Notes from the Author (24-bit IFF Tool Suite) 9/21/91
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These three conversion programs were born out of frustration one weekend
after experimenting with my newly-acquired copies of 3-D Professional and
Scenery Animator. The "problem", you see, is that I wanted to render these
images for my PC'x 1Kx768x256 VGA adaptor, and these two programs didn't
support 256-color output. They did support every other resolution and color
depth however, upto and including 24-bit.

The solution was to convert these 24-bit images into 256-color images via
format conversions and color reduction. I'm sure that any Amiga users that
have to deal with the 24-bit Amiga world and 8-bit PC world in anyway will
find value in these programs. They are:

IFF24To8	--	Converts 24-bit IFF images to 8-bit IFF images,
			wonderful for viewing with DeluxePaint on a PC.

Pro2BMP		--	Converts 24-bit 3D-Professional format images into
			24bit .BMP files that Microsoft Windows can understand

Pro2IFF		--	Converts 24-bit 3D-Professional format images into
                	the more useful 24-bit IFF format.

I've since found out that the next release of 3-D Professional will support
24-bit IFF output; oh well. Amiga users can display 24-bit images in HAM
mode using Digi[View|Paint], and there's even a PC program in the public
domain (HAMVGA.EXE) that will convert Amiga HAM images into 256-color IFF.

... I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to decide whether going from
24-bit IFF to HAM to VGA looks as good going from 24-bit to VGA direct. See
enclosed picture, "TAHOE.LBM" rendered by Scenery Animator and remapped to
8-bit using IFF24To8.

FOR THE RECORD
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My STB PowerGraph VGA adaptor w/1MB of RAM cost around $130. Sheesh.

It's amazing how many Amiga programs are ignorant of 256-color IFF graphics
and crash when you try to load 'em in on an Amiga.

If you're routinely porting Deluxe Paint II Enhanced images to the Amiga,
make sure you use their supplied converter utility to convert them back
to the original Deluxe Paint II format. EA reinvented the wheel for the
Enhanced PC version, and its compressed format is different.

These tools, and their sources, are freely redistributable, but may not be
modified, included, or distributed for profit without written permission
from the author.

No warranties are given, express or implied. 8)

All programs were compiled using Manx Aztec C, 5.0d, 32-bit ints.

I can be reached at:

Dallas Hodgson
10115 Scenic Blvd.
Cupertino, Ca. 95014