The Utilities Experience/The Utilities Experience - Volume 1.iso/software/graphics/h-m/imagestudio/docs/news.txt

Text File | 1995-12-21 | 11.2 KB | 306 lines

Welcome to ImageStudio News!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contents
~~~~~~~~
    o    Welcome to ImageStudio-2.0.x
    o    Keyfiles and Piracy
    o    GIF licensing
    o    Future Plans
    o    The Authors Would Like to Thank...
    o    How to Contact the Authors
    o    What the Reviewers Think of ImageStudio

Welcome to ImageStudio-2.0.x
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the new version of ImageStudio, now into version 2.
After the success of version 1, we were happy to take a look at all
the suggestions we'd received and made a decision to start implementing
the most popular improvements.

    The main addition to ImageStudio itself is ARexx - definately our
most requested improvement. As we wish to cater for all levels of Amiga
user, we didn't want to be just another program with a powerful but hard
to use ARexx interface, so we took some steps to make ARexx more approachable
within ImageStudio. To this end, we present the following:

    o Several pre-written ARexx scripts are provided that the novice
    user can use without alteration to provide batch processing and
    conversion facilities.

    o A blank ARexx script template is provided that becomes the base for
    each new script created. The template handles all the ARexx drudgery,
    leaving the user to simply "fill in the gaps" to create a fully
    working script.

    The ARexx power user may of course alter the template for their own
    use.

    o All editing, testing and running of the ARexx scripts can be
    performed entirely within ImageStudio. Even your favourite text
    editor can be used to edit and create the scripts without leaving
    the program.

    o ImageStudio contains a wide range of utility commands to avoid the
    user having to rely on external programs or libraries (e.g. ImageStudio
    has a wide range of inbuilt requesters).

We hope that the ease at which ARexx can be used within ImageStudio will tempt
even non-programmers to try their hand at a quick script - they really can
save an awful lot of time.

    The other main improvements are:

    o Online AmigaGuide help.

    o The documentation itself has now grown 3 times over the size given
    in version 1.x.x.

    o Iconify.

    o AppIcon on Workbench for drag and drop file loading.

    o Re-written preferences requester. ImageStudio is now more
    configurable.

    o Easy installation via Commodore's `Installer' program.

    o Many smaller improvements, too many to mention.

We hope that you will enjoy the improvements being made and will continue
to support the program. We have many more improvements planned, some which
exceed the facilities provided by commercial programs.

                        Andy and Graham Dean.

Keyfiles and Piracy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It became obvious from version 1.x.x, that our method of upgrading
the software was becoming impractical for a large number of orders. We
could therefore either (i) charge for upgrades or (ii) change the upgrade
method. As we aim to provide the best value for money image processor on
the Amiga, option (i) was decided against.

    We have therefore opted for the popular "keyfile" concept of
upgrades. This works as follows:

    o    New registered users will receive the latest version of
        ImageStudio along with a personalised keyfile. When
        ImageStudio is started, if it finds a valid keyfile it
        will "unlock" the program to become fully functional.

    o    Existing registered users will have to generate a new
        keyfile for use with ImageStudio-2.0.0 and above. This is
        done by running the new version of the program, selecting
        `Create keyfile' in the `Project' menu and selecting their
        registered copy of v1.x.x of ImageStudio. Once this
        version of ImageStudio is deemed to be a valid registered
        copy, a keyfile will be generated which will cause version
        2 and above of ImageStudio to work fully.

    Please note:

    YOUR KEYFILE IS FOR YOUR PRIVATE USE AND SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO
    ANYONE ELSE. Each keyfile is individual and can be traced back
    to the registered user. Do not try and alter the keyfile, it won't
    work.

    The only reason we can continue to sell ImageStudio so cheaply and
provide free updates is because we have had a healthy response with people
registering. If the number of registrations drops because people abuse the
keyfile system and distribute pirate copies of the program, we will be
forced to do one or several of the following:

    i)    Stop providing free upgrades. All programs will be
        individually stamped and all upgrades must be paid for.

    ii)    Remove online help and provide printed manuals instead. This
        will naturally raise the price substantially.

    iii)    Sell the software to a software publisher for commercial
        distribution. This is likely to lead to a large price
        increase.

    iv)    Stop developing ImageStudio and related products.

We see no reason why we should have to resort to any of these measures, but
if you're using a pirated copy of ImageStudio now and you refuse to register,
you WILL force this upon us.

    If you are using a pirate copy of ImageStudio, so will hundreds of
others. A hundred orders to us is the difference between us writing the next
version of the program, and us abandoning it. It really is your choice.

