THE CALAMUS REPORT Version 1.8 PURPOSE This report is to inform those interested in the Calamus Desktop Publishing System what features Calamus 1.09N and the latest version, Calamus SL, have. The features of BOTH programs are listed here. Every feature of Calamus 1.09N is available in Calamus SL, except direct hand scanner support. The features marked with (SL) are exclusive to the SL version. Some marked features are available in 1.09N, but were expanded in power and greatly improved in usefulness for SL. CALAMUS OVERVIEW - In Calamus 1.09N, a 210 page manual covering generation of pixels and vectors, getting around Calamus, preparing the layout, and working with functions that handle text and graphics. A 32- page tutorial and index was added to help the new user. The index is to help average users find information in the main manual quickly and easily. (SL) - In Calamus SL, a 600 page manual with thorough installation instructions, tutorial to help the user learn the Calamus system, DTP fundamentals which covers everything from how RAM works to types of graphics to character generation to grayscale imaging to color production to font terms and classification. Glossaries are logically placed throughout the manual. An index is included! - GEnie message and file areas reserved for ISD Calamus users. ISD is also available on CompuServe. (SL) - User-To-User program offers tips to users and earns points for monetary credit applied to the next ISD purchase for anyone creating a tip file. - 1.09N comes on 2 double sided disks. (SL) - Comes on 4 double sided disks. - Compatible with all Atari computers. Will take advantage accelerated STs and ones with math co-processors. (SL) - Supports ALL hardware configurations of ST/STE/TT030 to its full potential, including the use of TT faST RAM. No extra special versions to upgrade to. It is all there. - Fonts/Documents save in a compact format. - A font file comes in one small file, easy to manage. It possible to fit MANY fonts on a disk. - FAST screen redraw. - FAST printer output. STANDARD ELEMENTS (SL) - 16,777,216 colors for output available for all text and graphics. (To print in color requires the color separations module) - Views include full page, 1:1 printer (based on DPI of printer), custom zoom from 1% to 999%. 1:1 and custom zoom are instantly accessible via mouse click on area plus either the alternate or control key respectively. (SL) - Views include full page, 1:1 printer (based on DPI of printer), custom zoom from 0.001% to 999,999.999%. - Custom size zoom. (SL) - Cut area to zoom with magnifying glass. - Support for second monitor. - Supports full page monitors. - Flip through pages using arrow keys on screen or directly input page # in the page number display box. - Double page support. Can view either left or right pages only or view both. Double pages editable in left or right view modes. (SL) - Double pages are editable in left, right, and with BOTH pages in work window. (SL) - View current selected master page only. (More on master pages later) - Passing over functions reveals help message in top right corner. Help messages can hold longer titles than any drop down menu can. (SL) - Message includes where to reference exactly in the manual in order to use the feature. - Key bindings display. When passing over a function, its keyboard equivalent is displayed. - Coordinate display showing mouse position. When a frame is activated, coordinates of frame and size is displayed. Direct editing of these number are allowed. Numbers are 1/100 accuracy. (SL) - Coordinate display has 1/1000 accuracy. - Custom size working window or click on expansion button on window corner to move into three predefined sizes, regular (all menus and tool pallet visible), full page width (tool pallet covered), full window (top menu and tool pallet covered). - Tool pallet can move placed on either the right or left hand side of the screen by clicking on the "DMC" logo. (SL) - Move tool pallet anywhere on the screen. Even the little box with "DMC" is movable. Why? I do not know, I guess it is cheap entertainment for those long nights. (SL) - Full character set table available in all input fields and when inputting text using the Character Set Overview or the ASCII Input method. (SL) - Undo key will restore original data in an input field. (SL) - Control-Shift-Alternate halts drawing of current page. Great when working on a page with a lot of data and the part you want to work on is already displayed! - Calamus File Selector Box allows viewing files using a file mask, sort by name, date, size, type, unsorted, delete files, create folders, rename files, and select appropriate drive letter button for present active drive. (SL) - Size of page is only limited by hardware you are using. My computer, Mega STE w/1.6 megs free, can