Issue 2.4, April/May 1997
This issue of KDP is sponsored by:
| Upgraded Software Requires Upgraded Usersby Professor Michael Kleper <mkleper@printerport.com> |
The release of Adobe Photoshop 4.0 marks a new level of technical access, supporting all of the nuances of the craft and artistry that can be achieved by skilled imaging technicians. The program includes a host of new features which make it a more productive tool for all forms of digital publishing. The Photoshop 4.0 features list is impressive <http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/photoshop/newfeatures.html>, and justifies the whole number upgrade increment from 3 to 4.
To Adobe's credit they have included a tutorial CD (with self-running demos and practice lessons), a Getting Started booklet featuring What's New, a Quick Reference card, and a rewritten user's guide, with a nicely illustrated quick tour. In addition, the Adobe Web site contains considerable descriptive information. This is as much as any software publisher can be expected to do in support of user education.
Adobe also has an education division that deals with the use of their products in formal educational settings. Adobe offers attractive pricing for academic purposes, and supports the instruction of their products with publications and support materials, such as their popular Classroom in a Book series.
Photoshop 4, like other programs that are incremented by a whole number, represents not only significant new features, but new ways of doing previously implemented procedures. The way in which image selections are made, for example, has changed, as has the keyboard equivalents for common operations. These differences, although improvements, impact on the learning curve of every user. Installations of all sizes will need to address the training issue in one form or another.
Fortunately there are several ways in which training activities may be conducted. Among them are:
* Train the trainer. Companies will often send one individual for formal training, with the expectation that that person will return to their work environment and train others. Peer training, while comparatively inexpensive, can introduce unexpected and unwanted results since the quality of the instruction will be dependent on the level of understanding of the individual who has been trained, and that person's ability to communicate accurate information to others. Successful peer training, therefore, can depend just as much on the interpersonal skills of the peer trainer as on their technical qualifications and level of expertise.
* Consultants. An acknowledged expert may be retained to provide customized on-site training. In such situations the trainer can tailor the training to suit the particular needs of the trainees. An on-going relationship with a consultant can lead to the development of a longitudinal training program which anticipates the release of new software features, software products, or technologies and begins training, or orientation, in advance of their formal release.
* Training to go. Training providers, from colleges and universities, private training companies, and consultancies may deliver packaged training programs at a customer's site. This method provides many advantages, the most significant of which may be the potential reduction in travel expenses, since, in most situations, fewer people will need to be transported. In addition, the trainees benefit from being trained on their own equipment, and may have the opportunity to address existing production concerns. Key production personnel do not have to leave the environment, and the company may also schedule training so that it does not negatively affect production.
* College courses. Individuals may attend regular college courses, spending a full academic semester, or quarter, studying a particular software product, or a related area of concentration. The methods taught, and the equipment used, are usually applicable directly to the work environment. The extended nature of most courses, which are taught over 10 to 15 weeks, may, in certain circumstances, make this form of instruction too protracted to be of immediate benefit on-the-job, however, sustained study at this level will ultimately make the employee a more valuable and productive worker.
* Adult education. Public education programs aimed at the adult learner may address both general and specific computer topics on a short-term basis. These programs are usually modestly priced and offered in the evening, when most adults are available. Such courses may be offered nightly, back-to-back, or for several meetings scheduled over successive weeks.
* Conferences and conventions. Most trade events have an education emphasis. These usually consist of a series of presentations, demonstrations, workshops and seminars covering very specific topics. Attendees can usually register for any of the individual sessions, or follow a defined track which concentrates on a particular technical interest.
* Professional organizations and associations. Professional organizations and associations channel their efforts into meeting the needs of their members, and, in so doing, usually have a formal education or training component. The manner in which they address this need varies, and is based primarily on their size, geographical distribution, and resources. Such groups may offer short courses, product demonstrations, workshops, seminars, conferences, and informal gatherings where members can learn from one another. These groups usually have regular meetings, either regionally or nationally, depending on their size, and include some educational element. In certain organizations and associations the members may attain a level of certification based on their knowledge, or demonstrated skill, in a particular area.
* User groups. People who share the use of a particular software product, computer platform, or other common interest often organize into user groups. User groups represent buying power, and are therefore usually respected by the companies whose products they have organized to support. For that reason, user groups are often used as sounding boards for product planners, and are given advance information concerning new product features. User groups provide their members with programming and publications that support their use of the particular technology which unites their membership.
* Web resources. The World Wide Web provides several sites devoted to each major software application. Several of these provide useful tips, tricks and production short-cuts. The Web also offers FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), mailing lists, tutorials, on-line discussion groups, software demos, program updates and fixes, and more.
* Books. Virtually every major, and most minor, software applications are supported by a collection of books which either replace or augment the documentation which is provided by the software publisher. Books often include accompanying CD-ROMs containing the content of the book (for easy searching), examples from the book, and useful support software and application demos. Some books are supported by on-line Web resources, which update the book content, and/or provide relevant resources, such as links to related sites. In addition, the establishment of a World Wide Web site usually provides the means to communicate with the book's author directly through e-mail.
* Videos. Videotapes covering the use of popular programs are available from a wide variety of sources. Such tapes may consist of an overview, or an in-depth treatment of the steps necessary to utilize particular software applications in the most efficient and effective way. Videotapes have the advantage of being used either in a group, or individually; on-the-job, or at home. In addition, the very nature of videotape provides the advantages of repeating confusing or complex sections, freezing a frame for close examination, and viewing the tape in short increments that fit the user's schedule.
* CD-ROM tutorials. Tutorials on CD-ROM provide the user with a controllable environment in which to watch how each feature (or most features) of a particular software application work. The benefit of such a delivery system is that users can have the actual application open, and try each feature as it is presented. Some tutorial programs provide exercises for the learner to do under the direction of the on-disc narrator. CD-ROM tutorials are a convenient way for busy workers to take in a significant amount of information in small units. In addition, the disc can be shared among users, and can be retained in the immediate environment as a training tool, and a reference.
* Resident training expert. Depending on the size of the company, one or more people may have the responsibility for determining, planning, arranging, delivering, and evaluating training, whether delivered in-house or at an outside facility. The person or persons with the responsibility for directing the training may themselves be sufficiently competent technically to deliver the instruction, or, alternately, may arrange for others to do so.
* Peer training. Informal training sessions may occur on an "as needed" basis. This training, which may be as simple as showing a colleague how to do a particular operation, or answer a procedural question, is an on-going part of all normal production environments.
* Vendor-sponsored events. In advance of, or coincident with the release of a new software version, the publisher may sponsor public demonstrations at user groups, computer shows, or retail stores. Such events often provide for an interchange with those who have been directly involved in building the new software.
