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1. Over riding the print quantity You can select your own print quantity or add an extra couple of copies 1f desired Customising the individual pages to print If you are printing a rotated page you may want to specify which individuals will or won t receive a page Expand the group to print by clicking the button next to the group name Locate the individual you wish to select or de select NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 155 Calibration amp Color Management rae Note Timestone Software s Neo family of products use the ICC color management system that Microsoft has built into Windows 2000 If you are using Windows 2000 you should use the ICM 2 color management system in preference to taking the steps described in previous versions of this manual ICC color management involves creating color profiles for every display or output device on your system and is considerably more sophisticated than the previous method However the calibration method of color management and the creation of LUTs Look Up Tables to achieve consistent color correction is still valid if you have not yet upgraded to Windows 2000 and both methods are now described in our separate Color Management Guide which should be available on the same CD ROM that this manual was on or you can download it from our website at http www timestone com au NeoComposite Chapter 14 Calibration amp Color Managem
2. Apply LUT Gamma 1 3 NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 61 Importing from the Windows clipboard If your have an application or scanner that can place the images into the Windows clipboard NeoComposite can import these images directly Choose Images Import from hot source The Import from hot source dialog opens Make sure Clipboard is checked and Pause importing is unchecked Any images that appear in the Windows clipboard will be inserted to the currently open file The images are inserted according to the options set in the Options panel as previously discussed Importing from Kinetic bitmap devices Some other imaging applications use this method as an image interchange If your device 1s compatible images will be inserted automatically according to the settings made in the Options panel If you re not sure if your device is compatible check with Timestone Software Images From Hot Source Source r Last Image FP Clipboard Shear T T TE NT Kinetic bitmap devices Setup FT Pause importing Hide Figure 9 The Images from hot source panel mage Fiom Hal Souice EEA Lad Image Hole The convent ie hyr redewed images bnages val fol nepal under the sea porches ian ie ua Esssinporing Hide Figure 10 Import panel with indexed images Editing images while importing As mentioned earlier it is possible to have certain operations performed on images while they
3. Image Fiss Design Fies D densas Termplales After entering a new path NeoComposite must be re started before 1t will recognise the new entries and DA ES so see any templates in the new location a a Monitor calibration General Bitmap sizes If you wish to use the built in monitor Pe ie ee A A tored size of biimap used For printing calibration ensure Enable monitor LUT is ee es keep original size adjust to 6000 KE checked If this option is enabled the monitor calibration wizard must be run See stored size of bitmap used for prevewing Chapter 14 Calibration amp Color adjastto 512 KB Management for more information cod a regarding monitor calibration NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 33 Job files Job files are self contained files that contain the various bits of information used to create all the pages for a job When a file is created by choosing File gt New it inherits default settings made in the Options panel see a previous chapter You can add or modify these settings once the file has been created There are several settings that can be made specific to the job file Image import options NeoComposite needs to import the images you wish to use to a job file The import process creates the small on screen preview that is used when you are preforming all tasks within NeoComposite The preview image is stored using JPEG c
4. Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used With a Block template chosen this simple layout looks like this La At i AE IE JS La ps aT z b RE Da eal Ds slac o Creating a simple multi page composite Sometimes you will want to create composite groups that span several pages This is particularly so if you are preparing large groups You can do this by creating multi page templates and flowing the portrait images over the pages Create the multi page layout From Design mode choose File gt New The New Template dialog opens Choose Page Layout as the type A new page opens Set the page size The page layout determines the size of the finished print To change the set size click the blank page note that the page handles light up Now enter the desired print size in the NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 117 Dimensions toolbar and click Apply The page changes to the new size In this example choose a page of 24 x 8 Set the cut position Setting a cut mark defines where the page will be split when printed To set the cut mark choose Edit gt Cut Marks the Cut Marks dialog opens In this case we want the page to be split at the 12 mark in the page Place the background images Place the first background image onto the page Place the second background image onto the page NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design
5. are embedded in the file name NeoComposite can retain this information for use when matching the images to names When an image is imported a sub sampled version is created and stored in the job file This means images are displayed and handled very quickly Once imported images can be corrected for color density contrast as well as zoomed and cropped Images can be viewed individually or as a group on screen Match mode Composite pages rely on images being matched to subject records in a database allowing name and other information to be placed with the portrait Matching is NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 21 the process of joining all the images from the group which are in shoot order to the names entered in the database Your lab will most likely have a process that gathers this information and NeoComposite has many tools that let you continue to use or enhance the process Fundamentally on photography day you will have some method of creating a shoot list This list is the order in which each student was photographed and how many times Back in the lab the shoot list is matched to the digital images in the matching process NeoComposite s matching process is highly visual and so is easily understood by your operators Template based production NeoComposite uses templates extensively rr to form the composite pages Your graphic 288 e am s oo 3 C
6. haven t been matched to an image These y Sort onder individuals can be included or excluded from a a E the page with several options To set these bs See E options Choose Edit gt Settings or click the Settings button in the toolbar Show in unsaid Ei Lemnonthepage D gra at Cra a a boar hie Erne Choose from the three options in the aon 0 o Unmatched subjects panel ma oa e Ignore Removes the unmatched subjects from the page e Leave on the page Leaves the un matched portrait on the page as a blank portrait e Show in unfeatured list removes the blank portrait from the page and places the name into the unfeatured list if one is included in the template Choose the option you want and then OK The new page 1s drawn to the screen with the new options applied Unmatched subjects Show inunfeatured list Leave onthe page Ignore NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 144 RARER E e ej fe SU is Sal e Setting the sort options You can set three levels of sorting for the composite group For example you could create a Whole School composite page that is sorted by group then by name The result is that each group is kept together and sorted alphabetically To set the sort options choose Edit gt Settings or click the Settings button in the toolbar subject fname none y Set the first order sort Click the 1 drop down and choose
7. Action Keyboard Mouse Image Correction palette Make the Hold the Control Hold Control key and Click inside the S value box image key and press the turn the scroll wheel or or Press lt Control gt lt S gt larger Page Down key hold the Shift key down Decrease the value or press and move the mouse the Y key Up Make the Hold the Control Hold Control key and Click inside the S value box image key and press the turn the scroll wheel or or Press lt Control gt lt S gt smaller Page Up key Increase the value or press Hold Shift key down and move the mouse Sa Key down Moving images outside the image area It is possible to move the images outside the image area This might cause white borders in the finished packages If you move an image too far indicators will appear to let you know that the image has been moved too far The effect of this is that you will have unwanted white space around the image when you form packs for printing Out of image area indicators Zooming and jogging in practice Adjusting the size and position of images for the various print sizes to be printed is a most important task If many images are to be adjusted it is important to perform the task as quickly and accurately as possible NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 67 In practice some operators will prefer to use the keyboard to make these adjustments others will prefer to use the mouse and keyboard
8. Timest software User Manual Updated for version 1 6 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY This is a legal agreement between you either an individual or a single entity and Timestone Software By keeping this package and using the software you are accepting the terms and are bound by the terms of this license If you do not wish to enter into this agreement please promptly return all copies of the Software User Guides and Hardlock devices to Timestone Software for a full refund This User Guide and the software programs it describes are protected by copyright trade secret and trademark law By accepting this license you have the right to use them subject to the terms and conditions of this license agreement Definitions and Interpretation Software means the Program modules enabled and authorised for use for your installation Hardlock device means the hardware device used to enable the Software to function e Scope of Agreement Timestone Software hereby grants you the original purchaser personal non exclusive license to use the User Guide and the Software subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement Grant of License You may use the Software on a maximum of one computer that you own or operate at a single physical location You may transfer the Software from one computer to another provided that you do not use or permit the usage of the Software on more than one computer or co
9. Using the mouse and keyboard Select the image to be corrected Hold the Control key down and use the scroll wheel to zoom the image Release the Control key click and drag the mouse to adjust the image position Click the next image and repeat the operation When you need to see the next screen of images turn the scroll wheel a Note that the control panels associated with scrolling mice often allow the scroll wheel to move a certain number of lines per click You should set it to suit your needs If the scroll wheel is set to 1 line the image table is moved 1 row per click If it is set to 3 lines the image table is moved by 3 rows per click Using the keyboard e Select the first image by pressing the Home key e Choose the image to be adjusted with the Arrow keys e Hold the Control key down and use the Arrow keys to move the image e Hold the Control key down and use the Page Up or Page Down keys to zoom the image Use the Arrow keys to choose the next image to be edited Use the Page Up or Page Down keys to see the next or previous page of images Adjusting the image color density and contrast Image color density and contrast can be changed using the image density controls The corrections can be applied across a group of ES i Crop Scale ooh es mes wl reset button images or individually It all depends whether you have one image selected or multiple wel 05 The Image correction pale
10. With Last selected as the search criteria find the Match image aa with entry box and click in subject Now type t and a list of Birthdate last names beginning with t are displayed You can continue to ie eee type the last name you re looking for to refine the list or use l de NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 5 the arrow keys to select the required name Select the name Thomas Nicholas and press the Enter key The current image is matched to Nicholas Thomas name and the Match bar advances to the next image Lookup via Fields for subjects for folders Match image with subject folder Match image with Stays C subject ft l Thomas Elouise Thomas Bethan Thomas Nicholas Tuckey Wilson folder Other matching procedures There are many other matching procedures and functions However the scope of this introduction is to give you a general overview of NeoComposite If you need more detailed information on matching please consult the Matching images and names chapter Form Pages mode With the images prepared details entered and matched to the images you can now form the final composite pages Switch to Form a hae sue sea he Pages mode by CA choosing Mode gt Form Pages You will see a group in the list 5c 5w Click it and the composite page for this group will be displayed Understanding NeoComposite templates NeoComposite Neo
11. e Photography capturing the images and shoot order e Image scanning importing bring the images into the NeoComposite job file Correct and crop the images e Matching Match the images and names e Final data entry enter any final details such as logo information e Final production form and print the pages Integration with other Neo applications NeoComposite is a member of the Neo family of applications This means that it shares data with the other family members For example NeoPack Professional uses the same portrait images corrections cropping and subject details Once an image has been corrected in one of the applications the corrections flow through all the others NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 24 Using NeoComposite s interface Once NeoComposite has been installed choose Start menu gt Program Files gt Timestone Software gt NeoComposite If you are asked for an unlock code or told that the software protection device 1s not present please review Chapter 4 License Server AM NeoComposite requires a minimum screen resolution of 800x600 E 24 bit color If your monitor is set to 640x480 you will not be able to use the application correctly The screen resolution can be adjusted using the Windows NT Display control panel Using toolbars Each of the NeoComposite toolbars features tooltips and docking Toolbar docking You can tear away a toolbar from
12. including tagged objects e Place the un featured list and protection area 1f required NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 125 e Place any text boxes including codes A The codes used on this page are the same as those in the previous example Place the Rotated portrait a 4 ar El E E CLA uan Click the Rotated Portrait button in the toolbar Click and drag the box in the template i Size and position the Rotation Position and size the rotated area in the template Any Subject blocks placed into the rotated area will be scaled to fit the area but try to make the size of the area match the Subject block being used NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 126 Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used With a Block template chosen the rotated and static versions of the page layout look like this 1a fe ae fo oe bb O PTE a d i Se hs 7 f el J ka m A i a Un ds Aa i CUA al ws A Mini AA oiee men mao wae ORR sees oen See ma Mer sos wae i rs I CH ar ak A tk S MH yllin A E eE lerimi H Create a page with separate Rotated and Static versions You might want to create a rotated page that has different elements for the Rotated and Static pages You can design a template that contains two separate versions of the same page one rotated and one
13. Print To Timestone Print Job file Hame Sienna Lucht Mileca HSP Properties Set the print options Bitmap file Setup Printer options Choose the print method Print to file TT Separate pages don t batch Set the paper size selection options T Individual file for each page Paper size selection Use default size Set the alignment and cut mark options Pick the best from defined sizes M Use custom paper sizes only Align IY Honour cut marks if defined Set the filename output options Output filenames Format prefixHl copiez ext prefix NN ext lipo for use Cancel Choose the Print method There are three main options that can be used when printing from NeoComposite e Printing to a standard Windows printer e Printing to a bitmap file e Printing to a Timestone Print Job file Choose the method you want to print to Print to a Timestone Print Job file There are few options to set when printing to a Timestone Print Job file aside from the output path Choosing this option will dim all other options except the Align option See later for information about the Align option Once chosen choose OK The Printer setup dialog is dismissed To print the job to a Timestone Print Job file choose File gt Print Choose the range to print see later Because the result of this print operation is a file you must choose an output path Either enter the output path or click Browse A
14. code is inserted as normal text including text style and color but contains special characters that identify it as text to replace to NeoComposite The special code takes the form e Type lt Field gt Where Type is either File or Folder and Fields is any of the field names you have defined in Details mode The NeoComposite built in codes take the form e code Where code is the specified code as listed later Using File details File details are pieces of information that are common to every group in the current job A File detail is set by choosing Mode gt Details then clicking All in the tree view At the bottom of the Details screen the available fields are displayed Consult the Details mode chapter on information defining these fields In our example we created several fields e SchoolName the name of the school e Year The year of photography Figure 26 File details set in Details mode NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 104 We want to create a template that will place the text SchoolName Year in the name board The details SchoolName and Year are global details and so are a File detail The codes you would enter to the template would be e File lt SchoolName gt File lt Year gt met ara 3h HE r u Es File SchoolName gt MFile Year gt creu In the above example the printe
15. so it is important to enter the correct page size Note when the page is chosen the Size entry area becomes active First ensure that you have the correct units selected by clicking the units drop down Now enter the page size you wish to use then Apply The page size changes H NeoComposite File Edit Version Mode Help 08 HH 3 aa a a S e E A Figure 13 Selected background page with handles Placing NeoComposite objects There are many different types of objects available for NeoComposite templates Placing an object on the page positions it into a layer allowing the various components to be placed either behind or in front of each other Understanding layers Layers play an important role when creating templates Not only does a layer determine how two graphic layers one over the other will appear but also how the portrait images will appear on screen Normally portraits will fill the entire area of the block area placed onto a page If you place another graphic or text area on top of the portrait area the portraits will wrap around those objects If you place the other objects behind the block area the portraits will ignore the other objects and appear on top of them ji r e eA NOTA a CE u EL i l a E A E Tite A F J al 3 J m J J Bi iw Aa Eind m A E ew l ee Hele aa aaa Na me ai AA A A be l A A p r J gt F Y E j J i EA i Lal Edil oe a ee leen dl a i J iii
16. the different aspect ratios There are many different ways to zoom and crop images Zoom and crop values are displayed in the Image Corrections palette If the Image Corrections palette isn t currently open choose View Image Corrections Choose the image crop editing mode by choosing Images Select crop amp scale image tool NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 66 Note that all images displayed in the image table now show the enabled aspect ratios Cropping images Choose an image The image can be moved by Action Keyboard Mouse Image Correction palette Move an Hold the Control key Click and drag the Click inside the X value box or image left and press the gt key mouse Press lt Control gt lt X gt Decrease the value or press the Y key Move an Hold the Control key Click and drag the Click inside the X value box or image and press the key mouse Press lt Control gt lt X gt Increase the right value or press the 4 key Move an Hold the Control key Click and drag the Click inside the Y value box or image up and press the A key mouse Press lt Control gt lt Y gt Decrease the value or press the W key Move an Hold the Control key Click and drag the Click inside the X value box or image and press the Y key mouse Press lt Control gt lt Y gt Increase the down value or press the A key Zooming images Choose an image The image can be zoomed by
17. Any folder details attached to the deleted folder are lost Importing name data If you have name data to import the required folders will be automatically created by the import process The file to be imported should be a text file whether delimited or fixed length Ideally each record should contain e First Name e Last Name e Group e ID optionally NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 41 A typical text file might contain records similar to this Amy Batchelor Year 7 William Brownlee Year 7 TOM Care s Lear q Amy COSO Year J James Cristofaro Year y Catherine Hodge Year 7 Mandy Hooper Year 7 Prepare the import process Create a new file or open the file you wish to import the data to Choose Details mode by choosing Mode gt Details or pressing F4 on your keyboard Choose Subjects gt Import text file The Text file to import details dialog is displayed Locate and choose the text file that contains the data The contents of the file being imported needs to be specified Choose Setup from the Text file to import details dialog the Setup subject details text file import dialog is shown lepih ajta bar da Ses ie ipl fd ra adi ery Hak A Poca eg J A A ee Se Bairi di Le FP Lis im gy deta D Pipi dl cor chela E iip i epi bario dl ble D ijik irte laica Pa PF Md ral tips do red y ir r E r eT Specify the import typ
18. COLLEGE F ion an mudan Once you are happy with the settings choose OK The dialog is dismissed and the graphic object now 1s named in the field value in Details mode tree view Allocate graphic objects in the same manner for Folders The graphic object 1s now available for use in a NeoComposite template Value echoolPic jpg SchoolPict SchoolPice MachoalPice pg SchoolLogo A5choolLogo prg School ame Laureston College Year 000 NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 53 Images mode Corrections palette NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Once imported images can be zoomed cropped and adjusted for color density or image contrast These operations are carried out in Image mode After starting NeoComposite create or open a job file by choosing File New or File Open Now choose Mode Image If you ve created a new job file you Il need to import images that you want to use with NeoComposite The Import process creates a smaller versions of the high res images used when creating the composite sheets The Import process offers several options to give you the maximum control over the way you d like to work These options are detailed in the next few pages As a rule you should import images before importing the data that accompanies them Either way Image mode allows you to crop color correct or sharpen imported images The Image screen is divided into
19. Choose the punch type If you want a cut mark to be hard check the Hard checkbox next to the punch position Otherwise the Cut mark type is always soft If you choose a soft cut mark but your printer doesn t support mid image punches the cut mark is ignored Remove Adding additional cut marks ee ChB If you need to add additional cut marks choose Add A P aut iO new line is added to the Cut Marks table Make the required Cancel settings Once you have added all the cut marks necessary choose OK saving templates Once you have designed the template you must save it to the templates directory on the hard disk resi The templates directory is set as a program default 9 n n Choose File gt Options and choose the Paths tab Now choose the Design files tab Enter the path to the directory that will hold the templates you design You can define more than one location for the templates 1f required Image Files Design Files DAlmagessT emplates New Remove Cancel Ali NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 112 Any valid template files stored in this directory will be available to use with group images ZA If you are designing new templates you must quit and re start the program before the new files are available to the program Creating templates As previously discussed the three types of template control the overall page layout how each portrait will appear on the page an
20. Edit gt Fields and adding the graphic as before You will see the new field in the list of available fields when All is chosen Value SchoolPict AS choalPic jpg SchoolPice AS choolPic jpg SchoolLogo School ame Laureston College Year 200i Double click inside the Value for SchoolLogo The Open Graphic dialog is displayed Navigate through and find the graphic file you wish to import Import the graphic Graphics for labeled holders are imported in a similar way as normal images When the graphic is imported a smaller screen resolution image is generated for use on screen As with normal portrait images there are several options you can set to allow NeoPack Professional to find the high resolution images for printing e Remember the actual path of the file remembers the original location NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 51 e Discard the path use the file searching options discussed in Chapter 9 Images mode Load the graphic image Choose the import option you wish to use then choose Select file A File gt Open dialog appears Choose the image file the reference options then Open The graphic 1s displayed E Dude ig 7 Composite d A Garey ipa B Piip Area re E Hore ing IM school od Hast j pre Bf 4SMeck jog BF oval jog Eral ny E POO ing If choii jeg UN Poe ipa E Schooic jog E mee forene OOOO Feo ol ip Graphic hier Cancel E Fa bisp files open ds arenas
21. El Helps william EA Los Description 5c Fit NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 7 Selecting the templates to use Click the Select Template button in the toolbar The Composite Page Templates dialog is displayed ampui Pa Termal Select the template to use Clicking an available template in the list will show a preview of each template selected Choose the Cloister template in each of the selections Each of the templates provided demonstrate a key feature of NeoComposite template elements so be sure to look at each one Specify the board placement The centre board can be placed in several different places on the page You can specify the position by choosing from the positions available in the Placement drop down Choose Top 1 down as the placement Choose OK and the initial page is displayed aa nen die Fre Hrs Cte eee Lr Ern a ial i i gt E E Ge fer is ee ipa alalila A J a tar a A A ma Te lam le lle lle lime lle A eae al ll a NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 8 Specify the sort and unfeatured handling You 1 notice there are several un matched missing portrait images on this initial page This is because there are several names included in the group that don t have matched portraits Perhaps they were absent on hotosravhv dav A A j ae a i File Edit View Mode Help Also the group i
22. File Browse dialog opens Choose the folder you want to use then choose OK Choose OK to print the Print Job file NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 149 Browse for Folder Path to print file to DlmagesPrinted obFiles a 3 Floppy A Printer Ea System C Timestone Print Job file Setup Era Data D e fig DesktopFolderiB Print what EE Images Alo Unprinted only Selected only Fy Printed Output to fle options za JobFilez pf Mileca Hot Folder Path Browse Nest sequential number fi 4 03 Samples Print to a Standard Windows NT printer driver You can use a standard Windows NT printer driver to print from NeoComposite There are a number of special features built into NeoComposite that automate paper size selection and a number of other options To choose a Windows NT printer choose Windows printer as the Print to option then choose the printer you wish to use by clicking the Printer drop down and selecting it from the list Set any printer specific options by choosing Properties For information on the options to set consult your printer s driver documentation Print To Timestone Print Job file Name Sienna Lucht Mileca HSP Froperties Bitmap file Setup Print to a bitmap file NeoComposite can output bitmap files directly by choosing Bitmap file as the Print to option Once selected the Setup button becomes active Click it to set t
