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FIT2D ON WINDOWS 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

 A version of FIT2D is available for Windows systems. This version has been developed on Windows NT initially and now is maintained on an XP system. A reasonable amount of experience suggests that this version generally works satisfactorily (there are some minor differences of behaviour with the Unix versions).

Previously there were major problems with this version when it was run on Windows 95 and Windows 98 systems. These problems are now very largely solved. Hopefully FIT2D will now work on all Windows systems (95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).

The only major differences I know about is that the Windows version does not have file name completion and command recall from the keyboard command interface.

If you run this and find problems, please send me a full bug report, complete with a log of the instructions used, and be prepared to send me data files (see the reference manual for details on creating log files and bug reporting).

CREATING A ICON

  1. Use "My Computer" to find the FIT2D executable.
  2. An icon on the "desktop" may be created by clicking on the FIT2D executable with the right mouse button. A menu should appear.
  3. Click on "Create ShortCut". A new icon should appear with the words "shortcut to fit2d" (assuming the executable is called "fit2d").
  4. Drag and drop into the "desktop".
  5. If you want to change the text, click on the text which will allow editing it.

COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

FIT2D can be run from a DOS window (which is best for testing), or by clicking on an icon.

If FIT2D is run on the command-line options may be specified in the normal manner, although normally options should be specified with a slash (/). On my NT system the normal Unix style seems to work.

If FIT2D is run from an icon (as described above) command line options may be specified as follows:

  1. Use the right mouse button to click on the icon
  2. Click on the "Properties" item
  3. Click on the "Shortcut" card
  4. In the "Target" text input area you can add command line options after the FIT2D executable text. It seems that a space is necessary between options.

    e.g. If the executable is "C:\FIT2D\WIN32\fit2d.exe and you want FIT2D to start-up with arrays of 1024 elements square, edit to: 

    C:\FIT2D\WIN32\fit2d.exe /dim1024x1024

LIMITATIONS

FIT2D gives unacceptably poor image display if 8-bit display mode is being used. The results are fine in 16-bit and 24-bit mode.

The routines I'm using on Windows always seem to use "static" colour schemes. This has the advantage that there is no "colour flash", but means that there are a fixed range of colours available. In 8-bit mode this is too limited to allow smooth false colour or grey scales to be drawn. When FIT2D tries to set a colour table, I guess that the desired colours get mapped onto the "nearest" available colour. In 16 and 24-bit modes this is fine, but in 8-bits it's just too limited.

Advice: Always use 16 or 24-bit display modes.

This page has been produced by Andy Hammersley (E-mail: hammersley@esrf.fr). It is subject to further modification. If you have helpful suggestions, please send them to me.