Nebula/nebula.bin/Newsletters/NeXTNuggetNewsDigest/vol.05.02.txt

Text File | 1993-01-27 | 24KB | 611 lines

NeXT Nugget News Digest (vol. 5, issue 2, October 1, 1992)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

      I.  Sybase Bulletin Board System
     II.  Bacchus Announces Image Agent
    III.  Altsys Announces Virtuoso for NeXTSTEP
     IV.  Adobe Announces Display PostScript Software Development
          Kit(SDK) for NeXTSTEP, Version 1.1
      V.  Appsoft Perspective Beta Program
     VI.  Announcing NXFax Fax Driver & Monitor for NeXT
    VII.  IRCAM Research Positions Available
   VIII.  Games update: PacMan 1.9

All previous Nugget News Digest issues are archived at the
Purdue ftp archive site: sonata.cc.purdue.edu under the following
Mailbox format files and directories:

        April - June, 1992:
           /pub/next/submissions/Nugget_News_Digest_Q2_1992.tar.Z

        July - September, 1992:
           /pub/next/submissions/Nugget_News_Digest_Q3_1992.tar.Z


Conrad Geiger
Manager, International NeXT User Groups


P.S. To be added or taken off this distribution, please send email
to "[e-mail]."

____________________________________________________________________

I.  Sybase Bulletin Board System

There was a recent question to the dbkit user group regarding a
Sybase user group.  Here is info on the the Sybase BBS (Bulletin
Board System):


From: David Hawkins    [e-mail]      [e-mail]

Sybase is now providing a dial-in service = 1-510-601-4991

The system is called INSIGHT and presently has the following
features:

        o conferencing for discussions about a wide range of topics,
        o the FAQ application, Frequently Asked Questions that have
                been collected in Tech Support,
        o the Troubleshooting Guide, a full explanation of common
                error messages and what to do about them,
        o Bug information, descriptions of fixed bugs or bugs that
                could not be duplicated,
        o Education information, lists of classes and when and where
                they are offered,
        o Press releases,
        o information about users groups, and
        o the release bulletins that are shipped with each release.

There's more on there and more to be added.  For example, we
presently have the complete list of Technical Publications available
from Sybase in a file that's about 60K long - a bit much to scroll
through.  We're writing a front-end that will allow you to search for
the publications that are appropriate for your system and product.

INSIGHT is for Sybase customers who have a valid support contract
with Sybase.  There are also Sybase employees who are using the
system.

Creating an Account:

        Dial into INSIGHT at 1-510-601-4991.  The modems are Telebit
T2500's and they should work from 300 to 9600 baud.  At the login
prompt, type

        new

and the system will prompt you for a userid, name, customer number,
contact id, company name, address, day phone number, fax number,
userid, and password.

        The userid needs to be between 3 and 8 characters long, all
lower case, and can't start with a number.

        The password needs to be 6 to 8 characters long.  Mixed case
is fine, and even recommended.

If you have problems logging in, send email to   [e-mail]

If you're using a PC or PC-clone, it's 7E1 - word length of 7, even
parity, stop bit 1.

Copyright, 1992.  Sybase, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  SYBASE is a
trademark of Sybase, Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office and in other countries.  Registration applications in
additional countries may be pending.  INSIGHT and The On-Line
Information Center are service marks of Sybase, Inc.

David Hawkins    [e-mail]      [e-mail]


____________________________________________________________________

II.  Bacchus Announces Image Agent

For immediate release

For more information
contact:

        Eric Bloom
        2210 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 330
        Santa Monica, CA 90403
        Phone: [phone]
        Email: [e-mail]


Bacchus Announces Image Agent
Drag and Drop Image File Conversion for NeXTSTEP 3.0.


Santa Monica, California: September 8, 1992 - Bacchus, Inc. today
announced Image Agent, a powerful, integrated image conversion tool
for NeXTSTEP Release 3.0, to be shown at the Seybold Conference being
held in San Francisco, September 22-24.

With Image Agent users can simply drag and drop non-native image
files directly into graphic applications, such as PasteUp, Diagram,
Concurrence, and have the images instantly appear. Image Agent
transparently performs the image conversion as if it were part of the
actual application in use. Additionally, image files from PCs,
Macintoshes and Sun Workstations can now be easily imported over a
network into NeXTSTEP applications.