* Official Software publisher training. Certain software publishers, including Adobe Systems, provide certification to trainers around the world. A certified trainer has met the stringent technical and educational requirements necessary to qualify for the certification program, and has demonstrated an advanced level of knowledge regarding the particular software application in question.
* Participation in beta testing. So-called "power users" may be invited to participate in a software beta testing program. Beta testers work with unfinished, unreleased software and test it with real-world jobs. Testers have both the advantage of seeing how the product develops, and having input into how features are implemented. Beta testers usually file regular reports and receive several beta versions during the course of the testing period. Some beta testers may be rewarded with discounts or complimentary copies of the released application. Some software companies now offer public beta copies through the World Wide Web in order to test their software under the largest possible number of situations.
The relatively short revision cycles of popular software programs requires users to take a proactive position regarding on-going training. In most production situations it is imperative that users maintain their skills at the highest level, in order to best serve their customers, and to help their businesses remain competitive. It is likely that distance learning programs, offered by a variety of sources, will mature to the point where continuing education will not only become a lifelong endeavor, and a job requirement, but will be accessible from wherever the learner chooses to receive it.
| Six Degrees of Separationby Scott J. Kleper <scott@printerport.com> |
The 1993 movie "Six Degrees of Separation" explored the interesting theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six relationships. According to the theory, if you listed all of your friends, and all of their friends, and all of their friends, etc. for six degrees, you'd eventually have a list of all the people in the world.
Film Review, "Six Degrees of Separation" http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin/movies/s/six_degrees.html
This interesting hypothesis, based on statistical analysis by Marconi, inventor of the wireless telegraph, has spawned several web sites that explore its implications. While most of these sites exist for entertainment purposes, one new site hopes to use the Six Degrees theory to provide a valuable resource. So far, they're doing a pretty good job.
Perhaps the most legendary Six Degrees site is "The Oracle of Bacon at Virginia", which is based on the premise the every actor in Hollywood is somehow related to Kevin Bacon by movies they've starred in. The site lets you search for any actor by name and will return the links to Kevin along with the corresponding "Bacon number". For example, entering "Garbo, Greta" yields:
Garbo, Greta has a Bacon number of 3:
Garbo, Greta was in Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931) with Gable, Clark Gable, Clark was in Combat America (1943) with Romano, Tony Romano, Tony was in Starting Over (1979) with Bacon, Kevin
As it turns out, nearly every actor in Hollywood is within two degrees of Mr. Bacon. I had to search for quite a while to find a Bacon Number of 3. The highest Bacon Number ever reported was 7.
<http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~bct7m/bacon.html>
Similar sites feature "Six Degrees of Arnold" and there's even a site that claims to connect any two actors by six degrees or less. All of the sites listed were created by Brett Tjaden and Glenn Wasson.
<http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~bct7m/arnie.html> <http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~bct7m/star_links.html>
Now that web and database technology has given us this revolutionary new power, what can we do with it? Believe it or not, there's an application. SixDegrees is the name of a free new service that is attempting to test out the theory on a much larger scale.
SixDegrees is attempting to form a massive database of relationships by asking its members to submit the names and email addresses of their friends, relatives, and contacts. While the service is just starting out and exact numbers aren't available, SixDegrees' staff say they're growing exponentially.
After becoming a member of SixDegrees, you can easily check relationships within three degrees of yourself. Why three degrees? According to Shoshana Zilberberg, SixDegrees' Marketing Communications Director, "six degrees in theory could encompass total strangers, we believed that members may have some privacy issues ... The power is really in the second or third degree. You will not often call your friend's mother's uncle's cousin's friend's employer for a job opportunity.
The creators of SixDegrees have taken several necessary steps for privacy and are trying to market the concept as a tool for business relationships. For example, if you have a job interview, you may find out through SixDegrees that the person interviewing you went to school with your best friend. Ideally, this type of application would be perfect. However, right now the database is just too small for such success stories. For now, SixDegrees is an interesting way to find more people that you have common relationships with. As those people begin to point their friends to SixDegrees, you find out some interesting facts about your network of relationships.
In time, SixDegrees may become a great resource for finding out more about yourself and the people you know. As a by-product of the database of relationships, SixDegrees is also forming a white pages directory of Internet users -- certainly a valuable resource in itself. For an interesting experience that lies somewhere between fascinating and spooky, head over to <http://www.sixdegrees.com>
The Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) has historically been a showcase for the latest technologies from Apple Computer. While Apple received some criticism for evangelising technologies last year that it later killed (Copland, OpenDoc, etc.), this year's WWDC left nearly all developers with a renewed confidence in Apple and a feeling of excitement for what lies ahead.
Many of the WWDC announcements focused on Rhapsody, Apple's next operating system that will coexist with Mac OS. The following is a summary of the four announced products:
Rhapsody for PowerPC - Apple will ship a new Operating System code-named Rhapsody that will use the Mach microkernel running on PowerPC processors. Developers will use the "Yellow Box" API's to write software for Rhapsody (described below) and existing Mac software will run in a "Blue Box," which will run nearly all current Mac OS software at speeds that will likely exceed current performance. While Rhapsody is based on NeXT's OpenStep, it will have an "advanced Mac look and feel."
Rhapsody for Intel - Rhapsody will also ship for Intel processors and will contain all of the above components except the "Blue Box" since PowerPC applications cannot be adapted to run on Intel. The Intel version of Rhapsody will support the same user interface as the PowerPC version, giving Intel users access to the Mac OS look and feel for the first time.
Yellow Box for Windows - The "Yellow Box" is the set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that developers will use to write applications for Rhapsody. The Yellow Box is a superset of NeXT's OpenStep libraries, which are known for their ease and elegance. Programmers will be able to use the Yellow Box with C, C++, Objective C, or Java. Apple is touting Java as the ideal language to use with the Yellow Box. The Yellow Box for Windows is a set of runtime libraries for Windows 95 and Windows NT that will allow Rhapsody applications to run from within Windows. The applications will function the same but will appear to be Windows applications.
Yellow Box for Mac OS - In a surprise announcement, Apple announced that it would make the Yellow Box libraries available for Mac OS as well. Thus even Mac users who decide not to upgrade to Rhapsody will be able to run Rhapsody applications. This is expected to make the transition to Rhapsody smooth and gradual.
These four products encompass almost 100% of the personal computer market. Apple promised that it would impose no licensing fees on the Yellow Box libraries so developers will be free to include them with their applications. Apple also demonstrated how the same Yellow Box program could be recompiled to run under the four different versions without any difficulty. This means that a developer who writes an application using the Yellow Box can write once and compile versions that will run on Mac OS, Windows 95, Windows NT, Rhapsody for PowerPC, and Rhapsody for Intel. The Yellow Box is thus a complete cross-platform development solution.
