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Text File | 2001-07-04 | 15.1 KB | 357 lines

Universal Filter V2.1 http://www.uni.coloraid.de Introduction ------------ The 'Universal' filter allows reading many image formats with PageStream V3.x/V4.x wich are not originaly supported by PageStream. It also allows formats like IFF ILBM and others to be loaded much faster. The new 'Universal' V2 filter is now based on the IRW library. The IRW library allows loading many different file formats. Actualy, currently most of the features of IRW can't be used by PageStream (like support for IPTC, ICC and more). Requirements ------------ - AmigaOS 2.04 or newer. - PageStream V3.1, V3.2, V3.3, V3.4, V4.0 or newer - The IRW library (usualy comes with the Universal filter) Features -------- The Universal filter basicly does support all the CMYK, RGB and grayscale image formats available in the IRW library into PageStream. But it does not only add support for many new graphic formats to PageStream. Often the Universal filter is MUCH faster and can load far more types of images. Supported IRW library formats are: BMP: 1, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32 Bit, Windows V3 and OS/2 format, RLE4, 8, 24 compression DataTypes: OS 3.0 DataTypes (24 Bit OS 3.5 support is planned) DCX: only the first image is loaded (IRW does support more) IFF ILBM: including HAM, HAM8, EHB, CMYK IFF DEEP: Not yet available in V2 - use Universal filter V1.xx JPEG: 8 Bit, 24 and 32 Bit CMYK JFIF, progressive JPEG, Hemera PCX: 1,2,4,8 and 24 Bit images GIF: (not shipped with all versions of the IRW library) PGM/PBM/PPM: P1-P6 types with up to 48 Bit PNG: 1-48 Bit - incl. interlaced Targa: supports all known RGB, RGBA types incl. compression TIFF: 1-64 Bit, RGB, RGBA, CMYK, YCbCr with None, PackBits, RLE, JPEG, G3, G4 and Next compression, Strips or Tiles, Packed or separate color (LZW not shipped with all versions of the IRW library) As you can see, it does support several additional image formats and does replace some filters shipped with PageStream. Don't worry about compatibility. You can still use the limited PageStream filters if wanted. Installation ------------ Simple... run in the install program from the Workbench and it will do the trick. Next time you load an image in PageStream, you might get the "Studio's Universal Filter" offered when loading images. Choose it to make use of it. New since V1.xx --------------- The Universal filter V2 is now using the IRW library to load images. The IRW library is one of the basic components under development for color management applications. The IRW library allows reading basicly any type of color data (palette, images...) in basicly any color space. The library is also designed to handle all the extras that can be found in an image, including future additions. What are the benefits of the new Universal filter thanks to the use of IRW: - Now image data can be loaded with less than 8 Bit. So <8Bit data is not converted to 8 or 24 Bit anymore. This makes loading faster and requires less memory. - The IRW library does support many new data types: CMYK, 16 Bit and such. Note that PageStream currently does not handle things like 16 Bit, ICC or IPTC support as offered by the IRW library. The filter automaticly converts data whenever possible. - New image formats are supported. However, IFF DEEP support is currently removed until the old IFF code is rewritten and added to IRW. Similar, I haven't found the time to add 24 Bit OS 3.5/3.9 Datatype support yet. Keep using the V1 filter in case you must load IFF DEEP. - PageStream does load all filters into memory during startup. Thanks to the image routines now being part of the external IRW library, the new universal filter requires nearly no memory unless an image is loaded. - The IRW library does allow reading a complete image into memory without require a prescan of the image like the old routines. This can dramaticly lower loading times. - The IRW library requires much less memory during loading of an image. - The Universal filter is now free to any PageStream user. - Reliability is a major concern. Roughly 30 percent of the work involved was dedicated to error handling. IRW does detailed error messages including hints how to solve problems if available. The error messages are localized and often offer a Retry option where possible. - All format specific details are handled by the IRW library. This allows adding new features and settings to the IRW library without requiring the Universal filter to be changed or updated. IRW is still under development. Some major features are not yet implented. To tell you some details not yet implemented but already planned or already partly done (in order of priority): Tech Info --------- Some more info about the Universal loader: - Why this filter? Simply because it didn't cost me much work and I made it free to CanonStudio and Studio owners in hope that someone finaly finds the time to forward images to me that don't get loaded by the Universal loader. So it's a way I hope to advance my image reading routines and make them work on nearly all images. You already will find that it really works with MANY images where similar other software on the Amiga fails. So, please, if you do have problems loading an image, let me know of it and just don't switch to a different format to work with PageStream. I want the Universal loader to work with all images with formats supported. - PageStream currently does only use the filter when importing the image. Once loaded, it the image is saved with the PageStream document file without further need for the filter unless you left the image external in PageStream. In this case, the filter will be used when loading the images in the document again. In case the filter is not available, PageStream currently automaticly prompts the filerequester with the file to be loaded again using a different filter. So, basicly, it's safe to use the universal filter. I will keep it updated in case Softlogik changes the filter interface. And in case you run into trouble in the future, you shouldn't have any problems switching to a different filter. So using the Universal filter is save for the future of your documents. If you want to share document files with PageStream users without the Universal filter, simply make sure the images in your document. Or better: ask the user to get the Universal loader ;-) - Memory requirement. I know some PageStream users are running out of memory. So here is some info that might be usefull. PageStream does load all graphics filters during it's start. This means, a XYZ format filter does require memory on your machine even if