SpeakUp Maul Desktop Publisher Session 2 - May 6, 2006
Note:
<MaulMan> = Peter Koller
<eCSNL> = Roderick Klein
SpeakUp started at 15:01:34 EDT
SpeakUp ended at 17:02:07 EDT
<eCSNL> Hello
<eCSNL> welcome everybody.
<eCSNL> I know of one additional paerson that is going to join.
<eCSNL> JWE can you please start logging ?
<JWE> log started
<eCSNL> Thank you.
<eCSNL> Welcome everybody to this VOICE speakup.
<eCSNL> At least the turnout is bigger then the last time.
<MaulMan> he he
<eCSNL> Our guest tonight is Peter Koller.
<eCSNL> A long time OS/2 coder that
<eCSNL> his live work
<eCSNL> is Maul Publisher.
<MaulMan> ..and 1 or 2 other items :-)
<eCSNL> Coded by him alone..
<eCSNL> Later this speakup we will reveal how to purchase Maul Publisher if you want it.
<eCSNL> I know push the microphone over to our guest Peter Koller. Peter could you give a short introduction about your self ?
<eCSNL> And what in short Maul Publisher enables you todo.
<eCSNL> That purchase for Maul Publisher will of course be for a lower price then normal.
<eCSNL> MaulMan
<MaulMan> Ok. I really started working life as an elcetronics engineer
<eCSNL> the stage is all yours!
<MaulMan> I have been working on Maul Publisher since 1998
<MaulMan> and I did it becaue this is an app I missed in OS/2
<MaulMan> Maul is a required tool if you want to get serious about printed docs
<MaulMan> No other app I know of for OS/2 manages the print resolution adequately
<MaulMan> No other manages image resolutions adequately
<MaulMan> No other can incorporate as many images into 1 doc
<MaulMan> No other app for OS/2 can better the print quality of Maul as it's the only one that works directly in printer pixels
<MaulMan> Ok, now the down side - to be fair
<MaulMan> It has taken a long time to get all the required features of a modern word processor working
<MaulMan> I have struggled massively with bugs in the early days. 8 years later & I'm getting there
<MaulMan> The latest version of Maul is V3.06
<MaulMan> This includes Unicode support for the first time
<eCSNL> Just for the people who don't know what
<eCSNL> UNICODE is.
<MaulMan> This means that you get such features as smart quotes
<eCSNL> What the heck is the benefit of UNICODE (asks Joe user)
<MaulMan> and you get the use of bullet characters
<MaulMan> UNICODE, I' will answer that in relation to Maul
<MaulMan> Unicode gives you loads more characters than the ordinary text that os/2 used to support
<MaulMan> This enables you to use oriental pictogram characters, for example
<MaulMan> Unicode also has arabic characters, for example
<MaulMan> Most important, you get lots of nice symbols to play with
<MaulMan> You need the right fonts, such as Times New Roman MT30 for example
<MaulMan> Why unicode is so nice in Maul is becuase you can create a doc with several languages in it
<MaulMan> Even nicer, you can spell check all that are supported by Myspell
<MaulMan> The language can be set on a per article basis
<MaulMan> Unicode also enables me to format text with no spaces in it - like Japanese or Chinese
<eCSNL> If there any questions shoot!
<MaulMan> It takes care of character testing for those smartquotes I mentioned earlier
<MaulMan> I ought to add 1 important point to all this...
<MaulMan> Maul has meny modules in it that enable to do all sorts of graphics and text
<MaulMan> I can talk about the details for the next 2 hours...
<Gord> MaulMan, thank you for your work. It is greatly appreciated. Yes, please do discuss more details.
<MaulMan> ...but it's better you just play with it yourselves, or I will end up boring you
<Gord> How about those fonts. Where are they available?
<MaulMan> Are there any people here who have not used maul
<abwillis> I haven't
<MaulMan> Fonts are provided with OS/2 or eComStation
<Gord> I have a license but I have never used the prodduct.
<Gord> "Times New Roman MT 30"?
<abwillis> That one comes with Java I think
<MaulMan> Ok, be prepared for a steep learning curve
<Gord> OK
<MaulMan> MT30 comes with mozilla, I think
<MaulMan> I reply to support emails within 48hrs, if you ever get stuck
<Gord> oh, good.
