Welcome to LivePix, the fun and easy way to create postcards, greeting cards, Web page graphics, and many other exciting images.
This Readme file contains information that was not available when the LivePix documentation went to press. Please be familiar with the contents of this file before you call LivePix technical support.
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CONTENTS
1. Installing/Reinstalling LivePix
2. Optimizing Memory Settings
3. TWAIN Device Support
4. Printing
5. Working with FlashPix Files
6. Working with Non-FlashPix Files and the Image Cache
7. Working with Text
8. A Note on Thumbnails in the Gallery
9. Using the Positioning and F/X Tools
1. Installing/Reinstalling LivePix
NOTE: LivePix only runs on PowerPC Macintosh or Clone Computers. It doesn't support 680x0 systems.
Full Installation
The "Easy Install" option installs all the components for LivePix. These include the application, templates, TWAIN support, necessary extensions, and fonts.
Custom Installation
The "Custom Install" option lets you decide which of the components to install for LivePix. You may want to reinstall the templates or fonts, for example, at a later time.
Reinstalling LivePix
To reinstall LivePix, simply drag the LivePix folder into the Trash and relaunch the LivePix Installer.
Note: If you reinstall the Templates, you will lose any changes you have made to your Gallery.
2. Optimizing Memory Settings
Virtual Memory
Virtual Memory is required to use LivePix. Virtual Memory (VM) refers to using your hard disk as an extension of your Power Macintosh's real memory. The amount of your VM setting is then blocked out on your hard disk for use by the system when you restart. VM simply extends memory when your Power Macintosh's real memory is not enough. For example, if you have a 16 MB Power Macintosh and your VM is set to 32 MB, you can launch an application that requires 16 MB while your system requires approximately 6 MB and have approximately 10 MB of unused memory left over.
It is important to set VM to the appropriate amount. A good rule of thumb for using VM is to set it to one and a half or double of your Power Macintosh's real memory, but do not set it to higher than double.
To turn Virtual Memory on, do the following:
1. Choose Control Panels from the Apple menu, and then choose Memory.
2. In the Virtual Memory area of the Memory control panel, click On.
3. In the "After restart" area of the control panel, set the amount of Virtual Memory to the appropriate amount for your configuration.
4. Close the Memory control panel.
5. Restart your Macintosh for changes to take effect.
System Memory
In addition to turning on Virtual Memory, you should allow at least 1 - 2 MB of unused memory for the system, particularly when working with FlashPix files (a larger block would be preferable). FlashPix is loaded into the system, which requires the system memory to increase. This is why it is very important to allow enough unused memory when working with many FlashPix files so the system can grow.
To check for the amount of unused memory, do the following:
1. At the Finder, select About This Computer from the Apple menu.
2. In the "Largest Unused Block" area, check to see if the amount of unused memory is at least 1 - 2 MB .
3. If the amount of unused memory is insufficient, see the next section "Tips on Memory Usage" for suggestions.
Tips on Memory Usage
There are many ways to optimize your memory usage. Following are some suggestions that can help you better manage your memory.
Ñ Set VM to an appropriate amount╤this should be one and a half to double your PowerPC's real memory.
Ñ Close other applications╤this allows more memory for the system and for LivePix.
Ñ Turn off unnecessary extensions╤this includes control panels, Chooser devices, and extensions. These resources are loaded into the system at startup and can unnecessarily create a large system. The Apple Extensions Manager lets you turn these off or on. Refer to your PowerPC'sUser's Manual for more details.
Ñ Reboot your system╤this allows the purging of any memory that may be used by the system but not necessarily available unless your system is rebooted.
3. TWAIN Device Support
TWAIN provides a simple method for connecting TWAIN-compliant applications to TWAIN-aware devices. LivePix is TWAIN-compliant and lets you capture images using a scanner or digital camera directly into the application. Once the TWAIN-compliant device is installed, it appears in the Scanner/Camera list in LivePix. Simply select the device from the list and start scanning.