Supported image formats include; TIFF, GIF, Targa, PICT, MacPaint,
PCX, DCX, Windows BMP, MTV, IFF/ILBM, Sun Raster, JPEG, XWD, XBM and
others.

"Image Agent allows NeXT users to share, access, and import a wide
variety of images from many different computer platforms," said
Catherine Mikkelsen, Publishing Developer Advocate at NeXT Computer,
Inc. "Images from other platforms can be effortlessly integrated into
page layout, drawing and imaging applications under NeXTSTEP 3.0."

For those requiring more image conversion options, Bacchus offers
Pixel Magician, its advanced image conversion application. Pixel
Magician provides mass conversion, precise scaling, variable aspect
ratios and image resolutions, alpha channel support, dithering, color
quantization and flexible output options.

Image Agent will be available in October 1992. The product is
included free with Pixel Magician ($XXX), or can be purchased
separately for $XX. It is available directly from Bacchus and through
authorized NeXT distributors, VAR's and dealers. Free demo disks are
available.

Bacchus, Inc., founded in 1985 and based in Santa Monica, CA,
specializes in the development of graphics and communications
software tools for DOS and UNIX Workstations.

***

Image Agent and Pixel Magician are trademarks of Bacchus, Inc. All
other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.



____________________________________________________________________

III.  Altsys Announces Virtuoso for NeXTSTEP


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Meaghan Hogan, Altsys
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]


Altsys Corporation Announces Advanced Text Capabilities in Altsys
Virtuoso for NeXTSTEP

Drawing, Organization, Text, and Production Capabilities Now
Available in One Program

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 22, 1992 - Altsys Corporation announced
today a new feature set for soon-to-be-released Altsys Virtuoso, the
advanced design and production program for NeXTSTEP. This new feature
set includes a variety of outstanding text-handling and formatting
capabilities not currently found in traditional drawing programs.
These text features include: text wrapping around objects, multiple
columns and rows, copyfitting, automatic hyphenation, linked
text blocks, tabs, and professional typographical control.
Demonstrations of this revolutionary new NeXTSTEP application will
take place in several booths at Seybold San Francisco including the
NeXT Computer, Inc. booth (#2414) and the Altsys booth (#1544).

Altsys, the developers of outstanding graphics programs such as
Fontographer and Aldus FreeHand on the Macintosh and Windows, first
announced the NeXTSTEP version of Virtuoso at Seybold in San Jose in
the fall of 1991. Since that time, Virtuoso has been praised for its
outstanding performance, drawing capabilities, and user interface.
Now, with the inclusion of these new text features, Virtuoso will
prove to be the definitive single-page layout solution for NeXTSTEP
users when it ships in October of this year.

"While creating Virtuoso, we took what we've learned developing our
other graphics products to design a feature set and an interface that
meets the needs of today's designers," said Rusty Williams, Altsys'
product manager of drawing programs. "We have listened to our
customers and have implemented their suggestions to redefine the
traditional drawing program. This is exemplified by the addition of
Virtuoso's extensive text handling and formatting capabilities.
With Virtuoso, artists can now access all of the tools they need for
single-page designs in one easy-to-master program."

In addition to the new text features, Virtuoso has the advanced yet
easy-to-use capabilities that people expect in a comprehensive
drawing program. Virtuoso has all of the basic drawing and
transformation tools today's artists need including the multigon
tool, which simplifies the creation of polygons and stars, and the
freehand tool, which can also be used as a variable-weight or
calligraphic pen.  Users can also take advantage of state-of-the-art
features such as unlimited design layers, drag and drop color,
unparalleled PostScript support, and extensive fill and line control.

"Designers and typographers lucky enough to own a NeXT now have a
powerful weapon called Virtuoso," said Tony Ammerman, creative
contact, Temerlin McClain, a division of Bozell advertising agency.
"Virtuoso offers an approach to design and typography that rivals any
program on any platform. Virtuoso could be the new `best of class' in
page layout. Those who don't own a NeXT should hurry out and get one
- Virtuoso single-handedly makes it worth the investment."

