- What are the different color reduction options in DeBabelizer Pro?
Briefly, the difference between the three different color-reduction methods in DeBabelizer are:
- Set Pixel Depth is used to get the best possible palette (adaptive) for an image
- Reduce Colors uses an adaptive palette, but can include a base palette
- Set Palette and Remap is for remapping an image to a specific palette.
- When saving an image by using either Save As or Batch Save, make sure the Set from Image checkbox (next to the Save at Color Depth pop-up) is turned ON. Also, make sure the format you're saving the image to actually supports the particular bit-depth being created by your script (if any). To confirm that an image has been saved to the correct bit-depth, simply highlight the file in the Open dialog and you'll see the image information under the Preview window.
- How do I create a SuperPalette for my images using DeBabelizer Pro?
Here's how to use DeBabelizer Pro to obtain the optimum palette for a group of images:
- Create a BatchList of the images: Select File > New > BatchList. Add the images you want to factor into the SuperPalette (right-click in the BatchList window and choose Add Files from the pop-up menu, then use the dialog to add the files to the BatchList).
- Create a SuperPalette: Choose Create SuperPalette from the Batch menu, or right-click in the BatchList window and choose Create SuperPalette from the pop-up menu. In the New SuperPalette dialog, choose the target number of colors for your SuperPalette, and a base palette if desired. To remap, use either of the above methods to create a SuperPalette, then create a script with a Set Palette & Remap operation and a Save As operation. Double-click the Set Palette & Remap operation to select the SuperPalette you created.
- You can also use Batch Automation for this process, which allows you more options in some cases. Choose Tools > Batch Automation > Create SuperPalette; or Create SuperPalette and Remap to remap the images after creating a SuperPalette; or Save with SuperPalette to remap and save the images. Then select your source in the dialog.
You can save the palette by choosing File > Save As while the palette window is active.
- How can I import a palette into DeBabelizer Pro?
If it is a valid .PAL file, simply open the file and then save it in DeBabelizer Pro for future use in image remapping.
- How do I remap my images to a particular palette or SuperPalette?
First you have to get the palette into DeBabelizer Pro. If you have an image with that palette, open the image in DeBabelizer and choose Palette > Create Palette to create a palette file, and then choose File > Save As to save the palette. If the palette is already a .PAL file, simply select that palette in the Set Palette and Remap dialog. After creating or saving a palette in DeBabelizer Pro, you can create a script to remap and save the images.
Here's how to do it:
- Create a script: Choose File > New > Script or click the New Script button on the toolbar. Right-click the Script window, (or use the Script menu) and choose Insert Command > Palette > Set Palette and Remap to insert this function in the script. Double-click the Set Palette and Remap line in the Script window to set the parameters. Select a palette from the drop-down menu and set the remap options. Click OK.
- Create a BatchList: Click the New BatchList button in the toolbar, or choose File > New > BatchList. Right-click in the BatchList window and choose Add Files. Select the files, click Add to Batch, then click Done.
- Save the files: Right-click in the BatchList window and choose Batch Save
- Set the parameters in the Naming Options dialog, then click OK. In the Save As dialog, select the save destination, format, and bit-depth. Use the Open button by the Pre Save Do Script option to locate and select the script you created, then click Save.
- How do I reduce the bit-depth of images to 256 colors, but also include a base palette?
First you have to get the less-than-256-color palette into DeBabelizer Pro. If you have an image with that palette, open the image in DeBabelizer and choose Palette > Create Palette to create a palette file, and then choose File > Save As to save the palette.
- Create a script with the color-reduction parameters. Choose File > New > Script or click the New Script button in the toolbar. Right-click the Script window, (or use the Script menu) and choose Insert Command > Palette > Reduce Colors. Double-click the Reduce Colors operation in the Script window to set the parameters. In the Reduce Colors dialog, set the Target number of colors to 256 colors and select the Use Base Palette checkbox, then select your palette from the dropdown menu. Click OK.
- Create a BatchList: Click the New BatchList button in the toolbar, or choose File > New > BatchList. Right-click in the BatchList window and choose Add Files. Select the files, click Add to Batch, then click Done. To apply the script and view the images without saving them, drag the ActionArrow from the Script window onto the BatchList window.