23. SsenhoolPicl Jpg Fac ps fs Era de pah rodea ka sario Mak Text Details To enter a text detail click in the field Value then type the text for that field Svar E E School ame Laureston Col Year 20010 Match mode Match mode is used to match the images to names The exact process you will use usually varies on your lab s current procedures There are two ways of matching images to names e Import pre matched data e Match the images using your shoot list data If you have a third party matching application you can import the pre matched data and match it to the data on import Matching names Usually you will use the matching mode to match the names and images by searching for the last name or reading a barcoded card with an embedded ID number The example file has been pre matched with the exception of a few images Find image 30 by scrolling through the images Click the image and note the Match bar appears to its left To the left of the images is the Match sidebar At the top of the sidebar is the Lookup via Fields Click the for subjects drop down and select Last from the list This means that you will be searching for the last name from the list of names You could use the ID field to search for and use a barcode reader to automate the matching process Lookup via Fields for subjects w name First
24. T ees se A a design staff create the templates that _ contain references to graphic and text objects such as the school s logo and name principal s portrait and name etc During the production process these elements are added to the database for the i school When a template that calls for the A ana mf elements is used NeoComposite iu n hi as automatically fetches the graphic or text AA and places it automatically into the design This means that creating the pages is a simple matter of choosing the groups to use the sort order and template to use NeoComposite templates NeoComposite templates are a powerful combination of graphic text and various replaceable objects The templates are created with the integrated template editor by placing and positioning the various elements The template editor itself has no creation tools meaning that it must be used in conjunction with an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw There are 3 types of template e Page Layout the size and overall look of the finished page e Subject blocks how each portrait appears including the name text portrait border and masks e Board blocks the look of the optional centre board Page Layouts A Page Layout template determines the overall size and look of the completed composite page It contains a variety of graphic text and other NeoComposite specific objects that complete the finished design There a
25. a docked position to create a floating toolbar This toolbar can then be placed anywhere convenient on the screen To do this place the mouse pointer anywhere near the edge of the toolbar click and drag The toolbar will tear away Selecting a tool or operation mode You can choose different program functions and modes by choosing a toolbar button The current mode of operation is indicated by which button is pressed in in the main toolbar In the below example several buttons appear pressed in indicating that mode is currently active or that window is currently open Poe TP amp le The program is currently in This window is currently open l o Image preview mode Resizing pane windows The three main pane windows can be resized freely You can open a pane so Ha tl 1t takes up the whole program space or close 1t completely to allow space for a other operations Passing the mouse over the edge of the three panes will change y the cursor to the pane move cursor Click and drag the mouse the pane will resize as you drag Opening closing and maximizing panes Panes can be opened completely to take up all the available program space or closed completely NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 25 Opening or closing panes Panes can be opened or closed by choosing the pane name from the View menu If the chosen pane is currently visible choosing it from the View menu w
26. a NeoComposite job file e Import images using a mask e Import selected images Import images using a mask If you have a range of images to import NeoComposite can choose the images to import as well as identifying any important information embedded in the filename using the Import From Disk Masked dialog From the main Images from Disk dialog click Using mask The Import From Disk Masked dialog opens NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 57 Choose the image directory Enter the path to the image files you want to import You can click the Browse button to open a Browse dialog Specify the file range to import NeoComposite can use a mask to select the files to import as well as identify important information embedded in a filename For example a set of files might be named Image 1 Image001exp tif Image 2 Image002exp tif Image 3 Image003exp tif Imagexxxexp tif These filenames consist of a prefix the unique number then a postfix e prefix img e number 001 xxx 3 digits long e postfix exp e extension tif The important information can be imported along with the image data by specifying the location of the data within the filename In this case you would enter e Image as the pre entry e 3 as the no width entry e exp as the post entry e tif as the ext entry With these settings made any files that don t conform to this filename mask will be ignored If t
27. a match and need to slide or move the match the result may be a blank image is inserted to the match table perhaps an E ILNI A ZEO O O Cs e NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 77 image 1s missing In the figure below note that the first board has been locked and a new board must be matched and locked First board matched and locked Second board to be matched Move the match Click the board to be matched It is currently matched to a name Choose Edit Move up from selected or type Ctrl Shift lt Right Arrow gt or click the Move up button The current name is moved up leaving a blank name You can now match the Board to the 8C folder Move the match up Match the board to 8C A Shift the match unlocked table We have realise that one of the matches here is incorrect Image 48 has been matched to the subject Helen Karakinos But let s say Helen Karakinos is actually image 50 To repair the match click on image 48 and choose Edit Move up from selected or press Ctrl lt Right Arrow gt or press the Move up button in the toolbar twice Note that the names move up leaving several images un named NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 78 With the incorrectly matched images now revealed you can now match the missing subject and board Shift the match locked table The above match now has the first and last image of the matched s
28. and in layers This allows you to place images behind and if front of one another allowing complex and attractive images to be created When an image is placed into the template you can define the transparent area as well as the size position and image scaling options applied to the image Choose the Place graphic object button in the toolbar The cursor changes to the Place Object cursor Position the mouse over the area on the page where you want the hole to appear Click and drag a box over the page It is not important to be accurate at this point A File Open dialog is displayed Choose the file you wish to place and choose Open Hime e i Ear Ap sel Ella dede psy a Erie rre Do liada da da la vi FEHI Figure 14 The file Open dialog to place a graphic object The file is read and the object appears in the template Set Aira Mask Lt on the biran lo pick color la hsapyerry mark NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 92 Set 1 bit transparency If the image you are using has a single color designed in it that should be transparent set the transparent color here by clicking it in the preview In this case the white area in the lower left should be transparent Set Bitmap Mask Click on the bitmap to pick color for transparency mask From file Reset Click the white area to define the transparent color Cancel Click the area and a grid pattern appears indicating the a
29. choose OK The text 1s placed into the design icti lo a 0 oa FirstName LastName Tam CE P unen AE Position and size the name text It is important that the text box is carefully positioned and sized We want the text to extend only as far as the width of the portrait Enter the following position and dimensions e Horizontal Offset 2 e Vertical Offset 4 45 e Width 3 00 e Height 1 00 Ose 0 20 Ef 445 sie Gl 300 30 1 00 Appl O FirstName a w LastName A A oo a Set the Unfeatured list attributes The Unfeatured list font style should match the names or you might want to set a specific style of your own You can set the font attributes by double clicking the Unfeatured List settings below the Subject block template A Text dialog opens Select the text choose the NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 134 font and color you want You can edit the name of the Unfeatured list perhaps to read Absent FirstName LastN ame A E Untfeatured Onamel Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used The Subject block looks like this on the page NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 135 Board blocks Composite page Boards typically contain information relevant to the composite group such as the name of the school etc NeoComposite boards are very flexible as the
30. data the folder structure will be created for you from this data It is possible to add move or delete folders once they have been created and you might do this to better mirror the structure of the school you re working on For example you might want to move all the junior school classes into a Junior School folder If you don t have data to import you can create folders and enter data manually Creating new folders When creating folders you should first consider the school you are working on If there are several campuses involved you might want to add these campuses to your folder structure and nest the classes under the campus folder This becomes especially important if you are attaching a specific logo or using the campus name in your templates To create a new folder click the parent folder and choose Edit gt Create new folder A new folder is created ready to be named Type the folder name and press Enter Moving deleting or renaming folders Folders can be moved renamed or deleted To move a folder click and drag it to the place you wish to move To re name a folder click the folder and choose Edit gt Rename Type the new name To delete a folder choose the folder you want to delete then choose Edit gt Delete You are asked to confirm the deletion If you choose Yes the folder is deleted Pa If you delete a folder that contains names the names are not deleted but added to the Unallocated list
31. i i et DA ee NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 89 Placing objects Choose the object you want to place into the template by clicking 1ts button in the toolbar Click and drag the mouse over the page to draw the box Now choose the object and position and size it either using the mouse or size and position toolbar Place a Block area Click the Block area button in the toolbar Now click and drag the block inside the template area Place the portrait area accurately on the page as this block controls where the portraits will appear on the page It is important for the area to be central within your page design A simple page with a Block area Make sure this is placed centrally on the page Place a protection area Click the Protection area button in the toolbar Now click and drag the block inside the template area Place the protection area over the graphic areas you want to protect You can place more than one protection area onto the page to create irregular shaped portrait areas in your designs Protection areas will prevent the portraits from obscuring important graphic areas The portrait area is behind the protection areas Place an Unfeatured list area Click the Unfeatured area button in the toolbar Now click and drag the block inside the template The Unfeatured list has 1 special requirement in order to function work correctly If you want the portraits to wrap around the un
32. import after the current image The Import Options dialog can be hidden by choosing Hide The images will continue to be imported until the last eligible file has been processed or the import process is paused or stopped Pausing the import If you wish to pause the images as they are imported check Pause import The image import is paused until the checkbox is unchecked What If they re not the right images If you notice immediately that you ve started to import the wrong images you can always Stop the import and then manually delete the images by selecting them with the mouse use the Shift key to select a range or the Alt key to select additional images one at a time and then choosing Edit Delete Using referenced import job files Once images have been referenced imported to the job file the original hi res images are not required until the jobs are printed or exported to the hard disk It is now possible to edit images with an image editor directly from NeoComposite when using referenced images but if you can live without this facility the inherently smaller TNJ file can be NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 60 sent anywhere without the source images for image color correction cropping and pack creation Only when the time comes to edit the original hi res images which of course may never be necessary or print or export the job is it critical that the TNJ file is returned to its original location Miss
33. in the toolbar Click and drag a box where you A want the background it is not important to be accurate A File Open dialog appears Choose the background file and then Open Now the Set bitmap mask dialog opens Here you can apply a bitmap mask 1 bit or 8 bit as previously discussed Choose the transparency options if any then choose OK The image is placed into the design Select the background image file The Set Bitmap Mask dialog opens Either click the transparent area 1 bit transparency or choose From File The Set Mask dialog opens Click Load then choose the mask file and click Open NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 114 A preview of the mask is shown Rotate or flip the mask if necessary then choose OK The masked background image is shown When happy choose OK The background is placed into the design Pe le e Pea iip O A AAA AAA Doe AA CJ al Lod Size and position the image You can accurately place images on the template using the Dimensions toolbar Click the image note that the handles become active Now click in the first Offset entry box and type 0 Enter 0 0 12 8 to place the image in the top left corner sized to 12 x 8 H NeoComposite File Edit Version Mode Help OF GARA Cinch ote ab T sie 1200 a Anew NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 115 Place the Block area The Block area is where the portrai
34. include multiple graphic text and barcode objects Place several objects Create a new template by choosing Mode gt Design then File gt New A new design is created Place and size the first image Click the Image Object tool in the toolbar Click and drag the object on the page It is not important to be accurate at this point Choose the object with the mouse and enter the print size and position in the Object Dimensions Click Apply Place the second object A second object can be added by following the previous instructions You can also copy and paste an object by selecting it then choosing Edit gt Copy then Edit gt Paste The object is duplicated Choosing objects in other layers When several objects are placed within a template you can cycle between objects using a keyboard modifier with the mouse For example if you want to select the background page that is completely covered with objects perhaps to adjust its size click any object on in the template That object is highlighted Now hold the CTRL key on the keyboard Note that the mouse pointer changes to the Object Cycle tool Click the object again and note that the object in the next layer below it is highlighted NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 99 Figure 21 Cycling between layer objects Changing the layer order Objects can be positioned in front or behind each other The order of the objects can be changed with the Object Order t
35. of options available that let you control carefully how the rotated page for each individual is created The complexity of the page comes NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 124 from the fact that the group of individuals included in the page may contain some who don t have a portrait available to include On a simple composite page their name would be simply added to an absent line but when as page contains a larger rotated image this approach won t work If they don t have a portrait what should appear in the larger portrait image NeoComposite addresses this issue by allowing you to design a specific Static and Rotated version of the same page The static version removes the larger portrait image creating a conventional composite for the missing individual The process is automatic and no operator action 1s required to complete the production for the group an gt De ie na een E MP hel bl Mil gi al a a Ala a a Brel r pus tho na aL pe Seat Le This individual doesn t have a A Static version is created for portrait available the missing individual Create a simple rotated template A rotated template can contain a single rotated page or you can design a separate rotated version if desired Create the page Create the base page as previously described e Create the page e Place the background e Place the Blocks area e Place any other graphic areas
36. onde en party pocas p gina le Perenbe the ached path of the iis C Daad that path ard ethan ch for chat Abe vari que Duel e sesich pah dor Mi i File Dore Patti freed Choosing the transparent area You can specify two types of mask that allow transparent areas in the logo Simple transparency mask If the logo has areas you would like to be transparent as a single color click 1t in the preview Note the hashed area indicating transparency To clear the set transparency click No mask a Make sure you design your logo graphics carefully Any area that 1s the same color as you click will appear as transparent in your design Pay careful attention to the edges of the logo as grey edges around the logo can appear as a light halo in the finished page Don t save the logo file in JPEG format as you might also see a halo due to the image compression Use a lossless compression method like PNG or similar Using a transparency mask More complex 8 bit masks allows more complex effects like soft edged blends etc To set the 8 bit mask click Mask file the Set Mask dialog opens Choose Load then find the transparency mask file and click Open The mask is loaded and displayed If you need to adjust the orientation of the mask choose from the rotate or flip options in the Set Mask dialog NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 52 LAURISTON COLLEGE a Lakin 4 Sene rasy f e A LAURISTON Finola AT 2
37. over the protected area If you place the protection area behind portrait area the portraits will ignore it and flow over the area NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 121 Continue adding areas Continue to add areas to protect all areas in the design Notice that you can use smaller size areas to carefully cover design elements Complete the protected areas Once done all the important areas will be covered by protection blocks Add additional design elements This page will feature the school logo and some text at the bottom of the page As this page has a specific position and size for the logo the elements should be placed into the page layout Add the SchoolLogo The design calls for the School s logo to appear at the bottom of the page We reassess will place a tagged object to reference the logo Click the Tagged Object button in the toolbar and drag a box in the template The Labeled Holder dialog opens Type SchoolLogo to label this graphic box Labeled Holder x Label 5 choolLogo DR Cancel x Size and scale the logo Set the size and position of the logo using the mouse or Dimensions toolbar NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 122 Add the text box The following text 1s to appear in the design The School name The Composite name The Year of photography The Principal s name The codes that should be used to achieve this is a mix of
38. run Once the license server is installed and licenses added each of the workstations of the LAN need to be configured When the Neo application was installed the License Server setup control panel was also installed On each workstation that will use a Neo application license open the Windows Control Panel and start the License Server setup control panel Enter the computer name of the PC that is hosting the hardlock and press Test If the computer is found over the network and its License Server is running correctly OK will be displayed in the Last Error area If an error is displayed ensure that e The license server PC is switched on and the License Server is configured and running e tis connected to the network e The workstation you are configuring can browse the network and see the License server PC Close the control panel The Neo application will now be able to launch as long as a valid license is found on the License Server Backing up your license server configuration If you want to back up your license server configuration there is a single file to archive This file is found in the License Server sub directory of the main installation directory Usually this will mean a directory path of C Program Files Timestone Software License Server e Back up the file TsLServer Ict NeoComposite Chapter 4 License Server Page 19 Understanding NeoComposite NeoComposite 1s a comprehensive production
39. static Create the different versions Open the template that you created in the previous example Click the Use different versions button in the toolbar Note that the Rotated and Static version buttons become active Click the Use Separate Versions button __f N To activate the separate versions of the template NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 127 Switch between versions You can switch between the two versions by clicking the relevant button After you make changes to the version you will notice the changes Edit the Static version In this static version we want to remove the rotated portrait block and gprs widen the Unfeatured list Make sure you have the Static version selected Ey by clicking the Static Version button in the toolbar Click the Static Version button Remove the rotated portrait Click the rotated portrait on the page and press the Delete key The rotated portrait is deleted Widen the Unfeatured list Press the Tab key or hold the CTRL key down and click the Unfeatured list box until it 1s selected Adjust the width so it is filling the bottom of the page using the mouse or Dimensions toolbar Switch between the two versions by clicking the Rotated Version and then the Static Version buttons in the toolbar Static Version Rotated Version Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used With a Blo
40. that has a cartoonish appearance when drawing real life images On the other hand a bitmap image can create realistic images for use in a template The big difference between a vector and bitmap graphic is that a vector is very small and quick to print whilst a bitmap can be very large and slower to print Bitmap file size If you want to use a bitmap background you can optimise printing time by using the smallest background image possible If your background has a lot of very fine detail such as a fine texture you will need to use a larger file If the background has many abstract objects or 1f image clarity 1s not particularly important use a smaller file size In general you can use the following guide as a good starting point to determine your quality requirements These recommendations assume a maximum print size of 8x12 300dpi Background detail Use this file size Detail not important at all 2 4Mb Detail somewhat important 4 6Mb Detail important 6 8Mb Detail very important 10 20Mb requires testing Image file format NeoComposite offers 2 types of transparency when merging graphic images together e bit allocate a single color in the background image that is to be transparent e 8 bit design a transparency mask in an image editor and apply it to the images The difference between the two styles of transparency 1s that 1 bit offers limited blending but is faster than 8 bit You wo
41. use then choose the Tagged object button in the toolbar iss Click and drag the mouse in the template where you want the object to appear It is not necessary to be accurate The Edit Attribute dialog is shown Entering the code Depending on how you create the jobs you will have defined some default items in Details mode In the previous example we created graphic objects for the school logo and the group teacher s photographs The Code is decided by the fieldname entered here For example SchoolLogo references the School s logo and TeacherPic references a group s Teacher picture Labeled holders use the same naming as discussed in the Variable text objects section earlier in this chapter Considering this naming procedure the correct code for both these objects would be Object Code SchoolLogo File lt SchoolLogo gt TeacherPic Folder lt TeacherPic gt po All 0 4 Folders Ee Ba Junior School i LPJ Year 3 H 6 Senior School Principal Mrs Caroline Wiliams SchoolName Provident High School Year 2000 PrincipalPic NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 109 Controlling Labeled holder scaling Images placed into a labeled holder can be scaled exactly as for a normally placed graphic Choose the scaling you want to use by choosing the appropriate scaling from the toolbar OE Distort image to fill box Clip image to fill box Fit image to box Usi
42. using the mouse or very accurately with the Object Dimensions entries on the toolbar Choose the object by clicking it Note it highlights by showing handles FF NeoPack File Edit Orientation Mode Help De Ce ehh a fh en es Linch offset 0 45 Ef 034 sie A 457 40 298 Ae Figure 18 A selected object Sizing and positioning objects with the mouse To re size the object with the mouse click one of the handles and drag it in the desired direction To move the object click and drag inside the selected object The object moves as you drag the mouse Sizing and positioning objects with the toolbar Exact size and position for an object can be specified using the Object Dimensions toolbar Choose the object you wish to edit then click the value you want to adjust Pressing the Tab key switches to the next entry area Once all the required changes have been made click Apply Note that the measurement units can be changed by clicking the Units drop down Ht 122 sie 8 73510 552 ea 552 ee Figure 19 The Object Dimensions toolbar Offset E NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 98 Pie Edd Onentation Mode Help Da W CO a a a A a l ih ome 000 E oo ses Gl 70040 E E Figure 20 An Image Object after re sizing Placing multiple objects in a Template Templates can contain multiple objects This means that products from simple packages to complex designs that
43. want Click the mouse and the screen re draws for the selected number of images Cropping Images Switch to Single Image mode then click the image displayed Note that it highlights darker grey Switch to File Edit Images Mode Help Image Crop mode by clicking the Crop button in the b jbt toolbar Note that several lines now appear over the n portrait image These lines indicate 2 aspect ratios 2 3 Ss 1 and 4 5 Click the image and drag the mouse whilst still holding down the mouse button The image will move on screen You can also hold the Ctrl down then the Arrow keys to crop the image Md A ee TEA 0 3 ee 03 To reset the position of the image click the Reset crop button in the Crop sidebar Now hold the Shift key down on the keyboard and move the mouse up and down in a vertical NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 3 direction You will see the portrait image zoom up and down as you drag the mouse You can also hold the Ctrl down then the Page Up and Page Dn keys to zoom the image Color Color correction You can correct the color density and contrast of an image using the Color Controls sidebar To correct an image click it then choose the color you want to adjust Enter an amount or use the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys to adjust the value Details mode Choose Mode gt Details to enter Details mode You will see a number of folders and name details Details are usual
44. warrants that the media on which the Software is recorded and the User Guide provided with it are free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of 90 days from the date of your original purchase Except for the limited warranty described above the Software is sold as is and you are assuming the entire risk as to its quality and performance It is your responsibility to verify the results obtained from the use of the Software Limitation of Remedies If during the 90 day limited warranty period you discover physical defects in the User Guide or in the Media on which the Software was recorded Timestone Software will replace them as no charge to you This is your sole remedy IN NO EVENT WILL TIMESTONE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY DIRECT INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL OR SIMILAR DAMAGES EVEN IF TIMESTONE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES Table of Contents B QUICK SEAL NEO COMPOST O caida iia ide caidas A ode diciones 1 SA Sn EA l Getting to know Neo Compost ia circle alas 1 Detil mode st ba 4 his tE OOOO Em es a ec eee ee 5 POR GN TS NOUS rai niet cntysateouamadeenemsneds 6 Dt BOC VON VOU Ns COIN oe cc cecssavevesceoussavesesevescesuacavesveexessesessunaysveviedeeuscstevsvexescesersanauevextssveuscusesesusesnerseeveesease 11 COD and aun re 11 PEC His al Ai tat CU CTIA sai tit aoiaoe 11 ESMAS eo COMIDO ME ein E stusduciesoeussusanatcnegonceshetga
