The 640 MEG Shareware Studio 2/The 640 Meg Shareware Studio CD-ROM Volume II (Data Express)(1993).ISO/os2/galleria.zip/GALLERIA.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1992-09-24 | 27KB | 771 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Copyright ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

                                    Galleria

                               Copyright (c) 1992


                          Bitware, Software & Services
                                  P.O. Box 3097
                              Manuka  A.C.T.  2603
                                    Australia

                               Fax:  [phone]
                             CompuServe:  100033,340


                               All rights reserved


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Description ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Galleria is a general purpose tool for the display, edit and conversion of
bitmapped images.

Galleria can:

o Display images at varying magnifications.

o Convert images to monochrome, grayscale (16 shades) or color (16 colors)
  using nearest colors or error-diffusion dither.

o Perform a number of edits including cropping and resizing.

o Load images from disk in a number of formats or copy from the clipboard.

o Save images to disk in a number of formats or copy to the clipboard.

o Print images on any supported printer at varying resolutions.

Galleria also supports file search operations, concurrent operation of most
tasks (such as display, save, print) and multi-level undo of edits.

Refer to Supported file formats for a list of bitmap file formats currently
supported for import/export.

Refer to Nikon II support for instructions on integrating this program with
Nikon II  for immediate post-processing of images captured from the desktop.

Refer to How to register for license and registration information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Instructions on use ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Galleria is designed to perform edits and conversions on existing bitmapped
images. These bitmaps are sourced from disk files or the clipboard.

If you are using Nikon II, a snapshot of the desktop can also be used.

A normal session involves the following three stages:

o First, load the original bitmap. If not pre-loaded by Nikon II, open a disk
  file (with File open or File search) or Paste in the current image from the
  clipboard.

  Refer to Supported file formats for a list of bitmap file formats currently
  supported for import.

o Once loaded, the image can be edited and/or converted as required.

  Use the Edit pull-down menu to select the desired edit operation.
  Alternatively, click the right mouse button anywhere on the image to popup a
  list of the most common edit operations. The displayed image will be updated
  to reflect the cumulative result of all edits. Use Undo to revert to the
  state prior to the last edit (conditional on the Undo levels setting).

  The image can also be converted to monochrome (black and white), grayscale
  (16 evenly spaced shades of gray) or color (standard 16 VGA colors).
  Selecting a conversion from the Convert pull-down menu will result in the
  current image being converted. All conversions are applied to the original
  image palette.

o When all edits and/or conversions are completed, the displayed image can be
  saved to disk (with the File save or File save as) or placed in the clipboard
  (with Copy) for transfer to another application.

Galleria can process images with up to 256 colors (8-bit color) but display of
these colors will be governed by the display/driver capability. In cases where
the image palette differs from the default palette set by Presentation Manager,
image colors will be translated to the closest displayable. Palette translation
can only be avoided with use of realized palettes, currently supported by only
a limited number of drivers.

To view images with more (or different) colors than supported, dithering can be
applied to use only those colors from the standard VGA palette. For best
results, enlarge the image to 2 or 3 times the original size, then apply the
color dither.

Note that Galleria optimizes the image palette by discarding unused or
duplicate entries. The actual number of colors used in the image is displayed
in the information area at the bottom of the window. Files saved by Galleria
may be smaller as a result of this palette optimization.

Refer to the online help for detailed descriptions on use of all aspects of
Galleria. Remember that pressing F1 while pull-down menus are active will
display help for entries in that menu.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. File menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the File menu to transfer images to/from disk, search for images on disk or
print the current image.

o New will replace the current image. A dialog box is displayed prompting for
  the new image size and fill color. These are normally used as a base for
  subsequent Merge operations.

o Open is used to load a new image from disk. A dialog box is displayed
  prompting for the name of the file to be read from disk.

o Search is used to search a number of disks for files matching the specified
  name or partial name. A dialog box is displayed prompting for disks to be
  searched and the file name to be found.

o Save will save the current image to disk. The image will be written to a file
  with the original file name and format or those used for the last save
  operation. The current conversion options will be applied prior to the save.
  The undo stack will also be cleared.

  Note that not all read files can be saved in the same format. If no output is
  possible for the format, this option will appear disabled. Use Save as to
  save with a supported format.

o Save as will display a dialog box prompting for a new file name and/or format
  prior to saving to disk as in the Save operation above.

o Print will print the current image to a specified printer. A dialog box will
  be displayed prompting for destination and print options.

o Preferences is used to display or change preferences. A dialog box is
  displayed permitting a number of operational settings to be changed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. File new ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File new dialog is displayed to prompt for dimensions and fill color for a
new image.

