CompuServe Thread

epsf support

24 messages in this thread
#72855From: Steve SetzerJan 23, 1994 12:01 PM
Ben, Ae there any plans to support epsf (encapsulated postscript) files in IM? The catalog would be ideal for clip art.
#72863From: Black Belt SystemsJan 23, 1994 1:10 PM
EPSF – it's on the list of things we'd like to do; no action has been taken on it as of yet, however. To do it right is a major, major undertaking. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#72869From: Robert ComerJan 23, 1994 3:14 PM
I'd like to see EPSF support! Bob Comer — Flying high and fast with my A1200HD'030 on Autopilot! From Cheyenne, Wyoming U.S.A.
#72905From: Black Belt SystemsJan 24, 1994 12:17 AM
Me too. Me too. :^) –Ben …via AutoPilot
#72911From: Robert ComerJan 24, 1994 1:01 AM
Cool! (In both Imagemaster, and WinImages!) I haven't seen your Windows product yet, and I'm defintely staying with Imagemaster at home, but there might be some use for your windows product at work! Right now we use a couple of Unix boxes for this stuff, but it would be nice to offload some of the small stuff to a couple of our faster PC's. Bob Comer — Flying high and fast with my A1200HD'030 on Autopilot! From Cheyenne, Wyoming U.S.A.
#72927From: BILL LEACHJan 24, 1994 8:40 AM
Which is exactly why you SHOULD do it. No one has even attempted to do it right. -bill at least they got this right: "The less you know about computers – the more you want Microsoft Windows"
#73032From: Black Belt SystemsJan 25, 1994 1:02 PM
Hmmm. Well, there are factors which probably account for that: to do it "right", you'd have to do it "completely". Which means a top-to-bottom PS handler. That, in turn, is a huge job – just HUGE. Next one has to look at the Amiga market and decide if the outlay by the company will be returned by income derived directly, or indirectly, from the feature. That's what it'll have to go thru when we get to looking at it seriously; it won't just "happen". Can't just "do" things blindly and keep paying salaries for long, unfortunately. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#73074From: BILL LEACHJan 26, 1994 9:13 AM
Yes, I realize that. An additional problem that many are not aware of is that there is a significant potential for "loss of information" when the original "rendering" to EPS code occurs. This loss would not be as serious a problem for IM R/t as it would be for say ArtExpression (a Structured drawing program as opposed to a pixel program). You would of course, end up having to "take on" all of the nightmarish font issues and probably would like to be able to handle the more common errors that exist thoughout the PS world.
#73159From: Black Belt SystemsJan 27, 1994 1:25 AM
We know what the job looks like; also about the resolution limitations re bit depth, and (of course) the subsampling problems. The plus side of this is that our Windows s/w could also use this capability; and if a file input or output format WE write gets into one, it'll get into the other. That's as opposed to support that might arrive via a DLL (or library) such as Video for Windows. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#73367From: Gayle Lee FairlessJan 29, 1994 8:10 PM
>-bill at least they got this right: >"The less you know about computers – >the more you want Microsoft Windows" Bill, Where did get that interesting tagline quote? Sincerely, (Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless 'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City! via AP 1.03a
#73423From: BILL LEACHJan 30, 1994 1:47 PM
Gayle; It was pulled from a MicroSoft ad and posted on another network by (I believe) Mike Sinz. I have since had additional confirmation that the line is indeed an exact quote. As you can imagine I received quite a few comments on it from several forums. However, I was a bit surprised that there was only one somewhat critical comment.
#73695From: Ron LegroFeb 2, 1994 10:36 AM
My other favorite quote (source forgotten) goes: "If you build a machine so simple it can run by an idiot, only an idiot will want to run it." Make you think of anything in particular? :}
#73936From: Gayle Lee FairlessFeb 5, 1994 9:58 PM
Hmm, not to invent a cliche but the one I'm thinking of requires an insane person to manage the memory! Sincerely, (Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless 'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City! via AP 1.03a
#73417From: Charles BlaquiereJan 30, 1994 12:55 PM
Ben, if you do ever support EPSF , or any form of scalable font/art, it may be nice to add an "anti-alias" button which, when activated, will cause IM to rasterize the file at 2x or 3x the resolution, then anti-alias it down to the resolution we're using. Photoshop has such an "anti-aliased" button on its text requester. Unrelated note: any chance of a Gaussian Blur function? I'm concerned that applying the Smear operator, say, 10 times is much slower than a single pass of a Gaussian Blur operator which would precalculate a convolution matrix based on a user-specified blur radius, and apply this matrix once to the selected area. (Of course, the matrix wouldn't be limited to 3 x 3; its size would depend on the radius) (And fractional radii would be allowed, since integer-only control is too coarse; but then, you already know this, having built a smear amount slider into the smear function) Blaq!
#73421From: Black Belt SystemsJan 30, 1994 1:26 PM
The Gaussian Blur is a possibility. In the meantime, take a look at the lowpass filter. This is an *excellent* tool. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#73458From: Erik FlomJan 30, 1994 6:34 PM
"I'm sorry sir, I've seen Gaussian Blur, and your lowpass filter is _no_ Gaussian Blur." :^) – To paraphrase Sen. Bentsen in his debate with Dan Quayle (years ago) Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom
#73533From: Black Belt SystemsJan 31, 1994 1:00 PM
I didn't say it was; however, it's a powerful filter that does things that a gaussian blur cannot. :^) –Ben …via AutoPilot
#73537From: Erik FlomJan 31, 1994 2:01 PM
One thing I've noticed about Low Pass vs Gaussian Blur is that Gaussian Blur will produce a much more pronounced blur effect depending on the input value. With Low Pass, the operater needs to be applied a number of times…….. It's a minor complaint. Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom
#73666From: Black Belt SystemsFeb 1, 1994 11:17 PM
It'll be in the next release. :^) –Ben …via AutoPilot
#73706From: Erik FlomFeb 2, 1994 2:27 PM
Cooool! :^) Thanks, Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom
#73694From: Stephen SponagleFeb 2, 1994 10:34 AM
Erik, Have you found, in any Amiga image processor, the equivalent of Photoshop's Gaussian Blur, where you can adjust the pixel radius? I'm making random shaped masks (lookout MTV) and want a very smooth gradient from black to white at the edges of my mask. In Photoshop, this would be a blur radius of about 20 pixels. -Steve
#73707From: Erik FlomFeb 2, 1994 2:27 PM
I haven't really been looking hard for this feature, I just end up using PhotoShop for it. I will be looking forward to the implementation of Gaussian Blur in the next rev of IM R/t. Until then, I guess we'll just have to wait…… Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom
#73776From: Stephen SponagleFeb 3, 1994 10:59 AM
Re: Gaussian Blur Since I have a Firecracker board, the paint program that came with it has a BLENDER function. Making a large round brush, using BLENDER and FLOODFILL, I can duplicate this in two passes, once for the inside and once for the outside. -Steve
#73781From: Erik FlomFeb 3, 1994 11:58 AM
'two passes' – Well, better than what I have to do, but still not as good as gaussian blur. Thanks, Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom