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: Black Belt Systems PI Module Description Document
: Last Update: August 20th, 1992
: Document: Ben Williams
:
Introduction
------------
This document describes, very briefly, each of the Public Interface
(PI) modules which are supplied with Imagemaster. All of these modules
are installed by the proceedure described in the document
``PI_Exec.doc'' which you will find on the disk with the installation
data and programs. In order to use the PI Modules described here, you
must complete that installation.
Using PI Modules
----------------
Once the PI Modules have been installed, using them is very, very
easy. PI Modules are grouped into five logical ``classes'' of
operations:
F1 - Load ------ decode and load a specific file format
F2 - Save ------ encode and save a specific file format
F3 - Operate --- perform a function on an image in Imagemaster
F4 - Capture --- fetch an image from a device such as a scanner
F5 - Generate -- display an image devices such as a 24-bit card
To use a module from one of these classes within Imagemaster, you
simply press one of five function keys, F1 through F5, as shown at the
left of the list in the previous paragraph. After pressing a function
key, you will be presented with a list of the available PI Modules of
that particular type - pressing F1 brings up a list of all the image
loader types available. Simply click upon the loader module you wish
to use and select ``done'', or double-click on the module; either way
starts the loader running.
In the following portion of this document, we will briefly explain
each of the modules for all five classes so that you have a reference
for the types of operations each PI Module performs; also, each of the
five classes will be explained further.
Load Modules (F1)
-----------------
Load Modules are used to decode and load images into Imagemaster, from
files which have been saved in unusual or alien (from another machine)
file formats. Load Modules present you with one (or more, in some
cases) file requester(s) and allow you to specify where in your
computer (on which disk and in which directory) the file is, so that
the loader can find it and load it.
JPEG/JFIF
=========
Loads JPEG files which are in JFIF format. JPEG is a file format
which is ``lossy'', which means that when the image is changed
into JPEG format, some of the image information is lost. For this
reason, JPEG images may not be of as high a quality as you usually
expect from a 24-bit file format. Note that the compression used
by the JPEG process is extremely effective; so much so that images
may be only 1/50th of their uncompressed size. Because of this,
you may find that a JPEG file which appears to be quite small
uncompresses to a very large image, which you may not be able to
load into Imagemaster without having additional RAM memory
available. JPEG images contain a full 24-bits of color
information. For more information on the JPEG format, see the JPEG
save module documentation.
IFF Palette
===========
Loads IFF Palettes from IFF images created by most Amiga software.
These palettes are loaded into Imagemaster's internal paint system
palette for later use. The currently loaded image is not affected
by the loading of this palette. IFF Palettes usually contain 12
bits of color information. On occasion, they will contain 24-bits
of color information.
PMBC
====
PMBC image files are loaded by this module. PMBC files are true
color, 24-bit images in a completely lossless format, along with
an alpha channel and image shape mask. For more information on
PMBC, see the PMBC save module documentation.
RAW
===
RAW image files are files of literally raw image data. There are
no extra bits of information describing anything about the image,
such as it's size or resolution. For color raw images, there need
to be three separate (but related) image files. One will contain
the red information, one the green information and one the blue
information. The RAW loader will present you with a file requester
for each of these files so that you can specify each one. In
addition, you need to tell the RAW loader what size the image is,
since that information is not in the image file itself. RAW files
contain a full 24-bits of color image data. For more information
on RAW files, refer to the documentation for the RAW save module.
Rendition
=========
Rendition format files are likely to have been produced by
software from Octree corporation, makers of the Caligari line of
image rendering systems. Rendition files contain 24-bits of color
information, and possibly alpha (transparency) information.
Rendition Alpha Channel Data
============================
This loader creates a buffer which you may then use as transparency
information from the alpha data in a rendition file.
Board Master
============
This loader can load any Board Master file as a B&W graphic image
of the PCB traces and structures.
PCX Loader
=========
This loader will load 2-256 color PCX files.
Animation Frames
================
Animations, in this context, are IFF ANIM OP-5 animations such as
those produced by Electronic Arts DPaint program, or Imagemaster
itself. This loader asks you which frame it is you wish to load
from within the animation. ANIM files may contain normal Amiga
images, HAM-E images, or DCTV images.
Targa
=====
Targa images (usually) come from IBM computers. There are a number
of different Targa formats; some are 24-bits, some 16-bits and so
on. So what you get when you load the image will depend upon the
particular file format ebing used. These images were invented by
Truevision, Inc.
