| ||||||||
Cool Mac Gear• iPod Video • iPod nano • iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Garageband |
Charles Moore Reviews Captain FTP 3.0 And ToyViewer 4.41 Image Viewing, Converting, Editing, Filtering Program
Captain FTP 3.0The new Captain FTP version 3.0, released September 29, takes what was already one of the best OS X FTP clients to a new level of performance and incorporates a major revamp of the Captain FTP interface, now written in Cocoa and styled to conform with Apple’s “brushed metal” motif. 
Now, I have to say at the outset that the new brushed metal appearance is not something I consider an improvement. To say I’m not enchanted with brushed metal is an understatement, and I thought the colorful Captain FTP 1.x and 2.x user interface designs were extremely attractive -- one of the nicest things about the program. However, aesthetic taste is a subjective issue, and I suppose there are some folks who like brushed metal. Happily, there is nothing to complain about in terms of Captain FTP 3.0’s performance, which is even better than the already very good version 2.7. I had a pre-release copy of 3.0 for about a week before the public release on Monday, and my gut impression is that everything seems speeded up -- in some instances slightly; in others significantly. New Features in Captain FTP 3.0 include Returning good stuff includes: 
Captain FTP doesn’t have the Cocoa drawers, but its Address Book puts the plain Jane connection menus of the other apps. to shame. This application has the attention to detail that typifies German products. The preferences allow you specify what application you wish to edit files with, whether a double-click on a file in the Captain FTP window will initiate a transfer or just open it, and an array of FTP options. Captain FTP supports mirror transfers, allowing you to synchronize a folder on your Mac with a directory on your server, with one command, transferring only the files that have changed. Navigation with Captain FTP is easy and closely emulates the standard conventions of of the Mac OS’s built-in file lists. Moving from one directory to another within Captain FTP requires merely double clicking on a folder icon or use of a pop-up menu. The Global Progress Indicator in the Captain FTP interface window displays the estimated time remaining to end of transfer. a Stop button enables the user to stop every operation at any time without breaking up the connection with a server. Captain FTP 3.0 features segmented downloads, which the program’s German developer, Xnet Communications GmbH, describes as “very fast transfer based on an intelligent downloaded file analysis and connection parameters (amount of parallel FTP sessions) can speed up the entire transfer task dramatically.” This is particularly effective when downloading large files from an FTP server that limits bandwidth per connection. In that case Captain FTP maximizes bandwidth utilization and increases performance. This Segmented Download feature allows Captain FTP to split a large file (recommended for file size over 1MB) into multiple parts and use multiple transfer connections to download those parts simultaneously. These parts are recombined into a single file upon receipt. “Having added this feature, Captain FTP evolves from the class of a standard FTP-client into a feature rich Download-Manager,” according to Xnet. Captain FTP tasks are shared between separate threads (multi-tasking), therefore all time consuming functions such as uploading and downloading don’t consume valuable resources of the OS, but leave it available for other user requests. Captain FTP is a top notch FTP client for Mac OS X, and it's the one I find myself using most often because it's fast, reliable, and hassle-free. If you haven't given it a try (a 14-day free demo is available for download) yet, it's definitely worth checking out. System requirements: Captain FTP is $25 demoware. The older, but also very capable Captain FTP 1.4 is still available as freeware for private, non-commercial use to government employees, home users, students and staff of educational institutions. The Captain FTP Website itself is worth a visit in its own right. Make sure to check out the downloadable Captain FTP wallpaper images here: You can also order Captain FTP stuff like T-shirts, caps, mugs, clocks, -- even boxer shorts (!) here: For more information, visit: Product information portal: Captain FTP download:
ToyViewer 4.41When I originally installed OS X on my PowerBook back in 2001, my somewhat naive intention was to go with all-OS X native software. That didn’t last long. While for the most part I’m more than satisfied with X-native apps relative to their Classic counterparts, there are a couple gaping holes in what’s available for my purposes. One is a text browser. Living as I do with a slow dial-up connection to the Internet, and doing a lot of research online, the speed of a text-only browser is something I wouldn’t want to do without, and while there are a couple of text browsers available that will run in OS X, I’ve found them geeky and simply cumbersome compared with WannaBe, David Pierson’s slick and still Classic-only text browser. I hope David will get around to porting WannaBe to OS X one of these days, but until he does, I will have Classic Mode running on my Macs. The other slot in my production suite that I haven’t yet filled with an OS x native app, is an image editor. There are OS X native image editors available, but PhotoShop is too big and expensive, GIMP is too big and too geeky, and while Thorsten Lemke’s GraphicConverter is a nice app that does pretty much everything I need to do in this department, I still like Classic Color It! 4,1 better, mainly because it is lightning fast on the G3s (as one might expect of an app. that will run tolerably well on a 68020 machine), and has lots of power for the sort of stuff I do with graphics, I love Color It’s virtually instant startup (if Classic Mode is already running, which for me it virtually always is), However, someday I would like to be able to say goodbye to Classic Mode at least for routine use, so I’m still hoping for that OS X port of Color It!, but also keep an eye out for potential Color It! replacements. I’m particularly smitten with an amazingly polished little freeware application called ToyViewer, whose superb user interface puts many commercial software apps to shame for attractiveness and intuitiveness. It’s also quick and responsive and starts up even faster than Color It! 
