ------------ A menu appears which allows manipulation of the current thumbnail colours. Contrast, gamma, brightness as well as red, green and blue adjustments are available. The single buttons have the following functions: Use: Takes the changed palette. It will only be available temporarily and be overwritten when loading a new catalogue or leaving the program. Default: Resets the colours back to the settings being active before entering the colour filter context. Save: Saves the current modified palette. With greyscaled catalogues it is available as USER2, with coloured catalogues it is be saved under USER1. COLORIZE and PROGRAM/COLORPALETTE allow a selection of these. Cancel: Leaves the menu without taking any of the changes. @ENDNODE @NODE "34.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/IFF-Pages" @PREV "33.hlp" @NEXT "35.hlp" EXTRAS/IFF-PAGES @{" / " LINK 004} ================ This function saves all entries of the catalogue as IFF-Files. Depending on the catalogue's type 12 or 20 thumbnails per page (file) will be saved. A path requester appears which allows selection of the saving path for the single IFF-graphics. These will be named according to the following scheme: CATALOGNAMExxx.IFF (xxx is the page number) After specifying the saving path a menu appears which allows saving parts of the catalogue as IFF-pages only, by giving start and end pages. Note: This function may overwrite already present graphics having the same name! ----- @ENDNODE @NODE "35.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/RAM-Disk" @PREV "34.hlp" @NEXT "36.hlp" EXTRAS/RAMDISK @{" / " LINK 004} ============== Puts the currently active catalogue onto the ramdisk (which requires enough memory to be available). This function should mainly be used for larger catalogues (with more than 100 entries) or ALWAYS with slower drives (catalogues on CD-ROM, MO-Drives, etc.) since nearly all program features (especially browsing, sorting, optimising, updating, etc.) will be executed much faster. But it has to be mentioned that any changes to the catalogue only exist within the RAMDISK copy and that the catalogue has to be re-saved via RAMDISK --> CATALOG to keep these changes permanently for the catalogue within the actual data directory. * CATALOG --> RAMDISK : Copies the active catalogue to the RAMDISK (specific amount of memory required). * DELETE: Deletes the active catalogue from RAMDISK. Any changes would then be lost. * RAMDISK --> CATALOG: Recopies the catalogue from RAMDISK to the data directory where the present catalogue will be overwritten. After that it will be deleted from the Ramdisk. Required amount of RAM: For each catalogue entry the following amount ----------------------- of memory is required: --> greyscaled (small/large) : appr. 6/8 KB --> coloured (small/large) : appr. 12/16 KB Note: ----- CATALOG --> RAMDISK will only actually be executed if, after transferring the catalogue to Ramdisk, at least approximately 250 KB free CHIP and about 150 KB free FAST memory still remains. @ENDNODE @NODE "36.hlp" @TITLE "Extras/Quickmenus" @PREV "35.hlp" @NEXT "004" EXTRAS/QUICKMENUS @{" / " LINK 004} ================= PictureManager professional also allows the user to start any pulldown menu functions via freely configurable quickmenus. This innovative menu technique is significantly faster and more user friendly than accesses via pulldown menus. With quickmenus you get toolbars which may be freely designed by the user. Each toolbar consists of a number of buttons which can be linked to corresponding functions of PMPro. The directory contains the QM-Editor which gives help in defining your own toolbars (please also read chapter Tools/QM-Editor for more information). PictureManager professional can open up to four such toolbars simultaneously. Also, the upper half of the PMPro screen contains a fix-positioned toolbar. This one may be freely configured as well. Extras/Quickmenus has the following functions: * Settings: --------- This function enables you to supply a definition file for each of the four quick menus which you have previously designed with the QM-Editor. These definition files contain, for example, the layout of the toolbars as well as the functions linked with the single buttons. When activating the autostart switch of a menu it will be loaded each tim PMPro is run. More information can be found within the description of the QM-Editors. Also, the fix-positioned toolbar in the upper half of the screen may be modified via definition files by specifying this within the context "Internal". * Menu 1 to Menu 4: ----------------- Opens the corresponding toolbar (if not already opened). * Info functions: --------------- Lists the currently active function settings of the corresponding toolbar on the screen. When first starting this may be useful, if the user does not remember exactly which button has been linked to which function. @ENDNODE @NODE "arx.hlp" @TITLE "The Arexx Menu" @PREV "004" @NEXT "bla.hlp" The AREXX MENU @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} IMPORTANT: To be able to use the following functions the program REXXMAST from the Workbench's System drawer has to be started beforehand! The ARexx pulldown menu of PMPro can be freely configured. It may be used to select functions which are needed often (like opening a Shell window on the PMScreen, starting the TP-PrintManager, running various applications like DPaint, ADPro or DOpus, putting their screens to front and many more). For this you have to use the function "Configure menu". Within this context you may select an ARexx-Script for any of the 14 available menus which then will be called when selecting the menu. Many sample scripts can be found within the drawer PicManager/Rexx2. These menus can be used in many different ways: Just take a look at the pre-configured menu and test some functions. You will see that it enables PMPro to become the command centre for most applications. Time-consuming returns to the workbench will no longer be necessary. Since all menu-started functions and applications will run asynchronously and within the multitasking environment, you may immediately continue your work with PMPro. You may for example open unlimited numbers of windows of foreign applications on the PMPro screen without handicapping it in any way. The particular functions: Execute AREXX-Command --------------------- Allows entering and execution of an ARexx-command within and directly from a menu. Execute AREXX-Script ------------------ The appearing menu allows selection of an AREXX-Script via File-requester and direct execution. Configure Menu -------------- This function allows configuration of the 14 freely configurable AREXX-pulldown menus. Each menu item may be linked to an AREXX-Script, which will then be executed when selecting it. @ENDNODE @NODE "bla.hlp" @TITLE "Paging" @PREV "arx.hlp" @NEXT "pop.hlp" PAGING @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} The buttons on the main screen allow browsing through the catalogue (also cursor keys are possible): > : next catalogue page < : previous catalogue page >| : last catalogue page |< : first catalogue page And within the information menu: > : next entry < : previous entry >>> : next page <<< : previous page With the Goto page function in the Paging Menu you can jump directly to a page you want. @ENDNODE @NODE "pop.hlp" @TITLE "The PopUp - Menus" @PREV "bla.hlp" @NEXT "bil.hlp" THE POP-UP MENUS @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} PMPro presents the picture specific functions in the form of two popup menus. While the user popup menu is freely configurable the normal popup menu contains fixed unchangeable functions. User Popup Menu --------------- The User Popup Menu may be freely configured according to your own needs. You may also freely change names as well as the linked functions of the buttons. Configuration has to be managed via the menu SETTINGS/USER-POPUP. Please read the corresponding chapter for more information. Standard Popup Menu ------------------- This Popup Menu supplies picture specific functions. These are always related to the icon where the mouse pointer is positioned. These functions are different to the User Popup and are not changeable. Activation is done via quickly clicking on the thumbnail with the left mouse button (holding the button down longer will make the User Popup appear). After that specific actions may be done by clicking onto the particular buttons. Alternatively any function of the Popup Menu may also be directly accessed via function keys (see chapter "Notes/Keyboard controlling" for more information). By clicking the close gadget or pressing the ESCape key, the Popup menu can be left without executing a function. The single functions of the Popup menu: - User Popup ---------- Opens the User Popup. Alternatively it may also be directly opened without calling the Popup menu - by holding down the left mouse button. - View ---- Displays the graphic which is related to the thumbnail. Oversized graphics may, depending on the current display module, be scrolled with the mouse (Autoscroll). Within Program/Display you may specify which display driver you prefer to use. Pressing the left mouse button or ESCape key will end this function. Should the graphic actually be an IFF animation, a menu will appear in which you may specify the replay speed (images/second) and the number of repeats (loops=0 means repeating endlessly). Also, it will try to play the animation directly from hard disk if not enough memory for loading the whole animation is available. When having defined an external viewer the graphic will be displayed using these programs. Autoscroll/ESCape key may not necessarily be supported by those. - Remove ------ Removes the corresponding entry from the catalogue. - Delete ------ Removes the corresponding entry from the catalogue and additionally deletes the original source graphic from the volume (DANGER: The source graphic cannot be restored on hard disk after such an operation). - Rename ------ This function allows renaming of the corresponding graphic file on the volume. Also the catalogue files will from now on refer to the new name of the graphic. - Mark ---- Marks the corresponding entry. Entry names will be displayed as white typing on blue background. Should the entry additionally been found (SEARCH...), the filename is displayed as white typing on black background. Marking an entry again will restore it as unmarked. Marked entries may be manipulated and/or processed from the menu ENTRIES/MARKED. - Process ------- Starts the image processing module of PMPro. A detailed description can be found in the chapter "Image processing". - Convert ------- Allows conversion of the corresponding graphic into another graphic file format or to another colour depth. A detailed description of those functions can be found in the chapter about conversion of detected and marked entries. - Information ----------- A menu will appear which contains information about save path, size, screen mode, creation date, colour depth, etc. related to the selected graphic. Additionally, for each graphic two patterns (comments) and an image description may be entered. All details entered must be confirmed with RETURN! The buttons Display, Mark, etc. are simply equivalent to the functions with the same name of the Popup menu. With these specific buttons you may also browse to the next or previous image or thumbnail page from here. - Print ----- Prints the graphic on a connected printer. --> TurboPrint professional 3.0 or greater installed ================================================ TP-DM ----- This function starts the Printmanager of TurboPrint professional. A file requester appears where the name of the graphic will have already been placed. You just have to confirm with OK! Also the screen mode for displaying the raster graphics will be taken from PMPro. Should you own TurboPrint Pro 3.0+ you should only use this function since