CompuServe Messages

Dithering is turned on & off in a sub-screen of the render screen. Once you're in the render screen, I think it's "Options", then "Dither 256" is set either on or off. Using dither not only causes pixel pox, it also yields much bigger file sizes. Most people find the color banding that occurs when it's off less offensive than the wierd pixels, but it's a matter of taste. The default is On, I think. 8-bit (256 color) animation is a real art. It teaches you to be disciplined about the colors you use in your scene, since the wider the range of colors, the worse things are going to look. If you've ventured into mapping yet, that's the real key to 8-bit; mapping overcomes banding without having to use dithering. An 8-bit animation that uses mapped materials and a fairly narrow range of colors can look excellent. As you can tell, this is a subject iI like to talk about. Dan