Short: Pro-style layered image editor RTG/AGA Author: Darko Djordjevic Uploader: darko djordjevic hotmail com (Darko Djordjevic) Type: gfx/edit Version: 0.7.1 Requires: AmigaOS 3.1+, 68020+, lots of Fast RAM; RTG (Picasso96/CGX) recommended Architecture: m68k-amigaos >= 3.1.0 a-graph - a professional image editor for the Amiga =================================================== a-graph is a raster image editor for AmigaOS 3.x, written from scratch in C. Its menus, panels, tools, dialogs, shortcuts and workflow follow today's industry-standard image editors as closely as the hardware allows - if you have used a modern professional image editor, you already know a-graph. It is still a real Amiga program: it respects the system, works with Workbench, and treats the Amiga's own formats as first-class citizens. ONE BINARY, TWO KINDS OF MACHINE -------------------------------- At startup a-graph picks its display path by itself: - RTG (Picasso96 / CyberGraphX, cybergraphics.library v41+): its own 24-bit truecolor screen. This is the main target. - AGA: without RTG it falls back to a 256-colour (8-bitplane) screen, so it also runs on a classic A1200/A4000 without a graphics card. - Workbench window: on a truecolor RTG Workbench it can also run in a window there (View > Screen Mode > Workbench Window). Two builds are included: a-graph 68020 or better, no FPU needed a-graph.060 optimised for the 68060 (with FPU) AMIGA FORMATS ------------- IFF ILBM - Loads 1-8 bitplane palette images, 24-bit ILBM, HAM6, HAM8 and EHB (the view mode from the CAMG chunk); the ACBM variant too. - PCHG palette changes per line (small and big changes, the Huffman compressed form too), so multi-palette pictures show as they do on the Amiga; SHAM/CTBL sliced HAM as well. - View > HAM8 Preview / HAM6 Preview: the picture on a native HAM screen of its own (HAM8 needs AGA), as the chipset will show it. - Saves IFF 24-bit, HAM8, HAM6, EHB, 256 colours and 16 colours, ByteRun1 (PackBits) compressed. IFF ANIM (DeluxePaint-compatible) - Saves FORM ANIM: a full ILBM first frame, then op-5 "byte vertical delta" frames (ANHD + DLTA), all frames on one median-cut 256-colour palette. - Loads ANIMs into the Timeline, or frame by frame into layers. - Modern Timeline: frame strip with thumbnails, per-frame delays, looping, Tween, Onion Skin, and layer animation (visibility, position, opacity per frame). Workbench icons (.info) - Reads PNG icons, OS3.5 colour icons (FORM ICON/IMAG), NewIcons and classic planar icons; normal and selected images open as two layers. - Saves a classic DiskObject plus an OS3.5 colour image (up to 256 colours, transparency). An edited icon keeps its Default Tool, tool types, stack, position and the rest. - Image Previews: every saved file can get an icon with a thumbnail. Clipboard (clipboard.device) - Copy/Cut publish IFF ILBM; Paste takes an ILBM from any program. Text travels as IFF FTXT. PART OF THE SYSTEM ------------------ - ARexx port. - AppWindow: drop file icons from Workbench into the window. - Amiga bitmap fonts for type layers, with previews in the font list. - Tablet pen pressure (size, opacity, flow) through the system's tablet events. - Droplets: a saved batch process as an icon to drop images on. - Settings, brushes, patterns, actions and the dictionary live in PROGDIR:. BRIDGES TO THE REST OF THE WORLD -------------------------------- - PSD: layers, masks, groups with blend modes, layer styles, editable type, adjustment layers, 8 and 16 bit. PSB (Large Document) is read too. - PNG (up to 16-bit, interlaced), JPEG, TIFF (LZW/ZIP, paths), GIF (animated too), WebP, BMP, TGA, PCX, PBM/PGM/PPM, Radiance HDR, OpenEXR, PDF and EPS. - Imports brushes (.abr), gradients (.grd), styles (.asl), custom shapes (.csh) and patterns (.pat); exports patterns (.pat). WHAT'S INSIDE, IN SHORT ----------------------- - Layers: groups with real blend modes, clipping masks, Smart Objects, Smart Filters with Blending Options. - Layer styles: Drop Shadow, Bevel & Emboss, Glows, Satin, Gradient and Pattern Overlay, Stroke. - Levels, Curves, Hue/Saturation, a Camera Raw-style window, Filter Gallery, Blur Gallery, Liquify and many more filters and adjustments. - Select and Mask, Color Range, Quick Mask, single-channel editing. - Brushes with dynamics, on-canvas HUD for brush size and colour, Vanishing Point with several planes, live gradients. - Actions (with Record Again), batch processing, Save for Web, Indexed Color (Perceptual / Selective palettes), Bitmap mode. NEW IN 0.7.1 ------------ - ARexx: DO "" [values] and PLAY "" on the A-GRAPH port; Actions panel menu > Save Action as ARexx... writes an Action as a script. - Preferences > Interface: Native Intuition Menus (right mouse button over the menu bar) and Tools with Names (the tool names beside the icons). - Brush and Tool presets keep the whole Brush Settings (Tool presets: the colour too with Include Color); Brush Settings sections can be locked. - Properties: Preset lists, Auto and Black / Gray / White eyedroppers for Levels and Curves adjustment layers; Document Properties lines clickable. - Layer Style: drag in the image to move a shadow, Satin or a Pattern Overlay; Pattern Overlay Link with Layer and Snap to Origin. - The busy pointer while a command works, and a progress bar in the status bar for long filters - Esc stops one (the picture as before). - Batch / Droplet: Suppress File Open Options Dialogs and Suppress Color Profile Warnings. - Swatches: groups of your own (New / Rename / Delete Swatch Group). - Actions: Insert Path (a Set Work Path step that brings the path back). - Live