What's the difference between
Standard and Pro?
More Graphics Windows
While Graphics Tools Standard allows your programs to create as many as four (4) graphics windows at the same time, Graphics Tools Pro can create up to 256. Make them visible, or use the extra windows as hidden "scratch pads" where your programs can draw behind the scenes, then transfer the finished drawing to a visible window. Great for GET/PUT style graphics programming!
The OverlayWindow function allows you to specify one color to be transparent, so when an image is copied from one graphics window to another you can "see through" parts of the overlay image.
Graphics Tools Pro can create movable and resizable graphics windows with horizontal and vertical scroll bars, and much more. If you like you can allow your users to resize and move graphics windows manually, using the mouse. You can even create "stretchable" graphics windows with images that expand and contract as the window is resized.
The Pro version's GfxMove, GfxResize, and GfxScroll functions can be used to control graphics windows programmatically.
Most Graphics Tools figures (circles, rectangles, polygons, pies, cubes, etc.) can be filled using the Pro version's Gradients instead of solid colors. In addition to the familiar "blue fade", gradients provide a huge selection of very impressive color effects! Predefined gradients can be loaded with the GradientLoad function, or you can create your own with the UseGradient and GradientValue functions. Tell Graphics Tools which figures should be filled with a Gradient instead of a Brush by using the GradientBrush function, save your Gradients for future use with the GradientSave function, and access the colors of your gradients one by one with the GradientColor function.
Combine the Pro version's Gradients with the 3D figures, and you won't believe your eyes!
DrawTube draws a cylinder without an "end cap", resulting in a realistic tube effect when an appropriate Gradient is used.
The GfxDroppedFiles function gives you the names of disk files that have been dragged and dropped on a graphics window, as well as the exact location where the drop occurred.
The AutoPlayCursor, AutoPlayIcon, and AutoPlayControl functions allow your programs to play animations continuously, without any extra "play loop" code.
Graphics Tools Pro supports the printing of high-resolution, full-color graphics images. The GfxPrintWindow and GfxPrintArea functions can print all or part of any graphics window's image, and the GfxPrintSetup and GfxPrintPageSetup functions can be used to provide the user with standard printing-oriented dialog boxes. The GfxPrintStatus function reports the status of the most recently submitted print job, the GfxPrintParam function can be used to set certain printing parameters programmatically, and GfxPrintDefaults resets the printing functions to use the system default printer.
The DisplayJpeg, StretchJpeg, and CropJpeg functions allow the display of JPEG image files on any system. (Graphics Tools Standard can display JPEGs, but only if Windows is configured to support JPEGs. Graphics Tools Pro can display JPEGs on any Windows computer.)
The SaveGfxWindow and SaveGfxArea functions have been enhanced to allow Graphics Tools programs to save internet-compatible JPEG files with 4:1:1 or 4:2:2 sampling, in a variety of quality levels. (Graphics Tools Standard cannot save JPEG files.)
The Pro version also includes the JpegParam function, which can retrieve "size" information from a JPEG file without displaying it.
The Pro version's flexible GfxClipArea function can be used to define areas of a graphics window where drawing will be allowed or rejected. A clip area can be any size and shape that you want to define -- you can even define multiple clip areas -- and any drawing operations that take place outside the specified area will not be visible. Clip areas are indispensable for creating a wide variety of otherwise hard-to-draw figures!
Our most powerful and flexible features are
-- of course! --
available only in Graphics Tools Pro!
