New Information HUBBLE 2.80 1. NEWS, NEW FEATURES, BUG FIXES, AND USAGE NOTES NEWS: 1. New interface and features. This release of HUBBLE features new interface for performing image editing. The sub-commands of various editing tools are iconized for better visual effect, ease of use and understanding. 2. Free upgrade to registered users for next release of HUBBLE, Along with free upgrade to the next release of HUBBLE, registered users will also receive some printed documentation. (some sort of newsletter, mini-manual or tutorial) 3. Help file. The online help and documentation relating to image editing tools are updated. However, these changes are still omitted in the text file documentation -- HUBBLE.DOC 4. Problems with some display driver. Some display drivers tested have problem with some Windows function, the solution are: (5.1 is recommended) 4.1 Chgange drivers to different resolution or number of color supported. 4.2 Some adapters are avoided by changing some setting on display option (Option Menu), by clicking on the 24-bit color correction. 4.3 Some adapters are avoided by changing some setting on profile setting. (Option Menu), by disable the creation of reduced image. 5. [Document Based Processing] mode support is still limited. However, users can also use this mode to do special image manipulation in addition to prepare document, A. A.1 SIZE LIMITATION LIFTED Previous size limitation for TOOLBOX:(Area Fill and Image Patching) has been lifted. Now, HUBBLE can handle large area fill and image patching. There is still a limit of a few hundred of holes inside the area to be filled. Most bugs are fixed. However, some limitation in TOOLBOX:(Image Patching) operation still exist for 'resized' patching, see KNOWN PROBLEMS OR LIMITATION below. A.2 EXPORT OF AREA FILL BITMAP TEMPLATE For TOOLBOX:(Area Fill), users can now export the filled area as template bitmap by clicking on icon on the ribbon bar. Other image windows can then import these template bitmap. Furthermore, users can change the color and other attribute of the bitmap, move and/or resize. Then users can either click to commit the imported bitmap as part of the new image. A.3 EXPORT OF BITMAP FROM IMAGE PATCHING TOOLS For TOOLBOX:(Image Patching), users can now export the area as template bitmap by clicking on icon on the ribbon bar. Other image windows can then import these template bitmap. Furthermore, users can change the color and other attribute of the bitmap, move and/or resize. Then users can either click to commit the imported bitmap as part of the new image. (By default, resize is disable because of color distortion for some display mode, can be enabled from display option of the option menu) B. One added feature since HUBBLE 2.20 is to provide a way for users to keep track of which files are open. - From main menu, users can choose how the image name associated with window is displayed. (How the pathname is displayed, View Menu) - From the window's "System Menu" (Click on the upper-left corner of window), users can now how a choice of displaying which image that particular reduced image associated with. Also, how the image name is displayed. C. Printing Document and TOOLBOX:(Text Input) Some problems about printing in document based processing in some instances. Change the resolution of document and try again. HUBBLE may not be able to handle if the resolution is set too high. Too low a resolution give a poor printing result. As for TOOLBOX:(Text Input), There are a few occasion (but very rarely) that got wrong result. If this happen, try again using different fonts. All registered users will receive an upgrade after these problems are fixed, even before the next release is available. See register.frm for upgrade and bug fix policy for this version of HUBBLE. D. Bugs fix D.1 Bug fixes and improvements for version 2.21 - Bugs in custom text tools fixed. In previous versious, for large image and/or with large fonts, some part of the text may be clipped. This has been fixed. - Copy and Paste from clipboard for big bitmap In previous version, the display of images pasted from clipboard for big bitmap (esp. 24 bits true color bitmap) images are skewed. version 2.21 fix this problem. - Tone and Color Adjustment fix bug when initializing the operation for big bitmap. - Custom color conversion and dithering In previous versions, when the dithering are disabled, there may be problems with some target image quality. HUBBLE may crash if the number of the target bitmap color is less than the number of color which the display driver can display. This has been fixed. - Filter Operation for Edge Detection HUBBLE may give wrong result for certain filter (Edge detection) operation, this has been fixed. - Printing If users input a BMP format bitmap, it may printing a blank image if users do not make some settings. In previous version, if users choose some logical printing unit, and do not set the print image size, HUBBLE will print a image of size zero by zero, i.e. a blank paper sheet. This problem has been fixed. - Improvement in Deskew