direct printing does not allow colour reduction or reducing the resolution. For more information on how to use the Printmanager please read your manual of TurboPrint Pro. Please note that printing animation's are not possible. After printing the graphic you may have to close the Printmanager to be able to continue working with Picture Manager. NOTE: Should you own Turboprint Professional 4, you are able to use all functions of the Printmanager. All settings made in the printing menu of Picture Manager (print size, shape, position) will be directly passed to the Print Manager and will not have to be entered again. Also selection of the PRINT function will directly use the Printmanager. When using TurboPrint professional 3 or greater, PMPro contains an additional feature for you: Should the graphic to be printed have been written in a format TurboPrint does not know, PMPro automatically converts this graphic to a format which TurboPrint is able to handle (all in the background) and then passes this temporary graphic to the PrintManager of TurboPrint. With PMPro TurboPrint is able to print more than 25 graphic file formats. --> TurboPrint professional not installed ===================================== The printer settings as specified within the Workbench's preferences will be used. A menu will appear with the following settings needing to be made : * size of the printing in cm (entering one value will cause the other to be adjusted also, so that the width/height ratio will be changed to keep the graphic's view correct). * position of the printing (centred or left) * selection of the shape to be printed. A box will appear around the scaled graphics so that there is also a visual control over the area to be printed. The following values are possible to be entered: x offset: x position of the starting pixel (in pixels) y offset: y position of the starting pixel (in pixels) width : width of the area to be printed (in pixels) height : height of the area to be printed (in pixels) Note: All details entered have to be confirmed with RETURN. - DPaint IV --------- This function puts Picture Manager to the background, starts DPaintIV and loads the corresponding graphic into DPaint. Please note that DPaint does not support image formats other than IFF. - Personal Paint -------------- This function puts Picture Manager to the background, starts PPaint and loads the corresponding graphic into PPaint. Please note that PPaint may not support all of the image formats which PMPro does, if an appropriate Datatype is not present. Notes about DPaintIV, PPAINT: ----------------------------- * It should be noted that enough memory must be available for execution of this function. About 400-500KB memory for DPaint/PPaint and in addition, the CHIP memory needed for the graphic. * The menu Program/Settings defines under which path and name the program DPaint/PPaint can be found and started. @ENDNODE @NODE "bil.hlp" @TITLE "Image Processing" @PREV "pop.hlp" @NEXT "drv.hlp" IMAGE PROCESSING @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} The image processing context is opened via PROCESS from the popup menu. The following functions will be available: * Info Displays short information about the currently selected saver or image processing module. * View Displays the graphic on the screen. * Load Loads a new graphic. * Save Saves the currently loaded graphic in the selected file format which is also possible via double-clicking on the specific file format's name. * Execute Applies the selected image processing operation to the graphic. For more information see description of the single image processing modules. * Viewmode Changes the screen mode of the current graphic. * Quit Leaves the image processing context. Restrictions: The settings for 8Bit-display and 24Bit-display from the configuration menu of the display drivers will not influence the image processing context. When AGA/ECS drivers are active 24 BIT graphics will always be displayed in grey scales. Colour displays of 24 BIT graphics from the image processing function are only possible with a graphic card driver. @{"The Image Processing Operators " LINK operat} @ENDNODE @NODE "operat" Image processing operators @{" / " LINK bil.hlp} -------------------------- PMPro's image processing module contains a bunch of functions which allow nearly any possibility imaginable for manipulating your graphic. The column colour depth specifies which colour depths can be handled by the corresponding operator. For example some operators do need 24BIT data as input. In such a case graphics with less colours have to be converted to 24 BIT with the function "AnyTo24Bit" beforehand. NOTE: HAM-graphics will only be correctly processed by the AnyTo24Bit operator. When processing HAM graphics these have to be converted to 24 Bit beforehand! Operator Function Colour depth @{"XOR " LINK im01} playing around with effects 1..8 BIT @{"24BitToHAM " LINK im02} dithers 24 Bit to HAM6/HAM8 24 BIT @{"Dither24Bit " LINK im03} dithers 24 Bit to 2..256 colours 24BIT @{"AnyTo24Bit " LINK im04} converts to 24 Bit 1..8BIT,HAM @{"Crop " LINK im05} crops shapes of graphics 1..8,24BIT @{"HilbertDither256 " LINK im06} dithers to black & white 1..8BIT @{"ExtractGrayScales" LINK im07} converts to grey scales 1..8,24BIT @{"ExtractRed " LINK im08} extracts red values 1..8,24BIT @{"ExtractGreen " LINK im09} extracts green values 1..8,24BIT @{"ExtractBlue " LINK im10} extracts blue values 1..8,24BIT @{"TopToBottom " LINK im11} vertical mirroring 1..8,24BIT @{"LeftToRight " LINK im12} horizontal mirroring 1..8,24BIT @{"Rotate " LINK im13} rotate by 90/180/270 degrees 1..8,24BIT @{"Scale50 " LINK im14} change size by 50% or 200% 1..8,24BIT @{"CallPNM " LINK im15} call external PBM/PGM/PPM tools 1..8BIT,24BIT @{"OptimizePalette " LINK im16} optimise palette (reduce redundancy) 1..8BIT @{"EdgeDetect " LINK im17} detect edges... 24BIT @{"Sharpen " LINK im18} sharpness adjustment 24BIT @{"Blur " LINK im19} Blur-filter 24BIT @{"DitherFix24 " LINK im20} colour reduction to 16/256 colours 24BIT with fixed palette @{"Convolve " LINK im21} Convolution matrix (various 24BIT effects like Emboss, etc.) @{"ScaleFree " LINK im22} freely scaling of a graphic 1..8,24BIT @{"RGBAdjust " LINK im23} changing RGB values 1..8,24BIT @{"Gamma " LINK im24} Gamma correction 1..8,24BIT @{"Brightness " LINK im25} brightness adjustment 1..8,24BIT @{"Contrast " LINK im26} adjusting contrast 24BIT @{"Mosaic " LINK im27} Mosaic-effect 1..8,24BIT @{"Tiling " LINK im28} Mosaic-effect derivative 1..8,24BIT @{"Slicing " LINK im29} Mosaic-effect derivative 1..8,24BIT @{"Emboss " LINK im30} Emboss-filter 1..8,24BIT @{"Complement " LINK im31} Negative-effect 1..8,24BIT @{"Antique " LINK im32} Antique-effect 1..8,24BIT @{"Diffuse " LINK im33} random pixel spreading 24BIT @{"HighPass " LINK im34} highpass filter 24BIT @{"Motion_Blur " LINK im35} motion sharpness effect 24BIT @{"OilPaint " LINK im36} oilpainting effect 24BIT @{"Threshold " LINK im37} conversion to black & white 24BIT @{"Bentley " LINK im38} random pixel spreading derivative 24BIT @{"DeepPress " LINK im39} deep press effect 24BIT @{"AutoBorder " LINK im40} Removes single-coloured areas 1..8,24BIT @{"RotateFree " LINK im41} Rotate by a given angle 24BIT @{"PaletteDither " LINK im42} Dithers to a given palette 24BIT @ENDNODE @NODE "im01" XOR @{" / " LINK operat} --- Colour depth: 1..8 BIT Options : Value between 0 and 255 Function : Playing around with effects @ENDNODE @NODE "im02" 24BitToHAM @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : HAM6 or HAM8 Function : dithers 24BIT to HAM6/HAM8 @ENDNODE @NODE "im03" Dither24Bit @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Corresponding Colour depth in Bitplanes, Dither-Method Function : dithers 24 BIT to 2..256 Colours with a given Dither-method like Floyd, Ordered, Burkes ... @ENDNODE @NODE "im04" AnyTo24Bit @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 1..8 BIT, HAM Options : none Function : Converts any graphics to 24 BIT (necessary for some operators) @ENDNODE @NODE "im05" Crop @{" / " LINK operat} ---- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : x- and y-offset, width and height (in pixel) Function : crops shapes of graphics @ENDNODE @NODE "im06" HilbertDither256 @{" / " LINK operat} ---------------- Colour depth: 1..8 BIT Options : Background colour: black or white Function : dithers to black & white @ENDNODE @NODE "im07" ExtractGrayScales @{" / " LINK operat} ----------------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : corresponding colour depth: 1..8 Bitplanes Function : converts to greyscales @ENDNODE @NODE "im08" ExtractRed @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 1..8,24 BIT Options : none Function : extracts red values from graphics @ENDNODE @NODE "im09" ExtractGreen @{" / " LINK operat} ------------ Colour depth: 1..8,24 BIT Options : none Function : extracts green values from graphics @ENDNODE @NODE "im10" ExtractBlue @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 1..8,24 BIT Options : none Function : extracts blue values from graphics @ENDNODE @NODE "im11" TopToBottom @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 1..8,24 BIT Options : none Function : vertical mirroring @ENDNODE @NODE "im12" LeftToRight @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : none Function : horizontal mirroring @ENDNODE @NODE "im13" Rotate @{" / " LINK operat} ------ Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : 90, 180 or 270 Degrees Function : rotate graphics @ENDNODE @NODE "im14" Scale50 @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : Mode: Double or Half Function : change size of graphics (double or half size) @ENDNODE @NODE "im15" CallPNM @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : PNM command (with full path) and options Function : call external PBM/PGM/PBM tools. For example enter work:pnmscale for command and -xscale 2.0 for options. @ENDNODE @NODE "im16" OptimizePalette @{" / " LINK operat} --------------- Colour depth: 1..8 BIT Options : none Function : reduce redundancy colours in your colour palette @ENDNODE @NODE "im17" EdgeDetect @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : none Function : matrix operation, which detect edges in your picture. If you apply the exractgreyscales-Operator after this, you get a LINEART-effect @ENDNODE @NODE "im18" Sharpen @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : strength 1 to 100 Function : This operator sharpens an image. @ENDNODE @NODE "im19" Blur @{" / " LINK operat} ---- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : strength 1 to 100 Function : Applies a blurring filter. @ENDNODE @NODE "im20" DitherFix24 @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : 4BIT grey or 8BIT colour Function : Colour reduction to 16 greyscales / 256 colours with a fixed palette. @ENDNODE @NODE "im21" Convolve @{" / " LINK operat} -------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Matrix, add and division-factor Function : Applies convolution matrix with various effects. Convolutions can perform many different image processing functions by varying the values comprising the convolution matrix. Determining the values to use in the convolution matrix requires much experimentation or a knowledge of image processing theory. To save you from this, we provide a lot of example matrices you can use or change it. Try it out! @ENDNODE @NODE "im22" ScaleFree @{" / " LINK operat} --------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : X- and Y-scale factor in percent or new size in pixel Function : This operator scales a graphics freely between 20% and 200% of its original size. Also the new size in pixel can be given. @ENDNODE @NODE "im23" RGBAdjust @{" / " LINK operat} --------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : RGB-Values to increase or decrease Function : Changing the RGB-components of a graphics for various colour effects. @ENDNODE @NODE "im24" Gamma @{" / " LINK