active document
The document displayed in the active document window. A document can appear in more than one document window at once. As long as one of those windows is active, the document itself is active.
active document window
This window appears "on top" of all other document windows (unless tiled), and its title bar is a different color. It contains one view of the active document.
The "top" edit layer, the one that can be marked up and edited. New edit layers are always active. Only one edit layer at a time can be active on each page.
active multipage
Active document that happens to be a multipage document. See current multipage.
The raster layer that is affected by many Edit Control commands, and can be cut, copied, and pasted. Raster layers are active when first opened or created.
A note placed on an image that can be displayed as text or as an icon:
.
Annotation layer
A type of edit layer that permits annotations, arrows, text, highlighted sketches, and shaded areas.
Vector object in the shape of an unbroken curved line.
aspect ratio
Relationship of width to height. When aspect ratio is maintained, the image is scaled proportionally. When it is not, the image is "stretched" vertically or horizontally when scaled.
A non-blocking communication. Compare synchronous.
attributes
Attributes characterize the appearance (size, color, font, and so on) of an existing object.
The part of the image that lies behind the color or black pixels (in positive images), vector objects, or text. Compare foreground.
Text string, similar to a header or footer in a word processing program, that can be placed on the top or bottom of a printed or a faxed page. The banner appears outside the image boundaries. Compare stamp.
Layer at the bottom of the page, below all other layers. The first layer to be rendered. Compare overlays.
Black-and-white image. Raster image in which data is stored as one data bit for one dot (or pixel) of raster data. The data is either on or off (black or white) with no intermediate status.
binding objects
Making a set of objects a permanent group so that all are selected when one is clicked.
A raster image. A collection of dots (called pixels) that make up an image.
Sub-layers on an edit layer. Some CAD-based vector images have a base layer that consists of one or more subordinate layers.
calibration
Calibration is used when measurements returned based on the image resolution are not accurate. It acts like a scale on a map. For example, you may know that an image line is 1.5 inches long, but the value returned when you use the Measure tool on it is 3 inches. In that case you could calibrate the page by 0.5 so that the line measures 1.5 inches. All further measurements are then accurate.
cap
End point of an object line. It can be rounded or squared.
CCW
Counter-clockwise.
A configuration file. Configuration files determine which menus, commands, button bars, buttons, and dialog box options are available. Integrators can create a custom CFG file by editing the Image.src file in a text editor. For more information, refer to the Spicer CFG Help at (Support section).
changing attributes
Modifying the appearance (size, color, font, and so on) of an existing vector object.
Raster image in which combinations of red-green-blue (RGB) form the color pixels.
compression
A technique for making raster data sizes smaller, so that they consume less RAM and disk space. A raster file in its native or raw form is uncompressed. Compression is achieved by applying mathematical algorithms to the data storage process.
configuring
Defining the default attributes.
Combining two or more edit layers to form a single edit layer. Compare rasterize.
container
An application or object that contains other objects, for example, a client of a linked or embedded object. (Source: Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, 2nd Edition, 1998)
The displayed portion of the active multipage, whether or not that is an embedded page.
current page
Page displayed in the active document window that is affected by commands.
CW
Clockwise.
A blue-green color, similar to turquoise. It reflects blue and green, and absorbs red.
Preset conditions and attributes that determine the operation of the Image a•X controls. The default value is automatically assigned unless you specifically request another one. See preferences and options.
deselect
To "turn off" an object that is selected, so that it is no longer ready to be modified. See select.
deskewing
Straightening a raster image to compensate for a crooked scan.
despeckling
Removing unwanted black specks or white holes from a raster image. See noise.
dimension
Straight lines with arrows at one or both ends and dimension text in the middle or at the end of the line. Use these objects to draw scale lines on an image.
Types of dimensions
external linear
internal linear
leader text
dirty
An object, such as a page, that is dirty is one that has been changed since it was opened or last saved.
dispinterface (dispatch interface)
An IDispatch interface that responds only to a certain fixed set of names. The properties and methods of the dispinterface are not in the virtual function table for the object. (Source: MSDN Library, April 1998.) Compare dual interface.
dither
To simulate gray or color in a bilevel image with a particular pixel pattern.
A docObjectID can be a specific sectionID, documentID, pageID, or layerID, or it can be 0 (default). If you specify default, the control tries to figure out which portion of the document to apply a command to:
· In the Document Control, 0 applies the command to the simplest portion of the document. For example, a .mil file is just a document to the end user, but internally it is a page that contains a .mil layer. If you specify 0, the command is applied to the layer. For complex documents, 0 applies commands to the entire document.
