Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a45
From: a45@mindlink.UUCP (Ken Cooper)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: 24/32 Bit Color
Message-ID: <3568@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 17 Oct 90 01:56:21 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 31

Internet: johnhlee@cs.cornell.edu writes:

>Of course, 32 bit graphics vs. 24 bits won't matter the slightist bit to
>anyone except mostly computer graphics and image processing people.  I
>doubt that most professional video production people will ever need it.
>It makes no difference to 95% of the common PC users out there, despite
>what Marc Bennett says.  :-)

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A "24 bit" adapter allocates 8 bits per color (256 levels) for a total possible
number of colors of 16,777,216. A "32 bit" adapter allocates the same number of
levels per color, but adds an extra 8 bits (256 levels) of ALPHA CHANNEL. Alpha
channel can be thought of as storage for a soft-edged MASK, which can be used
to define what part of the image is or is not background. By allocating 256
levels for the mask or alpha channel, the mask can have 256 levels of
transparency. This is important when attempting to smoothly compose images and
for creating high quality effects.

The above was taken from the recently released version of "Hi-Res QFX", a
collection of 'image processing' functions. It works with Truevisions Targa or
Vista boards and can handle any image size up to 8k by 8k. I have a 32 bit
Vista board and after slowly learning to use this 'alpha' channel, am seeing a
very powerful imaging tool. Please, for your own peace of mind, if you have a
choice between a 16, 24 or 32 bit board, take the 32!

--
  Too much light and we are blinded; too much darkness and we are lost.
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| Ken Cooper   KenCoopera45@mindlink.UUCP    COMPUSERVE: 73627,2334    |
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