APPLE II GRAPHICS & SOUND FORUM CONFERENCE LOG July 8, 1994 10:00 P.M. Topic: The QuickieC and Quickie 3.2, with author Steve McQueen (Simplexity) Edited by: Ted O'Hara (AFC Ted) Copyright (c) 1994 America Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved Start Time: 10:01:31 PM End Time: 11:06:53 PM ================================================================== AFC Ted : AGS would like to welcome Steve McQueen (Simplexity) tonight... Steve is the author of the the new and improved versions of Vitesse's Quickie software.... Quickie 3.2 and the Color Quickie. Welcome Steve :) First off, what's the status of the Color Quickie? Simplexity : Thanks! Proud to be here. The Color Quickie software is rarin' to go, and the scanner frames which help make the whole thing possible are now in the machine shop being manufactured. AFC Ted : How does the Color Quickie work? And what comes with the package? Simplexity : We expect to be shipping on or before July 22, and foresee no further.... ...technical difficulties. MissMatch : So it is both software and new Quickie hardware that allows one to scan in color? Simplexity : Well, the Color Quickie is actually almost all done in software. A scanning frame is provided to allow the same old black and white scanner to "see" the image being scanned in red, blue and green light, so we get our RGB color separations from which we generate the final color image. MissMatch : How much for an upgrade? AFC Ted : So you put the frame over your image, put the first filter in, scan it then change filters....etc? Simplexity : The scanning frame attaches to your existing scanner, so you don't have to make complex hardware changes. MissMatch : Good question, Ted :) Simplexity : Yes, you have to scan the image 3 times, in register, changing filters between scans. AFC Ted : Is the frame able to "clamp down" on the image so it doesn't move between filter changes? Simplexity : The software directs you to put the appropriate filter in place for each scan MissMatch : That could be quite tedious... Simplexity : pass, and waits patiently so you don't have to hurry. AFC Ted : That's good. :) Simplexity : Yes, it can get tedious, but we had to do it that way to limit massive cost JP1 : Consider the tedium of _drawing_ a color image, though, Joyce. AFC Ted : Very good point, John :) MissMatch : But, as Ted asked, can one guarantee that each scan is in the right spot each time? Simplexity : overruns. Anyway, the frame is quite heavy, so with even a little bit of care AFC Ted : Ah. That helps. Simplexity : the frame won't move between scans, and you get each pass in register. MissMatch : True, John. AFC Ted : Does it matter at which speed you move the scanner for each pass? Simplexity : Those with real paranoid tendencies can use one or two C-clamps to lock the whole thing in place. AFC Ted : Who you calling paranoid??? :D Simplexity : Each scan pass is essentially the same as a true grey quickie scan, so you can scan at the same speed as you would an ordinary greyscale scan. AFC Ted : Understood, but if you vary speeds, sometimes it changes how the image is scanned. I'm wondering if that affects registration? Simplexity : Ted...The Beast of Murphy stalks the land..... ;) AFC Ted : This is true.:) Simplexity : If you scan too fast for the scanner to collect and present all the scan lines, you won't HAVE any registration. However, if you goof on one scan pass, you can rescan it by itself later to correct the image. AFC Ted : Good. MissMatch : Whew AFC Ted : Will it tell you if it can't register the image, or is it just by sight? Simplexity : If your scan passes are out of registration, it's pretty obvious by eyeball. :) AFC Ted : :) Simplexity : You get color ghosts. Wierd looking stuff. JP1 : Steve, what does one see on the screen during the various passes? Simplexity : <- knows from experience. :) AFC Ted : Actually, that could be interesting for artsy type stuff. MissMatch : Will this color Quickie only work on the GS or the //e too? Simplexity : You see the same grey-scale cueing screen as the Greyscale scanning offers. Sorry. The IIe doesn't offer enough resolution to make color scanning practical. MissMatch : I have both computers, was just curious. Simplexity : You would end up with an excessively dithered, blobby kind of an icon thing. MissMatch : :) AFC Ted : Out of curiosity...the LED's emit light that's very green, with not much blue at all. Was it hard to find a way to get decent color separations from it? Simplexity : OK, the color passes got a little interesting. We found out that the gamma curves on the various filters were not the same, so we put in a Calibrate function. AFC Ted : Gamma is sort of like (but not quite like) contrast, right? AFC Ted : How often does one have to calibrate the set up? Simplexity : Gamma is the difference between each perceived level of grey. AFC Ted : Gotcha. :) JP1 : How much elapsed time from end of 3rd pass to 'final pic' on screen? Simplexity : What you do to calibrate is, select the Calibrate menu function. Then you will be prompted to make three scan passes, each with a different filter, just like a regular color scan. Only for calibrating, you scan a BLACK and WHITE picture. AFC Ted : And that's just for the first time you use it? Simplexity : Now, you get a setup screen, where you can adjust contrast, brightness, gamma value, and a couple of other things. (I forget. :%) AFC Ted : Not to worry :) MissMatch : New manual will explain all this? Simplexity : Then you render the image. If you like what you see, you are done, but if there is too much bias toward one color or another, you twiddle the controls and render again. You only have to calibrate if you change the Photo switch on your scanner or move the Light/Dark