Copyright: ® 1996 Group 42, Inc.


Help Contents
Contents

Navigation

Installation

Main Window

Menu Bar

Tool Bar

Status Bar

 Using the Pointer

 Accessing On-line Help

 Exiting

Working with Images

 Opening a File

 Displaying Thumbnails

 Area Manipulation

 Color Adjusting

 Color Reduction

 Orientation

 Resize

 Undo

 Zooming

 Displaying File Information

 Printing

 Saving an Image

Creating a New Image

Enhancements

Effects

Mapping Files

Renaming Files

Deleting Files

File Encoding

Optimizing Web Images

Considerations

Color Content

File Size

Image Dimensions

Progressive Display

Windows Administration

Files

Thumbnail Database

Preferences

Win95 Registry (Win95 Only)

Register Image Types (Win95 Only)

Mosaic and Netscape

Supported File Formats

BMP

EPS/PS

GIF

JPEG/JPG/JFIF

PCX

PNG

RAS

TGA/TARGA

TIF/TIFF

XWD

Registering WebImage

Contact

Copyright Notification


Installation

To install for Windows:

1. 	From diskette, insert disk #1 into the proper floppy drive.

From hard disk, verify the location of the WebImage installation files.

2.	Utilize the Windows Run program or the Win95 software installation program.

3.	Type a:install (designate the appropriate drive or path location) and select OK.

4.	Follow the directions on the screen to navigate the Install program.

WebImage requires a minimum configuration of a 386/486 PC compatible, 4MB RAM, 3MB of hard disk space, and a Super VGA level (256 colors) display. WebImage 16-bit can run as a 16-bit application under Windows 3.1, 3.11, 32s, WinNT, and Win95. WebImage 32-bit can run as a native 32-bit application under Win95, WinNT, or Win 32s (version 1.30 or higher).

Since WebImage runs across multiple versions of Windows, many of the file control dialogs may appear or perform slightly differently depending on which version of Windows is running.


Main Window

WebImage loads images both in full-screen mode and in thumbnail mode. When loaded full-screen, images can be panned, zoomed, and edited in the main window. When in thumbnail mode, small thumbnail size images of graphics files are displayed in the main window. Thumbnails can be selected using the pointer. Double click on a thumbnail to launch it into full-screen viewing mode.


Menu Bar

The menu bar is the horizontal bar across the top of the WebImage window that lists the title of each pull down menu. Options include:

File - Includes New, Open, Close, Save, Display Thumbnails, Encode and Decode, Rename and Delete, Print, and Exit.

Edit - Includes Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear.

View - Includes Refresh, Zooming, and Information.

Image - Includes Color Adjust, Color Reduction, Orientation, Resize, Invert, Swap Red & Blue, Equalize, Remove Noise, and Sharpness.

Effects - Border, Emboss, Transparency, and Text Options.

Area - Includes Mirror X, Mirror Y, Rotate-90, Crop, and Duplicate.

Mapping - Includes Map Mode, Open Map, Save Map, View List and the mapping Shapes.

Options - Includes Thumbnail Database, Preferences, Register Image Types.

Help - Includes Contents, Using Help, and About.


Tool Bar

The Tool Bar consists of a row of icons displayed directly below the Menu Bar.

The tools in the order of appearance are:

Open, Save, Display Thumbnails, Print, Undo, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Info, Color Adjust, Color Reduction, Orientation, Resize, Add Text, Help, and Exit.


Status Bar

A status bar appears at the bottom of the WebImage window.

The status bar displays a help prompt for each menu item or tool selected. In addition, the cursor coordinates, the zoom level, file format, compression, color count, and file size are shown for the full-screen mode. A selected image's sequence number, file name, and format information is displayed when in thumbnail mode.


 Using the Pointer

The Pointer (cursor) is used to select menus, tools, and thumbnail images. The Pointer is also used to define areas for zooming, printing, moving, sizing, cutting, copying, pasting, duplicating, mirroring, rotating, bounded area manipulation, and mapping.

To define an area, Select and Drag the Bounding Box until an area is enclosed, then Release. Cancel to unselect. Press <Shift> or use the middle mouse button to produce an exact square.


 Accessing On-line Help

Select Help from the menu bar or Select the Help Tool. The Help menu includes the following help capabilities:

1.	Contents. A dialog box containing the help topics is displayed. Select a topic from the list and its appropriate help message displays.

