Allison/3200 Documentation
by Jonah Stich
Copyright ©1990
Bad Luck Software

Introduction to Allison/3200
Allison/3200 is an application for processing raw images created with
the New Concepts Enhanced VisionPlus digitizer and Allison digitizing
software.  It allows you to convert raw images into high quality 3200
color pictures.  It can also be used to display 3200 color pictures
saved by Allison/3200 or other 3200 color programs.  Allison/3200
cannot digitize by itselfÑyou must use Allison to digitize your
subject, save the raw images, and then load it into Allison/3200 for
processing.  For the purposes of this documentation, the 3200 color
processing software will be referred to as ÒAllison/3200,Ó and the
standard digitizing and processing software will be called ÒAllison.Ó

How to use Allison/3200 Unlike Allison, Allison/3200 is merely a
converterÑit will convert raw images into 3200 colors, as well as 3200
color pictures from one format to another, but will not digitize. 
Allison/3200 can be used only for enhancing the output of the Enhanced
VisionPlus by converting the raw images into 3200 colors.  Keep in mind
that 3200 color mode uses several tricks to display 200 times as many
colors as the GS can usually display, but that you pay a large price
for this extended color resolution.  Although there are several 3200
color paint programs in development, none of them are currently
available, so for the time being the 3200 color mode is only a display
format.  Allison/3200 creates very colorful pictures, but they are only
good for looking at.  If you would like to import your digitized
picture into a desktop publishing program such as GraphicWriter III or
Medley, or would like to be able to edit it with a paint program such
as Platinum Paint or PaintWorks Gold, you should use Allison's standard
raw image processing options to convert the picture into one of the
standard GS graphic modes.

Raw image Conversion: To process a raw image simply select ÒOpen...Ó
from the File menu.  You will be presented with the standard IIgs open
file dialog window.  Find the file you would like to process, click the
Open button (or simply double click the filename) and away you go. 
Allison/3200 will open a dialog box with a thermometer in it, showing
the progress of the conversion.  Most conversions will take about 10
minutes.  When the Allison/3200 has converted the picture, it will
display it in full 3200 colors.  Any key presses or mouse clicks will
return you to the standard Allison/3200 desktop.  The file you have
just converted will be placed in a window on the desktop.

Note: Because of the way the Apple IIgs deals with colors and the way
3200 color pictures are created, the picture in the window will look
rather bad.  When you save the picture it will be saved in 3200 color
mode, and if you use another program to display it, it will be shown in
3200 colors.

3200 Color Picture Loading: Allison/3200 can also load 3200 color
pictures that have been previously created by Allison/3200 or by
another program that supports 3200 color pictures, such as The Graphic
Exchange or Convert/3200.  To load a 3200 color picture select
ÒOpen...Ó from the File menu.  In the file dialog box that is opened,
click on the button labeled Ò3200 color picture.Ó  The list of
filenames will be recreated so that it now displays only files that
could be 3200 color pictures.

Note: it is much harder for Allison/3200 to tell if a file is a 3200
color picture than it is for it to tell if a file is a raw images.  For
this reason some of the files presented in the list will not be 3200
color pictures (whereas in the raw image list all of the files will be
raw images).  You are the final judge as to whether a file is a 3200
color picture or not.  If you're not sure, try loading it.  If
Allison/3200 displays garbage, you'll know that it wasn't a 3200 color
picture.

After you have selected the file you would like to load, click the Open
button (or double click the filename).  Allison/3200 will load and
display the file.  Unlike raw images Allison/3200 does not need to
process 3200 color pictures in order to display them, so the file will
be displayed as soon as you select the open button.  Again, a key press
or click of the mouse button will return you to the standard
Allison/3200 desktop.

Saving: After you have loaded a picture, Allison/3200 will allow you to
save it as a 3200 color file, which can then be view again at a later
date, saving the time of having to reconvert the raw image, and
removing the need to keep the rather large raw image file on disk.  To
save the picture in the current window select ÒSaveÓ or ÓSave as...Ó
from the File menu.  If the file has been saved before the old version
will be destroyed and replaced by the new version.  If the file has not
been saved you will be presented with the standard Apple IIgs save file
dialog, and will be able to specify a filename and location for the
saved 3200 color file.  At this time you will also be able to specify a
file format for the 3200 color picture.  Screen format is an
uncompressed file format, whereas Apple Preferred format is a
compressed format.  Unless you have a need for the picture to be
uncompressed, it is usually a good idea to save your conversions in
Apple Preferred format, as they will occupy less disk space that way,
allowing you to fit more converted pictures on a single disk.  Once you
have specified the filename and format, click the Save button (or press
return) and the file will be saved.

Other Features: Allison/3200 has several other menu items that may be
of use to you.  Under the Edit menu is the ÒShow 3200Ó item.  This menu
item allows you to view the 3200 color picture after it has been loaded
and placed in it's window.  If there are more than one open windows on
the desktop, Allison/3200 will show the picture in the front window. 
Also under the Edit menu is the ÒShow ClipboardÓ item.  This will open
a window and display the contents of the standard IIgs clipboard in it.
 At the current time this is for informational purposes
onlyÑAllison/3200 cannot do anything to the data on the clipboard.

Quitting: When you have converted and saved all of the raw images you
like, you should select ÒQuitÓ from the File menu to leave
Allison/3200. Note: Allison/3200 will not ask if you would like to save
the picture in an open window.  Unless you save your conversions before
you select Quit your data will be lost.