Copyright: Multicom 3-D Magic Help File


 3-D Magic Help Contents

The Contents lists Help topics available for 3-D Magic.

Use the scroll bar to see entries not currently visible in the Help window.

To learn how to use Help, press F1 or choose Using Help from the Help menu

3-D Magic Window

Menu Commands


 3-D Magic Window

Click the part of the 3-D Magic window you want to know more about.


 Menu Commands

File

Edit

Tools

Transform

View

Window

Help


 File Menu

Open...

Save

Save As...

Print...

Printer Setup...

Exit


 Edit Menu

Undo

Redo


 Tools Menu

Zoom


 Transform Menu

3-D Effect

Mirror Horizontal

Mirror Vertical


 View Menu

8 Bit

24 Bit


 Window Menu

Cascade

Tile Horizontal

Tile Vertical

Arrange Icons


 Help Menu

Contents

Search

About 3-D Magic


 File: Open... Command

The "Open..." command opens a file that has been previously created.

When you choose the "Open..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

File Name

Select or type the name of the image you want to open. This box lists images with the filename extension selected in the List Files Of Type box. To see a list of files with a particular extension, type an asterisk (*), a period, and the three-character extension, and then press ENTER. To see files with more than one filename extension, type a semicolon (;), a second asterisk (*), a period, and another three-character extension. For example, if you want to see all files with the .BMP extension and all files with the .TIF extension, type *.bmp; *.tif.

List Files Of Type

Select the type of file you want to see in the File Name list.

Drives

Select the drive that contains the file you want to open.

Directories

Select the directory that contains the file you want to open.

Related Topics

File: Save Command

File: Save As... Command


 File: Save Command

The "Save" command saves the active image with the name, location, and file format as you opened or previously set in the Save As... dialog box. The image document window remains open after saving.

Related Topics

File: Save As...Command

File: Open... Command


File: Save As... Command

Use the "Save As..." command to assign a new filename, file format, and/or file path for the active image.

When you choose the "Save As..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

File Name

Enter the name of the file you want to save. To save a document with an existing filename, select the name in the list or type the current name. When you choose the OK button, 3-D Magic asks if you want to overwrite the existing document.

Save File As Type

Select the file format from the drop-down list box.

Directories

Displays directories to which you can save. The current directory is shown above the "Directory" list box.

Drives

Select the drive where you want to store the image.

Related Topics

File: Save Command

File: Open... Command


 File: Print... Command

The "Print..." command prints the image document using the specifications in the "Printer Setup..." dialog boxes.

When you choose the "Print..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

Page Size Window

This window shows you how the image would be printed on the page if you Click the Print button. It shows the page either in landscape or in portrait orientation depending on what was previously chosen in the Printer Setup... dialog box.

Fixed Aspect checked

If you check this box 3-D Magic will determine the width and height of the image using the existing images proportions. If you enter a value for the width or height, 3-D Magic automatically maintains the fixed aspect ratio. If this box is not checked, 3-D Magic will determine the proportions of the new image by the new width and height.

Center horizontally

Check this box to center the image between the vertical sides of the page.

Center vertically

Check this box to center the image between the horizontal sides of the page.

Width

Enter a appropriate value for the image width.

Height

Enter a appropriate value for the image height.

X-Scale

You may enter a percentage of the image original width instead of a value in the width box.

Y-Scale

You may enter a percentage of the image original height instead of a value in the height box.

Top

If the Center vertically box is not checked, you may enter an appropriate value for the distance from the top of the page.

Left

If the Center horizontally box is not checked, you may enter an appropriate value for the distance from the left of the page.

Fit to page

Click this button to scale the image to fit the page.

Original size

Click this button to reset all values to the image original size.

Setup

Click this button to open the Printer Setup dialog box

Cancel

Click this button to close the Print dialog box without printing the image

Print

Click this button to start the printing process.

Related Topics

File: Printer Setup... Command


File: Printer Setup... Command

When you choose the "Printer Setup..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

Default Printer

Shows the active output device

Specific Printer

Lists the available output devices. Select one from the list.

Orientation

Select portrait or landscape orientation.

Setup

Configures your output device. Options such as page size and resolution are available, depending on your printer.

Related Topics

File: Print... Command


File: Exit Command

The "Exit" command ends your 3-D Magic session.

If you have made changes to any images since they were last saved, 3-D Magic asks if you want to save the changes.


 Edit: Undo Command

The "Undo" command cancels the effects of the last edit.


 Edit: Redo Command

The "Redo" command brings the last edit of the image back.


 Tools: Zoom... Command

The Zoom... command let you display a magnified or reduced view of the current image.

