Images generated by RastaConverter

[_The Doctor__]

the two combined would have been wonderful, sometimes rasta is a pr*ck

[Beeblebrox]

1 minute ago, _The Doctor__ said:

the two combined would have been wonderful, sometimes rasta is a pr*ck

I agree. Guess one just has to have both images on two displays at the same time....  

[Gunstar]

Foundation's Edge. 58 colors.

 

GS_FoundationsEdge.xex

[Albert]

8 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

Foundation's Edge. 58 colors.

 

GS_FoundationsEdge.xex 21.91 kB · 0 downloads

Man, all five of the first Foundation books with the covers painted by Michael Whelan are just fantastic.  I read the first Foundation books in the early 80s when I was also using Atari 8-bit computers, so it's really special to me seeing this image rendered on one.  

 

Thank you!

 

 ..Al

[Gunstar]

Foundation Trilogy. 94 colors. Excerpt from original cover image is flipped vertically for best color & detail results.

 

GS_FoundationTrilogy.xex

 

 

[+MrFish]

I think you could do just as well in GTIA mode 9.

 

Note: I'd probably go with widescreen for fitting as much of the image in as possible (plus it'd get rid of the border on the image portion of the screen); and add in a hi-res text line for info, etc.

 

 

 

 

[+MrFish]

  

20 hours ago, MrFish said:

Note: I'd probably go with widescreen for fitting as much of the image in as possible (plus it'd get rid of the border on the image portion of the screen); and add in a hi-res text line for info, etc.

 

So, something like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+Stephen]

Would have paid good money for a game like that BITD

[Gunstar]

Yankee Lighthouse. 64 colors.

 

GS_YankeeLighthouse.xex

 

The source image is a tall 90 degree  turned camera photo that wouldn't show enough detail with a Rastaconverter conversion windowed within 160x240  at about a third of the horizontal resolution (~53x240) so I just converted approximately the upper half showing the full tower, but only the top story of the house below.

 

I am currently working on a horizontally oriented full photo version (will have to turn emulator window 90 degrees or actual monitor on a swivel stand, like I do, or CRT on its side) like I have done with about a dozen images before. Example below.

 

Actual .exe running on Altirra, with my PC's LCD TV/monitor turned 90 degrees with a near universal wall-mount monitor stand for 32" LCD screens I purchased on Ebay for about $20. I also use this screen & swivel stand for my Atari 800 and view the .exe's like this on the real hardware through Sophia output, but used Altirra for the photo below for convenience, on-the-fly for this post. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

18 hours ago, Gunstar said:

 

 

Actual .exe running on Altirra...

 

 

I of course meant .xex if there is the rare 8-bit user here that doesn't know Atari executables were once the standard .exe that the internet forced us to change to avoid confusion between MS-DOS .exe's etc., though we weren't alone in having to choose a different standard extension for executables in the face of the Microsoft megalithic MS-DOS/Windows standards.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Gunstar

[Beeblebrox]

I've been playing around with some new (to me) pre-processing techniques/practices, mixed with the usual and also playing with dithering. Will outline it all at some stage but I've had some really good results. 

 

Obviously having a black background helps the conversions a lot.

 

Here is the first of many I've just cooked up. I've many still cooking.

 

Portrait of a girl

 

The dithering really enhances it as a portait. 

 

Source: a digital art portrait image by digital artist Sky Skewa

 

1.5 bill evaluations/ 131 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 20000 sols / 320*240

82 unique colours

Mask and lots of preprocessing/double dithering used (I'll explain later with another image).

 

Filename: Beeblebrox_FacebySkySewa_DEST_SM1_13_fixed.xex

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

 

Beeblebrox_FacebySkySewa_DEST_SM1_13_fixed.xex

Edited August 15, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

Next up, using the same processing, etc etc:

 

Another portrait, this time by digital artist Kittichai Rueangchaichan (aka Razaras)

 

2.6 bill evaluations/ 102 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 20000 sols / 320*240

75 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors. (Forgot to mention I did that in the previous post above).

@Sheddy any more updates with the tool suite since ver 3.3 BTW?   

 

Filename: Beeblebrox_KittichaiRueangchaichanRazarasSG10_DEST_SM1_13_Fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

Beeblebrox_KittichaiRueangchaichanRazarasSG10_DEST_SM1_13_Fixed.xex

[Beeblebrox]

Now a wider full figure image which I am so pleased with considering how it turned out.

