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Allison/3200 Documentation by Jonah Stich Copyright �1990 Bad Luck Software Introduction to Allison/3200 Allison/3200 is an application for processing raw images created with the New Concepts Enhanced VisionPlus digitizer and Allison digitizing software. It allows you to convert raw images into high quality 3200 color pictures. It can also be used to display 3200 color pictures saved by Allison/3200 or other 3200 color programs. Allison/3200 cannot digitize by itself�you must use Allison to digitize your subject, save the raw images, and then load it into Allison/3200 for processing. For the purposes of this documentation, the 3200 color processing software will be referred to as �Allison/3200,� and the standard digitizing and processing software will be called �Allison.� How to use Allison/3200 Unlike Allison, Allison/3200 is merely a converter�it will convert raw images into 3200 colors, as well as 3200 color pictures from one format to another, but will not digitize. Allison/3200 can be used only for enhancing the output of the Enhanced VisionPlus by converting the raw images into 3200 colors. Keep in mind that 3200 color mode uses several tricks to display 200 times as many colors as the GS can usually display, but that you pay a large price for this extended color resolution. Although there are several 3200 color paint programs in development, none of them are currently available, so for the time being the 3200 color mode is only a display format. Allison/3200 creates very colorful pictures, but they are only good for looking at. If you would like to import your digitized picture into a desktop publishing program such as GraphicWriter III or Medley, or would like to be able to edit it with a paint program such as Platinum Paint or PaintWorks Gold, you should use Allison's standard raw image processing options to convert the picture into one of the standard GS graphic modes. Raw image Conversion: To process a raw image simply select �Open...� from the File menu. You will be presented with the standard IIgs open file dialog window. Find the file you would like to process, click the Open button (or simply double click the filename) and away you go. Allison/3200 will open a dialog box with a thermometer in it, showing the progress of the conversion. Most conversions will take about 10 minutes. When the Allison/3200 has converted the picture, it will display it in full 3200 colors. Any key presses or mouse clicks will return you to the standard Allison/3200 desktop. The file you have just converted will be placed in a window on the desktop. Note: Because of the way the Apple IIgs deals with colors and the way 3200 color pictures are created, the picture in the window will look rather bad. When you save the picture it will be saved in 3200 color mode, and if you use another program to display it, it will be shown in 3200 colors. 3200 Color Picture Loading: Allison/3200 can also load 3200 color pictures that have been previously created by Allison/3200 or by another program that supports 3200 color pictures, such as The Graphic Exchange or Convert/3200. To load a 3200 color picture select �Open...� from the File menu. In the file dialog box that is opened, click on the button labeled �3200 color picture.� The list of filenames will be recreated so that it now displays only files that could be 3200 color pictures. Note: it is much harder for Allison/3200 to tell if a file is a 3200 color picture than it is for it to tell if a file is a raw images. For this reason some of the files presented in the list will not be 3200 color pictures (whereas in the raw image list all of the files will be raw images). You are the final judge as to whether a file is a 3200 color picture or not. If you're not sure, try loading it. If Allison/3200 displays garbage, you'll know that it wasn't a 3200 color picture. After you have selected the file you would like to load, click the Open button (or double click the filename). Allison/3200 will load and display the file. Unlike raw images Allison/3200 does not need to process 3200 color pictures in order to display them, so the file will be displayed as soon as you select the open button. Again, a key press or click of the mouse button will return you to the standard Allison/3200 desktop. Saving: After you have loaded a picture, Allison/3200 will allow you to save it as a 3200 color file, which can then be view again at a later date, saving the time of having to reconvert the raw image, and removing the need to keep the rather large raw image file on disk. To save the picture in the current window select �Save� or �Save as...� from the File menu. If the file has been saved before the old version will be destroyed and replaced by the new version. If the file has not been saved you will be presented with the standard Apple IIgs save file dialog, and will be able to specify a filename and location for the saved 3200 color file. At this time you will also be able to specify a file format for the 3200 color picture. Screen format is an uncompressed file format, whereas Apple Preferred format is a compressed format. Unless you have a need for the picture to be uncompressed, it is usually a good idea to save your conversions in Apple Preferred format, as they will occupy less disk space that way, allowing you to fit more converted pictures on a single disk. Once you have specified the filename and format, click the Save button (or press return) and the file will be saved. Other Features: Allison/3200 has several other menu items that may be of use to you. Under the Edit menu is the �Show 3200� item. This menu item allows you to view the 3200 color picture after it has been loaded and placed in it's window. If there are more than one open windows on the desktop, Allison/3200 will show the picture in the front window. Also under the Edit menu is the �Show Clipboard� item. This will open a window and display the contents of the standard IIgs clipboard in it. At the current time this is for informational purposes only�Allison/3200 cannot do anything to the data on the clipboard. Quitting: When you have converted and saved all of the raw images you like, you should select �Quit� from the File menu to leave Allison/3200. Note: Allison/3200 will not ask if you would like to save the picture in an open window. Unless you save your conversions before you select Quit your data will be lost.