Q. When I change the colour in the Palette box and try to paint the colour stays the same. Why?
A. When you have decided on a new colour then you must click on either the "Use" or "Fix and Use" button in the Palette box. This is one of the powerful features of Photogenics, allowing you to alter the colour or mode of any paint you have applied to achieve a pleasant effect. If you have applied some paint you are happy with then FIX the image. You may then change the colour and add some more paint.
Q. Why is there no "smoothing" option when loading JPEG pictures.
A. The smoothing operation is no longer supported in code from the Independant JPEG Group. Better smoothing can be applied using the Blur paintmode. The transparency can be increased to give a more subtle smoothing effect.
Q. Nothing ARexx-related works.
A. (1) Make sure ARexx is installed on your machine, and included in the system path during startup (this is set in the startup-sequence). (2) Make sure RexxMast is running before you start the Photogenics program. (3) Make sure the directory path to your Rexx scripts doesn't have any spaces in it - this appears to be a limitation with ARexx.Q. When I start Photogenics 2, I get a crash $8000000B. What does this mean?
A. Something went wrong with the install, or you selected the wrong option, and you've installed files for Photogenics 2 that are not compatible with the CPU in your computer. Delete Photogenics 2 and re-install, making sure you select the right option for processor and FPU type.
Q. What is the advantage of the JPEG saver?
A. The JPEG format compresses the image using clever algorithms that give a much smaller filesize on disk. However, this compression can lose detail from an image (see below), so use IFF Deep or IFF-24 if you need to keep an EXACT copy of your image.
Q. What effect does the quality setting on the JPEG saver mean?
A. JPEG is what is know as a "lossy" image format. This means that some picture information is lost when the image is saved. Setting a higher quality will result in a saved image that is more true to the original. Higher quality increases the filesize. Small filesizes can be obtained with lower quality settings but some quality will be lost.
Q. What is IFF-Deep format, and why is IFF-24 not the default save format?
A. IFF-24 was the first 24-bit file format for the Amiga, developed long before 24-bit graphics cards became widely available. It is badly designed for storing 24-bit graphics and converting to and from this file format is a slow process. IFF-Deep is a much faster format to work with, although the files are larger. IFF-24 is still provided so you can import and export files for other older Amiga applications.
Q. How can I save out pictures that I can use in other Amiga programs?
A. Most Amiga programs use the IFF format for loading and saving pictures. Save IFF-24 images if you want to transfer data at the highest quality (but remember that many programs cannot load 24-bit images), and use the ILBM saver to write 2 to 256 colour IFF files for loading into any other program that supports IFF files. See the section on using Photogenics with other programs for more hints and tips.
Q. When I draw a line, I cannot undo it with the Undo menu item - why?
A. The Undo menu item only affects the last FIXed changes. To clear the line you just drew use the Clear Paint Layer button on the Toolbox.
Q. How do I draw thin lines, boxes or circles? Every time I draw one it uses the airbrush to produce big, blurred lines.
A. You need to change the size and pressure of the brush. Set the size to the minimum (1 pixel) and set the pressure to maximum (100%). You may need to magnify your image to be able to work accurately (especially when using Ham8 display modes).
Q. Why does Photogenics seem to run slower on the new Productivity, DBlPal and DBlNTSC screen modes?
A. The new double scan screenmodes have greater system overheads than the old PAL and NTSC modes. Running Photogenics in Pal or NTSC will give faster operation. If you cannot run the PAL or NTSC screenmodes then the Greyscale 16 option will allow you to run at a reasonable speed.
Q. When I select 'Close Workbench' and quit the program, the whole system freezes and I have to reset my Amiga. Is this a bug in Photogenics?
A. No, it is a bug in the Kickstart 3.0/3.1 operating system. Not all system configurations are affected, but on many machines it is impossible to reopen workbench once it has closed. If your machine is affected be aware that you will not be able to open workbench once it is closed.
Q. Can I develop my own loaders and savers for Photogenics?
A. Yes, the developer documentation and example sourcecode files are included as a LHA archive in the Extras drawer on the disk 1, called 'DevDocs.LHA' You can use these to create your own .GIO files. The archive is freely distributable.
Q. Can other programs open on the Photogenics screen?
A. Yes, if the program can open on a public screen you should set it to open on 'photogenics' (no capital letters) and it should open on the Photogenics screen. Remember to close these windows before attempting to shut down Photogenics.
Q. My image is too dark, but using the Brightness paintmode just makes everything paler, including the black background.
A. You should be using the Gamma paintmode. Gamma correction will adjust image brightness without making the black areas paler. We suggest liberal use of the Gamma correction paintmode in cases like this!
Q. How can I remove those `hard to remove` stains from my delicate coloureds?
A. Simple. Use Photogenics !