Copyright: Copyright ® Vorton Technologies, 1997


Contents
ShowOff Online Reference

Introduction

 Welcome to ShowOff Online Reference!

ShowOff is an easy-to-use image viewing tool that lets you create slide shows, photo albums, and Runtime executables with your favorite graphics from over 50 different file formats.

Whether you are showing off a set of business images, or sending a collection of family photos as a single email attachment, ShowOff combines graphic, sound, and text capabilities with a powerful thumbnail search engine to give you superior graphic presentation power.

Contents

Wizard

Menus

Toolbar

Index

Glossary


Wizard
The ShowOff Wizard

The Wizard appears by default each time you launch ShowOff. It guides you quickly and easily through your choice of four different image handling tasks. You can bypass this Wizard dialog box by clicking Cancel, and prevent it from appearing automatically by deselecting Show Wizard at startup. The Wizard lets you create a slide show, create a portable runtime player, create a photo album, or search for images.

See also:

Creating a New Slide Show

Creating a Runtime Player

Creating a New Album

Find


Creating a New Slide Show

To access the Slide Show window, see:

Slide Show

•	From the window in the top left corner, select the drive and folder where you want to retrieve the original images.

•	If you only want to have one file type in your slide show, choose that format from the drop-down menu on the left. If you want to include several file types, or if you just want to see all the files you have available, choose All Files.

•	Select Use Transitions if you want ShowOff to add transitions when displaying  images in the slide show. Select Loop if you want the slide show to run in an automatic loop until you press the Esc key.

•	ShowOff can advance the images automatically, or you can run a manual slide show. If you want the images to advance automatically, enter a View Time (the amount of time you want each image to remain on the screen). If you want to manually advance the images, select Manual Mode.

•	If you have selected Use Transitions, click the Select Transitions button to choose the type or types of transitions you want to use. ShowOff gives you over 100 transitions to choose from, and you can use any combination in a single slide show. A handy preview at the top of the window demonstrates each transition effect as you click on it. You can add specific transitions to certain images in the Slide show advanced options window.

•	Make a list of the images you want in your slide show. The contents of the open folder are displayed in the top right window. The list of files to include in the slide show is in the window below it. To add to this list, select the file or files you want to add, then click Add. If you want to add all files from that folder, click Add All. You can choose images from different drives and folders for the same slide show. Select the next drive and folder you want to retrieve images from, then repeat the Adding process. To add the files you currently have open in ShowOff, click Add Open. This will add all open, saved files in the ShowOff window. Files that are open but have not been saved will not be added. To remove a file from the slide show list, select it and click Remove. To remove all files from the slide show list, click Remove All.

•	To access advanced options when you create a slide show, select Enable Advanced Options. Click Next to set your options.

•	You can save a slide show, and call on it again later when you want to view that particular group of images. Click Save to save the slide show. It will be saved as a .sld (slide show) file in the drive and folder that you choose.

 WARNING: Maximum number of files that can be put in a slide show is 10,000.

See also:

Opening and playing a slide show

Slide show advanced options


Slide Show

 or Slide Show

To create or retrieve a slide show, click the Slide Show button on the toolbar or select Tools / Slide Show from the menu bar. The Slide Show window appears. From here, you can access the following:

Create a new slide show

Open and play an existing slide show

Slide show advanced options

See also:

File errors


Opening and Playing a Slide Show

To access the Slide Show window, see:

Slide Show

To open and play an existing slide show:

•	Click Open in the Slide Show window. This will bring up the Open dialog box. Find the drive and folder that contains the file you want to open, select the file, and click Open. ShowOff saves slide shows in .sld (slide show file) format.

•	ShowOff loads your selected slide show into the slide show list. Click Start to view the slide show.

•	If you selected manual mode, hit the spacebar to advance to the next image. If you selected automatic mode, ShowOff will automatically advance the images for you.

•	Hit the Esc key to exit the slide show.

See also:

File errors


File Errors

The File Errors dialog box appears when ShowOff has detected errors in a Runtime player or a slide show. ShowOff lists the files that could not be displayed. Reasons for encountering this error could be that a file or group of files you have selected are not graphic images. Or, the files are graphic images but are not in a supported file format.


Slide show advanced options

To access the Slide Show window, see:

Slide Show

To access advanced options when you create a slide show, select Enable Advanced Options in the Slide Show window. Click Next to set your options.

The Advanced Slide Show Options window appears, enabling you to choose options for sound, view time, looping, background, and manual mode. You can also add new images to your slide show, or save the current images and settings as a file that you can go back and modify later.

Add New Image(s)
Lets you add new images to your Runtime player.

Save Slide Show
Allows you to save your slide show settings and file list as an editable file.

Select Sound
Allows you to set sound options for your slide show. Select One Sound to set a single sound that plays upon launching of the file. Using One Sound Looped will play this sound in a continuous loop for the duration of the slide show. Same Sound For All Images repeats a sound each time a new image is displayed. Choose Various Sounds to attach different sounds to individual images. The Midi and Midi Looped options allow you to choose a midi sound file to play alongside your slide show. These files can be several minutes long, and are relatively small in size. ShowOff comes with over 1500 midi files you can use.

View Time
You can either choose to synchronize the image view time with attached sound files, or set a fixed view time. The slide show can run on a continuous loop, or play through once before stopping.

Manual Mode
Select Manual Mode to advance your slide show images manually rather than automatically. Manual control is achieved through the mouse buttons. Click the right mouse button to advance to the next image, click the left to return to the previous image.

Use individual transitions
This option lets you attach specific transitions to individual images. Click once on an image's thumbnail to choose a transition effect. Using this feature overrides any transition settings made in the main Slide Show window.

Background
To set the background color, click Set. Click on the desired small swatch to select a color. You can also define a new, custom color by moving the crosshair over a color in the large swatch, or by entering RGB values. Click Add to Custom Colors to make the new color available.

To access options for individual images within your slide show, click once on the image's thumbnail. The Image Options window appears, allowing you to change position, sound, and transition options for that image. Click Finished when you are satisfied with your changes.


Creating a Runtime Player

 or Tools / Create Runtime

A Runtime player will automatically resize, encrypt, and compress a group of selected images into a self-contained executable file. This file can be emailed, or otherwise transferred to someone, and it will run itself when opened. The encryption allows you to assign a password to your Runtime file, so anyone who receives it must supply this password before opening the file.

To create a Runtime file, click the Create Runtime button on the toolbar or select Tools / Create Runtime from the menu bar. The Select Images for Runtime Player window appears, allowing you to either open an existing Runtime project or create a new one.

•	To open a Runtime project you have already created and saved, click Open an Existing Project.

•	To import an existing Runtime file, click Import Existing Runtime. If the file is encrypted, you will need to enter the password before you can import it.

•	If you are creating a new Runtime player, select the drive and folder from which you want to retrieve images.

•	If you only want to have one file type in your Runtime player, choose that format from the drop-down menu. If you want to include several file types, or if you just want to see all the files you have available, choose All Files.

•	Make a list of the images you want in your Runtime player. The contents of the open folder are displayed in the top right window. The list of files to include in the slide show is in the window below it. To add to this list, select the file or files you want to add, then click Add. If you want to add all files from that folder, click Add All. You can use images from different drives and folders when creating a Runtime player. Simply select the next drive and folder you want to retrieve images from, then repeat the Adding process. To add the files you currently have open in ShowOff, click Add Open. This will add all open files in the main ShowOff window. To remove a file from the slide show list, select it and click Remove. To remove all files from the slide show list, click Remove All.

A thumbnail window appears, showing thumbnails of the images you have selected for your Runtime player. The Runtime Creator window also appears, allowing you to choose sound options, view time, looping, and encryption. You can also add new images to your Runtime file, or save the current images and settings as a project that you can go back and modify later.

To access options for individual images within your Runtime player, click once on the image's thumbnail. The Image Options window appears, allowing you to change position and sound options for that image. Click Finished when you are satisfied with your changes.

To get a preview of how your Runtime player will run, click Test. When you are ready to create your finished Runtime file, click Create Runtime Player.

See also:

Runtime Creator Window

Opening a Runtime Project

Using a Runtime Player

Encryption

File Errors


Runtime Creator Window

The Runtime Creator window allows you to choose options for sound, view time, looping, and encryption for a Runtime player. You can also add new images to your Runtime file, or save the current images and settings as a project that you can go back and modify later. To get a preview of how your Runtime player will run, click Test. When you are ready to create your finished Runtime file, click Create Runtime Player.

Add New Image(s)
Lets you add new images to your Runtime player.

Save Current Project
Allows you to save your Runtime player settings and file list as an editable project.

Create Runtime Player
Creates an executable Runtime player using the current image files and settings.

Select Sound
Allows you to set sound options for your Runtime player. Select One Sound to set a single sound that plays upon launching of the file. Using One Sound Looped will play this sound in a continuous loop for the duration of the Runtime. Same Sound For All Images repeats a sound each time a new image is displayed. Choose Various Sounds to attach different sounds to individual images. The Midi and Midi Looped options allow you to choose a midi sound file to play alongside your Runtime player. These files can be several minutes long, and are relatively small in size. ShowOff comes with over 1500 midi files you can use.

View Time
You can either choose to synchronize the image view time with attached sound files, or set a fixed view time. The Runtime player can run on a continuous loop, or play through once before stopping. Adding image descriptions allows the person viewing your Runtime player to see a description of each image as it is displayed. To start flipping through the images automatically when the Runtime file is launched, select Auto Play On Startup.

Transitions
Select this option if you want ShowOff to add transitions between the images in your Runtime player. Two different transitions, horizontal blind and vertical blind, are alternated.

Full-screen on startup
You can set your Runtime player window to occupy the full screen when launched by selecting this option.

Encrypt runtime for security
If you want to encrypt your Runtime player, select this option and click Set Password to choose the password.

To access options for individual images within your Runtime, click once on the image's thumbnail. The Image Options window appears, allowing you to change position, sound, and description options. Click Finished when you are satisfied with your changes.

See also:

Creating a Runtime Player

Encryption


Encryption

Encryption in ShowOff associates a password with a Runtime player, so that the end user must supply a password to launch it.

To add encryption, access the Runtime Creator window by clicking the Create Runtime Player button on the toolbar or selecting Tools / Create Runtime from the menu bar. Select Encrypt runtime for security. Click Set Password and enter the password you want to use. You will be prompted to confirm your password. When you are finished, click Start.

 WARNING: Once a Runtime file is encrypted, it can only be launched using the appropriate password.


Opening a Runtime Project

 or Tools / Create Runtime

To open an existing Runtime project, you must go to the Create Runtime window. To access it, click the Create Runtime button on the toolbar or select Tools / Create Runtime from the menu bar. In the Create Runtime window, click Open an Existing Project.

See also:

Creating a Runtime Player


Using a Runtime Player

A Runtime player is a self-running executable file. This file can be opened and run on any PC system, regardless of whether or not the user has ShowOff installed. The file compression used in a Runtime player makes it a good way to send numerous images with accompanying descriptions and/or sounds over email.