you never will use the XYZ format. So if you are low on memory, you might think about removing filters from the PageStream3:Softlogik/filters drawer to a backup drawer on your harddisk. This way you might gain lot's of precious memory. Sure, buying more memory should be the first choice. But there is more: the Universal filter is extremly small requiring only little memory. Only while loading an image the Universal filter will load the IRW library wich contains all the routines for loading images. Known Bugs?? ------------ CMYK images saved in JPEG format using PhotoShop are saved inverted. This is a known fault of PhotoShop. The IRW library tries to detect if the images was saved by PhotoShop and does automaticly correct the image. In practice, this detection seems to work reliable and there are no known problems. However, if your CMYK JPEG images do load inverted, than it might be caused by the detection being fooled. Please report such images. If you do have an image in a supported format that is not loaded by the Universal filter, please report to: Wolf Faust Am Dorfgarten 10 60435 Frankfurt Germany EMail: wfaust@uni.coloraid.de (wfaust@wfaust.de in case wfaust@uni.coloraid.de fails) http: www.uni.coloraid.de Tel: ++49-69-5486556 Mobile: ++49-179-6924769 Fax: ++49-69-95409598 (NO REPLY IS GIVEN VIA FAX!) Please note in your report: 1. What application was used to write the image you have trouble with? What type of image is it (size, colors,...) ? 2. What PageStream and Universal Filter version are you using? 3. If possible, enclose a sample image (DO NOT SEND IMAGES AS EMAIL WITHOUT GETTING ASKED FROM ME) 4. How do you exactly load the image in PageStream? Via Menu? Via ARexx??? COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER ==================== Copyright ©1997-2001 Wolf Faust. All rights reserved. All distribution- and marketing rights to the software are vested in Wolf Faust. The software and documentation has been provided to you strictly 'as is', without warranty of any kind. In no event shall Mr. Faust be held liable for any loss or damages arising out of any action, from whatever source, concerning the use or inability to use the product. You may not use, copy, or transfer the product, or any copy or portion, without prior consent in writing from or Wolf Faust. Installer and Installer project icon (c) Copyright 1995-96 Escom AG. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced and distributed under license from Escom AG. More is Copyright (c) 1986-1993 Commodore-Amiga, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced and distributed under license from Commodore. Teile der JPEG-Laderoutine basiert auf Arbeit der Independent JPEG Group. INSTALLER SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE; NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE. ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED. THE MORE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE; NO WARRANTIES ARE MADE. ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED. THANKS ------ At last a big thanks to the people (Deron, Gary...) at SoftLogik providing info, software and help to make this filter possible. History ------- 16.09.97 V1.1 - First public version based on Studio V2.15 for test purpose. 18.09.97 V1.2 - BME's filerequester tried to loadcheck drawers causing an error requester by Universal as no drawer can be read... - If loading a picture object with Datatype fails, no error requester is displayed - An error requester is displayed if the SL_SystemInit() call to SL code fails (bad PageStream version?) during the start of PageStream. 24.09.97 V1.3 - Non-Standard IFF ILBM B/W 1 Bit without colormap files saved by BME/PageStream are now loaded. 02.11.98 V1.31 - Now also checks/installs for PageStream V4 assign 02.02.99 V1.4 - DPI Information is now fowarded for PNG/IFF DEEP. 17.04.99 V1.5 - AsyncIO library caused crashes with interlaced GIF. Removed AsyncIO until author fixed that library. - GIF now does much less Seek() calls. 01.05.99 V1.6 - Minor Bug: Fixed problems with IFF images that are roughly >30% larger than uncompressed causing the IFF loader to prompt an error 48 because of buffer underrun. (So far, the only program I know that seems to save such ugly files: Candy Factory Pro). 03.09.99 V1.7 - Fixed a bug with TIFF RGB files with more than 1 additional alpha channel (saved by PhotoShop for instance). - Added support for TIFF LogLuv compression codec. - Added support for images saved by Hemera products (NetGraphics and ClipArt CDROMs). 16.06.00 V1.8 - No more requesters are prompted for unsupported CMYK (and other) files. - Fixed reading PCX files with 8 Bits per pixel with more than 1 plane. - Reading of DCX files did not work. Fixed. - BMP 4 Bit RLE compression did not work correctly and caused error requester. Fixed. - Reading of PNG grayscale with alpha channel files did not work. Fixed. - BMP 32 Bit support added. - PPM/PGM P5/P6 comments and white space values are skipped while reading header. - assert() debug calls disabled in TIFF source. - Unknown TIFF compression schemes may be prompted to the user. The TIFF routines may continue loading faulty data despite the error message (bug in TIFF library). Fixed. - Installer: uninstall added and update routines improved. 16.03.01 V2.00 - New filter now based on IRW library: - IFF DEEP support temporarly removed (keep using old V1.xx filter) + Now <8Bit data modes supported + much faster + nearly no memory used while not loading + support for 16 Bit and CMYK data added + enhanced PGM/PBM/PPM/JPEG/BMP/TIFF routines + improved error handling thanks to IRW + Locale Support + Compiled for various CPU for maximum speed. + lot's of small enhancements 04.07.01 V2.10 - Size of color palette was reported wrongly to PageStream. Color images with palette thus could cause crashes of PGS after loading such images. Thanks goes to DJNick <djnick@ptt.yu> for reporting the bug... - IRW Library Update to V1.05 (04.07.01): + Changed: Stack usage of tiff, targa and DoOpen routine lowered by roughly 1 KByte. This should better avoid crashes/faults with application calling IRW without enough stack memory (PageStream/HHV!). PGS users: please increase stack size by roughly 4096 bytes in order to get a decent sized stack! Thanks goes to Steve Bowman <stevebow@hotkey.net.au> for reporting the problem (wich was not a fault of the filter/IRW). + Changed: pnglib updated from 1.0.8 to 1.0.9 + Fixed: Failure accessing BMP header may not got prompted (failure code and error text was returned to application, but there was no error message shown by IRW to the user if the application asked IRW to do so). (Continue by pressing 'Q')