Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!raible From: raible@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Subject: Re: 24bit display questions Message-ID: <22723@cbmvax.commodore.com> Date: 27 Jun 91 01:42:57 GMT References: <1991Jun21.134816.10190@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu> <62170@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> <1991Jun26.175454.26359@cbnewsd.att.com> Reply-To: raible@cbmvax.commodore.com (Bob Raible - LSI Design) Distribution: usa Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA Lines: 40 In article <1991Jun26.175454.26359@cbnewsd.att.com> rcj2@cbnewsd.att.com (ray.c.jender) writes: >In article <62170@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> mark@calvin.westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) writes: >>In article jollick@amiglynx.UUCP (Jim Ollick) writes: >>>The Toaster Paint program lets you paint in HAM mode only in 1/4 of the screen >>>at a time only. It then renders the picture to the 24 bit display. I have read >>>that many Toaster owners are buying DCTV to paint with and use the Toaster for >>>a display and DVE device. >> >>Actually you can paint on the whole image all at once but many of the tools >>only function in 1/4 screen mode. I do however use DCTV for most of my 24bit >>painting and only use Toaster Paint when I need to write a 24bit brush >>(why didn't Digital Creations include this ability?!?!). >>%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~% >>% ` ' Mark Thompson CONCURRENT COMPUTER % >>% --==* RADIANT *==-- mark@westford.ccur.com Principal Graphics % >>% ' Image ` ...!uunet!masscomp!mark Hardware Architect % >>% Productions (508)392-2480 (603)424-1829 & General Nuisance % >>% % >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > I thought I had a basic understanding of this 24bit business. > Using ToasterPaint, if you paint in HAM mode (which is 12 bit, right?), > then render it to the Toaster it becomes 24bit. What happens to > the other 12 bits? How do you get 24bit out of 12bit???? > 12bit is 4096 colors. 24bit is 16million colors. Are the left-over > bits padded out? What good is ToasterPaint? Seems it's missing > around 16,773,000 colors...... > Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but Toaster internal data is not 24bit RGB but rather 16 bit digitized composite. The latter is much more efficient for a box that lacks RGB outputs. The use of HAM mode is a compromise dictated by the underlying AMIGA graphics hardware. You are correct in stating that HAM is limited to 12 bits, but of course this does not necessrily constrain the internal data to 12 bits. Shading and smear type operations could result in a greater number of shades than could be displayed in HAM mode. Of course this is not as good as a paint program that allowed you to paint directly onto the frame buffer itself. I guess this is the point you are trying to make.