Copyright: TasPhoto Help Copyright 1995 Tasman Software


Contents

Introduction

Overview

Getting started for the first time

Registration information

The Program

Buttons

Starting a show

Setup - creating new shows and modifying existing shows

Photo Adjustment

Photo Captions

Program options

Version information

Appendices

Organising your Photo-CD's

Questions and Answers

System requirements

Displays and display drivers

Copyright, Disclaimer, and Trademarks

Glossary


Overview

TasPhoto is a program for organising and viewing photographic images that have been recorded on Photo-CD's.

TasPhoto is for the benefit of all camera users who have their own work processed onto Photo-CD and who want a convenient way of organising, maintaining, annotating, and viewing their photo collection.

TasPhoto only works with Photo-CD's. If you do not have any Photo-CD's then either:

•	TasPhoto is not for you.

or: (and this is the much better option)

•	Next time you have a film processed ask for a Photo-CD. Many film processors offer Photo-CD in addition to your usual prints or slides. When you see your photos on-screen using TasPhoto, and discover the control that TasPhoto gives you over your photos, you will become a Photo-CD convert!

With TasPhoto you can organise the images on your Photo-CD's into shows and view the shows. TasPhoto organises your Photo-CD's for you automatically. You tell TasPhoto which show you want to view and TasPhoto tells you which of your Photo-CD's to put in your drive. This becomes an increasingly valuable feature as your collection of Photo-CD's grows.

Shows can be viewed with the photos at various sizes. At the smaller sizes more than one photo can be viewed at the same time. It is easy to change the photo viewing size even during a show.

You can type your own text to create captions for your photos. Your captions are shown on the screen with your photos. You can check the spelling of your captions.

You can adjust the brightness, contrast, and color balance of your photos, and apply an effect such as sharpening or embossing. TasPhoto can remember these adjustments so that they are performed automatically the next time the photo is viewed.

Due to the wide brightness and color range of the Kodak™ format Photo-CD image data the TasPhoto adjust facility even allows detail in under- or over-exposed photos (and in photos which have parts both under- and parts over-exposed) to be recovered and made visible.

See Also:	Why use Photo-CD

What TasPhoto does not do


What TasPhoto does not do

Display of High Resolution Images

TasPhoto does not display the higher resolution images that are recorded on Photo-CD's. These images are larger than common current display sizes and are primarily intended for the production of hard copy prints from Photo-CD's by photofinishers. By the time displays as large as these images become commonplace a version of TasPhoto that displays them may be available.

Display of Images in other Formats

Conversion of Images from Photo-CD to other formats

There are very many formats for digital images. TasPhoto is optimised for Photo-CD and does not handle other formats. The one exception to this statement is that it is possible to save all or part of a photo as a Windows device-independent bitmap.


Higher Resolution Images
Standard Photo-CD discs have each image recorded at the following sizes:

128 x 192

256 x 384

512 x 768

1024 x 1536

2048 x 3072	high resolution - not supported by TasPhoto

Pro Photo CD Master discs also have:

4096 x 6144	very high resolution - not supported by TasPhoto


Getting Started for the First Time

The following steps take you through making and viewing your first show.

(1) Put a photo-CD into the drive.

(2) Press [image].

(3) The Setup window appears. Press [image] to create a new photo show.

(4) The New Show window appears. Type a name - up to eight characters (no spaces) - into the Show File box near the top left of this window. You could type, for example, myfirst. Then press

(5) A window appears asking you to Select the photo-CD that contains the required photographs. Press

(6) A large window shows a thumbnail of each photo on the CD. Every thumbnail has a red cross drawn through it indicating that the photo is not selected. Select some of the photos by clicking on them. To finish making your first show press

(7) To view your show press [image]. The Begin Show window appears and you will see the Show File that you typed in step (4) in the large left box. Click on it to select it. Then press [image] to start the show.


New Show Name Dlg


New Show Confirm CD Dlg


New Show Select Dlg


New Show Begin Dlg


Registration Information

TasPhoto is shareware. If you want to continue using TasPhoto after a 30 day trial then please register it.

Why register?

How to register

Registration form

How to enter your serial number

How to contact Tasman Software


Why Register?

•	TasPhoto is Shareware. Shareware is not "free" software!  If you find this program useful please register it and pay the registration fee (see below).  Your registration not only supports the authors and continued development of TasPhoto, but helps to promote and support the "try-before-you-buy" concept that makes quality software widely available at low prices.

•	You will be given your own personal serial number. You can enter this serial number into the program, after which you will no longer have your shows interrupted with the "unregistered product" reminder.

•	The latest version of TasPhoto is normally available for you to download from the World Wide Web site http://www.tasman.co.uk. Register now and you can use your personal serial number with the latest and future versions.

•	You will be entitled to free technical support and advice about using TasPhoto.

•	We will tell you about the next release of TasPhoto that includes significant new features.

TasPhoto and all this for only £19.95 sterling or $29.95 U.S.

For an optional additional £3.50 sterling or $4.95 U.S. if paid at the same time as the registration, we will send you the latest version of the program on disk. Disks are sent by first class post within the U.K. and by air mail to destinations outside the U.K. Do not make this optional additional payment if you downloaded TasPhoto from the World Wide Web site http://www.tasman.co.uk - you already have the latest version. Note that you can normally get the latest version of TasPhoto at no charge (except for your normal communications / connect charges) from http://www.tasman.co.uk


How to Register

The cost of TasPhoto is $29.95US (or £19.95 sterling).

To register via CompuServe

Go to the SWREG forum. Follow the prompts and purchase product id #8219. $29.95US will be added to your CompuServe bill.

You will be given the option of having the latest version of TasPhoto on disc for a shipping and handling payment of an additional  $4.95 U.S.  Do not make this optional additional payment if you downloaded TasPhoto from the World Wide Web site http://www.tasman.co.uk - you already have the latest version. Note that you can normally get the latest version of TasPhoto at no charge (except for your normal communications / connect charges) from http://www.tasman.co.uk

To register by fax

You can register by fax if you pay by credit card (VISA or Mastercard). Print out and fill in the registration form. Fax it to the number given on the form.

To register by mail

Print out and fill in the registration form. You can pay by cheque or by credit card (VISA or Mastercard). If paying by cheque (sterling cheques drawn on U.K. banks only please) then make it payable to Tasman Software and for the amount of £19.95. Mail to the address given on the form. U.K. residents can also pay by postal order. Users have sent sterling and U.S. dollar bills through the post but if you do this it is at your own risk.

Credit card payments

If you pay by credit card when registering by fax or post then your credit card account will be billed £19.95 sterling . If you live outside the sterling area the credit card company will convert this to your own currency.

Your Serial Number

When you register we will send you a TasPhoto serial number. You can enter your serial number into the program. after which you will no longer have your shows interrupted with the "unregistered product" reminder.


How to enter your Serial Number

The following steps take you through entering your serial number:

(1) Press

(2) The TasPhoto Options window appears. Press

(3) The Registration window appears. Type your user Name and serial Number, each exactly as notified to you by Tasman in reply to your registration.

(4) Press


HowToPrintReg
With the registration form displayed in TasPhoto Help, select the menu bar File item then select Print Topic.


Registration Form
TasPhoto Registration Form

TasPhoto Registration Form	How to print this form	Version 2.12

Cost: £19.95 sterling ($29.95 U.S.)

I would like to pay by:	Cheque 	Visa 	Mastercard 	<<< tick one

If Cheque (U.K. bank cheques only):

  A cheque is enclosed for £19.95 sterling.

