Copyright: ImgViewer/16 1.34 ® 1992-1997 Don Bradner


Table of Contents
ImgViewer/16 <ASP>

Table of Contents:

Program Description

Associating File Types

Batch Processes

Drag and Drop

Edit Menu

File Formats

File Menu

Image Menu

Printing Images

Tools

ImgViewer/32

Speed vs. File Size

Troubleshooting

Windows 95 and ImgViewer/16

ASP Ombudsman Statement

Author Support

Distribution of ImgViewer/16

Files and Uninstalling

Print Registration Form

Registration Information

Upgrading to new versions

What is Shareware?


Program Description

ImgViewer/16 is a program for viewing bitmapped images.  It is intended for those who want a quick, simple viewer with zoom and basic editing tools without all of the weight of a major Paint/Edit/Slide Show/Thumbnail-type program

Formats supported include .GIF, .JPG, .PCX, .BMP, .RLE, .TIF, and .TGA.  Files may be converted among those formats (no creation of .RLE files).

Editing features include: Crop, Extract Edges, Mirror, Negate, Rotate, Re-size, Stretch, Sharpen, Soften, and alteration of Brightness, Contrast and Gamma.

File types may be 'associated' with ImgViewer/16 directly from the File menu.  Once associated, the program may be started and an image displayed by selecting that image file in a file listing.  ImgViewer/16 is excellent for use with Internet Web Browsers and Newsgroup readers, as the program of choice for viewing GIF and JPG images.

ImgViewer/16 will reduce the colors in a 256-color or True-Color (16 million color) image to 16 for VGA display, and will reduce True-Color (16 million colors) images to 256 for displays of that depth.  This reduction will not affect the underlying image unless an explicit color reduction is done using the Image Menu's Convert To option.


Convert to (Image Menu)

ImgViewer/16 can convert images to Black & White, 16 colors (for standard VGA), 256-GrayScale, 256-color palletized, and 24-bit (16-million color).  The option represented by the current image color-depth will not be available for selection, but all of the others will.


Caption Bar

The ImgViewer/16 caption bar will display information about the displayed image.  The format is NAME WIDTHxHEIGHTxCOLOR DEPTH.


Speed vs. File Size

There is a tradeoff between program speed and the amount of compression used on images.  Uncompressed .BMP files will display far more rapidly than the most compressed .GIF files, with .PCX between for both speed and compression.  .TIF and .TGA are normally used for pictures containing 32,000 or more colors; neither offers significant compression over .BMP, and both are slower.  For 24-bit (16-million color) images, ImgViewer/16 can use .JPG format, which offers great compression, but is very slow and will cause some loss of image quality.

Note for users of compressed disk programs (Stacker, DOS 6 DoubleSpace, etc):  There is no space advantage to using compressed file formats with compressed drives (other than JPEG - see File Formats). You will lose the speed without gaining space, since your compression program cannot further compress a .GIF file.  Use .BMP in this case.

If you have chosen an image file with more colors than your display can show there will be a small additional delay while the program changes the color depth.  ImgViewer/16 always displays color images at the maximum depth allowed by your monitor and video card.

For more information about the pros and cons of the file types, see File Formats.


Add Button

The "Add" Button is used to add a new image to the viewer.  Pressing this button is the same as choosing "Open" from the File menu; the keyboard shortcut is CTRL-N.  Pressing this button will cause a dialog box to appear for browsing through drives and directories looking for bitmap files which can be selected for viewing.  Files may be of types BMP, .RLE, .GIF, .PCX, .TIF, .TGA, or .JPG.

When an image is opened it will, if necessary, be zoomed-out to the first level of reduction that allows the image to be displayed without scroll bars.  The ratio indicator to the right of the zoom tool will show 1:2 or 1:3, for example, instead of 1:1.  Use the zoom tool to make the image full size if desired.