45. 1 text object e The School s logo e Picture of the school campus e Picture of the principal e Text with the school name year group and other details Place the logo The position and size of each of the objects has been previously determined The first object is the school logo Click the Tagged Object button in the toolbar and drag a box in NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 136 the template The Labelled Holder dialog opens Type ESchoolLogo to label this graphic box Labeled Holder A 4 xj Label ts choolLogo cos Size and position the logo using the Dimensions toolbar to 1 7 5 0 5 0 Olfset gt 010 Ef 070 size Al 500 go 500 m sochoollogo Add the text box The following text 1s to appear in the design e The School name e The Composite name e The Year of photography e The Principal s name The codes that should be used to achieve this 1s a mix of internal and Details codes see the previous chapter Details The codes to use are Desired text School Name Details field SchoolName Composite Name Internal Composite Year of Photography Details field Principal s name Label Details field Principal Click the Text button in the toolbar then drag a text box in the design The Text dialog opens Enter the following text SchoolName Name NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 137 Composite Principal lt Principal gt name Select
46. 2 major areas e Corrections palette e Image preview area E Sent nmpnsie E Prisa Ples lonestone Errar Frang Files Congested eer Fe Dptos m moea waf 0 mel na p Cor m ay 0 koma ae 0S 1 COEDS Image preview area Page 54 Importing images Images you wish to use for group images need to be imported to the NeoComposite file you re working on There are a number of operations that can be applied to images as they are imported Adjusting the Image Preview quality When an image is imported to the NeoComposite file the high resolution image is sub sampled for display purposes If you want a higher quality preview image you can adjust the size of the preview image created With a file open choose File gt Properties Choose the Bitmap sizes tab and enter the desired preview size in the Stored size of bitmap used for previewing entry box ZA Adjusting this amount will not change preview images already created You must re import the images to see the changed setting Import the images Once the various file options have been set you can import images to the job file With the job file open choose Images Import from disk The Images From Disk dialog is shown A Cr Uria amar ied areke pa A Colima plo Fa Hors pg EA Ci Urge mie rd lei pe A Urea A eg MA Pira ra o Erit ATA MN Diari filer Lani ha Configuring the import There are a number of options th
47. 3 PCT tale Thi OI MAk Sie aa a aa db edo cai 154 14 Calibration amp Color Management cccccccccssssssssssssssssssssssccccccccsssscsscssssssssssssssssccccccsssssssseees 156 QuickStart NeoComposite This guide is a quick start for those wanting to become quickly acquainted with NeoComposite This guide assumes that the application has been successfully installed and that you are familiar with Microsoft Windows applications Sample files The NeoComposite installer places several sample files and images into the Program Files Timestone Software directory These directories are Program Files Timestone Software Example Files Contains a sample NeoComposite job file Program Files Timestone Software Sample Images Contains sample images required by the sample job file and the tutorial Program Files Timestone Software Templates NeoComposite Contains sample templates a The file does not include the original high resolution images and so you will not be able to print any pages from the example file The example file is intended only to give a quick overview of NeoComposite s features Getting to know NeoComposite Open the sample file Start NeoComposite by choosing Start gt way Program Files gt Timestone Software gt NeoComposite NeoComposite launches A i P LLLLELLL E Choose File gt Open Navigate to the aa Program Files Timestone Software Example Files directory and open the file Com
48. A ene ee te ad sia tercne ee ak la cual slater nen eae llc ae tele ee Stel Gea ate ae 90 Placin o 6 rap Nie maceta tos 92 Controllino imase SC Ali Os a ios 97 Placing multiplesobjects ina Templie A A A A ead 99 HIST EXO DI CCI A E E E E EE E E O E S 101 PPA yarab O 101 Vanable TEXT OD iS a a a a nanenrecameten gn ta ce via saaahtaseceeenadayen neon 103 sido Dale Ode ODI ooo biie 108 Labeled Holder ura a 109 CUNAS sra lalola 110 Badia A A wees 112 Dae TEM alos A A o 5 A o O ciate aahine Sieaaeeeehameeae 112 CRC AUIS template Sito tp laica laos 113 Cheatin a Simple para A eee 113 Ereatinea simple Multi paso COM PO da ads 117 Create protected Parera ada det 121 Credea o A a O o sn cesaatenta nun dicenamatestocewiace 124 Creata simple totated template nidad ceceiaa 125 Create a page with separate Rotated and Static Versi ns sonnie a E E R 127 SUDISCE DOCKS ii A AS As 129 SUDIECEDIOCK COMPOMEMIS a 129 Cr ate a ubico block template ati ocio E 129 Board POTS A AA A AA A A aaa 136 A A O E EEE O asec E E eee 136 AdWaneedoraphixCLOC S monsanto E 140 APPS simple Mias kerni iii a r ioidg 140 12 E rmine PAGES ainiai aaaea To oaae aaeeei e aE 141 Form Page ME ICE OPEP OOOO EE e Co eo E 141 Crede anew COMPOSE PATE ne e ici dai 142 ROA DIES a 146 A A A 148 SCIECE Mero aispa a a e a a E piadgs 148 Selene Ne PUR a a me 149 Chooscthe A A A A N E 149 Printineto a standard Windows printer drivet nia dd E O T 152 ADOM Paper S Ae Selec Alis 15
49. Click Selected GameBoy jpg The Import From Disk dialog opens ie Choose the files you want to import Teddy jpg You can use the standard Windows Tone ihe modifier keys to select the various file ranges These modifiers are enm e lt Shift gt click first then last o eee es bre ong bo _ Camel file in a range selects a block of files e lt CTRL gt click each file you wish to import selects the files to import individually Choose the range of files to and choose OK specify the image import order Open the Import Options panel by choosing Images Import options panel Note the status of the Incoming images section of the Import Options If the file currently open is indexed the options will be unavailable If the file currently open is sequential the options will be available Images Import Options Panel Ea Images Import Options Panel Ea M Pause importing I Follow imported images M Pause importing I Follow imported images Iheomna images fon les with sequentall numbered images Incoming images for files with sequentially numbered images D Reverse oder oend inset Henlece Reverse order Toend Inset Replace Unavailable Image options for an Image options available for a indexed file sequential file Images imported to a sequential file are numbered internally with a sequential number The images are imported in order according to the parameters set in the Import options panel dialog NeoCompo
50. Composite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 6 templates consist of three separate templates e Page template the overall page layout e Subject block each portrait design e Board block the Board design if used Each page must have a Page and Subject template selected but the Board is optional and 1s not required to complete the page Understanding NeoComposite groups When forming a NeoComposite page you choose the groups to include the sorting order then the templates to use NeoComposite then forms the pages as determined by the templates selected Adding a composite page The first step when creating a new composite page is to add a composite page to the list Click the Add Page button in the toolbar and the Subjects to include dialog opens RA Program File File Edit View Mode Help Amka Choosing the subjects to include The subjects that will appear on the composite page are selected in the Subjects to Include dialog Choose the groups you want to include and note the list of names fills as you select a group Individual names can be switched on and off for each page by checking the Include tick in the list Choose OK and note that a new page is added to the list of pages Folders Checked Folder s Selected Folder Labels Include Ashford Philip Baulch Nicholas Bradley Cameron Cerrison Adam Cloas Adrien Davidson Rachel Dewar Ryan Dyson Amy Harms Rebecca JER El El El E El El El
51. E E yea 60 teplacine onm MPO aii 60 TOOLE CLOY er a 32 rotating while importing coooooooooooncccnnnns 56 62 Je leen e A E E E N O EA 66 selecting tO IMIDON sinea e 59 setting IMport OPtIONS ooooooooooccccncnonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnos 55 sharpening while Importing 57 62 A O 32 white Space around ooccccncccnnnonccnnnnnnnnnonononnnnnnnnnos 67 A ET 67 Import OPM ONS ada i n 35 59 Page 157 Importing images 4 See Images importing A abetted nectar uakcaian 59 Job files COSIN Turpina 63 COD ACTING a iio dosis 63 SAVIA cin 63 IZ OL wsnacttasachey seanents tonne ins ate 63 Labeled holders 51 110 License Server A a 19 COE A 18 configuring and tesni ossec 17 msta lino E 16 Last Eror MO dicos 19 SE UU PEI EEN PAE E E E 18 UNG CT SCANCING tddi 16 Were tons alion iii 16 Licenses addin NEW ines 18 ena DH Lee enn a mR ArT te ena er vee Oe EPC 18 WSU bill CLC TM sesci an POPE OO A 16 TMI E PVE MIS OT eae A 16 O 16 OO See Labeled holders LookUp Tables ciao is See LUTs EU lie ren ree 61 Masks filename when importing images 0008 58 A ee cuasanesceneate laseaeeoaenents 71 Matching adj stine a Mathias ic toscas 76 difference between move and slide 73 effect of moving on locked cccoooommmmo 1 e 75 O O 74 from shoot cards or order bags occccccoommmm 73 lOCKING mato isis 75 MANUALLY chad seve cc tht ated cee iat
52. Start Page 9 Once done choose OK The composite page 1s drawn to the screen with the unfeatured names appearing at the foot of the page rather than as blank images and the subjects automatically re arranged Adding Special Case images The template for the board being used includes a position for the teacher and principal s picture These images will appear after the appropriate people have been labeled as Teacher or Principal Open the Subjects to include dialog by choosing Edit gt Subjects to include the dialog opens Choose the Staff group in the list then click the Labels tab Now click the inside the Label value box for Anne Galpin and type Principal This labels Anne as the Principal The ae has a cae ieee which uses the Principal label Once z TEETE labeled the template will fetch Anne s portrait and details for use in the template The sample file does not include an individual picture for the teacher so label any other name as Teacher in the same manner Choose Ok and the page is re drawn complete with the missing labeled images NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 10 Before you Begin Scope and audience This manual covers both operation and technical aspects required to use NeoComposite The manual is divided into several chapters see the Table of Contents at the start for a broad sweep Alternatively consult the Index for specific proce
53. aae Sas TORT 50 Ereatimera Labeled Holde a AAA A iS 51 y 1IMases Mode ninia aisla 54 on A A E O E A 55 ponhe MA O N A II lh eantivaleataeds 55 Conti MEM idos 55 Choose Merer A A o o O A A 57 SPeCiby Ale Image Import order atada ai 59 WSIS TeleEENCed 11 POF oD FICS a iceteae nc r tease ect e ae eed E etude rcec aaa EE 60 Oer impon SOUTCES iras peri N 61 Editins 1mases While iii POR until dns laura 62 AMAS MALOS La et E et joustdinas oie iaie EE E EOE E E 63 Derin AINA SCS aabt 63 Closim and compactine Tes ii 63 Correcting editing and displaying AmMaSeS ii A eae 64 Doae A O Ghee teed MDE HE RC MOET Oia er noe mC iri On NEAT re 64 Chansine the number Gf 1maces displayed aa 65 One CONS IMAG chine N ceiee asta a nes 66 ZOOMING ANd JOP CUMS APT AC ICC raros 67 Adjustino the 1mage color density and COMAS is 68 EXPORTS TIM ACCS A sio 69 10 Matching imaces and DAMOS E E E T EE 71 Usne Match molt is 71 MACAO Ad 12 Matching from Shootcardsor Order DO uri ns 73 Mate ING TIN ACCS rosita dei pi a E a 74 COPDE WI EOS a a 75 Adjusine a Match A A AA a EN 76 Ti Design AA II A A 80 Template DES A ao 80 lio ALSO CC A O o A a eae arn eet 81 Using ihe template des oner sione iouen caressa TE caste cx E i tdowsahae E OEE 83 MME destete OOD ATS ara iaa 83 Preparino andusino Staple Made Std dd lada 85 NA o A A A AT 87 Create templates nn dais A 88 DCE Ee LCP DA is EO 89 Placine Neo COMPOSTE ONES A EE tai ut leaks E A een esialeaante 89 AS
54. ains the job file For example the job file is stored in a folder Images Job1 and the images belonging to that job in Images VJob1 Source If the path statement is entered as Source NeoComposite will search for the source images in the Source subdirectory r NeoPack Missing image files o IN Cannot find bitmap image tile film 1710 bmnp If the original image files are not available when printing or exporting the images an error is shown Bew Iono NeoComposite Chapter 7 Job files Page 36 Either fix the problem and choose Retry to retry the job or Abort to abort the current operation Image numbering indexed or sequential Many labs using large numbers of images have various systems of tracking the images This can mean that the image files that are imported can have a unique and important name or number embedded in their filename These uniquely named files are called indexed images Images that don t contain such special images are imported in a sequential order Sequential images When importing sequential images it is only important to retain the same image order as was on the original film In this case the image files should be named in shoot order i e 0001 9999 When NeoComposite imports them the order is retained Indexed images Many labs use cameras or film editors that can allocate unique numbers to a particular negative or image This number can then be used to record
55. al part of the path statement In the above case each of the TNJ files would be named Job1 Job2 and Job3 NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 32 So if the path is entered as ImageServer Data lmages and the file currently open is called Job2 NeoComposite will search for the original source images in lmageServer Data Images Job2 Same directory as job file If the path statement is entered as A NeoComposite will search for the source images in the same directory as the TNJ file Sub directory from job file Images can be stored in a sub directory of the folder that contains the job file For example if the job file is stored in a folder Images Job1 and the images belonging to that job in Images Job1 Source If the path statement is entered as Source NeoComposite will search for the source images in the Source subdirectory Defining the Design File location Templates can be stored in various places within your local area The location of the templates must be defined before NeoComposite will see them ready for you to use Adaing a Design file location Choose File Options then choose the Paths Design Files tab Now choose New A new line appears in the list box Enter the whole path for the location of the design files you want to use You can use UNC ComputerName ShareName or mapped drive letters as a valid path Options ee ES General Datak Luts Fain
56. an choose to print to a standard Windows NT printer driver output bitmap files or print to a Timestone Print Job file Timestone Software has produced a number of Windows NT printer drivers for some of the more popular digital photographic printers and NeoComposite can take advantage of the special features built into these drivers If a printer driver isn t available for your printer you can output bitmap image files to submit to the printer using your normal printing software Printing to a Timestone Print Job file allows NeoComposite to participate in our Distributed Print Architecture This is a system than minimises the time your operators wait while a job is printed as well as ensuring there are enough prepared jobs ready to be printed by your high speed digital printer Select the Groups Choose File gt Print or click the Print button in the toolbar The Print dialog opens The dialog is divided into several sections Coda Patioa Copia bel ultra Situp ara Gates lo pond The Printer to use Copies to print Groups and individuals who will receive prints Bitmap output options NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 148 Selecting the printer Before printing a job you should choose the method of printing All the print options are set in the Printer Setup dialog Open this dialog by opening a job file you want to print then choosing File gt Print setup The Print Setup dialog opens Print setup x
57. are being imported You can t zoom or crop while importing but you can sharpen rotate and color correct using a pre existing LUT while images are being imported During the import operation the editing operation is not as responsive as it would normally be and we recommend that you use the keyboard to perform the edits The image import can still be controlled even though you may have hidden the main image import dialog by choosing the Hide button Open the Import options panel by choosing Images Import options panel This small panel can be positioned on the screen so the image import can be paused or restarted NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 62 Adding images Images can be added to a file or can over write existing images within a file Images are added by using the Images Import from Disk dialog The options available vary according to whether a file is indexed or sequentially numbered Add new files to the end of an existing file Choose Images Import options panel The Images Options Panel opens Choose To end as the Incoming images selection Specify the files to be imported as previously discussed Images will be appended to the end of the file Incoming images for sequentially numbered image files Reverse order te Toend Elmer Replace Insert or replace files within a file To add images somewhere in the middle of an existing file first choose the image where the new images are to be ins
58. ases Exporting images You can export images from NeoComposite and thus make them available to other applications or for other purposes for example you might need to supply the images to the printer who has been commissioned to publish a yearbook which features all the subjects in a particular job file NeoComposite gives you control over the following parameters of the export e If the subjects in your job file are arranged into folders you can use these folder names to create directories for the export so that exported images are divided neatly into a directory structure Alternatively you can use the existing folder names in the filenames which are created during the export process e Subjects in a NeoComposite job file have fields associated with them names ID numbers etc and you can use any existing field in the filenames which are created during the export process e You can apply an LUT to the whole batch of images you are exporting e You can apply sharpening to the whole batch of images you are exporting e You can resample each image in the whole batch to different size e and of course you can export in any of the most commonly used file formats JPG BMP PNG TIF TGA PCX or PCT To export images make sure you re in Image mode then choose Images Export The Export images dialog box appears all you can do here is specify a path and start the process Not much will happen however unless you first click th
59. at then choose the font from the drop down dialog Set the style Choose the text you wish to format then choose the font style from the available styles Set the alignment Choose the text you wish to format then choose the alignment NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 102 Controlling the text size By default text will scale to fill the box you draw on the template This ensures that any text that appears in a text box will never be clipped because it is too big As you enter more text the font size will reduce automatically A ps AAA E i E Here is some text 7 E O Add another line and the text ere IS some text scales down automatically Relative font size You can control the relative size of the text using the Relative scaling control If you want some text to be bigger than the rest wafla select it then click the Up or Down buttons in the Relative size entry box wie e Here is a line of text second line that is bigger Ad a died thot 1 am aliar Ca Variable text objects NeoComposite allows various data fields be defined for the various groups in your job For example there are some things that are common to a whole school such as the school name year of photography and so on It is then possible to gather the school s groups into sub categories For example the school might have a senior and junior campus Years 1 7 belong to the junior school 8 12 to the se
60. at are available to you when importing images e Choose the files to be imported e Specify a range of files to import e Rotate and flip images as they are imported e Apply a LUT correction e Apply image sharpening Set the import options NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 55 From the Images from disk dialog click the Setup button The Setup dialog opens Click Setup The Images From Disk Setup dialog opens The dialog is divided into 4 main areas that control the various options available to you If you accept the default options you 1l be leaving the original images where they are and creating sub sampled preview equivalents for inclusion in the NeoComposite job file NeoComposite will remember the exact path of each original image file Any magan From Lee gt cu E ligand persa EAB rs p tina lo OA Aaa Flo ir Sherer the actual path 6d pach rage Dipcaed che pit sd aipha irga abr neque ued thee ch parto dea ir Pd pra Fah Iragar Abres angen Masia Ep ar ar Al LUT Fe ihare wen corrections made to the images in NeoComposite are stored in a database and applied to the originals only at the time of output whether in the process of forming packs or via exporting Import method Advantages Small job file thus making it possible to send it and work on it away from the hi res images Import preview only leave original hi res images where they are with actual path remem
61. at the beginning or end of each unit or each unit will be printed individually Punch and printer types There are several types of digital printer available today e Cut sheet feed e Long roll short length feed Long roll long length feed NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 110 A cut sheet feed printer typically has a maximum paper advance A good example is the Sienna FotoPrint range that typically has a maximum output size of 8x12 or 12x18 depending on the model A long roll short length feed printer is a roll to roll printer with easel mask Again these machines have a maximum possible paper advance A good example is the Kodak MultiPrinter that has a maximum print size of 12x18 A long roll long length feed printer is a roll to roll printer that has no maximum paper advance aside from the paper roll length This style of printer can create very long prints in theory as long as the installed paper roll A good example of this printer is the Sienna Mileca Cut sheet or punching printers Cut sheet printers typically don t have a hole punching system built in Instead they cut each individual print and process it immediately Punching printers are roll to roll style that usually punch either the beginning or end of a print Once the roll of paper is processed the prints are cut by your lab s cutter into a stack of prints Additionally some printers are able to punch the paper within a single prin
62. atch is linked to the original file name use this tag Match with images az well Match according to the order in the file Match according to the fimage id field image id is the image number tag Importing the details Once all the settings have been made choose OK to dismiss the dialog Choose the file to import in the Text file to import details dialog then choose Open The details are imported Checking the match The procedure of matching images to names is covered in a further chapter After the names have been imported and matched as well you can view the raw match by choosing Mode gt Match If you have not yet imported images you will see a display that indicates NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 45 the image number that each name has been matched to just waiting for the images to be imported Special fields Certain fields are recognised specially by NeoComposite when imported If a field contains e Blink e Slate e Miscellaneous They are specifically identified as a miscellaneous entry and marked as such NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 46 Editing the details and folders Often you will find that the data you import will not completely suit your needs for NeoComposite For example you might want to sort the folders created by the import into senior and junior school groups After the import has been completed you can add edit or move the folders t
63. ate and use exactly the correct paper size required by the job You don t need to define the paper size as NeoComposite works together with our printer driver to do this for you Paper size selection Use default size Pick the best from defined sizes A Use custom paper sizes only i Cut to size Alignment and Cut marks You can choose to print the NeoComposite jobs onto a paper size larger than the job image In this case you can choose how the image will be aligned on the oversize page You can also enable or disable cut mark support Align You can control how the image is positioned on a page using the Align setting This is only useful if the page being used is larger than the image being printed Click the Align drop down and choose the image placement Honour cut marks If the templates you are using have cut marks defined you can choose to use or ignore these by checking or un checking Honour cut marks Checking this box causes the cut marks to be used un checking causes them to be ignored Align toptert a W Honour cut marks if defined Choose the composite pages to print You can select the composite pages to print by checking them in the Groups and copies to print panel Note that NeoComposite automatically inserts the number of prints to make based on the number of names in the group NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 154 E Foran pou ret Cas a For ocho La oo nao
64. belling an individual as for example Principal we can add these details A label is added to an individual in Details mode Subjects Anne Galpin is labelled Principal Geoffrey Relling To add the Principal details use a Label code There are two types of code e Matched image code Uses the portrait image associated with the individual e Text of Graphic Details code Uses the value of a specific Details field such as their name ID number or even an attached graphic image Label codes are constructed in this way Desired information Usage Matched image LabelName i e Principal di lt LabelName gt DetailName Details code As an example we want to design a template that will place a portrait image of the principal along with her name into a template Place the Matched image Click the Tagged object button in the toolbar and drag a box on the template The Labeled Holder dialog opens Enter the name of the label Principal and choose OK Size and position the graphic box NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 106 entries A Label Efrin 0 cms a E a a ee hk E a E a Place the Label text Click and drag a text box on the page Type lt Principal gt name along with any other codes you need We will add a few more as previously described to create a centre board that features the principal SchoolName Year Folder lt SchoolTyp
65. bered default setting Import preview only leave original hi res images where they are with actual path discarded Small job file original images can be moved after import and NeoComposite will still find them Import hi res images uncheck default setting Job file is self contained it has everything it needs to Output packs Set the image rotation flip Disadvantages Job file must always exist in the same location relative to the path of the original hi res images Path of original hi res images must be listed in File Options Paths Images in order for NeoComposite to find them when it needs them to output packs or export Large job file and the original hi res images now become duplicates that take up disk space If the images you are importing need to be rotated or flipped choose the rotation here If you import images by preview only choosing an option here will cause slightly longer print times as the original hi res images will be rotated or flipped at print time the originals are in fact never modified any corrections happen only to the output itself If you desire the shortest possible print times you should ensure images are in the correct orientation before importing Rotate 0 90 180 270 M Vertical Mirror Horizontal Set the image LUT Images can be corrected using the built in LUT editor Choose the LUT you want to use from those defined in t