wheel. Otherwise, you are set. AFC Ted : I see. Simplexity : The procedure is described in the QuickieC manual. MissMatch : How much for this upgrade in$$$ Simplexity : Time to render varies with how many colors you want and what rendering technique AFC Ted : What are the palette options (# of colors )? Simplexity : you use. Minimum is about 1 minute, max up to 10 for a LARGE 3200-color pic on an unaccelerated GS. You can get standard palettes matched for 640- and 320-mode in case you want AFC Ted : And these images are usable with regular GS software, Like HyperStudio, etc? Cool. :) Simplexity : desktop images, or you can have the software generate 16, 256, or 3200 colors in 320-mode. AFC Ted : The 640 mode standard palette would be great for people who use HS or AWGS Simplexity : All but the 3200-color pictures are saved as APF files. They are useable with AFC Ted : How representative are the scans from a couple months back? Simplexity : almost any graphic program. The 3200-color pics are saved in Brooks format and can be used in most 3200-capable viewers. AFC Ted : Good. :) Simplexity : The scans from a couple of months ago are not like what we have been getting since I ripped out the rendering module and replaced it. It takes a bit longer now, but the results are MUCH better. JP1 : How long have you been working on this, Steve? AFC Ted : Great. Simplexity : <- has been meaning to U/L new samples for several weeks, now. :$ Off and on, for about a year. AFC Ted : What gave you the idea to do color separations? Simplexity : "It seemed reasonable at the time." :) AFC Ted : OK, Sarek :) Simplexity : Well, it did. Looked to me like the next logical step. The only reason it wasn't done sooner was that we weren't sure if people would put up with the filter-changing thing. AFC Ted : How is the Color Quickie related to the 3.2 upgrade? Do they use the same basic rendering engines, or are they two separate projects? Simplexity : It's not. We just decided to do both releases together to maximize the market appeal. QuickieC adds the color rendering to the standard Quickie 3.2 True Grey rendering routines. QuickieC generates 3 True Grey images, then merges them and renders a color image from that. AFC Ted : Tell us what's new with Quickie 3.2. JP1 : Quickie's come a _long_ way from its "line art only" beginning in early '91!! Simplexity : They both use the same True Grey rendering routines. AFC Ted : For sure, John :) Simplexity : Quickie 3.2 makes the Toning options official. They were included in the System 6.0.1 fixed version of Quickie 3.1 as an Easter Egg, as you may recall. AFC Ted : I remember them :) Simplexity : Also, some sophisticated automatic image processing techniques are now available AFC Ted : The sample pics showed some neat image processing effects. Simplexity : You can use them individually, or combine them for some truly spectacular greyscale effects. Examples are outlining, which generates line art from greyscale pics, embossing solarizing, and other neat stuff. Examples are available online.. search on Quickie 3.2. AFC Ted : (Currently in the New Files library) Is there any one effect that you find yourself using more often? Simplexity : (True Confessions time...) I don't really use graphics programs....about all I AFC Ted : :) Simplexity : have time for is programming tools. :( AFC Ted : S'okay :) You said in your note earlier this week that the new software offers larger images.... Simplexity : I like the embossing effects, cause of the 3-d appearance. AFC Ted : Do you mean you can scan larger images. or the resulting file is bigger, or more detailed? Simplexity : Yes, the new greyscale rendering engine gives you a more detailed image. All other things equal, it will end up about twice the size of the same picture scanned with Quickie 3.1. A 300-dpi scan with Quickie 3.2 is slightly smaller than a 400-dpi scan in Quickie 3.1. AFC Ted : How good is the tonal control with current software? AFC Ted : I found with the earlier versions, that a lot of my scans were kind of muddy looking, no matter how I adjusted it. (earlier meaning 2.0 and 3.0) Simplexity : It is about the same. The edges will be a bit blurrier because of the way the black and white pixels sent by the scanner are averaged into greys. AFC Ted : Anti-aliased? Simplexity : Not familiar with the term. I do a lot of things without knowing their official names. (Sheepish grin.) AFC Ted : :) Simplexity : No, this is regional averaging. Essentially, the black and white dither pattern is blurred and scaled down AFC Ted : (Anti-aliasing is a way of removing jaggies by inserting pixels of intermediate contrast) Simplexity : by about a factor of 4. AFC Ted : I see. :) Is there anything else you'd like to tell people about either the Quickie 3.2 or Color Quickie (Besides "Buy it!" :)) Simplexity : Can't think of anything... we seem to have about covered it. Quickie 3.2 comes by itself for about $30.00. AFC Ted : Quickie 3.2 is available now, right? Simplexity : QuickieC is offered for about $100.00, and includes Quickie 3.2. Yes, Ted. AFC Ted : So it'll be a two-fer. :) Simplexity : QuickieC can be bought with scanner, still bundled with Quickie 3.2, for <$200. AFC Ted : I think that's how much I paid for the Quickie 2.0.2 a couple of years ago. Simplexity : Order direct from Vitesse at 818-813-1270. :) AFC Ted : :) Simplexity : Quality, NAUG, and others will probably make them available shortly, too. AFC Ted : I'd like to thank you very very much for spending your Friday evening here and telling us all about the Color Quickie and Quickie 3.2 software. AFA Binky : Ditto, Steve! Simplexity : You're welcome. Happy to do it. Thanks for coming! AFC Ted : We've enjoyed having you here very much. Simplexity : <- blushing AFC Ted : :)