Re: bmp

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Supertimer writes ...
> 
> tturner@ecn.ab.ca () wrote:
> 
> >--> Hey, I was just wondering: Does anyone know if there is a listing
> >    somewhere that shows the common A2, Mac, Amiga & PC (picture) formats
> >    and what tools can convert between what formats? Sort of a `Rosetta
> >    Stone' for graphic conversions between non-compatible platforms? :-)
> >    (ie: A2 - DazzleDraw, 816-Paint, FantaVision, PrintShop, MousePaint,
> >              Designer Pen, PixIt, Blazing Paddles, Take One, Graphtrix,
> >              The Complete Drawing Package, Koala Micro Illustrator,
> >              Delta Drawing, Byte Paint, Zoom Grafix, Poor Boy Graphics,
> >              The Graphics Magician, The New PrintShop, etcetera.
> >    Formats - PSG, DHR, SHR, ...?
> > Converters - ...?
> >       A2GS - ...?
> 
> On the Apple IIGS, SuperConvert 4, Prism, and Convert 3200
> will get you most of the A2 formats you talk of above and also
> Amiga and PC IFF, GIF and BMP files and MacPaint images.
> SuperConvert even supports Atari ST and Commodore 64/128
> graphics.
 ....

     Ronald's and tturner's questions about converting older A2 graphics
formats led to some testing ...

First, Convert 3200 will not recognize any hires or DHR (double-hires)
pics.

Platinum Paint will import hires and DHR pics and convert them to
super-res; _but_, the file sizes must be 8192 for hires and 16384 for
DHR. This eliminates most hires pics since so many were saved in 8184
length files to avoid wasting a sector of disk storage under DOS 3.3.
Similarly, quite a few DHR pics are saved in 16376 length files-- this
is the length used by 816 Paint's DHR painter for unpacked saves. PP
will not import these DHR pics.

SuperConvert (at least version 3.0) converts all of the hires and DHR
pics I've tried so far.

Unfortunately, both Platinum Paint and SuperConvert botch most hires and
DHR conversions. This came as a surprise and was only discovered when a
pic displayed by the IIc+ on a color composite monitor was compared with
the PP and SC conversions displayed on the GS. 

     Except for relatively simple graphics, both programs produce
conversions loaded with bleeding colors. Tests with other hires and DHR
pics led to the conclusion that PP's conversions are, usually, slightly
better; but, neither program does well when a pic includes fine detail
and neither deals well with text on a hires or DHR pic. (I do not have
SC v4.0; perhaps the latest SC does better.)

     The sorry performance of Platinum Paint and SuperConvert led to a
try with 816 Paint's File Utilities. 816 Paint's Utils produced crisp,
clear conversions! In one case, conversion of a DHR pic from King's
Quest, SC did a bit better capturing the colors (probably PP would have,
too); but, the 816 Utils conversion was still a tad sharper _and_ the
text at the bottom was crisp and readable-- it was a mess on the SC
conversion.

     So, if a user wants to convert a hires or double-hires pic to
super-res (and, eventually, to .bmp, etc.), it looks like 816 Paint's
File Utilities is the best way to go.



Rubywand