Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!apple.com!parent
From: parent@apple.com (Sean Parent)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Meaning of visRgn in offscreen bitmaps + whinings about PrintManager.
Message-ID: <3925@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 25 Aug 89 18:39:09 GMT
References: <1358@speedy.mcnc.org>
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Lines: 43

In article <1358@speedy.mcnc.org> kk@mcnc.org (Krzysztof Kozminski) writes:
> >The LW driver does not scale the BitMap PostScript does. What would the 
> >case statement do?
> 
> It would tell the printing engine: "here are bits, stick'em directly into
> your image, don't do any extra processing"

I agree, but I don't believe that there is any way to tell PostScript to 
do this (though I do know that printing a Binary image is much faster). 
You can query the printer to find out it's resolution at print time 
assuming it is not hooked up to a spooler and the PostScript is not being 
routed via a file as is so commen today (command K stuff). Still know way 
around the PostScript engine though (well, there are some ways if you know 
exactly what device you are talking to. Cases like this is why there will 
be specific drivers in the 7.0 architecture as well as a general purpose 
PostScript driver that just assumes lowest commen denominator PostScript.

> Either the LaserWriter in the System folder, or the software in the
> LaserWriter hardware knows the actual physical resolution of the device
> (I suspect both do). I see no reason why this knowledge should not be
> used to speed up bitmap printing. Probably the PostScript software in the
> LW (hardware) should be smart enough to notice that the dimension of the
> bitmap is exactly the same as it destination rectangle.

Yes, the PostScript software should be smart enough to notice that the 
dimension of the bitmap is exactly the same as its destination rectangle. 
But it isn't (at least not today).

> bitmap.  So what causes a 2000% time overhead?

I don't know for sure. I will speak at length about this with the people 
working on the PostScript Imaging Engine for the 7.0 architecture. Speed 
is a high priority in 7.0 (although quality comes first).

> On a side: what is so complicated about rotating bitmaps that QuickDraw
> does not have a routine to do it ? How about drawing text vertically?

Nothing. I like vertical text.

I believe we are in violent agreement.

Sean Parent
My opinions are mine. Apple has its own.