3D GFX/3D GFX.iso/pcutils/os2/aspcd/aspcd.hlp

OS/2 Help File | 1995-12-31 | 15.8 KB | 491 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. About asPCD ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

asPCD is a 32 bit OS/2 program to display KODAK Photo CD (PCD) images files.
The program is optimized for fast image display. Images are converted from
KODAK YCC encoding to SGVA, or Hi-Color ( tested for S3 device driver ) and
displayed in an OS/2 window which can be maximized, sized, or moved. KODAK PCD
Base/16, Base/4, and Base/1 image sizes are supported.
Hi-Color representation is recommended for better Color quality.
In 256 color mode an optimum color palette is calculated for each image.

The program was written using OS/2 and MMPM2 toolkit. It is free to use.

Two basic commands appear in the SHOW pull-down menu:

Slide Show
     to display a series of PCD images. (If MMPM/2 -Multimedia for OS/2- is
     installed, background music from MIDI files can be selected)

Single Image
     select and display a single PCD image.

Use OPTIONS to define the default PCD resolution, window size, and data paths.
All specified options may be stored as new defaults in the asPCD inifile.

To exploit the multitasking power of OS/2, conversion of KODAK's YCC encoding
is done in a separate thread.
Even using an optimized 256 color palette for SVGA palette display mode the
image quality much inferiour to KODAC's YCC 24 bit true color representation.
Dithering may help.

KODAK's PCD data format information as published in magazines, were used to
access PCD data files.

Try and have fun.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Show ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Show menu contains the command you can use to show PCD image files. The
following command appears in the SHOW menu:

o Slide Show
o Stop Slide Show
o Single Image


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Slide Show ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Start the slide show - or type S.
In before, use Edit to define the slides, and associate sound.
(OS2 MMPM2 is required for sound)


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Stop Slide Show ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Stop slide show - or use ESC.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Single Image ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select and display a single PCD image.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use Open to select an image file

 1. Select the down arrow to the right of the Drive list to display all the
    drives on your system.
 2. Select a drive from the Drive list.
 3. Select a directory from the Directory list.
 4. Select a file name from the File list or type in a file name.
 5. Select the Open pushbutton to display the image.

For a detailed explanation of each field, select from the list below:

o Open file name
o Type of file
o Drive
o File
o Directory
o Open
o Cancel


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open Filename ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Type the name of the file you want to open in the Open filename field and
select the Open pushbutton.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Type of File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All PCD image files are of file type *.PCD. Do not specify this field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Drive list displays the drives on your system.  Select the drive that
contains the PCD files you want to view.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The File list displays all the files in the directory you selected from the
Directory list.  Select the file you want to display.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Directory ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Directory list displays the directories on the selected drive.  Select a
directory which contains the PCD image files in the File list box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Open to accept all information in the window, display the image and
remove the dialog window from the screen.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Cancel ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Cancel to remove the dialog window from the screen. Do not display the
image.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. EDIT ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Edit menu contains the command you can use to arrange a PCD image file
slide show. The following command appears in the EDIT menu:

o Select Image
o Select Sound


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Select Image ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A dialog box is generated by the Select Image command.
Use SAVE to save the selected PCD image file names.

For a detailed explanation of the list boxes and push buttons, select from the
list below:

o List Box
o Add
o Insert
o Remove
o Cancel


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for List boxes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The left list box shows all PCD image files found in the default path.
The selected file names are shown in the right box. Sound attached to the
selected file names is shown to the right.

File names in both list boxes are selected by pressing the left mouse button.
Hold down the CTL-key for multiple select choices.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Add image files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Add >>> to copy selected files from the left to right list box. The
files are appended at the end. Multiple selections are copied from top to
bottom.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Insert image files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select INSERT >>> to copy selected files from the left to right list box. The
files are inserted after the first selected file in the right box. Multiple
selections are copied from top to bottom.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Remove image files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select <<< REMOVE  to remove selected entries of the right list box. If
multiple files are selected, they are removed one by one from top.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Cancel ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Cancel to remove the dialog window from the screen. The image file names
are not saved.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Select Sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

A dialog box is generated by the Select Sound command.
Use SAVE to save the selected PCD image file names.
Start the slide show from action bar menu SHOW

For a detailed explanation of the list boxes and push buttons, select from the
list below:

o List Box
o Add sound
o Reset
o Stop Sound
o Cancel


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for List boxes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The left list box shows all MIDI sound files found in the default path.
The selected PCD image file names are shown in the right box. If no PCD image
file names are shown, use EDIT SLIDE first. Sounds attached to the selected
file names are shown to the right of the selected PCD image files.

Two keywords are used, if no sound is attached

'.NO.MIDI'
  No sound file is attached. The sound from a previous image -or no sound-
  continues.

'!STOP...'
  The sound stops immediately at display of the new image

File names in both list boxes are selected by pressing the left mouse button.
Of multiple select choices only the top selections are used.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Add sound files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Add Sound >>> to attach a sound file from left. The sound file is
attached to the selected image file in the right box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Continue sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Reset >>> to remove the sound from the selected image file. This will
cause the sound from the previously image file -or no sound- to continue.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Stop Sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select Stop Sound >>>  to stop the sound at display of the selceted image file.
A '!STOP...' marker is attached to the selected image file.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The Option menu contains the command you can use modify or save program
parameter settings. The following command appears in the OPTIONS menu:

o Change Settings
o Save Settings
o Restore Settings
o Default Settings


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Change Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The change Settings command displays a notebook control window to view and
change the program settings.

Select notebook tab and use F1 for page sensitive help


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. PCD resolution ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Page 1 of the notebook controls lets you select the Photo CD image size and
resolution. A PCD image file provides five different resolutions of which the
first three are selectable.

 1. Base  1/16 'Indexprint'   192 x  128

 2. Base  1/4  'Kontakt'    384 x  256

 3. Base  1/1  'CTR/TV'     768 x  512

 4. Base  4/1  'HDTV'     1536 x 1024

 5. Base 16/1  'Photoquality'  3072 x 2048

Other options

o Color Mode

o Dither


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. ColMode ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Kodak Photo CD images has 24 bit color resolution. 8 bit each for RGB. This
corresponds to 16.7 Million color shades, commonly referred to "TRUE Color".
Not all display adapters support True Color. Depending on the hardware and
installed OS/2 display device drivers limited color representations may be
available. E.g. For the S3 graphics controller chip there exists several modes

o some SVGA 256 color palette representations with different resolution

o Two Hi Color ( 32k ) in 2 resolutions

o One True Color ( 16M )

A graphics mode is selected by OS/2 setup and will be effective after
subsequent OS/2 system boot. Once a mode is selected, it cannot changed during
a presentation manager session.
This version of asPCD supports SVGA and Hi-Color. Hi-Color mode has only been
tested for the S3 display adapter device driver


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Dither ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Dither is available for SVGA 256 palette color mode. The PCD image are
converted to a SVGA optimized 256 color palette representation. This is
inferiour to the image file's YCC 24 bit true color data.
Dithering may help improve the visual appearance if color gradients are
dominant.

Note:  A limited simplified version of Floyd Steinberg dithering is
implemented.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Page 2 of the notebook controls lets you select the default windows size for
image presentation. Three options are available.

 1. Standard center window

 2. Fit match window size to image size

 3. Maximize use full screen window size

Note:  All OS/2 window control buttons are active and override above defaults

Other options

o Showtime

o Enable Sound


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Enabel Sound ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

click the button to enable sound during Slide Show


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Showtime ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

specifies the image display time (in seconds) during Slide Show


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Background ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Page 3 of the notebook controls lets you select the OS/2 window background. Two
groups of radio buttons are used to specify

 1. Color

 2. Pattern


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Color ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select the backgound color by clicking the corresponding radio button


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Pattern ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select the background pattern by clicking the correspondig radio button.
Patterns '1' to '4' give decreasing densities.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Defaults ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Page 4 of the notebook controls lets you select the default data paths.

o PCD Directory: Drive and directory to access PCD image files

o MIDI Directory: Drive and directory to access MIDI sound files

o Show Directory: Drive and directory to save the image and sound filenames
  defined by EDIT


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. Save Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All program parameter settings are saved in the asPCD inifile.
They are loaded automatically at program restart.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Restore Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The program parameter settings are reset to those specified and saved in the
asPCD inifile.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Default Settings ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Program parameters stored in the in the asPCD inifile are cleared. Default
settings are used.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Help Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the choices on the Help pull-down to display:

Help index
     Displays the index of help menu.

General Help
     Displays some information about the asPCD program.

Keys Help
     Displays a list of keys usage.

Using Help
     Provides information on the kinds of help available and how to use help.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. General ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to get general help for the program. General help provides
general information about the asPCD program.

Note:  This screen will usually be handled by the default.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22. Keys Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to see a list of keys and a description of the function of the
keys.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22.1. Key Assigments ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The list of keys is arranged in groups.

ACCELERATOR KEYS

   F3
        Exit program

   ESC
        Stop Slide Show, end Dialog Panel

   s
        Start Slide Show

  HELP KEYS

F1
  Get help

Esc
  Previous Help Panel, or End help if only one panel

Alt
  Switch TO/OUT action bar

Alt+F4
  End help or End program

SYSTEM KEYS

Alt+Esc
     Switch to the next program, including full-screen programs

Ctrl+Esc
     Switch to the Task List

WINDOW KEYS

Underlined letter
     Move among the choices on the action bar and pull-downs submenu or execut
     the function chosen

Alt+Underlined letter
     Execute the function chosen immediately


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 23. Using Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to obtain information on how to use the Help facility.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 24. Index ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to display the help index.

The help index lists the titles of the help information that is available.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 25. Program information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog displays information about the application, such as version number,
date, and author.