Freebird 2.0/Magellan 1.0
Article Abstract:
BCL Computers' Freebird 2.0 and Magellan are Adobe Acrobat plub-ins that convert Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files into other formats: Freebird into image files, and Magellan into HTML. Freebird allows one or several pages to be selected from a PDF document and exported in uncompressed TIFF, TIFF PackBits, JPEG or BMP. The new file's output resolution can be specified from 100 to 600 dpi in 100-dpi increments, and bit depth can be set for a palette of 16, 256 or 16 million colors, or all colors can be converted to black. Freebird uses the PDF image data supplied by Exchange rather than its own PostScript interpreter, but the data varies according to the monitor setting of the PC running Exchange. Magellan converts the text of PDF files into HTML, but it requires that the complete path statement and the name of a new file be entered for each conversion. Page numbers are added in the file name to correspond to the PDF file's page numbers, but the default path name cannot be changed in the Export dialog box, the path statement last used is not retained, and no browsing is offered. There is also no way to cancel a conversion in progress, and CSS commands are used to create HTML pages, so it will only work with relatively new browser versions.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1999
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VivaPress Professional 1.5
Article Abstract:
Viva Software's $895 VivaPress Professional 1.5 desktop publishing package is plagued by defects and poorly executed. A number of its distinguishing features fall short of expectations. The program barely runs on a Macintosh 030 or PowerMac, and it shuts down frequently, does not follow its own justification or hyphenation settings, cannot read kerning information with Truetype or Type I fonts, and cannot edit in Freehand 4.0 files or Illustrator files later than version 3.0. The program includes features found in similar programs, but these, too, are unsatisfactory. In addition, users cannot specify units of measurement, the default is set to inches, units must be reentered every time a value is indicated, no single type menu is provided, graphics files must be sent across networks with the VivaPress file and pictures cannot be imported. The object-oriented approach behind VivaPress Professional 1.5, is the only positive element offering some useful features, such as the practical and functional baseline grid.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1995
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PitStop 4.0
Article Abstract:
EnFocus Software's $295 PitStop 4.0 is an Acrobat plug-in that offers new tools for text editing; drawing and editing ovals, rectangles and Bezier curves; and repositioning objects. It also offers an eyedropper for color sampling and copying object attributes, snap-to guidelines, and a measuring tool for accurately placing guides and objects. The application is better for editing existing documents than creating new material. The product's documentation is somewhat limited and the initial release is bug-ridden. Version 4.0.1 should now be available and EnFocus promises it will eliminate most of the problems. A free 30-day demo version of the application can be downloaded from the Web.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1999
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