Overtype the horizontal and vertical dimensions to set the new image size.

Select the fill color for the new image.

New images of the size and color specified can be used as a base or border for
images merged from the clipboard.

Press OK to create a new image with the specified dimensions and color or
Cancel to ignore changes and exit with the current image unchanged.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. File open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File open dialog prompts for the name of a bitmap file on disk to be read
and displayed.

The path to a file is represented by a Disk, Directory and File name. Select
the desired disk and/or directory and all files matching the current mask will
be listed.

Edit the file name and press Open. Alternatively, double click on a name from
the list.

The files listed for the current disk and directory can be restricted by
entering a mask. The "*" and "?" wild values can be specified. Normal search
rules apply with the exception of file extension: when no extension is
specified (eg. *, b* or boat), only those files with extensions predefined in
the File extensions dialog will be listed. To list files with a specific
extension, include this extension in the name (eg. *.bmp). To list all files,
regardless of extension, enter *.*.

A history of previous file names or masks specified can be accessed by
selecting the drop-down arrow at the right of the file name/mask field.

Press Extensions to display or update the list of file extensions to be
included in the file list when none is specified.

Press Open to list all files matching the current mask, or open the file when
fully specified.

Press Cancel to exit the dialog with the current image unchanged.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. File search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the File search dialog to search a number of disks for files matching a
full or partial file name. All directories on the selected disk(s) will be
searched. When the required file is found, the remainder of the search
operation can be aborted.

Select the Disks to be searched from the list box. Multiple disks can be
targeted for the search.

Enter a full or partial file name in the Name/mask field. Wild characters "*"
or "?" can be specified. When no extension is provided, only those files with
extensions matching those in the File extensions dialog will be listed.

Press Start/Stop to initiate/terminate the search.

Press Open to terminate the search and open the file selected from the list.
Alternatively, double-click on the desired file name.

Press Extensions to invoke the File extensions dialog to select file extensions
for the search.

Press Cancel to terminate the search and leave the current image unchanged.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. File save ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File save dialog prompts for the name to be used for the image when saved
to disk.

The path to a file is represented by a Disk, Directory and File name. Select
the desired disk and/or directory and all files matching the current mask will
be listed.

Edit the file name and press Save. Alternatively, double click a a name from
the list to overwrite an existing file.

The files listed for the current disk and directory can be restricted by
entering a mask. The "*" and "?" wild values can be specified. Normal search
rules apply with the exception of file extension: when no extension is
specified (eg. *, b* or boat), only those files with extensions predefined in
the File extensions dialog will be listed. To list files with a specific
extension, include this extension in the name (eg. *.bmp). To list all files,
regardless of extension, enter *.*.

A history of previous file names or masks specified can be accessed by
selecting the drop-down arrow at the right of the file name/mask field.

Press Extensions to display or update the list of file extensions to be
included in the file list when none is specified.

Press Save to list all files matching the current mask, or save the file when
fully specified.

Press Cancel to exit the dialog without saving the file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. File save as ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the File save as dialog to save the current image to disk with the file
name and format specified.

Select the desired file format from the list displayed. The file name extension
will be changed to the default for that format.

Specify the file name of the output file. To save to a different disk or
directory to that shown, select List below.

Press Save to save the file on disk with the specified name and format.

Press List to list files in the current directory or change the output disk
and/or directory. Ensure that the desired file format is correct before
proceeding.

Press Cancel to terminate the dialog without saving the file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. File extensions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the File extensions dialog to display or update the relevant file name
extensions to be listed when none is specified in the File open, File search
and File save dialogs.

The list of file name extensions together with an optional short description is
displayed.

Press Add to add a new entry. Fill in the file name extension (maximum of three
characters) and an optional description and press OK.

Press Change to change the currently selected entry. Overtype the file name
extension and/or description and press OK.

Press Delete to delete the currently selected entry.

Press OK to accept these changes or Cancel to ignore any changes and exit with
the original entries.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. File print ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File print dialog is displayed prior to a print operation to enable options
for the current print to be changed.

Specify the Queue for the print. The default printer, form etc for this queue
will be used.

A choice of low, medium and high resolution can be set to control output print
quality, with high resolution offering maximum quality.

