Dialog Box: PICT File (Clipboard) [File menu]
------ Entire Topic Macintosh Only ----------
Note that this type of output may be referred to elsewhere as Metafile output. This option can write images either to PICT files or the Clipboard, in either of two formats: (a) a rescalable 2-dimensional Picture or metafile, or (b) a raster image or bitmap.
For the 3D Drawing mode , this option writes a two-dimensional image and only bitmaps are available, but see the VRML Files option for files which actually contain three-dimensional data Macintosh Pictures , as used here, are images containing lines or vectors and fills of regions defined by lines, that can be rescaled without necessarily losing resolution. They record the drawing commands that are used for the screen or standard printer output, but the result may depend on the software or device in which they are used.
Bitmaps or raster images record every pixel, so they are not susceptible to undesirable modification by other software. Although most "painting" software can resize bitmaps, this usually causes a loss of quality, so it is best to save a bitmap in exactly the desired size. Note that you can also save bitmaps in the PNG file format (File menu), which is superior is some respects to PICT files.
If color output is selected, you can choose either 16- or 32-bit color depth - 8-bit (256-color) files cannot be written.
You can select the nominal dots per inch/centimeter, and this is written into the PICT file, but note that programs which read the file may ignore this and show the image at 72 dots per inch.
Background color. If this option, which applies only to Picture output, is on, the color selected in the Background Color dialog of the Input2 menu will be applied in color output only. Background in b/w output is always white.
In the 3D drawing mode PICT (bitmap) output always has 32-bit pixel depth.
See Frames for details of the frame and frame units.