Converting Common Image files to RGB or TGA Files?

[Lingchih]

RGB is a color space (red, green, blue), not a file format. Any 24 bit file format can be in the RGB color space.

[Ballbarian]

"Color bitmap image format created by Silicon Graphics (SGI); generic format used for saving RGB color images on SGI workstations; recognized by various image viewing programs."

Extension ".rgb".
Just depends on the context.

Dominions3 supports both rgb & tga image files.

[Frostmourne27]

I assume then, Lingchih is incorrect - rgb _is_ refering to the file extension, isn't it? Not that I can see a reason to not save a map as a TGA, since I usually use GIMP, but...

[Gandalf Parker]

Short Answer: They are both correct.

longer Answer:
Back when one-color monitors were going out of style RGB only referred to the "new" color monitors (Red Green Blue). Around the same time, one of the main drawing softwares of the day developed a new format for color.

Side Note:
The reason its RGB and not RBY. In school you learned that the primary colors were Red Blue Yellow. All colors were some blend of those, and all of them together made black and none made white. They called it the color wheel, but should have said the color wheel for solids (reflected light).

What they didnt teach in my day (and definetly should now) is that the color wheel for direct light is Red Green Blue with all mixed being white and none being black. Its becoming more and more important to know the RGB mixes since thats what is involved in monitors, tv, internet viewing, PC software, lasers, and coming up in holograms

There is also another wheel called subtractive which is CMY (Cyan Magenta Yellow). Very important to inks and printers.

[Lingchih]

CMYK is the more common reference to the subtractive color space, used by printers. It adds K (Black) to the mix, to add depth and shadows to the color space.

I have no idea why this has any context in the Dominions world, just adding my two cents worth, since I have been a color retoucher for many years.

[Panpiper]

Gandalf Parker said:
All colors were some blend of those, and all of them together made black and none made white.

Actually, I believe it to be the other way around. All of them together make white and none make black. Sorry to nit pick.

[Sombre]

He's talking about mixing paint, not light.

Chuck all the paint together you get black.

[Gandalf Parker]

Yes its one of the big differences between the solids wheel and the lumination wheel. No paints is white, all paints is black. No light is black, all lights are white (remember prisms?)

I really think that schools should teach them side by side now. They have equal importance in the present day world IMHO

[Panpiper]

Sombre said:
He's talking about mixing paint, not light.

Chuck all the paint together you get black.

Doh! That'll teach me not to ignore art when studying physics.