Graphics Interchange Format was designed by Compuserve and is the standard graphics format used by most on-line services.
- This reader will open interlaced and non-interlaced GIF files.
- It handles GIFs with multiple pictures if you check that option in the GIF open option dialog box.
Note: Checking this option causes reading of all GIFs to be slower because the entire file must be scanned to build a picture directory before a picture is opened. If you only have single picture GIFs and want fast opening, don't use the GIF multiple picture option.
- It handles GIFs with a transparency index (see Transparency topic below).
- It will skip over other (non-transparency) "GIF89a" extensions.
GIF Writer
- This writer will write interlaced and non-interlaced GIF files. Chose interlaced or non-interlaced from the GIF submenu in the Save Formats popup menu.
- This writer will write the Transparency Index to the GIF file if you chose the "Transparency" option in the GIF submenu.
Transparency:
- DeBabelizer maintains a "Background Color" which can be set and examined from the "Palettes:Dithering Options & Background Color" menu item. This "Background Color" may also be thought of as a "Transparency" color, since that effect may be turned on by selecting the "Edit:Selection Transparency:Background Color" menu item.
- Turn on the Transparency option for the GIF reader via the "Misc:Preferences:Readers:GIF" menu item.
- If a GIF file has a Transparency index, the File Type line in the File Info window in the Open dialog will display "(Trans Index=XX)", where XX represents the Transparency index.
- When reading a GIF file which contains the Transparency index it will
----- set the Background Color Index to the GIF's transparency index and
----- set the Background Mode to "Color index" and
----- set the Background RGB Value to that of the GIF's palette entry for the specified transparency index.
- When saving to GIF format with the Transparency option, it will write the Background Color Index to the GIF file's Transparency Index. If the Background Color Mode is not "Color Index", it will chose the closest color index to whatever is the current Background Color.
• Reads and writes PNG (Portable Network Graphics).
For information on this format, created at the beginning of 1995 to take the place of GIF, check the PNG FTP archive site:
ftp.uu.net:/graphics/png/
The maintainers of the PNG specification can be contacted by e-mail at
png-info@uunet.uu.net
In the Open dialog, when a PNG image file is selected, the File Info area will display “PNG” for the format, followed by the following additional information depending on what is in the PNG file:
- “Interlaced” if the PNG file is in interlaced format.
- “gamma=x” if the PNG file contains the source gamma at which the PNG image was created.
- “B” if the PNG file specifies a Background Color.
- “T” if the PNG file specifies a Transparent Color.
Notes:
- if the resolution units are unknown, the resolution will be set to 72 dpi, unless the x and y values are not identical, in which case the larger dimension will receive a 72 dpi setting and the smaller will receive a proportion of that setting.
PNG Reader Options
Open a PNG file, or select the Misc:Preferences:Readers:PNG submenu item to bring up the PNG Reader Preferences dialog box.
- Set DeBabelizer’s Background Color: select the appropriate method from the popup menu:
---- Don’t: this will leave it alone.
---- from the file’s Background Color: if the image file specifies a background color, this will set DeBabelizer's background color to it.
---- from the file’s Transparent Color: if the image file specifies a transparent color, this will set DeBabelizer's background color to it.
---- from either the Background or the Transparent Color: use the file’s Background Color as the first choice, but if that’s not there, go for the file’s Transparent Color.
---- from either the Transparent or the Background Color: use the file’s Transparent Color as the first choice, but if that’s not there, go for the file’s Background Color.
- Fill alpha channel masked areas with the file’s Background Color: check this box if you want to set to the background color all the pixels in the image which coincide with an alpha channel value of 0. Note that this will cause the alpha channel to go away. Also note that this only applies if the file specifies a background color and if the image is a 32 bit image with a properly set up alpha channel.
- If the file specifies a Source Gamma, apply Source Gamma and current Screen Gamma: check this box to multiply each image pixel by the source gamma and the current screen gamma. If this box is unchecked, then the raw pixels will be read in and the gamma will be ignored. Checking this box should result in a better looking image. Without adjusting for the specified gamma, images are often too dark or too light. Apply Source Gamma will not be done if the file does not specify a source gamma (even if the box is checked).
------ Screen Gamma: enter a value for the current screen gamma. Some common values would be 1.8 and 2.2.
PNG Writer Options
Select the Misc:Preferences:Writers:PNG submenu item to bring up the PNG Reader Preferences dialog box.
- Save Gamma: there are several ways to specify the source gamma for the saved image:
--- Don't Save Gamma
--- Save Gamma Value: type in the value for the source image. For computer generated images, this would likely be 1.0. For scanned images, it might be around 0.45.
--- Save Gamma Value From Original Image. This assumes
------ 1> the original image was a PNG image,
------ 2> the original image had a source gamma setting (if it didn't, none will be saved.), and
------ 3> that you didn’t apply that gamma and the screen gamma when you opened it .
- Copy Text Blocks: check this box to copy over all the text and comment blocks from the original file.
- Interlace: check this to save the file in interlaced format. This is useful only if the image is to be viewed on a PNG decoder that displays the image as it's being opened.
- Save DeBabelizer’s Background Color to file’s Background Color: check this box to save DeBabelizer's Background Color as the PNG file’s background color.
- Save DeBabelizer’s Background Color to file’s Transparent Color: check this box to save DeBabelizer's Background Color as the PNG file’s transparent color.
- Skip this box [Option bypasses]: check this box to avoid having these writer options appear every time you do a PNG save. Holding down the OPTION key when doing the save will cause the dialog to appear whether or not the skip box is checked.
This palette menu function supports Apple’s Color Sync 2.0 package. To use this, you must have Color Sync 2.0 (or later) installed in your system. It uses Color Sync profiles which must be located in the Color Sync folder which must be located in the Preferences folder in the active System Folder.
You may select a source and destination profile from the source and destination popup menus. The characteristics of the chosen profiles will be displayed underneath the respective popup menu.
Hit OK to perform the operation.
Note: do not use any profiles which have CMYK as the source or destination color space, since DeBabelizer doesn't currently support CMYK, and so the results will be a strange looking image.
• Terms necessary for the understanding of QuickTime:
- A time coordinate system contains a time scale marked in time units. The number of units that pass per second quantifies the scale [the units/sec value]; that is a time scale of 26 means that 26 units pass per second and each time unit is 1/26 of a second. A time coordinate system also contains a duration, which is the length of the movie or media in numbers of time units it contains. Particular points in a movie can be identified by a time value, the number of time units to that point [the unit #].
IMPORTANT NOTE: when specifying which unit to display, be aware that the numbers are ONE based; that is, the first unit in the movie is referred to as unit # 1.
- A frame is the more conventional method of accessing images in a file. Frames per second is the customary way of referring to the speed at which to play back these multiple images. Accessing frames will deliver to you those images which were discretely and explicitly saved to the file. Frame is not to be confused with keyframe, which is a special variety of frame used with temporal compression.
• The chosen frame to be opened is displayed in the small preview box in the upper right corner. To turn off this display, click in the little checkbox at the upper left corner of the preview box.
• Select the mode of opening frames from the “Open” popup menu. Choices are All Frames, Frames in Range, All Units, Units in Range, Poster Frame.
• All Frames (default): this will open every frame in the movie, from the first to the last. You can enter the Current Frame Number (see below).
- Current Frame Number: Enter the current frame # you want to open at this time, or click the + or - buttons to step forward or backward through valid frame numbers. The next time a frame is to be opened from this movie, it will increment this current frame number to the next frame, and after doing the last frame, will indicate that it’s done with that movie. For whichever frame # you enter, it will show you the duration of that frame in units, and the start unit # for the frame.
• All Units: this will open every unit in the movie, from the first to the last. You can enter the Current Unit Number (see below). Since units are very tiny slices in time, you will rarely use this option.
- Current Unit Number: Enter the current unit # you want to open at this time, or click the + or - buttons to step forward or backward through valid unit numbers. The next time a unit is to be opened from this movie, it will increment this current unit number to the next unit, and after doing the last unit, will indicate that it’s done with that movie.
• Poster Frame: select this mode if you want to always open the Poster Frame ( the frame chosen to represent the movie by the movie maker). The unit # of this poster frame is displayed.
• Frames In Range: select this mode to open a specific range of frames in the movie. Selecting this option will enable several popups to appear below, allowing you to enter start and end frame #s, and a frame increment value.