operat} ----- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : Red, green and blue gamma correction value Function : Allows Gamma correction of a graphics for each colour component (RED, GREEN or BLUE) @ENDNODE @NODE "im25" Brightness @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : Value to increase or decrease brightness Function : Brightness adjustment @ENDNODE @NODE "im26" Contrast @{" / " LINK operat} -------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Value to increase or decrease contrast Function : Contrast adjustment @ENDNODE @NODE "im27" Mosaic @{" / " LINK operat} ------ Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : size of the blocks in pixel Function : Divide graphics into square blocks, known as mosaic-effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im28" Tiling @{" / " LINK operat} ------ Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : blocksize 1..10 Function : Tiles an image into many blocks. A block size of 10 gives a great effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im29" Slicing @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : none Function : Slices up an image into horizontal an vertical strips. @ENDNODE @NODE "im30" Emboss @{" / " LINK operat} ------ Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : none Function : Applies an Emboss-Filter. Applying the EtractGreyScales Operator after Emboss will enhance the effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im31" Complement @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : none Function : Negative effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im32" Antique @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 1..8, 24 BIT Options : Output colour depth in Bitplanes Function : Change the colours of a graphics to an antique colour map. @ENDNODE @NODE "im33" Diffuse @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Strength 1 to 100 Function : This operator creates an effect as if the image was exploded pixel by pixel @ENDNODE @NODE "im34" HighPass @{" / " LINK operat} -------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Strength 1 to 100 Function : Applies a HighPass-Filter for interesting "painted colours" effects. A strength of 10 gives a negative effect, a strength of 99 gives a real colourful effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im35" Motion_Blur @{" / " LINK operat} ----------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Strength 1 to 100 Function : Motion unsharpen effect. @ENDNODE @NODE "im36" OilPaint @{" / " LINK operat} -------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Strength 1 to 16 Function : A great painting effect. This take a lot of time, because this effect is very complex. @ENDNODE @NODE "im37" Threshold @{" / " LINK operat} --------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Threshold colour 1 to 255 Function : Conversion to black & white without dithering @ENDNODE @NODE "im38" Bentley @{" / " LINK operat} ------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : none Function : An effect that makes the image look ghostly. @ENDNODE @NODE "im39" DeepPress @{" / " LINK operat} --------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : Strength 1 to 100 Function : Creates an chiselled effect on an image. @ENDNODE @NODE "im40" AutoBorder @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 1..8,24 BIT Options : none Function : Removes single-coloured areas around the actual graphics. @ENDNODE @NODE "im41" RotateFree @{" / " LINK operat} ---------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : angle between 1 and 359 degrees, coordinate point Function : This operator allows to freely rotate graphics by specifying an angle and a co-ordinate point. By selection of size adjustment, the graphics will also be enlarged according to the rotation, so that it will still be fully visible. When not selecting this some parts of the graphics may be cut off. @ENDNODE @NODE "im42" PaletteDither @{" / " LINK operat} ------------- Colour depth: 24 BIT Options : colordepth, colour palette Function : This operator allows you to dither 24 Bit graphics to a given, fixed palette. Just select an IFF file with the required palette. Now your graphics will be dithered to 2..256 colours and has exactly the desired colour palette. This function is quite nice for combining different graphics with an image program, which does not work in 24 Bit (e.g. DPaint). @ENDNODE @NODE "drv.hlp" @TITLE "Displaydriver" @PREV "bil.hlp" @NEXT "gfx.hlp" DISPLAYDRIVER @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} @{" Introduction " LINK 005} @{" SV-Drivers - Displaydrivers of PMPRo " LINK 006} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "005" @TITLE "Introduction: Computer graphics on the Amiga and graphic cards" @PREV "gfx.hlp" @NEXT "006" Here are just a few words on the differences between planar and chunky graphic organisation which have already been discussed within the chapter on graphic formats. "Planar" On the Amiga, with its original graphic chipset, the graphic data is principally organised in the form of single planes. With ECS these are max. 6 Bitplanes (0..16/32 Colours or HAM6), with AGA then max. 8 Bitplanes (0..256 Colours or HAM6/HAM8). These planes have to be understood as the single levels of the bytes, which contain the number of the colour registers to be used. So bitplane 0 contains "one after the other" the lowest and bitplane 6/8 the highest bits of these bytes. The reason for this is how the custom chips of the Amiga work. Also certain advantages in speed which will appear when using less than 256 colours (for example only 63 or 128). With chunky modes this does not matter since 8 Bits per pixel (1 Byte) will always be used in contrary to the planar mode where only as many bytes as actually needed (1-8) will be used. Additionally, at least two ways exist to represent data as bitplanes. The first one is just called "planar" (from "plane"). The second one is "interleaved", since the lines of the single planes do not follow each other but instead are interleaved together. This has just been mentioned for reasons of completeness - and because it is a special feature of the AGA chipset: for more information you should read specialised literature. "ChunkyPixel" The ChunkyPixel representation of graphics is the most simple of all and in most cases where 256 colours are to be displayed perhaps also the fastest one. There's not much to say about this one, the colour register numbers will simply be stored line by line - as much as needed. Depending on the width and height of the graphics, these are written from left to right and top to bottom into a rectangle memory area which in the best case would be identical with the graphic memory of an optionally used graphic card. There are also derivatives which usually only appear when saving graphics and which take 4 Bit pixel pairs which then will be represented by a single byte. This is only possible, when only up to 16 Colours (4 Bit) are represented by a single chunky byte so that the free space may be used for simple compression. "TrueColour" Quite often 16 and 24 Bit TrueColour graphics may be wrongly called "ChunkyPixel" which is not actually correct. Although "chunky" is not wrong, "chunky pixel" is reserved for palette based data. Using the standard graphic mode with PMPro =========================================== Displaying graphics from outside and within PMPro is managed by SuperView-Library. When speaking of SuperView from now on, this will mean the Library in conjunction with PMPro. In general, SuperView knows planar (BITPLANE) as Chunky- and TrueColour (both ONEPLANE) graphics. It has to be mentioned that only the most common derivatives are supported to not overload the applications with a whole bunch of variations. So without confusing the user other formats will automatically be converted internally to the required format just before the graphic is ready to be used after the loading has finished. The following table shows the system behind this: up to 256 Colours (planar) BITPLANE up to 256 Colours (chunky) ONEPLANE 8 Bit (Palette) more than 256 Colours (TrueColour) ONEPLANE 24 Bit (RGB-Values) Which format that is used internally for representation mainly depends on how the data has been stored within the source graphic file format so that the least amount of conversion overhead will be needed. Why this is so will become clear when coming to the displaying of graphics. Depending on the output medium, either chunky or planar data will be faster. It really does not matter whether this conversion will be or has been done before or during the display operation. When using chunky in general, this might mean multiple conversion (planar ILBM file -> ONEPLANE -> displaying on AGA as bitplane), as well as using bitplanes in general (e.g. converting 24 bitplanes to RGB TrueColour values). So it makes more sense to use the format which comes nearest to the original data (minimal conversion amount) and which only converts when the data actually has to be processed for displaying in another format. With SuperView-Library and many other graphic programs this "dualism" of bitmap and chunky graphics is the reason for long display times of planar graphics on chunky displays and vice versa. Therefore, this means for example that IFF-ILBM is displayed faster on AGA than e.g. BMP but that a graphic card perhaps will display BMP quicker on the screen than IFF-ILBM. When using the SuperView-Library system the user in general does not have to concern themselves since this work will automatically be managed by the specific application of superview-internal display- drivers (SVDrivers). However, it may be useful to know which format would be the fastest one for their own system configuration. In the end it makes sense to save newly created graphics for your own usage only in either Bitplane OR Chunky formats. This does mainly concern 8 Bit graphics (256 colours with palette), since 24 Bit does not allow such assumptions: 24 Bit RGB data in chunky representation will always be used no matter how these have been stored within the source file. There are really strange ways to save 24 Bit graphics but only this one has actually become a standard even if the single vendors of display engines and graphic cards seem to have different opinions about representing these internally as either BGR or RGB values... @ENDNODE @NODE "006" @TITLE "SVDrivers - Displaydrivers of PMPro" @PREV "005" @NEXT "drv.hlp" SVDrivers - Displaydrivers of PMPro @{" / " LINK drv.hlp} ==================================== The following display drivers are currently available for the PMPro: Display/Card SVDriver Requirements Shows: @{" ECS " LINK 034} ECS ECS*, OS V2.04+ (V37) 8/24 Bit @{" AGA " LINK 034} AGA AGA*, OS V3.00+ (V39) 8/24 Bit @{"CyberGraphics" LINK 035} CyberGraphics CyberGraphics RTG System 8/24 Bit @{" EGS-System " LINK 036} EGS7 EGS-Graphic-Libraries V7 8/24 Bit @{" Picasso II " LINK 037} PicassoII PicassoII-Card 8/24 Bit @{" OpalVision " LINK 038} OPAL OpalVision Card 8/24 Bit @{" RetinaZ2/Z3 " LINK 039} Retina Retina ZII/ZIII Card 8/24 Bit @{" Merlin " LINK 040} MERLIN Merlin Graphics Card 8/24 Bit @{" Picasso96 " LINK 041} Picasso96 Picasso96 RTG System 8/24 Bit @ENDNODE @NODE "034" @TITLE "ECS/AGA" @PREV "006" @NEXT "035" ECS / AGA @{" / " LINK 006} Special ECS/AGA optimised SVDrivers which nevertheless will also work - when driven in RTG mode - in up to 256 Colours with graphic cards (* no AGA chipset needed). The following settings are possible/necessary for configuration: ECS/AGA - 24BITOPERATOR= ; (case-sensitive, ".svoperator" may be added) ; e.g. "24BITOPERATOR=24BitToHAM.svoperator" ; or "24BITOPERATOR=ExtractGrayScales" ; specifies which operation should be performed ; on 24 Bit graphics _before_ displaying them ; (if not specified, "best guess" colours will ; be used, which is really slow) - BITMAPCOPY= ; "BITMAPCOPY=RTG" prevents AGA.svdriver