Virtuoso also offers numerous editing capabilities. With features
such as edit in Preview (full color) mode, 100 levels of Undo and
Redo, and Zoom (up to 1600%), artists using Virtuoso have the tools
they need for flexibility and precision when creating a design. When
the document is completed, the user can produce everything from color
comps to full-color separations within the program with Virtuoso's
built-in production capabilities.

To simplify the task of working in multi-platform, multi-program
environments, Virtuoso has the ability to import TIFFs (Tagged Image
File Format), as well as import and export EPS (Encapsulated
PostScript) files for use with other programs. In addition, Virtuoso
enables artists to import and export their documents for use with
Aldus FreeHand 3 for the Macintosh and PCs running Windows, as well
as Adobe Illustrator 88 and Adobe Illustrator 3 for the Macintosh,
PCs running Windows, and the NeXT. Graphic artists can
also exchange documents between Virtuoso for NeXTSTEP and Virtuoso
for Solaris.

Virtuoso requires NeXTSTEP version 2.x. A version of Virtuoso which
takes advantage of  NeXTSTEP 3.0 will be available later in the
fourth quarter of 1992, and Virtuoso for NeXTSTEP 486 will be
available in the first quarter of 1993.

Virtuoso has a suggested retail price of $XXX and will be available
directly from Altsys Corporation, as well as through NeXT-authorized
resellers.

Founded in 1984, Altsys Corporation, headquartered in Richardson,
Texas, is a world leader in font editing and graphics software.
Altsys offers a sophisticated selection of font editing programs that
allow easy design of custom fonts and logos. Altsys' Macintosh
products include Fontographer, Metamorphosis Professional, and
Fontastic Plus, as well as the Altsys XTRAS line of graphics
enhancements which includes EPS Exchange. Altsys also develops
Fontographer for PCs running Windows 3.1. Virtuoso for Solaris will
be available in the first quarter of 1993. In addition, Altsys
continues to develop Aldus FreeHand.

- ### -

Virtuoso, XTRAS, and Fontastic are trademarks; the Altsys logo,
Fontographer, EPS Exchange, and Metamorphosis are registered
trademarks of Altsys Corporation. All rights reserved. NeXT and
NeXTSTEP are trademarks of NeXT Computer, Inc. Aldus FreeHand is a
registered trademark of Aldus Corporation. PostScript is a registered
trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other brands or
trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective owners.


____________________________________________________________________

IV. Adobe Announces Display PostScript Software Development Kit(SDK)
for NeXTSTEP, Version 1.1

For more information

Please contact:
   Micael Wong
   Adobe Systems Incorporated
   Phone: [phone]

Adobe Offers Free Upgrade to Display PostScript
Software Development Kit for NeXTSTEP


Mountain View, Calif. (September 18, 1992) (NASDAQ:ADBE) - Adobe
Systems Incorporated announced today Display PostScript Software
Development Kit (SDK) for NeXTSTEP, Version 1.1. The kit contains a
comprehensive set of tools and reference materials designed to help
application software developers reduce development time and create
more powerful applications for the NeXTSTEP environment. Registered
owners of Version 1.0 will receive the kit free of charge directly
from Adobe.

The new kit includes Displaytalk software version 2.0, a powerful
programming tool for the Display PostScript system that provides
interactive development and source-level debugging of PostScript
language programs. Displaytalk is an important tool that allows
applications to take advantage of the graphic and typographic wealth
of the PostScript language and Display PostScript system. Displaytalk
is available as part of the SDK only and not sold as a stand-alone
product, as it is a part of this comprehensive development toolkit.


Displaytalk version 2.0 includes an online reference manual that
includes PostScript Level 1 & Level 2, Display PostScript and
NeXT-specific PostScript language operators. This manual is also
exported as a "service" to other NeXTSTEP applications. (Within
another application, you can highlight a text string and choose
"Define in Displaytalk" from the Services menu.) Also included is
Programming the Display PostScript System with NeXTSTEP, a book
covering dozens of topics critical to developing applications that
take full advantage of the features of the NeXTSTEP environment.

"The Display PostScript SDK for NeXTSTEP continues to be a
significant help to developers creating applications for this dynamic
environment," said Steve MacDonald, senior vice president and general
manager of Adobe's Systems Products Division. "With Display
PostScript as its imaging model, NeXTSTEP brings all the powerful
text and graphics capabilities of the PostScript language to the
screen and is fully compatible with the imaging model found in
PostScript printers."