ASP Ombudsman Statement

This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware

Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle

works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem

with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to

help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with

an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members'

products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road,

Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe

message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536


Registration

Don Bradner

Arcata Pet

600 F Street

Arcata,CA 95521-6301

ImgViewer/16 copyright ©1992-1997 by Don Bradner.  ImgViewer/16 is Shareware.  Click here to print a Registration Form and send it with $25.00 to the author at the above address.  California residents please add $1.81 for state sales tax, and Non-US users please add $1.00 for Air Mail service. See Author Support for information on contacting the author

Compuserve members may register on-line.  Go SWREG, the program registration number is 8609.  Regardless of the method of registration, you will receive a copy of the most recent version of ImgViewer/16 and a registration key that will eliminate all nag screens and put your name in the About box. This registration key will work for all future versions of ImgViewer/16 as well.  See Upgrading to new versions.  You may also include 2 photos or slides of your own for free scanning.

Commercial use:  ImgViewer/16 may be used commercially, as long as there is a registered copy for each computer/terminal that is using it.  Site licenses are also available.


Author Support

The author is very interested in providing support for this program.  Feel free to contact him in any of the following ways:

Mail:

Don Bradner

Arcata Pet

600 F Street

Arcata, CA 95521-6301

FAX: (707) 822-6570

Voice: (707) 822-6417 10am-5pm and 9pm-Midnite Pacific Time, ask for Don

Compuserve: 76130,1007

AOL: DBirdMan  Forum KeyWord: ArcataPet

Internet mail: dbirdman@arcatapet.com

Home Page: http://www.arcatapet.com

Sometimes it is desirable for a user to send the author files, such as specific graphics images that ImgViewer/16 is having problems with.  Compuserve and AOL members may attach files to E-Mail on those systems.  Internet users may attach files to e-mail; MIME-attachment is preferred.


Edit Menu

The edit menu contains these options:

Undo

Undo Enable

Copy

Paste


Image Menu

When an image is displayed you may alter it in a variety of ways.  Choose any of the submenus  below to learn more about the use of these features:

Full Screen

Tune

Brightness/Contrast/Gamma

Sharpen

Sharpen More

Soften

Soften More

Resize

Resize

Re-size to Screen Proportional

Re-size to Screen Stretch

Rotate

Mirror

Convert To

Extract Edges

Negate

Image Information


Image Information

This item in the Image menu shows a box with information about the size, color depth, and file name/format for the displayed image, as well as whether the image shown has been modified from the original.


Full Screen

Sometimes it may be desirable to view an image without menus, scroll bars, and other objects.  This is particularly true when the image dimensions are the same as the screen size.  The Full Screen item in the Image menu toggles the display to a full, border-less window with the image centered in it.  The current zoom ratio is maintained, but screen and image positioning are not.  The F2 function key is a shortcut to this menu item.  To return to the regular ImgViewer/16 window, press any key or click the mouse.


Undo

Whenever an operation, such as crop or resize, has altered the underlying image there will be an opportunity to undo that operation.  This opportunity will only occur if the Undo Enabled menu option is checked.  Each session of ImgViewer/16 starts with the Undo Enabled option in the condition that the last session ended.  Undo is enabled by default; unless you are lacking sufficient disk space to store undo images it is recommended that you not disable Undo.  When Undo is enabled there will be a copy of the previous image state stored in the directory pointed to by your TEMP variable whenever an undoable operation has occurred.  A 640x256 image at 256 colors requires about 300K of disk space, while a 1024x768 true-color image consumes almost 2.5 megabytes of disk space.

There are nine levels of Undo available.  If you perform a tenth alteration, you will still have 9 possible undos, with the first one no longer available.  Of course the original image remains unchanged on disk until you explicitly save an altered copy.

Undo files have names beginning with IV and then 6 numbers, with an extension of .TMP.  The first five numbers are unique to the instance of the program, and the last number is the undo level number.  If you do not have a TEMP setting in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, ImgViewer/16 will store these files in its own directory.  When the program is terminated normally these files are removed, but may get left on disk if there is an abnormal termination such as a power failure.  In that case you should remove them manually to keep from wasting valuable disk space.


File Menu

File Options:

Open

Close

Save

SaveAs

Batch Processes

Associate File Types

Initial Display

Window Type

Print

Exit - Ends the program.