SHAM (and AHAM)
===============
SHAM, or ``Sliced HAM'', is a format especially designed for the
Amiga. These HAM-mode files contain palette information for every
scan line, or some groups of scan lines. When these images are
loaded, Imagemaster obtains the correct palette information and
applies it to the 24-bit image it creates in the new buffer. These
images were invented by NewTek Inc. AHAM is a compatible clone
from ASDG.
DHRZ (and ARZ0/ARZ1)
====================
DHRZ, or ``Dynamic Hi-Res'', is a format especially designed for
the Amiga. These hires mode files contain palette information for
every scan line, or some groups of scan lines. When these images
are loaded, Imagemaster obtains the correct palette information
and applies it to the 24-bit image it creates in the new buffer.
These images were invented by NewTek Inc. ARZ0 and ARZ1 are
compatible clones from ASDG.
DKB Trace
=========
These images are created by the PD Ray-Trace program of the same
name. They are 24-bit full color images. DKB Trace was written by
David K. Buck.
RGB8/RGBN
=========
These formats contain 24-bit and 12-bit color images,
respectively. They are created by programs such as Turbo Silver
and Imagine, from Impulse Inc.
FITS
====
These images are created by software from NASA (National
Aeronautic and Space Administration) and JPL (Jet Propulsion
Laboratories). These images (usually) contain images obtained by
space probes, or similar data. There are many FITS formats; we
have attempted to support the most common ones. The FITS
specification is incomplete and contradictory, so some images may
not load with this PI Module. If this happens to you, please send
one or more of these image to us on a floppy disk and we will
attempt to update the loader to handle them.
UPB8
====
These files are saved from our own 256 color paint system for the
HAM-E. UPB8 files contain images with up to 256 24-bit colors.
Save Modules (F2)
-----------------
Save Modules are used to take an image which is already available
(loaded) inside Imagemaster, encode them (compress and/or encrypt) and
then save them to a file in a specific format suitable for loading by
another program, possibly on another type of computer. Save Modules
present you with a file requester, which you use to specify a location
for the newly created file to be placed.
JPEG/JFIF
=========
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format images are highly
compressed, 24-bit color accurate images. No mask or alpha channel
information is saved; the image compression method used is
``lossy''. This save module provides you with the ability to set
the compression used from light to heavy. More compression results
in more loss of image detail.
JPEG is great for some things... and absolutely the worst thing to
use for others. Consider: JPEG loses some quality when it
compresses an image. Not a lot, if you use minimum compression,
but still, some loss of quality occurs. If you're a scientist or a
doctor, don't think "loses quality", instead think "loses and
changes data"!
Consider what happens if you're working on this image over a
number of sessions. Each time you save and load the image in JPEG
format, it deteriorates a little more (or a lot, if you compress
it a great deal). The lesson, and the rule that comes from it, is
obvious:
Don't EVER use JPEG as a storage format for an image you're
working on, or for an image that will be used in another image
(unless you positively KNOW that the loss of quality won't
matter, for whatever reason).
JPEG is really good for archival storage of images you like, but
aren't "serious" about. On minimum compression, a single use of
the JPEG technique on an image will not seriously degrade it. And
that's what you'd normally do with an archived image. Store it
once, then load it as you please to view it, as many times as you
like.
PMBC
====
PMBC stands for Plane Minimizing Bitmap Compression. It is a
format invented at Black Belt Systems for lossless compression of
high-color images. Using PMBC results in an image file which
generally will be considerably smaller than the same file in 24-
bit IFF format, the normal Amiga standard. PMBC is especially good
at compressing images with gradients and areas of monochrome color
in them. PMBC is not good at compressing images which contain
large amounts of dither, such as an image which has been rendered
to 256 colors for VGA use. You can expect an average improvement
in storage requirements of about 16% over IFF-24; many images will
exceed this average by a large amount, particularly those with
monochromatic (by which we mean B&W, cyan, magenta, yellow, red,
green or blue) information.
Rendition
=========
These images are 24-bit color files. Used with Octree Software
products on the Amiga.
Vista Binary
============
These images are actually altitude maps in a special binary format
that Virtual Reality's VistaPro can read. Once saved in this
format, VistaPro can load the file, and then generate a landscape
from the data Imagemaster placed in the file.
RAW
===
RAW images contain no control information. Images are saved left
to right, top to bottom, one byte per pixel in three files: red,
green and blue. A five-by-five black image that had a dark red
spot near the upper left would be saved as follows:
red file green file blue file
----------------------------------------------------
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 33 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
For each of the preceeding three files, the bytes are saved in the
following order:
All Files
--------------
01 02 03 04 05
06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
RGB8
====
This file format is an Impulse file format. Images saved in this
format can be loaded into Imagine as various brushes and maps.
