Palette editor

Today, BiFi released a nice tool for MSX2 and higher called Palette editor. With this tool you can alter the palette of the MSX2 to your own liking (of to one of the presets) in order to make games that don't change the palette (at least all MSX1 games) look different. One of the most interesting presets that comes with the editor is an approximation of the MSX1 palette, making these games look more like they were intended to look.

On the Palette editor website you can find more information on the tool and have a look at some nice screenshots.

Relevant link: Palette Editor

Comments (17)

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

20-03-2005, 02:05

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

We are testing NEMESIS and SALAMANDER with "VAMPIER KONAMI" preset and it's spectacular!!

"Olé" BiFi you're the number one!! Thanks a lot!!

By KNM

Master (172)

20-03-2005, 02:20

BIFI!BIFI!BIFI!BIFI!BIFI!BIFI!BIFI!

THIS THING RULES !!!!!!!!!! AMAZING !!!!!!!

COOL !!

By Vampier

Prophet (2412)

20-03-2005, 04:21

We are testing NEMESIS and SALAMANDER with "VAMPIER KONAMI" preset and it's spectacular!!

Glad to be off service.... and BiFi thanks for this cool program... it has been on my wishlist for quite some time

By Ivan

Ascended (9353)

20-03-2005, 12:41

Cool! Seems like if you weren't playing the same game!

What about MG2 and SD-Snatcher with a different palette? Maybe for the next version of Palette editor

By BiFi

Enlighted (4348)

20-03-2005, 18:01

Wow! Didn't expect such mega-positive reactions! Thanks!

@Ivan: MSX2 games usually set their own palette and would overwrite any palette set up with Palette Editor. It isn't the intention to add such functionality in next versions either. During development it did happen though and it did give quite funny results.

By snout

Ascended (15187)

20-03-2005, 18:08

Love the tool, finally MSX1 games on MSX2 computers like they were meant to be (well.. almost...). Some of the other presets are quite nice as well. How about a TSR version for MSX2 games? ^_^

(or for changing palettes during MSX1 games even)

By BiFi

Enlighted (4348)

20-03-2005, 18:36

Somebody else beat you to it with that request, actually. Unfortunately the way most games are coded make this feature quite close to impossible. Of course I did add it to the list, just in case.

By wolf_

Ambassador_ (10109)

20-03-2005, 19:11

I don't see much use in changing msx2 palettes other than brightness and HUE-shifts.. and in both cases they aren't of any use other than downgrading the perfect palette it already has.

Usually colors are shared amongst various tiles/sprites, imagine the skin-color being used in a red-yellow gradient for some brickstones.. what's the use of changing those brickstones to blue when that means the player gets a blue head?

By wolf_

Ambassador_ (10109)

20-03-2005, 19:12

Now that we're on it: are there msx2 games that use the default msx1 palette anyway? (as in: they don't change the palette during the whole game)

By Grauw

Ascended (10767)

20-03-2005, 19:56

Doubt it.

By viejo_archivero

Paragon (1395)

21-03-2005, 07:17

Woa, some days out and I found this cool release!. Good one BiFi!. I hope I could help you more the next time .

By NYYRIKKI

Enlighted (6067)

22-03-2005, 21:27

I might be wrong, but wasn't there some very simple program for this purpose delivered with SVI-738 MSX-DOS disk back in 1985? This was called "512.BAS" or something like that... I remember it was quite a fun to try to find good colors for different games. On MSX1 it was easy as software boot did not mess up pallette.

By BiFi

Enlighted (4348)

23-03-2005, 07:25

I don't know about that one at all... What I do know that this one also works on cartridges since it's kind of a cartridge as well. I highly doubt 512.bas is/was capable of doing so... unless the cartridge was cracked of course...

By NYYRIKKI

Enlighted (6067)

24-03-2005, 15:05

That program was just few lines of basic, that worked as front end to COLOR=(X,R,G,B) command known from MSX2 and up.

To start the cartridge with new colors on MSX1 is anyway easy more easy as with MSX2. Inserting the cartridge and executing: DEFUSR=0:A=USR(0) is enough because MSX1 BIOS does not reset the colors (as it does not have any support for V9938)

By BiFi

Enlighted (4348)

24-03-2005, 15:49

if you're saying here to insert the cartridge in the computer while it's still on... not a very recommendable method, since it might be hazardous to you SVI's health.

By BiFi

Enlighted (4348)

24-03-2005, 15:51

btw... done some investigating in the SVI roms... at least the 738 does have some V9938 specific feature... It switches to PAL frequency.

By NYYRIKKI

Enlighted (6067)

24-03-2005, 16:39

Oh, I didn't know that 738 has V9938 specific ROM, but I think you must be right!

I agree, that you newer should put the cartridge to connector without powering off the computer first, so don't do what I do. I also agree, that your program is nice looking very nice tool and that little BASIC program does not fight even a close to same series!

To be honest I was more actually just wondering about the reactions... It just sounds like there is plenty of people who have newer ever even tried to play MSX1 games with different colors!? and I thought it was one of the only reasons to actually buy v9938 computer back in 1985!!! (Ok, 80-columns screen was also cool) At least here computer salesman proudly adverticed the 512 colors while talking about SVI-738.

Perfect example, that it's just hard to know, what kind of applications users would like to get. Sometimes the answer is so simple, that as developer you can't even see that. Good job BiFi!

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