Re: Second Sight SVGA Board Info (text only)

[spector@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article bazyar@netcom.com (Jawaid Bazyar) writes...

>  Multiple palettes are handled.  There's very little software that
>uses 3200 color stuff besides demos & straight images, which is good,
>because 3200 stuff would be impossible to manage. 

	This isn't too clear, are you saying 256 color multi-palette images
are emulated, but 3200 color multi-palette images are _not_? For example, 
background images in a game such as "Task Force" would be emulated, but
but something such as the 3200 color level-screens in "The Tinies" would not?

>  You can view a 3200 image easily on the SS board, tho :-)
	
	If you can find the original GIF/TIFF/JPEG/etc to reconvert as a 
native Second Sight image, then yes, I suppose... ;-)

>  I was never fond of the hires bleeding effects, but if you really
>want them, I will see if we can make a "real ugly hires text mode" just
>for you. :-)

	I never did like the fringing and color bleeding side-effects, but 
they *are* somewhat essential if you want to properly reproduce 8-bit Apple II
graphic images! Your forgetting many graphic artists at that time actual
worked these quirks and limitations into their images. That's right, certain
kinds of dithering and such were created by making use of color bleeding. 
Remove any elements of the original graphics (good or bad) and your changing
the way they're *suppose* to look! You should also keep in mind nearly ever
Apple II software emulator out there, be it for IBM, Mac, Amiga or whatnot,
all try very hard to re-create the color bleeding and rainbow-fringing 
effects when doing HR/DHR graphic emulation. I've even seen one go as far as 
reproducing the thin black lines between graphics and text modes! :-) 

>  The IIGS VGC is not affected in the least.  If you're not satisfied
>with one of the emulations, you can turn your apple monitor back
>on (or if you're using it with the SS board, use a switchbox to
>easily switch between the two video sources).

	I'd almost definately want to return control of graphic handling to
the built-in VGC with most old software. From what I've heard, old 8-bit
Apple II graphic modes will not be exact, no 3200 color emulation, larger
pixels in the 320x200 mode, only 15 FPS maximum for animations (most demos
and games hit around 30-60 FPS!). 

	This switchbox sounds interesting though, as many of us will most
likely be using our AppleColor RGB screens for the first couple of months
(if not longer). Is it an external device that sits outside the GS CPU?
Can graphics be switched on-the-fly, or can you only do it before the IIgs
is powered up?

>  They don't actually look _that_ bad. Also, if you're using an Apple
>monitor, no scanline doubling will occur, unless you really want
>to run in interlace mode all the time. :-)

	If the pixels are enlarged to the point were they look identical
to IBM's MCGA mode, I beg to differ (MCGA is one of the reasons I've 
avoided IBM machines in past!). I'd much rather have visable scanlines 
than Lego(tm) sized pixels! ;-) However, if we can turn scanline doubling
back on, (for native SS images) or turn off the card completely for emulation,
things aren't as bleak as they seemed. So I can return GS graphic images to
"normal" without having to remove the Second Sight, correct? That is, flip a
switch and my GS graphics & text will look as they do right now (look the
*same* as a stock IIgs).

>>- Any plans to have Second Sight support to video-digitizers?
>>  (ComputerEyes GS, Visionary GS, Quickie-C)
> 
>  People have asked about CE or Visionary "raw image viewing",
>and that's as simple as pie.

	It was mentioned ComputerEyes GS raw data images are only 6-bit
color, is this true? Also, the software only captures images in the 320x200
or 640x200 modes, would it be possible to modify the software to support
640x400 or higher? As well, perhaps have the software save raw-data as
8-bit color rather than 6? (Digital Visions is still supporting CE GS, but
I'm not certain if they'd be willing to add Second Sight support to their
software).

>>- Was it designed with future upgrades in mind? (other than 512k->1mb VRAM
>>  expansion option). I'm curious if it could support higher resolutions or
>>  more colors on screen we desire it a few years down the road... :)
> 
>  Not really.. this brings us up to spec with the PC systems out there,
>and I don't see video graphics progressing much beyond this point
>with vacuum tube technology. I mean, who _really_ wants a 500
>pound 40-inch monitor for a home computer? We'll see some progress
>in quality when we get good flat-screens.

	Almost...most PC systems available today can support at least
32,768 colors on screen at once (in the lower resolution modes). OTOH,
1024x768x256 is a very respectible resolution and number of colors on
screen. Honestly though, I can see most people using modes like 
640x400[480]x256 and not needing much more. This makes an ideal mode
for WYSIWYG word-processors, DTP, paint/draw software, a Finder desktop
(hint, hint), probably even GNO stuff like TMTerm, etc. :)

> Jawaid Bazyar              |   Like UNIX? Like your Apple IIGS? Then ask
> Procyon, Inc.              |   me about GNO/ME for the Apple IIgs!   
> bazyar@netcom.com          |   P.O Box 620334
> --Apple II Forever!--      |   Littleton, CO 80162-0334   (303) 781-3273

Mitchell Spector
m_spect@pavo.concordia.ca / spector@vax2.concordia.ca