ACD Canvas
Definition
ACD Canvas is drawing software used for creating and editing
technical illustrations. It is especially used for editing vector-based images
and other graphics. The program supports more than 100 input file formats, which
include CAD and page layout file types. The software also contains several
tools used for enhancing images and visualizing scientific data formats. ACD
Canvas is also used in medical and geological applications to create
specialized visualizations. It provides several imaging tools to display the
numerical data from from medical research images. Seismic data can also be
analyzed through the seismic traces palette.
The ACD canvas includes a proprietary computer graphics metafile engine that's
compliant with Aviation Transportation Authority and Petroleum Industry
Protocol standards.
Techopedia explains
ACD Canvas was developed by ACD Systems and offers a
customizable workspace including options such as menus, toolbars and editing
palettes. The drawing canvas consists of an adjustable grid where illustrations
are created with evenly spaced vector graphics. Editing palettes can be also be
reorganized in several different views.
The interface of the program consists of a docking pane to manage the entire
workspace area effectively. The capabilities of the ACD Canvas software program
includes importing industry-standard file formats; these include:
It also supports a variety of image file types, including .PNG, .JPEG and .GIF. The primary file extension used by ACD Canvas is .CVX which is the proprietary file format. The drawings may also be exported using a variety of file types supported by other software programs.
The graphics interchange format (GIF) is a type of bitmap image format introduced by CompuServe back in 1987 that has since gained wide support and use on the World Wide Web. The format supports up to 8 bits per pixel, allowing an image to have access to a 255-color palette. The most distinctive feature of GIF is its support for animation, with each frame being allowed to use a separate palette.
The graphics interchange format became popular because of its use of the LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) compression method, which reduces the file size without reducing or degrading the quality of the image. This compression method allows for larger images to be downloaded by slow modems in a relatively short time. This method is also more efficient than the older run-length compression method that other image formats like PCX used. Even with its merits, GIF is not suitable for reproducing high-quality color photographs because of the limitations of its color palette. It is better suited to other types of graphics like logos, which usually have a lot of solid areas of color.
The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is a commission convened to maintain standards for image rendering in technology. The acronym JPEG is much more commonly recognized as a file extension for image files, representing the standard set by the international JPEG commission. A JPEG file may also be abbreviated as JPG.
Created in 1986, the Joint Photographic Experts Group is a product of efforts by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Efforts to create standards for digital images led to the creation of JPEG to promote consistency in software and hardware products.
JPEG continues to look at issues of image compression and new technology methods like wavelets, which can promote a high standard for the creation and use of digital images in many devices, from computers to handheld devices and other hardware.