2.	Using Help. Help is provided on using the help system.

3.	About. The version number and copyright information is displayed.


 Exiting

Select Exit from the File menu or Select the Exit tool to end a WebImage session. A dialog box asks whether to save the image or to exit without saving if the current file has not been saved since the last change.


 Opening a File

Select Open from the File menu or Select the Open tool. The File Selection dialog box is displayed. Use the pop-up List Files menu to select a filter extension.

Use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file name or manually type the name of the file in the input field. The specified file is loaded when the OK button is pressed.


 Displaying Thumbnails

Select Display Thumbnails from the File menu or Select the Display Thumbnails tool to display a list of the currently defined thumbnail catalogs. The Display Thumbnails dialog box is displayed. Use the Current Catalogs list box to select the desired thumbnail catalog.

To build a new catalog, Select the Build New Catalog button. Use the Directories list box to select the desired directory path. Use the Files list box to view the image file names located in the selected directory. Enter a name for the catalog in the Catalog Name input field and Select OK.

The Update Database? dialog will prompt you before adding images to the thumbnail database. Select Yes to add the images to the database, No to view the thumbnail images without adding them to the thumbnail database, or Cancel to discontinue the operation.

Once thumbnail images are loaded, double click on any thumbnail to launch the image into fullscreen editing mode.


 Area Manipulation

An area is defined by the Pointer. A rectangular area is bounded by a dotted line with a small black square at each vertex (Bounding Box). An area may be zoomed, printed, cut, copied, duplicated, moved, sized, rotated, and mirrored.

1.	Zooming. Define an area and then select the Zoom In tool or Select Zoom In from the View menu.

2.	Printing. Define an area and then select the Print tool or Select Print from the File menu.

3.	Clear, Copy, Crop, and Cut. Define an area and then apply the appropriate function.

4.	Paste. Apply the appropriate function and then move and size the pasted area.

5.	Move. The cursor changes to a four-sided arrow when placed within the Bounding Box. Select anywhere the four-sided arrow is present, then Drag the outline to the new location, and Release. The Status Bar indicates the change in position as the outline is moved.

6.	Size. The cursor changes to a side pull bar or a corner pull bar when placed at the edges or on the black squares in the corners of the Bounding Box. Select a pull bar and Drag the side or corner to the desired size. Press <Shift> to size proportionately. The Status Bar indicates the change in scale as the outline is moved.

7.	Duplicate. Ensure that the Duplicate check on the Area menu is On. Select an area using the Pointer, then Select and Drag from inside the bounded area to move a duplicate image of that area anywhere on the Canvas.

8.	Mirror. Select an area using the Pointer. Select Mirror X or Mirror Y from the Area menu. The bounded area is inverted along the appropriate axis.

9.	Rotate-90. Select an area using the Pointer. Select Rotate 90 from the Area menu. The bounded area is rotated 90 degrees around its center.


 Color Adjusting

To modify the brightness, contrast, or gamma of an image, Select Color Adjust from the Image menu or Select the Color Adjust tool. Select and Drag the appropriate slider to the desired value. Select the Channel pop-up to define the color channel as Red, Green, Blue, or All. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.


 Color Reduction

Select Color Reduction from the Image menu or Select the Color Reduction tool. Select the desired preset color reduction option or Select Custom and enter the number of colors to use in reducing the image.

Select a color reduction method. Dithering produces the highest quality color reduction by using combinations of colors and patterns to represent various colors. WebImage uses a high-quality diffusion routine for reducing color content. Matching selects the closest color value and reduces the image appropriately. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.

Images with a high color content (i.e. photographs) will reduce best with the dithering method. However, dithered images do not compress well. Images with a low color content (i.e. clip art) will reduce best with a matching method and produce maximum compression.

Color reductions can be performed using the Color Adjust dialog or during the saving process. By using the Color Adjust dialog, changes can be reviewed visually before saving a file. In addition, the Color Adjust dialog provides the option of reducing an image to a user-defined number of colors. Once a reduction is made via the Color Adjust method, the Save feature will auto-detect the color content and save in the appropriate format.


 Orientation

An image may be rotated 90, 180, or 270 degrees. Select Orientation from the Image menu or Select the Orientation tool. Select the desired orientation. Press OK to change the image.


