Python utility for converting image files for use with HSCREEN 2 graphics on the Tandy Color Computer 3
- Image2CoCo3_2.py
- Python 2.XX version of script
- Image2CoCo3_3.py
- Python 3.XX version of script
- makedisk.bat
- Windows batch file for creating a disk image from the output either python script using Toolshed "decb.exe"
You will also want to get decb.exe from the
Toolshed utility for
creating and manipulating DECB CoCo disk images. This is not my work, but I
highly recommend it for creating and manipulating CoCo disk images and files.
- numpy
- Only "inf" constant is used by this script. You could just assign a really large number to a variable called inf instead of importing this library if you really don't want to install numpy. But in my experience, this is one of the most useful python libraries out there, so you might as well just install it.
- struct
- Should be part of the standard python distribution. Used for getting the image data ready and saving it as the .BIN files.
- pillow
- Python Image Library. Used for resizing the image to CoCo size, and quantizing the image palette to the closest 16 color subset of the appropriate CoCo palette.
- operator
- I'm using the "add" module from this in a map() call.
These scripts will take an arbitrary image in just about any standard format, of any size and aspect ratio, and convert it to be viewable on a CoCo 3 using the HSCREEN 2 (320x192, 16 color) graphics mode. NOTE: the image file must be in the same directory as this python script for the script to operate correctly. I do not have any path handling. The program scales the image to fit on HSCREEN 2, asking for stretch and/or positioning info if the image has a different aspect ratio than the screen. It then dithers the image using a 16 color subset of the CoCo 3 color palette. Then it outputs four .BIN files (one for each 8kB bank required for an HSCREEN 2 screen), and a Super ECB BASIC program which is suitable for loading and displaying the image. The .BAS program includes the PALETTE needed for proper display of the image, and is commented to make it easier to understand what it is doing.
To create a .DSK image suitable for loading on the CoCo, if you are using Windows, you can either drag and drop the .BAS program onto the "makedisk.bat" batch file that should be included with this distribution, or call "makedisk MYPIC.BAS" from the command line, assuming that all of the files are in the same directory as the ToolShed "decb.exe" utility. A similar script could easily be constructed for a Linux or Mac system.
I originally wrote the script in order to create a fancy title screen for a game I was writing, so I didn't add a lot of bells and whistles to the load/ display program. Since each image is 32kB, four separate images could be saved on one 35 track disk image if desired (or more on a larger disk image), and the .BAS file could easily be modified to load any of the images from a selection menu, or even cycle through the images like a slideshow. Feel free to modify it as you see fit.