Batch Processes

Use these options in the File Menu to convert one or more files without first displaying them.  When these options are selected you will see a dialog to select a number of files (from a single directory only), and then a second dialog to select a destination and file type.  As the conversion proceeds, you will be prompted for overwriting any files which might have the same name and directory as a converted file would receive.  The prompt has Yes to All and No to All options, which will avoid further prompts.  After the conversion is complete you will be given an opportunity to delete the source files.

An intermediate process is offered by the Batch Resize submenu.  After selecting the files for conversion you will be prompted for resizing information.  Choices include Scale, which is a fraction or multiple of the files' original size, or Height/Width (in pixels); proportional or not.  For Scale, proportional does not matter.  For Height/Width, only one is used with proportional batches, while both are used for non-proportional (stretch).  Unlike the regular conversion, Batch Resize may have target files be the same as the source.  This will produce an overwrite prompt, which will effectively eliminate the original file.


Tools

Arrow Tool

The Arrow is a pointer.  Clicking or dragging on the image will have no effect

Crop Tool

The Crop Tool allows you to select an area of an image and then remove all of the image outside that area.  Make your selection by moving the mouse cursor to a starting corner of the area desired.  Press and hold the mouse button down, "sweeping" over the selected area.  A bounding box will display the chosen area, and the four text boxes in the tool bar will display the dimensions of the area chosen (in pixels).  When the cropping selection is completed, release the mouse button.

If the region you have selected is not quite right, you may choose to adjust the selected area.  This may be accomplished by directly editing the dimensions in the tool bar, or by moving one of the hotspots of the bounding box.  Do this by moving the mouse cursor to one of the corner or side hotspots and, after it has changed to a double-headed arrow, depress the left mouse button and move the corner or side as desired.

When you have a selection that you wish to use, move the mouse cursor within the bounding box so that it becomes a scissors and then click the left mouse button.  The window frame will shrink to match your selection.  This action affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.

Holding the Ctrl key down while this tool is active will temporarily change the mouse cursor to an Arrow, making it easier to use the scroll bars without accidentally cropping the image.

Zoom Tool

The zoom tool is used to enlarge or shrink the image as viewed.  Unlike the Image Menu's Resize options, this size change is not permanent and does not affect the underlying image.  There are five separate zoom functions, controlled by which mouse button is used and whether the Alt key is simultaneously depressed.

Zoom-in:  Clicking on an image with the left mouse button will enlarge the image by one factor and center the enlargement on the spot clicked.  Maximum enlargement is 16:1.

Zoom-out:  Clicking on an image with the left mouse button while the Alt-key is depressed will reduce the image size by one factor.  Maximum reduction is 1:16.

Restore:  Clicking on an image with the right mouse button will immediately return the image to a 1:1 normal size.

Center:  Clicking on an image with the right mouse button while the Alt-key is depressed will not change the current size factor, but will center the image on the point clicked.  Has no effect if the image is not larger than its window (no scroll bars).

Drag Zoom: Depressing and holding the left mouse button while dragging across a portion of an image will draw a rectangular bounding box on that portion.  When the mouse button is released, the image will be enlarged such that the long axis of the selected area is maximum for the screen size, or 16:1 whichever is smaller.  Not in effect when the Alt-key is depressed (bounding box will be drawn, but ignored).

Pressing and holding the Ctrl key while the zoom tool is active will temporarily change the mouse cursor to an Arrow, making it easier to use the scroll bars on a large image without accidentally zooming.


Copy

The copy option in the Edit menu will copy a displayed image to the Windows Clipboard, where it can be pasted into other applications.


Paste

The Paste option in the Edit menu will only be active (not grayed) when the Windows Clipboard contains an image that can be read by this program.  The pasted image will replace any image already displayed; a prompt will be issued to save the current image if it has been altered.


Load File dialog box

The Load file dialog is shown when the Add button is clicked, the File/Open menu item is selected, or as the first dialog in a Batch File conversion.  You may browse through your directories to find any image file which ImgViewer/16 recognizes.  A handy preview function is included.  Select a file and click the Preview button.  A small "thumbnail" version of the file will appear in the box above the button.  When you have found an image that you wish to load, click OK.  To exit the dialog without making a selection, click Cancel.

