@ARTICLE PAL = (Many of you have asked where I get the hi-res images used in this magazine. Well here's a couple of utilities that convert GIF files for use in desktop publishing. This month's cover image was con<%2>verted from GIF to PCX with GIFPUB and then<%0> further manipulated with Publisher's Paintbrush.) @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = GIFPUB12.ARC GIFPUB is a conversion utility that converts colored CompuServe GIF-format pictures, VGACAD pictures, VGACAP captured screen images, and colorized or gray-scaled MacPaint pictures from MAC2GIF to a <%4>dithered (Floyd-Steinberg) Black & White<%0> image and saves it to a .PCX (Z-Soft) file. You can now use them in PFS:First Publisher, Ventura Publisher, Publisher's Paintbrush, PC <%6>Paintbrush+, or Pagemaker. GIFPUB is<%0> <%4>graphics card independent - NO VIDEO<%0> CARD IS NECESSARY. You can save and load images without viewing them. For viewing, <%6>GIFPUB supports video modes in CGA<%0> (640x200), Hercules (720x348), EGA (640x350), <%8>VGA (640x480) AND Extended EGA or<%0> SuperVGA (to 2KB x 2KB). GIFPUB converts your colored pictures to 256 grey shades on a 64 grey scale continuum, which you can then <%6>adjust the brightness and contrast levels<%0> <%4>through sophisticated Grey Scale Skewing<%0> (Brightness Adjustment) and Histogram-based Contrast Stretching algorithms, respectively. GIFPUB uses the Floyd-Steinberg algorithm for dithering pictures; this error- distributed technique provides the illusion of a continuous grey scale limited only by your printer or video resolution. GIFPUB supports resizing of any image, while maintaining the aspect ratio in ANY video mode (including Extended EGA and SuperVGA); this way you can be confident of the image you will integrate and have the best possible rendering for what ever size you choose to include in your document. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = SQZGIF13.ARC SQZGIF is a conversion utility that will convert 256-color GIF pictures <%8>that are larger than 320x200x256 (e.g.<%0> <%6>640x480x256) and interpolate or <169>color<%0> average<170> that picture into a 320x200x256 and save it to a .BLD and .PLT format for import<%6>ing the results to: GIFPUB, VGACAD,<%0> VGA2EGA, BLD2GIF, or GIFDOT. With SQZGIF you can convert, edit or print those 256 color pics with correct aspect ratios; all sizes such as 320x240 (Jovian Logic), 320x400 (Amiga), 512x400 (TARGA), 640x400 (MACII), 640x480 and 800x600 (SuperVGA) can be handled. SQZGIF handles any GIF up to 2KB x 2KB. SQZGIF is graphics card independent; <%12>NO GRAPHICS CARD REQUIRED!<%0> VGA/MCGA users can, also, pick any selected area and ZOOM it to full screen size; you can treat LARGE GIF pictures as <169>virtual screens<170>. SQZGIF uses two methods for <169>squeezing<170> a picture down to VGA/MCGA size. The first is <%6>interpolation which several GIF picture<%0> <%6>viewers use (e.g., PICEM, VGAGIF and<%0> SNAPVGA); this method is fast and yields acceptable results most of the time. The second method is <169>color averaging<170> which replaces groups of color pixels to one of the colors in the 256 color palette by finding the closest match; this method will represent these large GIFs in 320x200x256 with the closest possible rendition. SQZGIF needs no video card and will run on any IBM/MSDOS compatible. The <169>Pick 'N Zoom<170> feature, however will only be activated is a VGA/MCGA card is detected. @ARTICLE PAL = (continued on page 9) @ARTICLE PAL = MAC2GIF2.ARC MAC2GIF v2.00 <189> 1988 Lawrence Gozum & Marvin Gozum. MAC2GIF <%2>is a viewer/colorizer/conversion utility for<%0> creating files which follow CompuServe's GIF (<169>Graphics Interchange Format<170>) which allows the transmittal and porting of your pictures to other machines in any graphics mode, as well as through communication software. MAC2GIF will view and convert any .MAC (MacPaint or <%2><169>readmac<170>) file in EGA, VGA or MCGA. All<%0> pictures are colorized (greys or EGA colors) and view the entire picture with correct aspect ratios. No scrolling is needed since the entire .MAC file is interpolated to fit the screen in any of the selected EGA, VGA or MCGA modes. @ARTICLE PAL = P4UP20.ARC P4UP is a DOS utility program that prints 4 60-line page images of ASCII text in portrait mode on one side of a piece of paper on a variety of printers. On printers such as the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II or DeskJet, P4UP builds and downloads its own soft font. On other printers which cannot use these soft fonts, P4UP uses printer graphics to draw the page of text. P4UP has several options to let you control the print operation. Enter these options on the command line along with the file names. Precede each option with a dash. All options have default <%2>values, and can be turned on or off. P4UP will:<%0> Automatically expand tabs (you can set the width) and formfeeds; Break the output into 60-line pages with the filename and page number at the top of each page, or run the pages together unseparated; Print the pages top-to-bottom or left-to-right; Write to LPT1, <%2>LPT2, LPT3, COM1, or COM2; On printers which<%0> support manual page feeding, pause between pages so you can turn each sheet of paper over, getting up to 8 page images on a single sheet of paper. @ARTICLE PAL = TIFFANY.ARC Tiffany records any part, or all, of the Windows display using the <169>Tag Image File Format<170> (TIFF). The image file can then be used in a variety of desktop publishing or image manipulation applications. TIFF, the Tag Image File Format, is a versatile file standard for recording and transferring raster images. Many image manipulation programs, desktop publication systems, and scanners support this popular image file format. Requires: IBM PC, XT, AT, or PS2 compatible computer running Micro-soft Windows (version 2.0 or later.) Images from any graphics card supported by a Windows screen driver can be captured by Tiffany. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = BITFNT42.ARC BitFont 4.2, <189> 1988 by Bruce J. Patin. BitFont is a program which can be used to design or modify fonts of bit-mapped charac<%6>ters. Using a (BFC) configuration file as a<%0> template, font files for a wide variety of printers and graphics programs can be read in, modified by BitFont, then written out to a new file. It is possible to write a configuration file to convert <%4>from one font file format to another. BitFont<%0> itself has graphics capabilities to display characters with either discrete or overlapping dots, and there are many menu-driven functions which can be used to quickly modify entire fonts. BitFont supports most of the many graphics adaptors supported by Turbo Pascal 5.0. The correct graphics routines are selected automatically when BitFont is invoked. Sample configuration files so far written are: HPLAJETS.BFC - to read and write fonts compatible with the Hewlett <%10>Packard LaserJet family of printers.<%0> PROPRINT.BFC - to read and write down-loadable fonts for the IBM ProPrinter *. NLQDRAFT.BFC - to read and write fonts for the 9-pin <169>NLQ<170> printer, which is supposed to <%10>be compatible with the Epson FX-85.<%0> PBRUSH.BFC - to read and write the bit-mapped fonts of PC Paintbrush. HEXFONT.BFC - a sample file to generate fonts in a hex character format, which you can edit with any text editor. @ARTICLE PAL = @ARTICLE PAL = LSU502.ARC Laserjet Setup Utility version 5.02 <189> Guy Gallo, 1988, 1989. Laserjet Setup Utility functions as either: a utility to set various parameters on the Laserjet family of printers, or as a stand alone program to print ASCII text files, and to address envelopes. Laserjet Setup Utility can be run in any of 3 modes: As a standard DOS application, invoked from the DOS command line, As a Memory Resident (TSR), or from Batch Mode. <188>