ToyViewer does what it does very well, but unfortunately it does not (yet?) do all that I need in order to consider it as a substitute for Color It! The most notable omission is Cut/Copy/Paste functions and bitmap editing tools. ToyViewer will do a whole lot of neat and cool things with image manipulation, but you’re stuck with the content the image was created with. Nor can you create a new image from scratch. Perhaps the developer, Takeshi Ogihara, has no interest in turning ToyViewer into a full-zoot bitmap “paint” program, but what’s there is so good that it’s tantalizing to think how cool it would be if a set of MacPaint style tools an functions were added. I encourage Mr. Ogihara to give it some serious thought. But enough of what ToyViewer won’t do. Let’s look at what it does. In brief summary: • ToyViewer can read and display image files in following formats: • Displayed images can be saved in following formats: • ToyViewer can attach a custom icon to any file as well as newly saved image file. • ToyViewer can read and write gif or png files with transparent color, and also can read and write interlaced(progressive) gif, png, or jpg files. • ToyViewer can scan (auto-display) image files in a folder. You can also display images in full-screen size. • Displayed images can be scaled (enlarge/shrink) • You can rotate, flip, or clip images. • ToyViewer has ability to adjust brightness, contrast, color tone of images, and has some typical operations to images, such as enhancement, embossing, and so on. • You can replace specified color with another color or transparent color. • Full color images can be reduced into 256, 64, or 8 colors. Also, each color value of images can be cut down to 4, 2, or 1 bit. • ToyViewer can make images monochrome (8bit gray, 2bit gray, or bilevel). • Images can be printed. • You can set ToyViewer to display any image format if there is a filter program to ppm format. • ToyViewer provides image conversion filter services for other applications. • You can add comments to images (comments are written into only gif, png, jpg, or pnm formats). • You can make Aqua-button-like images. • If you like a displayed image, you can make it the Desktop picture (wallpaper) of your Mac. Features and functions in detail: Displaying Image Files Saving Images
Displayed images can be saved in following image formats: When an image in one format is saved in other format, usually, the size of the image is preserved. When an eps or pdf image is saved in other format, however, size of the saved image depends on the size of the image scaled on the window. There are two kinds of representation in png or bmp formats. One uses a palette of colors to save the image compactly, and the other specifies colors for each pixel. ToyViewer checks automatically the number of colors in the image to be saved, and if possible, saves it in paletted representation. Open Pasteboard Scaling
By specifying scale using the popup list of each window, you can display an enlarged or shrunk image. You can also directly type the enlarge/shrink ratio (percentage) into the popup list. Note that image data itself is not modified when it is resized in the window. If you want to make a resized new image, use “Operation / Resize...” Remark Button Displayed images can be printed. The popup menu “Settings” of Page Setup provides the item “ToyViewer”. You can set Printer Resolution and Paper Margin with this panel. Dragging To Select Transparent Color Managing Windows Large windows are displayed up to the edge of the screen. But, they often obstruct the operation to the Dock. You can specify margin to left, right, and bottom edges of the screen, where windows are not displayed. If you click “Windows / Display All Windows” of the menu, all windows are displayed in front one after another. Click the menu again to interrupt. If you click the menu “Wallpaper / Hide All Windows”, all other applications are hidden, and all windows of ToyViewer are also hidden. That is, no window is displayed on the screen. With “Windows / Display Next Window”, or “Windows / Display Previous Window” (Cmd-0, Cmd-9) of the menu, next or previous window is sent front. Combination of Fix mode described in “Position of Windows” and this facility could be convenient to compare two images. If you click the zoom button of the window, or if you select “Windows / Display in Front-Mode” of the menu, the main window is displayed in front of all other windows. If the image is larger than the screen, it would be displayed in full-screen. This style of display is called “Front-Mode”. When more than one image is displayed, the current main window is displayed in front of all other windows. Dragging on the window will move the image displayed; you can not select area. In order to cancel Front-Mode, double-click the main window, or type Cmd-Alt-Z. Or, if all windows are closed, Front-Mode is automatically canceled. Edit Comments If you click “Tools / Inspector...” in the menu, a panel is displayed where you can add or edit the comment on the imagel. The comment specified here will be saved with the image data if the format in which the image is saved is gif, png, jpg, or pnm. Clip Rotate / Flip 
