Q. I just transferred a TIFF file from my PC running MS- DOS. I want to open the file with MacDraw Pro, but it doesn't show up in the Open dialog box. Can MacDraw Pro read PC TIFF files?
A. MacDraw Pro can open most PC TIFF files. Because you can't see the TIFF file when using the Open command, the problem is the Macintosh doesn't realize the file is a TIFF-format document. MacDraw Pro and other Macintosh programs use the file's 'type' tag to determine whether it can open the file. Normally, Macintosh programs set this tag automatically when saving a file to disk. But because this file came from a PC, it doesn't have any type tag.
There are two ways you can open the PC file to be read by MacDraw Pro.
Use Insignia's Access PC
Access PC lets you tell your Macintosh that all files ending in .TIF should be treated as TIFF files and opened by MacDraw Pro when you double-click them. The program also lets you read PC-formatted floppies. For pricing and availability, contact
Insignia Solutions
526 Clyde Ave
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415) 694-7600.
Use a File Type Utility
This is more difficult. You open the file in any program that allows you to edit the file type attribute. These programs include Symantec's Norton Utilities, Central Point Software's Mac Tools, CE Software's DiskTop, Apple's ResEdit, and many shareware programs. Set the .TIF file's type to 'TIFF' (no quotes, all caps). How you do this varies with each program. If you make the change successfully, you can then open the file as a TIFF document in MacDraw Pro and many other Macintosh graphics programs.