- Apply the script and save the images: Right-click in the BatchList window (or use the Batch menu) and choose Batch Save. Set the parameters in the Naming Options dialog, then click OK. In the Save As dialog, select the save destination, format, and bit-depth. Use the Open button by the Pre Save Do Script option to locate and select the script you created, then click Save.
- Can DeBabelizer Pro factor in a base palette of required colors when creating a SuperPalette?
Yes, you can factor a base palette into a SuperPalette.
Here's how:
- Make the base palette available in DeBabelizer Pro. You can open an image that uses the palette and choose Palette > Create Palette, and then save the palette. If the palette is already saved, simply open the .PAL file.
- Create a BatchList: Click the New BatchList button in the toolbar, or choose File > New > BatchList. Right-click in the BatchList window and choose Add Files. Select the files, click Add to Batch, then click Done.
- Create a SuperPalette: Right-click in the BatchList window and select Create SuperPalette. In the SuperPalette Properties dialog, select the number of colors to use, select the Use Base Palette checkbox and select the base palette you just saved, then click OK.
Note: You can also create the SuperPalette by selecting Tools > Batch Automation > Create SuperPalette
- Can I factor in additional images to a saved SuperPalette?
Yes, all polling information is stored with the SuperPalette when you save it. To factor additional images into an existing SuperPalette:
- Open the SuperPalette (select File > Open > SuperPalette)
- Create a BatchList: Click the New BatchList button in the toolbar, or choose File > New > BatchList. Right-click in the BatchList window and choose Add Files. Select the files, click Add to Batch, then click Done.
- Factor in the additional images: Drag the ActionArrow of the BatchList window onto the SuperPalette window. All images in the BatchList will now be factored into the existing palette.
Note: Another way to factor in images is to first open the SuperPalette and then choose SuperPalette > Factor in file from the main menu. Next, locate and highlight the images in the SuperPalette Add Files window, then click Factor In to factor those images into the existing SuperPalette.
- Are there features in DeBabelizer Pro to help with creating GIFs for the Web?
DeBabelizer Pro can create high-quality GIFs with relatively small file sizes, using either an adaptive or Web palette. DeBabelizer Pro's SuperPalette technology is also extremely useful for working with images to be used on the Web, and its GIF compression technology can create GIF animations with small file sizes.
Adaptive palette - Use DeBabelizer Pro to find the best colors for an image. To do this, choose Palette > Set Pixel Depth and choose one of the options in the submenu.
Adaptive palette with base palette - Choose Palette > Reduce Colors to use an adaptive palette but include a base palette when remapping the images.
Web palette - Choose Palette > Set Palette and Remap to remap images to a browser-safe palette. Select one of the Web palettes (Internet Explorer or Netscape Palette) from the palette drop-down list in the Set Palette and Remap dialog, and your images will be remapped to this palette.
Note: This will often produce less desirable results than using an adaptive palette, since the browser palette contains colors that are not commonly found in most images.
Web colors - When creating logos or flat-color artwork, or when selecting colors for backgrounds or other large areas, you can open an image of the browser-safe palette and use the eyedropper in DeBabelizer Pro to pick colors from the palette while creating the artwork.
SuperPalette - Use DeBabelizer Pro's SuperPalette technology to create a SuperPalette for each Web page, thus limiting the number of colors that must be displayed by each page. Often images can share a 128-color SuperPalette, which greatly reduces the size of the files and speeds up the display of the page as it loads in the browser.
GIF animations - DeBabelizer Pro's SuperPalette technology is extremely useful for creating GIF animations for the Web. The frames in a GIF animation must all share a common palette, or the browser will display palette flash when attempting to display the images. Use DeBabelizer Pro to first create a SuperPalette for all the frames that will go into your animation, then remap the images to that SuperPalette. Then use DeBabelizer Pro's GIF compression to easily create a GIF animation at a small file size.
- How do I include a particular color in a SuperPalette?
To do this, first create a base palette that contains the color or colors you want to use, then include the base palette in the SuperPalette.
