dScope Core Module

Mass Image Management

Image Modification

Transform Files

Cropping

Overlays

Proof Sheets

Contact Sheets

You can load any number of images into dScope and treat those images as a "working set". Images in a working set can be modified individually or as groups.

The images can be sorted for easy grouping and selections can be made individually, by page or you can select and deselect all the images in a working set. You can control how many images are shown on each screen so that you can get the best trade off between number of images viewed and the size of each thumbnail.

You can import multiple groups of images into the same working set so that you can gather images from a number of different sources and locations into a single working set.

Double clicking any image will display a full sized version of that image and allow you to perform fast modifications to that single image. To perform complex modifications or to modify multiple images, you can use the Modify button.

You can modify any single image very quickly by double clicking that image and then selecting to open a modification screen. This will allow you to perform all the basic colour modifications including:

• Red, Green and Blue channel adjustments,
• Brightness,
• Contrast,
• White Point,
• Black Point,
• Mid Point

The image is shown at any size, including full screen, while you make these adjustments.

You can modify multiple images or perform complex changes to a single image by selecting the appropriate image(s) and clicking the modify button. There are a number of modification options, but the most common series of changes are in the Transform menu. Modifications that can be made ion this area include:

• Colour channel adjustments
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Sharpening
• Black/White/Grey point adjustment
• Hue, Saturation and Luminosity
• Greyscale and Sepia conversions
• Borders
• Masking
• Colour Range limitations
• Print Borders
• Image On Image
• Text Overlays

Transform files are one of the most powerful capabilities of dScope. A transform is series of image modifications that are performed in a particular order to create a desired presentation of an image. Every time the user performs any changes to an image in the above image modification screen, all the changes they make to the image are recorded as a transform. After the changes are complete, the user can choose to save those changes to a file so that they can be used again either in the core module or in other dScope modules. There is no limit to the number of individual modifications that can be included in a transform file, and any individual type of modification can be used any number of times within a transform.

The image to the left is created using a transform. This transform has been created for a wedding photographer who would like to present the proof images to the customer in a more professional looking format than a simple full image 6X4.

In a single step, the transform will:

• Place a 1% white border around the image overwriting the image edge to clear any inconsistencies in the edge of the image file.
• Place a 1% border around the image retaining the image size and fitting the full image inside the border.
• Place a 12% border around the image retaining the image size and fitting the full image inside the border.
• Insert the photographer's logo at the top aligned with the image edge.
• Insert the photographer's name at the bottom aligned with the image edge.
• Insert the photographer's contact number at the bottom aligned with the name.
• Place the image file name at the bottom with no extension (528) so the image can be easily referenced back to the file.
• Place the text 'Image No' in front of the file name.
• Overlay a softened edge mask in teal grey.

Once the transform has been saved, it can be used in many places within the dScope modules. In the core module you can load any number of images, select them all and then apply the transform to modify every one of those images to create a copy of that image in the same style of presentation. In the case of the transform discussed here, the photographer brings in all the images from the wedding on a CD or DVD. The CD/DVD is loaded into dScope and the transform is applied to them all and the resulting images printed.

Using dScope the lab operator is able to provide the photographer with a highly personalised service, a much improved product, and offers a presentation the photographer can only get by printing through that lab.

dScope can save an unlimited number of transform files.

dScope has two cropping options built into the core module.

The Free Crop can be used to crop to any size required.

The Proportional Crop is used by selecting the size of the print you wish to crop for. As you move and resize the crop box, dScope will assure that the aspect ratio of the crop box always matches the aspect ratio of the print size you are cropping for.

The overlay function is an extended version of the "Blue Screen" function used in television and other imaging. It allows you to lay one image over another, and select what part of the overlaying image will be transparent.

In the example on the left, an overlay has been used to place a photographer's brand on an image. The overlay image is on the far left and has the branding on a clear yellow background. The overlay file is placed over the image file and the yellow colour is selected to be made transparent. This creates the lower image.

The colour which will become transparent in the overlay file can be selected, and the "flexibility" can be adjusted. This controls how close the colour of any pixel has to be to the selected colour for that pixel to become transparent.

Like most other functions in the core module, an overlay can be applied to any number of images in a single step.

dScope has a very flexible proof sheeting capability that can be used to create highly personalised proof sheets for customers. The settings you can choose for a proof sheet include:

• The size and number of pages to spread the images over.
• How far the images should be placed away from the top, bottom left and right borders (these can be set individually to allow for binding etc).
• How far apart you want the images to be from each other in the body of the proof sheet.
• If you want to place a branding image or some text on each page to identify the customer, or your business.
• A background image or a background colour.
• The content, font, size and colour of image labels (including no labels).
• Effects to be added to each image including borders and drop shadows.
• A title to be placed at the top, either as text in a particular font, or as an imported image.
• Rotating all images to either Portrait or Landscape.

The example on the right shows a simple proof sheet placed on a background image and with title text. The images have a fine white border and a darker drop shadow applied and the file name is placed under each image.

dScope has automatically adjusted the number of images in each row to create a balanced page.