If Visa/Mastercard:

  Card No:    Expiry date: ________

If you live outside the sterling area the credit card company will convert the sterling price to your own currency.

Signed: _____________________________________	Date: ______________

Title:________   Initials: ________   Surname: ______________________________________

Address:	___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

COUNTRY:	___________________________________________________

Preferred method of receiving Serial Number:

E-mail 	Fax 	Mail 	<< tick one

If e-mail then give e-mail address:	__________________________

If fax then give fax number:	__________________________

If mail then we will send you a letter to the address you have given above.

If paying by cheque please make cheque payable to Tasman Software and post with this form to:

Tasman Software

Hilton Court

2 North Hill Road

Leeds LS6 2LL

U.K.

If paying by credit card then either post this form to the above address or fax to:

     0113 244 3440	from within U.K.

+44 113 244 3440	from outside U.K..

How did you get your copy of TasPhoto? (optional) _____________________________________

Thank you for your registration!

 Tick here to receive the latest version of TasPhoto on disk for an additional £3.50 sterling or $4.95 U.S.. Disks are sent by first class post within the U.K. and by air mail to destinations outside the U.K.  Do not make this optional additional payment if you downloaded TasPhoto from the World Wide Web site http://www.tasman.co.uk - you already have the latest version. Note that you can normally get the latest version of TasPhoto at no charge (except for your normal communications / connect charges) from http://www.tasman.co.uk


HowToPrintThis
Select File at the left of the menu bar near the top of this TasPhoto Help window then select Print Topic.


How to contact Tasman Software

E-mail to

tasman@tas-soft.demon.co.uk

Mail to

Tasman Software

Hilton Court

2 North Hill Road

Leeds LS6 2EN

United Kingdom

Telephone

0113 243 8301	(within UK)

      + 44 113 243 8301 	(from outside UK)

Fax

0113 244 3440	(within UK)

      + 44 113 244 3440	(from outside UK)

World Wide Web

http://www.tasman.co.uk


Invalid Registration

You have entered an invalid name or an invalid number.

The only way to obtain a valid number is to register your copy of TasPhoto. See Registration Information for how you can do this.


Buttons

 BEGIN  This begins a show. A list is displayed of all the shows and you select the show to view.

 SETUP  Use this to organise your shows and Photo-CD's.

• Create a new show

• Add photos to the end of an existing show

• Edit a show (re-order photos, remove photos, skip photos)

• View and change your Photo-CD Titles

 JUMP  to any photo in a show.

  ARROW BUTTONS Display the previous or next photo in the show. Clicking on a displayed photo also causes the next photo to be displayed.

  DOUBLE ARROWS If more than one show photo is being displayed these show the previous or next screenful of photos.

 PHOTO Adjust the current photo in the show (brightness, sharpness etc).

 TEXT Create or change the caption for the current photo in the show.

 END Finishes the show.

 OPTIONS Change the program options.

The [image] and [image] buttons occupy the same position. You see [image] during a show and [image] while a show is not being viewed.

You can place the buttons either at the side or top of the TasPhoto window.

You can use the keyboard as well as clicking these buttons with the mouse.


Begin Show

 BEGIN  This starts a show. A list is displayed of all the shows and you select the show to view.

Each show has a Show File and a Show Name. Both are listed:

Click on a Show File or Show Name to specify a show.  then starts the specified show.

The shows are listed alphabetically by Show Files. When you create a new show type a Show File name so that it goes into a place in this alphabetical list that is convenient to you.

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted show.


End Show?

 finish viewing the current show.

 do not finish viewing the current show.


Options

 changes the TasPhoto options. These are listed below. For more information click on items in the list, or in parts of the picture of the Options window where the arrow cursor changes to a hand.

Photo size

Number of photos displayed

Captions

Busy cursor

Buttons - side or top

Info window switch

Auto resize switch

Gap between photos

Portrait aspect ratio correction


Photo Captions

 opens a window containing the photo caption and Show Name:

The larger box contains the photo caption. Click in this box to type a new caption or change the existing caption.

The smaller box contains the Show Name, which can also be modified.

You can check the spelling of your text.

The clipboard can be used to cut, copy and paste text. To access the clipboard click on the button at the left of the "Text" title bar.


Caption Which Photo
If there is more than one photo on the screen then the cursor changes to [image]. This is TasPhoto asking for which photo you want to create or change the caption. Click on the required photo.


Begin Show

Select the show to start by clicking on a Show File in the left box or by clicking on a Show Name in the middle box.

When the required show is highlighted press [image] to start the show.

Double clicking on a Show File or Show Name also starts that show.

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted show.


Using the Keyboard

You can use the keyboard as well as clicking on buttons with the mouse. For buttons labelled with a word hold down the ALT key and press the key for the first letter of the word.

ALT B

ALT S

ALT J

ALT PageUp

ALT Cursor Left  or  ALT Cursor Up

ALT Cursor Right  or  ALT Cursor Down

ALT PageDown

ALT P

ALT T

ALT E

ALT O

ALT H or F1


Jump

Click on the photo to jump to and press [image] or double click on the photo to jump to.

These tick boxes specify what information is shown on each thumbnail picture. The top box is used for the Photo-CD Title, the bottom left box for the Photo-CD Number, and the bottom right box for the Photo Number on the Photo-CD.


Thumbnail Files

A Photo-CD contains a file for each photo on the CD. In addition a Photo-CD also contains a thumbnail file which consists of a thumbnail version of every photo on the CD.

TasPhoto:

•	copies thumbnail files from your Photo-CD's onto your hard disc, and

•	reads thumbnail images from these files on the hard disc instead of from the Photo-CD.

This has major advantages:

•	it is generally faster reading images from hard disk than from CD.

•	after a thumbnail file has been copied to disk TasPhoto can find and display thumbnail images even if the Photo-CD is not in the drive. With all your thumbnail files on disc you can create new shows and edit existing shows without having to insert or change the CD in the drive.

•	shows that are viewed at sixteenth size use the thumbnail files. With all your thumbnail files on disk you can view any show at sixteenth size without having to insert or change the CD in the drive.

Whenever you have a new Photo-CD, or have added photos to one of your existing CD's, then put this CD into the drive before selecting one of the [image] options to create, append to, or edit a show, or to change the CD title. TasPhoto will check the CD to see if it has the up to date copy of the thumbnail file - if not then it will copy it.

You can see how many thumbnail files you have on your hard disk, and how much disk space they occupy. You can also limit the number of thumbnail files on the hard disk, but you should only do this if you are short of hard disk space. To do either of these things press [image] then [image] then [image].


Thumbnails Buttons

The Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the highlighted show or Photo-CD.

TasPhoto gets these thumbnail images from thumbnail files that it copies from your Photo-CD's to your hard disk.


Thumbnail Files

Use this window to limit the number of thumbnail files that are kept on disk.

The recommended setting is no limit unless your disk has little free space.

The current limit is shown by the <<< symbols in the right hand box. To change the limit click on the new limit in the right hand box and press [image]. To keep the current limit press [image].

If you set a limit to the number of thumbnail files on your hard disk then TasPhoto will delete thumbnail files already on the disk as necessary to keep the number within the limit. It deletes the least recently used file first. If in future it needs to access one of the thumbnail files that has been deleted, it will ask you to put the corresponding Photo-CD in the drive.


Delete Thumbnails?

You have set a limit to the number of thumbnail files to be kept on your hard disk that is less than the number of thumbnail files that are already on your disk.

