Auto Compressor™ v1.3 is free for every distribution.

                         Ron Packard
                ron@control.spies.com

To print this help, select the "Copy" command from the "Edit" menu and then "Paste" it in your favorite word processor or graphics program.

Help me - help you

Please help me to improve Auto Compressor™. If you have discovered a bug or have any kind of suggestion, don't hesitate to write me. I'll reply to any letter. I'll also list your name here, in the help box, if your suggestions helped me to improve Auto Compressor™.

Thank you!

Auto Compressor™ is a Quicktime™ JPEG compressor and icon/preview maker.

JPEG Auto Compression

This feature allows you to automatically compress as many picture files as you like using System 7's drag technology (drag a picture onto the Auto Compressor™ icon to make it compress).  Auto Compressor™ then compresses the file using the quality you’ve set up in the Quality menu bar (the default is normal).  Auto Compressor™ will then follow the instructions you have set up in the preferences menu.  The default is to delete the original, make color icons, and make a preview.
Auto Compressor™ takes full advantage of multi-finder/System 7 (this means you can compress files while downloading or writing or whatever).

••  Auto Compressor™ will not JPEG compress a file that is already JPEG compressed.
••  nothing other than a PICT file will be compressed (in this version).

Setting Current Startup Application

This feature allows you to change the startup application.  If there is a program you use all the time, like Photoshop™, drag the application onto Auto Compressor™ and then all the following files you drag onto Auto Compressor™ will be set to the type of Photoshop™.  The application type is stored in the a preferences file on your system disk so it will remain the current startup application until you drag another application.  Auto Compressor™should put up a message like this:  
Photoshop™ is now the current startup application

•• drag only one application onto Auto Compressor™ or nothing will be set

Preferences Menu

Preferences allow you to changed the current actions.  Selections you make are permanently saved to the preferences file.

Quit After Compressing
Auto Compressor™ quits after all the pictures that were dragged onto it are compressed.

Make Graphic Icon
A graphic icon will be made for each  picture that is compressed.  Otherwise the icon of will be used of whatever program is the current startup application.

Delete Original
Each original picture is deleted after being compressed.

Make Preview
this option makes a small version of the picture and puts  it inside the file.  Some applications look for a preview when opening a document.  Note, this operation is lengthy.

Quality Menu

The bottom line is the better the quality, the better the picture looks but the more memory it takes.  I have found that unless you need lossless quality the Normal setting is fine (you can barely tell the difference between normal and lossless).  However the amount of space you save can be phenomenal.  I had 5 megs of pictures, and using the normal setting I reduces that to about 600K!  The order of quality is:  Lossless, Maximum, High, Normal, Low, Minimum.

Credits
Apple balls picture is made with Infini-D.  aren't there enough apple balls pictures :)
Language is Think C 5.0.2.
Cute zooming about box by Symantec (makers of Think C).
The icon making sheme is written by Apple.  (can be ftp'd from apple).
Idea for this help inspired by Giuseppe Carnevale of Italy (maker of ColorMaster)

Programmer’s Note
To compress pictures within your application, send Auto Compressor™ the Apple Events open application, open documents, and close application.  If you would like the source to this program send me mail.

Version's history

1.3
- Added full balloon help and more multitasking.
- Added Quality menu
- Fixed scores of bugs
- First Release version

1.0
Worked (somewhat).