Software Reference FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs by Hasselblad Imacon 2 © 2004 Hasselblad A/S. All rights reserved. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs, Part No 70030035 revision 1.0. The information in this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Hasselblad A/S. Hasselblad A/S assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual. Hasselblad A/S assumes no responsibility or liability for loss or damage incurred during or as a result of using Hasselblad software or products. Hasselblad, Imacon, FlexColor, Flextight, FlexFrame and Ixpress are trademarks of Hasselblad A/S. Adobe and Adobe Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. Macintosh, Mac OS, ColorSync, and FireWire are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Printed in Denmark. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs Table of Contents 3 Table of Contents Introduction 7 7 7 7 8 10 13 13 14 16 17 18 18 19 21 21 21 23 24 24 26 26 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 31 What's in this Manual Software compatibility FlexColor under Mac OS and Windows System Requirements The 3f File Format FlexColor Menus The FlexColor Menu The File Menu The Edit Menu The Modify Menu The View Menu The Maintenance Menu The Window Menu The Main FlexColor Window Introduction Capture and Save Tools Color and Exposure Analysis Tools Corrections Controls Size Controls Zoom Controls Orientation Controls Other Controls Overlay The Preview The Setup Window Introduction The FlexColor Setup Philosophy Managing Setups Advanced Setup Management continues... Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 4 Table of Contents ...continued General Tab Contrast Tab Texture Tab CC (Color Correction) Tab Auto Tab Dot Tab ColorSync or ICM Tab 32 35 36 37 39 40 41 47 47 47 47 50 51 52 55 55 56 61 61 61 62 62 62 63 69 71 71 71 74 75 75 75 The Preferences Window Introduction Scanner Tab Camera Tab 3f Tab Output Profiles Tab General FlexColor Settings FlexColor ICC Profiles Generic ICC Output Profiles Editing ColorSync Color Profiles The Thumbnails Window Introduction Opening the Thumbnails Window Selecting a Thumbnails Folder Files and Formats Saving Crop and Imaging Settings Using the Thumbnails Window Printing the Thumbnails Ixpress Contents Window Introduction Using the Ixpress Contents Window Transferring Images The Info Window Introduction Using the Info Window Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs Table of Contents 5 The Exposure Window Introduction Using the Exposure window Setting the Exposure Custom White Calibration 79 79 79 80 81 83 83 83 84 85 85 87 87 88 89 89 91 93 93 94 96 98 99 99 99 99 101 101 102 105 105 106 The Color Info Window Introduction Reading Values in the Color Info Window Setting Fixed Sample Points Active and Reload Buttons Introduction The Gradations Window Introduction Using the Sliders Using the Gradations Color Picker Using the Curve Setting the Threshold for Lineart Captures The Histogram Window Introduction The Histogram Display The Histogram Color Pickers Neutralizing Colors Selective Color Correction Introduction Opening the Color Correction Window Using the Color Correction Window The Texture Window The Detail Window Introduction Using the Texture Window Introduction Using the Detail Window Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 6 Table of Contents The Live Video Window Introduction Live Video Window Tools 107 107 108 111 111 113 113 The Tasks Window Appendix Background save from 3f Keyboard Shortcuts Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs Introduction What's in this Manual 7 Introduction What's in this Manual This manual provides a menu-by-menu, screen-by-screen listing of controls and settings available with FlexColor. Topics include: · · · · · · · · · Summaries of all menu commands Description of the 3f file format Information about rotating and mirroring images Image management from the Thumbnails Window Full details of all tab sheets in the Setup window Full details of the Preferences window Instructions for editing ColorSyncTM profiles Brightness and contrast control with the Gradations window Advanced highlight and shadow settings with the Histogram window, including color neutralization and control · Advanced color control with the Color Correction window · Sharpening images with the Texture window Software compatibility The FlexColor software works with the entire range of Ixpress and FlexFrame digital camera backs and all Flextight scanners except for the Flextight 4800. FlexColor under Mac OS and Windows The CD that came with your digital camera system includes versions of FlexColor for both Macintosh and Windows-based systems. The interface is nearly identical on both platforms, with mostly superficial differences to conform with the interface guidelines of the two systems. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 8 Introduction System Requirements Nearly all of the screen captures shown in this manual were taken from Mac OS X. Windows users will notice the following differences: · In the Setup window, the color management tab is called ICM instead of ColorSyncTM. · The menus are located at the top of the main FlexColor window instead of at the top of the screen. System Requirements IBM PC-Compatibles · Minimum 233 MHz processor. · Windows 2000 or XP. · System RAM 512 MB or more recommended - when performing micro step captures we recommend at least 1.5 GB. Ixpress 528C will not function with less than 2 GB. · Screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels with true colors (24 bits). · Mouse or other pointing device. · FireWire interface or SCSI Interface. · Minimum available hard disk space of 10 GB Macintosh · Minimum Power PC processor. · Mac OS X ver. 10.2.1 or later. · System RAM 512 MB or more recommended - when performing micro step captures we recommend at least 1 GB. · Screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels with true colors (24 bits). · FireWire interface or SCSI interface. · Minimum available hard disk space of 10 GB. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs Introduction System Requirements 9 OS X Requirements OS X V 10.2.1 or later is required. We recommend updating to the latest release available. Devices can be connected by either SCSI or FireWire. Please note that if you are connecting a SCSI device through a SCSI to FireWire device it will be represented as a FireWire device - that is the bus number in the device window will be 9. To be recognized by OS X, devices connected to a standard SCSI adapter must be present when booting the Mac. A SCSI device connected via a SCSI to FireWire adapter will be recognized when the adapter is plugged in. The SCSI device itself must be turned on before connecting the adapter to FireWire or rebooting. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 10 Introduction The 3f File Format The 3f File Format When using the Scan 3f function (for scanners) or capturing an image with a digital camera back, FlexColor stores the image in the unique 3f (flexible file format). The 3f file is an extended TIFF-file containing · · · · · Raw 16-bit image data A complete history of applied settings High quality preview image Custom icons and previews visible in the Finder. Meta-data (including IPTC tags) to support an image database. In short this means that when you have scanned or captured your image, you can crop, resize and color correct an unlimited number of times afterwards. You can easily integrate to databases, have fast previews in a number of applications and always be able to re-create the quality you need - all this from the same 3f file. Image Archiving & Availability Because a 3f file preserves all of the details captured by your scanner or camera, it is perfect for archiving. Then, for each new job, you will work with the 3f image in FlexColor and export it to create a new TIFF file in which your settings are applied - the only change made to the 3f file will be the addition of a new history record of the settings you used. By making the 3f files available over your network, you will enable operators at any workstation to open an image in FlexColor and apply cropping, correction and conversion just as though they were working directly on the scanner or camera. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs Introduction The 3f File Format 11 Editing 3f Files FlexColor holds all tools required for making standard image correction of the 3f files. If you need to apply pixel-editing to your image, FlexColor has a special plug-in for Photoshop. When installing FlexColor, this plug-in will be installed in the appropriate plug-in folder if Photoshop is already installed. Please note that you will permanently alter your original scanning or capture data when you save using the plug-in. To use your images in other image-editing and DTP applications, you must apply the required settings and then save them as TIFF files. TIFF is a standard format that is supported by the vast majority of imaging and DTP programs. IPTC Tags The International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) defines a standard used in the press industry for exchanging meta-information in news content, including images. The standard associates an object with its description within the same file. You can embed all kinds of information in your images, such as a caption, the place you took it, the date and even keywords and categories etc. In FlexColor you are able to apply a number of IPTC-tags to your 3f files. See "The Info Window" on page 65 for details. An extra copy of the IPTC data is stored in the Adobe Image Resource tag to enable Extensis Portfolio and other applications extracting metadata with QuickTime to read the keywords stored in the standard IPTC tag. Many aspects of managing your images are made easier using the IPTC standard. Many software programs already exist for doing this, including Adobe Photoshop. It's the standard used by professional news agencies worldwide, and it's just as useful for others. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 12 Introduction Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs FlexColor Menus The FlexColor Menu 13 FlexColor Menus FlexColor commands are available via a standard menu bar. Each of them is described briefly below. Note that most menu entries also list a keyboard shortcut to the right of the entry. Try to remember and use these shortcuts to speed up your work. The FlexColor Menu Except for the Preferences entry the FlexColor menu functions are standard for all applications. · Preferences: Opens the Preferences window, which enables you to make general flash and shutter settings for your current camera model, select an application for viewing final images, and typing some default information for the 3f files. See "The Preferences Window" on page 47 for more information. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs 14 FlexColor Menus The File Menu The File Menu The File menu includes entries that initiate image captures and make settings for FlexColor. · Capture: Captures an image using your current settings and saves it as a 3f file (see page 10 for details). A preview of the image will be displayed in main FlexColor window right away, though rendering of the image will continue in the background for several seconds afterwards. You will not be able to view the image in full resolution until the rendering is finished, though you can make other types of settings. All setting are previewed using the full 16-bit color depth to display results. standard TIFF file. All current crop, mode, color and imageenhancement settings will be applied to the saved image. · Save: Saves the image currently shown in the FlexColor window as a · Close: Closes the currently selected window if possible. · Setup: Opens the Setup window, in which most of the basic settings for an image capture can be made, saved and loaded. See "The Setup Window" on page 29 for more information. Software Reference - FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs FlexColor Menus The File Menu 15 · Devices: Opens the Devices window. The window lists all connected devices allowing you to select which camera or scanner device you want to work with. Click on the one you prefer and click the Select button. If you have only a single scanner or camera connected this device is automatically chosen. The numbers just to the right of the scanner or camera icon in the list (ex. 0-5) refers to the Bus no. (0) and the SCSI address (5). · Get Info: Opens an Info window, which contains various information about the currently selected image. See "The Info Window" on page 65 for a detailed description. · Page Setup.../Print... : Enables you to print the contents of the Thumbnails window. Make sure you have se ...