If you have intentionally set the new limit because, for example, your hard disk is nearly full, then press [image] to proceed. TasPhoto will then delete the thumbnail files that it has least recently accessed so that the number remaining is the new limit that you have specified.

Press [image] if you think you might have set the new limit accidentally. You will then be able to change the limit or cancel the limit changing option.


Failed to Copy Thumbnail File

TasPhoto has failed to copy the thumbnail file from the Photo-CD to the hard disk.

Either:

•	TasPhoto detected an error in reading the CD or writing to the hard disk, or

•	The hard disk is nearly full and does not have room for the new file.

You can find out how much space there is on the hard disk by pressing [image] then [image] then [image]. TasPhoto will tell you how much space is free on the disk and allow you to limit the number of thumbnail files to be kept on your disk. Setting a limit lower than the current limit should fix the problem.


Failed to Delete Thumbnail File

TasPhoto needs to delete a thumbnail file because either

•	you have limited the number of thumbnail files on disc, the number of files is at this limit, and TasPhoto needs to delete one of these files in order to load another one, or

•	you have just reduced the limit on the number of thumbnail files that are to be kept on disc, and the number of thumbnail files on disc exceeds your new limit.

TasPhoto should only fail to delete a thumbnail file if the file is read-only. TasPhoto thumbnail files must not be read-only. Remove the read-only settings on all your thumbnial files, or increase the limit on the number of files to be kept on disc so that TasPhoto does not have to delete any.


Version Information

This is TasPhoto version 2.12

Visit the Tasman Software World Wide Web site to find out the latest version number. The latest version of TasPhoto is also normally available for you to download from this WWW site.

Read the following information if you have used a previous version of TasPhoto to discover the new features and program changes.

What's new in version 2.00

2.01 & 2.02

What's new in version 2.10

2.11 & 2.12


What's New in Version 2.00

Thumbnail Files

TasPhoto copies the thumbnail files from your Photo-CD's to your hard disk. It loads thumbnail versions of photos from these files on your disk instead of from the Photo-CD's.

The [image] options

These options for creating new shows and modifying existing shows read the thumbnails from the thumbnail files on the disk rather than from the CD's. It is no longer normally necessary to have to load your CD's into the drive when in these options.When you get a new Photo-CD, or have photos added to one of your existing CD's, put the CD into the drive before selecting one of these options. TasPhoto will detect that it does not have the thumbnail file for the CD, or that the thumbnail file that it does have is not up to date, and copy it from the CD to the hard disk.

Show and Photo-CD Selection

The windows in which shows are selected:

•	begin show

•	new show

•	append to show

•	edit show

and the windows in which Photo-CD's are selected:

•	new show

•	append to show

•	CD titles

have thumbnails buttons which are used to control the display of thumbnails for the highlighted show or CD. The thumbnails are loaded from the thumbnail files on the hard disk.

Sixteenth Size Photos

Sixteenth size photos (the smallest photo size when viewing shows) are loaded from the thumbnail files on hard disk.It is no longer normally necessary to have to load your CD's into the drive when viewing shows with the photos at sixteenth size.

Jump Button

When viewing a show the [image] button can be used to jump to any photo in the show. A thumbnail is displayed for every photo in the show and you select the photo to jump to. The [image] button is only displayed when viewing a show - it replaces the position occupied by the [image] button.


What's New in Versions 2.01 & 2.02

2.01 - Minor release - no functional changes.

•	No changes to TasPhoto program.

•	Minor changes to TasPhoto Help reflecting registration information changes.

•	Files sdn.id and vendinfo.diz added to distribution package.

2.02 - Minor release - no functional changes.

•	Referencing errors from program to TasPhoto Help corrected.


What's New in Version 2.10

Quad Size Images

Photos can be loaded and viewed at Quad size subject to additional system requirements.


What's New in Versions 2.11 & 2.12

2.11 - Minor release

In version 2.11 the program window can be resized to wider than the screen when running under windows 95.

2.12 - Show Files / TasPhoto association

If a show file or the show file type (*.shw) is associated with the TasPhoto program then double clicking the show file name in File Manager/Explorer or a show file icon in a group/folder will start TasPhoto which will in turn begin the specified show.

See your Windows help or manual for how to set up file associations.


Text

The larger box contains the photo caption. Click in this box to type a new caption or change the existing caption.

The smaller box contains the Show Name, which can also be modified.

You can check the spelling of words that you type,

The clipboard can be used to cut, copy and paste text. To access the clipboard click on the button at the left of the "Text" title bar.

Click on this to finish and confirm any changes you have made to the caption and show name.

Click on this to finish and abandon any changes you have made to the caption or show name.


The Spelling Checker

There are three ways in which spelling can be checked:

•	Double click on a word. This checks the word.

•	Turn on [image]. Words are then checked as you type them.

•	Press [image]. This checks every word in your caption.

When the spelling checker does not recognise a word it presents a list of suggested correct spellings for the word.

The spelling checker uses a dictionary of more than seventy thousand words. The dictionary is English but contains American alternatives that are recognised by modern English dictionaries as acceptable alternatives to the true spelling.


Spelling - Word Not Found

The word is not in the dictionary. It may be incorrectly spelled. Suggested correct spellings for the word are listed. Click on a word in this list to highlight it.

Replace?

 Replace the unrecognised word with the highlighted word in the list of suggestions. Double-clicking on a word in the suggestions list is a short-cut: it is the same as highlighting the word and then pressing this button.

 Do not replace the unrecognised word.

 This only appears if all the caption text is being checked. The unrecognised word is not replaced and the checking of the text is stopped.


Spelling - Word Not Found

The word is not in the dictionary. It may be incorrectly spelled. There are no suggested correct spellings for the word.

 This only appears if all the caption text is being checked. The checking of the text is stopped.


Photo Adjustment

Press [image] to adjust the appearance of a photo displayed on the screen during a show.

The Photo - Adjust window appears, which contains the buttons and scroll bars used for brightness and  color adjustment.

Another, smaller, window entitled Adjusted also appears on top of your photo. You see the effects of your adjustments through this window. You can move and change the size of this window but note that the smaller the window the more quickly you will see the effect of your adjustments. It is a good idea to keep it small at first while you are experimenting with various adjustments, and then to open it out into a larger window covering more or all of the photo later.

The larger window works in four ways depending on which of the following in the window are selected:

  brightness, color and saturation adjustment.

  effects (sharpen, blur, edge enhance, emboss) also save photo as bitmap

  rotate

  monitor gamma adjustment

TasPhoto can record any adjustments you make to a photo. When the show is subsequently viewed such photos are displayed already adjusted. TasPhoto asks if you want your adjustments recorded when you press [image] to leave the Photo - Adjust window.


Adjust Which Photo
If there is more than one photo on the screen then the cursor changes to [image]. This is TasPhoto asking which photo you want to adjust. Click on the required photo.


Adjust Access
To adjust a photo press [image]. The Photo - Adjust window appears.


Photo Adjustment - Brightness, Color and Saturation

Brightness and color are adjusted when the [image] option is set in the Photo - Adjust window.

There are separate descriptions for

You can adjust:

 brightness.

 colour balance.

 saturation and screen balance adjustment.

The result of any adjustment is shown in the Adjusted window. You can move and change the size of this window but note that the smaller the window the more quickly you will see the result of changing the brightness or colour. It is a good idea to keep it small at first while you are experimenting, and then to open it out into a larger window covering more or all of the photo later.


