Instruction manual

HDE-3000 - 66 -
Graphics Files Supported
All of the files described in this section are comprised of Red, Green, and Blue color
components (“RGB”). Combinations of RGB are mixed to produce all of the colors
possible on a TV screen. The 8 bit RGB formats—the formats where RGB can each be
1 of 256 possible values—produce over 16 million colors. Not all can be conveyed with
serial digital component video, though, as component video yields a color space that is a
subset of RGB colors (11,137,500 colors out of 16,777,216).
Some of the formats below employ an “alpha” channel in addition to RGB channels.
An alpha channel specifies transparency. Each pixel is made up of a Red, Green, and
Blue component. Plus, there is an alpha component that specifies the opacity of the
pixel. An alpha value of “0” means the pixel is transparent: only background video is
seen. An alpha value of “255” means the pixel is 100% opaque. Values in between
allow background video to mix with foreground text/graphics. The HDE-3000 provides
an 8 bit alpha capability. Use of an alpha gradient between foreground images and
background video is one of the secrets for producing perfect images on screen.
BMP Version 4
This is Microsoft’s BMP format released for Windows 95, and is a 32 bit format
containing 8 bits each of red, green, and blue, plus an 8 bit alpha channel. LINK
supports the non-compressed, 32 bits per pixel version of this format. Use the file
converter “BMP2UYC.EXE” to convert these files to LINK’s “YC” format. Note, this
converter also handles 8 bit and 24 bit BMP files.
PCX
PCX, also known as PC Paintbrush Format, is a popular graphics file format.
PCX does not provide an alpha channel. LINK supports the 24 bit format. Use the
file converter “PCX.EXE” to convert these files to LINK’s “YC” format. Because PCX
does not support alpha, the converter generates a fully opaque image in YC format.
PNG
PNG, pronounced “ping”, is the format recommended by LINK for use with the
HDE-3000. PNG files are compressed, so they require less disk space than the
other formats. Plus, PNG offers a full alpha channel. Unlike 32 bit BMP, PNG files
are handled by Adobe Photoshop, a leading graphics creation and editing program
for the Mac and PC. Use the file converter “PNG2UYC.EXE” to convert PNG files to
LINK’s “YC” format. LINK’s converter supports true color + alpha (type 6) PNG files
(RGB + alpha).