                               DODOT 4.0
                     Reviewed by Jacci Howard Bear

    DoDOT 4.0 from Halcyon Software is a integrated graphics utility
package for Windows. I work with a lot of graphics in many formats.
While DoDOT doesn't do everything I might want, it certainly does do
many things that I need.
    Five separate modules make up the DoDOT suite. DoSNAP, DoVIEW,
DoCONVERT, and DoThumbnail are stand-alone programs that can be run
individually or accessed from the main DoDOT program. In addition to
accessing the supporting modules, DoDOT provides its own image
processing capabilities, tracing and rasterizing tools, and Fax and Scan
support.
    The basic tools for image processing include rotation, scaling,
inverting, conversion to grayscale, color separation, color palette
editing, dithering, and gamma correction. If you have a TWAIN compatible
scanner, you can scan images directly into DoDOT. With INTEL or CAS
compatible FAX hardware you can send a fax from within the program.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the core DoDOT package is its
ability to handle both bitmap and vector images and its ability to
convert between the two formats us the trace and rasterize tools.
    For greater conversion capability there is the DoCONVERT module. It
allows you to do batch file conversions between different graphics file
formats. For instance, you might want to convert a collection of BMP
graphics to PCX. With DoCONVERT you quickly and easily create a script
file that automates the conversion process. You don't have to open each
individual file and go through the conversion steps over and over.
    If you've ever longed for an easy way to view images without
cranking up your paint or draw program, now you can have it. The DoVIEW
module allows you to view images in over 50 different supported graphics
file formats including bitmap, fax, and vector formats.
    Only recently have I come to appreciate a really good screen capture
utility. Previously I relied on the Print Screen button and the Windows
Clipboard for all my screen captures. With DoSNAP I have much more
flexibility. DoSNAP can be configured to capture an entire screen, a
specific open window, any rectangular section of the screen, or any
arbitrary portion--using the freehand tool to outline the desired
section in any freeform shape. Once captured, you can send the screen
capture to the Windows clip rd, your printer, or a file. When doing a
series of screen shots, you can specify a common file name prefix and
let DoSNAP number the shots for you automatically. For example, a series
of screen shots with the prefix DD in the BMP format would be saved as
DD0.BMP, DD1.BMP, DD2.BMP. DoSNAP supports TIFF, PCX, BMP, RLE, GIF, and
WPG (bitmap) file formats.
    While the other modules are good, it is the DoThumbnail portion of
DoDOT that gets highest marks from me. An image cataloging program that
handles both bitmap and vector formats is essential to my graphics work.
DoThumbnail has an impressive array of features. It creates miniature
images of your graphics which you put into groups--databases--and store
on your hard drive or on floppy disks. Each thumbnail image contains a
user supplied description, reference information for the original file,
and an appl tion association. The Application command allows you to
specify what program you want to have loaded for that image when you
select the Run command. Catalogued images can also be dragged and
dropped onto a Windows application.
    You can quickly find specific images in a database using filename or
text string searches. Images can be marked and unmarked for easy
execution of other options such as deletion or printing.
    DoThumbnail provides 5 ways to print your databases. You may print
one image per page--printing the actual image not just the thumbnail.
Or, you can print the thumbnail image, specifying the number of rows and
columns to print; include the file reference information; include the
description of the thumbnail; or, include both the description and file
reference.
    An important consideration when printing a catalog of images is the
quality of the printed thumbnail. Some programs print too small, or too
large, or without enough detail. DoThumbnail lets you specify how large
the thumbnail will print and whether or not to retain the original
proportions. Even on my 24 pin dot matrix printer, both bitmap and
vector images are clear and well-defined.
    If you have both bitmap and vector format graphics then this one
package is ideal. For my own needs, I found the image processing
limited; although, for moderate editing it works beautifully. With some
images the viewer is woefully slow. However, the screen capture,
conversion, and image cataloging features are superb.

                            Halcyon Software
                         1590 La Pradera Drive
                           Campbell, CA 95008
                             (408) 378-9898

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