TOAD COMPUTERS: THE ATARI BLITZ JUST WON'T STOP!! ------------------------------------------------- We here at Toad Computers are proud to announce that we are now the official distributor for TITAN DESIGNS, makers of Expose and Apex Media. MATT NORCROSS of Floating Fish Studios will be demonstrating Expose at Toad Holiday Festival 95. Apex Media is the premier graphics/animation multimedia package for the Falcon, and Expose is a high quality true color screen digitizer for the Falcon. Together they make a formidable combination. Here is some information on them both, excerpted from our new catalog. APEX MEDIA: GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION ON THE FALCON030 --------------------------------------------------- We are assaulted by synthetic images every day from every possible direction - frightening us at the movies, persuading us to buy the latest car model or laundry detergent and impressing us with flashy company logos of one sort or another. Where does it all come from? How is it done? Why can't we all have a go at it? Why not indeed...For the first time in the field of computer graphics, the public is starting to gain access to the sort of hardware that allows realistic images to be created with relative ease. It is already becoming impossible to distinguish between images created on these machines and real life. The Atari Falcon030, for which APEX Media was exclusively designed, is probably one of the most advanced desktop computers to appear in the last couple of years. Unlike many other platforms, it has been streamlined for the purpose of low-cost multimedia, and without requiring the masses of additional hardware which have become synonymous with other more common computer systems. We see the machine more as a graphics "Laboratory" than a "Platform." APEX Media was designed as a program to take advantage of the graphics-oriented design of the Falcon030, gaining the high end performance expected of a far more expensive machine. APEX Media is primarily an artist's or animator's tool with advanced features including morphing, image processing, retouching, video capture (digitizing with the Expose' Video Digitizer), and CFN font support built in, offering an all encompassing graphics workstation while negating the problems which are associated with constantly switching between platforms. APEX Media allows you to create images and animations using a series of interactive tools. These tools can be used either individually, or in combination, to create complex compound effects. Flexibility is the key, and the idea behind it allows you to form your own tricks and techniques and therefore your own style of work. Of the many people who use this program, no two use it the same way, so when using APEX Media remember there is usually more than one solution to a problem. Workstation Performance APEX Media is designed specifically for the Atari or C-Lab Falcon030 using 68030 and 56001 DSP machine code to provide unparalleled performance. Apex goes right to the Falcon's hardware to achieve maximum performance! Amazing Features APEX Media includes some of the most amazing features ever seen in a single graphics program, and represents sheer power for all forms of graphic applications - performance only seen before on dedicated graphic workstations. Apex Intro If you want to try APEX Media but don't want to risk $149 on a package you've never seen before, try APEX Intro. It includes all of the features of Apex Media, without the video digitizing and morphing features. This still gives you an incredible graphics arsenal including 3D modeling, texture-mapping and much more. Then upgrade for just $90! APEX MEDIA FEATURES: Animation & Morphing - Smooth Image Transforms - Powerful Block Functions - Block rotation to any angle - Proportional rescale, stretch, skew & mirror - Direct-from-disk editing to allow fast and easy video titling Digitizing - Multiple, real-time frame capture to 512x320 in 16 bit true color - Rostrum camera work to 24 bit - On-screen PiP (Picture in Picture) Post-Processing - Dejagging, Motion blur and two levels of Noise reduction - Advanced Deltafilm compression of animations, reducing overhead Drawing Tools - Pen, Line, Curve, Polygon, Circle, Box - Stipple airbrush - Redefinable grid Special Features Include - Gradated Circles, Lines, Boxes - Interpolative Lines and Boxes - Fill using definable Blocks or Gradients Non-Linear Drawing - Realistic Airbrush for producing soft graduated spray - Transform of definable areas controlling hue, saturation and/or brightness - Brighten, Darken, Saturate, Watercolor and fade in with compound inking option - Transform and Masking of defined areas with fill or brush Cell Manipulation - Paste blocks above or below image - Invert X & Y axis - Proportional resize Screen Modes - Real-Time zoom at all times - Smooth scrolling under zoom or virtual canvas operation File Support - PC1, IFF, SPU, PCS, TGA, MTV, JPG, GIF, FLC, SEQ, ANM, APX - Calamus (CFN) font support - Additional saving of Palette, Field Warp lines and setup configuration Video Support - VGA, RGB monitors and TV's - Selectable resolutions - Virtual canvas up to 2048x1024 - 256 and true color modes APEX MEDIA is the PREMIER graphics & animation package for the Atari Falcon030 and Toad Computers is also proud to announce a price reduction, too! Now, APEX MEDIA is just $149.00! APEX MEDIA will be on display at Toad Holiday Festival 95 on Dec 2 & 3! Don't miss it Apex Media (new low price - was $179)...............Just $149.95! Apex Intro (without digitizing or morphing)..........Just $59.95! ==================================================================== ToadNet! http://www.toad.net/ info@toad.net ftp://ftp.toad.net/ ==================================================================== EXPOSE -- Video Digitizer for the Falcon030! What Is Expose'? Expose' is an advanced video digitizer for use with the Atari and C-Lab Falcon030 series of computers. It provides a means to "capture" live video images, either as a single frame or a sequence of images, from a camera or VCR in real time, with a resolution of 512x512 in true color. What Does This All Mean? The image from the camera or VCR is automatically processed by the RGB Splitter and divided into three separate, analog signals: red, green and blue (commonly referred to as RGB). The RGB signal is then diverted down an interconnecting cable to Expose', where it is converted to a digital format that the Falcon can interpret. Expose' then passes the image across the Atari Falcon's internal expansion bus where it is displayed on-screen at whatever resolution is selected within the software. All this happens in "real-time" - that is, "so quick you won't notice it's happening!" Expose' permits this digital image to retain a 16-bitplane true color palette (or in other words, a picture containing 65,536 colors per image), thereby retaining near photographic quality. In addition, the supporting software, APEX Media (sold separately), further boosts this capability to realize even higher resolution in 24 bit color (16,777,216 colors per image). However to realize this resolution and number of colors, realistically this method can only be used to capture still images with the camera mounted on a tripod or with the VCR paused (preferably digital freeze frame). Using Expose' and APEX Media to capture live video on the fly allows a sequence of images to be compiled into an animation, which can then be played back within APEX Media or stored as a FLIC file. Easy to Install Installation of the hardware into the Falcon is simplicity itself. The Expose' digitizer card plugs onto the internal expansion connector and is connected to the RGB Splitter via an interface cable. Includes 3 Software Utilities: FalCAM Picture in Picture (PiP) utility provides on screen, live video images within any GEM program. Watch while you work! FalCAM Tripod Enhanced video capture software for capturing high quality, 24 bit images. Variable exposure and resolution settings, output to JPEG, GIF, TGA, and PPM file formats. Videobox: Amazing Demo! Demonstration program which texture- maps the live digitized image directly onto the surface of a cube which can in turn be spun, rotated and zoomed in real-time! Works With Any Falcon030! The Expose' Video Digitizer hardware is designed for operation on any Falcon030 computer and should be compatible with all hardware modifications or software enhancements. Expose' can capture an amazing level of detail! Use with still video shots to get 768 x 576 in true color or capture 16-bit true color animation at 512 x 320! Dollar for dollar, Expose' provides the most powerful video capture on any platform! Maximum Resolution (rostrum work) up to 768x576 in 24-bit true color Maximum Resolution (real-time capture) 512x320, 16 bit true color Animation Resolutions (data transfer rate) 512x320 (6fps), 256x160 (17fps), 128x80(25fps) Memory: 512KB of Static RAM Interface: Falcon internal bus Inputs: S-Video, Composite Signal: NTSC or PAL Control: Brightness, Contrast, Color Sync & NTSC Hue Output: RGB Expose' True Color Video Digitizer.........................