Here's how:
- Create a palette containing the color or colors you want to include in your SuperPalette. Choose File > New > Palette. In the New Palette dialog, enter the number of colors you want to include in your SuperPalette, then click OK. In the palette window, double-click a color square. In the Palette Properties dialog, click the color you want to use (or enter specific values), adjust the arrow on the right to the desired brightness of your color, and click OK. Save the palette in the palette directory with a name you'll recognize.
- Create a SuperPalette containing a base palette: Create a BatchList of the images you want to factor into the SuperPalette. Right-click the BatchList window and choose Create SuperPalette. In the New SuperPalette dialog, set the number of colors to use, select the Use Base Palette checkbox, locate and select the palette you created, then click OK.
- What's the easiest way to create a macintized SuperPalette for Macromedia Director?
There is no macintize feature in DeBabelizer Pro. If you're not certain that you will have both white (255,255,255) and black (0,0,0) in your palette, then we recommend that you:
- Create a SuperPalette of your source images, selecting the Monochrome palette as your base palette.
- Select Palette > Create Palette.
- From this palette window, click the black square (0,0,0) (now the second color in your palette) and drag it to the last position in the palette. Your palette is now macintized.
- Save the palette.
- To remap your images to this palette, create a script that contains the Set Palette and Remap operation set to use the macintized palette.
- How do I remap all of my images to one common SuperPalette, but also include the Windows system palette in my SuperPalette?
One method for creating a common 256-color (8-bit) Windows-compliant SuperPalette is to use the "Tools > Batch Automation > Save with SuperPalette" operation.
Here's the process:
- Create a new BatchList consisting of the images to be remapped (i.e. File > New > BatchList)
- Select "Tools > Batch Automation > Save with SuperPalette" (this will step you through the process).
- In the "Select Source" dialog, select the BatchList created in Step 1 as your source.
- In the "SuperPalette Properties" dialog: Set the "Target number of colors" to "256".
- Select the "Use Base Palette" checkbox option.
- Deselect the Save checkbox option. (This is optional. You can select this option if you want to save the SuperPalette information to its own file.) Set the Base Palette to "Windows Default 20".
- If you selected the "Save" checkbox option in the preceding step, the "Save SuperPalette As" dialog appears. Simply select the destination folder and enter the desired name of the SuperPalette file to be saved (i.e. "TestSuperPal.dbp").
- In the "Set Palette & Remap" dialog: Under the "General" tab, set the "Palette" option to "Current SuperPalette". In the "Remap Options", select the "Remap Pixels" and "Dither" checkbox options.
(Note: Dither is optional.)
Deselect the "Do NOT use offlimit colors" checkbox option. Under the "Dither Options" and "Background Color" tabs, set the options desired or simply use the default settings.
- In the "Naming Options" dialog, specify the desired Save Directory (we recommend that you specify a different folder so that your original images will not be overwritten), Save Filename, and Save Extension options.
- In the "Save As" dialog, use the 'Save in File Format' option to specify the desired save format. For the 'Save at Color Depth' option, select the "Set from Image" checkbox option. And make sure that the 'Pre Save Do Script' option is set to "None". Click "Save". Your images will now be remapped to a SuperPalette that includes the Windows system base palette.
- How do I know which of the three color-reduction operations to choose?
A Set Pixel Depth operation will produce the best possible palette for a single image; a Reduce Colors operation also produces the best palette for an individual image, and enables you to include a required base palette as part of the final palette, and also to adjust the remapping options; and a Set Palette and Remap operation remaps an image to a specific, existing palette.
When you save an image using either Save As or a Standard Workflows - Save process, you can eliminate any changes to the image's palette or color depth by making sure the "Auto set" checkbox is selected and that the chosen format supports the image's current bit depth. To confirm that an image has been saved to the correct bit depth, simply select the file in the Open dialog and view the image information under the file list window.
- How do I create a SuperPalette for a group of images?
An easy way to quickly produce a SuperPalette for a group of images and remap them to that palette is to use a Batch Automation SuperPalette process. Choose Automation > Standard Workflows… and click the SuperPalette tab. DeBabelizer polls the images, generates the SuperPalette according to your specifications (number of colors, base palette, name, etc.), and saves the new SuperPalette to the palette list. If you select the 2nd pass option, DeBabelizer Pro then remaps the images to the new SuperPalette.