66. bject Dimensions toolbar Objects placed into a template can be positioned and sized exactly using the Objects Dimensions toolbar To set the size and position of an object select it then enter the desired values to the toolbar Once done click the Apply button to set the values The Offset values set the position of an object s top left corner o 0 00 Qi 0 00 Sie 4 600 go 400 Set the template Set the object Offset Set the object size measurement units Preparing and using graphic images There are several steps involved when creating and placing graphic objects e Designing the graphic object in an image editor e Placing the graphic into a NeoComposite template e Define any transparent areas in the graphic There are a number of important things you need to keep in mind when designing graphic images for use in a template Bitmap or Vector There are two quite distinct types of graphic images that can be used in a NeoComposite template e Vector graphics from applications like CorelDraw NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 85 e Bitmap images from applications like Adobe Photoshop The two types are completely different in both the way that they are created and also in the look of the final printed image A vector graphic is formed by drawing a series of lines then applying blocks of color to the objects drawn The result is a graphic that is well suited to many logos and other design elements but
67. bjects to include dialog opens Subjects ta Include 04 BL durar Echo 3 iaa School Choose the subjects Expand the list of available groups by clicking the and then the group to include Note that the list of names appears and the name of the composite group added to the Description ZA The Description is the text that will appear in the final page where a template uses the composite code You can edit this text if desired NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 142 Editing the subjects You can select and de select the subjects that will appear on the composite page by clicking their name in the Include panel If you want a subject to be included on the page but not to receive a printed page uncheck their Gets copy check mark i i 6 taker Tor E E Barret Caral HA e ee EA trader Brad al Uncheck this checkbox to indicate an individual pea Brindisi Arma should not receive a finished page A E A Uncheck this checkbox to remove an individual EA Gers Carol a wj from the page completely Including individuals from a different group You can include individuals from other groups in a composite page by choosing the Selected Folder tab Click the group in the Folders list then find the name to include then check the Include checkbox They will be included on the composite page Labelling an individual If you need to label an individual 1 e As a Teac
68. ble by calling Timestone Software during our business hours These hours are 9 00 AM 5 00 PM Australian Eastern time The telephone numbers 1s Voice 61 3 9570 9899 Fax support You can fax us with questions or queries Please address your fax queries to Technical Support The fax number is Fax 61 3 9570 9855 E mail and WWW support There are support pages that include links to the newest versions of the software as well as user documentation and Frequently Asked Questions Our WWW and e mail contacts are WWW hitp www timestone com au E mail support timestone com au Hardware requirements The following hardware requirements are required as a minimum configuration to run NeoComposite You should always attempt to exceed these requirements If you have a choice in areas in which you can afford to exceed these requirements do so in the following order e Memory e CPU class Pentium II Pentium III and clock speed e Hard disk speed Ultra Ultra Wide RAID e Other Minimum requirements e Intel Pentium II processor at 350 Mhz e 100 Mhz system motherboard Bx class e 128 Mb RAM NeoComposite Chapter 2 Before you Begin Page 12 e 4Mb Video card 1024 x 768 24 bit see note e 9Gb Hard Disk see note e 10 100 Ethernet card e 33 6k Modem e High quality Sony Apple 17 color monitor e Windows NT 4 0 Service Pack 3 e Mouse with mouse wheel Microsoft Logitec Optional Ex
69. ck inside the template canvas area and drag the mouse The object will be placed into the template ready to be accurately sized and positioned Place a portrait area Place a protection object Place an Unfeatured list object Place a Rotated portrait Place a portrait object Place a graphic object Place a barcode graphic Place a barcode graphic Place a graphic mask The Object Layer toolbar Objects placed into a template can be positioned in layers making it possible to make the various objects appear behind or in front of each other To change the layer order of an object select it then choose the desired layer order button Ro Send the selected object to the back NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Bring the selected obiect to the front Send the selected object down 1 layer Bring the selected object up 1 layer Page 84 The Graphic Scaling toolbar When placing image objects into a template you can control how the graphic is scaled within the object box This 1s useful 1f you need to ensure that an image is completely displayed and is not distorted There are three scaling options available e Clip the image to fill the box maintain aspect ratio e Fit the whole image in the box maintain aspect ratio e Fill the image in the box distort the aspect ratio The options are set using the Scaling options toolbar Distort image to fill box Fit image to box Clip image to fill box The O
70. ck template chosen the rotated and static versions of the page layout looks like this NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 128 Subject blocks Subject blocks define how the portraits will appear on the page They are constructed in the same way as the Page Layout templates They also contain the font formatting for the Unfeatured list ensuring that the font styles match First Last Unfeatured Aname 0 Subject block components Subject blocks can contain a number of objects including graphics text masks etc You should use your favourite bitmap or vector editor to create the various graphic elements for the template You then place these objects add the masks and text to complete the design Creating a Subject Block template Switch to Design mode by choosing Mode gt Design or pressing the F8 key Choose File gt New The New Template dialog opens choose the Subject Block option A new subject Block opens A Ez ae O i J ea le I fea E i JIR ed Ne w Template peters i Bobo tt alemplate ured lo poston Tanu amanit on a comporte o Block used lo delirar A a composite group NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 129 Understanding Subject Block sizes Subject blocks are scaled automatically depending on how many images are on the finished page If you have a small number of images on the page the block might be quite large The same block mi
71. d save the template to your templates directory ready to be used The Subject block looks like this on the page NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 140 Forming Pages Creating and printing the final NeoComposite jobs is done in Form pages mode Here you can choose the groups to print apply templates and actually print the jobs Form Page interface The Form page user interface consists of three main panes e The composite groups created e The button bar e A preview of the finished page fro Ra a a Ta Mala ALZA ae pOT Wha i ah a PE ee a ee ie WEH gm a F _ a F Bit Mi a S PA C I EU O ee E oe 1 m The Button Bar Most of the tools needed to create the composite pages are accessed from the Form Pages button bar The button functions are NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 141 Button RR O y Lar Open File Opens a Composite Job File E Add a page composite Creates a new composite page jm Delete a page composite Deletes an existing composite page Subjects to include Choose the subjects to include on a page Hg Choose the Page templates Select the templates to use Settings options Specify the order images are displayed on the page and control how unmatched images should be handled Create a new Composite page Create a new Composite page by choosing Edit gt New or clicking Add a page composite button in the toolbar The Su
72. d existing subject details panel This panel controls how data will be imported or merged NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 44 Unique field Specify which if any of the fields is unique from those available in the drop down This will vary according to the fields available in the file Unique field Ww her importir have details s Last Birthdate Position Replace a ID Leave exi f Only replace existing fields 1 Matching the images If the data file being imported contains a match link you can match the names to images when importing the images You need to identify certain matching parameters for the match to occur correctly To enable matching on import check Match with images as well and make the relevant settings Set the match parameters If the names in the text file being imported are listed in shoot order choose Match according to the order in the file When this option is enabled a 1 to 1 relationship is assumed to exist between the images and names in the list If each record contains an ID and image number choose Match according to the image id field There are 2 options image id is the image e Number when images are imported they are allocated an image number This number is either a sequential or indexed number Choose this option if the images are numbered in this fashion e Tag each image imported has an image tag the original file name If the m
73. d it a series of image files each 22Mb in size it will keep up easily If you send images that are 60Mb in size it naturally takes longer In this case the Mileca NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 111 will have finished printing the first print before the next 1s available and have to stop the paper transport The result is a white slug between the prints wasting paper You can use hard cut marks to separate long packs into chunks that are more manageable sizes For example you might design your packs to be a number of 10x8 units By defining a hard cut mark at the beginning of each unit the pack will be split into chunks that will keep the Mileca printing without stopping Defining Hole Punches Hole punches are defined in a Layout template You can define as many punch positions within a pack but the printer must be able to use the information for the pack to be finally punched or printed correctly This means that you must be mindful of the minimum punch distance or paper advance your printer supports Setting the punch position Decide where you need the punch to be positioned within the pack being designed Choose Edit gt Cut Marks The Cut Marks dialog is displayed Adding a punch Choose New A new line appears in the entry box Choose if you want a vertical or horizontal cut position Choose the position of the punch in Cut Marks Ea the pack Cut along the f Horizontal axis Vertical axis
74. d job would contain the text Laureston College 2000 Using Folder details Folder details are pieces of information that are specific to a folder or sub folder in a job Sub folders of a main folder Year 8 12 folders of the Senior School campus for example inherit any fields defined in the parent folder For example you can define folder fields e SchoolType The campus name In Details mode choose the Senior School folder and enter the name of the campus Now move all the Year 8 12 groups into the Senior School folder Each of the years 8 12 are now a part of the Senior School and so will inherit the information typed in for the Senior School folder So a group folder 84 has the following details e Name is 8A e SchoolType Senior School from the Senior School folder In our previous example we placed the school name and year of photography into a template Now we want to add the campus and composite name By adding the codes e File lt SchoolName gt File lt Year gt Folder lt SchoolType gt composite NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 105 File lt SchoolName gt OF ile lt Y ear gt Folder lt Schoollype gt composite Cancel we In the above example the printed job would contain the text Laureston College 2000 Senior Campus 8A Using Labels Finally we want to add the Principal s details to the template By la
75. d the centre board element Each template type has some important things to understand to utilise fully A Page Layout is a global style template that creates the overall look of the finished page You can define things like the page size number of pages where the portrait images will appear background images etc There are three broad types of page layout you are likely to create e A simple page layout e A page layout with portrait rotation e A multi page page layout Creating a Simple page layout A simple page layout typically consists of a page background image block area and un featured list Create the new page From Design mode choose File gt New The New Template dialog opens Choose Page Layout as the type A new page opens New Template Design x Page Lava a lemplate used bo poston ihe venous semen on a composta up poe Subpel Block a lenplate used lo delre ihe sign bor each nape deiat cur On a composite group psge Bid a lengas used bo dare the design for a bosd that can opbonaly be placed gri Has poda Set the page size The page layout determines the size of the finished print To change the set size click the blank page note that the page handles light up Now enter the desired print size in the Dimensions toolbar and click Apply The page changes to the new size NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 113 Place the background image Click the Place image button
76. da Ped 72 miscellaneous Items codi 75 moving amp sliding data against images 73 A E 72 the MESTIMA 8 eenia a ance iaactee 74 Oaa wien enema ees 73 VIA CAMELA Card ai cid 72 via Shool AAA T2 NeoComposite Index Measurement Units ccccccncnnnnccnccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnonos del Minimum requirements ooooonnnnnccncnononnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoss 12 Missme image MICS aiii 61 Move and SIGE musicians See Matching Moving images in Match mode oooooccnncnccnnonmnmm T1 OPUS 27 Oricitval image les aa 35 Pausini e an mpo eea a aoe date abuse ads 60 Portat mapes siaaa See Images Pre installation requirements oooooocccccnncncnnnononos 11 PEGA ICM CC Aa diiniita 72 POE CHONTA eerie eee 81 Reterencedima Sil 60 Reverse order importing Of 1IMages cccccooooooo 60 Rotated ny ates wisd cs fae Raceschcnee ced len aae JeatacuatlncA ati tie 82 PO il eer tr tee 82 SCNOOLIGS Ot sai is See Labeled holders Sequential leas ic 59 Sharpening images on IMPO penea A 57 Size OL TG A 63 SUPPO ata 12 Technical SUpport ias sa 12 Template ODE CUS iii 81 A O E A EATS 80 MEE EE E S AE EEEE EEE O viernes 33 DIOCK ALAS 2 02 ans 81 IOCAHON Ol Mes ic 33 PLOTECUON ACA cala cid 81 recognizing new files rt enexees 33 Timestone CapturePoSt oooocccccccccnnoncnnncnnnnnnnnononos T2 A N 32 COMPACHN lt a 63 UNC naming Of image LOCATIONS aenea 32 Unfeatured names ooonccnccnccnccnncnncnncnnconccnconc
77. dexed and vice versa However if an indexed file is changed to a sequential one all the unique index numbers are lost and so cannot be switched back successfully Cares Amp Specify the image file size When importing the complete image data to a job file it is possible to adjust the size of the image as it is imported This is useful if the image files are larger than they need to be This ee ee uE option only has an effect you import the complete image data if you import the preview o image only the option is ignored O E Once the new file has been created but before cancel tool importing any images choose File gt Properties Then choose the Bitmap sizes tab from the properties dialog Enter the desired file size in the Adjust to entry box Properties xl General Bitmap sizes NeoComposite Chapter 7 Job files Page 38 Details mode NeoComposite jobs consist of a series of portrait images laid out with the individual s name under each portrait In order for the names to be placed with the image the name and group data needs to be entered or imported This is done in Details mode along with forming the structure of all the groups and allocating other important details such as the school name year and the likes Entering Details mode After starting the program create or open a NeoComposite file by choosing File gt New or File gt Open Now choose Mode gt Details
78. dialog e ext the filename extension Output filenames Format pretix copies ext prefix ext lips for use Image number Image tag 7 Sequential number n You can specify the main name used for the filename by clicking for use and selecting from the choices available The choices are Option Description Image No NeoComposite uses the image number either the sequential or indexed number to name the file If multiple packages are created a sequential number is appended for each pack with the same image number Original NeoComposite uses the special image tag if used when importing the images image tag to name the files If multiple packages are created a sequential number is appended for each pack with the same image number Sequential NeoComposite creates its own sequential number to name the files Different no packs from the same image are gathered together sequentially but will be named different one to the other NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 151 Once all the options have been set choose OK Set the output path To print the job to Bitmap files choose File gt Print Choose the range to print see later Because the result of this print operation is a file you must choose an output path Either enter the output path or click Browse A File Browse dialog opens Choose the folder you want to use then choose OK Choose OK to
79. dsenusoecyasedenatonegoacshucontenstarrsbucenatenegnsensnesencssnezeee 1 Getting help from Technical SUpport scsiveseconcvesacenestscteesawasacouveaaeqenerehodenevtaxeneadunt detenentuehacuinnsidaenaisesacoateachaewesanedeneueuaons 12 Hardware requirements AA A II II E 12 gt MNS CAM OM 14 Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader msi iria ros creian 15 a ls y e A O o PO O ries 16 Understanding the License Sry Cl caos daaiadon 16 Mis Calin the License E etapa lora celo EA E a A a aE 16 Configuring and testing the license servert prisa i n 17 En ablins your IC CTA SS enn ere demas E E EE E E 18 Configuring workstations tO ruUn ssssssseseeeeeeeessssssssssssseettrrrerrrresssssssssssseetrrreressssssssssesertrerrrsssssssssseseeererreeesssssssseees 19 Backime up your license Server CONO ITALO Mii an n E Aa EE E RN 19 5 Understanding NeoComposite a 20 NeoComposite templates ani 22 Prodo Lon WOW ia A E E E E E E blind 24 integration with other Neo application ici 24 Using NeoComposite S interface 0 ccccccccceeeseeseeeeesesesessessssseeessessesseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 25 MIS HA WOOO AS A o A a e O o o 25 PROS ZS Wy ICO WS AAA E E E mucosa EEE EU OO O 23 Opening closing and MAXIMIZING PANES cceceesssseeesseeeececeeeeeeeeeaaaeseseesseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaeaaaseeeseeseeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaeeasnses 25 SOCIE KE 26 6 CONNSULING Neo COMPOSTEO siswsiccuiscsiasscassesssdcncwnuse
80. dures If you re planning to have multiple users using NeoComposite in a networked environment you ll need to look at Chapter 4 License Server for info on how the license system works and where to put that hardlock dongle we sent you Getting more help More help is available for NeoComposite from the following places Related documents such as our Color Management Guide and the Bitmap Compare Utility Guide Help pages from our WWW site http www timestone com au Technical support as noted at the end of this chapter Pre installation requirements You will need to following resources and information before you start installing NeoComposite e NeoComposite software installation CD ROM e NeoComposite software User Manual you re reading it e Hardware protection device a hardlock or dongle e Unlock code supplied by Timestone Software e Your computer complies with the hardware and software specifications as outlined in Chapter 3 Installation Learning NeoComposite Included on the NeoComposite CD ROM are contained the following resources Installation files NeoComposite Chapter 2 Before you Begin Page 11 e NeoComposite User Manual the document you are currently reading Getting help from Technical Support We offer many different methods of support However we strongly encourage you to use e mail as your primary support mechanism Telephone support rey Telephone support is availa
81. e Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 30 First ame first name r whole name first name last name middle name birthdate unique field order field Figure 5 Assigning a Field Attribute There are several special fields that are built in to NeoComposite that are always identified as a special field For the Subject Fields these special fields are The Folder Fields tab You can define default folder fields in this tab The File Fields tab You can define default folder fields in this tab Once you have set the desired fields choose OK NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 31 Defining the Image file location NeoComposite imports the images used for your production in two different ways The original high res image file can be imported to the job file meaning that the external files are no longer required by NeoComposite Alternately images can be imported with a reference to the high resolution image When importing images this way a smaller screen resolution version of the image is created for use on screen and all corrections are saved as instructions to be applied to the original hi res images when the jobs are printed If you accept the default import setting and reference the hi res originals rather than fully importing them NeoComposite can record the exact location of the files when they are imported or you can direct it to look for the files in specific locations on you
82. e Placing a barcode object icon Click and drag the mouse over the area in the template where you want the barcode to appear The Edit Barcode dialog appears Figure 27 The Edit Barcode dialog There are several different styles of barcode that are supported e Code 39 e Extended Code 39 e Code 128 The Characters per inch can also be set You will need to consult with the people who will be reading the barcodes as to how to set these values Enter the text you wish to appear in the barcode in the Text to encode field You can include fixed text by entering the text directly If you want to include variable text to NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 108 encode add an code here For example ID to code the TD data entered for an image Labeled Holders When you design your templates you can place a labeled holder on the page to simplify your production workflow For example you might want the current job s logo to appear in the final image for each school you book Rather than re designing your templates to include each school s individual logo you can place a special box with a reference to the logo file When you are creating the work for a particular school you import the logo in Details mode When the job is run the logo is positioned in the design as specified by the template Creating and positioning a labeled holder To place a labeled holder open the template you wish to
83. e centre board Boards can contain a variety of objects like fixed and variable text and graphics You can design the board to contain any variety of information drawn from the job details and so is very flexible However as the same details can be added to the general page layout the use of a board 1s optional You might prefer to place the important elements of the board such as the school logo name etc into the page layout If you do use a board it is scaled automatically to match the height of a row of portraits ensuring the sizes match Because of this a board like a subject block does not have an absolute size e The relative size of the board block e Fixed text or graphics text or graphic images that will not change for the board such as a background image e Variable text or graphics text or graphic images that will change according to the job or individual school logo special position like Class Captain _ SchoolName Year al Pi _ Production workflow Usually the production workflow will follow this sequence Relative size Fixed and variable text e Template preparation before the season selling period prepare the templates that you will use for the coming year s production Pre production before photography import and prepare the data as much as possible This may include the production of shoot cards that help establish the shoot order on photography day
84. e Choose whether the file being imported is a Fixed or Delimited file If you are importing a delimited file specify the delimiter either choose by tab or by and enter the delimiter character Type l AN C by tab Fixed i Delimited by Map the fields Specify which field matches your data You might have a file that looks similar to Lamy Batchelor Year TU 15560 260L72 The fields in this record are M L l Record Field Field Amy FirstName 1 Batchelor LastName 2 NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 42 260172 Date of Birth Enter the relevant field number for each available field Field map Updating existing data If you have already imported some details it is possible to update the imported data in various ways In order to update existing information you need to specify a unique field that NeoComposite will use to identify the record to update You would want to use an absolutely unique field such as an ID number to match on Choose the unique field by choosing from the Unique field drop down Now choose how the data is to be updated from the list available When NeoComposite finds a record that it can update it can Leave existing details The record will not be updated with the new data in any way Always replace existing A matching record will be replaced completely with the new data If details the new data contains a blank field for a record the old reco
85. e License Server service will be installed It is not necessary to install the License Server on any machine other than the one that will host the hardlock NeoComposite Chapter 4 License Server Page 16 You will be required to re start the PC Do so Once the PC has been re started you will notice several things e Anew control panel License Server has been added to the Windows Control Panel e Anew service Timestone License Server has been added to the Services list e Anew program License Manager has been added to the Start Timestone Software menu Configuring and testing the license server The hardlock can be connected to the parallel port of any machine on the local area network This machine doesn t have to have a Neo application installed to act as a hardlock server but the workstations that do have Neo applications installed must be able to see the machine that has the hardlock Hardlock and License Server installation First make sure the hardlock is plugged into the hardlock server s parallel port Run the Neo application installer and make sure that the License Server and Support Files components are chosen It is not necessary to choose the Neo application component if this machine will not run the application Allow the installer to re start the PC as required License Server configuration Open the Windows Control Panel Locate the License Server icon and double click it The License Server contro
86. e Setup button and specify how you want the filenames created during the export NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 69 Images Export Setup E x Home folder names Filename format pre field post ext Jio Use to make directories C Prefix filename O Postfix filename Bitmap Format Type JPEG JPG Color e 24 bit B bit Sie of Samesize To width height of 100 x 100 pixels Apply LUT Sharper none bl Kernel Strength 50 coa Figure 11 Export images setup dialog Shown above are the defaults which will create filenames using each subject s full name so you will end up with a bunch of files with names like Bradley Brad jpg It s probably a lot better to have the class or grade level built into the filename like this 8A Bradley Brad jpg and to have the images sorted into grade levels anyway You can do all of this and more in the Images Export Setup dialog ZA Note If you change the file format from the default of jpg make sure you change the extension in the Filename format area of the dialog to match This doesn t happen automatically and if you don t change it you may end up with BMP files that all have jpg extensions NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 70 Matching images and names The products created with NeoComposite generally have subject portraits matched to names For this reason it is necessary to go through a matc
87. e gt composite Principal lt Principal gt name Pa The DetailName comes either from the Details field name or a built in name as previously described in the Details chapter a DD ee jw mepi a e s A eras SchoolName Year DFolder lt SchoollType gt composite Principal lt Principal gt name ey Dor SchoolName Year genira Folder lt SchoolType gt composite Principal lt Principal gt name NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 107 Using Built in details There are a number if pre defined codes that are always available within NeoComposite In Image mode we created a number of named groups The name that is given a group here is the text that is used in the final job when using the composite code Available built in codes The following built in codes are available Code Description composite The name of a composite determined automatically or manually entered in Form Pages mode Using barcode objects NeoComposite has powerful support for barcodes making it a very flexible and powerful tool Information to be encoded is included as you place the barcode as an code Any information entered for that particular code will be coded into the barcode For example you might place a barcode using ID The fields you have set up for the images you import would include ID Any information entered to the ID field will appear in the barcod
