New version of LEADTOOLS targets Visual C++ community; LEAD provides programmers with C++ wrapper!

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 1995--Recognizing that developers need to program faster and reuse existing code, LEAD Technologies has created a version of its powerful "C" toolkit for Microsoft(R) Visual C++(TM) programmers. LEADTOOLS is an imaging software development toolkit which enables the integration of black/white (1-bit), grayscale (8-bit) and color (4,8,16,24, & 32-bit) images into applications, products, services and systems. The new version of LEADTOOLS supports Visual C++ 4.0 as a DLL with a C++ wrapper, as well as a VBX, a 16-bit OLE Control, and a 32-bit OLE Control. LEAD's support for 16-bit and 32-bit components will enable developers to manage their transition to a 32-bit Microsoft Windows(R) environment at a pace they control.

"Much of the future growth of Visual C++ is attributed to the growth in productivity tools and the migration of component tools through reuse, which LEAD provides through the LEADTOOLS product line," said Don Johnson, Director of Technical Marketing Visual C++ Group, Microsoft. "Visual C++ and LEADTOOLS combined offer the right technology, right now to Visual C++ programmers."

LEAD's new development tools provide properties, methods and functions which read, write, compress, (JPEG, CMP, CCITT G3/G4 & more), convert and display images. Developers can scroll, zoom, dither, and process images (resize, rotate, flip, invert, reverse, transpose, crop, sharpen, blur, edge & line detection, mosaic, hue & saturation, combine, histogram equalize, gamma correction and intensity detection, shear, grayscale, halftone, auto-deskew, despeckle and more). LEADTOOLS can import and export over 40 standard image file formats including JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, WMF, EPS, PCX, TGA, RAW FAX, WINFAX, CALS, IOCA, PICT, PCD, PSD, GEM, RAS, WPG and many more. The toolkits also support printing (multi-image and text), TWAIN-compliant single and multi-page scanning devices, video capture, and the Windows clipboard.

LEADTOOLS' comprehensive image management approach includes advanced bitmap processing, (access and change rows, columns, or individual pixels of image data, color separation and merging of RGB, CMYK, HSV, YUV and HSL). Additionally programmers can use one function to display, with or without dithering, scroll and zoom, while painting the image to the screen. Developers can chose between 20 special color paint effects and enhanced 1-bit painting features such as a scale-to-gray and favor black. Developers displaying 24 bit images at lower resolutions will find LEAD's color reduction/expansion processes, with 8 different dithering options, and color conversion (conversion to fixed, optimized or user-defined palettes) methods invaluable.

LEADTOOLS takes advantage of the flexibility of Visual C++ 4.0 as a 32-bit development tool. The product will support full visual object orientation features. OLE Controls, OLE Automation controller and a host of additional features to make development using the LEADTOOLS easy.

LEAD's newest toolkits follow the Company's successful product make-up of offering three toolkits in one: image file format/compression support; image processing; and bi-tonal image processing. The toolkit ships with over 30 demo samples complete with source code to assist the programmer in the development process. The sample code is designed so that in many cases the programmer can simply "cut" code from the examples and "paste" the LEAD code right into their application.

LEADTOOLS can be used as a Windows DLL (3.x, WIN32s, WIN95, NT(TM) for Microsoft C/C++ compiler and Borland C compilers, and any language which supports the calling of a DLL. LEADTOOLS also supports a VBX which can be used with Microsoft Visual Basic(R), AND any language which supports a VBX, Microsoft Visual FoxPro(TM), OS/2 C-Set, and DOS versions are also available. The toolkits start at $295 with no royalties or license fees required. (There are licensing fees associated with the LEADTOOLS Express versions.) The products are available directly from LEAD Technologies as well as through authorized distributors and resellers.

LEAD Technologies, Inc. is an industry-leader in the field of compression, image compression and image processing technology, licensing technology to thousands of developers, software publishers and OEMs, including Corel Corporation for use in CorelDRAW products and Inset Systems for use in HiJaak. Other OEM clients include AT&T, Canon, Delrina, Intel, Kodak, Martin Marietta, Olympus, Prodigy, Reuters, Rockwell, Sharp Electronics, 3M, Upjohn and Xerox.

LEAD's products include LEADVIEW 3 for Windows, an image management tool aimed at end users, LEADTOOLS, a family of imaging software development toolkits and TripleSpace, a data compression technology aimed at OEMs. Founded in 1990, LEAD is the industry-leading supplier of imaging and compression technology. LEAD can be contacted for sales at 1-800-637-4699 or 704/332-5532. -0-

LEAD, LEADVIEW and LEADTOOLS are registered trademarks of LEAD Technologies, Inc. TripleSpace is a trademark of LEAD Technologies. Microsoft, Windows and Visual Basic are registered trademarks and Visual C++, NT and Visual FoxPro are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: LEAD Technologies, Inc., Charlotte

Deborah Bourgeois, 704/332-5532, ext. 1235