 Resize

Select Resize from the Image menu or Select the Resize tool. Select a desired preset dimension or the Custom setting. Select Custom-Proportional to maintain the proportional ratio (aspect ratio) between Width and Height. Select Custom in order to enter non-proportional Width and Height values. WebImage provides a high quality algorithm for stretching and reducing an image; however, size increases will eventually blur any image. Maintain the original aspect ratio to produce the best results.

It is quite possible to define a combination of Width and Height which exceeds the memory capacity of the system. An error message indicates that the system is out of memory when such values are entered. Select a smaller size to reduce memory utilization.


 Undo

Select Undo from the Edit menu or Select the Undo tool to reverse the immediately previous action. WebImage provides one level of undo. An action consists of one iterative procedure and includes area manipulation, cut/paste, color/size change, orientation, filtering, or thumbnail display. It does not apply to the Delete, Rename, or Save functions.


 Zooming

Select a zoom level from the View menu or Select the desired Zoom tool. The Positive Zoom tool zooms in on the image, the Negative Zoom tool zooms out on the image. The View menu contains options for fitting the entire image in the window and for fitting the width of the image in the window.

To zoom on an area, define an area and then select the Zoom In tool or Select Zoom In from the View menu.


 Displaying File Information

Select Information from the View menu or Select the Info tool to display a dialog of information about the currently loaded or selected thumbnail image.

Information is displayed for file name, file size, and modification date. In addition, the graphics format type is defined, compression method used, width and height dimensions in pixel units, aspect ratio (height/width), color type, and number of color shades.


 Printing

Select Print from the File menu or Select the Print tool. Select Setup to change the target Printer or printer definitions. WebImage allows printing of a single image, a selected area, a selected thumbnail, a range of thumbnails, or an entire thumbnail catalog.

WebImage appropriately fits an image to the page when printing. Enter a Margin value in inches to define the amount of spacing between the image and the edge of the page. For thumbnail printing, define a Thumbnails Per Page value to define the thumbnail layout. To print a selected area, define an area using the pointer and then select the Print tool or Select Print from the File menu.


 Saving an Image

Select Save or Save As from the File menu or Select the Save tool. Save stores the image under its existing file name and native format. Save As allows a new file name to be entered or a new format or variation of the existing format to be defined.

The File Selection dialog box is displayed. Select a file format using the Files Type pop-up menu. Select the Options button to define color depth, compression, and options associated with the defined file type. Use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file name or manually type the name of the file in the input field. The current image is saved under the specified file name when the OK button is pressed.

Related Topics:

Options


Options

Color Depth. Allows saving an image at any supported bit depth. When the defined bit depth contains fewer colors than that found in the current image, Select a color reduction method. Dithering produces the highest quality color reduction by using combinations of colors and patterns to represent various colors. WebImage uses a high-quality diffusion routine for reducing color content. Matching selects the closest color value and reduces the image appropriately.

Images with a high color content (i.e. photographs) will reduce best with the dithering method. However, dithered images do not compress well. Images with a low color content (i.e. clip art) will reduce best with a matching method and produce maximum compression.

WebImage will auto-detect the format and color content of an image and default to the appropriate settings. It is possible, however, to save an image in a different format. For example, a 1-bit TIF file can be saved in a 24-bit TIF format.

Compression. Some file formats support different compression methods or no compression at all. Possible options include None, RLE, LZW, Packbits, Group 3, Group 4, CCITT, JPEG, and Deflate.

JPEG Options. Quality, Q Factor, of JPEG images can be defined from 25 to 100. The Q Factor determines the amount of lossiness for an image inversely related to the amount of compression for an image. For example, a Q Factor of 25 would produce maximum image loss but the most compression. A Q Factor of 100 would produce a near lossless image but with almost no compression.

The JPEG Photograph option utilizes a number of subsampling methods in order to achieve maximum compression. These methods can often produce undesired results and blurring in images which contain sharp edges and high color contrasts. Select the Line Art option for such images.

Progressive Display. Images that utilize this option provide a seemingly faster view time when displaying via an on-line service. This is possible because it first displays a less detailed image followed by a display of the complete image. This option is only available for the GIF, JPEG, and PNG image formats. This functionality is oftened referred to as interlacing.


Creating a New Image

Select New from the File menu. The New dialog box is displayed. To create an image, Select New Image, define the image size, and choose a color. To create an image from the Clipboard, Select Paste from Clipboard. To create a button bar, Select Button Bar, define the size of the buttons, choose a color, and define the number of rows, columns, and depth for the button bar. Press OK to create the new file.


