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Skillster/RedSarg99
Guest
where u get that from? he said they were done in render farms lightwave was for the 3d models
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ficedula
Guest
Yes and no I'm afraid.The backgrounds are in 16-bit colour. However they don't use the *full* range of 16-bit colour, it's paletted. Like I said, a few thousand (of the ~65000 colours 16-bit gives you) are actually used.
Most paint programs use 256-colour palettes. Why? One byte can store a number from 1-256 so each pixel can be only 1 byte (8 bits) but 'reference' a 16 bit - or more often 24-bit - colour.
*NO* program supports a palette with more than 256 colours. Why? The palette index each pixel held would take up more than 1 byte. And if you're going to take up 2+ bytes for each pixel then you might as well just store the colour value itself!
What Square probably did was render the background in full 16-bit, un-paletted images, then when the images were converted into field files, work out which colours were used and build a palette.
What THAT means is that the palette can't be exported as a standard 256-colour palette file. Originally the images *weren't* paletted. Now they are.
You may be thinking, why can't I convert them back into 16-bit images, then when you import them, palettize them again. The answer to that is I haven't written the code yet! Yes, it's possible.
OK ... do you understand now why I can't export the palette as a standard 256-colour PAL file?
Most paint programs use 256-colour palettes. Why? One byte can store a number from 1-256 so each pixel can be only 1 byte (8 bits) but 'reference' a 16 bit - or more often 24-bit - colour.
*NO* program supports a palette with more than 256 colours. Why? The palette index each pixel held would take up more than 1 byte. And if you're going to take up 2+ bytes for each pixel then you might as well just store the colour value itself!
What Square probably did was render the background in full 16-bit, un-paletted images, then when the images were converted into field files, work out which colours were used and build a palette.
What THAT means is that the palette can't be exported as a standard 256-colour palette file. Originally the images *weren't* paletted. Now they are.
You may be thinking, why can't I convert them back into 16-bit images, then when you import them, palettize them again. The answer to that is I haven't written the code yet! Yes, it's possible.
OK ... do you understand now why I can't export the palette as a standard 256-colour PAL file?
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The SaiNt
Guest
Hmm...Fice, what you're saying sounds exactly like the GIF file system. Although the GIF file system can only display 256 colours at a time, it's palette can be made up of any combination of colours.
In other words the palette is a selective colour pallete that can only contain 256 colours of which 255 are and colours from the millions of colours out there and 1 colour for transparency.
Is that what you're trying to say?
[This message has been edited by The SaiNt (edited April 11, 2001).]
In other words the palette is a selective colour pallete that can only contain 256 colours of which 255 are and colours from the millions of colours out there and 1 colour for transparency.
Is that what you're trying to say?
[This message has been edited by The SaiNt (edited April 11, 2001).]
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Skillster/RedSarg99
Guest
nope hes not saying that either, let me explain (like i can!)
he means
the pallette is from a 16bit range BUT it aint just a 256colours for the whole scene.
they are flexible pallete designed simply to reduce the file size.
he means
the pallette is from a 16bit range BUT it aint just a 256colours for the whole scene.
they are flexible pallete designed simply to reduce the file size.
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ficedula
Guest
SaiNt: All palettes are like that.Skillster: I think you've got it. I've looked more closely at the file format and the answer is each 16x16 "tile" uses a 256-colour palette. Actually, they use up to 256 colours out of the full, 3000+ colour palette for the whole level. So while I *could* export a standard 256-colour PAL file for each 16x16 pixel tile ... that's a helluva lot of palettes! It's easier to export the whole palette in a BMP format. You can edit it without too many problems in that format - and you ARE editing the actual palette that way.
Of course, most people want to edit the background itself, not the palette. Some day...
Of course, most people want to edit the background itself, not the palette. Some day...
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Skillster/RedSarg99
Guest
yep thats wot i meant :wink:
if u have played with the RAW tiles of the ff7 backgrounds then youd know that 8bit colour isnt enuff. hmm, editing ? how soon fice'?
if u have played with the RAW tiles of the ff7 backgrounds then youd know that 8bit colour isnt enuff. hmm, editing ? how soon fice'?
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ficedula
Guest
I honestly don't know. I'm looking at doing it at the moment but since I haven't tried it I've no idea exactly how many problems I'll run into. Once I've got it working once - in one level - I might have an idea how hard it'd be to make it work properly. I've not even got that far yet (through lack of trying rather than difficulty ... though it might be difficult) so...
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The SaiNt
Guest
Ah, I see.
Got it now
I haven't been following the progress very closely lately
Got it now
I haven't been following the progress very closely lately
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