Importing Debabelized Graphics

Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 11:48:47 -0600
From: Paul Hertz <paul-hertz@nwu.edu>
Subject: Importing Debabelized Graphics

Here's some companion text for Miles Lightwood's Final Import script, detailing how to import Debabelized graphics into Director.

How to Use the FinalImportAll Script
To Convert to 8-bit Graphics
Documentation by Paul Hertz
Northwestern University

Run DeBabelizer to create a Super Palette for all linked 24-bit images and then transform the 24-bit color images to the 8-bit Super Palette.
Open the movie you are working on in MacroMedia Director. If you are viewing the transformed images in 16-bit or 24-bit color, they should display as dithered 8-bit images using the Super Palette you created. On an 8-bit display, they will use the System palette.
Set the Monitor to 8-bit color depth (256 colors), if it isn't already set to 8-bit color.
Import one of the transformed images along with its palette. If you wish, you can give the palette a catchy name, but here I'll just refer to it as the Super Palette.
Select the imported image in the Cast Window and choose Clear from the Edit menu. The image is cleared from the Cast window, but its palette (the Super Palette) remains.
In the Cast window, select all the cast members you want to import and display with the Super Palette.
From the Cast menu choose Transform Bitmaps. Set the Color Depth of the images to 8 Bits, set the Palette of the images to the Super Palette, and click on the Remap to Closest Colors Radio button. Click on the OK button. Director will warn you that you are about to change your files, and commit an irreversible act. Go ahead and do it. The files will all be transformed, but they shouldn't be any different, either on your disk or in appearance on the display. You may need to do this in several steps if you have lots of cast members.
Run the FinalImportAll script by typing the following in the Message window and then hitting return:
```
                                   
  FinalImportAll(<startCast>,<endCast>, 1024)
```
Replace <startCast> and <endCast> with the cast numbers of the first and last cast members you want to import. Note that the script will be applied to all cast members between these two.
In the first frame of the palette channel, set the palette to the Super Palette.
Choose Movie Info... from the File menu and set the Default palette to the Super Palette.

These steps should result in a movie with an 8-bit cast using the Super Palette, with cast members incorporated into the movie rather than linked. If you don't want to import the cast members, simply don't run the FinalImportAll script on them.

This may answer some perennial questions on Direct-L.