<MaulMan> You need to understand that maul is a vector graphics app
<MaulMan> using printer resolution
<MaulMan> and that before you can insert text you need to
<MaulMan> create a frame to put it in
<MaulMan> You can put text into any shape, even a circle
<MaulMan> You can put text into a frame, and put a picture beneth it in the same frame
<MaulMan> you can group frames together to create clipart
<MaulMan> when you copy the clipart, you get a bitmap on the clipboard scaled for use in web pages
<MaulMan> a metafile for use in you office app, if you have one
<MaulMan> and the original clipart which you can copy back into maul
<MaulMan> people use maul to make flow diagrams
<MaulMan> photo albums
<MaulMan> and even complete professional booklets
<MaulMan> using ePDF (www.subsys.de), you can use maul to create acrobat docs
<MaulMan> it will even create a index in acrobat
<MaulMan> for lots of bitmaps in a single doc, maul uses a technique called image offlining
<GG> Bonjour.
<myrkraverk> hello people
<Gord> Hi GG
<MaulMan> usually only found upmarket dtp apps like xpress or indesign
<myrkraverk> and I'm just about to leave the house (well, at least I'll have a log)
<Gord> Hi myrkraverk
<myrkraverk> hi ;)
<MaulMan> put 5gb of images into 1 doc, and still edit the pictures
<myrkraverk> eventhugh I'll have to lurk ;P
<myrkraverk> laters
<Gord> MaulMan, what does offlining mean?
<MaulMan> ok, you load an image into maul from your camera - it's 16Mb in size
<MaulMan> Maul stores the image into a folder and replaces it with a lower res image on the screen
<MaulMan> but as you edit the doc, the high res image is edited as if it were present
<MaulMan> even undo still works as expected.
<Gord> But it is the lo-res copy that is being edited??
<MaulMan> When you print or copy the image, the high res image is used
<MaulMan> the high res is edited, and the low res is edited at the same time
<Gord> OK.
<MaulMan> however, imagine your doc contains 50 camera pics
<GG> Clever. But this might be quite hard to manage...
<MaulMan> thats 50x 16 Mb
<MaulMan> In Maul, you can edit this no problems
<Gord> Sounds good.
<MaulMan> It's easy to manage because the folder with the real images in has the same name as the containing maul document
<abwillis> So, if I want to move the file to another system I have to move an entire directory structure?
<MaulMan> And tools are provided to veryfy that nothing has gotten out of synch
<MaulMan> yes, if you want to move the file, you must also move the folder with the same name
<abwillis> OK
<MaulMan> but image offlining is an option you don't need to use
<MaulMan> because maul knows about printer resolution
<MaulMan> the images can be scaled to fit pixel for pixel - that means no interpolation
<MaulMan> and no rounding errors
<MaulMan> that's unique to Maul
<MaulMan> because I use maul myself, i have also ended up including a host of useful bits & pieces
<MaulMan> such as mail merge
<MaulMan> double sided printing
<MaulMan> index and contents list extraction
<MaulMan> and more
<MaulMan> hi.
<Gord> Hi StevenL
<MaulMan> I use Maul to make labels
<GG> Bonjour to Steven.
<MaulMan> you create a clipart that corresponds to 1 label
<MaulMan> and you hit the multiple paste menu item
<Gord> Is there an easy way to set the label size and spacing for labels that come on a sheet?
<MaulMan> result - a page full of labels
<Gord> OK
<MaulMan> draw a box the size of the label + the width of the gap
<MaulMan> draw your label inside that box.
<MaulMan> as long as the labels are placed touching on all sides - step & repeat paste - you have it
<MaulMan> if the label sheet size is not known to your printer
<Gord> Can I just unzip 3.06 overtop of 3.05 to install?
<MaulMan> cheat - use a bigger sheet
<MaulMan> later versions of maul will install over earlier ones - Use The Installer!!!
<Gord> OK.
<MaulMan> Maul cannot be moved to a different folder without using the installer
<MaulMan> it relies on a os2.ini registry entry to find it's files
<MaulMan> I guess you could do it manually...
<MaulMan> I wouldn't
<MaulMan> Any more questions?
<JWE> Are docs made with earlier version compatible with the latest version?
<MaulMan> that way round -yes. later to earlier - no
<MaulMan> if it doesn't work, tell me about it
<abwillis> does it import from any other apps?
