This ambitious book presents six shareware programs to the reader. The author’s intention is to give the reader some background in concepts related to image processing. The programs examined are Alchemy, Cshow, Fractint, Improces, Piclab, and Povray. Alchemy, Piclab, and Povray do not require a PC with an 80386 processor or a super video graphics array (SVGA) monitor. They will work on an IBM XT or compatible. The output must be taken to a system with a high-resolution monitor for viewing, however.

The biggest problem with this book concerns software installation. To fully appreciate these packages, an SVGA video card and monitor should be used. It was a difficult, time-consuming process to get all these packages installed and working properly, however. The point here is that, if this book is intended for novice or casual readers, many will give up in frustration because of problems installing the software.

Once the software is properly installed, the book provides an interesting guide to these popular packages. The best narrative concerns Piclab. This program, which can run on an IBM XT, allows a command line approach to manipulating images. At first, this operation seems a little clumsy, but after learning the commands, the image transformations can be accomplished quickly.

Improces is a fascinating program that was difficult to install. When running, however, it provides some interesting image manipulating capability. Most impressive is its ability to do edge extraction on images and other transformation techniques. Unfortunately, Improces was only tested in low resolution mode. It consistently failed to recognize the video card that was included in some of the systems tested. Consequently, I had to use the program with a resolution of 320×320 pixels.

Fractint is not included with the book. The author recommends purchasing Fractal Creations [1] or Fractals for Windows [2] to get the software or obtaining it through CompuServe. The chapter on fractals gives a comprehensive introduction to fractal theory, with several exercises the reader could easily reproduce.

Povray, the persistence of vision ray tracer, renders abstract descriptions of scenes into compelling and realistic images. A version of Povray is available that can run on an old IBM PC–compatible without a sophisticated graphics monitor. Turning off the display option on Povray will send the output to a Targa file. Piclab can be used to convert the Targa output file to a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file.

The Povray chapter takes the reader through several exercises in which a simple sphere is rendered, with more detail added at each step. The tutorial shows the reader how to make the sphere transparent, how to add a floor to the image, how to use multiple light sources, and how to texture an object. These exercises use the example files included with the software. One problem with Povray is the lack of additional utility software on the diskette. The author mentions that Povray utility software can be obtained through two bulletin boards in the United States. It was almost impossible to get through to either of the bulletin boards, however, because the lines were busy. As an alternative, a search on the Internet using Archie showed a site that had Povray utilities.

The author discusses Image Alchemy, a graphics software program that is used primarily to translate a graphic image from one format to another. The final chapter of the book is dedicated to some advanced exercises. The reader is given the opportunity to render Mount Mandel using Povray. Also, the SUDS program, which is not included with the book, is discussed. SUDS is used in conjunction with Povray.

This book has several problems. The biggest is the difficulty of installing the software. The author relied on shareware for this project, probably because commercial programs would have cost hundreds of dollars each. The second serious problem is the audience. Who is this book written for? The author seems to aim the book at people who are casually interested in image processing. If used carefully, however, this book could make an excellent lab book for an undergraduate introduction to image processing techniques. Third, the author makes the assumption that the reader will have access to commercially run information services such as CompuServe.

One other problem is cost. The book costs $40, but this does not register the enclosed software. Registering the software would cost about $168. An attempt was made by the publisher to obtain a special license for some of the software. For example, Povray was specially licensed for use with the book without additional charge. Some other programs require registration, however. The total cost for this project is $208 for the book and registered software. This does not include the cost of CompuServe or telephone charges to reach a bulletin board in order to obtain additional utility software.