Release notes for MECCA 2000 version 3.03.  May/09/2003


Fixes:

1. bcompose in v3.02 prohibited rotation with the "merge" option set.
   However, users need rotation control, so the option is back in now.

2. typdrv has been updated to work with merge-form case where EPS
   is used and rotated.  Previously, typdrv only supported un-rotated
   EPS merge-form elements.

   NOTES:
   a. Many MECCA objects do not rotate on output, such as raster
      images, boxes, and barcodes.  If your merge-form application
      calls in base graphics containing such object(s), and you need
      to rotate them, you should generate an EPS of the base graphics,
      and use that EPS in your merge-form application.

   b. When using EPS in merge-form applications, the "MFORM" command
      Width and Height should be written in units of points or decipoints,
      their values should be obtained from the

		%%BoundingBox

      statement in the EPS file.

3. preview, addpartdims, m2kbin and dwgvupd10 programs have been updated
   to work with merged form objects containing EPS.

4. ixtobmp did not work properly with a masked raster image (one having
   transparency).  Please note BMP format does not support transparency.

5. Corrected a typo in query.tcl about the raster image report dialog
   name, which caused report dialog to jump when querying a raster image
   (query.tcl).

6. dwgvupd10 program was updated at v3.01 to include part-dimensions
   (if specs are available), but in doing so it did not handle combined
   geometry cases.

7. pngtoix PNG image import utility did not account for the case of a
   1-bit color image (pngtoix).


New/Changed:

1. When combining GIF format raster images, preference is given to
   "gif2png" if it is found on the system, because it can pass on
   transparency (m2kbin, preview, addpartdims, combinefile.tcl).

2. When combining PNG images, a 1-bit color image is forced to become
   black & white (monochrome), rather than RGB color (combinefile.tcl).

3. typdrv can now optionally output RGB raster pixels in the PS file
   (typdrv, print.tcl).

   This can be used in a device tray file, by adding an option line:

	RGB2RGB

   after PPD options; or if no PPD is used, before any custom include
   block.

   Then, when printing to composite color, RGB raster image in the job
   file will be output in RGB pixel data, instead of CMYK.

   Before, all color raster images are output as CMYK; certain RIP's
   (notably PDF generators) will reproduce colors that are too dark for
   RGB raster images.  If you encounter such a condition, you can use
   this option to output an RGB image in PostScript as RGB pixels.

   Note that this option only applies to RGB images in the drawing, and
   is functional only for composite color output.  Other types of raster
   images, including mono and grayscale that are mapped to color (when
   printing to color device), still operate in CMYK; CMYK (DCS) images
   are not affected.

   This option can also be used in the "plot parameters" file to typdrv,
   by setting "rgb2rgb: 1".

4. typdrv can now optionally output PostScript Level-3 masked raster
   images (typdrv, PSbasic.ps, print.tcl).

   When printing a raster image having transparent pixels, typdrv
   outputs non-transparent pixel clusters, and skips those transparent
   ones.  While this works with just about every RIP there is, certain
   RIP's may take excessively long time to process the file.  In that
   case, the new level-3 masked raster image format may be used.

   In level-3 masked raster format, all pixels are output, plus their
   mask bytes.  So the resulting PS file may be larger in size, but it
   may be quicker to process.

   Please note some RIP's such as a certain PDF generator, may produce an
   inverted grayscale image from a level-3 masked grayscale raster.

   To use this option, either:

	a. add a line to the device tray file: "out_pslevel3", similar
	   to the use of "RGB2RGB" option above; or
	b. add "out_PSlevel: 3" in the plot parameters file.

   When a user uses MECCA 2000 Print dialog to "print PDF files", this
   new option will be set automatically.

   We found Adobe Distiller 5, and GNU Ghostscript 7.05 PDF writer have
   no trouble dealing with the new image format, and the resulting PDF
   displays fine with Acrobat 4, Acrobat 5, Reader 5 and, of course,
   Ghostscript 7.05.

   We have, however, observed Distiller 4.0, and an old version of Windows
   Ghostscript to exhibit the "inverted grayscale" problem.  Thusly, the
   new level-3 format is not automatically engaged simply based on the
   "LanguageLevel" value in PPD or the PS run-time environment.