There is an Auto Preview check box next to the preview button.  If that option is checked, images will be immediately loaded into the preview box when selected in the file list.  If using a slower computer, or large JPG images, you may find this is too slow, in which case uncheck the box.


Save As dialog box

The Save As dialog is shown when when Save As is chosen in the File Menu, when Save is chosen in the File Menu but the file is not of a type that can be saved by ImgViewer/16 or the file was obtained by pasting from the Windows Clipboard, and as the destination dialog for Batch File conversion.  You may use the dialog to change the name and/or the file extension.  Note that the file extension is governed by the option selection at the lower right of the screen.  If you name a file "MYFILE.BMP" and select .GIF as the extension, the file will be saved as "MYFILE.GIF" and the type will be .GIF.  When you choose a file type, you may check the "Make Default" checkbox for that extension.  If you change directories, the new directory will be the one showing the next time you use the dialog.  The .RLE filetype that is supported for loading a file is not supported for saving.

When the .JPG file type is selected, a JPG Quality Value option will be available.  The value shown determines how much compression will be used and how much of the original image quality will be retained.  Higher numbers equal larger files and higher quality.  At very low numbers the quality will be terrible but the file will be very small.  Numbers allowed range from 5 to 95 with a default of 75.


Resize

This menu option will allow you to re-size an image.  You will see a dialog box with various options.  If you want to re-size an image to 80% of its original size, input 0.8 in the Scale box.  To re-size 125%, enter 1.25.  You may enter a new width and/or height directly - if the Proportional Re-size checkbox is checked, the other dimension will also change to keep the same proportions.  Otherwise, the image will stretch to accommodate the new width or height.

For batch resizing, there will be an option button before the Scale and Width/Height boxes.  The selected option will be used, and any other information will be ignored.  When the option is Width/Height and the proportional box is checked, only one of the two will be used.  Normally the other will be blank, but if both contain numbers only Width will be used.


Resize to Screen
Resize to Screen Proportional and Stretch

Operates the same as Resize except that the dimensions are fixed for your current screen size.  This function can produce an image proportional to the original, which means that if the ratio of the original's width-to-height is different from the screens width-to-height ratio then one dimension or the other will be less than full-screen, or it can stretch the image to fill the entire space.


Rotate

The Rotation submenu has options to rotate an image in 90 degree increments left or right (counter-clockwise or clockwise), 180 degrees, and By Degree.  Rotating 180 degrees is not the same as Mirror Vertical, which changes the orientation of the image.  Rotating 90 degrees 4 times in the same direction will restore the original image.

The By Degree option asks for a value, which must range from -359 to +359 degrees (the plus sign is not necessary).  Negative numbers are counterclockwise, and positive are clockwise.  Since the resulting image will not be square on the vertical and horizontal axes, the image will enlarge and the new corner areas will fill with black.

Each of these options affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Mirror

There are two mirror choices in the Image Menu.  Mirror Horizontal will flip the image displayed left-to-right.  Mirror Vertical will flip the image top-to-bottom.

Each of these options affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Negate

Negate, in the Image Menu turns a positive image into a negative; that is, all colors become their opposites in RGB color space.  Black becomes white, yellow becomes blue, red becomes cyan, etc.

This option affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Extract Edges

Extract Edges, in the Image Menu, produces an outline of all objects in an image.  The effect can often be heightened by following the extraction with a Negate operation.

This option affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Brightness/Contrast/Gamma adjustment

The Brightness, Contrast and Gamma controls allow some alteration of these characteristics of an image displayed. When this option is selected from the Tune SubMenu of the Image Menu, (or by the keyboard-shortcut CTL-B) a floating dialog with three slide bars will appear on the screen.  There will be a small thumbnail of your image to the left of the bars.  Sliding the top control will affect the thumbnail's overall brightness, while the second bar will affect the contrast between light and dark portions of the thumbnail.  The third bar controls Gamma, which will affect the brightness of the mid-tones primarily.  Using the three together will have various effects, which will be immediately visible in the thumbnail when the mouse button is released.  When editing is completed to your satisfaction, press the OK button, or if you feel that the original image is preferable, reject the edited version in favor of the original by clicking the Cancel button.  The reset button returns all of the values to their original point while allowing you to continue experimenting.  The Preview button applies your editing to the main image without committing you making the changes.