• Units In Range: select this mode to open a specific range of units in the movie. Selecting this option will enable several popups to appear below, allowing you to enter start and end unit #s, and a unit increment value.
• Frame Definition checkboxes: these are for advanced users only. Normal users should select “Default” from the popup menu.
•"In Open Dialog Preview" popup menu allows you to chose one of the following options for displaying the movie in the Open/Preview area (the large gray area): • Don't play the movie; • Play the movie once, stop, and display the chosen frame; • Repeat the movie from beginning to end until the user presses the mouse button or any key; • Play forward and backward continuously until the user hits the mouse button or hits any key. Note that the movie will not play when you do a regular Open. It only plays in the Open/Preview Dialog box.
• Skip this dialog [OPTION overrides]: check this box to skip this dialog the next time it would appear. This is especially useful in two situations:
- running a batch in which you are opening all the images in a file and you don't want to click OK for every frame. You simply set the parameters and click the "Skip this box" and it will run through all the images in the file for you without your intervention.
- previewing several images in the file: check this box, then in the Open/Preview Dialog, click the preview checkbox on and off and back on, and the next image in the file will appear.
- to see the dialog again, hold down the Option key when it would normally appear and it will appear. Or choose the "Misc:Preferences:Cancel All Skip Boxes" command
• To stop movie playback in the Open/Preview Dialog, hold down the mouse button or hit any key.
This dialog appears after hitting the More button in the QuickTime Movie Save Dialog.
These are the options which may be set:
Set Frames Per Second in previous dialog from
- Original image: this looks at the original image's framerate and sets the framerate in the previous dialog to the same thing.
- Latest setting: this retains the last setting entered in the previous dialog.
For Time Scale, use:
- 600 (many applications require this): This is the safest value to set, since many applications won't like your movie if the Time Scale is not 600.
- Automatically set for highest resolution: Use this only if you know the application reading your movie can handle a Time Scale other than 600. This setting is useful if using a very non-standard frame rate, such as very low or very high.
Copy audio (& other non-video) tracks from original MooV:
- check this box to copy the audio tracks from the original QuickTime MooV.
- IMPORTANT: the frames building this movie must all originate from the same QT MooV for this to work.
- IMPORTANT: When this option is checked, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you also check the Copy Durations checkbox, in order to keep the video and audio in sync.
- When this option is checked, after the movie is finished, the sound will be interleaved with the video, using QuickTime's built-in flatten function.
- NOTE: do NOT check this if your original MooV's don't have soundtracks because it will slow things down and require more disk space.
Copy durations from original MooV:
- check this box to set the duration of each frame in the destination movie equal to the duration of that frame in the original QuickTime MooV.
- Note that this does nothing if the original was not a QuickTime MooV.
- Note that if the original was a QuickTime MooV, then checking this box will produce a frame rate (Frames Per Second) equal to that of the original movie, and the "Set Frames Per Second in previous dialog from xxx" option is ignored, and the frames per second setting in the previous dialog is also ignored.
- IMPORTANT: it is highly recommended that this be checked whenever the Copy Audio checkbox is checked. Doing so will give the best chance of keeping the audio and video in sync.
Make movie playable on QuickTime Windows (flatten):
- check this box to make the movie playable on a non-Mac version of QuickTime, such as QuickTime for Windows. It places a copy of the resource fork into the data fork, using QuickTime's built-in flatten function.
Lenient Key Frame Interval (only applies if codec lets you set Key Frames in previous dialog):
- if unchecked (default), then the exact number of key frames specified will be forced for the file.
- if checked, the number of key frames will be left up to the discretion of the codec which will use the number of key frames you entered as a guideline.
Update Previous with Decomp (only applies if codec lets you set Key Frames in previous dialog):
At the end of a frame compression, the compressor copies the current frame into the previous frame buffer.
If this is checked, then it copies an image created by decompressing the results of the most recent compression operation, rather than the source image (which is what is copied if this is unchecked).
Checking this box may result in a higher quality image at the expense of more time and larger output file size. Often, checking this box will result in a much large output file with no noticeable improvement in image quality.
Save ColorTable to MooV (requires QuickTime 2.0)
- Don't Save Palette: This setting causes no Color Table to be saved.