from ; directly copying into Bitmaps which will ; result in a usage of more memory but keeps it ; working. ; Default is "BITMAPCOPY=DIRECT". - SCREENINFRONT ; Put Screen to front _before_ the graphic ; has been displayed (useful with GfxCards) ECS only - 8BITOPERATOR= ; (case-sensitive, ".svoperator" may be added) ; e.g. "8BITOPERATOR=ExtractGrayScales" ; specifies which operation should be performed ; on non-ECS graphics (more than 16 Colours in ; HighRes, more than 32 Colours in LowRes, HAM8) ; (if not specified, will be used to display) @ENDNODE @NODE "035" @TITLE "Cybergraphics" @PREV "034" @NEXT "036" CyberGraphics @{" / " LINK 006} ------------- This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphics on the CyberGraphX RTG-System. More than 256 colours will either be displayed in 16 or 24 Bit, depending on preferences and/or free memory. HAM6/8-data will be converted to 24 Bit. Only CyberGraphX screen modes will be used. The following settings are possible/necessary for configuration: - EMUSCREENDEPTH=<16|24> ; beginning depth for opening CyberGraphX Screens ; Default is 16 Bit (which will also be tried ; if opening a 24 Bit Screen fails) ; This does not concern colour depths < 16 Bit, ; except HAM6/8. - SMALLSCREENS ; unless this KeyWord is specified it is not ; possible to open screens smaller than 320x240 @ENDNODE @NODE "036" @TITLE "EGS-System" @PREV "035" @NEXT "037" EGS7 @{" / " LINK 006} ---- This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphic on the EGS Workbench emulation system. Any data will be displayed in 24 Bit. HAM6/8 data will be converted to 24 Bit. There are no further settings possible/necessary. @ENDNODE @NODE "037" @TITLE "PicassoII" @PREV "036" @NEXT "038" PicassoII @{" / " LINK 006} --------- This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphic on the Picasso Workbench emulation system (not tested with the cloned vilintuisup.library of CyberGraphX - so the CyberGraphX driver should be used). More than 256 colours will either be displayed in 16 or 24 Bit - depending on preferences and/or free memory. HAM6/8-data will be converted to 24 Bit. Only Picasso screen modes will be used. The following settings are possible/necessary for configuration: - SMALLSCREENS ; unless this KeyWord is specified, it is not ; possible to open screens smaller than 320x240 - EMUSCREENDEPTH=<16|24> ; beginning depth for opening Picasso Screens ; Default is 24 Bit (if opening fails, it will ; try to open a 16 Bit Screen) - AUTOSCROLLADJUST ; this keyword will force Autoscroll whenever ; it would make sense, but the Picasso Software ; would not manage it by itself (when either ; only width or height need to be autoscrolled) @ENDNODE @NODE "038" @TITLE "OPAL" @PREV "037" @NEXT "039" OPAL @{" / " LINK 006} ---- This driver allows the display of graphics on the Framebuffer-/video card OpalVision, which allows a max. 768x512 at 15KHz. The driver is included with kind permission of Steve Quartly. We cannot therefore guarantee full functionality. @ENDNODE @NODE "039" @TITLE "Retina" @PREV "038" @NEXT "040" Retina @{" / " LINK 006} ------ This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphic on the Retina Workbench emulation system. More than 256 colours will either be displayed in 16 or 24 Bit, depending on preferences and/or free memory. HAM6/8-data will be converted to 24 Bit. The following settings are possible/necessary for configuration: - EMUSCREENDEPTH=<16|24> ; beginning depth for opening Retina Screens ; Default is 24 Bit (if opening fails, it will ; try to open a 16 Bit Screen) @ENDNODE @NODE "040" @TITLE "Merlin" @PREV "039" @NEXT "41" Merlin @{" / " LINK 006} ------ This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphic on the Merlin Workbench emulation system. More than 256 colours will either be displayed in 16 or 24 Bit, depending on preferences and/or free memory. HAM6/8-data will be converted to 24 Bit. The driver is included with kind permission of Thomas Eigentler. We cannot therefore guarantee full functionality. There are no further settings possible/necessary. @ENDNODE @NODE "041" @TITLE "Picasso96" @PREV "040" @NEXT "006" Picasso96 @{" / " LINK 006} --------- This driver displays any 1-8 or 24 Bit graphics on the Picasso96 RTG-System. More than 256 colours will either be displayed in 16 or 24 Bit, depending on preferences and/or free memory. HAM6/8-data will be converted to 24 Bit. Only Picasso96 screen modes will be used. PLEASE READ ALSO THE CHAPTER -Problems with related software- !!! The following settings are possible/necessary for configuration: - EMUSCREENDEPTH=<16|24> ; beginning depth for opening CyberGraphX Screens ; Default is 16 Bit (which will also be tried ; if opening a 24 Bit Screen fails) ; This does not concern colour depths < 16 Bit, ; except HAM6/8. - SMALLSCREENS ; unless this KeyWord is specified it is not ; possible to open screens smaller than 320x240 @ENDNODE @NODE "gfx.hlp" @TITLE "Graphics File Formats" @PREV "drv.hlp" @NEXT "tas.hlp" GRAPHICS FILE FORMATS @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} @{" Computergraphics in general " LINK 007} @{" SV-Objects - file formats of PMPro " LINK 008} @{U} @{UU} @ENDNODE @NODE "007" @TITLE "Computergraphics in general" Within the computer world there are many different ways of handling and processing graphics electronically. There are also many more variations of graphic file formats for saving these permanently to disk. So lets start with some basic details about common machine-internal ways of representing computer graphics. NOTE: Vectorgraphics support in PMPro (Postscript, EPS, FIG and CGM) will interpret Postscript files with help from Ghostscript, so that these may be directly displayed, printed and of course also converted to bitmap formats (see also chapter "vector graphics support"). But for this ability, a working installation of Ghostscript is needed. Unfortunately we cannot offer support for problems concerning Ghostscript, since we have no influence on it's development. Computer graphics in general ---------------------------- In general, it is necessary to represent the colour values of computer graphics in the form of their single components (red, green and blue or maybe others). These may be either RGB-, HSV-, YUV/YCbCr- or also CMYK values, but outside Desktop Publishing perhaps only RGB values are actually used and YUV/YCbCr is only significantly used for video processing (similarities to the PAL/NTSC systems). For the number of colour scales which can be represented by RGB-values, the digital "bandwidth" which is available for the single components is important. Since these single or complemented values need to be represented internally as either 8, 16 or 24 Bit, the resolutions that mainly occur are between 4 and 8 for home and semi-professional usage. Within the professional area even more bits per vector are used. It is perhaps important to mention one of the largest restrictions for computer graphics on home computers. With common computers and graphic cards it would be a waste of valuable CPU time and memory to store the complete colour values for any pixel on the screen. Sometimes for example not more than 16 Colours of the number of all possible colours are needed which suggests a more simple way of administration. Because of that, and also because of the highend status of TrueColour processing in the home business, the spectrum of representations for computer graphics is mainly split into two categories: palette-based and TrueColour data representation. Palette graphics are used for up to 256 Colours since one Byte may contain values from 0-255 which in this case would represent the number of a colour palette entry for each pixel. This would then actually contain the real RGB values of the colour (each one represented by either 4, 6 or 8 Bit for R, G and B). The byte data may either be available as Bitmap (planar or interleaved planar organisation) or chunky (which means as a chunk in a single byte). TrueColour graphics directly contain RGB values for each pixel. When making assumptions on how much memory would be needed to access these numbers of colours via a palette, it can be seen that the jump to the next higher type of variable to contain the number of the palette entry (Word) would simply double the required amount of memory. If you take a word (0-65535), for example, for storing the colour register number and also storing the actual RGB values as words, the result would be the opposite of saving memory. After having just discussed TrueColour representations, here are some of the most common types (even with 24 Bit graphics sometimes semi or fully planar representations are used): Common name R G B values (DCTV) 4 4 4 0..16 Highcolour 15 Bit (from 16) 5 5 5 0..32 1 Bit unused Highcolour 15 Bit (from 16) 5 5 5 0..32 1 masking bit Highcolour 16 Bit (from 16) 5 6 5 0..32/64 TrueColour 24 Bit (from 32) 8 8 8 0..255 1 Byte unused TrueColour 32 Bit (from 32) 8 8 8 0..255 1 Byte alpha channel Additionally, it has to be mentioned that the order of R, G and B may differ from system to system and that even the use of 24 Bit RGB values for colour space determination, although claiming to be 8:8:8, sometimes actually only results in 6:6:6 (mainly with old or low-cost cards with VGA chips on board). @ENDNODE @NODE "008" @TITLE "SVObjects - Fileformats of the PMPro @NEXT "gfx.hlp" SVObjects - Fileformats of the PMPro @{" / " LINK gfx.hlp} ==================================== The following overview indicates which graphics file formats are supported by PMPro. Not all of these formats may also be written (converted). The following table shows whether the single modules are able to not only read but also able to write these formats. Fileformat SVObject Colour Depth Read Colour Depth Write --------------------------------------------------------------------------- @{" IFF-ILBM " LINK 009} ILBM up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" IFF-ACBM " LINK 010} ACBM up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" IFF-DEEP " LINK 011} DEEP 24 Bit Files 24 Bit Files @{" IFF-YUVN " LINK 012} YUVN 24 Bit Files 24 Bit Files @{" OS3-DataTypes " LINK 013} (DATATYPES)all graphics (not available) @{" PCX upto V3.0 " LINK 014} PCX up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" GIF upto 89a " LINK 015} GIF up to 8 Bit Files up to 8 Bit Files @{" BMP (W*nd*ws) " LINK 016} BMP up to 8/24 Bit File up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" Icon (W*nd*ws) " LINK 017} WinIcon 16 Colour Icons (not available) @{" FBM (*nix) " LINK 018} FBM up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" PNM (*nix) " LINK 019} PNM up to 8/24 Bit Files always 24 Bit @{" C64 (Koala, Doodle)" LINK 020} C64 up to 4 Bit Files (not available) @{" IMG (GEM/Ventura) " LINK 021} IMG up to 8 Bit Files (not available) @{" TIFF (V5.0) " LINK 022} TIFF up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" EPS " LINK 023} EPS (various) (not available) @{" Targa " LINK 024} Targa up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" WPG (W*rdP*rf*ct) " LINK 025} WPG up to 8 Bit Files (not available) @{" SGI " LINK 026} SGI up to 8/24 Bit Files 24 Bit Files @{" SunRaster (RAS) " LINK 027} SunRaster up to 8/24 Bit Files up to 8/24 Bit Files @{" Pictor/PCPaint/PIC " LINK 028} Pictor up to 8 Bit Files (not available) @{" MAC (MacPaint) " LINK 029} MAC up to 1 Bit Files (not available) @{" Mac PICT-2 Metafile" LINK 030} PICT all (as 24 Bit) (not available) @{" JPEG (JFIF) " LINK 031} JPEG up to 8/24 Bit Files always 24 Bit @{" PCD " LINK 032} PCD 24 Bit Files (not available) @{" QRT/POV " LINK 033} QRT 24 Bit Files 24 Bit Files @{" PNG (Network GFX) " LINK t01} PNG 8/24 Bit Files 8/24Bit Files @{" CDR " LINK t02} CDR Preview Header (not available) @{" Deegas (Atari) " LINK t03} Deegas 2/4/8 Bit (not available) @{" WMF " LINK t04} MetaView (various) (not available) @{" FIG (Amifig) " LINK t05} AmiFIG (various) (not available) @{" Postscript " LINK t06} GhostScipt 8/24Bit (not available) @{" CGM (GPlot) " LINK t07} GPlot (various) (not available) @{" C-Source " LINK t08} CSource (not available) 8/24 Bit Files @ENDNODE @NODE "009" @TITLE "IFF-ILBM" IFF-ILBM @{" / " LINK 008} -------- Standard AMIGA graphic file format. Reading: - IFF-ILBM uncompressed 1..24 Bit - IFF-ILBM CmpByteRun1 compressed 1..24 Bit Writing: - IFF-ILBM uncompressed 1..24 Bit - IFF-ILBM CmpByteRun1 compressed 1..24 Bit Reading/writing from/to Clipboard possible. Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium to high Memory usage (Disk: - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium to high speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "010" @TITLE "IFF-ACBM" IFF-ACBM @{" / " LINK 008} -------- Standard graphic file format for AmigaBASIC. Reading: - IFF-ACBM uncompressed (no 24 Bit) Writing: - IFF-ACBM uncompressed (no 24 Bit) Reading/writing from/to Clipboard possible. Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: medium Memory usage (Disk: - uncompressed: medium speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "011" @TITEL "IFF-DEEP" IFF-DEEP @{" / " LINK 008} -------- 24 Bit format for the video market. Reading: - IFF-DEEP 24 Bit RGB 8:8:8, uncompressed - IFF-DEEP 24 Bit RGB 8:8:8, RLE-encoded - IFF-DEEP 32 Bit Writing: - IFF-DEEP 24 Bit RGB 8:8:8, uncompressed Reading/writing from/to Clipboard possible. Memory usage (RAM): - medium to high Memory usage (Disk: - medium speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "012" @TITLE "IFF-YUVN" IFF-YUVN @{" / " LINK 008} -------- 24 Bit format for the video market. Reading: - IFF-YUVN 24 Bit (Y, 1/4 U, 1/4 V) Writing: - IFF-YUVN 24 Bit (Y, 1/4 U, 1/4 V) Reading/writing from/to Clipboard possible. Memory usage (RAM): - medium to high Memory usage (Disk: - medium speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "013" @TITLE "OS 3.0 - Datatypes" DATATYPES @{" / " LINK 008} --------- file format drivers of Amiga OS 3.x Reading: - any PICTURE-Datatypes (with ANYDATATYPES also all the other datatypes) Memory usage (RAM): - variable Memory usage (Disk): - variable speed : - variable @ENDNODE @NODE "014" @TITLE "PCX" PCX @{" / " LINK 008} --- Format of the PC program Paintbrush. Reading: 2-256 Colours, 24 Bit. - PCX V2.5 up to 16 Colours - PCX V2.8a up to 16 Colours - PCX V2.8b up to 16 Greyscales - PCX V3.00 up to 256 Colours - PCX V2.5 - V3.00 with 24 Bit data Writing: Dependant on the colour depth of the source the following is written: source colours version type destination colours 2 .. 16 PCX V2.8a planar bitmap 16 32 .. 256 PCX V3.00 chunky pixel 256 (24 Bit) PCX V3.00 RGB planar (24 Bit) Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: medium to high - compressed: medium to high Memory usage (Disk: - uncompressed: medium to high - compressed: medium to high speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "015" @TITLE "GIF" GIF @{" / " LINK 008} --- Previous standard file format of Compuserve; now replaced by PNG. Reading: - GIF 87a - GIF 89a Writing: - GIF 87a - GIF 89a source colours version type destination colours 2 .. 256 GIF 87/89a chunky pixel 2 .. 256 Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk): - slow to medium speed : - medium to slow @ENDNODE @NODE "016" @TITLE "BMP" BMP @{" / " LINK 008} --- Standard Windows graphic file format. Reading: - unencoded in 1, 4, 8 or 24 Bit colour depth - RLE-encoded in 8 Bit colour depth Writing: source colours version type destination colours 2 BMP V3.00 packed chk. pix. 2 4 .. 16 BMP V3.00 packed chk. pix. 16 32 .. 256 BMP V3.00 chunky pixel 256 (24 Bit) BMP V3.00 RGB pixel (24 Bit) Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium to high Memory usage (Disk: - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium to high speed : - fast to medium @ENDNODE @NODE "017" @TITLE "WinIcon" WinIcon @{" / " LINK 008} ------- Standard Windows Icon format. Reading: - WinIcons with exactly 16 Colours Memory usage (RAM): - low Memory usage (Disk: - low speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "018" @TITLE "FBM" FBM @{" / " LINK 008} --- Unix graphics file format. Reading: FBM 8 Bit, 1 Bitplane FBM 8 Bit, 3 Planes 2..256 Colours; 256 Greyscales 24 Bit Writing: FBM 8 Bit, 1 Bitplane FBM 8 Bit, 3 Planes 2..256 Colours; 256 Greyscales 24 Bit 8 Bit will always be written, even for 2..128 colours. Memory usage (RAM): - low Memory usage (Disk: - high speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "019" @TITLE "PNM" PNM @{" / " LINK 008} --- Unix graphic file format. Reading: All binary variations (non-ASCII) of the PNM format will be read (P4/P5/P6), non-binary (ASCII) variations are not supported (P1/P2/P3). PBM (P4) PGM (P5) PPM (P6) black & white 256 Greyscales 24 Bit TrueColour Writing: At the moment any input data no matter which colour depth it has will be written as 24 Bit PPM data (P6). Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - high speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "020" @TITLE "C64" C64 @{" / " LINK 008} --- Various C64 standard formats. Reading: Format Size Colours Changed to Doodle 320x200 2/16 320x200 Koala 160x200 4/16 320x200 Memory usage (RAM): - low Memory usage (Disk: - low speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "021" @TITLE "IMG" IMG @{" / " LINK 008} --- Standard graphic format for the GUI system GEM. Reading: - IMG, 2..256 Greyscales Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - medium speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "022" @TITLE "TIFF" TIFF @{" / " LINK 008} ---- Graphic standard for the printing society (scanner, etc.) Reading: Compression Code Bytes Planes Max. Depth Int. Repres. None 1 1 (system) 1*(System) BITPLANE None 1 8 1,3 8 / 24 ONEPLANE Mac PackBits 32773 1 (system) 1*(System) BITPLANE Mac PackBits 32773 4 1 4 ONEPLANE Mac PackBits 32773 8 1 8 ONEPLANE LZW 5 8 1,3 8 / 24 ONEPLANE Writing: Depth Written as up to 256 Colours Motorola (MM), uncompressed, 8, 1, ONEPLANE (24 Bit) Motorola (MM), uncompressed, 8, 3, ONEPLANE Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: variabe - compressed: variable Memory usage (Disk: - uncompressed: varaible - compressed: variable speed : - variable @ENDNODE @NODE "023" @TITLE "EPS" EPS @{" / " LINK 008} --- Most common format for the printing society (laser printers, etc.) Reading: Dependent upon the accompanying previews/thumbnails (most often in TIFF format) Memory usage (RAM): - variable Memory usage (Disk: - variable speed : - variable @ENDNODE @NODE "024" @TITLE "Targa" Targa @{" / " LINK 008} ----- Proprietary graphic standard for 24 Bit data (also 8, 16 and 32). Reading: Colours Depth Organisation RLE-Compression 1 1 planar monochrome supported 256 8 chunky pixel (Colours/grey) supported (24 Bit) BGR-Pixel supported Writing: source colours version type destination colours 2 .. 256 uncompressed chunky pixel 256 (24 Bit) uncompressed BGR (24 Bit) Memory usage (RAM): - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium Memory usage (Disk): - uncompressed: medium - compressed: medium speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "025" @TITLE "WPG" WPG @{" / " LINK 008} --- WordPerfect graphic file format. Reading: - WPG BitMap (Greyscales) with 1, 2, 4 or 8 Bit colour depth. - WPG BitMap (Palette) with 1, 2, 4 or 8 Bit colour depth. Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - medium speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "026" @TITLE "SGI" SGI @{" / " LINK 008} --- Graphics file format for the SGI workstations. Reading: Num. of Colours Organisation Compression 256 Colours ( 8 Bit, chunky pixel) uncompressed, RLE 24 Bit (24 Bit, R-G-B) uncompressed, RLE Writing: source colours compression type destination colours (24 Bit) uncompressed 24 Bit RGB (24 Bit) Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - medium speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "027" @TITLE "SunRaster" SunRaster @{" / " LINK 008} --------- Graphic file format for the SUN workstations. Reading: Colours Organisation Compression 2 Colours ( 1 Bit, planar) uncompressed 256 Colours ( 8 Bit, chunky pixel) uncompressed 24 Bit (24 Bit, R-G-B) uncompressed Writing: source colours compression type destination colours 2..256 uncompressed Chunky Pixel 256 (24 Bit) uncompressed 24 Bit RGB (24 Bit) Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk): - medium speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "028" @TITLE "Pictor" Pictor @{" / " LINK 008} ------ Graphic file format of PC Paint. Reading: - files with 1, 4, or 8 Bit colour depth (monochrome or with EGA- or VGA-Palette). Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk): - medium speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "029" @TITLE "MAC (MacPaint)" MAC @{" / " LINK 008} --- Graphic file format of MacPaint (MacIntosh). Reading: - MAC Black/White 576x720 Memory usage (RAM): - slow Memory usage (Disk): - slow speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "030" @TITLE "MAC PICT-2" Mac PICT-2 (PICT, PCT) @{" / " LINK 008} ---------------------- Graphic file format of QuickDraw (MacIntosh) and others. Reading: - Mac PICT-2 with 1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 Bit colour depth, but always 24 Bit output. Memory usage (RAM): - slow to medium Memory usage (Disk): - slow to medium speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "031" @TITLE "JPEG" JPEG @{" / " LINK 008} ---- Standard graphic file format for lossy 24 Bit data compression (IJG-JFIF). Also support for progressive JPEG. Reading: - JPEG (IJG-JFIF), with output in 256 Colours or 24 Bit Writing: - JPEG (IJG-JFIF), from 256 Colours or 24 Bit Memory usage (RAM): - slow (virtual memory) Memory usage (Disk: - slow to high (variable compression) speed : - slow @ENDNODE @NODE "032" @TITLE "PCD" PCD @{" / " LINK 008} --- Format of the pictures on Kodak-Photo-CDs. Reading: - BASE/16 BASE/4 BASE 192x128 384x256 768x512 Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - high speed : - medium @ENDNODE @NODE "033" @TITLE "QRT" @NEXT "008" QRT @{" / " LINK 008} --- Raytracer format (Unix). Reading: - QRT Dump 24 Bit Writing: - QRT Dump 24 Bit Memory usage (RAM): - medium Memory usage (Disk: - high speed : - fast @ENDNODE @NODE "t01" @TITLE "PNG" @NEXT "008" PNG @{" / " LINK 008} --- It supports reading of Portable Network Graphics (PNG) files In detail these are : Reading : - 8 Bit color mapped files - True color files (16, 24, 32 Bit) as 24 Bit Writing : 8 / 24Bit Files @ENDNODE @NODE "t02" @TITLE "CDR" @NEXT "008" CDR @{" / " LINK 008} --- Vector graphics file format as used with PC program CorelDraw (TM). Read: - CDR Preview header, which are included with CDR files memory usage: low speed: high @ENDNODE @NODE "t03" @TITLE "DEEGAS" @NEXT "008" DEEGAS @{" / " LINK 008} ------ Had been widely used on the good old Atari computer! Read: - uncompressed Degas PI1 320x200: 16 colours - uncompressed Degas PI2 640x200: 4 colours - uncompressed Degas PI3 640x400: 2 colours @ENDNODE @NODE "t04" @TITLE "WMF" @NEXT "008" W M F @{" / " LINK 008} ----- Vector graphics format from the PC. This modules requires Ghostscript 3.53+ and Metaview (see aminet). For more information see chapter "vector graphics support". @ENDNODE @NODE "t05" @TITLE "FIG" @NEXT "008" FIG @{" / " LINK 008} --- Vector graphics format used on Unix systems. This module requires Ghostscript 3.53+ and Amifig (aminet/gfx/edit/amifig.LHA). For more information see chapter "vector graphics support". @ENDNODE @NODE "t06" @TITLE "Postscript" @NEXT "008" POSTSCRIPT @{" / " LINK 008} ---------- This module will allow you to display Postscript- and PDF-files and convert these into bitmapped formats using Ghostscript. For more information see chapter "vector graphics support". @ENDNODE @NODE "t07" @TITLE "CGM" @NEXT "008" CGM @{" / " LINK 008} --- Vector graphics format from the PC. This modules requires Ghostscript 3.53+ and GPlot (aminet/gfx/conv/gplot.LHA). For more information see chapter "vector