Enhancements

A number of filtering methods can be applied to an image to change and enhance it. Following are descriptions for each method and the purpose for using it.

Related Topics:

Equalize

Invert

Remove Noise

Sharpness

Swap Red & Blue


Equalize

When an image is too dark or too light and cannot be adequately adjusted using the brightness control, it is recommended to use the Equalize filter. This filter analyzes the image's histogram of luminosity and adjusts the colors so that an equal amount of luminosity exists throughout the image. To equalize the image, Select Equalize from the Image menu.


Invert

When importing image files from a variety of sources it is possible to run across an image that has been inverted. This is often true of monochrome files. To invert the image, Select Invert from the Image menu.


Remove Noise

Often a file comes from a source which has introduced noise to the image. For example, a video grab may include small white pixels (snow) or a fax file might contain a number of small black pixels. The Remove Noise filter can help clean such images.

This filter evaluates every pixel in an image, samples the surrounding pixel values, determines a median color value, and compares the original pixel value to that median. If the difference is greater than the defined threshold value, the pixel is replaced by the median color value. Threshold values can be defined from 1 to 128. A higher defined value results in less pixel replacement. Conversely, a lower value results in more pixel replacement. A value between 32-64 is recommended for effective noise reduction.

To remove noise from an image, Select Remove Noise from the Image menu. Select and Drag the slider to the desired value. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.


Sharpness

To modify the sharpness of an image, Select Sharpness from the Image menu. Select and Drag the slider to the desired value. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.


Swap Red & Blue

When importing image files from a variety of sources it is possible to run across an image with the red and blue pixels swapped. This is often true of Sun Raster files. To swap the red and blue pixels, Select Swap Red & Blue from the Image menu.


Effects

A number of effects can be applied to an image to change and enhance it. Following are descriptions for each method and the purpose for using it.

Related Topics:

Border

Emboss

Transparency

Add Text


Border

To apply a border or button effect to an image, Select Border from the Effects menu. Select and Drag the slider to define the width of the border effect in pixels. Select the desired color for the border effect. Select a border type of Basic, Raised Button, or Inverted Button. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.

The Basic border will add a standard border to the image of the desired width and color. The Raised Button option will create a 3D button effect on the image. The Inverted Button option will create a "pushed" button effect on the image. Selecting a color option of None, will incorporate the image into the button effect.


Emboss

To apply an embossed filtering effect to an image, Select Emboss from the Effects menu. Select and Drag the Light Angle slider to the desired value. Press View to interactively adjust the image, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes.


Transparency

To define a transparent color for GIF and PNG images, Select Transparency from the Effects menu. Select and Drag the Red, Green, and Blue sliders to define the desired color value or use the Pointer to directly select a color from the image. Press the Remove button to remove a previously defined transparency value. Press View to interactively view the transparency, OK to accept the changes, or Cancel to discard the changes. The transparent color of an image will then be displayed with a gray cross-hatched fill pattern.

Transparency is typically used to "turn off" a color in an image, making that color transparent. The effect is most often used when creating images for Web pages. Most Web browsers will read transparent images, allowing the appearance of a free-form image as opposed to a rectangular one. Transparency only applies to images saved in the GIF and PNG format.


Add Text

To add text to an image, Select Add Text from the Effects menu or Toggle On the Add Text tool. Select to place the text cursor anywhere on the image and begin entering text from the keyboard. Select another insert point to add additional text. Toggle Off the Add Text tool or Cancel to exit the Add Text mode.

To change the text options, Select Text Options from the Effects menu. Select the desired Font, Size, Style, Color, Justification, and Orientation for the inputted text. The text display will show a preview of the selected options. Press OK to accept the changes or Cancel to discard the changes.


Mapping Files

Mapping files is a procedure used to create click point regions in an image file for use on Web pages. WebImage provides the capability to create both NCSA and CERN compliant image maps. Contact your Web administrator to determine which format to use when saving image maps.

Related Topics:

Creating a Map File

Map List

Saving a Map File

Opening a Map File


Creating a Map File

Toggle On the mapping mode by Selecting Map Mode located in the Mapping menu. When in map mode, all other image editing functions are disabled. To return to image editing, Toggle Off the Map Mode. Make sure to complete final image sizing functions before creating the map file.

