Documentation of rgfx.datatype 43.5 ----------------------------------- Copyright --------- The IFF-RGFX format is copyright by Andreas Kleinert The rgfx.datatype 43.x and the converter DT2RGFX is copyright by Achim Stegemann. This archive is Freeware ! Do with it what you want, as long as you do not remove any files from this archive ! Introduction ------------ With the help of the rgfx.datatype, your datatype sytem is able to read images coded in the new IFF-RGFX-Format created by Andreas Kleinert. A converter called DT2RGFX is included in the C-drawer. Requirements for rgfx.datatype ------------------------------ * OS 3.x * MC68020 or better Additionally recommened ----------------------- * xpkmaster.library for Xpk compressed files (usually they are !). * render.library for color reduction for non-CGX users (AGA modes). * CyberGraphX with picture.datatype V43.x for 24-bit images. AGA-only users MUST have installed the render.library. CGX users MUST either have installed picture.datatype V43.x and/or the render.library. The render.library is available on Aminet:dev/misc. Requirements for RGFXPrefs -------------------------- * OS 3.x * MC68020 or better * MUI 3.x Requirements for DT2RGFX ------------------------ * OS 3.x * MC68020 or better Additionally recommended ------------------------- * xpkmaster.library for Xpk compression. Installation ------------ Simply click on the 'Install' script. The DT2RGFX Utility ------------------- With this utility, you can convert any image you have a datatype for, to the new IFF-RGFX format. It is CLI-only !! Template: DT2RGFX FROM/A,TO/A,XPK/K,PLANAR/S,VERBOSE/S FROM: The filename of the source image. TO: The destination filename. XPK: The ID of an XPK-Packer. For example XPK NUKE. The picture will only compressed when you specify a packer !! MODE: The compression value. Default is 100 (best compression) PLANAR: Save the picture in planar mode. Default is chunky mode. 24-Bit images will always be saved in chunky mode !! VERBOSE: Verbose mode. Print some information while converting. Preferences for the rgfx.datatype --------------------------------- The following three items affect the handling of 24-bit images. Mode: -> V43 CGX Mode Enables V43 CyberGraphX mode. If you do not have the picture.datatype 43.x, the datatype will fall back to V40 mode. -> V40 AGA Mode Truecolor images will be color reduced for AGA. You must have installed the render.library ! V40 Dithermode: Enables Floyd-Steinberg dithering (recommended, 1). Default is 'No dithering' (0). V40 Depth: Depth to use for color reducing in AGA modes. Values are from 3 to 8 (default). DTM_Write Packer: Select a 4-digit ID of an Xpk packer to be used with the DTM_WRITE method of the datatypes.library. Default is "NUKE". Currently I only support MUI for the preferences. If you don't have MUI, you also can adjust the preferences very easy. The ENV-variable 'DataTypes/pcd.prefs' contains the parameter as a DOS-argument with the template 'MODE/N,DITHER/N,DEPTH/N,PACKER'. You can change the settings anytime either by using the 'SetEnv'-command or by using a text editor. A GadTools version of the preferences may follow in the near future. Bugs and Known Problems ----------------------- The rgfx.datatype and the converter were tested successfully with all kinds of pictures and compression types. Even with no CyberGraphX being installed, the datatype and the converter worked without any problems. As old EHB pictures are no more used, I couldn't verify this, although it should work. There are some corrupt pixels when handling HAM pictures in planar mode with Xpk compression. I don't know whether this bug comes from the converter or the datatype, because normal AGA pictures are handled correctly ! Future of RGFX -------------- That depends on how Amiga users accept the new graphic file format ! I myself liked it from the very first moment, because the ILBM format is neither able to produce good compressed files, nor it can handle all those different screen types that exist today. GIVE IFF-RGFX A CHANCE AND SUPPORT IT AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN !! Currently (as much as I know), the IFF-RGFX format is supported in: * SViewNG V7.30+ from Andreas Kleinert * Digital Almanac V39.9+ from myself. History ------- 03-Dec-97 V43.0 * First public release. 04-Dec-97 V43.1 * Improved planar handling in the converter and the datatype. * Datatype has now full error handling. 03-Mar-98 V43.2 * Datatype is now able to reduce colors of 24-bit images with the render.library. * Added MUI preferences (no GadTools version, I'm too lazy for it). * Added NewIcons to the archive. 09-Mar-98 V43.3 * Slightly improved handling of AGA's special screenmodes. 17-Mar-98 V43.4 * Minor changes in DT2RGFX. * Improved method handling. * Improved DisplayID search. * Added DTM_WRITE (RAW) method for saving in RGFX format. * Should be more datatypes V45 compatible generally. 18-Mar-98 V43.5 * Shortened file size. * More error handling. * Fixed a bug, that sometimes could lead to an exception #5 when PageWidth/PageHeight==0. * Sometimes wrong modeid, when page was odd-sized. Credits ------- Andreas Kleinert for his support with IFF-RGFX. Timm S. Müller for the render.library. Author ------ Feel free to contact me. Comments, critics, supports, bug reports are welcome ! Name: Achim Stegemann Email: astegema@ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de Internet: http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~astegema/projects.html#rgfx If you have question about the IFF-RGFX format, contact Andreas Kleinert. Email: Andreas_Kleinert@t-online.de Aminet: dev/misc/IFF-RGFX.lha