If the Runtime file was created with Auto Play on Startup selected as an option in the Runtime Creator window, it will play through its entire list of images as soon as it is launched. The user can stop the playback of images by clicking the Stop button. When the images have finished displaying, or when the Stop button is pressed, a set of controls appear at the bottom of the window.

These control buttons let you adjust view time, looping, and presence of sound in the Runtime. Click Start to play the Runtime using your new settings. Using the arrow buttons at the far left and far right, you can flip manually through the images in the Runtime file. To make the current image appear as your Windows wallpaper, click Wallpaper. Click Save to keep the changes you have made to the Runtime settings, and click Finished when you are done viewing the file.


Creating a New Album

 Album / New Album

To create a new photo album, click the New Album button on the toolbar or select Album / New Album from the menu bar.

You will be prompted to enter a name for your new album. Do this, and click OK. Next, choose the source directory where you want to retrieve images for the album. You can also select a file format from the drop down menu. To look for all file types, select *.*.

The Photo Album Creator window appears. You will see an empty thumbnail window with your new album name on the right, and another thumbnail window with the results of your directory search on the left. Select images for your album by clicking on the corresponding thumbnail images. The Photo Album Creator window gives you the option to continue choosing images from another directory, to load an existing album, and to save your new album. When you are done, click Finished.

See also:

Editing an Album

Viewing an Album


Editing an Album

 or Album / Edit Album

To edit an existing photo album, click the Edit Album button on the toolbar or select Album / Edit Album from the menu bar. You will be prompted to open the desired album file.

The Photo Album Creator window appears, giving you the option to continue choosing images from another directory, to load an existing album, to add text descriptions to your images, and to save your modified album.

See also:

Creating a New Album

Viewing an Album


Viewing an Album

 or Album / View Album

To view an existing photo album, click the View Album button on the toolbar or select Album / View Album from the menu bar. You will be prompted to open the desired album file.

The Photo Album window appears, allowing you to browse through your images with the left and right arrow graphics in the lower corners. Using the buttons in the top left corner of the window (see below), you can control the number of images displayed at one time, whether the images are maximized within the window space, and whether to view associated text descriptions. You can also create an instant slide show or Runtime player.

To exit the Photo Album window, click Finished.

See also:

Creating an Album

Editing an Album


Find

 or Tools / Find

To search a folder, or directory, for images, click the Find button on the toolbar or select Tools / Find from the menu bar.

The Find window appears. Choose the directory you wish to search for images. From the pull-down list at the bottom of the window, choose the file type you want to search for. Selecting *.* will search for all supported file types. The Find utility allows you to search not only by type, but also by string. For example, you can narrow your search to all supported files whose names start with the letter B by typing B*.* in the pull-down list text window. Click the Include Subdirectories checkbox if you want to search subdirectories within the chosen directory. Click Find to begin the search.

A thumbnail window appears, displaying the results of your search in thumbnail format.

See also:

Thumbnail Windows


Thumbnail Windows

When you launch ShowOff, it automatically opens a thumbnail window corresponding to the last directory search you completed. To turn off this feature, go into File Preferences and deselect Show thumbnail window on startup.

You can search for images in a directory by using Find. Each search generates a thumbnail window. You can have up to ten thumbnail windows open at one time, containing a total of up to 500 thumbnail images. If your search results exceed the maximum number of files, try refining your search by choosing a specific string or file format to look for.

To navigate among image thumbnails in a window, use the arrow keys on your keyboard. To open a file, click once on its thumbnail image. To delete a file from your system, select its thumbnail image and press the Delete key on your keyboard. You can determine the exact path to an image by selecting its thumbnail image and pressing P on your keyboard.

See also:

Find

Changing File Preferences


Changing File Preferences

File / Preferences

Main
Choose either a fixed or automatic palette. A fixed palette is derived from the computer's system palette. An automatic palette is created by ShowOff to suit the colors in the image you are working on. Select either an Ordered or Error Diffusion dithering pattern. You can also choose whether or not to view the thumbnail window, with the results of your last search, and the ShowOff splash screen on startup.

 NOTE: The Palette and Dithering options only apply when working in 256-color display. Therefore, if you are working with a bit resolution of 16, 24, or 32, these options will be grayed out and unavailable for selection.

PhotoCD
PhotoCD files contain several possible resolutions. Choose the resolution you want to view when these files are opened.

General
Autozoom to fit large images on load
Select this if you want ShowOff to automatically zoom out when it loads large images. This will make the entire image initially visible on the screen.

Always load largest FPX resolution
Like PhotoCD files, FPX files contain several different resolutions. If you select this feature, ShowOff will always load the largest resolution. Otherwise, a prompt will appear asking which resolution you want to view each time you open an FPX file.

Fit Image to Printer Page
Select this option to automatically size your image to its best fit on a page when printing.


Menus

Need a hand navigating ShowOff's menu bar? Select the topic of your choice below to get the help you need.

File

Edit

View

Image

Screen

Tools

Album

Window


File Menu

New

Open

Acquire

Select Source

Close

Close All

Delete

Save

Save As

Print

Print Preview

Print Setup

Last Edited Documents

Preferences

Exit


New Image

 or File / New

To create a new image, click the New Image button on the toolbar or select File / New from the menu bar.

The Enter New Image Information window appears, allowing you to set a width, height, and background color for your image. The width and height are measured here in pixels. To set the background color, click Set Background Color. Click on the desired small swatch to select a color. You can also define a new, custom color by moving the crosshair over a color in the large swatch, or by entering RGB values. Click Add to Custom Colors to make the new color available. After you have made your selection, click OK to begin working on your new image.