The Display PostScript Software Development Kit for NeXTSTEP Version
1.1 is available through the Adobe Developers Association. Members
who are first-time buyers of the kit receive a substantial discount.
Members also receive Adobe software application product discounts,
hardware discounts from participating OEMs, monthly mailings,
technical phone support, conference invitations and additional
benefits. Contents of the NeXTSTEP kit Version 1.1 include:

  - Programming the Display PostScript System with NeXTSTEP;

  - Displaytalk 2.0 software, a powerful programming environment for
    the Display PostScript system that provides interactive
    development and source-level debugging of PostScript language
    programs;

  - Code samples for the examples used in the book, Programming the
    Display PostScript System with NeXTSTEP;

  - Two font packages, the Utopia Font Package and the Utopia
    Expert Font package are provided with a full complement of
    weights, characters, kerning pairs, which allow developers to
    test font downloading features and ensure their application can
    handle diverse fonts; and

  - Strategies for optimizing performance and guidance on importing
    and exporting EPS and TIFF format graphic files.

To order the Display PostScript System SDK for NeXTSTEP Version 1.1
through the Developers Association and for more information about
Adobe support, please call 1-800-833-6687.

Adobe Systems Incorporated, founded in 1982, is headquartered in
Mountain View, California. Adobe develops, markets and supports
computer software products and technologies that enable users to
create, display, print and communicate electronic documents. The
company licenses its technology to major computer and publishing
suppliers, and markets a line of type and application software
products. Revenue for 1991 exceeded $229 million.

PostScript, Display PostScript, Displaytalk and Utopia are trademarks
of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in certain
jurisdictions. NeXTSTEP is a trademark of  NeXT Computer, Inc.


____________________________________________________________________

V.  Appsoft Perspective Beta Program


Join the Appsoft Perspective Beta Program and use our new 3D modeling
program,  Appsoft Perspective for Free. Perspective is a complete
renderman modeler featuring:

   -  Drag and Drop Access to RIB  via Gallery
   -  9 tools including: Selection, Cube, Lights, Polygon (swept
        and extruded), Sphere, Cone, Text (extruded), Torus, Cylinder
   -  Supports all Renderman Shaders
   -  Direct Manipulation of Lighting
   -  Display in Orthographic or Perspective Views
   -  Display in Point Cloud, Wire Frame and Constant Shading
   -  Supports Hierarchical Modeling
   -  Animation Support.

We have had such an overwhelming demand for Appsoft Perspective Beta
copies that we have just uploaded the Beta Registration Program
(pbeta.app) to the ftp archive sites: sonata.cc.purdue.edu and
cs.orst.edu and you should find it under...
/pub/next/submissions/pbeta.app.tar.Z.

Simply download the program, uncompress, unarchive and run it and
fill in the blanks.  The program will send the appropriate
registration information to Appsoft and we will email you your beta
copy of Appsoft Perspective within 24 hours.

If you are unable to download the registration program, just send us
mail at [e-mail] and we will email the registration program
to you (60Kbytes uncompressed),

If you have already sent mail to the [e-mail] address, we
will be sending you the pbeta.app registration program right away so
please don't bother to download it.  If you have questions, please
don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-428-2777.

Thanks,
Randy Adams
[e-mail]


____________________________________________________________________

VI.  Announcing NXFax Fax Driver & Monitor for NeXT

CONTACT:  B&W Software
          South Hill Road
          Moretown, VT  05660
          Phone: [phone]
          FAX: [phone]
          Email: [e-mail]


                            ANNOUNCING

                    NXFax Fax Driver & Monitor

NXFax is a reliable fax driver for the NeXT Computer which
offers the following features:

- sends and receives faxes under NeXT System 2 and 3
- shares the serial port with other applications
- compatible with tip, uucp, SLIP, MPII and other comm programs
- adaptive answering directs incoming fax and data calls
- accessible via networked machines
- communicates with the NXFax Monitor to provide user-level feedback
- demo mode allows unlimited single page sending of faxes

The NXFax Monitor application offers:

- transmission status display
- current modem state
- remote connection identifier
- connect speed
- fax resolution
- pixels per scan line
- inter scan line delay
- halt button terminates transmissions
- monitoring of networked fax drivers
- animated icon
- user preferences control automatic launch

Release 1.00 of NXFax for the NeXT Computer has been
submitted to the Purdue archive (sonata.cc.purdue.edu).
The release is contained in the file NXFax_1.00.tar.Z.The
file NXFax_README.rtf contains additional information.
Both should be available in the submissions directory.