achieve a 21,474.83647 inch by 21,474.83647 inch page!! - Documents can be 9,999 page long. (SL) - Documents can be 100,000 pages long. DROP DOWN MENUS (SL) - Open 7 documents at a time. - Merge documents. (SL)- Merge documents, even if they contain a different page format. - Abandon Changes function allows you to abandon all changes made to a document since it was last saved and reloads the previous version. - Print DPI configurable when using a dot matrix or ink jet. (SL) - Print all or selected tile frames. (More on this later.) - Printer interfaces supported include Parallel, Serial, SCSI, DMA, and Other, which is used when working in a network. "Other" will send information to a network file server or print-to-disk. (SL) - Print document in gray scale (B&W) or select specific color layers, or just select all color layers for full color output. (Note: Color output requires color separation module). (SL) - Min & Max buttons allow easy quick access to select first to last page to print. - Print selective number of copies, scaling to enlarge or shrink a document, ascending or descending order, left, right or both side pages in a double page document. (SL) - Print the left, right, or both pages in a double page document. - Print in landscape, portrait, or automatic orientation. - Print pages inverted (good for printing to negatives) or mirrored (good for printing to transparencies). (SL) - Unload/Load modules at will. Great for those tight on RAM. Modules are like programs that perform certain functions. This allows you to perform DTP work that would normally take an external program to accomplish. Using an external program means you would have to save your work, exit Calamus, load the other program, do what you need to do, exit that program, load Calamus back up, reload your document, and finally take steps required for your changes to take affect. (SL) - Unload/Load graphic and text import/export drivers at will. This allows upgrading your program for say, the latest picture format by only obtaining a 5k driver from ISD without having to pay an upgrade fee for a totally reprogrammed DTP program, which is released only when the entire program is ready. - Select text font and point size at import of text. - Format disks within Calamus. - Toggle help messages on and off. - Physical and Virtual copying of frames. Physical copies are like Xerox (c) copies, each frame is just a duplication and independent of each other. Virtual copies leave a relationship between the two. A change in the content of one, and Calamus will ask if you would like to make the same changes to the other(s). (SL) - Input number of copies to make and how far to horizontally and vertically space each copy. - Statistics report show number of pages in document, last page with contents, and free ST RAM. (SL) - Statistics report includes time elapsed on current session, number of pages, number of last page, free memory for standard(ST), extended(TT), and virtual memory. - Powerful reformat facilities for footnotes, indices, and chapter and page references. (SL) - Reformat capabilities to reformat time and date codes. (SL) - Set document parameters to save items like line breaks, color separations, unused fonts, text styles, master pages, and pages. If you wish not to save unused items at save, you may tell SL so. - Custom set any function of Calamus to a keyboard equivalent. I believed it was mentioned on GEnie that there are 1,440 key combinations available. (SL) - Macro Recorder to record series of mouse movements and keyboard clicks and assign to a key. - Setting system paths is as easy as clicking to the path you want Calamus to use. (SL) - Virtual memory use. Document size is limited to the available space on your hard drive. As you move to information in a document that could not fit in RAM, Calamus will swap with what is in memory with that part that had to be stored on the hard disk. What was in RAM is now on hard disk, and what was on hard disk is now in RAM. This extremely helpful since DTP is very memory hungry! (SL) - Disable/Clear Contents if Virtual memory upon exiting. Disable will erase all files and folders related to virtual memory. Clear contents will just erase the files. When Clear Contents is active, SL will not have to recreate folders at bootup. - Configure to save document with or without backup. (SL) - Automatic save configurable in increments of 1 hr, 30 min, 15 min, 5 min, 1 min, or OFF. No more forgetting to make a safety backup, Calamus will do the work for you. - Turn display alert messages on/off. - Turn display help messages on/off. (SL) - Caches active for text, raster, grayscale, vector, line, or raster area frames. You can turn anyone, all, or none of them on. Caches active on a type frame will draw a copy of the frame to memory. This is helpful