This option affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.

ImgViewer/16 will remember the position of the adjustment dialog and pop up in that position the next time it is used.


Sharpen and Sharpen More

Sharpen and Sharpen More are two of the options in the Tune SubMenu of the Image Menu.  With these options, ImgViewer/16 will search for edges in the image and will increase the contrast along those edges, thus increasing the apparent sharpness, or focus.  Repeatedly choosing Sharpen will increase the apparent sharpness.  Sharpen More is the equivalent of choosing Sharpen 3 times in succession.

Each of these options affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Soften and Soften More

Soften and Soften More are two of the options in the Tune SubMenu of the Image Menu. With these options, ImgViewer/16 will search for edges in the image and will decrease the contrast along those edges, thus decreasing the apparent sharpness, or focus.  Repeatedly choosing Soften will decrease the apparent sharpness.  Soften More is the equivalent of choosing Soften 3 times in succession.

Each of these options affects the underlying image, but is undoable if the Undo Enable option in the Edit Menu is checked.


Save

Save in the File Menu will save the image that is currently displayed, as long as the image is in a format which ImgViewer/16 can write:  ,BMP, .GIF, .PCX, .TIF, TGA or .JPG. ,RLE can be loaded but not saved.  If you try to save an image in a format which ImgViewer/16 cannot write, you will be prompted to use Save As instead.


Save As

Save As in the File Menu is used to change the name, directory, or file type of an image.  It is also invoked if the image does not yet have a name, such as when a Paste from the Clipboard has occurred.

When .JPG is selected, there will be an Options button visible to set the quality factor.


Close
Close (file menu)

Close in the File Menu will remove the current file, with a prompt to save if changes have been made, and then will present a blank window until another file is opened.


Preferences

There are three preference options which you can set from the File Menu.  The first determines which file types are "associated" with ImgViewer/16; the second establishes the initial window zoom; and the third controls whether opening a second image does so in a separate copy of the program or replaces the current image, and whether the image remains in a fixed window size or expands and contracts as an image is zoomed.

When an image is less than one-half the height and width of the available screen space, ImgViewer/16 will open the image zoomed in to the largest displayable size without resorting to scroll bars.  Likewise, when the image is too large to be viewed in the screen space, the image will open zoomed out to the first reduction that allows all of the image to show.  You may change these default behaviors by unchecking the related items in the Initial Display item of the File Menu.

Associating a file type allows you to start the program and load an image by selecting that image in Explorer or any equivalent file listing.  Each of the file types supported by ImgViewer/16 may be associated by selecting them in the Associate File Types item in the File Menu.  If you remove the association later (by re-selecting the item to remove its check mark), you will be prompted for a program to run that type the next time you select an image of the disassociated type.

Multiple windows are used when you want to display more than one image simultaneously.  In Single window mode the current image is replaced by the next one opened.  Switch between the two via the Window Type item in the File Menu.

The Fixed options for both Single and Multiple allow you to manually size the window and have it remain the same regardless of image size or zoom ratio.  When the program is exited, the last-used window size and placement is stored for the next time the program is started.   When there are multiple windows, the size and position of the last window closed will establish the startup of the next window.


Help Menu

The Help Menu provides several options: Contents, which displays the table of contents; Search for help on..., which allows the helpfile to be searched by key word; Author Contact & Support, which takes you to that topic, and About, which provides current version information for ImgViewer/16.  The help icon (question mark) is the same thing as Help/Overview.


File Formats

Information on the file formats supported by ImgViewer/16:

.BMP and .RLE

Files with .BMP extensions are bitmapped images created by tools like Windows Paintbrush.  .BMP is the native format for Windows wallpaper.  There are a few .BMP files distributed with Windows specifically for use as wallpaper.

This is the fastest format available, but requires the most disk space.  It does not require any decompression by ImgViewer/16, so the only time required to display is the time it takes to read the image from the disk.  This format is usable for all color levels from 16 to 16-million.  .RLE is a compressed form of .BMP.

.GIF

The Compuserve Graphics Interchange Format, pronounced "Jiff," offers great compression of images up to 256 colors without loss of quality.  It is not usable for images with more colors.  This format is generally the best choice when disk space is limited and the image has no more than 256 colors.  There is a noticeable delay while ImgViewer/16 decompresses the image for display, although the faster the computer the shorter the delay.  The .GIF format contains compression technology that is patented by the Unisys corporation, and as of 1/1/95 became liable for royalty  payments by software developers.  See the full statement in the README.TXT file.

.JPG

Files with .JPG extensions are "JPEG" compressed.  JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Committee.  This format is only suitable for 24-bit (16-million color) images, although ImgViewer/16 will allow you to save 256 color images.  It is also "lossy," which means that the compression involves some loss of quality.  The resulting file size is quite small, but takes a long time to decompress and display. JPEG is particularly unsuited for images with large areas of solid colors and sharp edges.

JPEG does a very good job of compression, and with most pictures the resulting image is comparable to the original.   There is a variable amount of compression available, with greater loss of quality as the image is further compressed. Whenever the File SaveAs dialog is invoked and .JPG is selected as the file type, there will be an Options button visible which allows you to change your quality factor.  ImgViewer/16 will store your setting in its global configuration, so you if you establish a standard quality factor for your needs it will be the future default.  When ImgViewer/16 does not find a previously selected setting, the default is 75.  ImgViewer/16 allows a quality setting of 5 to 95, with 5 being the most compressed and 95 being the least compressed.  A 622,134 byte test file produced sizes of 5,381 bytes at a setting of 5, and 75,809 bytes at a setting of 95.  The image was very deteriorated at the lower setting, while it was indistinguishable from the original at 95.  Further testing for this image showed very acceptable results at a setting of 75, with a file size of 25,554 bytes.

Editing a JPEG image and saving it in .JPG format again will result in additional losses of quality.  Editing should always be performed on the original 24-bit image before compression is done.

There are many non-standard forms of JPEG.  ImgViewer/16 should read any JPEG image conforming to the JFIF standard, but may not be able to read images produced by non-standard programs.  An example would be GIF2JPG, which can produce a proprietary JPEG file called HSI.  Older versions of the program did this by default; newer versions produce JFIF compatible files by default.

ImgViewer/16 also has problems reading 256-greyscale images, which are not JFIF-standard.  If another application is available which can read the file, it may be converted to RGB (still grey) and then saved, after which ImgViewer/16 will read it.

.PCX

.PCX is a format developed by the Z-Soft corporation for their line of PC Paintbrush programs.  Windows Paintbrush is also able to read and save this format.  It provides some compression for images with color levels up to 256 when compared to ,BMP files, but not as much as a ,GIF.  There is less noticeable delay when using .PCX than with .GIF. The .PCX format can use color levels up to 16 million, but file size actually increases when 24-bit files are used.

.TIF and .TGA

.TIF is the extension used with Tagged Information File Format (TIFF) files  .TGA is called "Targa."  Both are primarily formats for storing 24-bit (true-color) 16-million color images and gray-scale images in desktop publishing.  Tiff files may contain more than one picture.  If that is the case, ImgViewer/16 will only read the first image. .TIF is usable for all color levels, 16 to 16-million, while .TGA is usable from 256 to 16-million.


The Author


Files
Files and Uninstalling

When ImgViewer/16 is installed, a program (UNINSTAL.EXE) and a data file (INSTALL.LOG) are placed in the ImgV16 directory.  The following information is provided to aid in removing the program in case those files are lost or damaged.

Files distributed with ImgViewer/16:

IVSETUP.EXE This file contains all of the program files.  Running it will install of the files where they belong, and will also produce a record and program that can be used to uninstall this package.

