keller@ficc.uu.net (curtis keller) (12/10/88)
In article <2303@ficc.uu.net> I wrote : >I am looking for ideas/hints/suggestions for equipment that can be >used to capture low-resolution color images and support minor mods >to the image and finally print the image. > >The basic system I have in mind would be a PC : > > - connected to a low-cost color video camera > - capture the low-resolution image (256 x 256 x 8 would be sufficient) > - have the image displayed on the PC monitor, allow for minor adjustments > - print the image on a color printer (driven by video or a dump of pixel > memory). > >And the entire system needs to be fairly inexpensive (cheap :-)) !! Here are summaries of the reponses I got. Thanks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!pyramid.com!amiga!jimm (Jim Mackraz) Anyway, the Amiga is the way. There is a real cheap and very high quality color digitizer that uses a black and white (cheap) surveillance camera and three shots through an RGB color wheel. It gives great results if you can get the subject to stand still. Digitizing color photos or magazine stuff works great. The product is called Digi-View, and consists of a tiny little A-D that hangs off the parallel port, a cheap camera, and a copy stand that you hook the color wheel and the camera to. The company is NewTek, Inc, in Topka Kansas. An Amiga with one of these is PROBABLY cheaper than the equivalent add of for a PC, even if you have the PC. The Amiga printer drivers allow for device-independent color output to a variety of cheap and expensive printers, and will fake it on a black and white printer with your choice of thresholds, dither patterns, etc. The paint programs can work with these pictures in a special HAM mode, with 4096 colors possible. You can't beat it on a budget, no way. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!cbnews.ATT.COM!clh (Chris Harting) If you don't need a frame grabber, ComputerEyes from Digital Vision is a good choice. Digitizes at 320x200, takes 6-12 seconds to scan an image, $250. New color version is somewhere around $400. I picked up a used b/w video camera, so my total was under $400. The software now allows saving in various formats so you can bring the image into paint programs such a PC Paint+, PC Paintbrush and Dr. Halo. Digital Vision, Inc. 66 Eastern Avenue Dedham, MA 02026 617-329-5400 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!epicb!david Truevision Inc., has the ICB card which offers 256 x 256 x 16 bits per pixel (32,768 colors at one time -- 5 bits red, 5 bits green and 5 bits blue with the 16th bit used to specify if an individual pixel is live video or stored frame buffer graphics). The board will handle real-time frame grabbing (30 frames per second) via a NTSC color camera input (you supply the camera). It sends out NTSC and RGB signals to the monitor (which you also supply). You can specify on a PIXEL by PIXEL basis whether an individual pixel is seeing live video, grabbing live video, or seeing stored graphics. This allows you to combine live video with stored graphics at the same time. For more information, contact: Truevision Inc., 7351 Shadeland Station Indianapolis, Indiana 46256 (317)-841-0332 (don't call me.. ask for pricing or closest dealer information - I'm just a lowly hack) If you need more resolution (color or image) we also offer the TARGA and VISTA boards which support 512 x 512 and up to 1024 x 768 x 32 (as in the VISTA series).. we also support the VISTA for the MAC II... but these are much higher costing boards. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!devvax.Jpl.Nasa.Gov!jackm (Jack Morrison) 2 options come to mind. A) AT&T has (had?) something called Image Capture Board that does what you want, for I think around $500. It was introduced at the same time as the Targa stuff (from Truevision group). Haven't heard anything about them lately - I (and apparently everyone else) went for the higher resolution Targas. B) I've seen ads (e.g. in BYTE) for capture boards that work with VGA cards. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!athertn.Atherton.COM!paul (Paul Sander) Try contacting Xybion Electronics Corporation in San Diego, CA. Their telephone number is 619/566-7850. The make cameras and frame grabbers, and sell image processing software. I believe all of their stuff runs on IBM PC compatible hardware. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!gatech.edu!gt-eedsp!jensen (P. Allen Jensen) Try Imaging Technology, Inc (ITI) - They have cards for the IBM-PC/AT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!media!ian (Ian Poynter) Our company has such a product. Call (301) 495-3305 and ask for information on "HALOVision". Contact me by e-mail if you have any questions. (Remember I'm an Engineer and am no good for prices/quotes, but I think it's good value for money) Ian Poynter Phone: (301) 495-3305 Internet: (new) ian%media@pentagon-ai.army.mil (but too new to work?) (old) ian%media@hqda-ai.arpa (going away real soon now) UUCP: ..!{mimsy,sundc}!{prometheus,hqda-ai}!media!ian >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From uucp Thu Dec 1 13:41 CST 1988 Digitizer: True color or color mapped? Truevision's Targa 16 is 512x400x16 truecolor. Everex has a functionally equivalent board for a whole lot less money, I don't know the model but I could find it if you need it. What are you capturing? If it is live video you need a fast digitizer like this. 8 bits probably means color mapped which usually means capture one plane at a time (R,G,B) and then build the image, so the image has to be still. (Copy stand) Do you need one digitizing station and multiple display stations? Display: Why display on the system monitor? Is this a requirement? System monitors are usually digital TTL input or monochrome, unless you are using a multi-sync. I recommend a separate monitor for graphics and a monochrome monitor for the system. I don't know of any frame buffers that will work as a system video display on the PC. Life is much easier with two displays, and no more expensive. If you can afford a Sony CPD-1302, that's my favorite. Most versatile, too. Hardcopy: What resolution? What will it be used for? I can't make any recommendations for a cheap, high quality output. They are either awful and cheap or good and expensive. I prefer a film recorder to a printer personally. Let me know if you find something exciting here. Other: Don't bother with a PC, they are TOO SLOW. Get an AT class machine. Plan on getting an EMS memory board if you will be using a paint system. Make sure the computer is compatible with the frame buffer. Some clones AREN'T. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: uunet!b.atc.olivetti.com!voder!antares.tymnet!tymix!jms (joe smith) An Amiga 500 and a Digi-View digitizer+camera+stand costs less than $1000 and can produce 320 x 200 x 4096 color pictures, 320 x 400 x 4096, and 640 x 400 x 16 shades of gray. I believe there are a couple of well-known Amiga hackers at Ferranti that could show you the capabilities of the Amiga as a digitizer. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: josef@ugun21.UUCP Colour would not be very simple (and therefore not quite inexpensive)! If You can live with B&W, try Steve Ciarcia's ImageWise Serial Digital Imaging System. It is available from Circuit Cellar Inc 4 Park St. Suite 12 Vernon, CT 06066 Prices: Digitizer/Transmitter DT01 (Full Kit) $249 Dispay/Receiver DR01 (Full Kit) $249 The DT01 grabs and digitizes a standard B&W picture into 256x256 dots with 6 bits of grey scale and transmits it over an RS232 line. The DR01 does the reverse. There are provisions to use a color camera, but, again, only B&W digitization. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Curtis Keller (uunet!ficc!keller)