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$VER: RGFX.doc 1.2 (7.12.97)
IFF-RGFX: A new, extended graphics file format for
AGA and RTG capable Amigas
Author: Andreas R. Kleinert
Date: V1.0 16 Nov 1997 (16.11.1997)
V1.1 26 Nov 1997 (26.11.1997)
V1.2 07 Dec 1997 (07.12.1997)
Contact: Andreas_Kleinert@t-online.de
Credits: Peter Bornhall, Marcel Offermans, Achim Stegemann
Preface
-------
Since some time there's need for either an extension
or a complete rework of the IFF-ILBM file format: one can't
store chunky graphics and storing more than 256 colors
only is possible in a very unusual manner.
All that does slow down usage on graphics card-equipped
systems very much.
And IFF-ILBM's compression is not very efficient, too.
IFF-RGB8, IFF-DEEP and IFF-YUVN aren't good alternatives,
since they're mainly designed for 24 Bit images and/or make
use of uncommon compression algorithms and/or color spaces.
A first step to pass this by was SuperView's internal
graphics file format called "SVG" (SuperView Graphics),
but it was not an IFF file format and somewhat proprietary
in other terms, too.
I've now decided to design a new file format that unifies
the following enhancements over IFF-ILBM and the others:
- a real, open IFF file format
- fully documented
- easily extendable
- currently supports:
- planar graphics upto 8 Bit
- chunky graphics upto 8 Bit
- 24 Bit graphics as RGB triples
- allows to save these as either:
- uncompressed
- compressed with any available XPK-Packer
This gives the following advantages:
- you can easily (and quickly!) write raw
chunky and RGB graphics without having to
implement compression algorithms like CmpByteRun1
- nevertheless you can use any compression
algorithm you like - if there a really new,
efficient ones available, you don't need
to wait for an extension of the file format
AND your prefered image processing program;
no, you simply select the corresponding
XPK packer and everything is done 'automagically'
Last not least:
- as you may know, the XPK package now is GNU software and
it's now somewhat more platform-independent than it was
some years ago
- allows to store separate viewmode information
for all the three gfx/RTG systems, as there
are:
- AGA
- CyberGraphX
- Picasso96
This enables you to specify screenmode settings
for several destination systems as well as a common
default behaviour (AGA screenmode).
- displays really fast on RTG systems
when using a chunky or RTG storage format.
No more waiting for 8 or 24 Bit c2p conversion !
- easily can be stored into and exchanged through
the clipboard, since it's an IFF file format
- already is supported by SuperView 7.30
(library version 19.5), soon should be
supported by other programs, too
- and more...
Where can the docs be found ?
The full archive should be available on Aminet under
dev/misc/IFF-RGFX.lha
It includes a textual description of the file format
as well as a C header file, ready for use with your
programs.
Please help supporting IFF-RGFX to make Amiga graphics
support more versatile!
--
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