some tests about Paintbrush and PCX

[roytam1]

I got PC Paintbrush 1.22 for Windows 2.03 from Nathan and MS Paintbrush 2.0 for DOS from yksoft1.
I made some tests about displaying PCX files.

Color buttons? It seems to be a privilege to 8-color mode.

win2vga.PNG

Other than that mode, no more color buttons.
(not to mention the image color goes strange)

win2pvga16.PNG

Loading 8-color PCX in 256-color mode?
You'll get B/W only.

win2pvga256.PNG

Same PCX, loading in MS Paintbrush 2.0.
Image structure looks strange to mspbrush.

mspbrush2.PNG

And lets play some more with 256-color mode.
mspbrush has MCGA(i.e. 320x200 256-color) mode available.

256pcx-mspbrush2-slash.PNG

Lets draw something.

256pcx-mspbrush2.PNG

And load it in pbrush 1.22.

256pcx-win2pvga256.PNG

Oops, wrong palette. It is strange that PCX format spec says that 256-color PCX should have its palette data at the end of file, but it doesn't.
Can we just load mspbrush external DEF256.PAL palette file? No.

256pcx-win2pvga256-loadpal-error.PNG

Another file, a CGA/EGA 4-color file.

cga4-mspbrush2.PNG

It won't load if you don't switch to that mode.

cga4-mspbrush2-vga.PNG

... let's load it in pbrush 1.22 then.

cga4-win2vga.PNG

Zsoft PC Paintbrush seems like to use "Not enough memory" as an excuse.

PCX file is free (as in chaos) that no image viewer/editor can fully support all formats even now.

EOF (may add some more if some more ideas come out)

[Holmes]

I don't understand. What's so important about opening ancient image files in ancient image editors?

[jimmsta]

I don't understand. What's so important about opening ancient image files in ancient image editors?

The two were essentially the same product. When Microsoft needed a simple image editor, they chose zSoft's product, and made various changes to it.

[yksoft1]

At the release of PC Paintbrush 1.22 for Windows, there wasn't any SVGA-level drivers available for Windows 2.x so 256 colors mode is unknown to PC Paintbrush and it will fall back to monochrome mode DDB routines.
PCX file format itself is device independent however.

[The Distractor]

..i didn't know software had testes

[roytam1]

..i didn't know software had testes

e key was jammed

[roytam1]

Just figured out how to produce a loadable 256 color PCX file for PVGA 256-color.
PC Paintbrush for Windows treats 256-color PCX as device-dependent and uses display driver/display card palette directly.

By using IrfanView to import a palette, save it as PCX and patch from 0x05 to 0x03 in offset 0x0002 of PCX file, PC Paintbrush for Windows loads it without complain.

pvga256.pal (irfanview palette file)

Code: Select all

JASC-PAL
0100
256
0 0 0
0 0 85
0 0 170
0 0 255
0 48 0
0 48 85
0 48 170
0 48 255
0 85 0
0 85 85
0 85 170
0 85 255
0 117 0
0 117 85
0 117 170
0 117 255
0 154 0
0 154 85
0 154 170
0 154 255
0 186 0
0 186 85
0 186 170
0 186 255
0 223 0
0 223 85
0 223 170
0 223 255
0 255 0
0 255 85
0 255 170
0 255 255
48 0 0
48 0 85
48 0 170
48 0 255
48 48 0
48 48 85
48 48 170
48 48 255
48 85 0
48 85 85
48 85 170
48 85 255
48 117 0
48 117 85
48 117 170
48 117 255
48 154 0
48 154 85
48 154 170
48 154 255
48 186 0
48 186 85
48 186 170
48 186 255
48 223 0
48 223 85
48 223 170
48 223 255
48 255 0
48 255 85
48 255 170
48 255 255
85 0 0
85 0 85
85 0 170
85 0 255
85 48 0
85 48 85
85 48 170
85 48 255
85 85 0
85 85 85
85 85 170
85 85 255
85 117 0
85 117 85
85 117 170
85 117 255
85 154 0
85 154 85
85 154 170
85 154 255
85 186 0
85 186 85
85 186 170
85 186 255
85 223 0
85 223 85
85 223 170
85 223 255
85 255 0
85 255 85
85 255 170
85 255 255
117 0 0
117 0 85
117 0 170
117 0 255
117 48 0
117 48 85
117 48 170
117 48 255
117 85 0
117 85 85
117 85 170
117 85 255
117 117 0
117 117 85
117 117 170
117 117 255
117 154 0
117 154 85
117 154 170
117 154 255
117 186 0
117 186 85
117 186 170
117 186 255
117 223 0
117 223 85
117 223 170
117 223 255
117 255 0
117 255 85
117 255 170
117 255 255
154 0 0
154 0 85
154 0 170
154 0 255
154 48 0
154 48 85
154 48 170
154 48 255
154 85 0
154 85 85
154 85 170
154 85 255
154 117 0
154 117 85
154 117 170
154 117 255
154 154 0
154 154 85
154 154 170
154 154 255
154 186 0
154 186 85
154 186 170
154 186 255
154 223 0
154 223 85
154 223 170
154 223 255
154 255 0
154 255 85
154 255 170
154 255 255
186 0 0
186 0 85
186 0 170
186 0 255
186 48 0
186 48 85
186 48 170
186 48 255
186 85 0
186 85 85
186 85 170
186 85 255
186 117 0
186 117 85
186 117 170
186 117 255
186 154 0
186 154 85
186 154 170
186 154 255
186 186 0
186 186 85
186 186 170
186 186 255
186 223 0
186 223 85
186 223 170
186 223 255
186 255 0
186 255 85
186 255 170
186 255 255
223 0 0
223 0 85
223 0 170
223 0 255
223 48 0
223 48 85
223 48 170
223 48 255
223 85 0
223 85 85
223 85 170
223 85 255
223 117 0
223 117 85
223 117 170
223 117 255
223 154 0
223 154 85
223 154 170
223 154 255
223 186 0
223 186 85
223 186 170
223 186 255
223 223 0
223 223 85
223 223 170
223 223 255
223 255 0
223 255 85
223 255 170
223 255 255
255 0 0
255 0 85
255 0 170
255 0 255
255 48 0
255 48 85
255 48 170
255 48 255
255 85 0
255 85 85
255 85 170
255 85 255
255 117 0
255 117 85
255 117 170
255 117 255
255 154 0
255 154 85
255 154 170
255 154 255
255 186 0
255 186 85
255 186 170
255 186 255
255 223 0
255 223 85
255 223 170
255 223 255
255 255 0
255 255 85
255 255 170
255 255 255

And result:

[roytam1]

and a hack to enable 640x480 256 color with pvga256.drv:
search hex 3E 0A 00 04 77 03, there should be only 1 match
and change byte 77 to EB (yes it is 0x77 in the selection) and save (for installed version editing, search in win200.bin instead)