From: "Edmund Horner" <ejrh AT paradise DOT net DOT nz>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Allegro: bitmaps vs. sprites vs RLE sprites
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Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 03:56:26 +1300
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

Hi.  Could anyone give me some advice on which data format (and
corresponding blitting functions) is recommended for blitting transparent
images?

My game makes _major_ use of transparent bitmaps, blitting several hundred
items per frame (to a memory bitmap, when then gets flipped onto the
screen).  Even terrain tiles must be transparent (due to 3D-ness).

Presently I use 256-color bitmaps, and masked_blit().  I am wondering if
draw_sprite() or draw_rle_sprite() would be faster...  all images have at
least a little bit of transparency, some of them a great deal.

Thanks,
Edmund.