Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1995 08:52:05 -0700
Subject: Re: PDP for sale and related software
From: mshaf@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Michael Shaffer)

Status: OR



>Michael,

>

> I am now running the SX50 at Ohio State, and was wondering if you'd be

>willing to share how you convert the image files from the Cameca format (*.IMG

>from ADV-CIPP) to a format readable by Photoshop or similar software. I'm

>planning to implement something similar here (we also have a PDP) but,

>according to Cameca, their image format is proprietary and doesn't follow any

>of the standard formats.



The first thing to do with one of your IMG files is to extract each image

and "store" it, generally with a (eg) MGK extention if it is a Mg map. Once

you get the file onto a PC or Mac, rename it and import it into Photoshop as

a RAW file. If you tell Photoshop that it is (eg) a 512x512 image then PS

will make an accurate guess at the header length, and wa la. This works

with images with line lengths equal or less than 512 which is generally big

enuf, however Cameca has a weird way of interlacing the lines if lengths

greater than 512; and that's where my RAWIMG program comes in. RAWIMG

actually creates two files: it will create a RAW file without a header, and

allow renaming. It will also extract some other important info from the IMG

file and write a TXT file.

If you want to play with it, point netscape at the URL



http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mshaf/rawimg/



You'll be able to click and download it, and then transfer it to the PDP

via binary Kermit. It will take me a while to get it transferred, so be

patient ...



>

> I am already benefitting of information you sent some time ago to Kip

>Miller here at OSU, regarding the relative counting errors - I am now

>implementing that in our software here (hopefully in the correct way ;) ) and

>beating into our users that "no, the numbers are not the absolute truth"...



It has been a while, but I should be able to find the fortran module I

wrote which would take the place of the Cameca module. I couldn't believe

while looking at the new software that they still report counting error the

same way.



>

> Do you have any figure of how much you want for the PDP setup? there are

>some components of interest, such as the hard disk and ethernet setup, and , of

>course, all the enhancements to the original software. Oh, and the surprise

>item too :) I may be able to convince people around here to spring for this.



Cameca has already picked up on my email notice. We are negotiating a

trade-in. I didn't know just how many PDP users my notice touched, so it was

easy to believe that anyone in trouble might turn to Cameca first for help.

The bottom line offered will of course create a starting point for other

interested persons. In spite of what Cameca gets, I can still make the

software available via TK-50 tapes. And, the DECNET ethernet is a headache,

as it takes up so much in the way of system resources. We run it only when

we need it, but it is ^so^ handy when it come to xferring image files.



>

>PS: Nice WWW setup!

>

thanx, and cheers, shaf





\\\\ cognito, ergo zZOoooOM \\\\\



http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mshaf/epmahome/



Michael Shaffer, R.A. mshaf@oregon.uoregon.edu

Electron Microprobe Facility mshaf@darkwing.uoregon.edu

Geological Sciences

1272 University of Oregon 503/346-4632

Eugene, OR 97403-1272 503/346-4692 (FAX)