A simple (primitive? badly coded? thrown together?) Python 3 viewer for Linux to show Color Max Deluxe MGE-formatted images.
Does not handle the multiple frames like ANIMTOOL and does not implement palette color cycling which the file format allows for.
Someone smarter than me please write a better one and let everyone know on the Color Computer Discord
Until then, I hope this works for you … It Worked For Me™
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
view ColorMax 3 MGE files
See: https://pythonguides.com/python-read-a-binary-file/
See: https://code.activestate.com/recipes/579048-python-mandelbrot-fractal-with-tkinter/
"""
import sys
from tkinter import Tk, Canvas, PhotoImage, NW
# Color Computer 3 RGB Palette in Photoimage color format
RGB = [
"#000000", # Black
"#000055", # Dark Blue
"#005500", # Dark Green
"#005555", # Dark Cyan
"#550000", # Dark Red
"#550055", # Dark Magenta
"#555500", # Brown
"#555555", # Dark Grey
"#0000AA", # Medium Blue
"#0000FF", # Bright Blue
"#0055AA", # Light Blue/Cyan
"#0055FF", # Light Blue
"#5500AA", # Indigo***
"#5500FF", # Medium Blue/Purple
"#5555AA", # Medium Sky Blue
"#5555FF", # Medium Peacock
"#00AA00", # Medium Green
"#00AA55", # Medium Green/Cyan
"#00FF00", # Bright Green
"#00FF55", # Medium Yellow/Green
"#55AA00", # Light Yellow/Green
"#55AA55", # Light Green/Cyan
"#55FF00", # Bright Yellow/Green
"#55FF55", # Light Green
"#00AAAA", # Pale Green/Cyan
"#55FFFF", # Peacock
"#00FFAA", # Light Green/Cyan
"#00FFFF", # Bright Cyan
"#55AAAA", # Light Peacock
"#55AAFF", # Pale Peacock
"#55FFAA", # Pale Green/Cyan
"#55FFFF", # Light Cyan
"#AA0000", # Medium Red
"#AA0055", # Medium Red/Magenta
"#AA5500", # Yellow/Orange
"#AA5555", # Light Red
"#FF0000", # Bright Red
"#FF0055", # Light Red/Magenta
"#FF5500", # Orange
"#FF5555", # Pale Red/Magenta
"#AA00AA", # Medium Blue/Magenta
"#AA00FF", # Blue/Purple
"#AA55AA", # Light Magenta
"#AA55FF", # Purple
"#FF00AA", # Light Purple
"#FF00FF", # Bright Magenta
"#FF55AA", # Pale Blue/Magenta
"#FF55FF", # Pale Purple
"#AAAA00", # Medium Yellow
"#AAAA55", # Light Yellow
"#AAFF00", # Light Yellow/Green
"#AAFF55", # Pale Yellow/Green
"#FFAA00", # Light Yellow/Orange
"#FFAA55", # Medium Yellow
"#FFFF00", # Bright Yellow
"#FFFF55", # Pale Yellow
"#AAAAAA", # Light Grey
"#AAAAFF", # Pale Blue
"#AAFFAA", # Pale Cyan
"#AAFFFF", # Pale Blue/Cyan
"#FFAAAA", # Pale Red
"#FFAAFF", # Pale Magenta
"#FFFFAA", # Very Pale Yellow
"#FFFFFF", # White
]
CMP = [
"#000000", # Black
"#0E4E14", # Dark Blue
"#0C4512", # Dark Green
"#15350E", # Dark Cyan
"#33210A", # Dark Red
"#56040A", # Dark Magenta
"#6C010C", # Brown
"#760113", # Dark Grey
"#710C4C", # Medium Blue
"#5C1887", # Bright Blue
"#3D1FB2", # Light Blue/Cyan
"#1523C4", # Light Blue
"#012594", # Indigo***
"#053361", # Medium Blue/Purple
"#0C431D", # Medium Sky Blue
"#0D4D14", # Medium Peacock
"#323232", # Medium Green
"#1D9526", # Medium Green/Cyan
"#318D24", # Bright Green
"#567B20", # Medium Yellow/Green
"#77671C", # Light Yellow/Green
"#9E4D19", # Light Green/Cyan
"#B33718", # Bright Yellow/Green
"#C0274E", # Light Green
"#BA238F", # Pale Green/Cyan
"#A52BCF", # Peacock
"#8535F8", # Light Green/Cyan
