**ShowPlay Reference Manual, Chapter 3 (ControlVariables): showbits**
===== Showbits -- =====
For image stimuli, this specifies how many bits to use to store each pixel value. Generally, use 8 for grayscale images, 16 for simple color images, and 24 or 32 for high
color resolution images. The more bits you use, however, the fewer images you will be able to preload into memory.

As a general rule you should specify SHOWBITS as follows:
     8    If your images have only grayscale values
    16    If your images have color and look okay
    32    For color images that don't look right at 16 bits

When running ShowPlay the screen display setting should always be in 32 bit (True color) mode; CIGAL automatically converts pixel values if needed when it displays the image.

**See Also:**\\
[[jvs:cigal|CIGAL Home]], 
[[jvs:cigal:manual|CIGAL Manual]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay|ShowPlay Home]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual|ShowPlay Manual]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:chapter3|InputParameters List]], 
[[jvs:cigal:showplay:manual:help|Manual Help]]