88. e referenced images that are placed into the final design These referenced images are created in Design mode for either the entire file or individual folders This is especially useful if your template designs include a school NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 50 logo you can include a labeled holder into the template that references the logo image which you specify here Creating a Labeled Holder To include labeled graphics into a template you must first create a special Graphic field to contain the images It 1s best to set these fields as a program default Choose File Options then choose the Default tab and click Data fields gt Edit The Data Fields dialog is displayed Choose the tab you wish to use either Folder or File See the earlier discussion about the difference between these fields We will use the example of a School s logo for this example Creating a File graphic field Choose the File tab then click Add A new line is inserted to the list of fields Type the name of the graphic field In this example type SchoolLogo Now click the Type drop down and choose Graphic from the list Choose OK The graphic field is now available SchoolLogo integer na date graphic Adding a graphic to a graphic field Once the graphic field has been set as a program default choose File gt New to create a new file with this field or add it to the file by entering Details mode then choosing
89. e same in each job e Variable The text changes for each image according to information entered for the image Variable text is defined using an symbol at the beginning of the text placed into the template When NeoComposite sees the symbol it looks to see if it has the necessary information for that image and uses 1t 1f 1t does If no information is available for the image the code is ignored Placing text objects Create a new template either a Layout or a Design Choose the Text Object tool isi from the toolbar Click and drag over the template where you want the text to appear The text entry dialog opens Enter the text you want to appear in the template NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 101 Times New Roman allie TIE B 7 U E gt SchoolName Year Composite Principal lt Principal gt name Cancel Figure 24 Text entry dialog box meschoolloga Figure 25 Text placed into a template Controlling text formatting Text whether fixed or variable can be stylised using font color and style To apply some text styling choose the text you want to stylise then choose the Font size style color or alignment from the Style Text toolbar gafi Bs U s Times NewRoman y New Roman Font selection drop down S Text scaling option Text size adjustment Text Style Text color Text alignment Set the font Choose the text you wish to form
90. e using For example with CorelDraw draw two objects of different color and place them one on top of the other Choose Arrange gt Combine to combine the two objects One of the objects will form a hole in the other Consult your applications user manual for more detailed information regarding combining objects for this effect Creating templates Once you have all the various components you can design a new template Start NeoComposite and choose Mode gt Design The template designer is displayed Now choose File gt New the template type dialog opens Choose the template type you wish to create and a new template is created The procedures for placing the various objects are common for all three template types The specific details required for each template type are covered after this general conversation New Template Design 3 xj Page Layout a template used to position a the various elements on a composite group page Subject Block a template used to define U0 the design for each image details pair on a composite group page Board a template used to define the f design for a board that can optionally be placed on the page Cancel NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 88 Set the template page size Once the new layout screen is displayed click on the background page Note that the page handles become active When designing a layout the actual final print size is being specified
91. eak NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 130 Set the transparent area In this particular frame the black area has been designed for the portrait window Click the black area and note that a hash pattern appears indicating the image transparency Choose OK to place the frame po Ms A Cki on ihe birap lo peck color Lal lar parara raid Set the portrait frame size and scaling The final aspect ratio of the on screen portrait is determined by this frame You should size and position 1t carefully to match that aspect Click the portrait and enter the exact dimensions as determined in the original image editor For example if you created the frame in Photoshop to be 3 x 4 set the same dimensions here Catara oti 017 h 015 Sima Baal an E Adjust the template size In this example note that the template page size is now too narrow for the frame If you designed the template precisely before compiling it in the template editor you can enter the page size before you start Otherwise adjust the size as you go In this case we want a minimum distance of 0 2 between the portraits so the template size needs to be 3 00 the width of the frame 4 extra distance left and right Click the background page and set the size to 3 4 x 5 5 to allow more space for the text below the portrait NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 131 AE e A Position the frame Click the frame and accura
92. eas to say R 250 G 250 B 250 These areas will not be considered as transparent Areas that will be transparent in the design It is also important to carefully prepare the edges of the transparent areas in your design Many image editors use anti aliasing when placing selections Anti aliasing is a process that softens the edge of a selection making it blend well into the image However this anti aliasing means that the edges of your design can appear as a halo when used in NeoComposite Likewise a drop shadow effect that falls onto the transparent area will be seen as a halo In the below example a designer has created an attractive effect by placing a drop shadow under a logo This drop shadow results in a halo appearing around the logo in the finally formed page EX UNITATE VIR 8 bit transparency 8 bit transparency is a more complex but visually pleasing form of transparency It involves designing a mask in an image editor like Adobe Photoshop and applying it to the images Every graphic object placed into a template can have an 8 bit mask applied NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 87 Transparent areas in Vector graphics Vector graphics can contain areas that are a hole as a native part of their design NeoComposite will reflect the hole in the design allowing you to create transparent areas in a vector graphic as well as a bitmap How a hole is created in a vector depends on the drawing application you ar
93. ect to be placed automating the final creation process for the pages Place a graphic object that references to the SchoolLogo entered in Details mode and the graphic is automatically placed SchoolName Year ech ooiFict Composite FechoolLogo Princ iad Principal lt Principal gt name BN Various codes in the template NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 80 Forms the finished page automatically Template objects NeoComposite templates contain a number of special NeoComposite objects These objects control how the portraits are positioned onto the page They are e Block area controls where on the page the portraits will appear e Protection area causes an area to by un obscured by portraits e Unfeatured line the unfeatured name list e Rotated portrait places a larger individual portrait using the Block template e Portrait block places the rotated portrait independent of the block template Block area The block area defines where on the page the portrait images will appear You can place more than one block area on a page and images will automatically flow between the blocks Combining this with a cut mark lets you create split pages that flow a single composite group across several pages It is possible to define more than one block area per composite group By adding a cut mark to the Page Layout template you can create split pages useful when creat
94. ection locked This means that the first and last match will not be changed by moving or sliding the match In this case 1f you do move or slide the match 1t will introduce blank images somewhere in the table Click in the matched images and choose Edit Move up from selected or press Ctrl lt Right Arrow gt or press the Move up button in the toolbar Note that a matched blank is introduced and an image left un matched i oe ee Se r wt Dio oe NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 79 Design mode Templates are the key to NeoComposite s operation Templates gather together graphic text and various specific NeoComposite objects to form a template The templates contain references to various text and graphic objects you allocate for each job and so can be used for many different jobs There are three distinct types of template e Page template the overall page layout e Subject block each portrait design e Board block the Board design if used Template types The three template types each control how the final page is laid out The three template types share the same set of possible objects allowing very complex and attractive designs Overall page layout Page Layout template Board template centre information panel optional Portrait block each portrait appearance Templates allow various referenced graphic and text obj
95. ent Page 156 Index INT Siete ccuasetiadose a tea ca oetitoaceb sesh cnueatadeneenndhaceeets 32 COMPAGNE pan 63 Adding images to ales deci 63 Adjusting image color density amp contrast 68 ASPEC RIO See i 28 chans ine order Olea 29 creatine NOW oroia ii 29 A a eel 28 A ert tee Ube Oa RO erate 28 displaying indicators ooooccccnnnccnonononncnnnnnnnnnnnnos 29 DONS baceenattcacecastas tases sacnaa saa seactes 29 BIO Karei ccheceatsteatcabe MavsatitunvaceegiedeatehenteleGlauzass 81 Camera Cm aa 72 Color management iia iii 156 Compacting the JOD lena 63 Correcting images W ile IMPOTUNS sotano 61 TOP PIN IMA S 67 Deleting A EEE EAE R 63 DESO oean a See Templates DISK SPACE pt 13 DONC IE cereri See Hardlock Editing IMA RA E A E 2I Editing images using external application occccccncconmmm 64 Enable monitor LUT checkbox ooooccoocc 33 Exporting images 0 See Images exporting Fields A A A 30 A A 30 A ow Gacendtanraversel doececed 31 Fae led Folders soc did 51 SPECIAIACLIDULES lada 30 E E ARE E EEN E EE E ES T 30 Filename format in an import image Mask cccccccncccnnnnnnnmmm 58 When exporting IMAGES ccccccccononocnnnnnnnnnnnaninnnoss 69 Geno held le 12 Harddisk Spate A O te 13 Hardlocku S 177 Hardware requirementts ccccccconooccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnos 12 A A lakes haucentcatlsnedeacwenss 12 Hot source NeoComposite Index HM POLUNG TOMA
96. environment for creating page composites It has several different modes of operation that focus on the various production tasks required to create the pages These modes are e Details mode import edit and allocate various attributes to subject names e Images mode import crop and color correct images e Match mode match images to names e Form Pages mode create the finished composite pages e Design mode create the templates for use with the finished pages The use of the various modes lets you spread the production tasks amongst your staff Staff used to using spreadsheets and handling data prepare the subject data in Details mode Your skilled graphic designers create the templates in Adobe Photoshop then compile the elements into a NeoComposite template Your lab production staff handle the images and finally compile and print the jobs Because NeoComposite divides the production tasks into distinct categories the workflow is clearly divided into 3 main tasks e Creating the templates e Creating the job files importing or entering the name data and allocating referenced objects such as the logo e Importing and preparing images creating the composite pages and printing Details mode NeoComposite uses an integrated Details editor to import group name and other job specific information Groups are divided into a series of folders that contain the name and other information required for each individual in a g
97. er 213k e Documentation 4931 k Disk Space Required 25433 k Disk Space Remaining FBES31F k Page 14 e Choose Next to proceed e Select the name of the Program Manager group to add the icons to Choose Next to proceed Installing E Current File e Once you re happy with all the settings choose Next to proceed or choose GQ nee Back to change any of a CAMINATA System324Mestkprp dll your settings e The program files are All Files installed Time Remaining 0 minutes 6 seconds e Once all the files have been installed the Complete screen is shown Choose Finish to complete the installation Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader If you want to view the application documentation you will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed If you don t have the software on your system use the installer on the CD ZA Note If you ve installed over the top of a demo version yov ll find that the documentation on the CD is likely to be a much larger file than the one you downloaded Although the manual is the same the version on the CD has images saved at a higher resolution You won t notice any difference viewing the manual on screen but you will certainly notice a difference if you print it NeoComposite Chapter 3 Installation Page 15 License Server Timestone Software s Neo applications are protected from unauthorised use by a license server The license server runs as a Windows NT
98. erted or replaced then choose Images Import options panel The Images Options Panel is shown Note that the options Insert and Replace are available Images that are imported with Insert selected will be added from the selected image Images imported with the Replace option selected will overwrite existing images from the selected image Incoming images hor sequentially numbered image files Reverse order Deleting images To delete images select the image or images you wish to delete then press the Del key or choose Edit Delete A confirmation of the deletion is requested then the images are removed Choose OK the selected images are deleted Any groups that used deleted images will not be removed Bear in mind that if you have already matched images to names and this may have happened automatically 1f you have already imported the data the action of deleting an image may have created an unmatched name in Match mode and it s probably a good idea to check to see what effect the deletion has had You ll probably find you can resolve the problem by selecting Edit Remove matched object but you may need to Move and Slide NeoGroup IN Are you sure You want to delete these images Closing and compacting files Close a file by choosing File gt Close The current file 1s saved and closed There s no way to close a job file without saving it NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 63 I
99. etup program This Most Important The installation process may regire the PC to be restarted Please ensure no other programs are running before beginning Click Cancel to quit Setup and clase any programs you have running Click Next to continue with the Setup program WARNING This program is protected by copyright law and international treaties i Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program or anu portion of it may result in severe civil and criminal penalties and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under law Cancel e Choose the location for the program files to be installed to Unless you have a particular reason for changing the default path setting we recommend you leave it as is Choose Next to proceed e Allow the program to create backup files for the installation Choose Next to proceed e Choose the components to install If this machine 1s to host the hardlock install the License Server component e Documentation and tutorial files are installed to the same directory as the program files NeoComposite Chapter 3 Installation 2 Select Components In the options list below select the checkboxes for the options that you would like to have installed The disk space fields reflect the requirements of the options you have selected Jw NeoPack 1 1 3 17255 k Sample Templates 2176 k l Hardlock Device Driver 1071 k License Serv
100. featured list you must place a protection area that extends the entire width of the page Otherwise make sure that the Unfeatured list doesn t overlap with the portrait area NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 90 If this is not done the portrait areas may not correctly fill the block area Unfeatured list overlapping a portrait block area Place an Image block rotation area Click the Image block rotation area button in the toolbar Now click and drag the block inside the template It is important that the aspect ratio of the image block matches the portrait block page size If not the portrait block or name text might be clipped Main Block A OLast Aspect ratio of the block placed Match the Block o onto the page must match that of page aspect ratio the Block page size Place a Portrait Rotation area Click the Image block rotation area button in the toolbar Now click and drag the block inside the template It is important that the aspect ratio of the Portrait Rotation area matches the aspect of the images placed in the portrait block page size If not the portrait may be cropped differently to the rest of those on the page NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 91 To that placed in the Block templates Match the aspect ratio of the gt simple rotated portrait First Last Placing graphic images Images can be placed anywhere in the template
101. fore any configuration has been carried out it may display Missing empty license code table file This error will disappear once valid licenses have been installed If the error reads Hardlock is invalid or missing review the installation of the hardlock and License Server If you need to open the License Server setup control panel click the Setup button at the bottom of the License Manager The License Server setup control panel will open Mocated Cein be cade Linke Ye wp Last Error Hardlock is invalid or missing Setup Exit Choose the Codes tab If licenses have not yet been added this list will be empty Any previously entered license codes will be displayed in this list To add new licenses click the Add file button A File Open dialog is displayed Locate the license code files that have been supplied to you and choose pr it in the list then Open After a brief pause the new license appears in the list of added licenses and are available for use RO esp dos A WOT ra ini Aud License HE itn ae Jaam 10004 0 TH ea e Ferse 1001 0000 Heoi Fiol bpa Treaster Sobers Loma Care E Cancel NeoComposite Chapter 4 License Server Page 18 Each license in the list will note e The name of the licenses application e The version number licenses e The number of licensed users If you have more licenses to add do so until you are finished Configuring workstations to
102. ght be much smaller 1f there are many images on the page This means that a Subject block template has no real size but do have an aspect ratio When designing your templates any sizes you enter are relative sizes and only useful for determining the aspect of the placed portrait Tips setting the subject block size When designing your subject blocks decide how you want the finished portrait to appear on the page including things like the spacing between the portrait and the name text distance between the portraits etc When a subject block is placed onto a page there is a minimum distance between the portraits top bottom left and right that is determined by this template If you leave a large amount of space from the edges of the portrait to the edge of the template there will always be large gap between portraits on the finished page If you leave very little space the portraits may appear very close together on the page When designing your templates the space around the portrait area is then the minimum distance between portraits on the finished page If the page has a small number of images they will automatically spaced out to fill the portrait area ensuring a pleasing page J ei oe a aa eee a Par tum Place the portrait frame Click and drag a graphic image on the template Choose the portrait border image file the Set Bitmap Mask dialog opens Chest on at bireap lo pick color Lal lara pared w
103. he General tab Select your preferred measurement units Image Editor NeoComposite allows editing of images via an external image editor such as Adobe Photoshop In the dialog shown above specify the image editor to use by either entering the path including the program EXE in the EXE filename field or clicking the Browse button locating and choosing the Image editor s EXE file and click Open The Image Editor is chosen ZA Tip Most program files are located in the Program Files folder For example the default location for Adobe Photoshop is C Program Files Adobe Photoshop NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 27 Aspect ratios The aspect ratio of the image determines how tall and wide a portrait will be There are several common aspect ratios used in the photographic world but you may like to define some that are specific to your needs The aspect ratio here should match those you design for your Subject blocks For example if you design your portrait blocks to have a 4 5 aspect define this aspect here The cropping set here also follows through to other Neo applications For ease of production you should use a similar aspect ratio as your other Neo production such as the package prints etc Default Aspect Ratios Aspect ratios can be stored as a program default or added to an image collection New files will automatically contain the default aspect ratios which can then be added to Any aspect ra
104. he drop down list For information on making a LUT see Chapter 15 Calibration amp Color Management NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 56 Apple LUT Gamma 1 3 Set the image sharpening Images can be sharpened as they are imported NeoComposite uses an un sharp mask algorithm allowing good quality sharpening W Sharpen Kernel Strength 100 The setting range is Kernel 3 5 or 7 Strength 10 600 Generally the larger the kernel size the stronger the sharpening effect Likewise the higher the strength the stronger the sharpness The higher the kernel value the longer it will take to apply the sharpening effect There is no correct sharpness value the ideal values will depend on how sharp the original hi res images are You should try importing a sample image with different sharpening settings to find the correct value for any given batch of images It goes without saying that too much sharpening can result in harsh and unpleasant images ZA Whenever you apply a correction such as image sharpening you will increase the time taken to print the image at the eventual output phase If your scanner or scanning software supports image sharpening you may want to use these controls rather than applying sharpening with NeoComposite Once all the settings have been made choose OK You are returned to the Import dialog Choose the files to import There are two ways to choose the images to import to
105. he pre no width and post fields are left blank any eligible tif files found in the specified directory will be imported Specify a file range limit You can choose to import a range of images from the valid range For example if you want to import image 20 to 40 out of 100 valid image files you would enter 20 and 40 in the Limit from image no to image no boxes Image files 20 through 40 will be imported Once you have made all the settings choose OK The Images From Disk Masked dialog is dismissed Note that in the main Images From Disk dialog you will now see a list of the files that will be imported according to the entries made NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 58 import From Disk Masked 3 Path D lmages Samples Kids Browse Filename format pre no width post ext me ME E eg Image3 pg Files to import Setup D lmages S amples Kids Dudes jpg D lmages S amples Eids GameBow jpg DSimages S amples Kids Horse pa Dlmages S amples Kids4T eddy jpg O 4lmages 5amplez Kids Teddy jpg D lmages S amples Kids4T inni jpg Mote Leave the no width field blank for filenames with no image numbers Limit from image no to image na OF C o Cancel S re i selected Import selected images o oa ber Ol selected image files you can choose o ETE Bey the files to import using the ale El Dudes jpg selected dialog
106. he various options 3 When printing to bitmap files any hard cut marks set in a template will be honoured and a number of files will be created for the split pack Set the output resolution and format Choose the output resolution by clicking the DPI drop down You can choose from a variety of output file types by clicking the Format drop down and selecting the desired format Set color correction Choose an output LUT from those available by clicking the Apply LUT drop down and choosing from the list For more information on creating LUT s see chapter 12 for further information about LUT s NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 150 Set the sharpness You can apply a sharpness correction by checking the Sharpen checkbox Choose the Kernel size and strength Generally you should leave the Kernel at 3 You will have to test the sharpness strength for your system Print Bitmap Setup DFI 00 Y Format JPEG Apply LUT none ka Pl w Sharpen Kernel Strength 160 Cancel Set the filename option There are a number of file naming options when printing to bitmap files Once you choose Bitmap file as the Print to the Output filenames panel becomes active Files printed are named Prefix Number Copies ext e Prefix each printed file will begin with the text entered e Number the main filename given to each printed file e Copies the number of copies requested in the print
107. her Class Captain etc choose the Labels tab and Click the group in the Folders list then TEET find the name to label Type the label ams Checked Folders Selected Folder Labels Relling Geoffrey Once you have completed your selection choose OK Select the template to use Choose Edit gt Templates or click the Templates button in the toolbar The Composite Page Templates dialog opens Choose the Page Subject block and optionally Boards template to include If you selected a Board you should also select the Board Placement from the drop down Comparte Page Templates Pa gt Sect Bloch a oNN m T BlueBorder al Cloister NE Cloister clotster_Boardt Disian Spit Cister Meck Clatstes Hamd Cloister Page Deco _Biocki Deco Cloister Pagel _iPy Deco _Block2 Deco Boas ili Doite _SplitPage Deco_Block3 nana Peers 3 Come ad CinistariAb El naco Rinck Placemert wr rona Gori Gilat NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 143 Once you re happy with your selection choose OK The composite page is drawn to the screen Note on this page that there are several blank images indicating some of the subject included on this page don t have a matched image E feat wpe E Pripraon Pies Donestone Errar sarral Files Lomo ler dm IEA DEE E Set the Unfeatured options There may be some subjects on the page that Limphin Pue SEUL Tipo
108. hing process where the names are matched to the images This process is done in Match mode although it s possible that you won t need to do any matching because it will already have been done automatically when you imported the data assuming you imported the images first i e the images were already there This way all you need to use Match mode for is to check through the names and images to make sure that there are no inconsistencies Using Match mode To reach NeoComposite s Match screen choose Mode Match The Match screen is divided to several sections The Match toolbar Look up tools Search tools The image match preview area Look up tools Search tools Match toolbar ire A a PA aja n Figure 12 Match mode NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names I match oe mage matc preview arta Page 71 Matching overview The process of matching images and names can be done in several ways depending on your particular system and usual method of working Timestone CapturePost digital capture module If you use Timestone s Capture Post all the images will be pre matched before they reach the lab No matching is required aside from confirming the data Pre matched data You might have an external system that matches images and names This data can be imported and checked in the Match Matching via Camera cards If you have a system where ID number