Adjusting Brightness

A brightness spectrum shows the number of pixels in the photo at each level of brightness. The bottom scroll bar moves the spectrum left or right, making the photo darker or brighter. The side scroll bar squashes or stretches the spectrum, increasing or decreasing the brightness range or contrast. The small spectrums by the side scroll bar indicate the effect of using this scroll bar.

See the following for how to:

•	make a photo brighter or darker.

•	adjust the brightness range or contrast.

•	adjust under and/or over exposed photos.


Brightness Spectrum

The brightness spectrum shows the number of pixels in the photo at each level of brightness. The horizontal direction shows brightness, with darkest pixels at the left and brightest pixels at the right. The height of the blue spectrum at any point - any brightness - represents the number of pixels in the photo that have that brightness.

This is the spectrum for a very dark photo. The very left side of the spectrum represents the count of black (zero brightness) pixels in the photo. In this photo all the pixels have a brightness of less than about 20%. Some have zero brightness.

This is the spectrum for a very bright photo. The very right side of the spectrum represents the count of bright white (100% brightness) pixels in the photo. In this photo all the pixels have a brightness of more than about 80%. A few have 100% brightness.

This is a brightness spectrum for a photo whose pixels have a brightness range from about 5% to 55%.


Brightness

The brightness spectrum shows the number of pixels in the photo at each level of brightness

To make the photo brighter move the spectrum right using the bottom scroll bar.

To darken the photo move the spectrum left with the bottom scroll bar.


Brightness Range or Contrast

The brightness spectrum shows the number of pixels in the photo at each level of brightness.

Moving the thumb down in the side scroll bar squashes the spectrum. This increases the brightness range - dark pixels are darkened and bright pixels made brighter. The contrast is increased.

Moving the thumb up in the side scroll bar lifts the spectrum and makes it narrower. This decreases the brightness range - the brightness of the darker pixels is closer to that of the brighter pixels. The contrast is decreased.


Under and/or Over Exposed Photos

This is the brightness spectrum of a photo in which some areas are over-exposed or washed out (there are pixels of 100% brightness - those at the right of the spectrum) and other areas are under-exposed (there are very dark pixels). You can make the dark areas brighter and reduce the brightness of the brightest areas. This can bring out hidden detail in the photo.

Move the thumb up in the side scroll bar. Dark pixels become brighter and bright pixels darker.


Adjusting Color

Every pixel in a photo is made up of a red, a green, and a blue component.

Moving one of these scroll bar buttons to the right increases the value of the indicated color component

Moving one of these scroll bar buttons to the left decreases the value of the indicated color component


Adjusting Saturation

Use the Photo Adjustment facility to adjust the saturation of a photo. The Photo - Adjust window appears, which contains the scroll bar used to adjust saturation:

Move this scroll bar button to the right to increase the saturation. Move it to the left to decrease the saturation.

The scene balance adjustment (sba) can be turned on and off by clicking the sba box. It is on when the box is checked.


Photo Adjustment - Effects

An effect is specified when the [image] option is set in the Photo - Adjust window.

There are separate descriptions for

The result of the effect is shown in the Adjusted window. You can move and change the size of this window but note that the smaller the window the more quickly you will see the result of changing the effect. It is a good idea to keep it small at first while you are experimenting with various effects, and then to open it out into a larger window covering more or all of the photo later.

A single effect can be applied to a photo. For a description of any of the types of effects click on the relevant part of the picture to the left.

 Press this to save the part of the photo in the Adjusted window to disc as a device-independent bitmap.


ColorEffBlur
The blur effects blur or smooth out the photo. Two levels of blur are provided with number 2 blurring more than number 1.


ColorEffSharpen
The sharpen effects sharpen or enhance the detail of the photo. Six levels of sharpening are provided with number 1 being the least, and number 6 the most, aggressive.


ColorEffNormal
The normal effect is no effect.


ColorEffEdge
The edge enhance effects sharpen the photo by highlighting edges. The edge effects are directional (think of a light shining on the subject of a photo from a particular direction) and eight edge enhance effects are provided for eight different directions.


ColorEffEmboss
The emboss effects highlight edges and give them a three-dimensional appearance. The emboss effects are directional (think of a light shining on the subject of a photo from a particular direction) and eight emboss effects are provided for eight different directions.


Save Adjusted Window as Bitmap

Specify the name of the disc file for the bitmap and then press [image] to save the bitmap.

The disc file name should have the extension .BMP or .DIB in order that other programs that you use can show the file in lists of bitmaps.

It is the part of the photo that is visible in the Adjusted window that is saved. If you want to save the entire photo then resize the Adjusted window so that it covers the entire photo.


Cannot Save Adjusted Window as Bitmap

The save adjusted window as bitmap facility saves the part of the photo that is visible through the Adjusted window. At the moment the position of the adjusted window is such that none of the photo is visible through it.

If you want to save part or all of the photo to disc as a Windows bitmap then move and/or resize the adjusted window so that the required part of the photo is visible through it. Then try again.


Save Photo as Bitmap

You can save (export) all or part of a photo to disc as a Windows device-independent bitmap. You can then:

•	Include these bitmaps in documents (with programs that have the capability to include bitmaps);

•	Print the bitmaps with appropriate programs;

•	Use the bitmap as a wallpaper. See your Windows User's Guide for how to do this.

Press [image] to save a photo displayed on the screen during a show.

The Photo - Adjust window appears, which contains the buttons and scroll bars used for brightness and  color adjustment. Press [image] to see the [image] button. Press this button to save the part of the photo that is visible through the Adjusted window.

Move and/or resize the Adjusted window to specify the part of the photo that you want to save. To save the entire photo move and resize the Adjusted window so that all the photo can be seen through it.

Any brightness, color, and effect that is applied to the Adjusted window will be saved with the bitmap.

When [image] is pressed a window appears to ask for the bitmap file name. You specify a file name and the bitmap is then saved to disc.

If the photo is not being displayed at its actual size (either because it is portrait orientation or it is [image] with [image] selected) then the size of the saved bitmap corresponds to the actual size of the photo rather than the size of the Adjusted window.


Rotate

The rotation of each photo is put on the photo-CD by the photofinishing operator who scans the image to determine the right-side-up orientation. Since that can be difficult the orientation of the displayed photo can sometimes be incorrect.

Use the rotate facility to change the orientation of the photo. TasPhoto records any such changes that you make, so that the next time you view the show the photo will be shown with the orientation that you specify.

 selects the orientation stored on the photo-CD

 rotates the photo 90 degrees clockwise

 rotates the photo 90 degrees anti-clockwise

 rotates the photo through 180 degrees.

TasPhoto rotates the photo when one of these buttons is pressed. This can take some time.

TasPhoto records the orientation that is selected when you exit the rotate facility, whichever button you press to exit.


RotateAccess
To rotate a photo press [image]. The Photo - Adjust window appears. Press


Monitor Gamma Adjustment

The monitor gamma setting is an adjustment for the monitor characteristics and control settings and for the monitor viewing environment.

Use the monitor gamma facility to change the monitor gamma setting. You should experiment to determine the setting that gives the best results for your monitor and viewing environment.

The monitor gamma is a setting for your monitor rather than for a particular photo. If you change the setting then your new setting will be used for all subsequent photos in all subsequent shows.


Monitor Gamma Access
To change the monitor gamma setting press [image]. The Photo - Adjust window appears. Press


Record Adjustments?

TasPhoto records any adjustments you have made to the photo. When the show is viewed in future your adjustments will be applied to the photo before it is displayed.

the photo will be displayed with the current adjustments but these adjustments are not recorded.


Save Color Changes Info
Adjustments to the photo are recorded in the Show File for the current show.

Next time you view the show the recorded adjustments will be applied to the photo before it is displayed.

If the same photo is in a different show then it will not be adjusted in that show - each show has its own Show File.


Questions and Answers

CD drives

TasPhoto asks me to Insert a Photo-CD. I do so and click O.K. It asks me again. Why?

Can the photos in a show come from more than one Photo-CD?

How do I make a show that includes photos from more than one Photo-CD?

What if I have more than one CD-drive?

Cursor

Why does the arrow cursor change after a new photo is displayed?

Display

How do I use all the screen?

Options

Why can I not select Quad size in the Options window?

Photo-CD

Why use Photo-CD?

Uninstall

How can I uninstall TasPhoto?


TasPhoto asks me to Insert a Photo-CD. I do so and click O.K. It asks me again. Why?

This is a typical message asking you to insert a particular Photo-CD. If you insert the requested Photo-CD and immediately click [image] you may see this message appear again. This is because CD-drives can take some time to align, spin up to speed, and be ready to read, a newly inserted CD. Wait for the busy light on your CD-drive to stop flickering - the drive should then be ready to read the CD.

The above message will also appear again if you happen to have more than one CD with the same CD-number. A full CD serial number is 12 digits, but TasPhoto only shows the final four digits as the CD-number. TasPhoto does, however, check the full 12 digit serial number of the CD in the drive. In this situation use the CD-title to distinguish between the CD's.


QA multi cd
Yes. TasPhoto will ask you to put the required Photo-CD into the drive if the next photo it needs to load is from a different Photo-CD.


QA make multi
Use [image] [image] to make a show with photos from one CD

Use [image] [image] to add photos from the other CD to the end of the show.

Use [image] [image] to change the order of the photos in the show if required.


QA several drives
If you have more than one CD-drive then TasPhoto looks at every drive when it is trying to find a particular Photo-CD, so it does not matter which drive you put your Photo-CD into. Having more than one drive is particularly useful if you have shows with photos from more than one Photo-CD as you can then put the CD's into different drives and you won't be interrupted by TasPhoto requesting a CD change while you are viewing the show.


The Busy Cursor

SUMMARY

TasPhoto changes the normal arrow cursor to a busy cursor while it busy reading the next photo or set of photos from a Photo-CD. The default busy cursor is the Windows hourglass cursor. Because this can be inconvenient, you can change the shape of the busy cursor.

While you a viewing a photo TasPhoto uses the time to transfer the next photo in the show from the Photo-CD to memory. When this transfer is complete the photo is ready to be displayed immediately you press the next photo button.

If more than one photo is being displayed then the next screenful of photos is transferred so that, when the transfer is complete, they are all ready for immediate display when the next screenful button is pressed.

TasPhoto changes the normal arrow cursor to a busy cursor while it busy transferring the next photo or set of photos from the Photo-CD to memory. The default busy cursor is the Windows hourglass cursor. When you see the cursor change back to the normal arrow cursor you know that the next photo or photos are ready to be displayed.

It can be inconvenient having the hourglass cursor as the busy cursor. You may, for example, be using the arrow cursor to point out detail in your photos to friends or colleagues. Having the cursor change to an hourglass in this situation is distracting. And the hourglass cursor is not very good for pointing at detail in the photo!

You can change the shape of the busy cursor as described in Options. This enables you to choose a busy cursor that:

•	can be used for pointing

•	is not too different from the normal arrow cursor, but

•	is sufficiently different that you will know when the next photo(s) are ready to be displayed.

The alternative busy cursors are illustrated below.

The standard hourglass cursor.

Combined arrow and hourglass. This can be used for pointing and it is obvious when the hourglass disappears. The presence of the hourglass may be too distracting.

Arrow with a dot. When the dot disappears the next photo is ready.

Arrow with a long tail. The tail changes to normal length when the next photo is ready.


Using All the Screen

Click the maximize button near the top right corner of the TasPhoto window to make the window fill the screen.

Press [image] to change the TasPhoto options.

Select [image] and

Press [image] to finish changing the TasPhoto options.

Each photo in a show will now fill the screen, except for the space taken by the title bar, border, and caption if present.


QA No Quad Size
The option to view photos at Quad size is inhibited if the display is 800 pixels wide or less. The Normal size of 768 pixels wide is perfectly adequate for such displays and there is a large memory overhead and delay in loading the Quad size photos.


Why use Photo-CD?

There are many advantages in keeping your photo collection on Photo-CD and using TasPhoto.

Displaying Photos

Displayed photos look excellent on 24-bit colour displays. You can view your photos at full screen size. This is like having a set of jumbo prints but at a fraction of the cost.

Environmentally Friendly

The production of a Photo-CD is environmentally friendly in terms of the amount and nature of the resources used.

Longevity

As digitally recorded data Photo-CD images are resilient to degradation over time.

Organisation

With TasPhoto it is easy to organise your photos into shows. You do not have to remember which CD's hold which photos. When you want to view a show TasPhoto tells you which CD to use. So much easier than searching manually through a set of albums or a drawer full of photos.

Photo Adjustment

The photo adjustment features of TasPhoto make it easy to adjust the appearance of your photos and to compensate for difficult lighting conditions and under- or over-exposure.

Sharpen

The TasPhoto adjustment facility enables a sharpening effect to be applied to photos. Useful, for example, in compensating for the effect of haze.

Space

CD's take up less space than albums of photos or boxes of slides.


QA 24 bit
24-bit is a term used to describe color displays that can show far in excess of 256 colors. It is so-called as it describes displays in which 8 bits are used to diplay various shades of red, another 8 bits for green, and another 8 for blue. 8 + 8 + 8 = 24. For more about displays see Displays and Display Drivers.


Uninstall

The TasPhoto install program simply creates the target directory and copies files to it from the TasPhoto disc. It also creates a Program Manager group containing the icon for the TasPhoto program (unless this install option is inhibited).

In light of the above, TasPhoto can be uninstalled by deleting all the files in the target directory, removing the directory, and deleting the icon and Program Manager group.


Insert Photo-CD

TasPhoto needs to access a Photo-CD which is not in the drive.

The Title and Number of the required Photo-CD are shown.

Put this Photo-CD into the drive and click on

If you have more than one drive then you can put the Photo-CD into any drive.

You may find that the message appears again after you click [image]. See TasPhoto asks me to Insert a Photo-CD. I do so and click O.K. It asks me again. Why?


Setup

The main window [image] button creates and changes shows. Click on any of the four setup options for further information.


Setup new
 Create a new photo show. This consists of the following steps:

•	A list of the existing shows is displayed. You type a Show File name for the new show.

•	You select the Photo-CD that contains the photos that are to be in the new show.

•	You select the photos for the show from a thumbnail display of all the photos on the CD.


New Show

Type a Show File name for the new show into the top left box.

A Show File name is up to 8 letters followed by a full stop and the letters shw

For example: myshow.shw

TasPhoto lists the Show Files in alphabetical order in the large left box. Choose a Show File name so that it will go into a position in this alphabetical list that is convenient for you.

When you have typed a Show File name press

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted show.


New Show - Show File Already Exists!

You have just typed a Show File name for a new show, but the name you have typed is already used for an existing show.

Press [image] to replace the existing file with your new Show File. If you do this you will loose the existing Show File and all the information (which photos are in the show, the captions for the photos etc.) about the show.

Press [image] to keep the existing show file and type a different Show File name for the new show.