<MaulMan> I rely heavily in feedback
<MaulMan> You can import from rich text
<MaulMan> you can import metafiles and pictures
<MaulMan> pictures are handled by a version of gbm, so good image support
<MaulMan> metafiles - most OS/2 apps support metafiles
<MaulMan> rich text - doesn't work with older versions of smartsuite
<MaulMan> prvate text formats like word - no hope unless you can infiltrate M$
<MaulMan> Are there any developers here
<abwillis> OK
<GG> Another general question about MAUL [ please note I haven't read what's been said before 19:30 UTC ] will a MAUL document look the same under OS/2-eCS and Windows or under the same OS but on another hardware (LASER vs InkJet printer) ? [ In other words : Is a MAUL document a plaform/hardware neutral document ? ]
<abwillis> I do a small bit of coding in Mozilla and Odin
<MaulMan> maul is modular, you can create your own modules - I am willing to help, provide smples, etc
<MaulMan> Maul is not hardware neutral, but rescales to fit differing printer resolutions
<MaulMan> This makes it extremely accurate in scale, but not position on the page
<MaulMan> Maul exists on Windows, but it's sadly out of date
<MaulMan> I have been too busy creating all the goodies for OS/2
<MaulMan> Days are too short
<GG> ;-)
<MaulMan> I suspect the new unicode support will blow porting back to Windows
<MaulMan> as this uses OS/2 uniapi
<MaulMan> introduced with a Warp4 fixpack,
<MaulMan> and present in all later os/2 versions incl eCS
<GG> FP13 or something...
<MaulMan> ...but not in Windows :-(
<eCSNL> And not its time for a commercial break!
<MaulMan> phew
<eCSNL> As annouched, you can buy maul publisher
<eCSNL> for special price!
<eCSNL> MaulMan knows everything about it!
<MaulMan> ..but not the price, or I have forgotten?
* eCSNL pushes a piece of paper
<abwillis> eCSNL is a paper pusher?
<MaulMan> ok, 79 euro, as I suspected, but
* GG wonders who is in the need for some paper... during the commercial break !...
<MaulMan> there are some things like VAT to add to that...
<MaulMan> oh heck, just buy & see what is demanded
<eCSNL> Thats the salesman attitude...
<eCSNL> Just sell :-)
<eCSNL> Normal price is 113.85 (Euro!)
<eCSNL> excluding VAT.
<MaulMan> (at this point his head exploded :-)
<eCSNL> SPeakup special 79 Euro
<eCSNL> Excluding VAT.
<eCSNL> People wanting to order drop an email to rwklein@mensys.nl!
<eCSNL> And I wil process it for that price!
<MaulMan> wow, reassuring information
* eCSNL ends commercial break
<MaulMan> It's worth every penny :-)
<eCSNL> Have you got some examples on
<eCSNL> your website of maul publisher ?
* GG . o O ( That makes it at 93.29EUR here... a bargain ! )
<MaulMan> especially when you are getting an app that solves all those little niggling issues other can't cope with
<MaulMan> For examples (slightly out of date)
<MaulMan> see www.manglais.com/promo/maul.html
<eCSNL> People wanting to convert
<eCSNL> to US dollars
<eCSNL> www.xeu.com
<eCSNL> In US dollars
<eCSNL> its
<eCSNL> $100.24
<MaulMan> To re-iterate, you are getting
<MaulMan> word processing
<MaulMan> picture editing
<MaulMan> vector graphics
<MaulMan> CAD
<MaulMan> flowchart maker
<MaulMan> with suitable hardware, this can make coffee :-)
<MaulMan> (just kidding)
<MaulMan> web image design
<MaulMan> photo abum manager
<MaulMan> and last - a real heavy duty industrial desktop publisher
<MaulMan> commercial people use this thing to make a living
<MaulMan> enough hard sell, any more questions?
<MaulMan> How's about this then,
<MaulMan> In Maul, you can cut a plain bckground out of a picture
<MaulMan> you can then put the pic on top of text,
<MaulMan> and have the text flowing around the cut-out image
<MaulMan> - even if the text is at some silly angle
<MaulMan> ... or this,
<MaulMan> you can put images inside text by
<MaulMan> placing the image in the same frame as the text
<MaulMan> and selecting self clip mode
<MaulMan> The same works to put text inside text (last time I tried it worked anyways)
<MaulMan> You can run fully formatted multiple font text around a curved border of any length
<MaulMan> you can create a frame of absolutely any shape, and put text in it
<MaulMan> if you put any shape on top, the text can flow around it.
