4. Photo Studio
Below is a hyperlink to ArcSoft...
You can download a trial valuation copy of the software for free.
http://www.arcsoft.com

Photographic Formats

We will proceed to learn additional features of graphics software. As you move up in price the software has additional features. These features make for easier use of the tools in the performance of your task. As the features increase we need to increase our vocabulary of terms. The best way to accomplish this is to experiment and play around with the features, remember there are aids or descriptions of the tools or features provided in the remarks space at the bottom of the screen. A good Computer Graphics Glossary is readily available at this hyperlink. Many others can be found on the Internet, try searching using the key phrase "computer graphics".

During class 1 we created signs. The file sizes for these signs are shown for 3 common graphics formats. Graphics formats fall into two broad categories; bit-mapped and vector. Bit-mapped formats result in large files as no compression is attempted. These files are more readily interpreted by a wide range of software applications. Vector formats are usually associated with the application used to create the images. Many of these are vendor dependent. There is two more common standard vector formats, they are JPEG and GIF. You must always remember that software is needed to transform images from one format to another. This translation usually occurs through a common bit-map or vector format which is used as an intermediary (go between).

FILE FORMAT COMPARISONS

Menus and Tools

One of the objectives of this course is to provide an opportunity to become familiar with several Graphics Software Applications. Today we will investigate the menus, tools, and features of "PhotoStudio" (a trade mark of the ArcSoft Corporation). Their description of the program is as follows: (Copied from the Readme file; ArcSoft, Inc. All rights reserved.) http://www.arcsoft.com

PhotoStudio 2000 is a powerful and easy-to-use 32-bit photo image editing program. \par By taking full advantages of Windows 95, PhotoStudio allows you:

Acquire images from digital cameras, scanners, or other image input devices that support TWAIN interface.

Support BMP, TIF, PCD, PCX, TGA, and JPG file formats and Photoshop

Plug-In filters for image importing and exporting.

Convert images data formats between 24-bit, 8-bit, 4-bit, and 1-bit color or black and white images.

Visually organize your images into convenient working albums.

Present eye-catching slide shows with over 100 transition effects.

Work and view multiple images simultaneously with different magnification ratios.

Enhance the brightness and contrast or adjust the shadows, midtones, or highlights of an image and other enhance functions.

Modify hue and saturation to correct color shifts created by image input devices.

Improve image quality with smooth and sharpen filters and other special filters.

Create your special effects with over 20 build-in effects, and any other third party Photoshop Plug-In filters.

Work with a complete set of tools for selecting, editing, retouching, painting and transforming images.

Print your image in any size and anywhere on a selected paper.

Send image message right from your PhotoStudio with just a click.

Additional features in PhotoStudio:

More file formats support: GIF, TIFF (with LZW compression), and EPS for export.

RGB, HSV, CMYK and YIQ color separations support.

More color enhancement functions, like: Color/Gray Mapping, Color Table Adjustment, Unsharp Mask, Gaussian Blur, Despeckle, User defined Filters, etc.

More build-in special effects, like Area Merge, Squeeze, Magic Mirror, etc..

8-bit masking and composition for merging two photos smoothly.

Complete mask import, export, expand, and operations.

EXPERIMENT WITH ALL THE FEATURES

USE THE MENUS AND TOOLS

TRY IT - YOU MAY LIKE IT !

Multiple Photos

Never forget that with the WINDOW's Operating System you are working with a truly Multi-Tasking Tool. You can have multiple graphics documents open in RAM (various windows) at the same time. You can also have multiple copies of a single application open and/or several different applications open at once. We did this in lesson 1 with Paint. This allows you to copy, cut, clone, or paste between graphics. Try it... A truly remarkable fascinating feature which is extremely powerful.

Slide Shows

Slide Shows is a fun way to present art work or enjoy photographs. Most Graphics packages have some capability for doing this. The screen saver software that comes with most operating systems will also serve as a slide show presenter. Many of these packages allow you to save graphics in files or groups referred to as albums. Another feature common with many packages is the ability to view and sometimes print "THUMBNAIL" or smaller images of graphics contained in a folder or file. Most of our classes have used this feature to present examples of tasks you can perform on graphics using the computer as a tool. Try this feature, learn how to use it. (3/9/99)

Task 4. A duck dinner.

 Objects for Discussion 
(This is a link to thought provoking questions)

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This page last modified...11/29/00