File: JX100Translator.zip
       Author: Edmund Vermeulen <edmundv@xs4all.nl>
      Release: 2.0.0 (May. 11th, 1998)
Compatibility: BeOS R3 for PowerPC
     Location: contrib/add-ons/translators
  Description: Sharp JX-100 colour scanner translator add-on
        Notes: Freeware


JX100Translator is a translator add-on that allows you to make colour scans
with a Sharp JX-100 serial scanner from within any application that supports
loading bitmaps through the translation kit.


Features

 - Activated through a special starter file.
 - Serial port name can be edited in the starter file.
 - Progressive output option lets you see the scan process in real-time.
 - Scan window can display a grayscale preview scan and lets the user
   select the area and resolution to scan in colour.
 - Preview bitmap stored between sessions.


Installation

Copy the file 'JX100Translator' to the directory '/boot/home/config/add-ons/
Translators'. The starter file 'JX100Starter' may be placed anywhere.

If you have your Sharp JX-100 scanner connected to another port than the
default of 'serial2', then you should edit the port setting in the starter
file using a normal text editor. The scanner is driven at 115200 bps, so you
need a serial port that supports this. On a BeBox you should use either
'serial1' or 'serial2'.


Usage

Simply open the 'JX100Starter' file in any program that supports loading
bitmaps through the translation kit, such as my DTPicView program.

After this you will be confronted with the scan window where you will notice
a large blank area on the left. This is where the grayscale preview scan
will appear. It's also the plave where you can select the exact area that
you want to scan in colour. Press the 'Scan Preview' button to start the
grayscale preview scan. You can set the colour scan area by entering the
preferred values by hand, or by simply adjusting the selection rectangle
with the mouse.

Once you have set the correct scan area and DPI resolution, you can press
the 'Start Colour Scan' button. This will start the actual capture process
that will deliver the bitmap data to the application that is running
JX100Translator.


Settings

You can change the settings that JX100Translator uses by editing the starter
file with a normal text editor. It looks like this:

    JX100Translator Starter
    port = serial2
    preview = /boot/home/config/settings/JX100Preview

The 'port' setting defines the serial port where the scanner is connected.
The 'preview' setting defines the path where the archived bitmap of the
preview scan is stored.

JX100Translator also has a 'Progressive output' option in its configuration
view that is enabled by default. This allows you to watch the scan process
as it takes place. You can see the green, red, and blue colour components
coming in to build the final image. This is accomplished by writing the
bitmap three times. You can switch this feature off, although I have no
idea why you would want to. Progressive display doesn't work with all
programs. DTPicView does it, and also includes the source code for other
programs to use.


History

Release 2.0.0 (May. 11th, 1998)

 - Renamed from JX100Input to JX100Translator. It used to be a capture
   handler for the datatypes library. It is now a translator add-on for the
   translation kit that is activated though a special starter file.
 - Removed media stream stuff. Instead, when the 'Progressive output'
   setting is enabled, the bitmap will simply be written out three times
   with a Seek() in between.
 - Added handshaking during scanning to avoid serial buffer overflow.
 - Preview bitmap is stored in memory during a session, and as an archived
   bitmap on disk between sessions.

Release 1.0.0 (July 25th, 1997)

 - First public release.


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