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PIXAR - One Twenty Eight
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PIXAR One Twenty Eight.iso
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pc
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readme.txt
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1993-03-16
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PIXAR ONE TWENTY EIGHT(TM) PLUG-IN INSTALLATION AND USE
You can use this plug-in with any application that supports an
Adobe Photoshop- or Aldus PhotoStyler-compatible plug-in.
PC INSTALLATION
PhotoStyler
1. Find PhotoStyler's plug-in directory on your system, called PLUG_IN.
This is the folder to which you'll copy the Pixar plug-in. If you don't
have this directory just create one on your system. Be sure to name it
PLUG_IN.
2. Copy the PIXAR128.EFF plug-in from the PLUG-INS\PSTYLER directory on the
CD to the PhotoStyler PLUG_IN directory on your system. (The default
location is PSTYLER\PLUG_IN.)
The next time you run PhotoStyler, the Pixar 128 plug-in will be available.
Note for Windows 3.0 users: The Pixar plug-in uses shared dialogs. This
requires you to have a file called COMMDLG.DLL in your WINDOWS 3.0 directory.
If you don't have this file, we've provided it in the PLUG-INS\WINDOWS3.0
directory on the CD. If you don't have it, just copy the file over to your
system's WINDOWS 3.0 directory. If you already have such a file, or if you're
running Windows 3.1 or later, don't copy the file over.
Photoshop
1. Find Photoshop's plug-in directory on your system, called PLUGINS.
This is the folder to which you'll copy the Pixar plug-in.
Note: If you don't have this directory, look in the PHOTOSHP.INI file in your
WINDOWS directory. In this file there should be a line beginning with
PLUGINDIRECTORY. The directory specified in this line is the one into which
to copy your plug-ins.
2. Copy the PIXAR128.8BF plug-in from the PLUG-INS\PHOTOSHP directory on the
CD to Photoshop's plug-in directory on your system.
The next time you run Photoshop, the Pixar 128 plug-in will be available.
Note for Windows 3.0 users: The Pixar plug-in uses shared dialogs. This
requires you to have a file called COMMDLG.DLL in your WINDOWS 3.0 directory.
If you don't have this file, we've provided it in the PLUG-INS\WINDOWS3.0
directory on the CD. If you don't have it, just copy the file over to your
system's WINDOWS 3.0 directory. If you already have such a file, or if you're
running Windows 3.1 or later, don't copy the file over.
PC USE
PhotoStyler
1. In PhotoStyler, select an area to fill with a texture. If there is no
selection the whole window will be filled.
2. From the Image menu, select Pixar 128.
3. Select an image to tile. This can be any RGB or grayscale file in TIFF
or BMP format.
4. Select a Size for tiling. This determines how big the tiles will be. If you
need a size less that 512x512, it's always better to scale down a hi-res
texture, rather than scale up a lo-res one. This may add some time to the
tiling.
Note: The Pixar 128 plug-in will tile any valid TIFF or BMP image, but only
Pixar textures can be scaled.
Photoshop
1. In Photoshop, select an area to fill with a texture. If there is no
selection the whole window will be filled.
2. From the Filter menu, select Pixar 128.
3. Use the Preferences dialog to select whether the texture should be tiled
from the top left corner of the document or of the selection.
Top left of document: If you have a selection, it's as if tiling begins,
invisibly, at the top left corner of the window and fills the window, but you
only see the tiling in the selected area.
Top left of selection: If you have a selection, the tiling begins at the top
left of the selected area, not the window.
4. Select an image to tile. This can be any RGB or grayscale file in TIFF
or BMP format.
5. Select a Size for tiling. This determines how big the tiles will be. If you
need a size less that 512x512, it's always better to scale down a hi-res
texture, rather than scale up a lo-res one. This may add some time to the
tiling.
Note: The Pixar 128 plug-in will tile any valid TIFF or BMP image, but only
Pixar textures can be scaled.