graphics support". @ENDNODE @NODE "t08" @TITLE "C" @NEXT "008" C-Source @{" / " LINK 008} -------- This saver module will allow you to save graphics as C-source code. @ENDNODE @NODE "tas.hlp" @TITLE "Keyboard controlling" @PREV "gfx.hlp" @NEXT "tip.hlp" Keyboard controlling @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Most functions of PMPro can be entered via the keyboard as well. Alongside the buttons, the corresponding key to be used is displayed underlined (but not all buttons may be reached via keyboard). ESCape key: The ESCape key allows the user to close any window which has ----------- a close gadget. This generally applies to Cancel buttons (but with the exception of file requesters). Also functions like Print, Expand, etc. may be aborted via the ESCape key (equivalent to the Abort button). Cursor keys: Cursor keys allow browsing through the catalogue ------------ as follows: Curs. right : next page Curs. left : previous page Curs. up : last page Curs. down : first page The information menu also allows the use of the cursor keys for browsing by one entry or one page. Numeric keys 0 to 9: On the main screen these will directly jump -------------------- to the catalogue pages 1 to 10. Function keys: The function keys allow direct calling of -------------- the image specific functions of the Popup menu when the mouse pointer is positioned over a thumbnail. The single functions: F1 : USER POP-UP F2 : DISPLAY F3 : REMOVE F4 : DELETE F5 : RENAME F6 : MARK F7 : PROCESS F8 : CONVERT F9 : INFORMATION F10: PRINT Functions of the Pulldown menus: -------------------------------- Some functions of the Pulldown menus are also reachable via the keyboard. Pressing RightAmiga plus the corresponding key will call these. RightAmiga + I : Program/About RightAmiga + E : Program/Quit RightAmiga + L : Catalogue/Load RightAmiga + Y : Catalogue/Expand/Selected files RightAmiga + X : Catalogue/Expand/Directory RightAmiga + C : Catalogue/Expand/whole directory RightAmiga + V : Catalogue/Expand/Read logfile RightAmiga + N : Catalogue/New RightAmiga + S : Catalogue/Delete RightAmiga + U : Catalogue/Rename RightAmiga + K : Catalogue/Copy RightAmiga + P : Catalogue/Validate RightAmiga + O : Catalogue/Optimise RightAmiga + D : Catalogue/Print RightAmiga + A : Catalogue/Update RightAmiga + M : Entries/Search/Pattern RightAmiga + J : Entries/Search/missing graphics RightAmiga + B : Entries/Search/duplicate graphics RightAmiga + T : Entries/List RightAmiga + 0-9 : Extras/Colourise RightAmiga + F : Extras/IFF-pages RightAmiga + H : Extras/Tools/colour filter RightAmiga + R : Extras/Ramdisk/Catalogue --> Ramdisk RightAmiga + Z : Extras/Ramdisk/Delete RightAmiga + G : Extras/Ramdisk/Ramdisk --> Catalogue @ENDNODE @NODE "tip.hlp" @TITEL "Notes and Hints" @PREV "tas.hlp" @NEXT "gra.hlp" NOTES, HINTS and TECHNICAL PROGRAM INFORMATION @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} MISC: ----- Autoload: When starting PMPro the latest catalogue will automatically be loaded, which had been active when leaving the program the last time. If you do not want that, keep the left mouse button pressed, while program is in the initialisation phase. Virtual memory: PMPro now works together with the shareware-tool VMM. It allows you to catalogue or process very large graphics even with low memory. HINTS: ------ * Use the RAMDISK function as often as possible since nearly all functions will then become significantly faster. Especially use these functions when working with slow volumes like CD-ROM, MO-drives, etc. * Should the catalogue have been sorted and this sort order is to be permanent, you should use the OPTIMIZE function to increase access time to the single data records. * Too large catalogues will result in less overview and decrease access time to the single data records. Tests have shown that not more than 300-500 entries should be stored into one single catalogue. This value strongly depends on the speed of the hard disk and size of the xxx.image file. * Speed optimisations when browsing catalogues: access of data records e.g. when browsing through catalogues has again been increased. To get that speed improvements even with large catalogues, note the following: - Increase caches of your data partition to about 200 kb (this means 400 buffers on a partition with block size of 512 bytes). Please consult your AmigaDOS manual for a description of the AddBuffers command. - Great speed improvements with catalogues of 1000, 2000 or even 5000 entries can be reached, by increasing the block size of your hard disk to 2048 or 4096 Bytes. This can be done with the system tool HDToolBox when partitioning the hard disk. But this does require reformatting. With AmigaDOS 3.1 it may not be possible with all hard disk controllers, since there are still some small bugs in the Amiga FileSystem left. A reworked version of the file system is already is under development and may be available soon. * Owners of Amigas with AGA chipset should, when possible, start the program DBLPAL mode and via IControl select "keep mode". This prevents graphics from being displayed in PAL as DBLPAL would be the better choice for these. Also, when running PMPro in DBLPAL the vertical and horizontal frequencies will not have to be changed which is better for the monitor. * If you own a graphic card it is better to use the high resolution modes of the graphic cards with higher frequencies. * Owners of Bernoulli drives should save their catalogue files to these (don't forget to change the data path). That way unnecessary data storage on the usually faster hard disk may be prevented and speed is usually still sufficient. NOTES: ------ * When starting the program several times, please take care that you are not accessing the same catalogue files. This may cause collisions and in the worst case program crashes. * When cataloguing graphics the required memory will be allocated as a single block in memory. Should the memory have been highly fragmented, it may appear that there is still enough memory available but it cannot be accessed as a single chunk (-->PROGRAM/INFORMATION). In such a case rebooting the system is necessary but usually it may also help to just leave the program for a moment, wait a few seconds and then start it again and continue. TECHNICAL PROGRAM INFORMATION ----------------------------- Construction of the catalogue files --------------------------------- A catalogue consists of the following files which can be found in the selected data path: name.CAT : Contains global catalogue information like e.g. number of entries, type, ... name.INDEX : Information on each catalogued graphic (size, save path, screen mode, comments, etc.) name.IMAGE : Thumbnails for each catalogued graphic. Deleting or manipulating any of these files will probably destroy the whole catalogue! Required volume space for catalogues: ------------------------------------- A lot of space on the volume may be required for the catalogue files, especially for large catalogues. This depends a great deal on the catalogue type. The following table shows the required space for each entry of the catalogue: 80x64 grey : 2.5KB 80x64 colour : 5 KB 120x96 grey : 6 KB 120x96 colour : 12 KB 144x112 grey : 8 KB 144x112 colour : 16 KB Example: A catalogue with 400 entries (120x96 grey) would need about 2.4 MB volume space. For a whole CD-ROM with 2000 graphics (120x96 grey) this would already be 12 MB. Colour catalogues would need twice as much space. Required RAM: ------------- To run the program without problems at least 1.4 MB plus about 260 KB CHIP RAM should be available before starting the program (some graphic cards may accept FAST instead of CHIP ram). When working with colour catalogues the required amount of CHIP memory is about 520 KB. The display of quite large graphics and starting of external programs will increase the required amount of memory. (for example a 1024x768 pixel graphic with 256 colours will require an additional 750 KB in one single chunk). The function Program/Information displays the currently available memory. Also, the Tool MEM-Meter may be opened on the PMPro screen (ARexx pulldown) to allow permanent visual controlling of the free amount of memory. When considering working with 24BIT graphics it is suggested to make at least 8 MB (or more) FAST memory availalbe. This is native to 24 Bit graphics, not PMPro. Note: Any memory limits mentioned above are a necessary minimum. Graphic cards may reduce the required amount of CHIP RAM but usually increase FAST RAM usage. Program restrictions: --------------------- * Catalogue names are restricted to 20 characters, catalogue descriptions may not exceed 40 characters. * Comments (patterns) are limited to 20 characters, image descriptions may not exceed 40 characters. * The naming conventions of AmigaDOS have to be respected (no "/" or ":" within the catalogue name). * The number of entries per catalogue is limited to 999 for reasons of keeping an overview and faster access times to the single data records. * For cataloguing a graphic the related save path should not exceed 100 characters in length. If you have longer path-names, add an ASSIGN to this path in your user-startup-File. * When running, the program will not allow any more writing activities when the free space within the data path becomes smaller than 300 KB. Please take care that at least 1-2 MB is always available in this path. * The size of the graphics to be catalogued is only limited by the available RAM. @ENDNODE @NODE "gra.hlp" @TITLE "NOTES on GRAPHIC CARDS " @PREV "tip.hlp" @NEXT "pcd.hlp" NOTES on GRAPHIC CARDS @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} PMPro is able to display colour catalogues on certain graphic cards without an AGA chipset. The graphic card has to supply 256 Colour Amiga screen modes via system conforming Monitor files. Usually, Kickstart 3.0 or greater is required for this. When it is required to simply open the main screen of Picture Managers on a graphic card it should be sufficient to select a screen mode of the card when starting the program. The number of thumbnails is automatically adjusted to the screen size (for example 30 thumbnails with 800x200 instead of 20). For using further functions of Picture Manager on a graphic card (display graphics, etc.) more settings may have to be made. 1.) At first you should configure Picture Manager as follows: - For displaying graphics on your graphic card you may simply use the image display programs which come with your graphic card. With Picture Manager you are also able to use external viewers for displaying graphics. (see function Program/Viewers). But you can also use the appropriate displayer module for your graphic card (see chapter PROGRAM/DISPLAY). 2.) You should configure the screen promotion software of your graphic card (ChangeScreen for Picasso, Retina Emu for Retina, etc.) The following table indicates which screens are opened by PMPro and whether promotion of these are either possible or necessary. Screen name Used for Promote ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Picasso Retina Spectrum PMPro.1 (2,3..) main screen no autom. no Please Wait... display graphic possible autom. no PM2 print graphic yes (1) no PM5 background for slide show possible autom. no PM6 print catalogue yes (1) no PMPro info screen when no autom. no cataloguing VT playing animation's no autom. no Notes: ------ * PICASSO: Should screens be promoted to Picasso mode, recopying of data should be activated (PM2 and PM6)! * RETINA: Retina Emu always promotes all screen. The screens marked with (1) within Retina Emu (drawer Retina System) also require recopying of data to be activated (Screen Settings/Refresh-Mode --> permanently). * SPECTRUM With the Spectrum card no screens should be promoted! IF you have installed Turboprint 4 or higher, the screens PM2 and PM6 are not used. So a screenpromotion is not necessary. @ENDNODE @NODE "pcd.hlp" @TITLE "The Kodak ® Photo CD" @PREV "gra.hlp" @NEXT "tool.hlp" The Kodak Photo CD @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} PMPro supports PCD graphics. This graphic file format is exclusively designed for and used on Photo CD4s. Additionally, PMPro is able to read Portfolio Photo-CD's. With the programs PhotoView and MultiConvert, you may also display PCD graphics without starting PMPro or convert these to e.g. IFF. Conversion may of course also be managed directly within PMPro (see chapter Marked/Convert or Found/Convert). Configuration: -------------- Before processing graphics from a Photo-CD you have to specify within the settings which drive your CD-ROM is using (CD0:, CD1:, etc.) Here you also need to specify which resolution should be used for displaying the graphic. Cataloguing: ----------- For cataloguing graphics of Photo-CDs Picture Manager Professional supports two possible methods: 1.) Via Expand/Photo-CD. The content of the corresponding file on the PhotoCD will be examined and the thumbnails will be extracted and catalogued. A Pixel size of 96x64 will be used for this. Rescaling of PMPro's native thumbnail sizes is not possible using this method. This is only possible when using the second slower method of cataloguing PCD graphics. 