Displayed images are rotated or flipped selecting sub-items of “Operation” of the menu. New windows are opened to display rotated or flipped images. If you click “Operation / Rotate...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed, on which you can set any angle to rotate. If the checkbox “Smooth Image” is checked, new images are smooth, but don’t have alpha value. This operation can not be applied to PDF images. Resize
Clicking the item “Operation / Resize...” in the menu displays the tool panel to make resized images. You can specify magnification with the slider, and then click “Bitmap -> Bitmap”, “EPS -> EPS”, or “PDF/EPS -> Bitmap”. Where, “Bitmap” represents all image formats except PDF/EPS (Pixel based formats). When you resize a PDF/EPS image, newly created images are always smooth. . When you shrink a bitmap image, as “DCT” is applied automatically, only pre-defined magnifications can be selected. Removing check from “Auto Select” and selecting “Bilinear”, you can specify any magnification. Both of them can make resized images keeping good quality for pictorial images. But, for palletized or bilevel images, DCT would be recommended. When you enlarge a bitmap image, use “Bilinear” method. Any magnification could be used. The new image is displayed on newly opened window. Color Reduction 
ToyViewer is able to make a new images with fewer colors than the original image. However, this operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. By clicking “Effect / Color Reduction (256)” in the menu, you can make a new image with only 256 colors. When you click “Effect / Color Reduction...” in the menu, a tool panel is displayed. You can specify the method and parameters of reduction with it. There are several ways to reduce images; usually, “Dither + MCA(Median Cut Algorithm)” could make better images. Reduction by “Fixed Palette” uses a palette common to Windows and Macintosh. You can also cut off bits of each color value to 4, 2, or 1. The new image is displayed on newly opened window. Negative Brightness / Monochrome 
Brightness, contrast, and gamma value of images can be changed. You can also make monochrome images from color images. If you click “Effect / Brightness/Monochrome...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed. With three sliders on the panel you can set brightness, contrast, or gamma of the image newly created. If you click “Brightness” button a new image is displayed, which is changed its brightness/contrast. If you click “Monochrome” button, a monochrome image is newly displayed. The method and the number of steps are set by popup lists. Brightness/contrast is also controlled by sliders on the panel. If you want to cut off pixels into 4, 2, or 1 bit without dithering, use the “Color Reduction” menu. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. 
Color Tone 
If you click “Effect / Enhance Color Tone...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed, on which you can set the degree of enhancement. Large “Saturation” values make images more vivid. You can also control the hue of images. If you click “Doit” button an enhanced image is newly displayed. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. Enhance & Blur 
If you click “Effect / Enhance & Blur...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed, on which you can set the degree of enhancement or blurring. By clicking the button “Enhance” or “Blur”, you can display a new image. Replace Colors 
If you click “Effect / Replace Colors...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed, on which you can specify colors to be replaced with the color-wells. The degree of exactness in comparison of colors is set by the slider. ToyViewer provides 4 modes of color replacement. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. Remove Alpha Value Noise 
If you click “Effect / Noise/Mosaic...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed. With the “Frequency” slider, you can set the ratio of pixels that is modified. And, with “Magnitude” slider, you can set the magnitude of noise added. If an area is selected by dragging, this operation will be applied to only inside of the area. If you click the “Noise” button a new image is newly displayed. Mosaic If you click “Effect / Noise/Mosaic...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed. With the “Granularity” slider, you can set the size of blocks which form mosaic. If you click the “Mosaic” button a new image is newly displayed. Soft Frame 
If you click “Effect / Make Soft Frame...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed. With the “Shape” button, you can select the shape of the frame added. With th e”Width” slider, you can set the width of the frame, and, with the color-well, you can set the color of the frame. If you click “Doit” button a new image is newly displayed. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. 