Opening a File

or File / Open

To open a file, click the Open button on the toolbar, or select File / Open from the menu bar. From the dialog box, choose the drive and the directory to locate the files you want. ShowOff lets you open as many files as you like at the same time. Select one file by clicking on it, or select several files by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking each one.

If you choose to open only one file, you can get information on the file's name, format, dimensions, bit resolution, size on disk, size in memory, compression, and number of pages by clicking File Info. Click OK to exit the File Info dialog box. Click Open to open the file or files.


Acquiring an Image

File / Acquire

"Acquiring" an image allows you to bring an image into ShowOff from an external TWAIN-compliant source, such as a scanner or digital camera. To do this, select File / Acquire from the menu bar. If you have more than one TWAIN source, you can select the active source by choosing File / Select Source from the menu bar.

See also:

Selecting a Source


Selecting a Source

File / Select Source

When you want to acquire an image from an outside source, you can choose the TWAIN source you want ShowOff to use by selecting Choose File / Select Source from the menu bar. In the dialog box, select the source you want to use by clicking on it then clicking Select. ShowOff remembers the source you have chosen for the next time you acquire an image. If you want to acquire from the same source, go directly to File / Acquire. If you want to choose a different source, repeat the above steps. If you only have one TWAIN source available, ShowOff will use it automatically when acquiring an image.

See also:

Acquiring an Image


Closing a File

File / Close

To close the file in the active window, choose File / Close from the menu bar. If the file has not been saved, ShowOff will prompt you to save any changes you have made to your image before closing it. Click Yes to save changes, No to close the file without saving.


Closing All Files

File / Close All

To close all the currently open files in ShowOff, select File / Close All from the menu bar. ShowOff will prompt you to save any changes you have made to your unsaved images. Click Yes to save changes, No to close a file without saving.


Deleting a File

File / Delete

ShowOff makes it easy to get rid of unwanted files without going into your Windows Explorer. To permanently delete a file from your system, make sure it is in the active window. Select File / Delete from the menu bar. ShowOff will ask you whether you are sure you want to delete the file. Click Yes.


Save

 or File / Save

To save the file you are currently working on, click the Save button on the toolbar or select File / Save from the menu bar.

See also:

Save As


Save As

File / Save As

To save the image you are working on in ShowOff as a new file, select File / Save As from the menu bar. From the dialog box, choose the drive and directory where you want to save your file. Give it a file name and choose a file format.

Click Options to see the saving options available for the format you have chosen. For example, saving to JPEG format will give you the option of selecting progressive or regular format, final bit resolution, and the level of compression you want. Drag the slider to adjust the compression level. Dragging the slider to the left decreases the level; dragging to the right increases it. The number at the left of the slider displays the compression value, which can range from 2 to 255.  As the compression level increases, the file size diminishes but the final image quality also drops. Two windows display your image; the window on the right shows an on-the-fly preview of the adjustments you make, so you can see what your final saved file will look like before committing to a compression level. If you would like to see how large the converted file will be on disk, select Calculate Disk Space Required and ShowOff will calculate file size as you make adjustments to the compression value.

When you have finished making adjustments, click Finished to keep the values you have set, or Cancel to disregard the new information. This brings you back to the Save As dialog box. Click Save to save the image, or Cancel to return to the main ShowOff window without saving.

See also:

Save


Printing a File

 or File / Print

To print the file you are working on, make sure it is in the active window. Click the Print icon in the toolbar, or select File / Print from the menu bar. From the dialog box, select the name of the printer you want to use. If you want to change the properties for your printer, click Properties. Select the pages and number of copies you want to print. Click OK when finished.

See also:

Print Preview

Setting up for Printing


Print Preview

File / Print Preview

To see what a file will look like on paper before you actually print it, select File / Print Preview from the menu bar. ShowOff will display your image and a toolbar in the new window. This toolbar lets you print, view the next or previous page of your file, view one or two pages at a time, zoom in or out, and close the Print Preview to return to the main window.


Setting up for Printing

File / Print Setup

To set up your page and printer before you print a file, select File / Print Setup from the menu bar. From the dialog box that appears, select the name of the printer you want to use. If you want to change the properties for your printer, click Properties. Choose the size of paper you want, and the source from where it will feed into the printer. Select either Portrait (long vertically) or Landscape (long horizontally) orientation for the paper. Click OK when finished.

See also:

Printing a File


Opening a Recently Edited File

File / [your file name here]

ShowOff remembers the last few files you worked on, making it easy for you to go back to them. To quickly open a file you recently edited, select File / [your file name] from the menu bar.


Exiting PhotoZone
Exiting ShowOff

File / Exit

To exit ShowOff, select File / Exit from the menu bar. If you have open files which have not been saved, ShowOff will ask you if you want to save changes to each file before exiting. Click Yes to save changes, No to close the file without saving.


Edit Menu

Undo

Copy

Paste

Combine text


Undo an Action

 or Edit / Undo

If you make a mistake or want to undo an action you have just completed, click the Undo button on the toolbar or select Edit / Undo.


Copying an Image

 or Edit / Copy

You can copy the image you are working on, making it available to paste into an existing file, or as its own new file. Select the desired image by making it the active window within ShowOff. To do this, simply click on any part of the image. Then click the Copy button on the toolbar, or select Edit / Copy from the menu bar.