What this all boils down to is that if all goes as planned (and WWDC showed that things are well on their way), developers will begin writing Yellow Box applications over the next year. Windows and Mac OS users will be able to use those applications right away by installing the free Yellow Box libraries. Users of both platforms will have the option of upgrading to Rhapsody, which is likely to outperform any of today's personal computing operating systems and will continue to run the same applications.
Sound impossible? We saw it at WWDC and several thousand jaws dropped. The myriad of demos included:
-QuickDraw 3D already running on Rhapsody. The application that they showed was written in Java which was a testimonial to the fact that the entire Yellow Box is open to Java.
-The game Quake running under Rhapsody with two QuickTime movies playing in the background
-The Blue Box running a beta version of Mac OS 8 on the Mach kernel. The demo launched four copies of SimpleText each taking up fifty megabytes of memory on a PowerMac that had significantly less RAM, which showed off the advanced virtual memory system inherent in Mach.
-WebObjects assembled a live HTML page that allowed queries and playback from a QuickTime movie database.
-A complete Rhapsody application to play QuickTime movies written before our eyes in around a minute and compiled for both Intel and PowerPC.
WWDC left us and others with much hope for Apple. As a developer, I'm excited about working with a clean API that will easily give me cross-platform capabilities. While Rhapsody won't really reach the hands of the general public until early to mid 1998, all evidence we've seen implies that it will be a powerful and attractive solution.
Live Picture technology occupies a unique and special place in both the history of digital imaging and the day-to-day production of digital images. It is based on a sophisticated mathematical model which is so extraordinarily powerful, and affords such astounding productivity increases, that it sold for almost $4000 per copy when it was released.
The program has an interesting, almost unbelievable history. It was developed by Bruno DeLean, who wrote all of the code in longhand, using pen and paper, while sequestered in the family home in the Pyrennes mountains. The program was not actually put into computer form until he brought his notes down from the mountain.
Live Picture is based on two proprietary technologies, FITS and IVUE. FITS (Functional Interpolating Transformation System) technology stores the image edits (color edits, retouching, image correction, feathering, etc.) as a mathematical representation, which is separate from the pixel data. It stores the editing information which is applied to the IVUE file, which is Live Picture's native file format, and which is produced by converting conventional files. The IVUE file format is composed of a high-resolution image and a set of reduced resolution sub-images called "tiles." The IVUE format is amazingly efficient, making it possible to open and manipulate exceptionally large (100+ MB) images virtually instantly.
When an image is complete, the FITS information is applied to the IVUE file(s) to "build" an image at the designated size and resolution. The Live Picture program is resolution independent, which means that an image of any size or resolution can be generated with no loss of image quality. This means that the user can generate Web page graphics or wide format posters from the same file, without any planning or advance preparation. In addition to this unique output flexibility, the user can undo virtually any action or effect at any time during the creative image assembly process.
The program is capable of performing many operations that are either not possible, or are not reasonable to execute in other image compositing programs. It does so with a minimum memory complement of 18 MB (24 MB recommended), which is a remarkable programming feat. Within this small memory partition the program can open numerous, large-size files and manipulate them in real-time, without the annoyance of the time-consuming progress bar. This degree of responsiveness is what provides the creative impetus for many users.
There is the inevitable comparison of Live Picture to Photoshop. Most professionals will opt to have both...Photoshop for its pixel editing and paint tools and Live Picture for its creative image composition features and high quality output capability.
Live Picture works in a 48-bit color space (Photoshop works in a 24-bit color space) which ensures that images will be free of gradient banding or artifacts. The results of Live Picture's color separations have been independently judged to be superior to those of any produced on a desktop system. In addition, through the use of Apple's ColorSync 2.0 technology, users can Soft Proof the image on their monitor, emulating a particular output device. This feature can be used in real-time so that the monitor shows how the image will print while the user is creating it.
Live Picture does not use floating palettes, thus providing a less cluttered user interface. It operates in one of four context-sensitive modes: insertion, positioning, creative, and view. In the creative mode the user can paint, distort, mask, create paths, and apply effects. The positioning and inserting mode toolbars are similar, except that the positioning mode doesn't have the opacity control. The insertion mode is active when images are inserted, and presents tools for scaling, rotating, skewing, perspective, cropping, positioning, zooming, flipping (horizontally or vertically), and controlling the opacity. The view mode is used to add or edit a "view," which is a preset rectangular area which is used for moving about a large composite image quickly and efficiently.
Images are constructed in Live Picture in layers. Layers are of four major types: Monocolor, Multicolor, Colorize and Artwork. A Monocolor layer contains a single color of paint, which can be changed easily, and which can be displayed at different opacities within the same layer. A Multicolor layers supports multiple colors and multiple opacities, and is similar to the capabilities of conventional paint programs. A Colorize layer is used to change the color of an image. It maintains the contrast of the image, so that the detail remains despite what may be a major change in the image color. Colorize layers can be used to lighten or darken layers which are beneath them. The Artwork layer is a paint layer that supports the application of a range of creative patterns.
There are several other layers that are central to Live Picture's operation. The Image Insertion layers are the principle method through which images are placed for compositing and manipulating. A similar layer is the Image Distortion layer, which contains additional tools for distorting the inserted image. The Image Silhouette layer provides the capability to isolate an object from its background. Such objects can be used like any Image Insertion layer, including its use as a mask for other layers. An Image Clone layer is used to copy parts of an image, usually for the purpose of hiding dust, scratches or other image flaws. The EPS Insertion layer is like the Insertion Layer except that it is reserved for EPS images, and has certain restrictions. The Sharpen/Blur and Sharpen/Blur+ layers affect the sharpness of the layers beneath them and is controlled by the opacity setting. Finally, the Color Correction layer provides for selective correction of a color or range of colors.
Images can only be used if they have been converted into Live Picture's native file format: IVUE. This can be done either individually or in batch mode. Once an image has been inserted it can be positioned manually or through the control bar, which provides precise settings for x and y coordinates, image size, scale, rotation, and skew angles. The program is available at a special price of $199 in anticipation of the release of version 2.6. A special bundle is being offered for $399 which consists of Live Picture 2.5, Live Picture XT (the QuarkXPress Xtension), the book, "Live Picture Revealed," the FASTedit/IVUE plug-in for Photoshop, and a free upgrade to version 2.6.
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4liv.jpg>
Live Picture, 5617 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite 180, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, 408 430-4315, <http://www.livepicture.com>, fax: 408 438-9604.