because instead of the program having to redraw a frame after you have moved around, it just plots it back from memory FAST! (SL) - Configure Calamus to open its dialog boxes top left of screen, in the center, or at your mouse position (useful for big screen monitor users). - Powerful select all function. When in text mode, it will select all text in a text piping chain. When a frame is selected in frame mode, it will select all frames of that type on the current page. CLIPBOARD FUNCTIONS(1.09N)/CLIPBOARD MODULE(SL) - Five frame clipboards available to cut any type of frame. - Five text clipboards allow cutting text from document. (SL) - Place anything on the clipboard (frames, text rulers, text) and as much of it as you want. The only limit is your memory! - Clipboard independent of documents. Clip items from current document, throw away document, load another, and then paste items from clipboard to newly loaded document. PAGE MODULE - Set style of page numbering; Number, Capital letters, Small letters, Roman Capitals, Roman Small. - Set page size from 8 predefined standard sizes or enter your own custom size up to 27.54 x 27.54 inches. (SL) - Page size is limited to hardware. (SL) - Printing pages larger than what your printer can handle is possible through tiling (explained later). - Set page orientation, portrait or landscape. In other words, print vertically or horizontally. - Set single or double page document. Double page is handy when making newsletters, manuals, or books. It sets your document to have two working pages viewable that are facing each other, like when you open a book. - Set left, right, top, and bottom margin guidelines. (SL) - Turn on/off crop marks. Crop marks are used to show where a cutting machine (or YOU) needs to cut to make page. (SL) - Turn registration marks on/off. Registration marks are used to help you align color separations. A MUST for color printing. (SL) - Turn on/off color separation name printing. If on, it will print what type of color separation used to print that page. It will print it below the bottom border if there is room. (SL) - Overlap option. If on, internal portions of the page will be printed twice for double page documents. This allows compensation for portions of page that will be swallowed in the gutter that forms when pages are stapled (or bound) in the middle. (SL) - Set Units of Measure, including basic measurement that Calamus bases all of its computation on, what exactly is an inch, and individually set what defines how large a point is for fonts and lines. - Load/Save specific page(s). Upon loading, place pages anywhere in the document. - Insert pages anywhere in a document. When inserting you can include the layout from another page. (SL) - When inserting pages, you can include a layout from a page(s), or a master page (more on this later). - Copy/Move Pages. Upon activation of the feature, pages can be placed anywhere you like. - Delete page(s). (SL) - Create master pages. Infinite master pages are possible. Simply scroll through the master page box and click the one you want. Master pages are pages that can be used as templates for document pages. Great if you want a standard look. (SL) - Load/Save/Replace/Copy/Delete Master pages. (SL) - Show current master page feature will move to and highlight the name of the current master page from the list of master pages used on the current document page. FRAME MODULE - Create text frames that can import Ascii, Calamus Text, and 1st Word (Word Writer), Word Perfect and Microsoft Write. (SL) - Text frames can also import WordPerfect 5.1 (from my experience, without graphics. No problem, you have a very powerful program with more layout power than WP 5.1). - Create Raster Graphic frames that can hold the following formats: CAL_CRG (Calamus Raster Graphic), Degas (.PI? or PC?), STAD, IMG, GfA Basic blocks, Degas blocks, and IFF. (SL) - Create Raster Graphic frames that can hold the following formats: AIM, CAL_CRD (Calamus Image Doc), CAL_CRG (Calamus Raster Graphic), Degas, ESM (Cranach Studio), IMG, GIF, IFF, MOC (Matrix Screen Saver), Neo16 (640x480x16), Neo256 (320x480x256), NeoChrome (320x200x16), STAD, Targa, and TIFF. - Create Vector Image frames that can hold Calamus Vector Graphic (.CVG) and GEM Metafiles (.GEM) art. Unlike raster graphic art, this art can be reshaped and resized and will not lose its resolution. No blockish appearance! - Create Line/Raster Image Area frames. This images also can be stretched and reshaped with no loss of resolution when printing out. (More on this later.) (SL) - Create tiling frames to print portions of a page. Useful when printing pages larger than what you are using in the printer. Once all pages are printed, you can tape or paste them together to get your one big page. - Group frames by rubberbanding all