<MaulMan> Trigonometry is a wonderful thing :-)
<myrkraverk> reading backlog, I'm sorry to say that I have *no* need for a desktop publisher ;/
<GG> MaulMan : sure. How come kids usually don't like this ? ;-)
<myrkraverk> GG: usually, imho, becouse of bad math teachers
<MaulMan> steep learning curve to use
<MaulMan> short attention span
<MaulMan> no adult to guide then for the first steps
<MaulMan> do dads still teach their kids to
<MaulMan> ride a bike, or
<MaulMan> is it a computer game now
<MaulMan> the truth is, that for maul to all that it does
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: I suspect that's a computer game by now ;/
<MaulMan> it has to be complicated
* GG . o O ( Another idea for Maul : make it a computer game ! )
<MaulMan> complicated is hard, even for me to type, I noticed
<_eCS2> Maul RuleZ!
<MaulMan> ask anyone who has been to a recent Warpstock europe
<GG> MaulMan : you talked about mail merge - where does Maul get its data ?
<MaulMan> I give prezentation on Maul, and
<myrkraverk> is it possible to use maul with sane?
<myrkraverk> I have my scanner connected to my unix box with sane
<MaulMan> they kick me out before i'm half way
* GG Ooops...
<_eCS2> MaulMan: what about doint a presentation of Maul at North America WarpStock in Windsor?
<MaulMan> Maul gets mail merge data as a comma separated list
* GG It looks like we didn't let MaulMan finish his sentences !
<myrkraverk> _eCS2: isn't the warpstock in canada?
<eCSNL> yes it is.
<myrkraverk> ok
<_eCS2> myrkraverk: yes, Windsor Ontario Canada
<MaulMan> maul is twain, use sane-twain bridge software
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: have you tried that?
<MaulMan> nope, don't have a scanner :-(
<MaulMan> don't have much money, so I don't get out much, hence
<MaulMan> I get to develop Maul instead.
<_eCS2> guess I will have to buy another license of Maul :)
<myrkraverk> ;)
<MaulMan> That's ok, it's now well over 200Mb of text
<GG> _eCS2 : or sponsor a scanner for MaulMan
<_eCS2> MaulMan: what scanner do you need?
<MaulMan> hey, that's not needed, not by me anyway.
<MaulMan> There are other ways.
<GG> MaulMan : come on ! Santa Klaus asks you ! ;-)
<MaulMan> I do have a way of testing twain using a small applet
<MaulMan> The most important thing I need, seriously -
<MaulMan> is better feedback from users. I get
<GG> Time ? Feedback ?
* GG Bingo.
<MaulMan> left in the dark by people who
<MaulMan> use maul and never tell me
<_eCS2> MaulMan: I sent in the feedback about Text on a curve with PDF creation
<MaulMan> about the bug they found xxx years ago & couldn't be
<MaulMan> bothered to tell me about.
<_eCS2> MaulMan: I see your recent version has a fix for that :)
<MaulMan> Text on a curve with pdf now works because of that
<_eCS2> yes! :))
<MaulMan> feed back.
<MaulMan> It is vital - if you want Maul to continue...
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: you can try to have a channel here, explicitly for maul
<GG> Another thing Maul would deserve : localization.
<MaulMan> give me time, I am new to this irc stuff
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: ok ;)
<GG> MaulMan : thanks for providing the toolkit !
<MaulMan> localisation - unicode does 90pc,
<myrkraverk> I am now seriously considering what to use maul for, if I find it, I'll buy it (probably) :)
<MaulMan> the rest is up to you.
<_eCS2> MaulMan: I'm setting up a small division in the Philippines, so I will be purchasing another license soon..that means another user also for feedback :)
<MaulMan> great!
<_eCS2> my former assistant here loved Maul!
<MaulMan> you can get maul cheap now:- rwklein@mensys.nl
<_eCS2> just need to remind her about setting up an eComStation computer :)
<_eCS2> MaulMan: how much is a single user license?
<MaulMan> Now about $100, later quite a bit more
<myrkraverk> _eCS2: from backlog, looks like 79 euro + vat
<myrkraverk> aparently, that comes down to $100 ;P
<MaulMan> these backlogs are just great!
<_eCS2> ok :)
<_eCS2> I think I paid $100 for the first license
<_eCS2> or $99 to be exact
<MaulMan> An important note, a licence is valid
<MaulMan> for the entire life of a major version
<_eCS2> MaulMan: are their multi-user licenses also?
<MaulMan> i.e. V1.xx, then upgrade for V2.xx, then upgrade for V3.xx
<MaulMan> multi-user is negociable, if large enough
<MaulMan> say 10 or more
<_eCS2> ok, so nothing for a 5-user model?