See also:

Pasting an Image


Pasting an Image

Paste as New Image

Paste as Object


Paste as New Image

 or Edit / Paste / Paste as New Image

To create a new file from a copied image, first copy the image that you want to paste. Then click the Paste button on the toolbar, or select Edit / Paste / Paste as New Image from the menu bar. ShowOff pastes the copied image into a new bitmap (BMP) file.

See also:

Copying an Image

Paste as Object


Paste as Object

Edit / Paste as Object

To paste a copied selection into an existing file, the target image must be at a 24-bit resolution.

To paste a copied image into another existing image, select Edit / Paste as Object from the menu bar. This will place the selection into the image as an Object, which is defined by a marquee. You can then move the Object to the desired location on the image using the mouse. To make the Object part of the image, select Edit / Combine Text from the menu bar, or right-click on the Object and select Combine Text.

 NOTE: Once you combine an Object with the image beneath it, they cannot be separated.

See also:

Paste as New Image

Combine Text


Combine Text

Edit / Combine Text

Combine Text drops text you have created onto an image. To use this tool, you must have text visible on the image. To combine the text with the image underneath it, select Edit / Combine Text from the menu bar.

 NOTE: Once you combine text with the image beneath it, they cannot be separated.

See also:

Paste as Object


View Menu

Toolbar

Status Bar


Viewing the Toolbar

View / Toolbar

To make the utility toolbar visible in the ShowOff window, select View / Toolbar from the menu bar. This toolbar displays items that help you view, transform, open, save and print your files. A checkmark will appear next to this item on the menu, and it will remain effective until deselected.


Viewing the Status Bar

View / Status Bar

To make the status bar visible at the bottom of the ShowOff window, select View / Status Bar from the menu bar. A checkmark will appear next to this item on the menu, and it will remain effective until deselected.

See also:

Status Bar


Status Bar

The status bar is located along the bottom edge of the ShowOff window. It displays, from left to right: the pixel dimensions of the image you are working on, the bit resolution, the zoom factor currently in use, the size of the file in system memory, the date, and the time. When you are in Select Tool mode and have an area visibly selected on the image, the "size of file in memory" section of the status bar changes to display the pixel dimensions of the selected area.

See also:

Viewing the Status Bar


Image Menu

Image Information

Text

Zoom


File Information
Image Information

 or Image / Image Information

Clicking the Image Information button on the toolbar, or selecting Image / Image Information from the menu bar, gives you instant access to the following information about the file in the active window:

•	Name

•	Format

•	Width

•	Height

•	Bits per Pixel

•	Size On Disk

•	Size In Memory

•	Compression

•	Number of Pages


Text Mode

 or Image / Text

To enable Text mode, click the Text Mode button on the toolbar or select Image / Text Mode from the menu bar.

A dialog box appears, where you can choose a font, font style, and size for your text. You can also choose from a number of text effects by clicking on their corresponding checkboxes. Set the text color by using the pulldown menu. Set the drop shadow or outline color by clicking Set, and either choosing an existing color or defining a custom color. When you have finished modifying your text, click OK to close the dialog box.

The new text will appear as an object you can move with the mouse. When you are satisfied with the location of the text on your image, select Edit / Combine Current Object from the menu bar to drop the text onto the image.

 NOTE: Once you combine text with the image beneath it, they cannot be separated.

See also:

Combine Text


The Zoom Tool

 or Image / Zoom

To make the Zoom tool visible in the ShowOff window while you are working on your image, click the Zoom Tool button on the toolbar or select Image / Zoom from the menu bar. In this mode, you can click the left mouse button on the image to zoom in, and click the right mouse button to zoom out.


Screen Menu

Capture

Wallpaper


Capturing Your Screen

 or Screen / Capture

The Capture command takes a snapshot of your desktop — excluding the ShowOff window — and makes it into an image that can be manipulated. To do this, click the Capture button on the toolbar or select Screen / Capture from the menu bar. ShowOff displays the image in a new window as a BMP, where you can change, save, or discard it.


Making Wallpaper

 or Screen / Wallpaper

Wallpaper is the background image on your desktop. At the click of a mouse, the image you are currently working on in ShowOff can become your Windows wallpaper.

Click the Wallpaper button on the toolbar, or select Screen / Wallpaper from the menu bar. ShowOff saves the image you are working on as a BMP file in your Windows folder. If the image you are using is smaller than your screen, you can choose to tile, or continuously repeat, the image over the entire screen area. If you want to tile the image, select Tile Image in the Wallpaper dialog box. Click OK to change your wallpaper to the new image, or Cancel to return to the main ShowOff window.


Tools Menu

Create Runtime

Play Runtime

Slide Show

Wizard


Play Runtime

 or Tools / Play Runtime

To play an existing Runtime file, click the Play Runtime button on the toolbar or select Tools / Play Runtime from the file menu.

The Select Runtime Player window appears. Locate and select the file you want to play, and click Open.

See also:

Using a Runtime Player

Creating a Runtime Player

File Errors


Album Menu

New Album

Edit Album

View Album


Window Menu

New Window

Cascade

Tile

Arrange Icons

Selecting an Active Window


New Window

Window / New Window

To open a duplicate window containing the current image, select Window / New Window from the menu bar. Any changes you make in this new window are mirrored automatically in the original window.


Cascading Window Arrangement

Window / Cascade

If you have more than one file open in ShowOff, you can arrange the windows for easier viewing and access. Select Window / Cascade from the menu bar to arrange the file windows in an overlapping pattern. This gives you a clear view of one window at a time, while allowing easy access to the other file windows.


Tiled Window Arrangement

Window / Tile

If you have more than one file open in ShowOff, you can arrange the windows for easier viewing and access. Select Window / Tile from the menu bar to arrange the file windows in a tiled pattern. This gives you an equal view of each file window simultaneously.


