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1989-12-15
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METASCAN
TIFF Bitmapped Image -to- Computer Graphics Metafile .CGM
Translator
- Shareware Version -
- Please Register: See Below -
Copyright 1988-1989 by William J. Hinkle
02 Dec 1989
=== User's Guide ===
The MetaScan package was created to allow bitmapped graphics images, such as
those created by scanners or paint programs (aka, raster images), to be
converted into ANSI CGM files: Computer Graphics Metafiles. The package
comprises three programs: TIF2BIT.EXE, BIT2CGM.EXE, and BITOUT.EXE. The batch
files TIF2CGM.BAT and TIF2SYM.BAT expedite conversions from TIFF format to CGM
and Harvard Graphics SYM files, respectively.
This is done in a rather straight-forward way: by tracing lines from the
scanned image into a CGM file. This allows inclusion of simple scanned images
by programs that don't handle raster (bit-mapped) images but do handle CGM
files (like Harvard Graphics, or Freelance+).
==============
COPYRIGHT INFO
==============
These utility programs and documentation were written by
William J. Hinkle
Copyright 1989, All Rights Reserved.
Copy and use them freely. Distribute them to whomever you want. But:
=== Do not distribute modified versions.
=== Do not remove the copyright notice.
=== Always distribute these programs together, and with the documentation.
=============================
REGISTRATION & SHAREWARE INFO
=============================
If you find MetaScan or its constituent utilities useful, please register
by sending your registration fee of $25.00 to the address below. A check
or a purchase order for US funds is acceptable.
You must register in order to to use the MetaScan utilities beyond a trial
period. You will receive a written receipt. Thank you!
William J. Hinkle
420 E.Boston Mills Rd.
Hudson, OH 44236-1111
============
INSTALLATION
============
If you are using Harvard Graphics or Freelance, simply make that program's
directory the current DOS directory:
cd \HG
or
cd \FL
typically. The same applies if you are planning to use MetaScan with another
such CGM-using program. If you are installing MetaScan by itself, you may
place it in its own directory:
md \MSCAN
cd \MSCAN
In either case, imply copy all of the files from the MetaScan diskette to the
current directory:
copy A:*.*
=========
HOW TO...
=========
MetaScan works by first using the TIF2BIT utility to convert your TIFF image
to a BIT format file. Then the BIT2CGM converts the BIT format file to a CGM
image file. The TIF2CGM.BAT batch file will run both of these programs in the
proper order. If you are using Harvard Graphics, you can use the TIF2SYM.BAT
batch file to continue on to produce a Harvard Graphics SYMbol file, which HG
can import directly. The HG META2HG.EXE utility must be in the same disk
directory as MetaScan.
For example, if your TIFF image file is called LOGO.TIF, then
TIF2CGM LOGO
will convert it to LOGO.CGM, or
TIF2SYM LOGO
will convert it directly to LOGO.SYM for Harvard Graphics. Do NOT type in the
filename extensions (.TIF, .CGM, .SYM). These are automatically inserted for
you.
The TIF2CGM and TIF2SYM batch files use only the most rudimentary options for
conversion. Please read the TIF2BIT.DOC and BIT2CGM.DOC documentation files
for more detailed information on options that can help make difficult
conversions successfully.
====================
For Harvard Graphics
====================
After converting the image to a SYM (symbol) file, you can bring it into HG
as follows:
Once in HG, select Draw/Annote, then Symbol, then Get. Select the desired
SYMbol file, and select the symbol that is displayed and size it on-screen
to suit. If you need to modify the image, select Ungroup from the Symbol
menu and ungroup the symbol into its constituent components. Then, from the
Draw/Annote menu, use the Modify and Options commands to edit the colors and
fill characteristics of the polygons, or polylines. Note that color 0 is the
background color, to make polygons "empty".
=================
For Freelance+ V3
=================
You may import the CGM file directly from the File menu, using the Import
command, selecting Metafile. You may have to select and re-size the image.
Otherwise, editing proceeds as for any group of Freelance drawing entities.
===============
COMMON PROBLEMS
===============
Huge and unusable CGM files, or META2HG complains:
--------------------------------------------------
This USUALLY means that you are using a grayscale image, or an image that was
dithered to resemble grayscale, or an image that was translated from a color
image. MetaScan only handles black-and-white images. You can translate a
grayscale TIFF to black and white by thresholding it with the /d1 option in
TIF2BIT (see TIF2BIT.DOC).
Another common cause is converting an image with filled areas, without using
the /x option with BIT2CGM. The /x option extracts the outline of the images,
leaving the fill behind. You can add the fill back in within your CGM-reading
program (Harvard Graphics users, see below).
BIT2CGM complains of "Not enough memory":
-----------------------------------------
This means that your scanned image is too large to load into memory. Try
re-scanning at a lower dpi (resolution), or try restricting your scanned image
to just the area of interest.
Filled areas are empty:
-----------------------
This is the normal result of using the /x option, which is usually required to
keep the CGM files within a reasonable size. In many CGM-reading programs, you
can simply convert the polylines to filled polygons, as needed. Freelance+ and
DrawPartner can both handle this easily. You may also use the /p option
in BIT2CGM to create polygons instead of polylines; you will then have to
change the colors of overlapping polygons as needed. This is the case with
Harvard Graphics.
Final image is too jagged:
--------------------------
You may use the /jN option of BIT2CGM to increase the "smoothing" of curved
lines. The larger N is made, the more smoothing of jaggies is done. Large
/jN values cause sharp edges to "melt" however! You can often get better
results by converting scans of larger ORIGINAL images, too.
In editing programs like Freelance+ and DrawPartner, you can use the
Edit Points functions to tweak the image outlines quite effectively.
======
HELP?!
======
Should you have any difficulties using these utilities, please
contact me via Compuserve EasyPlex (or on the CompuServe PICS forum):
William J. Hinkle [71121,3211]
or, as a second and slower choice, at the postal address given above.
I cannot, of course, guarantee the fitness of these utilities for any
particular purpose, nor accept any liabilities for their failure to perform
in any particular manner. But I can try to help!