vector masks: Vector Mask > Current Path keeps the path with the layer - its row in the Paths panel edits it, the mask follows; kept in projects, moved with the layer. - Paragraph: Hyphenate (long words broken with a hyphen at the box edge). - Free Transform carries a layer's linked mask (and its vector mask) along; PSD files keep vector masks (vmsk) both ways. - Edit > Transform Rotate / Flip turns a layer's linked mask too; Image Size, Canvas Size, Crop, Trim, Reveal All and Image Rotation (also Arbitrary) move the paths and vector masks with the image. - Paths also follow History snapshots and Perspective Crop. - Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, Color Replacement and Background Eraser: Pen Size (a tablet's pressure for the size). - Preferences > File Handling: Save As to Original Folder. - Histogram: Source Adjustment Composite. - Pattern Fill layers: drag the pattern in the image while its dialog is open; Link with Layer and Snap to Origin. - Free Transform: Use Relative Positioning (the triangle between X and Y). - Color Balance adjustment layers keep Shadows, Midtones and Highlights at once (the Tone picks the sliders shown); PSD files keep all three. - Adjustment layers: Save Preset / Load Preset in Properties' Preset list for Levels (.alv), Hue/Saturation (.ahu), Exposure (.ahe) and Selective Color (.asv) - the reference's own preset files. - JPEG Options: File Size (the file's size at the settings shown). - Color Picker: Color Libraries - a color book (.acb) read, its colours by name; typed letters or numbers find one. - A manual: a-graph.guide (AmigaGuide) - Help > a-graph Help opens it. It has an ARexx chapter (every command, return codes, an example) and a chapter on what works only with RTG and what only with AGA. - The start page (no picture yet) runs Screen Mode, Workbench Window, a-graph Help, About Plug-ins and System Info too. - Select and Mask: Preset (Default, your own presets, Save / Delete). - Type > Hyphenation...: Words Longer Than, After First, Before Last, Hyphen Limit, Hyphenate Capitalized Words (kept with each Type layer). - Character: Kerning Optical (each pair of letters spaced by their shapes). - Channel Mixer layers kept live in PSD files; its presets (.cha) too. - Actions panel: a step picked, dragged to move it, deleted or duplicated; Play from it (Ctrl+Play: that step only); new steps go after it. The steps scroll; Action Options has a Color (Button Mode shows it); Insert Stop has Allow Continue (off: the Action halts, Play goes on). - Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift: Distortion and Symmetric Distortion. - Blur Gallery (Iris, Tilt-Shift): Save Mask to Channels. - Path Blur: Start / End Point Speed, Taper, Strobe Strength and Flashes. - Spin Blur: Strobe Strength and Strobe Flashes. - Character > Selected Characters: Ordinals and Fractions. - Blur Gallery (Field, Iris, Tilt-Shift): Noise Amount (grain back in the blurred parts). - Keys and mouse as the reference: Alt subtracts / Shift+Alt intersects a selection; Shift while painting keeps the stroke straight; Eyedropper Alt+click = Background, Shift+click = colour sampler; samplers dragged. - File requesters open where the last one was left (kept between starts). - Help > Check for Updates... (needs a running TCP/IP stack: Roadshow, AmiTCP, Miami): a newer version on Aminet is reported, with its page; Preferences > General > Check for Updates at Start (off by default). - Move tool: Alt+arrow copies the layer and nudges the copy. History: Alt+click a state duplicates it; Alt+click the snapshot button asks. - Auto-Align Layers and Photomerge: Vignette Removal. - Color Lookup reads ICC abstract and device link profiles too. - Help: closing the guide brings a-graph's screen back to the front. - Full Screen Mode: Esc returns to Standard Screen Mode. NEW IN 0.7 ---------- - Workbench window mode (a real, resizable window on an RTG Workbench). - Many more mouse and key modifiers as in the reference: Ctrl = Move for one drag, Ctrl/Alt+Space = Zoom, Alt = a tool's opposite, arrow keys on Free Transform / crop box / selection outline, Ctrl+Z inside Free Transform, double-click to commit a transform, and more. - Channels: an eye per channel, Shift+click to target several, drag to reorder; Paths: thumbnails and all seven buttons; History: Delete. - Group / Layer from Background dialogs, Global Light Altitude, Blending Options' General Blending, Black & White and Gradient Map adjustment layer settings, Adjustment Presets, EPS and PDF (ZIP) options, PNG 8-bit in Export As, a canvas Border preference. FIXED FROM USER REPORTS ----------------------- - The drop-down menus open and follow the pointer much faster on a 68030 and on MorphOS. - The Hand (Space held) can no longer stay stuck on. - A layer lock can always be removed: click the lock badge on the layer's row, or use Lock Layer (context menu, Ctrl+/) again. - Free Transform works on big layers (the limit is free memory), on the Background (it becomes a layer) and fits the box to the layer's content; the Move tool's transform handles start it. INSTALLATION ------------ Unpack the archive anywhere and double-click a-graph (or a-graph.060 on a 68060). The program keeps its settings and presets in its own drawer (PROGDIR:), so give it a drawer you can write to. Optional: put a word list (one word a line) in PROGDIR:a-graph.dic for the spelling checker. TESTING ------- a-graph is under active development and is constantly checked by automated tests, on a PC under WinUAE and on real Amiga hardware. Please report bugs and ideas to the e-mail address above.