The professional typesetting industry has been segmented into many niche markets. Among the most demanding is advertising typography, which is responsible for producing aesthetic as well as functional typesetting. Each form of typesetting has its own peculiar requirements and challenges, and although some forms of typesetting may have a considerable amount of complex technical composition, it is, nonetheless, often part of lengthy straight matter, which provides a mix of sophisticated and relatively simple typesetting. Advertising typography, on the other hand, is almost always varied, complicated, and time-consuming. It is also very time-sensitive, requiring quick turnaround time and sufficient flexibility to make last-minute changes. Most desktop publishing programs don't provide any special tools for composing complex advertising, nor do they have features that support ad make-up and management. One specialized program that excels in meeting the needs of ad composition is Multi-Ad Creator 4.0 for the Macintosh.
The Creator Environment. Creator is well-named because it offers the user all of the tools that are necessary to compose and modify complex ads. The menu system and the tool palettes, like those of most Macintosh applications, are fairly intuitive. A skilled operator can exercise a high degree of productivity after a brief training period.
The creation of an ad begins with the selection of an ad size. Ad sizes may be specified in a number of industry-accepted sizes, such as Standard Advertising Units (SAU) or Television Magazine Advertising Units (TMAU), or may be customized to suit a particular layout.
Ads are composed characteristically of many graphic and text elements which may be drawn from multiple sources. Creator uses a simple dialog box to add elements to the Files list palette or to place them directly in the ad space. This method of collecting many graphic and text files at one time makes the composition process more fluid and fast-paced.
Although text may be composed prior to composition, and usually is, Creator provides text tools for composing text as needed. A spellchecker is provided to ensure accuracy, as well as a thesaurus, for enlivening dull copy.
The Tool Palette. The Tool Palette holds the tools that are used to construct various ad elements, such as text and graphic shapes (such as boxes and lines), and manipulate elements by rotating or cropping them. The f/x tool is used to create special effects such as custom display typography, or a special background or gradient fill. The f/x effect dialog box presents a number of control options.
A special border can be created by double-clicking on the border tool. This results in the display of the Choose Border dialog box which contains a number of ready-made borders. New borders can be created, or existing borders may be edited, by using the Border Editor, which is selected from the Ad menu.
The Starburst tool presents a very easy way to create a starburst element, a common part of many ads.
Special Ad Creation Capabilities. A program of the complexity of Creator can not be described adequately in a brief review such as this. The reader is advised that only the major program features are highlighted.
The ad border and an optional fill are controlled with the Ad Border & Fill dialog box which is accessed from the Ad Menu.
Ads are often made of repetitive elements, such as boxes. A matrix of boxes can be composed easily by using the Make Matrix dialog box.
A number of typographic controls are available to customize the appearance of text. Creator also has controls to adjust size and leading interactively, and to copyfit text in a given area.
Among the most useful of Creator capabilities is the ability to record, automatically, the components of a style, and then to apply that style repeatedly. The recorded style appears in the Style Palette, and can be applied by highlighting the target text and then applying the required style. This feature alone can justify the purchase of the program in situations involving ads containing columns of mixed composition. Heretofore the only reasonable way to automate the composition of mixed text was through the use of typographic coding.
The elements contained in an ad can be reworked in new layouts so that the compositor can present alternate treatments to the client. Creator also has an amazing ability to rework ads itself by using the Rules for Suggest dialog box. In either case, the ad compositor can derive an exceptional degree of satisfaction by seeing the ad elements arranged in a number of alternative ways.
All-in-all, Creator 4.0 offers a complete ad make-up environment suitable for most commercial applications. Ads can be printed directly from the program for manual paste-up, or exported in a form that can be composed in other desktop publishing programs. $995
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4cre.jpg>
Multi-Ad Services, Inc., 1720 West Detweiller Dr., Peoria, IL 61615-1695, 309 692-1530, <http://www.multi-ad.com>, Internet: corporate@multi-ad.com, fax: 309 692-6566.
Timbuktu Pro 3.0 is the latest version of what is the best method to remotely control a computer. We have used Timbuktu since it was introduced, and it has always performed as advertised. Macintosh and Windows users can connect via modem or network to control or observe another computer, transfer files (in either direction), or converse (chat) with another user. This latest version enhances its fundamental mission in several ways.
A remote session appears in its own window on the user's desktop. In a network set-up the user can simultaneously connect to multiple computers. Users can perform virtually any operation remotely, making telecommuting and peer collaboration practical. Users can also arrange sessions whereby they will be informed when a remote user comes on-line, and can also ask for permission to connect to a user with whom they did not arrange to connect to in advance.
Among the main uses that we have for Timbuktu are:
* Accessing our office computer from home. This provides access to the office network, access to email, access to programs only residing remotely, access to files needed at home, and placement of files from home on the remote system.
* Running PC applications from a Mac, or viceversa. We can run programs remotely and copy any text or graphics via a common clipboard.
* Balancing work by off-loading time-intensive operations to a computer which is not used to capacity.
* Taking control of a colleague's or student's computer to show how to perform an operation, or to solve a problem.
* Performing system administration by installing or updating software, testing performance, removing unneed applications, making back-ups, etc.
$199
Farallon Communications, Inc., 2470 Mariner Square Loop, Alameda, California 94501, (510) 814-5100, <http://www.farallon.com>, e-mail: info@farallon.com, fax: (510) 814-5023.
OAK (MAC) (*)
The Online Army Knife version 1.1 is a set of tools which are particularly useful to computer users who spend a significant amount of their time online. The tools include a spell checker which is accessible from any application; format converters that handle most common graphic and sound file formats; a compact but capable text editor; and an application launcher that can access programs and documents by user-selectable hot-key assignments, or can be set to launch applications at specified times.
Each of the tools has its own features...and overall, OAK is very feature rich. The spell checker, which is the cornerstone of the tool set, is exceptionally fast, checking about 8,000 words per second on an 80Mhz PowerMac 7100. It provides true batch processing (the first MacOS spellchecker to do so) and also detects potential grammatical errors. The glossary feature supports the use of shorthand, so that a short series of characters can be expanded automatically to a given word string.
Anyone who has experienced a system crash while typing will appreciate the Key Saver option which records every keyboarded character to a file. The file is saved with no apparent speed degradation, and the user can set an automatic file deletion interval to remove old files.
The program is integrated with the Web, so that any selected Web address within a text passage can be used to connect with that page using the user's browser. Text can also be made Internet-compliant by doing such housekeeping tasks as converting the trademark symbol to (TM). $128
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4oak.jpg>
JEM Software, 7578 Lamar Ct., Arvada, CO 80003, 800 335-0935, <http://arielpub.com/jem.html>, fax: 303 422-4856.
