wayneck@tekig5.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp) (04/05/88)
I just bought Quantum this weekend. It is a paint program that allows the
user to paint in upto 4096 colors. I guess the program is okay, it seems to
work but I'm not over impressed by it. I may just be tainted by Spectrum
which really impressed me. I paid arount $40 for it.
Anyway you get the following:
1. four display modes
32 colors - medium res. 4 colors changed 8 times over the picture
128 colors - low res. 16 colors changed 8 times over the picture
512 colors - kind of like Spectrum, gives 32 to 40 colors a scan line
4096 colors - adds flicking inbetween shades to the 512 mode
2. Lots of drawing tools with a fairly easy to use interface. (easier
than Spectrum, but not a flexible and fewer tools than Spectrum I
think).
3. A set of animation tools that allow one to make flip book style
animation. (I haven't use these)
Seems like a lot of bang for the buck? Well here is what I don't like:
1. Key work copy protection, key word is better than most kinds but I
think all copy protection is a big pain in the butt for a honest
user.
2. Spectrum gives me 48 colors per scan line, I need even more, but
32 is often too low. Even thought the manual says "There are some
limitations to the number of different colors that can occur in a
small area of scrren - but depending on the sort of images are
being drawn anywhere from 32-40 colors are available on EACH SCREEN
LINE - hardly a limitation, really!" That kind of statment dosen't
sit well with me, what do they know about what I need. Spectrum
gives you upto 15 new colors before the scan line and gives you a
new color every 10 pixels. This program only seems to give you a
new set of 10 colors every 80 pixels. Not quite the same. Still
it is a lot better than nothing.
3. In the 512 and 4096 modes you can only select one color at a time
to work with. There is no color selection table and you can't
look at the picture while selecting the color. There are tools for
setting the color but it real hard for me to compare with only one
color to work with. I just don't have a good color memory.
4. You can't draw with the 512 or 4096 colors displayed. You have
to draw on a 16 color version instead. Sometimes colors just go
away while drawing. Kind of like using ms to make a nice document.
5. Won't flood fill in 512 and 4096 color modes. Just rings a bell at
me.
6. A warning in the manual stating that you can't use Quantum pictures
in your own programs if you want to sell them. They are putting
together a Software House Site Licence and Source Code Kit that you
can buy so that then your program can use Quantum pictures. I think
they are nuts! If I make a picture I can't use it! Why should I
pay than anything so that I can use MY pictures.
Anyway I'm not a artist so while I think Spectrum is better, this program
might be better after some updates and basic changes in attitude.
Wayne Knapp