RELEASE NOTES

Version 4.7

November 12, 2026

Three new machines bring BitPast to 18 systems, and opening pictures is quicker.

• ColecoVision: 256x192 pictures in 15 colors, saved as a 16 KB cartridge (.col) that shows your picture as soon as the console starts
• Commodore PET: 40 or 80 columns of block graphics in green or white, saved as a program (.prg) for the PET 2001, 3000, 4000 or 8032 - and they go on D64 disks
• Atari 2600: 40x192 playfield pictures with two of 128 colors on every line, saved as a 4 KB cartridge (.bin)

• An Open Images button in the empty image browser, and File > Open Images (Cmd-O)
• File > Open Recent lists the last 10 pictures you opened
• The system bar fits any window size and scrolls when there isn't room for every machine
• A free 91-page User's Guide (PDF) covering every system, mode and setting

• Create Disk is dimmed for the consoles, whose pictures are cartridges

• Plus/4: red and blue were swapped
• MSX Screen 2 files (.sc2) now load correctly with BLOAD

Version 4.6

November 5, 2026

Choose how a photo fills the screen, and better palettes on the Apple IIgs.

• Fit for every machine: Stretch, Contain (black bars), Cover (crop) or None (no scaling)
• Aspect: takes each machine's non-square pixels into account, so circles stay round
• Drag the preview to choose which part of the picture shows
• Apple IIgs 256 colors: new SCB Mode - Per-Line lets every line pick the best of the 16 palettes

• Palette editor changes are now saved in the file, in batch exports and on disk images
• H-Flip and V-Flip now flip the saved file and disk images too, not just the preview
• Apple II and IIgs results no longer depend on the screens attached to your Mac

Version 4.5

October 25, 2026

Better colors, disk images that load on real machines, and an app that stays responsive while it works.

• ZX Spectrum +3 disk images (180 KB .dsk)
• Double-sided 360 KB TRS-80 CoCo disks, and DOS 2.5 support for 130 KB Atari disks
• A Converting... indicator over the preview while a new picture is calculated

• Smarter color selection for the Atari 800, Atari ST, Amiga 500 and 1200, PC (EGA 64) and MSX Screen 5: small details keep their own color instead of turning grey
• Atari 800 Graphics 8 uses two shades of one hue, exactly like the real hardware
• Conversions run in the background, so the window stays responsive
• Much faster PC 256-color and Amiga 1200 conversions

• C64 PETSCII programs now run on a real C64
• BBC Micro, TRS-80 CoCo, Amiga ADF, Atari ATR and ZX Spectrum TRD disks are now read correctly by the real machines and emulators
• Amstrad CPC files use the correct colors on a real CPC
• Locked settings are now used by the Atari 800, Atari ST and BBC Micro in batch exports
• The same picture with the same settings always converts the same way
• Saving over an existing file keeps the original if the save fails

Version 4.3

February 26, 2026

Reliability: clearer errors and safer disk images.

• Failed saves and batch exports now tell you which files could not be written
• Rapid slider changes no longer flash an outdated preview
• The disk progress bar now reaches 100%
• Disk images report files that don't fit instead of writing damaged ones
• Amiga disks: large files (over about 35 KB) and files with similar names are no longer lost
• Plus/4 now uses Shift-Cmd-L, which no longer clashes with the Amiga 1200
• Amiga 1200 320x512 pictures have the correct proportions
• Several rare crashes with unusual pictures

Version 4.2

February 4, 2026

Locked settings work everywhere.

• Pictures with locked settings now show those settings in the live preview, not only in batch export

• Changing system releases all locked pictures, since their settings belong to the previous system

Version 4.1

February 3, 2026

Different settings for different pictures.

• Lock settings for a single picture with the padlock button: batch export and Create Disk use each picture's own settings, marked by an orange lock on its thumbnail

Version 4.0

January 31, 2026

Disk images for every system.

• Create Disk for every system: D64/D71/D81, ADF, ATR, ST, SSD/DSD, MSX and CPC DSK, TRD, PC IMG and ProDOS
• A new Create Disk sheet with all systems, formats, sizes and volume-name checks
• A progress bar while disks are created
• Atari ST medium (640x200) and high (640x400) resolution

• VIC-20 Hi-Res: no more stray dots in flat areas
• Commodore disks: correct file names and much better use of disk space
• Disks now contain every selected picture, not just one
• Amiga disks with several pictures, long Amstrad CPC files and Atari ST high resolution no longer fail
• Apple IIgs 3200-color pictures on ProDOS disks are recognised by other viewers

Update

January 30, 2026

PETSCII for the Commodore 64.

• C64 PETSCII mode: pictures made of 40x25 characters, saved as a program that shows the picture

• PC text modes: ANSI files now display correctly in ANSI art viewers
• The retro themes now use their proper fonts

Version 3.4

January 29, 2026

BBC Micro.

• BBC Micro: Modes 0, 1, 2, 4 and 5 with the 8-color palette

Version 3.3

January 29, 2026

Atari 800.

• Atari 800: Graphics 8, 9, 10, 11 and 15 with the 128-color palette

Version 3.2

January 29, 2026

MSX and IBM PC.

• MSX: Screen 2, 5 and 8
• IBM PC: CGA, EGA, EGA 64, VGA and two ANSI text modes
• Hue color matching, for pictures with saturated colors
• More dithers and a Lowpass filter for the Apple IIgs

• CGA PCX files are written correctly

Version 3.1

January 29, 2026

Amiga.

• Amiga 500 (32 colors and HAM6) and Amiga 1200 (256 colors and HAM8), saved as IFF pictures

Version 3.0

January 29, 2026

Four new machines and a new layout.

• ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore Plus/4 and Atari ST

• The systems moved to a bar across the top of the window, with larger icons
• A new info panel shows facts about the picture and the result

Version 2.9

January 29, 2026

VIC-20.

• VIC-20: Hi-Res and Low-Res

• SWAHE contrast is about 40 times faster

Version 2.8

January 28, 2026

Commodore 64.

• Commodore 64: Hi-Res (Art Studio) and Multicolor (Koala Painter)
• A System menu with keyboard shortcuts
• Dithering, contrast, filters, color matching, pixel merge, saturation and gamma for the C64

Version 2.7

January 25, 2026

Filters and a better palette editor.

• Preprocessing filters for the Apple IIgs: Median, Sharpen, Sigma, Solarize, Emboss and Find Edges
• Palette editor: undo and redo, and copy and paste whole palettes
• Help explains every filter; Help > Visit GitHub Page

• 640x200 pictures are no longer shown stretched in the preview

Version 2.2

January 24, 2026

Preview tools.

• Palette editor for the Apple IIgs, in its own window
• H-Flip, V-Flip and a histogram with red, green, blue and brightness channels

• A crash when choosing the 320x200 mode