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Earlier I posted a response to signguy's post about a viewer for some specific file types. Some time ago I was looking for a viewer with similar attributes. I downloaded the evaluation version of the program VaryView and tried it out. Most I have tried previously handle either raster (image) or vector (plottable) file types but as yet I havent found one that will handle both with any degree of finesse. A 'head expressed some interest and I have people that I subcontract to that would also find a good viewer useful so here are my findings. Loaded on an AMD k6 400 running 388+meg of RAM and Win2k Pro. Files/directories tested were all on 5400rpm Seagate drives on the secondary IDE . All previews were at 120x120 dpi thumnails (default setting) Autocad R14 Samples directory (total 15.5 meg) all images .dwg - 1 minute 39 seconds Custom directory of mixed hi-rez jpg's and tiff's (71.2 meg) 40 seconds Coreldraw V10 files - not supported Mixed directory - 44 meg of asstd. jpg's and tiffs varying resolutions 1 minute 55 seconds 22.4 meg directory of dxf's 5 minutes 24 seconds AI files not supported Corel v5files - not supported 29.5 meg of eps files 1 minute 21 seconds 5.42 meg of plt files - gave up after 10 minutes 45 seconds 5.3 meg of wmf files - req'd control/alt/delete
Personal observations: Seemed to get clunkier after I tried previewing plt's, I never restarted so PERHAPS it might perform better if you avoid plt files. Thumbnails on all supported files were adequate, some useful options also available from the preview/thumbnail window. 8 meg + download, took about 20 minutes on a mediocre dialup. Regards, David
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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David,..Paint shop pro has a great browse function that will preview coreldraw files.Alot of vector formats such as eps will support thumbnails,I'm not too sure about illustrator(ai) files tho.
-------------------- fly low...timi/NC is, Tim Barrow Barrow Art Signs Winston-Salem,NC Posts: 2224 | From: Winston-Salem,NC,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hi David, Normally, the mainstream programs think PLT files are a variation of a HPGL file format. I would imagine they will view if they really are HPGL files, but if you are sending it Gerber PLT files, they are not even close in format and the program will choke. If that is what you are doing, just convert all your PLT files into EPS or AI in a folder and let the viewer program create thumbnails from them. When you need to open one, just remember you are needing the PLT version.
Extensis Portfolio (as stated earlier) works with quite a few formats, but probably not with the newest formats of some programs.
Good luck, Mike Jackson
-------------------- Mike Jackson Golden Era Studios Jackson Hole, Wy www.goldenstudios.com/ Posts: 390 | From: PO Box 7850 | Registered: Nov 1998
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