Floppyshop 2/Floppyshop - 2.zip/Floppyshop - 2.iso/art&graf.ix/art-3484/chromes/hpchrome.txt

Text File | 1994-04-26 | 22KB | 520 lines

Rufus Developments presents
HPChrome
version 1.5  (unregistered version)

*    Prints most picture file types
*    Any size, anywhere on the page
*    Cropped as you wish
*    Supports colour and monochrome printers
*    Works in any ST resolution
*    Simple TV-like colour adjustment
*    Desktop aware
*    WHATIS and GEM-View aware

Copyright (c) 1992-94, Rufus Developments.
All rights reserved.
Rufus Developments, 21 Rowlands Hill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2QQ, U.K.

Disclaimer
Rufus Developments believes that HPChrome operates as described
herein.  But it disclaims responsibility for any direct,
indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any
defect, error or failure to perform.  The user assumes all
liability.

Manifest
The HPChrome package includes the following files:
*    HPCHROME.PRG (the program)
*    HPCHROME.TXT (this file)
*    README.TXT

Optional files which also may be included with your HPChrome
package:
CHANGES        Chronological list of program updates
README        Additions and changes to the manual
\WHATIS\    The WHATIS package by Bill Aycock (see later)
\PICTURES\    Sample pictures in supported formats

With this version you do NOT need the file CONVERT.BIN which was
included with previous versions and other programs.

1 Getting started

Thanks for obtaining HPChrome. Because we would like you to
register as a user (see the file README.TXT), we are providing
only the minimum of documentation in this file. Upon registering
you will be sent a 24-page printed manual.

Picture Files
HPChrome can print many different types of colour picture files
... but not all of them. (See the Appendix and/or the README.TXT
file on the HPChrome disk for the latest list of formats, caveats
and warnings.)

Printer
HPChrome works with an H-P DeskJet printer -- either a colour
Deskjet, or a mono DeskJet with Colour Kit (cyan, magenta and
yellow ink cartridges).

HPChrome has options which allow you to make the most of the
features of each model of DeskJet. Colour Kits are available from
ink refill suppliers. They can produce good quality colour
printing on mono DeskJets, by printing on four passes of the
paper through the printer: yellow, cyan, magenta, black.

Running HPChrome
You can run HPChrome from the Desktop by double-clicking on the
program icon, as normal.

You can, if you wish, use the Install Application facility to
install HPChrome as the application for the file type(s) you wish
to use. Then, by double-clicking a file of that type, HPChrome
will automatically load the file ready for printing. See your
Atari User Manual for more info.

If you are using an enhanced Desktop, then you can use the
features of your Desktop to pass HPChrome a filename parameter.
For example, with NeoDesk, you can place HPChrome's icon on the
Desktop, and drag a picture file on to it. HPChrome will
automatically load the file ready for printing.

2 The Main Menu

After displaying its title screen and awaiting your click of OK,
HPChrome displays the main menu in the centre of your screen.
With no file loaded, most of the buttons are greyed out and
cannot be used. We'd better click on the File button
straightaway!

Loading a File
Click to load a file. A File Selector will appear, for you to
select the file you wish to print. By default, the File Selector
will display files of whichever type is selected via the Options
menu, in the same folder as the program. (If WHATIS is installed
then all files in the folder will be displayed, regardless of
type.)
You are not forced to select a file of the default type. You can
choose a file of any supported type, and/or navigate to another
folder before choosing a file. HPChrome will remember the file
type and folder for next time. By saving your set-up, you can set
the same file type and folder for each session.

Draft/Normal/Best
These radio buttons select the quality of print-out. There is a
direct relationship between quality, time taken, and amount of
ink used. The three settings allow you to select both the
resolution at which HPChrome creates its output, and the
printer's internal quality setting, as follows.
    Setting    Resolution    Printer mode
    Draft    150 x 150    Draft
    Normal    300 x 300    Draft
    Best    300 x 300    Final

3  Size and Position

These two buttons both have the same function. The only
difference is in the measurements displayed next to each button.
Clicking on either one of them produces a menu which allows you
to adjust the size of the printed picture, and its position on
the page. You can adjust the layout either visually, using the
mouse in a WYSIWYG-style scenario, or with reference to
measurements displayed in inches or millimetres.

The main feature of this menu is a white rectangle, representing
the page on which your picture will be printed. Inside this, a
shaded rectangle represents the picture. At its bottom right-hand
corner is a white square, the `handle'.

To adjust the position of your picture on the page, move the
mouse pointer to within the shaded box, and press and hold down
the left mouse button. The mouse pointer changes into a flat
hand, and the shaded box follows it around the page as you move
it.

To adjust the size of your picture, move the mouse pointer to
within the handle, and press and hold down the left mouse button.
The mouse pointer changes into a pointing hand, and the shaded
box changes in size as you move it.

You may use the X/Y up/down arrow buttons to adjust the position,
and the W/H up/down arrow buttons to adjust the size, if you
prefer. This method can give more precise adjustments, to within
1/300in. To do so, just press (and, if you wish, hold down) the
left mouse button while pointing at the appropriate XYWH up/down
button. If you attempt to move the picture outside the printable
area of the page then the ST's bell will ring.

For fine adjustment, hold Control. This gives the most accurate
adjustment. With Control held down, the change made by each click
is the printer's minimum dot size: 1/300in. (This is too small
for each click to show up in the number field. The number will
not be updated on every click.)

Port/Land
This pair of radio buttons allows you to choose whether your page
layout is Portrait (short edge at the top) or Landscape (short
edge at the side).

1:1
This button controls Aspect Ratio Lock. When it is selected
(which it is by default), HPChrome will maintain your picture's
original form factor or aspect ratio (height to width). In
technical terms, the picture stays `in pro'.  With Aspect Ratio
Lock de-selected, you are free to adjust width and height
independently, to stretch or distort your picture, or make it
fill a given space.

4  Crop

The Crop feature allows you to choose the rectangular section of
the picture you wish to print. As well as choosing the important
area of the picture, you can discard the ink-wasting and
distracting black border and/or commercial message found on many
picture files.

When you click on the Crop button, HPChrome displays a `preview'
version of the picture on screen, along with a pair of cross
hairs, which can be moved around within the picture area using
the mouse. This feature works just like the Select Block feature
in DEGAS Elite.

Place the cross hairs at one corner of the rectangle you want to
print, and click the left mouse button. The cross hairs now
change into a box, with one corner anchored at your chosen
location. Move the mouse until the box encloses your chosen
rectangle, and click the left mouse button again.

5  Colour

This button leads to a control panel where you can adjust the
colour rendering of the printed picture. You can optimise the
appearance of a given picture, compensate your individual optical
sensory system (screen/printer/eyes/brain), or create special
effects.

The control panel has been designed to be simple to use, similar
to a TV.

Just as with a TV, there is some interaction between the
controls. It is probably a good idea to make at least one print
with all sliders at 50 before starting to make adjustments.

6  View

HPChrome's View feature provides a quick check that the file you
are about to print is indeed the one you wanted to print, and
that the Crop area is set as you wish. It is not intended as a
true or high-quality representation of the picture, but uses a
quick-and-dirty method to give a reasonable representation
quickly.

Unlike in previous versions, the View feature works in all ST
screen resolutions, and needs no external files.

To use View, place the mouse pointer over the View button, and
hold down the left mouse button. Assuming you are not using
GEM-View (see below), your picture is displayed as long as you
hold down the button. If your picture has been cropped then a box
showing the area that will be printed is displayed with the
picture. When you release the mouse button, the menu is
re-displayed.

Using GEM-View
If you have the GEM-View program by Dieter Fiebelkorn then you
already have powerful and flexible file viewing, cropping and
conversion features. It is thanks to the existence (and wide
availability) of such excellent programs that HPChrome does not
provide these facilities at more than the most basic level. We
cannot equal or surpass the performance of GEM-View (and other
programs in this line such as PhotoChrome, ImageCopy and
ViewGIF). Our aim in HPChrome is to give you a convenient way to
benefit from these programs while also enjoying HPChrome's unique
printing facilities.

GEM-View can be used instead of HPChrome's View feature. In this
case, clicking the View button will freeze HPChrome and run
GEM-View, which will then load and display your picture file.
With GEM-View running, you can view your file in a far superior
way, also view, convert, and crop files in numerous supported
formats. When you quit GEM-View, HPChrome is re-activated.

As well as viewing, you may find GEM-View particularly useful for
converting files from formats that HPChrome doesn't support. See
the GEM-View documentation for more details. You also can use any
available desk accessories, which is not possible in the present
version of HPChrome.

See under Options on how to install GEM-View with HPChrome.

7  Print

When you're ready to print the picture, click on this button. A
`thermometer' will appear while HPChrome performs the
calculations necessary to scale and colour the picture the way
you requested. Then, if you are using a DeskJet 500C or 550C,
printing will begin.

