QPix v2.2x

Using QPix


Index | File | Edit | Image | View  

The File menu


The File menu lets you open image sources and import the corresponding pictures into the QPix area. Image data can come from disk files and Internet URLs, or they can be directly acquired into QPix by means of a TWAIN-compliant scanner or digital camera.

Import...
Import URL...
Export...
Acquire...
TWAIN source...
Revert
Image Info...
Page Setup...
Print...


Importing images

Images can be imported from disk files or from URLs. Disk images can reside on any local or network-mounted volume. URLs can point to any accessible location on a local or wide area network that uses Internet technologies. This can be your organization's intranet and extranet, or the entire public Internet.

The Import URL... command downloads images using the http://, ftp:// and file:// protocols. Make sure to type the fully qualified URL.


Export a picture into a QuickTime-supported format

This command lets you save the image that is currently displayed in the QPix area in any of the export formats supported by QuickTime.

It is equivalent to the known Save as... command that you can find on all image processing applications. When you choose this item, QPix displays the standard export dialog that lets you choose the format of the new image file.

If the specific format that you chose supports options, the Options... button is activated and you can click on it to further define the export.


Revert the picture to its saved version

This command restores the last saved version of a picture that is displayed in the QPix plug-in area.

Unless the original image was somehow changed, the Revert command is disabled (dimmed).


Acquisition of images

QPix v2 supports TWAIN v1.7 (and partly v1.8), the latest versions of the most widespread cross-platform standard for interfacing image acquisition devices from software applications. This standard is maintained by the TWAIN Working Group, a group of experts representing the imaging industry.

Any TWAIN compliant device (which means almost every scanner and digital camera that you can buy) can be used to acquire images directly to disk or into memory. The image you acquire will automatically appear in the QPix area.

Prior to acquiring you should install the TWAIN acquisition module that came with your device. This includes the "data source" and the acquisition software. Then, set up the TWAIN source from the Preferences menu item (you can freely change this setup at any time if you have multiple TWAIN sources installed).

Once the connection to the TWAIN data source is established, QPix will launch the acquisition software (varies with each device) to actually acquire the image.


Select a TWAIN source

Using this dialog you can select among different TWAIN sources that may exist in your computer.


Getting image information

This command provides information about the image being displayed in the plug-in area. The modal dialog that appears has three pages:

General image information: This includes the dimensions of the image, its type, MIME type, disk space occupied by the image file, vertical and horizontal resolution and color depth.

Pixelmap information: When an image file is imported, the image is uncompressed and held in memory as a pixelmap. The size of the pixelmap indicates the actual memory needed to load the displayed image.

Image metadata: The third page is dynamically populated with the metadata that accompany the image. These can include annotations, copyright notices, IPTC information, etc.


Printing the displayed image

The Page Setup... and Print... menu items let you print the image that is currently displayed in the area. The image will be printed in its natural size, and its original resolution will be preserved.

The printing result may vary on different printers depending on the specific capabilities of the printing device.