Compo is a program for combining and manipulating bit image and vector files to produce high quality graphical page layouts. As well as the standard files you can also import Kodak PhotoCD images, Draw, ArtWorks, JPEG TIFF, Photoshop, PNG etc.

It is not a painting package (although with PCA described below, you can do many of the tasks normally performed by painting packages). It is for combining images to produce a final image. This is done using Compo's powerful masking abilities.

Images can be moved at any stage, even the bit mapped graphics. The images can be overlaid, merged and mixed. Effects can be applied allowing shadows, opacity, tints, etc. The original images are retained, so even when you reload your saved file you can move the images around and alter the masks. This is unlike most painting programs, where once you have saved your picture the orginal information on the component graphics is lost.

A powerful masking tool allows for Blend, Tint, Shadow, Displacement and Curve masks.

A comprehensive Text tool enables you to create high quality text with true adaptive anti-aliasing and all of the above effects or you can tag the text to print at the resolution of the printer or typesetter. There are tools for lightening or darkening, altering the colour balance, rotating, aligning, creating your own filters, and many more

• Load many different graphic formats: TIFF, JPEG, sprite, Draw, ArtWorks, PhotoCD, Top Model etc
• ArtWorks and Draw files can be in bitmap or vector layer
• Comprehensive Mask editing tools including new Path tool
• Vignette tool for Mask editor - uses any bitmap as a brush
• Object tool for Mask editor - import any Draw object to mask
• Load and save Photoshop 2.5 files
• Encapsulated Postscript (EPS) save
• Alpha channel features allow PhotoDesk compatible masks and genlock features
• On canvas interactive scaling
• On canvas interactive rotation
• Auto masking of Draw, ArtWorks and TopModel files
• All vector data now retained with transformations returning to original vectors, This provides best quality at all times.
• GIF save option
• Crop canvas to window - fast
• Adaptive anti aliasing option of text when using RISC OS 3.7 or better
• Mask editing tools including antialiased brushes, coordinate interpolation, paintable undo, new feathering and fill routines etc.
• Object export routines allow export of the canvas, a single sprite or an area of the canvas as a Sprite, JPEG, GIF, PNG etc.
• Mask handling includes automatic translation to and from Acorn style masks (on/off) and the option to export the mask as an alpha channel when OLE editing - allows the mask to be used by PhotoDesk etc.
• Masked PNG generation allows multiple objects to be composited and the result exported as a graduated masked PNG for internet graphics.

Considerable development work has been done on Compo and in particular, on the PCA system since version 1.10. Much of this has come about as a result of the work done on the Xemplar NC integrated package NCWorks. The painting package, NCPaint, forms the basis for the new facilities introduced into Compo in version 1.15. A Risc PC version of NCPaint called PCAPaint, would have been provided with the Phoebe Risc PC 2 had it been produced. We have now made this available as a PCA applet and this and other applets are supplied with the new version of Compo. Applets can be loaded on demand, thus saving memory.

In addition to the painting applet there are also applets for adding Draw objects to sprites, various fills, filters, conversion tools and adding text.

New in version 1.20

The main new feature in 1.20 is the Composcript scripting language. You can now control Compo from your own scripts and even add new icons with Composcript Scriptlets.

You can generate animations easily and do batch processing. You can even write procedures to be followed when the user clicks on a Compo object.

If you have a Risc PC and you want to create stunning graphical layouts then Composition is the program that you need. The latest update to Composition provides an extrememly versatile and powerful piece of software with the potential for expansion and interconnectivity via its PCA implementation.
    Acorn User

a very impressive program indeed.. Compo's speed of operation is also very impressive. It's almost reason enough to buy a RiscPC. Compo is an outstanding program.. .. an extremely helpful tutorial..
    Acorn Publisher

I like this program, in fact I like it a lot.. a professional package that rivals anything I have seen on other platforms. (The manual) ..is itself a thoroughly professional piece of work.. this is a highly recommended product.
    RISC User