PALETTE.DTA

PALETTE.DTA is a file in Creatures 1 which maps 8-bit colors to 24-bit R-G-B (Red-Blue-Green) pairs. The format seems simple: The file is simply a 256-entry array of 24-bit R-G-B values, where each color component has one byte. However, each color byte needs to be multiplied separately by four to reach the full 0-255 range: Initially it is just 0-63.

In addition, the format is: RR GG BB RR GG BB. . . Most programs will want something more like this (padding to 32 bits): RR GG BB 00 RR GG BB 00. ..

WARNING: The following recommendation is for advanced users only. Making any mistakes with Windows files can damage a computer or render it inoperable.

If you use Resource Hacker to look at the SpriteExtension.dll file installed in the Windows\System32 directory by the Sprite Thumbnail Viewer, you will find a pre-converted resource in this format in the "PALETTE" resource section.

Contents of PALETTE.DTA
The complete, default set of 256 entries for budding developers to use is as follows:

0x00,0x00,0x00, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x04,0x02,0x02, 0x05,0x06,0x0A, 0x06,0x0A,0x04, 0x06,0x09,0x0C, 0x0B,0x04,0x02, 0x0A,0x06,0x09, 0x0D,0x0A,0x04, 0x0C,0x0B,0x0C, 0x06,0x07,0x11, 0x05,0x0D,0x15, 0x06,0x0F,0x18, 0x09,0x07,0x11, 0x0B,0x0D,0x12, 0x0B,0x0E,0x1A, 0x07,0x10,0x07, 0x07,0x10,0x0A, 0x0D,0x12,0x06, 0x0D,0x12,0x0B, 0x0F,0x18,0x06, 0x0F,0x18,0x0A, 0x06,0x10,0x17, 0x07,0x10,0x19, 0x0D,0x11,0x14, 0x0B,0x13,0x1A, 0x0E,0x18,0x13, 0x0F,0x18,0x1C, 0x12,0x06,0x02, 0x12,0x07,0x09, 0x14,0x0B,0x04, 0x12,0x0D,0x0B, 0x1A,0x06,0x03, 0x1B,0x07,0x09, 0x1B,0x0C,0x04, 0x1A,0x0D,0x09, 0x12,0x0E,0x12, 0x12,0x0E,0x1A, 0x1A,0x0D,0x12, 0x1D,0x0D,0x1A, 0x14,0x12,0x05, 0x14,0x12,0x0C, 0x14,0x19,0x06, 0x13,0x1A,0x0B, 0x1C,0x12,0x05, 0x1B,0x13,0x0B, 0x1C,0x19,0x05, 0x1D,0x19,0x0C, 0x13,0x13,0x13, 0x13,0x15,0x1B, 0x15,0x19,0x14, 0x15,0x19,0x1C, 0x1A,0x15,0x13, 0x1A,0x16,0x1A, 0x1C,0x1A,0x14, 0x1B,0x1B,0x1B, 0x0C,0x0F,0x21, 0x0E,0x17,0x24, 0x10,0x0F,0x21, 0x13,0x16,0x23, 0x12,0x16,0x2C, 0x14,0x1A,0x23, 0x12,0x1B,0x2B, 0x19,0x16,0x22, 0x19,0x17,0x2B, 0x1B,0x1C,0x23, 0x1B,0x1D,0x2A, 0x13,0x17,0x31, 0x14,0x1D,0x32, 0x17,0x1C,0x3B, 0x1A,0x1E,0x33, 0x19,0x1E,0x3D, 0x1A,0x23,0x0D, 0x17,0x21,0x13, 0x17,0x20,0x1A, 0x1B,0x23,0x13, 0x1D,0x22,0x1C, 0x1E,0x29,0x13, 0x1E,0x29,0x1A, 0x16,0x20,0x23, 0x17,0x20,0x2E, 0x1C,0x21,0x25, 0x1D,0x22,0x2B, 0x1F,0x29,0x23, 0x1E,0x29,0x2C, 0x16,0x21,0x33, 0x16,0x24,0x39, 0x16,0x29,0x3C, 0x1C,0x22,0x33, 0x1D,0x22,0x3F, 0x1E,0x28,0x36, 0x1C,0x29,0x3B, 0x23,0x06,0x04, 0x24,0x07,0x09, 0x22,0x0D,0x04, 