Select a shape to use as a mapping region, options include circle, point, polygon, and rectangle. To draw a circle or rectangle, Select and Drag the Bounding Box until the desired region is defined, then Release. To draw a polygon, Select the first point, then Select each additional point up to a maximum of 100 points. Cancel to close the polygon. To draw a point, Select the desired located on the image.

After each shape is completed, a prompt is displayed for entering a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) pointer and any desired comments to associate with the map entry. The URL is the click entry desired when someone selects that region of the image. Comments make it easier to identify map entry meaning in the Map List.

The status bar at the bottom of the WebImage window will display the XY location, zoom level, associated URL, and map file name. To verify and test the map entries, move the Pointer over the various mapping regions. The status bar will reflect the associated URL for each region.


Map List

To interactively display, select, and edit map entries, Select View List located in the Mapping menu. From the Map List, Select the desired map entry. The selected entry will be highlighted on the image. Select the Edit button to edit the URL or comments. Select the Delete button to remove the entry.

Image maps typically contain a default entry, which is called if a point is selected that is not defined by a mapping region. To enter a default entry, Select the Default button and input the appropriate URL and comments.


Saving a Map File

Select Save Map from the Mapping menu. The File Selection dialog box is displayed. Select either the NCSA, CERN, or Client Side format using the Files Type pop-up menu. Use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file name or manually type the name of the file in the input field.

The current map is saved under the specified file name when the OK button is pressed. The current map name is reflected in the status bar. When saving in the Client Side format, you will have the option of saving the Client Side map to the clipboard in addition to saving to the file. This will facilitate the pasting of the Client Side map directly into your HTML document.


Opening a Map File

Existing map files can be opened and edited, but be sure to open the appropriate map file associated with an image file.

To open an existing map file, Select Open Map from the Mapping menu. The File Selection dialog box is displayed. Use the pop-up List Files menu to select a filter extension. Use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file name or manually type the name of the file in the input field.

The specified file is loaded when the OK button is pressed. The current map name is reflected in the status bar.


Renaming Files

While in thumbnail mode, Select the desired image or range of images to rename. Select Rename from the File menu. In the Rename dialog box, input the desired file name. Include both the suffix and prefix for the file name. The physical file is renamed, not just its entry in the thumbnail database.


Deleting Files

While in thumbnail mode, Select the desired image or range of images to delete. Select Delete from the File menu. A warning dialog will prompt before deleting the file. Select OK to delete the file(s) or Cancel to end the delete procedure. The physical file is deleted, not just its entry in the thumbnail database.


File Encoding

File encoding is a method used to convert binary files into coded ASCII files. By doing this, it creates a file that is easier and more reliable to transfer via telecommunication lines. This method is most often used for mailing or posting binary files to the Internet. When transferring files between Unix and DOS systems, be sure the naming scheme of the original file and the encoded files are appropriate.

Related Topics:

Encoding

Decoding


Encoding

The encoder can encode any binary file including images and executable files. It provides options for the popular UUencoding technique or the XXencoding method. In addition, longer files can be separated into multiple parts using a variety of popular methods.

Select Encode from the File menu. A File Selection dialog box is displayed. Use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file or manually type the name of the file in the input field. Select either the UU or XX encode method. Select the Multi-Part Format pop-up to define Single File or the desired multi-part method. If a multi-part format is selected, enter the maximum file size in bytes in the Max File Size input field. The default is 60,000.

The Encode File Name dialog is displayed when the OK button is pressed. By default, Single File format files are named with the original prefix and the appropriate UUE or XXE suffix. For example, image.gif would become image.uue. Multi-part format files have the prefix appended with the part number and are given the appropriate UUE or XXE suffix. For example, a 3-part image.gif file would become image01.uue, image02.uue, and image03.uue.


Decoding

The decoder can decode any UUencoded or XXencoded file. In addition, it can decode multi-part files without the user having to combine them into one file with a text editor.

Select Decode from the File menu. A File Selection dialog box is displayed. Specify a filter extension, then use the Directories list box to select the path and the File Name list box to select the file or manually type the name of the file in the input field. The specified file is decoded when the OK button is pressed.

The Save Decoded File dialog displays the decoded file name as defined the encoded file. Accept the file name or change appropriately.

For multi-part files, you will be prompted to define each part in sequence. The decoder will discard any message text or CUT remarks in the file and automatically construct the multiple parts into a single binary file. Be careful to define the files in order.


