1. A method of converting data from an individual data element format having a bit length N into a bit plane format comprising the steps of: packing plural data elements into corresponding data words; for each pair of data words corresponding to differing data elements forming a first intermediate data word having the most significant N/2 of bits of the data elements in the pair of data words; for each pair of data words corresponding to differing data elements forming a second intermediate data word having the least significant N/2 of bits of the data elements in the pair of data words; bit shuffling said first intermediate data word forming a third intermediate data word; bit shuffling said second intermediate data word forming a fourth intermediate data word; bit shuffling said third intermediate data word forming a fifth intermediate data word; bit shuffling said fourth intermediate data word forming a sixth intermediate data word; masking said fifth intermediate data word with a first mask alternating groups of 1's and 0's of length N/4 forming a seventh intermediate data word; masking said fifth intermediate data word with a second mask opposite to said first mask forming an eighth intermediate data word; masking said sixth intermediate data word with said first forming a ninth intermediate data word; masking said sixth intermediate data word with said second mask forming a tenth intermediate data word; merging said seventh and eighth intermediate data words forming a first bit plane data word; and merging said ninth and tenth intermediate data words forming a second bit plane data word.