Select a Border percentage to leave a blank edge along all sides of the page.
The value specified is a percentage of the page width and height.

Select the Area percentage to limit the output size. The value specified is a
percentage of the total page area. Note that the image printed may be smaller
in area than that specified if it would otherwise overlap the border above.

For fine tuning the output, the relative Color bias percentages can be changed
to lighten/darken areas of the image depending on the red/green/blue intensity
of the original. A higher bias will result in a lighter tone for areas of that
color. Additionally, the overall intensity can be changed by setting the
desired Brightness. Position the slider arm at the desired position.

Select Sharpen to print more clearly defined lines and edges at lower
resolutions.

The Color option will generate color output for printers (with appropriate
drivers) supporting this capability. This option can also be selected for
monochrome printers and may generate more acceptable output for some
driver/printer combinations.

Press OK to start printing with the options selected or Cancel to ignore
changes and abort the current print operation.

Note that the current conversion setting is ignored when printing. The image
will be printed using the original (or edited) palette if the Color option is
selected, otherwise automatically converted to monochrome.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8. Preferences ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Preferences dialog to display or change personal preferences for use of
Galleria.

Choose between Standard or Alternative file dialogs. See Alternative file
dialogs for a discussion on why you may wish to choose these non-standard
dialogs.

Set the desired level of information to be displayed in the window title.

Press OK to apply the selected preferences or Cancel to ignore changes.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Edit menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Edit menu to transfer images to/from the clipboard, perform edits on
the image and undo changes.

The following options apply to clipboard operations:

o Copy places the current image in the clipboard. The clipboard can be used as
  either a temporary storage area or to facilitate transfer to another
  application. The clipboard copy will be converted as per the current
  conversion settings.

o Paste copies the bitmap from the clipboard and replaces the current image.

o Merge merges the bitmap in the clipboard with the current image. A
  size/position rectangle will be displayed to control placement of the image
  from the clipboard.

  Position the top left corner of the size/position rectangle and press the
  left mouse button, then stretch the rectangle to the desired size and press
  the left mouse button again. The Merge operation can be aborted by pressing
  the Esc key.

o Peek displays the current clipboard contents prior to a Paste or Merge
  operation.

The following options permit changes or edits to be made to the current image:

o Crop is used to cut a rectangular portion from the current image. A
  size/position rectangle will be displayed to control the area of the image to
  be cut out.

  Position the top left corner of the size/position rectangle and press the
  left mouse button, then stretch the rectangle to the desired size and press
  the left mouse button again. The Crop operation can be aborted by pressing
  the Esc key.

o Mirror will flip the image around the vertical axis for a mirror image of
  that currently displayed.

o Invert will flip the image around the horizontal axis to invert the current
  image.

o Rotate will turn the image 90 degrees clockwise. Repeating this operation
  four times will restore the image to its original orientation.

o Enlarge/reduce is used to enlarge or reduce the image size. A dialog box will
  be displayed prompting for new horizontal and vertical dimensions.

o Palette is used to change the color of entries in the image palette. A dialog
  box will be displayed.

o Negative will invert all the colors in the image palette. This option would
  normally be used on monochrome images to reverse the black and white areas.

The following options apply to the undo (or reversal) of edits made to the
current image:

o Undo will restore the image to that displayed prior to the last edit above.

o Undo all will restore the image to the original as loaded from the clipboard
  or read from disk.

o Undo levels permits setting of the number of undo levels to be retained. Each
  edit operation will require one level. When the number of edit operations
  exceeds the number set, earlier states will be discarded. Avoid setting too
  high a value when editing large images or virtual storage may be exhausted.

As an alternative to selecting edit options from the pull-down menu, click (and
keep depressed) the right mouse button anywhere on the displayed image. The
edit action can be performed by releasing the mouse button when the desired
option is selected. If no action is to be performed, move the pointer away from
the popup menu and then release the mouse button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Edit peek ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Edit peek dialog to display the current clipboard contents.

Press Paste or Merge to paste or merge the displayed image into Galleria.

Press Cancel to exit with the current image unchanged.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Edit enlarge/reduce ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Edit enlarge/reduce dialog to change the size of the image.

The current horizontal and vertical dimensions are shown when the dialog is
invoked. Overtype these values with the new dimensions desired. Alternatively,
move the Proportional scaling slider to the left/right to decrease/increase the
size whilst retaining the original image proportions.