"#5E3FF9", # Bright Cyan
"#1764E4", # Light Peacock
"#1077AE", # Pale Peacock
"#178963", # Pale Green/Cyan
"#19942E", # Light Cyan
"#747474", # Medium Red
"#4AD43A", # Medium Red/Magenta
"#66CC34", # Yellow/Orange
"#8EBA30", # Light Red
"#B3A42C", # Bright Red
"#DB8929", # Light Red/Magenta
"#F37244", # Orange
"#FC6184", # Pale Red/Magenta
"#FB58CA", # Medium Blue/Magenta
"#E659FA", # Blue/Purple
"#C660FA", # Light Magenta
"#9B6DFA", # Purple
"#519CFB", # Light Purple
"#3DB3F3", # Bright Magenta
"#34C7A3", # Pale Blue/Magenta
"#39D363", # Pale Purple
"#FDFDFE", # Medium Yellow
"#89E668", # Light Yellow
"#A1DD53", # Light Yellow/Green
"#BDCF4D", # Pale Yellow/Green
"#D7C052", # Light Yellow/Orange
"#F0AE69", # Medium Yellow
"#FD9E8E", # Bright Yellow
"#FD94BC", # Pale Yellow
"#FB8FED", # Light Grey
"#ED90FB", # Pale Blue
"#D696FB", # Pale Cyan
"#B7A2FB", # Pale Blue/Cyan
"#86C4FC", # Pale Red
"#79D4F0", # Pale Magenta
"#74E1B7", # Very Pale Yellow
"#FFFFFF", # White
]
with open(sys.argv[1], "rb") as mgefile:
RESOLUTION = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big") # 0=320x200x16
PALETTE = list(mgefile.read(16)) # FF60-FF6F
MONTYPE = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big") # 0=RGB 1+=CMP
COMPRESSION = int.from_bytes( mgefile.read(1), "big") # 0=compressed 1+=non-compressed
TITLE = mgefile.read(30).decode("ASCII") # 30-byte 0-terminated string
CYCLEDELAY = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big") # 0-255 0=fast
CYCLEPAL = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big") # left nybble start right nybble end
print("Resolution .......: " + str(RESOLUTION))
print("Palette ..........: " + str(PALETTE))
print("MonType ..........: " + str(MONTYPE))
print("Compression ......: " + str(COMPRESSION))
print("Title ............: " + str(TITLE))
print("Cycle Delay ......: " + str(CYCLEDELAY))
print("Cycle Palettes ...: " + str(CYCLEPAL))
PIXELSTREAM=[]
COUNTER=160*200
while COUNTER:
if COMPRESSION:
v = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big")
upper = (v & 0xF0) >> 4
lower = v & 0x0F
if MONTYPE:
color1 = CMP[PALETTE[upper]]
color2 = CMP[PALETTE[lower]]
else:
color1 = RGB[PALETTE[upper]]
color2 = RGB[PALETTE[lower]]
PIXELSTREAM.append(color1)
PIXELSTREAM.append(color2)
COUNTER -= 1
else:
repeat = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big")
v = int.from_bytes(mgefile.read(1), "big")
upper = (v & 0xF0) >> 4
lower = v & 0x0F
if MONTYPE:
color1 = CMP[PALETTE[upper]]
color2 = CMP[PALETTE[lower]]
else:
color1 = RGB[PALETTE[upper]]
color2 = RGB[PALETTE[lower]]
while repeat:
PIXELSTREAM.append(color1)
PIXELSTREAM.append(color2)
COUNTER -= 1
repeat -= 1
# Build the output frame from the stream data
IMAGEOUT = ""
for y in range(0, 200):
IMAGEOUT += "{ "
for x in range(0, 160):
IMAGEOUT += " " + PIXELSTREAM[y*320+(x*2)] + " " + PIXELSTREAM[y*320+(x*2)+1]
IMAGEOUT += " } "
# Tkinter window
WINDOW = Tk()
WINDOW.title(TITLE)
CANVAS = Canvas(WINDOW, width=320, height=200, bg="#000000")
CANVAS.pack()
IMG = PhotoImage(width=320, height=200)
CANVAS.create_image((0, 0), image=IMG, state="normal", anchor=NW)
IMG.put(IMAGEOUT)
WINDOW.mainloop()
Return to Tandy Color Computer