· In the View Control, using 0 as the docObjectID value applies the command to the active page.
document
Any file Image a•X can open, edit, and print. The totality of what is contained in a Document Control.
document types
Classification of documents according to the data they contain. Image a•X can read raster, vector, and text document types, in certain formats.
These basic document types can be combined to create other document types: multilayer page documents, multipage documents, and sets.
dpcm, dpi
dp = dots per cm = centimeter
i = inch
Each is a measure of image resolution. See resolution.
An interface that supports both the IDispatch interface, which responds only to a certain fixed set of names, and virtual function table binding. (Source: MSDN Library, April 1998.) Compare dispinterface.
A layer that can contain vector objects, raster pastes, and the text from text documents, but not full raster images. See active edit layer.
edition
The "edition" of the Spicer DLLs determines what commands and features can be used. For example, in the View edition, all view functions are available, but none of the Tool, Group, or Raster functions are. In the View-Markup edition, all functions are available except Scan and Raster.
Edit-type edit layer
A type of edit layer that permits any objects except annotations and hotspots. Layers saved under the AutoCAD data exchange (DXF) or Windows metafile (WMF) format become Edit-type edit layers as well.
embedded pages
One or more pages contained within a multipage document at a lower, more subordinate level than other pages.
enclosing multipage
Multipage document that contains embedded pages.
enum values
Enumerated values, are integer variables. They define a finite set of unique whole numbers that can be used in the context of a particular property, method, or event.
An action, recognized by an object, for which you can write code to respond. In Image a•X, events can be generated by a user action--such as clicking the mouse or placing a vector object--or by program code.
exporting
Saving an independent page or layer document without replacing the active document.
extents, image
Limits or edges of an image.
external reference
A reference within one file to another file of that type. The CADRA, DGN, and DWG/DXF vector file formats, and the RTF text file format, allow external references to other files of those types.
external resource file
An external resource file is a Windows DLL (dynamic link library) that is created in a program such as Visual Studio. You add bitmap icons, cursors, and so on through the resource editor supplied with these programs.
The way the information is stored in a document. Often indicated by file name extensions, such as .dxf, .pdf, or .mil.
Small windows that can be placed anywhere on your desktop--that is, they "float" above all other windows. Floating windows often show a different view of the image, and generally allow you to perform certain actions on the active document.
font
The complete assortment of characters for one style and size of a particular typeface, including uppercase and lowercase characters, figures, and punctuation marks.
Times
Courier New
Arial Narrow
Part of the image that consists of color or black pixels (in positive images), vector objects, or text, as opposed to the background behind the image.
Full Edit-type edit layer
A type of edit layer without restrictions. Text documents appear on Full Edit-type edit layers.
global
Settings that affect all documents, objects, or tools.
Raster image in which each dot (or pixel) is assigned a number ranging from 0, for black, to some other number--often 255--for white. Each number in between represents an ever-lighter shade of gray.
group
A collection of vector objects logically connected so that they can be moved, changed, or deleted as though they were a single object.
hairline
Line objects of zero width. These vectors are displayed as lines of 1 screen pixel thickness at all scale factors.
hatch
A fill pattern consisting of parallel line segments, or, in the case of vector hatch patterns, a variety of patterns. Hatch is a fill option for boxes, polygons, circles, and ellipses.
Hatch-filled box:
header
Data attached to the beginning of a file that describes or controls the actions that apply to the following data, such as rotation, mirroring, data type, and compression.
A table of icons that are available to select for hotspots of the icon type. Each icon is assigned a number in the table, from 1 to 130. The icons then appear in the Hotspots category of the Tool Options and Tool Preferences dialog boxes. You can substitute custom icons for those currently in the hotspot icon table using the HotspotResourceID property.
Hotspot layer
A type of edit layer onto which you can place hotspots, lines, arcs, arrows, sketches, and polylines.
hotspots
Vector objects on edit layers that send messages to associated programs when placed or activated or both. When activated, they generally cause actions to occur, such as opening programs, copying windows, or echoing text.
image
Graphic (raster or vector) or text displayed on a page or layer.
Default name for the Spicer INI file. See INI file.
imaging
Recording "human readable" images--pictures, images, text, and so on--into "machine-readable" formats--microfiche, computer data, videotape, OCR output, ASCII text, and so forth.
importing
To bring a layer or page into the active document.
Initialization file that defines how the Image a•X controls operate by default. You can set most defaults using the commands in the controls, but some require that you edit the INI file directly using a text editor. See Image.ini.