operation. The speed of operation is greatly improved in deskew operation. However, if users check on 'Use floating Point' in 'Profile' of the 'Option Menu', HUBBLE will use floating for the calculation. In this case, a supposedly more accurate calculation are performed, and the operation may be very slow. D.2 Bug fixes since version 2.20 - 16 color VGA display Some versions before 2.20 have problem working with 16 colors VGA driver, this has been corrected. - size limitation for various toolsbox has been lifted. - interactive equalization, tone and color adjustment problem. With the above two image processing tools, users can easily customize the color and/or color distribution of the image by dragging on the histogram on the dialog box. However, in previous version, if you click on the histogram in a very quick succession (which users shouldn't do), HUBBLE may crash. version 2.20 fixed this problem. D.3 Bug fix for scaling problem, etc. Version 2.00 fix bugs for scaling and some image transformation problems which cause HUBBLE to crash when processing some images of some particular dimension (specifically some image height). Also, if users check on the "Use Floating Point" in profile setting from the option menu, the calculation will be more accurate. However, the scaling operation may become slower, especially for system systems which don't have math co-processor built-in or installed. D.4 Bug fix for Custom text tool In previous version, if users, after add custom text to the image, use key to delete text and enter the key stroke repeatedly too fast, HUBBLE may crash. version 2.10 fix this bug. (fixed in version 2.10) D.5 Bug fix for 24-bits image processing. 24-bits image uses considerable amount of memory. HUBBLE also create another dithered version for every 24-bits images. It slow down the process a little bit. When merging two 24-bits (true color) images, especially horizontally (merge left-right, which increase the width) may make the resulting image too big, HUBBLE may crash. Version 2.10 alleviate the problem and allow HUBBLE to handle much bigger bitmap. D.6 Bug fix for "ACQUIRE" image from scanner (TWAIN compatible) version 2.11 fixed two problems - HUBBLE crash when scanning large 24-bits true color image. - Displaying large scanned image directly from scanner. (using TWAIN standard, i.e. "ACQUIRE" from the file menu) E. Features added since version 2.10 E.1 Better windows management for version 2.10. E.2 Users can now save the configuration and options. So that HUBBLE can initialize previous setting such as window position when HUBBLE is invoked again. F. Features added since version 2.20 F.1 Keep track of most recently opened file. F.2 Can export filled area as template bitmap to other image. F.3 Choice of how file name is displayed both for image windows and reduces image. F.4 Many bug fixes. 2. Navigating through [ Document Based Processing ] Mode 2.1 After users select a specific tools other than text input and editing operation, press [Esc] or [Return] ( key) to end the operation. 2.2 Not only does HUBBLE provide two major mode of operation, i.e. [Image Based Processing] and [Document Based Processing]. Within [Document Based Processing] mode, users can also add various drawings, images, and custom text as well as normal paragraph text input to a document page. Since these added items can be place anywhere within a defined document page, and can be located by clicking mouse button and scroll bar, a document page may be scrolled to the extent that all input paragraph texts are invisible. So, there may be occasions that location which users can input paragraph text (a blinking caret) is outside the visible document window. In this case, users have to scroll the document to bring to view portion of document to input text, or use the cursor keys to move the blinking caret. (HUBBLE automatically move the current cursor position when users scroll the document page vertically, if it's possible to do so) 3. SOME LIMITATION FOR THIS VERSION OF HUBBLE ** These limitation will be lifted in the upcoming version ** A. Toolbox's size limitation has been mostly lifted. B. Capture to Clipboard Capture to Clipboard is currently disabled. Users should use "Capture to Window" and the "Copy to Clipboard", both are from "Edit menu" C. MERGE TWO images directly from scanner input If there is difficulty of merging two scanned images obtained from "Acquire" command, save these images in bitmap first. Then, close these windows and re-open these newly saved files using "Open Files" command from "File Menu". 