GIF licensing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    At the end of December 1994, the situation regarding the use of the
GIF file format was thrown into confusion over a change in the licensing of
the compression technology used in the file format. What follows is a potted
summary of the situation (as we see it), which we will try to keep as factual
and unbiased as possible:

    In 1987, CompuServe Inc. released details of its new `GIF' image file
format. The purpose of the format was to allow images to be transferred and
stored in a common format that could be used by all of CompuServe's
subscribers. One of the important features of the GIF file format was the
use of LZW compression to reduce the size of the image files. What CompuServe
didn't release was that a patent for the LZW technology was held by Unisys.
Unisys were unaware of the use of LZW in the GIF file format.

    Many years passed and GIF established itself as probably the most
common file format for colour-mapped images.

    In 1992 Unisys became aware of the use of LZW in GIF and entered
into negotiations with CompuServe as to how the LZW patent may be licensed.
In mid 1994 an agreement was reached and CompuServe were given 6 months
to implement the agreement.

    At the end of 1994, between Christmas and New Year, CompuServe
released a statement stating that they were effectively removing the GIF
file format from the public domain, and from the 10th of January 1995
all writers of shareware and commercial GIF software would have to pay a 1
dollar license fee plus a small extra charge per copy of their software sold.
If software writers did not register before the 10th of January, they were
liable to pay an extra charge, backdated, for all the copies of their GIF
software previously sold.

    Chaos ensued.

    It was originally thought the whole affair was a hoax, but after
all the initial shouting calmed down it became clear this was not the
case. Some BBS's panicked and converted all their GIF files to JPEGs.
There were those who closed their CompuServe accounts and those who said
they'd never deal with Unisys again.

    The situation today is still less than clear. It seems agreed that
no action will be taken against writers of free software or software that
simply reads GIF files. Shareware and commercial software authors though are
expected to pay a royalty fee to either Unisys or CompuServe for every copy
of their software sold.

    What this means to ImageStudio is that we have dropped the GIF save
ability, whilst retaining GIF load. We really don't want to bind ourselves
to the GIF license agreement whilst paying for an image format which is
likely to become obsolete within a few months. We will endevour to provide
support for the patent free GIF replacement format which is likely to emerge
soon.

Future Plans
~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Adding ARexx was an important step in the development of ImageStudio
in that it is an area of the program which is likely never to be finished.
As more features are added to the program, we hope to add more commands
to the ARexx interface to accommodate them.

    One of the worries of adding ARexx was that it may increase the
program size too much. Happily, we mananged to keep the program size under
400K, but it is obvious that we cannot add any more to the program before
its size becomes too large for comfort. The next major step is therefore
to make some of the parts of the program external modules. This provides
the following advantages:

    o    A reduction in the size of the main program executable
        which ultimately leads to a reduction in the amount of
        memory needed by ImageStudio at runtime.

    o    Many more modules can be written without any further size
        increase in the main program.

    o    The modules can be upgraded without having to upgrade the
        whole program.

    We plan to initially modularize(!) the image loaders, savers and
viewers with plans to eventually do the same for the effects themselves.
As well as making the loaders and savers modules, we also have plans to
add some further load/save formats.

The Authors Would Like to Thank...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Andy and Graham would like to thank:

        o    Don Cox, for his help and suggestions with
            ImageStudio's ARexx support.

        o    Larry Hickmott, for his support and suggestions.

        o    All those who've registered the program and made
            suggestions for improvements.

    Many thanks to you all!

How to Contact the Authors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Graham is available at:

        14 Fielding Avenue
        Poynton
        Stockport
        Cheshire
        SK12 1YX
        ENGLAND

for orders and queries.

    Andy is available via Email at:

        [e-mail]

for queries only. Andy will be unavailable for Email between the 4th and
11th of April 1995 - all Email received between this time will be answered,
there will just be a short delay.

What the Reviewers Think of ImageStudio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Since the last release of ImageStudio, we've had further good reviews
in various magazine, they are included below:

    "This program is superb."

            Amiga Pro, Larry Hickmott, December '94

    "This is a real prize program. ... Registration is only 10UK
pounds, a sound investment if you ask me... 96%"

            Amiga User International, December '94

    "Perhaps the most impressive feature is the option to use a hard
disk as virtual memory ... a feature that would be welcome in many
commercial offerings."

            Amiga Computing, December '94

    "It's a promising package... 88%"

            Amiga Format, November '94

    "ImageStudio is an impressive program - all the more considering
this is the first revision... 90%"

            Amiga Shopper, December '94

    "It is impossible to choose between ImageStudio and Blackboard,
[Blackboard] has better effects, but [ImageStudio] has better overall
handling... 89%"
            C.U.Amiga, December '94

    "This is a very stable and useful program with features which are
worth a lot more that the asking price. ... I urge you to contribute
your shareware fee as soon as possible to get the most from this
excellent program."

            Amiga Pro, Phil South, December '94

    "Probably the most incredible thing about ImageStudio is that it
is as solid as a rock."

            JAM, December '94

    "It's been a long time since I've seen a shareware program as good
as ImageStudio."

            EM, December '94