• With Image Agent users can simply drag and drop non-native image files directly into NEXTSTEP applications, such as Diagram! 2, Concurrence, WetPaint, Pages, and have the images instantly appear. Image Agent transparently performs the image conversion as if it were part of the actual application in use.
Supported image formats include: TIFF, GIF, PS, EPS, TARGA, PICT, MacPaint, PCX, DCX, Windows BMP, MTV, IFF/ILBM, Sun Raster, JPEG (JFIF), XWD, XBM and others.
For those requiring more image conversion options, Bäcchus offers Pixel Magician, its advanced image conversion application. Pixel Magician provides Mass image conversion, Image viewing, PostScript to Raster, Color Quantization, Error Diffusion Dithering, paletted formats, Precise scaling and rotating, variable aspect ratios and image resolutions, alpha channel support, image aliases, thumbnail views and flexible output options.
About the Demo Version
• The words "Image Agentî" are composited on all images.
• Images are fixed at 72 dpi.
• Images will be limited by the display bit depth, i.e. 2 bit, 12 bit.
• Runs more slowly than the production version.
Files
• ReadMe.rtfd: This file.
• IA.pkg: This package contains the actual image filters.
• IA-IconList.pkg: This package contains a dummy application whose sole purpose is to register image filename extensions for Image Agent .
• SampleImages: Folder containing some sample images.
• SampleWindow: Sample application for demonstrating drag and drop of images.
Installing
• You may install IA.pkg package into /LocalLibrary and the IA-IconList package into /LocalApps instead of the default directories ( ~/Library and ~/Apps ) if you prefer. Installing in these directories will allow everyone on the machine ( and/or network ) to use Image Agent. See your System Administrator to make sure you have permissions for /LocalLibrary and /LocalApps if you decide to install in these directories. If you are installing as root, ~/Library is actually /Library. Do not install in /Library as root, if you do, you will only be able to use Image Agent as root
• After installing the packages, you must log out, log back in, and wait a couple of minutes to be able to see the filename extensions and use the filters. This only needs to be done once after the initial installation.
Sample Image Agent (and Pixel Magician) image file icons (as they should appear in the Workspace Manager) are shown below:
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Also, be aware of other image applications that have custom icons. If there is a conflict, you may wish to remove the offending application from the ~/Apps, /LocalApps, or /NextApps folders. The Workspace Manager searches these three directories for applications and their icons. Moving the other application out of these three directories will prevent its icons from being found by the Workspace. Unfortunately, this action will also prevent the Workspace from auto-launching the offending application when a file with its registered file name extension is double-clicked or opened.
Note: The IA-IconList application will be listed as a tool for opening image files Do not select it because it will simply show an Alert panel stating that its only purpose is to register image file extensions.
• Image Agent demo version 1.2b requires NEXTSTEP 3.1 or greater.
SampleWindow Application
• SampleWindow is an application that demonstrates drag and drop of images into a window. Simply launch the application and drag and drop any of the sample images, located in the SampleImages folder.
If you are interested in adding support for Image Agent into your NEXTSTEP application , please contact Bäcchus to receive free example source code.
Other Notes
• Image Agent only works with applications that have been updated for NEXTSTEP 3.x filter services. Also note, you cannot run Image Agent directly. Image Agent transparently performs image translations in the background, e.g., when a user drag/drops a non-native image file into another application or selects an image file from a file browser.
Third Party Applications that work with Image Agent
