Neutral CD-ROMs?
20 messages in this thread
I suspect I've posted this request here before, but… forgive me.
I'm writing an article for AmigaWorld magazine… I'm hunting for CD-ROMs
that conform to the ISO-9660 format that contain data in a neutral file
format such as TIFF, EPS, PCX, or even ordinary ASCII text. For example,
there are clip art discs that contain nothing but TIFF or EPS or PCX clip
art, and require no machine-specific engine to access the data. Discs such
as this might be marketed for the Mac and PC, but would remain useful on
the Amiga, since these machines have CD-ROM drivers that can handle the ISO
format. Can anyone out there refer me to other titles that might be useful
on many different computer types?
John, how about a couple discs with tons of images in the 'FITS' format?
FITS is the standard format used in astronomy circles for storage of image
and tabular data. I have two discs (currently on loan to John Gager) that
you'd be welcome to try. They are x-ray data from the Einstein
Observatory. Let me know.
–jp–seattle–
I spent some time talking to the professor at Univ. Colorado who makes
those Voyager disk sets. He told me about some incredible sets coming
up… how about 300 disks of Magellan radar data! Wait. My notes said 30
disks, not 300. Plus six disks of Mars images. He said 30 disks per
mapping cycle of Magellan, how many cycles will there be? Maybe that's
where I remembered 300.
Where did you get the FITS disks? Have you made an Amiga reader yet?
John, I picked up the Einstein Observatory data at a recent astronomy
convention. There were plenty of groups giving away their data in CD
format. Most all of it was in the FITS format. Talking with the people
there I was led to believe that this was definitely the format for choice
for astronomy data. ?? I should have picked up a few other discs, but
just didn't know what I'd do with them, so I didn't 🙁
I did see quite a few images (and other data) from the Einstein Obsevatory
disc though (Mac and PC readers/viewers are provided). Lots of pretty
boring (for folks who want pretty pictures anyway) stuff, but also some
real 'pretty' pictures. 🙂
No Amiga reader yet. I don't have a CD-ROM drive, so cannot even
experiment with it. The discs are on loan to someone who may try to do so,
but likely not. That's why you're welcome to them if you want.
The FITS format is supposedly documented in a FITS white paper, but I
cannot find a copy of it, nor has the astronomy group here on CIS been able
to help (yet).
–jp–seattle–
I'm not sure, but being the data maven I am, I think I remember seeing the
FITS description posted online somewhere on the Internet. Hmm. Yup, at
'fits.cx.nrao.edu', ftp 192.33.115.8. Looks like National Radar
(astronomical?) Observatory to me. Glad I have three computers running at
once around here to check things like that. 🙂 If you've still got the
names and addresses of the instituitions that have data in CD form, I'd be
interested in it.
John, I'll see what I can do re the institutions. If you get the FITS
description, and it's public, would you mind uploading it? I'd be
interested, at least. Thanks.
–jp–seattle–
John,
I have a CD-Rom drive & will be anxiously awaiting your article. I
don't know of any specific disks but have heard that there is a Postscript
fonts disk for the Mac which contains keys that allow for the purchase of
fonts buy phone.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Yes, unfortunately, I've talked to people about those font CDs. They come
with a few "free" unlocked fonts, and you pay for the rest. The unlocking
software only runs on the Mac or PC. I suppose you could run them under an
emulator, or on a Mac or PC, and then use the fonts you bought on the
Amiga, of course, but that kinda defeats the purpose. 🙂 There is slim
hope for an Amiga version of the Compugraphic CD. Sometimes I think their
support of the Amiga is in name only…
John,
Who sells these specialized CD's. I haven't seen them listed in any
of the rags including Computer Shopper. I'd love to get the Compugraphic
CD since I am running my CD-Rom under Amax as well as the Amiga. Is it
difficult to convert from Mac format fonts to Amiga?
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Mac fonts do transfer to the Amiga. We did it for most of the fonts used in
the Xiphias CDTV titles. The utility we used was on the Fish disks. I dont
recall its name off hand. It had difficulty with some types of fonts. It
only wanted to deal with the early FNT type bitmap screen fonts. Even at
that, it lost the kerning values and some other info. I used fontedit to
put things back right. Also needed f.e. to set the bold/italic flags.
– jerry
Jerry,
I assume I have that program if it's on the Fish collection since I
have the collection on CD-Rom 😎 . I wonder if it'll work with the
Compugraphic fonts though since they are relatively recent vintage.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Donald:
Look into MIfont. Don't use the PD program in question: it screws up the
character order, the bitmap spacing tables, the PPage metric files (if you
use them), only works with old FNT fonts and can eat your hard drive rather
effectively. It's the reason we wrote MIfont.
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Gary,
Thanks for your unbiased recommendation. No seriously though, I did
receive a Mac pub today that had a CD-Rom for Postscript fonts & another
for Agfa fonts but I still haven't seen one for Compugraphic fonts. If I
do find such a product at reasonable cost I'll look into your product. I
really don't have much use for the others since I still don't have a laser
printer. The Compugraphic looks great on my DeskJet though using
Pagestream & ProPage.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Don:
What's the difference between an Agfa font and a Compugraphic font? BTW, if
you get the Adobe CD-Rom (and figure out how to get its files over to your
Amiga), you'll have instant access to all their screen fonts, which you can
convert with MIfont (the screen fonts are all unlocked on the CD-ROM,
unlike the printer fonts). If you're absolutely set on using Compugraphic
outlines in PPage, however, don't get MIfont. It deals pretty much with the
bitmap fonts only. Soon to change (I hope).
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Well, now that Agfa owns Compugraphic, there is no difference. 🙂
Gary,
Is there any chance that your MIFont could convert Adobe screen fonts into
a form that an Amiga Compugraphic-compatible program could use (other than
Amiga bitmaps)?
You go your way . . . I'll go Maui
Rich 😉
Gary,
What good are the screen fonts alone? Is there a use for them
without the printer fonts?
That's right they are Agfa Compugraphic fonts. Weird though, the
Mac world must drop the Compugraphic from the name, while I rarely hear
them described as Agfa Compugraphic here in the Amiga world, just
Compugraphic.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!
Jerry:
Get MIfont. It's forte is Mac font conversion.
(Plug, plug, plug…:)
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Look in issues of MacWeek or InfoWorld. If you emulate, you should get
magazines about those machines you emulate, no? 🙂 Or, if you work in an
office, someone there probably gets one of these trade mags. I don't know
of anyone who's tried the Compugraphic CD under AMax, but that's an
interesting idea.
The Compugraphic fonts on that CD are in the format used by the new 2.04
font system, as far as I know, and I'm sure it can extract Type 1 fonts
that will work straight-away on the Amiga, too.
John,
You're right, I should become more involved with my built-in Mac but
I'm having so much fun on the Amiga side that it's hard to find the time.
———————————————-Don- via Whap!