Image in which the black and white sections are reversed. Similar to negative images, except that the color ratio is maintained when the image is reduced. Reduced negative images look darker than reduced inverted ones. Inversion can be applied to any image. Compare negative image.
Invert off Invert on
keyboard shortcuts
See shortcut keys.
label
A text string that is associated with each symbol, layer, page, multipage, or set as it is saved. It can be up to 80 characters long and can include spaces. Often used to label files for insertion into a database. Labels are displayed in document window title bars.
language table
Produced by a Spicer application called Lingo. The language tables contain all of the translated user interface strings.
layer
Every image in the Document Control appears on a layer. Layers are two-dimensional planes that can be overlaid on one another. Raster layers contain raster data only. Edit layers can contain vector objects, raster pastes, and text documents.
magnify
See zoom in.
mask table
Mask tables are used to translate vector document lines of a specific color during a specific type of operation: rasterization, display, or print. They can be used, for example, to convert lines of all red lines into patterned bilevel lines.
An action that an object is capable of performing. For example, the OpenFile method opens a file in the Document Control.
monochrome
An image or screen having only background and foreground colors. Same as black-and-white or bilevel.
multilayer page
Document file made up of one page containing two or more layers. Multiple layer page.
multipage document
Document file made up of more than one page. Multiple page document.
Image in which a pixel value of 0 represents the image data, and a pixel value of 1 represents the background. Negative images often appear black when reduced because the 0 bits are discarded for display. Text and vector files are not made up of pixels and so cannot be negative. Compare inverted image.
Negative off Negative on
Irrelevant specks or marks added to images in the scanning or redlining process.
Part of the syntax expressions. The object can be a control or an interface in a control. When using scripting languages in Web pages, you must use a control as the object (for example, the Document Control). If using controls with Visual Basic or with Visual C++, you can use an interface as the object (for example, the IDocContents interface in the Document Control). See also vector object.
OCR
Optical character recognition. Software that translates bitmapped scans or faxes of printed alphanumeric characters into ASCII or formatted text.
OLE
A communication protocol used to link Windows-based programs. When you embed or link objects, your document can contain information that was created in different programs, and you can edit any of this from inside your document.
opaque
Of solid color; not translucent or transparent. Opaque is an option for some vector object attributes.
Used to change attributes for the active document or layer in the current session only. See preferences.
Edition that allows for viewing and limited annotation of text documents and raster images.
Layers on a page that are placed on top of the base layer. That is, all layers on a page except the one at the bottom.
page
A page refers to one or more stacked layers. However, a single layer is normally only referred to as a "page" when it appears in a window with other pages, or when it is saved as a Spicer Multilayer Page (.clf) or Spicer Document (.smf).
paper sizes
|
U.S. |
Europe and Japan |
|
A = 8½ x 11 in. |
A0 = 84.1 x 118.9 cm |
|
B = 11 x 17 in. |
A1 = 59.4 x 84.1 cm |
|
C = 17 x 22 in. |
A2 = 42.0 x 59.4 cm |
|
D = 22 x 34 in. |
A3 = 29.7 x 42.0 cm |
|
E = 34 x 44 in. |
A4 = 21 x 29.7 cm |
pen mapping table
Pen mapping tables are used to translate specific vector document lines during rasterization, display, or print. They can be used, for example, to convert lines drawn with vector pen 243 to a specific bilevel pattern for both rasterization and printing.
pixel
The smallest element of a raster image--one dot. Abbreviation (more or less) of picture element.
points
A typeset measurement equal to 1/72nd of an inch. Points are typically used to measure text.
Vector objects in the shape of joined, straight lines. You draw them with the Polyline tool by defining all the line end points.
Generally used to change attributes for future documents or layers. See defaults, options.
preview image
A reduced-resolution view of a drawing that can be loaded and displayed before the main image is, to decrease load time.
An attribute of a control that you set to define one of the object's characteristics or an aspect of its behavior. For example, the Color property defines the color of a layer that is visible in the View Control. Properties can be read and write. You can find the current value of the property, or set the value.
proportional units
Coordinate values can be measured in proportional units, which are based on the enclosing rectangle of the page. The top-left corner of the page's enclosing rectangle is (0,0) and the bottom-right corner is (100000,100000).
raster image
A data type consisting of dots (also known as pixels) that are turned on or off--in bilevel rasters--or are assigned a shade of gray or a color. The dots are stacked into lines known as scan lines, which are themselves stacked to form the image. Created by scanning paper documents, or in graphics programs.