The horizontal and vertical dimensions may not exceed a value of 4096.

Press OK to accept these changes or Cancel to ignore changes and exit with the
original settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Edit palette ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Edit palette dialog to change the values of individual colors in the
image palette.

A list of colors is displayed in decreasing order of frequency in the image.
The relative frequencies for each entry is displayed with the currently
selected entry indicated by a marker of the graph. The RGB component values of
the selected entry are represented by the sliders at the right.

To change a color, select that entry from the list and move each slider until
the desired new color is displayed. Any number of colors may be changed.

Note that the palette entries listed are those from the original image and
changes made with this dialog will be applied before any conversions.

Press OK to accept these changes or Cancel to ignore changes and exit with the
original settings.

The Show option has not yet been implemented.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Convert menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Convert menu to convert the image to monochrome or grayscale or reduce
the number of distinct colors.

o Original will display the image using the original palette.

o Monochrome will convert the image using black and white colors only. The
  mapping of original colors to either black or white will be governed by the
  Nearest and Dither options below.

o Grayscale will convert the image using sixteen shades of gray. The mapping of
  original colors to the respective shade of gray will be governed by the
  Nearest and Dither options below.

o Color will convert the image using the standard sixteen color VGA palette.
  The mapping of original colors to the respective VGA color will be governed
  by the Nearest and Dither options below.

For conversions from the original, the mapping of colors from the original
palette to the above selected can be performed using the following methods:

o Nearest will map the original colors to the new by a closest match or
  threshold process.

o Dither will use error-diffusion dithering techniques to map the colors. The
  processing involved may result in some delay, especially with large images.
  The dither can be aborted at any time by reselecting Original above.

Note that conversions are applied after any edits and prior to the image being
displayed, saved to disk or copied to the clipboard.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Window menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Window menu to control the image display.

o Size to fit will resize the window to fit the displayed image.

o The Scale to window setting determines the current image magnification. When
  set, the image will be scaled to fit within the window. When not set, the
  image will be displayed full-size and scroll bars can be used to move the
  non-displayed portions of the image into view. This option can be toggled on
  or off.

  The current display magnification is shown as a percentage in the information
  area.

o The Information area setting will toggle on or off display of the information
  area at the bottom of the window.

o The Realize palette option will be enabled when both the current video
  adapter and driver support alterations to the default physical palette. If
  enabled, this option can be toggled on or off.

  Note that replacing entries in the default palette with those from the
  current image may have an undesirable effect on other windows displayed on
  the desktop.

o Background permits the window background color and pattern to be changed. A
  dialog box will be displayed prompting for color and pattern.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Window background ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Window background dialog to change the color and pattern of the window.

Select the desired color and/or pattern from the set displayed. The currently
selected values are shown with a boxed border.

Press OK to accept these changes or Cancel to ignore changes and exit with the
original settings.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Help menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the Help menu for display of help information and product information.

o Help index will display and index of the help topics available.

o General help will display a general description of the program.

o Using help will display instructions on use of the help facility.

o Product information will display copyright and version information for the
  program.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Alternative file dialogs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Galleria supports two sets of file dialogs, Standard and Alternative

The Alternative dialogs offer the following:

o Multi-threaded operation, thus retaining the ability to interact with the
  dialog or other applications while the file list is being built.

o Emphasis on display of file names. This permits more files to be visible at
  one time and better display of the long names possible with HPFS.

  When multiple directory changes are necessitated, the File search dialog may
  prove more efficient in locating the desired file.

o Specification of a set of file extensions to restrict the display of files
  when no extension is specified. This permits all relevant files (with
  differing extensions) to be easily isolated from the remainder in large
  directories.

Select Preferences from the File pull-down menu to select the desired type.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Supported file formats ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following file formats are supported by this version.

These file formats are supported for import (open):

o BMP - OS/2 1.x bitmap

   Standards: Bitmap or Bitmap Array (first image only)
   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1

o BMP - OS/2 2.x bitmap

   Standards: Bitmap or Bitmap Array (first image only)
   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: None, RLE4 or RLE8

o BMP - Windows 3.x bitmap

   Standards: Bitmap or Bitmap Array (first image only)
   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: None, RLE4 or RLE8

o EPS - Encapsulated Postscript (TIFF preview)