RGB8 is a 24-bit byte-level non-lossy compressed format, which is
generally not as efficient as IFF24 or PMBC; for this reason, you
normally would only use this for compatibility with Impulse
products.
Targa
=====
This file format is used with Truevision's Targa boards and related
software on the IBM PC.
Process Modules (F3)
--------------------
Process Modules are used to perform operations upon an image which is
already loaded into Imagemaster. These operations could be something
as simple as applying contrast, or very complex, somthing like the
morph function in Imagemaster. Each process will present you with a
series of control panels appropriate for it's particular needs.
HIST
====
This module will create a text-file containing detailed numeric
reports on all 256 levels each of red, green, blue, average
(R + G + B) / 3, and Luma ((R x .30) + (G x .59) + (B x .11)).
The file will detail each of these five reports, mark the
name of the image and the total number of pixels involved
in the analysis. Each level will have a number of pixels
data item. Lines in the text file which begin with the
asterisk (*) character are not data lines. Other lines have
the format:
cNNN:v
Where "c" is R, G, B, L or A for Red, Green, Blue, Luma and
Average; where "NNN" is a three digit number from "000" to
"255", leading zeros always present. The colon character ":"
is always present in a data line. "v" is a number without leading
zeros that may range from "0" to the number of pixels in the
region being analyzed.
This module is specifically intended for those analyzing image
data.
KOCH
====
This PI Module generates a Koch fractal snowflake into the image
which is the primary image.
Graphs
======
Executing the graph PI Module will bring up a file requester. You
should select a graph file such as EXAMPLE.GRAPH . The graph will
then be drawn in a new buffer. There is also an example graph file
called EXAMPLE.table which you can use to see how to prepare graphs.
Tesselate
=========
The PI Module will provide you with a choice of triangle edge
length. This is the size of each smooth area on the final result.
Then you are presented with the normal area selection panel to
identify the area you want to tessellate on.
Erode
=====
'Brightness Erode' thins brighter areas of the image and expands
darker areas. This can result in a water color paint like effect,
especially on dithered images.
'Brightness Dilate' does the opposite to Erode. It has a dramatic
effect on human portraits. Small cell sizes of 2 to 4 are
recommended.
Pressing F1 will provide you with a choice between 'Erode' and
'Dilate'. Then you adjust the cell size. A larger cell size will
yield more dramatic results. Then you are presented with the
normal area selection panel to identify the area you want to
change.
Capture Modules (F4)
--------------------
Capture Modules operate external equipment in such a way as to allow
you to bring an image into Imagemaster from a real-life source, such
as an electron microscope, video camera, flatbed or handheld scanner,
etc. Each Capture Module will provide you with the appropriate
controls to perform the operation it is intended for.
ES-300c
=======
This module is commercial; it is available from Metadigm, Inc.
You can contact Metadigm at (714) 253-2828. The ES-300c scanner
module is available stand-alone or as an upgrade from the ASDG
software for the ES-300c (the upgrade allows you to use the cable
that came with the ASDG software). If you do own the ASDG scanner
module, we strongly recommend the Metadigm upgrade; the
module's performance is better and the module is much easier to
use.
Display Modules (F5)
--------------------
Display Modules are essentially the opposite of Capture Modules. They
allow you to take an image currently loaded into Imagemaster and
``send'' it to a display device such as a 24-bit display card, or a
photographic imager like the Polaroid Digital Palette. The most common
use of a Display Module is to view an image on a high-color device.
IV-24
=====
This PI Module supports GVP's 24-bit display card, the IV-24. It
provides output to the IV-24 display only. It cannot be used for
automatic update operations, as the IV-24 shares the screen with
the Amiga's display.
FC24
====
This PI Module supports Impulses FireCracker 24 display card. If
you place the script (rxpi:imfc24r.rexx) in the "Redraw Script"
text entry field found in the Display panel, and activate the
"Call Redraw Script" button in the display panel, then as soon as
Imagemaster completes redrawing on the Amiga screen, it will also
redraw on the FC24 screen. This allows continuous monitoring of
the image on the second monitor.
DMI Resolver
============
This PI Module supports Digital Micronics ``Resolver'' 256-color
24-bit display board. If you place the script (rxpi:resolver.rexx)
in the "Redraw Script" text entry field found in the Display
panel, and activate the "Call Redraw Script" button in the display
panel, then as soon as Imagemaster completes redrawing on the
Amiga screen, it will also redraw on the Resolver screen. This
allows continuous monitoring of the image on the second monitor.