From: atari030@nomorespamplease.optusnet.com.au   
      
   phantomm_1 wrote:   
   > I'm interested in some info on the Atari STs 16 color palette.   
   > What causes the ST/STE to be limited to 16 colors and is this limit also   
   >  in the Falcons ST/E Resolution Modes and the Falcons normal 16 color modes?   
      
   Every video chipset has a pre-defined palette and colours displayable.   
   Its all digital. The ST's was limited to 16 displayable from 512/4096   
   (ST/STE), TT's was 256 displayable from 4096 and Falcon's was 65,536   
   displayable from 262,144. I think the 320x200 res's were limited to 16   
   colour on all the machines. The Falcon has a 320x240 mode that is VERY   
   compatible given the right software. This res can display 65,536 colours   
   (Falcon truecolour) as well.   
      
   The display isn't hackable/configurable in a simple sense. There was a   
   shifter mod that added a second shifter to an ST/STF/STM/STFM and gave   
   it a palette of 4096 but apart from that I don't think anyone bothered.   
   There were a few video card options kicking around, mostly fro the   
   Mega's and the TT.   
      
   Also there were some programs that use a technique called palette   
   switching. This can fool the machine into displaying its entire palette.   
   I.e. 512 colours on an ST. This cannot be done from GEM/TOS AFIK. Thru   
   trickery it is possible to shoehorn 19000 colours out of an STE. Another   
   thing too, this switching technique is very CPU intensive, most of what   
   I've seen has been done in assembly. Have a look at a program called   
   Photochrome for the ST/STE.   
      
      
   > Would it be difficult to increase a older ST graphic programs palette to   
   > more   
   > than 16 colors, if it already works on a Falcon?   
      
   Depends how it was written I would guess. Hard to say.   
      
   >   
   > BTW, the program is not a game. similar to a paint program.   
      
   Good luck ;-)   
      
   Mark   
      
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