- Save Palette From Menu: This enables the Palette menu to be seen to the right, from which the desired palette can be chosen. The chosen palette will be saved into the MooV.
- Save Palette From Original MooV: This will extract the Color Table from the Original MooV (only if the original image was a QuickTime MooV) and save it into the destination MooV.
- Save Current Image Palette: This will save the current image's palette (only if it's 256 or less colors) to the destination MooV.
- Create & Save Super Palette: This will create a 256 color Super Palette for all the frames saved into the destination MooV. It will save this unique, newly created Super Palette to the destination MooV after the last frame has been added and the movie has been closed.
- Create & Save Macintized Super Palette: This will create a Macintized (meaning that the first color will be white and the last color black) 256 color Super Palette for all the frames saved into the destination MooV It will save this unique, newly created Super Palette to the destination MooV after the last frame has been added and the movie has been closed.
Movie Color Table:
- Setting and getting the Color Table from a MooV requires at least QuickTime 2.0.
- The Movie Color Table is not easily inserted or extracted (ResEdit can't do it) without a program designed to do it such as DeBabelizer.
- The Movie Color Table is used on playback of 16 & 32 bit movies on a 256 or less color monitor by any applications which use the Movie Controller to control the palette. This usually gives higher performance because less data is being pushed around.
DeBabelizer Functions which read and write the Movie Color Table:
- Palette: Save... allows the user to get the Movie Color Table from the currently open MooV and save it into the palette menu. He simply selects "ColorTable from Original QT MooV" from the popup menu in the Add Palette to List dialog. If the current image is not a MooV, this option will not be available.
- In SaveAs, the QuickTime MooV line in the format menu now has 2 submenu items: Movie and ColorTable Only. Select Movie to just save a normal QTMooV, as before. Select ColorTable Only to just put the current image's palette into the specified MooV file. The rest of the movie won't be touched.
- In the QuickTime MooV Save Prefs dialog ("Compression Settings") in the dialog which appears after hitting the More button, there's a new popup to determine whether or not to save a Color Table to the destination MooV (and if so, from where). See description above for this function.
These submenu commands perform operations on the fields in the image. An image has 2 fields: the odd field is the set of every other line (row) of the image starting at line 1 (line 0 is the top line of the image); the even field is the set of every other line of the image starting at line 0 (the top line of the image).
The Interpolation submenu commands help overcome motion distortion in moving images digitized from videotape or from a video camera. By replacing the blurred scan lines with new interpolated scan lines (de-interlace), a clearer image usually appears. It is also useful for cleaning up horizontal streaks in some images. It will work on the entire image or on the selection box (if one is active). Lines are numbered from the top down. Use the cursor and the "X,Y" coordinates in the Image Info window to determine a particular line number (the "Y" value).'Even' is relative to the top of the image: line 0 (the top line in the image) is "even".
COMMANDS:
• Interpolate Even Lines - Replaces each even line with the average of the odd line above and below it.
• Interpolate Odd Lines - Replaces each odd line with the average of the even line above and below it.
• Interpolate Top Line of Selection - Replaces the top line in the selection box with the odd line above and below it.
• Delete Even Lines - Deletes each even line. The image will end up being half as high.
• Delete Odd Lines - Deletes each odd line. The image will end up being half as high.
• Insert Blank Even Lines - Inserts blank (pixel value 0) even lines. The image will end up being twice as high.
• Insert Blank Odd Lines - Inserts blank (pixel value 0) odd lines. The image will end up being twice as high.
• Top Half->Odd Lines, Bottom Half->Even Lines - Moves the top half of the image to the odd lines and the bottom half of the image to the even lines.
• Odd Lines->Top Half, Even Lines->Bottom Half - Moves the odd lines to the top half of the image and the even lines to the bottom half of the image.
• Top Half->Even Lines, Bottom Half->Odd Lines - Moves the top half of the image to the even lines and the bottom half of the image to the odd lines.
• Even Lines->Top Half, Odd Lines->Bottom Half - Moves the even lines to the top half of the image and the odd lines to the bottom half of the image.
• Swap Even and Odd Lines - Swaps the odd lines with the even lines.