You can also open the images and add them to the current poll. When you have got the color information you want, choose Palette > SuperPalette > Create SuperPalette to generate the desired SuperPalette and save or stash it in the palette list. You can then remap any image to the palette.
- How can I import a palette file into another program?
DeBabelizer Pro 6 can save a palette in one of two forms: a CLUT Resource or RGB Triplets. Please check your target program's documentation for what kind of palette files it accepts. Open an image containing the desired palette in DeBabelizer Pro, or choose Palette > Palette List > Open Image of Palette. Choose File > Save As, select 'Color Table ONLY' from the Type: pop-up menu and choose "CLUT Resource" or "Photoshop Palette (RGB Triplets)", then save the palette file.
- How do I remap images to a palette I created or imported?
If you open a color table file as an image, you can easily remap images to that palette by dragging the ActionArrow from the Palette window onto an open image or Batch. If the palette is in the current palette list, you can use the Set Palette and Remap dialog to remap one image at a time, or place this operation in a workflow to perform automated remapping.
- How do I remap an image to its own best palette, but using the Windows or Macintosh-compatible system colors?
DeBabelizer includes a number of palettes you can use as base palettes, including both Windows and Macintosh system palettes and the web browser-safe palette. If the images are going to be 16 colors, simply use the Mac default 16 colors in a Set Palette and Remap operation. To create a 256-color (8-bit) Mac-compliant palette for your images, use the Reduce Colors dialog to create a custom palette with a required base palette, and choose one of the Mac default options for the base palette.
The easiest method for creating a 256-color (8-bit) Windows-compliant palette and remapping a group of images is to first use the Standard Workflow - SuperPalette process to produce 236 custom palette colors, then add the 20 default Windows colors at the first 10 and last 10 index positions in the palette.
- Choose Automation > Standard Workflows… and click the SuperPalette tab.
- Select the "Initialize SuperPalette" checkbox before starting (at the top of the dialog) to ensure that DeBabelizer Pro creates a new SuperPalette and includes only the specified images when it performs the SuperPalette color analysis.
- Specify the files to include in the SuperPalette (a Batch, folder, animation, or other source).
- Click the SuperPalette Setup button. In the Create SuperPalette dialog, set the number of colors to 236, select the Call it "The SuperPalette" checkbox, make sure the "Required base palette" checkbox is not selected, and click Create.
- Back in the Standard Workflows dialog, click Apply to create the SuperPalette. DeBabelizer Pro polls all the pixels in the source images specified, generates the best 236-color palette for those images, and saves the palette to the Palette List. When the Create SuperPalette dialog appears, click Create.
- Back in DeBabelizer Pro's main menu, choose Palette > Merge Palettes. In the Merge Palettes dialog, choose "The SuperPalette" as the "From:" palette using the pop-up menu option and the "Windows Default 20" palette as the "To" palette. Next, copy the 236 colors from "The SuperPalette," starting at index #0, to the "Windows Default 20" palette, starting at index #10 (or just enter the index numbers in the boxes under each palette). Then select the "New palette" checkbox in the third panel (leave the name as "Merged Palette"), and click OK.
- Use a Set Palette and Remap pixels operation in a workflow, and set the parameters for remapping the images to the merged, 256-color palette (double-click the operation in the Workflow window to set the parameters). Use a Standard Workflow - Save process to apply the workflow and remap your images. You can also use a Save As operation in a workflow, but be sure to insert a Close operation after the Save As in order to close each image after it's processed.
To include the Windows-compatible colors when remapping your images to their own, individual custom palettes, create a workflow with the following operations:
- Palette > Reduce Colors. In the Reduce Colors dialog, set the Target number of colors to 236.
- Palette > Palette List > Stash Palette. This saves the active image's palette to the palette list as "The Stashed Palette."
- Palette > Merge Palettes
- In the Merge Palettes dialog, choose "The Stashed Palette" as the "From:" palette using the pop-up menu and "Windows Default 20" as the "To:" palette.