   Standards: As per Tagged Image File Format

o GIF - CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format

   Standards: GIF87a or GIF89a, single or multi-image, interlaced or
   non-interlaced
   Bits: 1 to 8

o IMG - Digital Research GEM

   Standards: Monochrome

o MAC - MacPaint

   Standards: Monochrome, with or without header

o PCX - ZSoft Paintbrush

   Standards: Version 2.8, 3.0
   Bits: 1 to 8
   Planes: 1 or 4 (with 1 bit per pixel)

o TIF - Tagged Image File Format

   Standards: TIFF B, G or P, Intel or Motorola byte ordering
   Bits: 1 to 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: None, Packbits or LZW

These file formats are supported for export (save):

o BMP - OS/2 1.x bitmap

   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1

o BMP - OS/2 2.x bitmap

   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: None

o BMP - Windows 3.x bitmap

   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: None

o GIF - CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format

   Standards: GIF87a
   Bits: 1 to 8

o PCX - ZSoft Paintbrush

   Standards: Version 2.8, 3.0
   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1

o TIF - Tagged Image File Format

   Standards: TIFF B or P, Intel byte ordering
   Bits: 1, 4 or 8
   Planes: 1
   Compression: Packbits

Note that Galleria ignores the file name extension when importing or exporting
files. When a file is read, the format is determined by examining header
information contained within the file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Nikon II support ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Galleria can be integrated with Nikon II  for immediate post-processing of
images captured from the desktop.

The following steps will enable Galleria to be invoked at the completion of
each capture:

o Enter the full path name of the Galleria executable in the Path name field of
  the Nikon II  Editor options dialog box.

o Enter -p in the Parameter field of the Nikon II  Editor options dialog box.
  This will instruct Galleria to automatically paste-in the image transferred
  via the clipboard.

o Select the Editor destination in the main Options dialog. Subsequent captures
  will result in Galleria being invoked with the captured image displayed. A
  new copy of Galleria will appear for each capture.

Note that the LIBPATH statement in CONFIG.SYS must contain an entry for the
directory in which the Galleria DLLs reside.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Problems and diagnostics ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If the Galleria process detects an internal or external processing error, the
program will terminate.

To determine the cause of the error, restart Galleria with the -d switch
parameter (on the command line or as a parameter in the session settings) and
reproduce the sequence of events up to the failure.

This will log error information to a file GALLERIA.LOG in the same directory as
the executable. This file contains information which can be used to resolve
problems. Please record the program version number and symptoms (what action
was being performed at the time of the error) and return this information
together with the contents of GALLERIA.LOG so that the problem can be resolved.

Note that this log file will be over-written each time Galleria is started with
the -d switch. There is no performance penalty incurred in use of this error
logging facility.

Also, if Galleria should fail to read and/or display a file specifically
documented as being supported, please send this file to the address below on a
3.5 inch floppy disk (together with information on program version number,
hardware configuration etc). An updated version of Galleria will be returned.

Please send error reports or unsupported files to:

Bitware, Software & Services
P.O. Box 3097
Manuka  A.C.T.  2603
Australia


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. How to register ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This version of Galleria is provided with an unlimited evaluation license not
exceeding 21 days in duration from first use. Unregistered use beyond this
evaluation period is in violation of this license.

If you find this program useful and would like to license your copy, a fee of
AUD $75 (approx. USD $55) for individual use or AUD $295 (approx. USD $215) for
corporate use is payable. This amount will entitle you (or your corporation) to
full use of current and subsequent releases of the product plus support via
CompuServe.

A software key made out in the name of an individual (or corporation) is
returned when the program is registered. Please specify both the license type
and name.

How to register:

o Send a mail message to CompuServe 100033,340 with your Mastercard/Visa
  details (card number, full name on card and expiry date).

  A software key for enablement of unlimited use will be returned to your
  CompuServe id.

o Send a fax to [phone] with Mastercard/Visa particulars.

  The current version plus software key will be sent on 3.5 inch floppy to the
  address you specify. Delivery (by airmail) is normally 2 weeks from receipt
  of order. Add AUD $10 (approx. USD $7.50) for shipping & handling.

o Post either Mastercard/Visa particulars or a cheque/check for the appropriate
  registration fee (in Australian currency or converted equivalent) to:

    Bitware, Software & Services
    P.O. Box 3097
    Manuka  A.C.T.  2603
    Australia

  The current version plus software key will be sent on 3.5 inch floppy to the
  address you specify. Delivery (by airmail) is normally 2 weeks from receipt
  of order. Add AUD $10 (approx. USD $7.50) for shipping & handling.