Read Me for PixelBufferª-PixelPipelineª PlugIn Version 1.1 for Adobe PhotoShopª 
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This software distribution contains version 1.1 of the PixelBufferª PlugIn, PixelTools 5.0 software for operation as a "Plug-In" module for Adobe PhotoShop.  The PixelBuffer PlugIn software includes the PixelTools 5.0 Driver and the PixelBuffer PlugIn.

Specifically, the components of this release are:

  1)  The "PT50Init" file which contains the PixelTools 5.0 Driver.  This file goes into your System Folder.

  2)  The "PixelBuffer PlugIn" file.  This is a "Plug-In" for Adobe PhotoShop as defined by Adobe, Inc.  This plug-in supports the PixelBuffer board and the PixelPipeline board, members of the PixelTools family of boards.

Installation
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The PixelTools 5.0 Driver is installed at startup by the PT50Init file.  Copy the PT50Init file into your System Folder and restart your Mac.  Each time the Mac is started, the PT50Init file will run automatically and install the PixelTools 5.0 driver.

The PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline PlugIn should be copied into the folder used to store all plug-ins for PhotoShop.  This folder will usually be called "PhotoShop Plug-Ins", but could be named anything as long as it contains the PhotoShop Preferences file (usually named "PS Prefs").

Usage
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To use the PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline PlugIn, just select "PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline..." from PhotoShop's File->Acquire menu.  A dialog box will appear which allows you to control the PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline board.  Most of this control is self-evident.  You may choose from RS-170 or PAL format for the incoming video and you may select any of the four input channels for input.

You may select any of the 8 input look-up tables for transforming the incoming video.  You may also load values into this LUT using the "Load..." button.  This function allows you to select either a normal LUT, an inverse LUT, a threshold LUT with a selectable threshold value, a brightness/contrast LUT with selectable brightness and contrast values, or a custom LUT loaded from a file.  The first line of this file (which is a standard "TEXT" file) should contain the string "LUT".  The subsequent lines should contain two values per line.  The first value should be the index within the LUT to load, and the second value should be the value to be loaded into that location.

The Gain and Offset scroll bars allow you to control the gain and offset for the digitizer.  These scroll bars are operational while the live image is displayed.  You may select to display using the DMA capability of the PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline board or display using the Macintosh CPU and the CopyBits procedure.  The DMA will be at 30 frames per second (real-time video), while the CPU mode will be much slower, but will show the full frame.  The size of the live display window used by the DMA will be limited by the display hardware.  You can control the size of this window with the indicated field in the dialog box.  You may have to adjust this number for your hardware.  Select the maximum value which produces an image which does not "break up" and that will be the appropriate value for your system.

Use the Display Live button to initiate display of a live image.  While displaying a live image, you may use the Scroll bars to scroll the digitized image within the display rectangle of the dialog box.  Most functions of the dialog are available when live display is active.  You should not, however, use the Load... LUT function while displaying live using DMA, since the dialog box for loading the LUT will be obscured by the live image.  If you do activate this dialog while DMA is active, just press Return or Enter to dismiss the dialog.

When you are ready to acquire an image into PhotoShop, just press the Acquire button.  The image will be grabbed into the PixelBuffer-PixelPipeline and passed to PhotoShop.  The image will then be available for any desired processing with PhotoShop.  If you wish to exit without acquiring an image, just press the Cancel button.  When you acquire an image, all of your last selections in the dialog box are saved.  Then, when you later invoke the plug-in again, your previous selections will be restored.