PalmBMX (Palm BitMap eXtractor) V1.02

[Festus440]

I've just put the release version of PalmBMX on my web page:

http://www.festus440.happypalm.com/

PalmBMX is a general-purpose utility for extracting and viewing the images contained in Palm files.

You can extract all of the images from a file, or a single bitmap.

Supports Tbmp, tAIB and abmp (ARM format) bitmaps.

Includes a viewer that allows you to see the images, with or without using transparent colors and also tells you what the index number and equivalent RGB value of the transparent color is. (Unlike PRCExplorer, the RGB value is interpolated to 24-bit for 16-bit images.)

Here are the changes from the alpha version:

The default for exporting 16-bit images is to translate them to 24-bit. (Can also still save in native 16-bit format.)

Added width and height info of the selected bitmap.

Added CTRL + S shortcut to save selected bitmap.

Added button to copy selected image to the Windows clipboard.
CTRL + C also copies the selected image.

Supports drag and drop. Drop files from explorer to load.

Added a progress bar when extracting all of the bitmaps.

Improvements in operation of the scroll bars when a zoomed image exceeds the windows size.

Speed has been considerably improved.

Bunch of other bug fixes.




http://www.festus440.happypalm.com/Expanded.jpg

[the_iceman]

Awesome Festus!!!!!!!!!!!!

To all...... Festus has a PayPal now on the http://www.festus440.happypalm.com website where he can receive donations for the software he has created.

For all of us who have benefited from all of this wonderful software.... don't forget to support Festus and the dedication brought to us in making our lives easier in the Palm-Graphics world!

[LaStigmata]

Festus, I said it before and I will say it again.

YOU DA MAN!

Thanks for all your work.

[Alistar]

Excellent work.
I really like this and find it quite useful.
However I have one question:
are there any plans to be able to recompile the bmps back into the prc or pdb. Say you want to make a small change and then put it back in. Is this even possible?

[Festus440]

Thanks everyone!

I hope people will find PalmBMX to be a useful utility.

Alistar,

I was asked that question before. It's a bit complicated, but I do already have my own Palm compression routines written. I'll give it some thought.

[Alistar]

Thanks, I look forward to it.

[mattyparanoid]

Alistar,

Doesn't Constructor allow you to do what you are wanting?

Festus, thanks for the cool software....really nice.

mattyparanoid

[Festus440]

Constructor does allow you to do that.

PalmBMX was really only intended to be a kind of stepping stone to my ZL IconFactory project. I needed to write the code to extract bitmaps, so I thought I would turn it into a separate utility.

I wound up putting more into it than I originally intended, and I know there are other ways to do what this program does.

However, I don't believe anyone does a viewer like this. (That uses the transparent colors.)

[Alistar]

I don't know what constructor is. I am more just a dabbler in programming and graphic art.
But thanks I will look into it. Is it free?

[Festus440]

I am more just a dabbler in programming and graphic art.
That was me, about a year ago!

Constructor is free. It comes as part of the demo of Codewarrior (which is not free)

http://www.metrowerks.com/MW/download/default.asp

Pick the "CodeWarrior for Palm OS Platform Version 8.0 Demo"

You need to give them an email address for a password to install it.

This is the only place I know to get it.

It allows you to cut and paste new images, change the transparent color, and has some simple paint tools.

[TheSpies]

Festus:

Any idea how you can use Pack Bits for compression instead of scanline? (i know this does not relate to PalmBMX)

[Festus440]

TheSpies,
I only know two ways to get packbits compression, with CodeWarrioir, or write your own routines.

I wound up writing my own in VB. (plus RLE, and scanlines) For PalmBMX, I had to write the de-compressors for all of them, so in a way it is related!

I had a hard time finding any specific info on packbits, as it relates to Palm, but from what I did find and through trial and error I finally got it all working. (I spent a solid two weeks just on packbits, threw it away, started over and had it working in about four days the second time.)

Basically all three types are versions of RLE. Scanlines does vertical compression (top to bottom). RLE and Packbits do horizontal compression.

There are two main differences between Packbits and RLE, Packbits uses signed flags so there's less overhead (in straight RLE you waste a byte for every un-compressed byte), and for 16-bit images it grabs two bytes at a time.

To get the best results, you really need all three routines, because how well the image compresses depends on the artwork. In the ZL ThemeMaker, I compress each bitmap with each compressor (except 16-bit for RLE), compare these to the un-compressed version, and then keep the smallest one. CodeWarrior does the same thing, but only if you target Palm OS 4 or higher.

I'm sure this is putting everyone to sleep, so if is the kind of info you are looking for, drop me an email. I'd be happy to share what I've learned.

[s360clie]

I've tried to extract Bitmap using PalmBMX....... but the BMP files extracted can not be opened by my Paint Shop Pro.....
I've tried to reinstall the VB6 Runtime.........but no use

[the_iceman]

x360Clie,

Are you saying.... you perform a COPY .... and try and paste the graphic as a new image in PSP ... and that won't work?

[Festus440]

s360clie,

If you send me one of the bitmaps, I'll see if I can figure out what's happening.

[s360clie]

I've tried to save the image using PalmBMX and use PSP to open it....
Here are the file extracted by PalmBMX...........

[Festus440]

Can you email the picture to me?

festus440@yahoo.com

Thanks

[Festus440]

Two things......

1) I'll have a new version of PalmBMX this weekend that takes care of a couple of bugs. Basically a couple of small changes in the headers of both 16 and 24 bit exported images. Both should now work with MS Paint, and it turns out that PilRc was having problems with the 16 bit versions. (Don't know how I missed that one!)


2) I'll have a patch for the ZL ThemeMaker that will allow you to export a ZL skin file from BMX, directly into the ThemeMaker.

Only works for the High res 16-bit Sony or High Density OS5 ZL themes.

If there's enough interest in the patch, I'll put it on my web site. Otherwise, send me an email.

[the_iceman]

I love patches!!!!!!!!! ..... you can always e-mail it to me Festus!

[Festus440]

I had it all working this morning. I just have to come up with a good way to package the new files.

Basically it adds two new themes to the drop down list. (Now I'm glad I spent the time adding the hooks to do that in the ThemeMaker)

It also will add two (well actually 4 ) new bitmap folders that are "flat". (No sub folders) And all of the bitmaps in these folders simply have Tbmp filenames.

To use it, you just point the output of BMX to one of the new folders. The TM will also create these new folders for a custom project.

[the_iceman]

sweeeeeeeeeeet ... Sounds GREAT!

[Festus440]

The new version of BMX is up.

http://www.festus440.happypalm.com/


the_iceman:

I've sent you the new version and also the new patch that allows you to import themes into ZL ThemeMaker from BMX.

I sent them to your hotmail account so if there's a problem let me know.

[the_iceman]

Festus,

I got it... I sent you a reply e-mail..... from what I've seen .... working GREAT. I have not yet made an attempt at opening up all of the .bmp files to validate they can be opened fine with PSP or another graphic program ..... but it sure extracts them well into the specified directories.

I've applied the ThemeMaker patch ... and installed the new BMX program... all is going well thus far!

Thank you again Festus for your hard work!

[dunn]

Originally posted by Festus440
The new version of BMX is up.

http://www.festus440.happypalm.com/


the_iceman:

I've sent you the new version and also the new patch that allows you to import themes into ZL ThemeMaker from BMX.

I sent them to your hotmail account so if there's a problem let me know.

sounds great..
may i have the patch too? ^^

[Festus440]

dunn,
Sure, just PM me or send me an email so I can get your email address.

festus440@yahoo.com