You can make Aqua-button-like images too. This function is effective especially for small images. Posterize 
If you click “Effect / Posterize...” in the menu a tool panel is displayed. With the “Degree” slider, you can select fineness of areas. The “Color Control” slider specifies fineness in aspect of difference of colors. Embossing 
If you click “Effect / Contour/Emboss...” in the menu a panel is displayed. You can specify the degree of embossing with the upper slider. With the “Mixed Color” slider, you can add color to the image. You can also specify the direction of embossing with the radio button. If you click “Emboss” button a new image is newly displayed. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. Contour If you click “Effect / Contour/Emboss...” of the menu a panel is displayed. You can set degree of sensitivity with the upper slider. With a larger value, more lines could be extracted. With th e”Mixed Color” slider, you can add color to the image. You can specify the thickness of contour with the “Contrast” slider. If you click the “Contour” button a new image is newly displayed. This operation can not be applied to PDF/EPS images. Applying “posterize” as described above after this operation, you can get interesting effect. JPEG files can achieve high compression, but the quality of the image is diminished. In general, high quality prevents good compression, and good compression compromises quality. The quality parameter of a jpeg can be set by the save panel. JPEG files are recommended to apply to continuous color or monochrome 8bit images. Applying to other images, especially B/W images will not only worsen the quality of images but also result in larger file sizes. When you save an image in tiff, you can select either no compression or LZW compression. As LZW is a lossless compression, the quality of the image is not degraded. In th eJPEG2000 format, sas with JPEG, high quality prevents good compression, and good compression degrades quality. The quality parameter for jpegs can be set by the save panel. In JPEG2000, you can save images without loss of original data (lossless compression). Convert PDF to Bitmap ToyViewer can make and attach a custom icon to a file. When you save an image into new file, check the button “Make Custom Icon (Thumbnail)” on the save panel in order to attach an icon. If no area is selected on the image, the whole image is shrunk to make an icon. If there is a selected area, it is used to make an icon. ToyViewer can make a custom icon from a displayed image and then can attach it to existing files. First, display an image, and select an area if needed. Then, Click “File / Attach Custom Icon...” of the menu to show an open panel. Select files to which you want to attach a custom icon. You can select more than one files, or directories. To remove attached custom icons from files, click “File / Remove Custom Icon...” of the menu to show an open panel. Select th efiles from which you want to remove custom icons. Scan Images in a Folder While scanning a folder, you can display images on full-screen. Check “Full-Screen” button, and then push “Start” or “Step” button. The style to display the image is specified by the popup menu; Tiling, Brick Work, Centering, Fit to the Screen, or Cover the Screen. Centering
Tiling
BrickWork
Fit to The Screen
Cover The Screen All these functions seem to work very well. One criticism is that they would be even better with live previews of changes the user is making before the changes are applied. Changed images are displayed in new windows, which makes reversion to the original easy, but it would be nice to be able to view editing effects gradually. However, it seems almost crass to complain about anything in a freeware product this good. ToyViewer was developed originally on NeXTstep and then OPENSTEP, and now supports Mac OS X (Cocoa). with Japanese, English, French, and German Interfaces. (French and German interfaces are incomplete). New in this version: System requirements: ToyViewer is freeware, but it is an extremely polished and sophisticated package that puts a lot of commercial software to shame. If Mr. Ogihara were to develop ToyViewer into a full-fledged bitmap image editor, I think it would sell. For more information, visit: You cn read the ToyViewer manual here:
Page: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
|
Cool Mac Gear• iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Keyboard Skins • Garageband
| ||||||
|
| ||||||||
