This chapter describes using the options available when you're saving e-Picture files or exporting the files.
e-Picture automatically saves documents in the native e-Picture format (.ep). Saving a document in e-Picture format keeps all your layers and objects. If you want to be able to go back and edit individual layers or objects, always keep a copy of the document in the e-Picture format.
Note: You can also name documents when you create them by entering a name in the New Document dialog box.
Once you're satisfied with the image or animation you've created in e-Picture, you're ready to export it for use on the web. When exporting e-Picture documents, you can choose to use both the internal handlers and the BeOS translators or you can limit the export formats to one or the other. The e-Picture export formats are listed in the table below. This variety of formats lets you create files that can be easily used on a number of platforms.
Each file format has its own dialog box. Many of the options, such as updating size, using the background color, generating an HTML file, and choosing a color reduction option are common to all the formats. Some file formats also have options unique to that specific format.
Warning: Exporting a document flattens the image. If you want to maintain your individual objects and layers, be sure and save a copy of the document in e-Picture format.
Internal handlers |
BeOS Translators |
---|---|
Animated
GIF GIF JPEG PNG Targa JavaScript |
Targa Images PPM Images PNG Images JPEG Translator BMP Images |
Note: If either the Live Update box is checked or the Update Size button is pressed, e-Picture creates a cached version of your image for export purposes. If you return to the document window and make any changes, click the Update Rasters button in the export dialog box to incorporate the changes into the file you're exporting.
The Information section of the export dialog boxes provides the current image size and an estimated file size. The download time is displayed after the export file is created.
The generic options determine the background color and allow you to generate an HTML file.
Most of the export file formats have one or two specific setting for the individual file formats.
File type | Option name | Description |
---|---|---|
Animated GIF | Interlace | Click to display the image gradually in increasing detail as it downloads |
Loop | Click to run the file continuously. Enter a number in Count to limit the repetitions | |
Override Document Speed | Click to make the frame rate the value specified regardless of the Duration specified for each frame in the Animation panel. | |
NetPositive Compatible (in Color Reduction section) | Makes the file compatible with the BeOS browser. (Select if you will be displaying the file only in the BeOS browser.) | |
GIF | Interlace | Click to display the image gradually in increasing detail as it downloads. |
JPEG | Progressive | Click to display the image gradually in increasing detail as it downloads |
Quality | Drag the slider to specify an image quality (0 to 100) | |
PNG | Interlace | Click to display the image gradually in increasing detail as it downloads |
Targa | Save Alpha | Click to save the alpha transparency channel in 32 bit color |
Javascript | Events | Exporting to JavaScript produces an HTML file that contains the JavaScript and three GIF files that display when one of the three Java events (onMouseOut, onMouseOver, and onClick) occur. |
Frames | Select the event and then double-click the frame in the Frame picker that you want displayed for that event. | |
GIF Parameters | Set the GIF settings for the files. |
File type | Option name | Description |
---|---|---|
Targa images | None | |
PPM Images | Write ASCII | Select to output the image encoded as a 7-bit ASCII file. | Color Space | Choose the color depth and byte ordering you want to use in the exported file. |
PNG Images | None | |
JPEG Translator | Quality | Drag the slider to select an image quality. |
BMP | None |
BeOS Translators
When exporting files you can choose a color palette, the number of colors, the reduction (compression) type, and whether or not to use dithering.
Note: Color reduction is not available for the JPEG, Targa, and Javascript file format.
Choose a preset number of colors from the menu or choose User Specified and enter your own number of colors. Using fewer colors decreases the export file size but can reduce image quality.
Note: Because image content can vary greatly, you might want to export your image using both color reduction methods. You can then view the images and select the one with the better color.
Dithering produces smoother transitions between two colors when the preferred colors are not available in the selected color palette. Dithering may increase export file size.