$399.00 Expose' with Apex Media......................................$548.00 ==================================================================== From the amphibious staff here at Toad Computers: Note that Lexicor Software is no longer selling Expose or Apex Media. If you have an outstanding order with Lexicor, please contact us and we will try to help you get what you need. Some of you may have heard through Lexicor that they had received Expose and had it in stock. This is not true. Toad Computers is the now the only authorized distributor for Titan Designs products. While we don't believe Lexicor had any intention to cause problems or hurt any customers, there have been some communication problems with them as they recently moved. Anyway, give us a call if you are interested in Apex or Expose! They are great products and we are excited about supporting them! ==================================================================== ToadNet! http://www.toad.net/ info@toad.net ftp://ftp.toad.net/ ==================================================================== TOAD COMPUTERS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL 95 .....the premier atari event...... Saturday December 2, 1995 10:00am - 7:00pm Sunday December 3, 1995 10:00am - 5:00pm Where: Toad Computers 570 Ritchie Highway Severna Park, MD 21146 Join us for Holiday Festival '95! Meet: - Rob Perry, System Solutions (ASH, Digital Arts, etc.) - Dan Wilga, Gribnif (Neodesk, Geneva & More!) - Tom Harker, ICD (BattleSphere, Catbox & Link II) - Steve Cohen, Wizztronics (Falcon Rack, Cartmaster) - Charles Smeton, Author of STraight FAX! - Greg Ondo, Steinberg Jones U.S. - Darek Mihocka, Branch Always Software (Gemulator) - Matt Norcross, Floating Fish Studios (Demoing Expose, Apex Media) - Kent Kordes, Systems for Tomorrow - Ben Aein, Lapcat Pro Joystick for Jaguar - Many Others to Be Announced! See demos of exicting Atari products like: C-Lab Falcon, Expose', Apex Media, MagiC, MagiCMac, NVDI, Kobold, EASE, DA's Vektor, DA's Picture, GT Look, STraight FAX!, Cubase Audio, Gemulator, the JagCD, and much much more! This will be the first show ever where people will get a chance to play BattleSphere over the network with full weapons. The game is nearing completion and supports up to 8 players in an all-out action-packed space adventure! Already in its third year, Toad Holiday Festival is the premier Atari event in the United States. Meet great developers, win door prizes, see new products, drink free hot apple cider! Computers, games, and fun come together during "the most wonderful time of the year!" Five hundred folks came to each of the previous events, and we're expecting similar attendance for '95! Be a part of the fun! For more information, including directions to our store, contact Toad Computers at (410) 544-6943 or send e-mail to info@toad.net. ------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BLITZ CONTINUES!!! STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOLIDAY FESTIVAL 1995! MORE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING! Only from AMERICA'S ATARI SOURCE, TOAD COMPUTERS! ==================================================================== ToadNet! http://www.toad.net/ info@toad.net ftp://ftp.toad.net/ ==================================================================== Contact us! Is there a product or service you're looking for? We want to know! We are: Toad Computers 570 Ritchie Highway Severna Park, MD 21146-2925 USA Info / International Orders: (410) 544-6943 FAX: (410) 544-1329 USA & Canada Orders: (800) 448-8623 (448-TOAD) Email: info@toad.net or info@toad.net@INET# (GEnie Mail) Also TOAD on Genie Check out our web site! With more than ever before!! http://www.toad.net/ Get the latest WEB BROWSER for the Atari, too! It's available via ftp at ftp://ftp.toad.net/pub/atarist/internet -- check there for the latest version!! Thanks from ALL OF US here at Toad -- Dave, Jennifer, Ray, Tanya, Jo Ann, Jaimie, Dale, Justin, Kathy, Todd, Mark, Stefan, and Zoe the dog! We appreciate your support!!! ==================================================================== ToadNet! http://www.toad.net/ info@toad.net ftp://ftp.toad.net/ ==================================================================== ===================================== (C) 1995 Toad Computers ======