If in doubt press


Invalid Show File Name

A Show File name is up to 8 letters followed by a full stop and the letters shw

For example: myshow.shw

You do not have to type the full stop and shw - the program will add them for you.


Select Photos for New Show

The screen shows the photos on the selected CD. The scroll bar at the right of the photos is active if there are more photos on the CD.

Initially there are no photos selected for the new show.

To select a photo for the show:

•	Move the cursor arrow onto the required photo. Then click the left mouse button.

To select several photos for the show:

•	Move the cursor arrow to a required but unselected photo. Then press and hold down the left mouse button. The cursor changes to a TICK to indicate that any photo that you move the cursor over will be selected.

•	Release the left mouse button to finish.

•	To scroll the photos while the left mouse button is held down move the cursor up through the top photos or down through the bottom photos.

To unselect photos that have been selected:

•	To unselect a particular photo move the cursor arrow to it and click the left mouse button.

•	To unselect several photos move the cursor arrow to a selected photo and press and hold down the left mouse button. The cursor changes to a CROSS to indicate that photos it is moved over will be unselected.

The [image] [image] [image] buttons control how unselected photos are displayed.

Press [image] to enter a Show Name for the new show.

 finishes and returns the the main TasPhoto screen. Press [image] to see your new show.


Display of Unselected Photos
 The photo number of the photo on the CD, as shown on the index print, is displayed. A red cross is drawn through unselected photos.

 The photo number of the photo on the CD, as shown on the index print, is displayed. If the photo is unselected then the photo number is printed in grey, rather than black.

 A red cross is drawn through unselected photos. Photo numbers are not shown.


Setup append
 Add photos to the end of a show. This consists of the following steps:

•	A list of shows is displayed and you select the show to append photos to.

•	You select the Photo-CD that contains the photos that are to be appended to the show.

•	You select the photos to append to the show from a thumbnail display of all the photos on the CD.


Append to Show

Select the show to append photos to by clicking on a Show File in the left box or by clicking on a Show Name in the centre box.

When the required show is highlighted press [image] to append to the show.

Double clicking on a Show File or Show Name also selects that show.

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted show.


Select Photos to Append to Show

The screen shows the photos on the selected CD. The scroll bar at the right of the photos is active if there are more photos on the CD.

Initially there are no photos selected to append to the show.

To select a photo to append to the show:

•	Move the cursor arrow to the required photo. Then click the left mouse button.

To select several photos to append to the show:

•	Move the cursor arrow to a required but unselected photo. Then press and hold down the left mouse button. The cursor changes to a TICK to indicate that any photo that you move the cursor over will be selected.

•	Release the left mouse button to finish.

•	To scroll the photos while the left mouse button is held down move the cursor up through the top photos or down through the bottom photos.

To unselect photos that have been selected:

•	To unselect a particular photo move the cursor arrow to it and click the left mouse button.

•	To unselect several photos move the cursor arrow to a selected photo and press and hold down the left mouse button. The cursor changes to a CROSS to indicate that photos it is moved over will be unselected.

The [image] [image] [image] buttons control how unselected photos are displayed.

Press [image] to change the Show Name.

 finishes and returns the main TasPhoto screen. Press [image] to see the show. To move the photos that you have appended to some other position in the show press [image] and then


Setup_edit
 Re-order, delete, skip photos in a show. This consists of the following steps:

•	A list of shows is displayed and you select the show to edit.

•	You edit a thumbnail display of all the photos in the show.

Photos that are deleted are removed permanently from the show. Photos that are skipped are not shown when viewing the show but the information on such photos (captions, colour corrections etc.) is still contained within the Show File. Skipped photos can be un-skipped in a subsequent edit of the show.


Edit Show

Select the show to edit by clicking on a Show File in the left box or by clicking on a Show Name in the middle box.

When the required show is highlighted press [image] to edit the show.

Double clicking on a Show File or Show Name also edits that show.

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted show.


Edit Show

The screen shows the photos in the show. The scroll bar at the right of the photos is active if there are more photos in the show.

You can:

•	Select a single photo.

•	Select a group of consecutive photos.

•	Move a selected photo or group of photos to a new position in the show.

•	Delete (remove permanently) a selected photo or group of photos.

•	Skip (remove temporarily) photos from the show, and unskip photos that are skipped.

These tick boxes specify what information is shown on each thumbnail picture. The top box is used for the Photo-CD Title, the bottom left box for the Photo-CD Number, and the bottom right box for the Photo Number on the Photo-CD.


Select single photo
 To select a single photo:

•	Ensure that the Select button is selected.

•	Move the cursor onto the photo to select.

•	Click the left mouse button.

 Selected photos are shown like this.


Select group
 To select a group of consecutive photos:

•	Ensure that the Select button is selected.

•	Move the cursor to the first or final photo in the intended group.

•	Press and hold down the left mouse button. Moving the cursor over the photos while keeping the left mouse button held down selects the group.

•	Release the left mouse button to finish.

•	To scroll the photos while the left mouse button is held down move the cursor up through the top photos or down through the bottom photos.

Selected photos are shown like this.


Move photos
 To move a selected photo or group of photos to a new position in the show:

•	Ensure that the Move button is selected.

•	Move the cursor over the photos to specify the place to move the selected photo(s) to.

•	Click the left mouse button to perform the move.

 While the cursor is moved over the photos a pair of arrows points at the place in the show where the selected photos will be moved to when the mouse button is clicked.


Delete photos
To delete a selected photo or group of photos press [image]. This button is only active if there are photos selected. You will be asked for confirmation before the photos are deleted from the show.


Skip photos
 To skip photos from the show:

•	Ensure that the Skip button is selected.

•	Move the cursor to a photo to be skipped.

•	Press the left mouse button to skip the photo under the cursor.

•	To skip a group of photos press and hold down the left mouse button. Moving the cursor over the photos while keeping the left mouse button held down skips all the photos that the cursor is moved over. Release the left mouse button to finish.

•	To scroll the photos while the left mouse button is held down move the cursor up through the top photos or down through the bottom photos.

Skipped photos are recovered for the show - unskipped - with the same procedure: position the cursor over a skipped photo and press the left mouse button.

 Skipped photos are shown like this.


Delete Selected Photos?

You have pressed [image] to remove the selected photos permanently from the show.

Are you sure that you want to delete the selected photos?

 click this to confirm and delete the photos.

 click this to abandon the deletion of the selected photos.

If you think that you might want the photos back in the show at a later time then skip the photos instead of deleting them.


Setup CDlabels
 View and change the Photo-CD Titles.

•	The Numbers and Titles of all your Photo-CD's are listed. You can change Titles and remove from the list CD's that you no longer use.


Changing Photo-CD Titles

Your Photo-CD's are listed by both number and title. If a CD is currently in a drive then the drive letter is shown at the left. The order of the list is by the date the CD's were made: the earliest is at the top and the most recent is at the bottom of the list.

Select a particular Photo-CD in the list by moving the cursor onto it and clicking the left mouse button. The selected Photo-CD is highlighted in the list.

 Changes the title of the currently selected Photo-CD.

 Removes the selected Photo-CD from the list kept by TasPhoto. Only press this is you no longer have or will no longer use the selected CD.

 If the CD in the drive is changed then press this. TasPhoto will look at the drive again, check that its copy of the thumbnail file for the CD is up-to-date, and put the drive letter against the correct CD in the list.

 See how many thumbnail files are on your hard disk and how much disk space they occupy. Optionally limit the number of thumbnail files - useful if the disk is nearly full.

The other three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted Photo-CD..

 finish and return to the main TasPhoto window.


Remove Photo-CD from List?

You pressed [image] to indicate that you want to remove the highlighted Photo-CD from the list of your Photo-CD's maintained by TasPhoto

ARE YOU SURE?

You should only remove Photo-CD's from this list if:

•	You no longer have the Photo-CD, or

•	You intend never again to view shows that include photos on this CD.


Select a Photo-CD

The central box shows the Title and Number of each of your Photo-CD's. Click on the Photo-CD that contains the photos you want for the show then press

If the CD is a new one that you have not yet used with TasPhoto, or if it is one that you have just added photos to, and if it is not in the drive then insert it and press [image]. TasPhoto will then check that the thumbnail file is up to date and copy it if necessary. If in doubt do it anyway, or check the tumbnail display against the thumbnail print in the jewel case.

 can be used to change the Title of the highlighted Photo-CD.

The three Thumbnails Buttons control the display of thumbnail images for the currently highlighted Photo-CD.


Options

Photo size

Number of photos displayed

Captions

Busy cursor

Buttons - side or top

Info window switch

Auto resize switch

Gap between photos

Portrait aspect ratio correction


Photo Size

The sizes given are in pixels and are for landscape orientation photos. You can relate these sizes to the screen by noting that screens are commonly 640, 800, or 1024 pixels wide.

Portrait orientation photos are reduced so that they fit in the space taken by a landscape orientation photo.

Photos can be viewed at quad size only if the display is wider than 800 pixels.

Sixteenth size photos are loaded from thumbnail files on the hard disk rather than from the Photo-CD. If, as will usually be the case, all your thumbnail files are on your disk, you can view any of your shows with the photos at sixteenth size without having to put your CD's into the drive.

 This option only applies for normal and quad size photos. When it is selected photos are scaled - stretched or compressed - so that they fill the TasPhoto program window. If the window is maximised then with this option selected the photo will fill the screen. This option is selected automatically if the photo size is larger than the screen. It may take more time to transfer scaled photos to the screen than photos which are not scaled.

 This option only applies for normal size photos and then only when the [image] option is selected. When it is selected photos are scaled by the same factor both horizontally and vertically until they fit the window. The photos will then not normally fill the window, but they will not be distorted.


Number of Photos Displayed

only one photo is dispayed at a time.

 only one photo is dispayed at a time.

 from one to four photos can be displayed.

 from one to sixteen photos can be displayed.

To change the number of photos displayed for quarter and sixteenth size:

•	move the cursor into the rectangle that will represent your bottom right photo.

•	press the left mouse button.


Showing Captions

Use these options to specify whether, and how, to show captions with your photos.

 No captions are shown.

 A single caption is shown. If more than one photo is displayed then move the cursor to a photo to see the caption for that photo.

 If there is more than one photo then show a caption for each.

 Select the font (and style, size and colour) for the captions.

 If the text does not fit in the caption area then TasPhoto reduces the type size to try and make it fit. Use this option to specify the smallest type size that is acceptable to you. If you do not want any reduction in the type size then use this option to specify a type size that is larger than the size specified in

 Select the screen color for the caption areas. The color of the text itself can be specified in

 If the text does not fit in the caption area then a scroll bar can be used to scroll through the caption text. This specifies how quickly the text moves when the scroll bar is used.


Captions Font

Specify how the text in the photo captions is to appear by selecting:

•	Font

•	Font style

•	Size

•	Color

You can type a size that is not in the list of sizes directly into the Size box. If you do this then press [image] to see the font at this size.


Captions Smallest Font

Specify the smallest size of font to be used in the photo captions.

You can type a size that is not in the list of sizes directly into the Size box. If you do this then press [image] to see the font at this size.

You cannot change the Font and Font Style. These are changed from the [image] option.

If the text does not fit in the caption area then TasPhoto reduces the type size to try and make it fit. Use this option to specify the smallest type size that is acceptable to you. If you do not want any reduction in the type size then use this option to specify a type size that is larger than the size you specified in


Captions Background Color

Select the screen color for the caption areas. The color of the text itself can be specified from the [image] option.


Gap between Photos

Use this option to adjust the size of the gaps between photos when more than one photo is being displayed. The scroll bars alter the sizes of the gaps. The horizontal and vertical gaps are adjusted independently.


Portrait Aspect Ratio Correction

Portrait orientation photos are reduced to fit in the space occupied by landscape photos. This option allows the horizontal reduction to be varied independently of the vertical reduction. At 100% the reductions are equal. Use the scroll bar to obtain a setting at which portrait orientation photos look best on your display.


Info Window Switch

 This switches on a small window which shows the following information about the display and about the current photo:

Photo

•	image file	the name of the photo-CD file in which the image is stored

•	photo-CD number

•	photo-CD title

•	colour correct	yes/no to specify if the image is colour corrected

Display

•	width of display in pixels

•	height of display in pixels

•	number of colours the display can show

•	if the display has a palette

TasPhoto

•	program version	the TasPhoto program version number

•	help version	the version number of the TasPhoto help file

•	language	the language used for both program and help file

•	user	name of the registered user


Buttons - side or top

 This option specifies whether the buttons should be:

•	at the top of the TasPhoto window, between the photos and the title bar.

•	at the left side of the TasPhoto window.


Auto Resize Switch

 When this is selected the TasPhoto window is automatically resized so that it is exactly the size to contain the photos and captions as a result of any change to the photo size, number of photos displayed, captions, or gap between photos.

The TasPhoto window is resized after [image] has been pressed to finish changing the program options.

The TasPhoto window is not resized if  [image] is selected and the photo size is [image] or


Changing the Busy Cursor

TasPhoto changes the normal arrow cursor to a busy cursor while it busy reading the next photo or set of photos from a Photo-CD.

The default busy cursor is the Windows hourglass cursor. This can be inconvenient when using TasPhoto, as is discussed in The Busy Cursor.

Press the button in the Options window for a list of alternative busy cursors. Click a cursor in this list to select it as the new busy cursor.

The new busy cursor is created when you press [image] to leave the Options window, and is not if you press


AllBusyCursors
standard hourglass

arrow with hourglass

arrow with dot

arrow with long tail


Organising your Photo-CD's

NUMBERS and TITLES

Every Photo-CD has a number and, optionally, a title. The number is given to the CD when it is made. The title is given to the CD by you. You can change the title, but you cannot change the number.

The number that TasPhoto uses to refer to your Photo-CD's is the large four figure number printed on the index print in the CD jewel box. This is also printed as the large and final number on the hub of the CD itself.

A title is a convenient additional way of referring to your Photo-CD's. You choose your own text for the title. It could be a name, a description, dates, a combination of these, or any other text of your choice. The CD jewel case contains an insert with space for a title at each end. This insert can, with care, be removed so that you can write your title for the CD into these spaces.

When you give a Photo-CD a title you should tell TasPhoto so that it too can refer to the CD by your title. To do this press the [image] button to bring up the SETUP options. Then press

When TasPhoto needs to load a photo from a CD that is not in the drive, it displays a message requesting that you put the CD in the drive. This message refers to the CD by both title and number:

If you write CD titles on the CD inserts and tell TasPhoto what the titles are, then finding the required CD from a collection is much easier.


System Requirements

•	Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or later

•	4Mb of Memory (8Mb recommended)

•	SVGA colour display (24-bit colour recommended). See displays and display drivers.

