🚀 go-pugleaf

People are complaining that some programs made by Handmade Software
(notably the shareware GIF2JPG) create JPG files that are not read 
correctly by other programs that purport to read JPG files.  The problem 
centers around a short header that begings with "hsi"...following the 
header is what appears to be a normal JPG file.

Simply removing the header sometimes works but not always.  Sometimes
you wind up with a file that looks like Freddy from Nightmare on Elm St.
was at it...the picture has horizontally offset bands that give it a
"slashed" look.  Don't know why this happens exactly but it would appear
that there are some subtle differences in HSI's JPG files other than the 
header.

What does work is that HSI provides a shareware program JPG2GIF along
with GIF2JPG.  This program happily reads HSI's JPG files (as well as
others, I believe) and converts them into GIFs which look just fine (ie.
not slashed).  One can then, should one desire, convert back to JPG 
using a non-broken utility (such as Independant Software's CJPEG).

Of course in converting to GIF and back you loose the TrueColors (GIF
limited to 256 colors).  Too bad.   Since many of the files people are
complaining about were converted from GIF using GIF2JPG, this shouldn't
be a problem.

Hope this helps.



-- 
John Wright      /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Post: c/o Dr Pat Lane, Biology Dept, Dalhousie U, Halifax N.S., CANADA B3H-4H8 
Internet: lane@cs.dal.ca   Uucp: lane@dalcs.uucp or {uunet watmath}!dalcs!lane