Online "retro" image tool

[AnimaInCorpore]

Here's a small online tool to convert/view images from/to the IFF format: http://tool.anides.de

The tool runs completely on your machine in your browser so there's no communication with a server at all.

Use drag and drop or click on the background to load the image(s). Choose "Save" to download the converted IFF image.

Please note that a recent version of Firefox or Chrome is recommended and also that the IFF support is not complete.

Here's an example screenshot of the website.



Sascha

[Hungry Horace]

a pretty neat tool.

Would be nice to see some scaling / cropping options, and some more dithering types available.

For myself I'd like to see the inclusion of a ZX Spectrum palette too

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Hungry Horace

a pretty neat tool.

Would be nice to see some scaling / cropping options, and some more dithering types available.

For myself I'd like to see the inclusion of a ZX Spectrum palette too

Thanks.

A simple scaling is pretty easy to add but cropping involves some user interaction. Not impossible but the UI need some serious improvement for that.

As far as I know the ZX Spectrum palette is limited to two colours per 8 x 8 block, am I right?

Do you have some suggestions for other dithering algorithms? IMHO the implemented Floyd-Steinberg is almost unbeatable so far.

[Megol]

Originally Posted by AnimaInCorpore

Thanks.

A simple scaling is pretty easy to add but cropping involves some user interaction. Not impossible but the UI need some serious improvement for that.

As far as I know the ZX Spectrum palette is limited to two colours per 8 x 8 block, am I right?

Do you have some suggestions for other dithering algorithms? IMHO the implemented Floyd-Steinberg is almost unbeatable so far.

Floyd Steinberg is a very good algorithm but for some images and purposes something like from the Sierra family and even the Atkinson algorithm could give a different effect.
http://www.tannerhelland.com/4660/di...s-source-code/

Cool tool BTW!

Edit: A suggestion: The Enterprise 64/128 computer uses a 256 RGB palette (2 bits blue, 3 bits for green and red) and it could be interesting to see how it could render a modern picture

[Retrofan]

The 16 colors dithered is too pixelated. The best program to convert to iff is Ultimate Paint.

This is a png screenshot of the 16 colors dithered iff image:

http://hostthenpost.org/uploads/e805...538e8c6914.png

[jbenam]

Originally Posted by Retrofan

The 16 colors dithered is too pixelated. The best program to convert to iff is Ultimate Paint.

This is a png screenshot of the 16 colors dithered iff image:

You didn't resize it to 320x200 though?

(the ones in the first post are resized to 320x200)

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Megol

Floyd Steinberg is a very good algorithm but for some images and purposes something like from the Sierra family and even the Atkinson algorithm could give a different effect.
http://www.tannerhelland.com/4660/di...s-source-code/

The tool has been updated online with new dither options.

[BigFan]

Comparison left to right Retrofan, Anima, BigFan
all in 320 x 200 x 4
i've swapped one facial color for blonde hair instead of clay tone.


Can't say Ultimate Paint suits my needs

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Megol

Edit: A suggestion: The Enterprise 64/128 computer uses a 256 RGB palette (2 bits blue, 3 bits for green and red) and it could be interesting to see how it could render a modern picture

Short update: you can use this palette now by choosing "256 (8-8-4)" in the colors selection. Naming is based on the Wikipedia article.

[Retrofan]

BigFan your conversion is better. What program did you use?

[Supamax]

Nice!

Would it be possible to have it support HAM mode too?

P.S. I would _love_ to have that beautiful girl here, too

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Supamax

Would it be possible to have it support HAM mode too?

I will think about it. At least reading should be rather easy... I hope so.

[Hungry Horace]

Originally Posted by AnimaInCorpore

Thanks.

A simple scaling is pretty easy to add but cropping involves some user interaction. Not impossible but the UI need some serious improvement for that.

As far as I know the ZX Spectrum palette is limited to two colours per 8 x 8 block, am I right?

this is correct. effectively you have 16 colours, but 8 of those are 'bright' versions for the first 8. Each block can only contain a 'bright' or 'not bright' pair of colours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribute_clash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum_graphic_modes

Do you have some suggestions for other dithering algorithms? IMHO the implemented Floyd-Steinberg is almost unbeatable so far.

i cant remember them off the top of my head, but a similar program i used before had quite a lot of options.

Its not always a case of which is 'best' but often has a massive impact on artistic style.

Sometimes a 'worse' choice of dither, or just messing with the dither settings produces a more interesting result. I have two canvases in my bedroom, one of myself as a child and one of my wife in her early 20s, both have used a similar program to this to produce artwork in the ZX Spectrum style. (in fact, i even load up the output into a ZX emulator to be sure of accuracy)

http://www.redbubble.com/people/hung...x-spectrum-art

http://www.redbubble.com/people/hung...x-spectrum-art

the artistic purpose of such works, is certainly not about producing the most 'accurate' looking picture, but the most interesting.


I hope this gives some understanding as to why i am interested in such a tool

[Lonewolf10]

Originally Posted by AnimaInCorpore

As far as I know the ZX Spectrum palette is limited to two colours per 8 x 8 block, am I right?

As a Spectrum owner, I can confirm that is (sadly) correct. 8 colours maximum on a screen, unless you use EHB mode then it becomes 16.

Nice choice of model I haven't seen much of Gemma since she left Hollyoaks (other than Soapstar Superstar, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here (a few years back) and she was also in one of the Command & Conquer games).

I will try your tool in Firefox 3 and see what happens...

Edit: Beaten by Hungry Horace, grrr...

[Megol]

Originally Posted by AnimaInCorpore

Short update: you can use this palette now by choosing "256 (8-8-4)" in the colors selection. Naming is based on the Wikipedia article.

Thanks for the fast update!
However IMHO it would be better to be able to select e.g. 8 colors from the 256 color palette, given that the Enterprise only supports freely selectable colors in a low resolution mode (80x256 pixels). In the most commonly used mode (160x256 pixels) one have 16 colors however only the 8 are freely selectable.
Given the support for the Atari ST palette (with one extra color bit) it shouldn't be that hard?

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Megol

Given the support for the Atari ST palette (with one extra color bit) it shouldn't be that hard?

Ah I see. You want another palette entry... Ok, I'll have a look.

[AnimaInCorpore]

A new palette entry "256 (8-8-4)" (Enterprise 64/128) has been added.

Examples (16 / 256 colors):


Edit: oh, you mentioned 8 colours so here are 8 / 256 examples:

[AnimaInCorpore]

Originally Posted by Hungry Horace

[...]the artistic purpose of such works, is certainly not about producing the most 'accurate' looking picture, but the most interesting.
I hope this gives some understanding as to why i am interested in such a tool

Yes, it also depends very much on the image content to get a "good" result using a rather simple conversion. IMHO to optimize the result you always need to modify the image before like aligning some ROI elements on a 8 x 8 pixel border. Well, that's really an interesting challenge...

[Megol]

Originally Posted by AnimaInCorpore

A new palette entry "256 (8-8-4)" (Enterprise 64/128) has been added.
<snip>

Thank you!

[AnimaInCorpore]

Update: a first attempt at converting images to the ZX Spectrum graphics format has been added. The quality of the result ranges from totally awful to acceptable.

Some notable results: