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README!
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1995-05-05
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SCALA INFOCHANNEL IC500 Release Notes
This file describes differences between the release version of Scala
InfoChannel IC500 and what is documented in the IC500 Addendum, and also
clarifies the operation of certain IC500 features, particularly AnimLab
and Snapfiles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maintenance Release V51.27
This version of IC500 is a update to the original IC500 release (V51.24).
You can check the version number in the InfoChannel System screen.
Please report all problems you may find in this and future releases
via email to Jan.Nymand@scala.no
Several problems with the original release have been corrected, and work-
arounds are provided for others below.
Problems fixed:
-System does not crash under low memory conditions. In general, memory
usage has been improved.
-Log EX does not crash when updating statistics file.
-Performer EX now has correct Tooltypes.
-VCR EXes no longer conflict with other EXes that use the Serial port.
-Copying pages with Snapfiles ON, then changing the page's background
now works correctly.
-The border no longer becomes opaque during some wipes with a genlock.
-Saving a script with Optimize selected and Snapfiles ON now works correctly.
-Crashes related to outline fonts and WB 2.04 can be fixed by obtaining
updated system files. Call Scala at 703-713-0900.
Problems with work-arounds:
-You must have at least one page unscheduled in a script for scheduled
pages to work. It can be a black page.
-When reducing the number of colors in a page, some text attribute colors
may appear to become transparent. You must select a new color.
-Save Default Layout in the Editor saves the palette, which overrides
the palette of any backgrounds you load. Use the FixLayout program
on Disk #2 to remove the PALETTE command from your
ENVARC:Scala/InfoChannel.layout file. You can even put the icon in
your WBStartup. FixLayout is an AREXX program and can be executed from
Workbench via its icon.
-Scripts saved over several floppies cannot be loaded correctly. You have
to copy the files manually to your hard drive.
-The Mark and Select sound files (specified in the System screen) are not
saved when you save to floppy. You must copy them manually.
-Double Density disks are no longer big enough to make a Runtime disk.
You must use HD disks.
-If more than 6 bitmaps exist for a font, the font requester can become
garbled. There is no work-around other than reducing the number of
bitmaps for that font.
-Antialias 5 causes the cursor to behave incorrectly when character
spacing is changed. You must turn off Antialaising (the F8 key)
when changing character spacing.
-Antialias 1,2,3 cause a solid background to appear when combined with
certain other attributes. There is no work-around other than trying
different combinations.
-You can run out of Chip (Graphics) memory by using Antialias level 5 with
Bitmap fonts. Scaling bitmap fonts also can cause this. Use level 4
instead and only use the available sizes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Optimize Script?" option (Addendum page 16):
The "Optimize Script?" button is always displayed in the "Copy script:"
save requester, regardless of whether you are saving the script with the
Snapfiles option turned on or off. The "Optimize Script?" option is not
connected to the "Copy to drawer?" option.
When the optimized script is saved, a new drawer with a unique name is
created. The drawer name is generally that of the script, plus a ".pics"
extension. All snapfiles (processed images) are copied into this drawer.
The script is then modified to use the snapfiles in the ".pics" drawer as
its image files, and most of the RESOLUTION and PALETTE lines in the
underlying Lingua script are removed since they will no longer be used.
This cuts the connection to the original files, so be sure you have a copy
of the original, non-optimized script in case you need to rescale or modify
any of the backgrounds or brushes in the script again without losing
quality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Trashcan:" button. (Addendum page 23):
This button lets you select a location for the drawer that the snapfiles
system uses as a temporary storage area. If you choose a drawer other than
the default "Trashcan" drawer in the InfoChannel drawer, you should use a
drawer that does not already contain any files you need to keep, since it
could be necessary to empty the drawer from time to time.
Normally there is no need to empty this drawer yourself. However if the
authoring system should be disrupted by a software or hardware failure
while you are editing a script, and there are some snapfiles there, those
files might not get deleted as they usually would. You would then
eventually want to delete those files to keep them from taking up space on
your hard drive.
All generated snapfiles are located in the Trashcan drawer during
authoring, and ONLY when the script is saved are those snapfiles moved to
the script's Snapdir drawer. The temporary snapfiles are generated in the
Trashcan drawer even if the script you are working on already has its own
Snapdir drawer. This keeps the temporary snapfiles from possibly
overwriting the finished snapfiles of an existing script on disk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resizing and cropping brushes (Addendum page 31):
The second paragraph in this section should mention that you can
also use snapfiles to speed playback and save memory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tips on resolution and remapping (Addendum page 37):
Snapfiles are generated only when you are in the Edit menu and when the
Shuffler generates its icons. Snapfiles are never generated when a script
runs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Antialiasing (Addendum page 44):
The antialiasing color is now set to the background color (also used by the
Background raster attribute). There is only one exception to this: If
"Outline" is selected, the outline color is used as the antialiasing color.
The antialias color is removed from the Palette menu.
This change can affect the antialias color of scripts produced under MM300
and IC400. To fix this, you must manually go through older scripts that
use antialiasing and check to see if the antialias color is correct.
Where it is not, you can manually reset the right antialias color for those
texts in the script. To do so, select these texts and then choose the
right color from the palette bar and apply that color to the "Background
raster" color button. If you want to use the same antialias color on all
texts on a page, you can multiselect all by pressing F6 and then reset the
color as mentioned above.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
File Format EXes (Addendum page 101):
This section should also mention that in addition to saving out copies of
converted image files as IFF files, you can also use snapfiles to reduce
delays in script execution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
File Format EXes
Multi EX (Addendum page 103):
This EX is not made specifically for the VLab video digitizer. It uses the
freely-redistributable multipic.library, and can load VLab pictures if you
also have the vlab.library included with VLab. Multi can also load various
other formats. See the documentation that comes with multipic.library for
more information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Resolution button (Addendum page 109):
The resolution information on this button is displayed in the form 'xxx x
yyy', not 'xxx.yyy.zzz.type'. You do not select the color depth here.
That is done with the Colors button on the Set resolution menu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Overwrite button (Addendum page 109):
When this option is turned on, it allows AnimLab to overwrite files that
have the same name as the default/selected output name(s). When it is
turned off, AnimLab will never overwrite a file. If you select a specific
filename that already exists, AnimLab modifies the name so that it is
unique and thus will not overwrite anything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Include script texts button (Addendum page 109):
Note that a script must be selected for this button to have an effect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Palette button (Addendum page 110):
Here is a more detailed description of the AnimLab palette options:
Same--This option crops the palette on the selected frames to either the
number of colors in selected AnimLab, or, if this is set to "Same" and
"Save as" is set to "Animation", the number of colors in the first frame.
The palette belonging to each frame is used unmodified, but is cropped or
enlarged if it does not have the right number of colors. The content of
the palette is not locked, meaning that the colors in the palette can
change for each frame processed. Use this option with care, especially
when the number of colors is reduced.
Optimized--This works similarly to "Same", but the palette is optimized to
the best selection of colors for each frame IF the number of colors that is
used in the destination frame is LESS than the number of colors in the
original frame. This is the default.
Lock first--This locks the palette to the palette in the first frame. If
you have set "Save as" to "Pictures" or "Same", and have set "Colors" to
"Same", the palette will be cropped or enlarged to the number of colors in
each picture/animation. Therefore you must use this option with care also.
Lock optimized--This locks the palette to an optimized palette that is
computed from all frames selected, and derives the best common palette
possible. This is good if you want to convert many pictures to use
exactly the same palette. If some pictures have different numbers of
colors, you should select the number of colors you want with the "Colors"
button. If you want to make an animation, you should be aware that this
option does not always produce the best quality result.
Lock average--The palette is locked to a palette that is pre-programmed by
AnimLab. This palette is NOT based on any of the selected palettes. It is
merely a 'default' palette because you only will get one version of the
palette for each different setting of the "Colors" button. This option is
like a poor man's "Lock optimized" palette. If you make an animation that
has one frame in which there is a tiny spot of a unique color that is not
caught by "Lock optimized" and you must lock the palette and have this spot
visible in the correct color, you could use this option. Note that the
best result will appear with the highest number of colors. You should
definitely be careful using this option.
Lock custom--Similar to "Lock average", but you have to load a palette to
use. This palette is cropped or enlarged if necessary. Note that
when File Format EXes are active, you can select ANY graphic file that
has a palette and use that palette. You cannot select a 24-bit image since
those do not have a palette in the usual sense.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Anim format/Anim type (Addendum page 110):
These two buttons have been merged into a single "Anim format:" button.
ANIM5 is the default seen here. Other options are ANIM8W, ANIM8L, ANIM16,
ANIM16I, ANIM32 and ANIM32I. If the FLC EX is active you will also be able
to select FLC here. Future File Format EXes that support animation will
have their types here also.
Note that the listing of "Anim6L" on page 111 is a typographical error;
this should have read "Anim8L".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Picture format (Addendum page 112):
This button now displays two internal file formats: ILBM and LBM. ILBM
is the standard IFF Amiga format, and LBM is the IFF format used on the PC
platform. Note that the LBM format cannot save EHB or HAM pictures.
The LBM images are normally saved as 8-bit (256 color) images. If there
are any File Format EXes installed that support saving of pictures, they
appear here also.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Show rendering (Addendum page 112):
Using this option can also save some time and memory.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab, Execute!/Stop! button (Addendum page 112):
If you press the "Stop!" button while processing, only the current output
file is deleted. If you have set "Save as:" to "Same" then any output
files that are finished will not be deleted. However, you will get a
requester asking if you want to delete those files. If you select
"Overwrite", you will not get any requesters unless the "Replace
originals?" button is activated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utilities
Animlab,
There are several additional buttons in AnimLab that are not mentioned in
the Addendum:
"Append extension"
When this option is on, it adds extensions such as .ILBM and .ANIM to the
output filenames. When it is off, extensions are added only if using the
existing name would overwrite a file and the "Overwrite?" option is off.
"Remap"
Remapping takes place if and only if it is necessary. If you have selected
pictures with the same resolution and depth, and do not want to change the
resolution, none of the selected pictures will be remapped. The options
on this selector are:
"Normal"--Normal remapping. This option generally gives a smaller
output file than "Floyd S.".
"Floyd S."--Floyd-Steinberg dithering. Gives nice looking colors, but can
produce some 'noise' on still animation backgrounds.
"Replace originals"
This is a potentially destructive option and it has an appropriate warning
requester. If you select this option then the following things happen:
- The "Save As:" button is set to "same".
- The "Overwrite" button is turned on.
- The "Append Extension" button is turned off.
- The "Save:" button is set to "* ..." to indicate that the output will
be written over the original files.
If any of the above buttons is changed, then the "Replace originals?"
button will be turned off. The purpose of this button is to make it
possible to select a series of pictures and animations and then convert
them and replace them with the generated images. This is useful when you
need to do automatic conversion of pictures using a prepared version of
AnimLab.