- Use your mouse to select the 236 colors from "The Stashed Palette," starting at index #0, to the "Windows Default 20"palette, starting at index #10 (or enter the numbers in the color range boxes below the palettes).
- Under Save Final Results to, choose "Current image palette."
- Palette > Palette List > Stash Palette. This saves the merged palette, which is now the current palette, over the previously stashed palette.
- File > Revert to Original. This returns the active image to its original state. Since the image was already remapped once in the Reduce Colors operation, it is important to return to the original image instead of remapping a second time.
- Palette > Set Palette and Remap. In the Set Palette and Remap dialog, select "The Stashed Palette" from the pop-up menu and select the "Remap pixels to new palette" checkbox.
1. If the base palette is one you have created, you must first save the palette in the palette list. Open the color table, image, or movie file containing the desired palette, and choose Palette > Palette List > Save Palette To List.
2. Next, use a Reduce Colors operation in a workflow. In the Reduce Colors dialog (double-click the item in the Workflow window), set the Target number of colors to 256, select the "Required base palette" checkbox, and choose the palette you just saved from the pop-up menu.
3. Finally, create a new Batch with all the images you want to reduce, and apply the workflow.
Note: you can also include a base palette in a SuperPalette by selecting the palette in the Create SuperPalette dialog. To factor in additional images to an existing SuperPalette, open the image and choose Palette > SuperPalette > Factor in This Picture. When you have factored in all the pictures you want, choose Palette > SuperPalette > Create SuperPalette. In order to factor images in this way, you must have created your SuperPalette in the current session (have not quit DeBabelizer Pro) and used the default name, "The SuperPalette." You can also choose Palette > SuperPalette > Options and set the option to automatically add every image you open to the current SuperPalette poll.
· What's the best way to remap a QuickTime movie to a specific palette?
The best way to process multiple-frame files is with a Standard Workflow process. You can use the Standard Workflow - SuperPalette process to automatically generate the optimum palette for the movie, remap the movie frames to that palette, then resave the frames as a QuickTime movie.
- Choose Automation > Standard Workflows… and click the SuperPalette tab.
- Select the checkbox for Initialize SuperPalette before starting (at the top of the dialog) to ensure that DeBabelizer creates a new SuperPalette and includes only the images in the movie when it performs the SuperPalette color analysis.
- Set the first source pop-up menu to "Open each image in" and the second to "File", then click Select File to locate and choose the QuickTime movie file.
- Click the SuperPalette Setup button. In the Create SuperPalette dialog, set the number of colors to 256 (or less), specify a name for the palette, select a base palette to include if you like, check the 'Skip this box next time' checkbox, and click Create.
- Select the "Then do 2nd Pass" checkbox, click the Save As Setup button to set parameters for saving the remapped frames to a QuickTime movie file, making sure that the 'Verify replace' checkbox is unchecked, then click OK.
- Back in the Standard Workflows dialog, click Apply. On the first pass, DeBabelizer Pro polls all the pixels in the images specified in your source, generates the best 256-color (or less) palette for those images, and saves the palette to the palette list. On the second pass, DeBabelizer Pro remaps all the frames in the file to the SuperPalette created in the first step, then saves the frames to the specified movie file.
- Click OK to the QuickTime Movie Open dialog and select the "Skip box" checkbox.
- Click Create when the Create SuperPalette dialog appears.
- When the QuickTime Compression Settings dialog appears (for the first frame saved), make sure to choose a codec that supports 8-bit color, and choose the "Best Depth" setting.
1. Use a Standard Workflow - SuperPalette process to generate a palette using color information from all the frames contained in the movie file. (See the previous question for Standard Workflow - SuperPalette steps.)
2. Open the first frame of the movie.
3. Choose Palette > Set Palette and Remap Pixels. In the dialog, remap the frame to the SuperPalette you created (choose it from the Set Palette list, then click OK).
4. Choose File > Save As and select QuickTime Movie > Color Table ONLY as the save type. Make sure you are saving to the same file name and destination as the original movie file.
5. When the Overwrite dialog appears, click Yes; DeBabelizer Pro will not actually overwrite the movie, but will append the color table to the file. |
