Short:    Datatype for GIF-Images with WarpOS (40.3)
Uploader: achimste@gmx.de (Achim Stegemann)
Author:   achimste@gmx.de (Achim Stegemann)
Type:     docs/anno
Version:  40.3

Requires minimum:
 * OS 3.0
 * WarpOS V4.

### This is the first datatype to decode GIF-images with WarpOS ! ###

Note:
 * Only WarpOS !! No PowerUP module available and will never be from me.

This datatype is completely freeware !! Use it as you like it.
But when you use it, please send me an email for feedback.

If you find any bugs, please report to the above email adress, including
the picture, that failed to be decoded. If you don't include the picture, I might not be able to trace
the bug !

The archive contains full source code. The datatype was written with StormC V3 (PPC).
The source code contains the FFR-module (asyncronous file I/O) by Matthias Scheler.

Speed benchmarks on a PPC604e/200 and MC68060/50:
Decoding time was about half the 68k time. As a reference I used the original OS 3.5 gif.datatype.
Please keep in mind that this refers only to the decoding time ! Converting the picture to a
different bitmap-format is performed by the picture.datatype, which is still 68k !


Note:
It is not allowed to upload any GIF-related programs to Aminet.
Please download the WarpGIF archive from the URL given below !


Please visit my homepage at:
http://www.soft-ware.de/dalmanac


History:

V40.3:
  * Works now with OS 3.0 too.
  * Added missing error checking, when no bitmap could be allocated with V43.
  * Local colormap is no more skipped. That caused wrong color palette with some GIF anims.
  * Calculating the size of local colormap was wrong.
    This caused some images with a local colormap not to be displayed.

V40.2:
  * Supports transparency color. IBrowse shows correct images.
  * Most GIF anims show the first frame.
  * Corrupt images caused a guru due to a stupid program fault.
  * Only global colormap is loaded. Local colormap is skipped.
  * Has problems with a few GIF anims to show first frame.

V40.1:
  * Improved use of V43 features. Shouldn't allocate any ChipRAM an graphic cards.

V40.0
  * First public release.