When you choose the "Zoom..." command, a tool bar containing the following options appears:

Zoom Factor

Select how large or small you want your image to appear. The zoom factor 0 represents the original dimensions of the image. Negative values panes the image, positive values zooms the image

Zoom

Click this button to apply the zoom process.


 Transform: 3-D Effect... Command

The 3-D Effect... command computes the third dimension of an image and generate a 3-D image.

When you choose the "3-D Effect..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

Shift

Sets the amount of the shift between the red and the blue/green part of the 3-D Image. Positive values let the image appear in the background, negative values in the front. Recommended values are around 10 to 15 pixels. The quality of the 3-D effect depends on the original image. Some pictures are easier to compute than others. Generally a background 3-D Effect looks better than the front effect. This is because it is easier for the eyes to adjust to the background effect than to the front effect.

Keep Image Size

Normally the image will be smaller after the 3-D transformation. If the Keep Image Size box is checked, the 3-D Image will be resized to the original size.

Make 3-D

Click this button to apply the 3-D Effect to the actual image.


 Transform Mirror

Transform: Mirror Horizontal

Transform: Mirror Vertical


 Transform: Mirror Horizontal Command

The "Mirror Horizontal" command mirrors the selected area horizontally. If no area is selected, 3-D Magic mirrors the entire image.

Related Topics

Transform: Mirror Vertical Command

Apply to a selection


 Transform: Mirror Vertical Command

The "Mirror Vertical" command mirrors the selected area vertically. If no area is selected, 3-D Magic mirrors the entire image.

Related Topics

Transform: Mirror Horizontal Command

Apply to a selection


 Image: Color Depth... Command

The "Color depth..." command lets you convert the active document to another data type. The new image appears in a separate document window.

When you choose the "Color depth..." command, a dialog box containing the following options appears:

Number of Color

Drag the slider to set the number of colors to retain

Optimized

If checked, the reduction will be determined for the best result.

Dither

Check to simulate more colors (or shades of gray) than the retained number of colors can produce by arranging the available colors into patterns that fool the eye into thinking it is seeing other colors.

Reduction

Click this button to start the color reduction.


View: 8 Bit Command

24-bit images display with the wrong colors when viewed in 16 or 256 color video modes. The reason for this is quite simple: VGA and SuperVGA video modes require palettes and 24-bit images don`t have palettes. So, Windows makes its best guess at what it thinks the image should use for a palette and maps the various colors in the image to the colors it has available. Windows best guess is usually far from correct and the image generally looks quite garish.

To resolve this problem you can choose the 8-Bit view on an image. 3-D Magic reduce a 24-bit images to a 256 colors representation. This process does not actually reduce the colors of the original image.

Related Topics

View: 24 Bit


View: 24 Bit Command

Switches back to the standard 24 Bit view

Related Topics

View: 8 Bit


Window: Cascade Command

The "Cascade" command arranges image windows in an overlapping pattern so that the title bar of each window remains visible.

Related Topics

Window: Tile Horizontal Command

Window: Tile Vertical Command


Window: Tile Horizontal Command

The "Tile Horizontal" command arranges the windows of the opened images one above the other so that all images are visible in the workspace.

Related Topics

Window: Tile Vertical Command

Window: Tile Cascade Command


Window: Tile Vertical Command

The "Tile Vertical" command arranges the windows of the opened images side by side so that all images are visible in the workspace.

Related Topics

Window: Tile Horizontal Command

Window: Tile Cascade Command


Window: Arrange Icons
Window: Arrange Icons Command

Arrange minimized image icons in a horizontal row with the "Arrange Icons" command from the Window menu.

To bring an image back to its normal size, double-click the icon.

Related Topics

Window: Tile Horizontal Command

Window: Tile Vertical Command

Window: Tile Cascade Command


Help: Contents... Command

Displays the contents of the 3-D Magic Help system.

support information.

As you look through Help, you can return to the Contents screen by clicking the Contents button in the Help window.

Related Topics

Help: Search...Command


Help: Search... Command

Searches in Help for information related to topics on which you want more information.

To use the Search... command, type the topic or select it from the list in the Search dialog box, and then choose the Show Topics button to see related topics. To display a particular topic from the list of topics, select it and then choose the Go To button. To quickly search for information in Word Help, double-click the Help button on the Standard toolbar to open the Search dialog box.

Related Topics

Help: Contents... Command


Help: About... Command

Displays information about your copy of 3-D Magic, including the version number and the copyright notices.


Selection

You can select a specific rectangular area in the current image for editing. Drag the pointer to create the selection area. Click one time to cancel the selection. Once you have selected an area you can apply most of the image tools and effects only to this area. The following tools and effects are able to apply to a selected area:

Mirror Horizontal

Mirror Vertical