Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!labrea!rocky!rokicki From: rokicki@rocky.STANFORD.EDU (Tomas Rokicki) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Savage, twisted, bitplanes from Hell Message-ID: <773@rocky.STANFORD.EDU> Date: Mon, 23-Nov-87 12:41:22 EST Article-I.D.: rocky.773 Posted: Mon Nov 23 12:41:22 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Nov-87 21:44:12 EST References: <2348@gryphon.CTS.COM> Reply-To: rokicki@rocky.UUCP (Tomas Rokicki) Organization: Stanford University Computer Science Department Lines: 21 What would happen if we went to 6-bit DAC's? That would give us 64 shades of each, probably enough at NTSC frequencies. We would also need to add an eight-bit low-res mode, and extend HAM to modify all six bits. It would also be nice to have a 256-color palette for those eight bit planes. This all could be done completely compatibly with existing software. The current hardware registers would write into the most significant four bits of the 6-bit DAC's, and clear the low two. The current color system calls would do what they now do, only just on the top four bits. A new set of color calls would be supplied for the six bit DAC's. The only problems: - custom chip space to hold 256 18-bit palette registers - more time to reload palette with copper between screens Everything else, I believe, would stay the same. Imagine those ray-traced pictures then!