Release 1.00 of NXFax officially supports the ZyXEL line
of high speed modems, although you may find others that
work with NXFax. In the coming months, there will be other
modems added to the list of supported devices. If you try
NXFax with another fax modem please feel free to relate
your experiences.

If you are using NXFax in demonstration mode you will be
able to send as many single page faxes as you like.
Multiple page fax calls will terminate after the first
page and incoming fax calls are disabled.

NXFax can be fully enabled with a password available
directly from B&W Software. B&W is selling NXFax
separately or in combination with ZyXEL U1496e and
U1496s modems. Contact B&W for more information.

CONTACT:  B&W Software
          South Hill Road
          Moretown, VT  05660
          Phone: [phone]
          FAX: [phone]
          Email: [e-mail]


____________________________________________________________________

VII.  IRCAM Research Positions Available

IRCAM is a leading non-profit organization of musical creation, R&D
and education in acoustics and music, located in the center of Paris
(France), next to the Pompidou Center.  It hosts composers,
researchers and students from many countries cooperating in
contemporary music production, signal processing, acoustics and
psychoacoustics and their interrelations.  Two positions are
immediately available to staff the support activities of the R&D
department.

The candidates will perform debugging and QA, optimization and fine
tuning, customization (including major rewriting) and packaging of
prototypical in-house software and documentation for releases in
house and to external clients; porting of such software to different
graphical platforms (e.g., from/to NeXTStep, X11/Motif, Mac);
upgrades, releases and distribution management; continued support of
those packages in close contact with the developers.

This involves gaining an in-depth understanding of the software, its
users and their needs.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

  -  3-5 years expertise in C programming on Unix platforms of medium
     to large programs of quality.

  -  3 years experience in developpement in computer graphics and
     GUIs (at least one, preferably two, of X11/Motif, NeXTStep and
     Macintosh).

  -  High productivity, excellent programming style, stable and
     mature individual.

  -  Proven ability to produce accurate, usable technical
     documentation.

  -  Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a
     heterogeneous environment (musicians, researchers, programmers).

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL EXPERIENCE

o  Experience in digital signal processing.

o  Experience in computer music, MIDI.

o  Additional programming experience with Macintosh, Mac Applications

o  Internet, TCP/IP, NFS site experience

o  Kernel and/or device driver programming

o  Solid experience in porting software to different systems and
   platforms, customization and packaging.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range is FFrs160,000-190,000/year approx.($32,000-38,000).
Benefits include 6 weeks paid vacation and employer's participation
in medical insurance, meal plan and daily travel expenses; free
entrance to most French national museums, many discounts on concerts
and other shows.

AVAILABILITY

Positions are available immediately.  ECC nationals/working EEC
papers an asset.  Please send resume and detailed work experience to
any of the following addresses:

Email:[e-mail]
FAX:  [phone] (attn: Michael Fingerhut)
Mail: IRCAM, 31 rue Saint Merri, 75004 Paris, France (attn: Michael
Fingerhut)


_____________________________________________________________________

VIII.  Games update: PacMan 1.9

Reply-To: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1992 21:59:57 GMT

PacMan 1.9 has just been placed in the /pub/next/submissions
directory on sonata.cc.purdue.edu as "PacMan1.9.tar.Z".
It should eventually migrate to /pub/next/2.0-release/source.


_____________________________________________________________________

All previous Nugget News Digest issues are archived at the
Purdue ftp archive site: sonata.cc.purdue.edu under the following
Mailbox format files and directories:

        April-June, 1992:
           /pub/next/submissions/Nugget_News_Digest_Q2_1992.tar.Z
        July-September, 1992:
           /pub/next/submissions/Nugget_News_Digest_Q3_1992.tar.Z
        and the older archives under /pub/next/Newletters/Nugget



end