Considerations

Web pages can currently support in-line images in the GIF or JPG format. The PNG format is a recently introduced format that will soon become another supported file-type.

GIF images are limited to a maximum of 256 colors, but compress well and provide support for transparent regions and progressive display. JPG is a 24-bit, or 8-bit gray scale, "lossy" format, that provides excellent compression and progressive display. However, the compression methods used do not make this format conducive to low-color content images or for distributing images for reuse. PNG provides the capability of defining paletted low color content images or 24-bit images, supports transparent regions and progressive display, and provides a better "lossless" compression than the GIF format.

The major considerations when optimizing images for a web page are color content, file size, and image size. Most computers today only have the capability of displaying 256 distinct colors (SVGA) on the screen at one time. This is the major factor to consider when designing images for a web page. Since most Internet users access the web via a modem (usually 14.4 or less), the next consideration is the actual file size. Lastly, most screen resolutions typically range between 640x480 to 800x600, making the size of the image (resolution) a key factor if viewing the entire image is critical to the content of the web page.


Color Content

When optimizing images for web pages, it is critical to test the web page with a variety of web browsers (Netscape, Mosaic, etc.) with the display set to 8-bit SVGA (256 colors). This will allow the visualization of the web page under a variety of circumstances, since each web browser deals with colors differently. Images in one browser may look very different in another.

When creating images that will be the main content of the web page it is best to keep colors simple, of a primary tone, and consistent across images. When multiple images of varied color content are provided on one web page, color reduce the images such that the sum of all the color counts is less than 256 colors. For example, to include 4 photographic images and not have them dithered by the browser, reduce the color content to 50 colors per image, taking up only 200 of the available 256 colors.

When an image is loaded in WebImage, the color count is displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the window. The Color Reduction tool allows for various and user-defined color reductions. WebImage' color reduction capabilities provide superior reduction of 24-bit images to as little as 50 colors. It is good protocol to perform all image editing before making a final color reduction since many functions like resizing and adjusting sharpness can actually add colors to an image.


File Size

With most Internet users accessing the web via a modem, image file size becomes critical to ensure reasonable load and view time for a web page. The most important factor in reducing the size of an image file is color content.

One way that WebImage may quickly reduce the size of a GIF file, is to resave a file and let WebImage auto-detect the number of colors in an image and save the file in the appropriate bit depth. For example, a 30 color GIF file will most likely have been saved as an 8-bit (256 colors) file. WebImage will auto-detect the color content of the image and save as a 5-bit (32 colors) file, effectively reducing the file size.

The content of the image is another consideration. Images with a wide array of colors do not compress as well as images with large areas of a single color. When color reducing an image, evaluate the difference between the matched and dithered methods, as dithered files do not compress well. Also consider using the JPG format for 24-bit images, carefully evaluating the size versus quality issue.


Image Dimensions

The dimensions of an image have an impact both on the visible area of a web page and the physical size of the resulting image file. If an image is critical to the content of a web page, it is probably important to view the entire image within the viewable area of the web browser. A good rule of thumb is to design for the web browser window to have a 640x480 dimension, and plan accordingly for the toolbar, etc.

Single image sizes should be kept to a minimum, as they will delay the time for a web page to load and display. In addition, the larger the dimensions for an image, the larger the file size is, and the longer it takes to download. If larger dimensions are required, try reducing the color count to help decrease the file size.


Progressive Display

The GIF, JPEG, and PNG formats support a loading process called progressive display, also known as interlacing. Basically, this allows a less detailed version of the image to be loaded and displayed quickly, with the remaining detailed loaded after the rest of the web page is loaded. Most web browsers support the functionality of progressive display images, and those that don't will display the image normally. Progressive display can be turned on for an image in the Save Options dialog.


Files

WebImage requires the following files.

Delivered:

webimage.exe—binary executable

webimage.hlp—help file

Created by WebImage:

webimage.ini (Win 3.1/3.11)—located  in \windows

webimage.dat—thumbnail database file


Thumbnail Database

WebImage maintains a database file called webimage.dat for all the defined image catalogs. This file, by default, is located in the WebImage directory. It can be located in a different directory as long as the path is modified for the DatPath definition located in the webimage.ini file or the Win95 registry. For users accessing WebImage on a network server or on a Windows NT server, it is important to define the DatPath variable to the local client.

