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October 2005
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2005.10.26 19:47 "Re: checking test images", by Bob Friesenhahn
On Wed, 26 Oct 2005, Joris wrote: > > I believe Frank here adds a valuable point: why make the RGBA interface > support all and everything, if the ones more likely to be interested in > all and everything, actually require the usage of their own color / > bitdepth handling instead of the RGBA interface? A > uniforming-easy-access to the color data, is bound to add overhead on > small bitdepth data, and add loss on high bitdepth data. In fact, it > adds loss in any color convertion whatsoever, and thus serious libraries > that are interested in reading exactly what is there, preserving all > data at all precision, wouldn't want an RGBA interface anyhow. Most applications don't qualify as "serious" applications. For many applications it is perfectly ok for 12 or 16 bit data is presented with only 8 bits. This is demonstrated by the fact that hardly any computer display systems support more than 8 bits of grayscale resolution. So there is nothing wrong with libtiff offering built-in support for reading other sizes as long as the user understands that there is loss. There are "serious" applications where 12 or 16 bits are really required. Those applications will be written to support full resolution. Bob ====================================== Bob Friesenhahn bfriesen@simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/ GraphicsMagick Maintainer, http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/