CompuServe Thread

#256 colors to 16

15 messages in this thread
#149199From: James FranssenJan 26, 1995 10:57 AM
Is there an easy way to turn 256 colors in an already created animation into 16 colors? Thanks.
#149245From: Michael LudwigJan 26, 1995 2:43 PM
Look at DTA or ALCHEMY (for pic-sequences) they have switches to compress colors. You can also SQUEEZE your palette in Animator Pro. Or create your palette and use it in 3DS as custom while running Video Post with your FLC …so many ways to Rome… Good luck Michael
#149308From: James FranssenJan 26, 1995 6:00 PM
>> …so many ways to Rome.. << Thanks, I'll look at all of them.
#149253From: NAAUGJan 26, 1995 3:06 PM
/* Is there an easy way to turn 256 colors in an already created animation into 16 colors? Thanks. */ Sure… turn the time toggle on, go to the palette menu, make a cluster of all colors in the palette, and use the Value/Squeeze option to 16. 🙂 -dave
#149309From: James FranssenJan 26, 1995 6:00 PM
>> Sure… turn the time toggle on, go to the palette menu, make a cluster of all colors in the palette, and use the Value/Squeeze option to 16. 🙂 -dave << Thanks, I'll try that.
#149272From: Brian Rudolph [Adesk]Jan 26, 1995 4:00 PM
James, If you squeeze you palette, or reduce the number of colors in a FLC you will have a FLC that only uses 16 colors, but still has a palette of 256. You will just happen to not be utilizing the entire palette. Is that what you want? Or are you looking for a 16 color animation format? -Brian
#149311From: James FranssenJan 26, 1995 6:00 PM
>> Or are you looking for a 16 color animation format? << Yep, that's what I want.. not a 256 color palette.
#149752From: Dick BrandtJan 28, 1995 5:07 AM
James, Once you've reduced the number of colors used to 16 and ensured that each frame uses the same palette, just use the /16 switch with GDFF to produce a GRASP dff in 16 colors; i.e., to get rid of the 240 blank palette slots. I would also suggest that you take a look at Image Alchemy for general graphics conversions. It allows you to batch-process, and can be a real time-saver for jobs like this. For example, use AniPro to output single frames from your .FLC, Alchemy to convert the palettes (with a single command), and then make a .FLC or .DFF from the converted frames. Regards, Dick Brandt
#149791From: James FranssenJan 28, 1995 12:55 PM
>> I would also suggest that you take a look at Image Alchemy for general graphics conversions. << Thanks Dick, the information you gave is very helpful. Where can I get information on Image Alchemy?
#149893From: Dick BrandtJan 29, 1995 6:25 AM
James, It's on CIS as ALCHEM.ZIP in GRAPHDEV, I think. The shareware version is fully functional up to 640×480. Full program, for higher resolutions and with printed documentation, is around $80-$85 from: Handmade Software, Inc. 48820 Kato Road, Suite 110 Fremont, CA 94538 Phone 1-800-358-3588 CIS # 71330,3136 By the way, I have no commercial interest in the program or the firm, it's just one of those things that does what it's supposed to do, and I've found it to be extremely useful. For instance, I have taken several hundred GRASP .CLP clipping files and converted them to .GIFs, all with the same palette, with a single command in Alchemy. Alchemy works with GRASP .CLP and .PIC directly (along with just about every other graphic file format you can think of). Hope you're not cussin' me out for suggesting you take a look at GRASP when you first started making inquiries last year. I -told- you there was a learning curve<g>. Regards, Dick Brandt
#149937From: James FranssenJan 29, 1995 1:40 PM
>> Hope you're not cussin' me out for suggesting you take a look at GRASP when you first started making inquiries last year. << Not at all (&#@&$@&!!) 🙂 This is a nice way to get my feet wet in this type of arena. I just don't think I'll be jumping at the authoring jobs with as much enthusiasm as I will be animating! It's working okay, just a little tedious. Thanks.
#149997From: James FranssenJan 29, 1995 11:39 PM
>> Hope you're not cussin' me out for suggesting you take a look at GRASP when you first started making inquiries last year. << Not at all (&#@&$@&!!) 🙂 This is a nice way to get my feet wet in this type of arena. I just don't think I'll be jumping at the authoring jobs with as much enthusiasm as I will be animating! It's working okay, just a little tedious. Thanks.
#149449From: charles jamesonJan 27, 1995 8:32 AM
Brian, He wants a 16 color animation because he can take it into GRASP and play it on standard VGA displays at 640×480 resolution. I do this all the time, also for animations that are not full screen – just little 100×100 snippets. Animator is a good GIF paint program too. Chuck Jameson Silver Tongue Software
#149476From: Brian Rudolph [Adesk]Jan 27, 1995 10:34 AM
<<16 color animation because he can take it into GRASP>> I was under the impresson that GRASP had it's own color reduction feature. Of course, I have the MM Professional version, which can also incorporate FLI iles directly, so I never need to reduce the colors in an animation. -Brian
#149990From: charles jamesonJan 29, 1995 9:07 PM
Brian, You'll need to use GRASP's capability to play animation in the 640×480 16 color mode. It can lop off the top 236 colors, but it works best to get the 16 colors looking good in Animator and then send it to GRASP. Chuck Jameson Silver Tongue Software