When a new image catalog is defined, thumbnails are built and added to the webimage.dat file. Each thumbnail increases the size of the webimage.dat file by 10 KB. This database file provides fast thumbnail display of an image catalog. Images that have been deleted, renamed, or added are appropriately updated during the next catalog display.

Select Thumbnail Database from the Options menu. The Thumbnail Database dialog allows image catalogs and their associated thumbnails to be removed. This should be done when a directory has been removed, a thumbnail catalog is no longer desired, or the user wants to decrease the physical size of the webimage.dat file. Highlight the desired catalog and Select the Delete button to remove its entry.

Eventually the database will begin to develop "empty" slots after several catalog deletions. When the Percentage Used status drops below 90%, Compact Database will improve access time and reduce the webimage.dat file size. A minimum swap space equal to that of the webimage.dat file is required for a successful compression.


Preferences

Several options relating to the operation of the WebImage environment are included on the Preferences dialog box.

Select Preferences from the Options menu:

1.	Image Display. On systems using less than a 24-bit display, WebImage can load images using a "best fit" to the currently defined system color map or can dither the image for the best possible display. Select Fast to have the images load, zoom, and scroll at optimum speed. Select Best to have images fully dithered when loading. Depending on the color content of an image, the difference between Fast and Best might not be detectable. However, the Fast option does improve speed considerably. All images retain their native color content regardless of the on-screen display.

2.	Thumbnail Display. The arrangement of thumbnails in the window may be defined by the user or set automatically by the system. Select Preferences from the Options menu, then Select Auto to allow the system to pick the best arrangement of thumbnail images. Select Custom and enter a numeric value in the input field to specify the number of thumbnails per row.

3.	Save Settings. Select this button and the webimage.ini file or Win95 registry information is automatically updated with the current software settings and the current window sizes and location.


Win95 Registry (Win95 Only)

WebImage utilizes the Win95 registry for maintaining and updating the control parameters of the software. This includes options such a registered image types, Window size and location, preferences, and the thumbnail database base location. WebImage places the following entries in the Win95 Registry:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/WebImage

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Group42/WebImage

While these items can be manually editing and/or deleted, it is recommended to allow the WebImage to create and update the registry automatically. If you are uninstalling the software, you can delete these registry entries permanently.


Register Image Types (Win95 Only)

WebImage can register (associate) any supported image types such that it will be loaded and viewed in WebImage by default. The first time WebImage is run, the user will have the opportunity to register any desired image types. Any time after that, image types can be registered or unregistered by selecting Register Image Types from the Options menu.

When an image is registered to WebImage, it can then be launched directly from the desktop or Explorer and viewed in WebImage. Often times, another application might override a file's registry, making it registered with the new application. If this occurs, that file type can be reregistered by WebImage via the Register Image Types dialog.


Mosaic and Netscape

WebImage can be defined as an external viewer or "helper" application in most common Web browsers including Netscape and Mosaic. Doing this extends the capabilities of viewing, editing, and saving images from the Internet.

To define WebImage as the image viewer, edit the browser's configuration for viewing image files. Define the WebImage executable as the viewer for all the supported image formats.

Related Topics:

Netscape Navigator

Enhanced Mosaic 2.x


Netscape Navigator

To configure WebImage in the Netscape Navigator, Select General Preferences located in the Options menu. Change the settings for Helpers. Define the WebImage executable for the TIFF, JPEG, and GIF image formats.


Enhanced Mosaic 2.x

To configure WebImage in Enhanced Mosaic 2.x from Spyglass, Select Helpers located in the Edit menu. Change the viewer option for the formats JPEG, GIF, and TIFF. Input the WebImage executable in the Helper Application field making sure not to append this entry with %s. Input GViewer in the Service Name field. WebImage utilizes the Spyglass SDI for optimal communication.


BMP

OS/2 Bitmap: Similar to Windows BMP, the standard image format for use with OS/2. WebImage supports BMP files with no compression.  Color depths may be 1, 4, 8, or 24-bit.

Windows Bitmap: The image format created by Microsoft for use with Windows. WebImage supports BMP files with no compression.  Color depths may be 1, 4, 8, or 24-bit.


EPS/PS

Encapsulated PostScript: A PostScript output program file. PS files are typically sent directly to PostScript printers, while EPS files are created for importing into other products. WebImage exports EPS and PS files to PostScript Level 1 (8-bit gray scale) or PostScript Level 2 (24-bit color).


