how to select graphics software.

Powerful and economical microcomputer with excellent graphics capabilities opens the door for new graphics applications in the lab.
The training manual can contain sections of different fonts and sizes, simple drawings of the equipment, and a diagram of the steps to follow.
Trends in quality control, test volumes, or personnel utilization are easily displayed.
The chart can also present laboratory results in a way that quickly identifies pathological conditions.
Display posters, laboratory signs, drug concentration patterns-
The possibilities are endless.
We will provide an overview of the graphics software in this article, as well as hardware and other requirements.
We will explore specific graphics programs next month.
* General functionality of graphics software.
Even if several programs complete the same task, it may take 10 minutes for one program to complete and 3 hours for the other.
So if you want to save valuable time, it\'s critical to make the right software choices.
There are three basic types of graphics: data charts or charts, word charts, and charts.
Data chart program.
All data chart programs share horizontal and vertical bar charts, pie charts, and X.
Y diagram with or without connection points.
You can select from the options menu and enter the data.
The title of the program to obtain accompanying data (e. g.
, Month, number of tests and other titles in the spreadsheet)
And select the value that will be used as the index point on the axis.
In addition to other ways, graphics can be enhanced by changing the size and font of the font and using symbols.
Some programs allow the user to draw almost anything needed, draw or fill the image with colors and shades.
Word chart program.
These programs assemble outlines and other forms of words.
They are ideal for text slides, they carefully arrange elements of different sizes and styles and align the text with numbers.
Large enough printer or other output device-
Tape measure and symbols can be made.
Graph program.
With this software, a general graphics tool (
Such as rotation, curve fitting, line, curve, circle, polygon drawing)
And use the predefined symbol library to generate organization charts, flow charts, program outlines, etc.
The program draws by combining basic graphics, so drawing skills are not required;
Moreover, mistakes can be easily corrected.
Better programs have better drawing functions such as coloring with various patterns.
Most graphics programs allow almost any type of label to be placed.
You can enter data manually or directly from a database or spreadsheet.
Some programs draw the graphics you want, while others enhance it by adding or modifying colors and improving lines.
Projects like freelancers (
Lotus Development, Cambridge. )does both.
Each program has a range of features that are different from other programs, making it more appropriate for a particular purpose or audience.
Fortunately, customer needs force companies to continuously improve their products, and these unique features are becoming less important for ordinary applications.
Programs that don\'t have specific features typically allow users to do similar results with some extra work.
Notable features of a graphics program include the number of symbols that can be used and other graphic elements;
Size and style of letters; colors;
Type of graph;
Straight line and opposite axis;
Fill with color, gray tones and patterns;
The ability to draw by hand;
Ability to modify parts of drawings;
The ability to transfer graphics from one program to another;
And running speed.
Some program features are rarely found in other programs and cannot be simulated or replaced by different processes. Examples: 1)
Add curves with minimum-obtained graph datasquare-
Fitting a given function; 2)
Drawing the range of possible values due to measurement errors (
Error bars up and down on data points); 3)three-
Size graphics; 4)
High, low and closing prices (
Similar stock market); 5)
Multiple Charts on one page, such as two Y axes or one graph superimposed on the other.
Few graphic programs are copiedprotected.
If you want to transfer the program to a random access memory disk to speed up execution, or if you have a microcomputer to do most of the work while another is connected to an expensive peripheral, copy, such as a laser printer or a drawing machine.
In the final case, you want to easily transfer the graphics prepared on the first computer to the computer with an output device.
For recurring charts that involve many data points from large databases, you may need to consider using a spreadsheet to enter data instead of entering it directly into a graphical program.
The spreadsheet can quickly provide a rough outline of the chart.
In addition, if you change the graphics software later, you can re-use the spreadsheet data.
* Hardware and other requirements.
The author tends to be an IBM-
Compatible computer;
640 k ram is usually the minimum memory required for the graphics.
To speed up the operation, try one of the following methods (
Possible effective order): 1)
Increase the basic computer RAM to 64OK; 2)
If the graphics software requires frequent disk access, create a RAMdisk using additional memory; 3)
Add a math co-processor chip, such as an80287 (
Let\'s say your graphics program will support it); or 4)
Use a microcomputer.
If you plan on publishing a large number of graphics or desktops, buy a microcomputer with a 80386 microprocessor.
This will cost about $800 more than the 80286 microprocessor\'s AT, but it will run 3 to 10 times faster.
Updating the AT as an alternative is feasible but expensive.
The main screen display option supported by most graphics programs is 1)Hercules-
Compatible, high
Hardware resolution of monochrome display (
Gray tone without color); 2)
Color Graphics Adapter (CGA)for low-
Color; 3)
Enhanced Color Adapter (EGA)
Resolution close to the Hercules display; and 4)
The new IBM standard video graphics adapter is superior to Alexa in terms of color and resolution. A whole-
The page monochrome screen, which costs $1,000 to $2,000, is especially useful for graphic and desktop publishing covering the entire page.
However, it can take a long time to draw a whole page of graphics, unless you have a very fast microcomputer.
With fast 80386 microprocessor and up and down half cutover, you may get better resultspages.
For most programs, the output resolution has nothing to do with the screen resolution.
The drafters who draw each point provide the best resolution.
Prices range from $800 to $2,000, hand-delivered paper and a variety of excellent colors;
The ability to automatically feed or process large paper is more costly. Hewlett-
In most cases, similar products sold by Packard plotters and IBM are sufficient.
The laser printer, priced from $2,000 to $4,000, offers a very good black and white resolution.
You usually need at least 2mb of RAM to print the complete graphics at the maximum resolution, but the standard functionality of most printers is less than 1 mb.
Ensure complete software and printert are supported-
Page resolution of 300x300 points per inch (dpi).
Some programs and printers can only generate one-
Half page of 300x300 dpi or full page of 150x150 dpi.
Software manufacturers may say that their programs can be drawn on specific devices, such as laser printers.
However, not all features can be used on the device.
Many letter fonts and graphic symbols may be distorted or not picked up at all.
If a specific combination of symbols or fonts is critical to your app, test the software on a draftsman or laser printer to make sure it works.
Some graphics programs require a mouse, but the keyboard is also available for most programs.
Some people can accept the graphics created by other programs and enhance them.
Many people allow the automatic printing of large quantities of graphics, which is useful if you have a drawing machine with an automatic paper delivery or laser printer.
Microsoft\'s operating system Windows (Bellevue, Wash. )
, Allows the user to run many programs at the same time and helps transfer information (such as graphics) from one program to another.
It also facilitates the merging of graphics and text on the page, automatically scanning the text.
Not all programs can take advantage of these features.
In addition, a fast computer with sufficient memory is needed (
Windows works with 80386 PCs).
These are general considerations.
We will look for the graphics program available next month.