<MaulMan> I also discout at Warpstock Eu
<MaulMan> try me... :-)
* _eCS2 will keep it in mind
<_eCS2> ;)
<MaulMan> I can provide a limited number of prizes for OS/2 and eCS exhibitions
<MaulMan> Warpstock Eu last year, someone went home very happy!
<MaulMan> So has that covered the money issues?
<_eCS2> MaulMan: if you could make it to WarpStock in Windsor...I think that $99 would be enough discount for those attendees :)
<Gord> MaulMan: Would you consider coming to WarpStock in canada?
<MaulMan> Yes, if I had the cash to get there & stay there, but I don't
<GG> MaulMan : Last question before I leave - what's the weather like upper to the north in Bretagne ? ;-)
<MaulMan> wet with sunny intervals, bye
<MaulMan> Just to wrap up some ideas for those who havent read earlier stuff
<MaulMan> Maul U.S.P.'s are
<MaulMan> Highest possible print quality with OS/2
<GG> "Bonne nuit" to all.
<MaulMan> Most precise image tool for OS/2
<MaulMan> Smart about data storage, edit large docs in a small memory
<MaulMan> True trigonomtric text formatting allows formatting into any shape, and onto a curve
<MaulMan> Maul also contains:-
<MaulMan> metafile handler
<MaulMan> tables with formulas
<MaulMan> mail merge and dynamic text
<MaulMan> ability to interface with ePDF (www.subsys.de) to create acrobat documents
<MaulMan> Vector graphics can be copied for use in web pages
<MaulMan> page scaling allows maul to double as a dtp application
<MaulMan> ..and I am sure I have forgotten half the things I ought to have mentioned
<_eCS2> MaulMan: how many licenses of Maul to you need to sell to finance a trip to WarpStock in Windsor?
<_eCS2> to=do
<MaulMan> that's a hard question, how much would it cost me?
<eCSNL> I have one request in
<eCSNL> for Maul publisher special price.
<eCSNL> Anybody interested for $100 dollars
<MaulMan> great
<eCSNL> excluding
<eCSNL> 19%
<eCSNL> VAT
<eCSNL> Drop me an email to rwklein@mensys.nl
<Gord> Last question: How did Maul come by that name?
<_eCS2> eCSNL: how long is the promotion good for?
<eCSNL> This chat session
* GG_Away . o O ( Bretagne<>Paris + Paris-Windsor plane + hotel + Visa == mucho Euros )
<eCSNL> as annouched in the annouchment.
<_eCS2> well I think MaulMan need more regularly priced licences :)
<MaulMan> Maison Anglais Universal Layout, but that is not the only answer...
<MaulMan> Hey - I am the one that sets the prices, usually...
<_eCS2> ;)
<_eCS2> is there a printed manual available for Maul?
<eCSNL> GG_away
<eCSNL> since its in canada
<eCSNL> you don't need a Visa.
<eCSNL> Just a stamp in your passport.
<MaulMan> No printed manual, sorry it's just too big!
<eCSNL> The days of wordperfect printed thick manuals are over.
<_eCS2> MaulMan: the online help?
<eCSNL> Saves trees.
<eCSNL> Otherwhise it would cost a fortune to distribute mail publisher!
* _eCS2 prefers to relax at night and read a manual than lugg a laptop around
<MaulMan> Online help is kind of always out of date, the help mans are up to date & supplied
<MaulMan> as usual, rtfm 3 times and all will become clear
<MaulMan> I hope
<MaulMan> Or complain by email!
<MaulMan> I always answer asap
* _eCS2 can attest to that
<MaulMan> can I log off now?
<_eCS2> hehe
<MaulMan> I think the time is up?
<eCSNL> Well
<eCSNL> I gues we can continue
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: before you go
<myrkraverk> MaulMan: or rather, after, look at http://www2.ondemandmanuals.com/
<_eCS2> is the entire transcript going to be posted?
<MaulMan> ok?
<eCSNL> if people are having a good time.
<eCSNL> yes transcript will be posted.
<MaulMan> bye bye
<eCSNL> Peter
<eCSNL> thanks for dropping by.
<eCSNL> And thanks for all the visitors
<myrkraverk> ;)
<eCSNL> stay tuned for another speakup
<eCSNL> in June hopefully.
<_eCS2> myrkraverk: thats a great link!
<myrkraverk> _eCS2: yes ;)
* eCSNL hands MaulMan a virtual glass of beer.
<eCSNL> I'm also of to bed.
<myrkraverk> eCSNL: night ;)
<eCSNL> Good night everybody and thank you for dropping by.
<_eCS2> thanks for coming MaulMan