Arranging Icons

Window / Arrange Icons

If you have more than one file open in ShowOff, you can arrange the windows for easier viewing and access. Selecting Window / Arrange Icons from the menu bar will align any minimized windows for easy viewing.


Selecting an Active Window

Window / [desired file window]

If you have more than one file open in ShowOff, you can change the active file window. To do this, click on any part of the window you want to make active to bring it to the front. Or, select Window / [desired file window] from the menu bar.  A checkmark will appear next to this item on the menu, and it will remain active until you select another file window.


Using the Toolbar

ShowOff's Toolbar is the source of many shortcut buttons. These buttons help speed up your work, as you can reach handy tools without going through the menu bar.

The Toolbar, in its default display, appears at the top edge of ShowOff's main window. You can move it to any location on the screen. With the left mouse button, click the beige border around the Toolbar, then drag it to its new location. This feature allows you to keep the tools you need close at hand, but out of your way.

Click here to view the contents of the Toolbar:

Toolbar


Toolbar

Looking for a fast and easy way to access ShowOff's tools? Check out the Toolbar and get to what you need instantly.

 New Image

 Open

 Save

 Print

 Copy

 Paste

 Undo

 Find Images

 Pointer

 Text mode

 Zoom in/out

 Wizard

 Slide Show

 Create Runtime

 Play Runtime

 View Album

 New Album

 Edit Album

 Wallpaper

 Screen Capture

 Image Information

 Help Contents

See also:

Using the Toolbar


The Pointer Tool

To make the Pointer tool visible in the ShowOff window as the default pointer while you are working on your image, click the Pointer tool button on the toolbar. This tool will remain visible until you choose to replace it with the Select or Zoom tool.

See also:

The Zoom Tool


Help
Help!

 or Help

Clicking the Help button on the toolbar, or selecting Help from the menu bar, gives you instant access to the Contents section of this Online Reference. When you are using one of ShowOff's features, you can directly access help for that topic by clicking the Help button in the feature's dialog box.


Index

A

acquire

Acquiring an Image

active window

Album Menu

Arranging Icons

C

capture

Capturing Your Screen

Cascading Window Arrangement

Changing File Preferences

close all

close

Closing a File

Closing All Files

Combine Text

Contents

copy

Copying an Image

Creating a New Album

Creating a New Slide Show

Creating a Runtime Player

D

delete

Deleting a File

E

Edit Menu

Editing an Album

encrypt

Encryption

errors

exit

Exiting PhotoZone

F

File Errors

File Information

File Menu

file preferences

Find

G

Glossary

H

Help

I

Image Menu

import runtime

M

Making Wallpaper

Menus

N

New Image

New Window

O

Opening a File

Opening a Recently Edited File

Opening a Runtime Project

Opening and Playing a Slide Show

P

password

Paste as new image

Paste as object

Pasting an Image

Play Runtime

pointer

preferences

Print Preview

print

Print Preview

Printing a File

Printing a File

Q

quit

R

Runtime Creator Window

runtime player

Creating a Runtime Player

Play Runtime

Using a Runtime Player

runtime project

S

Save As

Save

scanning

screen capture

Screen Menu

Selecting a Source

Selecting an Active Window

Setting up for Printing

Slide show advanced options

slide show

Creating a New Slide Show

Opening and Playing a Slide Show

Slide Show

sounds

Status Bar

status bar

T

Text Mode

The Pointer Tool

The Zoom Tool

Thumbnail Windows

thumbnails

Find

Thumbnail Windows

Tiled Window Arrangement

Toolbar

toolbar

Tools Menu

transitions

Creating a New Slide Show

Slide show advanced options

U

Undo an Action

Using a Runtime Player

Using the Toolbar

V

View Menu

Viewing an Album

Viewing the Status Bar

Viewing the Toolbar

W

wallpaper

Window Menu

Wizard

Z

zoom


Glossary

A

Acquire

Active window

Animated GIF

AWD (Microsoft Fax)

B

Bit resolution

BMP

Brightness

BRK (Brooktrout)

C

CAL (CALS)

Capture

CCITT Fax (TIF)

CLP (Windows Clipboard)

CMP (LEAD)

Color depth

Crop

CUR (Windows Cursor)

D

Dialog Box

DIB

Dithering

E

EPS

Error Diffusion

EXIF

F

Fixed palette

FPX (FlashPix)

FXS (Winfax)

G

GEM (IMG)

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

H

Histogram

Hue

I

ICA (IOCA)

ICO (Windows Icon)

IFF

Interlaced GIF

J

JIF (JTIF)

JPG (JPEG)

M

MAC (MacPaint)

MSP (Microsoft Paint)

N

Netscape palette

O

Optimized palette

Ordered diffusion

P

Palette

PBM (Portable Bitmap)

PCT (Macintosh PICTURE)

PCX

PGM (Portable Greymap)

Pixel depth

PNG

PNM (Portable Any-Map)

PPM (Portable Pixmap)

Progressive JPEG

PSD (Photoshop)

R

RAS (SUN Raster)

S

Saturation

SGI

Shear

Status Bar

Stretch Intensity

T

TARGA

TIFF

Transform

TWAIN

W

Wallpaper

WMF (Windows Metafile)

WPG (WordPerfect)

X

XBM (X Bitmap)

XPM (X Pixmap)

XWD (X Window Dump)


Acquire

To obtain an image from an outside TWAIN-compliant source, such as a scanner or digital camera.