OmniPage Pro Version 7 (MAC/WIN) (*)
OmniPage Pro Version 7 is the best of class in the category of optical character recognition (OCR). It is unsurpassed for accuracy, providing accurate processing of photocopies, poor faxes, and even degraded originals. The program incorporates several advanced technologies which support its high level of accuracy. These include OCR Training to teach the program to recognize speical characters and symbols; Quadratic Neural Network, which distinguishes character properties; 3D OCR which utilizes grayscale information to recognize hard-to-read characters; Language Analyst, which uses dictionary look-up to check spelling; AccuPage 2.0, which provides better recognition for H-P ScanJet scanners; AnyFont Technology, which recognizes a wide range of font types, sizes, and styles; and AnyFax, which disconnects joined or jagged characters to make them recognizable.
Version 7 is a major upgrade of the world's best selling OCR software, providing an enhanced autoOCR Toolbar, the industry's first OCR Wizard, and support for saving output in a variety of word processing, spreadsheet, and other text-based formats. The Windows 95 version incorporates OCR Aware, which allows OmniPage Pro to be accessed from within native Windows 95 text-based applications. The program integrates seamlessly with MS Exchange to convert received faxes into editable text. Other file integration is provided for images, in that the user can double-click on a graphic in a scanned image and edit it in any OLE-compliant image editor.
The new version improves on the True Page technology which retains the original format of the text and graphics. New to version 7 is the Remove Frames on Export option which reduces the number of "frames," thus providing free-flowing columns. Another productivity enhancement is Schedule OCR, which lets the user process document images, or scan documents at a convenient time. The documents are then automatically zoned, OCRed, and saved.
A good example of the flexibility provided with version 7 is the HTML output capability, which produces pages that can be processed in any HTML editor. This option lets users convert paper documents into Web-ready documents with no coding.
It is, very simply, the most powerful, yet easy-to-use OCR program on the market. We give it our highest recommendation. $499
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4pag.jpg>
Caere Corp., 100 Cooper Court, Los Gatos, CA 05030, 408 395-7000, 800 535-7226, http://www.caere.com, fax: 408 354-2743.
Vortex 3.0 (WIN) (*)
Vortex 3.0 is the first program to offer a tangible solution to the general condition of information overload. Vortex can materially improve anyone's productivity by providing them with a new means of reading on the screen. What the program does is flash individual words on the screen, in the user's choice of typeface, size and color (text, background, foreground), at speeds of up to 2000 words per minute. This rapid display of words trains the user to read at ever increasing rates, with comprehension. Such potential speeds are impressive given that the normal adult reading speed is 240 words per minute.
Vortex can read any text file, as well as MS Word 7.0. It can also work from within Eudora, to display email messages, which it can queue for continuous reading. Type sizes up to 3000 points can be set for viewing at a distance, or to support visually impaired users.
It is believed that Vortex works by using the part of the brain that is normally used for speech, rather than the area used for reading. The words are flashed so fast that only the reader's subconscious mind can perceive them. This process eliminates the time-consuming process of verbalizing each word before comprehending it. However it works, it does work. It is worth a visit to the Tenax Web site to see it in action using a plug-in version called "Cornix." $79.95
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4vor.jpg>
Tenax Software Engineering, 2103 Harrison Ave., NW, Suite 141, Olympia, WA 98502, voice/fax: 360 866-1686, <http://www.halcyon.com/chigh/vortex.html>, e-mail: chigh@halcyon.com.
OmniForm (MAC/WIN) (*)
First and foremost, the conversion of paper forms into digital forms helps individuals and businesses to automate data entry. Data stored in OmniForm can be exported to popular database programs such as FileMaker and Excel. But no less important is the desktop publishing advantage of producing a computer version of a paper form for modification and reproduction. The Scrapbook feature of the program lets users store form elements, such as tables, combs and logos, for reuse, by dragging and dropping them into a new form design.
Forms which are converted using OmniForm can be distributed to others for on-line fill-in using other copies of OmniForm, or a less expensive program called OmniForm Filler, which performs only this function. In addition, forms processed with OmniForm can be posted on the Web using the OmniForm Internet Publisher.
OmniForm contains a number of features which support the processing of accurate information. These include spell checking, searching and sorting, and easy importing of data from any database using tab-delimited files. All in all, an excellent program. $349
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4omn.jpg>
Caere Corp., 100 Cooper Court, Los Gatos, CA 05030, 408 395-7000, 800 535-7226, http://www.caere.com, fax: 408 354-2743.
MailArchiver (MAC) (*)
MailArchiver is a mail management tool that links a user's mail from a program like Claris Emailer or Qualcomm's Eudora, to a Claris FileMaker Pro database. The benefit of having mail available in a FileMaker database is that it can be searched easily and quickly, and can be archived in a more manageable way. The program automatically polls designated folders which hold the user's mail messages, and moves them to their target database files within FileMaker Pro. The user sets the frequency by which the transfers are made, and the entire process takes place in the background. An interesting feature is that a user can make his or her mail archive available for searching on the Web, using the free Lasso Lite CGI, also from BlueWorld. This makes it possible for someone on the road to always have complete access to their personal mail archive from any Web connection worldwide. $119
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4mai.jpg>
Blue World Communications, 1619 215th Place, Southeast Issaquah, WA 98029, 206 313-1051, <http://http://www.blueworld.com/lasso/>, email: sales@blueworld.com, fax: 206 313-1056.
KPT Actions is a Photoshop plug-in that lets artists and designers utilize the new Actions recordable feature in Photoshop 4. The software controls the scripting of the filter set in Kai's Power Tools 3 and provides a set of 100 preset scripts producing buttons, backgrounds, frames, Web objects and text effects. $49.95
Metatools, Inc., 6303 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013, 805 566-6200, Internet: kptsupport@aol.com, WWW: http://www.metatools.com, fax: 805 566-6385.
Live Picture XT (MAC)
Live Picture XT is a QuarkXPress extension that provides users with advanced viewing and output capabilities. The extension utilizes the imaging technology that is at the heart of Live Picture. With such sophisticated science the user can scale, rotate and zoom up to 1200% in real-time without pixellation or image degradation. Users can accurately position text and graphics with unprecedented precision.
The software provides color separation tables and the capability to apply unsharp masking from within QuarkXPress. In addition the software supports OPI+ as well as direct conversion of TIFF, Photo CD, Scitex CT, EPS, DCS, and Photoshop. $195
Live Picture, 5617 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite 180, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, 408 430-4315, <http://www.livepicture.com>, fax: 408 438-9604.
