G2F Troubles

[José Pereira]

I am trying to redesign some pictures using G2F, but I always get pictures likwe this one.

 

 

I use first PAINT Program to put in 4/5 colours, but even with only 4 colours when I load the picture in G2F, it's always this.

What program you use to change pictures to Load into G2F?

 

José Pereira.

[emkay]

You have to start with a real 4 colour image and to disable smartcolor while importing.

[PeteD]

Use GIMP, it allows you to make an image use an indexed palette in as many colours as you want (so set it to 4 when you switch to indexed mode).

 

 

Pete

[MrFish]

Use GIMP, it allows you to make an image use an indexed palette in as many colours as you want (so set it to 4 when you switch to indexed mode).

 

Same thing can be done in photoshop...

[dwhyte]

Yeah, but GIMP is free and easier to use IMO...

[MrFish]

Yeah, but GIMP is free and easier to use IMO...

 

Hmmm... It may be true... I haven't used gimp enough to make a fair comparison. However, I do use photoshop frequently for working with images to be displayed on the atari and for editing in graph2font, and I don't find anything particularly difficult to do. Can you point me to some particular features that are easier in gimp for converting to atari format? As far as the indexed color conversion goes, it looks to be just about the same difficulty in both apps... although I would give photoshop the edge, as there are more options for doing it and you get image preview while setting your options.

 

BTW, looking at gimp fairly quickly, I don't see any way of changing pixel aspect ratio. (i.e.: a single pixel is twice as wide as it is high) Can this be done in gimp?

[PeteD]

Can you change the pixel aspect on PS then? and make it draw in this size and not on single pixel boundaries? I know a man who would be very interested in knowing how you do this

 

 

As far as GIMP goes, as a total non artist (graphics apps all tend to make my brain stop working) I can actually run and use gimp and get something done. If I try PS I get frustrated with trying to find out how to just draw something after 5 mins and close it again, but that's just me I suppose.

 

 

Pete

[Rybags]

Photoshop lets you set practically any aspect ratio.

 

But... IMO it rather sucks for pixel editing.

[PeteD]

So (and remember I don't do graphics so may be talking out my arse lol) do you make a 160 wide bitmap, set the AR to 2:1 and it looks 320 so the same as how it "should"?

 

Pete

[Rybags]

That's right... although we could get anal about it all and say it's a fraction more or less, but it gives an accurate representation of what you'd see on the Atari.

[Tezz]

@Pete, yes that's right, you can just set the pixel ratio to 2:1 in Photoshop to your 160 wide image and it'll appear 320 wide and you can draw in 2:1 ratio.

I use Photoshop everyday in my job, it's the bomb. Avoid CS4 however, Adobe really dropped the ball with that, Flash is really broken in particular in the CS4 release.. anyway back to Atari.. GIMP is excellent for a free programme. I particularly like the colour map control which is very straight forward and helpful for arranging the colour indexes quickly and easily. I tend to use GIMP more these days working with the A8 stuff.

[José Pereira]

Even a simple screen with 4 colours and G2F do this:

 

I take this C64 screen from Lemon, just to show you:

C64 Screen

 

As you can see, it's only 4colours (3+1 black for Background)

 

And on direct port to G2F I get the above/1st one. And Smart Colours Disable.

 

How it is possible? Why G2F turn things so hard to us. This happens with me, many, many times.

Sometimes I feel that if I take hours changing a picture and then get it all messed, better do nothing.

 

Why they don't simple create a LOAD BMP without any changes. We start changing there on G2F to Atari format 4/5 colours, with colours according to our needs (PMs. prioritys, DLIs,...) by line, with DLI smart colours added.

G2F knows the DLIs changes, so, direct conversation to A8 format. And now it's time to just add PMs.

 

If this was created, we never need PAINT, PHOTOSHOPS, GIMPS,...

 

 

jOSÉ pEREIRA

[PeteD]

 

 

 

hmm 30 seconds later...

[+GroovyBee]

Not the best file name you could have chosen there.

[PeteD]

I thought it was perfectly apt. I already told him what to do riiiight at the top of the thread. If he won't read it or choses to ignore it then why ask for help?

 

 

Pete

[José Pereira]

Pete D:

 

I didn't say I will not use you or others help. I always say THANKS.

 

I only give an example of a simple picture with only 4colours, and don't understand why G2F don't simply port it straight away.

I just added some ideas of what it could be in a better G2F. I think I am free to put my ideas and feelings.

You probably have to read carefully my thoughts. If G2F ports direct that screen, I will not use more programs!

