yet another graphics converter

Master (217)

25-01-2010, 11:15

similar to this old thread: http://www.msx.org/forumtopic7311p75.html

I have been working on a multi-platform converter that aims to support as many wierd features as possible that exist on old computers/consoles (like screen 2 for instance...)

There is no utility included to display images on MSX or any other system yet, but BMPs are generated (hopefully) as they would appear. Check out the example pics: http://www.hyakushiki.net/bmptool.htm

By Metalion

Paragon (1628)

25-01-2010, 11:22

How do you specify the output palette ?
And the chosen SCREEN ?

By LeandroCorreia

Paladin (963)

25-01-2010, 23:10

Tip for future versions: include sliders for brightness and contrast and a real time conversion while adjusting these sliders... From personal experience, I discovered that many image conversions to screen 2 look much better if their brightness and contrast are adjusted first.

By DamageX

Master (217)

26-01-2010, 10:24

For screen 8 pick RGB 332 (although the blue isn't scaled exactly the same as MSX) and a palette size of 256. Screen 5/7 - RGB 333 and 16 colors. For Screen 2, pick option 15 and load TMS9918.PAL, then divide the screen into multiple palettes of 8x1 pixels and 2 colors per palette.

A nicer interface with preview would definitely help matters. Brightness/contrast adjustment is a good idea.

By Metalion

Paragon (1628)

26-01-2010, 13:17

Thanks for the answer, but all I have when I run your program is a DOS window asking me for the bmp file.
I have got no choice to make nor any option to choose ... How do you do that ?

By DamageX

Master (217)

26-01-2010, 21:43

Maybe you started the wrong program, run TENSAI6.EXE for color reduction. XSIZEQ.EXE is for resizing.

By ARTRAG

Enlighted (6977)

28-01-2010, 08:31

hummm, for msx it is not that good...
for msx1 this is better
http://www.msx.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=visit&lid=859

whose online version is here
http://msx.jannone.org/conv/

look at your test image with msx1 palette
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J6MjQwe2bBqWs2Bv8NApnw?feat=directlink

and with msx2 adapted palette (screen4)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MRPVhZuXaXqmdK2Ol8WzMQ?feat=directlink

By sd_snatcher

Prophet (3675)

29-01-2010, 00:26

I have been working on a multi-platform converter that aims to support as many wierd features as possible that exist on old computers/consoles (like screen 2 for instance...)

Excellent idea!!! It wold be very good to have an option to convert to screen-10, as currently there's absolutely no good conversion tool for that. Giving the screen-10 mixed YJK+RGB complexity, the algorithm should comply with with the following requirements:

1) Know how to deal with the YJK and RGB color systems simultâneously, using the RGB colors to "patch" the most obvious color bleeds
2) Choose very carefully where the RGB colors will be used, as there are only 16 of them available
3) The RGB colors should only be used to draw small details (similar of what programmers do with sprites on screen-2), as large areas will be very obvious because of the flat aspect it will have
4) Allow the use of dithering correctly while taking both the YJK and RGB colors into account
5) Allow the user to choose the maximum amount of RGB colors will be used. After all, if the algorithm allocates all the RGB colors it will be very difficult to use the converted image inside games.

By sd_snatcher

Prophet (3675)

29-01-2010, 02:17

hummm, for msx it is not that good...
for msx1 this is better
http://www.msx.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=visit&lid=859

I can't make this one work with TGA files saved by GIMP (I'm selecting "no compression" and "From top-left" as options). What kind of TGA file does this tool expect? It always complains about "Unsupported file format!" on TGA files saved by GIMP. :(

<edit>
Worked with "Bottom-left" and no RLE compression.

By DamageX

Master (217)

29-01-2010, 09:22

At low color depths currently my results are not so good huh? Just now I looked at the source code for Screen 2 converter and the wikipedia article on Floyd-Steinburg dithering. It's easier than I imagined. I will have to try it.

Screen 10 is definitely an unusual case but it should be doable. I will check it out sometime.

By ARTRAG

Enlighted (6977)

29-01-2010, 23:24

sd_snatcher
should you know some othe format for images and i'll be happy to extend the code to it