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From: SAMcinty@exua.exeter.ac.uk (Scott McIntyre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Graphics on the STE - v. generally speaking...
Message-ID: <1245@exua.exeter.ac.uk>
Date: 2 Apr 91 08:15:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: exua.1245
Sender: SAMcinty@exua.exeter.ac.uk
Organization: Computer Unit, Exeter University
Lines: 42



  I've posted a few bits and pieces lately about the graphics capabilities
of the ST series, but I don't seem to have learned much, so, here are
all my questions....if you can help me, I would greatly appreciate it...
 
1)	I have a 520 STE (w 4/meg add on)...and the SM 124.  I asked a few
weeks ago about graphics on this kind of system, and a number of people
all suggested that I look into GIF stuff...I have been doing so, downloading
dozens at a time from wuarchive, and viewing them on the PC that does the
downloading - they all look brilliant.  But when I get them home they look
crap.  
	Is the usual method of de-giffing a colour (heck, even mono) picture
onto an ST merely the clumping of black and white dots, at a horrendous
resolution?  I know that a lot of effort went into writing these programmes
out there, but it seems amazing to me that on the VGA system (yes, I know
it has better graphics) it can look so amazing, and on my ST it looks like
someone sneezed!  Am I doing something wrong?  I've been using ViewPic which
is very nice for loading gif images, and works in mono or coulour (but looks
bad either way...the colours are all off), but the gray images still look
like nothing more than clever optical illusions...
	
So...:
 
2)	Does the STE have gray scales, you know, proper shades of gray, not
just the nearness of black and white pixels?  How can I use these scales?
When I look in magazines I see some AMAZING pictures on SM124s that are
gray, but look as sharp as a photograph!  They ought to!  600 x 400 should
yield fantastic quality...so, where is it?
 
3)	Is there any source ftpable that has a collection, or even just
a few, of these images?   What might they be called?  What kind of suffixes
will they have?  GR8? GR9?
 
4)	Is it possible to get Gif images to look remotely nice on a STE?
 
Thanks in advance for any help that can be given...I just sorta jumped into
the world of the ST without really looking at what it can and cannot do..
 
Thanks,
Scott
.