Hello I wrote to GNU ( gnu@xxxxxxx) about the following, and they told me to contact you. I understand that its hard to use GIF pictures so I suggested this <start of message> I would like to mention that there is another format that your organization might want to take an interest in. It is called ILBM , InterLeaved Bit Map, its a format created by Electronic Arts, when then they produced a program for the Commodore Amiga called Delexe Paint. The program uses a compression format, and electronic arts does not require a licence on to use their format, AFAIK of this day (becuase they borrowed the algorithm from a function of a Apple computer program). In my manual of Deluxe Paint IV, the authors give all the information to decompress and understand how ILBM is constructed. Many Amiga programmers have used it to develop games and many other things. Its format can be read on X Tree Gold for DOS and on a old version Adobe Photoshop v2.5.1. And I am in the process of devoping a program than will read the file formats ( once I deal with the memory management problems ). I should mention the downside, that pictures that I have ported over are 5 bit (32 colors) converted over to GIF, thats the capacity of ILBMs - becuase of the nature of the Amiga computer in its low resolution state. Becuase I cant use GIF in my own programs becuase of the Unisys licence problem. I have to develop a program that reads ILBM the format. Its already been an undertaking project - so far. I plan to release my libraries as public domain. Would your organization be interested in looking at the format? I there is a easy way to change it so that instead ILBM being limited to 32 colors it could be applied to 256 colors. I have some documentation that I could provide you with that was written by Jerry Morrison of EA that describes how it works. < end of message> Please tell me what you think... thank you. K.Williams Please let me know what you think. K.Williams
