Release notes for MECCA 2000 version 3.06. Feb/12/2004 Fixed: 1. Typdrv now handles raster image data format from OneForm+ (typdrv). 2. In v3.03, PSbasic.ps was updated to output Level-3 format masked raster images. However, it did not verify that the processing RIP can indeed handle Level-3 PostScript statements. This check is now added (PSbasic.ps). 3. Added simple plugs to MECCA2000DOC/search_docs.cgi to filter non-word symbols (search_docs.cgi). 4. When a user-defined line style is given a name that contains space(s), the user interface script did not account for that, and caused run-time error (m2kprocs.tcl). PLEASE NOTE: Although this fix has the apparent effect of "permitting line style names to have spaces in them", the use of spaces is not fully supported in the entire software suite. ONLY THE USER INTERFACE part has been modified to prevent run-time "script errors". Using spaces in style names may suffer in other areas of processing (combine, print, etc.), similar to naming disk files with embedded spaces. It is NOT RECOMMENDED to use spaces and/or tab character in names (file name, style name, panto/border/font name, etc.). 5. The direct arrow key panning for win-cen caused problem when inputting coordinates on keyboard, which has been fixed (keycoords.tcl). 6. Under some condition, typdrv mistakenly concluded that two areas should be color-blended. Spot color blending detection thusly has been tightened (typdrv). NOTES: for spot color blending (when printing proofs), we employ the notion of "blend background" and "blend foreground": two geometrically identical filled-areas which are depth-ordered such that one (foreground) is immediately in front of the other (background): a) The background can be flat-screened, but its color cannot be -1 nor 600 (i.e., must contribute ink). The foreground must be graduated. b) If the background is graduated, then both foreground and background must have the same grad angle, grad type (directional or radial), and progression type (linear, log or rev-log). 7. Testing for a text file in UTF-8 encoding (originated on a platform other than MECCA 2000), had not accounted for the first line being all blank, and caused error when obtaining text data from a file (text.tcl). 8. Composing text data interactively, but with a batch compose data file, may cause MECCA 2000 to crash: certain batch mode commands are not understood by interactive composer module, so it may set a paragraph style which doesn't exist. Those batch commands are not meant to be used in interactive compose, but now a non-existing paragraph style is ignored, and replaced by current style settings (m2kbin). 9. Border 051 width measure has been reduced to eliminate a hairline gap (borderparms, Borders/051). New/Modified: 1. When the processing RIP is an Adobe product generating PDF, default screen dot is set to "Adobe Round Dot" (PSDots.ps). 2. Added /usr/mecca/misc/x2125.of lpd output filter, as an example output filter for a level-3 PS printer that requires "setpagedevice" statements for printing controls (tray select, duplex/simplex, etc.). It is included as a reference sample only (x2125.of). 3. In addition to the "/#copies n def" issued at the end of a page, typdrv now also outputs that same statement toward the beginning of a page (typdrv). The one up front may be used by an output filter (e.g. x2125.of above) to convert to applicable device specific statements. 4. Added "Areas from Text" in the Area function menu (area.tcl, m2kbin). 5. The spelling-checker dialog received some changes (ispell.tcl, compmap.tcl, tclIndex, prefs.add): a) Immediate commands nl, fj, hr, fill, hspa, and the space commands (@>t, @>n, @>m) are now deemed "word break markers". In addition, a site can set the flag to treat "hsa" command as a word break, in the "prefs" file. b) In a sequence of consecutive characters (that make up "a word", hereafter "token"), leading and trailing immediate commands are ignored. Embedded immediate commands, as well as any tildes, are removed before the result is spelling-checked. c) In a token, any special character(s), either as "\ddd^" or "@xx", will cause that token not be spelling-checked, but flagged for the user to verify. And in that case, "Accept", "Add to Dict" and "Add lowercase to Dict" choices are disabled. d) Whenever a token is highlighted, clicking mouse button 2 (the middle button of a 3-button mouse) in the Replacement Word box will automatically "paste in" the token. A user can then conduct selective edit on that sequence. e) If there is some text in the Replacement Word box, and one wants to replace only a part of that text with a suggested word, one can first mark the part of text to be replaced (mouse 1 down, drag over the range of characters), before one picks the suggested word. 6. To accommodate some old RIP's that can only work with MECCA III era *.ps include files, typdrv now provides a PPD-style control statement that assigns an alternative directory containing those old *.ps files: dotps_dir=/full/path/of/alt_directory For example, a site may have an old typesetter, and newer RIP's (proofing color printer, or just to generate PDF files); the site would then keep the MECCA 2000 standard *.ps files in M_POSTSCRIPT directory (/usr/bin/amgraf/PostScript), set up another directory, say /usr/bin/amgraf/PostScript/oldRIP, put all the old style *.ps files there, prepare a tray file (e.g. PSTRAY_oldrip) in M_POSTSCRIPT: PPDFile=[/usr/bin/amgraf/PostScript/PPD/our_old_lino.ppd] dotps_dir=/usr/bin/amgraf/PostScript/oldRIP ... and list "PSTRAY_oldrip" for the old typesetter in /usr/mecca/cfg/printers. The presence of "dotps_dir=..." will cause typdrv to pull in *.ps files from the named directory, instead of M_POSTSCRIPT. PLEASE NOTE: a. Even with this provision, post MECCA III enhancements such as graduated screens/text, clipping masks, per layer step+repeat etc. will not function with old RIP's. In particular, composite color generation will most certainly fail with such RIP's. b. NEVER select such an old RIP when generating PDF. ::Addendum:: http://www.amgraf.com/updates/m2k/v306A.txt