GIF

Graphics Interchange Format: The format created by CompuServe for the efficient exchange of graphics over modem lines. This format is commonly found on many on-line services and throughout the Internet. WebImage supports type 87a/89a, progressive display, and transparent/non-transparent GIF files. Color depths may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8-bit.


JPEG/JPG/JFIF

Joint Photographic Expert Group: 24-bit support and excellent compression make this format a new standard for on-line services. WebImage supports JPEG version 6. Color depths may be 8-bit gray scale or 24-bit color. Export quality, Q factor, can be defined from 25 to 100. Progressive display is supported, however, not all software that supports JPEG can read this new format.


PCX

ZSoft's PC Paintbrush: WebImage supports the import of PCX versions 2, 3, 4, and 5 and exports PCX version 5. Images must use standard PCX RLE compression. Color depths may be 1, 4, 8, or 24-bit.


PNG

Portable Network Graphics: The format created in response to the GIF licensing debacle. Developed for optimized graphics use on the Internet and other on-line services. WebImage supports progressive display and transparent/non-transparent PNG files. Color depths may be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, or 48-bit.


RAS

Sun Raster: The native bitmap file format for Sun workstations. WebImage supports Sun Raster files with color depths of 1, 8, or 24-bit and supports standard RLE compression.


TGA/TARGA

Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter: Introduced by AT&T to support their image capture boards and now supported by Truevision. WebImage supports TARGA Type 2 (no color map, uncompressed) and Type 10 (no color map, RLE compressed) files. Color depths may be 16, 24, or 32-bit.


TIF/TIFF

Tagged Image File Format: The most widely used raster format, it is jointly developed and supported by Aldus and Microsoft. WebImage supports Type 1 (no compression), and Type 32773 (Packbits compression). Color depths may be 1, 4, 8, or 24-bit. WebImage also supports CCITT Group 3 and Group 4 fax formats. Multi-page TIFF files display only the first image and there is no support for tiled or JTIF images. Imported TIFF files may be in either Intel or Motorola byte order. Exported TIFF files comply with the TIFF 6.0 specification.


XWD

X Window Dump: A screen dump raster format created by M.I.T. for use with the X Window utilities xwd and xwud. This format is also supported by many X Window applications and is an excellent means for creating image files from the X Window System. WebImage supports uncompressed XWD files in 1, 4, 8, or 24-bit color depths.


Registering WebImage

Group 42 provides a 10-day evaluation period for WebImage, a "try before you buy" approach.  After the 10-day evaluation period has expired, the SAVE functions will be disabled. Registering the application will again enable all the functionality and entitle you to technical support, product upgrades, and discounted prices. To register the application, you will need to contact Group 42 via email, telephone, or mail.

WebImage costs just $39.95. Payment is accepted via Mastercard, Visa, and prepay check. Once processed, Group 42 will provide you with a registration key to unlock the software. You can register WebImage by contacting Group 42 at:

Secured Web Orders: http://www.group42.com

Email: info@group42.com

CompuServe: 73441,305

Phone Orders: 800-520-0042 (US Only)

Telephone: 513-831-3400

To input your registration key, Select Register from the startup screen, or Select Register Application from the Help menu. Input the registered Name and Key provided by Group 42. At this point, you will have a fully registered copy of WebImage.


Contact

Technical support is provided for registered users via Email and CompuServe. Be sure to include as much detailed information about the problem you've encountered and include information on the WebImage version, Windows version, and hardware platform.

To purchase other Group 42 products, inquire about site licenses, or pursue OEM bundling arrangements, contact us at:

Orders: 800-520-0042

Telephone: 513-831-3400

Internet: info@group42.com

Web: http://www.group42.com

CompuServe: 73441,305

Group 42, Inc.

228 Mill Street #102

Milford, OH 45150


Copyright Notification

WebImage is copyrighted © 1996 Group 42, Inc. Use, copy, and disclosure restricted by license agreement. JPEG format support is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group. PNG format support is based in part on the work of the PNG Group.

WebImage is supplied "AS IS". Group 42, Inc. disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. Group 42, Inc. assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of WebImage.

All packaging, manuals, and promotional materials are designed to minimize waste and encourage recycling. Please conserve, recycle, and purchase recycled products. Listen to the Lorax!