Active window

The window containing the file or application you are currently working with. If several files are open in a single application, only one file window at a time is active.


Animated GIF

A sequence of images built into a single file that will animate when viewed on the World Wide Web. GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a CompuServe file format commonly used to display graphics and images over the Web or through other online services, and is a compressed format designed to minimize file transfer time over phone lines.


AWD (Microsoft Fax)

AWD, or Microsoft Fax format, is a fax file format which supports only 32-bit images.


Bit resolution

Also called pixel depth or color depth. Measures how much color information is available for each pixel in an image.


BMP

BMP, or device-dependent bitmap, is the standard Windows bitmap image format on DOS and Windows-compatible computers. PhotoZone offers Windows and OS/2 BMP formats, which support bit resolutions of 1 to 24.


Brightness

Brightness is the relative lightness or darkness of a color, and is usually measured as a percentage from 0% (black) to 100% (white).


BRK (Brooktrout)

A BRK, or Brooktrout file, consists of two parts: a CCITT Group 3 (G3) compressed file, and a 128-byte header. This header contains information about the file format, version number, horizontal and vertical resolutions of the image in dots/mm, the number of bits per pixel, and the number of pixels per line. PhotoZone supports BRK as read-only.


CAL (CALS)

CAL (CALS), or Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support, is a Fax Group IV compressed file format used by the US Government as part of their transition to electronic media. Images in these files are black and white. This format is ideal for storing black and white line drawings and scans.


Capture

Takes a snapshot of your desktop — excluding the PhotoZone window — and makes it into an image that can be manipulated.


CCITT Fax (TIF)

CCITT Fax format produces compressed TIFF files that are commonly used for fax transmission and document imaging.


CLP (Windows Clipboard)

CLP, or Windows Clipboard format, holds any of several data types that can be stored by the Windows Clipboard. PhotoZone supports CLP as read-only.


CMP (LEAD)

CMP (LEAD) is a compressed format for greyscale and color images. This format can produce smaller files and better image quality than industry-standard file formats.


Color depth

Also called bit resolution or pixel depth. Measures how much color information is available for each pixel in an image.


Crop

Cropping lets you select the part of an image you want to keep. The rest of the image is discarded.


CUR (Windows Cursor)

CUR, or Microsoft Cursor Format, is used for storing files as Microsoft cursors. An image must have dimensions of 32 x 32 pixels to be saved to this format.


Dialog Box

A window that pops up on top of the active window, generally in response to a command given by the user or to notify of an error generated by the application. Dialog boxes disappear when they are no longer needed (i.e. you have opened a selected file, or have acknowledged a warning or error message).


DIB

DIB is a device-independent bitmap format. It has similar uses to BMP, the standard device-dependent bitmap format for DOS and Windows-compatible computers.


Dithering

Mixes the available colors in a new image palette to simulate missing colors from the original image.


EPS

EPS, or Encapsulated PostScript format, is supported by most illustration and page-layout programs, and in most cases is the preferred format for these applications.


Error Diffusion

A type of dithering pattern. Adds pixels in an unstructured pattern to simulate colors missing from the palette.


EXIF

EXIF, formally known as Digital Still Camera Image File format, is the standard format for files created with Japanese digital cameras and other input devices. EXIF files contain either uncompressed TIFF images, or compressed JPEG images.


Fixed palette

A group of colors derived from the computer's 256-color system palette.


FPX (FlashPix)

FPX, or Kodak FlashPix, is a file format produced and supported by Kodak digital cameras. Several different image resolutions are saved with each file in this format, and PhotoZone prompts you to choose a resolution each time you open an FPX file. You can select Always Load Largest FPX Resolution in the File Preferences menu to skip this prompt.


FXS (Winfax)

FXS is the Microsoft WinFax fax document format.


GEM (IMG)

The IMG format stores bitmap images useful in GEM applications. Though used extensively for monochrome images, IMG also supports grayscale and color. Images with a color depth of more than 1 bit are stored in groups of planes, with one group consisting of four planes: red, green, blue, and gray.


GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a CompuServe file format commonly used to display graphics and images in hypertext markup language (HTML) documents over the World Wide Web. GIF is a compressed format designed to minimize file transfer time over phone lines.


Histogram

An array that charts the frequency of color usage in an image.


Hue

The wavelength of light reflected from or transmitted through an object. Hue is measured as a location on the standard color wheel and is expressed as a degree between 0° and 360°. It is more commonly identified by the name of the color such as red, orange, or green.


ICA (IOCA)

ICA (IOCA), or Image Object Content Architecture, files have a pixel depth of 1 bit. These files support CCITT G3, CCITT G4, and IBM's mmmr file formats.


ICO (Windows Icon)

ICO, or Windows Icon format, is used for storing files as Windows icons. Image dimensions must not exceed 255 pixels in height or width if an image is to be saved in this format.


IFF

Electronic Art's IFF, or Interchange File Format, provides storage of various different data types within one file. Some of these data types include text, graphics, fonts, music, sound effects, and animation.


Interlaced GIF

Allows a GIF image to appear gradually in increasing detail as it is downloaded on the World Wide Web. GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is a CompuServe file format commonly used to display graphics and images over the Web or through other online services, and is a compressed format designed to minimize file transfer time over phone lines.


JIF (JTIF)

JIF (JTIF), or JPEG Tagged Interchange format, produces TIF files with JPEG compression.