I'd done a few of these a couple of years ago when I first started converting with RC. Really like doing them.

 

Artstation lady (I'd lost the details for this)

 

55 million evaluations/ 61 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 15000 sols / 320*240

44 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors.

Filename: Beeblebrox_artstationlady_DEST_sm1_05_Fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

Beeblebrox_artstationlady_DEST_sm1_05_Fixed.xex

Edited August 15, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

Another almost full figure image. Love the double dithering here and particulaly like the face detail. (FYI the eyes are supposed to be glowing like this as per the source image).

 

Sorceress by a digital artist (again lost the details)

 

1.4 bill evaluations/ 95 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 15000 sols / 320*240

86 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors.

Filename: Beeblebrox_sorceress_DEST_SM1_10_fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

 

Beeblebrox_sorceress_DEST_SM1_10_fixed.xex

Edited August 15, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

5th posting for today!

 

Another almost full figure image. I really love the richness of the colours, tones and again the double dithering here works very well IMHO.

The hat(?) in blue and the gold and her necklace look great. Gold comes through nicely.

 

One Hpos error (I think) under the right eye in shadow (in line with the nose) - but not too noticable.

 

Neferti - a digital artist model image created by Mo El_Tabakh

 

Now imagine this in an A8 interactive fiction game as one of the screens!

 

1.5 bill evaluations/ 84 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 15000 sols / 320*240

70 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors.

Filename: Beeblebrox_NefertibyMoEl_Tabakh_DEST_SM1_04_fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

 

Beeblebrox_NefertibyMoEl_Tabakh_DEST_SM1_04_fixed.xex

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

Another almost full figure image. Nice and cartoony - love the gold buckle and the sword slung over the shoulder.

 

Girlfighter- a digital art model image created by MarkB at Artstation

 

A character screen for selecting your avatar in a Gauntlet style game perhaps?

 

57 mill evaluations/ 65 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 15000 sols / 320*240

67 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors.

Filename: Beeblebrox_GirlfighterMarkBArtstation_DEST_SM1_06_fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

Beeblebrox_GirlfighterMarkBArtstation_DEST_SM1_06_fixed.xex

Edited August 16, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

This one is a slight diversion from the recent style. Same preprocessing and double dithering but image fills the entire screen. (Obviously then restricting the conversion, etc)

It's a real pity about her face where the lip definition didn't quite come through.

 

I just loved the ol Americana pinup image aesthetic of the source image and wanted to try a conversion.

I may flip it horiziontally at some stage and remove some background to try it one more time.

 

Artstation Cowgirl (lost details)

 

4.6 bill evaluations/ 139 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 25000 sols / 320*240

56 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors.

Filename: Beeblebrox_ArtstationCowgirl_DEST_sm1_22_fixed.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

Beeblebrox_ArtstationCowgirl_DEST_sm1_22_fixed.xex

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

A conversion of a 3D model of Galadriel (LOTR)  where I attempted a both a conversion with a background and one with the background removed.

I am posting the version with the background removed, although for some reason I chose a dark green background. (Well the original did have a forest backdrop).

Double dithering used.

 

Galadriel Armour

 

A bit rough around the edges to the left of the face. Overall pretty happy with it. Like the lips and ear and general skin and hair tones. Plus the armor colours are a nice contrast.

 

2 bill evaluations/ 89 norm dist / Altirra pallete / 25000 sols / 320*200 letterbox

64 unique colours

Mask and preprocessing, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors and centre it onscreen.

Filename: Beeblebrox_GaladrielarmourDEST_SM3_06_Fixed_centered.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

 

 

Beeblebrox_GaladrielarmourDEST_SM3_06_Fixed_centered.xex

Edited August 16, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[_The Doctor__]

There has to be a way to just change the color numbers assigned in these so one run two video display systems, running them twice to get NTSC and PAL doesn't get the same results running it twice in pal is different to each other as well, so the rasta conversions are not exactly set in stone.

Not sure how that would affect aspect ratio but not much for sure.

Edited August 17, 2023 by _The Doctor__

[Beeblebrox]

5 hours ago, _The Doctor__ said:

There has to be a way to just change the color numbers assigned in these so one run two video display systems, running them twice to get NTSC and PAL doesn't get the same results running it twice in pal is different to each other as well, so the rasta conversions are not exactly set in stone.

Not sure how that would affect aspect ratio but not much for sure.

So the man himself, (Illmenit), Sheddy or DrPeter are probabably better placed to answer this rather than myself. 