109. ia 61 ICC color management oooooonnnnnnncnoninocnnnnnnnnnnnonos 156 Images adds toa len bi 63 adjusting color brightness amp contrast 68 appending ON IMPOTL occccccnnnnnoccncnnnnnnonanannnnnnnnnos 60 aspect TAOS ait ied iets lis 28 changing the number of images displayed 65 COLOP ACJ UST ai S 68 contrast adjUStIOZ occccccccnnonccnnnnnnnononanacnnnnnnnnos 68 correcting while importing oooooomomoccnos 35402 CHOPPING a 67 A O Stat deatieayeict 27 editing while importing ooooccccnnccnnnnononnnnnnnnnnns 62 editing with an external application 64 EXPOLIO rt sites 69 IMPOR OPUS taro wader easeeae 59 IMPORTO a A lithe es 59 A a a a 33 99 importing a range Of ooooocccnncncncncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnos 57 58 importing from hot SOuUrCe cccccccnononnncnonnnnnnnn 6l importing from Kinetic bitmap devices 62 importing from the Windows clipboard 62 importing in reverse order oocccccccccnnnncncnnnnnnnnnns 60 importing labeled objects oooocccccnccno m oo 51 importing using a MASK cccccccnncnonncccnnnnnnnnns 57 inserting on IMPOT c ccccccnnnnnnccncnnnnnnnnnninnnnnnnos 60 63 A toons taseemauet vanes nnapeene dts 67 labeled nodos 50 109 LOCA ODO AA ocieeetiee esse avede 32 35 0208 66 ici ieee atti ee 51 A O A E 61 pausing during IMPOTT ooooooocnnnnnnnnnonononnnnnnnnnnnnns 60 A E E E EE
110. ile editing If you do this don t forget to save it back to its original file type when you re finished as this is the only version of the file that NeoComposite will recognise Back in NeoComposite you ll see the following message Editing image when finished click on Continue Clicking the Continue button is NeoComposite s signal to create and display a new preview image based on the original you ve just modified You should notice a change in the preview image as soon as you click that Continue button Changing the number of images displayed You can control the number of images displayed on screen using the image pane controls These are located at the bottom of the image preview pane Image set controls Choose the number of images you wish to display using the controls e Choosing Single Image changes the image display to a single image e Choosing Multiple Images changes the image display to the image table NG Lock display Multiple images Number of images Clicking the Number of images button the third one of the four pops up a sizeable grid Moving the mouse increases or decreases the number of images displayed in the image NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 65 table The grid will reflect whatever is currently displayed and you can increase or decrease this by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse Whatever the grid displays when you release the mouse button wi
111. ill close it and vice versa If a pane is currently visible there will be a checkmark next to its name in the View menu Resizing a pane using the mouse can also open or close a pane Each pane has a minimum size if you use the mouse to resize a pane past its minimum size it will close It is possible to open a closed pane by grabbing the closed pane edge and dragging to open it Shortcut keys There are many shortcut keys that allow quick selection of program options These shortcuts are either indicated within a menu selection or within the palette being used For example if you wish to adjust the image contrast press and hold the Control key then the C key The value in the Contrast adjustment is highlighted ready for use az o aoe Palette shortcut indicated Menu shortcut indicated within within the palette the menu selection Image Queue Ip w mages Shift Lueue Shit4 F6 w Pack add view Shift Ctri F6 NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 26 Configuring NeoComposite Setting the Program defaults There are a number of program defaults that need to be set to ensure NeoComposite 1s most useful to you Things such as the location of various files default fields need to be set for your lab Open the Options dialog by choosing File Options Options 3 q 5 El r emo Figure 1 Options dialog General tab Measurement units From the Options panel choose t
112. images Click the image to match NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 74 The first image is a slate indicating the beginning of class SA We will match the slate to the 8A folder ZA Note This preliminary match is only for convenience and assisting identifying problems in the match You should always start by matching slates to miscellaneous items like slates preferably matching to a folder Make sure that the Lookup via Fields for folders option top left just under the toolbar is set to name then click in the Match image with folder entry box and start typing the name of the group As you type the matching items are displayed Choose the correct item and press the Enter key The image is matched to that folder and the Match cursor advances to the next image Match the next image The next image belongs to Sandra McAlister In the for subjects drop down select Lastname as the Look up field or ID if you re using a barcode reader Start typing the last name Note that as you type more characters for the name the list of choices is refined Click on the desired name or highlight it and press Enter to match the name with the currently selected image the match is displayed and the Match bar advances to the next image Coping with errors You may find that the match gets out of synch sometimes You might notice that you are matching a male name to an image that is obviously a fema
113. imum height and only scale down if it is too long Unfegiured Place the Unfeatured list protection In order to protect the Unfeatured list from the portrait images you should position a protection area over it To place the area click the Unfeatured tool 5 in the toolbar click and drag an area in the design Use the Dimensions toolbar to accurately position the area Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used With a Block template chosen this split page layout looks like this ie ea Ed a tal aia IRIRI ek as per yeas a 1 coe sj de i aa da bal AL hi 4 3 8 a ES wai IE heal oc A a Seah e aa BS Gatos hansen eah NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 120 Creating protected pages Your designers might create pages that have important graphic elements in the background You can place protection areas over the design and so ensure that the important graphics are not obscured by portrait images Create the base page Create a new Page layout and size it 12x8 Place the graphic background on the page size and position it with the Dimensions toolbar Add the Blocks area Add size and position the blocks area Add the first protection area It is important that the protection areas are placed on top of the block area This indicates to NeoComposite that the portraits are not to flow
114. ing composite pages with many images You can also control the appearance of a centre board within a Block area requesting that a board appear on any or all of the blocks defined again useful if you are creating multi page composite groups a Pere OLS Tee Pip heberereteioletibicieieica ES MA EA MA Ge la F A AE A AE A a ee BP A A a r ea iS AN f peel AA A Bd eles LS S bom me on ke lt LsaialAalals gt lcoh ie E A Ti E Pe ka G E ana mA ILII n mas mm Sn TE TT mnim demos deem dete Famam in Painan Pup Ba Fab Bayon Protection area Your designs may have several areas in the graphic background that you want to be clear and un obscured by portraits Placing one or more protection areas onto the page in front of the Block area will cause the portraits to wrap around the protected areas NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 81 Unfeatured line Often there will be members of a group that don t have a portrait perhaps they were absent on photography day but whose name should still should appear on the page The Unfeatured line lists the unmatched names onto the page Rotated block A traditional composite page looks the same for each member of a group By placing a rotated portrait onto the page you can create a customised version for each individual in the group The rotation places a larger portrait of each individual onto the page and swaps each member o
115. ing image files If the original image files are not available when attempting to edit print or export the images an error is shown Either fix the problem and choose Retry to retry the job or Abort to abort the current operation Fix the problem and try again NeoPack IN Cannot find bitmap image file film 1710 bmp Retry Ignore Other import sources NeoComposite also allows images to be imported from several other image sources The import panel can be hidden after starting the import by choosing Hide Any eligible images will continue to be imported until importing is paused or the source unchecked Setting up the import In Images mode from the Images menu choose the Import from Hot Source option The Setup dialog is displayed As with importing from disk hot source images can be rotated and flipped on import These options are discussed earlier in this manual Images From Hot Source Setup EW After impart Rotate 0 C g0 C 180 O 270 Mirror Vertical Horizontal Apply LUT none A Cancel Correcting images on import NeoComposite allows image corrections to be applied as images are imported For example if you know that a particular source of images needs to be brightened the correction can be applied to those images as they are imported Choose the LUT that you need from the Apply LUT drop down For information on making a LUT please see Chapter 15 Calibration amp Color Management
116. internal and Details codes see the previous chapter Details The codes to use are School Name Details field SchoolName Composite Name Composite Year of Photography Details field Label Details field Principal Click the Text button in the toolbar then drag a text box in the design The Text dialog opens Enter the following text SchoolName Name Composite Principal lt Principal gt name Select the entered text and select a font ms l e 2 cle SchoolName Year Composite y Principal Y lt Principal gt name NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 123 Adjust the text size We want the Principal s name to be smaller than the other Select the text Principal lt Principal gt name Click the Down Arrow button several times in the Size Text panel The selected text reduces in size Comic Sans MS Size Text panel Principal Prineteels nam el Once you re happy with the effect choose OK The text box is positioned in the template Size and position the text box using the mouse or Dimensions toolbar Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be dat l l used With a Block template chosen this i li dci page layout looks like this Hii A gi Br dee ee Be Create a Rotated page A rotated page 1s one of the most complex templates that you can create with NeoComposite There are a number
117. ional graphic objects As many graphic objects as you need can be placed into a template To add a further object repeat the above process eX Ifa graphic object that is placed over the top a hole has the transparent color it will be merged is described above Be sure that for objects that you don t want to merge you choose Cancel at the Set Bitmap Mask dialog NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 96 Controlling image scaling When placing image objects into a template you can control how the graphic 1s scaled within the object box This is useful if you need to ensure that an image is completely displayed and is not distorted There are three scaling options available e Clip the image to fill the box maintain aspect ratio e Fit the whole image in the box maintain aspect ratio e Fill the image in the box distort the aspect ratio The options are set using the Scaling options toolbar Distort image to fill box Clip image to fill box Fit image to box Changing the scaling option After placing a graphic object select it then click the appropriate scaling button in the Scaling options toolbar Clip the image to fill the box maintain aspect ratio Li Fit the whole image in the box maintain aspect ratio Fill the image in the box distort the aspect ratio ul Na veo NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 97 Position and sizing objects All objects can be positioned and sized
118. l panel opens Enter the computer name for the hardlock server and press Test The License Server will then check to confirm the presence of the hardlock on the PC If the hardlock is correctly detected the control panel will report OK If an error is displayed confirm the following e Check you have entered the computer s name correctly e The hardlock is connected to the PC s Parallel port e The parallel port is functioning correctly e Both the License Server and Support Files components have been installed If an error is still given contact Timestone Software or your distributor for support License Server Setup r Server Computer Name faias il Error OK NeoComposite Chapter 4 License Server Page 17 Enabling your licenses When you purchase a Neo application you will receive a number of user licenses Timestone Software will supply a number of enable codes that will add licenses to the license server These files are supplied either as an e mail to your system administrator or on a CD Rom The enable codes are shipped to you separate from the hardlock for security reasons Adding the licenses to the license server Ensure that the hardlock and server software has been installed and successfully configured From the Start menu choose Timestone Software gt License Manager The License Manager will open Pay particular attention to any errors displayed in the Last Error section Be
119. le or have too many bags to match to too few images This usually happens if images are missing or the shoot order is somehow incorrect If you notice that you are incorrectly matching return to the last known correctly matched image usually a slate Lock a match If you can locate a match that you know 1s correct you can lock the match When you lock an image any matches before the match will stay unaltered gt if you Move or Slide You can lock an image by choosing the image to NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 75 lock then choose Edit Lock unlock match or type Ctrl L or click the Lock unlock button in the toolbar The image will be locked to the current match The Lock bar indicating the match is locked Adjusting a match You might find that your raw match has a number of errors In the following example the film scanner has scanned a number of extra images and a slate that isn t included in the match Each of these problem images has been matched to a subject meaning that the match will be wrong from this point on NeoComposite lets you adjust the match using a Move and Slide of the names and images If you move an image you move the current image up or down while the names stay put If you slide the names you slide all the names up and down while the images stay put A Note The names and images are both really just sequential lists irrespective of whether
120. ll be what you end up with but of course you can change it at any time Or you can effect no change by pressing the ESC key before releasing the mouse button Correcting Images Once images have been imported to NeoComposite they can be corrected in various ways e Zoom e Jog x y movement e Color and density corrections e Image contrast corrections e Image editing via an external image editor There are many shortcuts available to achieve the various corrections as are there many different ways to change the size and number of images being displayed Selecting images It 1s fast and convenient to select and navigate through images in the image table First choose an image by clicking on 1t with the mouse Action Keyboard Mouse Select the first image Press the Home key Select the last image Press the End key Show the next screen of Press the Page Down key Use the scroll wheel images Show the next screen of Press the Page Down key Use the scroll wheel images Move to the Left image Press the Left arrow key Move to the Right image Press the Right arrow key Move to the image above Press the Up arrow key Move to the image below Press the Down arrow key Images can be moved and re sized to create the best cropping for various aspect ratio prints When in cropping mode NeoComposite displays any enabled aspect ratios Positioning should be adjusted so that images will appear pleasingly cropped at each of
121. ly imported from a text file or manually entered from order bags Click All in the folder list to view all the names attached to this job Ee af anger Pony are oles Tahere Sd ee Fee Hrs Cpe fee Lr Click the next to the folder to expand all the groups for this job Click each of the groups under the folder to see pS IS A ee the names belonging to that folder group ah a 7 E Folders SchoolFic ME Enter ING Global z 5C SchoolPic2 Tra m Aala e oe Chi SchoolLogo e aa pa details has F Staff atone a ee The templates used in this example use several images of the school its logo and some text to form the final pages These details are attached at the Details screen The area below the Folder list contains various fields and their values Fields can contain either text or graphic images In this example there are 3 graphic fields that contain images of the school the logo image and two fields that contain the school name and year NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 4 Graphic Details The graphic images are allocated by double clicking the Value entry The Grpahic Value dialog opens To allocate AAA an image choose Select file a File Open dialog opens LI Navigate to Program Files Timestone Software Sample Images and choose the file SchoolPic1 jpg The image loads to the dialog Choose OK to complete the allocation process Any reference in a template to the field SchoolPic1 will use the image
122. mages are stored in NeoComposite s database type file As images are deleted in the program they are not physically removed from the file although they are no longer available One result of this is that the file size will remain the same even if images are deleted from the file The deleted image space can be freed up by choosing File Close amp Compact This process may take a little time to perform and also requires some hard disk space at least as much as the new file s size Once done the file will only contain the essential image data and be as small as possible It is recommended that a file is compacted after many images have been deleted or before being archived MES Edt View Images Quer New Ctrl Open Ltrl Ol Lloze Close amp Compact Correcting editing and displaying images After the images have been imported you can correct them using NeoComposite s zoom crop color density and contrast controls You can also control how the images are displayed on screen while you perform these operations If you have specified an external image editor via File Options see Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite you can also open individual images in another application and perform edits such as taking out spots that may have been introduced in the scanning process or exist for any other reason You can do this whether you imported the original high res images into the NeoComposite job file or simply imported p
123. mestone Software Windows printer driver Timestone Software printer drivers automatically control the photographic printer to create the exact paper size required Use default size When selected the paper size chosen in the Printer Properties dialog will be used Pick the best from defined sizes Choose File gt Print setup The Print setup dialog is shown Enable best paper size selection by choosing Pick best paper size from the Printer options section With this option enabled NeoComposite will check all the available paper sizes and chooses the closest match for the page currently being printed This check is performed for each job meaning that a queue can contain different size prints the best paper size will be selected for each page being printed Use custom paper sizes only Most print sizes NeoComposite 1s required to create are not standard A4 Letter sizes Printer drivers that allow custom paper sizes to be created allow you to design sizes that NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 153 are exactly correct for NeoComposite prints In this case it 1s not desirable to allow NeoComposite to automatically choose a standard paper size as it may not be exactly correct Choose Use custom paper sizes only NeoComposite will only consider custom paper sizes when automatically choosing the one to be used Cut to size When using a Timestone Software printer driver choosing Cut to size will automatically cre
124. mode Page 118 Place the block areas Click and drag the first Block area onto the page Then the second block on the second page Set the board options The centre board can appear on one or all of the block areas you define In this case you might only want the board to appear on the first page of this series To set this choose the block area you want to have the board and choose Edit gt Object Attributes the Composite Blocks Area dialog opens To enable boards for this area check If a board is requested include one in this area Now when a board is chosen it will appear on this page NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 119 Place the Unfeatured list The Unfeatured list is where un matched names are positioned on the page The un featured list is a single line of text that will scale to fill the area you TER place into the Page Layout To place the area click the Unfeatured tool in the toolbar click and drag an area in the design Size and scale the Block area object as you did the background bitmap image Because this page has several pages You might want to place an unfeatured list on all pages If more than one unfeatured list is placed over several pages each page will show the same list of names A The text in this box will scale to fill the box If you want text of a particular height make sure that the box you position is only that high This way the text will fill the box at that max
125. mputer terminal at a time Copies You may not copy or duplicate the Software except as necessary solely for archival purposes program error verification or to replace defective storage media provided you keep the original and the copies You may not alter decompile or disassemble the Software Transfers You may not sublicense lease or rent or lend the Software or transfer any of your rights under this Agreement You may transfer the Software together with any backup copies you have made Hardlock device and the User Guide on a permanent basis so long as you retain no copies the transferee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and Timestone Software has authorised the transfer by written confirmation Term The License granted in this agreement is effective until terminated You may terminate it at any time by destroying or returning to Timestone Software the Software and the User Guide together with all copies and returning to Timestone Software the Hardlock Device If you fail to comply with any term or condition of this Agreement this License will terminate and upon such termination you agree to destroy or return to Timestone Software the Software and the User Guide together with all copies and return to Timestone Software the Hardlock Device Termination of this license shall be in addition and not in lieu of any other remedies available to Timestone Software Limited Warranty Disclaimer Timestone Software
126. n The Data Fields dialog is shown Choose the Folder Fields tab and choose Add A new line is added to the list of fields Enter the name of the new field you want to use then choose OK Subject Fields Subject fields are that details you want to define for each individual person in the group photographs such as the first and last names ID date of birth etc If you have data that includes information that you don t need to use in a group job it is still recommended that you import the data as it may be useful for other Neo jobs In this case you should define the extra fields such as Date of Birth ID Sport etc in addition to the NeoComposite essentials of First Name and Last Name When defining subject fields you can identify a field type by clicking the Special drop down and choosing from the types available The current selection includes The subject s entire name no discrimination of first last etc Middle name The middle name Birthdate The date of birth NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 40 To add a default Subject field choose File gt Options Sub Fle Fs Faik FF then choose the Default tab Now click the Details Fields gt Edit button The Data Fields dialog is shown Choose the Subject Fields tab and choose Add A new line is added to the list of fields Enter the name of the new field you want to use then choose OK Creating a folder structure If you are importing name
127. nal image files are no longer required as the job file has all the required information to create and print jobs However importing images in this way results in very large job files as well as taking longer to import the images Import the preview only When importing the preview only the original image data is sampled and a preview image stored in the job file This allows you to create all the jobs but you cannot print them without the original high resolution images Importing images this way results in a much smaller job file as well as shorter import times than importing the whole image data Original image file location If you import the preview only you need to make sure the original image files are available to NeoComposite when you output jobs or images The options are e Pre defined locations set as a program default e Remember the original image file location You should choose the method that suits your lab best Configuring pre defined locations for the image files The pre defined locations are set by choosing File gt Options and choose the Paths tab Geraral Darak LUTs Paha Imaga Files tajo Dias sita le Uae to cubits Mio job br iie nama There are three types of pre defined locations available e Image Root directory e Same directory as job file e Sub directory from job file NeoComposite Chapter 7 Job files Page 35 Image Root directory Using an image root direct
128. ng the labeled graphic Labeled holders are fetched from Details mode As discussed in the Details mode chapter you can allocate various special graphic and text details e File details fields that are common to every folder and subject in the job For example a logo that is common for every group in the current job e Folder details fields that are specific to a group or sub grouping For example each class may have a mascot picture to be included or a large school may be divided into Junior and Senior campuses Cut marks NeoComposite offers support for cutting templates into separate pages via cut marks Cut marks are a flexible attribute set in a template They will work with several different style of printer including e Roll to roll printers with either mid image or end start of image punches e Cut sheet printers without any punching system For printers that support hole punches you can define a number of cut mark positions within a pack With our Windows NT Printer Drivers the cut mark information is sent to the printer with the page being printed If your printer doesn t support mid image punching but has start or end of print punches or is a cut sheet printer you can use cut marks to split the packs being printed In this case you can define a position to split the long pack When the pack is printed it will be sent to the printer split into a number of separate images The result is either a punch
129. nior school You can allocate a name to both the campuses and have the correct campus name inserted to the name board for each particular year group Detail types As discussed in the previous chapters Details mode and Image mode it is possible to define and allocate various data fields to the folders in a job There are three major details groupings e File details global information such as the school name principal name etc e Folder details information specific to a folder or sub folder such as the campus name group teacher name etc e Built in details built in information that are pre defined in NeoComposite These include the composite name etc NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 103 In order to place the correct code into a template It is important to understand how these codes are used Labels You can label an individual as a special case For example you might want the principal s picture and name to appear somewhere on the page By labelling an individual as Principal and then designing a template that references to Principal you can use any of their details or images There is more detailed information regarding setting up labels in the Details chapter Templates can be designed to use these details by entering special codes that reference this information Creating a variable code Variable codes are inserted to a template using a special 0 code The
130. nnnos 81 82 Units of measurement occccccccnnnnnnnnnnononnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnos 21 A e eeeateaseecases season 13 White space around images cooooooccncncncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnss 67 Workstations COMM EUNE ia 19 Page 158
131. nsertion point are moved up NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 73 Now move the match Down note that the matched is not moved but the cursor does Try the same thing with Slide Down note that the matched names slide down unlike the Move The result of a Move the cursor moves leaving the names behind o Shee result of a Slide the names slide down with the cursor Types of match You can match an image either to a folder indicating the start of a particular group e g Class 8A or to a subject i e a name The Folder match is useful to help identify where matches are correct and identify problem areas such as missing images etc Match the images Once the details have been imported or entered and principal photography has been completed you can start to enter the match data It is not necessary to have the images imported to do a preliminary match but both images and details must be present to finally match In this example we ll search on last name to enter the match If you are using a barcode reader you could just as easily search on ID and read the barcode to match Match the first image Generally the first image in a run is an identifying slate The slate usually indicates the beginning of a class Within a class there may also be other identifying slates Click the image you want to match note the highlight block between the two