README.TXT The text file you are reading now.  It is placed outside the main install program so that it is readable before the program is installed.

VENDINFO.DIZ, FILEID.DIZ  Information files for shareware distributors and online services.  These explain distribution rights and allowable methods.

Files installed by ImgViewer/16:

Main Program directory files

IMGV16.EXE, IMGV1616.HLP, README.TXT, UNINSTAL.EXE, INSTALL.LOG.

Windows\System directory files

IKENG16.DLL, IKJPG16.DLL, IKCOL16.DLL, IKDSP16.VBX, IVPLIBR.VBX

Registered users will have one additional file: IV16_REG.KEY.  This file must be in your ImgV16 directory, and will keep the startup shareware screen from appearing.  If you upgrade to a new version of ImgViewer/16, do not delete this file - it will work with all future versions

Files required by ImgViewer/16:

VBRUN300.DLL A "runtime" library for programs written in Visual Basic 3.0.  This file is almost always available from any source for ImgViewer/16.  From on-line sources, look for VBRUN3.ZIP or VBRUN300.ZIP.  It must be placed in your Windows\System directory.

Files created by ImgViewer/16:

IMGV16.INI This file contains your preferences so that the program can startup with the same settings as you last used.

ImgViewer/16 also creates some temporary files with .TMP extensions in the directory pointed to by your TEMP variable.  If there is no TEMP variable the files will be in the ImgV16 directory.  Under normal use, the program will clean these up when it exits.  If the program crashes, you will need to manually remove them as you should with any remnant .TMP files

Uninstalling ImgViewer/16:

If the UNINSTAL.EXE program and INSTALL.LOG file have been left intact in the ImgV16 directory, running the program will remove all files that were installed with ImgViewer/16.  The uninstaller does not know anything about the .INI file and others created by the program, so those require manual deletion. If the UNINSTAL program has been removed, use the file list above to determine which files to remove.


Distribution

ImgViewer/16 is shareware and may be freely distributed as long as all of the files are included and no fee is charged beyond a reasonable fee for distribution.  Shareware vendors should refer to the VENDINFO.DIZ file for specific requirements.  Registered users note:  Do not distribute your IV16_REG.KEY file.

All rights are reserved by the author (see Registration).


Troubleshooting

If your difficulties are related to slow operations with specific images, see Speed vs. File Size

If you have an image that ImgViewer/16 will not display, it may be in a format that cannot be used.  There are some variations of .GIF and .PCX that are known to make problems for ImgViewer/16.  There are many non-standard versions of JPEG that will cause problems.  If you can load them into another image editing program you may be able to save it in a usable format.


Registration Form
ImgViewer/16 Version 1.34 Order Form

With a credit card you may order toll-free:	(800) 822-9085

outside North America or technical support call:  (707) 822-6417

  or FAX:	(707) 822-6570

You may order online at www.arcatapet.com (secure).

If you would rather receive ImgViewer/32 instead, please add $4.95 as noted below.  ImgViewer/32 requires Windows95 or NT.

By mail, with check, credit card, or money order in US Dollars to:

Don Bradner/Arcata Pet

600 F Street

Arcata, CA 95521-6301

Compuserve members may register on-line:  GO SWREG, program registration number is 8609.  SWREG for ImgViewer/32 is 11933.

Registration price is US$25.00, including postage within the US.

ImgViewer/16 copies _____ x 25.00 or ImgViewer/32 copies _____x 29.95$____________

   California residents add $1.81/registration sales tax, $2.18 ImgViewer/32 ____________

   Non-US add $1.00/registration for air mail $2.00 ImgViewer/32                 ____________

Total         ____________

Software will be sent on 1.44 meg 3-1/2 inch disk.  Send disk to:

Name:                 	____________________________________________________

Mailing Address:      	____________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP/Country: ___________________________________________________

Daytime phone number (______)____________________ E-Mail, if any ___________

If paying with a credit card: Card type  VISA    MasterCard   AMEX    Discover

       Card Number:  ________________________________ Expiration Date: ________

       Signature to authorize charge: ________________________________________

(optional) Where did you get ImgViewer/16?

