Re: [artworks] AWRender 2 with Crystal support
- From: Martin Wuerthner <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: artworks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:26:00 +0200
In message <dc243e1b4e.philpem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Philip Pemberton <philpem@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In message <75b6e7164e.martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Martin Wuerthner <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> So, finally, with AWRender 2, third-party applications with AWRender
>> support, e.g., OvationPro and EasiWriter/TechWriter, will be able to
>> render ALL ArtWorks files exactly like ArtWorks itself, including
>> transparency!
>
> Does this require support from the application, or will transparency work
> even in applications that were created before transparency was added to
> AWRender?
AWRender 2 does not require any extra application support to just
display ArtWorks files with transparency. Unfortunately, a tiny bit of
extra information is required in order to print with transparency. If
the application does not supply this extra information, the file is
printed without transparency.
> I'm guessing that transparency on the page background would require
> application support (assuming that's what you've implemented).
Unfortunately, rendering transparency on graphical items drawn by the
client application (e.g., an ArtWorks file in a transparent OvationPro
or Impression frame on top of another frame) would require massive
support by the client application, so it is not supported.
Basically, what you get in the third-party application is the same as
what you see in the ArtWorks window, i.e., full transparency within
the ArtWorks file, but with an imaginary opaque sheet of paper between
the ArtWorks graphic and its background wherever there are ArtWorks
objects. So, you can have an ArtWorks file in a transparent
OvationPro/Impression graphics frame and see the background where
there are no ArtWorks objects, but the ArtWorks objects themselves
cannot interact with the background. Have a look at
http://www.mw-software.com/files/screen.png
to see what I mean.
Allowing transparent ArtWorks objects to interact with the application
background would be a major effort both in AWRender *and* in the
client application. Unfortunately, I cannot see this happening in any
of the major clients, so it is not going to happen.
> I suppose a better way to ask this would be, if I set up AWRender 2, will it
> give Impression Publisher the ability to render transparent AW drawings?
Yes. With AWRender 2 loaded, you can just drop an ArtWorks file with
transparency into Publisher and it is displayed with transparency. As
long as Publisher is not updated it prints without transparency
though.
OvationPro and EasiWriter/TechWriter have been upgraded to support
AWRender 2. Most other applications using AWRender do not use it for
printing (e.g., PhotoFiler, Thumb, PhotoDesk, Composition, OHP2), so
Impression is probably the only application that cannot make full use
of AWRender 2 at the moment.
> I'm not trying to ask you to reveal all your trade secrets.. If you want to
> keep this hush-hush until the Wakefield show, that's fine by me.
There is no reason why it should be secret.
Martin
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Martin Wuerthner MW Software lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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