 

That kind of functionality would be ideal but I've a feeling if that were possible Illmenit would have coded it into RC in the first place, or at least it would have been done sometime over the last 10 years.

 

Also Sheddy's slideshow tool suite has .bat tools that allow you to attempt a conversion of an existing format into the other. I've never tried it (say converting one of my PAL conversions to NTSC.

 

Aspect ratio is certainly a factor. 

[+Sheddy]

On 8/15/2023 at 6:34 PM, Beeblebrox said:

 

@Sheddy any more updates with the tool suite since ver 3.3 BTW

Maybe you are psychic! I do have an improved fixer tool I was going to share with you guys, probably in a few days. There's still some bugs to squish

Edited August 17, 2023 by Sheddy
Physic isn't even a thing spell check...

[Beeblebrox]

9 minutes ago, Sheddy said:

Maybe you are physic! I do have an improved fixer tool I was going to share with you guys, probably in a few days. There's still some bugs to squish

 

 

 

@Sheddy  Nice! 

EDIT: Any more advances on your tool suite in terms of the slideshow and text wizardry we may have talked about in the past? (No pressure, just curious).

 

Hey, with regards to the previous post from the The Doc re his question about dual format RC images, etc - any thoughts?

Edited August 17, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[Beeblebrox]

I am posting this conversion despite it not having fully run it's course, (I accidentally closed it whilst running, and for various reasons that I won't bother explaining I didn't have the option to resume).

 

As such the banding across her arm and some detals on the face hadn't yet worked themselves out and thus aren't as good as I'd have liked. Still thought it worth posting though.

 

Wonder Woman digital model by Lando Jorge

 

Altirtra pallette / 20000 sols / 110 mill evals / 170 norm dist - 320*240

Mask and preprocessing, double dithering, etc as before plus as usual using Sheddy's HPOS fixing tool to remove some errors 

Number of unique colours unknown 

 

Filename: Beeblebrox_WonderwomanbyLandroJorgeNOHelmetSM1_07.xex

 

(snapshot taken from Altirra with PAL high artifacting setting):

 

Incidentally I'd been running conversions for two versions of this model by the same artist; one is the above - Wonder Woman with no helmet - and the one which is still running below (which I'll post later) with a helment. 

 

Typically the one still running below is my least favourite as the above conversion was coming out better, especially the upper torso skin tones, costume, etc, which in the one below aren't really working as well as I hoped. It was the first one of the two I'd started running.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[+Sheddy]

On 8/17/2023 at 9:15 AM, Beeblebrox said:

 

 

 

@Sheddy  Nice! 

EDIT: Any more advances on your tool suite in terms of the slideshow and text wizardry we may have talked about in the past? (No pressure, just curious).

 

Hey, with regards to the previous post from the The Doc re his question about dual format RC images, etc - any thoughts?

Nothing much, sorry

 

The experimental tool in RastaSlide 3.3 to attempt conversions between NTSC and PAL colours was not a great success.

 

It is quite amazing how often RastaConverter manages to find solutions which share the same value for a colour and horizontal player position - even in a single picture there are many. Changing a colour to something else means finding more time in the kernel to load that value.

 

By optimizing out the junk filler code RastaConverter leaves in the kernel as part of its process and reducing to 128 colours I thought the tool had a fair chance of being able to convert most colours in a picture. Unfortunately I was wrong about that

Edited August 18, 2023 by Sheddy
Clarification

[drpeter]

22 hours ago, Sheddy said:

 

It is quite amazing how often RastaConverter manages to find solutions which share the same value for a colour and horizontal player position - even in a single picture there are many.

Yeah, to expand on that- the Rastaconverter screen kernels depend on rapidly and repeatedly updating playfield and player colours and player horizontal positions as the TV screen is 'drawn'.  In doing this, they surprisingly frequently load a number into a CPU register then sequentially save that same number into both a colour register and a player horizontal positioning register.  So if you change the colour value, say from PAL to an NTSC equivalent, you end up inadvertently changing the horizontal position of the player too.  And there often isn't enough slack time available in the running kernel that its code can be easily tweaked to instead separately load and save a value for the player position that is different to the colour value.

 

Sometimes you can fix this by hand-tweaking the kernel when an obvious automatic fix isn't available, but it's laborious, time-consuming and not always possible.  Ultimately, it's usually going to be better to rerun Rastaconverter with the alternate TV system palette.

Edited August 19, 2023 by drpeter