0x23,0x0D,0x0A, 0x2B,0x06,0x04, 0x2B,0x07,0x08, 0x2A,0x0C,0x04, 0x2B,0x0C,0x0A, 0x26,0x0D,0x12, 0x23,0x13,0x05, 0x23,0x14,0x0A, 0x24,0x1A,0x05, 0x24,0x1A,0x0C, 0x2B,0x14,0x05, 0x2A,0x15,0x0A, 0x2C,0x1A,0x05, 0x2B,0x1B,0x0B, 0x22,0x15,0x12, 0x22,0x16,0x1B, 0x23,0x1B,0x13, 0x22,0x1D,0x1B, 0x2B,0x14,0x12, 0x2C,0x15,0x19, 0x2A,0x1D,0x12, 0x2B,0x1D,0x1A, 0x34,0x0B,0x07, 0x35,0x0D,0x12, 0x32,0x15,0x05, 0x32,0x15,0x0A, 0x33,0x1A,0x05, 0x33,0x1C,0x0B, 0x3A,0x14,0x05, 0x3A,0x14,0x0B, 0x3A,0x1D,0x05, 0x3A,0x1D,0x0A, 0x33,0x14,0x12, 0x33,0x15,0x19, 0x33,0x1D,0x12, 0x32,0x1D,0x1A, 0x3A,0x14,0x14, 0x3B,0x16,0x18, 0x3C,0x1C,0x12, 0x3B,0x1C,0x1C, 0x24,0x0F,0x21, 0x23,0x14,0x21, 0x21,0x1E,0x24, 0x21,0x1E,0x2A, 0x2A,0x1E,0x22, 0x29,0x1F,0x29, 0x20,0x1F,0x31, 0x34,0x0C,0x20, 0x36,0x1C,0x22, 0x3B,0x1D,0x33, 0x29,0x22,0x0B, 0x25,0x21,0x14, 0x24,0x22,0x1C, 0x22,0x2B,0x14, 0x23,0x2B,0x1B, 0x2C,0x22,0x14, 0x2B,0x23,0x1B, 0x2D,0x29,0x14, 0x2D,0x2A,0x1C, 0x27,0x31,0x0F, 0x29,0x34,0x17, 0x34,0x22,0x06, 0x34,0x22,0x0C, 0x35,0x2A,0x05, 0x34,0x2A,0x0B, 0x3C,0x23,0x05, 0x3B,0x23,0x0B, 0x3D,0x2B,0x05, 0x3D,0x2B,0x0C, 0x33,0x23,0x13, 0x32,0x25,0x1A, 0x34,0x2A,0x14, 0x34,0x2A,0x1C, 0x3B,0x24,0x12, 0x3B,0x24,0x19, 0x3C,0x2B,0x13, 0x3B,0x2C,0x1B, 0x34,0x31,0x0E, 0x3D,0x33,0x03, 0x3E,0x33,0x0C, 0x3F,0x3C,0x03, 0x3F,0x3B,0x0B, 0x35,0x31,0x14, 0x35,0x31,0x1C, 0x32,0x3D,0x14, 0x33,0x3D,0x1B, 0x3E,0x32,0x13, 0x3D,0x33,0x1B, 0x3E,0x3B,0x13, 0x3F,0x3A,0x1C, 0x23,0x22,0x24, 0x23,0x24,0x2B, 0x24,0x2A,0x24, 0x25,0x2A,0x2D, 0x2A,0x24,0x23, 0x29,0x26,0x2C, 0x2C,0x2A,0x24, 0x2B,0x2A,0x2D, 0x22,0x25,0x33, 0x21,0x26,0x3E, 0x25,0x29,0x34, 0x24,0x2A,0x3F, 0x28,0x27,0x31, 0x2B,0x2B,0x33, 0x29,0x2E,0x3D, 0x2A,0x32,0x2A, 0x26,0x31,0x31, 0x2C,0x30,0x34, 0x2A,0x31,0x3F, 0x2C,0x3A,0x31, 0x2E,0x39,0x3A, 0x33,0x24,0x24, 0x32,0x26,0x29, 0x33,0x2C,0x23, 0x32,0x2C,0x2C, 0x3B,0x24,0x23, 0x3B,0x24,0x29, 0x3A,0x2D,0x22, 0x3A,0x2D,0x2A, 0x31,0x2E,0x32, 0x31,0x2F,0x38, 0x3D,0x2B,0x33, 0x35,0x32,0x24, 0x34,0x32,0x2C, 0x33,0x3C,0x22, 0x33,0x39,0x2C, 0x3C,0x33,0x24, 0x3B,0x34,0x2B, 0x3E,0x3A,0x24, 0x3E,0x3B,0x2C, 0x35,0x32,0x33, 0x32,0x32,0x3A, 0x35,0x39,0x33, 0x36,0x3A,0x39, 0x39,0x35,0x34, 0x38,0x34,0x38, 0x3C,0x3A,0x34, 0x3D,0x3D,0x3B, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x00,0x00,0x00, 0x00,0x00,0x00, 0x00,0x00,0x00, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F, 0x3F,0x3F,0x3F

These R-G-B values are referenced from SPR files by index ID numbers from 0 to 255. A visual rendering of this data can be found in the Creatures Object Editor development program.