SubPixel Display

Brief Description:

On a normal video display, each pixel is composed of three subpixels (red, green and blue). SubPixel Display helps developers see the color information of these subpixels and see the effect of reordering the green and blue subpixels. SubPixel Display is $10 shareware. You may use the application in Demo Mode for ten launches before you must register.

SubPixelDisplaySS1.jpg

When you launch SubPixel Display you see a small Control Panel and two larger windows. Drag the Control Panel out of the way on the desktop.

The Display Window (large window on the left) shows the area around the mouse magnified X18. In this case, the mouse was over a white area. The Display Window title shows the Display Window size (square) in pixels and the number of Cells (magnified pixels).

The SubPixel Display (large window on the right) moves with the Display Window; you can also move the SubPixel Display separately and the offsets will be remembered. The SubPixel Display title shows the SubPixel Display size (square), the number of Cells, and the number of pixels per SubPixel. The SubPixel Display show Red, Green and Blue color bars because the eye sees this as white.

SubPixelDisplaySS2.jpg

Above, you see the Display Window with the mouse hovering over the red close button of the Control Panel.

SubPixelDisplaySS2A.jpg

Above, you see that the "Crosshairs" checkbox has been checked. When the 'Crosshairs" checkbox is checked, the SubPixel Display window shows tiny crosshairs.

Black_X_wo_Threshold.jpg

Above, you see the displays with the mouse over a black X on a white background.

Black_X_w_Threshold.jpg

Check the "White Threshold" checkbox if you want to set subpixels to white if the color value is greater than the slider value. This allows you to look at black letters on a white background and eliminate the "clutter". Above, you see the displays with the "White Threshold" checkbox checked and the slider set to 225.

Letter_X_wo_Threshold.jpg

Above, you see the displays with the mouse over a white X on a black background.

Letter_X_w_Threshold.jpg

Above is the same image with the "Black Threshold" checked and the slider set at 30.

SubPixelDisplayRGB.jpg

SubPixelDisplayRBG.jpg

The RGB and RBG buttons set the display order of the subpixels from left to right. Above, you see Test Patterns with RGB / RBG selected.

You can lock the image in the SubPixel Display window by pressing Command-Option and unlock the image by pressing Command-Control. The Black Threshold and White Threshold sliders can be changed with the SubPixel Display locked to see results at different thresholds.

 All Control Panel settings and window locations are saved between sessions.

Downloads:

Click here to download the Universal Binary version (2.6 MB) for Macintosh OS 10.2 or later (zip).


Please send comments and suggestions to youngpr@myactv.net