Live Picture Overdrive (MAC)
Overdrive version 1.0 is a subset of Live Picture, providing Photoshop users with the capability to perform precise image editing and compositing. It provides unprecedented control, and supports an unlimited number of layers. $195
Live Picture, 5617 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite 180, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, 408 430-4315, <http://www.livepicture.com>, fax: 408 438-9604.
Xante's FilmPac system is the first to provide printing and proofing capabilities, camera-ready art, direct-to-film processing, and direct-to-plate printing in one prepress solution. The system includes Xante's PlateMaker II and FilmStar. The PlateMaker II uses Negative Enhanced Imaging Technology (NEIT) to produce quality negative or positive images on polyester plates. In addition, images printed on Myriad Film in the PlateMaker II can be converted to negative or positive film by inserting them into the FilmStar. FilmStar uses a reagent to blacken the printer's toner, increasing its density, and creating film. FilmPac systems range from $5890 to $8390.
Xante Corp., 2559 Emogene St., Mobile, AL 36606, 334 476-8189, fax: 334 476-9421.
Schoolhouse Fonts (MAC/WIN)
Two font collections have been released for the purpose of teaching handwriting. Schoolhouse fonts are designed after the two prevalent methods for teaching handwriting: Zaner-Bloser and D'Nealian. Each set includes printed, cursive, and connected cursive fonts. The connected fonts, when used with a special utility, reproduce the variations in letter shapes and connections depending on neighboring letters...just as it occurs in real handwriting. $69.95
Signature Software, Inc., 489 N. 8th St., Suite 201, Hood River, OR 97031, 503 386-3221, Internet: info@signaturesoftware.com, WWW: www.signaturesoftware.com, fax: 503 386-3229.
ScriptWorks RIP (ALL)
Harlequin and Autologic Information International (AII) have passed a major test of the TIFF-IT-P1 data file format at Time Inc. The implementation of TIFF/IT-P1 is a prelude to a major change in the way that Time Inc. is planning to produce its NY-based magazines (Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, Money, and Life). The use of TIFF/IT-P1 has made it possible for Time Inc. to accept advertising content from high-end color electronic prepress systems and process it as digital files on open platform desktop systems.
TIFF/IT-P1 stands for Tag Image File Format for Image Technology. The "P1" or "Profile One" component was added when the ANSI standard was accepted by the International Standards Organization for consideration as an international standard.
In the test, Time Inc. supplied advertising pages in the TIFF/IT-P1 format, and then rendered them on a Harlequin ScriptWorks-based RIP running on a Digital Alpha server for output to film on an AII 3810 imagesetter.
According to Frank Scott, Director of Prepress Development at Time Inc., "We're standardizing on TIFF/IT-P1 because it is reliable, predictable and consistent, and therefore solves an important workflow problem. Because all of the components of a page are handled by TIFF/IT-P1 at the prepress stage, I don't have to worry about missing content when the pages are produced."
Harlequin Inc., One Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, 617 374-2400, <http://www.harlequin.com>, fax: 617 252-6505.
Photogear Volume 10: Texturework is a collection of 30 high resolution background images created by using the surface tension that is produced when acrylics are mixed with soap. The 9" x 11.5" RGB TIFF royalty-free images, produced by designer Gary Bozeman, are provided in three resolutions: 2390 x 3060 pixels, 1060 x 1330 pixels, and 280 x 360 pixels. $79.99
Image Club Graphics, Suite 800 - 833 Fourth Avenue Southwest, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 3T5, 800 661-9410, Internet: rsixto@adobe.com,
Roadside Resources 3.0 (MAC)
Roadside Resources 3.0: The BMUG Internet Collection is chock full of freeware and shareware Internet utilities. It includes electronic versions of six complete Internet books, plus excerpts from another dozen. $24
BMUG, Inc., 1442A Walnut St., No. 62, Berkeley, CA 94709-1496, 510 549-2684, 800 776-2684, <http://www.bmug.org>, fax: 510 849-9026.
Royalty-Free Image Collections (MAC/WIN)
Several collections of royalty-free images have been packaged in attractive multiple CD sets. These collections cover a wide range of subjects, and consist of a variety of image types (photographs, illustrations, line art, grayscale, engravings, patterns, motifs, symbols, backgrounds, textures, objects, frames, and surfaces).
Image Ideas Inc., 105 West Beaver Creek Rd., Suite 5, Richmond Hill, Ontario, CN L4B 1C6, 905 709-1600, 888 238-1600, <http://www.image-ideas.com>, e-mail: info@image-ideas.com, fax: 905 709-1625.
StockPix (MAC/WIN)
A collection of 10 CDs, each with 100 images has been released by Stockpix, an Irish stock supplier. Prospective buyers and software resellers qualify for a free 96-page color catalog and a 1000 image CD sampler ($10 postage required).
StockPix, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, 353 (0) 66 22808, <http://www.stockpix-photos.com>, e-mail: info@stockpix-photos.com, fax: 353 (0) 66 27088.
Yamaha CDR400 (MAC/WIN)
The Yamaha CDR400 is the world's first 4X/6X CD Recorder, making it the world's fastest read/write CD Recorder on the market. The unit features Yamaha's RapidLinked high performance variable and fixed packet writing; has a 2MB buffer to eliminate buffer overrun; and has flash ROM for downloadable firmware upgrades. The unit is available in tray or caddy loading versions with either SCSI or ATAPI interface. $849
Yamaha has charted its recordable disc strategy into the next century. CD-R 4x6 will evolve to CD-RW 4x2x6 in mid-1997; CD-R/RW High Speed will appear in early 1998 and will evolve to CD-RW Super Speed in early 1999, and then CD-RW Ultra Speed in 2000. DVD-R will be released in late 1998 and will become DVD-RAM in 2000 and Ultra High Capacity Disc in 2001.
Yamaha Systems Technology, Inc., 100 Century Center Court, San Jose, CA 95112, 408 467-2300, <http://www.yamaha.com>, fax: 408 437-8791.
Serving video on the Web is problematical due to the large size of digital video files, and the need to download all or most of the video before the user can begin viewing it. This problem has been addressed with VivoActive Producer, which compresses AVI and QuickTime videos by as much as 200:1, without the use of specialized hardware or expensive server software. VivoActive Producer makes it possible to stream video to a user's browser so that it begins playing almost immediately, even over a modem connection. It's sort of like stepping into a shower rather than waiting for a bath.