To convert one or more layers on a page into a new, single raster layer. Compare consolidating layers.
raster layer
Layer containing a raster image. It cannot contain vector objects or text documents.
redline
To append comments to a document and to make alterations with objects--circle something, strikethrough, underline, and so on. Traditionally done with a red pen.
Redline edit layer
A type of edit layer that permits all objects except annotations, hotspots, raster pastes, shaded areas, erased (or cut) areas, and rubouts. Also limits you to the transparent fill style.
reduce
See zoom out.
resize
Change the size of; shrink or enlarge.
Drawing pixels (or dots) per unit of image in the horizontal and vertical directions. Determines the fineness or coarseness of the image and affects the size of the file.
RGB
Red-green-blue, the components of color in raster pixels and vector objects. See color raster.
The parent of all multipages, pages, and layers in a document. For example, the root of a page containing a single layer is the page. Compare section.
sampling
Displaying only a sample of image pixels, and discarding the others. This is a property within the View Control. Use it to clarify dense bilevel images and to load them faster.
Sample
Sample
off on
Ratio of screen pixels to image pixels. For example, a scale factor of 0.2 (1:5) indicates 1 screen pixel for 5 image pixels, and a scale factor of 2 (2:1) indicates 2 screen pixels for 1 image pixel.
scrolling
Moving the image around the window to see different parts of it, without scaling the image.
A node in a document that contains embedded pages. A section with no parent is also called a root. See root.
To mark an item so that an action can be carried out on it. You usually select an item by clicking it or by pressing a key. With vector objects in Image a•X, however, you must activate the Select tool with the ActiveTool property in the Markup Control, and then click the object. After selecting an item, you choose the action that you want to affect it (such as OK or Move).
set
A grouping of any combination of other sets, multipages, pages, rasters, vectors, and text documents.
Keyboard combinations that allow you to choose commands without using the mouse or the access keys.
speckle
A collection of extraneous black pixels on a raster image.
Spicer Document (.smf)
A file that can contain all the image data for any number of pages. When opened, Spicer Documents are displayed in one window. Spicer-defined format.
Spicer Multilayer Page (.clf)
Component list file, a single-page document file composed of a list of layers. When you open a Spicer Multilayer Page, the layers are gathered in order and displayed in the document window, one on top of the other. Spicer-defined format.
Spicer Multipage (.das)
A collection of two or more single layers, multilayer pages, and other multipage documents. Made up of a list of file names starting with the first page file followed by each consecutive page file. Spicer-defined format.
Spicer Vector (.edt)
Spicer-defined vector format. Files usually have an .edt (for "edit") extension.
A text string that can be placed "behind" or "on top of" an image. The stamp appears within image boundaries. It can just be displayed or it can be stamped onto prints or faxes. Compare banner.
strikeout
Text with a line drawn through it. Strikeout. Sometimes called "strikethrough."
subordinate layers
See CAD layers.
Vector objects saved as an individual file.
A blocking communication. All Image a•X commands are synchronous. Compare asynchronous.
text document
A document file that contains text and (sometimes) formatting information. Created with word processing, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, OCR, and text editor programs.
thumbnail
A smaller copy of an original image, often used to identify the original.
Files in which the image is saved in several small pieces, called "tiles," that are stored and decompressed individually.
Semi-transparent, or see-through color. Translucent is an option for some object attributes.
Abbreviation for 1/20th of a point, a "point" being a typeset measurement equal to 1/72nd of an inch. Generally used to measure text.
A user attribute is a piece of data that you can attach to the application or to a document, page, or layer such as a reference to an external database. All user attributes are stored as text.
View (V)
Edition that provides all viewing functions, but no markup or edit ones.
vector images
Images that are defined mathematically and displayed graphically. Used in CAD and engineering software for precise, mathematically editable designs. In the Document Control they are displayed on edit layers.
Base elements that make up edit layers. Also called vector entities. They include arcs, circles, boxes, lines, text, annotations, cuts, erases, and pastes. You place and modify objects on the active edit layer.
View-Markup (VM)
Edition that provides all the viewing functions and markup tools, but no raster improvement functions.
View-Markup-Edit (VME)
Edition that provides viewing, markup, and raster functions.
wireframe
A closed object with no fill pattern. Used to describe boxes, polygons, circles, and ellipses with a transparent fill.
Enlarge the display size of the image so that can you see part of it in more detail. Also called magnify.
Reduce the display size of a page so that you can see more of it. As a result, the image looks smaller and less detailed. Also called reduce.