Otherware/Otherware_1_SB_Development.iso/amiga/video/utils/convert.rea

Text File | 1992-11-11 | 2KB | 34 lines

Convert - v1r6

The convert tool was created to fill a specific need of the Black Belt
Systems HAM-E product customer base. The HAM-E is a graphics device
which can display color information far more accurately than the Amigas
built in graphics capabilities allow. As such, the HAM-E display
formatting software takes as input CBM standard 24 bit IFF files, the
format defined by CBM specifically for this type of use.

Unfortunately, many otherwise powerful Amiga products such as Impulses
Turbo Silver, Byte by Bytes Sculpt series and some of the PD ray trace
products don't save standard files; instead, they save raw files,
or partially (sometimes totally!) non-conformant "other" formats, some
of which they consider proprietary.

Certain other software products often save image formats that are
designed to take advantage of various features in the Amiga's graphics
system that allow enhancement of certain image modes. HAM-E, SHAM and
Dynamic HiRes are examples of this type of image file. ASDGs "The Art
Department" saves 24 bit files with special chunks in them called
"CLUT" chunks that modify the 24 bit data in various ways. All of these
differing image file formats bring chaos to our supposedly orderly
"standard image format" environment.

The convert tool is able to read many of these file formats, optionally
scale the input file to a new size for output, and write it out as a
completely standard, "100% vanilla" 24 bit IFF file as per the CBM
specification. Once this is done, the resulting file can be sent to the
HAM-E render software, or any other Amiga tool that can read 24 bit IFF.

The convert tool has been made available free of charge to our
customers as a service to them. Use by other parties is allowable as
well.