rick@soma.bcm.tmc.edu (Rick Gray) (12/15/87)
We are currently investigating ways to obtain high-quality color slides from our Masscomp displays. Most of our graphics uses GPS format (created with either Masscomp Data Presentation or Creare mcplot software, or ged output) although we occasionally would like slides or prints from images created with Doug Logan's Masspaint program or possibly future images obtained with a scanner. With GPS files we have the option of making a high resolution hardcopy, then photographing that, but that isn't possible with bitmap files (at least we don't know how to do it). We already have the ability to get good-quality black & white plots of GPS files using either: 1) a pen plotter and drafting pens; or 2) a filter we wrote using the Masscomp-supplied gpsras filter and a simplified version of their ACT color printer driver to output GPS files to a HP Laserjet II at 300 dpi. We would like to minimize the amount of darkroom work required to make color slides, since we aren't set up for color processing in our lab. The options we are working on now are: 1) Directly photographing the screen of an Aurora (1152x910) with a 35 mm camera, using either Ektachrome or Polaroid Polachrome film. This provides pretty good slides, but it's tricky to get even brightness across the slide, and the image has to be reduced to ~75% to reduce visible curvature. We also have 19" (832x600) and 12" (640x480) color graphics tubes, but the lower resolution only makes things worse. 2) We are working on a GPS to BGL (Business Graphics Language) filter so we can send files to our Medical Illustration Department's high-resolution slide maker system. This looks promising, but since they support many different fonts, some hand editing of the BGL file will be necessary to get exactly what we want. We also have to wait for them to make the slide and pay a healthy price for it (~$5/slide). 3) We have a Polaroid Freeze-frame Video Image Recorder as part of an image analysis system, but it expects either 15.75 KHz NTSC color composite or 15.75 KHz RGB input. All of our Masscomp color tubes have a much higher horizontal scan frequency (30.86 KHz on the 12"; 32.4 KHz on the 19"; and 63.34 KHz on the Aurora). So, here are our questions: 1) Is there any way, preferably through software, to slow down the horizontal scan rate on any of the graphics processors so we can use the Polaroid Freeze-frame with our Masscomps? If that's not possible, is there any way we can build a circuit to make the output compatible with the Polaroid unit? [We can build practically any circuit, but buying a $10K+ film recorder is not an option for us.] 2) How do other folks make high-quality color slides or illustrations of data collected with their Masscomps (or any other graphics workstation) for presentation?
mike@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Tankenson) (12/17/87)
> We are currently investigating ways to obtain high-quality color slides > from our Masscomp displays. > 2) How do other folks make high-quality color slides or illustrations of > data collected with their Masscomps (or any other graphics workstation) > for presentation? We are using a Rembrandt 3500 Camera system connected to a med. resolution Sun Color graphics display (hanging off a Sun 2/180). It works fine and was used to provide the first color slides for the Voyager Saturn encounter. Sorry I can't provide more details, but I might be able to refer you to the person who did the work. Let me know if you're interested. --mike Mike Tankenson Telos/Jet Propulsion Laboratory - NASA 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA. 91109 (818) 354-1447 Uucp: seismo!cit-vax!jplpro!mike Arpa: jplpro!mike@cit-vax.ARPA -or- mike@jplpro.JPL.NASA.GOV