Users compress videos using a simple and speedy conversion process, with user-selectable options. These compressed low-bathwidth streaming video and audio files can be embedded into standard Web pages using standard HTML commands. The file format uses standard HTTP, so it is treated like any other Web data type. Free VivoActive Player software, in the form of an Internet browser plug-in, is available for Windows and Macintosh users of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Well over 1000 Web sites include VivoActivated videos including CNN, MSNBC, HBO, BBC, and C/NET. This is a fairly remarkable record considering that the software has only been commercially available since September, 1996. $695
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4viv.jpg>
Vivo Software, Inc., 411 Waverly Oaks Road, Suite 313, Waltham, MA 02154, 617 899-8900, 800-VIVO-411, <http://www.vivo.com>, email: info@vivo.com, fax: 617 899-1400.
Web Buddy 1.1 (MAC/PC) (*)
Web Buddy 1.1 is a useful utility for grabbing any number of pages from a Web site (up to the entire site) and storing them for off-line viewing. This can be useful for any number of reasons, all of which are related to the need to read Web pages without an active Web connection. What distinguishes this program from others with similar capabilities is that it can translate Web pages (text and graphics) into a file format compatible with popular word processors. This makes it possible to view, edit, and perhaps, most importantly, print, all or part of a site. In addition the program supports flexible scheduling, so that Web pages can be captured and delivered according to the user's personal timetable. $39.95
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4web.jpg>
Dataviz, 55 Corporate Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611, 203 268-0030
<http://www.dataviz.com>, email: info@dataviz.com, fax: 203 268-4345.
The proliferation of URL's and email addresses scattered throughout the documents we read every day often make it hard to sift through a file to find the name, address, or URL we're looking for. Data Ratchet is a Control Strip module that aims to make this process easier by taking advantage of contextual analysis, a hot research topic.
To use Data Ratchet, you simply select some text and copy it to the clipboard. Clicking on the Data Ratchet module in the Control Strip shows you a popup menu containing all of the URL's, email addresses, phone numbers, and names contained in the text on the clipboard. You can then copy one or more back to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.
Data Ratchet will quickly become a useful tool as soon as you install it. Being a Control Strip module, makes it convenient and less prone to crashes than extensions. A free demo version of Data Ratchet is available from the MacSpigot web site. $19.
Contact: Benjamin_Garrett@Brown.edu, MacSpigot Software. <http://macspigot.netspace.org>
The BMUG PD-ROM: Spring 97 (MAC)
The BMUG PD-ROM: Spring 97 contains over 600MB of publicly distributable software in the following categories: business (36MB), educational (27MB), entertainment (97MB), graphics (55MB), Internet (65MB), programming (53MB), multimedia (51MB), telecom (20MB), utility (136MB), and updaters and demos (16MB). $29
BMUG, Inc., 1442A Walnut St., No. 62, Berkeley, CA 94709-1496, 510 549-2684, 800 776-2684, <http://www.bmug.org>, fax: 510 849-9026.
The BMUG Utilities ROM (MAC)
The BMUG Utilities ROM contains over 200MB of shareware and freeware utilities that are of everyday usefulness. They are organized in the following categories: desktop tools, digital media tools, disk tools, encoding and compression, file tools, printing, productivity tools, resource tools, screen savers, security and encryption, and system tools. $12
BMUG, Inc., 1442A Walnut St., No. 62, Berkeley, CA 94709-1496, 510 549-2684, 800 776-2684, <http://www.bmug.org>, fax: 510 849-9026.
Texture Creator 2.0 provides a texture creation workshop capable of producing an unlimited number of unique photorealistic 3D textures for Web site backgrounds and buttons, presentations, games, multimedia, and graphic applications. Textures are composed of four properties: lighting; shader layers (which may consist of a material (such as wood, marble, granite, etc.), a color, and a blend; geometry (which determines the shape of the computer "knife" which slices across a layer of the material; and the edge, which can be round, beveled, flat, or none.
A texture may have up to seven layers, each of which may be modified to an infinite degree by the user. The layers are like transparent sheets of mylar which may be sandwiched together to form a design. The program includes a gallery of 200 preset textures, all of which can be modified. In addition the user can use the helpful Texture Wizard, which leads the user through the texture creation process along a virtually effortless path. $129.99
Screen Shot: <http://www.printerport.com/kdp/issues/art/v2n4tex.jpg>
Three D Graphics, 1801 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90067-5908, 800 913-0008, <http://www.threedgraphics.com>, e-mail: info@threedgraphics.com, fax: 310 788-8975.
The BMUG Plug-In ROM (MAC)
The BMUG Plug-In ROM contains a large collection of Netscape plug-ins in the following categories: 3D display, animation, chat, image compression, information management, multimedia, music, networks, readers, science, sound, vector graphics, and viewers. $12
BMUG, Inc., 1442A Walnut St., No. 62, Berkeley, CA 94709-1496, 510 549-2684, 800 776-2684, <http://www.bmug.org>, fax: 510 849-9026.
Vertigo 3D Dizzy (MAC)
Vertigo 3D Dizzy provides the capability to bring 3D models into Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe PhotoDeluxe. Users can load 3D models and change their size, lighting effects and position in 3D space. The program supports Apple's QuickDraw 3D and LightWork renderer. Users can view models in dot, wireframe, solid and shaded mode to see immediately how the 3D element will appear in a design. $88
Vertigo Technology Inc., 842 Thurlow St., Suite 300, Vancouver, BC, CN V6E 1W2, 604 684-2113, <http://www.vertigo.com>, e-mail: info@vertigo.bc.ca, fax: 604 684-2108.
Deneba has announced a new computer aided design tool which integrates 2D drafting, 3D modeling, and photorealistic rendering. The program incorporates several astonishing features, including: sixteen decimal place precision; SmartMouse, which automatically and precisely identifies relevant snaps, interections, tangents and parallels; 2-D shape conversion into polygons, B-splines, and rounded polygons; sweep, segment or extrusion of 2-D objects or models; highly-featured rendered views with walk through or fly over in QuickTime, QuickTime VR and Stereoscopic 3-D; and a complete and powerful array of tools. $795
Deneba Software, 7400 SW 87th Ave., Miami, FL 33173, 305 596-5644, 800-6-CANVAS, <http://www.deneba.com>, fax: 305 273-9069.
Adobe Staff
A well-organized course composed of nine lessons devoted to learning how to use Adobe Persuasion. The cross-platform CD-ROM contains the source and finished files for each lesson, images that can be used in user-designed presentations, and a learning resource guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. 1-56830-316-5 195 pp. $40.00
Adobe Press, Prentice Hall, 113 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating an HTML Web Page, The; Second Edition
McFedries, Paul
This book about the Web is supported by its own Web site: http://www.mcfedries.com/books/cightml/, an accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM, links to Web pages created by readers of the first edition, a mailing list (listmanager@mcfedries.com), and the author's e-mail address (paul@mcfedries.com). The book leads the reader through all of the steps necessary to build a basic Web site. It proceeds slowly and methodically, introducing added complexity with numerous examples and illustrations. The CD-ROM includes all of the HTML examples from the book, utilities, HTML editors, and more. 0-7897-1146-X 328 pp. $24.99
Que Corporation, 11711 North College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032.
Weinman, Lynda
A power-packed collection of tips, suggestions, and step-by-step tutorials showing how to prepare effective, attention-getting graphics for the World Wide Web. The author presents the technical considerations for preparing graphics that appear quickly and display appropriately on any platform. Other major sections deal with using Photoshop 4; using multimedia (music, animation, movies); authoring for WebTV, using effective typography; and creating client-side imagemaps. 1-56205-715-4 447 pp. $55
New Riders Publishing, P.O. Box 4846-V, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Director Power Solutions
Battikha, Jihad et al
A collection of high-end techniques gathered from a team of Director experts. The chapters include topics covering the use of Shockwave, external and internal casts, incorporating QuickTime, Lingo routines, using Photoshop to process 3D elements, advanced techniques for working with palettes and sound, and more. The book is supported by a Web site. 1-56205-665-4 454 pp. $39.99
New Riders Publishing, P.O. Box 4846-V, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Fundamental Photoshop 4: A Complete Guide, Third Edition
Greenberg, Adele Drobas; Seth Greenberg
This guide uses a Web-based Photoshop image bank to involve the reader in numerous step-by-step tutorials which address techniques for creating, digitizing and manipulating Photoshop images. The book covers almost all program commands and menus, and pays particular attention to features which are new to version 4.0. 007882277-7 896 pp. $34.99
Osborne McGraw-Hill, 2600 Tenth St., Berkeley, CA 94710.
Holo-Pack/Holo-Print Guidebook
The ultimate compilation of information regarding all aspects of the holographic industry. This book not only includes case studies, but shows samples of the actual holograms that are described. Other chapters cover the techniques and procedures used in designing and producing holograms; the production steps required to make, convert and finish holograms; and security and authentication issues.
0 9524 5830 6 225 pp. $87.50
Reconnaissance Holographics Ltd., Runnymede Malthouse, Runnymede Road, Egham, Surrey TW20 9BD, England.
Reconnaissance International, 825 East Tufts Ave., Cherry Hills Village, CO 80110, 303 237-4010, fax: 303 274-9874.
One-A-Day Web Page Wake-Ups!
Raucci, Richard
365 easy-to-follow tips, all aimed at improving and freshening the appearance and performance of Web pages (without programming). Sections deal with handling content, graphics, navigation, frames, frames, multimedia, browsers, site promotion, newsgroups and FAQs, HTML, and special characters and graphic elements.
1-56276-490-X 449 pp. $24.99
Ziff-Davis Press, Macmillan Computer Publishing USA, 5903 Christie Ave., Emeryville, CA 94608.
Teach Yourself VRML2 in 21 Days
Marrin, Chris; Bruce Campbell
A complete technical guide to the VRML 2 specification, written in part by one of its chief architects, Chris Marrin. The book details how to build a virtual 3D world for display on the World Wide Web. The cross-platform CD-ROM contains the source code and project files described in the book as well as demo versions of third-party software products. 1-57521-193-9 479 pp. $39.99
Sams, 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.
Web Multimedia Development
Miller, David
A treasure of information and resources describing and demonstrating Web multimedia technologies, including Shockwave, RealAudio, QuickTime, Java applets, video conferencing, MIDI, VRML, and more. The book includes step-by-step tutorials covering the deployment of several of these technologies, from the simple to the complex. The cross-platform CD-ROM includes all of the project examples from the book as well as over 400 megabytes of demo and shareware software. 1-56205-683-2 649 pp. $44.99
New Riders Publishing, P.O. Box 4846-V, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Web Publishing Electronic Resource Kit
Various authors
A complete cross-platform electronic library in Adobe Acrobat PDF format comprised of over 10,000 pages from 14 books. The package includes three CD-ROMs, plus the printed text for Web Publishing Unleashed, Professional Reference Edition by William R. Stanek. Topics represented in the electronic library include HTML 3.2, CGI, FrontPage, Graphics and Web Page Design, ActiveX, VBScript, Scripting, Java, JavaScript, Perl 5, and Web Animation. The CD-ROMs also include browser software, editors, graphic utilities, sample scripts and applications, and more. 1-57521-265-X 10,000+ pp. $89.99
Macmillan Computer Publishing, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290.
World Wide Web 1997 Unleashed
December, John
An epic tome covering all aspects of the World Wide Web including what it is, how it works, how to connect to it, how to navigate through it, how to explore it, how to plan a Web site, how to build a Web site, and how to publish a Web site. The book includes both a cross-platform CD-ROM with web browsers, HTML editors, Java resources, utilities, and an electronic library covering Netscape and Internet Explorer, and access to the author's Web site containing updated information (http://www.december.com/works/wwwu.html). 1-57521-184-X 1226 pp. $49.99.
Sams, 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.
**********
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Apple Quietly Captures 100% of the Market at WWDC
Feature Review: Live Picture 2.5 (MAC) (*)
DTP Reviews
Multi-Ad Creator (MAC) (*)
Productivity Reviews
Timbuktu Pro 3.0 (MAC/PC)
OmniForm combines OCR, page layout, and database capability in a single unique product. It performs an important role in integrating the flow of paper into a computer system by converting a scanned business form into its computer equivalent, with live fields, instantaneous field calculations, and an accurate form image. The program is an incredible software engineering feat, made possible in part by the OmniPage Pro OCR engine, which produces a form's text not only in editable form, but in a reasonable format equivalent of the original. This means that the converted fonts will approximate the originals in size and location. In addition, all form fields, which are depicted by lines, boxes, or combs, will be processed into their on-screen equivalents.
Addition / Extension Reviews
KPT Actions (MAC/WIN)
Printing Reviews
FilmPac (ALL)
CD-ROM Reviews
Photogear Volume 10: Texturework (MAC/WIN)
Internet Reviews
VivoActive Producer (MAC/WIN) (*)
Utility Reviews
Data Ratchet 1.0 (MAC)
MultiMedia Reviews
Texture Creator 2.0 (MAC/WIN) (*)
Misc. News and Reviews
DenebaCAD (MAC)
Book Reviews
Classroom in a Book: Adobe Persuasion 4.0
A Word From Our Sponsors
Copyright and Distribution Information
