Stripsky
- Initial Release Date
- March 18, 1997
- Color Palette
- 8/18b
- Max Resolution
- 1024x768
- License Status
- Freeware © David Scruton
- Codebase
- C++
- Platform(s)
- MS-DOS, SGI
- Author(s)
- David Scruton
Description
Stripsky by David Scruton fades between patterns generated by mirroring small tiles from an input TIFF file. It's output is quite simple, but can be interesting with appropriate input images. The input image is broken up into a grid of 16x16px sections, and one is selected at random for display. Stripsky will then read along a strip of sections, displaying the next seven sections to the right, restarting on the next row if the edge of the grid is reached. After eight sections have been displayed a new random section is selected and the process starts again. Stripsky is freeware, but add-on image packs were available for $10 a piece.
Stripsky started with Dave's interest in corrupted JPEG files...
I discovered that corrupted JPEG files (just edit one with a text editor and add a space or character) produce gorgeous color patterns in some of the errant 8x8 "cells". It only takes a couple of bytes of extra data to throw the rest of the picture into disarray. Much like the MPEG artifacts you see on cable TV if there are line problems.
I then took some of the more colorful patterns, and schlepped them all into a big RGB file (or TIFF on the PC). It is completely uncompressed, as far as I remember.
Stripsky then just goes from cell to cell and interpolates the weird colors it sees from each 8x8 cell, blowing them up to screen size.
...though it had been a while, so he seemed to forget Stripsky used 16x16px tiles, rather than 8x8px ones.
Although Stripsky runs in high resolution modes (1024x768), the patterns it outputs are rather low resolution, only 64x64 units. The 64x64 unit pattern is generated by sampling a random 16x16px tile from an input image, as seen in sample TIFF, and mirroring it in both directions twice.
Using the low resolution tiles enables Stripsky to use 24b input images, even though it only outputs in 8b video modes. The 16x16px tiles contain only 256 pixels, fitting exactly into the 256 palette entries provided by 8b video modes. Such also enabled Stripsky to easily fade from one tile to the next just by manipulating the palette, rather than re-drawing the full screen.
Operation
If no input image is specified, an image internal to the exe is used. Only uncompressed, 24b TIFF files are supported. Files must be named *.tif or *.tiff, or the internal image will be used instead. Various errors are provided for improper TIFF files, though their exact meaning is unclear some testing shows:
- Error #1: Some non-TIFF files
- Error #2: Empty files, some non-TIFF files
- Error #3: File too large, improper bit depth, compressed
Pressing any key but escape will redisplay the opening logo.
Video
Screenshots
Downloads
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Stripsky (Windows DOSBox edition):
The MS-DOS version compatible with Windows via DOSBox.
Since Stripsky's output is rather low resolution, some configs that use scalers/shaders to add detail are provided:
- Blended: Blends pixels between each texel, softening the image.
- Color Sketch: Renders colored outlines of the texel pattern.
- Scanlines: Adds blended scanlines.
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Stripsky:
MS-DOS Stripsky
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SGI Stripsky:
SGI Stripsky once existed but seems to have been lost.
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Stripsky Pattern TIFFs:
The additional Stripsky pattern TIFF files offered by Fractallonomy may have been lost. (David Scruton said he'd check his storage unit for an old drive), but here are some alternate, appropriately formatted TIFF files.
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Stripsky TIFF Converter:
Tool to convert arbitrary images to the format supported by Stripsky, implemented with Imagemagik's convert command.
"%~dp0\convert.exe" -alpha off -depth 8 -colorspace RGB -compress none %1 "%~n1.tif"Depending on the input image not all the options may be necessary, but they will ensure an image is converted to the appropriate format for Stripsky.