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Re: IDL/Linux color table problems [message #33110 is a reply to message #33087]

Tue, 03 December 2002 09:22

Karl Schultz
Messages: 341
Registered: October 1999

Senior Member

"David Oesch" <oesch@giub.unibe.ch> wrote in message
news:3DECC898.4070306@giub.unibe.ch...
> Try
>
> http://www.rsinc.com/services/output.cfm?tip_id=3318

This tip really only applies to IDL 5.5 on some 24-bit X servers. The OP is
using IDL 5.4 and probably an 8-bit X server.

It is hard to diagnose the problem exactly, but this sounds like the classic
X "technicolor" problem that is common to many color intensive applications
running on 8-bit X servers. There is some discussion of this issue in the
IDL docs. The basic problem arises because multiple X clients are competing
for a limited set of colors in the 256-color X color table (colormap). Here
are a few general suggestions:

- Configure your X server to start in 16-bit or 24-bit mode, if your video
system supports it. If you are running XFree86, try one of the various X
configuator programs that come with your Linux distro.
- Reduce the color requirements of your other clients. This might mean
shutting down some "color hogs" like image editors and viewers.
- Your window manager and desktop gadgets are clients too. Many desktops
have applets that let you set the number of colors your desktop will use up.
In the extreme case, you can perhaps get it down to two - black and white,
as is possible with CDE.
- Reduce the color demands of IDL. See the IDL help items for using color
in the X windows environment.

If you are absolutely stuck on 8-bit and your IDL app needs to display
(nearly) 256 private colors, then it is pretty hard to avoid the flashing
"technicolor" effect. A lot of 8-bit X windows users accept and tolerate
this effect; it has been around for over a decade.

We can get into more detail here, if you like.

Karl

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[Message index]

		Re: IDL/Linux color table problems By: Bringfried Stecklum on Thu, 05 December 2002 00:41
		Re: IDL/Linux color table problems By: Karl Schultz on Tue, 03 December 2002 09:22
		Re: IDL/Linux color table problems By: David Oesch on Tue, 03 December 2002 07:07

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