EXAMPLES:
• The "Interpolate Even Lines" and "Interpolate Odd Lines" commands are very useful for fixing digitized images of moving objects, in which every other scanline is out of sync. This is because the captured image is composed of 2 different images, the odd lines and the even lines, which are separated by 1/30 second in time. This means that you can make 2 images from the original image, the image with the odd lines interpolated, and the image with the even lines interpolated.
• The "Interpolate Top Line of Selection" command is useful for repairing individual lines. Often an image will be fine except for a few lines which are 'streaked' or garbage. To repair a line, select the damaged line and choose the "Top Line of Selection" command.
• The "Insert Blank xxxx Lines" commands are useful for merging two fields together into one frame. To do this manually:
--- Open the image containing the even field.
--- "Insert Blank Odd Lines"
--- Place the image containing the odd field.
--- "Insert Blank Even Lines"
--- Set Selection Transparency to "Even Lines".
--- Make sure the selection's upper left corner is at 0,0, so it's aligned with the upper left corner of the original image.
--- Paste the selection down on the image (click in the center of it).
--- The 2 fields will be merged into one solid frame.
To do this from a Batch:
--- Set up a script that does "Insert Blank Odd Lines".
--- Set up a script that does "Insert Blank Even Lines".
--- Set Selection Transparency to "Even Lines".
--- Do Batch Place & Save.
--- Set the left Batch List to contain the even field images.
--- Set the right Batch List to contain the odd field mages.
--- Set the mode to place images from right list onto images from left list.
--- Set the top script to the one containing "Insert Blank Odd Lines".
--- Set the bottom script to the one containing ""Insert Blank Even Lines".
--- Set other parameters as required and run the Batch.
Fill Color may now be specified as an HSV or an RGB value.
• Fill Color:
This section allows you to specify the Fill Color in HSV or RGB values. This gets rather complicated because
a) the Fill Color is stored as a fractional HSV value between 0.000 and 255.999.
b) the Fill Color must be converted to a non-fractional RGB value when the actual fill is performed.
c) when the cursor is pointed at a filled pixel after the fill, it picks up and displays the non-fractional RGB value and then converts that value to it's equivalent HSV value. This is the "Actual" HSV value shown under the "Fill Color" header. You may need to adjust the fractional portion of the "Desired" HSV value to attain the equivalent "Actual" value. Or you may type in an RGB value and it will automatically set the HSV values for you. You may also click on a pixel in the image and it will use that as the fill value.
NOTE: some desired HSV values are unattainable, such as 15,15,15, because the "Actual" HSV values are derived from the 8 bit RGB pixel values. 8 bits of RGB is not enough precision to create all possible 8 bit HSV values.
NOTE: "Undef" will be displayed for the Hue when the Saturation value is 0, since the hue is undefined when the saturation is 0.
This will help in opening, or performing operations on, large image files that may not have enough of memory initially allocated to DeBabelizer to complete the operation. More RAM can be allocated to DeBabelizer by highlighting the DeBabelizer application icon and then selecting the Get Info function from the Mac file menu. See page 334 (Appendix C) in the DeBabelizer Reference Guide for setting the optimum RAM.
• Major improvement of batch list processor fixes problems:
a) sometimes files in folders weren't being processed alphabetically.
b) sometimes only one file in a folder would be processed.
c) when writing into the same file being read from, user could potentially confuse DeBabelizer into rereading a file, or skipping a file.
• Major improvements in quality of Scale with "don't factor in Background Color" option selected.
• PICT reader now will read palette PICT files without re-indexing their palette.
• Fixed problem where Paint Alchemy 2.0 was trashing many of DB's submenus, after the user pressed on the popup menu in the P.A. dialog.
• Photoshop Plugin filters now handle low memory situations much better.
Specifically:
a) KPT Convolver actually gives an error message why it won't run (low memory) instead of just not doing anything.
b) Terrazzo doesn't crash anymore
c) Paint Alchemy doesn't leave the menubar disabled.
d) Photoshop plugin handler will now handle the alpha channel when doing filters if the option checkbox in Misc:Prefs:General dialog box is checked.
• Text Overlay now automatically takes care of the text inversion problem which occurred in palette type images which didn't contain black and white in the correct palette positions. Now it automatically Macintizes the palette before overlaying the text, if necessary.
