> I have been using rc_image and rci_show to display grey-scale images, but
> unfortunately I want to be able to run another process tool called snns -
> a neural network simulator - and for some reason it conflicts with some of
> the colors used and I am unable to run both at the same time. Once I exit
> the poplog environment, everthing functions normally.
>
> I am using a sun4 platform.
>
> Does anyone know how I might resolve this ?
I presume that you are getting the following behaviour. When you move
the focus into the SNNS window you get the right set of colors for SNNS,
and when you move focus out you get the right set of colors for
RC_IMAGE. If this is so it is not a bug as such, but a result of the way
color works on many X displays.
There are a fixed number of colors you can have on screen at any once
time and this often is much lower than the number of colors available to
be used (256 is a common number). The colors currently in use are stored
in the "colormap" of the display. When an client requests a color it is
placed in the colormap, and removed when the client is finished with it
(actually, it's a bit more complex since it is possible for clients to
"share" colors.)
The problem comes about when two different applications need a large
number of different colors - more than can fit in the colormap at one
time. There are three possible alternatives when this happens
1) Clients "make do" with the color in the colormap which is
closest to the one they want.
2) A client has its own "private" colormap which has all the colors
it needs. When the client is using its private colormap its windows
appear correct, but other windows appear in false colors.
3) One of the clients gives an error and stops.
(it is also possible for SNNS to be really nasty and overwrite the
colormap - but "nice" applications shouldn't do this.)
I would guess that you are getting (2). RC_IMAGE needs lots of different
shades of grey, and SNNS needs a different large set of colors so SNNS
is setting up it's own private colormap.
Basically there is no ideal way around this, a couple of possibilities
are:
o Using a more expensive display :-) There are displays which have
larger colormaps which can display more colors simultaneously.
There are also displays where all the available colors can be
displayed.
o Some X applications have options to "make do" with the current
colormap, rather than make there own private one. Check SNNS to see
if it has such an option - although it may not be usable in such a
state.
o Use a smaller range of grey-levels in the RC_IMAGE window.
Hope this helps.
aids (adrianh@cogs.susx.ac.uk) ObDisclamer: Poplog used to pay my wages
Phone: +44 (0)273 678367 URL: http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/adrianh/
PS RC_IMAGE has been superseded by a new package RC_ARRAY written by
David Young. You may want to contact him to get a copy
(davidy@cogs.susx.ac.uk).
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