132. o appear It is not important to be accurate at this point When the object is placed it will be sitting over the top of the background NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 94 Figure 16 The Image Object placed over a Graphic Object With the Image Object selected the handles are visible click the Send down 1 layer button The Image Object is moved down 1 layer and is now behind the transparent area of the Graphic Object Note in the picture below that it is possible to see the full design along with the whole name board Figure 17 Image Object moved behind name board Applying an 8 bit transparency mask 8 bit masks can be applied to any graphic object placed onto a template There are 2 types of graphic objects e A bitmap image e A NeoComposite graphic object Bitmap image transparency mask As previously discussed click and drag a graphic image area on the page Choose the file to place and the Set Bitmap Mask dialog opens Now click From File the Set Mask dialog opens Click the Load button A File gt Open dialog opens Locate and choose the mask file Press Open NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 95 A preview of the mask is shown You can flip or rotate the mask if required After you re happy with the settings choose OK A preview of the masked image is shown If you want to remove the mask file click the Reset button The mask is removed Choose OK Placing addit
133. o suit your needs You can add rename or move folders by clicking dragging and dropping them as you normally do in Windows Explorer Subjects 84 Folders Subjects E o one FirstName LastName Adam Scarlett E E Claire A anki i Enzinger ES Wear 12 Aaron Nelson Matk Alice Voyages i 29 ear Adam Jackson Amelia Elliott i vse ES fear Adam Scarlett Angus Hewitt g Year J Adam Phillips Anthony Hath Junior School Adele Beasley Bradley Knight Adele Mears Damien Oliver Aimee Thomas Daniel Lade David Phillipson Ainsleigh Skeels Alana Enzinger Figure 8 Folders after importing data then after editing the folder structure Home folders and attaching names Sometimes you will want to copy an individual from one folder to another to create custom groups For example you might want to add a class teacher from the staff folder to their class Do this by locating the name of the individual you wish to copy then hold down the Ctrl key Now with the key still pressed drag and drop the individual s name to the new folder Note that when you are doing this operation the pointer will show a indicating a copy operation Once copied the person is a member of both groups and so can appear in both Setting a home directory When a name is imported or first entered to Details the folder it sits in is automatically set as the Home directory If a name is copied to a different folder it exi
134. of the final group image the board might read Provident High School Senior School Year 10A Rather than create a template that contains Senior School written as plain text you can include a special code that instructs NeoComposite to look for the text it should insert So your template could be used for the Junior School as well as the Senior School without changing it NeoComposite uses a searching mechanism that allows you to specify information that belongs to a number of groups as well as information for an individual group In the below example Year 10A is a member of the Year 10 folder which is a member of the Senior School folder Clicking on the Senior School folder reveals that the field SchoolType is available In the case of the Senior School folder click in SchoolType and enter the name that will appear in the template When the job is run NeoComposite will place Senior School into the template for all the Senior School groups To enter the information click the folder and then the Value for the field you need Type the data Folders i inar School Feed ale School wpe Senu School Multi line Value entries Field values can contain a carriage return allowing a single value to be spread over several lines This is done by entering a special code in the Value field To enter a carriage return type the first line then either e Press lt Control g
135. ompression in the job file Creating a new NeoComposite file Start the NeoComposite application then choose File gt New or click the New Document button in the toolbar The New File dialog is displayed Choose the desired location give the file a name and choose Save The file is saved and an empty job file is displayed Specify the preview image size The size of the preview image can be changed from the Options menu The default size of 512k is usually sufficient for most operations but you might like to increase the size to improve the appearance of the preview The larger the image preview the larger the job file It is also possible that the program may slow if the preview image is set too high The preview size must be set for each file you create before images have been imported To change the preview size choose File gt Properties The File Properties dialog is displayed Choose the Bitmap sizes tab and make the desired setting in the Stored size of bitmap used for previewing NeoComposite Chapter 7 Job files Page 34 Image importing types There are two ways images can be imported into a job file e Importing the complete image data e Importing the image preview only Importing the complete image data When importing the image data completely not only is the on screen preview image stored in the job file but the high resolution image is also copied and stored as well The benefit of this is that the origi
136. oolbar The layer order of an object can be changed by selecting the object then choosing a layer order tool in the toolbar pa S mE Bring an object up 1 layer Send an object to the bottom layer Send an object down 1 layer Bring an object to the top layer Place two Image Objects on the page and make sure that they overlap each other Figure 22 The selected object in the top layer Click the Send down 1 layer tool The selected object is sent down 1 layer and will now appear behind the other in the finished print NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 100 Figure 23 The selected object 1 layer lower Using text objects Text objects in NeoComposite are a very powerful tool Fixed text can be entered and stylised with font style and color appearing always the same in the final printed result Text can also contain variable codes allowing a template to pick data from the job file and automatically adding it to the printed job This means that you can design templates that can be used for all your jobs and have them customised automatically for each client For example a template might include a reference to the school s name principal name and even an individual group teacher s name When the job is run the data is fetched from the database and placed automatically into the printed job Fixed and variable text There are two types of text that can be placed in a template e Fixed The text appears th
137. or press F4 on the keyboard The Details screen is divided into 3 major sections e Folders e Name details e code data Folders cn Pongiare des lieben olbrr rad les Corp ribera er E E par xj MOL at 20010 3 he i Bert Allocated fields 184 pari ian R A Name details ALEA MS TICA EEA NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 39 Defining the fields The fields displayed in these panes are defined as a program default or for each individual file There are three different types of fields File fields Folder fields and Subject fields File fields File fields are objects that are common to all the groups involved in the current job Things like the a a oi school name school logo and the like are good ha examples of File fields To add a default File field choose File gt Options then choose the Default tab Now click the Details Fields gt Edit button The Data Fields dialog is shown Choose the File Fields tab and choose Add A new line is added to the list of fields Enter the name of the new field you want to use then choose OK crt gt Folder Fields Folder fields are objects that are allocated to a os E ea particular folder or a parent folder of a sub folder Ente Useful fields include the campus name for a school campus or a year s mascot To add a default Folder field choose File gt Options then choose the Default tab Now click the Details Fields gt Edit butto
138. ory allows all images belonging to a job be stored under a single directory in its own folder For example you might set up a single image server named ImageServer This server has a drive shared as Data and all images are stored in folders under the Images folder UNC naming allows this exact directory be specified from any workstation within the network without using drive letters This avoids configuration errors The UNC name for a shared directory is Server Share Path You may set your images up on this server as follows Images Job1 Images Job2 Images Job3 Only the root folder is required In this case The root folder is Images So the UNC name for the path would be ImageServer Data lmages Finally we need to specify the final search directory to find the source images Using the code NeoComposite adds the name of the TNJ file to the search path as the final part of the path statement In the above case each of the TNJ files would be named Job1 Job2 and Job3 So if the path is entered as ImageServer Data lmages and the file currently open is called Job2 NeoComposite will search for the original source images in lmageServer Data Images Job2 Same directory as job file If the path statement is entered as A NeoComposite will search for the source images in the same directory as the TNJ file Sub directory from job file Images can be stored in a sub directory of the folder that cont
139. pect ratio will not appear Import existing Aspect Ratios Aspect Ratios can be imported from existing NeoComposite files Choose Import from File from the Default options tab An Open File dialog appears Locate the file that contains the Aspect Ratios choose it and click Open The Aspect Ratios are imported as a program default Change the list order The order Aspect Ratios are listed in can be changed using the ordering 4 arrows y Displaying an Aspect Ratio Once the default Aspect Ratios have been defined any files created will contain these settings To display the aspect ratio indicators choose Crop Image mode by choosing Images Select crop amp scale image tool or clicking the Crop Image Tool button on the toolbar Aspect ratio indicator lines NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 29 Default fields Various information fields are used in NeoComposite Certain of these fields are best set as program defaults so that when you create a new job file 1t will inherit these default values and you won t have to spend time re configuring NeoComposite to work the way it did with your previous job file Once you re familiar with how these fields are used you can set the program defaults Adding default fields Choose File Options then choose the Default tab The Options dialog appears as shown in Figure 2 Now click the Details Fields Edit button The Data Fields dialog i
140. posite Demo tnj The sample file opens 2 de q LL Modes NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 1 There are 5 modes of operation E NeoComposite C Program Files Ti File Edit Images Mode Help Details mode import and edit job name and other details information boby Details F4 A y Images FS Images mode import crop and color correct Crop Scale mp Match FE the portrait images 5 aio H Form pages F7 Desi Fs Match mode match images to names A le Form Pages mode form the finished composite pages Design mode create the templates to be used for the pages Switch between the modes by choosing the Mode menu then the mode you want Note the shortcuts for switching modes Images mode Images mode is used to import and prepare images for use in NeoComposite pages Several controls let you change the number of images displayed on the screen at once Single Image mode Click the Single Image mode button The display changes to show one single image Multi Image mode Click the Multiple Image mode button The display changes to show multiple images on screen Ll je ilk dl i brea E al al NeoComposite Chapter 1 QuickStart Page 2 Change the number of images displayed You can control the number of images displayed using the Images button Click the button then pull the grid that opens to select the number of images you
141. print the bitmap files ZA If Sequential number has been selected as the for use option you will be able to enter the first sequential number to use Enter the starting number in the Next sequential number entry box Browse for Folder Path to print file to D Almages Printed Bitmap E ES o El 3 Floppy A Printer Ela System C Bitmap file Setup Esa Data D O DesktopFolderDB Print what EE Images f al Unprinted ony Selected only a 43 Printed Output to file optar _ _ ee 3 JobFiles Path D Images Printed Bitmap Nest sequential number f 3 Samples OF Cancel Cancel Printing to a standard Windows printer driver There are a number of options that can help automate your printing when using NeoComposite The main options are e Printer Properties configure printer specific options e Printer output options choose whether to output to a file or to the printer e Paper size selection paper size automation functions e Alignment and cut marks how the printed image is aligned and if cut marks are on or off Set the printer properties After selecting the printer to use you can configure the various printer properties by choosing Properties from the Print setup dialog The options displayed here are dependent on your printer s driver software and you should consult the driver software documentation for further information when setting the
142. ptured at photography time You should consult Chapter 8 Details mode for further information Once the data has been imported 1t will either be broadly matched 1 e requiring some adjustments or there will be no matching at all NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 72 Matching from Shoot cards or order bags When matching from shoot cards or order bags you are entering the shoot order to match the imported images which are also in shoot order Whether you use shoot cards with a barcode or type the name the procedure is fundamentally the same Using the Match tools The Match interface is divided into several sections The Look up section lets you search for names and match them to the current image Lookup via Fields for subjects name First we Last Birthdate fl Position The Find section lets you find a particular image number or name Sor Birjan a Pad able The Match toolbar lets you adjust the positions and jog the images and names in a match H bd o Move Move Slide Slide Difference between Move and Slide The difference between the Move and Slide tools is that Move will move the image currently under the cursor whereas the Slide tool will always slide the matched names assuming there are unlocked images in the table For example in this row if we slide or move the match up by a couple of images the result is very similar the names from the i
143. r hard disk or over the network Record the original import location If you import images using the Remember the actual path option there is no need to define any default paths See Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite for details Creating an Image directory In larger labs it is useful to set up a base image directory to store the image files There are several ways NeoComposite can locate the required image files e Image Root directory e Same directory as job file e Sub directory from job file Image Root directory Using an image root directory allows all images belonging to a job be stored under a single directory in its own folder For example you might set up a single image server named ImageServer This server has a drive shared as Data and all images are stored in folders under the Images folder UNC naming allows this exact directory be specified from any workstation within the network without using drive letters This avoids configuration errors The UNC name for a shared directory is Server Share Path You may set your images up on this server as follows Images Job1 Images Job2 Images Job3 Only the root folder is required In this case The root folder is Images So the UNC name for the path would be ImageServer Data lmages Finally we need to specify the final search directory to find the source images Using the code NeoComposite adds the name of the TNJ file to the search path as the fin
144. rd s field will be replaced with the new blank field Replace existing details A matching record will be updated with the new data only if it is only if blank empty Update existing details A matching record will be updated with the new data If the new data contains a blank field the old record s field will retain its current information Imported existing subject details Find the same subject if it already exists using this field Unique field none don t search When importing details for subjects that already have details set Leave existing details Replace all existing details Only replace existing fields if blank f Update existing fields NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 43 Import the name data Once you are happy with the settings choose OK to dismiss the Setup subject details text file import dialog Now confirm the text file has been selected and choose Open The data is imported Importing Shoot List data If you have the name data in shoot order you can import the names and match them to images at import time The data you are importing must contain additionally e A unique ID number for each individual e Either the image number each record matches e Or each record is in the correct shoot order As it is possible for a single individual to appear several times in a shoot order file you must have the unique ID number to identify individual
145. re several types of objects that can be placed into a page layout e Page size determines the final size of the finished page NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 22 Variable graphic object NeoComposite specific objects Y j Fixed text or graphics text or graphic images that will not change for the whole production such as a background image Variable text or graphics text or graphic images that will change according to the job or individual school logo special position like Class Captain NeoComposite specific objects objects that define things like the portrait position etc Page size Subject blocks A subject block determines how each portrait positioned on the page will appear It defines the relative size of the portrait as it appears on the page as well as the minimum spacing between portraits the text that appears etc A portrait block does not have an absolute size as it is scaled automatically according to the number of portraits placed onto a page Broadly speaking a subject block contains Fixed or variable text The relative size of the portrait block The portrait position within the block Graphic borders Fixed or variable text Unfeatured list text settings Relative size s Graphic borders Unfeatured list settings NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 23 Board templates A board template determines the look of th
146. rea 1s transparent Set Bitmap Mask Click on the bitmap to pick color for transparency mask Fror File Heset The grid pattern indicates the transparent area Cancel Once the transparent area has been set you will see the transparent area indicated by the grid pattern NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 93 gt ES Pis EM r n Pr Hp z OFF SH a eI FUERE EE soo Figure 15 A placed graphic object Positioning and sizing an object Click the object Hold the CTRL key down if necessary if several objects have already been placed Either click and drag one of the handles or drag the object to scale and position of the object with the mouse If you need more accurate placement click the object then enter an absolute origin and size in the Object Dimensions toolbar then choose Apply The object is positioned and sized exactly Offset a 000 Ef 000 sie Af h200 gq 8 00 Placing images into 1 bit transparent areas The area in your design where the images you import are to appear is called a hole As mentioned before this area is defined by coloring the areas of the graphic a specific color In this example the area has been defined by pixels that are R 255 G 255 and B 255 After the graphic has been placed and positioned click the Image Object button The mouse pointer changes the Place Object pointer Click and drag the mouse over the template where you want the image t
147. review versions referencing the high res originals but not actually including them in the job file see Images importing for a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of doing either The editing process is much the same either way but there are a couple of subtle differences Image editing To edit an image you must be in Images mode and you must have one image selected If you have none or multiple selected the menu option will be unavailable Choose Images Edit image The application you specified in File Options will load with the high res version of the image loaded e If you imported the original high res images into the NeoComposite job file the file will appear as a tif file no matter what the original file format was The TIF format of course is an uncompressed format so you can make as many edits as you want and save as many times as you wish without degrading the image If you were to do this with a jpg image file 1t would degrade slightly each time you saved it NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 64 e If you imported preview versions referencing the high res originals but not actually including them in the job file the original file will load whatever format that happened to be Thus if it s a jpg file bear in mind that each save will degrade the image slightly If you re likely to be saving the image more than a couple of times we recommend saving it as a TIF or 24 bit BMP file wh
148. roup Fields are easily defined and customised to match your production needs and fall into several categories e File fields job specific information such as a school name or logo e Folder fields group specific information such as a class mascot etc NeoComposite Chapter 5 Understanding NeoComposite Page 20 e Subject fields information for an individual such as name ID etc Fields can contain either text or graphic information letting you attach things like a logo image to a field For example you might define a File field SchoolName and another schoolLogo Your production staff enter the school name then attach the graphic file for the logo When the pages are formed if a template references the SchoolLogo or SchoolName fields the text and graphic logo are automatically placed into the finished page This makes the production workflow very quick as your lab staff don t have to attach specific graphic objects for each page or job they create Value ASchoolPic jpg SchoolPic SchoolPic2 Md ato ellen ala Graphic images attached to fields SchoolLogo Md oo Mele o a gre School a Laureston College ear 2000 y CA Text entered for fields Images mode Any images that are used in a composite page are imported from the hard disk The images can come from a film scanner digital camera or any other quality source If special numbers such as the shoot number
149. s open the job file you wish to export then choose Subjects gt Export to text file the Text file to export details dialog opens Text file to import details x Save in 3 Laurestor e amp 6 EX Save as type Text Files txt Cancel Setup Press Setup to edit text export parameters Zi Allocating File and Folder details As previously discussed it is possible to enter special details to the whole file or to individual folders in a file This data is used when the template is filled in when finishing jobs The details are entered by choosing the file or folder then typing the data into the field Adding File details File details are a global property Things such as the school s name the year of photography or perhaps the school s logo are File details To allocate File details choose All in the folder tree listing Note that the fields available in the Field Value section change to match those defined for this file Choose the field you wish to name and enter the data NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 48 SchoolPicl cA5choolPic1 pg SchoolPice AS choolPic2 jpg SchoolLogo So choolLoge png School ame Laureston College Year 000 Adding Folder details Folder details can apply at several levels For example you might have a folder Senior School that contains all the senior groups You might want to use Senior School as a part
150. s You will not be able to import the data successfully without this unique field Inspecting the data to import The data you have to import might look similar to TAMY y Batchelor Year 77r 001297 00122596 10g AMY a Batchelor Year y 001297 OU Lazo ds Og Amy Batecnelogr y Year Fy 001257 0012260 709g Will ltam Brownleen Yeste TU e UO I PODLZ226L TO Lom Care test a OS oO en nO DO Amy Coad Year Uy 00ra 002263 po tamy coac gt Year y 0012 ODL2264 pO Amy COSO y Veet FO OI Ag ys sO OZ ADOS og WJames yy Crustotaro Year 7 OO194 OQOIZZ6oO Tog catherine Hodge Year 7T 001677 0012267 jpg Mandy Hooper Vea MMI DOLL OOLAZ 6S 0G In this example the fields are set out as First Last Group Unique ID Image Number You will notice that Amy Batchelor and Amy Coad both appear 3 times in the text file indicating that they were photographed 3 times In this case the unique identifier is the ID field 4 By specifying this field NeoComposite will import the multiple entries and place them only once into the Details Without this identifier names that appear multiple times in the imported file would appear incorrectly multiple times in the group details By specifying a unique field NeoComposite can identify which names entries are for the same individual Specify the unique field In the Setup dialog locate the Importe
151. s are super imposed onto the images you can match manually using this information NeoComposite provides a facility to enlarge the lower quarter of the image where this information is likely to be thus making it easier to match each image against the corresponding data Simply select View Camera Cards and then follow the steps as per Matching manually below Matching via shoot cards If you have the name data before photography day you might create Shoot cards with barcodes printed on them Each subject is handed their card and as they are photographed the card is collected If the subject is photographed several times the card is marked with that number Back in the lab the shoot cards which are in shoot order are read with a barcode reader to insert them to the Match table Matching manually If you collect the shoot order from the order bags which are collected in shoot order and marked with the number of times a subject was photographed you can manually match Choose the image start typing the name and then select the name from the list As discussed in Chapter 8 Details mode name data can be imported and if match information 1 e an ID number 1s included in the data the names can be matched to images on import assuming you ve already imported the images There are two types of data you can import or enter e Name and group data no matching information e Name Data and match the shoot order has been ca
152. s displayed Note there are three tabs Subject fields Folder fields and File fields Figure 4 The Data Fields editor Subject fields contain information about each subject appearing as a name in the shoot list or data to be imported to match against images Folder fields are objects that are allocated to a particular folder or a parent folder of a sub folder Useful fields include the campus name for a school campus or a year s mascot File fields are objects that are common to all the groups involved in the current job Things like the school name school logo and the like are good examples of File fields The Subject Fields tab The Subjects Field tab contains fields that pertain to each subject appearing as a name in a row list Please see Chapter 8 Details Mode for more information Adding a new field Click Add A new line appears Click the cursor in the Name entry area and type the field name eX Fields are case sensitive If you define a field Name but place and code name in a template the text will not be correctly substituted Assigning special attributes A field can be assigned a special attribute that identifies it for special use within the program Attributes such as first last or whole name identify a particular field To assign a field attribute choose the field then click the Special drop down list for that field A list of available attributes is displayed NeoComposit