them together or select individuals ones with the old faithful Shift-Mouse click routine. Once grouped, the frames can be moved or reshaped. If reshaped, frames adjust proportionally. - Ungroup frames. (SL) - Select master page elements for deleting from current document page, or to move them to the foreground or background. - Protect frame will prevent a frame from being moved, deleted, or resized. You can modify their contents, be it text or a graphic. - Proportional Sizing will allow the frame to resized but force the move to keep the height and width proportional to its original height and width. - Copy/Delete frames. - Frame to Background/Foreground. Useful when you have frames stacked on top of each other. - Define text frame to be a regular text frame, footnote frame, or index frame. - Set type of chapter numbering. Chapter numbers can be seven levels deep per numbering system. This works the same as page numbering. (SL) - Set type of footnote numbering. Same as chapter numbering. (SL) - Anchor picture to text. Have a picture follow text it should be with. (SL) - Show text flow. When text is set to flow around certain other frames, this will allow you to see the path it takes. This path is editable with the Vector Graphic Module (additional purchase). (SL) - Set text flow offset. This will allow you to set how close or how far text will flow around another frame. - Flow text around an object or over an object. The flow text around an object will flow the text in an open area around the object. The flow text over an object will delete any text flow paths beyond the object. The latter can be very useful for interesting visual text effects. - Flow text only to the left or right of an object. - Pipe text frame to frame. - Pipe text from previous page. - Pipe text to next page. - Pipe text once. This is the same as piping frame to frame, except that the extra text is piped to the next frame and both involved frames are independent of each other. Any editing in either doesn't affect each other. - Show piping chain. Draws lines to show what frame is flowing to where. - Insert frame into piping chain. - Remove frame from piping chain. - Cut piping chain. (SL) - Set raster graphic frame to be monochrome image, grayscale image, or color image. (SL) - Set control line. This is a line that is graphed from darkest levels to brightest levels of the picture. Grab any point on this line to set brightness relative to its original raster representation. For color, there is a control line for each primary color, Red, Green, and Blue. - Optimize Size for Screen. This will adjust a picture for viewing based on the dots-per-inch (DPI) of your monitor. - Optimize Size for Printer. This will adjust a picture for printing based on the dots-per-inch (DPI) of your printer. (SL) - Optimize enlargement. This will allow you to resize a graphic to the nearest geometric multiple (2x, 4x, 8x, etc.). This will prevent a Moire' effect from happening when resizing. - Option to use Image Size Independent of Frame Size. - Center Image in Frame. - Crop or Add to Image. - Ideal Size for Vector graphic. This sets a vector graphic frame to the original size and proportions it was drawn in. (SL) - Three types of tiling frames are available, adjustable size, portrait, and landscape. The latter two will automatically make a tiling frame based on the size of the paper your are using in your printer. It will appear in the orientation as you choose. (SL) - Automatic tiling will do all the work of copying and placing tiling frames all over your oversized page. (SL) - Select writing mode of the frames. There effect is present when placed on top of another frame. The three choices are transparent, opaque, and inverse. An example of the inverse effect are the little icons representing different article categories in the magazine AtariUser. (SL) - Mirror ANY frame horizontally or vertically. (SL) - Assign names to frames. This is useful in that you can assign the name of a picture, for example, to the frame without actually having to load it until you need it. - Rotate text frames any degree. (SL) - Rotate/Unrotate ANY Frames. Raster graphic images will only rotate in 90 degree increments. Any other increment will cause a Moire' effect. - Install vertical and horizontal guidelines anywhere you want. - Delete guidelines. (SL) - Set reference pin. This is used by external modules to act as a reference point. It can be used to make graphic effects or special text effects. - Snap to horizontal or vertical guideline. This will cause frames to be magnetically glued to the nearest vertical or horizontal guidelines or both. - Snap to horizontal or vertical grid. Same as the guideline, except for an established grid. (SL) - Magnetic Vertical and Horizontal Frame. Frame will snap to a specified border