With other printers, a menu will appear which requests you to
insert the correct ink cartridge for the forthcoming printer
pass. It also offers various options:

OK!    Go ahead and print this pass
Skip    Skip this pass and go on to the next
Again    Go back and repeat the previous pass
Cancel    Forget about printing and return to the main menu
Test    Test the ink cartridge

The `Test' option is recommended for where an ink cartridge has
not been used for some time, to ensure ink is flowing well before
beginning to print. This is specially useful with refilled ink
carts.

While printing, the screen tells you the amounts done and left to
do, with a `guesstimate' of the remaining time. This is
completely accurate when it indicates zero.

To stop printing, press the ST's UNDO key. The program will stop
processing your picture, and return to the main menu. Your
printer may continue to print, though, if there is data still in
its buffer or in the ST's spooler.

8  Options

Clicking on the Options button displays the Options menu. You
almost certainly will want to set up some or all of the options
before loading and/or printing a picture. In the registered
version, when they are set to your satisfaction, you can save
them for future use. As an incentive to register, this feature is
disabled in the freely distributable version.

File type
This may be set to whichever type of file you wish to print. It
determines which file types are shown in the File Selector when
you click on File. If WHATIS is installed (see Appendix 1) then
this option is irrelevant as the File Selector then shows all
file types.

AutoPrint
This feature has been designed for the benefit of those who want
a simple one-step solution for picture printing (such as
children). It also is useful in any situation where you wish to
automate the printing process.

With AutoPrint selected (shown by a tick), after loading a pictu-
re, HPChrome will immediately print it and exit. If passed a pic-
ture file parameter, it will print the picture (using the default
settings) and then exit.

By saving your defaults with AutoPrint selected, when you run the
program again, passing a picture file parameter (either by drag-
ging it on to the program icon, or by using the Install Applica-
tion facility), HPChrome will, without further ado, load your
picture file, print it using your saved settings, and exit.

As well as saving you the time and effort of manually selecting
all the settings and then clicking on Print, this option also
saves the time taken to convert the image for screen display, as
the image is not displayed.

The two useful benefits of this approach:

If you wish your children to be able to print their pictures
easily, then use the Install Application facility to install
HPChrome as the application for the file type they are creating.
They then will be able to print any picture (using the settings
stored in your HPCHROME.INK file) simply by double-clicking on
the icon of the file they want to print.

Advanced scenario: by running HPChrome from a CLI (command line
interpreter) with batch file facility, you can program multiple
runs of HPChrome, to carry out a series of tasks automatically.
For example, sheets of sticky labels where an image must be
printed several times per sheet, with accurate positioning. With
a batch command file which suitably copies and renames
HPCHROME.INK files, possibly with pauses for the operator to load
paper, you can set up complex print-jobs requiring a minimum of
human intervention.

Printer
Here you tell HPChrome what type of printer you are using.  Click
the up-arrow button to cycle through the available options. If
the printer is a monochrome printer then HPChrome expects you to
use a Colour Kit, consisting of ink cartridges in Yellow, Cyan,
Magenta, and Black. Several neat features maximise the
convenience and productivity of this method of colour printing.

If, on the other hand, you are fortunate and own one of H-P's
colour ink-jet printers such as the 500C and 550C, then HPChrome
will make the most of it.

A special mode is provided for 500C owners, printing the picture
in two passes: first three-colour, then (after changing the ink
cartridge) Black. Printing with `true black' rather than the
500C's normal `composite black' can give much better results, and
save a good deal on expensive coloured ink carts.
Unit
The Size/Layout menu can display measurements in units of either
inches or mm. Click to select whichever you prefer.

GEM-View On/Off/Locate
As discussed under View, you can use GEM-View from within
HPChrome for superior picture file viewing, processing and
conversion. Click on the small square box to turn this facility
on and off. The box is `ticked' if GEM-View is available and
selected. If it is available, but you do not wish to use it on
this occasion (you may wish to check on the Crop of the picture),
then you can turn it off. Clicking on View will then give the
normal built-in View feature.

To make GEM-View available from within HPChrome, simply copy the
program file into the same folder as HPChrome. If your copy of
GEM-View exists in a different folder, you just need to tell
HPChrome where to find it.  Click on the GEM-View Locate button,
and use the File Selector to navigate to, and select, the
GEM-View program file (GEMVIEW.APP).

Media
The three radio buttons allow you to select the type of media you
will be printing on to: Plain, Glossy, or Transparency.

Number of copies
You may print from 1 to 99 copies of your picture.

Appendix 1: External Programs

GEM-View
GEM-View is shareware, and is widely available from Atari ST
oriented BBSs, archive servers, and PD libraries. The
registration fee for UK users is  payable in sterling through a
local registration scheme.  If you have difficulty in obtaining a
copy of GEM-View, please contact us. We are (of course) a
registered user and can therefore always supply you with the very
latest version.

