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2D Gauge Help

WarpD said:
24-bit with alpha is 8, 8, 8 for RGB and 8 for alpha. That's 32.
Click to expand...
Ignorant's question #1: Are 32 bit bitmaps still "legit" or a paint program (like PhotoShop/PaintShopPro/Gimp etc.) would refuse to open it as?
#2: Who's taking care of the alpha channel, is it FS itself, or it is something DirectX/2D/3D processes?
Sorry I never worked with alpha channels :confused:
DragonflightDesign said:
I did say "24-bit with alpha" but I can see how that might not have been clear.
Click to expand...
Let's say "24-bit plus alpha" ;)
So basically you're saying that a 24bit [+8bit alpha] bitmap, once "chewed" by FS (?) becomes 8bit [+8bit alpha] before being displayed?
How could then it cause banding limitation (again that's something I believe, but it isn't necessarily true!)?
Just because since the 24 to 8 bit conversion is performed by FS it could better optimize the colors in the limited palette (256 entries - 1 which is the 0.0.0 color used for transparency)?
 
This is embedded in Jon's D2D template. I know no more than this:-
Code: 
MAKE_STATIC
(
    gaugeOpaque_image,
    BMP_BACKGROUND,
    NULL,
    NULL,
    IMAGE_USE_BRIGHT|IMAGE_CREATE_DIBSECTION|IMAGE_USE_ALPHA,//If IMAGE_USE_ALPHA flag is missing, gauge image format will be 16bit B5G5R5A1. If it is available, it will be B8G8R8A8 32bit
    0,
    0, 0
)
Jon may be able to provide more info?
 
DragonflightDesign said:
If IMAGE_USE_ALPHA flag is missing, gauge image format will be 16bit B5G5R5A1. If it is available, it will be B8G8R8A8 32bit
Click to expand...
This fully explains the lower banding phenomena!
Compared to an 8bit "indexed" BMP (or LUT/palette based, as you wish), 5.5.5 bits per pixel bitmaps are MUCH more capable of dealing with gradients.
At this point I need to study what is IMAGE_USE_ALPHA is used for, and how to neutralize it, if I'm not interested in the alpha channel but I only want to gain 3 bits per pixel color resolution...
 
hmmm..very interesting topic I always wanted to get grip on please keep going the researches ;)
 
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