inside or outside a selected frame. This function can be used for centering frames on frames and more. - Setup multiple columns by establishing number of columns, rows of columns, row spacing, top/bottom margin, left/right margin, and column spacing. - Establish parameters for grid lines and rulers. (SL) - More parameters for grid lines and rulers, including magnetic frames. - Turn ANY category of frames on and off from display. (SL) - Turn master page elements on and off from display. - Frame borders Visible/Invisible (SL) - Make invisible frames selective. This allows you to work on frames that you have their display switched off. - Guidelines and Grids Visible/Invisible. - Elongated cross hairs on/off. Remember the cross hairs when cutting a block in Degas? Same thing. - Layout rulers on/off. This will place true WYSIWYG rulers on the top and side of your page. (SL) - Reference Pin Display On/Off TEXT MODULE - Insert Page number control code. When document is reformatted, this will change into the current page number the page is in the document. - Insert the following page number. Control code entered into the text that is activated when document is reformatted. - Insert chapter #. Same as the above two. - Insert time/date. - Force Piping to next frame. When this is inserted at the cursor, text is forced to move to the next frame at that specific point. It is like the pagination function in your better word processors. - Reference to Previous Page. When this code is entered in the text, the last page the piping chain appeared on will be entered. Ex.: "Continued from page xx" - Reference to Next Page. When this code is entered into the text, the next page the piping chain appears on will be entered. (SL) - Reference markers can mark a spot in the text. A marker name is then entered. When working later in a manual or book, setting a reference marker back into text is as easy as selecting the marker from the list of markers you set. Ex.: "Change your motor oil with the recommended brand as described on page xx." (SL) - Protect Text Block keeps text from being split by column or page breaks. (SL) - Key bindings for the text editor. Assign key combinations to items that are not available from the regular keyboard set. - Hyphenation Dictionary. (SL) - Spellchecker. - Character set overview. See all the possible characters in your current font in this scrollable window. See what you want? Click it! - Set automatic hyphenating at import or when reformatting text. (SL) - Set minimum number characters before the hyphen and after the hyphen. (SL) - Set maximum number of hyphenated words in a row. (SL) - Set minimum number of lines between hyphenation. - Insert tabs by just clicking on text ruler. (SL) - Insert leader tabs. Leaders tabs allow you to hit the tab key and fill in the space with a character(s). Great for a table of contents. Can do stuff like "Life with Fish 3" would expand to "Life with Fish. . . . . . . . 3" - Delete tabs. - Text left, right, center, and justified justification. - Select absolute or relative spacing. - Set line and paragraph spacing. - Manual Kerning easily accomplishable in small and large increments in text frames. (SL) - Set minimum and maximum space between two words in justified text. (SL) - Vertical text alignment. Set number of minimum lines at top of frames (widows) and minimum lines at bottom of frame (orphans). More than this! - Insert text ruler by inserting ruler on marked text block or at cursor position. - Delete text rulers by highlighting and dumping them into the trash can. - Use text macros to assign a letter, a word, and even sentences to a key combination. It will even store the text style and layout codes if you wish. You can also store text rulers in text macros. - Change macro contents after being created. - Load/Save Macro Lists. TEXT STYLE MODULE - Change text style button available from type size and style command group. (SL) - Change text style button available from six of the eight command groups in the text style module. This allows you to easily make your style changes and see their effects. - Select font from a scroll box with the titles of all fonts in memory listed. Normally, titles are shown in the actual font to give you an idea what it looks like. - Load/Delete/Replace fonts in memory. - Choose from 14 predefined font sizes. Of course you can set them to sizes YOU use most. (SL) - Measure font heights based on Em-Height (height of a line), Versal Height (height of an upper case character), or Designer Height (height preset in the font, ideal display size). - Text effects include normal, underlined, outlined, shadowed, superscript, and subscript. (SL) - More text effects include compressed, expanded, and skewed. (SL) - Proportional spacing on/off. Non-proportional spacing is where every character has an equal space, like a typewriter. - Automatic kerning. Kerning ON fits letters together to appear uniform. (SL) - Automatic kerning on/off switch. (SL) - Numeric Table Mode On/Off. With this on, nonproportional spacing is on for numbers. When you are making tables, the numbers have to take the same amount of space or you are going to get straggling numbers. (SL) - Write from Right to Left... This is different from horizontal mirroring. This actually places letters down from the right to left. I guess this would be useful for anyone taking a class on the Japanese language or some other language where it is written in reverse. - Set character and word spacing. - Set intensity and offset of the shadow and outline of text. (SL) - Set the color, intensity, and fill pattern(including the 36 predefined patterns) of the text, the underline, the outline, and the shadow. Combine effects: Ex.: Red underline on a word that is purple with a yellow shadow. (SL) - Set underline thickness, offset, and overhang. (SL) - Underline in foreground on/off. Use this to make strike through fonts. - Set outline thickness. - Set shadow direction/offset. (SL) - Text style list is a scrollable box holding text style you commonly use. You define what you want and assign it to the list. NOTE: 1.09N has text style macros which allow styles of text be assigned to a key combinations. (SL) - Add text style to list offers every effect you can apply to text in one dialog box. (SL) - Load/Save Text Style Lists. LINE MODULE - Choose from 18 different directions and styles for the line. For instance, there is a line curving to the right at a right angle and the other goes to the right in a gradual curve. - Shadow the line. - Set the point size of the line and the shadow. There are also eight predefined point sizes to choose from. - Set the intensity and fill pattern of the line and shadow. (SL) - Set the color of the line and its shadow, each can be set its own color. - Choose from eight different line styles. - Choose from three different type of ends to assign. Each end of the line is independent of the other. - Raster area can be a square, square with rounded corners, circles, ellipses, stars, bang, triangles, and much more. - Shadow any raster area. - Set the intensity and fill pattern of the shape, its border, and its shadow. (SL) - Set the color of the shape, its border, and its shadow, each can be assigned its own color. - Set direction/offset of the shadow. (SL) - Set the radius of the arc of a rounded corner of any shape with one. - Set the thickness and style of the border. SYSTEM PARAMETERS MODULE (SL) - Save font directory On/Off. This saves a font file tree to a file called FILETREE.FNT. (SL) - System paths can be defined as relative or absolute. If they are absolute, selector boxes will show and use the whole path. Relative will search folders relative to where Calamus was run. (SL) - Set the density of your monitor. Horizontal and vertical inputs are available. (SL) - Set minimal ST and TT RAM for use by the system. Since Calamus will reserve any available for work space, this allows you to set how much to set aside for an accessory that might need it. A setting too low in the ST RAM will deny you the ability to open any CPX modules. (SL) - Set vector output buffer size. (SL) - Establish your own date and time format. TEXT EDITOR(1.09N)/PKS-WRITE MODULE(SL) (SL) - Many key bindings to quicken editing. Remember how you could fly around in PaperClip XE because of helpful key combinations? - Search/Replace Text/Style. - Display control codes on/off. (SL) - Set Control Codes/Parameters. This will allow you to set PKS-Write to display control codes or not, display text attributes in the editor, and show hyphens or not while in the text editor. - Insert text rulers into the editor window. (SL) - Perform manual kerning in the editor. (SL) - When sending text back to the text frame, it can be added, replace current text, or merge at cursor. - Insert text style in editor. (SL) - Undo last operation. Save yourself! - Delete all text. (SL) - Tools available from PKS-Write include ones similar to those already mentioned. Ex.: Insert page number, flow controls, key bindings, dictionaries, etc. There is a total of 20 tools available in PKS-Write. (SL) - Set markers in text. Three total possible. (SL) - Go to specific line number. (SL) - Go to previous position to move your cursor back before issuing the "go to line number" command. (SL) - Go to beginning/end of marked block. - Copy/Move/Delete block. (SL) - Undo block operation. (SL) - Unmark block. (SL) - More text macros available! Works same as the ones mentioned before. RASTER GENERATOR MODULE (SL) - Allows raster points to be defined courser or finer for a selected frame, whole page, or document. (SL) - Change raster