If G2F gives us the possibity to change pictures with 4/5 colours per line and with DLIs. only one program needed. I never said there I will not use your or any others help.

 

If all put their ideas, probably, future G2F enhancements or other programs may have best features. If I was a coder I would like to ear others, even if I think that their ideas doesn't work, I will probably stop some minutes and think!... His idea doesn't work on that way, but he is probably right and we could have that, but, I can do it on another way. same idea, but done with another way. The most important is getting the best results on the end.

 

And this take you 30seconds to convert... Probably if G2F have, just 1/2 seconds.

 

 

 

By the way, I've been trying G2F Creator, but version 1.4 and it automatically changes picture to 4colour(and save on .MIC extension), or in Grey colkours and unused colours, so you can have them side by side to better enhanced G2F screens. I also tried in the past the other one there, the EXTRACTOR, I think it's here that I can choose each 4/5 colours in each line. I will also try this one when return to my house.

 

This is not to say that I will not use your helps or not take on account your posts, it's just to say that I'm not, and never was, seat and wait to others helps and do nothing.

 

 

Sorry for my bad English. If you try you will understand it!...

José Pereira.

[PeteD]

I think the problem is you're expecting G2F to do something it doesn't, and to quote you, "This happens with me, many, many times." so why continue trying to do it when someone told you already how to make it load a 4 colour image and then complaining that G2F doesn't work how you want it to?

 

G2F is doing what it is made to do, you're obviously loading an image with a palette of more than 4 colours. Saving a BMP with a 16 or 256 colour palatte but changing the RGB values in them to all match (so you get 4 colours) obviously doesn't work and I wouldn't expect it to. I've said myself since I joined this forum that I expected G2F to import a 16 colour C64 image and at least attempt to convert it but was told it didn't. The difference is I stopped thinking it would still work after someone told me otherwise, you seem to think if you keep trying it might magically do it.

 

I'm working on an app to do what G2F doesn't and it should also make it easier to draw in the same style as G2F using the different hardware possibilities. Don't hold your breath for it though as I've got code to do for WotEF as well. I'll be happy to take ideas from anyone who might want to use it on how they'd like it to work or what features they'd like, just please don't complain if it doesn't do all your work for you

 

 

Pete

[+Philsan]

I'm working on an app to do what G2F doesn't and it should also make it easier to draw in the same style as G2F using the different hardware possibilities. Don't hold your breath for it though.

I am holding my breath

[emkay]

Even a simple screen with 4 colours and G2F do this:

 

I take this C64 screen from Lemon, just to show you:

C64 Screen

 

As you can see, it's only 4colours (3+1 black for Background)

 

And on direct port to G2F I get the above/1st one. And Smart Colours Disable.

 

How it is possible? Why G2F turn things so hard to us. This happens with me, many, many times.

Sometimes I feel that if I take hours changing a picture and then get it all messed, better do nothing.

 

Why they don't simple create a LOAD BMP without any changes. We start changing there on G2F to Atari format 4/5 colours, with colours according to our needs (PMs. prioritys, DLIs,...) by line, with DLI smart colours added.

G2F knows the DLIs changes, so, direct conversation to A8 format. And now it's time to just add PMs.

 

If this was created, we never need PAINT, PHOTOSHOPS, GIMPS,...

 

 

jOSÉ pEREIRA

 

Not sure about your progress, but this happens when magic colors is on. Just turn it off.

The 4/5 colour term is also like telling : a cup is full of water/the cup of water is overspilling.

 

Well, if you know how the Atari graphics works, you can do some trickery for importing up to 6 colours.

You have to check the colours and their ranges, sometimes they fill up from dark to bright in defined ranges. You could turn the colour directly to a value of another colour, until it IS a real 4 colour picture. You have to keep in mind what ranges you have to recolour in G2F later, and to fill them with the 5th colour or/and the PM with an underlay. The other 2 colours build the lineup between the different colour fields.

The colours can be rotated in G2F, if the tool imported the colour not as expected.

 

Tebe would do a great job, if G2F makes it possible to load the original pic and to swap the pictures, or having some "alpha" of the original picture, so we could simply draw it , like a carbon copy....

Edited August 7, 2009 by emkay

[Rybags]

The way the source pic is created can make a difference.

 

To your eye, a part of the picture might look entirely the same colour, but sometimes you have minute R,G,B value changes which create a different colour.

 

Best idea as has been stated is to use something like Gimp first to make sure you only have the number of palette entries you want.