[comp.sys.mac.programmer] Palettes and Desk Accessories?

keough@mbunix.mitre.org (Keough) (07/24/90)

I've recently been working on a project where I need to display
a PICT2 image in a window. I've got everything pretty much under
control, except for the following observation:

Observation: If I build my code AS AN APPLICATION, pictures come
             out fine in 8-bit color, after parsing the PICT to 
             find its color table, using CTab2Palette to get a 
             palette, and then SetPalette and ActivatePalette.
             (these PICTs were made with a 256 color palette).
             However, the same code built AS A DESK ACCESSORY is
             not working at all on setting the right palette.

So, I've formed the following theory which seems to make sense, for which
I can't find references in IM or technotes or anything else I can
lay my hands on:

Theory: Desk Accessories cannot get access to the Palette Manager
        in obvious ways. (DAs live in a "non-application layer").

Can anyone confirm or deny this theory?

Thanks,
Jerry Keough
Lead Scientist
The MITRE Corporation
keough@mbunix.mitre.org