Release notes for MECCA 2000 version 4.00.  Nov/18/2004


Fixed:

1. compose.tcl had a typo where a tk_messageBox line was missing the
   continuation mark (to next line in the script) (compose.tcl).

2. Corrected a rare condition in pmunu where it tried to pull in
   next page data, but the next page had already been withdrawn in
   an earlier step of processing (pmunu).

3. Full frame raster image edit (fill/reverse area etc.) is now possible:
   simply mark the rectangular area slightly larger than the entire
   image (m2kbin).

4. Corrected a problem in the preview program: when merging in an external
   drawing file, dot shape and dot angle in the original line style
   definitions were ignored and converted to "default" (preview).

   This problem could be seen with ""Batch with Specs", because preview is
   essential in turning a batch composed file into separation-conformant
   page format for typdrv to output.

5. Corrected a problem in typdrv when printing CMYK "black" seps, where 
   incorrect dot angles may appear in some seps.  (typdrv).

6. Testing for a text file in UTF-8 encoding (originated on a platform
   other than MECCA 2000), had not accounted for the first text line having
   less than 3 characters, and caused error when obtaining text data from a
   file (text.tcl).

7. When opening a drawing file, the color matching code first tries to
   match both a color number and its CMYK values (with those in the FCPCHART1
   chart), if this failed, it did not always try to find a matching CMYK color
   in the chart, resulting in somewhat excessive use of "custom colors" (those
   color numbers greater than 32767).  This is now changed.  When a match is
   found on the second try, the dot angles in the local chart will be used,
   rather than the dot angles read in from the drawing (m2kbin).

8. Scaling text now forces a recompose, so that the effect of any embeded
   markup commands (whose arguments are not scaled) will be seen immediately
   (m2kbin).

9. Improved the range accuracy for color graduation under Distiller
   (PSgraduate.ps).


Modified/New:

1. Changed PSBasic.ps to work around bugs with some RIP's (PSbasic.ps):

   a. "languagelevel" now protected by "known" test first, for the RIP
      that doesn't know what "languagelevel" is.
   b. A particular RIP known as "LaserWriter-Sim" doesn't "clip" correctly,
      it must use "eoclip" instead for a particular operation.

2. Increased some buffer sizes in batch processors to accommodate potentially
   long file path names (abcfmt, exptxt prepcomp).

3. Added "NJPG" type (type=NJPG) to merge-form batch command, which will
   pass an external JPEG file be as-is to output (m2kbin, preview, galeyc,
   typdrv, jpeginfo).

   Please note:

   a. The primary application of this, is to batch directly to digital
      color printer.
   b. If such a batch job is opened in MECCA 2000, the JPG image will change
      to native bitmap format, thereby increasing the .g file size.
   c. The resulting PostScript file is not suited to be further processed
      by the ps3form program.

4. EPS output now always positions the image bounding box such that its
   lower left corner is at [0 0] (typdrv, print.tcl).

5. When selecting one part to view from the Parts button, the part type
   (spot or process) now sets the window mode automatically (parts.tcl).

6. The "m2Kdata(show_fcp_chips)" personal preference item has been retired.
   The color chart listbox was re-written and takes much less time to set up.
   As a result, color chart is now a standard item in the tools menu (m2kbin,
   m2k, m2kprocs.tcl, fcplist.tcl).

   Under Process Color mode, the chart provides an extra input box, wherein
   user can type in desired color name for auto-match (this function is also
   available in the layer color set-up dialog).  In the color list, button-2
   (middle button of a 3-button mouse) invokes a "color info" panel, and
   button-3 (typically the right button), while depressed, will show the
   corresponding color's internal color number in parentheses.

   Under Spot Color mode, the chart list is 600-700 gray, to visually signal
   that the user is working with Spot densities, rather than actual "colors".

   The chart contents will not change when going into Type mode.

   Whenever a component attribute dialog is present, wherein a "Color:"
   setting box has focus, clicking an entry in the chart list will set that
   corresponding color/density in the dialog.

7. Layer button invoked "layer control box" dialog now provides layer color
   report: clicking any of the colored squares will cause the color name for
   that layer to be shown (m2kprocs.tcl).

8. Layer Set-up dialog has been re-designed somewhat, for better visual and
   functionality (layer2.tcl, m2kbin).

   There are now 2 rows of CMYK densities reported, those of a layer (click
   on any of the 32 layer color strips), and those of an entry in the chart
   (click an entry in the chart listbox).

   The existing functionality of button-3 over a layer strip, to find "the
   closest color" in the chart list, is still available.

9. Supports "named colors" for spot color work, such as using "Pantone"
   colors.  Please read "v4.00_named_colors" in this directory for details
   (m2kbin, galeyc, gpcdump, m2k, makefcp01, readfcpmap.so, m2kfcpmap, bprt2,
    m2klistbox.so, typdrv, addpartdims, mecca_env.tcl, PSbasic.ps,
    PSSepOper.ps, tclIndex, tk.options, fcplist.tcl, m2kprocs.tcl, print.tcl,
    layer2.tcl, parts.tcl, compose2.tcl, userstyle.tcl, setbox.tcl, text.tcl,
    area.tcl, combinefile.tcl, compose.tcl, pantone.master, ncsuffix.menu).

::Addendum::
http://www.amgraf.com/updates/m2k/v400A.txt
http://www.amgraf.com/updates/m2k/v400B.txt