Browsing High Definition Colour Pictures

Abstract

The authors describe a method of presenting colour pictures which allows users to browse by panning and zooming. The pictures are seen as though on a 512 by 512 by 12 bit framestore, but are defined to 4096 by 4096. The implementation allows the entire picture to be seen in overview, with fine details averaged, or to be zoomed in upon with finer detail progressively revealed by a sequence of twofold linear magnifications. Further zooming, beyond the resolution of the picture data, automatically produces a conventional pixel replication effect. In addition, the picture may be panned vertically or horizontally.