*** Imagery/Photography
Micrografx Inc. launched Picture Publisher 8
(February 23)
Picture Publisher 8's full array of high-end image editing
tools provides the breadth and depth of functionality that
allow Web professionals to quickly produce their desired
results. With a comprehensive set of tools and content for
photo retouching, image creation, digital painting, Web
graphics, and more, Picture Publisher capabilities include:
- Very tightly integrated Animated GIF Support previously found
only in dedicated animated GIF applications
- Web Styles Wizard for quick creation of artistic Web sites
- Bevel Factory for creating 3 Dimensional text and buttons
- Enhanced Button Maker Wizard
- HTML based contact sheets
- RGB Hex color display
- Interactive color palette reductions for 256 color images
- Probe Web colors inside Picture Publisher as well as outside
of the application window
- Industry-leading Web pattern viewer for preview the tiling of
textures for use on a website
- JPEG and transparent GIF preview dialog boxes that let users
know what images will look like on a Web site
- Create image maps
- Progressive JPEG support
This application integrates more than 140 cutting-edge effects,
Wizards, and compound macros, plus both the Digimarc Digital
Watermarking system and Kodak Digital Science Color Management
system. Picture Publisher 8 also includes the Micrografx Media
Manager with over 10,000 royalty free stock photo images, 500+
seamless Internet textures, and 250+ TrueType typefaces. With a
full array of tools, effects, and content, Picture Publisher
extends its foundation of award winning imaging tools to
further empower the creative professional.
Specific Features include:
- Light Studio for photo realistic lighting and professional
bump map control
- Picture Publisher's Lens Flare support is unparalleled in the
imaging industry
- Bevel Factory for creation of 3D frames for images
- U.S. patent pending Camera Aperture for real-world depth of
field simulations
- Warp Brushing and Image Warp for warping images into
different grid patterns
- Multi-color gradients
- New Interpolation options for better image quality when re-
sizing or rotating
- Image Spray tool for painting impressive composites of
objects
- New mosaic tile effect for real-world mosaics
- Over 70-image edge borders for artistic edges on photos
- Precise mask and object sizing dialog boxes
- Anti-aliased masking and brushing
Suggested list pricing for Picture Publisher 8 is $149.95.
Picture Publisher 8 is available from Computer City, CompUSA
and mail order catalogs, including MicroWarehouse.
www.micrografx.com
Pixera's 1.2 Million Pixel Digital Cameras bundled with Visual
Communication Suite 2.0
(March 10)
Pixera Corporation announced the release of Visual
Communications Suite 2.0 (VCS 2.0) for Windows 95 and Windows
NT 4.0. The VCS 2.0 software applications are bundled with
Pixera's 1.2 million pixel digital cameras, Pixera Personal
($399 US List), and Pixera Professional ($1,195 US List).
Visual Communications Suite 2.0 features enhancements for high-
resolution image capture and Internet communications.
Pixera's high-resolution cameras feature a unique, 100%
software image-processing engine that produces the best still
and video image quality of any digital camera under $1,200.
With VCS 2.0, Pixera introduces 2nd generation image processing
algorithms that extend Pixera's position in image quality,
high-resolution capture speed, and video frame rates.
Pixera's Viewfinder, a new standalone application in VCS 2.0,
captures images directly into Pixera Studio or Pixera Album, as
well as any application that supports Windows-standard drag-
and-drop. Also new in VCS 2.0 is the "Focus Tool" that greatly
simplifies and reduces the time for focusing. The Viewfinder
has also increased video frame rates by 15% and expanded user
functions that "pre-set" the image quality with new controls
including: White Balance calibration; Hi-Fidelity view; custom
capture sizes; Gamma; and all toolbars are now customizable.
In VCS 2.0, Pixera Studio multimedia email is only a "click"
away with the addition of a "Send Mail" toolbar button that
automatically launches the user's MAPI-compliant email
application and sends the current image directly from Studio.
With the 2nd generation image processing algorithms, high-
resolution images are captured faster and have the image
quality of cameras costing much more.
Pixera Album has been completely re-designed and re-implemented
for VCS 2.0. It features a new, hierarchical album architecture
where each album is a standalone database, significantly
increasing flexibility and network support. Albums can be
searched, sorted, and even organized into categories and sub-
categories. The Viewfinder can capture images directly into the
Album.
www.pixera.com
Xaos Tools ships FlashBox
(February 18)
Xaos Tools Inc. announced that it began shipping FlashBox, its
new photo-imaging program for consumers, to retailers across
America. Featuring more than 90 brush-on special effects and an
intuitive, drag- and-drop interface. The ESP is $49.95 U.S.
www.xaostools.com
Wave Issue 9808 4/15/98 Article 6-01