🚀 go-pugleaf

>Does anyone know if there are any resources that explain the use of palettes
>with authoring systems?  Also,

Can't help with this one.
>
>(1)  We're designing software for which the presentation window size is set to
>high-res RBG 13" (using 256 colors) and it will eventually be ported over to
>APW.  Should we re-set the presentation window size to VGA when it's time to
>convert it to APW?  Changing the settings between the two doesn't seem to
>change
>the window size on screen in APM.  I called tech support and they said
>something
>about having to set the resolution initially, and not being able to change it.

We set the screen size to Variable on the Mac side and make it 640 X 460
(leaving 20 pixels for the menu bar).  When we port a lesson, we change the
screen size to VGA on the PC.  There are other ways to do this, including
setting variables in Authorware which control the screen size.


>(2)  I have heard that the best way to port graphics from APM to the APW is to
>make all of the object-oriented graphics into bitmaps.  I have also heard that
>bitmaps cause APM programs to run slower, does anyone know which approach is
>better?

I have used both.  Bitmaps transfer well, but may take up more K than a
cooresponding object-oriented graphic.  However, if your object-oriented
graphic is complex (consisting of many individual objects) it may not
transfer well.  I have never noticed a slow-down when using bitmaps, but
all my bitmaps are small (less than 1/4 of the screen).  If you use large
bitmaps, you should break them into small parts and display the parts
sequentially in display icons.  The reason for this is the memory APM or
APW needs to display large bitmaps.  The formula is RAMBytes = HPixels X
VPixels X BitsPerPixel X 2 / 8.  Thus, a PC in 256 color VGA mode needs
600K RAM just for the screen display
(640 X 480 X 8 X 2 / 8 = 600).
See the APM/APW Knowledge Base (available on CompuServe) for more
information on screen display and memory.
>
>(3)  Does it make sense to set the palette to the VGA palette (in the Mac
>version) in order to effectively port it over to APW (assuming not every PC has
>256-color capability).  I think there was a message recently on this list that
>said that was not necessary, could someone clarify this?

Yes, but only if you are looking for the lowest common denominator.
Otherwise, you can specify a PC must be capable of 256 colors.
>
>(4)  If AWM is set to the VGA palette, then one has to create a matching,
>custom palette in the program used to create the graphics, right?  A clickable
>object
>set to "inverse" upon being clicked needs to match the VGA palette or it won't
>inverse correctly?

Yes.  I created one for Canvas (a graphics program) by opening APM with
ResEdit, getting the color, hue, and saturation (I think, it's been a long
time!) for each of the 16 colors, then copying one of the customized
pallettes Canvas provides and changing the first 16 colors to match what I
scrounged from APM.  In Canvas, I can call this customized palette for each
new graphic file I make.
>
>I have used Debabelizer to reduce the size of graphics using a 256-color
>palette, but it doesn't seem very effective for manipulation of graphics using
>the VGA 16-color palette (also I've found tech support not very helpful).
>

Can't help on this one.


Hope this helps!

Brett Bixler
Instructional Designer
Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy
Penn State University
204 Calder Way, Ste. 209
Univ. Pk., PA  16801-4756
814-863-3777