settings per each color used. (SL) - Choose raster shape to be triangle, circle, or square. (SL) - Choose elliptical bias of raster. Graphic example in manual given. (SL) - Set raster angle. (SL) - Set raster width. (SL) - Set raster size. (SL) - Load/Save settings. IS CALAMUS SL EXPENSIVE? Calamus Route Price PageStream Route Price ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Calamus 1.09N+ $ 129 PageStream 2.1++ $ 209 Calamus SL Upgrade+++ 200 2.1 is latest upgrade 0 Color Separations Module+++ 50 Color output built-in 0 Built-in Text Editor 0 STeno2++++ 20 Auto-Kerning 0 MegaKern lite(SL) 50 Screen accelerator not needed 0 Warp 9++ 29 Speed-Line Autotracer+++ 50 Convector Professional++ 99 Vector Editor+++ 99 MegaPaint ][ Professional+++++ 169 TOTAL $ 528 TOTAL $ 576 ANSWER: While the initial cost of Calamus SL is higher than Pagestream 2.1, the power growth of the DTP system rises at a reasonable cost. Sometimes the cost is half the price of the comparable program. While some programs might have more features than the Calamus module, the same could be said for the module as compared to the program. The main advantage to the module system is that each module interactively works with the Calamus program. You never have to leave your document to do what you need to do. This price comparison was made only to show that the two are not that far apart in costs. SOURCES: Prices were first obtained from software packages that have come through the doors of Starbase Atari. The other sources are Atari mail order dealerships. ISD is an Atari marketing firm that is also an outlet for software products for Calamus. * - MegaType's NEW Release (219-288-7468) + - Rising Star Computers (1-800-252-2787) ++ - Starbase Atari (San Antonio Atari dealer - 512-590-7122) +++ - ISD Marketing (416-479-1991) ++++ - L&Y Electronics (703-494-3444) +++++ - Toad Computers (800-448- TOAD) THE FUTURE In recent announcements, Nathan@ISD has made public the modules available now and the ones on the drawing board. Here is what he has said... "We currently have three modules available for separate purchase, as part of our decision to offer you "WYNIWYG"; Speed Line (auto- tracer) Module, Color Separation Module and Vector Graphic Editor Module. Speed Line Auto-Tracer Speed Line brings Monochrome Auto-tracing to Calamus converting illustrations into vector graphics. It automatically creates vectors utilizing (Bezier) curves, lines and areas. The simplified user interface offers several optimizing functions to enable you to define line, angle and pixel correction together with conversion options for Bezier curves and line art. The Speed Line Auto-tracer converts a raster graphic to a vector graphic within seconds, which can then be modified by any of the existing Calamus drawings tools, particularly those contained in the Vector Graphic module or Outline Art. Your cost US $49.95. Color Separation Our color separation module allows you to define separation filters, including the definition of undercolor removal and adornment (spot color). This module allows the use of CYMK, CMY and IHS models, as well as the capability to support new models such as Pantone, HKS and Truematch, once they become available. Your cost for this module is US $49.95. Vector Graphic Editor Our Vector Editor allows the creation and editing of monochrome or color vector graphics, editing of polylines for irregular text flow and much much more. I have enclosed a few snap shots of the many features. This is the perfect internal tool for editing of auto-traced graphics. You can join sub-paths, distort and freely rotate all elements or even apply different colors to every vector graphic part. Your cost for this module is US $99.95." Here is what was said on a GEnie Roundtable Conference... <[Nathan] ISD> I will cover a few of the modules. I just happen to have the proverbial block to upload. :-) Coming Soon..... Type Art This package was specially designed for the creation and manipulation of Typefaces and Logos. This software facilitates control over a fonts global kerning characteristics and specific kerning pairs. It also allows for the autotracing of scanned lineart allowing Logo libraries and fonts to be created. The tools allow the use of primitives and the merging of component parts such as stems and serifs etc. Two fonts can be in memory at any one time allowing the exchange and editing of up to 256 characters. Type Art also has built-in digitizer plotter support. The tools are second to none including floating pop up tool menus and very powerful mapping functions. A transformation calculator allows the use of formulae while other functions include a text preview window for the contextual fine tuning of kerning information, magnetic snap to grid and guidepoints, online help, stamp, join and auto-outlining