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From: svirsky@ttidca.TTI.COM (Bill Svirsky)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: GIF viewers - recommendation ?
Message-ID: <20109@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 26 Sep 90 18:10:05 GMT
References: <1771@starfish.Convergent.COM>
Organization: Citicorp/TTI, Santa Monica
Lines: 59

In article <1771@starfish.Convergent.COM> jerry@starfish.Convergent.COM (Gerald Hawkins) writes:
+I need a recommendation for a GIF file viewer.

The best I've found is VPIC. It handles up to 1024x768x16 (depending on the
video board). I've run it up to 640x480x256 and 800x600x16 on a Paradise
VGA board. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it can display
many formats other than GIF and convert files from 1 format to another.
An exerpt from VPIC.DOC follows:

GENERAL FEATURES
VPIC is a file viewer for EGA, MCGA, VGA and SuperVGA, and has the following
features:
  *  Views the following file formats in EGA, MCGA, VGA, or SuperVGA:
     1. Dr. Halo CUT files (with PAL if present).
     2. GIF files (50% faster now).
     3. Deluxe Paint LBM (or IFF) files.
     4. MAC files.
     5. Pictor/PC Paint PIC files.
     6. ZSoft PCX files (including 256 color files).
     7. ColorRIX/EGA Paint SCx files.
     8. Targa 16 or 24 TGA files.

  *  Saves current image to any of the above formats (except MAC and IFF) in the
     current mode (EGA, MCGA, or VGA).

  *  Saves current image to GIF in regular, interlaced, inverted, mirrored,
     or rotated 90 degrees CW or CCW. Great for scans.

  *  Configurable for display boards using Tseng3000 and Tseng4000, Paradise,
     Everex, ATI, Trident, C&T, Video 7, Genoa, Zymos, or Ahead (B) VGA chips
     (see configuring VPIC below); the Ahead A chip used on some early boards is
     not supported.

  *  /R option allows an application program to show a file and regain control
     without changing the screen mode.

  *  Mode can be manually selected or auto selected from menu.

  *  Allows you to specifiy a new path from the menu with the [F9] key. Also
     updates menu when files are added or deleted.

  *  Very fast GIF decoding.
-----

The author, Bob Montgomery, comes out with bug fixes and enhancements every
couple of months or so. It's shareware, but he's only asking $15 (as of VPIC
version 2.8). There are a few minor bugs; it doesn't display some IFF files
I have and it doesn't display nicely files larger than will fit on a single
screen. I'm compiling a list of bugs, and enhancements I'd like to see, and
sending it to him with my registration.

The latest version I know of is 2.9 and is available from simtel20 as:

PD1:<MSDOS.GIF>VPIC29.ZIP

-- 
Bill Svirsky, Citicorp+TTI, 3100 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Work phone: 213-450-9111 x2597
svirsky@ttidca.tti.com | ...!{csun,psivax,rdlvax,retix}!ttidca!svirsky