1.5 Palette Editing Commands
Palette-editing mode provides a number of tools for modifying the colors
in an image. It can be used only with MCGA or higher adapters, and only
with 16 or 256 color video modes. Many thanks to Ethan Nagel for
creating the palette editor.
Use the <E> key to enter palette-editing mode from a displayed image or
from the main menu.
When this mode is entered, an empty palette frame is displayed. You can
use the cursor keys to position the frame outline, and <Pageup> and
<Pagedn> to change its size. (The upper and lower limits on the size
depend on the current video mode.) When the frame is positioned where
you want it, hit Enter to display the current palette in the frame.
Note that the palette frame shows R(ed) G(reen) and B(lue) values for
two color registers at the top. The active color register has a solid
frame, the inactive register's frame is dotted. Within the active
register, the active color component is framed.
With a video mode of 640x400 or higher, a status area appears between
the two color registers. This status area shows:
nnn = color number at the cursor location
A = Auto mode
X, Y = exclusion modes
F = freesyle mode
T = stripe mode is waiting for #
Using the commands described below, you can assign particular colors to
the registers and manipulate them. Note that at any given time there
are two colors "X"d - these are pre-empted by the editor to display the
palette frame. They can be edited but the results won't be visible. You
can change which two colors are borrowed ("X"d out) by using the <v>
command.
Once the palette frame is displayed and filled in, the following
commands are available:
<F1>
Bring up a HELP screen with commands specific to palette-editing mode.
<Esc>
Leave palette-editing mode
<H>
Hide the palette frame to see full image; the cross-hair remains visible
and all functions remain enabled; hit <H> again to restore the palette
display.
Cursor keys
Move the cross-hair cursor around. In 'auto' mode (the default) the
color under the center of the cross-hair is automatically assigned to
the active color register. Control-Cursor keys move the cross-hair
faster. A mouse can also be used to move around.
<R> <G> <B>
Select the Red, Green, or Blue component of the active color register
for subsequent commands
<Insert> <Delete>
Select previous or next color component in active register
<+> <->
Increase or decrease the active color component value by 1 Numeric
keypad (gray) + and - keys do the same.
<Pageup> <Pagedn>
Increase or decrease the active color component value by 5; Moving the
mouse up/down with left button held is the same
<0> <1> <2> <3> <4> <5> <6>
Set the active color component's value to 0 10 20 ... 60
<Space>
Select the other color register as the active one. In the default
'auto' mode this results in the now-inactive register being set to
remember the color under the cursor, and the now-active register
changing from whatever it had previously remembered to now follow the
color.
<,> <.>
Rotate the palette one step. By default colors 1 through 255 inclusive
are rotated. This range can be over-ridden with the "cyclerange"
parameter, the <Y> options screen, or the <O> command described below.
"<" ">"
Rotate the palette continuously (until next keystroke)
<O>
Set the color cycling range to the range of colors currently defined by
the color registers.
<C>
Enter Color-Cycling Mode. When you invoke color-cycling from here, it
will subsequently return to palette-editing when you <Esc> from it. See
Color Cycling Commands (p. 23).
<=>
Create a smoothly shaded range of colors between the colors selected by
the two color registers.
<M>
Specify a gamma value for the shading created by <=>.
<D>
Duplicate the inactive color register's values to the active color
register.
<T>
Stripe-shade - create a smoothly shaded range of colors between the two
color registers, setting only every Nth register. After hitting <T>,
hit a numeric key from 2 to 9 to specify N. For example, if you press
<T> <3>, smooth shading is done between the two color registers,
affecting only every 3rd color between them. The other colors between
them remain unchanged.
<W>
Convert current palette to gray-scale. (If the <X> or <Y> exclude
ranges described later are in force, only the active range of colors is
converted to gray-scale.)
<Shift-F2> ... <Shift-F9>
Store the current palette in a temporary save area associated with the
function key. The temporary save palettes are useful for quickly
comparing different palettes or the effect of some changes - see next
command. The temporary palettes are only remembered until you exit from
palette-editing mode.
Starting with version 19.6, when palette editing mode is entered, the
original palette is stored in the area associated with F2.
<F2> ... <F9>
Restore the palette from a temporary save area. If you haven't
previously saved a palette for the function key, you'll get a simple
grey scale.
<L>
Pause and load an external color map (.MAP file). See Palette Maps
(p. 88).
<S>
Pause, prompt for a filename, and save the current palette to the named
file (.MAP assumed). See Palette Maps (p. 88).
<I>
Invert frame colors. With some colors the palette is easier to see when
the frame colors are interchanged.
<\>
Move or resize the palette frame. The frame outline is drawn - it can
then be repositioned and sized with the cursor keys, <Pageup> and
<Pagedn>, just as was done when first entering palette-editing mode.
Hit Enter when done moving/sizing.
<V>
Use the colors currently selected by the two color registers for the
palette editor's frame. When palette editing mode is entered, the last
two colors are "X"d out for use by the palette editor; this command can
be used to replace the default with two other color numbers.
<A>
Toggle 'auto' mode on or off. When on (the default), the active color
register follows the cursor; when off, <Enter> must be pressed to set
the active register to the color under the cursor.
<Enter>
Only useful when 'auto' is off, as described above; double clicking the
left mouse button is the same as Enter.
<X>
Toggle 'exclude' mode on or off - when toggled on, only those image
pixels which match the active color are displayed.
<Y>
Toggle 'exclude' range on or off - similar to <X>, but all pixels
matching colors in the range of the two color registers are displayed.
<N>
Make a negative color palette - will convert only current color if in
'x' mode or range between editors in 'y' mode or entire palette if in
"normal" mode.
<!>
<@> <"> (English keyboard) <u-grave> (French keyboard)
<#> <pound sign> (English keyboard) <$> (French keyboard)
Swap R<->G, G<->B, and R<->B columns. <!>, <@>, and <#> are shifted 1,
2, and 3, which you may find easier to remember.
<U>
Undoes the last palette editor command. Will undo all the way to the
beginning of the current session.
<E>
Redoes the undone palette editor commands.
<F>
Toggles "Freestyle mode" on and off (Freestyle mode changes a range of
palette values smoothly from a center value outward). With your cursor
inside the palette box, press the <F> key to enter Freestyle mode. A
default range of colors will be selected for you centered at the cursor
(the ends of the color range are noted by putting dashed lines around
the corresponding palette values). While in Freestyle mode:
Moving the mouse changes the location of the range of colors that are
affected.
Control-Insert/Delete or the shifted-right-mouse-button changes the
size of the affected palette range.
The normal color editing keys (R,G,B,1-6, etc) set the central color of
the affected palette range.
Pressing ENTER or double-clicking the left mouse button makes the
palette changes permanent (if you don't perform this step, any palette
changes disappear when you press the <F> key again to exit freestyle
mode).
For more details see Freestyle mode tutorial (p. 104)