functions and clipboards. This is the perfect tool for the Typographic designer. Outline Art 2 This product is for the creation of vector based illustrations using lines and bezier curves. It has tools for typographic manipulation and mapping. Outline Art 2.0 has 24 bit color support, allows type to be put into circles, to follow freely defined paths, to be graduated or mapped onto planes, and transformed or distorted. The use of intelligent clipboard and calculator functions make this a typographic special effects dream. Dataformer Dataformer is a series of modules specially dedicated to the export of data from Calamus SL. The product allows the export of any element or page from a document in a variety of formats. The first of two Dataformer modules can export to the following bitmap formats - GIF, IFF, IMG, PCX, TIF, TGA and the following vector based formats CVG, EPS (with or without TIF headers), WMF, GEM, HPGL and DXF. More formats will be added in time. Crescendo For music publishers the introduction of a package to convert an I.M.M.A standard MIDI file to a notated text file for inclusion in a document or for the publication of music sheets. The capability to prepare notated pages within Crescendo using polyphonic notation makes it a must for all music publishers. Job Manager This is a module designed for use by service bureaus or production houses to allow the queuing of jobs. It allows the specification of documents for printing and assignation of printing characteristics such as mirroring, inversion, page selection, multiple prints, scaling, resolution, pagination, color separation and output device selection. Mount and Print The specialist print module for Calamus. This module controls the final output of your document. Create left/right offsets for magazine production, collation, Imposition, tiling of pages, together with a host of other specialized functions to define your complete printing parameters to achieve optimum results. Multimedia Module This module is for the preparation of documents which include video and sound data for the purpose of preparing multimedia presentations. Purposely designed for the creation of product and advertising presentations, this module allows the specification of sound sampling rates of 6KHz to 50KHz. Video capabilities include control of playback speeds, Intensity, Hue, Saturation, Dissolves, etc,. Future Modules, specifications subject to change without notice, include: Paint & Draw : a raster and vector graphic editing module Curve & Line : an auto-tracing module for Monochrome, Grayscale and Color Images, which will be an upgrade from Speed Line. Logo Art : a special vector editor for company logos and a Barcode generation module. and about 95 others. It is my intention to release a few modules every couple of months without fail for the next few years. And I fully intend to meet that commitment! CONCLUSION Calamus SL is a very powerful DTP package. This software, coupled with TT030 computers, are taking over Macintosh publication houses in Germany. This software is also publishing full color magazines. Its power goes without question. Will you ever need all that power? Did man ever need to move from the Ford Model T? The answer is yes, mostly. As time progresses, our demands become greater. While you may not use the power immediately, you will eventually use it. One day you will realize that you can't do without it. You never know if you will use something if you don't know what that something is. Calamus SL will take you to the limit. Any bad remarks? Yes, a couple. You must remember the version of Calamus I am using is technically not the release version. It has been released as an upgrade first so it gets a good field test. My disappointment is how some features are grayed out because they are not active yet. While they will be active in near future revisions, which they will be free, I find myself wanting to try them now. Good things come to those who wait. The documentation is nothing short from spectacular. It is graphically appealing, has plenty of examples, and is written clearly. (For old Calamus users, the new manual is worth the $200!) There are about two minor problems with the manual. There is one typo in the tutorial. Very minor compared to the manual as a whole. (NOTE: The two minor errors were brought to the attention of ISD and will be corrected in future printings of the manual.) CREDITS for this text file : Author - Kyle A. Miller Verified - Lou Rocha SPECIAL THANKS ISD and staff for providing an inroad for another market. Nathan Potechin for providing exclusive module information. ALL the Calamus SL users out there giving their "blood, sweat, and tears" to field test this product. ALL the USER to USER Tip file writers. You're making a great product better and my life easier.