  	             PICDEX VERSION 2.00 SHAREWARE


1. OVERVIEW

Picdex is a LOW cost QUICK and EASY to use image viewer. It includes
a number of useful image ENHANCEMENT and EDITING features and a 
powerful COLLAGE creation capability. The fact that it is a MDI 
(Multiple Document Interface) application allows you to view and
manipulate a number of images in one main window. Furthermore it is
capable of playing back MOVIES and has the ability to EXPORT frames
as images. For a quick look at some of the features of Picdex see
section 3.

For registration details (US$7) see Section 10. For developers the
Delphi source code(US$15) is also available. (See section 10)

2. INSTALLATION

Make sure you UNinstall any previous versions of Picdex first. To 
install simply unzip the PICDEX20.ZIP file and double click on the
setup.exe file. The install wizard does most of the hard work and
will guide you through the installation. Some example images and 
collages are also installed.

To uninstall simply go to the windows Settings | Control Panel and 
activate the Add/Remove Programs application. Proceed with the
removal of Picdex.

3. FEATURES

Some of the features of Picdex ver 2.0 are briefly summarized here:

       * MDI application - can load single or multiple images
       * Collage creation - assemble a number of individual
         images and save the collage as a single image. This
         is quick and easy and allows for different backgrounds
         or colors, frames and borders. See the examples.
       * Clipboard aware
       * Can view a variety of image formats
       * Can playback video clips (avi, mpg - depending on windows
         configuration) and freeze and export frames as images.
       * Image processing routines such as AutoBalance,
         Histogram equalization, Linear Contrast Stretch, Smooth
         and Sharpen can be used to enhance images.
       * Standard set of controls with hot keys - Next, Previous,
         Delete, Close, Close All, Save, Save As, Open and plenty
         more!
       * Auto fit to screen (Automatically sizes image to fit
         screen maintaining aspect ratio)
       * Magnify / Reduce capability (Zoom in and out using a 
         variety of algorithms - choice of 9)
       * Resize image capability (Enter width and height values)
       * Crop and Paste functionality
       * Slide show - adjustable timer allows auto display of a
         directory of images
       * Windows association of supported image extensions
         (Associate the PicDex application with the image
         extension(s) of your choice in the Explorer and then
         just double click on the file name to activate)
       * Right click menu of popular commands
       * Region of Interest (ROI) aware - using the left mouse
         button demarcate a Region of Interest on the image, any
         further manipulation of the image with Zoom, Copy or
         other image processing function will now effect only
         the demarcated area.
       * All user settings from the last working session are
         recalled i.e. Directory, Zoom Factor, JPG quality
         factor etc. Most of these can be set from the 'Options'
         menu item.
       * Text insertion.
       * Border and Frame insertion.
       * Move files capability.
       * Colour to GreyScale conversion.

4. KEYBOARD COMMANDS

Besides the main menu and the Right Mouse Click PopUp Menu the
following hot keys are available:

        * F1 - Show About Information
        * F2 - Save Image
        * F3 - Load Image(s)
        * F4 - Save Image As
        * F5 - Fit Image to Screen (maintaining aspect ratio)
        * F6 - Crop demarcated area
        * F7 - Restore original Image
        * F8 - Move Image to Home position
        * F9 - Activate Slideshow
        * F10 - Full screen i.e. display only the image
        * F11 - Zoom In (Magnify Image)
        * F12 - Zoom Out (Reduce Image)
        * Space bar - Displays next image
        * BackSpace - Displays previous image
        * Down, up, right, left cursor key - Moves image down,
          up, right and left respectively
        * PG Down, PG up - Moves image down/up respectively
        * Cntrl + Tab - Toggle between images (VERY USEFUL!!)
        * Cntrl + Ins - Copy to Clipboard
        * Shift + Ins - Paste from Clipboard
        * Del - Delete Image (NB deletes image does not post to
          Recycle Bin)
        * Ins - Display next image without closing current image
        * Alt + F3 - Close Image
        * Alt + F4 - Exit Application
        * Alt + F5 - Close All Images
        * Alt + R  - Rename a file
        * Alt + C  - Create Collage Canvas (see section 6)
        * Cntrl + P - Paste to Collage Canvas (see section 6)
        * Cntrl + I - Invert Image
        * Cntrl + R - Rotate Image 90 degrees
        * Cntrl + B - Insert a border
        * Cntrl + C - Insert an oval\circle border
        * Cntrl + D - Duplicates image
        * Cntrl + T - Insert Text

5. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Picdex has been tested on both Windows 95,98 and Windows NT 4.
Although not necessary Picdex works best in a 800x600 graphics
resolution. The Color Palette however must be set at 24 bit True
Color or higher.


6. TIPS

Picdex is very easy to use. When in doubt consult this Readme file
and remember all the speed buttons on the toolbar have hints which
are activated by holding the mouse cursor over the button and
waiting a few seconds (do not click).

When using Picdex one can either load a batch of images at once and
then toggle through the selection using the Cntrl + Tab keys or 
select the first image in the directory and hit the space bar to
display the next image. Note pressing the space bar first closes the
active image and then displays the next image. If you wish to retain
the active image press the INS key - this displays the next image
with out closing the current image.