JPG (JPEG)

JPG (JPEG), or Joint Photographic Experts Group format, is commonly used to display photographs and other continuous-tone images over the World Wide Web and other online services. Unlike the GIF format, JPEG lets you choose a level of compression to suit your needs for file size and image quality. Since JPEG's compression reduces file size by discarding data that is unessential to the display of the image, a higher compression level will reduce the final image quality. Using the minimum available compression will produce a maximum quality image that is usually indistinguishable from the original.


MAC (MacPaint)

MAC, or MacPaint format, is commonly used to transfer bitmap-mode monochrome images to Macintosh applications. To save a Bitmap mode image in this format, the image must be no larger than 576 by 720 pixels.


MSP (Microsoft Paint)

MSP, or Microsoft Paint format, stores monochrome bitmap images. These files originate from early versions of Windows, and generally store clipart and black-and-white drawings.


Netscape palette

A standard internet palette developed by Netscape, and used by both Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer.


Optimized palette

A custom palette that gives the best possible color approximation for the bit depth you have selected.


Ordered diffusion

A type of dithering. Adds pixels in ordered patterns to simulate colors that are missing from the palette.


Palette

A group colors made available to an image with a bit resolution of 8 or lower.


PBM (Portable Bitmap)

PBM, or Portable Bitmap format, is useful for quick and easy transfer of monochrome bitmap images on Unix and PC platforms. PhotoZone supports PBM as read-only.


PCT (Macintosh PICTURE)

PCT (PICT), is widely-used among Macintosh graphics and page-layout applications as an intermediary format for transferring files between applications. This format is especially effective at compressing images that contain large areas of solid color.


PCX

Created by ZSoft, the PCX file format compresses its image data with RLE (run length encoded) type compression. PCX files can have bit resolutions of 1, 4, 8, or 24.


PGM (Portable Greymap)

PGM, or Portable Greymap format, is useful for easy transfer of basic grayscale images across Portable Bitmap Utility Programs. PhotoZone supports PGM as read-only.


Pixel depth

Also called bit resolution or color depth. Measures how much color information is available for each pixel in an image.


PNG

PNG, or Portable Network Graphics, acts as a replacement for CompuServe's GIF format. It is a full-featured compressed format intended for wide-spread internet use without legal restraints.


PNM (Portable Any-Map)

PNM acts similarly to PBM, in that it transports basic images across Portable Bitmap Utility Programs. However, PNM format can  handle grayscale and color images in addition to monochrome. PhotoZone supports PNM as read-only.


PPM (Portable Pixmap)

PPM, or Portable Pixmap format, is useful for easy transfer of basic color images across Portable Bitmap Utility Programs. PhotoZone supports PPM as read-only.


Progressive JPEG

Displays a JPEG image gradually as it is downloaded from a Web browser, using a series of scans to show increasingly detailed versions of the entire image until all of the data has finished downloading. Keep in mind when choosing this format that progressive JPEG images are not supported by all Web browsers, and require more RAM for viewing.


PSD (Photoshop)

PSD is a file format produced by Adobe's Photoshop application, and may be compressed or uncompressed. PSD supports 1, 4, 8, and 24-bit compression, as well as CMYK and LAB color spaces.


RAS (SUN Raster)

RAS, or Sun Raster format, is native to Sun UNIX platforms. This format supports 1, 8, 24, and 32-bit BGR, RGB, and Byte Encoded (run length encoded) files.


Saturation

Saturation is the strength or purity of a color, and represents the amount of gray in proportion to the hue. It is measured as a percentage from 0% (gray) to 100% (fully saturated).


SGI

SGI format was developed for use with the SGI image library that is included on most Silicon Graphics computers. Though many of these images are black and white, SGI format also supports grayscale and RGB/RGB with alpha channel color images.


Shear

To stretch an image on an angle, from corner to corner.


Status Bar

A display along the bottom edge of the PhotoZone window that gives information about image dimensions, bit resolution, zoom factor, size of file in system memory, date, and time.


Stretch Intensity

Gives an image more depth and contrast. PhotoZone applies a histogram algorithm which centers, maximizes, and proportions the  range of intensity values in the image.


TARGA

TGA, or Targa format, usually stores 15 or 24-bit full color files, although it also supports 8-bit greyscale and simple run length encoded files.  They may be right side up or upside down, as indicated by the header.


TIFF

TIFF (TIF), or Tagged-Image File format, is used to exchange files between different applications and computer platforms. TIFF uses a compression method that does not discard detail from the image. This can result in a large file size.


Transform

To change the shape or orientation of an image by flipping, mirroring, rotating, or shearing.


TWAIN

A standard for image input devices, such as scanners and digital cameras. Each TWAIN device has its own user interface, which is called up when an image is acquired from another application.


Wallpaper

The background image on your desktop.


WMF (Windows Metafile)

WMF, or Windows metafile format, is the same as BMP format except the first file header is missing. A WMF file consists of a collection of device-independent functions representing an image. When a metafile is loaded, these functions are executed to obtain the image. May be compressed for 4 and 8-bit images.


WPG (WordPerfect)

WPG, or Wordperfect metafile format, produces raster files that are searched for a bitmap record to obtain an image. The bitmap file format is a simple run length encoded format.


XBM (X Bitmap)

XBM, or X Bitmap format, is used primarily for storing cursor and icon bitmaps for the X System graphical user interface. PhotoZone supports XBM as read-only.


XPM (X Pixmap)

Created as an extended version of the XBM format, XPM is the informal standard for storing X Window pixmap data, including Hotspot information for cursor bitmaps. PhotoZone supports XPM as read-only.


XWD (X Window Dump)

XWD in a DOS environment, or WD in Unix, is a versatile, device-independent format for storing screen dumps from the X Window System. PhotoZone supports XWD as read-only.