Subject: COMPARISON: Art Department Professional vs. ImageFX vs. ImageMaster
From: [email-masked] (Edward L Cole)
Date: 10 Sep 1993 02:57:19 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAMES

        Art Department Professional version 2.3.0 ("ADPro")

        ImageFX version 1.50

        ImageMaster version 9.51

	[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  This review was updated on October 13, 1993,
	to correct GVP's telephone number.  - Dan]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

         The Commodore Amiga has at this point three major packages for
image processing.  Each program has its good and bad points.  This is an
attempt to describe those points in order to guide a more informed purchase
for Amiga owners.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

*	Art Department Professional

	Name:		ASDG
	Address:	925 Stewart Street
			Madison, WI 53713
			USA
	Telephone:	(608) 273-6585

*	ImageFX

	Name:		Great Valley Products
	Address:	657 Clark Avenue
			King Of Prussia, PA  19406
			USA
	Telephone:	(215) 337-8770
			(215) 354-9495	(Technical support, registered users)

*	ImageMaster

	Name:		Black Belt Systems
	Address:	298 Johnson Rd.
			Glasgow, MT  59230
			USA
	Telephone:	(406) 367-5509

LIST PRICE

       ADPro:		$240 (US).  Retail price approximately $139.

       ImageFX:		$399 (US).  Retail price approximately $219.

       ImageMaster:	$249.95 (US).  Retail price approximately $145.

SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

       All three programs run on any Amiga within the limitations of memory
and speed.  I won't go into detail here as this issue will be discussed
later.

COPY PROTECTION

	ADPro is serialized (a serial number is embedded in the program).
The other programs have no copy protection.

MACHINE(S) USED FOR TESTING

       o  A2000, ECS chipset, KS 2.04, WB 2.1, 7 megs RAM (one chip),
          68010, 7.13 MHz
       o  A2000, ECS chipset, KS 2.04, WB 2.1, 15 megs RAM (one chip),
          68040, 33 MHz
       o  A3000, ECS chipset, KS 2.04, WB 2.1, 14 megs RAM (two chip),
          68030, 16 MHz
       o  A4000, AGA chipset, KS 3.0, WB 3.0, 18 megs RAM (two chip),
          68040, 25 MHz

INTRODUCTION

       If I were a programmer (and I certainly am not) I would have combined
elements of all three programs:  ADPro's speed and certain results, ImageFX's
printing features, and ImageMaster's ability to work on any area in an image.
Here's a list of features I think are important to keep in mind when choosing
which of these programs to buy.

MEMORY

	If I were to judge these programs just on use of memory, ADPro would
be the clear winner.  In the program icon's tooltypes, you can set how much
and what kind of memory the program should use.

	ImageFX offers the use of virtual memory which is very nice;
however, without it the programs chokes on large images. I tend to work with
scanned HAM or 24-bit images that range in size from 250K to 10MB.  ADPro
has never refused to load or display the image as long as the memory is
available.  ImageFX will not display the same size file without the use of
virtual memory.  Also, ImageFX also allows you to set the amount of real
memory in its memory preferences; but even using all the memory available,
it runs out before ADPro.

	ImageMaster handles memory just fine without the use of virtual
memory and tooltype control.  However, it too runs out of memory faster than
ADPro, but not as quickly as ImageFX does.

PRINTING

	If ImageMaster can print, I'd like someone to tell me what I'm doing
wrong.  I've tried three printers with this program: (1) color Postscript,
(1) color Preferences printer, and (1) black-and-white Postscript.  I got
nothing from any of them with ImageMaster.

	My choice for printing is ImageFX.  Its easy to use, the output is
excellent, and it recovers from a print job in no time at all.  It is not
very sophisticated, but it's clean and reasonably fast.  I've never used the
Preference printer output of ImageFX as I only have a Postscript printer at
this time.

	The ADPro Postscript driver is multifeatured, but overkill for a
simple print job.  It has several layers of preferences and is professional,
but I rarely have a need for that much control.  ADPro does offer a good
Preference-printer interface as well.

SCANNING

	If ASDG can do it, why can't the others?  I don't know.  All three
programs support my scanners, an Epson ES-800C and a Sharp JX-100.  But
except for private masochistic reasons, I would never use any scanner
drivers that were not from ASDG for use with ADPro.

	The runner-up is ImageMaster.  The ADPro drivers cost extra money
and must be bought separately.  If the extra money bothers you, go
with ImageMaster.

	ImageFX is a very pitiful third.  The ImageFX scanner driver is slow
and very hard to figure out even with the documentation.