Using the Windows95 explorer one can associate most image extensions
(jpg,pcx,bmp etc.) with the Picdex application. [In the explorer go 
to the View|Option| menu item and open the File Types dialog box.
Click on a file type i.e. 'jpg image' and edit the OPEN command to
execute Picdex.exe.] This allows one to double click on an image 
file name in the Explorer and very quickly view the image using the
Picdex application.

ROI - Region Of Interest:

Demarcating a region of interest on an image is undertaken simply by
holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse accor-
dingly.Once you have demarcated an area you can apply one of the
available image processing operations to it for example Zoom In, 
Invert , Rotate etc. This will take effect on the demarcated region.
Try the Copy and Paste functions - only the ROI will be pasted to
the New Image.

Collage Creation:

I often come across the situation that I have a number of smaller 
images that I would like to arrrange on one canvas and save as a 
single  image. For this I have implemented a utility that enables
one to create a collage from a number of individual images. To do 
this follow the following basic steps:

   - Open the images that you wish to use in your collage
     compilation.
   - Edit these images as you wish i.e. add borders,text etc.
   - Now press the Collage Canvas speed button (CC on the ToolBar)
     in order to create a background canvas on which to paste your
     individual images.(Note if you right click the CC button you 
     can set the background options of the Collage canvas to your
     preference.)
   - Use the Cntrl+Tab key or the mouse to switch to the image of
     your choice and then press the Collage Paste button (CP on the
     ToolBar or right-click for the PopUp menu).
   - This action transfers the selected image to the Collage Canvas
     and you can position your image anywhere on this canvas by 
     moving the mouse.
   - At the desired location left click the mouse button and the
     image will be anchored at that location.
   - Continue this process until all the single images have been
     placed upon the Collage Canvas. Text, borders and frames can
     now also be inserted on the Collage Image if desired.
   - Once your Collage is completed save it as a BMP or JPG.

Viewing Movies:

Picdex can also playback AVI movies (or even mpeg/mpg if your 
windows configuration allows for this). Note movies and images can
exist in the same workspace. In fact you can even playback multiple
movies at the same time.An exceptional feature of the movie utility
is that you can easily freeze and extract it as an image (use the
export frame button - right most button on the movie controller).You
can then save the image as a JPG or BMP. Note when extracting frames
make sure that the movie display area is not covered by any other
images or partially hidden offscreen.

7. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS

A number of enhancements are to be made to this version of Picdex:

        * The collage creation utility will be further refined
        * Thumbnail creation
        * Enhancement of Border and Text insertion utilities
        * The playback of video clips will be enhanced - better
          tracking and controller
        * Help menu
        * Mosaic utility
        * Bug fixes will continue.

Any suggestions will be welcome.

8. CREDITS

Thanks go to K. Nishita for writing the excellent NviewLib.dll and
to Anders Melander for the interpolated bitmap resampling routines
(freeware code).

9. WHATS NEW

Version 1.5 (from previous version 1.20)

Several bugs have been fixed and the following features added or
enhanced:

       * The following Image processing functions have been added
          - RGB Balance and brightness levels
          - Autobalance
          - Histogram Equalization
          - Adjustable Linear Contrast Stretch
          (Note these algorithms can be used to enhance images. The
           degree of enhancement depends on the image content).
       * Color to Greyscale conversion.
       * Full screen display i.e. View only images and nothing else
       * Move image capability i.e. Transfer images from one
         directory to another.
       * Enhanced slide show capability.
       * Enhanced Collage Canvas options.
       * Insert Text capability.
       * Insert Borders capability

Version 2.0 (from previous version 1.50)

       * Several bug fixes
       * Sharpen filter added
       * Smooth flter added
       * Zoom algorithms extended (selection of 9 available)
       * Insert Frames capability
       * Added Rotate text and vertical text improvements.
       * Move/Copy active Image utility added
       * Utility to export frames from movies as images.

10. DEVELOPERS DETAILS

Author of Picdex   - 	 George Vrahimis
Email address      - 	 gvr@msi.imt.za

To register this version of Picdex please mail US$7 (UK&5) to the
following address. This will entitle you to a registered version of
Picdex (via email) and free updates and bugfixes as they are
developed.

Mail Address:       - 	 George Vrahimis
                         26 Harry De Stadler Close
                         Fish Hoek
                         7975
                         South Africa

SOURCE CODE

For those of you who are working in Delphi 3 or 4 and  wish to adapt
this version of Picdex according to your own requirements the 
complete source code is available at a cost of US$15 (UK&10). Note 
the decoding of the image formats is done by the NviewLib.dll. There
is no warranty or other guarantee of fitness for this software, it
is provided solely "as is".  Bug reports or fixes may be sent to the
author,who may or may not act on them as he desires.

The source code will in particular help developers in the following
areas of application development:

            - How to handle a Multiple Document Interface (MDI)
            - Windows file extension association interface.
            - Clipboard aware interface.
            - Menu and pop-up menu utilisation.
            - How to manipulate BMP's/DIB's.
            - How to handle text on an image surface.
            - How to write image processing algorithms. (The code
              for all the algorithms in the Picdex application.
              i.e. Rotate, Invert, Sharpen, Smooth, Histogram
              Equalization etc.)
            - And a whole lot more!


If there is a demand for a customized version of Picdex please email
me with your request.