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Support => Terragen Support => Topic started by: Kadri on January 28, 2010, 04:07:01 AM

Title: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Kadri on January 28, 2010, 04:07:01 AM
From an other topic inspired , i thought about trying 256 color images for ram usage testing and for the resulting render quality .

A    20 000 x 6 000  true color  PNG image versus 256 color image did make nearly 200 mb difference in ram usage in Windows 7 home premium 64 and free TG2.
It wasn't a scientific test. Only very rough one and after i saw the result i didn't test more ( from a ram usage point ) .

There was a problem ; TIF , PNG or BMP all this formats in 256 color came as gray scale in TG2 .

Is in TG2 such a problem - restriction or is something wrong on my side ?

Kadri.
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Kadri on January 30, 2010, 05:32:56 AM
Interesting ! Nearly 3 days and no one did try it ?

Kadri.
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Tangled-Universe on January 30, 2010, 08:27:00 AM
I have no idea what you are trying?
Trying to render out in 256 colors or importing a 256 color image to use as an image map or mask?
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Kadri on January 30, 2010, 10:01:20 AM
When 64 bit Tg2 comes out this will not much of a problem anymore .
When you use many  and-or big images for textures they use ram .
This test was if we can use 256 color images in TG2 for small ram usage and how the image quality would be .
In Lightwave this tech was good at times . I wondered if TG2 would benefit too.
As i said above in my very crude test i saw 200 mb difference. This can sometimes end as render or not render the scene .
This is for normal render output but by using 256 color images as input for textures , mask etc .

Kadri.
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: nikita on January 30, 2010, 10:15:34 AM
I think TG2 has certain expectations as to what the files look like and how they are to interpreted.

You could try using the SGI format (if it supports color table based images.)
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Kadri on January 30, 2010, 12:10:11 PM
Thanks , Nikita .

I have not a good editor like Photoshop .
I tried with Gimp , Paint net , Photo pros pro and XnView only .
I was going to try Irfan view but it only reads them (SGI) like XnView .
I could not make a 256 color SGI image .

Edit : SGI doesn't support it , if i understand correct (it says obsolete ) .

But TG2 could read a normal RGB SGI image . But this doesn't help me of course .

I have a feeling TG2 treats 256 color images as greyscale . But i don't know of course .

Did anyone tried it with 256 color images in TG2 ?

Kadri.
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Klas on January 31, 2010, 08:58:57 AM
 :o
24bit bmp/8bit gif/png/bmp
Converted to 8 bit with Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9 - optimized color table - no transparency (8-bit textures in the test.7z)
Title: Re: 256 color problem ?
Post by: Kadri on January 31, 2010, 10:23:19 AM
Thanks , Klas  :)

Kadri.