----------------------------------------------------------------------- = Next Page = Next Line = Quit This text can be printed with a word processor, or by typing the following command in a Shell window: Copy [Path:]PPaint.txt PRT: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal Paint 6.1 / 1995 (CD-ROM Demo Version) Personal Paint is a powerful and intuitive paint, image processing, animation and 24-bit printing package. Employ stunning effects like transparencies, emboss, water-colors and stereograms (as in "Magic Eye"), while virtual memory frees precious Chip RAM by using other storage resources! Plus: support of RTG graphics cards, different file formats (IFF, GIF, PCX, encrypted, C source code, DataTypes etc.), nine brushes, two independent working environments, multi-level Undo/Redo, animation storyboard, Bézier curves, autoscroll painting, professional color reduction, superior text editor, color fonts, PostScript output, screen grabber... New features of Personal Paint 6.1 / 1995 include: Animation (featuring a storyboard, superior compression, multiple palettes, frame-by-frame timing, ANIM-5/7/8 and hybrid formats, etc.) Sophisticated "behind the scenes" Memory Management, including virtual memory (swaps inactive image data to Fast RAM and disk storage) and multiple levels of undo and redo. New, faster image processing effects, including transparencies, alpha channel and single image stereograms (both SIRDS and custom pattern stereograms, as in "Magic Eye") Support of Retargetable Graphics (display cards like the Picasso, Retina, Piccolo, Rainbow, EGS, Talon etc.) Direct, high quality 24-bit printing (Color and Black & White) and interface to third-party software such as Studio Print Server Professional conversion of IFF24, PCX24, HAM & HAM8 to 256 colors HAM and HAM8 viewer active during color reduction Loading of files through Amiga DataTypes (JPEG, BMP etc.) Support and editing of IFF and GIF project annotations (Author, Copyright and Comment fields, plus Amiga filenotes) Autoscroll painting Workbench Application Icon (Drag and Drop) ASL-compatible file requester More power through machine language code: the software is in part up to 500% faster "New Look" user interface A collection of utilities, including color fonts, new DeskJet printer drivers (up to four inks), JPEG DataType and GIF24 library. We are continuing to invest in the Amiga in a very difficult moment. Your support is more precious than ever. If you like this piece of software, please make sure that you use an original copy. And if you have any suggestions, we would like to hear from you. Thank you. (Distributor and Cloanto contact information appears at the end of this file.) Personal Paint may be launched with a double-click on its Workbench icon, on any Amiga with 1 Mbyte of RAM (ideally, Chip RAM). This disk contains several animations and images. Personal Paint automatically reduces the number of colours of an image if the computer on which it is loaded does not have an AGA (Advanced Graphics Architecture) chip set, or an RTG (Retargetable Graphics) compatible display board. In case of colour reduction, the "Settings/Colour Remapping/Floyd-Steinberg" option usually gives the best results. Most pictures in the "CloantoSW" drawer were entirely created with Personal Paint. "NewPPaint.pic" shows, among other things, practical applications of Palette Merge and Color Average Resize (used to scale and combine all items), Color Quantization (applied to 24-bit images), Gradient Fill and Alpha Channel (used to create the shadow) and various other image processing effects. It is very easy to explore Personal Paint by choosing from the variety of menus and gadgets. It is recommended to make a backup copy of the program disk before experimenting with functions which write data. The gadgets on the tool bar which is displayed on the left of the screen may respond differently depending on the pointer's position over the gadget (upper or lower half), the mouse button which is used (left or right), and the number of mouse clicks (cycle gadgets). For example, the tool to the right of the "a" text editing symbol activates the image processing functions. If it is selected with the right mouse button, a requester appears to select different image processing options. The area on which image processing is to be applied can be delimited by dragging the mouse (i.e. moving it while the left button is held down). For more information on upgrades and other Cloanto products, please contact the local distributors named at the end of this file. To take advantage of product upgrades, don't forget to mail the registration card which comes with each original product. E-mail registration forms are also enclosed on the disks. Viewing Stereograms Important: Single image stereograms have recently become very popular through posters and best-selling books (e.g. "Magic Eye", "Stereogram" and "3D Wonderland" series). Personal Paint uses some of the most recent and effective stereogram generation techniques, although the first papers dealing with this subject have been published more than 30 years ago. Since stereograms were first used for scientific visualization and in medical tests, research has been conducted on potential side effects of humans viewing such images. Not only have no harmful effects been discovered, but the techniques used for viewing single image stereograms are also sometimes employed for eye training. While even reading a textbook may cause eye strain and mental fatigue, we believe that it remains prudent to consider that crossing eyes, merging two different views into one and separating focusing from convergence are all actions which do not occur frequently in a natural environment. People with ametropia (e.g. hypermetropia or astigmatism) may tire more easily when viewing these images. Also, some optometrists have advised that people with autonomic ataxia and those at the beginning of farsightedness caused by age should avoid attempting naked eyed 3D viewing. What is a single image stereogram? It is a single picture containing different information for the left and right eye. When the eyes look at the picture "normally", the hidden clues cannot be recognized. However, when each eye looks at a different spot on the picture (which is what happens when the eyes pretend to look at an object positioned before or beyond the picture), after some adjusting, matching patterns can be recognized. Acting on eye convergence and divergence, the differences in the pattern provide the brain with depth information. While other methods use polarized light or colored glasses to separate the images, single image stereograms can be seen by focusing on a point which is either between the eyes and the picture (cross-eyed style), or much farther away than the picture (parallel style). Some stereograms can be seen in one of the two styles only. Most stereograms have two reference symbols on top of the picture, to ease proper adjusting. When you stare at the page out of focus, the two symbols may appear as four. This is because the eyes do not converge on the same image, and thus see "double". Now slowly adjust your eyes until the two inner symbols overlap, so that you see a total of three symbols. This is the appropriate convergence to see the stereogram. Slowly move your eyes downwards. You should soon begin to recognize some shapes, which your eyes will be able to focus on. The process can be initiated, for example, either by bringing a finger close to your eyes and moving it, or by imagining to concentrate on something very distant (e.g. mountains or clouds), or by putting the picture to the nose, and then slowly moving it forward, leaving the eyes unfocussed. It is very important that the page be perfectly flat and horizontal. All edges should have about the same distance from your face. Try and resist the temptation to focus on the monitor (or paper). Once the brain begins to merge the two images, focusing will slowly follow automatically. Some people experience more difficulties than others when seeing a stereogram for the first time. Here is what William C. Haga had to say on the Internet: "Being one who has used wide-eyed vision on chain link fences ever since I was a kid, I was able to see the images right away. But I've had difficulty explaining the technique to friends. Today I had the latest Games magazine with me at my parents' house. Games is running another contest using SIRDS, so there are three in the latest issue. This time I thought of the reflection idea. So I opened mom's china cabinet, put the magazine against the glass in the door, and told mom to keep looking at her own reflection in the glass until the image appeared. It took less than thirty seconds. When she saw the 3D train engines, I was subjected to a squeal of delight that I hadn't heard from her for a long time..." Cloanto Product Presentation: Personal Fonts Maker and Color Extensions The Personal Fonts Maker has been acclaimed as "the best bitmapped fonts editor for the Amiga" by enthusiasts and professionals from Scala Computer Television to Kara Computer Graphics. It is the leading tool for handling fonts in up to 256 colors (no size limit, RTG compatible). It can even create printer download fonts (to achieve maximum printer quality and speed) and anti-alias Amiga vector fonts. Numerous other tools are included. The Personal Fonts Maker is a powerful tool for designing and processing bitmapped fonts. Amiga fonts and fonts created with the Personal Fonts Maker can be transferred to the printer memory and printed at maximum quality and speed. The Personal Fonts Maker can output fonts in formats which can be read by other Amiga programs, by other computers and by a vast range of differing printers (even 48-pin and laser printers). The program can handle IFF graphics. It is possible, for example, to work on typographical fonts input from a scanning device. Repetitive transformations on characters or entire fonts can be recorded, stored and executed as macros. A special programming language can be used to define the format in which fonts are to be saved or sent to a printer. The Personal Fonts Maker package includes a multitude of original fonts and support tools like the Printer Driver Modifier, which allows the user to personalize printer drivers. It is easy - and fun - to work with the Personal Fonts Maker, thanks to the elegant and intuitive user interface (with stereo sound effects). The manual is full of examples and introductory sections for novice users, and comes complete with technical information for Amiga experts. The Color Extensions add powerful color font processing capabilities to the basic package. Most of Personal Paint's editing tools have been incorporated into the package. For the first time, it is possible to process fonts in up to 256 colors and no size limit. Among others, special functions for anti-aliasing (even using an Amiga vector font as a point of departure) and right-to-left fonts are provided. This makes it an ideal companion to video applications, and a must in the titling environment. The Color Extensions come free with the new Personal Fonts Maker package (known as "Version 2"). Use with Personal Paint is recommended, in order to take advantage of additional functions and extended documentation. 512 Kbytes of RAM, 1 disk drive required (1 Mbyte of RAM recommended) Color Extensions: 1 Mbyte RAM required (1 Mbyte of Chip RAM recommended) Cloanto Product Presentation: Personal Write Personal Write is a very usable, fast and affordable Amiga word processor. Its features include: multiple text windows, mail merge, data compression (to save disk space), encryption of confidential texts, MS-DOS and Mac character sets (and many more), printer spooler, PostScript driver, etc. Ideal as a first word processor, its original and powerful text processing capabilities make it an invaluable companion to any other software package. Personal Write is an extremely fast word processor packed with original capabilities. It fully exploits unique Amiga characteristics like windows and multitasking. Personal Write does not limit the number of text windows which can be open at the same time. The combination of speed and space organization makes it an excellent mind extending tool. A built-in spooler can print even the longest texts in the background, while the program is used to do other work. Personal Write can encrypt confidential documents, which become unreadable to unauthorized users, and save disk space by compressing texts. Personal Write is also a powerful tool for converting texts into different formats. It can load and save texts combining more than 25 character sets of the most widely used computers. Control codes can be added or removed, as required by desktop publishing programs, Amiga system functions or other hardware and software environments. Thousands of combinations of printer settings can be selected to make the best use of features like the PostScript driver, the multistrike print mode, support for automatic justification with proportional characters and Personal Fonts Maker fonts. Alphanumerical labels can be used in the text for mail merge or to reorganize data. Keyboard shortcuts and the texts which are displayed can be redefined to personalize the user interface (which includes stereo sound effects). An automatic hard disk installation procedure can be selected with the mouse. 512 Kbytes of RAM, 1 disk drive required; 1 Mbyte of RAM recommended Cloanto Personal Paint, Copyright © 1992-1995 Cloanto Italia srl - all rights reserved. Parts are licensed or used with permission from third parties. Manufacturing (e.g. disk duplication) and advertising of material including the "Cloanto" or "Personal Paint" name and software require written permission from Cloanto. Cloanto and the Cloanto logo are registered trademarks, and Personal Fonts Maker, PFM, Personal Paint, PPaint, Personal Write and PWrite are trademarks of Cloanto Italia srl. All other trademarks, property of their respective owners, are acknowledged. Please refer to the user manuals for further information. KaraChiselSerif 55 and KaraGranite 55 Copyright © Kara Computer Graphics, used with permission. The More text viewer is Copyright © 1985-1989 Commodore-Amiga Inc., used under license. Executable file decompression headers written by Peter Struijk and Albert J. Brouwer. PostScript Language Copyright © Adobe Systems Incorporated, used with permission. Some images were downloaded from public domain sources; other images were used with permission from commercial third-party collections. The single pictures may contain additional information on the respective copyrights and authors. Compilation Copyright © 1992-1995 Cloanto Italia srl. Amiga and the Commodore-Amiga logo are registered trademarks of Commodore-Amiga Inc. Coca-Cola and Coke are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. ColorFont and ColorText are trademarks of Inter/Active Softworks. EGS 28/24 Spectrum is a trademark of Great Valley Products Inc. Fargo is a registered trademark of Fargo Electronics Inc. GIF is a trademark of CompuServe Inc., an H&R Block Company. PCX is a trademark of ZSoft Corp. Picasso is a trademark of Village Tronic Marketing GmbH. Piccolo and Rainbow are trademarks of Ingenieurbüro Helfrich. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Inc. Primera is a trademark of Fargo Electronics Inc. Retina is a trademark of MS MacroSystem Computer GmbH. Talon is a trademark of DKB. Please refer to the user manuals for further information. Cloanto Italia srl Tel +39 432 545902 PO Box 118 Fax +39 432 609051 33100 Udine Bbs +39 432 545905 Italy E-mail info@cloanto.it User and dealer inquiries should be addressed to the national distributors. North America: DKB Tel +1 810 348-3755 (tech.) 29318 Lorie Lane Tel +1 810 348-3821 (sales) USA - Wixom, MI 48393 Fax +1 810 348-3531 Great Britain: Ramiga International Ltd Tel +44 1690 770304 Stablau 'Rin Fax +44 1690 770266 GB - Pentrefoelas, Clwyd LL24 0HT Bbs +44 1690 770696 German Area: Casablanca Multimedia GmbH Tel +49 234 72035 Wiemelhauser Straße 247 a Fax +49 234 72060 D - 44799 Bochum Sweden: ProComp Tel +46 472 70845 Box 46 Fax +46 472 71680 S - 340 36 Moheda Bbs +46 472 71270 French Area: Adept Marketing Tel +41 21 7022626 Rte. de Renens 1 Fax +41 21 7022629 CH - 1030 Bussigny-prés-Lausanne The Netherlands: Barlage Computer Hardware Tel +31 45 425881 Kaalheidersteenweg 262 Fax +31 45 424411 NL - 6467 AH Kerkrade Greece: Multi-RAK Tel +49 234 9489411 Karnassiotis & Radouniklis GBR Fax +49 234 9489444 Prinz-Regent-Straße 70 D - 44795 Bochum Australia and New Zealand: Amadeus Computers Tel +61 2 652-2712 34 Tecoma Drive Fax +61 2 652-1515 Glenorie NSW 2157 Australia Italy: Db-Line srl Tel +39 332 767270 Viale Rimembranze 26/C Fax +39 332 767244 21024 Biandronno VA Bbs +39 332 767329 -----------------------------------------------------------------------