4. KNOWN PROBLEMS OR LIMITATION A. When displaying a 24-bits true color image, there can be two versions to be displayed. By default, If the display adapter is not capable of displaying true color, the ditherred version (can be turn on and off from "Option Menu") will be displayed. However, in some instances, when displaying a ditherred version, some tiny stray image may be visible at some edge, this will not effect the correctness of the image's subsequent operation. B. TOOLBOX:(Image Patching) B.1 Resize and Display Adapter. - During the process of moving the selected area to patch on other part of the image, The superimposed area may be shown as black and white on True color and high color display adapter. This will not effect the final result. After the users click on or to commit the operation, the correct color will be displayed. - Although users can also resize the selected area to patch on other part of the image, however, by default, resize is disabled. The reason is the this operation will give correct result only on True color and high color display adapter. Users with the above mention adapter driver can enable these operation by click on appropriate item on "Display Option" dialog box. ("Moved Area Resizeable Check Box" From "Option Menu") C. If users encounter any problem, please complete the form from the file "PROBLEMS.FRM" and send it to HUBBLE SOFTWARE COMPANY. 5. NOTES ON DISPLAY OPTIONS (from Option Menu) A. Edit Color Correction (rarely needed) When editing the image, if there is any distortion in shape or or color after writing changes to the image, users may have to change setting for this option. In general, convert to 8-bits (256-colors) image is suggested for some image editing operations, because of speed and ease of processing. B. Moved Area Resizeable Check Box. --> TOOLBOX:(Image Patching). This checkbox control the operation of TOOLBOX:(Image Patching). Some display driver may have produced distorted colors if the moved shape is resized. Currently, resizing only work well for true color (24-bits) image on true color or hi-color display adapter. (hi-color of either 32K or 64K colors display adapter). C. 24-bits Display Correction Check Box. (rarely needed) Check this box if you have problem when trying to display un-ditherred version of a true color image on a non true color or palette base display adapter. D. Auto Ditherred Image Update. (rarely needed) Since there are two versions of image which are created for 24-bits true color images. These two versions will be updated independently. If this box is checked, a ditherred version of the image will be re-created from the modified (24-bits) true color image. 6. MISSING FEATURES IN THIS VERSION Features that are still not implemented in version 2.21 are: 1. Image scaling that preserve aspect ratio is still not implemented. 2. pattern selection. 3. In SAVE option, some compression method are not currently supported: - compression for BMP format. - CCITT compression for TIFF format. (image will be saved as no compression) 4. Some specialized contrast control. 5. Postscript support. These features will be implemented in latter version. 7. NOTES ON OS/2 A. Printing Users of version 2.x may have to use control panel to setup for printer type and port used. These can be done either from program manager or run Win-Os2 in full screen. B. Image Acquisition Some scanner driver may not function properly under OS/2. If this is the case, contact your scanner manufacturer for model and/or driver which can be used under OS/2. In this case, users may use image acquisition software which bundled with that scanner on its specified environment, and use HUBBLE for further editing and processing. Users can still test functioning of TWAIN driver using the TWAIN Sample Driver included (DCD.DS). Simply create TWAIN directory on Windows's subdirectory. For OS/2 2.x, it is C:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2, (MD TWAIN, CD C:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\TWAIN). From file menu, use [Select Source] command, then [Acquire] input. (See README.DOC for more detail). C. Capture to Window C.1 If running HUBBLE under OS/2 == Set HUBBLE window to "minimize to desktop", Locate == == the minimized HUBBLE to the top-left of area to capture == == Restore HUBBLE window, select "capture" command == == Minimize HUBBLE, then begin the capture process == Users can begin drag mouse and capture only on Windows application. To capture other part of the OS/2 desktop, users should place a dummy Windows application above and to the left of the area intended to be captured (even as minimized icon -- users may have to change the setting so that this dummy application is minimized to the OS/2 desktop instead of minimized windows), then begin drag mouse from this Windows. After the capturing operation is completed, users can then trim the image by B.1.1 Trim Image command from the edit menu. B.1.2 Use TOOLBOX:(RECTANGLE) to copy only the intended area. C.2 Many instances of HUBBLE may be running concurrently. So, another instance of HUBBLE may be fired up and "minimize ON DESKTOP" to serve this purpose. 8. HUBBLE creates many temporary files whiles the program is running. If the program is aborted abnormally or unexpectedly, these temporary files may be left in the hubble directory, use DELTEMP.BAT to clean up these files. Alternatively, users can use the following commands to clean up temporary files. ** CHANGE TO HUBBLE DIRECTORY ** [Content of DELTEMP.BAT] del DB*. del DI*. del CB*. del FI*. del DB*.A* del DI*.A* del CB*.A* del FI*.A*