The features described were developed using version 3.02 of
GEM-View.

Alternative viewing programs

You may wish to install a different program in place of GEM-View.
This can be done using the Locate feature, just choose another
program instead of GEM-View. HPChrome calls the installed program
with a command line containing the full pathname of the currently
loaded picture file. This should work with any program that
accepts a filename parameter, but if you have difficulties with a
particular program, please contact us.

WHATiS

The WHATIS program/accessory by Bill Aycock can identify more
than 125 different types of file, and diagnose corrupted files.
HPChrome also needs to do this, to identify unambiguously several
different type of files, possibly from different sources, freely
selected by the user. It would be futile for HPChrome to try to
duplicate the functionality of the well developed and bug free
WHATIS. Fortunately Bill Aycock has provided a `WHATIS Server'
mode whereby other programs can use it to identify files.
HPChrome has been designed to take advantage of this facility to
provide better and more robust file type identification.

If you have WHATIS installed as a desk accessory, then HPChrome
will automatically use it, to check that any file you select is a
genuine file of the chosen type, before allowing it to be loaded.
This security check before loading gives HPChrome the benefit
that attempting to load a corrupted or wrongly typed file will
not crash the program.

Also, you may load any type of supported picture file, even if it
is not selected as the current file type in the Options menu.
When you click on File, the File Selector shows all files in the
selected folder. While loading and converting the file, its
description (as determined by WHATIS) is shown in small letters
in the `thermometer' display.

If the file is not of a type supported by HPChrome then the alert
box that tells you this will include the file description
provided by the `WHATIS Server'.

If you do not have WHATIS installed as a desk accessory, then
HPChrome will identify files by their filename extension. For
example, .PC1 will be assumed to represent a compressed low
resolution DEGAS pic, .GIF a GIF pic, and so on.

Passing a Filename to HPChrome

With some Desktop versions and extensions (such as TOS 2.X and
NeoDesk) you can pass a parameter to a program by dragging a file
icon on to the program icon. HPChrome accepts a parameter from
the calling program, and interprets it as a command to load the
file whose name was passed.

HPChrome doesn't act on this command until after it has loaded
the HPCHROME.INK file (if any). Therefore, if you had AutoPrint
switched on in the Options menu when saving the .INK file, then
HPChrome will load and immediately print the passed file (using
all the settings, such as Size, Position and Crop, stored in the
.INK file), and then exit to the Desktop or shell.

Appendix 2: File Types

The information in this Appendix is subject to change. Please
consult the README.TXT file supplied with the program, for
possible updates.

Large picture files require a correspondingly large amount of
memory to load into your ST. HPChrome will complain if a picture
requires more memory than is available. You may like to re-boot
your ST with fewer desk accessories, RAMdisks etc, or upgrade its
memory.

DEGAS
The classic low-res 320 x 200 x 16 colour screen dump. HPChrome
knows both Normal (.PI1) and Compressed (.PC1) files, from both
DEGAS and DEGAS Elite, and the many other programs that save
compatible files. Knows about the STE's 4096-colour palette even
though your ST may not.

NEOchrome
These files are similar to DEGAS picture files, though not
compressed.

GIF™
Graphics Interchange Format files with up to 256 colours or grey
scales. HPChrome understands both the GIF87a and GIF89a
specifications, including interlaced GIFs. It extracts only the
first image block from the file, and silently ignores any GIF
extension blocks. We have successfully printed a wide range of
GIFs from many different sources, including those tricky
skin-tones.

TIFF
The TIFF specification is so wide ranging that no program can
implement more than a sub-set. HPChrome has printed all the TIFFs
we've tried it on: Intel or Motorola format, 8- or 24-bit, plain
or compressed. But we can't guarantee that it will print yours.
HPChrome doesn't support LZW compression for TIFF files.

Tiny
Compressed DEGAS-type pictures produced by David Mumper's
TinyStuff program -- statistically one of the best available
picture compression methods, giving very small files that still
unpack quickly. (Please note that WHATIS has a problem
distinguishing these files from other files with the same
`signature' and it is best to ignore the displayed file
description.)

RAW
These are the output files from ray tracing programs such as QRT
-- full 24-bit colour bit-maps, using three bytes per pixel.

Spectrum 512/4096
These 320 x 200 picture files can have up to 512 or 4,096
colours, but only 48 different colours in each scan-line.

(X)IMG
These are GEM bit-image files as produced by many applications on
the ST. HPChrome only works with IMG files with 8-bit colour
palettes.

// ENDS //