Note: Twain compliant devices need to have their own twain driver and not rely on a thrid party plug-in. LivePix only supports twain drivers not plug-ins.
4. Printing
Printer Drivers
Many printing problems can be attributed to using outdated printing software/drivers. If you experience printing problems, you may not be using a current Macintosh printer driver. If you are not, contact your dealer or the printer's manufacturer to see if a Macintosh printer driver is available.
Envelopes
For information on printing envelopes from LivePix, refer to the "Print Envelopes" topic in LivePix Help.
5. Working with FlashPix Files
FlashPix is a technology that lets you work in real time with images of any size and is the native file format for LivePix. FlashPix is loaded into the system, which requires the system memory to increase. It is very important to allow enough unused memory when working with many FlashPix files so you will not run out of system memory.
Due to some technical problems with the OLE libraries, saving in FlashPix can take an unreasonable amount of time. We recommend to use other formats such as JPEG or TIFF, especially when scanning.
6. Working with Non-FlashPix Files and the Image Cache
LivePix supports a wide range of file formats. These include: PICT, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. To obtain the benefits of FlashPix with these non-native files, LivePix converts them in the background and places the converted files in the Image Cache folder. The Image Cache folder is created when the first non-native file is opened or inserted in LivePix.
Opening a file that is not in the FlashPix format can take some time; this is especially true of JPEG-compressed files. When JPEG-compressed files are decompressed, they also occupy significantly large amounts of disk space. For example, a 1 MB JPEG compressed file can take as much as 20 MB or more hard disk space, once converted. When you close the document, LivePix ensures that the size of cached files does not exceed 40 MB, unless you have set up a different limit through a custom installation of LivePix. Note the fact that the image cache will ony use up to half the available disk space and will only store the set limit of 40mb or the custom setting if there was one.
7. Working with Text
Creating large blocks of text in LivePix can create large project files and lessen the quality of the text resolution. This can also affect performance. We recommend keeping text blocks small and creating multiple text blocks if necessary.
8. A Note on Thumbnails in the Gallery
It's important to remember that thumbnails for projects and photos are simply "pointers" to the real files. Each thumbnail represents the location for the real file at the time it was saved. Any changes to the real file after that (such as deleting, moving, or renaming the file) will affect the "pointer" to the file, and attempting to open the thumbnail will prompt a "cannot find this file" alert. To correct this, choose Organize Gallery from the Gallery menu, delete the old thumbnail, and save a new one with the new location or name.
9. Using the Positioning and F/X Tools
Positioning Tools
Saving a project file that contains an object that has rotation, skew, and perspective applied may sometimes be difficult to select when the file is reopened. To select the object, zoom out and perform a Select All to see the object's selection handles.
F/X Tools
This section provides additional information about the F/X tools:
- The Remove Red-eye tool and Distort tool work on different "layers" of the image in a photo. For that reason, if you plan to use both tools on the same photo, make the distortion first. Use the Remove Red-eye tool only when you have completed the distortion to your satisfaction.
- If you add a shadow to an object and then change the object's size, the relative positions of the object and the shadow will appear to have changed. This is especially noticeable when you make the object smaller╤the object and shadow will appear farther apart. This occurs because neither the object nor the shadow moves; they only get smaller. As a result, the apparent distance between the two becomes larger.
To change the actual position of the shadow relative to the object:
1. Select the object.
2. Select the Shadow tool.
3. Drag the shadow in the Direction & Distance area of the Shadow dialog box to the position you want.
4. Click OK.
Copyright Information
(C) 1997 Live Picture, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Live Picture is a registered trademark and LivePix is a trademark of Live Picture, Inc. PowerPC is a trademark of Apple computers. FlashPix is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company. All other products or name brands are trademarks of their respective holders. Additional fonts licensed from Br┐derbund Software, Inc. and FontBank. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