USING A TEXTURE IN AN APPLICATION THAT DOESN'T SUPPORT PLUG-INS
If you want to use a texture in an application that doesn't support
Photoshop- or PhotoStyler-compatible plug-ins, you can just use the textures
as normal TIFF files. If your application can use a texture without actually
copying it into your working file, you can leave the texture on the CD.
Otherwise, you can copy the texture to your drive using the installation
instructions above.
POINTS TO PONDER
Some paint programs can use PhotoStyler or Photoshop plug-ins. Check your
documentation to see how to install and use the Pixar 128 plug-in with your
application.
The Pixar 128 plug-in can read in and tile any RGB or grayscale TIFF and BMP
images, but it will scale only Pixar textures. If you have saved an image in
CMYK TIFF the plug-in will not recognize it; it must be RGB or grayscale.
Remember to use the lo-res versions of the textures (.lrt) where appropriate.
This can keep space requirements to a minimum on your disk. You might use
these simple as placeholders for hi-res versions, or for texture maps for
small objects, for example. But for any final image, be sure to use the hi-res
(.hrt) versions. This will ensure that you get the best results possible.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH PIXAR ONE TWENTY EIGHT?
The more you use these textures, the more uses you'll probably think of for
them. They'll certainly be a hit in your presentation graphics, video
graphics, 3-D design, and desktop publishing documents. And you can always
cut and paste sections of a texture to create interesting borders, fills, and
abstract patterns.
High-Resolution Use
We digitized transparencies at 1000 dpi to make Pixar textures. This is how we
can create such high-quality images that are 512x512 pixels. However, if you plan
on using a texture at a fairly high resolution (where you'll need images of
1024x1024 or larger), you should avoid making it larger than twice its
original size. This means you should scale the image no more than 200%. If you
find you still need higher resolution, assemble four tiles of a 512x512 texture
into a 1024x1024 image and enlarge that (but still not more than 200%).
If you're using high-resolution versions for print, you should use a
resolution that's appropriate for the process you'll be using. Printing on
most laser printers requires no more that about 120 pixels per inch. However,
if you're going to a printing press with an image it should be more like
250-300 pixels per inch, depending on what line screen you use. (For an 8.5"x11"
image that's around 2200x2800 pixels.) Be sure to discuss line screen, resolution,
and image size with your printer before you decide on a final size for your images.
If you'll be making slides, the resolution will probably have to be much higher
still, in the range of 700-1000 pixels/inch. (For a 35mm slide that's around
1024x768 pixels.) Again, be sure to check with your service bureau to find out
exactly what resolution will work best for your purposes.
TEST PATTERNS
We've included some test patterns so you can roughly calibrate your monitor
and printed proofs. This way you can see the textures more or less as we
intended them to be seen. On the CD you'll find two files, each with a hi-res
(.hrt) and a lo-res (.lrt) version: cbars and macbeth. The cbars files is the
NTSC color bars pattern, and is for calibrating your monitor for brightness.
The Macbeth ColorChecker test pattern is for calibrating a high-quality
printing or exposure process.
To use the cbars pattern:
1. First, set your brightness and contrast knobs about in the middle.
2. Open one of the cbars files using Photoshop, PhotoStyler, or your
application of choice.
3. Notice the gray square under the blue stripe in the lower right-hand
corner. Adjust the brightness knob on your monitor until the square just
barely turns black.
4. Reset the contrast knob to whatever looks right to you.
To use the Macbeth ColorChecker:
This is a digital version of the Macbeth ColorChecker Color Rendition Chart.
If you're familiar with the Macbeth system, this can be a very useful adjunct
to the process. If you're interested in truly accurate color correction you
should get this system and the information provided by:
Macbeth
24414 N. Calvert St.
Baltimore, MD 21218
Pixar is a registered trademark of Pixar. Pixar One Twenty Eight is a
trademark of Pixar. Adobe Photoshop is a trademark of Adobe Systems
Incorporated. Aldus is a registered trademark of Aldus Corporation.
PhotoStyler is a trademark of U-Lead Systems Inc. Windows is a trademark of
Microsoft Corporation. Macbeth and Macbeth ColorChecker are registered
trademarks of the Kollmorgen Corporation.