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313 Views 5 Replies Latest reply: Feb 23, 2010 11:04 PM by perspixe RSS
perspixe Calculating status... 6 posts since
Oct 30, 2006
Currently Being Moderated

Feb 23, 2010 10:52 AM

16 bits gray 0 to 32768 - why?

This question might have been answered before but I could not find a clear one searching the forums.

 

First I understand 32768 and not 32767 (from 0 that would be 15 bits) because it simplifies the math and accelerate processing.

Can someone confirm this?

 

Second this is only 15 bits so where is gone the 16th one, Why is it hidden and what is it used for?

 

I need to understand exactly how and why it works like that and how a Tiff gray 16 bits would convert in Photoshop because I use this format to process 3D scans of surfaces... convert the depth values of my 3D in levels of grays, processing in Photoshop and then reexporting to 3D for routing.

  • Jeff Schewe Contributor 2,794 posts since
    Jan 8, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    1. Feb 23, 2010 1:39 PM (in response to perspixe)
    Re: 16 bits gray 0 to 32768 - why?

    perspixe wrote:

     

    First I understand 32768 and not 32767 (from 0 that would be 15 bits) because it simplifies the math and accelerate processing.

    Can someone confirm this?

     

    Yes, 0-32768 (a total of 32769 levels) is 15 bits plus 1 level and yes it's on purpose for simplified processing...

     

    While it's "called" 16 bits in Photoshop, it's really not. It's certainly high bit, just not 16 bits...and this is the way Photoshop has always worked from the time that high bit files could be opened in Photoshop.

  • Chris Cox Adobe Employee 10,431 posts since
    May 20, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    2. Feb 23, 2010 5:23 PM (in response to perspixe)
    Re: 16 bits gray 0 to 32768 - why?

    The conversion is just linear scaling with rounding.

     

    And yes, 0..32768 to simplify the math, provide a middle point, simplify interpolated tables, etc.

    The last bit is still used, for 32768 (the maximum value is NOT 32767).

  • Chris Cox Adobe Employee 10,431 posts since
    May 20, 2006
    Currently Being Moderated
    4. Feb 23, 2010 10:35 PM (in response to perspixe)
    Re: 16 bits gray 0 to 32768 - why?

    No - read it again.

     

    0 to 32768, not 0 to 32767.

     

    If the maximum value was 32767, it would only need 15 bits.  It would also not have a midpoint, and still need to use divides.

     

    But the maximum value is 32768, so there are 32769 values, the high bit does get used, there is a midpoint, and we don't have to use a divide.

     

    16 bit does not mean that the maximum value is 65535, it just means that the values require 16 bits to represent the values.

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