2.) By calling Expand/Directories (and of course also single files) the PCD graphics on the PhotoCD's may be catalogued just the same way as IFF and other graphic file formats. PCD graphics of a Photo-CD are stored within the directory /PHOTO_CD/IMAGES of the CD. Should problems occur with the first method, please use the second one for cataloguing PCD graphics. Restrictions and notes: ----------------------- Picture Manager only supports PCD resolutions up to 764x512 pixels. For screen displays and printer output this is entirely sufficient. Higher resolutions require a lot of RAM (up to 20 MB of Fast memory) and an extremely fast processor. Also, displaying of higher resolutions would not actually be possible on an Amiga, since more than 2 MB graphic memory (Chip RAM) are needed. It is possible that future versions of PMPro will also support those higher resolutions. @ENDNODE @NODE "tool.hlp" @TITLE "The Tools Directory" @PREV "pcd.hlp" @NEXT "vec.hlp" The Tools Directory @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} The Picture Manager professional package contains some additional programs, which can be found in the >> Tools >> directory. @{" Mem_Meter " LINK t01} @{" HD_Meter " LINK t02} @{" WinView " LINK t03} @{" MultiConvert " LINK t04} @{" QM Editor " LINK t05} @{" PhotoView " LINK t06} @ENDNODE @NODE "t01" @TITEL "Mem Meter" Mem Meter @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} --------- The Mem_Meter is as small tool, which visually displays the memory usage within your system. It may be started from either the Workbench or PMPro's ARexx menu. ---------------- In the second case the window will appear on the Picture Manager screen. This tool is quite useful when controlling the PMPro (WinView or 24 bit processing) in performing quite memory intensive tasks. @ENDNODE @NODE "t02" @TITEL "HD Meter" HD Meter @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} -------- The HD_Meter visually displays the free amount of hard disk space of up to three drives. The pulldown menu of HD_Meter allows configuration for your own purposes. It may be started from either the Workbench or PMPro's ARexx menu. Should RAMDISK be selected as a drive, the whole free memory will be displayed. ---------------- The pulldown menu contains the following functions: Program/Load Config Loads Config file. (at program start the default config will be loaded). Program/Save Config Saves Config file ( can be reloaded via "Load Config" again). Program/Config Info Displays the current configuration and the ones saved in the first and second configuration files. Settings/Drive Here you can select the partition for which the free amount of space should be displayed. Settings/Reset Drive Removes the corresponding drive. HD_meter will no longer show the free space for this drive. Status "not used" will be reported. Settings/Range Drive Allows setting the scale for the corresponding drive, which depends on its size and the free amount on the partition. Information Displays Information (free space, errors, capacity etc.) of the coresponding drive. @ENDNODE @NODE "t03" @TITEL "WinView" WinView @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} ------- With this tool you may display graphics of all supported file formats in a window on workbench or on the PMPro screen. These so-called Superbitmap-Windows use a large amount of memory, so that synchronous displaying of several large graphics may result in a lack of memory. * Start from CLI When called from CLI (e.g. via the user popup menu of PMPro) the window will be opened on the frontmost PublicScreen, just as if this had a palette similar to the default screen colours of the Picture Manager professional. Calling the program from other programs via the CLI is not sensible because of this context. The syntax is as follows: WinView FILENAME [-sSIZE -mMODE -dDISPLAY ] The following parameters are allowed: -sSIZE (=normal, reduce2, reduce4 or auto) "auto" means that all graphics with more than 150000 pixel (e.g. 500x300) will be halved in size for reasons of speed and memory usage. You should always use this setting, when possible. "Reduce2" uses half the size, "reduce4" a quarter and "normal" displays it in the original size. -mMODE (=amiga or rtg) -dDISPLAY (=colour or grey) If no additional options are supplied, the following default will be used: SIZE=auto, MODE=amiga, DISPLAY=colour. Please note, that the options are case sensitive. Example: winview ram:test.gif -sreduce2 -mamiga -dgray displays the graphics test.gif from the RAM disk in half of its size using the amiga blitter for displaying. It will be displayed greyscaled, residing in CHIP memory. * Start from Workbench When starting from Workbench the graphics will be displayed in a window on the WB screen. Depending on display mode (grey or colour) the Workbench should have a depth of 16 or 256 colours. By specifying tooltypes within the program WinView's Icon you may specify the same options as with the call via CLI, but in a different syntax: SIZE=AUTO/REDUCE2/REDUCE4/NORMAL MODE=AMIGA/RTG DISPLAY=GRAY/COLOUR Please note that settings being placed in braces are not active and are handled just like comments. * Notes and Hints - A large number of high quality dithering and colour reduction algorithms can be applied to the graphics. These will take some time; e.g. an A4000/040 will need about 20 sec for a 768x512 JPEG graphic to be displayed in colour in a superbitmap window. So you should not use the full size for displaying, or activate the auto function to shorten the display time. - Required memory: the colour reduction is applied in 24 Bit internally, which needs quite a large amount of memory (at first the graphics have to be converted to 24 Bit before processing is continued). With insiffient FAST memory, WinView will not be able to display your graphics. As a guide, the following amount of memory is required : Width (pixel) x Height (pixel) x 4 Byte (referring to the original graphics). So an IFF graphics sized 640x512 (1..14 Bit) would need about 1.3 MB FAST memory (plus CHIP for displaying). @ENDNODE @NODE "t04" @TITEL "Multi Convert" Multi Convert @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} ------------- MultiConvert is a powerful workbench tool for the display, converting and processing of graphics of various formats. The functions are quite identical to those of the PMPro, so that further explanations can be overlooked. More information can be found in the chapters "image processing", "conversion of graphics" and "Display/Settings". Since PMPro requires much more memory than MultiConvert, MultiConvert can sometimes execute functions which PMPro cannot due to a lack of memory. ---------------- It has to be mentioned that the Picture Manager professional, as well as MultiConvert and PhotoView, all use the same configuration file. Therefore, any settings made for one of the programs will also be active for the other ones. @ENDNODE @NODE "t05" @TITEL "QM Editor" QM Editor @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} --------- The QM-Editor is used for creation of your own tool bars (quick menus) for Picture Manager professional. After starting the program you will see a list of all functions of PMPro on the left side. On the right side up to 140 small graphics are displayed, which can be attached to PMPro functions. These graphics are in IFF format and are 30x18 pixel in size and can be found in the directory Quickmenu/Shapes. These may, if wished, be replaced with alternative graphics following these rules: * 30x18 pixel in size * 4 bitplanes as a maximum * being named with three numeric characters (between 000 and 139) followed by the extension ".shp" The directory "Quickmenu" contains a number of IFF graphics (640x512) with examples. These may be changed in any way and the desired symbols may be exported as brushes sized 30x18 under Quickmenu/Shapes. Please note, that the original files will then be overwritten. Also your menus will now use the new graphics. For your first steps you should modify the unused, empty buttons at first. After starting the program you may either create a new menu or modify an existing tool bar. Should you have loaded a menu and then directly want to create a new one, just load the menu 0_Empty.qms. This menu does not contain any entries and resets all previously made configurations (danger, save important data first!). * Attaching a function to a button Simply click onto a symbol (right window) and select a function in the listview. This button now may be added to the current toolbar with the Append function. * Number of Columns The order of buttons in the toolbar can be adjusted. The number of columns may freely be ranged between 2 and 15. * Windowtitle Select a name for the window title of your toolbar. * Load Loads a previously saved definition file. * Save Saves the current toolbar. The file name automatically gets the extension ".qms" and the file now can be used with PMPro. * Test Displays the current tool bar. By clicking on a symbol you get the information about the function it represents. * Append (Add) Adds a new button (with the current setting for symbol and attached function) to the currently active quick menu. * Remove Removes a function from the currently active tool bar. By clicking on a button it will be removed from the quick menu. @ENDNODE @NODE "t06" @TITEL "PhotoView" PhotoView @{" / " LINK tool.hlp} --------- PhotoView is a workbench tool, which allows quick and easy viewing of contact sheets of a PhotoCD. It is also possible to display single PCD graphics. PhotoView also contains the complete range of image processing functions of PMPro, which will help you in the processing and converting to other formats of PCD graphics. ---------------- The single functions: * Configuration Here you should select the screenmode for contact sheets, the colour depth (grey or colour), the size for displaying and the name of your CD-ROM drive when first starting the program ---------------- * Configure Display Uses the same settings a PMPro and MultiConvert. Please read the chapter "Program/Display". * Contact sheet Screenmode and colour depth has to be set in the configuration menu. * View Display a PCD graphic. The settings of PMPro and MultiConvert will be used (driver module and 24 Bit display), if you did not change these for PhotoView. * Process See chapter Image Processing to read infos about functions for processing and conversion of Images. * Contact Sheet Loads a Contact sheet of a Kodak Photo CD and displays it on a seperate Screen. The Screenmode and the colordepth (4Bit grey or 8Bit color) can be adjusted in the Configuration Menu. On the Contact sheet screen, you can view and process/convert Photo-CD pictures. Note: The Picture Manager professional, MultiConvert and PhotoView use the same configuration file. Any settings made for one of the programs will also be active for the other ones. @ENDNODE @NODE "vec.hlp" @TITLE "Vector Graphics Support" @PREV "tool.hlp" @NEXT "arc.hlp" Vector Graphics Support of PMPro @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Important Notes =============== Through SuperView-Library PMPro now supports some exotic vector graphics file formats (FIG, CGM...), where the reading of these - as well as reading Postscript files - is only possible when the freely available Ghostscript package also has been installed Please read also the file README.GHOSTSCRIPT in the DOCS-Directory!! When using Ghostscript for Postscript-support you have to take care of the following: - Acquire Ghostscript V3.53 or V4.0 from somewhere (e.g. Aminet) - Ghostscript must be correctly installed!!! - Ensure that the correct Ghostscript version has been installed - 68040/060 owners may also have to install a special patch, included with the Ghostscript package, which will be applied to the MathIEEE libraries - named "SetMathPatch" (alternatively use an up to date SetPatch version greater V43.4 from Amiga International) - It makes sense to replace the maths libraries on 68040/060 systems with better, more optimised versions. For example, the "FMath" package from Aminet (V40.6 from Aminet:util/libs/FMath406.LHA) can be recommended. - Ghostscript requires a reasonable number of font files to work correctly (Font files for fontmap entries), because without these non-graphics postscript files would not work well. On various GNU-CD-ROMs, FTP servers or on Aminet you will find some. Just copy these to the "fonts" directory in the Ghostscript drawer. - Ghostscript 3.53 seems to have a serious bug, which prevents present Font files from being correctly localised, assigned and used. This may mean that with Ghostscript 3.53 it will not be possible to read CGM files (GPlot.svobject), since GPlot (version 4.3b2) always explicitly requests a font called "Times-Roman". Although it is not actually needed, unavailability of this font may prevent reading of the (internally converted to Postscript) GGM graphics. - For testing Ghostscript after installation, check out the files "tiger.ps" and "chess.ps" from the "Examples" drawer in the Ghostscript directory. "Tiger.ps" should always work with a correct installation, and "Chess.ps" will additionally require a working system of additional fonts (Times-Roman, etc.) - You should only activate support of PS, FIG and CGM graphics via Ghostscript when Ghostscript runs without errors on your system. Configuration ============= There is a settings menu called Settings/Vector graphics, in which you may set all necessary preferences for the vector file formats PS, EPS, CGM and FIG. Postscript Options ------------------ - Ghostscript: select the program Ghostscript here - Colourdepth: select, which colourdepth should be used for importing Postscript files. 8-Bit will usually suffice. - Resolution: Which resolution (dpi - Dots per Inch) should be used for importing. The default value of 73 dpi usually complies to the screen resolution and should not be increased too much. - Activate: Should this module be activated (see note) ? Amifig / GPlot / EPS --------------------- - Select GPlot: select the program GPlot. - Activate: Should the GPlot module be activated (see note) ? - Select fig2dev: select the program fig2dev (which comes with Amifig) - Activate: Should the Amifig module be activated (see note) ? - load EPS: This function determines whether loading an EPS graphics imports the preview header or an interpretation by Ghostscript. - save EPS: Determines the resolution which is being used for saving EPS graphics. Saving EPS graphics does not require Postscript and thus is always available, even if Ghostscript has not been installed. Note: ===== Only activate support for PS, EPS, FIG and CGM graphics via Ghostscript, if it works without errors on your system and you actually wish to use these uncommon (on the Amiga)graphics. Otherwise keep them deactivated!!! For the typical Amiga user, these might not be of any interest. @ENDNODE @NODE "arc.hlp" @TITLE "LHA- and LZX Archives and PMPro" @PREV "vec.hlp" @NEXT "prb.hlp" LHA- / LZX Archives and PMPro @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} On many CD-ROM series LHA archives are widely used. Especially the Aminet series which mainly consists of thousands of such archives, while any single archive may also contain a number of files. For the user, there is almost no chance to extract graphics from these archives. Graphics, for example, are not only included in Aminet related /PIX directories, but the archives of many programs or demo versions of programs may also contain graphics, which the typical user will never be able to examine (if you are not able to take some days or weeks and extract each single archive and scan it for the presence graphics). PMPro now offers the unique facility to catalogue graphics formats in LHA and LZX archives. Also, the ability to display, print, convert, etc. such archived graphics will be automatically managed by PMPro. You need no longer worry as all these graphics will be handled just like common graphics, so that nearly any operation available for normal graphics can also be applied for such archived graphics. There are also some functions available in PMPro which allow you to archive (or add to an archive) a number of marked/found graphics with LHA (function: searched/found - add to archive). Thus you are now able to easily archive a large collection of graphics from your hard disk and may save a lot of hard disk space, or reduce the number of files on your hard drive, which will be useful in conjunction with many disktools (DiskSalv, Undelete, defragmentation programs, etc.) Now some notes and information concerning LHA/LZX support of PMPro: - The LHA/LZx support can be switched on/off via the function: "Settings - generate catalog" - When expanding a catalogue all LHA/LZx archives will be scanned for graphics. Should these contain graphics, these will be automatically catalogued. Working on a CD-ROM with thousands of LHA archives (e.g. Aminet series) may take a lot of time, since of course any single archive has to be unpacked first. - After cataloguing the archived graphics will be handled like normal graphics. This means that nearly all functions that can be applied to a normal graphic will also work with archived graphics. Thus a single mouse click may display, print, convert, process or recopy these. Of course such graphics may also be directly exported to other programs (user popup). Unpacking graphics is handled by PMPro, so that you are not bothered with this process. - To allow fast identification (whether a graphic is part of an archive or not) during cataloguing the image description is automatically used to store type and name of the corresponding archive. By using the powerful search and sort algorithms of PMPro you may now explicitly search for such graphics. Also the information window contains an additional function (Button Archives: INFO and QUICK), which is able to present you with the complete archive content. This may be redirected for printer output. - But there also are some small restrictions concerning graphics, which are part of an archive: - Deleting/Renaming such graphics does not work. - Function Catalogue - Validating cannot recognise whether a graphic is still in the archive. This is also true for updating of catalogues. - When recopying/converting whole graphic collections, the original archives will not be deleted even if the graphics are part of such archives (since it is possible other graphics which are part of the same archive might be lost). - Function SLIDESHOW skips such graphics (for reasons of delay time when unpacking) Note: The widely used lHA archiver is included and pre-installed with PMPro. The less used LZX archives need their packer to be copied to your C: directory. It may be found on nearly any Aminet CD, as well as on many other Amiga CD-ROMs. @ENDNODE @NODE "prb.hlp" @TITLE "Problems" @PREV "arc.hlp" @NEXT main Problems with specific applications @{U}@{FG shine} @{UU}@{FG text} Minor problems: o The combination superview.library / PMPro and MCP with active NEWTOOLTYPES patch did cause crashing the library at startup time. So don't use that patch... There seem to be more options in MCP, which may become 'critical'... Whenever you encounter any problems: first try it again without any patches running ! o Do no mix libraries from Picasso96 and CyberGraphX - when again switching from P96 to CGfx with Picasso96API.library still being in LIBS: then your system will immediately crash with the next opening of that library. Here's a list of several programs, which either cause SuperView-Library to crash, or which may crash or fail unexpected (so that it might seem, as if SuperView-Library did crash or were the reason of the fault): o Mixed Picasso96 and CyberGfx environment ======================================== Problem ------- Picasso96 users, which have the Picasso96.svdriver installed (that's default, unless you "exclude" it via SVPrefs or delete it), and do switch between P96 and CyberGfx, should not the following: without removing Picasso96API.library from Libs: when CyberGfx is running, any program that tries to open Picasso96API.library will make it crashing (since that library tries to create another, emulated instance of cybergraphics.library, which must fail). Solution -------- Either - delete/exclude Picasso96.svdriver - move all libraries, not only the monitor drivers, when switching between P96 and CyberGfx - wait for a bugfix (Tobias Abt and Frank Mariak both have been informed) o EGS libraries V6 and V7 © VIONA Development =========================================== Problem ------- When flushing the EGS libraries, it seems that the libraries will cause recoverable alerts with OS 3.x. Maybe on some systems real crashes will occur. Don't know, whether the libraries are really the source, but it's likely. Solution -------- Don't flush ;-) o DOpus5 (supposed to be fixed with Magellan release) =================================================== Problem ------- Not a serious problem. DOpus5 does not seem to figure the correct version numbers from sv library files, when requested to do so. Solution -------- C:Version libraryname o LX/020 1.03 © 1993 Xenomiga Technologie (Jonathan Forbes) ========================================================= Problem ------- Obviously can't correctly extract large LZH/LHA archives. o NewMode V3.3 (and below) © 1992-95 by Andreas Linnemann ========================================================= Problem ------- Has been reported to cause serious problems when running together with e.g. SuperView (when attaching a fixed ViewMode to the program). Solution -------- Already fixed for newer versions. I, personally, would strongly recommend not to promote any SuperView Screens via NewMode, since now for almost any configuration there should be suitable SVDrivers - alternatively also a RTG-configuration for AGA.svdriver. o VMM (supposed to be fixed) ========================== Former versions of SuperView-Library did allocate all buffers with the MEMF_PUBLIC flag set, which prevented e.g. VMM from storing these as virtual memory on disk. As with current versions, the large image buffers - where it makes sense - are no longer prevented from being accessing by VMM. MEMF_PUBLIC no longer is set for these. Before - and with old modules - this could have been by-passed by setting the 10240 flag value within VMM's advanced options - but this should not be done any longer, since it may become dangerous under certain circumstances. o SnoopDOS ======== Problem ------- Some external libraries (being opened by SV modules) seem not to be snoop'able without causing crashes, then. Solution -------- Turn off SnoopDOS. @ENDNODE