BBS or other on-line service. .  Which one? ______________________

Software/Shareware Service.  Which one? ______________________

Shareware CD-ROM.  Which one?__________________________

Internet.  What site? __________________________________________

Friend    Other _________________________________________

You are welcome to include 2 prints or slides for free scanning if you would like.  Originals will be returned with your disk.  Please Specify the resolution desired (Maximum Horizontal/Vertical):

 __640x480  __800x600  __1024x768  __Other:_________

If none marked, image will fit 640x480.  image will be a 24-bit JPEG (which ImgViewer/16 can alter)

Comments to the author are welcome.  Tell me what you like, or would like changed or added.

Thank you for registering!


What Is Shareware?

Shareware distribution means try before you buy.  If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, the author expects to be compensated for his efforts to produce the program.  Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period.  With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed material.  With ImgViewer/16, you get the latest version plus a registration key that permanently enables the program and future versions as well.

Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality.  (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!)  Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, with the copyright holder retaining all rights, with the exception that the shareware author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group, while copying of commercial software is generally prohibited.

Because the overhead is low, prices are low also.  Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.


Drag and Drop

ImgViewer/16 supports Drag and Drop of files to the program or its icon.  Select an image file in the File Manager or Explorer window and drag it by holding the left mouse button down until you are over the ImgViewer/16 window, or the program icon.  Release the mouse button, and the file will be loaded.  If you drop files that are not of a type recognized by ImgViewer/16, an error message will be generated.

Whether a new program instance is created or an existing instance is loaded with the new image depends on your settings in the File/Preferences dialog.


Printing Images

The Print dialog is accessed from the File menu, and is only available when an image is loaded.  The dialog displays a representation of the printed image.  The black outer area is the full paper size, while the white inner area represents the printable area reported by the printer driver.

Adjusting image placement may be done by grabbing the thumbnail with the mouse and moving the image to the desired location, or by using the centering checkboxes.  Image size is adjusted by altering the scaling or by using the Fit to Page option.  You may adjust the scaling so that the image is larger than the paper, and only the displayed portion will print.

Buttons at the bottom of the dialog allow you to change printers when more than one are installed, and to change the printing options for the selected printer.  Both printer selection and setup affect only the current print job, and do not affect the default settings.


Windows 95 and ImgViewer/16

This version of ImgViewer/16 has been tested with Windows 95, and is compatible.  There is no support for long file names, but any files which have been given long file names will not have those names damaged.  A full 32-bit viewer called ImgViewer/32 is available.  You can find it from the same places where ImgViewer/16 is found, and there is an option on the order form to receive that version instead of ImgViewer/16.

ImgViewer/32 supports long filenames.  It also has faster JPG decoding, can write 2-pass JPGs for Web pages, and supports the PNG format (read and write).  It does not have the limitation that ImgViewer/16 does which keeps the 16-bit version from reading greyscale JPG.  ImgViewer/32 requires Windows 95 or NT.  It will not run on Win3.x.


Upgrading to new versions

New versions of ImgViewer/16 will appear regularly.  Users provide good ideas for new features, and old features are always being improved.  When a new version is released, it is uploaded to at least the following locations:

Compuserve: Numerous forums, including WINAV, GRAPHSUP, and PHOTOFORUM.  File name is IMGV16.ZIP.

internet:

Jumps to the ImgViewer/16 file are available from the author's home page:

http://www.arcatapet.com

Registered users are not required to re-register the program to upgrade.  Future versions will use the same registration key as the current version.  Registered users without access to one of the above sites may request disk copies from the author for a fee of $5 ($7 for non-US).

Registrants will always receive the most current version.

If you are pleased with ImgViewer/16, you may also be interested in a program by the same author, WWPlus.  WWPlus is a versatile Windows wallpaper tool and screen saver that lets you use your GIF and JPG files (and other formats) as wallpapers and/or custom screen saver images.  You can find WWPlus in the same places where ImgViewer/16 is found, usually with a file name beginning with WWPLS. It is also available from the author's homepage, at www.arcatapet.com/wwplus.html.