	ADPro's scanner drivers tell you how much memory it takes to scan
the image you've selected at the DPI you've selected. As you adjust the DPI
the memory counter changes to let you know the new memory amounts. If you
have selected a DPI that is too high, the counter turns a red color and the
driver will abort if you attempt to scan.  Neither of the other two programs
has a similar feature.  If you're using ImageFX's virtual memory and scan
the image at 800 DPI, you could produce a 150 megabyte file without knowing
it!  Also keep in mind that the parallel port scanners use special cables,
and all three programs support different cables.  ASDG makes a cable that all
three support.  If you use any two of these programs, you have to use the
ASDG cable.

FILE FORMATS

	All three programs can handle a wide array of image file formats.
Most of them I don't use.  ILBM, GIF, and JPEG are the most common formats
for me and are directly supported by all three programs.

	ImageMaster makes loading certain formats more difficult by having
the loader as a macro.  These macros are not easy to get at.

	Unless you have a need for a an obscure format, I don't think it
matters which program you use.  ImageMaster can save a VistaPro binary file
which I find useful, and ImageFX can write an icon file.  These are the only
two unique features that I use in any of the program's save features.

FEATURES

	The heart of the matter. :-)

	Of the three programs, sadly, ADPro has the least number of image
processing tools.  While ADPro does everything well, it lacks some of the
nicer features of the other two programs.  For example, both ImageFX and
ImageMaster offer limited paint programs and the ability to render
complicated gradient fills.

	ADPro also has a very limited undo buffer which I find very
annoying.  ImageFX offers a selectable number of undo levels.  ImageMaster
uses only a single undo, but it's on all the time unless you select
otherwise.  With ADPro you must save the image you're working on with a
"TEMP" saver and the use "Temp" loader to get it back.

	Each program uses "WYSIWYG" but ADPro's is only grayscale.

	One of the best features in ImageMaster is ability to work on any
area of an image with the processing tools.  You can select boxes, circles,
ellipses, and non linear areas for applying an effect. Nice.

	All three programs have excellent palette control, and I like
ImageFX's the best.  It has many levels of control. ImageMaster's palette
control is very difficult to use and figure out, even with the excellent
documentation.  ADPro's is somewhere between the other two.  This is a
feature that I don't use much in any of them.

	One serious defect in ImageMaster is its support of AGA screen
modes.  I simply cannot get a display in Super72 (my favorite mode). Also,
ImageMaster requires serious dithering to get a decent WYSIWYG render.  ADPro
has the best rendering.

	One of the nicer features of both ImageMaster and ImageFX is that
morphing software is included.  ImageMaster has morphing built in, while
ImageFX comes coupled with CineMorph.  ASDG sells its morphing software
separately at yet another extravagant price (and its not substantially
different from ADPro).

	All three programs offer compositing. Of the three, ImageMaster's is
the most sophisticated and has the greatest number of variations.  On the
other hand, ADPro's is the easiest to use.  ImageFX's is very nice and,
coupled with the better display, is on par with ImageMaster's.

	All three programs have weak user interfaces.  None of them follow
Commodore's Style Guide.  ADPro's is notoriously ugly.  ImageMaster has row
after row of buttons.  No pull down menus in these babies.

	All three programs, have extensive ARexx support, so it's possible
to customize them a lot.  At any rate, I'm sure there are things I'm leaving
out, but this is a mini-review not a song and dance number. :-)

SPEED

	ADPro is the fastest.  ImageMaster is the slowest.  On the
unaccelerated A2000, some of the effects took as long as 45 minutes.
ImageFX's speed is closer to ADPro's and reasonable.  I would not use
ImageMaster on a slower Amiga unless I *had* to.

DOCUMENTATION

	ADPro:  looseleaf style notebook. Nearly 400 pages.

	ImageFX:  looseleaf style notebook. Original docs about 400 pages
		  and the 1.5 upgrade about 125 more pages.

	ImageMaster:  wirebound, 200 pages, and extra documentation on disk.

        I have no complaints about any of the documentation.

BUGS

	No program bugs (other than the ones mentioned).  Each has some
annoying features but they were intended.

	ImageMaster failed to install properly on my A2000 with only 7 megs
RAM.  When I went to 15 megs the installation went smoothing. Not a very
clever install routing. If you have only a little memory you may have to do
the install manually.

VENDOR SUPPORT

	ASDG and GVP both include phone numbers with the docs and are easy to
reach.  What about BlackBelt?  Well, good luck. :-)

WARRANTY

	Not applicable.

CONCLUSION

	After all is said and done, I find I use Art Department Professional
the most often.  Its fast and easy to use.  After that I use ImageFX, and
ImageMaster very rarely.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

	Copyright 1993 Edward Cole.  All rights reserved.

	You can contact me at: [email-masked]
			       [email-masked]

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