153. s sorted alphabetically with no Stalin a E special sorting for the group You can specify three sort levels and so sort the images into group order alphabetically To do this choose the Composite page options button in the toolbar The Composite page options dialog opens Specify the sort order You can specify 3 levels of sort for your groups In the Composite page options dialog click the 1 Sort order and select Folder This will sort the images on the page into their groups Composite Page Settings xj Sart order Ist Phones ascending descending subject nd ET AAN ascending descending AS escena descending Unmatched subjects O Show inunfeatured list Leave onthe page Ignore Save as Default i Cancel Now choose the 2 Sort order and select name The second sort will be by name meaning the final page will be sorted by group alphabetically Composite Page Settings i x Sort order end none ascending descending ascending descending Folder Unmatched subjects Show in unfeatured list Leave onthe page lgnore Save az Default i Cancel Specify the unmatched names handling Some names might appear in a group but won t have a matched image You can remove these blank images and have the names appear in the Unfeatured list by choosing Show in unfeatured list in the Unmatched subjects panel NeoComposite Chapter 1 Quick
154. se options NeoComposite Chapter 13 Printing Page 152 Windows printer Mame es iennaLucht Mileca HSP Properties Set the output options There are a number of options to choose from when printing to a Windows NT printer e Print to file creates a Windows PRN file for later use e Individual file for each page for use only when using Zenographics SuperPrint bitmap driver e Separate pages don t batch when printing a multi page document printing won t start until the whole job has been prepared By choosing Separate pages each page 1s sent individually to the printer This means each page will begin printing as soon as it 1s ready When printing this way 1t 1s possible for jobs to be mixed together 1f a number of people are printing to the printer at one time Printer options Print to file Separate pages don t batch FT Individual file for each page Automatic paper size selection NeoComposite can automatically choose the most appropriate page size for an image being printed Within a particular print job there may be a number of different page sizes required by the printer queue Pack A might require a page size of 8 x 20 5 whilst Pack B might need 8 x 11 5 Printing these packages on a single page size is wasteful of paper NeoComposite can automatically choose from the available paper sizes from most Windows printer drivers or automatically generate the exact paper size when using a Ti
155. service and is installed as a component of the installer It consists of several components e A hardlock or dongle that is connected to the Server PC s Parallel port e The License server installed only to the server PC e The License Manager which is installed to the Server or can be used on a workstation connected to the network e Several support files Understanding the License Server When a Neo application is licensed from Timestone Software we issue your site with a hardlock or dongle This hardlock contains a unique Key code that is specific to your installation Without the hardlock it is not possible to use the Neo application It is possible to purchase single or multi user licenses for Neo applications When the license is issued it is added to the license server You are then able to use the number of applications you have licenses for When a Neo application is started 1t asks the License Server 1f there 1s a license available to use If there is the application will launch and use a license If there are insufficient licenses available for that application an error message will be given and the program will quit You will not be able to launch the application until a license becomes available either by adding more licenses or by waiting until one of the users quits their Neo application session Installing the License Server When installing the Neo application choose the License Server component Th
156. site Chapter 9 Images mode Page 59 Once images are imported to a sequential file they will have numbers allocated from 1 to however many images are in the file 1 2 3 4 Various import options are available e Reverse order Imports images in reverse numeric order 999 first to 001 e To end Appends all new images to the end of existing images If Reverse order is selected images are appended before the first image if it exists B y rap ape oa pico e Insert Inserts imported files from the currently E selected image only available if images have pata already been imported e Replace Imported files overwrite existing images from the one currently selected only available if images have already been imported ZA If Insert is selected as the import option images are inserted from the point of the image currently selected If you select a new image during the import the insertion position is retained If you want to specify a new insertion point for imported images pause the import by choosing Pause import the new insertion point then click Insert once again in the Import options panel The new insertion point is set Start the import Once all the various settings have been made choose Start You ll be able to see the images as they are imported while the Import Status section of the Images from Disk dialog will keep you informed of the progress Choosing Stop during the import process will stop the
157. size of each of the objects has been previously determined The first object 1s the school logo Click the Tagged Object button in the toolbar and drag a box in the template The Labelled Holder dialog opens Type Principal to label this graphic box Offset gt 2400 Ef 070 size Al 400 sof 500 som O SchoolName O Year 3 f Composite ANETTE Prea a E pl Principal lt Principal name a If you want the teacher s or another picture instead of the principal s add the label name you will use for this graphic i e Teacher and label the individual in Details or Form Pages Save the template Once completed save the template to your templates directory ready to be used With a Block template chosen this page layout looks like this NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 139 Advanced graphic effects NeoComposite templates can use 8 bit masks to create interesting looking images The masks are created in a bitmap image editor like Photoshop Apply a simple mask A simple mask applied to a portrait image can create an interesting and pleasant effect Switch to Design mode and place and position a portrait hole on the page as described before O First Last Select the image hole and click the Apply Mask button The Set Mask dialog opens Click Load and choose the mask file then choose Open The mask is loaded and previewed Save the template Once complete
158. sts in both folders You can change an individual s home folder by choosing it in the new home folder then choosing Subjects gt Set home folder Identifying a copied entry You can tell if a name in a group is the original or a copy by inspecting the side bar in Details gt Subjects tab An attached name will have a in the sidebar _ Fizi Last Birthelte Peston o Ear x x A A Adam Mitchell 133 indicates this name is a copy of Sl Acco ae the original Tanania tellers E sra Brink 151 NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 47 Editing attached entries If you edit the details in either of the folders home or attached the changes will be reflected for all of them To edit the entry choose the name and field to be changed then type the new information The changes will flow through any other instances of the name in other folders Deleting names If you choose to delete a name click the name in the list then press Delete on the keyboard Confirmation will be requested When deleting a name from a folder you delete it for that folder only If you want to permanently delete a name choose All in the folder list then locate the name in the name list Press Delete confirmation of the operation is requested When a name is deleted from All it will be completely removed from any other folders Exporting Details Details can be exported to a text file for use in other applications To export the detail
159. swseacutecsiasetessssins lt acwaundendkaunvedevasetassesssbsceunsscconsaanwenet 27 SEMIN Oe Pros rain ocio De NE ASUMA CUASI tus sonasouzedsesdua sot susedcocecatelaceee E E EE 21 ia ats exe ahs Ve EAN O E A ENA EA A E ete BENO EA E N E O Throne NNN EY 27 AS DECE PATIOS ra a as 28 SLAM OAS DECUIR THOS or tdi 28 WET AUC tddi adi liias 30 Definim thie mace Me loc o E 32 Denning the Desi en Pue doc iiO ta astas 33 MODO E AMIA ON A A A A eS 33 A AA on O E REO E E EAN EEA AE 34 is A A Drennan arte Ono EE 34 Create anew WV COCO MPA E e eee ea ee 34 SPECIES Lhe PREVIEW IMAC C SIZ eats tt occa Os 34 Maso MMP ORNS DES id io 35 Onei al mase Tle location io 35 Image numbering indexed or sequentlal oooooonncccnnnnnnncncnnnonononononnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnainnnnnnss 37 Pia Se number NS APA o o UE E EE E E tt senennee ed teense bonsauornaaaaass 38 Spec iy ne IMAGO dle SIZE aiii di it india 38 A aia cere its iaianstcaehcelciuianaccstidcnsesadansccaticlsciusanacestcdandesteansscatiealsctuiasecedtsdendesteansseasiealcctetes 39 Baterins Details Mods ti nie torio as 39 Cleats A older siU uoiviicn eiii iii iia 41 IMportinea name daa a 41 Imporuno Shoot List data io 44 Editineathe detatis and TOG iaa 4 Home dolder and AllaC HMI names mada 4 Export Detail o ode isa ola cias de dios 48 Allocatme Fileand Folder detal i E E E cicid 48 EaD a E A ree an eee mer ae ve reeny ete ment es Meena cere 50 EaD LETO T
160. t lt Enter gt e Press the Numeric Keypad lt Enter gt key The symbol is placed into the text NeoComposite Chapter 8 Details mode Page 49 Value SchoolName Provident Girls College Princeton Capua PrincioalPic Inserted Carriage return Labels NeoComposite allows individuals in the Details to be labeled with a special attribute An individual might be the School s principal or the School Captain By labelling them as Principal or SchoolCaptain the label name is up to you you can design a template that uses a reference to Principal or SchoolCaptain When the template is used the Hades the labelled ro is inserted to the finished PRE ee ee Year OO Composite A Poe oe A Label reference in eee hoolLogo Principal f a board template Principal lt Principal gt name Causes the Principal portrait to be placed into the l finished page Global label Some individuals are common for every group in the school for example the School s Principal Labeling an individual In Details mode locate the individual then type the label in the Label column Folder specific labels Some individuals are specific to a folder or group for example the class teacher Because there can be many class teachers you must label them on a per page basis See the later chapter for these details Labeled Holders NeoPack Professional templates can includ
161. t You might be printing a series of packs that comprise 4 units per pack This style printer can place a punch at the beginning of each unit in a pack as well as at the print start end Hard and soft cut marks NeoComposite supports 2 types of cut mark e Soft cut mark the pack will be punched by the printer at the defined position e Hard cut mark NeoComposite will split the pack into separate pages at the defined position In order to use soft cut marks you must use a Timestone Software printer driver with a printer that supports mid image punches Any printer can use Hard cut marks Using Hard cut marks Hard cut marks are a very powerful tool and can be used in a variety of ways Firstly 1f you have a short advance printer you can define a series of hard cuts in a long pack This makes long packs easily printable by most of the digital printers available today Secondly you can tune your production into manageable chunks Digital high speed printers need large volumes of image data delivered in a continual stream in order to keep busy Images sent to the printer need to be delivered fast enough to keep up with it This is much easier if the file sizes being sent to the printer are a certain sweet size Files larger than this sweet size can cause the printer to pause whilst the large file is being sent For example the Sienna Mileca likes to have image files around 22Mb delivered to keep it busy If you sen
162. t images will appear on the page To place the area click the Block tool in the toolbar click and drag an area in the design Size and scale the Block area object as you did the background bitmap image A Itisa good idea to leave a border around the block area Otherwise portrait images might butt the very edge of the page Place the Unfeatured list The next area you are likely to want to place onto the template is the unfeatured list This is the area The Unfeatured list is where un matched names are positioned on the page The un featured list is a single line of text that will scale to fill the area you saints place into the Page Layout To place the area click the Unfeatured tool in the pola click and drag an area in the design Size and scale the Block area object as you did the background bitmap image A The text in this box will scale to fill the box If you want text of a particular height make sure that the box you position is only that high This way the text will fill the box at that maximum height and only scale down if it is too long NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 116 Place the Unfeatured list protection In order to protect the Unfeatured list from the portrait images you should o position a protection area over it To place the area click the Unfeatured tool sig in the toolbar click and drag an area in the design Use the Dimensions toolbar to accurately position the area nannu
163. te file Create a new template The Place Object toolbar The Place Object toolbar allows you to place the various objects you wish to use in the template There are 4 objects that can be placed into a template Block object Defines where the portrait images will appear on the page layout can only be used in a Page layout Protect object Protects an area from portrait images can only be used in a Page layout Unfeatured list Object Places an unfeatured list on the page Rotated block Object Places a rotated portrait onto the page using the currently selected Subject block NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 83 Rotated portrait Object Graphic Object Text Object Barcode Object Mask object Places a rotated portrait onto the page Defines where various graphic elements will appear in the template Graphic objects created with this tool are static Graphic objects can be bitmap WMF or EMF type Defines where text will appear in the template Text can be static or contain a special variable codes Text automatically scales to fill the defined text box Defines where a barcode will appear in a Layout Note that the barcode object is not available when creating a Design template Applies an 8 bit transparency mask to the image All objects with the exception of the Barcode Object can be used in either a Layout or a Design template To place an object click the desired button cli
164. tely position it using the Dimensions toolbar We want to have slightly more space above the portrait than left or right Enter the following values e Horizontal offset 0 20 e Vertical Offset 0 35 e Width 3 00 e Height 4 00 Offset AQ O20 H 035 sie Al 200 30 400 Place the portrait hole The portrait image will appear in the transparent area defined previously We p need to place an image hole and position it behind the frame to achieve the Heeni NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 132 effect Click and drag an image hole onto the template Position it in place over the transparent area Note that the area 1s in front of the frame gt Change the layer position In order for the frame and portrait images to merge the image hole needs to be placed behind the frame Select the hole and click the Send to Back button in the Layer toolbar Note that when you click the Send to Back button that the image hold and frame merge BH ll HA Click the Send to Back button Add the names and formatting Each portrait should have a name under it you control the way the name text Fi 1S formatted by placing a text box in the template Click and drag atextbox onto the template using the Text tool The Text dialog opens Choose the font and color you want then ensure Centred is set as the alignment Enter the text AFirstName ALastName NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 133 Now
165. the entered text and select a font Car taras A a o Es a SchoolName Year Composite ipal lt Principal gt name Adjust the text size We want the Principal s name to be smaller than the other Select the text Principal lt Principal gt name Click the Down Arrow button several times in the Size Text panel The selected text reduces in size Comic Sans MS Size Text panel SchoolName Year Composite Principal Prince ipal gt nam E Once you re happy with the effect choose OK The text box is positioned in the template Size and position the text box using the Dimensions toolbar to 6 40 0 70 11 00 5 00 Ost Ef 640 Ef 070 sie Af 11 00 of 500 Apply F m m m a m ee eee e m g SchoolName Year achoolLoge 4 Composite u Principal lt Principal name Place the School picture The position and size of each of the objects has been previously determined The first object 1s the school logo Click the Tagged Object button in the toolbar and drag a box in NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 138 the template The Labelled Holder dialog opens Type SchoolPic1 to label this graphic box Offset 9 18 70 B 070 size AY 500 yo 500 oF a Pee SchoolName O Year es Jegemotaga Composite eechoaPic i Principal lt Principal nam A Place the Principal s picture The position and
166. the field to sort by Choose Subject to sort by a subject field or Folder to sort by a folder field Set the first order sort criteria Click the name drop down to reveal the available sorting criteria This is dependent on the folder fields you have defined in Details Select your choice NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 145 Set the second order sort and criteria Select the sort field and criteria by selecting from those available Again the choices will depend on the fields you have defined in Details Once you have made your selection choose OK The page is re drawn with the sorting criteria applied Rotated pages If you have selected a rotated page the first page of the group is displayed along with navigation controls at the bottom of the preview window You can scroll through the rotated pages using these buttons First page Last page F d orward one page Back one page at e ab DAN ms MIN nh Mo Aia ob he al 0 S eG a o e A NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 146 Inspecting the pages Click the Forward one button and watch the images swap If the page contains un matched images you might find one page that uses the static version of the template BR ERE bia CORA j Mar av al Md ada es NA oe et NeoComposite Chapter 12 Forming pages Page 147 Printing NeoComposite offers a wide variety of printing options You c
167. they are displayed in three rows of four or six rows of five etc It might help 1f you bear this in mind when moving images or names E y PS Lin T 1 y a i x ay 3 a ae a Moving and sliding an unlocked table Moving or sliding the match has very different effects on the match table Think of the move as an overall bump that will bump things up or down Sliding will only slide the names up or down Clicking the Move Down button moves or bumps the match down exposing a blank NeoComposite Chapter 10 Matching images and names Page 76 oo Moving the match down reveals a blank Clicking the Slide Down button moves the matched names down Sliding the match down slides the names table down Move the match When a match is moved all matches are shifted up or down The order of the match is not changed at all 1t is simply shifted up or down If a match has been locked this might mean an image becomes un matched or a blank image may be inserted to maintain the relative match In this example we need to move the names below the problem images down to meet the correct image i j J ALA 13 e CC Choose Edit Move up from selected or type Ctrl lt Right Arrow gt or click Move Up in the toolbar 3 times Note that the names are moved up from the selected point Match the exposed board to folder 8B Move the match effect on locked matches If you have locked
168. tios that you add to an individual file via Edit Aspect ratios are available only to that file Program default Aspect Ratios From the File menu choose Options Then in the Options dialog select the Default tab options x Now choose the Aspect ratios Edit button The Aspect ratio editor Figure 3 is displayed Any aspect ratios defined here are available each time a new NeoComposite job file is created Figure 2 Options dialog Default tab Defining Aspect Ratios Choose Edit Aspect Ratios the Aspect Ratio definition dialog is displayed Preview guide on off Aspect preview colour Aspect ratio height Aspect ratio width Aspect ratio name Figure 3 The Aspect Ratio editor NeoComposite Chapter 6 Configuring NeoComposite Page 28 Create a new Aspect Ratio e Choose New from the Aspect Ratio dialog A new Aspect Ratio is added to the list e Click inside the Description field and type the description of the Aspect you are defining rer err e Click inside the Width field and enter the width then Height to oa enter the height amount cn e Click the color swatch The color palette appears Choose the RIE color you wish the aspect ratio line to appear in the image a preview e Click the On checkbox to display the aspect ratio in the cropping image preview If this is checked a line indicating this aspect ratio will appear in the image cropping window If this is not checked the as
169. tras e 6x 9cm Graphics Tablet with pressure sensitive stylus Wacom e CD R or DVD RAM drive for data backup Notes Video Card It is most important to use a high quality video card In particular you should use a video card that supports monitor calibration in some manner Typically manufacturers such as ATI or Video Seven have such products Hard disk If you are using NeoComposite on a single workstation you should realise that very quickly you will use 9Gb of data storage just with the images you scan to create your packs If your requirements are low volume you could consider a single 9Gb hard disk and continually move images that are finished onto a CD Rom or DVD RAM disk However if you are producing just an average number of packages you will want to use a number of drives Fortunately hard disk drive costs are relatively low today NeoComposite Chapter 2 Before you Begin Page 13 Installation Open the CD Rom in Windows Explorer or My Computer and double click the file Install NeoComposite The installer screen appears The installation process may require a restart before completion If the installer requests you to restart the PC please do so e Choose Next to proceed e Note the contents of the ReadMe screen It contains information that may be required for the installation Choose Next to proceed A Welcome program will install NeoPack on your computer E Welcome to NeoPack S
170. tte can be operated with the mouse by clicking in the desired field then using the spin controls next to each field to increment the values If you want to reset values to zero there are two reset buttons one for the crop scale settings and another for the gt E Color correction Of oH reset button Spin controls color settings as shown at right If you find it cumbersome using the mouse in this situation there are a number of shortcut keys available NeoComposite Chapter 9 Images mode Page 68 Action Keyboard shortcut Increase brightness Type lt Control gt lt l gt and press the key The T value increases Decrease brightness Type lt Control gt lt l gt and press the Y key The I value decreases Increase contrast Type lt Control gt lt C gt and press the key The C value increases Decrease density Type lt Control gt lt C gt and press the Y key The C value decreases More red Type lt Control gt lt R gt and press the A key The R value increases More cyan Type lt Control gt lt R gt and press the Y key The R value decreases More green Type lt Control gt lt G gt and press the A key The Q value increases More magenta Type lt Control gt lt G gt and press the Y key The G value decreases More blue Type lt Control gt lt B gt and press the A key The B value increases More yellow Type lt Control gt lt B gt and press the Y key The B value decre
171. uld use 1 bit transparency when placing an image directly into a frame where no soft edged blending is required 8 bit transparency masks allows more complex blends that allows images to softly merge into each other If you are designing a background that will use bit transparency be sure not to save it as a JPEG file This is because JPEG compression causes distortion at the edges of the transparent areas resulting in flecks through the merged image Use either PNG format for compressed images or un compressed TIFF or TARGA images for your backgrounds NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 86 Merging images NeoComposite allows the images you import to be placed into a design by allowing transparency in the background images You design a color that will be transparent in the background image then define that color when the background is imported You can use either bitmap or vector style graphics Both formats allow image merging 1 bit transparency The 1 bit transparency support means that you must carefully build in a color that will appear as transparent in your background images First choose a color that you will use to indicate transparency perhaps white or R 255 G 255 B 255 When designing the image make sure that only transparent areas use this color For example select the areas that are not to be transparent and use the Photoshop or similar Levels command to limit the maximum pixel value for these ar
172. ut of the main block into the larger area The result is a personalised page for each individual member of the group W Di n Melo Oe Ai ee as Ah i 4 wk ee a j 2 O Bi TTE z Daibh ie yde e 5 k gt a z A ae Hae aa es L is 1 el end ina Rotated portrait Similar to the Rotated block this object places a rotated portrait into the finished page The difference is that this object can be placed into a page layout rather than using the subject block This allows different designs for the larger portrait image NeoComposite Chapter 11 Design mode Page 82 Using the template designer The template designer is a tool that allows you to place the various text and graphic objects into a design There are no built in graphic creation tools meaning you must create all the graphics you want to use in another application like Adobe Photoshop or CorelDraw The designer is integrated with NeoComposite To use it start the program then choose Mode gt Design The template designer 1s displayed A Fee eO A A A MA a ee CO b to mal al _ J The main toolbar The Dimensions and units toolbar The Design canvas area The designer toolbars There are a number of toolbars that allow you to set various options when designing templates The File toolbar The file toolbar gives you quick access to the normal File menu options Save the currently open template Open an existing templa
173. various data within other management systems in the lab For example the Lucht Shooter File records pack order color corrections and other essential information that is used to create the required prints When importing images to NeoComposite that have come from such a system it is possible to retain the essential index number and so create the packs in the same manner as would be normal in this workflow Sequential vs Indexed images The following screen shots show an indexed and sequentially numbered file Note the difference in image numbers Figure 7 A sequentially numbered image set NeoComposite Chapter 7 Job files Page 37 Image Tags When images are imported regardless of whether a file is indexed or sequentially numbered the original filename is imported along with the image data This information can be viewed once images have been imported by choosing Image gt Show tags With this option enabled the original filename is displayed next to the image number The Image Number SS The Image Tag image_9 a Image numbering Once you know what numbering system you use and before any images are imported to the General Bitmap sizes new NeoComposite file choose File gt Properties The file properties dialog is displayed Choose if the images to be imported are sequential or indexed Images in file are Indexed It is possible to change the file properties from sequential to in
174. y allow all the automation and graphic effects available to NeoComposite templates In the same way that a Subject block has no absolute size the board scales up and down to match the size of the images it needs to fit in with Create a board Switch to Design mode by choosing Mode gt Design or pressing the F8 key Choose File gt New The New Template dialog opens choose the Board option A new Board opens ew Template Design i x Page Lanu a lemplate used bo postean ihe varpus slemenis on a comporte Up page Subjeci Block a lemplate used lo dedre iha cesi n lor each mage delads par on a composite prop paga Bid a lemaate used bo dare the design for a board that can optically be placed on Hr paga Set the Board size The size of the board depends on the content you wish to add If your board will contain very few objects perhaps the School logo and some text information the default value 1s probably fine If you want to add more graphics perhaps a picture of the school principal and teacher portrait then you will need to adjust the size It is best 1f you design the board on paper or another graphics program before compiling the template in NeoComposite In this example we will place a few graphics and so will want a wider template Click the blank template page and adjust the size to 28 2 x 6 7 using the Dimensions toolbar The graphic objects This board will contain 3 graphic objects and

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