•	Mouse or compatible pointing device

•	CD-drive (Photo-CD compatible)

In order to view photos at quad size the display must be wider than 800 pixels and 16Mb of memory is recommended.


Cannot use PCDLIB.DLL!

SUMMARY

TasPhoto needs to use a program called PCDLIB.DLL. It needs to use version 2.0 or later of this program. Some other program has already loaded an earlier version of PCDLIB.DLL and therefore TasPhoto cannot run.

Close the other application(s) you have running that can access Photo-CD and then run TasPhoto.

DETAIL

TasPhoto and other programs that can read Photo-CD's do so by using a program called PCDLIB.DLL. TasPhoto will only work with version 2.0 or later of PCDLIB.DLL.

Some other program is running that has already loaded a version of PCDLIB.DLL earlier than 2.0. Only one copy of PCDLIB.DLL can be loaded at the same time.

The offending program will probably have loaded the pre 2.0 version of PCDLIB.DLL from its own directory or from the Windows directory. The TasPhoto install program copied a version of PCDLIB.DLL that TasPhoto can use into the TasPhoto directory.

You may be able to prevent this problem from occuring in future by overwriting the pre 2.0 version with a copy of the version from the TasPhoto directory. Do not attempt to do this unless you know exactly what you are doing. Make a back up copy of the pre 2.0 version that you are about to overwrite - it may be that the old version has capabilities needed by the offending program that have been removed from the version used by TasPhoto.


Displays and Display Drivers

There are many different types of display adaptors within PC's, the colour capabilities of which fall into three categories:

16 colour. TasPhoto will drive 16 colour displays but the visual appearance of photographic images on such displays is not satisfactory.

256 colour. The appearance of photographic quality images on 256 colour displays is just about acceptable until one sees the visual effect of the greater colour range of:-

32 thousand - 16 million colours. These display adaptors (sometimes known as 24-bit) are ideal for the display of photographic quality images. These adaptors are generally able to operate in different modes, in each of which the screen is divided into a different number of pixels, with different colour capabilities in each mode. The following table is typical of the different modes in which such a display adaptor is capable of operating.

Pixels	Horizontal	Vertical	Colours

640	480	16 million

800	600	32 thousand

800	600	65 thousand

1024	768	256

1280	1024	16

There is a display driver program for each mode in the above table. You specify the display driver for Windows to use, and hence the mode, by using the Window Setup program. Use Setup to see if you have a choice of display drivers.

If you have a choice of display drivers then it is worthwhile using a driver that is most appropriate for photo-CD. The considerations that apply in selecting such a driver are discussed below.

Normal size landscape photo-CD images are 768 pixels horizontally and 512 pixels vertically. These images fit well in a 800 by 600 display and a colour range of 32 or 65 thousand is both acceptable and not distinguishable by the untrained eye from 16 million.

The 800 by 600 with 32 or 65 thousand colours display modes are therefore recommended for TasPhoto. These modes are preferable to 640 by 400 modes as the normal size images fit in the display without being scaled. They are preferable to the modes with a greater number of pixels as the latter do not have an acceptable colour range.


Trademarks
Copyright, Disclaimer, and Trademarks

COPYRIGHT

TasPhoto is copyright 1995 Tasman Software.

TasPhoto includes software supplied under license by the copyright owner the Eastman Kodak Company.

These copyrights are protected by national and international copyright laws and treaty provisions.

DISCLAIMER

Tasman Software makes no representation or warranty that TasPhoto is fit for any particular purpose and in no event will Tasman's liability for any damages suffered by the user or any third party arising from the use of TasPhoto ever exceed the price paid by the user to Tasman for the program.

TRADEMARKS

Kodak is a trademark of the Eastman Kodak Company.

PhotoYCC is a trademark of the Eastman Kodak Company.

The Photo-CD logo is a trademark of the Eastman Kodak Company.

Tasman is a registered trademark of Tasman Software.

TasPhoto is a trademark of Tasman Software.

TasSpell is a trademark of Tasman Software

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


Glossary

busy cursor

device-independent bitmap

caption

landscape orientation

orientation

pixel

photo-CD numbers

photo-CD titles

photo number

portrait orientation

RGB

saturation

scene balance adjustment

shareware

show

show file

show name

skipped photos

thumbnail

Web site


caption
Every photo in a show can have a caption which can be a description of the photo or any other text that is to be shown in conjunction with the photo.


device independent bitmap
A device-independent bitmap is an image that is stored in a particular format. Windows, and many Windows programs, can read and display device independent bitmaps. Device-independent bitmaps can exist as files on disc. Such files have the extensions .BMP or .DIB. TasPhoto can save part or all of a photo as a device-independent bitmap file.


Orientation

Landscape > 	 < Portrait


Photo - Adjust Window


Photo-CD Numbers
A Photo-CD Number is a four figure number that identifies a particular CD. It is the large number printed on the index print inside the jewel case. It is also printed on the hub of the CD itself.

See also: Organising your Photo-CD's


Photo-CD Labels
A Photo-CD Title is an optional description of a particular CD. You choose your own text for the title.

See also Organising your Photo-CD's


Photo Number
A Photo Number is the number of a photo on a Photo-CD. These numbers are printed on each photo on the index print in the Photo-CD jewel case.


pixel
Computer displays are made up of a collection of small dots. The colour and brightness of each dot can be independently varied. These dots are called pixels.


RGB
Red, Green and Blue.


saturation
Saturation refers to the purity of color. Royal blue is more saturated than sky blue.


scene balance adjustment
Scene balance adjustment (sba) is an adjustment made by the photofinisher at the time the original image is scanned and placed on the Photo CD disc.


Setup Window


Shareware
Shareware is software that you can try out for a period of time (in this case 30 days), after which, if you decide to keep using the program, you should register it with the author and pay a registration fee. With shareware you have the opportunity to try out the program before you decide to buy it.


Show

A show is a set of Photo-CD images that are displayed by TasPhoto when a show is viewed.

Press [image] to begin a show. The Begin Show window displays a list of your shows and you can select the show to view.

Press [image] to obtain the Setup window through which you can create and modify shows.


Show File

A Show File is a disc file in which TasPhoto keeps information about a show. Every show has a Show File and a Show Name.

Both the Show Files and Show Names are listed when [image] is pressed to start a Show:

The shows are listed alphabetically by Show Files. When you create a new show type a Show File name so that it goes into a place in this alphabetical list that is convenient to you.

The information that TasPhoto keeps in a Show File includes:

•	The Photo-CD Numbers of the CD's used by the show;

•	The photo numbers of the photos on the CD's used in the show;

•	The photo captions.

•	Details of any colour adjustments to be made to photos before they are displayed.


Show Name

A Show Name is a description of, and caption for, the show. Every show has a Show File and a Show Name.It is the Show Name that is displayed in the TasPhoto title bar when a show is being viewed.

Both the Show Files and Show Names are listed when [image] is pressed to start a Show:

A Show Name can be entered or changed at the following places in TasPhoto

•	When selecting photos in the NEW, APPEND and EDIT Show [image] options. Press [image] or

•	From within the [image] option when viewing a Show.


Skipped Photos
Photos that are skipped are not shown when viewing the show but the information on such photos (captions, colour corrections etc.) is still contained within the Show File. Skipped photos can be un-skipped in a subsequent edit of the show.


Thumbnail
A thumbnail is a very small version of a photo - too small for normal viewing but large enough for the photo to be identified. The photos on the index prints in Photo-CD jewel cases are thumbnails. The photo at the right is  thumbnail size in TasPhoto.


WWW_site
http://www.tasman.co.uk